Thursday, July 1, 2021

Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you .

 

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 22:1b-19; Matthew 9:1-8)

A few years ago Pope Francis expressed the need to change one of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer.  He said that God would never “lead (anyone) into temptation.”  He felt that a better wording for the petition would be, “…do not let us fall into temptation.”  The pope’s idea was criticized.  Biblical scholars insisted that the Greek words really do say “lead us not into temptation.”  Traditionalists opposed the change just because it was a change.  In light of this controversy, it can be asked of today’s first reading:  Is not Abraham being led into temptation when he is told to sacrifice his son?

Abraham, however, may not believe that God is really going to allow him to go through with the human sacrifice.  When Isaac asks, “’…where is the sheep for the burnt offering?’” Abraham tells him that God will provide.  After all, Abraham knows that God has always shown Himself as just and beneficent.  In the end Abraham is proved correct.  God has only tested him to see if he is obedient.

God may test us as well.  He may call a child to Himself which would cause the child’s parents extreme distress.  The parents may want to curse God and turn bitter toward their neighbors. We pray that this never happens to us.  We pray every day, “Do not lead us into temptation.” 

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

 

Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Genesis 21:5.8-20a; Matthew 8:28-34)

Even Pope Francis cites the Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book The Cost of Discipleship. It treats of the difficulties Christians are called to bear.  Of course, the benefits of discipleship more than outweigh its burdens.  Nevertheless, Christians must be ready pay a price when they commit themselves to Christ. Today’s gospel tells of people unwilling to do that. 

Jesus has just cleared the area of the Gadarenes of a threat.  He cast out the demons moving two men to menace the populace.  Jesus allowed the demons to enter a herd of swine that went berserk and plunged into the sea.  The swine were lost, and the town that much impoverished.  The townspeople react to the feat by asking Jesus to leave their territory.  Instead of following such a powerful man as Jesus, they want to rid themselves of him.  They are not willing even to consider the “cost of discipleship.”

We all have to bear suffering, but no one has to do it alone.  We can turn to Jesus for help.  He will make some demands on us which are included in the “cost of discipleship.”  But we should not doubt that we will accrue more happiness with his support.

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

 Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you personally.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

 (Acts 12:1-11; II Timothy 4:6-8.17-18)

 One of the most interesting tours available in Rome is a visit to the scavi (i.e., diggings) behind St. Peter’s Basilica.  Partakers descend not only below the earth but through time learning on the way both Church and Roman history.  The climax of the journey is a little vault directly beneath the main altar of the basilica.  There the bones of the chief apostle are believed to lie.  No one can verify that the remains at one time belonged to St. Peter, but a strong argument can be made for it.

 We can be sure that Peter stayed in Rome, but what he did there is uncertain.  If he was commissioned to preach the gospel to all nations, would he have spent his time overseeing the affairs of the local church?  More likely both he and Paul resided in Rome as itinerant preachers today often live in a city whose airport serves as the hub of a major airline.  Paul, in fact, wrote the Romans that his stop there would be a stepping-stone to Spain.  Nevertheless, in time the bishops directing the Church of Rome took on the task of managing apostolic endeavors the world over.

We should not forget just how good the news of the gospel is.  Added to the promise of eternal life, hearers of the gospel are invited into a community of equality, freedom, and care.  Today we celebrate the two most illustrious preachers of that gospel.  Both paid for the privilege with martyrdom.  It is an occasion for all Christians to give thanks to God.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you personally.

Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr

(Genesis 18:16-33; Matthew 8:18-20)

The name Irenaeus is derived from the Greek word meaning peace.  On at least two occasions, St. Irenaeus showed himself as irenic; that is, as a peacemaker. On behalf of his bishop, Irenaeus once carried a letter from Lyons to the pope in Rome asking leniency for Montanist heretics.  Another time he achieved reconciliation when the pope wanted to excommunicate Eastern Catholics for celebrating Easter on a different day than the Western Church.  in today’s first reading Abraham similarly acts on behalf of others.

God wants to destroy Sodom for immorality.  As the next chapter of Genesis shows, the men there are homosexual predators.  Other traditions see them as ignoring the poor.  In any case, Abraham tries to talk God out of punishing the people of the city for their crimes.  God accepts Abraham’s argument, but the men of Sodom prove to be worse than Abraham considered.

Abraham’s dialogue with the Lord attracts our attention.  He speaks to Him as a neighbor and receives from Him a favorable hearing.  We should feel no less inhibited.  God has called us to Himself as sons and daughters.  He elicits awe and deserves our praise, but these qualities do not exclude conversation.  When we talk with Him freely, we will mention our needs.  We should not be surprised at all to receive what we ask for.

Sunday, June 27, 2021

 Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you personally.

