Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Isaiah 7:1-9; Matthew 11:20-24)
Isaiah’s exhortation to Ahaz in the first reading, “…unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm,” enables us to understand the critical importance of faith to survival as a nation. God wants to assure Judah that its hope ultimately lies in Him. Trusting in armies or in alliances will not suffice. It must do as the Lord commands; it must trust in God above all.
Such a stance seems naïve if not bizarre to many today. After all, no nation makes a covenant with God like Israel did. And all nations know the necessity of military strength to deter rogue counterparts from taking advantage of them. However, nations still rise and fall by their fundamental beliefs which are spiritual in substance. The United States, for example, could not have become the power that it is without beliefs in the sanctity of the individual and the need of discipline for development both as a society and as individuals. These values are not exclusively Judeo-Christian, but the dominant American religious heritage has fostered them from the beginning. To continue as one nation in the future then, Americans must inspire their young to maintain firm belief in both. They certainly do so when they pass on religious faith as the basis of standing in society.
Showing posts with label Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Show all posts
Homilette for Friday, May 16, 2008
Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(James 2:14-24; 26)
Leave it to a debate to clarify different points of view. Recently, self-professed atheist Christopher Hitchens and scholarly Christian Dinesh D’Souza have conducted a series of debates about God’s existence. The exchanges have left listeners with deeper questions about God and greater appreciation of faith in Him. We can read the passage from the Letter of James today as a debate rebuttal to some commentators on St. Paul.
It is important to distinguish St. Paul from his more radical interpreters. Paul understood the importance of love in the practice of faith. He was concerned, however, with Jews who thought meticulous attention to the Law was sufficient for salvation. He wrote the Galatians, “For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” His interpreters, among whom seemingly is Martin Luther, have thought him to mean that “faith alone,” a phrase not found in Scripture, is enough. It was to these interpreters that James directed his famous statement, “...faith without works is dead.”
Which then is more important for salvation – faith because it is primary or love which Paul calls the greatest virtue? C.S. Lewis once said that asking this question is like asking which blade of a scissors is more important. Both are indispensable. Faith without love is like a car without gas. It will not move very far. Love without faith will inevitably falter since humans need Christ’s grace as surely as they need a vehicle to reach all points on the earth.
(James 2:14-24; 26)
Leave it to a debate to clarify different points of view. Recently, self-professed atheist Christopher Hitchens and scholarly Christian Dinesh D’Souza have conducted a series of debates about God’s existence. The exchanges have left listeners with deeper questions about God and greater appreciation of faith in Him. We can read the passage from the Letter of James today as a debate rebuttal to some commentators on St. Paul.
It is important to distinguish St. Paul from his more radical interpreters. Paul understood the importance of love in the practice of faith. He was concerned, however, with Jews who thought meticulous attention to the Law was sufficient for salvation. He wrote the Galatians, “For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” His interpreters, among whom seemingly is Martin Luther, have thought him to mean that “faith alone,” a phrase not found in Scripture, is enough. It was to these interpreters that James directed his famous statement, “...faith without works is dead.”
Which then is more important for salvation – faith because it is primary or love which Paul calls the greatest virtue? C.S. Lewis once said that asking this question is like asking which blade of a scissors is more important. Both are indispensable. Faith without love is like a car without gas. It will not move very far. Love without faith will inevitably falter since humans need Christ’s grace as surely as they need a vehicle to reach all points on the earth.
Homilette for January 8, 2008
Tuesday after Epiphany
(Psalm 72:1-2; 3-4; 7-8)
Recently the Vatican Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement on evangelization. The congregation serves as a watchdog against errors that creep up in the Church. The recent statement typically had a tone of correction. But the faithful, even the theologians whom the Congregation had in mind, should take the document as an aid to understanding our faith.
The statement reaffirms the need to go out and “make disciples of all nations.” We cannot be content with missionary activity, whether at home or abroad, that only seeks to assist human development. Missionaries, which all Christians in a sense become by virtue of Baptism, must strive to convince people by words and deeds that Jesus is Lord and invite them to worship him. Evangelization does not mean proselytizing in its current sense of imposing one’s religion on people of other faith traditions by criticizing those traditions and alluring them with material rewards.
The responsorial psalm today indicates why evangelization is such a critical need. We believe that Jesus is both the king and the king’s son. When the whole world comes to worship him, peace will reign among nations and justice will spring up among all people. All this will occur because Jesus’ law is the Holy Spirit which transforms human hearts.
(Psalm 72:1-2; 3-4; 7-8)
Recently the Vatican Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement on evangelization. The congregation serves as a watchdog against errors that creep up in the Church. The recent statement typically had a tone of correction. But the faithful, even the theologians whom the Congregation had in mind, should take the document as an aid to understanding our faith.
The statement reaffirms the need to go out and “make disciples of all nations.” We cannot be content with missionary activity, whether at home or abroad, that only seeks to assist human development. Missionaries, which all Christians in a sense become by virtue of Baptism, must strive to convince people by words and deeds that Jesus is Lord and invite them to worship him. Evangelization does not mean proselytizing in its current sense of imposing one’s religion on people of other faith traditions by criticizing those traditions and alluring them with material rewards.
The responsorial psalm today indicates why evangelization is such a critical need. We believe that Jesus is both the king and the king’s son. When the whole world comes to worship him, peace will reign among nations and justice will spring up among all people. All this will occur because Jesus’ law is the Holy Spirit which transforms human hearts.
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