Monday, September 1, 2025

 

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in ordinary Time – Labor Day

(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 4:16-30)

Humans were created to work.  According to Genesis, after creating male and female, God “blessed them saying ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.”  In its origin, work was not meant as drudgery but as a blessing.  Through it humans provide for themselves and their families, serve the common good, and give glory to God by their achievement.  Work, therefore, is not a right but an obligation and a responsibility.

But workers do have rights.  To avoid exploitation, workers have rights to fair wages, safe working conditions, and suitable rest.  In today’s gospel Jesus inaugurates his mission in the world.  He says that he has come “to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”  This is shorthand for a Jubilee Year when rights are vindicated, injustices are rectified and peace among people is restored. 

Labor Day is a very brief Jubilee Year.  Workers are free to rest with their rights publicized and their achievements recognized.  Also, on this day we give thanks to God for workers, especially manual laborers.  By the extension of their muscles, we live more comfortably and more healthily than ever.

Sunday, August 31, 2025

 XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24; Luke 14:1, 7-14)

It seems that Jesus is always on the move in the Gospel according to Luke. He never stays in one place for long. Yet, he teaches constantly. From the moment he set his face toward Jerusalem, Jesus has been instructing his followers along the way. It is as if he does not want to waste a single opportunity to form his disciples before reaching his destiny. Today’s passage from Luke is typical: it begins with the words, “Jesus went to dine at the house of a Pharisee.” And there he offers lessons on the table etiquette of the Kingdom of God.

Before examining this etiquette, let us recall Jesus’ teachings from recent Sundays. When he first turned toward Jerusalem, he told his disciples that his mission was so urgent there was no time even to bury their parents. The next Sunday, he instructed them to travel lightly, because there was much ground to cover. He then emphasized the need to love one’s enemies through the parable of the Good Samaritan and the priority of listening to his words in the story of Martha and Mary. On the following Sundays, he taught how to pray, the danger of greed, the importance of being prepared for his return, and the inevitability of division caused by his mission. In summary, Jesus wants his disciples —among whom we count ourselves— to be attentive to him, dependent on God the Father, and committed in the service of others.

Etiquette helps us relate to one another. It is a set of rules that prevent us from offending others, especially our benefactors. Today’s Gospel offers us two principles of etiquette that please God in the pursuit of his Kingdom. The first has to do with how we consider others. We should not think of ourselves as superior to anyone. A disciple of Jesus will choose the lowest place at a banquet to show deference to others. But this must not devolve into a clever strategy to be shown a more prominent place when the host arrives. Such calculation would earn God’s wrath, not his blessing. Instead, true deference must be a recognition that all people are images of God with an eternal destiny.

The second principle is that Jesus’ followers should look past their usual companions and instead invite the needy as their guests. Rather than hosting those who can repay the favor, they are to welcome the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Can Jesus be serious? Yes and no. He often uses exaggerated language to drive home a point. When he says, “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out…,” he is not speaking literally but figuratively to say, for example, we must avoid pornography. When he says (as we will hear in next Sunday’s Gospel) that we must “hate” our parents and families to be his disciples, he is not telling us to abandon them but to make him the number one priority in our lives.

“Invite the poor…” means we should think first of the needy before hosting parties for our friends. Some do this by giving ten percent of their income off the top to charity before spending a dollar on themselves. It is not necessary that those invited be in physical need.  A bishop, for instance, has on his calendar for December 25: “Dinner with priests.” His intention is to invite retired priests who have no families, but they are not poor, crippled, lame, or blind.

Jesus will continue teaching us about discipleship in the Sundays ahead as he makes his way to his destination. Yet his supreme teaching will come when he arrives in Jerusalem and is handed over to his adversaries. Then he will demonstrate for us perfect love by stretching out his arms on the cross.

Friday, August 29, 2025

 

Memorial of the Passion of John the Baptist

(I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Mark 6:17-29)

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, the protagonist says: "Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once."  Caesar is referring to the many occasions in which cowards betray their consciences.  Out of fear they repeatedly fail to do what is right.  King Herod proves himself such a coward in today’s gospel.

Herod fears that his guests will think of him as weak-kneed for refusing to carry out the promise he made to his stepdaughter.  He also shows himself a coward for not reprimanding the girl after her outrageous request.  Quite the opposite, John the Baptist shows real courage by speaking out against Herod for causing a public scandal.  He knows that civic leaders should give good example to the people by living upright. 

We are being continuously jarred by the unseemly acts of politicians.  Marital infidelity and cavorting with prostitutes are regular front-page features.  We need to look to Jesus for a remedy.  He will tell us not to cast stones on the guilty.  But he will add that their sins cannot be tolerated.  We might ask them to repent, encourage them to do penance, and give them some consolation for their conversion.  In the process we might remind ourselves that “there go I” but for the grace of God.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and Doctor of the Church

(I Thessalonians 3:7-13; Matthew 24:42-51)

This year St. Augustine received attention because the newly elected Pope Leo XIV is a friar of the order which bears the saint’s name.  Leo gives his order’s patron added recognition by frequently quoting the fifth century bishop and doctor of the Church.

