Friday, April 1, 2022

 

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Wisdom 2:1a.12-22; John 7:1-2.10.25-30)

The boy’s family had a custom at Easter.  Each year they made an Easter pie filled with eggs, cheese, and sausage.  The sausage was prepared in January and hung on the family’s porch to dry.  In the middle of Lent, the boy entered his grandmother’s house and looked for the sausage.  He wanted to taste it, but his family said, “Not yet.”  It was not dried enough to be eaten.  He would have to wait until Easter.

In a similar way today’s gospel declares that Jesus’ “hour had not come.”  God is in control of all that is happening.  Jesus will not be arrested until God prepares for it.  Only After that will Jesus’ glory be revealed.  He will give up his life on the feast of the Jewish Passover Feast to show that his sacrifice is the new Passover.  More than rescue a people from slavery, Jesus’ sacrifice will save humankind from damnation.

We are waiting for the reenactment of these salvific mysteries.  The time is almost here.  Still, however, we are to sacrifice and pray.  A full preparation should find us ready to be renewed as Christ’s faithful witnesses.

Thursday, March 31, 2022

 

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:4-14; John 5:31-47)

In today’s from reading Exodus the Israelites have just apostatized.  They molded an image of gold and worshipped it.  Moses tries to defend them from God’s wrath.  He tells God that He would look foolish in destroying the people he saved.  He also reminds God of His promise to Abraham.

In the gospel the Jews are about to reject God again.  They refuse to believe that Jesus is God’s emissary.  Jesus tries to dissuade them.  He argues that his testimony is greater than John’s.  He may be referring to his baptism that forgives sins whereas John’s only shows repentance.  Jesus also performs mighty works that testify to his closeness to God. The Father also testifies to Jesus.  It is not clear what’s in mind here.  Perhaps Jesus is saying that the Father speaks to people’s hearts.  Finally, the Scriptures since Moses have testified to Jesus being God’s enduring prophet. 

We should recognize the possibility of our worshipping idols and rejecting Jesus.  For an idol we may put pleasure or even family before God.  We may reject Jesus by refusing to forgive others as he taught.  Now is the time to renew our faith in the Father and the Son.  Soon we will relive their victory over sin and death.

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30)

The law prohibiting work on the sabbath is derived from the Third Commandment.  Rabbis, however, were aware that God needs to work on the sabbath to prevent the world from falling apart.  Jesus uses this awareness to defend his curing the paralytic on a sabbath.  He tells the Jews that as God’s Son, he too can work on the sabbath.  He only does what he sees the Father doing – giving life.  Of course, the Jews hear Jesus as blaspheming.  How can a man – they think – make himself out to be God?

In Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin in Matthew, Mark, and Luke he is condemned for equating himself with God.  John does not have a Jewish trial, but he repeatedly has scenes like this one.  On some of these occasions the Jews try to kill him. In this way John verifies what happens at the Jewish trial.

As Jesus invites belief in him from the Jews, so he wants our belief. We ask ourselves, is he the Son of God, equal to the Father?  Or is he an imposter or, perhaps, a lunatic?  Many people have difficulty accepting Jesus as God.  Some of these consider the ethic that he preached too restrictive.  Hopefully, we will accept Jesus because the ethic is life-giving not detracting. It brings not only fulfilment on earth but also happiness in heaven.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 47:1-9.12; John 5:1-16)

As everyone knows, medical science has progressed by leaps and bounds.  Seventy years ago, eye cataract surgery required a delicate operation and a significant hospitalization.  Today it’s performed routinely as an out-patient service.  The relationship between the old and new procedures approximates the meaning of the two readings today.

Ezekiel describes the temple as a source of life.  Its waters are bountiful and productive.  They nourish trees with abundant fruit and medicinal leaves.  As life-giving as the temple is, however, the gospel indicates that Jesus eclipses it.  He encounters a paralytic who cannot get to the temple pool in time.  But there is no need for healing waters. Jesus just says a word to heal him.  The temple is like peroxide to Jesus’ antibiotic. 

Now is the time to renew our faith in Jesus.  He will heal us from the prejudice and fear that often separate us from other people.  Allowing ourselves to be molded by his words, we become loving and joyful. 

Monday, March 28, 2022

 Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4:43-54)

Yesterday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, is called “Laetare Sunday.”  Most Catholics know that this term means rejoicing.  Preachers in pink vestments explain that the Church rejoices because the time of penance is half-over.  Wearing pink, rather than the solemn purple, symbolizes the lighter spirit.

