Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 (Colossians 1:1-8; Luke 4:38-44)

 People say they hope for rather mundane things.  They hope it doesn’t rain, or they hope that they will avoid the virus.  These hopes do not compare with the hope that the first reading today refers to.  Paul tells the Colossians that their hope is in heaven.

Hope in heaven differs from most other hopes because no one on this earth has seen it.  The Scriptures give inklings of what it is like. Revelation says it is “pure gold with, clear as glass.”  The gospels continually describe it as a king’s banquet.  But these are only images that cannot do justice to the reality anymore than a photograph does justice to the presence of a live person.

Despite its vagueness, for the hope of heaven we constrain our desires.  Some have given up their lives in testimony to the Lord who promises it.  We live for it and know that in the Eucharist we get a taste of it.  It is the solace and peace that sharing intimately with Jesus brings.

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

 Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 4:31-37)

A hundred years ago psychiatrists regularly used the term “dementia praecox” to describe psychotic disorder.  It comes from Latin and may be translated as premature madness.  The idea was that most people become mad in old age, but a few develop the disorder earlier in life.  Today’s gospel has another way of describing madness.

Primitive people regularly thought of unclear spirits or demons as the cause of madness.  In today’s gospel Jesus confronts a madman who is said to have an “unclean demon.”  However mad it makes the man, the demon has the supernatural ability to recognize Jesus’ special relationship with the Father.  Still, the demon cannot defy Jesus’ authority.  When Jesus tells him to depart from the man, the demon obeys. 

Is Jesus’ authority physical or spiritual, natural or supernatural?  It is a mistake to try to categorize it according to these dyads.  With his, and derivatively with us, the spiritual pervades the physical and the supernatural exists alongside the natural.  The Father has sent him to the world, as he said in yesterday’s gospel, with the Spirit “to let the oppressed go free.”

Monday, August 30, 2021

 

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 4:16-30)

A few years ago the secretary of the chaplain’s office was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  She was told that her disease was terminal.  A week or so later, she received another report saying that there may have been a mistake.  The news was ambivalent because, she said, she had become excited over the possibility of reuniting with her dead husband.  It turned out that the original diagnosis was confirmed.  A few grueling months later, the woman’s desire to be with her husband in death was satisfied.  In today’s first reading St. Paul gives reason for Christians to look forward to such a reunion.

Paul assures the Thessalonians that resurrection from the dead is no conjecture.  He says that he proclaims it “on the word of the Lord.”  He does, however, state that resurrection from the dead happens for those who believe Christ rose and, presumably, honor his Lordship.

Christians have also held since the first century that believers do not have to wait for the end of time.  They will have spiritual life at death.  This is far from full or complete life, but it is not without satisfaction.  What could this spiritual life be like?  Perhaps like music without words or dancing without music.    Perhaps it will be the excitement of a blind person watching television or a deaf person attending an opera.  We must remember that participants in this state are with God who makes all things good.

Sunday, August 29, 2021

 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 29, 2021

(Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8; James 1:17-18.21b-22.27; Mark 7:1-8.14-15.21-23)

Every now and then there is an uproar over the Ten Commandments. If an entity were to place a representation of the Commandments in a public place, it is certain that atheists or secularists would protest. Twenty years ago a judge had a granite monument made with the Ten Commandments inscribed on it for his court. After the protest, a higher court ordered that the monument be removed. It said that placing the monument in the court was a violation of the separation between church and state. So the judge campaigned for support. He carried the monument of almost 2,400 kilos to different parts of the country, claiming the injustice of the ban.

In one sense the judge was right. Sure, the Ten Commandments occupy a central space in our religion, but their meaning is not primarily religious. Rather the Commandments form the principles of natural law. That is, they convey the core of what is right behavior as determined by human reason. They prescribe the obligations and prohibitions to make social life possible. For this reason the first reading insists that the people of Israel have to put them into practice.

In the gospel the Pharisees criticize Jesus' disciples for actions that have little to do with the Ten Commandments. They say that it is terrible that the disciples do not wash their hands before eating. But neither the Ten Commandments nor the other precepts of Jewish law require such a washing. It is a tradition of their elders imposed by religious superiors to prevent impure particles from touching the lips of the Jew. Yes, it is not very difficult to comply with this rule. However, multiplied hundreds of times in different areas of life, such traditions can become unbearable.

Jesus has always carried out the Ten Commandments and all the rules of the Law. However, he insists that the traditions of the elders do not pertain to this category of duties. According to Jesus, pleasing God consists both in loving God and neighbor and in avoiding evil. The second reading of the Letter of Santiago sums up his way of thinking. It says that religion is about helping the unfortunate and distancing oneself from influences that corrupt the soul.

