Monday, December 1, 2025

 

Monday of the First Week of Advent

(Isaiah 4:2-6; Matthew 8:5-11)

In the daily mass readings during Advent the gospel passages show fulfilment of the first readings.  Today’s gospel and first reading are no exception although the latter is not the one regularly assigned.  Since the regular first reading was read at yesterday’s mass, today’s first reading substitutes for it.

In the reading Isaiah looks forward to the time when Israel will be purified of its sins so that it might receive the glory of the Lord.  The gospel passage indicates that the cleansing has taken place.  Now Jesus comes demonstrating God’s glory. 

Curiously, the selection for the gospel does not include the ending where Jesus heals the centurion’s servant.  Rather it points to the centurion’s proclamation of Jesus, the Jewish rabbi, as “Lord.”   A Syrian in the Roman army, he represents all the nations of the earth coming to Jesus.  Like the centurion, we find in Jesus hope for the healing of our sins and for our rendering loving service.

Sunday, November 30, 2025

First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2025

(Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14a; Matthew 24:37-44)

Today we begin both the Advent season and the Sunday readings from the Gospel according to St. Matthew. We will consider Advent later. For now, let's think about the Gospel of Matthew. All the Gospels are masterful works, each with its own distinctive features. Matthew's Gospel is notable for, among other things, its focus on good works, its use of the Old Testament to denote Jesus as the Messiah, and its structure of five accounts of Jesus' ministry, each followed by a long discourse.

Today's Gospel reading is taken from Matthew's fifth and final discourse. Jesus is teaching his disciples about the end times. He urges them to be prepared for his return, not by scrutinizing the heavens for signs, but by doing good works for others. Jesus will end this discourse with the famous prophecy of the separation of the good from the wicked. The good will be recognized by works such as feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger. They will have places in the Kingdom of Heaven. Meanwhile, the wicked, who have not helped those in need, will be sent to the place of fire.

Jesus' instructions reflect the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading. The ancient prophet says that in times to come, people from all parts of the world will come to the “mountain of the Lord’s house.” There they will learn the ways of peace. Isaiah has in mind Mount Zion, a metaphor for Jerusalem. By teaching in Jerusalem in today's Gospel, Jesus imparts the lessons of peace which the nations seek.  It is the fruit of good works. He reminds us of the saying of Pope St. Paul VI: “If you want peace, work for justice.”

The “mountain of the Lord’s house” can also be wherever the Lord dwells. In this sense, it includes the place where Jesus delivered his “Sermon on the Mount.” This discourse is the first of the five in the Gospel according to Matthew. Apart from the Ten Commandments, the Sermon is the most widely recognized teaching on morality in the Bible. In it, Jesus declares that the merciful will receive mercy and that those who work for peace will be called “children of God.” Furthermore, the Sermon challenges Jesus’ disciples to lend to anyone who asks and to walk two miles with anyone who asks accompaniment for one mile. The discourse is also notable for calling the disciples “the light of the world.” In the second reading, St. Paul exhorts Roman Christians s to clothe themselves with light.

After composing what would become basic Christian doctrine in the first part of the Letter to the Romans, Paul turns to the application of theology to life. Today's second reading comes from this practical second part. It says that love of neighbor fulfills the law. For the person who loves does not kill, commit adultery, steal, or covet. Rather, the true Christian rejects "the works of darkness" and "puts on the armor of light."

"The works of darkness" refer to sexual sins such as fornication. They also include a lack of charity, such as when members of the community fail to help those in need. Likewise, "the armor of light" encompasses works of charity. They must even help enemies who lack basic necessities.

We have entered Advent. It is a time of goodwill toward everyone. Works of charity are as much a part of this season as Santa Claus. In fact, Santa Claus is the model of good works. It is not that we serve others only during the month of December. Rather, our charity during this month accustoms us to always being helpful. As Jesus urges in the gospel today, and as Paul writes to the Romans, doing good works is part of our identity as Christians.

 

 

Friday, November 28, 2025

 

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Daniel 7:2-14; Luke 21:29-33)

The four beasts of today’s reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel are so grotesque that they beg explanation.  They are not symbols of the four gospels but figures of successive empires. The lion with eagle wings represents Babylon, strong but vulnerable.  The bear with three ribs refers to the Medo-Persian empire that defeated Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.  The leopard with four heads and wings symbolizes Alexander the Great sudden rise to power and its rapid devolution into four minor potentiates after his death.  Finally, the terrifying beast with ten horns represents Rome with its seemingly invincible armies.