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, June 27, 2021

(Wisdom 1:13-15.2: 23-24; II Corinthians 8:7.9.13-15; Mark 5:21-43)

Almost every Wednesday people fill St. Peter's Square at ten in the morning. They come to see Pope Francis. They listen to his teaching and receive his blessing. Then they then try to take a selfie with him.  If they can get close to him, they try to touch his hand. We can think of people acting something like this with Jesus at the beginning of today's gospel.

Jesus is drawing attention to himself. He talks about the long-awaited Kingdom of God and how it gradually appears like wheat sown in the field. Then Jairus, the head of the synagogue, comes to ask for a favor. His daughter is seriously ill; wouldn't Jesus come with him to touch her? Jairo has put his faith in Jesus like the many women fighting abortion today. Just as Jairo wants his daughter to live, so these women recognize in hidden fetuses images of God that are worth saving.

On the way to Jairo's house, Jesus meets another person who puts his faith in him. A woman with hemorrhages believes that Jesus’ mere touch will heal her condition. However, she does not expect Jesus to touch her.  Rather than that, she looks for an opportunity to touch him. When it comes, she seizes it and, in fact, experiences healing. No longer will she remain hidden in the crowd.  When Jesus asks who touched him, she tells what happened. The Letter of James says that faith without works is dead. Here the woman does not fail to act on her faith. Another comparison can be made with women working to end abortion. They also act on faith, in their case to save babies lives.

Unfortunately, the women who ask pregnant mothers to give birth to their children are not always successful. Perhaps in nine out of ten cases the women’s hearts are found so distorted that they continue to procure an abortion. The valiant women trying to save babies have to believe that God will provide them with eternal life. It is one of the greatest tests of our Christian faith: to believe that God will raise the dead to eternal life. As Jesus takes the hand of the girl in the gospel to raise her from the sleep of death, on the last day he will raise those who have been faithful to him.

The first reading says that death did not originate with God but with the devil. We can expand this concept by saying that the culture of death originated with the devil. He tempted Eve and Adam with the promise of making them like gods. The result was death for them and for the rest of humanity. Today the devil tempts people with pleasure.  The results are millions of abortions, suicides, and wasted lives. Pope Saint John Paul II asked that we transform the culture of death into one of life. Our efforts will consist not only of campaigns against abortion but also of new ways of living.

First and foremost, like Jairus, we will live looking for Jesus. We will find him and really touch him in the Eucharist. With his support we can live valuing every human being from conception. As the girl receives the hand of Jesus, we will take the hands of all kinds of people in friendship. Finally, like the woman with hemorrhages, we will act on behalf of life. We will speak the truth about the culture of death and how it is for us to transform it into one of life. It is up to us to form a culture of life.

Sunday, July 4, 2021

 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY, July 4, 2021

(Ezekiel 2:2-5; II Corinthians 12:7b-10; Mark 6:1-6)

The woman feels rejected. She is president of a parish sodality responsible for various tasks. But it seems to her that she cannot count on anyone for help. Members of the sodality only give her excuses. One says she doesn't have time. Another says she is going on vacation. The woman wonders if she would have to do all the work herself. We see Jesus feeling a similar rejection in today’s gospel.

Jesus has been touching people with his words wherever he has preached. They like his way of explaining the Kingdom of God with parables. When Jesus asks them to repent, they take it seriously. But no sooner than he arrives in Nazareth, his own town, that the welcome goes sour.  Although his neighbors hear his words, they do not respond to his teachings. Rather they wonder where he got his bright ideas. They treat him like a fast-talking salesman; that is, fascinating to listen to but untrustworthy of their confidence.

Of course, Jesus is not the first prophet who has experienced the rejection of the people. In the first reading Ezekiel faces a similar predicament. The Israelites are to be defeated because they have neglected the Law. The Lord sends Ezekiel to give them one final chance. They may be saved from the Babylonian army if they submit to God's will. Ezekiel will show with symbols such as a morsel of bread and a demitasse of water that they do not have much time. But people will not listen to him.

Sometimes we wonder if something similar is not happening in our society. Today we Americans celebrate Independence Day. We thank God for the benefits that freedom brings. We have the rights to participate in the selection of our rulers, to own property, and to speak freely. However, these rights carry responsibilities that we often forget. In a current phenomenon called the "culture of cancellation", one can see the abuse of freedom of speech. The reputations and well-being of honest people are being ruined by lies and half-truths made on social media. What else is this but an advanced type of gossip that has destroyed people's good names for millennia? It is true that we have the freedom of speech, but this freedom must be linked with the responsibility to say what we believe to be true.

In the second reading Paul speaks of "a thorn stuck in (his) his flesh." Because he doesn't describe the affliction more, we have to intuit its nature. It can be a doctrinal error like the need to be circumcised to be a Christian. It may be the inability to preach well as Paul himself admits in this Second Letter to the Corinthians. Although he has prayed to the Lord to remove this test, he only receives the answer that no, it is better that he keep fighting. The Lord says that in this way the Lord will reveal his glory. Here we see the key to overcoming the sense of being rejected or canceled. We must develop our relationship with Christ to accomplish two goals. First of all, we want Christ to grant us the grace not only to speak but also to live the truth. Second, when we are persecuted for speaking the truth as best we know it, we want Christ to strengthen us.

