Sunday, , April 2, 2023

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION

(Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:54)

Fra Angelico included Saint Dominic in many of his paintings. One of his Crucifixion scenes has Dominic grasping the base of the cross. The Lord's blood drips from his hands and chest and spills from his feet as Dominic's eyes look up in adoration. Saint Dominic knows the value of Christ’s blood: the hefty price that Jesus paid to redeem the world from the penalty of their sins.

The blood of Jesus has a central role in the Passion according to Saint Matthew. At the Last Supper Jesus says that the cup of wine that he has blessed is his blood. He then declares that it will be poured out to forgive the sins of all. To take advantage of this offering, people must repent of their sins. That is, they must acknowledge that they have sinned and strive to change their behavior. It sounds simple, but humans, being what they are, have had great difficulty doing it.

In the narrative Pilate tries to wash his hands of the blood of Jesus. He doesn't want to admit that his unwillingness to confront the Jews with the truth will result in the death of an innocent man. Judas admits that he has sinned by betraying Jesus when he returns the thirty pieces of silver. However, instead of asking for Jesus' forgiveness, he hangs himself. The Jews also acknowledge responsibility for the death of Jesus when they say: “May his blood be on us and on our children!” But they give no indication of repentance.

Where are we in all this drama? Are we ready to admit our sins and change our behavior? Have we not been envious like the high priests by wishing bad for those who prove themselves more talented or more fortunate than we? Have we not abandoned Jesus like the disciples in Gethsemane by not praying to him daily? Have we not lied like Peter to avoid difficult situations? And have we not mocked other people like the passers-by and the crucified thieves mock Jesus? For these sins among others we have to ask the Lord's forgiveness.

Only by accepting responsibility for the blood of Jesus and repenting of our sins can we take advantage of what we celebrate this week. Only by asking Jesus’ forgiveness can we be saved from the penalty of our sins.

Friday, March 31, 2023

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

(Jeremiah 20:10-13; John 10:31-42)

John completed his gospel at Christians at the end of the first century.  Christians then would necessarily read it somewhat differently than it is read today.  When they read that the Jews were ready to kill Jesus for blaspheming, they would have considered the judgment ironic.  They would have seen the Jews as sacrilegious for trying to kill Jesus.

Likewise, Christians then would have recognized that what Jesus attributes to himself in the passage might be said of them.  Jesus shows the Jews that he is God in two ways.  First, by referring to the psalm (not actually to the Law) which calls people “gods.” Then he recalls the mighty signs of his divinity that he has worked.  By loving their neighbors early Christians performed analogous deeds.

Many in our time do not want to consider themselves “like God”. That is, they do not want to be considered loving and good.  Rather they want to be “cool.”  That is, they want to be singled out for excellence.  We must move contrary to this flow like the fish that break ranks at the opening of an episode of “The Chosen.”  It’s all right.  We know that in being Godlike we do the best for everyone now and are brought closer to Jesus.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

 Thursday of the Fifth Week in Lent

(Genesis 17:3-9; John 8:51-59)

It’s ten o’clock on Saturday morning, and your eldest son Bobby is bouncing down the stairs for breakfast.  He has slept through the promise he made his younger brother to take him to soccer practice.  You ask coolly, “Have you had enough sleep, Robert?”   Of course, you are not really concerned about his rest.  Your ironic question makes your son aware that he has failed to do as he said.  The Gospel of John frequently uses irony in such a way.

It is ironic that the Jews in the gospel today say, “Abraham died as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’”  They lack understanding that Jesus is speaking of spiritual life forever with the resurrection of the body at the end of time.

We need not be particularly hard on the Jews in the gospel for not appreciating eternal life.  Its significance escapes most of us.  It is not a continuation of life in this world of joys and sorrows.  Nor is it an ethereal spiritual life as some envisage a colony of ghosts.  Eternal life is new, extraordinary, almost unimaginable.  At the same time, recalling glimpses of the resurrected Jesus, we can say that it is conscious, corporal, and joyous.  We might compare it to hearing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with a chorus 10,000 strong, but it is really beyond our comprehension.  We can only wait in hope to experience it.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

(Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95; John 8:31-42)

In 1969 Dr. Jerome Lejeune received a prestigious award for uncovering the genetic condition that results in Downes Syndrome.  His friends advised Dr. Lejeune to say nothing about abortion at the reception ceremony if he wanted to receive the Nobel Prize for medicine.  But he couldn’t be silent about the awful truth that some would use knowledge from his discovery to secure abortion.   At that ceremony Dr. Lejeune said that medicine should never serve the taking of human life but always the support of it.  Dr. Lejeune never received the Nobel Prize, but he likely died a free man.  In today’s gospel Jesus provides the principle on which Dr. Lejeune acted.

