Friday, June 28, 2024

 Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr, and Doctor of the Church

(II Kings 25:1-12; Matthew 8:1-4)

Saint Irenaeus lived in the second century.  A native of Smyrna in what is now Turkey, Irenaeus came to be bishop of Lyon, France.  He deserves recognition as a theologian, a historian, and as a remarkable churchman.

Irenaeus is famous for his refutation of gnostic heresies.  These challenges to true faith understood salvation as the possession of a certain knowledge and not the result of faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.  As an historian, Irenaeus was one of the first people to recognize and name the four canonical gospels.  Finally, it is said that the word irenic, meaning disposed toward reconciliation, comes from this saint.  As an example of his propensity to find peace, Irenaeus tried to reconcile the bishop of Rome with bishops of western Asia who celebrated Easter on a different day.

There is much to emulate in this early Church bishop.  We do well to reflect on Scripture as he did and seek reconciliation among those whose disagreement leads to severed relations.

 

Thursday, June 27, 2024

 Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 24:8-17; Matthew 7:21-29)

Today’s gospel ends the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus has proclaimed his law.  It is not just a series of prohibitions.  It contains many prescriptions or mandates that are to be followed.  Most famous is his command that followers love their enemies by doing good to their persecutors.

Several years ago a police officer was shot and killed in Texas.  His assailant was then killed.  The officer’s widow received many donations from people.  She used the money, which she didn’t need, to establish a fund for the children of her husband’s assailant.  This is the kind of love that Jesus expects of his followers.

At the very least we can pray for our enemies rather than seethe with hatred.  When we pray for those who offend us, we are likely to find opportunities to express more concretely our love for them.

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

 Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

 (II Kings 22:8-13.23:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20)

False prophets have criticized the Church for its defense of human life from conception to natural death.  The critics say that Catholic doctrine does not have compassion on those suffering from an unwanted pregnancy or for those who have lost their faculties.  In today’s gospel Jesus gives a lesson to his disciples about who really are false prophets. 

Jesus may well have in mind the Pharisees who quote the Scriptures but seem to avoid their intentions.  True prophets convey God’s will to the people by word and deed.  They do not simply pacify people or make them feel good.  Rather they work to improve people’s stature before God.  True prophets make people more God-like. False prophets lead people to dishonesty and contentiousness.  False prophets are wolves under the appearance of shepherds.

God’s will often challenges us to do what is hard.  Caring for an old, feeble person and nurturing a fetus and newborn are not easy tasks.  However, they make the practitioners stronger and more loving.  Even more importantly, such practice does no harm.  Much to the contrary, it respects people in their initial and final stages of life as true images of God.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

 Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 19:9b-11.14-21.31-35a.36; Matthew 7:6.12-14)

Bringing up priestly celibacy in a discussion often seems like throwing a pearl before swine.  Although most people do not understand it, they speak of it negatively.  They will say that it is an outdated rule that the pope may change at will.  And they offer the scandal of sexual abuse by priests as reason for change.

Unfortunately, people are unaware of the history of priestly celibacy and of its profound spirituality.  Celibacy is grounded in the experience of Jesus.  There is absolutely no evidence that he married.  Its Scriptural foundation rests on his statement that some people are eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of God.  It is much more than a practical matter that allows more time for ministry or that avoids problems of inheritance of Church property.  Rather celibacy – the sacrifice of personal fulfilment in marriage -- witnesses to the Lord as the one who bestows ultimate value.

Priests are not “lone rangers.”  They need support.  Especially diocesan priests require affirmation from the people when they serve well.  Providing encouragement to priests fulfills the vision of solidarity to which God calls His people.

Monday, June 24, 2024

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

(Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66.80)

The name “John” befits the son of Zachariah and Elizabeth in two ways.  The name means “The Lord has mercy.”  First, God shows mercy to the child’s parents who waited anxiously for years to have a child.  Their love for each other made them desire to give birth to offspring who would bear characteristics of them both.

More importantly, the Lord has shown mercy in initiating the process of human salvation.  John will announce to the world the coming of the Messiah.  He will also baptize Jesus, thus sending him forth to baptize “with the holy Spirit and fire.”  Both images relate the purification of sins and the charging with love. 