The national anthem of the United States tells of the American flag on top of a fortress. Despite several ships unloading their cannons against the fortress through the night, the flag could be seen at dawn. The fortress remained in American hands! This story can represent our hopes when we feel rejected. By our prayers to the Lord, we hope not to be defeated by criticism. Rather, by the same prayers, we hope to go on saying and living the truth.

Friday, June 25, 2021

 Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you personally.

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 17:1-9-10.15-22; Matthew 8:1-4)

Laughter signifies joy.  Among a group of friends over food and drink people are likely to laugh.  They share odd stories and even make fun of themselves and one another.  Rather than creating embarrassment or anger, they increase the bonds of their affection.  In today’s first reading, someone is laughing.

One may wonder about Abraham falling to the ground and laughing when God assures him that he and Sarah will have a child.  It is fair to ask, is he ridiculing God for suggesting that old people can have a baby.  Perhaps, but evidently God does not take offense. God tells Abraham that his son is to be named “Isaac,” which literally means “man laughs.”  Which man laughs? Abraham who is already on the ground bursting at the seams.  Perhaps Isaac himself for all the joy he will bring his parents.  But maybe it is God who laughs thinking how limited human imagination is.  Abraham would be happy if Ismael fulfills God’s promise of making him the father of a great nation.  God, however, will make a great nation of the progeny of Abraham and his beloved wife Sarah.

Like everything else, laughter runs both ways.  It can signify genuine joy but also sinful mischievousness.  We may laugh at immodest jokes even more than guileless humor.  It is not always good to laugh, but we should laugh sometimes. We should laugh with joy to have God as our Father and Jesus, our brother.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

  Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you personally.

 

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

(Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Lucas 1:56-66.80)

St. Albert the Great has been called the greatest medieval philosopher.  He wrote not only on topics commonly thought of as philosophical but on other kinds of knowledge as well.  However great a philosopher he was, he considered his student, Thomas Aquinas, his better.  Their asymmetrical relationship is like the one between John the Baptist and Jesus.

John is born to an elderly couple in what amounts to a miraculous occurrence.  Jesus is born to a virgin which is completely outside the realm of nature.  John’s birth creates amazement among the people.  Jesus’ birth, accompanied by the angels’ announcement, moves shepherds to adore the infant. John suffers a martyr’s death but has no choice in his execution.  Jesus surrenders himself to death so that the world may have eternal life.

We give special honor to John today for his relation to Jesus.  He saluted Jesus while both were in their mother’s womb.  He preached the coming of Jesus, whom – he thought – would send fire on sinners.  Imprisoned, John questioned this understanding and investigated whether Jesus, the friend of sinners, was not the Messiah.  The Church today celebrates John’s birth as a solemnity, or solemn feast, with its own vigil – a unique distinction except for Jesus’.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

 Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you personally.

 

Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 15:1-12.17-18; Matthew 7:15-20)

Jean Vanier was often described as a living saint.  He founded a network of small communities aiding the mentally and physically disabled.  He also gave talks and wrote books on living a gospel-centered life. When his sexual abuse of several women became known after his death, many were shocked.  Is he a prophet in sheep’s clothing of whom Jesus warns in today’s gospel?

Perhaps, but like most human situations his life was complex.  No one could deny that he helped many people.  He also seemed to live very humbly.  Moreover, lust, at one time natural and despicable, has infected many prominent men.  On the other hand, Vanier knowingly manipulated at least six women in the context of giving spiritual direction.

We must judge Vanier as greatly flawed.  He did not coincide perfectly with Jesus’ example of a rotten tree because he did produce some good fruit.  We should pray that his sins be forgiven.  In doing that, however, let us also pray for his victims.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

 Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 13:2.5-18; Matthew 7:6.12-14)

In a debate before the year 2000 presidential election George W. Bush said that he was “not into nation-building.” He meant that he would not allow the United States to take responsibility for foreign countries.  When the U.S. invaded Iraq, however, he had to eat those words.  In any case, God is “into nation-building” as both readings today testify.

Abram shows qualities that are characteristic of a wise leader.  When troubles erupt between his kinsmen and those of Lot, he keeps his clan together.  He is also willing to make a strategic sacrifice of better land for assured peace.  Noting Abram’s capacity, God promises that he will be father of countless descendants.  Jesus is laying the blueprint for the Church when he tells his disciples to "enter through the narrow gate.’”  Nations do not prosper through self-indulgence.  Rather, if they are to reach exalted status, their leaders must be just and their peoples hardworking.

