Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Memorial of St. Justin, martyr

(Tobit 2:9-14; Mark:12:13-17)

St. Justin Martyr would have approved Jesus’ reply to his adversaries’ question in today’s gospel.  Justin himself had to defend the Christian faith against severe critics.  He no doubt often used Jesus’ method of leaving open the possibility that the faith response is right.

Jesus never declares the temple tax legitimate or illegitimate.  He puts his questioners on the defensive with the challenge to pay to God and to Caesar their respective dues.  They will have to determine if the temple tax and whatever else becomes an issue belongs rightly to Caesar, i.e., the government.   

In his answer Jesus seems to put Caesar on the same plateau as God.  This equalization requires a comment.  Since God is the source of all that we have and are, we owe everything to Him.  We meet this debt by giving each person in our lives his or her due.  In other words, when we pay workers a just wage, we give God His recompense. When we pray, however, we treat God as an individual, not very differently than we would entreat another person.  Yet God is completely self-sufficient with no need of our prayers.  As St. Augustine observed, God is even aware of our needs before we are.  Jesus taught us to see and address God as our Father so that we might begin to understand His love for each of us.  

Monday, May 31, 2021

 The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Romans 12:9-16; Luke 1:39-56)

Superiors of religious congregations make visitations to the houses of their members.  They check for harmony by interviewing individuals.  And they assure faithfulness to the congregation’s principles by observing daily routine.  Although Mary is hardly mother superior, she does visitate Elizabeth in today’s gospel.  She wants to learn how things fare with her elderly kinswoman pregnant for the first time.. 

Elizabeth certainly greets Mary as her better.  She asks what gives her the honor of having such a distinguished guest.  Rather than act pretentiously, however, Mary recognizes that she has done nothing to deserve her blessing.  Any greatness she possesses is the work of God on her behalf.

It can be said that nothing becomes a person like recognizing the benefits that she has received from others.  In our age of self-promotion, such modesty may seem characteristic of a typical loser.  But this is only because many today take on the pretentions of self-importance.  The first reading points out a more authentic road to happiness.  Like Mary, we should “not be haughty but associate with the lowly.” 

Sunday, May 30, 2021

 

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

(Deuteronomy 4:31-34.39-40; Romans 8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20)

In the first centuries of Christianity there was much discussion about the nature of Jesus Christ. A priest named Arius did not think that Christ could be equal with God the Father. He rationalized that God has an infinite nature that could not fit into a human subject. He said it would be like trying to put a mountain into a box. The great bishop and theologian St. Athanasius refuted Arius's claim. He said that God is not like other subjects but an incomprehensible mystery. So, he concluded, we cannot deny what the Scriptures point to. God humbled himself to become human. On this feast of the Holy Trinity it will be instructive to examine the Scriptures to learn other aspects of God.

In the first reading Moses describes God as powerful. He delivered his people from a fierce and mighty nation. He tested them by denying them water in the desert.  And He worked miracles on their behalf like parting the sea in two. Of course, we believe that God created everything that exists out of nothing. Certainly, both the Son and the Holy Spirit can be credited with creation as well. But we especially imagine God the Father as the Creator.

The second reading tells of the Holy Spirit. Yes, God is holy. In him there is no blemish from sin at all. Rather his holiness transcends all things in the universe because of his infinite love, justice, and wisdom. The reading emphasizes that the Spirit makes us holy as well. As God's people, the Church stands out against a world known for greed, lust, and violence. Unfortunately, not all of us live holiness. However, the Church has many saintly people who serve as models for us. There are volunteers giving private lessons to poor children. There are the "prayer warriors" praying in Eucharistic adoration that beginning human life be respected. And there are parents who work two jobs to send their children to Catholic schools. Even if we do not do any of these things, we are better people for knowing these persons and imitating them as much as possible.

The gospel today highlights Jesus promising his disciples that he will stay with them "until the end of the world." It should be said as well that God is faithful. He does not stop helping his people even if they forget about him. Yet some think of God as someone like us. They see his love as fickle as, in many cases, is our love. It was recently reported that a couple well known for philanthropy is ending their marriage. Not surprisingly, there have been reports of infidelity surrounding the case. God's love is never present one day and absent the next. Rather, it is stabler and deeper than the water in the oceans.

