Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and Doctor of the Church

(Job 3:1-3.11-17.20-23; Luke 9:51-56)

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus has been acclaimed far more illustriously than anyone who knew her would have imagined.  She lived most of her life in a small town in France.  The last part she spent in a Carmel praying night and day.  Yet she has been named the patroness of missionaries, the patroness of France, and a Doctor of the Church!  How did this come about?

Thérèse expressed a desire to be a missionary nun in Hanoi Vietnam.  However, her tuberculosis condition prohibited her from volunteering herself.  Instead, she devoted herself to praying for missionaries throughout the world.  She tells the story of her inner life in her autobiography, The Story of a Soul.  The book is filled with such profound spiritual insights that she is considered a Master of Theology.  What is more, her life of prayer and self-sacrifice has made her an exemplar of Christian life.

Thérèse makes us aware of the humbling truth that we too can become saints.  We do not need a degree in theology, much less to be ordained to live a gospel-centered life as she did.  But we need to pray for the grace to be humble, patient, and, of course, caring of others.

 

Monday, September 30, 2024

Memorial of Saint Jerome, priest and Doctor of the Church

(Job 1:6-22; Luke 9:46-50)

St. Jerome has been named one of the four great Fathers of the Western Church.  Having mastered both Hebrew and Greek, he gave to the Church the authoritative Vulgate translation of the Bible.  Jerome also defended Catholic orthodoxy, especially against the popular Pelagian heresy.  He possessed enormous knowledge and ability, but also had a dark side.  His irascible temperament often exploded in offensive, sarcastic criticism.

Artists frequently portrayed Jerome with a lion at his side and holding a stone.  The lion symbolized Jerome’s ferocious personality and the stone, his need for doing penance.  One Renaissance pope remarked that without having done penance, Jerome could scarcely have been considered a saint.

Jerome may be contrasted with Job in today’s first reading.  He would never have suffered all the setbacks that appear in the passage but would have raged against them.  Job, on the other, had no quarrel with the Lord for his suffering.  He models Christian patience as he proclaims, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!”

Sunday, September 29, 2024

 

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48)

In today's Gospel, Jesus instructs His disciples on various issues discussed in His time or during the apostles' preaching. While they may not be the most controversial issues today, they have some relevance for us and our families. Let’s consider the four statements of Jesus for their importance in biblical times and how they apply to the present.

When John tells Jesus that they had stopped a man from casting out demons in His name, Jesus corrects him. He knows that something truly good cannot be done without the grace of the Holy Spirit. John’s action is like that of some Catholics today who refuse to support evangelical “missions” which help the homeless. It's true that Catholic charities are often doing similar work, but this should not be an excuse to ignore the efforts of other Christian groups.

We are uplifted by stories of pilgrims being welcomed by those who live near sanctuaries. Last year, the people of Lisbon opened their doors to a million visitors attending World Youth Day. As the gospel says, "Anyone who gives you a cup of water because you belong to Christ, amen I say to you, will surely not lose his reward." This saying may have applied particularly to the early Church when the apostles were evangelizing foreign lands. Some might want to adapt this saying to make it more relevant to today's needs.

Ten years ago, the bishop of Memphis, Tennessee, created a fund for Catholic schools in his city, whose majority population is African American and non-Catholic. His goal was to provide excellent education to poor children. When some complained that these children weren’t Catholic, the bishop defended the fund, saying, "We don’t educate them because they are Catholic, but because we are Catholic." Since then, several charitable organizations have used the same reasoning in their fundraising efforts.

For more than twenty years, the Church worldwide has been criticized for failing to remove priests who sexually abused children. Not only did they violate Jesus' teaching in today’s Gospel, but they also disregarded all sense of contemporary morality. Jesus shows His disgust for such abusers when He says their punishment will be worse than drowning in the deep sea. But there are other kinds of child abuse that deserve our attention today.

Many children today live in homes without both parents present. This situation often leads to psychological and spiritual problems resulting in dissolute lives. In certain cases, it may be necessary for parents not to live together. But to avoid these problems, young people should consider three urgent responsibilities: wait until marriage to have sexual relations, seek wise counsel before choosing a partner, and marry legally.