Perhaps we don’t want to think of ourselves as nation-builders either.  We would rather devote ourselves to providing for our families or to saving our souls.  However, if our descendants are going to be virtuous people, we have to work for a strong nation.  We have to seek the common good, shun corruption in all its forms, and urge others to do so as well.

Monday, June 21, 2021

 Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 12:1-9; Matthew 7:1-5)

Many young men today hear a call like the one Abram receives in today’s first reading.  They are moved to leave behind homeland and family to live in a new land.  They are not necessarily pious as Abram probably was not.  But they feel an invisible power beckoning them to a life more bountiful than the one they leave behind.  Thinking about Abram today, one might recall the millions of immigrants around the world.  They are searching for a better life than the poverty and often violence of their own countries.

This is the beginning of the story of God’s chosen people.  All descendants of Abram and his wife Sarai will be part of that nation.  Sarai is childless to this point. Later Genesis comments that she is very beautiful.  God has called this adventuresome man with an eye for a beautiful woman to father a special people.  Their righteousness in time will lead the world to praise Him.

Like Jews we understand Abram to be our father in faith.  His rather earthly character should remind us that God does not only call the saintly but us as well.  Like Abram also we must respond to God’s call.  This is not a once-and-for-all proposition.  Rather, it means faithfulness day-in and day-out even when it seems like an absurd venture.

Sunday, June 20, 2021

 TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY, June 20, 2021

(Job 38: 1.8-11; II Corinthians 5: 14-17; Mark 4: 35-41)

In a famous novel a young man no longer believes in a good God. He says that he cannot accept a God who would allow children to suffer. Instead of asking help from the Holy Spirit, the young man wants to “return the ticket” for church attendance. He does not deny God’s existence. He just won’t give Him any more attention. We see Jesus' disciples ready to do the same thing in the gospel today.

The disciples are in a boat in the middle of a lake when a storm arises. Their situation becomes perilous when the boat begins to take in the water. The disciples wonder if they will survive. Jesus has accompanied them, but he is sleeping. Their predicament resembles that of the first century church when Mark wrote his gospel. The storm represents the persecution that had existed from the church’s beginnings. It seemed to some Christians then that Jesus didn't care if they survived or not.

There is similar unrest within the church today. We know that marriage is a permanent alliance between a man and a woman. It has two purposes: to have children and to increase the mutual good of the couple. However, the world today accepts homosexual marriage as if it were natural. Also, it looks at sexual intimacy simply as means of pleasure. For many couples it does not matter whether the sexual act is open to procreation. Meanwhile, it seems to some as if Pope Francis wants to approve of homosexual relationships. These people ask: “Has he not said, ‘Who am I to judge?’ in cases of homosexuality. And didn't he endorse gay unions in a recent television interview? "

These charges are serious and disturbing. They result from the distortion of what the pope has said and a misunderstanding of his intentions. Like Christ, Pope Francis loves people deeply. He wants everyone - including homosexuals - to grow in human virtue. When he said, "Who am I to judge?" he was referring to priests with some homosexual tendencies but living celibacy with integrity. Likewise, the pope has never been in favor of gay unions that authorize sexual relations. Rather, he knows that homosexuals have needs as well as rights like everyone else. If they live together in the same home, they need insurance benefits and the right to make emergency medical decisions for one another. It should be the same for any couple sharing the same household, a single man living with his mother perhaps. However, the basis of the right has to be sharing the same house, not the same bed.

In the gospel Jesus awakens in time to save the disciples from drowning. Because he loves them, he does not want any of them lost. But he has to correct their mistaken notion that he did not care if they drowned.  Sometimes love requires that we correct the mistakes of those whom we love. This is why Pope Francis recently approved the ban on blessing gay unions. Like Jesus, he does not want to exclude anyone from his love, including – and maybe especially – homosexual persons.  However, neither does he want to bless relationships that are harmful to both society and individuals.

Today is Father's Day in several countries. It's only fair to ask: why do we celebrate our fathers?  Is it simply for passing on their genes to us?  We don't believe that because passing on genes did not cost them anything. No, we celebrate our fathers today for the many efforts they made to see us grow in strength and virtue. We celebrate them today for having fed us. We celebrate them today for correcting us when we were mistaken. We celebrate them today for showing us love when we felt disturbed or lost.

Friday, June 18, 2021

Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 11:18.21-30; Matthew 6:19-23)

Writing passionately in this Second Letter to the  Corinthians, Paul’s words elicit comment.  However, commentators cannot say very much because the context is not clear.  Is Paul criticizing “superapostles” for promoting circumcision as he did in the Letter to the Galatians?  Perhaps, but it seems likely that something else is at play.  It very well may be that there are a number of Christian evangelizers roaming around.  Some of these are requesting money from their listeners and then criticizing Paul for not taking any.

