Tuesday, November 1, 2022

 Solemnity of All Saints

(Revelation 7:2-4.9-14; I John3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a)

 Halloween traditions have a murky background.  Do the wearing of masks and the prominence of skeletons celebrate a time-conditioned rising from the dead?  Or are customs of dressing in clothes of various cultures and periods indicative of the plethora of saints in Church history.  Because Halloween immediately precedes All Saints and not All Souls Day, the latter answer appears more on target.

Today’s readings testify to many kinds of people becoming saints throughout the centuries.  Revelation says it directly.  A “great multitude…from every nation, race people, and tongue” participate in the heavenly court.  John’s letter indicates that people must purify themselves to gain such a standing.  The beatitudes describe those who have gone through the process of purification.  They are the poor and humble, peacemakers and pursuers of justice. 

All Saints Day reminds us of the past which we readily forget as we preoccupy ourselves with the here and now.  It tells us of the faith of our predecessors in God whom we can marginalize in our quest for self-fulfillment.  It emboldens us to imitate their virtue so that we too might reach their standing in eternal life. 

Monday, October 31, 2022

 Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(Philippians 2:1-4; Luke 14:12-14)

A famous moral theologian once admitted that he would never say that his work is perfect.  He just thought it “a little better” than anyone else’s.  The man was joking, of course.  Yet he had his finger on a very common human fault.  People like to consider themselves as better than others, at least those in their own grouping.  This kind of thinking sets up rivalries which readily spill over into animosities and even hatreds.  It is the kind of disposition that St. Paul wants the Philippians to avoid in today’s first reading.

The passage leads into the great Christological hymn of Philippians, renowned for the Greek term kenosis.  The word means emptying and refers to Christ letting go of the fullness of divinity to become human.  Paul is coaxing the community at Philippi to give up any pretensions of rank or class.  He wants everyone to think of himself or herself not as better but, indeed, not as good as every other person. 

Often the antidote to excessive behavior in one direction is to assert the other direction.  This strategy is at the heart of Paul’s admonition.  Of course, we are in some ways better than others and not as good as others in different ways.  Nevertheless, Paul’s hope is that every community member strives to be like Christ.  That is, she or he will give up considerations of superiority and concentrate on loving others.  

Sunday, October 30, 2022

 THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Wisdom 11:22-12:2; II Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Luke 19:1-10)

There are many fascinating stories of Saint John Paul II. The World Youth Day, 2002, occasioned one of the best. Pope John Paul arrives in Toronto to be with countless young people for the last time in his life. He is eighty-two years old and looks, with a swollen and distorted face, like he is even older. At the closing mass with nearly a million people in attendance is a twenty-four-year-old woman. She is an alcoholic, a heroin addict, and a prostitute. She tells herself that she wants to die. Only because of some youth in the parish near her was she attending the event. Then her life changes. As if he were addressing her alone, she hears the pope say that he loves her. Many men have told her they love her, but in this case -- she says later -- the man was serious. Also, the pope tells her that God, who made all the stars in the heavens, loves her too. He loves him so much that he wants her to spend all eternity with Him. Listening to John Paul, the young woman no longer wants to die; on the contrary, she now wants to live. Like Jesus in the Gospel today, Saint John Paul II was a person capable of changing people's lives.

Throughout this Gospel of Luke simply the presence of Jesus results in blessings. At its beginning, still within Mary's womb, his coming causes the infant within Elizabeth to jump for joy.  At its end, having met Jesus, Pilate and Herod, who were enemies, become friends. According to the disciple on the road to Emmaus, Jesus is "a prophet mighty in deed and word." However, he is also as merciful as a mother to her last child. We remember how Jesus raised to life the widow's son and how he healed the servant's ear in the Garden of Olives. As always, Saint Paul has helpful words to describe the effect of Jesus. He writes: “…I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” As he went to meet Paul on the road to Damascus, Jesus seeks out Zacchaeus in the gospel today.

We need to understand the type of person Zacchaeus is. He is not the "good tax collector" ready to help the poor save money. Rather, he is "chief tax collector," probably the one who knows best how to swindle people and how to defend his crimes with lies. He wants to see Jesus not because Jesus is a holy man but because he is famous. As seeing the king of England when he comes to your country, seeing Jesus is the thing to do on this happy day in Jericho. But the encounter with Jesus changes Zacchaeus forever. He's no longer going to extort anything from anyone. Rather he is going to repay four times whatever he has defrauded in the past and give half of his assets to the poor.