Jesus is in a running interrogation with the Jews.  He states that truth will set a person free.  He is referring to the truth of God’s love which sent him into the world to make up for sin’s deadly effects.  The Jews respond that they are not children of sin but of Abraham and of God.  Jesus retorts that true children of God would be heeding his word, not trying to kill him.

We may find similar attacks on Jesus today.  Desecrating his image is becoming acceptable.  It is the work of dishonorable people trying to deny Jesus’ sacrifice and his teaching.  We need to raise our voices in protest.  Such distortion of the truth of Jesus is outrageous.  When we say this, we will experience the freedom that Jesus brought into the world.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

(Numbers 21:4-9; John8:21-28)

A remarkable article tells of the deep Christian sensibility of the Armenian people.  The writer says that although engaged in a protracted war, Armenians do not hate their enemies.  Nor do they double down in a defensive mode but are building for the future in Christian hope.  Armenians have evidently been assumed into Christ so that they, in the words of today’s gospel, “no longer belong to what is below.”

The passage continues the running interrogation of Jesus by the Jews in John’s gospel.  When Jesus says that his Father testifies on his behalf, the Jews struggle to understand.  This testimony is seen in the first reading when God cures the people who complained against Him. The Jews difficulty comes from their seeing things according to what is below – a way of competition.  Jesus tries to explain to them how the Father sees things according to what is above – a way of love.  He emphasizes that his love will become evident when he is lifted up on the cross. 

We often find ourselves caught between these two ways of seeing.  Trying to preserve ourselves, we compete with others.  Jesus is telling us here that we do not have to compete in order to live.  The Father will give us the fullness of life when we give ourselves over to the way of love.

Monday, March 27, 2023

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

( Daniel 13:1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62; John 8:12-20)

Biblical scholars are convinced that today’s gospel passage was not originally part of John’s gospel.  They say that somehow in the process of copying the Scriptures it was displaced probably from the Gospel of Luke.  Be that as it may, the passage conforms to well-known verses from John.

In at least two places Jesus says that he has not come to condemn or judge but to save (3:17, 12:47).  In today’s passage Jesus does just that.  The Pharisees and scribes bring the adulteress to Jesus with nefarious intentions.  They expect him to say that the woman should be forgiven where the Law clearly states stoning is in order (see Leviticus 20:10).  Jesus, seeing through their scheme, frustrates it.  He won’t contradict the Law but calls for the person without sin to cast the first stone.  His adversaries at least have the honesty to recognize that they have all sinned.  They sheepishly leave the scene.

Applying Jesus’ wisdom to ourselves, we must recognize that we too have participated in evil.  This recognition should deter us from punishing others for their sins.  We might hear ourselves saying that we want to “teach them a lesson.”  That role should be left to those who stand in the place of God – governments, parents, maybe teachers and others.  We are wise not to cast stones.

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Fifth Sunday of Lent

(Ezekiel 37: 12-14; Romans 8: 8-11; John 11: 1-45)

We are approaching Easter, the heart of the mystery of Christ. Mass readings today deal with death and resurrection. It is worthwhile to reflect on them well so that we understand the meaning of these same events in the life of Christ during Holy Week.

The prophet Ezekiel takes us to the Valley of the dead. He says that God will make people believe in him when he opens the graves of the dead. Ezequiel himself understands these words as a prophecy that the Israel people will be renewed. The capital of Jerusalem has been razed by the Babylonian army. Its palaces have collapsed, and its fortifications have been demolished. God announces that Jerusalem still has a future. He will rebuild her from the rubble.

We are tempted to interpret Ezekiel to say that God is promising Israel the resurrection of its dead. But in the sixth and fifth centuries before Christ people did not think like this. They were people with a collective, not individualistic, spirit. That Jerusalem would be great again was the important thing, not the everlasting life of any man or woman.