However strong they are, the rule of the mighty beasts is limited.  God, the Ancient One, comes to sit on the throne to rule over all forever.  The figure of the son of man then comes as the Ancient One’s servant.  Jews and Christians alike take this figure as the Messiah who was to come to rule the earth.  Christians identify him further as Jesus Christ who often called himself by that name.

 Jesus commands our loyalty as much as our attention.  He served with humble love, even giving his life to rescue us from sin.  God raised him from the dead as validation of his leadership over us.

Thursday, November 27, 2025

 

Thanksgiving Day

(Sirach 50:22-24; I Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19)

As we look around the Thanksgiving table, we likely realize that we are most thankful for the people God has placed in our lives.  We might be rich, talented, and good-looking, but these qualities pale in comparison to the gifts of our parents, friends, and associates.  The latter, not the former, have made our lives most meaningful and worthwhile.  St. Paul in today’s reading from the beginning of the First Letter to the Corinthians takes this perspective.

Paul lived for over a year in Corinth.  He came to know the growing Christian community there intimately.  He saw the graces that God bestowed on these people and probably which of these gifts would spill over into excess.  In today’s passage Paul assures the Corinthians of his affection as he prepares to address some of their excesses.

For many Americans Thanksgiving is the most welcomed holiday of the year.  It provides a respite from the busyness of life.  It calls families and friends together for celebration.  If we are willing to go there, it occasions an honest evaluation of our strengths and limitations.  For the former we give our Creator thanks.  For the latter we petition our Redeemer’s help.

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Daniel 5:1-5.13-14.23-28; Luke 21:12-19)

The English poet John Donne wrote a masterful essay known by the phrase “for whom the bell tolls.”  The author takes an everyday experience of hearing a funeral bell toll into a meditation on death.  He says that the death toll should remind people that they too will die to face God’s judgment for how they conducted their lives.  Donne advises all, “… never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”  A similar message is given with “the writing on the wall” in today’s first reading.

The three words, “mene,” “tekel,” and “peres,” are from the ancient Near East language Aramaic.  Each can be used as both a noun and a verb.  Mene as a noun is a unit of weight or currency.  As a verb, it means to count or number. Here it tells King Belshazzar that his days are numbered. Tekel is also a unit or currency.  In addition, it means to weigh.  It indicates to Belshazzar that God has found him weighing little or wanting in virtue.  Peres means a half portion and to divide.  Belshazzar’s kingdom will be divided between the Persians and the Medes.

We can be sure that we are going to die.  As rich as he is, we hope not to die like Belshazzar.  Rather let us live virtuous lives so that God finds us at death worthy of eternal life with Him.

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

 Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Daniel 2:31-43; Luke 21:5-11)

 Today’s gospel is a shorter version of the one read a week ago Sunday.  One preacher offered an extraordinary interpretation which is worth summarizing.  The preacher named the “awesome sights and mighty signs” as the resurrection of Christ.  It has relativized everything.  Everything, that is, except its own authority to stand on earth as the supreme witness to God in heaven.

 The first thing relativized are humans constructs like the Temple and votive offerings.  People marvel at buildings and art pieces, contemporary examples of which are the Taj Mahal and the Mona Lisa.  As amazing as human artifacts may be, even the best will crumble one day.  Nor will nature forever support life as it now does.  Rather it will turn into upheaval as Jesus predicts when he speaks of “earthquakes, famines, and plagues.”  Not human constructs, not nature but the resurrection of the dead, which Christ’s resurrection promises, gives ultimate meaning to human lives.  It can be said that the resurrection is the “stone hewn from a mountain” crushing all creation of which Daniel prophesizes in today’s first reading.

 Some say that emphasizing resurrection to eternal life is too “pie in the sky” to be proclaimed regularly.  But this advice would betray the preaching of the apostles and the lives of the saints.  As Christians it is Christ for whom we live and for whom we are to die.  If he were just an ancient sage with an interesting ethic, he is hardly worth staking our life on.  But as the eternal Lord evidenced by his rising from the dead, he deserves our utmost devotion.

 

 

Monday, November 24, 2029

 Memorial of Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

 (Daniel 1:1-6.8-20, Luke 21:1-4)

 Your doctor would not be surprised at all with the outcome of Daniel’s vegetarian diet.  She will tell you to eat like them, consuming less red meat, taking in more vegetables, and drinking little alcohol but lots of water.  Giving dietary advice, however, was not the author’s intention in the Book of Daniel.  Quite certainly he meant to lend moral counsel.  He wrote to encourage his fellow Jews not to disregard the Law.  Rather they are to follow its every precept.  As in the case here, their adhesion to the Law will bring about the good.

