Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs

(II Timothy 1: 1-3.6-12; Mark 12:18-27)

Bob Santamaria was an Australian Catholic famous for organizing labor and defending Church teaching.  In the 1940s and 50s  Santamaria educated workers on the factory floor of the dangers of Communist ideology.  In this way he helped save the nation from Communist government.  In the effort he was inspired by the Catholic social teaching of Popes Leo XIII and Pius XI.  Later he defended as well the controversial teachings on the family of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II.  Bob Santamaria did what St. Paul encourages Timothy to do in today’s first reading.

Sensing some discouragement in Timothy, Paul tells his disciple to “stir into flame the gift of God.”   This gift is nothing less than the Holy Spirit.  It comes with the laying on of hands both in Confirmation and in Ordination.  The Spirit strengthens the person for service in Church and world.  Not being timid, the Spirit prompts Christians to defend life whether from abortion and the hangman.

At times, we tire of working for the Lord.  Friends may think the work strange or worthless.  We yearn to live like, we imagine, everyone else - pursuing their own desires.  At these moments we should heed Paul’s admonition.  We should call upon the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with peace from serving the King.

Homilette for Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Timothy 1:1-3; 6-12)

As we are about to begin the Jubilee Year of St. Paul, let us take a look at the first reading. The Second Letter to Timothy comprises one of the three so-called Pastoral Epistles. Biblicists have conferred this distinction because these letters deal with pastoral problems of the early Church. Because the problems appear to be related to times after the death of St. Paul, most biblicists believe them to be pseudonymous. That is, they were written by a person or persons other than Paul of Tarsus. The present letter, however, does not touch on pastoral problems to the same extent as I Timothy and Titus, the other two pastorals. For this reason it is regarded as written earlier than the other two and possibly containing historical data regarding Paul’s final days.

Pseudonymous or not, II Timothy has helped form the popular idea of Paul as a tireless apostle. Toward the end of the letter, it pictures Paul describing his struggle for authenticity: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” No doubt, these words have inspired many Christians to hold on to virtue until the end. Today’s passage should likewise inspire us to exert ourselves on behalf of Christ. Paul is said to prod Timothy to stir into flame the gift of God received through the imposition of hands. Although the gift here is probably related to Ordination, we can also think of it as dealing with Confirmation. We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit to arrest vice and to bring about justice. This requires ceaseless effort that often leaves us exhausted. So from time to time we must rekindle the flame of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.