Today the traditions of the elders occupy the minds of many Catholics. Some insist that they kneel when they receive the host and that they take it on the tongue. In addition, they want the priest to offer the mass with his back to the people and to use Latin. These things are not bad, and they probably help some to pray more fervently. However, they do not have the same value as acts of compassion. Bringing food to the homeless after Mass is worth much more than a woman covering her hair in church or anyone fasting three hours before Mass.

In a prayer book a theologian reflects on "the God of the law." He says that sure God is present in the Ten Commandments so that when we fulfill them, we find Him. But, asks the theologian, is God present in the directives of the superiors? He answers his own question with "yes" when we obey the directives out of love for Him. If we follow the bishop's directive to receive the host in the hand or the pastor’s directive not to park the car in any area for the love of God, we will find Him. It is like this when we fulfill the traditions of the elders. When we do so out of love, we find God.

Friday, August 27, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Monica

(I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Matthew 25:1-13) 

Before the school year begins, many anxious parents of incoming freshmen call university chaplains.  They ask the ministers to watch out for their son or daughter.  Unfortunately, the son or daughter rarely shows up for services so the ministers cannot help them.  St. Monica was this kind of parent worried about the spiritual life of her son Augustine.

Augustine eventually became one of the great saints of the Church, but as a youth he was associated with illicit sexual indulgence and freethinking.  Augustine was obviously very talented, but Monica prayed that he become a Catholic Christian, not a success among men.  She also sought the help of St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan where Augustine was living.  Eventually Ambrose shepherded Augustine into the Church.  Monica was like Paul in today’s first reading.  The apostle advised his converts of God’s will for them – their holiness.  

Our young often leave religious customs behind when they go to college.  After promising to be faithful disciples at Confirmation, they may choose hedonism on campus. We must pray for them like St. Monica did for Augustine.  If possible, we might also take an active interest in what is happening at the campus ministry center.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

 Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 3:7-13; Matthew 24:42-51)

Both the first reading and the gospel today address the Lord’s imminent coming.  St. Paul prays that his beloved Thessalonian converts may be faithful to the love they share in Christ.  He wants them to prepare for Christ’s coming by showing self-sacrificing love toward one another as he did in his exhausting mission from Asia to Europe.

Jesus likewise urges his disciples to be conscious of what they do.  He wants them prepared for his return by working diligently for one another’s good and living together in peace.  His words, “Stay awake!” are not only metaphorical.  They urge a deliberate attention to what they daily do so that their doings may not be compromised by self-love.

Our tendencies to self-concern seem to grow as we become older.  Love of self is not bad, but it does require conscious attention.  If not, we will allow self-concern to override the common good.  Jesus comes not only at the end of time but everyday.  We want to rejoice in his arrival today by being a blessing to the other people we meet.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew23:27-32)

In today’s gospel Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees “hypocrites.” This abrasive term comes from a Greek word meaning actor.  Jesus is telling his adversaries that they are malfeasants playing the roles of righteous men.  Truly good people would not criticize others so harshly as they customarily do.

In contrast to the Pharisees of the gospel, Paul acts without pretense.  He tells the Thessalonians that he does not preach for money but plies his trade for sustenance.  Rather than look for compensation, Paul shares his knowledge of the word of God out of love.  He wants the Thessalonians to appreciate how God the Father has sent his Son to show His infinite mercy.  No one has to feel damned by past errors or doomed to repeat them.  They only need to repent and ask God’s mercy.

Religious people often behave hypocritically.  Religion provides good cover for them to embezzle or even to hate.  Being religious people ourselves, we should take to heart not only Jesus’ words but also his self-sacrifice.  He completed the mission the Father gave him.  We can only thank both Father and Son and emulate their example.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

 Feast of Saint Bartholomew, apostle

(Revelation 21:9b-14; John 1:45-51)

The twelve apostles are not known equally.  Some, if fact, are hardly known at all.  Today’s feast celebrates the apostle Bartholomew who is known chiefly because his identity is tied to Nathanael in today’s gospel.  In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke “Bartholomew” is listed after Philip.  Because in John the story of Nathanael’s calling is treated directly after Philip’s, Nathanael and Bartholomew are presumed to be the same person.