Jesus comes in search of each one of us. There are stories of his appearances to people like Saint Thomas Aquinas when, according to a report, he spoke to him from a crucifix. More common but still powerful is the presence of Jesus felt in programs like the Road to Emmaus. Jesus often comes to us through the words of the gospel or through knowing a truly holy person like St. Teresa od Kalcuta. However, Jesus' preferred way of reaching out to us is through the sacraments. As it is said, “When a man baptizes, it is Christ who baptizes”. Yes, faith is necessary to recognize Christ.  However, he is there.

Of the seven sacraments the one where he is most recognizable is definitely the Eucharist. We have him first in our hand, then we consume it. The result is not that he becomes like us but the opposite. We become like him. Now during Halloween we can think of the bread and wine as a costume that Jesus wears to approach us. In this case he doesn't want to take chocolates from us. Rather, he wants to share his life with us.

Friday, October 28, 2022

 Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

 (Ephesians 2:19-22; Luke 6:12-16)

A guest editorial once appeared in the Wall Street Journal telling of a struggle to get a little girl the education she needed. The editorial was written by a woman who had just graduated from a state university in Florida and was about to pursue a master’s degree.  What’s remarkable is that the woman had been considered a hopeless cause after failing first and second grades.  Then her godmother took her into her home and procured for her a state voucher to attend a private school.  There the girl received the special attention she needed.  Today we celebrate the saint who may be considered the young woman’s patron.

St. Jude is sometimes surnamed Thaddeus because he is not mentioned in Mark’s and Matthew’s gospel while Thaddeus is.  But the most telling inference in the gospels of this saint is that his name appears at the end of the list of apostles except for Judas Iscariot.  In other words, Jude is the last of the faithful apostles.  Yet in the eyes of many Catholics around the world Jude is the most famous other than St. Peter.  The reason for his popularity is that his being positioned in the last place has made him the patron of so-called “hopeless causes” – a sense which perhaps everyone has of her or his situation at one time or another.

In truth none of our causes is really hopeless.  God has sent Jesus to help us.  We need to trust in him, perhaps with the intercession of St. Jude.  He will supply us with the opportunity to rise from desperation.  He will make us well.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

 Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 6:10-20; Luke 13:31-35)

Quite a number of years ago, a documentary movie featured a French Protestant community during World War II.  The community conspired against Nazi occupants to save the lives of thousands of Jews fleeing persecution.  The film’s title, “Weapons of the Spirit,” was taken from today’s reading from the Letter to the Ephesians.

The letter speaks of a struggle “not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” Modern people generally eschew this type of language as being otherworld fantasy.  Nevertheless there is a wide consensus that the Nazi regime was indeed diabolical.

We should not fool ourselves.  The spiritual life is a struggle against inhuman forces.  The human person is naturally inclined to self-gratification.  Using market advertising, evil spirits turn preoccupation with self into a fulsome vice.  More than a hearty education is needed to overcome its threat.  As Ephesians counsels, we need to hold faith as a shield and Scripture as a sword to do what is right.

 

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

 Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 6:1-9; Luke 13:22-30)

A teacher used to tell her students, “We are not Ameri-cants; we are all Ameri-cans.”  More than instilling patriotism, the teacher was encouraging the children to work hard.  She is supporting the American dream that anyone can achieve her or his life ambition with dedication to the project.  In this light we should hear today’s first reading.

Some are taken aback by the reading because it seems to support the institution of slavery.  This is a cynical point of view.  The passage accepts slavery as a given in ancient society much like overconsumption of fossil fuel is in our society.  We may not like it, but we have to deal with it.  Despite the situation, the reading implies, slaves can achieve salvation by acquiescing to the non-sinful demands of their masters.

Often we are in a parallel situation as the slave.  We have to comply with another’s command when we do not want to.  School teachers may hate to correct papers.  Research technicians may dislike cleaning animal cages.  We do these kinds of things not just to keep our job, but also to maintain peace in the work environment.  In doing so, we are also complying with the Lord’s will and meriting His commendation.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 5:21-33; Luke 10:18-21)

The Church, wanting to feel the “joys and hopes” of the people, has sometimes blushed over today’s first reading.  In our world so concerned about equality, how could it defend the biblical injunction, “… wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything”?  In order not to deal with the passage, some preachers find another reading to comment upon.  Others brazenly dismiss the passage as a cultural anachronism.  Both strategies, however, fail to appreciate the Scripture as revelation of God’s will.

