Monday, May 1, 2023

(optional) Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker

(Acts 11:1-18; John 10:11-18)

According to food guru Michael Pollan food habits are among the last to be acculturated.  Long after immigrants arrive in a new country, they and their descendants prefer the native foods of their homelands.  For this reason Simon Peter’s countrymen may be bewildered by his sharing the table of Gentiles in today’s first reading.  But, of course, there is more at stake than that.

Jews at the time of Jesus, as today, are almost identified by their refusal to eat pork.  Yet it is said that its prohibition is only the beginning of the kosher diet.  Probably the certainty that Jesus kept it made some disciples think that all his followers should do so as well.  But since the stoning of Stephen, the same followers were being increasingly alienated from Judaism.  In face of Gentile converts’ desire to eat their customary foods, the disciples are faced with a dilemma.  Would Jesus refuse Baptism to people simply because they eat foods that were forbidden Jesus’ ancestors?

Today we celebrate St. Joseph the Worker.   An honest carpenter, Joseph models many virtues like diligence and justice related to work.  As patron of workers, we can also see him as a model of assimilation and diversity.  Here’s the connection with a diverse diet.  Work since the industrial Revolution has brought people from different backgrounds together.  Joseph, a discerning person, would hardly reject them for the diet they kept.  He may not have eaten all their foods.  But as he invited the Magi from into his home, he probably would have little difficulty seeing their descendants attending Jesus’ church. 

Sunday, April 30, 2023

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

(Acts 2:14.36-41; I Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10)

The Good Shepherd is one of the oldest and most popular images of Christ. Paintings of the Good Shepherd, much older than the later crucifixes, have been found in the catacombs of Rome. Generally Protestants shun all forms of images of Christ or the saints. But images of the Good Shepherd have been seen in front of their churches. Every year on this Fourth Sunday of Easter we hear a section from chapter ten of John’s gospel that treats the Good Shepherd. We want to reflect well to learn what makes this image so compelling.

We should start by saying that the part of chapter ten read today does not mention the Good Shepherd. Jesus describes himself as "the gate for the sheep." In the part we will read next year he will call himself "the Good Shepherd." However, "the gate of the sheep" or gatekeeper has a role as helpful as that of the shepherd. He has to watch over the fold to protect the lives of the sheep.

The sheepfold functions as an enclosure for the animals. Within it the sheep can calmly ruminate on the grass they have taken from the pasture. Well-tended by the gatekeeper, the fold does not allow the sheep to wander away. In this way the fold serves the sheep as the Church serves Christians. The Church protects us from harmful movements always on the horizon. It is so with the “woke” movement that has descended on our society like a tornado. According to its proponents, everyone has to accept gay marriage and genders other than male and female. The Church urges respect for all human persons, even those most committed to Wokism. However, she has opposed its ideas as false and destructive to the common good.

Christ serves as "the gate of the sheep" when he admits people into the Church by Baptism. Once baptized, the person has the support of the Church against ideas like those of Wokism. Christ also serves as "the gate of the sheep" in the Eucharist. To understand how, we have picture sheep leaving the sheepfold through the sheepgate to feed. Our gospel today describes how the gatekeeper lets the sheep out so that they may find pasture. With this feeding the sheep are strengthened as we are nourished with the Eucharist to keep the faith and love one another. It is the first fruits of "life in abundance" that Jesus promises at the end of the reading.

In this gospel Jesus is addressing the Pharisees who have just persecuted the man born blind that Jesus healed. We remember this passage read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. These Pharisees have acted as religious extremists wanting to molest those who follow Jesus. They are like thieves threatening the sheep in the fold. We can understand them as those in the Church who hate homosexuals and those who claim to be of another gender than their biological makeup indicates. However, whatever they say, we have to respect all human beings as images of God. Pope Francis always reminds us that they too need the love of Christ.

There have been people who say preachers should not compare the faithful to sheep. They reason that the sheep is so dumb an animal that the comparison comprises an insult. It is true that the faithful can be even smarter than the preachers. However, don't we all feel in need of help like sheep at times? In our troubles we can always call on Christ who is at the gate of the fold. We can count on his wisdom and his strength to overcome any difficulty.