The Book of Daniel was written in the second century before Christ.  As the Books of Maccabees testify, Jews at the time were being terribly persecuted.  Foreign kings wanted to impose their beliefs and customs on the people.  The Jews resisted and ultimately prevailed to establish home rule. Unfortunately that too proved to be seriously defective.

 Religious persecution is threatening citizens in western societies today.  People are not being forced to eat forbidden foods but to violate their consciences in other ways.  Should a Catholic doctor be threatened with loss of license for refusing to perform an abortion?  Should a priest be demanded by law to “marry” a homosexual couple?  Should a Catholic school principal be prosecuted for failing to treat as a girl a “transgendered” male child?  These kinds of questions are all too real in today’s world.  Faith-filled people will hopefully take courage from these mass readings.

Sunday – November 23, 2025

 

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
(II Samuel 5:1-3; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43)

This year marks the centennial celebration of Christ the King as a universal solemnity. Pope Pius XI established this feast in 1925 for two reasons: to give thanks for the end of the First World War and to acknowledge the fall of four European monarchies. The celebration teaches us that kings and all rulers have legitimacy only insofar as their governance conforms to the Kingdom of Christ. We recall here the words of Saint Thomas More, English chancellor and martyr, who declared before his execution: “I am the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”

To appreciate the solemnity of Christ the King, we should turn to the opening chapters of Genesis. God reigned over all creation, which He Himself had made. Yet when He created human beings, He entrusted to them dominion over the earth and the sea. He told them: “… fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Man and woman lived in peace with God for a time but soon fell under sin’s influence. Attempting to make themselves equal to God, the woman first and then the man ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. By this act of defiance they effectively handed over sovereignty of the world to the devil or, better, sin. From that moment, it became God’s plan to reclaim His kingship by sending His Son. Christ would conquer evil to restore peace between God and humanity. His victory would reestablish the proper order: Jesus would reign as sovereign, and human beings would again exercise authority over the earth. The story of Christ the King is the story of our salvation.

Let us look at today’s readings to understand more clearly how Christ is King. The first reading describes the ceremony by which David was anointed king over all Israel. He had already been anointed king of Judah, his own tribe, and now he is recognized by the northern tribes as well. In time he will be regarded as the greatest king in Israel’s history. He conquered a vast territory stretching from Egypt to the Euphrates, and he enjoyed a strong relationship with the Lord. Yet David was not the ideal king. He fell gravely into sin by having an intimate relationship with another man’s wife and arranging for that man’s death when the adultery resulted in pregnancy. He also conducted a census of his kingdom in defiance of the Lord, and his many wars ended in the deaths of countless men. Great as he was, David could not lead humanity to live fully according to God’s will.

But David’s descendant—Jesus of Nazareth—perfected the kingship of his ancestor. Born of his lineage, Jesus was anointed, in his own words, “to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” He accomplished these goals without shedding the blood of others. His way was to preach, to heal, and to die on the cross as an innocent sacrifice. In today’s Gospel Jesus is proclaimed king -- ironically by the inscription on the cross and by the words of the authorities, the soldiers, and the unrepentant thief. Yet He is also recognized as King by the “good thief,” who says, “Lord, when You come into Your kingdom, remember me.”

The second reading, from the Letter to the Colossians, presents Christ’s achievement and his place in the order of the universe. Through the shedding of His blood on the cross, Christ has redeemed humanity from the darkness of sin. Now we live in the light of Christ and know peace with God the Father. Moreover, Christ’s sacrifice subdued evil and reconciled all things to God. For this reason, the Father bestowed upon him the fullness of divinity, including the title “King of the Universe.” As members of his Body, we once again participate in the stewardship of the earth.

We have reached the end of the liturgical year. By proclaiming Jesus Christ as King of the Universe, we are reminded of the end of time. We hold the confidence that, if we remain faithful to Him, the darkness of sin will not overpower us again. On the contrary, united with Christ, we shall reign with him forever.

Friday, November 21, 2025

 

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(I Maccabees 4:36-37.52-59; Luke 19:45-48)

Today’s gospel passage contains the first reference to Jesus’ being in Jerusalem.  On his journey to the city, he said that as a prophet he must die there.  It is not surprising then that he prophetically interrupts “business as usual” in the Temple.  He puts an end, at least temporarily, merchant price manipulation and other schemes to cheat pilgrims.