Consciousness of immortality comes centuries later. By the time of Jesus, Israel was divided on the question. Some expected life after death, and some did not. In reading today Jesus enters the debate. He wants to teach not only that resurrection of the dead is the will of God but also that it is within the reach of all. To deliver this message, he will raise his friend Lazarus from the dead. For this reason he waits until Lazarus dies before going to his home.

When Jesus arrives there, Marta, the deceased's sister, welcomes him. As we know from the Gospel of Luke, Marta is not shy.  She tells Jesus bluntly: “’… if you were here, my brother would not have died… ’” Jesus must explain to her that he is the resurrection and the life so that the person who believes in him even if he dies physically, lives on spiritually. Marta says she believes that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God although she does not seem aware of what these titles mean.

Many today live with Marta's doubts. They say they believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, but their belief in him is anemic. They don't want to talk to the others of Jesus. They may come to Mass, but only when it is not inconvenient. They may not use profane language, but they seem to enjoy gossip and dirty jokes. This is only half faith in Jesus.

At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus does three significant things before calling him out. First, he cries because he is a man who sympathizes with others. Second, he is moved with anger. This is not so much a sign of affliction as of disgust. Because the prince of death is close by, Jesus shows him his disdain. Third, Jesus prays to God the Father. This is not simply a gesture to raise people's faith but a request that God's will be done in favor of life.

Then full of the sadness of the afflicted, anger with the devil for causing death, and confidence in his heavenly Father, Jesus shouts out to Lazarus.  The man emerges from the tomb wearing his bandages because he will need them again.  This "resurrection" is temporary. It will be different with Jesus. When Jesus rises from the dead, the bandages will stay in the sepulcher because he will live forever. If we believe in him, we will never die spiritually. If we follow him faithfully, on the last day our bodies will be raised with is for eternity.

Friday, March 24, 2023

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

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

As we approach the culmination of Lent, today’s gospel bids us to consider the object of our journey. Like the Jews in Jerusalem, we are to ask ourselves if Jesus is really the one God has sent to bring peace to the world.  Many today consider him only a great prophet like Gandhi or Martin Luther King.  They may doubt that he is the Savior because war and injustice never seem to end.

In the gospel the Jews say that they know where Jesus comes from.  Jesus questions this knowledge.  He says that they know nothing of his divine origin.  And much less do they, or we for that matter, know the specific will of God the Father.  God is neither ignorant nor indifferent to evil in the world.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to struggle against it.  He protects us as He protects Jesus in the gospel until the hour comes for his supreme sacrifice.

That sacrifice has been made to release the Holy Spirit to us for the struggle.  Victory, which is ultimately assured, may come at a high price for some of us.  Nevertheless, we continue our efforts against evil when and wherever it arises.

Thursday, March 23, 2023

 Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:7-15; John 5:31-47)

In the Passion of John’s gospel there is no Jewish trial of Jesus.  Here the fourth gospel seems to differ from the first three.  Yet a close reading of the gospel notes that Jesus is continually being tried by the Jews.  In the segment of the trial related in today’s gospel the point of issue is whether Jesus is the Son of God.  Jesus marshals evidence showing that indeed he is.

Jesus calls as his first witness John the Baptist.  John testified at the beginning of the gospel that he saw the Spirit descending upon Jesus.  As a second proof that he is who he says, Jesus points out that he has performed prodigious deeds like curing the paralytic at the Temple pool.  Then Jesus provides additional proof by noting how God has prepared for him in the Scriptures.  Today’s first reading hints at what he means.  As God decides not to punish His people for their idolatry so Jesus has not come to judge the world but to save it.  Finally, Moses is brought forward as a witness.  In a famous passage of Deuteronomy Moses speaks of a prophet in Israel in whose mouth God will put His word (Deuteronomy 18:18).

All the evidence that Jesus presents is circumstantial.  That is, it only indicates that Jesus is the Son of God.  We can deny it as inconclusive.  However, such a denial not only defies the process of inductive reasoning.  It also rejects the prospect of our eternal life in him.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

 (Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30)

 A doctor had taken a special course in listening to heartbeats.  He became able to detect not only the thump of a heart functioning badly but also the whiz of its slightest tremor.  This ability enabled the doctor to warn young patients of heart problems that will likely incur thirty years into the future.  In today’s gospel Jesus speaks of a hearing sensitivity in his followers every bit as sharp as this doctor’s.