In the story Nathanael makes a statement tantamount to Peter’s declaration of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel.  He calls Jesus “the Son of God” and the “King of Israel.”  Jesus does not hail him as “the rock” upon which Jesus will build his church.  But in saying these things, Nathanael fulfills Jesus’ prophecy that he is “a true child of Israel.”  In ancient times “Israel” was said to mean, one “seeing God.”  Jesus predicts that Nathanael will have even greater reason for saying Jesus is the “Son of God” when he sees angels “ascending and descending” on him.  He is referring to the signs that he will work and Nathanael will witness.

The apostles were privileged witnesses to Jesus.  They saw him work miracles and saw him risen from the dead.  Sounds wonderful, but it must be remembered that they suffered for telling others about what they saw.  It is commonly believed that all except John underwent martyrdom.  Because of their testimony, we can say also that Jesus is the “Son of God” whose teachings we are to follow and whose sacrificial love we are to emulate.

Monday, August 23, 2021

 (Optional) Memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, virgin

(I Thessalonians 1:1-5.8b-10; Matthew 23:13-22)

St. Rose of Lima lived in colonial times.  Her father was a Spanish conquistador who experienced financial setbacks.  To help her family, Rose, whose baptized name was Isabel de Santa María de Flores, sold flowers.  Like her model, St. Catherine of Siena, she wore a Dominican habit and associated with the Dominicans of Lima, including St. Martin de Porres.  Like him, she cared for the poor.  But uniquely, she gathered renown as a holy woman and attracted many God-seekers to her hermitage on her parents’ property.  There she prayed and cared for the sick. 

Paul’s message in today’s first reading describes St. Rose well.  He writes to the Thessalonians of “your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father…”  Rose did not have to wait long for Christ to come for her.  She died when she was thirty-one.  It is said that all of Lima, a prosperous if small city at the time, came to her funeral.

St. Rose faced disappointments in life.  She wanted to join a monastery but was unable to do so.  Rather than rebel, she made the best of her situation.  In the process her sanctity shown like the sun breaking through clouds at the end of a rainstorm.  We should emulate her care for the poor and pray to her when we face difficulties.

Sunday, August 22, 2021

 Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Joshua 24:1-2.15-17.18; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:55.60-69)

In an episode of "The Simpsons," brash Bart says grace at family dinner. He prays, "Dear God, we paid for all these things ourselves, so thank you for nothing!" The ingrate does not want to recognize God as the source of any good as long as it can be accounted for in other ways. Is it so with us? Do we credit God only the benefits whose origins we cannot explain? Or do we believe that God is in the middle of everything we do bringing them to a satisfactory end?

In the first reading the Israelites realize that it has been the hand of God that has got them where they are. Although they have never seen God leading them out of Egypt or facilitating their occupation of the Promised Land, they believe that He was responsible for these unexpected achievements. They intuitively know that it would never have been possible for them to stick together, much less see Pharaoh's army drown in the sea, if God had not accompanied them. Certainly Joshua, their leader, does not doubt that this is the case. He declares in front of everyone: "'As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.'"

Now we should ask ourselves about something similar. Since the gospel refers to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, we have to ask if we believe it. Also, do we believe that Mass brings us closer to God and will eventually allow us to enter eternal life? Or would it be better for us to spend an extra hour of rest on Sunday or maybe watch a movie about Jesus?

Each one has to answer these questions for himself. I believe that most of us will answer that "yes" Christ is present in the host and that it is beneficial for us to receive him at mass. We say this because, like the disciples in the gospel, we know that he has "words of eternal life." In his autobiography the great Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi describes how he came to know Christ from his words of wisdom.

Gandhi tells how he disliked the first Christians he had met in India. He saw Christian missionaries there making fun of the Hindu religion and insisting that converts eat meat, a disgusting thing for the most devout Hindus. However, later, when he was studying in London, he met a vegetarian Christian. The man implored him to read the gospel. When he did - he says - the Sermon on the Mount touched his heart. Gandhi never accepted Christ as we do, but he recognized him as the supreme teacher for his lessons on love. Like us, Gandhi could see that Jesus practiced what he preached when he died on the cross.

The second reading asks for such love from you husbands. "So husbands should love their wives ..." This love makes you give of yourselves for the good of your wife, even when it costs you much to do so. Last year it was reported that an old man confined himself to a nursing home during the Covid lockdown. His motive was to give his wife with Alzheimer's already restricted to the home the care she needed. His love certainly answers the call made in the Letter to the Ephesians.