We have a mission similar to John’s.  We too are to announce Jesus Christ to the world.  Those of us who can, should tell others about Jesus’ unique and wondrous love for all.  Others may present Jesus to the world by unapologetic prayer or wearing a crucifix.  Still others will openly serve the needy in the name of Jesus.

Sunday, June 23, 2024

TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Job 38:1.8-11; II Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41)

Dear friends, today's Mass readings help us believe in Jesus as our Lord and God. Although we proclaim this belief in “the Creed,” it is such an extraordinary truth that we have difficulty claiming it with all our hearts.

The first reading comes from the Book of Job, one of the most thoughtful works in the entire Bible. Job is a righteous man who experienced setbacks beyond what we think possible to endure. He has lost his fortune, all of his children, and his health. He wants to die, but before this he seeks an interview with God to ask him why he was given such a terrible fate. Why did he, a man who had never mistreated anyone, have to suffer so much? At the end of the book God grants him the interview. But before Job speaks, God tells him that he could not possibly understand the reason that he had to suffer because Job was not there when God made heaven and earth. He adds the words from today's reading. It was He, that is God, who set the limits to the sea.

Anyone who has seen the ocean can verify that it is more immense than can be imagined. The sea has always been formidable, but in the first century before the great ships of modern times, it was considered the end of the world. It was thought of as a region of chaos inhabited by insurmountable monsters. The reading says that God tells Job that only He could set limits to the sea to form the contenders. Before a being as magnificent as God, Job becomes silent. He no longer wants to register complaints.

Now we should look at the gospel. Jesus is in a boat with his disciples when a powerful storm arises. The waves of the sea crash against the boat like the bombs of the Allied forces in the invasion of Normandy. The disciples are overcome with terror while Jesus sleeps contentedly. They awaken him in fear for his life and exhort him to save them. He just has to tell the storm to shut up and it deflates like a balloon with a puncture. If God is the one who sets limits to the sea, Jesus shows himself to be God by calming the furious sea.

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the troubles that arise in our lives. It can be a confluence of misfortunes: the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, and an accident that hospitalizes us all occurring simultaneously. We pray to the Lord, but it seems like he is sleeping. We feel that he has forgotten us. This was the condition of the early Church at the time of Mark's writing his gospel. There were persecutions of Christians with no one to defend them. Under such conditions we should never give up praying. In the second reading Saint Paul says that “the love of Christ compels us.” He who died for all will not leave us in trouble, but he will rescue us. This is as sure as a mother's attention to the crying of her baby.

The gospel today wants to emphasize first that Jesus Christ has the ability to help his faithful people in need. Also, it emphasizes that he will not disappoint us when we call him. It is up to us not to stop doing that incessantly.

Friday, June 21, 2024

 Memorial of Saint Aloysius, religious

(II Kings 11:4-9.9-18.20; Matthew 6:19-23)

It is said that if you give a child a choice between a worn dime and shiny penny, she will choose the penny. This may be true in general, but often enough there is a different result. Since they have difficulty making choices, children generally want both offerings.

A sign of maturity is the ability to decide on a goal and to marshal one’s resources to achieve it. In the gospel today Jesus is calling his disciples to maturity and beyond. He wants them not only to choose a heavenly treasure but to live righteous lives in order to get there. Wealth is a fleeting blessing, he would say, where divine love lasts forever. Saint Aloysius made the choice for the Lord rather than wealth.  He did not let the desire to be rich come before his call to serve Christ as a Jesuit.

All of us are faced with similar choices.  Having fun or following the Lord?  Being considered cool or striving after holiness?  The choices are not always mutually exclusive.  But let us never pass by what Christ calls us to do.

Thursday, June 20, 2024

Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 48:1-14; Matthew 6:7-15)

The words of the Our Father as presented in the official U.S. Catholic translation and in today’s readings are anomalous.  Its English is more Shakespearean than modern where the rest of the translation uses more contemporary language.  We say “offences” not “trespasses,” “holy” and not “hallowed.”   Updating the language of the Our Father was tried in the 1970s but evidently did not meet people’s needs.