As a prophet, Jesus also teaches the people.  The passage does not describe his lessons.  However, it probably is the message that he has delivered throughout his ministry.  He teaches them how much the Father loves them and how they might reform their lives in with the God’s Law.  Conforming to the Law, the people might present themselves to God as Mary was presented in the same Temple where Jesus is teaching. 

The need for repentance is universal and everlasting.  We too need to heed Jesus’ message.  Assured of God’s desire to grant us a share in His kingdom, at the end of our lives we may present ourselves at heaven’s gate.

Thursday, November 20, 2025

 

Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(I Maccabees 2:15-19; Luke 19:41-44)

Not everyone has the emotional and spiri9tual capacity to lament.  A lament requires deep remorse, caring love, and humble strength.  The one who laments mourns the loss of what was dear to him or her on the journey of life.  But the person does not surrender to dreaded fate.  He or she endures the pain of loss to carry on until he has the joy of reaching his/her goal in life.  David lamented the death of his son Absolom, yet he carried on to consolidate his authority again. Today’s gospel shows Jesus lamenting the future loss of Jerusalem.

Jesus realizes that Jerusalem with its arrogant, defiant leadership will sooner or later rebel against Roman rule and be crushed.  He knows that if they had responded to his call for repentance, they could have spared themselves the coming catastrophe.  As it is, Jerusalem will suffer a second destruction as it had six centuries earlier at the hands of the Babylonians. 

We can take away from today’s short, evocative gospel Jesus’ human fullness.  He can cry out of the love for the holy city.  But he is not paralyzed by his emotions.  He will proceed into Jerusalem to meet the destiny of a prophet as he gives his life as a ransom for many.

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

 (II Maccabees 7:1.20-31; Luke 19:11-28)

One of the greatest achievements of the twentieth century was the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The United Nations overcame cultural and ideological barriers to forge an agreement among all the countries of the world on the claims that all people could make of their governments.  However, the system of rights and responsibilities has not always been honored by its signees.  Even the United States for a number of years after the declaration’s passage permitted widespread racial discrimination.

One right at the very core of the freedoms expressed in the Universal Declaration is that of practicing one’s religious beliefs.  Taken seriously, religion is more than a matter of personal choice and definitely not a whimsical fancy.  Religion entails the following of one’s conscience where God speaks to the person.  It is also constructive of a good society.  All religions worthy of the name guide their adherents to virtue.  Where religion is repressed, people become discontented and want to rebel

The pious story in today’s first reading tells of a vicious ruler who tries to suppress Jewish practice in Israel two centuries before Christ.  Many Jews went along with the barbarism, but not all nor, perhaps even the majority.  Those who did buy into the tyranny possibly thought, like many do today, that religion does not matter as long as there is food on one’s table.  The mother and her seven sons knew better.  Because they believed that violating a commandment of God is worse than death, they willingly accepted the latter.  Their sacrifice anticipated that of Jesus who likewise died in obedience to God.  However, Jesus’ martyrdom was greater in a real sense than all others.  Although he lived a completely righteous life according to the Jewish Torah, he suffered not just the outrageous decision of the political regime but the contempt of the religious leaders in his land.  

Tuesday, November18, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(II Maccabees 6:18-31; Luke 19:1-10)

In today’s well-known and much-appreciated gospel passage, Zaccheus is often noted more for his profession than his wealth.  Zaccheus is a tax collector, an office associated with corruption in his time.  But the fact that he is wealthy has important implications for people in these times of abundant prosperity.

As a rich man, Zaccheus’ encounter with Jesus leads him to promise that he would give half his possessions to the poor.  Jesus has called for this kind of largesse with the parable of the rich farmer and in the statement: "from the one who has much, much will be expected” (Luke 12:48).  Inspired by such gospel verses, St. Thomas Aquinas taught: “Whatever certain persons have in superabundance is due, by natural law, to the purpose of succoring the poor.” 

Should the government tax the wealthy to pay their due according to natural law?  To an extent, taxation may be necessary.  But it also can become counterproductive as most people find ways to reduce their taxes.  Besides, when rich people give without compulsion, they may merit heaven with their contributions.

