Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

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

 In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus wages a war on hypocrisy.  He emphasized it in the Sermon on the Mount where he warned his disciples not to fast, pray, or give alms for show.  In today’s passage he critiques the Pharisees for not practicing what they preach, a sign of hypocrisy. 

Then Jesus tells his disciples that they are brothers and sisters to one another.  As such, no is to assume greater respect or honor than anyone else.  He becomes specific when he says that they are not to call one another, “Rabbi,” “teacher,” “master,” or “father.”  These titles are used among the Pharisees to covet honor. 

We in the Church have not taken Jesus literally here.  Teachers inside the Church abound.  Priests are almost universally called “Father.”  Because these transgressions have a long tradition and often give comfort to those who seek spiritual wisdom, they may be readily forgiven.  But clericalism – the pretension that priests are better and more deserving of honor than lay persons – remains a tragic sin.  It is tragic because Orders is a sacrament of service, not of domination.  It is a sin because it subverts the unity Jesus intends among his disciples.

 

Monday, March 17, 2025

Monday of the Second Week of Lent

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

Preparing for the Jubilee Year 2000 Pope Saint John Paul II called upon the Church to make a “purification of memory.” This term sounds strange.  Memories may not be accurate and in need of correction.  But how is this a “purification”?  It turns out that the saintly pope had in mind first a communal acknowledgement of past sins of the Church.  He wanted Catholics to own the sins of racism, intolerance of credal difference, marginalization of women, and other such social abuses that have compromised the Church’s holiness.  Second, as part of the process of purification St. John Paul wanted the faithful to remember how they and their ancestors were sinned against.  Here, however, instead of seeking an apology, they were to offer forgiveness.  In these ways the Church was to renew itself to carry out the work of the gospel more effectively.

Daniel’s lament of Israel’s sins against God in today’s first reading demonstrates a “purification of memory.”  The prophet, hoping for forgiveness, acknowledges the many sins that brought about the anguish of the Babylonian exile.  With God’s mercy the nation could be reborn, as it were, to make a fresh start at modeling the Lord’s ways.

Each Lent we are called upon to enact a “purification of memory.” We should call to mind our sins, especially the most grievous ones, and pray that God will give us the strength never to commit them again.  We also want to remember the times in which we have been sinned against and to pray for our persecutors.  Doing so, at Easter we will emerge from our Lenten retreat to serve better God and humans.

Sunday, March 16, 2025

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

(Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28b-36)

As on every Second Sunday of Lent, the gospel today focuses on Jesus being mysteriously transfigured. The story astounds the reader. The narrative from the beginning recounts Jesus’ formation as a prophet with some strange experiences, but nothing unimaginable. Then, we come to this passage. Jesus is on the mountain with three disciples. They get a glimpse of him in glory. What does it all mean?

Rather than try to explain the story’s development and apply its meaning to our lives, we are going to employ another strategy today. We will examine three components of the story that seem particularly revealing. Then we will ask ourselves what they indicate for our Lenten journey.

First, Jesus is transformed while he is praying. In his dialogue with the Father, he is seen as united with Him in such a way that he assumes the Father’s glory. As the Creed says, Jesus is “light from light, true God from true God.” The event shows the purpose of prayer as uniting us with God the Father. It is a moment of truth because God knows our heart. We cannot deceive Him with pretenses. This is a grace.  We don’t have to put on a mask when asking the Father for what is necessary to live happily.

Only this narrative according to Saint Luke reveals the theme of the conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They speak of the “exodus” that Jesus is going to suffer in Jerusalem. The Greek says literally “exodus” although some translations have “departure” or “death.” The evangelist’s purpose is to say that the violent death that awaits Jesus in the holy city will bring about liberation like the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt liberated them from slavery.  As horrible as the crucifixion will be for Jesus, it will also be transformative. By his death on the cross Jesus will redeem the world from its sins. As the sinless Son of God, he alone can offer a sacrifice that will justify all humans. The first reading says that by faith the Lord credited Abram with righteousness. St. Paul developed this concept by declaring that through faith in Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected, we have been justified.

Finally, it is worth reflecting on the cloud that envelops the disciples and the voice that emanates from it. As something that obscures one’s sight, the cloud invokes fear. But as something refreshing and peculiar, the cloud attracts attention. Thus, the cloud becomes a symbol of the Divine, at once fearful and fascinating. People today take out their phones to take photos of anything unusual. Similarly, Peter wants to make three huts to freeze in time the appearance of Jesus in glory. But the voice of the cloud urges him and his companions to seize the moment, not try to replicate it. They (and we too) should listen to Jesus. He is not only God’s “Son” but also his “chosen” one.  The term comes from Second Isaiah where it is used to describe the Suffering Servant. This mysterious figure bore the sins of many. Because he has no referents in the Isaiah narrative Mark, Matthew, and Luke assumed that he uniquely anticipates Jesus Christ.

The Transfiguration of the Lord should not move us to quick action. Rather, its strangeness indicates that we are to pause and contemplate. We might ask ourselves: What is our destiny as followers of Jesus if his was the cross and resurrection from the dead? Could it be anything other than to suffer and receive glory like him? In the second reading St. Paul promises the Philippians that Jesus will transform their bodies into glorious bodies like his. It is our purpose for Lent to be transfigured like Christ by our acts of sacrifice.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Friday of the First Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matthew 5:20-26)

Children in parochial schools often had problems with today’s first reading.  They reasoned that it is wrong to condemn someone who has lived his whole life doing good and then makes a small error.  Perhaps they did not understand what is at the basis of the good and bad behavior.

God calls all people to a relationship with himself.  With each good deed and with each prayer the relationship deepens if the prayer or deed is done to please God and not just to look good.  After years of such activity, the person should have little difficulty in achieving goodness since God is working with her or him. At this point a corrupt action or prayer is more than a misdeed.  It is an affront to a longtime friend.

Graciously God offers the offender opportunity to makes amends.  But if that is refused out of pride or disdain, God cannot be called unjust for condemning the person.  It is not always easy to commit a sin.  The more we develop a relationship with God by doing what is right, the less likely we are to offend Him.

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Thursday of the First Week of Lent

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

Esther was literally a beauty queen.  King Ahasuerus (Xerxes in Greek history) called for a contest to find the most beautiful woman to replace his wife who refused to heed his command.  Like young women today, it seems that Esther cared more about a sweet life than a righteous one.  In today’s reading she admits that as a child she heard of the power of prayer as if she hasn’t prayed recently.

Yet Esther gives herself completely to prayer when it becomes her only hope.  She prostrated herself an entire day beseeching God’s mercy for her people as well as for herself.  It is the same heartfelt prayer that Jesus recommends to his disciples in the today’s gospel.

We likewise should pray hard and often that we may be delivered from evil to do good.  God loves us and will provide our needs.  He wants us to pray so that our hearts might be expanded to have mercy on others.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 11:29-32)

There is an intriguing development in the Passion narrative of St. Luke’s Gospel.  The crowd following Jesus from the Roman praetorium to Calvary changes its attitude.  In front of Pilate it was insistent that Jesus should be crucified.  However, the crowd leaves the scene of crucifixion beating their breasts in remorse.  The crowd’s repentance is like that of the Ninevites in today’s first reading.