Friday, April 28, 2023

 Friday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59)

Many people today are concerned about quality of life.  The elderly worry about having good health in retirement.  For them quality of life is not to have to live with chronic pain and, even more critical, not to lose their minds.  Meanwhile, young people consider quality of life in economic terms.  For them to have a high quality of life means to have the money to buy season tickets to their favorite sports team’s home games and to take a cruise every other year.  In today’s gospel Jesus has an alternative conception of quality of life to consider.

Of course, Jesus does not use the term quality of life at all.  Rather he speaks of having his life within.  His life is much more than biological life, which bread and wine by themselves can sustain.  No, he means eternal life or life in abundance which comes from participating in God’s love.  It is a life of gratitude because one is assured of God loves for her or him.  The Eucharist, Jesus’ gift of his body and blood, depicts this perfectly.  Derived from the Greek language, the word means to be thankful. 

We are a Eucharistic people -- a people who continually give thanks to God.  Yet we strive to become ever more so.  We see the efforts people make for us and thank them.  We recognize how we have benefitted from the work of people in times past and feel a sense of gratitude for them as well.  Even if our quality of life is not that great in the eyes of others, we know differently.  Sick or well, poor or rich, we enjoy a high quality of life because we know of God’s love for us and are thankful for it. 

Thursday, April 27, 2023

 Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51)

In today’s first reading the Spirit moves the Church to make its first recognized, non-Jewish convert.  The newly baptized is not only a Black African but also a eunuch.  The latter distinction indicates that Christianity is truly the home of the downtrodden and dispossessed.  Eunuchs were not permitted to join a Jewish congregation.

Despite not being able become a Jew, the Ethiopian shows interest in the Jewish Scriptures.  He is reading one of the “Servant Songs” from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah when Philip goes to him.  Like the Ethiopian, the Servant will not have any posterity to remember him.  Also like the Servant, whom Christians associate with Christ, the Ethiopian will be remembered throughout the ages.   

We all feel downtrodden or at least threatened at times.  It’s part of the heritage of Adam and Eve’s sin.  Even if we are rich and famous, we wonder if anyone really loves us.  We share these feelings with the Ethiopian eunuch.  Like him we must discover Christ as a friend.  He not only loves us but also knows the near desperation that we experience.  We can rejoice with the Ethiopian for having encountered him.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 8:1b-8; John 6:35-40)

In today’s gospel passage Jesus says, “’I am the bread of life.’”  Not many verses later, and in the same discourse, he calls himself “’the living bread that came down from heaven.’”  Jesus uses the same word – “bread” – to refer to himself in both cases.  But it does not mean the same thing in each context. 

In the first part of what is known as the “Eucharistic discourse,” “bread” refers to Jesus as the wisdom of God.  It is food of the deepest thought.  Consuming it is accepting the words and deeds of Jesus as one’s way of life.  The latter use of “bread” is applied directly to the Eucharist.  Consuming it makes one like Jesus.  It identifies the person with Christ’s community, the Church.  It gives her the moral courage and strength to love as he loved.  It brings her into God’s household and makes her His child.

John the Evangelist is iconized by an eagle.  His soaring ideas must be pondered and then lived.  Doing so, we will end up -- as Jesus promises today -- being raised up on the last day.

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

(I Peter 5:5b-14; Mark 16:15-20)

If any of the gospels is underappreciated, it is that of Mark.  Before the renewal of Vatican II, the gospel hardly appeared at all in the lectionary.  Now the Church reads selections from the Gospel of John in Cycle B when Mark is supposedly always read.  This underappreciation, however, should not be interpreted as saying Mark’s gospel has little to offer.

The gospel’s directness and lack of sophistication has great appeal.  In it Jesus appears more human with a wide range of emotions.  Mark challenges readers, perhaps more than the other three canonical gospels, to make sacrifices for the Lord.  It emphasizes discipleship but at the same time offers consolation when disciples are unable to follow.  Jesus’ disciples are continually portrayed as lacking understanding and exhibiting sinful tendencies like the desire for glory.

Like a fine short story can satisfy more than a long novel, we might appreciate Mark for its brevity.  It can be read without much strain in one sitting.  Doing so provides all the drama, wonder, and hope of Jesus’ mission and destiny.

Monday, April 24, 2023

 

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 6:8-15; John 6:22-29)

In today’s gospel Jesus performs another sign.  It is subtler than feeding more than five thousand with five barley loaves and two fish.  Yet its meaning has all the feeding’s profundity.  After providing bread for the multitude, Jesus goes to the mountain alone while his disciples return to their boat anchored in the lake.  That night, however, Jesus, walking on water, catches up to them.  All are transported seemingly in one swoop to Capernaum.