Many Catholics pray the Lord’s Prayer several times daily.  Those who attend Sunday Mass pray it at least then.  Its wording is so fixed in people’s minds that changing it sounds cacophonous.  Surely, however, preference should be given to the translation that proves the most effective in having people practice what they are praying.

Jesus takes time to emphasize the need to forgive others’ offenses in today’s gospel.  We should be always ready to pardon others when they ask our forgiveness.  Indeed, we should be praying for them to do so.  We should also pray for the grace to ask other’s pardon when we say or do to them something offensive.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

 Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 2:1.6-14; Matthew 6:1-6.6-18)

When Israel clamored for a king, Samuel, the prophet judge, told the people that they would regret having made the demand.  Ahab’s expropriating the poor man Naboth’s land exemplifies the abuse kings can heap on the people.  Kings were kept under some check by prophets who told them of God’s will.

Today’s first reading shows the transition from one great oral prophet to another.  Elisha will maintain Elijah’s role of defending the people from tyrannical kingly tendencies.  In the passage he is seen taking Elijah’s magical mantle.  Much of the tradition of both prophets is fantasy, but they do show God’s emissaries defending the poor.

 Moden prophets, as those of ancient times, are usually not pleasant people to live with.  They constantly say what is wrong with a situation sometimes not indicating how it might plausibly be improved. Yet they perform an invaluable service when they speak the truth to power.

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

 Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 21:17-29; Matthew 5:43-48)

Enemy love is a hallmark of Christianity.  As an old hymn says, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”  But what constitutes enemy love?  What does Jesus mean when he insinuates that our love must resemble that of our heavenly Father?

Loving like God loves not mean acceptance of another’s sinful behavior.  God is tolerant as Jesus implies when he says that He sends rain and shine on both bad and good.  But God has sent Jesus to call sinners to reform, not to keep sinning.  This should be characteristic of Christian love as well.  Christians should help enemies to change immoral ways by example if nothing else.

We may find it difficult to treat kindly those who show no interest in reciprocating.  But surely Jesus does not ask too much by requiring it.  We have, as St. Paul famously says, his example of dying for us “while we were still sinners.”  Furthermore, we have the Holy Spirit to inspire and strengthen us to love truly.

 

Monday, June 17, 2024

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings21:1-16; Matthew 5:38-42)

Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. read today’s gospel as a call to passive resistance.  Their idea was not to do violence to one’s enemies but not to cooperate with them either.  In this way they might make ordinary life intolerable and also win the sentiment of others.  As much as they were successful in achieving their ends without violence, they can be applauded.  But nonviolent resistance is still resistance that Jesus forbids.

In truth, it is very hard to fulfill this gospel mandate when enemies are cruel and determined.  However, Jesus does not say that his disciples should suffer physical abused beyond a slap in the face.  Taking this dictum to an extreme may very well go beyond Jesus’ intention.

Jesus would certainly not want us to hurt those who offend us.  We should begin there and go on to try reconciling ourselves with the enemy.  Hopefully, we will find him or her to be reasonable and desirous of peace.

Sunday, June 16, 2024

ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Ezekiel 17:22-24; II Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34)

The readings of the mass today can be understood as an introduction to Jesus Christ. We have wonders in our times. Who hasn't been amazed by all the uses of the smartphone? But perhaps you, like me, would give up your phones for the experience of accompanying our Lord for a day.

Sir Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of England during World War II, admired Franklin Roosevelt, his counterpart in the United States. He once said: “Meeting Franklin was like opening your first bottle of champagne, and knowing him was like drinking it.” Like President Roosevelt Jesus was articulate, inspiring, and wise. More than Roosevelt, he was righteous and compassionate.

The first reading is taken from the prophet Ezekiel. Characteristic of this prophet, God Himself speaks without using oracles. He says that he will take a shoot from a great cedar and plant it on the top of the highest mountain in Israel. Of course, these words are not to be understood literally. It is metaphorical language to say that God will renew the dynasty of David with a righteous king. This king will bring to Israel the peace desired throughout the world.

Paul speaks of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy. He implies that there is nothing so wonderful as being in the company of Jesus. In fact, Paul would not want to live any longer if he were certain that he could be in Christ’s presence. Nevertheless, he is confident that he will receive this reward in time, although he must please him by righteous living.