In Ninevah the prophet’s moral preaching turned the hearts of the people.  On Calvary it was the nobility Jesus showed in dying praying for the forgiveness of his executioners and promising Paradise to the “good thief.”  In today’s gospel passage Jesus calls for such a response from all who hear him proclaimed.

Certainly, we want to make individual acts of penance during Lent.  We should also encourage others to recognize their sins and to make amends.  Lent is a time of communal penance when everyone is to renounce and make up for social as well as personal sins.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

(Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 6:7-15)

Today’s famous passage from Second Isaiah assures that God’s word is efficacious.  It always achieves its purpose.  As God is altogether good, His word only brings about benefits.

In the gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to pray for forgiveness of their sins.  Being God with power to effect what he wills, Jesus is assuring them that their guilt will be abolished.  However, he makes one proviso.  Sins will be forgiven on request as long as the sinners involved willingly forgive their offenders.

We long to be forgiven for mistakes we have made and for full-blown sins that we have committed.  There is no need to fret.  All that is necessary is to ask for pardon and to show willingness to forgive others.  We still may not receive the desired forgiveness from other humans.  But God’s forgiveness, which counts the most, is guaranteed.

Monday, March 10, 2025

Monday of the First Week in Lent

(Leviticus 19:1-2.11-18; Matthew 25:31-46)

The Scripture readings today strike a balance between negative and positive actions.  Leviticus emphasizes the former with a list of “You shall not(s).”  The gospel, on the other hand, accentuates the positive.  It predicts Jesus reminding the nations at the end of time that they are being judged on what they did for the little people of the world.  If they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the imprisoned, they will be judged worthy of salvation.

We might ask which is more important, to avoid doing what is wrong or to do what is right?  In medicine, at least, an answer to this question seems to emerge.  The Hippocratic Oath, which physicians have taken for centuries, clearly sides with the need to avoid evil.  After promising to offer dietetic measures to heal the sick, budding physicians swear not to do a series of evils: hasten death, induce abortion, and molest patients or householders whom they visit. 

It is fair to conclude that avoiding harm is essential but insufficient.  If love is the supreme virtue, it entails that we act positively toward others.  If we cannot do anything directly to support them, then we should at least pray that their needs be met.  During Lent we redouble efforts to examine our lives daily with two questions in mind.  We ask ourselves, “What evil have I done today?” and “What good have I failed to do?”

Sunday, March 9, 2025

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, March 9, 2025

(Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13)

We began Lent last Wednesday with the reception of ashes, fasting, and abstaining from meat. But it seems to me that this week we begin it in earnest. Lent is more than a one-day performance to put us into the spirit of humility but an extended time to achieve it. The season proposes that we become more willing to love God with our whole heart.

The readings of each Mass during Lent usually focus on one aspect of the paschal mystery. Today they emphasize trust in God. Let's deal with the first reading quickly and give more attention to the gospel.  There we will observe not only Jesus' success over the distorted desires of the human heart but also his solidarity with humanity. Finally, we will see how the reading from the Letter to the Romans signals the accessibility of salvation to the entire world.

The first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy gives the striking phrase: “My father was a wandering Aramean…” It refers to Jacob, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, who left his homeland to seek refuge in Egypt. Without land to protect them from both hunger and enemies, Jacob’s descendants lived in precarious conditions for centuries. However, God blessed them so that they grew into a great nation. In time, God freed them from Pharaoh’s tyranny and established them in the land of Canaan.

As great as freedom and land are, God eventually gave Israel nation a far greater gift. He sent his only begotten Son to fulfill the nation’s destiny to be a “light to the nations,” the source of salvation for the world. In the gospel, Jesus arrives in the desert “filled with the Holy Spirit,” which he received through his baptism in the Jordan River. It was a gratuitous act of solidarity with humans since having never sinned, Jesus did not need baptism.

Again, like other human beings Jesus suffers temptations engineered by the devil. In preparation for his ministry, Jesus faces the great desires of the human heart. First, he must overcome sensual longings represented by the temptation to break his forty-day fast. Second, he must subdue the ambition for power and glory in the devil's offer of lordship over the kingdoms of the world. Finally, Jesus must master the human will to manipulate God for its own benefit. At each turn he dismisses temptation with a phrase from Scripture. Jesus proves himself consistent with his teaching throughout the gospel that humans are on earth to serve the Lord God, not to be served.

Jesus' solidarity with humans here at the beginning of the gospel will continue to its end. On the cross he will show its depth when he suffers death as the sacrifice of the sinless for sinners. Only such self-giving can redeem humans from their offenses of doing their own will rather than God's.  Having left behind all earthly ambition, Jesús can truly say, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.”

In the second reading, St. Paul assures us that being included among those redeemed by Jesus Christ is not reserved for a few. We have only to submit ourselves to Christ with an act of faith. We ask, “What about those who have never had the opportunity to know Christ?” Vatican II teaches that all who seek God’s will with a sincere heart will not be abandoned. God will not allow non-Christians who do His will to be lost. But they, like us, must humble themselves before Him.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Friday after Ash Wednesday

(Isaiah 58:1-9a; Matthew 9:14-15)

Needless to say, today’s readings involve fasting.  The first calls into question the fasting of Israel in the sixth century before Christ.  The gospel questions the purpose of fasting with the supreme call to joy present.

Fasting is an outward sign of an interior disposition of humility.  It indicates one’s willingness to do God’s will and not one’s own.  Trito-Isaiah chastises the nation of Israel for putting on a show as if they intended to keep God’s commandments.  In reality, however, they mean “business as usual” with just lip service to justice as God commands.

We say Lent is a forty-day fast.  In most years, however, there are only thirty-eight or thirty-nine days of fasting.  The difference is accounted to a suspension of fasting on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, and March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  Both days call for celebration, not signs of humility.  Besides Sundays, on the other days of Lent we should not only fast but make up for the times in which we have not rendered full justice to God or neighbor.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

(Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Luke 9:22-25)

In a “Faustian bargain” one sells his or her eternal soul to the devil in exchange for temporal goods.  The term originates from a legendary man who bargained with the devil for unlimited knowledge and possessions.  Unfortunately, many people forfeit their souls at a much lesser price.  The readings today exhort us to avoid all such arrangements.

 Moses is speaking to the people just before they enter the Promised Land.  He says that God will give them “life,” i.e., prosperity for them and their descendants.  They only have to keep to His ways.  In the gospel Jesus offers an even greater life.  His followers can secure an eternal reward by focusing on him rather than their own desires.  They are to live without complaints doing good for others. 

 The purpose of Lent is to reinforce the habits of self-denying love in order to have fullness of life.  Like any exercise worth our while, it takes effort.  But we share the experience with one another in the Church and with Christ.  The burden becomes, paradoxically, a joy in such good company.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Ash Wednesday

(Joel 2:12-18; II Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)

People should not come forward to receive ashes today to show the world they are Catholics.  Not only would this reason indicate an unholy pride, but also an increasing number of Protestant communities serve ashes.  Christians wear ashes on their foreheads today not to show they are different than other humans but to show that they are the same.  Like every human being alive today a Christian is a sinner.  He or she has loved God’s creation more than God Himself.  Ashes also indicate that, as in the case of the first human beings, sinners are bound to return to the earth where they decompose into dirt.