When we turn to the Father or to the Son or to the Holy Spirit, we are really praying to all three. They are indivisible. However, we do not want to ignore the distinctions between the persons. We can meet this objective by doing an examination of conscience every night in this way. We pray, "Thank you, Father," remembering a blessing that we experienced during the day. Then we say, "Pardon me, Lord," to the Son who died for our sins. At the same time we mention a way in which we failed to imitate Christ. We conclude by saying, “Please, Spirit, help me” with a challenge that we anticipate tomorrow. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit form one God. How this is worked out is beyond our ability to comprehend.  Nevertheless, He is always present to hear our prayers.

Friday, May 28, 2021

 Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 44:1.9-13; Mark 11:11-26)

Today’s reading from Sirach gave rise to one of the most celebrated books in American literature.  The title, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, comes from the first verse of the reading.  But the author, James Agee, does not tell of any recognizable heroes.  Rather he and the photographer, Walker Evans, focus on the good, poor people who struggled to survive during the Great Depression.

Sirach also dedicates a few lines to the just people who believe in God and live according to His law.  They take care of their families who will remember them at least for a few generations.  After that, their lives will only be known to God who will love them for all eternity.

Often we are tempted to do something “cool.”  We want to stand out among people for being different.  We must resist the urge of vanity although we should not hesitate to help others and give glory to God.  In any case, we want to adhere to God’s law and trust that God will give us all we need for happiness.

Thursday, May 27, 2021

 Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 42:15-25; Mark 10:46-52)

Faith has been called another way of seeing.  It looks beyond the physical to spiritual realities that surround us.  It recognizes that the true goals of life are not the comfort and pleasure of luxury but the joy and peace of God’s kingdom.  It also sees the Church as helping attain these goals.  Today’s gospel conveys this message.

When Bartimaeus asks Jesus for sight, he no doubt wants to see colors and shapes like everyone else.  Jesus grants him this ability and adds the vocation of following him.  With that gift Bartimaeus does not go his own way but joins the community of disciples on the way to eternal life.

We may possess a lot, but we are still like Bartimaeus in that we have needs.  Whether it is finding a job or putting up with problematic people, we call out to the Lord, “Help.”  We should not be surprised that whatever he grants us, an increase of faith is included.  In time it will likely become more precious than what we asked for.

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, priest

(Sirach 36:1.4-5a.10-17; Mark 10:32-45)

St. Philip Neri exuded joy.  During the time of carnival, what we call “Mardi Gras,” Philip would have a good time.  But his frolicking was unlike the shameful foolery of many locals.  His fun would be compatible with gratefulness to the Lord.  Unsinkable joy, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, distinguished Philip Neri from most people.  It contrasts him with James and John in today’s gospel.

The sons of Zebedee are portrayed as shamelessly ambitious.  They try to manipulate Jesus into promising the highest places in heaven.  Jesus, however, sniffs out their plan.  He promises that they will suffer for the kingdom but, at this point at least, refuses to guarantee anything more.

Faithful Christians should be joyful, deeply and frequently.  We have been made sisters and brothers to Jesus with eternal life as our heritage.  We also will find joy a powerful antidote to the cynicism and misery that surrounds us.

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

 Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 35:1-12; Mark 10:38-31)

The Book of Sirach has been called ‘Ecclesiasticus,” which means the Church’s book.  For centuries it was read in church for the many moral guides that it gives.  Today’s reading provides a taste of its teaching.  It encourages its readers to pay tithes to the assembly (in Christian times, read “church”) joyfully. 

However, the text rejects greed.  The reader is told that if he or she tries to bribe the Lord, the money would not be accepted.  A bribe would specify a condition for making an offering, a “tit-for-tat.”  No, people should give freely to the needy, be they poor people or the church, and expect nothing more than God’s love.  Those with true faith realize that God’s love is more than enough payment.

Although sometimes we think of ourselves as individualists, we need one another.  We certainly need the Church as well.  The Church corrects misconceptions about God and encourages us to keep praying.  Its existence depends on the material support of its members.  It may not be necessary to tithe or pay a tenth of our income to the Church.  But in justice we owe its upkeep so that it can provide needed services.

Monday, May 24, 2021

 Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

(Acts 1:12-14; John 19:25-34)

Pope Francis introduced today’s celebration just three years ago.  Obviously, he wanted to emphasize the association of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with the church Jesus founded.  Both Scripture readings attest to this.