Monday, November 17, 2025

 Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

(I Maccabees 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-63; Luke 18:35-43)

Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a second century B.C. megalomaniac who might be compared to Iraq’s Sadam Hussein or Hafez al-Assad, the Syrian dictator who used chemical weapons to secure his rule.  Antiochus IV was the son of Antiochus the Great, the Syrian king who wrested control of Palestine from the Egyptians.  Both father and son were great promoters of Hellenism or Greek culture with the son outdoing the father’s zeal.  Antiochus IV’ self-chosen name “Epiphanes” means “god manifest” as he thought of himself as the manifestation of the Greek god Zeus.  In Jerusalem, as today’s first reading reports, Antiochus IV erected a gymnasium fostering Greek learning as well as physical conditioning.  He also forbade circumcision and erected an altar to Zeus in the Temple on which pigs were sacrificed.

Both Books of Maccabees tell the story of how Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons defeated Antiochus.  The Jewish warriors drove out the foreign enemy and reinstated the Law as the rule of the land.  The story includes the rededication of the Temple which inaugurated the Jewish feast of Hanukkah. The name “Maccabeus,” meaning “Hammer,” was given to Mattathias’ son Judas for his fierce attacks against both Syrian troops and Jewish assimilationists.

Not more than two centuries after the Maccabean victory, Jesus of Nazareth launched his own campaign against foreign rule.  Although he was as courageous a hero as Judas Maccabeus, his force was not physical but spiritual.  By his sacrificial death on the cross, he removed the yoke of evil constraining human freedom for all who turn to him.  In this Eucharist we express our faith in him and receive from him liberation from our sins.

Sunday – November 16, 2025

 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Malachi 3:19-20; II Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19

Today in the Gospel, we find Jesus in Jerusalem. He has completed his long journey from Galilee. In fact, he is delivering his final public discourse. He highlights three themes that he has exposed throughout the journey. Let us reflect on these themes, each of which deeply touches our spiritual lives.

Jesus stands with the people within the confines of the Temple. When some comment on the solidity of the building and others on the beauty of its contents, Jesus warns against putting faith in created things as ever-lasting. This is the first theme for our reflection. Jesus goes on to say that the Temple, with its beautiful votive offerings, will soon be demolished. Equally misguided is faith in men who claim to be anointed by God.

When we look around at the new suburbs, we see many large houses. They resemble palaces, with multiple rooms for a scant number of people. These homes are not bad in themselves. But when their residents live without regard for those whose wages cannot cover rent, such homes become stumbling blocks to a fervent spiritual life. The same applies to cruises, cars, or any other luxury that holds our attention today. Again, created things are not necessarily bad, but they can interfere with our doing God’s will.

In his discourse Jesus also predicts that his disciples will endure persecutions. He says that before the catastrophes marking the end of the world occur, they will be hated, betrayed, imprisoned, and even killed. The persecution of disciples then is the second theme of the discourse. Early followers of Jesus suffered massacres by Herod in Jerusalem, by Emperor Nero in Rome, and many others throughout the centuries. Persecution of Christians continues today in places like Nigeria, where tens of thousands have been killed just in the past ten years.

Few of us will be killed for our faith in Christ, but that does not mean we won’t face persecution. When Judge Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, she was criticized by members of Congress for being an “extreme Catholic.” The reason behind this accusation was that she believes abortion is wrong. If you express your faith openly—by thanking God in a restaurant or mentioning how Christ helps you— do not doubt that sooner or later, you will be ridiculed. Even some family members may criticize you for being faithful to the foundations of the faith.

Jesus does not fail to offer good news in the upcoming tragedy. After warning of the difficulties ahead, he assures us of the benefits of joining Him. His phrase, “... not a hair of your head will perish,” is hard to understand, since many disciples have suffered martyrdom. But he likely means that the Father, who has counted the hairs on His children’s heads (Lk 12:7), will not allow those who suffer for Jesus to be lost. After this difficult phrase, Jesus assures his faithful: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” The life he has in mind is the one that lasts forever: eternal life. This is the third theme of the discourse.

Our hope that our lives do not end with bodily death is fundamental to Christian faith. The apostles preached Jesus risen from the dead. St. Paul dared to write: “... if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised.” Recently, a famous sociologist wrote about his conversion to belief in Christ. The stimulus for his new-found faith was scientific evidence that the soul exists outside the body. Our Christian faith goes far beyond the survival of the soul. It affirms the resurrection of the body at the end of time. However, since the early centuries, the Church has expressed credence in the continuation of the soul until it is reunited with the body.

Next week we will conclude our Sunday readings from the Gospel of Luke. The evangelist has given us lessons in Christian spirituality. Perhaps more than the themes of today’s reading, we have been instructed to be compassionate with those who suffer, forgiving of those who offend us, and persistent in prayer to the Father. Let us move forward now with Jesus as our guide to a richer and ever-enduring life.