In the passage today, Paul wants to demonstrate that he is an authentic apostle.  Indeed, he is claiming that he is the most authentic, given all that he has suffered to preach the gospel.  He knows that boasting is not a good practice.  However, he begs patience of his readers for having to make his case.  Jesus told his disciples that they will have to suffer in preaching the gospel.  Paul demonstrates here how much he has done that.

This passage urges us beyond admiration of Paul and modesty about our accomplishments.  It warns us of smooth talkers who distort the Word of God.  They come in different forms.  Some preach “hell and brimstone” so that we become hypercritical of our neighbors.  Others may preach self-indulgence so that we lose sight of our sinfulness.  In either case we have the truth of Paul writings to keep us on the right track. 

Thursday, June 17, 2021

 Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 11:1-11; Matthew 6:7-15)

Pope St. John Paul II added significantly to the prophetic assertion that there is no peace without justice. He gave the insight that there is no justice without forgiveness.  He evidently saw forgiveness as the key to social harmony.  His testimony underscores the emphasis Jesus gives forgiveness in today’s gospel passage.

Jesus not only places forgiveness in a key place in the model prayer for his disciples; he also comments on its importance.  He considers forgiveness crucial to living as God’s children.  Forgiveness frees one’s consciences from the burden of guilt.  She or he can concentrate on doing good and not on repaying debt.  Jesus emphasizes that forgiveness is not reciprocal but dynamic. God forgives a person’s offenses if that person forgives another’s offenses.

But it is hard to forgive if we have been offended deeply.  We want to hold on to a grudge until we can get even.  That attitude, however, belies our membership in God’s family.  If we retain a grudge, we have no right to call God “Our Father.”

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

 Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 9:6-11; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)

Henri Nouwen was one of the most noted spiritual writers of the second half of the last century.  He wrote columns and books on how to live the gospel every day.  At some point he turned his attention to fundraising.  He explained to those working in development for the Church how to serve God better.

Nouwen wrote that fundraising is not begging.  Rather it is projecting a vision for the Church and asking people to share it with their money.  In short, it is a way to involve people in the Church’s ministry.  He also saw fundraising as a call to conversion.  Both fundraisers and potential benefactors are called to change their perspective.  They have to come to terms that God’s new project has a role for them.

We hear about St. Paul’s fundraising project in the first reading these last few days.  He is calling the community in Corinth to help support the Christians in Jerusalem.  He is asking them to look beyond their own needs to people in distress.  He no doubt sees assistance as solidification of the Jew and non-Jew communion that the Church is called to be.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

 Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5:43-48)

Biblical theologian John Meier finds Jesus’ command, “Love your enemy,” unique.  He examines all Jewish and pagan literature before and during Jesus’ lifetime without locating any equivalent saying.  For Meier this indicates that the words come directly from Jesus.  That is, he is convinced that the command could not have been borrowed from another source and attributed to Jesus as “the kind of thing he would say.”  “Love your enemy” may be jarring to those who hear it for the first time but perhaps not as much so as the last command in today’s passage.

Jesus tells his disciples to “’be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.’”  This sounds almost neurotic.  Conventional wisdom states that perfection is the enemy of the good.  And mothers warn their children that only God is perfect and that humans have to accept themselves as fallible.  But Jesus remains unsparing in his command.  His disciples are to become like God in their relations with others; that is, they must be good to everyone.

Before putting aside Jesus’ command as impossible, impractical, or self-destructive, we need to consider something.  These dictates come with the Holy Spirit.  He is the very presence of God who does not merely help us but transforms us.  We are no longer crippled by sin but walk as God’s children. As Bach’s children wrote music approaching the glory of their father’s work so too can our goodness approach the perfection of our heavenly Father’s.

Monday, June 14, 2021

 Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 6:1-10; Matthew 5:38-42)

Many parents today cannot accept the choices of their children.  They can only shake their heads and maybe pray for a child who is cohabiting with a girlfriend.  They may especially regret that a child uses drugs or has chosen to have an abortion.  They resemble St. Paul in today’s first reading.

Paul has a father’s love for the Corinthian Christian community.  He preached the faith to them.  Then he watched the members grow in love for over a year.  The reports that he hears of factions and misbehavior distresses him.  In the reading he pleads that they become reconciled.  He is not above prodding them with guilt as he mentions the hardships he has endured to preach the gospel.

Our faith as well has not come cheaply.  Some of us were fortunate to have had a Catholic education paid for by others.  Perhaps our parents scrimped on vacations to pay our tuition.  In the heyday of Catholic schools, religious sisters lived on a pittance to keep tuition affordable.  We should not abandon the truths that we learned by conforming to the wickedness of our time.

Sunday, June 13, 2021

 ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY

(Ezekiel 17:22-24; II Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34)

You cannot see the human embryo in its beginnings. This is because it’s microscopic. Even after a week it is only the size of a grain of sand. Only after four weeks has the embryo grown to the size of a grain of sand. At this stage you can notice different features of the body such as the head and the heart. It continues to grow and develop mysteriously throughout life. In the Gospel today Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is something like that.