However, Augustine’s name has been prominent among Catholics since his death.  He not only was brilliant but also eloquent.  He not only preached and taught the faith but lived it meticulously after his conversion.  No churchman could have a greater model than this bishop of Hippo. Likewise, no scholar could have a greater interlocutor, apart from Thomas Aquinas, than Augustine.

Augustine’s best-seller autobiography, The Confessions, portrays a man of great emotion, sensitivity, and depth.  We would readily seek out his friendship and guidance.  We might resist some of what he advises us to do, but we would ponder every word he says.

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Monica

I Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:27-32)

In today’s gospel Jesus completes his diatribe against the Pharisees and the scribes.  As he proclaimed the righteous “blessed” in the Sermon on the Mount, he denounces the unrighteous here by describing their destiny as woeful.

Whitewashed tombs attract attention because the calc-like substance spread across them contrasts with the dirt.  The whitewash warns Jews not to contaminate themselves by stepping over the remains of the dead.  Scribes and Pharisees similarly feign being comely when they are at heart deceitful.  During the time of Israel’s kingdoms people persecuted and even murdered prophets for denouncing their lack of faith and love.  Here Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of similarly persecuting him.

Matthew records the “woes” not just to critique Jewish lay leaders in Jesus’ time.  He is also warning Church, in our time as well as his, to guard against hypocrisy.  We have heard too many times of priests and ministers exploiting the vulnerable.  Just because they wear nice clothes and say pious things, Jesus tells us, does not mean that they are good people.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 23:23-26)

The “Gospel of God” in today’s first reading may sound strange, but St. Paul frequently uses the term.  Most think of the gospels as “Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.”  But Paul very likely never saw any of these writings.  For Paul, the “Gospel of God” is the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Salvation is not a reward for the brave or a status that might be bought.  It is one’s acceptance of forgiveness for his or her sins by means of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.  The acceptance, however, cannot be lip-service, but a commitment on the person’s part to die to sin and to live a new life of holiness and grace.

In the reading Paul seems to promote himself by telling how he suffered in preaching the gospel.  As he makes clear, however, he never sought to win human favor.  He wants the Thessalonians (and us as well) to realize that by submitting oneself in faith he or she will grow closer to God and to God’s people.

Monday, August 25, 2025

Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 1:1-5.8b-10; Matthew 23:13-22)

In today’s gospel Jesus launches a diatribe against the Pharisees.  He accuses them, above all, of being hypocritical -- that is, of saying one thing and doing another. But one should not think that all Pharisees were like this.  In truth, Jesus had friends who were Pharisees and the Pharisaic movement saved Judaism from extinction after Rome destroyed Jerusalem.  Nevertheless, because of the impact of the gospels on Western civilization, the two terms “Pharisees” and “hypocrites” have become virtually synonymous.

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with seven beatitudes designating those who are welcome in the Kingdom of God.  Here he begins his final apocalyptic sermon with seven “woes” indicating those who will be excluded from Paradise.   We hear three of the woes today, two tomorrow, and two on Wednesday at Mass.

Jesus likely intended his diatribe against Judaism – a reformist criticism from a faithful Jew.  However, in Matthew’s gospel it became associated with the scribes and Pharisees because of their reaction against Christians at the time of Matthew’s writing after Jerusalem’s destruction.  The denunciation should also be seen as a warning to Church leaders.  Religious people like us run the danger of using our positive status to exploit others.  True followers of Jesus will realize that transparency and humility are hallmarks of Christian practice.

Sunday, August 24, 2025

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time 
(Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30)

Today’s second reading comes from one of the least appreciated works in the Bible. A well-known scholar once said that the Letter to the Hebrews is “one of the most impressive works of the New Testament.” Yet few Christians know its argument or why it is held in such high esteem by experts.

Part of the difficulty is that both the author and the audience of Hebrews remain anonymous. We don’t know who these “Hebrews” were, except that they were Jewish Christians—perhaps converts or, possibly, the children of converts. The letter also deals with themes unfamiliar to most Catholics, such as Jewish worship. The Old Testament contains chapter after chapter of prescriptions about the altar and sacrifices, material we often ignore. Hebrews reflects on these sacrifices, and many today find it equally offsetting.

Today I’d like to focus on the letter but not its main thesis.  I want to reflect on a subtheme that touches all of us—the mystery of suffering, especially the suffering of the innocent. This is what theology calls “theodicy.” It asks: Why do bad things happen to good people? From what we can tell, the audience of Hebrews had endured persecution for their faith in Christ. It wasn’t martyrdom, but it was painful enough that some were tempted to give up. On top of that, they were disappointed that Christ had not yet returned as they expected. They stood at a crossroads: continue as Christians or go back to the rituals and traditions of their ancestors.

The author urges them not to turn back. He explains that God allows suffering, not out of neglect, but out of love. God uses it to teach patience, endurance, and humility—in a word, discipline. The author had already reminded them of the long line of saints who held firm to faith through trials, even more severe than theirs. And he insists that such suffering is worth it.