Except for one thing, the fact that Jesus Christ also was human.  For sure, he was the one exception to the rule that all humans sin.  (Mary will not be considered here as she was conceived and maintained herself without sin by virtue of being the mother of Jesus.)  Yet Jesus did not shirk from identifying with sinful humans.  He was baptized in solidarity with sinners as the second reading today points out: he who did not know sin was made sin.  Indeed, he took all human sins upon himself so that he might redeem humans by his horrifically unjust Passion and Death.

Ashes should not remain only a sign of our sinfulness.  Rather, they should say something of our intention to rise from our sinfulness as the phoenix of Greek mythology rises from the ashes of its predecessors.  We do this not by our own efforts, but by faith in Jesus Christ.  Our works of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are but ways of joining Christ, who became like us.  He will lift us up to glory.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 35:1-12; Mark 10:28-31)

The phrase “giving up” in today’s gospel reminds one that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  Christians will be giving up some of the pleasures of life for the sake of Jesus and the for the gospel.  Is this still good practice?

For years some preachers have recommended not to give up anything for Lent but to enter the spirit of the season with a commitment to “do something positive.”   It seems that they have the issue half-right.  Christians should strive to help others during Lent.  But self-denial complements charity in Jesus’ call to promote him and the gospel.

“Giving up” something for the sake of the other is a heartful expression of love.  We might say that we love another, but giving up a meal while acknowledging the other more forcefully shows that love.  Jesus is not with us in person so that we might do something unambiguously for him.  Nevertheless, we recognize his spiritual presence by denying ourselves a pleasure for his sake.  And if others should hear of it, will they not ask themselves what in the gospel makes us do so?

Monday, March 3, 2025

Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 17:20-24; Mark 10:17-27)

A recovering drug addict wrote from prison about how it feels to have fallen from grace.  He said that sin causes deep and constant remorse in the addict.  The sinner knows that he has failed not only God but also his family and himself.  Confession indicates the sinner’s desire to be understood not so much as bad but as weak.  He longs to be part of everyday society whose members are much les dependent.

Today’s first reading addresses the situation of the sinner.  It begins by saying that “God provides a way back” from sin.  The way “encourages those who are losing hope” by offering them the truth that human beings are not alone in the struggle against evil.  More than having one another, God is at hand to assist them.  God supplies the essential difference to live with the sin purged and in peace with all.

Catholics have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to bring about the desired transformation. It provides sinners opportunities to recognize their offenses.  The priest-minister of the sacrament allows them to petition support from both God and community.  It also affords the sinner a sense of participation in his redemption as it requires sinners to make amends.  Finally, it pronounces the words of freedom, “I absolve you from your sins…”

Sunday, March 2, 2025

EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Sirach 27:5-8; I Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45)

The Gospel today helps us prepare for the great annual retreat that the Church offers. During Lent we set out for a deeper spiritual life. Our goal is to be freer, happier, more inclined to act like Jesus, our companion on the journey. As is almost always the case with travel, the Lenten journey proceeds best when it is well planned.

The Gospel passage suggests the purpose of the Lenten journey when it says: “The disciple is not superior to his teacher; but when fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” Jesus is inviting us to learn from him. We did say “retreat,” but Lent is not about separating ourselves from daily activities. Rather, we are to live more aware of the presence of Jesus in our lives.

The gospel points out two areas of life that almost always require improvement. First, it urges us to examine the defects that prevent us from fulfilling our responsibilities. These are the “beams” in Jesus’ parable that distort our vision so that we do not treat our neighbors with justice, our children with wisdom, and everyone with appropriate love.

Some of these defects are individual. Greed, the desire to accumulate things, for example, affects not everyone. Another defect that affects many but not all is lust, the desire for illicit pleasures of the flesh. There are other individual beams, but two can be found in the eyes of almost everyone – pride and sloth.

It is difficult to talk about pride because it has a positive sense. However, when we consider pride as an exaggerated esteem for self or as a fixation on oneself first and foremost, pride becomes a vice. This type of pride deserves our attention during Lent.

The second beam that infects most people’s eyes is laziness in the spiritual life. Very few people strive to become saints. It's not cool. However, if we believe in an afterlife and hope to enjoy it, we must make a continual effort to please God.

Virtues act as washes to remove the beams from our eyes. That's why promoting virtue is our second focus during Lent. In the gospel Jesus refers to good fruit coming from good trees. Virtues make us into productive trees. More than repeated actions, virtue is mastery over our actions so that they have creative and profitable results. There are many virtues, but we will mention just a few particularly useful for removing the beams in our eyes.

Fortitude enables us to overcome laziness in the face of a challenge. Students need fortitude during exam week, and so do saints in the ongoing struggle to pray and do the right thing. Temperance moderates desires for material things, whether sex, alcohol, or home furnishings. It indicates when we have sufficiency and when we are just indulging our cravings. Finally, the virtue of justice directs us to give to each his or her due. It thwarts pride by recognizing our families, our friends and teachers, our society, and God himself as participants in any success we have achieved.

Lent begins this Wednesday with the distribution of ashes. Now is the time for us disciples of Jesus, to identify the beams impeding our view of him and to plan how to remove them. May God bless us in the effort.

Friday, February 28, 2025

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 6:5-17; Mark 10:1-12)

In a lovely ballad John Denver sang of his uncle named Matthew.  He said that Matthew grew up on a farm in Kansas where he learned to love others and believe in God.  When a tornado destroyed his farm and killed his family, Matthew was not devastated.  Rather he found a new life with Denver and his family.  As he says, “(Matthew) came to ease my Daddy’s burden and he came to be my friend.”

Today’s reading from the Book of Sirach recommends a friend like Matthew.  It says that a man who fears God is “a life-saving remedy,” who can be relied upon in catastrophe.  One can trust such a person not only for a helping hand, but also for a reminder of how one is to act in order to please the Lord.

In John’s gospel Jesus calls his disciples “friends.” He has taught them to be like himself.  As he has loved them, they must love one another.  Through Baptism and attention to the Gospel, we have been brought into Jesus’ circle of friends.  Now is our turn to help one another and remind those whom we meet of the Lord’s ways.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 5:1-8; Mark 9:41-50)

A saying about God’s mercy and justice is both helpful and hopeful to recall: God’s justice never sinks lower than his mercy is able to retrieve.  People who commit grave crimes as well as regular sinners need to remember that God never abandons them.

Both readings today emphasize God’s justice.  In the first wise Ben Sira advises his readers not to presume God’s mercy.  Rather they are to live always carrying out God’s will.  In the gospel Jesus warns his disciples about giving scandal to the young.  He exaggerates when he says that body members should be destroyed if their use is involved in sin.  However, he definitely wants his disciples to avoid sinning.

God’s mercy foils severe judgment when sinners recognize their crimes, beseech God’s forgiveness, and resolve not to offend again.  Far from opposing His justice, mercy complements it since God’s commands are not given to condemn but to save.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 4:11-19; Mark 9:38-40)

Wisdom seeks what is truly good in life.  Like a counterfeit detector, she sets off an alarm with the initially pleasing but ultimately disillusioning.  Like a wine taste’s nose, she can sniff supreme quality in something new.  In patriarchal societies wisdom is compared to a woman with whom a person must share full and lasting intimacy to realize its promise.

In today’s reading from the Book of Sirach wisdom is described as a demanding companion who will discipline her pursuant.  But for whatever investment of time or energy she exacts, she brings the inestimable rewards of peace and happiness.  This lesson is akin to the Scriptural dictate, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  Making the effort to abide by God’s eternal laws brings His infinite favor.