He says that those who hear his word his voice will come out of their graves to pass into eternal life.  What does his voice sound like?  It is the whimper of those in need.  It is the plea of the sick for companionship and the petition of the refugee for safe harbor.  Because Jesus’ followers can discern such sounds, they will be able to perceive his call after death.

We have entered into a new phase of Lent.  The readings are no longer about penance but about promise.  Drawn especially from the Gospel of John, they describe the eternal life which is the destiny of those who follow Christ.  It is the reward of those who have learned how to discern his voice.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Tuesday of the fourth Week of Lent

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

Pilgrims to Lourdes should not hesitate to have a bath in the holy waters.  Winter or summer, the baths are administered with care and devotion which uplift one’s faith.  The waters are charged with the aspirations of millions seeking health of soul and body.  They carry the same freshness as the waters of the Temple featured in today’s readings.

The first reading calls attention to the water trickling at first but soon becoming a torrent.  The water soon gives life to abundant flora that in turn revives believers.  In the gospel Jesus himself becomes the life-giving water of the Temple.  He heals the sick man who did not have the wherewithal to enter the Temple pool.

Water symbolizes our coming to new life at Easter.  At the vigil service the water is blessed with due reference to its saving roll throughout the Old Testament.  During the Easter season it is continually used to remind us of the blessings that Jesus’ resurrection bestows.  We can look forward to being touched with that water so that Jesus’ life may flow within us.

Monday, March 20, 2023

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(2 Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24a)

The status of men has decreased in the last generation.  Two or three generations ago, popular television shows like “Father Knows Best” and “All My Sons” portrayed men as loving, wise, and faithful.  Today men are often considered chauvinistic and irresponsible.  For this reason church men and women have looked to St. Joseph as a model and an intercessor.

As a model, Joseph displays righteousness and tenderness in his relations to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Rather than expose her to shame when made aware of her pregnancy, he decides to divorce her quietly.  Then, made aware of the circumstances, he generously provides her and her child with a home.  As an intercessor, Joseph has been seen as a person of preeminent sanctity, someone to be counted on for assistance.

As an anomaly during Lent, today’s feast of St. Joseph is celebrated as if it were a Sunday.  The Church bids us to pray to, toast, and relax with this wonderful man.  On the Sabbath, Joseph rejoiced in the Lord.  May we do the same today!

Sunday, March 19, 2023

 FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

(Samuel 16:1-6.10-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41)

If you go to Florence, you'll want to see Michelangelo's statue of David. It is perhaps the most celebrated work of art in this city of fine art. Looking at its magnificence, you ask why students of the Bible, including Michelangelo, have considered David such a great figure. Did he not commit adultery and then arrange the death of his lover's husband? That’s right; David was a great sinner. But he was also a brave warrior who conquered many lands for Israel. This is not the only or the greatest reason to engrave his figure in marble. David was also a person of great faith. From youth David's heart belonged to God. He never abandoned the worship of God to flirt with other gods. Rather, on several occasions he demonstrated the depth of his faith. The gospel today traces the faith journey of another biblical character, the man born blind.

First, we should ask: what is faith? Is it simply the belief in a spiritual realm beyond what our eyes can see? This is not sufficient because faith demands allegiance to one of the various spirits found in Scripture. Is faith then the effort to do everything you can for other people? This sounds more like love springing from true faith. Faith, at least for us Christians, is trust in God as our creator and savior. Furthermore, faith sees Jesus Christ as the "light of the world"; that is, the means through which God's love is revealed.

The man born blind is not born with faith; he gradually acquires it. His first step to faith is to acknowledge Jesus as his benefactor. He was steeped in the darkness of blindness when Jesus covered his eyes with mud and sent him to the pool to wash. He now testifies to the Pharisees that Jesus was responsible for his sight. He's like other people who move toward belief in God after coming in touch with a saint.

