Thursday, June 25, 2020

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 24:8-17; Matthew 7:21-29)

The philosopher David Hume taught the modern era to distrust anything spiritual.  The scientist Charles Darwin showed how life in the natural world has evolved from one form to another.  The writings of these great thinkers among others have led to a rejection of core spiritual beliefs.  Everything seems physical and changeable to the contemporary human.  For this reason many reject Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” which he completes in today’s gospel.

Jesus exhorts his followers not just to hear the sermon but to base their lives on it.  He tells them that only by doing so will they be able to withstand the storms that threaten every life.  Without hope of the kingdom of God they will likely leave the track of personal justice.  Without the Father’s grace they will never be able to live up to the demands that the Sermon makes. 

Jesus has drawn a line in the sand with this great discourse.  He wants us to commit ourselves to him by living what he has just taught.  To do so, we must buck much of modern intellectual thinking.  It may be a scary venture for some.  But we know from the saints that following Jesus leads to true peace.

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51)

In On the Origin of Species Charles Darwin proposed that evolution follows no design or purpose.  According to his theory, changes in living things happen accidently and in many ways.  The best of the changed beings survive and reproduce until even further changes make even better living things.  Most biologists accept Darwin’s ideas as gospel, but not all.   Some find living beings with built-in mechanisms to overcome future changes. These scientists see design and purpose at hand. They would be fascinated by today’s first reading.

Nothing seems to happen accidently when Philip meets the Ethiopian eunuch.  He is directed by an angel to go down the desert road.  The Holy Spirit tells Philip to join the eunuch in his chariot.  When he does, he instructs the eunuch in the Scriptures and eventually baptizes the man.  Then the Spirit snatches Philip off.  In the meantime, another person has joined the rapidly expanding number of Christians.

We believe in Divine Providence. That is, we believe that God creates and moves the universe with our good in mind.  Apparent challenges to faith like that of Darwin arise from time to time.  They may even be helpful to stimulate reflection.  But they will never succeed in contradicting faith because faith goes deeper than science can in viewing the nature of things.  We have the testimony of Jesus, validated through twenty centuries of Christian experience, that God loves us.  We will find our salvation in holding on to that faith.