In the gospel Jesus provides two parables describing the “Kingdom of God.” This term “Kingdom of God” is not so much a place as a symbol that carries several meanings. It is heaven, eternal life, peace in its fullness, God himself, a friendship with the Lord Jesus, and more. In the parable of the seed slowly growing in the ground Jesus teaches how to develop a firm relationship with him through consistent and careful attention. There was a man who locked the church door of his parish every night. After inspecting the premises, he would stop to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. One day his wife received the diagnosis that she had cancer. That night when he visited the Blessed Sacrament, he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a voice assuring him: “Everything will be all right.” The man was convinced that the hand and the voice were the Lord’s.

The parable of the mustard seed shows how Jesus particularly helps the poor. As the seed grows, it becomes a bush where little birds can nest. Like the bush Jesus provide refuge for vulnerable human beings. Even if they have no money or a home of their own, if they have a strong relationship with Jesus, he will be their invaluable resource.

We meet Jesus in many ways.  We have his word through the gospels.  The saints imitating his ways give us a sense of his presence.  But our surest recourse to the Lord isa the sacraments.  We know him best through the Eucharist.  Here he accompanies us, body and soul.

Friday, June 14, 2024

 Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 19:9ª.11-16; Matthew 5:27-32)

Jesus uses exaggerated language to emphasize his teaching in today’s gospel. We should never excise a body part other than to save our life. Nor should we commit sexual sins.

Jesus condemns looking at a woman with lust because such looks lead to fornication or, worse, adultery. Is it venial or mortal sin? Jesus does not take this type of classification into account, but for him lustful glances are serious evils.

The Catechism exhorts us to struggle “against concupiscence of the flesh and inordinate desires.” If impure desires or thoughts badger us, we should tell the Lord that we love him and ask for his help to overcome the temptation.

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and Doctor of the Church

(I Kings 18:41-46; Matthew 5:20-26)

Through the test of fire Elijah has been able to regain the people’s allegiance to the Lord.  Will Ahab, their king, follow?  In today’s passage Elijah sends Ahab to make peace with God by eating and drinking on the holy mountain.  But Ahab seems to have avoided partaking in the meal of reconciliation. Rather the king reports to his wife Jezabel Elijah’s slaying of the 450 prophets of Baal.

God sends rain to the parched land.  He also keeps Elijah a step ahead of Ahab and Jezabel.  He will give him a trifold mission.  He is to anoint a new king of Israel’s enemy Aram, a new king of Israel, and his prophet successor.  It is of equal importance that God’s people have prophets as they have kings.  Both act in the name of the Lord, but the prophet is to critique the king when the latter betrays God’s Law.

There is a continual need for prophets.  People today as well as Israel of ancient times today tend to worship false gods.  Even Christians hanker after prestige, power, and pleasure more than faithfulness to God’s will.  Prophets tell us when we do so and how to make amends.

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 18:20-39; Matthew 5:17-19)

Today’s first reading tells the story of one of the most memorable events of the Old Testament.  However, it does not include what makes the event unforgettable.  After Elijah calls down fire from heaven upon the offerings, he has the 450 prophets of Baal slain!

The biblical author does not mean to glorify violence but to underscore as boldly as possible the need to worship the one God.  People tend to worship other gods whether they be pagan deities, horoscopes, or material things that have become priorities.  Like the prophets of Baal calling in vain their god to come down, these things will never satisfy completely.  They should be shunned.  To emphasize this necessity Elijah has the prophets of Baal slain.

We may feel confident that these false gods will never overtake us.  However, we are wise to keep praying to the Holy Spirit for help to resist their influence.  Many men and women are being trapped in the filth of pornography, undermined by the desire to be famous, and sidetracked by the lure of comfort.  It is God who saves us from sin and death.  Him alone we should thank and praise.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, apostle

(Acts 11:21b-26.13:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12)

The Spanish language has a short, fitting phrase to describe St. Barnabas.  He is a “santo varón”. The term means holy man, but it implies a more uncommon virtue. A santo varón lives in peace with every good person.  He spends time with God who seems to be the rock on which to build a life of goodness toward all.