This is the last Sunday this year that we reflect on the Eucharistic discourse of the John’s Gospel. But it is hardly the last time that we are going to touch the subject. For the Eucharist is "the source and the summit of our Christian life." It is the source because it presents afresh Jesus’ sacrifice of himself for our sins.  It is the summit because in it we encounter Christ whom we hope to meet at the end of time to raise us from the dead. Consuming the Eucharist, we become more like him.  We become more kind and more loving, more willing to give of ourselves for the good of others.

Friday, August 20, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Bernard, abbot

(Ruth 1:1.3-6.14b-16, 22; Matthew 22:34-40)

An anecdote from the life of St. Bernard helps one appreciate today’s first reading.  Bernard came from French nobility.  He had five brothers, four of whom went with him to become monks.  The fifth, the youngest, want to join the others in their monastic vocations.  When told that he had to take of the family’s estate, he complained that his brothers wanted to cultivate a heavenly estate while he was left with just an earthly one!

In the first reading Ruth seems eager to cultivate a heavenly estate as well.  She has married into an Israelite.  When her husband dies, she is told to go back to her own people.  But she says that her people are now Israel, and her god is Israel’s God.  She remains with her mother-in-law until she marries another Israelite to solidify her status in the People of God.

We too have chosen Israel’s God as our own.  He has invited us to face the world and the interior of our own lives with His guidance.  He will help us to be more compassionate and faithful friends to those who love justice.  He will assist us to be more challenging and instructive adversaries to those who spurn righteousness.  Finally, He will guide us past our inner compulsions and moral weaknesses to a peace that lasts forever.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

 

Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Judges 11:29-39a; Matthew 21:1-14)

Today’s first reading upsets the soul so much that it cries out for comment.  It can be linked to the gospel although it is not necessary to do so.  Both readings concern thoughtless action.  The judge Jephthah makes a foolish vow that he cannot be bound to keep.  The dolt who enters the wedding feast in the gospel parable should realize that society establishes customs with good reason.  To shamelessly transgress these customs deserves penalty.

If Jephthah were observant at all, he should have realized that human sacrifice is odious to God and therefore sinful.  Since he recklessly made the vow to sacrifice the first one – human or beast – to greet him, he should repent of his rashness and do penance when he sees his daughter.  He infinitely multiplies his sin by fulfilling his imprudent vow.  It is presumed that the man without a proper garment at the wedding feast both knew about the custom and had access to a garment.  But he defies social convention to do things his way.  If he did not want to wear a garment, he should not have come to the feast. 

God has given us a process of thought to know what really pleases him.  There are a lot of compunctions and rival feelings in our psyches that we must resist if we are to do this.  Making boastful vows and doing things one own way might make us feel important, but they transgress God’s law.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

 Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Judges 9:6-15; Matthew 20:1-16)

The two readings today tell different stories in a similar way.  Both are parables.  The first reading warns of a cutthroat whom a people takes as its ruler.  The gospel tells of God, the King of the universe, whose justice is always tempered by mercy. 

Abimelech is one of seventy-plus sons of the judge Jerubbaal.  When his father dies, he connives with the people of Shechem to kill his brothers and rule Israel alone.  He is described as a buckthorn whose fire will destroy the innocent.  God will not let him have the upper hand very long.  On another bloodthirsty mission, Abimelech is mortally wounded.  A woman casts a millstone down on his head.

In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, Jesus describes the ever-clement justice of God.  He says that in God’s kingdom, every man who works receives enough pay to care for his family.  We want to see our leaders of church, state, and industry to emulate such merciful justice.

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

 Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Judges 6:11-24a; Matthew 19:23-30)

The casual talk between Gideon and the angel sounds something like one hears on “Saturday Night Live.”  When the angel assures Gideon that the Lord stands with His people, Gideon retorts cynically.  “If the Lord is with us,” he asks, “then why has all this (humiliation) happened to us?”  The answer to the query, however, should be obvious to Gideon.  The reason for the lack of Israelite success against the Midianites is their infidelity to their Covenant with God.  Compromising their integrity as a people, they become easy prey to enemies.

Gideon may be talking flippantly because he is not sure whether the stranger before him is really the Lord.  He asks for a sign which is soon given when fire consumes Gideon’s sacrificial offering.  Knowing that he is in the Lord’s presence, Gideon begins to wonder if he will suffer for his impertinence.  God, however, assures him not to worry.

 We should not hesitate to open our hearts to God in prayer like Gideon.  But humility is called for in such awesome company.  God is, after all, the Creator and Sustainer of everything.  He is not “the man upstairs,” not our “buddy.”  He befriends us out of love but does not share our tendencies to complain and gossip.  We might speak with Him as we would with a revered professor who has his door open to help us.  That is, we are wise to be attentive to His wisdom and appreciative of His encouragement.