 

Friday, November 14, 2025

 Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 (Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37)

 On cold autumn days one may be inclined to worship the sun.  Its warm rays bring a modicum of comfort, and its brightness cheers up the prospect of a long, cold winter.  Who is not grateful for these gifts?  The sun benefits humans in manifold ways.  It brings about the growth of food and provides energy that makes contemporary civilization possible.  Nevertheless, today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom critiques sun worshippers as not looking deep enough into reality.

 Wisdom was written in part to assure the Jews of ancient Alexandria of the worth of their religious tradition.  It finds wanting the tenets of scientific inquiry when compared with the values of biblical faith.  Heavenly bodies, it concludes, are hardly worth human credence.  One must look beyond material substance to find the omnipotent, spiritual cause for existence.

 Many scientists today do not look for a God.  They see no need for a first cause that put creation in motion.  But even if such a creator exists -- they say -- it could hardly be the personal God of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  We, however, know by faith that God loves each one of us, even those who do not believe in Him.  We sense the truth of St. Paul’s belief that God makes all things to work out for the good of those who love Him.  Now, as today’s gospel has it, we await his coming to prove us right.

Thursday, November 13, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

(Wisdom 7:22b-8:1; Luke 17:20-25)

Two years ago, a major motion of the life of St. Frances Xavier (Mother) Cabrini made its debut. A hundred or so years ago Mother Cabrini was in the United States what Mother Teresa came to signify throughout the world sixty years later.  She worked untiringly for the poor, in her time mostly Italian immigrants.  The movie depicted her as especially capable of dealing with Church authorities and civic officials for the benefit of children.

Mother Cabrini demonstrated what the first reading today teaches about wisdom.  She was “…intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, and pervading all spirits…”

“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” T.S. Eliot asked decades before the Information Age.  Wisdom fully develops our human potential so that we may become saints.  Like Mother Cabrini, we should not just admire it but embody it.

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Josephat, bishop and martyr

(Wisdom 6:1-11; Luke 17:11-19)

The Book of Wisdom was most likely written in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, around the time of Christ.  Today’s reading instructs earthy rulers on the need of wisdom.  The passage reverberates with gospel passages.  As Jesus told his disciples that more will be expected from those who are given more (Luke 12:48), Wisdom warns princes, “…the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.”

Judgment in Wisdom is not only found in the hope of earthly reconciling of accounts between victims and assailants, but also in eternal reckoning.  The Book of Wisdom assures the existence of eternal life.  It declared in the passage read yesterday at mass “…the souls of the just are in the hand of God.”  Christ, of course, validated this statement in his resurrection from the dead.

The warning of Wisdom to earthly rulers applies to most of us.  We may not be leaders of state or heads of departments, but most of us are given responsibility for others.  Teachers are responsible for students; head nurses for their staffs; and parents for their children.  We too will be judged on whether we “walk(ed) according to the will of God.”

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

 

Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, bishop

(Wisdom 2:23-3:9; Luke 17:7-10)

Today’s gospel sounds counterintuitive. How are we going to maintain a positive self-image while we claim to be “unworthy servants”?  The resolution lies in considering whom we serve.

In speaking to his apostles, our Lord sees the master-servant relationship applying to God and His people.  We serve God by our worship and our treating others with the appropriate love.  However, our capacious pride prevents us from fulfilling these duties.  Therefore, recognizing our limitations, we should be modest about thinking how good we are.  As Jesus says, in regard to God we are “unworthy servants.”

Yet we are His servants, created in His image with intelligence and freedom.  Even more enhancing, we have been recreated with divine grace.  We like today’s patron, St. Martin of Tours, can do what pleases our Master.  St. Martin, today’s patron left us a legacy of how we might do this.  He exemplified for us evangelical love for the poor, peaceful nonviolence, and fatherly solicitude for those in our care.

Monday, November 10, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, pope

(Wisdom 1:1-7; Luke 17:1-6)

It was said at the time of his election that Robert Prevost took the name Leo XIV because of Leo XIII, the pope of great social consciousness.  He also might have had today’s patron saint in mind.  Saint Leo the Great, the first to take the name, was the most distinguished pope of the first five hundred years of the Church.  He laid the groundwork for universal papal authority so that future bishops of Rome could be considered not just successors of their immediate predecessors but, first and foremost, successors of St. Peter.