When the people arrive in the city, they are amazed to see Jesus.  His sudden appearance is the sign whose implication is that he comes from heaven to reveal God’s love.  As Jesus says, they are interested in him because he could give them food, not because he is from God.

Perhaps we also are more taken up more with the miraculous movement of Jesus than with its meaning.  Let us take note that he comes from God to share his divine life with us.

Sunday April 23, 2023

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER,

(Acts 2:14.22-33; I Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35)

Disciples walking together: this phrase can describe the background of today's gospel. It also represents how Pope Francis sees the "The Synod on Synodality”. As all of us should know by now, the pope has already launched this new way of being Church. He wants synods, whose Greek root means walking together, to become the way of the Church to share the different perspectives and hopes of its members. In other words, he wants much more dialogue among all who make up the Church. By a close look at this gospel we can identify other characteristics of a synodal Church.

The passage says that Jesus approaches the two disciples and begins to talk to them. Jesus Christ had the primary place at the Second Vatican Council sixty years ago. In fact, the most central document of the council, the dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is called “Lumen gentium”, that is, “the light to the nations”, who is none other than Jesus Christ. By Baptism all kinds of people have been incorporated into him – both women and men; both secular and religious, as well as the ordained. For this reason, Pope Francis wants everyone to be heard in the conversation about how to carry out the mission of the Church in our time.

Some worry that such an expansive conversation will end in changes never imagined in the past. However, we have the Scriptures and the tradition of the Church to keep us on the path marked out by Jesus. This gospel points out how Jesus explained to them all the passages of Scripture that referred to him. These same Scriptures, of course joined by the New Testament, continue to determine what is valid and what is prohibited today. It would betray the Lord to exchange His word for the current ideas of the world.

In the passage Jesus highlights the need for the Messiah to suffer. To gain victory over sin and death Jesus had to suffer the cross. As members of Jesus Christ, it is ours to participate in that cross. The suffering touches on sexual issues that often seem like the biggest concerns in the world today. It is difficult for couples to practice the teaching of the Church on contraceptives. It is difficult for homosexuals as it is for nuns, priests, and the unmarried to maintain chastity with yearnings for intimacy like everyone else. However, by making sacrifices in these ways we can draw closer to the Lord Jesus.

He certainly wants to stay close to us. In the gospel Jesus stays with his companions to break bread. This is not just a cozy dinner but the Eucharist. In it Jesus gives us himself as sustenance for the spiritual life. The Eucharist itself will drive the synodal process forward. It indicates that our objective is not to follow the ways of the world but to conform to the will of God. It teaches that the treasure that stays with us forever is not found in the stock market but in the love shared in the community. It points out that while there are different roles in the functioning of the Church, we are all equally dependent on Christ.

Pope Francis has proposed synods of all types of the faithful as the way of putting the Second Vatican Council into practice. He does not want to change the structures of the Church established in history. Rather, he wants the structures to be more faithful to the ways of Jesus. He sees the synods as footbridges over which we all cross together the troubled waters of this world. He sees them as our communal bridge to Christ.

Friday, April 21, 2023

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

(Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15)

In today’s gospel Jesus asks the question, “’Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?’” to test his disciple.  He wants the disciple to recognize that the food that matters most cannot be bought.  He gives it freely and abundantly.

That food, of course, is Jesus’ body and blood.  He is the lamb of the new Passover, the Eucharist.  In the same Gospel of John Jesus is sentenced to death at the moment when the Passover lambs start being slaughtered in the temple.  The Gospel is saying that consumption of Jesus’ Passover sacrifice frees one from sin.

As Jesus tests his disciple, he tests us.  He wants us to believe that it is really his body and blood in the Eucharist and that it really gives life in abundance.  There is no way to prove this truth, but the saints testify to it.  Cherishing the Eucharist, they lived faithfully, lovingly, and joyfully.  We should not be reluctant to follow their example.

Thursday, April20, 2023

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

(Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36)

The first reading today reminds us that people in authority can make bad decisions and give compromising orders.  Presidents and parents can tell their subjects to do something wrong.  Evil must be rejected. As Peter says in the reading, “’We must obey God rather than men.’”

