Friday, November 11, 2022

 Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, bishop

(II John 4-9; Luke 17:26-37)

Jesus’ disciples, like the Pharisees, want to know when and where the kingdom of God will appear.  Perhaps they want to look their best when it arrives.  Jesus, however, does not give either party a definite answer.  He does say, however, “…the kingdom of God is among you.” He means that his personal presence as the long-awaited Christ presages the kingdom.

The saints, shadows of the Christ, likewise herald the kingdom of God.  Today’s patron, St. Martin of Tours, provides a sterling example.  Trained as a soldier, Martin refused to fight and was discharged.  Later, he became a monk and then, against his will, named bishop of Tours in today’s France.  He converted many pagans, opposed Christian heresies, and devoted himself to reconciliation. 

The kingdom of God remains among us.  We are called to be images of Christ showing the love of the kingdom to the world.  We should make no mistake about what this requires.  Like a super-athlete we must train, train, train.  That is, we must pray, study, and offer penance.  As a result, we will leave the world a better place to find for ourselves a place in glory.

Friday, November 12, 2021

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr

(Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37)

Jesus tells his disciples that the end will come quickly.  He is warning them that they will not have a long time to repent of their sins.  Therefore – and this is his point -- they must always be prepared.  They must live like refugees always with bags packed so that they can go on a moment’s notice.  In this case, however, they need good works not the proper clothes and papers for travel.

“Business as usual” will not be good enough.  Disciple virtue should exceed those of other people.  Jesus’ disciples will tell the truth not only when they have nothing to lose but when it brings embarrassment or even punishment.  They will take time to listen to the troubled when they are busy, not only when they have time to waste.  In these ways they will merit Jesus’ favor upon his return.

Today the Church celebrates the first canonized saint of the Eastern Catholic churches.  St. Josaphat was a polish national who became a monk and then a bishop.  As a true disciple, Josaphat did more than most.  He reformed his diocese which was in disarray from a lax clergy.  He also defended Eastern Catholicism caught between the often hostile forces of Orthodoxy and Latin Catholicism. 

  

Friday, November 13, 2015

Memorial of Saint Frances Cabrini, woman religious

(Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37)

“Don’t ask for whom the bells toll, it tolls for thee,” writes poet-priest John Donne. Of course, the bells he has in mind are the death toll.  Although many people prefer to put off thinking about it, the hour of life’s end incessantly approaches.  For those with sixty years behind them, it will surely be sooner rather than later.

Jesus makes the same point in the gospel today.  With an image that might chill a polar bear, he warns, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”  He means that death is part of life because we have bodies which will one day be the food of animals.  So, Jesus admonishes, humans should prepare for the inevitable.

Jesus’ injunction to deal with mortality deserves attention.  Although it is most always prudent to resist death, we prepare for it by self-denial.  Jesus himself is our primary example.  He took up his cross not just in Jerusalem but throughout his public ministry.  St. Frances Cabrini serves as another model.  She gave up her native Italy to work tirelessly with the poor of the United States.  We follow both by dying to self in service of others, by performing periodic penitential acts, and by prayer that recognizes God, not we, is the source of true life.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, bishop

(Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37)

“Don’t ask for whom the bells toll, it tolls for thee,” writes poet-priest John Donne. Of course, the bells he has in mind are the death toll. Although many people prefer to put off thinking about it, the hour of life’s end is always approaching. For those with sixty years behind them, it will surely be sooner rather than later.

Jesus makes the same point in the gospel today. With an image that might chill a polar bear, he warns, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.” He means that death is part of life because we have bodies which will one day be the food of worms if not birds. So, Jesus admonishes, humans should prepare for the inevitable.

Jesus’ injunction to deal with mortality deserves more than passing attention. Although it is certainly legitimate to stave off death through healthy living and medical practice, we need to give ourselves over to death in a sense by self-denial. Jesus himself is our primary example. He took up his cross not just in Jerusalem but throughout his public ministry. St. Martin of Tours serves as another model. He gave up a military career to follow Christ, and when he became a bishop, worked tirelessly to administer his diocese as efficiently and effectively as possible. We follow by living for others not for ourselves, by performing periodic penitential acts, and by praying constantly.

Homilette for Friday, November 13, 2009

Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin

(Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37)

“Don’t ask for whom the bells toll,” the poet-priest John Donne writes, “it tolls for thee.” Of course, the bells in mind here ring the death march. Although we prefer to put off thinking about it, the hour of our judgment is near. For some of us it will be sooner rather than later that we give account of our lives.

Jesus makes the same point in the gospel today. With an image that might send a chill up a polar bear’s back, he says, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.” That is, death is part of our lot in life because we have bodies which will one day stop functioning. So, Jesus adjures us, we must prepare ourselves for the inevitable.

Jesus’ prescription for dealing with our mortality deserves attention. We are not to try staving off death indefinitely through art or science. Rather, we are to give ourselves over to death by denying ourselves. We can look toward St. Frances Cabrini as an example. Like Mother Teresa two generations later, Mother Cabrini worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the poor. It is said that parents chided their teenagers when they came home late, “Who do you think you are -- Mother Cabrini walking the streets day and night?” Still we hope that our young will, like her, extend themselves for the good of others.

Homilette for Friday, November 14, 2008

Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(II John 4-9; Psalm 119; Luke 17:26-37)

One form of dualism sees all material things as evil and all spiritual entities as good. It is said that candidates for dualist sects of this sort often waited until death was imminent before committing themselves completely because they did not want to give up the pleasure of the material world! Christianity is not dualistic, but Christians have always wanted to know when the world will end so that they might prepare themselves to meet the Lord. In the gospel today Jesus’ disciples show interest in the time of his return so that they also might alter their lives appropriately.

However, Jesus does not know the time of his return. He only can say that people will not be expecting his coming when he in fact arrives. Unfortunately, he soberly tells his disciples, most of the people will likely be pursuing their passions at that time. Still the situation is not hopeless. Jesus assures his disciples (who include us, of course) that if those who sincerely seek God’s kingdom will be saved. On the other hand, those who try to build kingdoms for themselves will be lost.

Homilette for Friday, November 16, 2007

Friday, XXXII Week of Ordinary Time

(Luke 17:26-37)

There once was a rich man who wanted to defy those who claimed, “You can’t take it with you.” This rich man arranged that he be buried in his Cadillac. He might have gone out in style but he likely did not get very far. He should have heeded Jesus’ words presented in the gospel today.

The words have an ominous tone. When asked about where the Son of Man will be revealed, Jesus answers, “`Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.’” This line alone could chill the back of a polar bear. It means to say the separation of the good from the bad will happen everywhere, but that is not important. What is critical is that all take note of the message he has made throughout his ministry and repeats here: “`Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.’” Money invested in 401(k) plans will not save us when Jesus is revealed. Rather, if we have been generous with those in need, he will find us wherever we are.

Some perhaps have not taken notice of the words because, it seems, many generations have come and gone without Jesus being revealed. Yet every person’s death may just be that revelation. We certainly believe that God judges each of us at death. He will decide whether we have lived first and foremost for ourselves or whether we considered Him first and put ourselves a distant second.