At the beginning of Acts Barnabas generously contributes to community savings. In today’s second reading Barnabas rejoices when he encounters living faith in Antioch.  He also shows courage in searching out Paul and zeal to go forth as a missionary. In an argument with Paul about Mark, who once abandoned them, Barnabas shows a willingness to forgive.

Barnabas makes a worthy model for all of us.  When we feel a desire to spend a small fortune on a non-essential, Barnabas admonishes us to live simply.  When we cannot find the time to visit a sick friend, Barnabas shows us how to make a priority of someone who is hurting.  When we have trouble enduring a difficult person, Barnabas demonstrates patient love.

 

Monday, June 10, 2024

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 17:1-5; Matthew 5:1-12)

Jesus, as successful teachers usually do, first presents the goals of the course he is about to give.  In this case, they are the beatitudes or blessings of the Kingdom.  Those who follow his course will experience the glory of God.  They will have to exert themselves, but he promises that they won’t regret the effort.

The beatitudes prescribe basic attitudes or dispositions more than specific acts.  One must be “poor in spirit” by looking to the Lord first and foremost to provide one’s needs.  Similarly, one must live ready to forgive and reconcile differences to be considered a “peacemaker.”

Sometimes the beatitudes are considered the exclusive property of saints.  They certainly require the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  But he is given in the sacraments so that we might become saints.

Sunday, June 9, 2024

TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Genesis 3:9-15; II Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35)

This Sunday we return to the Gospel of Saint Mark where we left off in February before Lent. Jesus is proclaiming the Kingdom of God in Galilee. Many people are impressed by his preaching with authority. But two groups appear in the passage we just heard that do not want him to continue preaching.

The reading says that Jesus' relatives come looking for him. It adds that they think he is `”out of his mind.” It does not mention why they think so. Perhaps they want Jesus to work in Joseph's workshop.

Jesus' preaching has also caught the attention of Jewish leadership in Jerusalem. These priests and scribes of the Law send representatives to Galilee to discredit his message. Earlier in the narrative Jesus challenged the local scribes when he ate with sinners and when he performed healings on the Sabbath. Now scribes from the holy city come saying that Jesus' conduct shows him to be possessed by a devil. Therefore, they say that he can cast out demons because he is in league with them.

Jesus responds to the accusation with parables. He compares the situation of a possessed man casting out demons to a kingdom where there is civil war or a family where there is resentment between brothers. Under such conditions the kingdom and the family could not survive.  Just so, if he, being possessed, tried to expel a demon, he would not be able to do so.

With the mention of diabolic possession we wonder about the possibility of its existence today. Experts assure us that there are possessed people. But while it is a relatively rare and very frightening thing today, in the gospels it occurs regularly and is frequently connected with illness. For example, Luke tells how Jesus healed many “who were troubled by unclean spirits” (6:18). It seems that where two thousand years ago physical and mental illnesses were attributed to demons, today there are medical explanations for them.

However, this does not mean that there are no demons lurking behind diseases. We remember C.S. Lewis fascinating book Screwtape Letters. In this work the devil advises his demon nephew that his objective is to make a person think that demons do not exist. Then, says the devil, the person can be brought under the demon’s power with ease. The devil's strategy in our case may be to make the patient think that the most important thing in life is to find excellent doctors. Then the patient may forget about God as our best recourse in all situations.

The passage ends with Jesus’ naming as family those who do God's will. He does not care that other people do not have blood like his in their veins as long as they submit to the Lord. In this way Jesus extends the family table to all who love their neighbors from the heart. May we love like this and find a place at his table.

Friday, June 7, 2024

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

(Hosea 11:1.3-4.8-9; Ephesians 3:8-12.14-19; John 19:31-37)

“Richard Corey” is a short poem written by an American poet, Edward Arlington Robinson.  It is simple and dramatic enough to catch a schoolboy’s attention.

The poem describes how an elegant man named Richard Corey was envied by all the people of his town.  True to his name but unnoticed by the townspeople, he had a rich, hard core or heart.  Though he was rich, he helped no one. His hardness made him difficult to approach.  The poem ends by saying that “one calm summer night, (he) went home and put a bullet through his head.”