Discipline has always involved some pain. Athletes push through grueling training so they can excel in competition. The Book of Job wrestles with this same question. Job is tested with wave after wave of suffering, his faith refined in the process. Yet for many, this explanation isn’t enough—especially when those who suffer are children or people who seem completely innocent.

They cannot see sins in their lives that would “deserve” such trials. They feel overwhelmed, tempted to lose faith in God’s mercy. Who are these people today? Perhaps the people of Ukraine, still battered after three and a half years of war. Or closer to home, the unemployed who have been searching for months, and now hear that artificial intelligence will eliminate even more jobs. They, too, may begin to wonder about the goodness of God. What can we say to them?

Jesus revealed God to us, but not fully. He didn’t hide the Father, but the mystery of God is greater than our minds can grasp. God is not a genie, nor a supercomputer, nor any other being we could imagine. He is the ground of all being; nothing could exist apart from Him. That He loves us is certain, because Jesus and the prophets before him proclaimed it. But how that love works out in history remains a mystery. Before that mystery, we must be like Job: grateful for what has been given us and humble before what we cannot understand.

Today’s Gospel shows us the right attitude before God. Simply pointing to our past experiences with Him will not open the door to eternal life. But if we remain faithful to Him—even through suffering—we will enter His Kingdom and share the glory of the saints.

 

 

Friday, August 22, 2025

 

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Ruth 1:1.3-6.14b-66.22; Matthew 22:34-40)

In the Book of Ruth there are two heroines.  Ruth is valiant for standing with her mother-in-law who loses both husband and sons.  As a foreigner without children, Ruth’s chances of having a family would be better if she seeks a husband among her own people.  When Naomi suggests this option, she shows herself to be selfless and wise.  Perhaps because Naomi is this kind of person, Ruth wants to stay with her and make Naomi’s God her God.

What makes Naomi so God-like?  The question invites speculation: attention to God’s law? compassion from having suffered? perhaps having loving parents herself?  In any case, Naomi embodies God’s covenant with Israel.  She has learned hesed, i.e., steadfast love, from the God of Abraham.  She seeks first not her own welfare but that of others and is happy when the needs of those around her are met.

For us Christians the story of Ruth and Naomi anticipates not only the coming of Christ but also of Mary, his mother.  She will likewise experience the loss of her son while expressing compassion for the needy and devotion to the God of her ancestors. 

Thursday, August 21, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Pius X, pope

(Judges 11:29-39a; Matthew 22:1-14)

Two questions may arise in people’s mind after hearing today’s readings.  First, how could God require Jephthah to sacrifice his own child (or anyone’s child for that matter)?  Second, what if the guest at the wedding feast was too poor to own a wedding garment?  It doesn’t seem right that he be bound and thrown into the darkness.

In regard to the first question, Jephthah was foolish in making such a vow.  It would be only right for him to admit his fault, sacrifice an animal (as Abraham did after being relieved of the command to kill his son) , and allow his daughter to carry on with life.  The gospel parable is to teach the disciples about the kingdom of God.  It should be taken as an allegory, not an historical event.  The man without a wedding garment represents those who are not baptized.  They lack the baptismal dress that the newly baptized were given.  According to Matthew, Jesus is implying that Baptism is necessary for entrance into the Kingdom of God.

Reading Scripture can raise questions.  It was meant to inform and inspire, but it can also cause doubt.  There is, however, no need to remain in doubt for long.  We can meditate over the problems and read commentaries or ask experts to clarify the meaning. Often the troubling passages yield deep insights into God’s ways among men and women.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Bernard, abbot and Doctor of the Church

(Judges 9:6-15; Matthew 20:1-16)

The fable in today’s first reading needs explanation.  The story from the Book of Judges relates a sample of the tragic history of Israel in the first centuries in the Promised Land.  At issue is the desire of the people of Shechem, a prominent city of northern Israel for a king. Abimelech, one of the many sons of the judge Gideon, is the leading candidate.  He manipulated the people to kill his seventy brothers.  Jotham, the one brother who survived the slaughter, relates the fable to decry his half-brother’s candidacy.  He says that most trees have the good sense not to be sovereign over the others.  Only the wiliest of all the trees, the buckthorn, will take the office.  By the story Jotham implies that the reign of Abimelech is bringing terror to Shechem.

Abimelech is hardly the first or the last seeker of kingly power.  Humans crave authority so that they may lord it over others.  St. Bernard, a friend to kings of his day, surely knew this.  He embraced an ascetical way of life and became a proponent of humble monasticism.  He wrote a stern letter to a cousin who left his Cistercian reform for the more grandiose life of the Benedictines in Cluny.

If we cannot have kingly status in the world, we may seek it in our homes.  In either arena we should be careful to take our Lord as a model.  A king by nature and achievement he did not lord it over others. He served all --rich and poor – to teach us how to live in humble righteousness.