We live in a world with a myriad of information at our fingertips, but wisdom remains elusive.  By taking care not to become absorbed in the ease of attaining the former but ever pondering its meaning, we can achieve the latter.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 2:1-11; Mark 9:30-37)

Yesterday we started reading at Mass from an Old Testament book that has been called by different names.  Our translation entitles it Sirach after the original author, Jesus ben Sira, a Jewish rabbi of the early second century before Christ.  For a long time it was known as “Ecclesiasticus” because it was used in the Church (in Latin ecclesia) for moral instruction.  Although Sirach was originally composed in Hebrew, for centuries only the Greek translation was known.  For this reason it is listed among the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament.  These books were accepted into the Old Testament canon after a second review.  This distinction, however, should not be taken as a relegation to second-class authority.

Sirach is part of the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament along with books like Ecclesiastes and Job. In today’s passage ben Sira gives his disciple, whom he calls “my son,” general advice on how to live.  The message is as wise as it is simple.  The disciple is to always trust in the Lord.  Especially in bad times he is not to fret.  Rather he is to first remember the Lord’s mercy toward their ancestors.   Then he should pray for deliverance.

Is it not true that when we are undergoing punishment, misunderstanding, or trial, we think of possible negative outcomes?  Then we calculate how to deal with the crisis.  Perhaps we want to rebel, counterattack our oppressors, or run away.  No, Sirach tells us, it’s best to remember the Lord’s goodness in the past and to ask for similar assistance.

Monday, February 24, 2025

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 1:1-10; Mark 9:14-29)

Today’s gospel has a parallel at the beginning of Mark’s Gospel.  After he was baptized and heard God proclaiming him His Son, Jesus confronted the devil in the desert.  Here, he comes down from the mountain, where God again declared him His Son, to battle again with the devil.  This time the devil has possessed a boy.

On both occasions Jesus triumphs.  The devil, no match for God’s grace, yields to Jesus’ command.  He tells his disciples that the reasons he succeeds can be found in the prayer he makes.  He has prayed for the boy’s deliverance. 

When we pray constantly, we will experience many marvelous deeds.  They will surprise us at times, not being the expected answers to our requests.  Social scientists might tell us that prayer makes little, if any, difference among the people they survey.  Yet we know from believers that prayer’s effects may be uncanny but nevertheless are real.

Sunday, February 23, 2025

SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(I Samuel 26:2.7-9.12-13.22-23; I Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38)

Today's gospel touches on a very pressing political issue in recent years. Read carefully, it can lead us to a greater compassion for immigrants and a policy to lessen a world-wide crisis.

Jesus is in the middle of his “Sermon on the Plain” in the Gospel according to Saint Luke. It is the counterpart to the more famous “Sermon on the Mount” in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. In truth, neither comprises a complete sermon. Rather, both are compilations of various sayings of Jesus organized around different themes. In Saint Matthew Jesus chooses the mountain to deliver his high teachings on morality. Saint Luke reserves the mountains for prayer and has Jesus giving moral lessons on a plain.

We heard the first part of the “Sermon on the Plain” last Sunday. Jesus announced four beatitudes consoling the oppressed and four “woes” warning the oppressors. Now Jesus focuses on divine love; that is, love that seeks nothing in return. It gives of itself simply to help the other. The surprising thing is that Jesus requires his disciples to practice this kind of love toward their enemies as well as their friends.

Enemies are not only those who would harm us but also those who threaten our interests. People in rich countries often see immigrants as enemies who want to take advantage of the resources of their adopted land without contributing proportionally. In Italy for many years the Roma, often called “zincari” (the Italian word for “gypsies”), have attracted the opprobrium of the people. Roma women can be seen begging in public places with their children. Meanwhile, their men have the reputation of being pickpockets and thieves. Generally, Italians resent the Roma and want them deported. The ethics that Jesus proposes in the gospel urges another stance. He calls on the disciples to support the Roma. This may be in direct aid or in contributions to charities that care for the poor.

Right now the entire world is focused on what the president of the United States will do with the millions of undocumented immigrants in America. Will he begin mass deportations, or will he limit his extraditions to those undocumented who have committed crimes? In this gospel Jesus is addressing individuals, not governments. However, it can be said that deporting millions of people would reflect a stance of disdain and abuse, not gospel love.

The second part of the reading has to do with the treatment of one's neighbor - that is, an acquaintance who might ask us for a loan. According to Jesus, we should respond in favor of this type of person, not react against him. It is really the same kind of response that we should give to our enemies. Instead of worrying about our own interests, we should act with the true interests of other people in mind. In short, as children of God, we are to treat everyone as the One who blesses everyone.

Certainly the Gospel of St. Luke has exquisite stories and portraits of Jesus. We hear of the Prodigal Son and of Jesus forgiving the “Good Thief” in this gospel alone. But the beauty of the images that the gospel leaves us does not diminish the vehemence of Jesus’ demands in this gospel. In fact, it increases their force because only with divine love -- a strong love that seeks nothing in return -- are we going to become people with everlasting beauty. Only with divine love, are we going to become sons and daughters of God.

Friday, February 21, 2025

 Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(James 2:14-24.26; Mark 8:34-9:1)

There is a story about the person who considered his cross too heavy to bear.  When he complained to the Lord, he was shown an array of crosses.  The Lord said that the man could take up any cross of the array that he wished.  However, he had to carry a cross if he was to follow him to eternal life.  The man chose one of the crosses that looked like a good fit.  Shortly afterwards, however, the man came back to the Lord saying that he preferred his original cross.   The cross that he thought was lighter turned out more troublesome than anticipated!

In today’s gospel Peter has just proclaimed Jesus Messiah or savior of the people.  Jesus in turn declared that his Messiah-ship will be manifested by his death on the cross and resurrection.  Now he is saying that to be his disciple one must carry his or her personal cross after him.

Our cross is the dimensions of our life that we find difficult to bear.  It may be an illness or a particularly annoying relative.  Carrying the cross after Jesus is not just living with personal difficulty but allowing it to transform our life.  It becomes the source and object of both prayer and effort.  Dealing with our cross in this way we will come to see God as our Savior.

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 9:1-13; Mark 8:27-33)

Today’s reading from Genesis details God’s first covenant with humans although all creation is mentioned as covenant partners.  There will be others: the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, and the New Covenant of Jesus.  All covenants deepen the relationship between God and human beings.

The Noahic Covenant echoes God’s high regard for human beings in Genesis 1.  Humans are made in His image so that if any beast or other human takes a human’s life, the killer will have to reckon with God.  In the same vein, humans can kill any animal for food if the animal’s blood is drained before consumption. 

Despite human betrayal of the divine image, we should see ourselves as privileged.  However, responsibilities are attached to the honors.  We must care about the earth which is the Lord’s.  We must guard against pollution and the elimination of the varied species.  In the end, keeping all God’s covenants will afford us not just a likeness of God but a participation in His divine nature.

Wednesday, February 19m 2025

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 8:6-13.20-22; Mark 8:22-26)

Today’s gospel shows Jesus curing by stages.  After he puts spittle on the blind man’s eyes and laid hands on him, the man sees, but not well.  People look to him like trees that walk.  But after a second laying on of hands, the man sees others distinctly – young and old, tall and short, men and women.