The shift of Laetare Sunday is more significant than a one-day change of color. The daily mass readings will no longer call for repentance and prayer.  They will anticipate the fulfilment of God’s promises at Easter.  The spirit of coming fulfilment is readily seen in today’s first reading.  God tells the people that He is “about to create new heavens and a new earth.” The gospel actually shows fulfilment.  Jesus rescues the son of a Jewish royal official from death.

We may look for signs of fulfilment in our own lives.  Perhaps fasting has slimmed our waistlines a bit.  But if this were all the fulfilment so far, we have missed Lent’s purpose.  By now we should have developed a closer familiarity with the Lord.  Our conversation with him should be less tentative and more intimate.  We should be communicating our readiness to suffer with him.   If this is the case, we will likely see those around us in a new way as well.

Sunday, March 27, 2022

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 27, 2022

(Joshua 5:9.10-12; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3.11-32)

Where St. Paul says that Christ became sin, he does not mean that he was a sinner.  “Sin” describes the precariousness of the human condition.  Women and men can live holy lives, much like angels whose only desire is to serve the Lord.  Unfortunately, many choose the opposite.  They focus on selfish pursuits.  They do not think of God, much less of others.  The second son in the parable of today’s gospel opts for this egotistical road.

It does not take long for the young man to be blindsided by reality.  He loses everything, even food for survival.  Rehearsing his apology, he returns to his father.  There he meets only mercy.  The father is ecstatic to see his son alive.  He does not listen to the apology.  He only showers affection upon his son.

Recently someone told me another version of a familiar story.  A man was discovered on skid row in Chicago.  He was drunk and homeless.  His founder provided him a place to stay and good counsel.  Soon the drunkard was attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Sixty years later he died a happy death.  He never forgot the day of his return to sobriety.  Like the second son, he humbled himself in order to survive.  Again like the second son, he fell into the hands of God, his loving Father.

Sunday, April 3, 2022

 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, April 3, 2022

(Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:7-14; John 8:1-11)

Once a holy man was traveling on foot through the forest. When he stopped for the night, an assailant came upon him. The ruffian demanded the most valuable thing he was carrying. Without delay the holy man opened his bag, took out a diamond as big as a grapefruit, and presented it to the assailant. The assailant took the diamond and left. In a short time he returned to the holy man. He told him, "Now give me the thing that made you part with this diamond." In the second reading Saint Paul shows us such a valuable thing.

Paul has had the experience of knowing Christ on several occasions. On the road to Damascus Christ appeared to him asking why he was persecuting them. The Acts of the Apostles recalls other meetings and also II Corinthians. We have similar experiences in prayer. We can sense the presence of Jesus urging us to be less inclined to anger and more kind and loving. He assures us that he will be with us come what may.

The story told in today’s gospel reinforces our trust in Jesus. He controls the situation with all the skill of a surgeon in the operating room. He first outwits the Pharisees who uses the adulteress to trap him. Their strategy is if Jesus says that the woman should be stoned, he would be violating Roman law. But if he says that she does not deserve death, he would be ignoring Jewish law. Jesus outsmarts them with the demand that the sinless person cast the first stone.

His treatment of the woman seems even more wonderful. Only the two remain, as Saint Augustine says, "misery and mercy". Jesus does not condemn the woman; neither does he scold her. He just corrects her. He tells her to go and sin no more. She will be so grateful to Jesus that she cannot ignore his mandate. He treats us the same way.

Not only does Jesus forgive us; he also helps us to sin no more. He teaches us how to live with our hearts set on the good of our neighbor, not on desire for his or her belongings. In addition to teaching, he shares with us the Holy Spirit that strengthens us spiritually. By receiving Holy Communion, we realize that we are not alone in the struggle. Rather we are part of a great family that includes the angels, the saints, even Christ as well as the other communicants.

Now we should better understand the first reading. Through the prophet God says that he is going to do something new. It will be as refreshing as a river in the desert. The new, the refreshing thing is Jesus Christ. He has not come to judge us but to justify us. He does not make excuses for our faults but corrects them so that we live honorably. We will live as upright as oak trees giving nuts to the squirrels and shelter to the birds.

The discovery of a "new" star was recently reported. In addition to not being really "new", this star attracted attention because it does not conform to astronomers' theories. It is so with Jesus. He lived two thousand years ago, but to many, even us, he is new. He does not conform to the old models of judging and scolding. He simply corrects us and justifies us. We will see this process take place in the liturgies within the next two weeks.