Jesus helps people understand the Kingdom of God with parables. As we have just used comparisons like a grain of sand and a grain of rice to understand the smallness of the embryo, Jesus uses comparisons like a seed in the ground to understand the dynamics of the Kingdom of God. He always takes his comparisons from people's daily lives.

Jesus says that the Kingdom of God begins as something as something small like a mustard seed. The Kingdom is genuine love that seeks only the good of the other. Such love begins with friendly words to a person of another race or community. Soon we see the person as not very different from us.  He or she has likes and dislikes, values ​​and hopes more or less the same as our own. In time after conversations with several people of the same race or community we learn that we can trust some of their kind and cannot trust others. In short, people of other races or communities are more or less like people of our own race or community.

African Americans become irritated when whites judge them not as individuals but as other people of their race. Of course, they are not judged as the best of their race like Barack Obama or Oprah Winfrey but as the crudest. In other words, we have a sinful tendency to generalize about the vices of people of other races. In contrast, we view the worst of our own race as individuals. With virtues the dynamics is reversed. We see the good of other races as individuals while generalizing the virtues of people of our own race.

We are describing racism which is a serious sin. Racism is defined as holding some human beings as inherently superior and others as essentially inferior because of their race. Although not all or even most of us are guilty of this sin, it is difficult to free ourselves from its effect. We want to think well of ourselves, be it our nation, religion, or race. This is not bad as long as we do not think badly of other nations, religions, or races in the process. We must recognize that there are good and bad in all kinds of people, including our own.

Pope Francis made a parable to describe racism. He said it is like a virus that is always mutating. He added that it does never disappears but hides itself while waiting to attack again. As in the case of Covid, we have to be vaccinated against the racism virus. We can get the vaccine not only at a pharmacy but also at school, church, and other places. Like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, it must be received in two doses. The first dose consists of reaching out to a person of the other race with friendly words. The second dose is to include some of the other race among our trusted friends. In this way we will avoid the sin of racism. In this way we will also begin to experience the Kingdom of God.

Friday, June 12, 2021

 The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

(Hosea 11:1.3-4.8-9; Ephesians 3:8-12.14-19; John 19:31-37)

Most crucifixes show Jesus’ side pierced.  More often it is his right side that has received the wound.  This interpretation conforms with the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel that sees the life-giving water flowing from the right side of the temple.  (To be exact, Ezekiel says the temple faced east with the water flowing from its south side.)

Sometimes, however, crucifixes show Jesus’ left side as being pierced.  A lance entering his left side would leave his heart wounded.  This image corresponds better with today’s feast.  Jesus’ heart is called “sacred” because it has suffered with and for all humanity.  It is not intact which would indicate hardness or, at least, invulnerability.  Rather its woundedness suggests that he knows how it feels to be scorned, betrayed, and tortured.  Jesus underwent this suffering so that we do not have to suffer alone.  His doing intentionally has attained forgiveness for us when we sinfully cause suffering to others. 

Today we first thank Jesus for suffering for us.  He did so out of love.  We also pledge that we will suffer patiently with him.  As members of his Body, we want our pain and sorrow to be added to his.  In this way other people may know of his love for them.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

 Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 3:15-4:1.3-6; Matthew 5:20-26)

David Hume, a Scottish eighteenth century thinker, started a radical trend in philosophy.  He doubted all knowledge except the most elementary truisms like “all balls are round.”  He also denied religious knowledge as having no basis in experience.  In today’s first reading St. Paul seems to face similar doubters and deniers seventeen centuries earlier.

Paul describes skeptics of Christianity as having veils over their eyes.  He sees them as blind to the truth of the gospel.  If they could lift the veil – Paul would conclude – they could not help but give assent.  Perhaps the gospel illustrates this assertion as well as any passage from Scripture.  Jesus is demanding his followers to reconcile themselves with those who have caused them difficulty.  Such effort makes Christians children of God and brothers and sisters to all.  It is the best way to live and, when the time comes, to die.

A wise person once said that to hold a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to die.  We do better in this world and get a foothold in the next by reconciling with those who offend us.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

 Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary time

(II Corinthians 3:4-11; Matthew 5:17-19)

Management and labor sometimes see each other as inflexible adversaries.  Management grumble when workers will not do anything not specifically stated in their contract.  Workers complain when managers knit pick about their performance.  In today’s first reading and also in the gospel these concerns are treated as “law.”  They are contrasted with the “Spirit” which engenders free and generous contribution to the common good.

St. Paul writes of a new covenant not written in stone but on the heart.  Participants in this new covenant will not experience its demands as impositions on freedom.  Rather, they heartily carry out what needs to be done.  The Spirit working within them makes collaboration natural or, better, second nature.  In the gospel Jesus can say that he comes to fulfill the law because he will dispense the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit moves its possessor beyond the “give and take” of contracts to sacrifice of self for the good of all.