The gradual process by which the blind man comes to see clearly resembles the way Pope Francis is asking the world to recognize undocumented immigrants. At first, they will be seen as problems, that is, separated from their humanity and draining the host country’s resources.  But coming to know them, the nationals will realize that most immigrants want to work and live in peace.

Immigration is a difficult issue. It won’t end soon or be resolved easily.  Countries like the United States need to amend their laws to accommodate more outsiders.  To be sure, such changes will still leave some immigrants in difficult situations.  But they would increase host country nationals’ awareness of the poor and, perhaps, increase the hope of prospective immigrants. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

(Genesis 6:5-8.7:1-5.10; Mark 8:14-21)

The Eucharist, served to us daily and especially on Sundays, is our life’s blood.  That is, it nurtures eternal life in us.  Yet it is often overlooked.  Many do not heed the obligation to attend Sunday mass.  Today’s gospel may be understood as Jesus warning his disciples about such neglect.

He tells them, “…guard against the leaven of the Pharisees.” That is, they are not to be puffed up and blinded by pride so that they fail to recognize that Jesus is their Savior.  They have just witnessed him twice feed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread.  Certainly he, the one loaf, is enough food to sustain them forever.

We have this one loaf, Jesus, in the Eucharist.  We too must be careful not to become puffed up by the leaven of fame, fortune, or the glory of the world today.  Rather, we are to see our hope in the one whose body we eat and whose blood we drink in the Eucharist.

Monday, February 17, 2025

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 4:1-15.25; Mark 8:11-13)

“A man had two sons.”  In this way Jesus in the Gospel of Luke begins his famous parable.  The opening line fits today’s first reading as well.  The author of Genesis is setting the stage for a much-travelled theme of sibling rivalry in world literature as well as the Bible. 

In the Lukan parable, the father of the two sons clearly takes the place of God in the Genesis account.  He loves both sons equally.  In today’s reading God promises to protect the elder son after he has been justly condemned for murder.  It is a gesture as merciful as it is unexpected. 

We must remember God’s unending love as we encounter our own sinfulness.  He is ready to forgive and, indeed, restore us to the sweetness of life when we repent of our wickedness.

Sunday, February 16, 2025

SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12.16-20; Luke 6:17.20-26

Instead of reflecting on the gospel today, let's examine the second reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians. Not only is First Corinthians worthy of attention, but today it deals with the most central issue of Christianity -- the resurrection of the dead.

At the beginning of the letter St. Paul writes that he had received in Ephesus emissaries from the Christian community in Corinth. He says that they reported that the community was being divided by various issues of both faith and morals. Because he founded this community, he considers himself its father and will do anything he can so that it does not dissolve into pieces. He writes the letter to encourage unity and to correct the community’s errors.

Today's reading comes from the end of the letter. Paul has already dealt with the other topics of concern. There remains the issue of the resurrection. Some members of the community have said that there is no resurrection from the dead. This news has deeply disturbed Paul. It means not just a misunderstanding of the faith, but its trivialization. As he says, “For if the dead are not raised, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain…”

If faith disappears, all the advantages that faith provides disappear as well. There would be no Holy Spirit and no hope of eternal life. Christians would have no help in living righteously. They would become like other people, slaves to their passions, heedless of others, destined for corruption. As Paul says, “If the dead are not raised, 'let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'”

But Paul knows that the reality is a different matter. As he has outlined earlier in the letter, the resurrection from the dead lies at the heart of the teaching transmitted by the apostles. Not only this, but the resurrected Christ has also appeared to him as well as to hundreds of other men and women. These appearances imply his main argument for the resurrection from the dead. That is, the resurrection of Christ -- the first fruits raised from the dead -- ensures that all faithful Christians, who make up his body, will also be resurrected. As he writes: “…just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Paul does not write in the letter that the deniers of the resurrection of Christians do not believe in the resurrection of Christ. Evidently these deniers say that Christ’s resurrection has provided them with a spirit of freedom so that they can do whatever they like. It is as if someone today, boasting that he is “saved,” feels free to exploit others. However, Paul is careful to say in his letter that people are only in the process of being saved. If they do not live the faith, including its morals, they will not attain salvation.

Today there is no shortage of people who have abandoned faith in the resurrection. They give scientific explanations to justify their position. But it is the same mistake of finding an excuse to satisfy one’s passions as was made in St. Paul's time. Without moderation of one’s passions, that the hope of eternal life necessitates, they are inclined to all kinds of sin. Let us not be led astray by the sophistry. We know that the natural order does not allow for resurrection from the dead. However, we are not appealing to the natural order when we speak of the resurrection but to the supernatural. As God became human, as the crucified Christ redeemed the world, as the Holy Spirit has guided the Church for two thousand years, so will the resurrection happen at the end of time to those who love God. Our bodies will be resurrected to live eternally with our almighty Lord.

February 14, 2025

Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop

(Gen 3:1-8; Mark 7:31-37)

Today’s gospel takes place in the Decapolis.  This region is populated by Gentiles so that the “deaf man who had a speech impediment” may be presumed to be one.  Furthermore, just being deaf and having a speech impediment, the man represents all Gentiles who do not hear the word of God, much less to proclaim it to others.

Since the Decapolis is not on the direct route to the Sea of Galilee, Jesus evidently has intended to go there to expand his ministry to Gentiles.  Taking the man away from the crowd, Jesus, it may be said, is preparing him for Baptism.  Then with two gestures that have become part of the Baptismal rituals (although optional today), Jesus cures him of his maladies.  This Gentile will now praise the God of Israel and His Messiah. Jesus will be seen by Jews as well as the Messiah sine his healings fulfill its prophecy in Isaiah.

We need to see Jesus as our Messiah as well.  When we find ourselves in need – perhaps someone has wronged us or we have done something foolish – instead of cursing, we can turn to the Messiah for help.  Yes, this means following his ways as well but they only lead us to salvation.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

 Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

 Genesis 2:18-25; Mark 7:24-30)        

 The Christmas 2004 tsunami took 200,000 lives. One wants to ask, How could God permit such a thing to happen?”  Such a question is not irreverent but only logical.  If God is in control and if God is good, then, it seems, He shouldn’t let such disasters take place.  One theologian takes the logic a step farther.  Knowing that God is the ultimate cause of everything, he asks, “Why does He do such things?”  In other words, this theologian is indicating that God caused the deaths of so many in a single event.”  It’s a shocking but honest conclusion. 

 Some of us might be equally shocked by Jesus’ remark to the Syrophoenician woman in the God.  It seems so unlike Jesus – so un-Christian – for him to refer to non-Jews as dogs.  Why would he say such a thing?  Perhaps he’s just very tired?  Or perhaps in the first century Jesus’ remark was not the insult it appears to be in our race-conscious society? 

It’s hard to say what Jesus has in mind, but perhaps it is better that we don’t try to defend the remark.  Rather let us focus our attention on the woman’s faith-filled response and Jesus’ benevolent will.  She is not stymied by the insult, if it was that.  Rather, in faith, she fires back.  “Lord,” she says recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”  So she humbly persists to request the favor.  Jesus, for his part, graciously consents.  He knows that as God’s emissary, he cannot deny help to those who believe in him.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 2:4b-9.15-17; Mark 7:14-23)

What if humans did not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?  Would we be better off?  Would we even have been born since human generation seems to be an outcome of eating the forbidden fruit?  Eden sounds harmonious, even blissful, but can humans be happy there?  Today’s first reading begs this line of questioning.