It must be said that in New Testament times a husband had rights that a woman lacked.  In Jewish law, for example, a man was allowed to divorce his wife without a reciprocal provision.  Our reading from Ephesians, in contrast, shows parity between the two.  It begins by stating, “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  The reading also speaks of complementary obligations.  Women are to submit to their husbands (granted, in things not sinful).  Men must love their wives as Christ loved the Church.  In other words, men must love their wives more than their own physical lives!

Rather than rejecting this passage, we should embrace it.  It indicates the critical difference between Church and society.  The difference is found in how members come together in love.  In society a man and a woman submit themselves to one another for mutual satisfaction.  In the Church a husband and a wife subordinate themselves to one another for mutual growth in love for God and each other.

Monday, October 24, 2022

 Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 4:32-8:8; Luke 13:10-17)

Some youth prefer to utter obscenities and to act so that everyone takes notice of them.  They bully others and provoke fights when they know they can win.  This kind of behavior is, of course, contrary to what the author of the Letter to the Ephesians has in mind for the community in today’s first reading.

Instead of being “Mr. Tough Guy” or “Ms. Tough Girl” the writer tells the community to be generous and caring.  Members’ speech should express gratitude, a sign of dependence, rather than aloofness from and, much less, dominance of others. 

Some may find it difficult to act with such humility.  For cultural or personal reasons, they may tell themselves never to be vulnerable to another’s criticism.  Such cases call forth our patience and prayer.  It is not just a question of tolerance or getting along.  It is a matter of love by which we show ourselves to be members of Christ’s body.  As he bore our sins, so must we cope with the shortcomings of one another.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

 THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Ecclesiasticus 33:1-7.17-18.19.23; II Timothy 4:6-8.16-18; Luke 18:9-14)

At the end of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus leaves his disciples with a mission. They are to preach his name to all the peoples of the world. For this reason, some say that the Church does not have a mission; it is mission. The popes have emphasized the need for missions by designating one Sunday each year as "World Mission Sunday." It is always celebrated today, the penultimate Sunday of October.

As a theme for the celebration this year, Pope Francis draws from a phrase of Jesus before ascending to heaven, "'... let them be my witnesses'". He wants everyone, not just missionaries to foreign countries, to bear witness to Jesus in their daily lives. To know Christ our increasingly secularized society needs the efforts of all of Christians. People are not going to find many traces of him on TV, in movies, or in newspapers.

As a model of bearing witness to Christ we have St. Paul. In the second reading Paul says that he has been faithful in his mission to proclaim Christ's salvation to the Gentiles. When considering his achievement, even the cynical person is astonished. Paul constantly risked his life as he converted probably thousands to believe in Christ. Although the Roman roads he traversed were well built, they were not protected from robbers. Furthermore, he experienced being stoned once and being shipwrecked and flogged several times. He suffered various kinds of inconveniences and insults. He spent many nights exposed to the elements, hot or cold, rainy or snowy. He endured the mockery of the Greeks and the scorn of the Jews for proclaiming as the Lord of the universe one who was crucified.

How did Paul persist in his mission with so much travail? Was it simply because Jesus appeared to him and entrusted him with a mission? No, for such a reasonable person as his letters show, these reasons alone are not totally convincing. What prompted Paul to sacrifice his life including martyrdom in Rome was something even more embracing. It was the love he shared with Jesus. He loved him as his liberator, as the one who rescued him from hatred and error. Even more palpable was the love of Christ that he felt in his heart. As he writes to the Romans: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other no creature will be able to separate us from the love of God manifested in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This same love brings us here. We seek the one who gave us his life, body and soul, to sustain us in the struggle of living as God’s family. It is up to us to respond to this love by taking a role in the mission of proclaiming his name to the world. The Church has always depended on the laity for prayer and contributions to advance the apostolic mission. Now, with fewer nuns and priests, the testimony of the laity is needed. It needs the testimony of people like Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, the Puerto Rican layman who led many students to a deeper understanding of Christ and his Church. It requires an example of the moral courage of the Italian saint Gianna Molla who died of cancer instead of aborting her child while receiving surgery.