Friday, March 25, 2022

 SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD

 (Isaiah 7:10-14.8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38)

 The unlikely story of the “Christmas truce of 1914” has been verified by accounts sent home by the soldiers involved.  It happened that as the First World War became a miserable standoff in the trenches, the Germans offered the British a resolution to stop the fighting on Christmas Day.  They sent the message along with a chocolate cake.  The British accepted the offer with a gift of tobacco for the German troops.  Today we take a similar day off in Lent to celebrate the beginnings of Jesus Christ.

 It is exactly nine months before Christmas.  Figuring that Jesus had a normal gestation, the Church has consecrated today as the day of his conception.  It proclaims the gospel of Mary’s acceptance of God’s offer to be the mother of His Son.  That Son, Jesus, will fulfill God’s ancient promise to Israel of a king who will rule forever.

 We should not hesitate to have a glass of wine today or a bar of chocolate.  We do not have to abstain from meat today either.  But beyond breaking our Lenten customs, we do well to relate the significance of this day to our Lenten journey.  God shared with humans His Son who showed us the Father’s love.  Being enmeshed in sin, we crucified the Son for his goodness.  But the cross on which he died became the source of our redemption.  The story unfolds in three weeks in our celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

 Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

 (Jeremiah 7:23-28; Luke 11:14-23)

 This is an age of expressive individualism.  People want to show off the choices they have made about themselves.  Many of these choices are frivolous. Take color, for example. Most settle for changing the color of their hair to blond  or brunette.  Some, however, opt for an exotic green or blue.  Other choices affect the core being of the person.  One such choice that some people claim to make is a gender different than the one indicated by their chromosomes.  They don’t necessarily choose to be a man when they are biologically a women.  They may consider themselves some sort of hybrid.  Another way people express their choice is faith.  Some choose to trust God.  Others see the Buddha as the source of enlightenment.  Still others think humanity is worthy of their ultimate allegiance.

Today’s readings treat the choice of a prophet who speaks for God.  In the first reading the Lord says that the people have rejected Him in not listening to Jeremiah.  In the gospel Jesus defends his status as God’s spokesman with an argument and a parable.  He argues that Satan cannot be the source of his exorcisms because Satan would be warring against himself.  Rather, he says, the one, true God is the source of his power.  For this reason, the people should accept him, Jesus, as his prophet.  In the parable Jesus points out that Satan has been overwhelmed by God’s prophet.  Now the people can reclaim from Satan their freedom to live with freedom and dignity.

Especially during Lent Jesus asks us to renew our faith in him.  This means limiting our expressive individualism to what corresponds to his virtue.  We must follow his directives to live lovingly, chastely, and wisely.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

(Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9; Matthew 5:17-19)

In his poem “Mending Wall” Robert Frost writes, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.”  Walls are barriers that keep people apart.  But they also maintain order.  Laws are like walls.  Something about them is repugnant.  People, for the most part, want to help not hurt one another.  Why should they be restricted in their outreach?  Yet both readings today speak of the value of laws. 

In the first reading, Moses tells the people that they form a great nation because their laws are just. Given by God Himself, they have shaped a population of slaves into a just and holy people.  In the gospel Jesus confirms the worthiness of Jewish laws although he will enhance them.  His aim is to make a holy nation perfect.

Laws preserve not only order but also identity.  Keeping the Law, Jews remain Jewish.  They also assure that wayward human tendencies do not hurt others.  Still, we look forward to the abolition of laws, as Jesus says, with the coming of the Kingdom.  Then there will only remain the law of love.  Then, as the Holy Spirit fills every soul, all will love as we should.

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

 

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

(Daniel 3:25.34-43; Matthew 18:21-35)

Sins are forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance if there is a “firm purpose of amendment.”  This means that the penitent must be determined not to commit the sin again.  She may fail and come to Confession the following day.  But she must want not to fail by taking measures to avoid the sin.  As important as a firm purpose of amendment is, it is not the criterion that Jesus lays out for forgiveness.

Jesus insists that any mercy shown by God will be revoked if the sinner is not willing to forgive in turn.  His parable is quite illustrious.  In today’s terms it would say a man is forgiven the debt of a billion dollars.  Then he refuses to forgive his debtor who under the same conditions could not pay back one hundred.  Of course, such asymmetry is inexcusable.  God may be incomprehensibly merciful, but He is no fool.  He will not overlook the unwillingness to forgive after one has been greatly forgiven.

We show mercy when we do not try to get even with others for their offenses.  We may try to understand why the offenders acted in the way they did.  Perhaps we remember not acting well under similar circumstances.  Our aim is not to make excuses for th person but to recognize in ourselves in others.  In this way we are more likely to care for them as brothers and sisters.