Finally, Jesus urges His disciples to avoid sin so they won't be condemned to misery after death. His language is hyperbolic and should not be taken literally. We should never cut off a hand or gouge out an eye unless it’s necessary to save a life. We can relate His command to two contemporary issues. First, what causes many to sin today is the cell phone, which transmits pornography. Pornography violates both human dignity and chastity. We won't say one has to throw away his cellphone, but perhaps those vulnerable to pornography could install filters to block immodest content.

Very few would want to cut off a hand or foot, but evidently quite a few people want to mutilate their bodies to disguise the gender assigned to them at birth. They will use hormones and have surgery to appear as the opposite sex. Many people with this inclination suffer internally. For the love of Christ, we must try to affirm the goodness of their lives as they were created. It is a sin against God’s Providence to attempt to change one’s sex.

Human life is not easy, neither for the rich nor the poor. But it is not impossible for anyone. To make life not just bearable but also joyful, we must turn to the Lord Jesús. We can hear His voice in the Gospel. Even better, we can receive him – body and soul -- in the Eucharist.

 

Friday, September 27, 2024

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, priest

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Luke 9:18-22)

Today’s first reading has gained more attention than any other passage in Ecclesiastes.  People admire its poetry – how its comparatively few lovely images seem to encompass all of life’s experiences.  But, along with the prose explanation concluding the passage, Qoheleth reveals a profound insight into human affairs.

In the passage’s explanation Qoheleth says that God has put eternity (the “timeless”) into human hearts.  God does this so that humans may know God’s appointments of time.  With this gift humans can act prudently.  That is, they can do what truly is best for all.  They know, for example, when to store food for a possible draught and when to host a banquet in thanksgiving.

We may wonder if Qoheleth means that God sanctions murder when he writes of a “time to kill.” This is hardly the case.  Murder is always wrong, but there are instances when it is only prudent to kill.  Such moments appear in a just war or when there is no other way to restrain a ruthless convict.

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ecclesiastes 1:2-11; Luke 9:7-9)

There is a story about a young man who was seen pouring beer from a can into a sink.  When asked why he was doing that, the youth replied that he wanted to “eliminate the middleman.”  There is something of this empty logic in today’s first reading.

Qoheleth sees every pursuit as “vanity” or, some would say, “show.”  No human action seems for him to have value of itself.  As the young man mentioned above cannot find value in enjoying a can of beer, so Qoheleth sees the futility of all action. 

Surely, however, some acts have positive value.  Done with love, our helping others bring us closer to God.  In fact, all actions that are not bad in themselves or done with an evil intent, make us better people nearer to the Lord.  A life replete with these kind of actions is good and even wonderful.  We should find Qoheleth admitting as much as he unfolds his thoughts.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

 

Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Proverbs 30:5-9; Luke 9:1-6)

In recent years at least some Jesuit novices have been given a small sum of money and told to report to a Jesuit house in a faraway place.  Evidently, they are expected to buy a bus ticket and trust in Providence for their well-being.  The mission sounds like the one of the apostles in today’s gospel.

Jesus sends his apostles out with nothing in their pockets “just in case.”  Rather, they are to depend completely on God working mostly through the townspeople they encounter.  Of course, they will offer to the people release from demons, cures of diseases, and the good news of the kingdom. But these blessings are not a quid pro quo.  Rather, they represent God’s favor upon all who are open to His grace.  Indeed, Jesus indicates that some villagers will likely shut their doors in his apostles’ faces.

The dependency of the apostles upon Providence should perk up our consciences like a bugle call.  Today in our society most people, including church workers, strive to avert risks.  The credit card has long served as a way never to be caught without money.  With cellular telephones in emergencies help is only a few pushed buttons away.  Other resources like insurance policies protect against catastrophes.  Although these privileges are defended as prudential, they leave us with the disturbing question: What does it mean today to trust in God’s Providence if we insulate ourselves against all risks?

 

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Proverbs 21:1-6.10-13; Luke 8:19-21)

“The Lord is kind and merciful” one of the psalms says.  God’s people are to imitate these qualities. The Book of Proverbs can be seen as their text with Jesus as their great teacher.