Monday, August 16, 2021

 Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Judges 2:11-19; Matthew 19:16-22)

God called Israel to be a people “peculiarly His own” as one translation of Scripture puts it.  He gave them the Covenant guaranteeing them land and protection in exchange for their adherence to the Law.  In this way Israel would attract the world to Himself.

The first reading today relates how badly Israel failed to fulfill the Covenant.  The nation continually abandoned God and found itself overwhelmed by enemies.  In His mercy, God sent judges to save the people from extinction, but their lessons were short-lived.  The reading tells how Israel reformed for a while, but once a judge died, it returned to its evil ways.  Eventually, the nation will have kings who will also bring prosperity for a time but eventually fail to reform the people.

God will promise a Messiah to establish the requisite righteousness. Jesus fulfills this prophecy over a thousand years after the period of the judges. We see his wisdom in the gospel.  He relates general principles to answer the young man’s question about eternal life.  He also discerns the man’s personal situation and gives him wise advice.  Because the man places too much value on wealth, Jesus asks him to disinvest to become his disciple.  We have to ask Jesus to show us what we individually have to do to gain eternal life.

 

Sunday. August 15, 2021

 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Revelation 11:19.12:1-6.10; Corinthians 15:20-27; Lucas 1:39-56)

It was only in 1950 that the Church defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary.  Before that, Catholics did not have to believe that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven.  They could have thought that her soul lived with God whileher body was corrupting in the grave awaiting Christ to return at the end of time.

At the time, some Catholics thought it was unwise for Pope Pius XII to make the definition.  They believed that an infallible declaration would alienate further separated brothers and sisters in Orthodox and Protestant congregations.  

So why did Pope Pius XII make the dogmatic, infallible declaration of the Assumption?  And why do we continue to celebrate it today with a major feast day?  Let’s look at a few reasons.

First, the Assumption corresponds to the Immaculate Conception of Mary proclaimed in the nineteenth century.  If Mary was privileged to be conceived without any corruption of soul, it follows that her body would not suffer corruption at death but would be assumed directly into heaven.

Second, belief in the Assumption of Mary has had a long history.  It was preached by the Fathers of the Church, celebrated in the Sacred Liturgy during the first millennium, and proclaimed in the naming of many churches. 

Finally, the Assumption of Mary implies the dignity of the human body in a time when it is regularly abused.  As Mary’s body lives forever, so our bodies have an eternal destiny if we are faithful to the Lord.  Unfortunately, many people today either do not care for their bodies or treat it with undue adulation as if it were the most important element of existence.  Many neither eat wholesomely nor exercise regularly.  They think their bodies as acquisitions like a cell phone or a car to be used or discarded as desired.  But our bodies are who we are.  They form a duality with the soul like a television has physical parts that produce a visible image.  If we are to present ourselves as images of God than we must take care of our bodies.

Others abuse their body by spending too much time and money seeking the admiration of others.  We get an idea of this just looking at the cosmetics aisles in drugstores.  Similarly, the exaggerated attention given to the body is witnessed by all the mirrors in an exercise room.  We take care of our bodies so that we can better serve the Lord, not to extract flirtatious comments from others.

We can add one more reason to celebrate Mary today.  She has constantly assisted us in our prayers to God for help.  It is said that there have been 8000 miraculous cures at Lourdes alone.  We pray to her that she might intercede for us before her son, Jesus.  He is the Lord, the one who created us and in whom we hope to have our end.

Friday, August 13, 2021

 Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Joshua 24:1-13; Matthew 19:3-12)

Curious things are happening today.  Many are renouncing marriage.  Some of these prefer to cohabitate without committing themselves to another.  Others are drawing into themselves, using pornography and masturbation to satisfy sexual desires, and avoiding the challenge of intimacy. Jesus addresses simpler situations in today’s gospel, but his remarks may be applied to today’s experience.

The disciples cannot be serious when they say, “’…it is better not to marry.’”  As trying as divorce may be, people enter marriage with the hope that the relationship will be satisfactory.  But Jesus accepts the remark.  He indicates that celibacy is better for those who choose it in order to work for God’s Kingdom.  This is the motive of religious sisters and priests when they discern a vocation.  It goes without saying that Jesus would not approve of promiscuous relationships.  But he would have patience with those who fall into the pornography trap.  He might see them as at least temporarily incapable of marriage because they were “made so by others.”  He might inspire those who renounce marriage for the Kingdom to show particular patience for these strayed sheep.