The question of obeying a superior’s evil command often becomes acute in war situations. To deal with the problem Catholic theology has developed a list of criteria for pursuing a just war.  Just war principles include limiting force to what is necessary to achieve just objectives and assuring that non-combatants are not victimized.  The principles make a credible theory but also leave behind vexing issues.  Who determines how much force is necessary?  And how can civilians be immunized in an attack on their city?

We might pray that we are never put in a situation where we must disobey a superior.  If we find ourselves in one, we need to ask God for prudence.  We want to stand for what is right without undermining completely valid authority.

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

(Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21)

In today’s first reading, the apostles are rescued from prison by an angel.  They do not go home to avoid more trouble.  Rather they are sent back to the temple area to “tell the people everything about this life.” In the gospel Jesus does exactly that.

He says that one must believe in him to escape condemnation.  Jesus knows that humans on their own are hopelessly selfish.  Like thieves in the night, they make friends with sin and darkness.  They cannot hope to overcome evil tendencies without divine help.  For this reason he has come into the world.  He brings humans light to repent of their sins and to know God’s love.  This is the life which the apostles are to preach.

We may find life within the Church not as pleasant as we imagined.  Differing ideas and the vestiges of sin may hamper our experience of life with Christ.  But he is there as our solace and help.  We will always find peace in him.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

(Acts 2:32-37; John 3:7b-15)

The evangelist John often uses simple language to convey profound ideas.  This method has the advantage of universal understanding of words but suffers the distinct possibility of misunderstanding. Today’s gospel provides an example. 

Jesus is telling Nicodemus about “earthly things.”  He likely means the way people always seek their own advantage with the result that they cross the line of injustice.  “Heavenly things,” by contrast, are how God bestows life to the full, that is, eternal life.  He gives it freely when people recognizing their injustice seek forgiveness.  An example of “heavenly things” is found in the reading from Acts.  Barnabas disposes of his property to benefit those in need.

We shouldn’t think that we are somehow lax Christians if we don’t sell our properties to help others.  Nevertheless, as followers of Christ, we must be generous with what we have.  He sacrificed both heavenly existence and earthly peace to redeem us sinners.  We should make sacrifices on behalf of others in imitation of him.

Monday, April 17, 2023

 Monday of the Second Week of Easter

 (Acts 4:23-31; John 3:1-8)

 In Leonard Bernstein’s epic musical Mass, the epistle is sung as a tribute to the “Word of the Lord.”  Addressed to “men of power,” the song exalts what the Acts of the Apostles teaches about the efficacy of God’s message.  Over the long run, the song says, God’s message of love will conquer the pride, ambition, and contempt of the powerful.

In today’s passage from Acts, Peter and John have just returned from being told by the Jewish Sanhedrin never to speak the name of Jesus again.  The apostles, having openly defied the order, now pray with the Christian community for strength.  Their stance is confirmed as the room shakes with the approval of the people moved by the Holy Spirit.

 Although its contents are only words, the Word of God can threaten the interests of the powerful.  It speaks of God’s desire that humans worship Him, not the heads of armies.  We must study it, understand it, preach it, and live it as God’s servants. 

Sunday, April 16, 2023

 SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER – DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

(Acts 2:42-47; I Peter 1:3-9; John 20:1-9)

Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, has been called by various names. In some places it has been known as “Low Sunday”, with the First Sunday of Easter being the “High Feast of Easter”. In recent times it has been named “Divine Mercy Sunday”. It has been given this name because of the writings of the Polish mystic, St. Faustina Kowalska, and also because in the gospel passage for this Sunday Jesus initiates the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It can also be called "Doubting Thomas Sunday" for another part of the passage. In it the apostle Thomas expresses doubts that Jesus rose from the dead. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles suggests yet another title. Always on the second Sunday of Easter the reading recounts how the community of believers in Jerusalem lived in harmony. So, "Sunday of the Primitive Church" would not be inappropriate. Today we are going to limit our reflection to this last theme.

The first reading says that the community "devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers." It has been the work of the Holy Spirit that the Church has mostly maintained these characteristics for twenty centuries. However, there have been deviations at different times. How well does the contemporary Church shape up to this list?

The teachings of the apostles were not ideas invented by the twelve but the revelations of Jesus Christ adapted for particular communities. They included both morals and doctrines of faith. Recently the bishops of Germany have approved resolutions that undermine some of the morals taught by the apostles. They want to bless homosexual unions, recognize genders other than male and female, and even admit the possibility of a woman claiming that she has changed her gender to be ordained to the priesthood. If these kinds of ideas take root, it seems that the Church would no longer conform to the teachings of the apostles.