Richard Corey would be the counterpart to Jesus.  Jesus’ heart is tender so that he takes compassion on all.  It is true that he is rich, but with mercy, not gold.  He will forgive any sin rightly confessed and assist any project aimed at doing good.

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28-34)

 “…the word of God is not chained,’” St. Paul tells his disciple Timothy in today’s first reading.  It is not chained because, first, it is an idea and not a body that can be locked down.  More to the point, it is not chained because it itself is liberating.  It moves people to act.  It foresees an end that is both desirable and attainable.  It promises life in the full – the joy and peace of knowing God.  Yet its vision is so threatening to some that they try to prohibit it.  This occurred in El Salvador during the 1970s and 1980s.

El Salvador was experiencing social oppression.  Rich families wanted to maintain their economic privilege at the expense of the poor.  Church leaders organized small faith communities among the poor as a pastoral service.  These groups reflected on the word of God together.  They dwelt upon passages articulating God’s love for the poor.  At the same time an armed revolution assisted by Communist governments was gathering momentum.  Both movements - the small faith communities and the revolution -- spoke of social liberation.  But their means and ends differed.   Nevertheless, the wealthy’s armed militia started to persecute poor people for possessing a Bible.  Heroes like Archbishop Saint Oscar Romero spoke out against this repression. 

We too might see the word of God as a source of liberation.  It can free us from the anxiety of not having all that others have.  It also assures us that the real goal of life is happiness with God.  It cannot be chained.  On the contrary, it can unchain us from useless worries and prideful ambitions.

 

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr

(II Timothy 1:1-03.6-12; Mark 12: 18-27)

In today’s gospel the Sadducees present Jesus the absurd case of seven brothers marrying the same woman in succession after each brother dies.  According to the Old Testament Law a brother had to honor his deceased older brother in this way.  The absurdity tests the resurrection’s conformity to the Law. 

Jesus first shows that the resurrection does not run counter to the Law by pointing out that in the resurrected state people do not have bodies that come together in marriage.  Then he shows how the Law upholds belief in the resurrection.  If God “is”, and not “was,” the God of Abraham, then Abraham must have life.

The passage challenges some of our common beliefs about the resurrection.  We think of it as a continuation of the life we have now, but it isn’t that.  The resurrection refers not to what happens to us when we die, but to the reconstituting of our bodies at the end of time.  At our death the immortal soul separates from the flesh.  What either state (the soul at death or the resurrected body at the end of time) will be like is impossible to say.  But we know that until the resurrection our spiritual life will be wanting, perhaps like dancing without music.  After the resurrection we can say that we will be utterly and eternally happy.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Peter 3: 12-15a.17-18; Mark 12:13-17)

Today’s first reading is from the so-called “Second Letter of Peter.”  “So-called” because scholars are sure that Peter the apostle did not have anything to do with it.  It is likely the last of the New Testament writings probably dating from well into the second century. 

Written so late, it is unsurprising that it deals with issues of delayed fulfillment of Jesus’ promises.  In today’s passage the writer exhorts Christians to wait patiently.  They are to maintain a strict discipline in how they live so that they may grow in virtue.  The author claims that patience will then become their salvation.

Of course, we are still awaiting fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to return. As time goes by, we will be tempted to give up Christian morals and then belief in Christ.  We increasingly need to hear and practice patience as II Peter urges. 

 Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs

(II Peter 1:2-7; Mark 12:1-12)

Last week Muslims set fire to Christian homes in a Pakistani village.  An old man was beaten in the presence of the police, but he did not deny Jesus.  Such outrages continue because Christians first allegiance is to our Lord Jesus Christ.  The martyrs St Charles Lwanga and companions gave their lives for this commitment. 

Today we venerate them as the first martyrs of Black Africa. They defied the African tyrant of what is now Uganda who is reported as having hated Christianity.  They were for the most part men under twenty-five years of age, but not desirous of fame or gold.  Rather, like today’s first reading proclaims, they wanted “everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power.”

Religious bigotry has tempted people through the ages.  It is a particularly nasty form of pride.  Unfortunately, Christians who worship the uniquely humble Lord Jesus, have practiced it.  In imitation of him we must purify ourselves of its influence.