Although witnessing with one’s life is necessary, it is not a complete substitute for witnessing with words. Paul himself says: “…faith comes from preaching, and preaching through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). Recently, a laywoman with a microphone was seen witnessing to Christ in front of the church. Although we do not want to criticize such efforts, neither do we believe that they are effective. But what is effective is the explanation of the gospel to our children at home. With such an effort, we may save both ourselves and them.

Friday, October 21, 2022

 Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 4:1-6; Luke 12:54-59)

Any number of proverbs tell us that the time to act is now.  “A stitch in time, saves nine.”  “Now is the beginning of the rest of your life.”  “The longest journey begins with a single step.”  Jesus gives us a similar message in today’s gospel parable. 

It is a parable because Jesus is comparing the people to hypocrites who say one thing and do something contrary.  He tells the people that the time is here for them to stop deceiving themselves.  They must decide now how they are going to live their lives.  The time is ripe because Jesus has come from God with the offer of salvation.  If they turn from sinful ways, they will be saved because his sacrifice on the cross will win the forgiveness of their sins.  The reading from Ephesians today carries a similar message.  The Pauline disciple-writer urges the people to live not in competition but in solidarity as God’s daughters and sons.

We should not live for ourselves but for the Lord.  This means turning away from the perennial concern of doing what gives us the greatest comfort.  We are to ask first what God would have us do and then do it.  In this way we will know eternal life. 

Thursday, October 20, 2022

 Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 3:14-21; Luke 12:49-53)

Jesus sounds like a scorched earth commander in today’s gospel.  He speaks of setting the world ablaze as if he were General Sherman on his march to the sea.  But Jesus does not wish to harm anything, much less any human person.  His objective is burning away the wickedness that often encumbers human desire.  When this is done, humans may love as God loves.

The human desire for what is lasting and all-satisfying is very often amalgamated with corrupt inclinations.  Instead of seeking the eternal good, people crave power, pleasure, and prestige to quench their thirst for God.  But God is not found in corruption.  He is there in the offering of self in love for others.  Jesus will show this self-sacrificing love in his “baptism” on the cross.

Burning away the dross of our desires may cause discomfort and even pain.  It is hard to give up illicit relations or to stop using stereotypes to judge others.  But the result is worth any difficulty we experience.  We become freer people with a more intimate relationship with our Creator and Redeemer.

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

 Memorial of Saints John de Brebuef and Isaac Jogues, priest, and Companion, martyrs

(Ephesians 3:2-12; Luke 12:39-48)

Many today criticize the efforts of missionaries on the American frontier.  They see the missionaries as intruders on tribal culture and imposers of a totally foreign religion.  These accusations can be disputed.  Tribal warfare characterized native American life, not universal peace.  In the case of the missionaries celebrated today -- Saints John de Brebuef, Isaac Jogues and companion martyrs -- they worked with the tribes that were interested in the promise of Christ’s salvation.  They were eschewed by rival, more belligerent tribes who could not accept gospel abhorrence of violence.  The missionaries saw themselves working much in the way of Paul in today’s first reading.

Paul views Christ as bringing unity and peace to the world.  He finds in his teaching and, much more, in his passion and death the only way to global harmony.  Sending Christ into the world, God the Father established His plan for universal salvation.  Hatred and division are being overcome through Christ’s sacrifice of himself.  Incorporating that sacrifice, people like Paul and the Jesuit martyrs catalyze the process of reconciliation.

We should not hesitate to make similar sacrifices.  Gratefully, we are not likely to be called to give our lives for peace.  But we are to love others, which requires sacrifice as well.  We may have to give up some plans or perhaps our pride to help someone in need.  In doing so, we become like Paul and the Jesuit martyrs what the reading terms “ministers of God’s grace.”

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist

(2 Timothy 4:10-17b, Luke 10:1-9)

Much has been said of the “New Evangelization,” but how is this evangelization being carried out?  A lot of it has been undertaken by lay men and women working with the so-called movements in the Church.  Cursillo was among the first of these movements.  It has been followed by a host of others: “Marriage Encounter,” “Emmaus,” “Christ Renews his Parish,” the “Charismatic Renewal among others.  Biblical foundation of these lay-dominated evangelization programs may be found in today’s gospel.”

Only Luke’s gospel records a sending of seventy disciples to preach the good news.  They may be considered laity as the number seventy is symbolic of fullness or universality.  They are sent to preach the good news of salvation.  This message is well summarized in the statement, “’The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”

St. Luke is not only a champion of the laity.  He is the patron of doctors and artists.  He gives particular and valuable emphasis to the poor, to prayer, and to the Holy Spirit.  Above all, his portrayals of the Virgin Mary have edified the Christian faith through the centuries.  Luke sees her as a model showing us how to contemplate and practice the word of God.  He also sees her as our mother constantly pointing us to the Savior.

