Tuesday, June 7, 2022

 Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 17:7-16; Matthew 5:13-16)

A Dominican priest in Pakistan had a large Muslim following.  The people considered him a holy man of God.  They would wait for him after mass outside church.  There he would bless them.  The blessing evidently brought cures and other graces.  The widow of Zarephath looks at Elijah in this way.

The widow is not a daughter of Israel.  She tells Elijah, “’As the Lord, your God, lives...”  She must recognize the power of God, or she would not invoke an oath in His name.  She also acknowledges the authority of God’s prophet when she obeys his commands.

The woman is saved by her faith in God even though it is still undeveloped.  We do well to imitate it along with her generosity.  We want to do all that God has commanded through Moses and, especially, Jesus.  In today’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples to be salt and light,  That is, we are to lift people’s spirits with deeds motivated by love.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Memorial of Saint Justin, martyr

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

Christianity is sometimes criticized for being overly concerned with doctrine.  The critique maintains that a Church without a creed would be more united.  It would also betray its heritage.  The New Testament letters continually decry false teachers.  Two of John’s letters call them the “antichrists.”  Justin Martyr, today’s patron, gave his life in defense of right doctrine.  He was a second-century philosopher convert who wrote in defense of Christian teaching.

In today’s gospel Jesus gives a foundation for truth.  He asks his Father “to consecrate (his disciples) in the truth.”  He wants them to know the truth of salvation which ishis incarnation, death, and resurrection.  More than that, they are to tell others about it.

We may be ridiculed for accepting Scripture as truth.  Some hold that its beliefs are mythical as that truth comes only from scientific investigation.  This position is known as “positivism.”  We have to show positivists that religious truth is efficacious by lives of integrity, service, and love.  Saints like Justin comprise the best argument for Christ’s truth.