The first reading pictures the eleven apostles of Jesus remaining after Jesus’ Ascension along with his mother. It implies that Mary was present when the Spirit descended upon the disciples to set the Church in motion.  The gospel shows Mary at the foot of the cross with the beloved disciple and other women.  Jesus then hands over his Holy Spirit to his faithful followers – a mini-Pentecost.

The Holy Father insists on the key role of Mary in the Church.  She does not merely give Christ a human nature.  Even more significantly, Mary’s presence at the death of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit indicates her role in the project he initiated.  She epitomizes the caring outreach of the Church and assures the central place of women in its makeup.

Sunday, May 23, 2021

 Pentecost Sunday

(Acts 2: 1-11; Galatians 5: 16-25; John 15: 16-17.16: 12-15)

Spring ends today. It doesn't matter that we're still in the middle of May. Nor is it relevant that Argentines, Australians, and South Africans are in mid-autumn. Spring is ending now because it is the last day of Easter. The risen Christ, the source of new life, fulfills his Father's project by sending the Holy Spirit. From tomorrow on we have to fulfill the purpose of our lives under the heat of the sun. That is, we have to serve the Lord in the bustle of the world so that we can reach our eternal destiny.

You can think of the Holy Spirit as a spring shower that prepares the land to bear fruit. In the first reading the Spirit equips the disciples to fulfill the task of preaching the gospel. It is the same grace that infuses our souls to bring our families to know the Lord Jesus. As we celebrate the coming of the Spirit to bring about the Church today, let us consider how his grace has touched her. In the Acts of the Apostles four characteristics of the early Church stand out. They are not the marks of being one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, but more palpable traits. The Church has been known from the beginning for  its liturgy, service, community, and the proclamation of the gospel.

The Spirit calls the Church to pray as a united people. The Acts of the Apostles says of the early church community: "They went daily to the Temple with great enthusiasm and with the same spirit and" shared bread "in their homes ..." (The "sharing of bread" probably refers to the Eucharist.) We continue meeting every week at Mass to pay homage to God and ask for His help. We should not excuse ourselves from these meetings without serious reason. Nor should we attend mass as if it were a television program. We want to participate in the dialogue with God as much as possible.

By the Spirit we are also moved to render service to others. Today the possibilities of service, now called "ministries," are enormous. Some of us read at mass; others bring Holy Communion to shut-ins; still others take care of the children while their parents attend mass. We have seen new ministries spring up during the pandemic. Even the volunteers disinfecting the pews after Mass have rendered a significant service.

More impressive still, the church of the apostles highlighted relationships of kindness and charity. The members sold their belongings and submitted the proceeds for the good of all. They lived as brothers and sisters even though they had only known each other for a short time. Today members of the faith community should be able to count on one another as persons of values. Not just any values but those ​​of putting God before self and charity before self-interest. In a world where many want to be "cool" and detached, the Church should be the place where we make sacrifices for the good of others.

Pope Saint Paul VI wrote that the Church exists to evangelize; that is, to preach Jesus Christ. He added that this mission is not only for priests and religious but for all the members of the body. We all have to show the world that by following the ways of the Lord Jesus, we will form a more just society. Some will say that it is no longer acceptable to speak of God in public. We will answer that Christian virtues can always be demonstrated. We also want to add: how could we remain silent about the reason for our existence?

The Acts of the Apostles tells of a group of followers of Christ who never heard of the Holy Spirit. Scholars ask: who can these people be? Their question is not important.  The real concern is that some in the Church today have not experienced the effects of the Spirit. It is like going from the cold of winter to the heat of summer without passing the freshness of spring. However, the Holy Spirit has arrived today to refresh our community. Its purpose is to render it more like the risen Christ, the source of life.

Friday, May 21, 2021

 Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Acts 25:13b-21; John 21:15-19)

A Catholic biblical scholar wrote a book entitled Jesus and Paul: Parallel Lives.  According to the author, the two had more in common than one being the prodigious proclaimer of the other.  We can find one of the parallels between Jesus and Paul in today’s first reading.

In Luke’s gospel Jesus’ case presented a dilemma for Pontius Pilate.  The Roman procurator knew Jesus was innocent of any crime against the state.  But he did not want to offend the Jewish leaders who brought Jesus to him for execution.  When he heard that the Jewish king Herod Antipas was in Jerusalem, Pilate imagined a way out of his difficulty.  He referred the case to Herod for adjudication.  The king, however, recognizing Jesus’ innocence, sent him back to Pilate. 