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Judges 6:11-24a; Matthew 19:23-30)

Vocation stories are prominently featured in Scripture.  Moses, Jeremiah, and St. Paul are perhaps the best known.  They demonstrate not only God’s attention to human persons, but also their use in carrying out His purposes.  Today’s first reading describes the call of the judge, Gideon, to defeat Israel’s enemy, the Midianite kingdom.  Not untypical of vocation stories, Gideon expresses doubt that he can be of service.  However, God is looking for faithfulness here, not prowess.  Gideon makes a sacrifice in God’s honor, and God blesses him with the wherewithal to defeat the enemy.

Gideon will lead a reduced army against the numerous Midianites.  When the time for battle arrives, the Lord confuses the Midianite troops so thoroughly that they kill one another.  Israel again conquers its enemies with the help of God.

God is calling each of us.  It takes time to discern what He has in mind.  But by dialoging with the Lord in prayer and showing the same faithfulness as Gideon, we will come to know His will for us.  God does not abandon His people.

Monday, August 18, 2025

 

Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Judges 2:9-11; Mathew 19:16-22)

The fact that the man who approaches Jesus in today’s gospel is “young” has a bearing on the passage’s teaching.  The young men are commonly ambitious.  They are willing to do whatever is necessary to obtain their heart’s desire.  They will work twelve or fourteen hours a day to acquire a fortune or will spend a night queued at a ticket office to attend a concert.

It cannot be said that ambition is evil as lust or greed is evil.  However, ambition tends to fog one’s conscience.  Prodded by ambition, a young man or woman may ignore responsibilities to family, friends, or the Lord. In today’s gospel the ambitious young man thinks that he might work to gain heaven as if it were real estate.  He poignantly asks Jesus, “’What must I do to gain eternal life?’” When Jesus points out that heaven requires trust in the Lord, not specific works, the youth’s illusion is shattered.  He cannot give up control of his life, even for an eternal destiny.

We may wonder if we must sell all we own and give the proceeds to the poor to attain eternal life.  Not literally, but we must discern deeply and critically what the Lord expects of us.  Then we must follow up on our conclusions in continual dialogue with him.

Sunday, August 17, 2025

 

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53)

The terms and concepts of today's Gospel may attract attention, but they also raise concerns. We wonder: what does the Lord mean when he says he has "come to bring fire and division on the earth"? And wasn't Jesus baptized by John in the Jordan? What is this baptism he is about to receive that distresses him?

To understand Jesus here, we must not take him literally but figuratively. He uses expressive language to urge us to respond to his demands. “Fire” is not the combustion of physical materials but the destruction of spiritual vices. “Baptism” is not immersion in water but the trauma of a bloody death. In the Gospel according to Luke, more than in the others, Jesus anticipates his passion and death in Jerusalem. He realizes that this will be the moment of truth for the world. Seeing him hanging on the cross, forgiving and healing to the very end, everyone must declare themselves either for him as the Savior or against him as a deluded do-gooder.

There are several occasions in the Gospel that indicate how Jesus is anticipating the encounter with his destiny in Jerusalem. Luke describes the Transfiguration as an occasion for Jesus to speak with Moses and Elijah about his coming “exodus” or passion. Not long after this,  Jesus “headed boldly toward Jerusalem” when “the time was nearly fulfilled.” Focused on his Passion, Jesus doesn't avoid it but embraces it as he heads to meet his destiny in ward the holy city. Another reference to anticipation and, in this case, preparation for the Passion occurs when Jesus is on the Mount of Olives with his disciples. Luke describes how Jesus was "in agony" and that his sweat "became like great drops of blood." We are accustomed to thinking of "agony" as extreme pain, but here the Greek agon refers to the preparation of athletes for competition. It is the exercise regimen runners do to warm up their muscles to give their best. The drops of sweat as thick as blood mean that Jesus is supremely ready. He can now march forward to confront the devil in the battle for souls.

Jesus' passion and death on the cross put the world on trial. Everyone must decide whether they are with Jesus or against him. These decisions will divide families, friendships, and communities, as Jesus predicts in the reading. The Gospel takes into account stories like that of Saint Perpetua, an African martyr who opposed her father when he wanted her to deny Jesus to save her life. Although such cases still exist today, we see Jesus' prophecy fulfilled in everyday matters. Spouses can often be divided on the issue of contraception: one saying that sex is for pleasure while the other acknowledges that it has higher purposes, as the Church teaches. Friends are divided on the issue of service: one proposing that they spend every weekend seeking entertainment while the other responds that she wants to use at least part of the time helping the needy. The parish community can be divided, with some in favor of joining with other faith communities in a community organizing project, and others threatening to leave the parish if they become involved in political issues.

It would be patently false to say that Jesus came to separate families, friendships, and communities. But he did come to teach his Father's will by word and example. We reject him at the risk of losing eternal life. And we accept him in the hope of having him as our companion forever.