Scripture uses poetic metaphor to explain the new relationship with God that was forged by Christ.  It describes the new law as being a covenant written on our hearts so that we cannot forget it.  it indicates that we have received the Holy Spirit.  Aware of the Spirit’s presence we do not hesitate to serve.  Doing so, we find ourselves in the company of the saints.

Wednesday, June 15, 2021

 Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 9:6-11; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)

Henri Nouwen was one of the most noted spiritual writers of the second half of the last century.  He wrote columns and books on how to live the gospel every day.  At some point he turned his attention to fundraising.  He explained to those working in Church development how to serve God more faithfully.

Nouwen wrote that fundraising is not begging.  Rather it is projecting a vision for the Church and asking people to share in it with their money.  In short, it is a way to involve people in the Church’s ministry.  He also saw fundraising as a call to conversion.  Both fundraisers and potential benefactors are called to change their perspective.  They have to come to terms with the fact that God’s new project has a role for them.

We have been hearing about St. Paul’s fundraising project in the first reading these last few days.  He is calling the community in Corinth to help support the Christians in Jerusalem.  He is asking them to look beyond their own needs to people in distress.  No doubt, he sees their assistance as a way to solidify the communion of Jews and non-Jews that the Church is meant to be.

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

 Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Cor 1:18-22; Matthew 5:13-16)

There is a joke about St. Peter reporting to Jesus’ other disciples on the first Easter Day.  It says that Peter told them that he has some good news and some bad news.  The good news was that Jesus was risen from the dead.  The bad news was that he wanted to talk with them about what happened that Thursday night in the garden (when they all abandoned him). Today’s first reading belies this story.

St. Paul forcibly tells the Corinthians that there is no bad news, no “no” about Jesus.  He means that with Jesus the news is always good, always “yes.”  In fact, Jesus returned to his disciples after the resurrection with a blessing, and no chastising. Paul says that it is the same with him.  He loves the Corinthian community even though some there have done despicable things.

Paul sets a high bar for us to pass over.  We have a hard time listening to others talk about their problems. We also have a penchant for boasting about our accomplishments.  May our love for others not be betrayed with either indifference or self-promotion.  But may we always look after their good despite any offense done to us or trouble our efforts will cost us.

Monday, June 7, 2021

 Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 1:1-7; Matthew 5:1-12)

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus regularly speaks as a teacher.  Scholars find the body of the gospel composed of five thematic discourses, each followed by hands-on ministry.  By contrast, Luke portrays Jesus primarily as a charismatic prophet capable of moving his listeners with dramatic language.  The beatitudes, found in today’s passage, are also relayed in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Luke.  The differences between the evangelists’ perspectives are seen by comparing the two passages.

In Matthew Jesus directs himself to his disciples.  He talks about the poor, the mournful, the hungry and thirsty dispassionately as everyone living a devout life.  He does not mean that they are literally poor or hungry.  Rather by spiritualizing some of the deprivations (“’the poor in spirit’” and “’they who hunger and thirst for righteousness’”), he includes all religiously virtuous people.  Jesus in Luke, on the other hand, speaks to his disciples as those who suffer physical want.  He tells them, “’Blessed are you who are poor’” and “’Blessed are you who are now hungry.’” After all, they follow Jesus who, again in Luke’s gospel, has “nowhere to lay his head.”  But they are also “blessed” because the Kingdom of God has arrived to meet their needs.

Most scholars recognize that Luke’s portrayal of the sermon is closer to how Jesus actually sounded.  But Matthew’s spiritual formulation is helpful to many of us.  It assures us that we are included in the kingdom even if we have an income and food in the refrigerator.  But inclusion in the kingdom does not exclude us from challenge.  Like virtuous poor people, we are to thank God for what we have and to share our largesse with the needy.

Sunday, June 5, 2021

 Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

(Exodus 24:3-8; Hebrews 9:11-15; Mark 14:22-26)

Spouses should know what a covenant is. They have entered into a covenant with one another in their marriage. A covenant goes beyond a contract that is limited to specifically stated terms. The covenant is a solemn promise by which one party promises to bless or serve another in a more or less general way. In marriage the spouses promise to love and respect each other for life. The first reading gives us another example of a covenant.

Out of mercy God wanted to enter into a covenant with humans. He has fulfilled this intention in stages. The reading of Exodus shows a primary stage -- the Mosaic covenant. It specifies that the people of Israel will be his people if they fulfill all the commandments of the Law. In return, God will protect them from their enemies and give them the fertile land of their ancestors. The Israelites don't shrink from making the commitment. They say with one voice, “All that the Lord has said, we will heed and do." Then Moses sprinkles the people with the blood of the burnt animal offerings to seal the covenant.