Monday, March 21, 2022

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

 (II Kings 5:1-15; Luke 4:24-30)

Ten years ago former presidential candidate Mitch Romney called Russia America’s greatest military threat.  Political opponents dismissed him as out of touch with the times. Now with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine his words are considered prophetic.  The readings today show two other prophets whose words were rejected until they proved to be true.

A prophet’s task is to present the truth, especially when it is difficult to discern.  The Holy Spirit has inspired religious prophets to present the truth on behalf of God’s people.  Elisha presents the truth to Naaman that all his horses and chariots, all his gold and garments will not regain his health.  To achieve that Naaman must do as he, God’s prophet, tells him.  Similarly the people of Nazareth should look to Jesus not for benefits that he may bring but for truth he tells.  They must heed his words because he is God’s ultimate prophet.

Jesus as well as the Old Testament prophets present two critical truths.  First and foremost, they relate God’s love for us – more than a mother cares for her child.  Secondly, prophets warn us that we must respond to God with love.  We love God because he is the best there is.  We love others because they are our sisters and brothers – children of our common heavenly Father.

Sunday, March 20, 2022

 THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT 

(Exodus 3:1-8.13-15; I Corinthians 10:1-6.10-12; Luke 13:1-9)

Philosophers say that there are two types of evil. Men do moral evil. We have seen moral evil in the invasion of Ukraine. It is obvious that the president of Russia wants to bring an autonomous nation  under his rule. The other type of evil is called “natural”. For all the damage it has created, the Covid virus well represents natural evil.

One wonders which kind of evil is worse. Moral evil certainly causes great personal turmoil. Parents who have suffered the murder of a child feel tremendously distressed. But how can that sadness compare with all the suffering experienced in the 2004 tsunami? The catastrophe took more than 227,000 lives! However we weigh the seriousness of the two types of evil, Jesus treats evil differently. We find him in the gospel today listening to a horrific story of moral evil.

Some men report to Jesus the slaughter of Galileans by Pilate. Jesus adds to the report a well-known case of natural evil. Recently a tower fell on a crowd crushing eighteen people. What a tragedy! Curiously, Jesus does not express horror at all the evil. Nor does he comment, as was the custom of the time, on the guilt of the victims as the source of evil. He only looks at the significance of the evil for the people around him.

He draws his attention to the fact that the victims in both cases could have been themselves. He then urges them to repent so that they avoid condemnation at the judgment when they die. In other words, they shouldn't just worry about bad things happening to themselves. They should worry even more about the evil that they themselves have done. It's like our mothers used to tell us: "No matter what others do, take care that you always do the right thing."

Then Jesus tells a story to clarify his intention. A fig tree cannot take up custodial care forever without bearing fruit. If it doesn't produce figs, it will be destroyed. Also, the fig tree has to bear fruit very soon. It is the same with us. Now is the time to change our ways of living so that we produce good deeds. We have to leave laziness behind to live according to the ways of justice and love.

A family once was like all the others. They identified as Catholic but did not attend mass often. For the most part they liked to watch football on TV and party with their friends. Then by some act of grace, they began to heed the word of God. It became a family dedicated to the Lord. One day the doctors gave the mother of the family a terminal diagnosis. It was difficult for everyone. However, rooted in grace, they could calmly face cancer.

You can see the source of grace for this family in the first reading. God gives Moses his name. Now the Israelites can call on him when they get into trouble. He will always be there to help them. In the second reading Saint Paul testifies to the benefit of having God attentive to supplications. The Israelites eat and drink in the desert by the grace of the Lord.

We are about to enter spring. It is the time of change. Nature awakens from the laziness of winter to produce the fruits of summer. Soon we will see the flowers on trees and the sprouts in the field. Jesus wants us to make a similar change. We are to stop watching TV a little to listen more to the word of the Lord. We are to ignore what others do to lend a hand to the afflicted.

Friday, March 18, 2022

 Friday of the Second Week of Lent

(Genesis 37:3-4.12-13a.17b-28a; Matthew 21:33-43.45-46)

The poet John Milton described Lucifer as a tragic figure.  In Paradise Lost, Lucifer has many positive qualities, but he also harbors envy.  For this reason he rebels against God.  Today’s readings give two more examples of envy.

Joseph’s brothers envy their father’s treating him as his favorite son.  Their envy grows so virulent that they consider killing him.  In the gospel Jesus tells the story of vineyard workers who desire the owner’s vineyard.  They succeed in murdering the owner’s heir in order to attain the vineyard.

Envy or sadness over another’s rightful success affects most of us because it works off our pride.  We feel that somehow we deserve what belongs to others.  We can overcome this vice by accepting God’s love for us.  His love should mean much more than worldly success.  It offers the gift of happiness.  To an extent we can experience the happiness now as we let go of competing with others. We will enjoy the fulness of happiness with the coming of His kingdom.