A generation later, the Roman procurator is a man named Porcius Festus.  He has to deal with Paul who was brought to him much like Jesus to Pilate.  Because Festus is undecided about Paul’s innocence, he invites the Jewish king Herod Agrippa II to hear his story.  Like his ancestor determined of Jesus, Herod Agrippa finds Paul innocent.  Festus, however, finds another way to avoid making a final judgment.  Since Paul, a Roman citizen, has asked to be tried by the emperor, Festus sends him to Rome for judgment.

We too can live parallel lives to Jesus’.  He lived as a simple person like most of us.  When we are patient in suffering, always loving and serving others, and intent on our relationship with God, we become like Jesus. Like him, as well, we can look forward to eternal life.

Thursday, May 20, 2021

 Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 22:30.23:6-11; John 17:20-26)

Indwelling names how the Father inhabits the Son and how the Son inhabits his disciples.  Indwelling enables Jesus to inculcate the Father’s love in his disciples.  By indwelling we can inculcate, at least to a degree, the same love in the world.  We can think of indwelling as forming us.  Like a bowl is formed from clay to hold water, we are formed to hold God’s love. 

In today’s gospel Jesus prays that we may be so formed.  It is possible to reject God’s grace because it will require sacrifices.  We can think of these rejecters as those who no longer correspond with loved ones when the loved one become hard of hearing or deficient in memory. 

God’s indwelling will make us more sensitive to people when their needs grow.  Formed as receptacles of God’s love, we find treasure in helping the needy.  It may give us the peace of remembering past blessings or the satisfaction of treading the moral high ground.  In any case, when we help the needy, we are united with the Father and the Son.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

 Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11b-19)

Every day the news reports hatred, violence, and misery.  Covid rages in India.  Palestinians are revolting in Israel.  It has been reported that child abuse increased over the last year because children were not attending school where its effects could be detected.  All these events counter indicate “the truth” of which Jesus speaks in today’s gospel.

“God so loved the world…” relates the truth that Jesus not only proclaimed but embodied.  Ready to return to his Father, Jesus prays that his disciples likewise live and proclaim it. They will be challenged.  Jesus will undergo cruel punishment and will be apparently defeated.  Peter for a while will even succumb to the lie that Jesus does not matter.  As they have had Jesus in their midst, the disciples now need his Holy Spirit.  The Spirit will consecrate them in the service of the Father’s love.

Perhaps we need the Spirit even more so today.  It is evident that the world still abounds in greed, pride, and lust.  Despite this need, people seem to care less about God than about lottery numbers.  Nevertheless, we can count on Jesus praying for us because we too have discipled with him.  His prayers will allow us to heed, practice, and proclaim his Father’s love.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

 Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 20:17-27; John 17:1-11a)

Both today’s first reading and gospel involve farewell discourses.  However, they have very different tones. In the reading from Acts Paul tells the presbyters from Ephesus that he is compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem.  There he expects imprisonment and hardships.  Paul seems to intimate that, like Jesus, he is being called to suffer for the good of his people, the Jews.  Perhaps he feels called to make of himself a sacrifice so that the Jews, who refused to convert in masse with Jesus’ crucifixion, may finally do so with his offering.

Jesus’ prayer closes his final discourse to his disciples.  He knows the hour of his paschal transition has come and prays that its purpose be fulfilled.  In John’s gospel Jesus does not express foreboding about his death because he foresees the ordeal ending in glory.

The Spirit has given both Paul and Jesus its gift of courage to do the will of the Father.  Paul should not be faulted if he feels anxious.  Jesus should not be considered brazen for having complete confidence.  Both are following the Spirit’s lead.  At times we will be like Paul in anticipating landmines in the road ahead.  Hopefully, experience will teach us to trust as Jesus does in his prayer to his Father.  But let us always accept the courage that the Spirit offers to do the Father’s will.

Monday, May 17, 2021

 Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 19:1-8; John 16:29-33)

Unlike the disciples in Ephesus we have all heard of the Holy Spirit.  But few of us may be aware of the Vigil of Pentecost when the Church prays fervently for the coming of the Spirit.  Vigils themselves puzzle many.  Technically they are not just the evening before a Sunday or a solemnity.  Vigils have a unique set of readings and presume that participants will return the next day for the celebration of the feast.  All of us know of the Easter Vigil and, perhaps, the Vigil of Christmas.  The Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist also has a proper vigil as does the Ascension, St. Peter and St. Paul, and the Assumption.