The faith of the man takes a step forward when he recognizes Jesus as a prophet. Reflecting on receiving his sight, the man intuits that Jesus was called by God. Many people in the world today see Jesus as a prophet. They respect him like another Lincoln, Gandhi, or Martin Luther King. However, they do not feel a need to submit themselves to a prophet with mind and heart as is necessary to God.  Of course, to the Pharisees Jesus is not a prophet.  They call him "a sinner." For this reason, they cast out from the synagogue the man who has come to see with more clarity than ever.

Now the man born blind comes to full sight. When Jesus identifies himself as the Son of man, that is, the one to whom God has given dominion over the world, the man worships him. Faith in Jesus recognizes him as the one deserving of complete trust because he saved the world from sin and death. The gospel adroitly shows this coming to faith by juxtaposing it with the loss of faith by the Pharisees. The man born in physical darkness now spiritually sees twenty-twenty by putting faith in Jesus. Meanwhile the Pharisees, who had physical sight at birth, now walk in spiritual darkness because they do not believe in Jesus.

When we speak of faith in Jesus as the light of the world, we should have in mind a strong and intense illumination. Like the laser, Jesus cures us of our moral failings. Like a beacon, he guides us around the rocks and vortices of life to salvation. Like the sun, he provides us with life; that is, eternal life.

Friday, March 17, 2023

Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Hosea 14:2-10; Mark 12:28-34)

 It is said that no prophet expresses God’s love – God’s hesed ­ -- better than Hosea.  With brilliant images Hosea shows how God’s tender mercy calls, transforms, and blesses the people of Israel.

Today’s first reading amply illustrates Hosea’s vision of God’s love.  It says that God’s love is like a morning dew which enables lilies to bloom.  It also softens the ground to allow trees to plant their shoots for future beauty, shade, and fruit. 

God’s calls us throughout our lives, but never with greater urgency in liturgical readings than during Lent.  We are to turn away from power, pleasure, and prestige to follow His way of selfless love.

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

(Jeremiah 7:23-28; Luke 11:14-23)

The Lord sounds exasperated as He pronounces His judgment of the people in today’s reading from Jeremiah. Their faithfulness, he says, has disappeared; they no longer even mention it.  Faithfulness goes beyond faith.  As the word implies, it is fulness of faith. Faithfulness is putting into practice what one believes.

In the gospel the people do not even believe in Jesus.  Despite his cures and exorcisms, they keep seeking further signs.  Jesus does not concede to their demands.  Rather he refutes logically their claim of his diabolicalness.  If he were in league with demons, he says, casting out demons would defeat his purpose.

We have good reason to believe in Jesus.  He not only teaches what is true, died to justify our sins, but also answers our prayers.  Let’s be faithful to him as well by doing all that he commands.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

 Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

(Deuteronomy 4:1.5-9; Matthew 5:17-19)

It is said that there are seven hundred thirteen precepts in Israel’s law.  Many of these regard dietary and ritual issues.  Jesus’ followers no longer follow any of the latter types.  One wonders what he meant by saying in today’s gospel that absolutely nothing of the law “will pass away until all things have taken place.”

But all things have taken place with Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Human history experiences its end in Jesus’ victory over sin and death.  Even though time may stretch onward for millions of more years, Jesus has already secured the establishment of God’s reign.

Jesus admits as much in the gospel when he names the two commandments on which depend all the others.  He will tell a scribe later in the gospel that one must love God above all and one’s neighbor as oneself.  St. Augustine reduces the “law of love” even more when he says, “Love and do what you will.”

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

 Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

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

In his message for the World Day of Peace in 2002, Pope St. John Paul II reflected on the 9-11 terrorist attacks.  He repeated the proverb that without justice, there is no peace.  He also made the insight that without forgiveness there is no justice.  People must give up their claims for past injuries if they ever expect to have right relationships with others.  He was not advocating that nations or individuals ignore or forget past grievances.  But he did mean that aware of God’s love for them, the person or state can act with love for the offender. This love may be called mercy.

Both readings today show the need for mercy.  The young man praying in the furnace asks for God’s mercy on his people whom he calls disobedient.  Responding to the prayer, God saves the youth from the furnace and sends his people back to the land of the ancestors.  The parable of Jesus is stunning in its contrast.  The original debtor is said to owe “a huge amount.”  One should think in terms of seven digits.  His debtor owes “a much smaller amount,” perhaps a few hundred dollars.  Yet the first debtor cannot forgive him.  There will never be justice in that first debtor’s life, much less peace.