Sex, of course, is a touchy subject.  It is as necessary as bread for continued life, but it can lead to different kinds of trouble.  We should treat it prudently be taking into account of our feelings and consulting a wise mentor.  Important as well is adhering to the commandments as sexual experiences can easily take us off course.

Thursday, August 12, 2021

 Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Joshua 3:7-10a.11.13-17; Matthew 18:21-19:1)

 A commercial for a bank describes a scene of near panic turned into tranquility.  A person is walking in the woods when she discovers that she has lost her wallet with credit cards.  The announcer advises that she do first things first.  She is to take a deep breath, lock her credit service with her phone, and then get back to her walk with peace of mind.  It is not bad advice.  God similarly tells Joshua in today’s first reading to meet his challenge step-by-step.

 The Israelites have a crisis.  They are at the Jordan River with hundreds of thousands of people and untold livestock.  How will they cross to occupy the Promised Land?  God tells Joshua that He will make him as great as Moses who turned the sea into dry land.  He is to have the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant wade into the water.  When they do so, the river begins to dry up.  As easy as a cell phone can lock a credit account, the waters from upstream solidify allowing everyone to cross over.

 God is also ready to help us.  When we meet a crisis, rather than fret we should trust in him.  We are to calm ourselves, say a prayer, and then do what seems most prudent.  We can count on God to turn the threatening situation into something good.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Clare, virgin

 (-; Matthew 18:15-20)

Internet applications like Zoom and Facetime give the impression of talking face-to-face without actually facing the other. However marvelous such conversations were during Covid lockdowns, by now they have become wearisome. In the first reading today, Moses is exulted for having known the Lord “face to face.” But what do these words mean and how do they compare with Christian belief that Christ saw the Father?

Various interpretations of the words are given.  Some say they do not indicate a direct encounter with the Lord because in the Book of Exodus God tells Moses that “’no one shall see me and live’” (33:20).  Of course, there is also the very real question of God, a purely spiritual being, having a material face.  It is best to conclude that Moses enjoyed a spiritual intimacy with God like no one else before the writing of the Book of Deuteronomy. 

 At one point in Deuteronomy Moses himself mentions another prophet who will come after him.  This prophet will speak God’s very words that will result in definitive revelation.  We find fulfillment of this prophecy in Jesus Christ.  The Gospel of John quotes him as saying, at least indirectly, that he has seen the Father: “’Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father’” (6:46).  His seeing of the Father constitutes a knowing that goes beyond Moses’ spiritual intimacy.  It is a divine indwelling whereby as Jesus again says in John: “(He) and the Father are one’” (10:30).  An approximation of this indwelling with its accompanying knowledge of God is what the Beatitudes promise to St. Clare and other disciples of Jesus through the ages: “’Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God’” (Matthew 5:8).

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr

(II Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12:24-26)

In today’s first reading Paul tells the Corinthians that “God loves a cheerful giver.”  He probably did not have in mind that one needs to be cheerful when giving his life.  But there is a well-known legend about today’s patron saint that tells of his joking while being martyred at the fire stake.

Some scholars think that Lawrence was put to death by the sword as befitted Roman citizens in Paul’s time.  However, legend has Lawrence, the Roman deacon, being roasted to death on a grill.  Having one side of his body burned, he told the judge that he could turn him over and eat.

Premature death weighs heavily on our soul.  We see it as a tragic outcome, a cruel fate or, sometimes, the apex of nobility.  Soldiers dying in defense of their country leave us feeling enormous gratitude.  Martyrs remind us of the unsurpassable importance of faith. Their willingness to die for faith in Christ increases our desire to live for him.

Monday, August 9, 2021

( Optional) Memorial of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr

(Deuteronomy 10:12-22; Matthew 17:22-27)

In today’s gospel Jesus proves himself to be an earnest Jew.  He might have avoided the Temple tax.  After all, he is a rabbi and rabbis sometimes do not pay the tax.  He is also the Son of God who should not be even asked for the tax.  But he is also a pious Jew who loves his people.  Rather than give scandal, he has the tax paid.

Today the Church honors a saint who was martyred because of her similar Jewish origin.  St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross became a Christian as an adult and then a Benedictine nun.  Living in a monastery in the Netherlands during World War, the Gestapo came to send her to Auschwitz with other Jews.  She did not resist but gave herself up.  She told her sister, who was with her, “Come; we are going for our people.” Like Jesus she loved her people so much that she was willing to die to show solidarity with them.