Monday, October 16, 2022

 

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr

(Ephesians 2:1-10; Luke 12-13-21)

Many commentators look to the fourth century as the beginning of the downfall of the Church.  In that period Christianity was not only decriminalized but also became the state religion.  Since then, becoming a Christian was politically correct and scoundrels of different stripes have entered the Church.

The Letter to the Ephesians, probably written in the latter part of the first century, features a pristine Christianity.  In today’s reading the author, who was probably a disciple of St. Paul, tells of how Christians before their conversions had lived much like everyone else.  That is, they were focused on pleasure and accumulation and given to wrath.  Then they responded to the call of Christ.  They could take advantage of his grace to live exemplary lives featuring good works.  There was no material advantage in being a Christian at that time.  However, there was the hope of eternal life for practitioners.

The Christian situation is coming full circle.  People are leaving the Church in significant numbers.  No more is it very advantageous to be a Christian.  There is much to regret in the loss as many Christian values like the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death no longer penetrate public life.  However, the time is upon us to experience intimate friendship in the Lord as we give exemplary testimony to him with our lives.

Sunday, October 16, 2022

 TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Exodus 17:8-13; II Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8)

Who are the Amalekites?  They appear in today’s first reading, but in almost no other part of the Bible.  Nor are they found in many anthropological studies.  There is good reason for these absences.  In the verse that immediately follows today’s reading, God Says, “I will completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.’”  Like the Nazis the Amalekites hated Israel.  Neither did they respect the Lord, the God of Israel, even after His impressive victory over Pharoah’s army.  It seems that they attack the Israelites for no other motive than hatred.  For this reason, it can be said that the Amalekites represent a compendium of evil.  They symbolize prejudice with hatred, and also all the evil caused by natural catastrophes.

In the gospel Jesus instructs his disciples how to face overwhelming evil.  He has just informed them of the trials that will come at the end of time.  He said that they will be persecuted and will suffer greatly.  In Nigeria, the Middle East, and China Christians risk their lives when they attend mass.  To overcome this type of evil Jesus exhorts his disciples to pray untiringly.

Constant prayer springs from an unbreakable faith.  The person with this faith does not waver wondering if God is listening.  Rather, he or she accepts Jesus’ teaching that God is like a doting father always ready to help his children.  All He wants is that they ask Him with persistence.  To emphasize the need to pray with persistence, Jesus tells the parable of the so-called “Unjust Judge.” However, as in the case of the “Prodigal Son,” a better name can be given to this parable more in conformance with its meaning.  It is the parable of the “Insistent Widow” who does not cease to demand what is hers by right.

Jesus recommends to his disciples that they pray with the same insistence when they confront great evil.  He says that they are not going to be disappointed.  Once an African American pastor was teaching his congregation the need to pray without tiring.  Having grown up in times of legal discrimination, the pastor told them: “Until you have stood for years knocking at a locked door with your knuckles bleeding, you do not know what prayer is!””

Although he does not mention prayer in the second reading, St. Paul suggests the same unbreakable faith to his disciple Timothy who is confronting many challenges.  As Jesus, Paul does not want his disciple to take recourse in crude

 methods but to use spiritual weapons.  He recommends the use of Scripture to carry out his duties.  Certainly, the Bible features incessant prayer as Moses does in the first reading.  The leader of the Israelites with arms raised in the form of prayer and clinging to the staff of God as if it were a rosary does not stop praying until the enemy is defeated.

The gospel passage ends on a disquieting note.  As if he were referring to our times, Jesus asks: “…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Today many have abandoned the faith of their ancestors.  Although some claim that they still believe in God, they do not want to submit to His will as found in the Bible.  One suspects that they do not pray much at home either.  Among these people we like find some of our children and grandchildren, other relatives, and friends.  We wonder, “What can we do for them?” Surely we should show them Christ by living just and holy lives.  But even more urgent is persistent prayer.  We have to pray persistently that they see the true light which is Christ.

