Friday, November 23, 2018

Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 10:8-11; Luke 19:45-48)

One day in 1979 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Laureate, gave a talk at Harvard University.  People were prepared to hear him describe the atrocities of the Soviet Union.  They were not expecting a moral critique of western society.  But by then Solzhenitsyn had lived in the United States a number of years and was not edified by all that he saw.  He did not equate the American system with the dishonesty and corruption of the Soviet Union.  But, he said, America for a long time had lost a core of virtue.  In place of justice and courage the United States has given itself to materialism, consumerism, and radical individualism.  Solzhenitsyn’s message has the sweet-bitter flavor of the scroll eaten by the seer in today’s first reading and the actions of Jesus in the gospel.

Eating a scroll symbolizes a speaker’s assimilating a message so that it becomes part of him.  It is sweet on the tongue as it means learning God’s will.  But it is bitter when it settles in the stomach because it demands reform that people resist.  This is actually what takes place in the gospel passage.  Jesus, acting on God’s word, cleanses the Temple of venal commercialism.  Many people praise him for such courage.  The religious leaders meanwhile want to kill him for it.  Jesus knows this and so prepares himself for suffering.

We are being called to assimilate the word of God and to live it in the world.  It will both thrill and cost us.  We will find satisfaction in knowing that we are doing God’s work.  At the same time we will hear of cynics judging us as we ask others to cooperate in our service.  We must not shrink from the task.  For love of God and other human beings we have to put into practice the values that Christ has taught.

Homilette for Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thursday of the Second Week in Lent

(Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 16:19-31)

“The line between good and evil,” the Russian novelist and humanitarian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn remarked, “is not drawn between nations or parties, but through every human heart.” We can understand this truth as saying that every one of us has a heart partly corrupted so that it awaits renewal. Executing that renewal is our Lenten project. Similarly, every one has in part a heart palpitating with generosity. Experiencing the growth of that vibrant sector is a source of Easter rejoicing. In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah laments a heart so rotten that it is beyond remedy. In the gospel Jesus gives us an example – the rich man who ignores the beggar at his door.

Certainly the rich man is not punished just for having wealth. That would be like criticizing a healthy person for not taking sick leave. But wealth as well as health has attendant obligations which Pope Paul VI once called a “social mortgage.” The rich must share some of their resources so that the needy not lose their human dignity. Jesus in this Gospel of Luke never tires reminding his disciples of this responsibility.

Donating to the poor carries some risks. A beggar may squander our beneficence on liquor, and even some highly regarded charities have misused contributions. But we must not allow these concerns to trump God’s call to generosity. Prudence indicates who deserves our offerings and how much is appropriate for us to give. Failure to comply with the dictates of prudence may nudge our heart more to the side of corruption.

Homilette for Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Memorial of St. Bonaventure, priest

(Matthew 11:20-24)

When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after his long exile in the United States, he warmly greeted everyone he met. Some people were scandalized that he could treat as friends former members of the Communist Party. But the wise author corrected his critics. “The line between good and evil,” he said, “is not drawn between nations or parties, but through every human heart.”

As Solzhenitsyn indicates, no group is so completely evil that every member is without honor. We can also confidently assert that no person is so perfectly guiltless that she has no need of reform. In the gospel Jesus condemns self-satisfied people who think of themselves as beyond reproach. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are Jewish towns where Jesus has preached repentance as preparation for the Kingdom of God. He has even worked signs in these places demonstrating that indeed the Kingdom is at hand. But the people have not changed their ways. Perhaps they think that keeping a kosher kitchen is enough to assure God’s favor. Or maybe they judge their non-scandalous sins as sufficient grounds for receiving God.

We Catholic Christians must not make the same mistake. We must not fall back on our baptism or even that we come to daily Mass to resist Jesus’ call to conversion. Yes, grace has put us on our way to God. But there are still obstacles in our way. We must recognize our will to have things our own way, our snubbing our noses at others, and the rest of our failings. Then, we need to ask God’s mercy and accept His grace to change.

homilette for February 21, 2008

Thursday of the Second Week in Lent

(Jeremiah 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31)

“The line between good and evil,” the great Russian novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once said, “is not drawn between nations or parties, but through every human heart.” He means that every one of us has a partly corrupted heart waiting renewal. Executing that renewal is precisely our Lenten project. And every one of us has in part a heart palpitating with goodness. Experiencing the growth of that vibrant heart is our cause for Easter rejoicing. In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah laments a heart so rotten that it is beyond remedy. In the gospel Jesus gives us an example – the rich man who ignores the beggar at his door.

Certainly the rich man is not punished just for having wealth. That would be like condemning the healthy person for not making herself sick in caring for others. But wealth (and health as well) has responsibilities attached. The rich must share some of their resources so that the needy may not lose their human dignity. Some might object, “What if the rich man never saw poor Lazarus at his door?” Yes, it is true that riches often bloat the face so that one’s eyes are shut to the needs of those around him or her. But surely this is not an excuse after all that Jesus and other prophets have said about compassion.

Donating to the poor carries some risks. A beggar may squander our gift on liquor. Even some highly regarded charities have misused contributors’ donations. But these concerns must not trump the call to generosity. Prudence indicates who deserves our offerings and how much is appropriate to give. We must respond accordingly. Failure to do so will only nudge our heart more to the side of corruption.