Christianity has been accused of giving root to anti-Semitism.  Pope Pius XI challenged that assertion the year before World War II broke.   “Spiritually,” he said, “we are Semites.”  He explained that our reference to Abraham in the liturgy and our union with Jesus make us common descendants of Abraham with all Jews. (He might have added Muslims as well.)  Jews are still persecuted for their faith.  We should stand in solidarity with them.

Sunday, August 8, 2021

 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 19:4-8, Ephesians 4:30-5: 2; John 6:41-51)

We think we know Jesus Christ. We say that he was born in the town of Bethlehem near Jerusalem. We tell that he lived about thirty-three years before he was executed on a cross. We also say that his mother was named Mary, his putative father was Joseph, and that John the Baptist was his cousin. We know these and dozens of other facts about his life.

But is it true that we know him? Or are we really like the Jews in the gospel today who don't know Jesus any more than they know Abraham Lincoln? If we do not realize that Jesus is the son of God who took our flesh to give us his kinship, we do not know him. Likewise, if we do not recognize that he gives us his own flesh to feed us on the way to God the Father, we do not know him.

Somewhat like milk making strong bones, the flesh of Christ forms us into loving persons. It is not enough that we refrain from vices of brutality, anger, and outrage to be incorporated into the family of God. As the second reading indicates, we have to develop charitable virtues. To be true children of God, we need generosity, understanding, and the willingness to forgive. These qualities flow from the Eucharist like water in a fountain.

The first reading presents a glimpse of the Eucharist. Elias can't go on. He is so exhausted that he wants to die. Then an angel comes with a bread and water. By taking them and sleeping for a while, Elijah can finish his way to meet the Lord on Mount Horeb. As the bread that the angel brought gave him the strength to fulfill his journey to God, so the Eucharist provides us with the grace to love others in fulfillment of God’s commandments.

Today Dominicans are commemorating 800 years since the death of their founder Saint Dominic. There is a story about Dominic that helps us understand the Eucharist as it is explained today at Mass. The saint was on a journey across the Alps with a young friar named John. Like the poor in those days, they were both traveling on foot. After several hours the young man told Saint Dominic that he could no longer continue. Despite the encouragement the saint offered him, the young man said that he was completely exhausted. Because Dominic had no bread to offer him, he began to pray. Then he told John that if he would advance a few meters ahead, he would find something of value. He did and found the whitest bread he had ever seen. As viaticum bread strengthens the dying to reach God in heaven, so the white bread friar John found gave him the means to complete the journey.

If we secure our place in heaven with good works, the Eucharist makes it possible for us to do them. You parents, do you want to be more understanding and helpful to your children? Prepare to receive Holy Communion at Mass by remembering how Jesus did not allow children to be stopped from coming to him. You married couples, do you want to be more patient and encouraging with your spouses? Receive the host and consider how Jesus gave the Samaritan woman time to reconsider her life. You young people, do you want to be less anxious and more confident about the future? Then when you take the host, ask the Lord to help you make priorities that conform to His Kingdom.

Two years ago a research center reported that almost 70 percent of Catholics no longer believe that the Eucharist is really the body of Christ. As much as it is correct, this statistic is tragic. It is as if seventy percent of the birds have forgotten how to fly or seventy percent of the policemen will no longer look for criminals. The Eucharist promises us eternal life because Jesus Christ is present at its core. Without Jesus we are scattered like leaves blown by the wind. With Jesus we are directed to our paternal home.

Friday, August 6, 2021

 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

(Daniel 7:9-10.13-14; II Peter 1:16-19; Mark 9:2-10)

Protestant theologian Rudolf Otto helped us understand today’s Feast of the Transfiguration.  In a book written over a hundred years ago, the German scholar wrote that the holy impresses two powerful feelings on its beholder.  First, it inspires awe in the observer by its beauty or wonder.  Then it imparts a sense of fear that what is so wonderful will also be overwhelming.  This is Moses’ experience at the burning bush and also the apostles’ at Christ’s transfiguration.

On the mountaintop Jesus reveals the divinity of his dual nature that was suppressed in the incarnation.  He is confirming Peter’s insight made shortly before this manifestation that he is the Messiah or Christ.  That is, he is God’s emissary sent to fully reveal the divine will.  The radiance of his garments suggests that he is a heavenly being capable of overwhelming any human subject.  His conversations with Moses and Elijah likewise indicate that his message transcends all earthly wisdom.

Although the transfiguration first and foremost applies to Jesus, it also has a common significance.  We through the grace of the sacraments are being transfigured into holy people.  We no longer see others as mostly useful for our needs but as brothers and sisters to be cared for.  Indeed, our interaction with the world with attentive love becomes a way to manifest God’s glory.