When the disciples in Ephesus receive the Holy Spirit, they begin to speak in strange ways and also give testimony to the Lord.  We should hope for no less after preparing to receive the Spirit on the Vigil of Pentecost.  We may not speak “in tongues,” but we should boldly attest to the Lord’s love for us and for everyone. 

How might we provide such testimony?  A preacher once told of the love in his family while he was growing up.  He said that there was such harmony in his home that when his father returned home from work, he would dance with his mother in their living room.  The two, father and mother, in turn showered love on their three children.  The preacher began to cry.  We could add that the love shared by this preacher’s family is but a shadow of God’s love for us.

 

Sunday, May 16, 2021

 THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

(Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 4: 1-13; Mark 16: 15-20)

A year ago there were many demonstrations after the murder of George Floyd. In the midst of the uproar, the police chief of a southern city challenged the public. He asked: when will they show concern about the homicides that occur in their own neighborhoods? The chief, an African American, had in mind the hundreds of families in the city that each year lose a member to violence. Unfortunately, we often get excited about political issues such as demonstrations while ignoring the everyday ones. The disciples of Jesus make this kind of mistake in the first reading.

Jesus is leaving his disciples to join God, his Father. From heaven he will send the Holy Spirit to enable them to relate his message to the world. However, instead of focusing on this challenging task, the disciples ask about politics. They say, "Lord, are you now going to reestablish the sovereignty of Israel?" They have in mind the kingdom of David which included the land of Israel and the surrounding territories. Their concern pales, at least in the long run, in comparison to what Jesus proposes to them.

Jesus has sown the seeds of a project that will cover the entire world. He preached the Kingdom of God by announcing God’s love and forgiveness. Then he irrigated the project with his blood so that it would take root in his disciples. Now after his resurrection he sends his disciples to spread the message to the corners of the earth. They are to proclaim Jesus himself, the incarnate mercy of God, whose death made up for everyone's sins.

Now Jesus ascends to heaven. He leaves the missionaries with eyes fixed on the clouds. They may be wondering: how are we going to accomplish the mission without the teacher's guidance? But it was precisely to help them with the mission that Jesus ascended. The ascension of Jesus serves three purposes. First, it places him on the right hand of God the Father where he has the power to accomplish wonders. The gospel tells of these when it says that his apostles will speak new tongues, hold snakes in their hands, drink poisons, and heal the sick. Second, from his position on high he will send the Holy Spirit. The apostles will be ignited to preach the gospel in season and out of season. Without the Spirit, their evangelization will not last as long.  It will be like dancing without music. Third, Jesus is going to open a space for the human body where there were only spiritual whiffs. With this physical space as their destination in death, the missionaries will be motivated to carry out their task.

The second reading shows Paul preaching Christ from prison. Because he cannot be seen in public, he delivers the message of salvation by letter. Paul gives us an example of what we have to do. It is necessary to evangelize, but not all will preach from the pulpit. Some, even the majority, preach by their acts of charity. One person makes sandwiches to take to the homeless. Another prays the rosary in front of the abortion clinic. Another places flowers in church to create a peaceful retreat for missionaries. Another shows affection for a problem child. Everyone has a role in the project, each according to his or her ability.

Some still ask: Why don't we celebrate the Ascension on the fortieth day after the resurrection as the first reading indicates? But exactly what does the first reading say: that Jesus ascended on the fortieth day or that he was among his disciples for about forty days? The forty days are just a way for the author of the Acts of the Apostles to indicate that the disciples had a fair amount of time to know the risen Lord. Anyway, it is not worth worrying about. We want to focus on the mission that Jesus left to us as well as to the rest of his followers. We are to announce his love and forgiveness from our neighborhoods to the corners of the world. We are to announce his love and forgiveness.

Friday, May 14, 2021

 Feast of St. Matthias, apostle

(Acts 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17)

To hear evolutionists talk about development, one will conclude that everything happens by chance.  Yes, they admit some natural laws that matters must follow.  Still given all the possibilities, they assert that the end product (however so much there is an end), is determined by chance.  With this conclusion they are refuted by Scripture.

In today’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples that they have not chosen him.  Rather, he has chosen them.  The gospel narratives relate as much.  There is the “call of Matthew” and the “call of Peter and Andrew,” etc.  Today’s reading from Acts shows how Matthias was called to replace Judas, the traitor.  The people select two worthy men and pray for the Lord’s guidance.   Then they cast lots.  Is this not chance? we might ask.  Evidently the disciples did not think so or they would not have prayed.