Humility, the virtue of thinking less of oneself and more of others, is vital to the task.  So, today’s passage from Proverbs says that “haughty eyes and a proud heart” lead to sin.  Attention to the needs of others leads to both mercy and kindness.  So, we read that one is not to shut his or her “ear to the cry of the poor.”

Long ago, children watching on TV “The Mickey Mouse Club” were told that proverbs make them “better Mouseketeers.”  It did not have to be said, but it is true, that a good Mouseketeer is also a healthy child of God.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, priest

(Proverbs 3:27-34; Luke 8:16-18)

Remembering the context of this gospel helps in understanding its confusing words.  Jesus has just told the parable of the sower and the seed.  Now he exhorts his hearers to heed what he has taught with three advisories.

First, Jesus himself is the lamp that gives light.  He came to preach the Kingdom of God.  Everyone should take care to hear what he has said.  Second, even without telephones in their hands to distract them, people can miss a speaker’s message by getting lost in their own thoughts.  Third, those who pay attention will be rewarded while those who don’t will likely lose any wisdom that they have.

Saint Pius of Pietrelcina had a reputation of being a clairvoyant confessor.  He had a gift of seeing into the souls of people.  For the thousands of people who confessed to him, his advice must have been a light like Jesus the one Jesus mentions in the gospel.

Sunday, September 22, 2024

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time,

(Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37)

We are accustomed to thinking of Jesus’ disciples as heroes. It is true that history teaches how they proved their courage on their missionary journeys after the Resurrection. But in the four Gospels, they often appear more like the Three Stooges than the three Wisemen. In none of the Gospels do they act with as much ineptitude as they do in Mark's.

Particularly in Mark, the disciples continually fail to understand Jesus when he teaches in public. Jesus, the great teacher, must explain his teachings to them afterwards in private. Much worse, the disciples show cowardice during Jesus’ Passion. One betrays Him, another denies Him, and all of them flee when He is arrested like adolescents playing baseball when someone hits a ball through a neighbor’s window. Today’s Gospel is no exception to this profile of the disciples.

For the second time, Jesus has told them how He will be handed over, executed, and rise from the dead. Except for the last part, it will be a horrific experience. Yet, the disciples seem unconcerned as they walk along discussing who among them is the most important. You might think of them as spoiled young men acting with typical insensitivity.

But in all probability, they are no worse than most of us, who forget our baptismal commitment when it is inconvenient. Many of us lie to avoid an embarrassing situation. Many also would rather stay watching a movie that proves to be semi-pornographic movie than leave the theater. Thank God, Jesus always shows us patience in the Sacrament of Penance.

The disciples receive this same patience in the gospel. Jesus does not scold them for wanting to be important. Instead, He teaches them how to be important in God’s eyes. When He takes the child in His arms, He holds up an example of those who matter the least in society. He says that to be important, one must serve such a person. In other words, to win approval of God, the chief justice, we must serve everyone, especially the weakest among us.

The other day, a story appeared in the newspaper about a man who has been serving everyone for a long time. The writer was on a shuttle bus going from the car rental lot to the airport terminal. He noticed a banner in the bus congratulating the driver for forty-five years of excellent service. When the driver, named David, announced that he had been doing the job for all that time, the passengers showed their appreciation. The writer saw the care with which David handled the passengers’ luggage and the joy with which he commented on his experiences. He concluded that no matter what a person’s vocation is, what they do is not nearly as important as how they do it. As Mother Teresa used to say: “We may not be able to do great things, but we can always do small things with great love.”

Jesus wants to teach His disciples that it doesn’t matter so much what others think of us. What always matters is how God sees our actions. If God sees us treating even the most insignificant people with respect and love, He is pleased. Then we have truly made ourselves important.

Friday, September 20, 2024

Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest and martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, martyr and companions, martyrs

(I Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 8:1-3)

St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon was the first native Korean to be ordained a priest.  After formation he returned to his native country where Christianity was forbidden.  He ministered to his people for a while but eventually was taken into custody.  He was tortured and beheaded at the age of twenty-five.  His dying testimony reflects the spirit of Mary Magdalene in today’s gospel.  Andrew said as he was being put to death: “My immortal life is on the point of beginning.”