The human encounter with evil was inevitable.  The forbidden fruit was in plain sight, and there was an enticer waiting to encourage humans to take and eat it.  Still humans could have resisted and lived in oblivious obedience forever.  Instead, humans have become not necessarily more thoughtful, but calculating, always weighing pros against cons when deciding to do something.

Yet how much should we regret the first humans’ decision to eat the fruit?  It led not only to the development of our intellect but also to the Son’s Easter triumph in which we proclaim, “O Happy Fault!” 

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

(Optional) Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes

(Genesis 1:20-2:4a; Mark 7:1-13.  Alternate readings for Our Lady of Lourdes: Isaiah 66:10-14c; John 2:1-11)

The gospels are clear: Jesus cured people of illnesses.  However, he probably did not heal all the sick people who searched for him as some accounts indicate.  Nor did he spend all his time healing but preached and taught as well.  It seems important to say this lest people think that curing physical disease is what the Kingdom of God is all about.

Although most pilgrims go to Lourdes looking for physical healing, only a small are granted this desire.   Yet nearly everyone, it seems, returns home satisfied.  They experience in the confluence of people from around the world in this village of southern France a unity of faith and goodwill that uplifts the soul.  One mother explained after taking her son with cancer there, that he was healed in the sense that he could now accept death with peace.

 There is nothing wrong with praying for healing.  Such prayer demonstrates a faith in God’s domination of the power of evil.  At the same time, we should realize that God heals in different ways.  To some He will grant the grace of reconciliation with foes so that they may live in greater, life-giving love.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Monday, February 9, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin

(Genesis 1:1-19; Mark 6:53-56)

As everyone knows, the word “Genesis” is taken from the Greek word meaning “beginnings.”  Genesis tells of the beginnings of everything: the universe, the earth, life, and most especially human beings. 

Today’s passage from Genesis tells of God making something of the heavens and the earth that He has already created.  As His instrument, God uses only His word.  It is as if all things hear and summarily obey the vibrations of air from His voice. God’s word accomplishes His will so that everything is ultimately subject to Him.

Jesus taught us that God’s almighty word is ready to shape our lives if we permit it.  It is spoken in the Scriptures and especially by Jesus himself.  Being images of God, we have the capacity to accept or reject God’s word.  Rejecting it, like the people of Jesus’ hometown in today’s gospel, we deny ourselves the fulness of life. Living that word brings us the eternal joy and peace of Jesus risen from the dead.

 

Sunday, February 9, 2025

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Isaiah 6:1-3.3-8; I Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11)

Today's readings are well known and full of meaning. They have to do with religious experience. This phenomenon overwhelms a person with the awareness of being in the presence of God. It confirms and deepens his faith so that he wants to share it with others.

A man once told the story of his experience of God. He said that his wife had just received a medical report that she had cancer. The man felt sadness and worry when he went to his parish to close the door as was his custom. Inside the building he stopped to pray for a few minutes. Then he felt an arm across his shoulders and heard the words: “Don't worry; everything will be all right.” He was at peace, and in fact his wife received treatment that overcame her cancer.

Religious experiences are not as rare as many think. Those who make a Cursillo de Cristiandad, an Emmaus Walk, or another type of retreat involving testimonies of faith and moving music often sense the presence of God. Participation in a sacrament can also become a religious experience. One convert told the story of his confession before being received into the Catholic Church. He said it was accompanied by many tears and the lifting of a great burden.

With these reflections on religious experience in mind let us look at the readings. The first is known as “the call of Isaiah.” It tells of the experience of the prophet in the Temple of Solomon some seven hundred years before Christ. He was praying when he had a vision of God Almighty on His throne surrounded by smoke and smell of incense. The seraphim attending Him began to cry out: “Holy is the Lord, God of hosts.” Isaiah trembled with fear because he realized that he was a sinner with unclean lips in the presence of God. He had probably told lies or eaten forbidden foods. Then he felt his lips being cleansed by a burning coal brought to him by a seraph. And when the Lord sought a messenger to reveal his will to the people, the prophet volunteered. He proclaimed, “Here am I, Lord, send me.”

Is the second reading a description of a religious experience? Probably not. Although St. Paul is telling of encounters with the Lord, the experiences are objective, not subjective like Isaiah’s vision or the man feeling the arm of the Lord. Religious experiences are by nature felt by the individual or small group with no way to verify them with witnesses or scientific instruments.

Peter in the gospel obviously has a huge catch. His experience can be classified as religious because he infers that the catch was caused by God. His faith in Jesus as a saint grows throughout the story. It began when he invited him into his boat to preach. It grew so that Peter called him “Master” when Jesus commanded him to put the boat out into the deep. And it was confirmed in the fishery when he threw himself at Jesus’ feet, calling him “Lord,” which means “God” or, at least, “Son of God.” From this moment until his martyrdom, Peter dedicated himself one hundred percent to Jesus.

It seems that God allows religious experiences to strengthen our faith commitment. Many of us would serve the Lord without experiencing his presence in an awe-inspiring way. However, with religious experience we are more determined to tell others about his love. The experience gives us the conviction that our life is to be lived doing more than satisfying personal desires. It verifies that we are sons and daughters of God destined for eternal happiness.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 13:1-8; Mark 6:14-29)

Today’s gospel passage raises the question behind all gospels: Who is Jesus?  According to the passage, because of his marvelous works, some say he is Elijah.  The prophet Elijah was taken up to heaven without dying and was expected to return.  Others say that Jesus is a new, extraordinary prophet.  Most curious is the response given to the question: Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead.

As Mark tells the story, Herod reluctantly had John beheaded.  It may be surmised that Herod’s guilt elicits fear that the ever-just John has risen from the dead to make retribution. He internally links Jesus’ “mighty powers” with his own fear of reprisal. Mark’s gospel doesn’t say it, but Luke’s relates that someone told Jesus that Herod was out to kill him.

Herod is correct in thinking that Jesus might pursue him.  But Jesus would do so not for revenge but because he was born to call sinners to repentance.  Not out of spite but from love Jesus would bother himself with Herod as he does with us.

 

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and companions, martyrs

(I Kings 2:1-4.10-12; Mark 6:7-13)

An old Shaker hymn reminds us that it is a gift to be simple and free.  Today’s gospel points to the efficacy of such a lifestyle.

Jesus sends his apostles to preach the good news.  They are not to carry anything “just in case…”  Rather they are to cast themselves on God’s Providence.  Nothing is said either about teaching the truths of the faith or morality.  The apostles are simply to proclaim God’s love by word and deed.  Regarding deeds, they will anoint the people to strengthen their faith which facilitates healing.  The people will learn what a right relationship with the Lord is.  That is, they will recognize how God provides for those who care about others.

St. Paul Miki and companions were apostles to the people of Japan.  They announced God’s love by word and deed.  They did not turn away at the threat of suffering for giving testimony to their faith.  Rather, they knew that such faith would bring both their people and them to complete intimacy with God in eternal life.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Memorial of Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr

(Hebrews 12:4-7.11-15; Mark6:1-6)

John Milton defines his purpose in his epic “Paradise Lost” as “justify(ing) the ways of God to men.”  The author of the Letter to the Hebrews has the same intention in today’s first reading.  He writes that the slowness of Christ’s coming and the affronteries experienced by Hebrew Christians are meant to discipline them.  The suffering gives the people both time and need to seek salvation from God.