We too have been chosen.  Although it may seem that we are Catholic Christians by chance, God has always wanted us to be so.  Then it is not by chance that we were baptized into a Catholic family or that we met someone who convinced us of the rightness of Catholicism.  Christ has chosen us to follow him – to love as he loved and to have eternal life.

Thursday, May 13, 2021

 Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 18:1-8; John 16:16-20)

Many people today would join the Catholic Church if it weren’t for a living parent.  They do not want to disappoint the mother or father who devoutly worships in another church.  They themselves, raised in the other church, know that its value includes harboring virtuous members.  Today’s first reading tells of St. Paul effort to convert such people reluctant to cause hurt in the family.

Of course, the reading does not give the reason that Jews in Corinth do not accept Paul’s teaching about Jesus.  Some of them might be scandalized by Jesus being executed for a capital crime.  Still, it is likely that many do not want to break with the tradition of their ancestors who waited for a military Messiah.  Paul sounds much too brusque when he condemns their obtuseness, “’Your blood be on your heads!’”

The clarity with which we see Jesus properly worshipped in the Catholic tradition is not obvious to everyone.  We should be very slow to condemn others for not joining the Church.  But we should not surrender hope that they may convert.  By our testifying to the Church’s authenticity with righteous lives, we may be surprised to see how others respond.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15)

In his First Letter to the Corinthians St. Paul writes of how from the beginning he intended to preach Christ crucified in Corinth.  He says that he never employed worldly wisdom in his preaching.  Rather he was determined to tell them of God’s love in sending His Son to die so that they might have eternal life.  This tact was instigated by Paul’s bitter experience related in today’s reading from Acts.

In the passage Paul tries to engage the Athenians in rational discourse.  He begins by noting the place in the Greek pantheon of “an Unknown God.”  He proceeds to claim that this God is the uncreated Creator of all things whom Israel worships.  He concludes by mentioning God chose Jesus as His judge of the world by raising him from the dead.  His listeners, however, brush him off with what amounts to saying that his ideas are “interesting.”  Paul has had enough with logic.  From Athens he will proceed to Corinth where he will use a completely different approach in preaching Christ.

We will find ourselves at times in a situation similar to Paul’s in Athens.  We may be tempted to convince others of the logic of our Catholic faith.  If so, we probably will find them resisting our efforts.  We will be wiser to state our fundamental convictions and show their validity by our virtue and joy.

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:11-15; John 16:5-11)

Today’s first reading may provide a model for understanding its notoriously difficult gospel.  St. Paul and Silas are released from their chains by an unexplained earthquake.  Since the Holy Spirit is the prime mover throughout Acts, we should consider Him the real shaker of the earth.  This event will lead to the vindication of the Christian preachers and the condemnation of their persecutors.

The Holy Spirit Advocate acts like a wise master who will convince his students that the world is wrong.  Because the world was wrong in abusing and imprisoning Paul and Silas, the Spirit has set them free.  Because it was wrong about Jesus’ righteousness, the jailkeeper now wants to follow him.  Finally, because the world was wrong in condemning Jesus, the Holy Spirit is converting the whole world from Satan’s darkness.

Satan, the “prince of the world,” tries to win us to his side.  He will tempt us to doubt the validity of such fundamentals as the Son’s incarnation and his resurrection from the dead.  Likewise, he wants us to believe that the sexual mores of the Church need an overhaul.  We must resist these allurements by keeping faith in the Church’s teachings. 

Monday, May 10, 2021

 Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:11-15; John 15:26-16:4a)

Today’s first reading relates a milestone event in Christianity.  The gospel arrives in Europe, at least in the purview of the New Testament.  Paul and companions have crossed the Hellespont from what is now Turkey to Greece.  But before Paul directs his mission primarily to pagans, he looks for Jews who might be interested in hearing his message.

It does not take long to find them.  A group of women who are Jews or Jewish aspirants gather by the river where they can practice purification rituals.  They readily accept Paul’s teaching and are baptized in the same purifying water.  One woman, Lydia, stands out among the rest.  She is evidently a successful businesswoman and not shy to converse with the learned evangelist.  Perhaps to ascertain more about Jesus and the Christian community, Lydia insists that Paul and company stay at her house.

We are told today that our culture has to be re-evangelized.  Just because people have been baptized (and sometimes even go to church) does not mean that they live the faith.  We should not hesitate to tell others of how our faith in Jesus has affected our lives.  Nor should we leave out how the sacraments have given us a sense of his spiritual presence.