The reading gives an example of “communal life” when it says that landowners sold their properties and offered the proceeds for distribution according to each person’s need. From time to time we hear claims that this practice amounts to communism. However, there is a big difference between the two systems. The practice of sharing in the apostolic community was voluntary. With communism sharing is forced. Interestingly, Acts later mentions a problem with the system, and no other New Testament book recommends it. Rather, most of the books insist that those with means, be they communities or individuals, help those without. Today the Church has organizations like Caritas International that distribute donations to peoples experiencing need.

The “breaking of bread” seems like code words for the Eucharist. According to the reading, the followers of Christ in the Jerusalem community joined their Jewish sisters and brothers in the Temple to pray daily. But when they returned home, they shared the Eucharist with each other. The sad situation today is that many Catholics do not see the need to attend Sunday Mass, nor do they recognize the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

No doubt the early Church in Jerusalem continued to pray Jewish prayers, particularly the psalms. Also, there is testimony in the New Testament that they introduced new prayers like "Maranatha" which means, "Come, Lord Jesus." Of course, they also prayed the "Lord's Prayer" with the same desire that the end of time may come soon. We continue to pray like this today, but with less awareness of the promised coming of the Lord in glory.

The Church has not changed in the essentials. As has been shown, for the most part it continues to display the characteristics of the early Church. Certainly there have been changes in the ways of expressing these characteristics since then. In the first century there were no newspapers, much less the mass media to propagate the teachings. It is urgent that we do not lose these characteristics. When Christ comes, we want him to recognize us as his own.

Friday, April 14, 2023

Friday within the Octave of Easter

(Acts 4:1-12; John 21:1-14)

Speaking truth to power often puts one in danger.  Martin Luther King, Jr., did it continually and died by an assassin’s bullet.  Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador also spoke up on behalf of the poor and likewise was martyred.  Both of these contemporary prophets were, no doubt, inspired by Peter’s speech in today’s first reading.

Jewish authorities are harassing Peter for having invoked the name of Jesus.  They cannot tolerate the invocation because they had Jesus executed.  Peter, however, cannot help but proclaim the resurrection for all that it means to humanity.  As he says, God raised Jesus from the dead and there is no salvation other than in him.  Peter publicly pronounces Jesus’ salvation four other times in the Acts of the Apostles.  Not surprisingly then, Peter suffers martyrdom for so boldly declaring the primary Christian message.

All of us will have an opportunity to speak truth to power.  Sometimes we cannot avoid doing it because a life may be at stake or because the truth has transcendent importance.  When we engage in the endeavor, we should prepare ourselves well.  Accuracy and conciseness about what we say are critical. We want to achieve our purpose.  This means leaving what is superfluous or unnecessarily polemical.  Then we must ready ourselves to endure repercussions.  However, if we know what we are talking about and say it with prudence, we may convince at least some of the powerful people who oppose us.  Finally, we want to pray for assistance.  Jesus promises his disciples his continued presence when they speak what he teaches.

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Thursday of the First Week of Easter

(Acts 3:11-26; Luke 24:35-48)

In today’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples that the Scriptures speak of him.  Of course, he is referring to the Old Testament, the only “Scriptures” at that moment.  The reference should be taken both in a general and a specific sense.  Certain passages of the Old Testament foretell of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection.  But all the texts together serve as background for a better understanding of who he is.

This gospel passage has been noted as a kind of outline of the Old Testament.  It names the three major parts of the Jewish Bible: the law, the prophets, and the psalms, which form the most read book of the third part, called “Writings”.  More than a code of precepts, the law describes human sin and God’s plan to rectify it.  The prophets relate the ongoing struggle as God prepares for the coming of His Son.  The writings, especially the psalms, provide a full picture of the Jewish spirituality in which Jesus was formed.