No doubt, Mary Magdalene felt her life beginning anew when she met Jesus.  She had been possessed by “seven demons.”  Whether or not she had the traumatic experiences of those claiming to be possessed today, she likely underwent severe harassment.  Jesus relieved the condition and gave her new purpose.  Of course, she wanted to stay close to him.  That is what eternal life is about.

We should want the same.  Jesus delivers us from the roads that ultimately lead us nowhere: pleasure, power, and prestige.  He gives us not just the promise of immortal life but meaning and goodness every day.  Even if it means martyrdom like St. Andrew Kim’s, we stand in the best good company with Jesus.

 

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 7:36-50)

When preaching, Bishop Robert Barron often refers to himself as a sinner.  He does not confess his sins publicly.  Rather, he reminds his audience that they, like he, stand in need of forgiveness.  Unlike Bishop Barron, the Pharisee in today’s gospel does not acknowledge his sins.  Yet he judges the woman who anoints Jesus as a sinner.  Meanwhile, the woman openly demonstrates that she is a sinner seeking God’s forgiveness.  As in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector, she will go home justified while the Pharisee remains in his unacknowledged sins.

People often have difficulty remembering their sins.  They can frustrate priests in Confession when they almost brag that they have not sinned.  Probably the dramatic decrease in confessions over the last century has been caused by people not recognizing how they have offended God.  Yet it is a special grace to become aware of one’s sins so that one can receive forgiveness.

We do well to make an examination of conscience at the end of every day.  We might write down our offenses against Lord and neighbor.  We will want to bring these sins to Confession.  This practice will also help us avoid committing the same sins in the future.

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 12.31-13:13; Luke7:31-35)

The twentieth century Jesuit mystic and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote that when humans learn how to harness the power of love, for the second time they will have discovered fire.  He might have added that love outdoes fire in that it never destroys, but only builds up.

Of course, love must be defined precisely to perform so nobly.  St. Paul gives an adequate description for this purpose in today’s first reading.  For Paul love is a gift that everyone has but few develop.  Unlike popular ideas of love, it is not an emotion seeking self-satisfaction.  Rather it is a virtue that both suffers and acts for the good of the beloved.  It will last forever because it partakes in the Divine which is eternal.

Our model for love is Jesus Christ.  He fulfills to the letter every detail of Paul’s description.  We know him through Baptism and receive him into our hearts and souls in Holy Communion.  He enables us to transcend our human nature to become always patient and kind like his divine self.

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 12:12-14.27-31a; Luke 7:11-17)

As difficult as it is for a parent to bury a child, it is even more difficult if the woman is a widow and the child an only one.  This may well be the case in today’s gospel passage.  It is said that Jesus, having pity for the forlorn, tells the widow not to weep.  Then, like the prophets Elijah and Elisha, he brings the son back to life and presents him to his mother.

God forbid that we lose an only child, but we may be sure of some setbacks in our lives.  Perhaps we will be diagnosed with a life-threatening disease or maybe one of our children will undergo a serious injury.  We too may feel forlorn and distressed.  Fortunately, we can count on the Lord’s help.  One couple gave birth to a son with multiple defects that doctors doubted could save his life.  The couple along with numerous family and friends prayed for the baby.  After numerous operations the child survived and grew. Now around twenty years later he has handicaps but testifies to the Lord’s power over death.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we should never give up hope in desperate situations.  When we ask for his mercy, we can count on his help.  Be it the removal of the threat or the fortitude to endure it, he will come to our aid.

Monday, September 16, 2024

Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope, and Saint Cyprian, bishop, martyrs

(I Corinthians 11:17-26.33; Luke 7:1-10)

The Eucharist from its beginning has been a sign and a source of unity.  As Jesus brought together his disciples from various backgrounds to share the Passover meal so today people from different families and, often enough, ethnic heritages assemble for Mass.  Then as Jesus charged the bread and the cup of the Passover meal with his body and blood to unite his disciples in common cause, Mass-goers become more connected to one another in partaking of the Lord.  In today’s first reading St. Paul is indignant that members of the Corinthian community shun unity to indulge their appetites.