Sunday, May 9, 2021

 SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

(Acts 10:25-26.34-35.44-48; I John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17)

These days not only young men say to their girlfriends, "I love you." Mothers say it to their children and spouses to each other.  Even friends and family frequently repeat it to each other. The words bring a sense of peace and well-being. Yes, the phrase can be overused so that it becomes trivialized. Even still it provides a mode of satisfaction.

Certainly the love between a couple married for twenty years or the love of parents for their children differs from profane love. Profane love is associated with greed. The person who loves profanely has his own good in mind, not that of the beloved. This is certainly the case when the person says, "I love chocolate" or, "I love New York." Greedy love is also indicated when speaking of "making love." What matters to the person who "makes love" is the pleasure that he receives. He ignores the fact that the act is vicious and may ruin at least the soul of the other.

In the second reading, the presbyter John makes the intriguing comment that "God is love." He means that because God created the universe to share the good of his being, true love is the willingness to give oneself for the good of the other. When Jesus commands in the gospel today that we love one another, he has this kind of love in mind. You see this love in adults taking care of their parents. During lockdown we heard many stories of people taking care of all the tasks of their elderly parents so that they would not be exposed to the virus.

What prevents this love of Christ is the self. We worry that if we engage in service for the other, we will lose something precious to us. The loss could be outings for recreation, the comfort of having one’s time off work for oneself, or the peace of mind when we get involved in other people's problems. But there is something else at stake here. The self always wants more. The inner desire for attention and admiration is never satisfied. Instead of trying to satisfy this voracious appetite, we should be mindful of the duty of Christians according to Pope Saint John Paul II.  He said that first we must accept the love of God for us as individual persons. Convinced of His love, we will do everything necessary to unite ourselves with Him. As Jesus never tires of telling us in this Gospel of John, we have to love one another to have eternal life.

Father Henri Nouwen was perhaps the most renowned writer on Christian spirituality of the second half of the last century. He wrote many books on how to get closer to God. His last writings focused on the community of disabled person in which he lived. He said that the disabled person that he helped every day taught him an essential truth about life.  That truth is that one’s mind does not make the person an image of God, but it is the heart that leaves concern with self behind to give oneself to the other in love. Then we can say that if we are going to live according to the nobility of our being, we have to love like Christ.

Today is Mother's Day. We toast our mothers first for giving us birth. In this age of abortion, carrying a baby to term can represent a great sacrifice. But even more we celebrate our mothers today for giving themselves to us in love for all of our lives. This is the kind of love that Jesus wants us to give to one another. We are not going to do it with the same dedication and intensity that we have for our mothers. Nevertheless, we are going to show the willingness to sacrifice ourselves for others. It is what Jesus did for us and what he asks us to do for others.

Friday, May 7, 2021

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:22-31; John 15:12-17)

In one of Shakespeare’s greatest speeches King Henry V rallies the English army against the numerous French.  The king calls his men “brothers” so that they will stand with him in the fight.  After they win the battle, however, Henry retreats from the metaphor.  The soldiers are no longer “brothers.”  In today’s gospel Jesus calls his disciples not “brothers” but “friends.”  Unlike Henry, he will not take back that relationship.

The word “friends” may make some people think that the relationship between Jesus and his disciples is shallow.  After all, some people have thousands of “friends” on Facebook.  But assuredly that is not Jesus’ intention here. St. Thomas Aquinas sees “friends” as “other selves” as Aristotle defines the term.  Jesus’ friends not only know all about him but also are enriched by his insights into and affection for them.

We too share Jesus’ friendship if we obey his commandments.  As he says many times, his commandments boil down to a sincere love for one another.  Our friendship with Jesus results also in our sharing his destiny.  We become heirs of his eternal life.

Thursday, May 6, 2021

 Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:7-21; John 15:9-11)

In today’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples to keep his commandments.  In this way, he says, his joy will be in them.  The joy that he is referring to is the exultation of completing his mission and experiencing the resurrection.  To appreciate the wonder of this joy, it is helpful to compare it with pleasure, its counterfeit.

Many seek pleasure and count it as happiness.  But joy is a much better approximation of the happiness people desire deep within.  Pleasure is superficial.  It is a phenomenon of the sensual faculties that lasts a moment and then clamors for more sensation.  Joy, on the other hand, is spiritual satisfaction that pervades one’s being. Gained only with effort, it lasts a long time and gives continual consolation.