It would be wrong to think that Jesus revolted against his Jewish heritage and abandoned his people.  His death and resurrection serve as the impetus to bring a fuller understanding of Israel’s faith to the whole world.  We should read “the law, the prophets, and the psalms” with a curiosity for what Jesus had in mind for this project.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

 Wednesday of the First Week of Easter

(Acts 3:1-10; Luke 24:13-35)

More than in the other gospels, in Luke’s Jesus is constantly on the move.  At the beginning of his ministry, he sweeps through Galilee preaching the good news.  After establishing a base in Capernaum, he goes off again to bring back to life the widow’s son in Naim.  Before the gospel is half finished, Jesus turns to Jerusalem. For the next ten chapters, he preaches and heals on the upward journey to his destiny.  In today’s passage, he is met on the road again.  Seemingly out of nowhere, he joins two of his disciples journeying to Emmaus.

In the account of their walk together, Jesus open’s the eyes of his companions.  Feeling their disillusionment because of his brutal death, he shares with them that it was predicted in the Scriptures.  When they reach their destination, Jesus breaks bread with them.  And while eating, he reveals who he is and that he has risen from the dead.  They would share more with him, but he goes off on another journey.

Like these disciples, we would have Jesus linger with us a long time.  We have many questions to ask him and would just like to know him better.  He is not reluctant to be with us.  But we have to meet him on the road of ministry.  Our ministry need not be vigorous like St. Paul’s.  It may even be that of prayer like Ana, the old woman who welcomed Jesus in the temple as a baby.  Whatever we do, it must be of service to God.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Tuesday of the First Week of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

One might think that with the passage of time, youth would have greater self-understanding and peace. Reports, however, are to the contrary.  Youth today live in anxiety.  Perhaps a cursory review of our world may reveal why.  The world today glorifies the individual but leaves behind the family.  Traditionally, it was the family that taught values; today, they are often conveyed in schools and broadcasted through the media.  What is more, these values are often mistaken.  Certainly the license to have sex before marriage is an aberration of virtue.  Even more troublesome, the view of institutions as essentially corrupt has left many wandering in a storm without shelter.  People feel like Mary Magdalene in today’s gospel.

Mary’s world has been turned upside down with the news the Jesus’ body is not where it was laid after his death.  She jumps to the conclusion that it was a conspiracy: “’…I do not know where they laid him.’” She is so distraught that she cannot identify Jesus when looking at him.  Then Jesus calls her by name.  Her world stops spinning as she focuses on her beloved.  She wants to hold him forever – not in a sexual way but in adoration.

We should hear the Lord calling each of us by name.  He comes to us in the sacraments and through meditation on the gospels.  He tells us not to worry for he, who has conquered sin and death, loves us.  Despite the challenges of contemporary times, we will be all right if we follow him.

Monday, April 10, 2023

Monday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:14.22-23; Matthew 28:8-15)

Today’s gospel juxtaposes two accounts of what happened after Jesus’ crucifixion.  The first is given by Jesus himself who is obviously risen from the dead.  He asks that the good news of the resurrection be conveyed to his disciples, whom he now calls “brothers.”

The second account involves an accusation against Jesus’ disciples.  The chief priests say that the disciples stole Jesus’ body and, presumably, announced falsely the resurrection. 

Certainly, the evangelist Matthew leaves no doubt which account is true.  Nevertheless, readers must choose between the two as the second account has been handed down through the centuries as well as the first.  It can be said that the second account is more credible because the resurrection from the dead into eternal life is a unique event in history.  But we hold to the first for several reasons.  First, the disciples had little to gain by proclaiming the resurrection.  Indeed, they were to suffer martyrdom for telling the story.  This fact gives us added confidence that the Jesus’ account is true.  Finally, the first account confirms what we know of Jesus.  He preached not only the resurrection of the dead but also the goodness that life offers and the necessity of telling the truth.

Sunday, April; 9, 2023

 Easter Sunday: the Resurrection of the Lord (Mass of the Day)

(Acts 10:34a.37-43; Colossians 3:1-4; Matthew 28:1-10)

Today we celebrate the culmination of our faith, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. To better understand what it means we have to first investigate the gospel. We will focus on see the account of the resurrection in the Gospel of Saint Matthew that was proclaimed last night at the Vigil. The Church allows it to be used again on Easter morning.

The account of the first event of the resurrection in Matthew does not differ much from that in the other gospels. The angel of God proclaims to the women that Jesus has risen and sends them to tell his disciples the good news. The empty tomb is offered as evidence of the resurrection.

Matthew's account is distinguished by two further happenings. First, Matthew reports an earthquake taking place as Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrive at the tomb. Second, Jesus appears to the two Marys basically repeating the angel's command but calling his disciples "my brothers."