Friday, October 14, 2022

 Friday of the Twenty-eighth week in ordinary time

(Ephesians 1:11-14; Luke 12:1-7)

In his recorded homily last Sunday Bishop Robert Barron preached on the virtue of humility.  He said that humility is the source of sanctity because pride is the greatest of vices.  In demonstrating this spiritual truth, Bishop Barron featured Naaman, the Syrian general.  Despite his prominence, Naaman took the advice of an Israeli slave girl and the second-hand instruction from the prophet Elisha.  The result was not just his physical healing but his coming to know and praise the true God.

In today’s gospel Jesus recommends the same humility.  He tells his disciples to beware of the leaven or hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  He means that the Pharisees try to make themselves look important before others.  Their pretension, however, will end in the loss of their souls if it is not corrected.  The Pharisees and everyone else must acknowledge their weaknesses before God and neighbor as they pray for strength to overcome them.

We like to reflect on our strengths – good looks, discipline, sharp intellect, what have you.  In acknowledging these, we should give thanks to God for both natural endowment and the grace to develop it.  But it is more important to acknowledge our weaknesses – laziness, craving for food, clumsiness, etc.  Doing so, we can appeal to God for the saving grace to bear our crosses as His children.

Thursday, October 13, 2022

 Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Ephesians 1:1-10; Luke 11:47-54)

 In a book of prayers, the twentieth century theologian Karl Rahner asks if God is the God of all the laws which the Church has on record.  There certainly are many rules, rubrics, and regulations on file although not as many as when Rahner wrote the book before Vatican II.  Rahner answers his question with characteristic paradox.  No, God is not the God of laws, but He is the God of the one law of love.  When a person obeys the laws of the Church out of love for God, he writes, then she is assured of finding God in her obeisance. 

Rahner recognizes the possibility that some Church rules may be too burdensome for people to bear.  He finds in the gospel itself testimony that those who legislate unwarranted precepts will be held accountable.  In the gospel yesterday and today Jesus charges the Pharisees and Scribes with doing just that.  They need to repent as much as thieves and adulterers.

Jesus champions our cause by revealing God’s will.  He shows us that people who appear to be holy may not in fact be living according to God’s will.  He wants us to be holy but takes pains to point out of what true holiness consists.  It has less to do with following countless regulations than with freeing people from slavery to power or pleasure.  In this way they too may love as God loves

Wednesday, October, 12, 2022

 Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 5:18-25; Luke 11:42-46)

It is a tragedy that the Boy Scout movement is hemorrhaging so badly.  At least in the United States, it is trying to rebuild after filing for bankruptcy.  For most of the twentieth century Boy Scouts developed both spiritual and physical skills that are essential for excellent citizenship.  Many men today can name from memory Boy Scout “laws” that sound much like the virtues St. Paul lists in today’s first reading.

The list, known as the “fruits of the Spirit” can be neatly divided into three groups of three virtues.  The first three -- love, joy, and peace – epitomize life in the Holy Spirit.  How should a Christian be if not loving, joyful, and peaceful? To support these dispositions, the Christian must develop generosity, kindness, and gentleness.  And this is done through faithfulness, patience, and self-control.

Working through human agency, the Holy Spirit relies on teachers and models, both in the home and away.  Parents who are both firm and loving usually influence development of virtue to the greatest degree.  Teachers, and here can be added Boy Scout leaders, also can play a critical role.  Finally, friends will leave a telling mark on a person’s character.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

 Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 5:1-6; Luke 11:37-41)

In the homes of pious Mexican families, an altar is often present.  It will have an image of Jesus and his Virgin mother along with a picture of a deceased loved one and some prayers.  The altar is a way of extending the life of prayer in church to the home.  In Jesus’ time Pharisees would wash before meals for a similar reason.  Washing oneself before eating imitates the ablutions of animal sacrifices in the Temple.  It reminds house members and guests of God’s presence wherever good people congregate.  For good reason, then, the Pharisee in today’s gospel is surprised when Jesus does not wash as he goes to eat.

Because the washing is not mandatory, Jesus is free to omit it.  However, he uses the look of surprise on the Pharisee’s face to give a lesson on spiritual hygiene.  He says that inner purification through almsgiving forgives more sin than washing of one’s hands and feet.  He wants his disciples to practice charity, not to worry about popular ritualistic practices.

This doesn’t mean that we should go to church with dirty hands unless, perhaps, it was in helping a homeless person that we dirtied them.  In any case, we should try to keep in mind the needs of others and much as our own needs.