Rather than complain or withdraw, the author encourages his readers to think positively about the trials they face.  As isometric exercise providing resistance to counterweight makes an athlete strong, so patience and endurance will make the Christian holier and more pleasing to God.

Saints, as always, can be looked to as models.  Today’s patron, St. Agatha, suffered greatly to retain her virginal devotion to the Lord.  After undergoing harassment and torture, she died in a prison in 251 A.D.  Since then, he has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest martyrs of the Church.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 12:1-4; Mark 5:21-43)

During the nineteen sixties an Episcopalian priest wrote a book of prayers entitled Are You Running with me Jesus?  He had a vibrant ministry which required the Lord’s help.  So he asked for assurance that Christ was at his side.  Today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews also pictures the Christian running through life as if in a race.

The Letter focuses first on eternal life, the prize for winning.  But like in the great city marathons – New York or Berlin – all who finish the race receive the prize.  The letter also mentions Jesus going before the pack.  He leads all in the right direction and sets the pace of the race.  Without him runners would not be able to show their best.  Indeed, some would lose the way.

We too might pray, ´Are you running with me …?  We believe that he leads us, but at times we need reassurance.  Knowing that he runs with us, we achieve part of our reward from the very start.

Monday, February 3, 2025

(Optional) Memorial of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

(Hebrews 11:32-40; Mark 5:1-20)

Today’s gospel shows both Jesus’ immense compassion and power.  The demoniac is deeply troubled.  Although he has great strength, he is confined to tombs where human remains fester in decay.  Undaunted by the man’s strength and unperturbed by the ghastliness of the tombs, Jesus demands that the evil spirits, the source of the man’s distress, depart from him at once.  The spirits cannot but comply.

In ancient times religious writers linked disease with demonic possession.  Mental illness was especially symptomatic of demons at work.  Today, of course, there are not only medical explanations of disease but also effective medical treatment.  Even the most religious people visit a doctor, not an exorcist, to cure a sick relative.  But the success of medicine should not cause people to stop praying for the sick.  God heals humans in more than physical ways.

Today we remember St. Blaise, a bishop and martyr at the time of the Church Fathers.  He has become a symbol of our faith in God’s power over all types of ailments.  In Blaise’s name, we bless our throats asking God to save us from all kinds of diseases.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD

(Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40)

Today’s Feast of the Presentation of the Lord gives us a last opportunity to meditate in common on the Incarnation before beginning the Lenten penitential season.   Its gospel highlights three significant actions. First, it places Jesus, the Son of God, in the Temple, the appropriate place for the encounter between God and humans. Second, it presents Jesus as the light of the nations, that is, the world’s guide to righteous living. And third, it hints at the death Jesus will undergo for the salvation of all. However, in several countries more emphasis is placed on the Memorial of St. Blaise, the following day, than on the Presentation. Let us try to correct this negligence now.

The Holy Family enters the Temple on the fortieth day after Jesus’ birth. The Book of Leviticus specifies that this length of time passes before the rite of purification of the mother is performed. The gospel adds this little note about purification to its main theme, the redemption of the infant Jesus. According to the Book of Exodus every firstborn male is to be dedicated to God and then redeemed. By showing Mary and Joseph fulfilling the details of the Law, the evangelist Luke demonstrates that Jesus was raised a faithful Jew and that Judaism is integral to the meaning of his life.

A poet once wrote: “How odd of God to choose the Jews.”  It may have been odd, but the fact is that He did so with instructions to build a Temple where sacrifices could be made for the forgiveness of sins. In today’s gospel the Son of God enters the Temple to take possession of it as his own. In time he will replace it with his own body. Then, forgiveness of sins will be achieved by participation in the sacrifice of his Body and Blood on the cross. Of course, this is the reason why we gather every Sunday for Mass.

In the Temple Mary and Joseph meet the holy and righteous Simeon. The reading specifies that the Holy Spirit, who can verify his words, is upon him. Taking the child Jesus in his arms, Simeon thanks the Lord for allowing him to live until this moment. Then he makes a prophecy of immense importance. First, he calls Jesus the “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” This means that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise first to Abraham, then to all Israel that one of their number will show the whole world the ways of God. As the prophet Isaiah predicted, Jesus will teach the nations to “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”

The second part of Simeon’s prophecy has to do with his own people. He says that Jesus will be the cause “for the ruin and rise of many in Israel.” Light makes it possible to distinguish good deeds from bad ones. First Israel and then the rest of the world will be judged by this light. Even Jesus’ mother is not excluded from this judgment. This is a matter commonly misunderstood. Mary deserves praise not because she nursed Jesus, but because she was the first in the gospel to meditate on God’s word and to put it into practice.

Finally, Simeon’s prophecy contains a note of foreboding. He says that Jesus will “be a sign that will be contradicted.” He has in mind the opposition that Jesus will encounter when he returns to the Temple as an adult. The religious leaders will not be able to bear to see him conquer the minds and hearts of the people. They will conspire with the Roman authority to put him to death. His sacrifice will free people from sin as the holy woman indicates at the end of the reading.

Hopefully we can now appreciate the Incarnation more clearly. God has prepared for the coming of his Son into the world throughout the history of Israel. When he finally arrives, he establishes himself in the Temple as a teacher of God’s ways to the world. Finally, the people of Israel, and in time the entire world, are divided into two camps -- those who accept him and abide by his teachings and those who reject him to the extent of arranging his death. Those who reject those teachings will fall into ruin while those who accept them will rise to glory.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest

(Hebrews 10:32-39; Mark 426-34)

Today’s reading from Hebrews speaks of youthful enthusiasm about one’s faith, followed by doubts and thoughts of abandonment.  The author pleas with the people to resist such temptations.  He names for them the sacrifices already made and assures them that withdrawal will mean the loss of great return on their investment.

We can see in the life of St. John Bosco an example of what the Letter to the Hebrews teaches.  After his ordination to the priesthood, the saint was introduced to the wealthy patrons and given a position as chaplain of a hospice for working girls.  However, Bosco did not abandon his desire to serve Christ by helping destitute boys.  He resigned from the chaplaincy and established a hospice and technical school for boys.  He also organized a congregation of priests to work with him in providing such services.  After his death, forty thousand people participated in his funeral.

We too might feel tremors of faith at times and wonder if it is worth the effort to live the gospel.  When these temptations arise, let us remember the plea of the Letter to the Hebrews and the lives of saints like John Bosco. 

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 10:19-25; Mark 4:21-25)

The man identified himself as Catholic, but he asked a question that comes from another religious tradition. “Do you believe in karma?” he said.  “What is that?” was the reply.  The man explained that karma is the teaching that one receives back what he or she gives ay.  If she does good, good things will happen to her.  If he does evil, then he will be punished in some way. Is this what Jesus is driving at in today’s gospel?

Jesus promises, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.”  It sounds like karma, but it goes beyond a simple tit-for-tat.  Jesus means that those who give of themselves in love like he does will experience eternal life – the “more” in his assertion.