We should hear the angel's command to the women as applying to all of us. The women are not apostles formed by Jesus to preach the gospel, but simple people with great affection for the Lord. We too love Jesus and are commissioned to tell others of his resurrection. In addition to words, we can tell our associates that Jesus has been raised from the dead with actions. Wearing a corsage or new clothes on Easter Sunday has always symbolized that we have a new kind of life together with Jesus. Simply inviting the whole family to lunch together can also serve as an announcement of the resurrection.

We remember that the earth also trembled immediately after the death of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel. Now it trembles again like a roll of drums to announce his resurrection. The tremor does not produce the resurrection of Jesus but the removal of the stone revealing the empty tomb. Both tremors signify two moments of profound truth in our lives.

The first moment happens when we realize that we are going to die. We are not talking now about the prosaic fact that all humans will die, but a near death experience. It could be a cancer diagnosis or an accident that claimed the life of our companion. From this moment on we are going to live differently. We are likely going to take much better care of our health. Some take advantage of this moment to dedicate themselves to a cause for which they want to be remembered. It may be the family, a hobby, or an avocation like working for the sanctity of life.

The second significant moment happens as in the gospel when we appreciate within our being that we are destined for eternal life. From the beginning the Church has declared the resurrection from the dead as the destiny of Christians. But as in the case of death for a long time it seems more like an idea than a reality. Then comes a profound encounter with Jesus as the two Marys have in our gospel. We perceive Jesus as close to us as a brother. In fact, by reason of his resurrection we are his brothers and sisters as Jesus himself declares of his disciples.

Our word Passover is derived from the Hebrew word pesach. It means to jump over. For the Jews it refers to the passing of the angel of death over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. The passing of the angel allowed their liberation from slavery. For us Easter is something similar but at the same time different. It refers to the passing of Jesus Christ from death to resurrected life. Also, it has to do with our passing from the certainty of our death to the security of eternal life.  This life is ours because Jesus has chosen us as his disciples whom he has transformed into his brothers and sisters. It is the cause of our celebration today. Jesus has given us eternal life as his brothers and sisters.

Friday, April 7, 2023

 Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

(Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16.5:7-9; John18:1-19:42)

Jesus’ last words in today’s gospel sound enigmatic. “It is finished?”  What is finished?  Is it his life as he dies?  Is it his ordeal on the cross?  We can find a hint of the answer to the question in the first chapter of the gospel.  On seeing Jesus, John the Baptist declares, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 

Jesus’ sacrifice of himself ends with his death on the cross.  Pilate rendered the death sentence at midday when the paschal lambs were being sacrificed in the temple.  As a result of the lamb offerings, the Jews believed their sins were forgiven.  Now with the death of the Lamb of God, the world is liberated from its sins.

Liberation is hinted at in a phrase just prior to Jesus’ last words.  The gospel says that they offered him a wine-soaked sponge on a hyssop sprig to quench his thirst.  We may ask, how can a hyssop sprig support a soaked sponge?  Of course, it can’t.  But the hyssop is used here to remind us of the hyssop that spread the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of the Israelites the night before they were liberated from slavery.  The angel of death came to take the first-born of all the families of Egypt except of the Israelites with their blood-splattered doorposts.  Hyssop became a sign of liberation. 

Like the Israelites, we have been liberated.  We are no longer slaves to sin but are free to serve God and neighbor.  Let us not fall back into the slavery of sin by mostly serving ourselves.  Rather let us sacrifice ourselves in the way Jesus did.  Then we will be able to say with Jesus when our moment comes, “It is finished.”

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Holy Thursday – Evening Mass of the lord’s Supper

(Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; I Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15)

There is a profound relationship between the first reading and the gospel that we must explore.  After doing this, we can better appreciate the gist of the second reading.

The reading from the Book of Exodus describes how God has liberated Israel from slavery in Egypt.  It tells of the annual meal that sons and daughters of Israel gather to this very day to celebrate their liberation.  Later in the book Exodus shows the purpose of Israel’s liberation.  The people are freed from bondage to Pharaoh so that they may serve the one, true God.  Out of Egypt less than two months the Israelites arrive at Sinai where God presents the Law to Moses.  The Law will stipulate exactly how they  are to serve.