Thursday, March 17, 2022

 Thursday of the First Second Week of Lent

(Jeremiah 17;5-10; Luke 16: 19-31)

Although a humorist, Mark Twain had a negative assessment of humans.  Typical of his attitude is his thought, “of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel.  He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.”  His image of the human corresponds to what is heard in today’s readings.

Jeremiah calls the human heart “more tortuous that all else” and “beyond remedy.”  He thinks anyone who trusts in humans is “cursed.”  Jesus describes such a man in the gospel parable.  The rich man is so self-satisfied that he is blind to the beggar at his door.  It is as if his face was so swollen with at that he can no longer see clearly.

Not all humans ignore the voice of God in their conscience.  Instructed by Christ in the gospels, Christians should be attentive to its call.  We strive to treat each person with respect.  We care especially for the weak.  We even are kind to animals who are useful to and in ways resemble humans.  Christians are hardly the only good people, but we have every reason to strive for moral perfection.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

 Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

 (Jeremiah 18:18-20; Matthew 20:17-28)

 As we approach the middle of Lent, we may find our initial Lenten resolutions losing traction.  It is a parallel process to the capitulations found in today’s readings.  In the first, the people are unwilling to accept Jeremiah’s teaching that allegiance is to God alone.  They want to dally with other gods as a way of hedging their bets on divine assistance.  In the gospel no one seems to grasp what Jesus is saying about self-sacrifice for the good of others.  James and John allow their mother to promote their advancement.  Meanwhile, the other disciples resent the brothers for reducing their chances for places of honor. 

 During Lent the Lord seeks our conversion from the ways of the world to the virtues of the Kingdom.  Where the world says “look out for number one,” Jesus tells us to “lose our lives for his sake and for the gospel.”  We have to renew our efforts continually so that we will always serve others joyfully.

 The saints model Jesus’ self-abnegation for good of others.  Stanley Rother was an American priest defending the rights of the indigenous in Guatemala during the 1970’s and early 1980’s.  He was threatened with death if he did not leave his parish.  In fact, he tried going away but made the realization that, as he said, “a shepherd cannot run from his flock.”  He returned to Guatemala where shortly afterwards gunmen entered his rectory and killed him.  As a martyr, he did not need a miracle to be declared “Blessed Stanley Rother.”

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

A famous American novelist once stipulated the most important thing a good writer must have.  It wasn’t a computer or even a library.  No, according to this Nobel laureate, a good writer must have a built-in, fool-proof “crap detector.”  Good writers Know they are writing about.  They are not fooled by things with impressive covers but lacking content.  They can tell what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong.  In today’s gospel Jesus shows the ability to be a good writer.

Jesus is criticizing religious rigorists who are prominent in any age.  He faults them for wanting to be respected as learned and holy when they show little interest in God’s concern.  They do not make justice their aim as Isaiah says people must in today’s first reading.  Jesus tells his followers to be wary of such pretenders.  He wants his disciples to eschew titles of honor.  Rather they should want to be known simply as “brother” or “sister.”

Many of us are concerned about being perceived as caring and intelligent.  We like to be called “doctor” or “father” or “professor” or “nurse.”  Are we defying Jesus’ lesson here?  Perhaps not if our true aim is to serve well.  We might ask ourselves if we live in accord with the professional ethic that our title implies.

Monday, March 14, 2022

 Monday of the Second Week of Lent

(Daniel 9:4b-10; Luke 6:36-38)

Just before he was assassinated, Abraham Lincoln traveled to Ulysses Grant’s headquarters near Richmond.  After visiting wounded Union soldiers, he walked to a tent separated from the rest.  A doctor told him that he didn’t want to go there.  Asking why, Lincoln was told that it housed injured Confederates.  Lincoln responded that there is where he wanted to go.

Inside the tent Lincoln offered his hand to a sick rebel.  The soldier asked the president if he knew to whom he extended his hand.  The president replied that he didn’t.  The man said, “…you offer to a Confederate colonel, who has fought you as hard as he could for four years.”  Lincoln replied, “Well, I hope a Confederate colonel will not refuse me his hand.”  The colonel clasped Lincoln’s hand in both of his.  Afterwards he said, “I tell you, sir, he had the most magnificent face and eye that I have ever gazed into.  He had me whipped from the time he first opened his mouth.”

Abraham Lincoln radiated the mercy Jesus exhorts his disciples to practice.  We are not to judge another’s character by the color of his skin or by the brand name of her clothing.  If we find ourselves on opposing sides, we are to seek reconciliation.  We must be ready to forgive any offense committed against us.  Living in these ways, we can hope that God will show us mercy.