Thursday, August 5, 2021

 Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Numbers 20:1-13; Matthew 18:21-19.1)

A number of years ago a Broadway play, that was made into a movie, raised a few eyebrows.  Entitled Doubt, the drama was ostensibly about sexual child abuse in the Church.  However, the theme went deeper.  It dealt with the reality of the Christian tradition and, indeed, the whole spiritual realm.  Religious doubt may be found in both of today’s readings.

It is not the people’s doubt that disturbs the Lord so much in the reading from Numbers.  It is Moses’ own doubt.  How does Moses show this doubt?  Evidently, by tapping the rock twice with its staff he displays doubt that the Lord will do as he promised. If he were confident that God could run water from a rock, one tap would have been sufficient.  In the gospel Peter doubts Jesus’ prophecy that he will have to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom.  He sees Jesus as a conquering prince who lays aside armies.

Most of us have to admit that we sometimes doubt.  In a world that gives scientific explanations for just about everything, it is hard not to.  We should ask the Lord to increase our faith so that we do not persist in our questioning His promises.  We want to be willing to die for our beliefs that Jesus is Lord and will share with us eternal life.

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

 Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest

(Numbers 13:1-2.25-14.1.26a-29a.34-35; Matthew 15:21-28)

With summer slowdown, we have time to “reconnoiter” our lives.  It is time to make adjustments and to establish goals for the future.  We are like the Israelites in today’s first reading sent to appraise the land of Canaan.  Some of us may find themselves, again like the Israelites, overwhelmed by the challenges ahead.  They may not want to give up some of the securities they have that make their lives meaningful.  They may not want to scale back work or social life to spend more time with family.  They may not be willing to give up television programming which they know is distorting their moral sensibilities. 

When we are challenged by what we must do to improve our lives before God, we can take cues from today’s gospel’s heroine.  The Canaanite woman goes to the Lord in her need.  She knows that without his help, her daughter’s cause is hopeless.  She persists in her entreaty even when Jesus seems to put up a roadblock.  In the end, she finds him ever gracious, ever merciful.

Today the Church remembers one of the most celebrated of modern saints.  John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, also relied heavily on the Lord.  He had trouble completing his studies for the priesthood. However, with his enormous piety, he has become the model for parish priests.

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

 Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Numbers 12:1-13; Matthew 14:22-36)

Those who know the Lord as a loving father will have difficulty appreciating today’s first reading.  In it God acts like a vindictive ogre.  He resents Aaron and Miriam’s questioning His authority.  Then he afflicts a hideous skin condition on the woman.  Can this vision of God be attributed to a primitive people’s retelling their traditions?

But the redaction of the Pentateuch was not an ancient happening.  Israel had become both a successful and a ruined nation by the time it was completed.  It may be that the portrayal of God as petulant shows how Aaron and Miriam (erroneously) perceive Him upon recognizing their own sin of envy.  It may be that the authors of the Old Testament want to indicate how one’s conception of God deteriorates because of sin.

Perhaps many of us as well have difficulty thinking of God as forgiving because of our own sins. We too think of ourselves as better than we have to be.  We hold on to grudges.  This logic transposes reality.  We should be ready to forgive others because God has forgiven us.  Our most hideous sins – betraying friendship, forsaking commitment, abusing the defenseless – are forgiven with our confession and repentance. 

Monday, August 2, 2021

 Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary time

(Numbers 11:4b-15; Matthew 14:13-21)

It has been noted how Eucharistic today’s gospel is.  Its description of Jesus “looking up to heaven” is part of the prayer of Consecration at Mass although Jesus does not make this gesture in the Last Supper accounts.  There are other connections to the Eucharist as well.

Jesus offers a blessing over the bread.  He is not blessing the bread but, as at Mass, blessing God, the provider of all that is good.  The bread Jesus gives for distribution satisfies the people physically.  Similarly, the bread at mass, transformed into the Body of Christ, meets the spiritual need of the people for grace to do God’s will.  The surplus of food in the gospel suggests the superabundance of Jesus’ ministry.  With the Eucharist as well, there is no limit to the range and the depth of the intentions that are fulfilled.

It is distressing to hear some Catholics speak of enjoying watching Mass on television in their pajamas during Covid.  The experience may have filled some spiritual need, but it could not have sufficed for full participation at Mass.  It probably indicates an eroded appreciation of the Mass in our time.  We must renew our faith in the Eucharist as the pinnacle of our encounter with the Lord.  It provides both context and means of achieving salvation.