 

Monday, October 10, 2022

 Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary time

(Galatians 4:22-24.26-27. 31-5.1; Luke 11:29-32)

 A young man standing near a stop sign, cup in hand, tugs at your heartstrings.  You want to give him something to eat, but that’s impractical at the moment.  Besides, you know that the beggar is really not interested in food.  Should you give him a dollar which will likely be spent on drugs?  Or should you just make a friendly gesture and leave the scene?

In today’s first reading St. Paul fears that something similar to the beggar’s situation will develop among the Galatians.  Some in the Christian community of Galata have accepted the teaching of Judaizers who say that Jewish ritual acts must accompany Baptism.  Paul writes them that Christ has freed them from the Law for good reason – it is impossible to fulfill.  He is telling them that they must not adopt it.  Nor, he indicates, should they lose their freedom by submitting to another form of oppression.  He has things like drugs, sex, or liquor in mind.  Rather, he wants the Galatians to follow Christ who shows them how to live with integrity.

There are many kinds of slavery.  All of them take away our ability to act as we know we should.  To avoid these traps, we must develop a relationship with the Lord.  To an extent this is a spiritual endeavor, but it also can be quite a quite palpable friendship.  The Church is Christ.  When we entrust ourselves to the good people within it, we will not submit to evil cravings.

Sunday, October 9, 2022

 

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(II Kings 5:14-17; II Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19)

Only in recent times have human rights been recognized. After World War II the United Nations promulgated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Everyone can now claim freedom of religion, expression, and education. We must affirm that awareness of human rights has been a giant step forward to ensure the dignity of every human person. However, we cannot say that the vindication of rights has not led to difficulties.

Today the emphasis on human rights has often contributed to excessive preoccupation with the self. Too often the person claiming a right, be it real or feigned, forgets about others. This trend is seen most dramatically in so-called reproductive rights. Men as well as women insist that the mother has the right to abort a child in the womb without recognizing the child's right to life.

Another unfortunate result that overemphasis on rights has brought about has been the neglect of gratitude. Sensing a right to food, to good health, and to a thousand other things, some do not stop to say "thank you" to their benefactors. It is the theme of the gospel today. Of the ten lepers healed by Jesus, only the Samaritan returns to thank him. Yes, the nine Jewish lepers go to see a priest as Jesus commanded, but don't they have just a little time to thank Jesus first?

Gratitude for what is received never diminishes us. On the contrary, it makes us greater. It proclaims the truth that life "is not an inalienable property to be defended at all costs, but a gift to be shared." Jesus himself taught us this the night before his crucifixion. He gave us the Eucharist, a word that means “to give thanks,” when he shared his body and blood with his disciples.

Even in hard times we can be grateful. There is an old saying: "I cried because I had no shoes until I found a person with no feet." Life itself, as has been indicated, is a gift. The sun that warms us is also a gift and as is water that refreshes us. All this says nothing about the human heritage that has been left to us: the electrical system, the roads, the monuments, and the orchards.

In the first reading the Syrian general shows appropriate gratitude to God for the gifts of life and health. He brings the land of Israel home to give the Lord of Israel due worship. The gesture is extraordinary because the man is a foreigner with little knowledge of the faith of Israel. For the same reason, the faith expressed by the Samaritan leper who prostrates himself before Jesus as the representative of the true God draws our attention. As a reward for this faith, he receives the gift of salvation. It can be said that ten lepers are cured of disease, but only the Samaritan who thanks Jesus is saved

Let us not limit our gratitude to Thanksgiving Day! When are other times to thank God? The ancient custom is to thank God for a blessing before eating. Now this show of thanks in public is urgently needed as a way to evangelize. There is no better way to end the day than to thank God for all the blessings we have received and ask forgiveness for all our faults. We can also thank God for a new day when we get out of bed. Above all, gratitude should be both in our minds and in our hearts every time we enter church for Holy Mass.

Friday, October 7, 2022

 Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

(Galatians 3:7-14; Luke 11:15-26)

Among the many accomplishments of St. John Paul II was the addition of the luminous mysteries to the rosary.  These episodes from the ministry of Jesus testify that the rosary is not a repetitive prayer but a reflection on the gospel.  Today we give particular attention to the rosary as a prayer to the Mother of God.