Friday, August 15, 2025

 

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Revelation 11:19a.12:1-6a.10ab; I Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56)

The Church always celebrates her saints on the day they died.  Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ, is no exception unless one holds, with many, that Mary never died!  (According to a minority of authorities she went to sleep and awoke in Paradise.)  No reason for the August 15 date is given for the “Dormition” or “Assumption” of Mary is given.  However, the Church of Jerusalem yearly celebrated the Commemoration of the Mother of God on this date in the middle of the fifth century. 

Scripture does not reference Mary’s transition from earth to heaven, but apologists find reasons to accept the event as reasonable.  There never have been relics of the Blessed Mother, nor is there record of a grave or tomb where early Christians venerated her.  Given testimony in Scripture of Mary’s presence not only at Jesus’ birth but also during his ministry, at his death, and even among his disciples after his resurrection, both absences indicate that something unique happened at the end of her life.

Mary’s Assumption into heaven does more than complete for us the story of arguably Jesus’ closest associate.  It supports our hope of experiencing the resurrection of our bodies. With such hope it gives us added reason not to abuse our bodies by laziness or gluttony.  It also confirms our reliance on Mary as an intercessor and our choice of her as a model in life.

Thursday, August 14, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Maximillian Kobe, priest and martyr

(Joshua 3:7-10a.11.13-17; Matthew 18:21-19:1)

The Ark of the Covenant makes its biblical debut in today’s reading from the Book of Joshua.  The Ark was prescribed in the Book of Exodus as a wooden chest with gold overlay and a lid called a “Mercy Seat.”  It was constructed to house the tablets of the Ten Commandments, the basic law of the Mosaic Covenant.  The Ark represented the Lord who wished to stay close to the people.

In the passage from Joshua the Ark is described with miraculous power.  Carried into the Jordan River, it holds back its waters so that the Israelis might occupy the land God promised to their forefathers.  The Ark was eventually placed in the Solomon’s Temple and remained there for 400 years. It was taken out of the temple for processions and to assist the Israelites in battle.  Nothing is known of the Ark after the Babylonians destroyed the Temple in the sixth century B.C.

The Ark of the Covenant has parallels with the tabernacle housing the Blessed Sacrament.  Yet its similarities should not be exaggerated.  The Ten Commandments reminded the Israelites of the covenant they made with the Lord.  The Eucharist is Christ’s physical presence, not a symbol indicating His presence.  The Eucharist is a spiritual creation meant to strengthen human souls.  The tablets of the Commandments have great symbolic value, but they are part of an order that will pass away.  The Eucharist is Christ’s abiding presence which will remain into eternity.

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Deuteronomy 13:1-12; Matthew 18:15-20)

 Internet applications like Zoom and Facetime give the experience of talking to others face-to-face without actually being in their presence. However marvelous such conversations may be, they are hardly as intimate as being in one another’s physical presence.  In fact, one of the current issues in prison reform is assuring that prisoners have direct, not electronic, access to visitors. In the first reading today, Moses is exulted for having known the Lord “face to face.” But what do these words mean and how do they align with Christian belief that only Christ has seen the Father?

 Various interpretations for knowing God “face to face” are given.  Some say they do not indicate a direct encounter with the Lord because in the Book of Exodus God tells Moses that “’no one shall see me and live’” (33:20).  Of course, there is also the very real question of God, a purely spiritual being, having a material face.  It may be best to conclude that Moses enjoyed a spiritual intimacy with God like no one else before the writing of the Book of Deuteronomy. 

 At one point in Deuteronomy (18:15-18) Moses himself mentions another prophet who will come after him.  This prophet will have God’s words in his mouth and bring a definitive revelation of God’s will.  We find fulfillment of this prophecy in Jesus Christ.  The Gospel of John quotes him as saying, at least indirectly, that he has seen the Father: “’Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father’” (6:46).  His seeing of the Father constitutes a knowing that goes beyond Moses’ spiritual intimacy.  It is a divine indwelling whereby as Jesus again says in John: “(He) and the Father are one’” (10:30).  An approximation of this indwelling with its accompanying knowledge of God is Jesus promises to his followers of Jesus in the beatitudes.  We says, “’Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God’” (Matthew 5:8).

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Matthew 18:1-5.10.12-14)

Social theorists claim that childhood is a relatively recent phenomenon.  Only in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were children guaranteed an education and provided time to grow up.  Before that most boys were doing manual work as soon as their bodies could bear it.  Girls were drafted into the kitchen to do domestic chores.  In today’s gospel Jesus speaks up in favor of society’s little ones.

Recognizing virtue in children’s docility, Jesus recommends this quality to his disciples. More than that, he identifies children with himself as he says, “…whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.”  Jesus did not initiate a pro-children campaign, but he was certainly consciousness about how children need disciples’ consideration and care.

The last fifty years has witnessed a deterioration of childhood.  Kids still go to school, of course, but they are often exposed there to social controversies beyond their stage of development. Cell phones and the Internet have magnified the damage.  We should take to heart Jesus’ warning not to despise any of the “little ones.”  All enjoy God’s favor and require our support.