We can forgive others when we remember how much God loves us.  But we need not measure our sins to the extent to which we have been forgiven.  Out of love God gives us life, friends, work, and rest.  For these reasons we should be ready to forgive our debtors.

Monday, March 13, 2023

 Monday of the Third Week of Lent

(II Kings 5:1-15a; Luke 4:24-30)

The man had grown up in the Church of Christ.  Studying for the ministry with that denomination, he was impressed by his history professor’s presentation of the Church Fathers.  He came to realize that he could not serve as a Protestant minister.  He withdrew from the ministry track and became a Catholic. Both readings today touch on the need for such a gentle conversion.

In the first, Naaman, the leper-general, is outraged by the simplicity of the prophet Elisha’s order.  Urged to comply anyway, he is healed of the disease.  Rather than acknowledge the prophet for the cure, Naaman recognizes the source of the prophet’s ability, the Lord of Israel.  In the gospel the people rebel when Jesus presents himself as the Lord’s anointed.  They refuse conversion by which they would no longer see Jesus as a kid who grew up among them.  They would acknowledge him as God’s messenger. 

Lent calls us to a change of heart and mind.  We are to recognize the Lord in simple things like Naaman.  More critically, we are to beyond the challenge of Jesus’ townsfolk to accept him as our Lord and God.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

 THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

(Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1-2.5-8; John 4:5-42)

According to an ancient hymn, “We all have secret fears to face; our minds and motives to amend…” However, we don't always want to let go of our sins. We may view them as unimportant, or perhaps we hide them so other people don't think ill of us. In the gospel today we find a person carrying a heavy load of sin. Fortunately, Jesus is there to ease it.

The Samaritan woman doesn't seem stressed when she arrives at Jacob's well at noon. But one may wonder why she comes alone at the hottest part of the day. Why doesn't she come with the other women at a more comfortable hour? Jesus is going to reveal the reason in the conversation that is about to begin. She has had five husbands and now she lives with a man to whom she is not married. She is excluded from the company of other women because of her disordered life. In addition, the hard work of carrying water and her conscience overburdened with guilt increase the difficulty of her life.

Yet Jesus does not judge her. Rather, he initiates a conversation with her. They talk about something they have in common, water. He asks the woman for water from the well. When she responds with surprise, Jesus offers her "living water." Supposedly "living water" is the fresh water that flows from a spring. But Jesus has something else in mind. When saying “living water”, he means the revivifying grace of the Holy Spirit. It is like a charge to a discharged battery. He affords her the opportunity to move from her sinful condition to the freedom of a daughter of God.

Jesus extends to all of us the same opportunity. By the gospel calling us from without and the Holy Spirit moving us from within, Jesus offers us deliverance from our sins. His words awaken us from complacency. In the gospel his words remind the Samaritan of the mess in her marriage situation. In a famous cinema, Jesus' warning that the loss of one's soul is not worth the whole world shakes the conscience of a betrayer. With equal insistence the Spirit urges us to go to confession where our sins are removed like darkness with the first rays of light.

But many times our vices stick to us like bloodsuckers. We know we should make changes, but something within us resists them. We may tell ourselves that the merciful God will forgive our sins. Or possibly we are convinced that our sins are so encrusted that it is not possible to remove them. In the first reading the Israelites resist putting trust in the Lord. They say they were doing better in Egypt with plenty of water than wandering thirsty in the desert. The Samaritan woman tries to change the subject when Jesus mentions her sordid past. She would rather discuss theological differences between Jews and Samaritans than examine her life with the best of counselors.

Jesus does not allow her to avoid the need to repent. He tells her, "...salvation comes from the Jews." That is, he comes from the Jews, and both we and she must face the truth of our lives before him. But he has not come to punish us for our faults. Rather, he has come to save us from them. He is like a doctor who does not blame his cancer patient for smoking but does everything possible to cure him.

Wisely the woman submits to the mercy of the Lord. She leaves her pitcher, the symbol of her sins, behind as she goes to tell others about him. Let us do the same. After confessing our sins, let us tell others of the goodness of the Lord. Let us tell others about Jesus.