In the gospel Jesus makes a final covenant between God and humans. It is open not only to a small nation but to the whole world. It also includes a holocaust or sacrifice, not of animals but of Jesus himself. Those who share in this covenant instead of being sprinkled take his body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine. The Eucharist then is the means by which they participate in the new covenant. However, it is not simply consuming His Body and Blood that makes it someone a party of the covenant. He or she also has to promise to obey God's will as Jesus has taught.

The second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews helps us understand the effect of the covenant that Jesus made.  It says that Jesus’ shedding his own blood had greater efficacy than the animal sacrifices of the Mosaic covenant. Sprinkling with the blood of animals only cleanses sinners outwardly so that they might participate in worship. But Jesus sacrifice of himself achieved forgiveness of sins and cleansing of conscience. In this way Christians can offer sacrifices of prayer and works that deserve eternal life.

Before we take the body and blood of Christ, we must pledge our allegiance to Christ. It is a matter of accepting both his doctrine and his way of living. Like the Israelites we have to say, "Whatever the Lord says, we will heed and do." For this reason some bishops oppose giving Communion to Catholic politicians who facilitate abortion, which God condemns. Recently the debate has intensified because the president of the United States, Joe Biden, a Catholic, has amplified access to abortion. I will not say that a bishop should or should not deny a politician the sacred host in his diocese. But I think that the reason for such a significant step must be the concern for the politician's soul. If the motive is just to force changes in the law, it seems to me to be the Church's undue meddling in politics.

There used to be a general custom of processing with the Blessed Sacrament on the Feast of Corpus Christi.  The procession took place not only on the parish grounds but throughout city neighborhoods or the fields of the countryside. The motive was to bestow a free blessing to everyone whom the procession encountered. It showed how Christ wants to offer everyone the covenant with God. They could join with him in the pursuit of eternal life while he would help them clear their consciences. The Body and Blood of Christ is an invaluable treasure which we should never overlook. It is an invaluable treasure.

Friday, June 4, 2021

 Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Tobit 11:5-17; Mark 12:35-37)

 Once an advertising campaign promised to “bring a mountain to Chicagoland.”  The pledge excited the city’s children who never saw a mountain other than in books.  It turned out, however, that the mountain was only a new brand of coffee being introduced into the Chicago market.

 In today’s gospel Jesus refutes a kind of advertising campaign about the long-awaited Messiah.  The scribes have taught that the Messiah was to be a descendant of David, the warrior-king.  Jesus notes, however, that one of the psalms refers to the Messiah as “my lord.”  Since David is considered the author of the psalms, Jesus asks how could David have called his descendant “my lord.”  He means that the expectation of the Messiah as a descendant of David is inadequate if he is to be David’s “lord.”  Somehow, Jesus implies, the Messiah’s accomplishments must transcend David’s military feats.

 Jesus’ accomplishments comprise an achievement that would put David in awe.  He dies a horrific death in complete submission to God’s will.  More astonishingly, however, he rises from the dead as indication of God’s approval of his sacrifice.  Furthermore, he sends his Holy Spirit upon his disciples to guide them to moral and spiritual heights.  Yes, David, and we as well, must acknowledge Jesus as “lord.”

 

Thursday, June 3, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs

(Tobit 6:10-11.7:1bcde,9-17.8:4-9a; Mark 12:28-34)

How we are to show our love for God, Jesus’ first commandment, has puzzled the modern age.  Some people propose that the only way to do so is to love one’s neighbor.  Although love of neighbor is never to be dismissed, the first reading today gives us a way to love God directly.

Love may be defined as seeking the good of the other.  Tobias and Sarah seek God’s glory, a wonderful good, when they pray, “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, praised be your name forever and ever.” Also, when they ask God’s help in their marriage, they are recognizing God as powerful and contributing to his glory.

Even prayers of petition then express our love for God.  They also redound to our benefit as God always answers our prayers.  We thus fulfill that trailer phrase in the second commandment, “’…love yourself.’”

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

 Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Tobit 3:1-11a.16-17a; Mark 12:18-27)

If today’ first reading sounds like a melodrama, it’s being read correctly. The Book of Tobit was written as a novel during persecution to shore up the hopes of Jews.  It narrates the ordeals of ancestors living similar ordeals in exile five hundred years earlier.  In the story the archangel Raphael rescues the titular character as a manifestation of God’s mercy.

The reading today focuses on two characters undergoing hardships as they strive to be faithful to God.  Tobit had been known for carrying out all the precepts of Scripture.  Now, stricken with blindness, he has become cynical.  Sarah has experienced a comedy of misfortune as she has lost seven husbands on her wedding night.  Significantly, both Tobit and Sarah appeal to the Lord for help with prayer.

Although they differ greatly in intensity, trials are part of everyone’s life.  We should not run from them or to bemoan them incessantly.  As the Tobit and Sarah demonstrate, we do well to bear them patiently while asking God’s assistance.  It may be said that God has countless angels like Raphael to send to us.