In the fifth century many considered the bishop of Rome as only one of five authoritative Church leaders of the Church.  He was given primacy of honor because the Roman see had been considered the see of Peter, the head of the apostles.  However, the eastern church envisioned him (and still do) sharing authority with the bishops of four apostolic sees of the East.  Rome’s argument for having supreme authority rocketed with Leo’s contribution to the critical debate over the humanity of Christ. Some thought that Jesus’ humanity was assumed into his divinity once he was born.  Others thought what amounts to the opposite.  Leo, assuming an idea that had been already expressed, wrote an excellent treatise saying that Christ’s human and divine natures were permanently united -- unmixed and unconfused – in a single person.  His formulation of the issue won the day at the Council of Chalcedon.  Eastern bishops recognized that Peter had spoken through the Roman bishop this time although they withheld recognition that it was always the case.

Not all popes have been free from error as not all have been holy men.  But all do have the authority of Peter, the Vicar of Christ.  Whether or not we see things exactly as the pope does, we must take to heart his teaching and pay him all due respect.

Sunday, November 9, 2025

 

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

(Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22)

Perhaps you are wondering, as I am, why we celebrate the dedication of a church. Also, how can the feast of the dedication of a church replace Sunday, the Lord's Day? It may seem strange, but the Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, the leader of the universal Church. For this reason, we are celebrating today not only the Lateran Basilica but also all the churches of the world.

The term "church" has different aspects that we should explore. For most of us, however, church means the building where God is worshipped. Thus, it has a special significance. It is a place sanctified not only by the Eucharist and the relics of the saints but also by the prayers of the faithful. Their voices have resonated in many churches for centuries, making the place holy. This is certainly the case with the Lateran Basilica. Furthermore, the church is a privileged place of encounter between God and human beings. When we enter a church, we make the sign of the cross with holy water to cleanse ourselves of contamination of the world as we meet the Lord. 

We also speak of the church as the community that gathers to pray. The church is seen as a community of disciples of Christ in today's second reading. Saint Paul calls the Christian community in Corinth "the temple of God." He means that the men and women who comprise that community are learning how to act as the Body of Christ in the world. Pope Leo had this idea in mind when he addressed the Catholics gathered in his honor in Chicago in June. The pope exhorted them to “build a community” of light and hope.

A community of light and hope will serve others so that the world may know Christ. In the first reading from the prophet Ezekiel, water flows from the Temple to irrigate the fruit trees. The fruit of these trees will feed the people, and their leaves will produce medicine to heal the sick. Likewise, the Church serves the world through countless charities and hospitals, providing for people’s physical needs.

Above all, the community of Christ, the Church, is a sacrament. That is, the Church is a sign established by Christ to transmit God’s grace. How can this be? From its earliest days, the Church has identified itself with the Body of Christ. Jesus himself, in today’s Gospel reading from John, identifies his Body with the Temple where sacrifices are offered. Indeed, His Body became the perfect sacrifice on the cross, bestowing the grace that forgives sins and justifies sinners. This same sacrifice is celebrated wherever the community of Christ gathers. Proceeding from the Mass to the world, the community radiates the holiness of Jesus Christ to all.

The Church as servant of the world, community of disciples, and sacrament does not encompass all its aspects. Many know the Church by its hierarchy, its rules, and its organizations. That is, they know the Church as an institution. Because it has been an effective institution, it has been able to endure for almost two thousand years. Another dimension of the Church is its role as herald, announcing Jesus Christ as Savior of the world. We would not be faithful to Christ if we did not proclaim this Good News. Finally, the Church is a mystery imbued with the presence of God. Human participation has created faults in the Church’s performance, but it has been able to overcome the challenges of history because of this permanent presence of God. And God will be present to us as long as we remain faithful to Christ.

Friday, November 7, 2025

 

Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 15:14-21; Luke 16:1-8)

Some line up at the box office the night before tickets go on sale to see a baseball game.  Others fly to faraway places to attend a Taylor Swift concert.  In today’s gospel parable Jesus recommends that we serve the poor to attain a place in heaven.

People have difficulty with this parable.  They hear Jesus suggesting that the seeker of eternal life do something crooked.  This is not the case. It is true that Jesus commends the steward who squanders his master’s property.  However, he does so not because of the steward’s injustice, but because he acted to secure his future.  Jesus wants his disciples to act so that they may have eternal life.  The action that he urges throughout the Luke’s Gospel is to give relief to the needy.

Also, the question of our doing anything to merit salvation begs clarification.  Strictly speaking, nothing we do on our own can bring about eternal life.  However, under the Spirit’s influence, which is necessary if we are to even acknowledge the possibility of heaven, our acts are meritorious.  Indeed, Jesus tells us quite directly in the Gospel of St. Matthew (25:31-46) that only by assisting the needy can we be accepted into the eternal Kingdom of God.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

 

Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 14:7-12; Luke 15:1-10)

Today’s gospel responds quite well to the first reading.  It also prepares for the great follow-up parable in Luke 15. 