Friday, March 10, 2023

 Friday of the Second Week of Lent

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

Yesterday’s reading from Jeremiah expressed the hopelessness of the human condition.  “More tortuous than all else is the human heart,” it read, “beyond remedy…”  Today’s readings provide examples of this viciousness.  Joseph’s brothers conspire to kill him out of jealousy for their father’s affection.  Equally brutal, the resentment of Jesus’ prophesying moves the chief priests and elders of Jerusalem to do him in.

Jesus’ parable of the vineyard points to the execution of his enemies.  But Jesus’ own teaching suggests another end.  With the assurance of mercy, his executioners would repent of their crime and be forgiven.  Such a reversal may not be likely, but it is not beyond Christian hope.

We may recognize severe evil tendencies in our own thoughts.  We can thank God that we are not likely to act them out.  We should also pray for and, perhaps, advise those who do so.

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

(Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 16:9-31)

A dozen or so years ago sociologist Charles Murray published a book that received national attention. Coming Apart marshaled massive evidence demonstrating that the United States was becoming increasingly stratified economically and socially.  Although the liberal rich are criticized as having an elitist disregard for religion and for wanton living, Murray showed the opposite.  His evidence revealed that the rich were much more likely to go to church and have intact families than the poor.  So do the rich in the United States act like the rich man in the gospel parable today, or do they follow Christ?

Of course, the answer is, “that depends.” In the parable the rich man's sin is not that he is wealthy but that he overlooks poor Lazarus lying at his door.  He probably is well-known in the community, but interestingly in the hereafter he goes unnamed.  Meanwhile, Lazarus dies in misery but is remembered by name in eternal bliss. 

Some rich, no doubt, faithfully follow the Lord.  However, there is a striking parallel between the rich in America and the rich man who ignores Lazarus.  With gated communities, first-class accommodations, and high-cost private schools, the rich are not likely to see the poor struggling close by. They much make extra effort to be remembered in eternal life.

Wednesday, March 8. 2023

 Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 8, 2023

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

Chicago’s first “Mayor Daley,” Richard J., achieved a reputation for political know-how.  Once he was criticized for asking a judge to appoint his son as a trustee in a class action lawsuit.  The appointment meant a hefty financial reward.  Daley told his critics, “If a man can’t put his arms around his sons, and give them a hand, then what kind of world are we living in?”” No doubt, the mother of James and John asked Jesus to help her sons in today’s gospel with the same sentiment.

The woman expresses faith in Jesus when she makes her request.  Jesus takes no offense when she makes the appeal. What bothers him, however, is the concern for high places, not just of the brothers but of all his disciples.  He proceeds to insist that leaders in his church must concern themselves with service.

There is nothing wrong with a desire to be recognized and respected for doing what is right.  But when our goal is simply to be praised, we are liable to betray our purpose.  As Jesus gave his life to free us from sin and death, we should work for the benefit of others.  Because Church leaders preach Jesus, they should serve with exceptional diligence. 

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

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

Way back in 2015 Pope Francis emphasized the need that constituents of the Church “walk together.”  He was commenting on church synods as one of the important results of the Second Vatican Council.  Synod literally means “walking together.”  A synod usually refers to bishops from around the world meeting to discuss Church teaching and practice.  Francis, however, has extended the concept to include all members of the Church.  He hopes that bishops, priests and deacons, religious and laity dialogue together on church concerns.  He is not introducing a democratic form of governance.  He only hopes that the Church reflect better Jesus’ teaching in today’s gospel.

Jesus is forming a church where equal dignity thrives.  His disciples should be brothers and sisters to one another.  No one is to wear pompous garments.  Nor should one presumptively refer to another by special title like “father” or “master.”  Rather, all are to serve one another’s needs.  This rule applies especially to leaders who have traditionally been called “ministers” (literally, “servants”) in the Church.

Before there can be true dialogue, we must acknowledge our failure to treat one another with equal dignity.  Pastors have too often refused to listen to lay perspectives on Church policy.  Often enough, laity have tried to claim bishops’ authority by claiming “we are the Church.”  As Isaiah admonishes in today’s first reading, we all must make justice our aim.  We are to redress the wronged, to hear what women have to say, and to include the powerless in the decision-making process.

Monday, March 6, 2023

 Monday of the Second Week of Lent

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

When asked how he was doing, an old priest typically responded, “Better than I deserve to be.”  Such a remark might be made as a dodge or a deception.  However, from this priest, it probably conveyed humility.  The readings today recommend this virtue.