Sunday, March 13, 2022

 SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

(Genesis 15:5-12.17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36)

There is a men's organization that has drawn a lot of attention. It is not a military squad. Nor is it a band of musicians. This organization consists mostly of fathers who come together to support one another in living righteously. It's called the “Promise Keepers” organization. The men promise to fulfill their roles as husbands and fathers by practicing virtue. We are reminded of this group with the Mass readings today. In them we see God demonstrating how he is going to fulfill his promises.

God promised Abram that he would have a great nation as his inheritance. However, the man has grown old without having a son. In the reading God confirms his promise: Abram’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the night sky. So God makes a covenant with Abram. His descendants will not only be numerous but will also inhabit a great land.

Probably Ukrainians now, like Abram in the reading, are having a hard time believing in God's goodness. They are suffering so much that it is hard for them to believe that God is with them. They look for a favorable sign that they will not lose everything. Possibly the only hope that can be extended to the Ukrainians is Paul's promise in the second reading. Paul tells the Philippians that they are citizens of heaven. If they follow Jesus, both their bodies and their suffering will be transformed.

In the gospel we meet the Lord leading three disciples up a mountain. He just finished telling the entire group that he was going to suffer death in Jerusalem. He added that he will also be raised from the dead. Then he promised them that they in turn will suffer for associating with him. But it won't be for nothing. They will share also eternal life with him.

On the mountain the three receive a glimpse of the fulfillment of these promises. Jesus' garments are transformed so that they reveal his glory. The voice of the Father gives another witness to the truth of his coming death and resurrection. It proclaims that Jesus is his “Son”, his “chosen one”. By saying “my chosen one” God associates Jesus with the Suffering Servant of the prophet Isaiah. During Holy Week we are going to see this man prefiguring Jesus as redeemer of the people. By saying “my Son,” God assures the disciples that Jesus will take the place at his right hand in heaven.

Can the Ukrainians be content with the promise of glory for Jesus’ followers? Can we be? We humans are a mixture of body and soul. The passions of the body can overwhelm the beliefs of the mind. Particularly fear and desire can silence the voice of conscience. But we are not alone in the struggle to master the passions. We have the saints as models to imitate and intercessors to pray for us. St. Oscar Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, withstood the threats from the military of his country. He knew that he would suffer martyrdom, but he never stopped preaching the gospel. We have to ask the Lord that we always remain faithful. Then we have to conform our lives to his.

Whenever the transfiguration is mentioned, we always think of the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain. However, we could think of our transfiguration as well. Particularly through our efforts during Lent, we hope that we will be transfigured.  Let us show more gratitude to God, more patience with the weak, and more love for our neighbor. May striving to grow in these ways be our promise this Lent!

Friday, March 11, 2022

 Friday of the First Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matthew 5:20-26)

So many people remain stuck in their vices that stories of conversions seem hard to come by.  Who knows many individuals who lived for years lives in deceit but now are model Christians?  However, every Alcoholics Anonymous group can give hundreds of examples.  The number of conversion stories becomes gigantic with the one hundred three thousand AA groups in the world today.

Both Scripture readings speak of the need for conversion.  The Lord says in Ezekiel that when one converts, past sins are forgotten.  The converted person does not have to worry about her debts, at least to the Lord.  In the gospel Jesus implores sinners to reconcile with those they have offended.  If not, he warns, they will pay a heavy price.

Lent is a time of conversion.  We make amends.  We start anew.  One writer notes how many families are guilty of willful neglect by seldom eating together. He suggests that the family meal would serve as a better Lenten practice than giving up desserts.  We should create at least one new habit each Lent that would move us out of a sinful way.

Thursday, March 10, 2022

 Thursday of the First Week of Lent

(Esther C:12.14-16.23-25; Matthew 7:7-12)

Of the three Lenten disciplinary practices prayer would seem to an atheist the most absurd.  Fasting would make sense because most everybody needs to lose weight.  Charity also has some palpable benefits.  It helps the receiver and leaves the giver with a feeling of worthiness.  But prayer for an atheist must seem as useless as squeezing a stone for water.

Believers know better.  Prayer not only relieves tension in the one who prays.  It also moves God to effect helpful change.  Jesus obviously things so in today’s gospel.  He exhorts his disciples to have no less reservation asking God for help than a child would in asking his mother for a sandwich.  Queen Esther in today’s reading asks God’s help in her desperate situation.  She will not be disappointed.