Jesus’ promise to share with us his joy implies that we follow him.  In all likelihood, our discipleship will not cost us our lives.  But it will entail our sacrifice of self in love.  This is a meager cost for the exultation that his joy brings.

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:1-6; John 15:1-8)

A second-century layman named Marcion taught that Christians did not need the Old Testament.  For him the God of the Old Testament was fierce and distinct from the loving Father of Jesus Christ.  If Marcion had been in charge when Paul was converting gentiles, Paul might not have needed to go to Jerusalem in today’s first reading.

But Paul would certainly have rejected Marcion’s theology.  He would have acknowledged the continuity between the Old Testament and the New.  He certainly saw Christ as the fulfillment of the promise God made to the Jews since Abraham.  This truth, however, did not resolve the most pressing issue in the first century Church: did a male Gentile have to be circumcised before he could be incorporated into Christ.  If he had to be circumcised, the thrust of preaching Christ to the Gentiles, would have been almost surely thwarted.  But Paul was not looking for an easy way to convert Gentiles.  He always insisted on practicing “the truth of the gospel.”

The text says that the apostles and “the presbyters of the Jerusalem community met together” to resolve the matter.  It could not be decided by the fiat of one person but necessitated the injunction of the Holy Spirit.  Knotty issues of our time need the same kind of deliberation and prayer.  Should the Church deny Holy Communion to politicians who defy its explicit teaching on abortion?  Should the Church accept married men for ordination to the priesthood where there is an acute shortage of priests?  How might the Church allow women into positions of governance?  These are the kind of concerns that requires intensive solicitation of the Holy Spirit. 

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

 Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

 (Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

 Abraham Lincoln steered the United States through its most perilous moment.  He is often considered strong as a bull and clear-sighted as an eagle.  In truth he suffered from severe depression that made him consider suicide.  But he refused to allow himself that way out.  He rebounded from his melancholy to think himself through personal difficulties and to give due attention to the great challenge of his time.  In the first reading today we see Paul responding to a crisis with similar resiliency.

 Paul deeply wants his fellow Jews to believe in Jesus.  He knows that they will find salvation only through him.  He preaches Jesus’ lordship in the synagogues of Asia Minor, but the assemblies continually reject his message.  In today’s reading from Acts he is beaten and left for dead by the Jews in the town of Lystra.  But Paul rises from the setback to redirect his message.  If he cannot convince the Jews of Jesus, he surmises that the pagans may heed him.  Then, he will reason later, the Jews might convert from a sense of missing out on something glorious.

 We too may feel defeated at times.  Perhaps our friends don’t believe in Jesus or are at best lukewarm about their faith.  Still to us Jesus not only is our destiny but our joy in attaining it.  We must not lose heart.  Rather we can find in Jesus the wisdom and strength to overcome the indifference of friends.  Also, we will meet others with similar experiences and convictions as ours to support us along the way.

Monday, May 3, 2021

 

Feast of Saint Philip and Saint James, apostles

(I Corinthians 15:1-8; John 14:6-14)

 In today’s gospel Philip asks Jesus to show him and the other apostles “the Father.”  He does not understand that Jesus has done this since the moment they met.  His mistake is mirrored in all the confusion about the two apostles we celebrate today.

At times Philip has been misidentified with the Philip of the primitive Christian community who was appointed to take care of the Greek-speaking widows.  Philip, the apostle, was a Hebrew from Bethsaida who is mentioned a number of times in the Gospel of John.  James, sometimes called “the Less,” is distinguished from James “the Greater,” the fiery son of Zebedee.  This distinction, however, is not the one that causes difficulty.  James “the Less” is also the son of Alpheus of whom almost nothing is said in the New Testament.  He is confused with James, “the brother of the Lord.”  This James, who may be a half-brother or a cousin of Jesus, plays a prominent part in the Jerusalem community.  It is probably this latter James to whom Paul is referring in today’s first reading.

Not much is known about Philip, James, or – for that matter – any of the apostles besides Peter.  But this does not mean they were not important.  Tradition indicates that all the apostles died as martyrs.  (The Beloved Disciple, whom John’s Gospel indicates will not be martyred, was probably not one of the twelve apostles.)  They also formed the group that Jesus chose as the foundation of his Church.  They had the solemn duty to testify to him in an often hostile world.