The passage from Daniel communicates a rare communal confession.  The prophet recognizes the sins of injustice and idolatry committed by his nation.  In the gospel Jesus presumes that his disciples carry sinful baggage.  He tells them that if they hope to be freed of it, they must acknowledge that they are no better than others.

Humility and mercy go hand and hand.  When we recognize ourselves as no better than others, we can readily forgive others’ faults.  Like the old priest mentioned above, we should not deceive ourselves in thinking we are better than others.  Even if we have been able to live relatively good lives, there is a commonness about sin that make relative differences negligible.

Sunday, March 5, 2023

 THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

(Genesis 12:1-4; II Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9)

The Hebrew word Shema names one of the best-known passages in the Old Testament. It is found in the Deuteronomy, the book in which Moses shares his final counsels to the people of Israel. The word itself means "listen." Israel always has to listen well to what the Lord says. In the first reading Abram is found doing exactly that.

When He speaks to Abram, God is putting into action His plan to redeem the world. Ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit there has been a decline in human goodness. One of their sons murdered the other. After a few generations the situation deteriorated so much that God decided to start over. He sent a flood to destroy the earth except for the righteous Noah, his family, and a pair of each kind of animal. But this did not solve the problem. Soon after the second creation the men of Babel tried to gain fame by building a tower that would challenge God in heaven. Now with Abram God tries a new strategy. He will form a holy people from the lineage of Abram that will teach the world His ways.

Abram must listen carefully to God. The project will not be easy. At seventy-five years old, Abram is to leave his homeland to transplant himself to a foreign land. However, as a man of faith, Abram does not hesitate to carry the orders that he is given.

In the gospel God commands Peter, James, and John to listen to Jesus, his son. Jesus is here to inaugurate the fulfillment of God's plan. By his surrender into the hands of the Jews, his passion, and his resurrection from the dead, Jesus will take away primordial sin from the world. He will become the head of the redeemed people of God.  His disciples must now be assured that his going over to death will not result in defeat. Rather, it will manifest his victory over death and regenerate them as his brothers and sisters.

The other day an article in the newspaper indicated the human preference of hearing what one wants to listening well. The author, who identifies as "pagan forever" (that is, "pagan forever"), criticizes the Bible for its extreme violence and sex. But he refers only to the Old Testament: the stories of Abraham's trial, Jonah's captivity inside the whale, and David's many wives. He doesn't mention anything about the person to whom the entire compendium of evil is pointing. Jesus Christ is the most prominent person in the Bible. He is presented there as the supreme teacher of justice and the redeemer of all human sin. He teaches us how to overcome vices through prayer and self-sacrifice. By sending his Spirit, he strengthens our hearts and enlightens our minds to overcome every evil spirit confronts us.

Yes, it is difficult to listen to Jesus with so many voices telling us what to do. Many people want to tell us what the good life consists of. And many advertisements try to attract us with things that we supposedly cannot live without. But we know deep down that there is only one voice that is worth our full attention. God speaks to us in the Bible, particularly through Christ in the gospels. Only to him should we pay full attention.

Thursday, March 2, 2023

 Thursday of the First Week of Lent

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

Thomas Aquinas was as intellectually gifted as any saint in Butler’s Lives.  Yet he did not rely on his own acuity.  Always before studying, teaching,  debating, or writing, he prayed intensely.  He withdrew into a private space, often before a crucifix. Then, pouring out tears, he asked for understanding of the divine mysteries.  No doubt, Thomas was quite aware that he was fulfilling the Lord’s instruction in today’s gospel.

Even people who pray regularly often delay their prayer until other means of resolving an issue fail.  The Book of Esther is famous for not mentioning God.  Yet, with nowhere else to turn except to heaven, the queen prostrates herself in prayer.  There is nothing wrong with praying in desperation.  However, Scripture recommends constant prayer, and the wise do not fail to take the advice. 

Like Thomas Aquinas, we can begin every endeavor with a sincere prayer for help.  God does not fail us when we show such faith.  Even if He does not fulfill our need as we imagine, we should notice a more agreeable disposition coming over us. God provides what we need like a father who wants the best for his children.