St. Paul questions the habit of Christians to characterize others as bad or good.  “Why then,” he asks, “do you judge your brother or sister?”  In the gospel Jesus likewise challenges his critics for judging others as hopeless.  He tells the scribes and Pharisees the parable of the lost sheep to demonstrate that public sinners are not as lost as they may think.

In Luke’s gospel the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin precede the epitome of parables, the Prodigal Son. At the end of that parable the elder son gripes about his younger brother’s conversion.  He is like the Pharisees and scribes criticizing Jesus for his attention to tax collectors and sinners.  The father then indicates to his elder son that he, like his brother, needs conversion.  Jesus similarly indicates to his critics that they need a change of heart.

Too often we, like the Pharisees and scribes, judge certain kinds of people as hopelessly lost.  We would do much better to see ourselves as lost in our pride and needing the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 13:8-10; Luke 14:25-33)

Fr. Ignatius Smith was a brilliant, wise, and much-loved professor at Catholic University of America in the middle of the last century.  He used to say -- half in jest and half seriously -- quoting St. Paul, “’There are three virtues that remain: faith, hope, and love’ and the greatest of these is prudence.” Today’s first reading indicates why Fr. Smith’s statement is helpful.

Paul begins by citing five negative commandments, four of which are from the Decalogue.  He is confirming a traditional starting place in ethics: “First, do no evil.”  One cannot love everyone in the same way, but one can and should refrain from doing evil to anyone.  Then Paul states the commandment that covers and goes beyond negative commandments: “…love your neighbor as yourself.”  Although this statement is true, it requires distinctions because one is not obliged to love everyone in the same way.  One needs prudence to know how to love parents, fellow-workers, etcetera. 

In the reading Paul is nearing the end of his great Letter to the Romans.  He is giving practical advice for all the theology he has laid out in the letter.  The phrase “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” sums up this application.  It is the same command that we hear Jesus making in the gospel (Mark 12:31).  We are to love our neighbors, not necessarily equally, but in any case sincerely.

 

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

 Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop

 (Romans 12:5-16ab; Luke 14:15-24)

 There is an old story about an African-American who meets God outside of a church.  He apologizes to the Lord saying that he wants to enter the church but the people inside won’t let him in.  God responds that He too has been trying to get inside that church but the same people won’t let Him in either.

 The story represents a valid way to read today’s gospel parable.  At one time, not that long ago, American churches were segregated.  African Americans were either prohibited from entering a white congregation or forced to sit apart.  This might not have but the pastor’s wish, but it was in many places a de facto practice.  Jesus, of course, would never accept such a policy.  We can rightly hear him comparing the segregationists to those invited to the great Eucharistic banquet at the end of time. As in today’s gospel, these invited ones refuse to attend.  Blacks and the poor will then take their places in heaven.

 Today, however, we see the parable in a very different light.  As everyone knows, church attendance has dwindled in the United States.  People give various excuses that may sound similar to the ones in the parable – they are too busy; they are working; they are expecting company.  Others then will receive the call to fill the churches.  These people will also occupy the places at the Eucharistic banquet in heaven.  In American Catholic churches the newcomers are largely immigrants from Asia, Latin America, and Africa. 

Monday, November 3, 2025

 

Optional Memorial of Saint Martin de Porres, religious

(Romans 11:29-36; Luke 14:12-14)

Martin de Porres is renowned for his charities to all God’s children, human and animal.  In a story given during the process of his canonization, the prior of his priory ordered that rat poison be placed in the rat-infested building.  Martin reluctantly complied with the order.  He also went into the garden and called the rats together.  He worked out an agreement with the rats: he would feed them every day in the garden if they abandoned the priory. 

The story is indicative of Martin’s evangelical personality.  Today’s gospel shows Jesus telling a Pharisee to invite the poor and lame to his banquets.  It doesn’t say that the Pharisee should invites rats, but Martin’s initiative certainly is in harmony with Jesus’ instruction.

Is the anecdote about Martin’s making an agreement with a host of rats true?  Probably not.  But this doesn’t mean that Martin did not befriend rats along with more commonly other animals.  His sainthood, however, was more determined by his treatment of all kinds of human beings.  Although we may be kinder than St. Bernards or craftier than foxes, Martin de Porres would have cared for us.