It seems that the Lord’s supper in Paul’s time was like a lunch break with a pause to remember the blessing of bread and wine.  Paul chastizes the community for not sharing what each brought.  Then he tries to reorient them by recalling the solemn intention of Jesus.   He gave his undefiled body as an offering of love so that they may in turn support one another.

Saints Cornelius and Cyprian were involved in a dispute over the unity of the Church.  They lived in the middle of the third century when persecutions were not uncommon.  Both held that the Christians who apostatized rather than be executed could be forgiven their tragic sin.  A rival said that apostasies during persecution were unforgiveable and the perpetrators all but damned.  According to the saints, whose cause was vindicated, the guilty should undergo severe penances but their reconciliation was not hopeless.

Sunday, September 15, 2024

 Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 50:5-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35)

The denial of Simon Peter is found in each of the four gospel Passion narratives. Almost all Christians know how Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. But if we count the denial in today's Gospel, there were at least four denials. Nevertheless, despite having such a tarnished history, he was chosen by Jesus as the leader of His Church.

One reason for his selection is Peter's intuition. He recognizes Jesus as the Christ or Messiah, the Anointed One of God, sent to bring justice to the world. However, his concept of the Messiah is distorted. He believes that Jesus is a warrior like King David, also anointed by God. In his view, Jesus will raise an army to drive the Romans out of Israel. He cannot imagine that Jesus' purpose is more subtle universal and profound than a military achievement.

Jesus will redeem the world from sin by fully submitting to the will of the Father. He will obey God to the point of death on the cross. As the God-man, this sacrifice is enough to free all human beings from the devil's grasp. Unfortunately, Simon Peter sees the crucifixion, at least at this moment, as a shame, not a triumph. As if he knew better, he tries to correct Jesus' thinking.

Jesus strongly rejects Peter's erroneous mindset. He calls him "Satan" because Peter has tempted Jesus, just like the devil did after His baptism. Jesus then explains that not only must He suffer, but those who follow Him will suffer as well. All His disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus on the path of self-sacrificing love.

At the beginning of this Gospel passage, Jesus asks: "Who do you say that I am?" Perhaps we would want to respond: "The one who saves us by our faith in Him." While our response would not be incorrect like Peter’s, it could lead us astray. As James emphasizes in the second reading, faith without works “is dead.” If we do not regularly help others, our presence at Mass means nothing. We must lend a hand to those in need. If, due to age or disability, we cannot physically help, we should turn off the television, put down the phone, and pray the rosary for the needy.

There is no shortage of needs we can assist with. School children need tutors. Nursing homes need ministers of Holy Communion. The elderly need visitors. A retired teacher responds to the call of the local "Meals on Wheels" by donating a couple of hours weekly to deliver lunch to seniors. An elderly woman donates part of her time helping hospital visitors find their sick loved ones.

When we identify who Jesus is, we also identify who we are. Jesus is the God-man. As God, He has saved us from our sins through His death. As human, He helped countless sick and suffering people. Being His disciples, we share in His divinity. Therefore, our sacrifices and prayers contribute to the salvation of the world. It is a difficult truth to understand but testified by St. Paul in his Letter to the Colossians. The second identity is easier to comprehend. As disciples of Jesus, we should walk as He did, always doing good.

 

Friday, September 13, 2024

Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and Doctor of the Church

(I Corinthians 9:16-19.22b-27; Luke 6:39-42)

In today’s first reading St. Paul explains why he risks his life to preach the gospel.  He does so out of an obligation imposed upon him.  He is referring, of course, to Christ’s mandate after his revelation to Paul on the road to Damascus.

Even with the revelation and mandate Paul must conform to Christ.  He describes this effort as athletic training.  As an athlete cannot ignore training if she or he is to win a competition, so Paul must put heart and soul into curtailing desires for status and comfort.  For Paul this means becoming “all things to all” people.  Finally, Paul urges everyone to a similar self-discipline so that they too are conformed to Christ.