Monday, August 11, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Clare, virgin

(Deuteronomy 10:12-22; Matthew 17:22-27)

In today’s gospel Jesus gives his disciples important lessons on freedom and on charity.  The temple tax discussed in the passage was permitted by the Roman authority.  It seems to be a modest amount, perhaps the price of a cup of coffee.  Most Jews of Jesus’ time paid it, but religious teachers often considered themselves exempt. Jesus likewise sees himself as exempt, but not for the same reason as the rabbis.

The example that Jesus gives needs to be drawn out to explain his rationale for claiming exemption.  “Kings of the earth” exempt their sons from taxes, not their subjects as the passage reads.  Jesus, the Son of God, then is exempt from the tax for God’s house.  So too are his brothers, the disciples. The exemptions do not end here but are extended to other ritual and dietary laws. 

Jesus provides for the payment of the tax out of love for others.  As Paul in I Corinthians abstains from meat sacrificed to idols, Jesus does not want to cause scandal.  He will pay the tax in solidarity with those who see it as the duty of all faithful Jews.  We too claim exemption from Jewish dietary and ritual laws, but not from charity.  Jesus actually multiples our obligations of charity with his death on the cross.

Sunday, August 10, 2025

 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Wisdom 18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:35-40 [short version])

Today's Gospel contains two short parables. Let me try to explain it with another parable, or better, a story.  The story is not from Jesus, but from President John Kennedy of the United States. To emphasize how diligently he would work when elected, Kennedy told the story of a state legislature in the early years of the American republic. He said the legislature was in session when an eclipse of the sun was taking place. The skies grew dark, and the legislators thought the end of the world had arrived. Some of them proposed that the session be adjourned so they could be with their families when the Lord came. But another member of the legislature asked the Speaker of the House to do the opposite. He exclaimed, "Mr. Speaker, if it's not the end of the world and we adjourn, we'll look foolish. If it is the end of the world, I'd rather be found doing my duty. I propose, sir, that you bring candles."

Through parables, Jesus advances his plan to reestablish the Kingdom of God in the world. He has recruited disciples to continue the work after his death. With the parable of the servants awaiting their master's return, Jesus advises them to be diligent in their efforts for the Kingdom. As the legislator in Kennedy's story says, they want to be found "doing (their) duty." Why be diligent? To be welcomed into the halls of eternal life. Jesus’ parable describes this welcome with a magnificent image: the Lord "will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them."

The project of the Kingdom is to make the world a place of justice, peace, and love. It requires establishing laws, customs, institutions, and ultimately virtues so that all people will respect one another and care for the common good. One person definitely working for the Kingdom lives in Pakistan where he serves his own people. Shahzad Francis leads a fraternal organization that helps Catholics struggle to live with dignity in the midst of a predominantly Muslim society. Among many other works Francis fosters peace by holding public dialogues among all religions. He travels to the nation's capital to advocate for minority rights. He recently established schools for the children of brick kiln workers, who are among the poorest in the country and are largely Christian.

We can work for the Kingdom of God by implanting its values in our families and communities. Instead of having each family member entertain himself or herself on a personal telephone, we might share common activities like a hike in the woods. Instead of watching a football game from the interviews before to the analysis afterward, we could take a couple of hours to serve food to the homeless or visit the elderly abandoned in nursing homes.

Does it seem impossible or too idealistic to change the ways of the world? Consider the Second Reading. The Letter to the Hebrews points to Abraham and Sarah, old and childless, moving forward with faith in God to produce “offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as countless as the sand of the sea.”

The second parable Jesus uses concerns his coming to claim His own at the end of time. He says He will arrive like a thief in the night, that is at an undetermined time. Jesus urges us to be always ready for him by regularly doing good works. In Kennedy's story, the request for candles equates to “be ready, always.” Boy Scouts have a slogan that can serve as a guide: “Do a good turn every day.” We must not let a day pass without making an effort to help another. The Lord may not come with the definitive end of the world for eons, but it is certainly possible that He will come tomorrow to claim our individual lives. If not for the love of our neighbors, then at least to avoid a negative judgment in death, we want to prepare ourselves with good actions.

The two parables of today's Gospel can be reduced to two admonitions. First, help one another, especially the needy, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Second, begin the work now and continue doing it every day of your life. By attending to these tasks, we will be inviting Jesus to take us with Him to his heavenly table.

Friday, August 8, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Dominic, priest

(Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Matthew 16:24-28)

St. Dominic was a twenty-year-old theology student when his region of Spain underwent a severe famine.  Dominic heard of people starving and decided to do something.  After giving away his allowance, he sold all his belongings, including his precious theological manuscripts.  The latter were by no means a luxury.  They represented Dominic’s passionate interest and future ministry.  Rather than second guess himself about parting with his parchments, Dominic told friends, “I will not study on dead skins when men are dying of hunger.”

Of course, Dominic was not sealing his fate to oblivion but insuring it for eternal life.  In today’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples, “’… whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’”  Only by dying to oneself -- sacrificing one’s possessions and opportunities for the sake of Christ -- can one hope to live with him forever.