We may not pray or pray as an afterthought because of our belief that focused action is more likely to get us what we need.  It is true that often our needs are provided through our own efforts.  Still it is God who provides.  Equally certain, God more often helps us through others – our parents, teachers, or friends.  God also provides in unexpected ways – what we might call “luck.”  We should go to God as our needs arise, as they become acute, and after we have done what we can to meet them.

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

 Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 11:29-32)

Pope Francis has said that conversion or repentance is “a process that purifies us from moral encrustations.”  He probably meant immoral encrustations.  It is necessary that individuals recognize their faults and correct them.  If not, the faults may result in something monstrous.  Francis is aware that conversion is not easy.  He calls it “painful, because there is no path of holiness without some sacrifice…”  He might have added that people think too much of themselves.  They do not repent because they do not want to admit that they were wrong.

Today’s first reading tells of an extraordinary conversion.  The great city of Nineveh recognizes its sinfulness and repents.  There is no historical evidence that this conversion ever took place.  But there are other examples of national conversion.  Germany, after World War II, repented of its involvement with the Nazi’s scientific experimentation on humans without consent and its attempted genocide.  Today the country has relatively strict laws protecting people, including fetuses, from harm in the name of science.

Perhaps when our sins are large, we cannot hide from them.  We are almost forced to repent.  Smaller sins are less difficult to spot and more readily concealed.  Particularly this kind of sin – pornography, backbiting, lying -- challenges us the most.  Now is the time to rid them of our lives forever.

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

 Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

(Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 6:7-15)

The words efficacious and effective have the same Latin root.  But they do not have the same meaning.  An instrument is effective if it has some positive result.  It is efficacious if it produces fully what the agent desired.  Today’s first reading describes the word of God as not just effective but efficacious.  It produces the good which God intends.

In the gospel Jesus urges his followers to pray to the Father.  They are to ask for the fullness of His Kingdom.  When this occurs, war and violence will cease.  Individuals and nations will reach their full potential.  Everyone will have food to eat, schools in which to learn, and quality health care.  Life will be more than tolerable; it will be joyful.

We keep praying the Our Father but do not yet experience the coming of the Kingdom in full.  War wages in Ukraine. children lack nutrition in Haiti.  Human rights are violated in Hong Kong.  What is keeping the Kingdom away?  We cannot say.  But signs of the in-breaking of the Kingdom have appeared.  East and West are cooperating in effort to curtail violence. Liberals and conservative are beginning to realize that virtue, not egotism, makes for the good life. 

Monday, March 7, 2022

Monday of the First Week of Lent

(Leviticus 18:1-2.11-18; Matthew 25:31-46)

The Lord in the first reading tells His people that they must be holy.  He means that they are to preserve themselves from moral corruption. They are to be honest and just in their dealings.  They are to respect everyone, especially the disabled.  The Lord sums up what holiness entails in the command to love others as oneself.

In the gospel Jesus presents more specific requisites.  The holy ones, designated for the Kingdom of God, feed the hungry.  They take care of the sick and visit the imprisoned.  Although they may not realize it, they serve Jesus himself in lessening the burden of the oppressed.

We may say that we do not want to be considered holy.  We may even try to convince ourselves that we want to be like everyone else.  But deep down, we know that it is not true.  We want to be good and loving.  We want to walk in the company of the Lord Jesus.  This is the same as saying that we want to experience the joy of eternal life. 

Sunday, March 6, 2022

 

First Sunday of Lent

(Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13)

Few children of the great of  history were as successful as their parents. Alexander the Great surpassed the exploits of his father, Philip of Macedon. But the sons of Lincoln did not have his political sagacity. Neither the children of Pele or Mardones could match the athletic prowess of their fathers. In the gospel today the devil calls Jesus “Son of God”. He only repeats what God himself said of Jesus at his Baptism. What does it mean to be the “Son of God”? We learn its meaning in the drama of Jesus' trials in the desert. We also learn we are to live as God’s sons and daughters.

The first test is the desire to satisfy hunger. Jesus has a great appetite after forty days of fasting. The devil challenges him to satisfy the need by turning a stone into bread. Certainly the "Son of God" can make such a conversion. But, knowing who it is that invites him to eat, Jesus rejects the offer. The "Son of God" lives by the word of God, not the word of the devil.

By our Baptism we have become members of the family of God. We too must live more to fulfill the will of our Father than to satisfy our desires. That is why we try to discipline our desires during Lent. We fast from food so that our desires do not dominate us. The Church requires that we refrain from the meat of land animals on the Fridays of Lent. It would be helpful if we also abstain from other favorite foods and drinks.