In the gospel Jesus washes the feet of his disciples.  This is no ordinary purification rite.  Jesus washes his disciples’ feet as an example of the Law that he is imposing on the New Israel.  Like with God’s instruction about how to eat the Passover meal, the purpose of the foot washing is not clear at first.  Jesus tells Peter that what he is doing will be understood later.  After he is risen from the dead and the Holy Spirit is sent, his disciples will understand that washing the feet of one another symbolizes mutual, loving service.  The disciples are to humbly help one another live like Christ in the world.

Doing that is no easy task.  We have plenty of concerns in our own homes to worry about what happens in others.  We need Christ’s own help to love as he loved.  He provides this help in the Eucharist which St. Paul describes in the reading from his First Letter to the Corinthians.  Jesus himself nourishes us with his body and blood so that we might lovingly assist our neighbors. 

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Wednesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 50:4-91; Matthew 26:14-25)

In Italy abstaining from meat on Wednesdays as well as Fridays is still sometimes practiced.  Of course, the Friday penance commemorates Jesus’ death on the cross.  The Wednesday abstinence similarly recalls Jesus’ betrayal by Judas, his disciple.

Although all four gospels speak of the betrayal, Matthew gives the most detail.  He tells how Judas is paid thirty pieces of silver for delivering Jesus to the Jewish leaders.  After the fatal act, Matthew completes his coverage by showing a guilt-laden Judas trying to return the money. Earlier in the gospel, Jesus told his disciples not to take any silver with them as they preach the Kingdom of heaven.  Here Judas takes thirty pieces to turn in the Kingdom’s premier preacher.  More indicative of his contempt of Jesus is Judas’ calling him “Rabbi.”  Jesus told his disciples not to use that title for anyone (23:8). But Judas twice defies the mandate.  Of course, Judas’ betrayal brings about his destruction.  Not relieved by returning the blood money, Judas hangs himself.  Today his name is recalled with the same infamy as that of Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Khan.

Ironically, some have tried to justify Judas over the centuries.  In one novel Judas is portrayed as a co-redeemer because his action brings Christ to the cross.  Often these days Judas is seen as no worse than Peter when he denies Jesus.  Yes, Peter commits a terrible sin.  However, he acts out of fear.  The difference between betrayal and denial is exponential.   Nevertheless, we should see the possibility of our acting both as ignominiously as Judas and as cowardly as Peter.  We may betray associates for money or for pleasure.  We may allow peer pressure to move us to deny promises made to God.  Today like Friday calls us to do penance for all our sins.

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

 Tuesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33.36-38)

It may sound outrageous to say that Jesus is in control of the process leading to his death.  Nevertheless, John’s gospel clearly indicates this.  Not only does he gather his disciples for an apparently premature farewell meal, but – more critically – he signals the actions resulting in his betrayal and, ultimately, his crucifixion.  In today’s passage Jesus predicts that one of his disciples will betray him, shows whom he is, and then dismisses the betrayer to do what he would do. 

The passage also glimpses the cosmic struggle that will end in Jesus’ paradoxical “triumphal death.”  It says that Satan enters Judas.  Satan is the great adversary, the prince of the world, the one whom the Son of God came to defeat.  “World” here means the consolidation of sin that often characterizes this planet.  Jesus will defeat Satan by allowing himself to be sacrificed in humility.  From then on, pride, greed, even self-preservation will no longer reign over divine love.

We have come to the middle of Holy Week, the most solemn time of the year for Christians.  We are to use it to reflect on our own lives.  Now we not only thank God for sending His Son as our hero and model.  We also ask Him to help us exterminate the vestiges of Satan’s worldly power that cling to us.

Monday, April 3, 2023

 Monday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11)

One of the features of Holy Week is the use of the four “Servant Songs” from the second part of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.  They are read at mass today, tomorrow, Wednesday, and Friday, as well as yesterday. The Songs describe one whose suffering brings vicarious justice to Israel.  Because he is never named, interpreters have given him various identities like Jeremiah or even corporate Israel.  Christians have little difficulty in seeing him as an archetype of Jesus.

Today’s “Song” features the gentleness and the luminosity of the Servant.  He is so sensitive that he does not raise his voice when he teaches.  Gently and persuasively, he gives light without creating heat.  That light enables those blinded by pride to see the truth, those imprisoned by prejudice to find goodness in enemies, and those confined to the dungeon of ignorance to learn the glory of God.

In today’s gospel Mary, the sister of Lazarus, exhibits a particular sensitivity to Jesus as the Suffering Servant.  She anoints him before his impending death that she is somehow able to perceive.