Today the Church remembers one of the greatest Eastern Fathers.  St. John Chrysostom like Paul suffered for preaching the gospel.  As Patriarch of Constantinople, he told the rich to help the poor.  For criticizing the extravagance of the empress, he was forced into exile. After returning to his see, a cabal of churchmen ousted him again.  He died on September 14, 407 as a result of a forced march to the place of banishment.

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 8:1b-7.11-13; Luke 6: 27-38)

We may want to pass over Jesus’ commands under the rubric, “Love your enemies”, or to dismiss them as exaggerations.  When someone takes my coat, I want the person to return it.  I am not likely to offer him or her my shirt as well.  Also, when someone my borrows money, I expect it back.  I am not inclined to loam him or her more until the first debt is repaid.  Am I violating Jesus’ commands? 

Perhaps not.  The key to the passage is the so-called “Golden Rule.” Followers of Christ are to do to others as they would have them do to themselves.  Nurtured in Christ’s love, we hope to receive and should be ready to bestow kindnesses.  It may be kindness to give my coat to a poor man, but if a bully demands it, kindness would be limited to telling the person, “No,” gently but firmly.  If an alcoholic keeps asking me money for drinks, telling the person gently not to drink would be the kind thing to do. Supporting the habit would be cooperating in vice.

Jesus’ command to love one’s enemies is one of his most distinctive teachings and cannot be dismissed.  However, it does not mean that we are to be abusive, either of ourselves or of others.  Love obliges us to help those in need.  The help we render, however, should be in proportion to others’ needs and to our ability to give.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 7:25-31; Luke 6:20-26)

Some thought at the beginning of the present century that the world would live perpetually in peace.  One intellectual wrote of “the end of history.” By the term he meant an enlightened world that recognizes the folly of war and the need to create prosperity for all.  The events of this day – September 11 – in 2001 disabused everyone world of this dream.  In today’s first reading St. Paul also imagines history coming to an end with the revelation to the world of Christ’s majesty.  Paul proposes ideals for individuals with the end of history in mind.

With the world soon coming to an end, Paul thinks it best that people do not seek marriage.  Rather they should wholly concern themselves with pleasing the Lord.  Intense prayer and devotion would be in order.  Of course, Christ’s coming has not taken place yet.  The world remains a place of contention and pride.  Although there is always need for some to give full attention to the Lord, marriage is in greater need than ever.

Marriage sears people of the illusion that they are individuals who can live happily by themselves.  Children, the fruit of marriage, require growth in responsibility.  Marriage itself should turn the couple to God who provides the moral strength to overcome its various challenges.  As much as youth today eschew marriage, it is as necessary as ever if as a society we are to meet the threats of a still dangerous world.

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

 Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(Colossians 2:6-15; Luke 6:12-19)

The Coptic Christians in Egypt are said to be tattooed in childhood with the sign of the cross.  The mark not only brands them for Christ among the Muslim majority, it also reminds them of their salvation.

The reading from the Letter to the Colossians today charts the dimensions of that salvation.  Our selfish desires are buried through our participation in the cross by means of Baptism.  Its power also raises us up to live in the world as free men and women attracting others to Christ.  Any debt that we owed because of past sins the cross of Jesus pays in full through the blood of the cross.  Finally, it subdues the powers of evil that might allure us from the path of righteousness.

We may not want to be tattooed, but we are wise to keep an image of the cross before us.  Could anyone claim that a Christian who lays a crucifix on her desk at work is imposing her religion on others?   Could not a cross or crucifix be found to accommodate any decor or style of household furnishings?  Of course, the concern of somehow offending others or even good taste is hardly what keeps us from retaining a cross before us.  The real issue is whether we want to be dominated by the one we call “Lord” and who hung upon the cross.

 

Monday, September 9. 2024

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, priest

(I Corinthians 5:1-8; Luke 6:6-11)

As much as St. Paul is outraged at the immorality of the man who lived with his father’s wife, any person should be appalled by the living conditions which St. Peter Claver witnessed aboard slave ships.  Peter Claver was a Jesuit priest who worked among the slaves in Cartagena, Colombia, during the first half of the seventeenth century.  