Mary has long been considered the source of the rosary.  Popular devotion depicts Mary entrusting a rosary to St. Dominic.  He was, in turn, to present it to the world.  Dominican friars through the centuries have been among the most zealous promoters of the rosary.  In fact, it was a Dominican friar turned pope (St. Pius V) who promulgated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.  After encouraging prayer with the rosary, the European fleet called by the pope defeated the Ottoman Turks to save Europe from Muslim domination.

The rosary is not too long to be said comfortably in a sitting.  It focuses either on Christ or his mother. Because it is known by most Catholics, it can be used to gather people in prayer.  Surely, it is not the only way to pray.  But it as surely a genuine way to begin our prayer.

Thursday, October 6, 2022

 Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 11:5-13)

If any of us were to list our needs, probably no one would include the Holy Spirit.  Yet, as Jesus indicates in today’s gospel, the Holy Spirit is the most precious gift of all.  The Holy Spirit provides the joy, peace, and love that make life not only bearable but truly wonderful.

Psychologists have taken surveys to determine where people are most happy.  One might think that California’s refreshing climate would make it the place where the happiest people live.  However, according to psychological studies, the happiest people reside in the upper Midwest where family relations are strong and faith in God is often prominent.  More people there probably have the Holy Spirit.

We can and should ask God to provide for pressing needs.  Perhaps we have a sick child or are to take an important exam.  Let us pray for these intentions but never to the exclusion of the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

 Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 2:1-2.7-14; Luke 11:1-4)

Cardinal George Pell has recently criticized other bishops for their capitulation to contemporary mores.  He says that Scripture is very clear that sexual activity outside marriage is wrong.  Yet many German and Belgian bishops have taken positions in support of “homosexual marriages.”  Their way of thinking would defend a radically different sexual morality than the one the Church has consistently taught.  Cardinal Pell sounds something like St. Paul in today’s first reading.

Paul gives some deference to St. Peter as one of the leaders of the Church.  Although saying that he is a reputed pillar has a touch of irony, it does acknowledge authority within the Church.  But Paul does not hesitate to criticize the first among the apostles when his practice contradicts established doctrine.  He does so not because he wishes to undermine Peter’s position but because the salvation of the Gentiles is at stake.  Paul says that influencing non-Jews in the Church to practice Jewish customs contradicts “the truth of the gospel.” 

It is hard for parents of children who cohabitate to criticize them either directly or publicly.  The issue is important because it affects profoundly the future family of the sexual partner.  Parents of the partner must be both firm and caring.  No, they probably should not disinherit their child because of it.  But neither should they allow him or her to stay with the other partner in their homes.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

 Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

(Galatians 1:13-24; Luke 10:38-42)

The immensity of the heavens and the intricacies of physical life often challenge belief in God.  To some God seems somehow insignificant besides these physical mysteries. It might be asked then whether the achievements of science to explore the universe and to investigate the beginnings of life have put in question the existence of God.

Not by a longshot comes the answer of a true person of faith.  The problem which hampers people is “anthropocentricity.”  Many think that humans are at the center of the universe eclipsing in importance all other reality.  God, however, is much greater than humans can imagine.  Sure, God has shown particular favor to humanity, but by no means does the wonder of creation end with the human race.

St. Francis of Assisi did not suffer from such myopia.  He recognized the grandeur of the universe as at least symmetrical with the magnificence of the human person.  He called the wind, the air, and fire as well as the sun “brother” to show their prominence.  He likewise addressed water and earth as “sister” and even “mother” to indicate their wonder.  We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to God today for Francis, patron of ecology, of charity, and of Christmas.

Monday, October 3, 2022

Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 1:6-12; Luke 10:25-37)

In today’s first reading from the beginning of his Letter to the Galatians, St. Paul is obviously irritated.  He has been informed that the Galatians have begun accepting the practice of circumcision and other works of piety as the way of salvation.  Paul had taught them that these customs are inconsequential as ways to sanctity.  More likely, he indicates, they lead to arrogance.

Paul will stress in the letter that humans are saved through faith in Christ.  He will stress that pious practices count little.  It is faith in Christ’s death that brings about forgiveness of sins and belief in his resurrection that finds eternal favor with God.  By “faith” Paul does not mean lip service.  He will say toward the end of the letter that faith must be manifest through love.

We may sometimes think like the Galatians.  We wonder if it is really necessary to cultivate holiness through discipline of soul and body.  Some adopt the position that going to church when it is convenient and donating to charity when it is opportune is sufficient for salvation.  No, sporadic church attendance and marginal charity hardly constitute a following of Christ who gave himself completely to God, His Father.