We have just seen a huge case of the desire for power. No person of good will can justify the invasion of Ukraine. But we have to remember that such a desire exists in each of us in a tiny way. Each of us wants to impose his will on others. We want others to hear our stories and watch our TV shows. The will to dominate the peoples of the world comprises the second temptation of Jesus. According to the devil, as the "Son of God" everyone must bow before Jesus in submission. However, his proposal does not attract the attention of Jesus. He knows that any power conjured by the devil would surely corrupt him. More importantly, the "Son of God" does not come to be served but to serve.

Finally, the devil tempts Jesus with vanity. If he is the “Son of God”, can Jesus not presume that the Father would rescue him when he finds himself in a precarious situation? To verify his relationship with God, the devil challenges Jesus to throw himself off the top of the Temple. However, Jesus knows that by putting himself at risk like this he would not be trusting his Father but rather tempting him. It is a temptation that people today are susceptible to. Many think that they are children of God by their mere existence as human persons. And because they are children, they can do what they want without worrying about the consequences. This is a mistaken notion of God's goodness. Although we are his children, we must ask him for help with prayer. Equally necessary we must fulfill his law. Religion without love for God and neighbor is pure vanity.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus we are sons and daughters of God. Like him, we are very loved by our Father. Especially during Lent we show our love for God in return. We fast to remain in solidarity with Jesus in the desert. We pray to give him due attention. And we increase our works of charity to fulfill his law of love.

Friday, March 4, 2022

 Friday after Ash Wednesday

(Isaiah 58:1-9a; Matthew 9:14-15)

Today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah has led some priests to discourage fasting as a Lenten practice.  They say people should do something positive for their neighbors rather than deny themselves.  Up to a point, they have a point.  However, Jesus does not reject fasting in the gospel.  As today’s passage indicates, there is a time for fasting.  Christians traditionally made that time the season of Lent.

Nevertheless, Christian fasting should be accompanied by good deeds. Without such deeds fasting becomes hollow ritual, an exercise in vanity.  Everyone is aware that fasting likely ends in weight loss which is often favorable to health and beauty.  Good works indicates that these are not all we seek by fasting.

We might ask whether fasting itself does any good.  The answer is that it depends upon our motivation, which is usually complex.  If we fast, at least in part, out of love for God, we will grow closer to Him.  Fasting may be compared to joining a solidarity march in support of the Ukrainian people.  Even though we are far away, the people may become aware of our concern for their fate.  Also, done out of love, it becomes another good act by which we grow in virtue.

Thursday, March 3, 2022

 Thursday after Ash Wednesday

(Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Luke 9:22-25)

At first glance it seems only ironic that one must die in order to live.  If one wants to have life, she should keep away from things that produce death.  But when we think about it, simulating dying can lead to more life.  Surgeons can cure remove life-threatening cancers after the patient becomes dead-like with anesthesia.

On a higher level, people will experience spiritual renewal when they put an end to wild living.  Dorothy Day lived as a saint when she left behind the bohemian lifestyle of her young adult years. In today’s first reading Moses urges the Israelites to choose life by adopting God’s law.  They will not be following their whims any longer.  Rather, they will discipline themselves with divine precepts which assure bodily and spiritual benefit.  In the gospel Jesus is even more challenging.  To live, he says, one must take up the terror of the cross.  It is a death-dealing instrument that accepted in self-sacrifice brings one to eternal life.

In its beginning Lent seems like such a long haul that we are reluctant to make any sacrifices.  Of course, as all time, Lent proceeds at a rapid pace.  With good effort each day we can see ourselves become stronger, kinder, holier.  At Easter, the journey’s end, we should have a glimpse of the glory of eternal life.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

 

Ash Wednesday

 (Joel 2:12-18; II Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)

 The forty days of Lent correspond to the forty years the Israelites roamed in the desert.  They started by fleeing slavery in Egypt.  So are Lenten pilgrims.  People today, as always really, are enslaved by sin.  They may not be able to name their sins and sometimes are unaware of its presence.  For this reason as well, sin is described as darkness.

The sin that lurks about like the odor of cigarette smoke is selfishness.  People strive to satisfy their own needs without concern for others.  Few these days would give their seat to an elderly person, much less to a woman.  People want their opinions heard and their feelings salved.  Yet they can be oblivious to the same desires of others.  God is neglected in a world of narcissism.  Focusing on the self, many cannot recognize God’s incalculable goodness.

Fortunately, the Church sets aside for us these forty days to deal with our sins.  We are to “rend our hearts” for considering mostly our own needs.  Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving reorganize our priorities in favor of God and others.  We become “reconciled to God” by determined efforts to put behind us our selfish ways.