African men and women were brought to Cartagena where they were sold to work in mines and on plantations.  The voyage was perilous as were the conditions of the concentration camps where they lodged awaiting purchase.  On his visits to the camps, Claver distributed a range of products from medicine to tobacco to alleviate the slaves’ suffering.  He also prepared them for baptism by teaching rudimentary catechism.  A true missionary of charity, Claver reached out to the seamen and slaveowners in his ministry.

Peter Claver reminds us of the need for spiritual as well as corporal works of mercy.  The destitute may require immediate food for the stomach, but food for the soul is equally important.  Perhaps it is right as well that we become outraged when we see human inhumanity as St. Paul and St. Peter Claver did.

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 35:4-7; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37)

A knowledge of Israel's geography will help us capture the meaning of today's Gospel. The reading tells us that Jesus encounters the deaf and mute man in the region of Decapolis.  It is a place of Greek-Roman culture. So it can be confidently said that the man is a pagan. As such, he cannot give thanks and praise to God.

However, Jesus' actions free him from his impediments. By putting His fingers in the man’s ears, Jesus opens them so that he may hear the word of God. By touching his tongue with saliva, Jesus loosens it so that he can give his testimony about Jesus. Both actions serve as a sign of baptism, which makes us followers of Jesus, ready to proclaim Him as the long-awaited Messiah. In fact, even today, the touching of the ears and mouth is included in the rite of baptism.

We who are baptized are called to speak about Jesus in a world that would abolish his name. The way the French mocked Jesus at the Olympics indicated this unfortunate development. Although there are many righteous Muslims, in countries with a Muslim majority, there is almost inevitably an effort to either force the conversion of Christians or keep them subjugated. We can also see the disregard for Christianity in authoritarian governments like those of China and Russia, which seek to control the Church.

However, there are men and women who defend our faith. Last year, a woman who was Muslim in her childhood and atheist in her youth converted to Christianity. Now she proclaims Christianity as the best way to confront forces that seek to strangle Christianity and dominate the human person. Highly intelligent and articulate, Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali sees in Jesus and the Church ways to confront the threats not only to Christianity but also to freedom.

Mrs. Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia. Her family was Muslim, but did not practice that faith. In 2002, Hirsi Ali condemned the attacks on the Twin Towers the previous year and criticized Islam for its doctrine of jihad against “infidels.” She then embraced atheism for its way of elevating reason over human folly without any illusions of an afterlife.  Atheism seemed to her more realistic and beneficial to the world than any alternative. In time, however, she began to rethink the matter.  She saw faults in rationalism and noted that Christianity had overcome threats as great as the overbearing forces that want to dominate the world today: the authoritarianism and expansionism of Russia and China, the fanaticism of Islam, and the ideology of “woke” culture. She concluded that only the Judeo-Christian tradition has the capacity to defend the common good.

Perhaps we are thinking: What does the struggle against world dominating forces have to do with us here? I believe it has a lot to do with us. Unless we listen to the word of God and speak of it to our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and friends, they will fall victim to these evil forces. To protect them, we want them to know Jesus, who gave us the blueprint for a just and strong society. Even more importantly, He sent us the Holy Spirit to recognize evil and fight against it.

We do not want to be alarmists. On the contrary, we should calmly and deliberately explain to anyone who will listen that Jesus is the savior, as the first reading indicates. He has come as a justice-giver to the faithful.

Friday, September 6, 2024

Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 4:1-5; Luke 5:33-39)

In France during November vintners open the first bottles of the year’s Beaujolais production.  People have been waiting to taste whether it was a fair, good, or excellent year.  The wine hasn’t aged enough to bring out its full flavor, but experts can recognize its promise.  Something akin is taking place in today’s gospel.

Jesus takes time to respond to the Pharisees’ legitimate question of why his disciples do not fast.  He explains that now is not the time to fast but to celebrate the arrival of the Messiah.  The implication is clear.  He is something new, something life-saving, something of great quality, not unlike excellent fresh Beaujolais.  In time faith in him will become old and appreciated even more, again not unlike the best vintage of Beaujolais.