When we respond to injury with care – maybe in the form of a prayer for our malefactor – we align ourselves with Jesus.  He is the light that illumines our lives now and will not dim as we enter the darkness of death.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 10:11-18; Mark 4:1-20)

Much has been said this last month about presidential pardons.  People may be perplexed about the pardon the retiring president made for crimes not only already prosecuted but also for crimes not prosecuted yet.  Whatever the possibility of this outcome in civil society, it is what Christ’s sacrifice on the cross accomplished.  This is today’s message from the Letter to the Hebrews.

The Letter speaks of Christ’s one offering for sins making “perfect forever those who are being consecrated.”  It is referring to the death of Jesus on the cross justifying those who give themselves over to him in Baptism.  Their sins are forgiven as they recognize themselves as guilty of sin.  This takes place in Baptism and also in the Sacrament of Penance.  In the latter post-Baptismal men and women recognize themselves as having betrayed or at least having compromised their consecration to Christ.

It’s not easy these days to confess one’s sins.  It is to acknowledge weakness and corruption in a world that vaunts strength and beauty.  Yet we must realize that in doing so, Christ is not only forgiving but also perfecting us.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

 Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest

(Hebrews qo:1-10; Mark 4:31-35)

Saint Thomas Aquinas was born exactly 800 hundred years ago. He was a person of genius with few equals in history. He also had a rare holiness. What made him a treasure for the Church more precious than Google stock was his way of combining natural talent with supernatural gift. His intellectual reflection on his religious experience resulted in the most comprehensive, systematic and profound understanding of God and His ways in history.

With a voracious appetite for all kinds of knowledge, Thomas read constantly. It is said that he knew everything there was to know in his time. He used this vast knowledge in the production of his own writings which were similarly prodigious. He wrote numerous commentaries on philosophers and theologians and on themes and issues debated in his time. He wrote prayers, liturgical works, and numerous sermons. Of course, his most famous and still widely read book is the Summa Theologica.

His fame as a theologian did not inflate his self-thinking. He remained throughout his career a humble, obedient, and holy friar. In the debates between theologians, which were often quite contentious, Thomas always remained calm. His biographer claims that Thomas never insulted anyone with his words. He celebrated Mass every day and usually heard a second Mass.

Perhaps most indicative of his fusion of intelligence and holiness was his habit of preparing for scholarly work with extensive prayer. Before studying, engaging in intellectual dispute, teaching, writing, or dictating, Thomas withdrew into silent prayer. With the shedding of many tears he asked the Lord to grant him insight into the subject.

Pope St. Pius V named Thomas “Doctor of the Church” in the exclusive company of the four ancient doctors of the West and of the East. He deserved the honor both for his treatment of theological subjects with subtlety and depth and for his defense of orthodoxy. Pope Benedict XVI said that Thomas was known as the “angelic doctor” for both “the sublimity of his thought and the purity of his life.”

 

Monday, January 27, 2025

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 9:15.24-28; Mark 3:22-30)

The question of an unpardonable sin has drawn much interest and differing opinions.  Some say the unforgiveable sin is suicide because one dies before pardon can be sought.  But it is not difficult to imagine a case when one self-inflicts a fatal wound and then repents before the injury takes its toll.

Some scholars say with good basis that every sin is pardonable and can be forgiven.  If this is the case, the unpardonable sin of today’s gospel is not seeking forgiveness.  The “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” mentioned in the reading involves attributing to Satan himself the power to cast out another demon.  It denies the work of the Spirit done by Jesus.

The Church offers us regular opportunity at mass to recognize our sins and seek forgiveness.  We should also do so every day, preferably at bedtime.  Such a habit may provide us with more restful sleep.

 

Sunday, January 27, 2025

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 9:15.24-28; Mark 3:22-30)

The question of an unpardonable sin has drawn much interest and differing opinions.  Some say the unforgiveable sin is suicide because one dies before pardon can be sought.  But it is not difficult to imagine a case when one self-inflicts a fatal wound and then repents before the injury takes its toll.

Some scholars say with good basis that every sin is pardonable and can be forgiven.  If this is the case, the unpardonable sin of today’s gospel is not seeking forgiveness.  The “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” mentioned in the reading involves attributing to Satan himself the power to cast out another demon.  It denies the work of the Spirit done by Jesus.

The Church offers us regular opportunity at mass to recognize our sins and seek forgiveness.  We should also do so every day, preferably at bedtime.  Such a habit may provide us with more restful sleep.

 

Sunday, January 26, 2025

 THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

(Nehemiah 8:2-4.5-6.8-10; I Corinthians12:12-14.27; Luke 1:1-4.4:14-21)

We have been reading from the Gospel according to St. Luke on Sundays for almost two months. Today we receive an introduction to the work. It comes in two forms. First, there is the prologue that Luke himself wrote for his readers. Second, Jesus reveals the program of his ministry as a kind of inaugural address. By reflecting well on these passages, we will better understand most of the Sunday gospels until December.

We know nothing for certain about the author. He never identifies himself in this work or in the Acts of the Apostles that he wrote as a sequel. We call him “Luke” because of references to the gospel at the end of the second century. His name does not really matter. What matters to us is that in the prologue the evangelist explains his motive for writing the gospel and his methods of doing so.

Evidently, there were many sayings of Jesus, stories of his works, even accounts of his life as Luke prepared to write the gospel. However, nothing was complete nor well expressed. Thus, he says in the prologue that he wants to produce an orderly account of Jesus’ life from the announcement of his coming to his return to the Father in heaven.

Luke calls his reader “Theophilus,” but who this is is not known either. Indeed, it could be all people of good will since the Greek name means “lover of God.” Whether for him or them, Luke says that he has researched the relevant documents and conducted interviews with eyewitnesses to produce his account.

We meet Jesus in the gospel today in Galilee, the territory of his upbringing. He is there not simply of his own free will but “impelled by the Holy Spirit.” Luke emphasizes the Holy Spirit both in the Acts of the Apostles and in the gospel by describing him as the animator of much of the action. In Galilee, according to the passage, Jesus has had great success as a teacher.

Luke goes on to relate what happens when Jesus arrives in Nazareth. It is Saturday, and like all observant Jews Jesus goes to the synagogue. There he is handed a scroll of Scripture as would be done to any teacher at the time. He then reads from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. These are the first words Jesus speaks as an adult in the gospel.

The reading proclaims that the prophet himself has been anointed by the Holy Spirit. This is no small claim. He is testifying that he is the long-awaited Messiah of God who will bring glory to Israel while enlightening the nations with the ways of the Lord. Commissioned by the Spirit, he is mandated to announce good news to the poor, give sight to the blind and freedom to the captives, and proclaim a year of favor to the world. One can interpret this agenda for our time as follows. The anointed one will raise the hopes of those who are deprived of material resources. In addition, he will open the eyes of those who do not see God as their Father nor other people as their brothers and sisters. Also, he will free those held captive by drugs, alcohol, sex, and other false friends. Lastly, but also importantly, he will tell everyone of God's favor toward them.

Once the reading is over, Jesus speaks revealing words of his own. He says, “Today this passage has been fulfilled…” He is declaring two things of immense importance. First, he identifies himself as the Messiah who has finally come to fulfill the hopes of the poor and the weak. Second, he will do so “today”—not tomorrow nor yesterday but “today.” Men and women of good will want to sit up to listen carefully. The king has come not to oppress them but to fulfill their noblest desires. They must now do, as Mary said in last Sunday’s gospel, “whatever he tells you.”