Dominic’s selflessness and compassion drew many men to the Order of Preachers which he founded. His vision of learned preaching and robust community still attracts men and women to the Order.  We should realize as he did that humanness and godliness are not mutually exclusive.  Rather both must be joined to thrive in the present age and to flourish for all eternity.

Thursday, August 7, 2025

 

Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Numbers 20:1-13; Matthew 16:13-23)

The two readings today have an interesting parallel.  Both demonstrate a lack of confidence in God’s word.  In Numbers God recognizes the justice of the people’s plea for water.  He summarily orders Moses and Aaron to take the staff with which they did wonders in Egypt and to assemble the people at the rock of Meribah.  They are not to use the staff, however, to produce water but are to tell the rock to relinquish its water.  Moses, however, follows his own strategy.  He calls the people “rebels” in defiance of God’s recognizing their cause as Just.  Then he strikes the rock – an act of disobedience since God told him to just order the rock to give water.  For his insubordination Moses will be prohibited from accompanying the people into the Promised Land.

In the gospel Peter, through divine inspiration, recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.  Inconsistent with this insight, Peter rebukes Jesus for revealing that as Messiah and Son of God he will suffer death.  As in the case of Moses, the Lord chastises Peter for not attending to his word.

At times we may be scandalized by both the humility and the glory of God.  “How could the Almighty God suffer the most ignominious of deaths?” we may ask ourselves.   Then we will turn around and query, “Is it possible that Jesus really rose from the dead?”  These truths are virtually incomprehensible to the modern mind, yet their acceptance in faith makes us who we are.  So that we may enter the Promised Land, let us not hesitate long to accept them.

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

 The Transfiguration of the Lord

 (Daniel 7:9-10.13-14; II Peter 1:16-19; Luke 9:28b-36)

 Pope Benedict XVI notes that in Luke’s Gospel the transfiguration occurs while when Jesus is praying.  He calls the prayer an interpenetration of Father and Son which creates the sensation of pure light.  Jesus becomes, as John’s gospel proclaims, “light from light.”

In his prayer Jesus recognizes that God is calling him to suffer.   He can glimpse the cross awaiting him in Jerusalem.  This is the “Exodus” – the end of the mission – which Moses and Elijah discuss with Jesus in the passage.  The vision of suffering does not deter but compels Jesus forward.  He knows that it is the Father’s will, which he will always do, come what may.  Meanwhile, the glory of the light prepares the disciples for the shock of the coming crucifixion.

We should not deny a similar eventuality for ourselves.  Whether acute physical pain, psychological trauma, or a combination of both, we will not likely leave the world without the experiencing suffering.  Like Jesus we should be determined to do God’s will through the ordeal.  More than giving positive example to our associates, we will find in it the path to God’s glory.

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Numbers 12:1-13; Matthew 14:22-36)

The significance of today’s gospel is well-known.  The disciples’ boat without Jesus represents the Church after Jesus’ resurrection. The storm is the problems of heresy and persecution that the Church has endured to this day. The disciples call out in fear, and Jesus walking on the water comes to their rescue.  The first reading, not as well understood but equally dramatic as the gospel, calls for more attention.

Aaron and Miriam have two criticisms of Moses.  The first is that he married a non-Israelite, which is forbidden in the Book of Deuteronomy. The second is that they too are prophets, but only Moses has the people’s full confidence.  God adjudicates the gripes.  Moses is no ordinary Israelite or prophet.  Rather he has a special relationship with the Lord.  As the meekest person on earth, he speaks to God, as it were, “face-to-face.”  This unique relationship allows him to marry a Cushite woman and to have precedence over other prophets.

Now let us return to Jesus.  He like Moses has a special relationship with God.  But he claims no special privilege for it.  Indeed, his Sonship has made him the only human who could atone for sin.  To do this he must lower himself, first by taking on human flesh with (how did Hamlet put it?) the need “to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”.  Second, he gives himself to outrage, contempt and cruel death.  As truly the meekest person who has ever lived, we, like Peter, cling to him.  He not only gains for us forgiveness of sin but also the promise of eternal life.

 

Monday, August 4, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest

(Numbers 11:4b-15; Matthew 14:13-21)

Today’s gospel underscores both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus.  More poignantly, it anticipates the establishment of the Eucharist as food for the journey.

Jesus, like most humans would be, is appalled by the news of John’s cruel murder.  The latter served as Jesus’ mentor.  He was a just man who in no way deserved such a horrible death.  Although burdened with grief, Jesus attends to the needs of the people who seek his help.  When his disciples suggest that he send the people away to find food, he multiplies the bread available so that the disciples can feed the people themselves.

Jesus’ motions are typically Eucharistic.  He takes the five loaves at hand, looks to heaven, blesses and breaks bread, and gives the resulting plethora to his disciples for distribution.  We rightly understand the story as anticipating the Eucharist. At Mass Jesus through the words and actions of the priest consecrates bread and wine to be distributed by the priest to us at the altar.  The Eucharistic food will allow us to travel securely through life to our heavenly homeland.