Whether Christian faith is new to us, as it is to many converts, or something we grew up with, it brings peace to the heart.  It gives us definite reason to practice virtue.  With faith we can face even death with confidence.  As a psalm puts it, faith like good wine will make the heart glad.

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Cor 3:18-20; Luke 5:1-11)

A boat makes a fitting symbol of the Church.  As boats carry passengers to their destination, the Church takes its members to God’s kingdom.  Also, as a boat has capacity for an enormous number of fish, so too the Church has room for all peoples.  Peter’s boat in today’s gospel, therefore, can be seen as the Church.

Peter’s great haul of fish symbolizes the Church’s success over the centuries at making converts of individuals and nations.  However, at the moment in the western world at least the numbers of Baptisms are reduced.  Now the Church must listen again to Jesus’ command, “Put out into the deep…”  In the deep people reflect and create.  So the Church will find new methods for bringing in a great haul.  Effective use of social media is one way the Church is attracting new members.  Also, the Church is organizing young people as missionaries to tell their friends about Jesus, our Savior.

There are many ways to evangelize, and all Christians have a role in the endeavor.  We must live our faith openly and not be intimidated by the current indifference if not disdain for Christianity.  People will respond to the calls from the Church reinforced by our positive example.

 Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 (I Corinthians 3:1-9; Luke 4:38-44)

In today’s first reading St. Paul addresses a division in the Christian community at Corinth.  He urges those who see themselves as disciples of Apollo and those who claim to be followers of Paul himself to end their rivalry.  In today’s Church there is evidence of a similar disunity.  Many Catholics consider themselves as conservative while others describe themselves as liberal or progressive.  The two sides also have their heroes.  St. John Paul II represents the conservative contingent, and Pope Francis is taken as the standard-bearer of the liberals.

Paul recognizes the foolishness of such division.  He accuses those who participate in the rivalry as “fleshy people,” no more than “infants” in the faith.  He desires that the community reimage itself as a whole that has been assisted be both himself and Apollo.  Finally, he exhorts all members to understand themselves as God’s children.

As much as we allow the conservative-liberal dichotomy to thrive, our gospel message will be weakened.  Certainly there are different mindsets among Church members.  However, on close inspection there are ways in which some conservatives share values more with liberals, and vice versa, than with their own cohorts.  More importantly, the common ground of both sectors is vast and differs significantly from secular territory.  For the sake of the gospel then and for the needed support we provide one another, we must strive to overcome division.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

 

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and Doctor of the Church

(I Corinthians 2:10b-16; Luke 4:31-37)

In today’s first reading St. Paul almost opposes the “Spirit of God” to the “Spirit of the world.”  There are great differences between the two.  The “Spirit of God” promotes love, peace, and understanding, and the “spirit of the world” often advises pleasure, prestige, and power.  But often enough the world, imbued with the Holy Spirit since Christ’s mission on earth, reflects God’s goodness.

St. Gregory the Great recognized that the material world is not bad in and of itself.  He encouraged missionaries to use the vestiges of paganism to evangelize.  As pagan worshipped nature, Gregory condoned processions into the fields to bless natural surroundings.  As pagans kept idols, Gregory admonished missionaries to consider the saints as minor deities worthy of veneration.

We also should not condemn things material.  Objectively, they are neutral.  They may be put to good or to bad uses.  Of course, we want to make good use of everything so that they too may give praise to God.

Monday, September 2, 2024

 

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 2:1-5; Luke 4:16-30)

Jesus’ discourse in Nazareth’s synagogue might have been delivered to the Labor Day Breakfast of the AFL-CIO.  It clearly addresses social concerns with a priority of the poor.  Jesus knows that men and women need fair wages, affordable health insurance, and freedom to associate so that they can avoid desperation and thank God.

Jesus was no slouch in the social arena.  He continually raged against Pharisees for burdening peasants with unimportant religious niceties.  The sermon today, which has been seen as an inaugural address, presents Jesus’ enlightened position on a number of issues including assistance to the needy and aid to the persecuted.

Despite the huge differences in the two major political parties of the United States, it is encouraging to see both championing the poor.  Government, after all, has a role to play in the development of a society although it is not as important to that end as the family.