Saturday, August 3, 2025

 

Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Leviticus 25:1.8-17; Matthew 14:1-12)

Today’s first reading describes part of the great Jubilee tradition of Israel.  The Jubilee Year marked the year after seven cycles of sabbatical years, each seven years long, were completed – the fiftieth year.  As a means of achieving social justice, the tradition prescribed three forms of liberty.  First, it proclaimed liberty to those who were dispossessed of their family land.  In the Jubilee Year they could reclaim that land according to the rates established in the Law.  Second, during the Jubilee Year Hebrew slaves could leave their masters to return to their families.  Finally, the Jubilee Year gave freedom from toil as all work on the land was prohibited. The people were to store food from the previous harvest and would scavenge food grown on the fallow land.

 How much these laws and traditions were actually practiced is a debated issue.  There are few references to them in the Old Testament.  But the Gospels tell of Jesus proclaiming a Jubilee Year as he begins to preach in Israel.  Luke describes his entering the synagogue of Nazareth, taking a scroll of the prophet Isaiah, reading the script saying how the Spirit of the Lord was upon him to proclaim glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind. freedom to the oppressed, and a year acceptable to the Lord.  The “acceptable year” refers the Jubilee Year tradition.

The Jubilee Year was a mechanism of social justice.  Mistakenly, this term has become demonized.  People associate it with socialism and consider its proponents in the Church as ignorant of the workings of grace.  But it may be finding a comeback.  Pope Leo says he chose his name because Leo XIII authored the first social encyclical.  Really, how can we not give social justice more than lip service when our Savior proclaimed himself its agent?

Sunday, August 3, 2025

 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21)

Today’s Gospel parable is typical of the great parables found in Luke: vivid, insightful, and at the same time, concise. It is commonly interpreted as a warning against greed—that is, the excessive desire for wealth. However, its criticism goes far beyond the accumulation of money. In just 131 words, we find a sober critique of hedonism, excessive ambition, selfishness, and the idolatry of wealth. Let’s examine each of these vices more closely.

Jesus himself links the rich man in the parable to greed. Perhaps the best-known example of this vice is the mythical King Midas. We recall how Midas loved gold so much that, as a favor promised by a god, he asked for a “golden touch.” Upon receiving it, everything he touched turned to gold—even his beloved daughter! It is true that gold and money are very useful for obtaining material goods. But not everything can be bought. As the Song of Songs says, “Were one to offer all he owns to purchase love, he would be roundly mocked” (Song of Songs 8:7).

The rich man wants to accumulate wealth in order to have a life of ease. He says to himself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!’” There is nothing wrong with rest, good food, or even enjoying a drink—what many consider “the good life.” But when these pleasures are pursued as ends in themselves, they point to a disoriented life. That’s why we should be concerned when our loved ones only talk about the cruises they’ve taken and those they have planned. Pleasure is part of life, but life’s purpose is greater than simply seeking enjoyment. A better conception of “the good life” is “meaningful relationships, personal growth, and participation in activities aligned with one’s values” (from the Internet).

Ambition, too, may be considered a vice, especially in light of the first reading. However, a qualification should be made. The preacher of Ecclesiastes seems to have excessive ambition in mind when he delivers his critique. If only rising early to fulfill our duties were a sin, many of us would be condemned! But the preacher is referring to that kind of ambition that leaves no room for family, health, and certainly not for God. The rich man proves himself unduly ambitious when he plans to build new barns at the first sight of his abundant harvest.

Above all, the farmer reveals the vice of selfishness. He only thinks of himself. He even speaks only to himself. He makes no consideration of sharing his abundance with his workers, neighbors, or the less fortunate around him. St. Augustine described original sin as “homo incurvatus in se”—man curved inward upon himself. The rich farmer provides a good example of the unredeemed human. The fruit of the earth is a gift from God meant to alleviate the needs of all. The farmer should have considered how to deal with his harvest according to a just concept of the common good.

Closely linked to selfishness is the worship of wealth—what has been called “practical idolatry.” This too infects the human heart. Instead of thanking God for their blessings, many people think only of growing their riches. It is a widespread sin. It is reported that roughly the same percentage of Americans play the lottery as attend church at least once a year.

We might consider the advice in the second reading as a remedy for these sins: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” From above, we receive generosity in place of greed. We recall how Jesus tirelessly preached and healed those who came to him. From above, we see Jesus—“the Way, the Truth, and the Life”—as the model of the truly “good life.”  We encounter him in the sacraments and in personal prayer. From above, we witness the humility by which the Son of God became human to redeem us. And finally, from above comes the virtue of religion, through which we thank God for our lives. We recall how Jesus would often withdraw to be alone with his Father in prayer.

Let us also remember St. Peter, when the beggar at the temple gate asked him for alms. Peter said he had neither silver nor gold, but something more precious. Then he healed him in the name of Jesus Christ. The Lord remains our greatest treasure, more valuable any other thing.