Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Memorial of Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin

(Exodus 2:1-15a; Matthew 11:20-24)

Kateri Tekakwitha’s life was short and hard.  At the age of four she and her family contracted smallpox which left her both orphaned and physically impaired.  In becoming a Christian she was rejected by the Iroquois tribe among whom she grew up in what is now New York State.  She emigrated to the indigenous Christian community near Montreal.  There she might have chosen resentment for all the setbacks she experienced.  Instead, she devoted herself to prayer to God and concern for others.  She can be seen as a model of the conversion which Jesus desires in today’s gospel.

Jesus laments over the towns of Galilee where he has worked wonders to no avail.  Despite his preaching and cures, the people carry on with life as usual.  Whether they do not accept his message or refuse to respond out of laziness, Jesus cannot but regret their failure.  The prophetic “woes” he utters are condemnations for the refusal to live in accordance with God’s loving mercy.  

The life that Jesus calls for is not that we begin to pray all the time although that would be helpful.  He wants us to change our hearts - to live with compassion for others like Kateri Tekakwitha.  He wants us to imitate the very goodness of God.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 7:1-9; Matthew 11:20-24)

Forty-five years ago the respected psychoanalyst Karl Menninger astounded American society.  Although a defender of mental illness, Menninger published a book entitled Whatever Became of Sin?  His answer to the question was that regular people often try to cover up responsibility for their evil acts with medical jargon.  Menninger understood, along with Jesus in today’s gospel, that this kind of evasion indicates a sick society.

Jesus preaches that before they can experience the love of God, people must acknowledge their faults and change their lives.  He says that inhabitants of Capernaum, where he lived, have been especially reluctant to meet this demand.  Hardly the ever-smiling pacifist, Jesus preaches eventual destruction to those who refuse to repent.

Still Jesus was no “fire and brimstone” preacher like John the Baptist.  But he does recognize the commonness of sin and the need to purify ourselves of it.  Whether our sin be sloth or sex, we must stop making excuses for it.  Rather we need to confess it and make every effort to put it behind us.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Memorial of Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin

(Exodus 2:1-15a; Matthew 11:20-24)

Kateri Tekakwitha’s life was short but hard.  At the age of four her family contracted smallpox which left her both orphaned and physically impaired.  In becoming a Christian she was rejected by the Iroquois tribe among whom she grew up in what is now New York State.  She immigrated to the indigenous Christian community near Montreal.  There she might have chosen resentment for all the troubles she experienced.  Instead she devoted herself to God and concern for others.  She can be seen as a model of the conversion which Jesus desires in the gospel today.

Jesus laments the towns of Galilee where he has worked wonders to no avail.  Despite his cures, the people go on with life as usual.  They refuse to respond to the wonder of God’s mercy shown in His servant Jesus.  Jesus cannot but regret their obtuseness.  The woes he makes are expressions of condemnation for their refusal to change themselves to live in accordance with God’s loving mercy.   

The change that Jesus calls for is not that we begin to pray all the time although that would be most helpful.  He wants us to change our hearts, to live with compassion for others and not in constant judgment.  He wants us to imitate the very goodness of God.

Homilette for Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekawitha, virgin

(Exodus 2:1-15a; Matthew 11:20-24)

We rightly say that God is all-forgiving. But we should not think this means that He automatically forgives all our sins! Rather, we can rest assured that God forgives all the sins that we sincerely repent of. If there is an unforgiveable sin, it is that which inherently precludes asking pardon like, perhaps, one’s preempting the action of the Holy Spirit by solemn oath. This is to say that if we somehow make a pact with the devil like the famous case of Dr. Faust. It should be added that we cannot judge who is forgiven and is not. Scripture reminds us that only God can scrutinize the human heart for sincere repentance.

In today’s gospel Jesus manifests the necessity of responding to God with repentance. The mighty deeds he performs are indications of God’s presence in him. They are not meant just to impress us but to summon reform within us. Something like those people on television who receive absolutely free a brand new home are expected not just to care for it but to show care to others, we who witness Jesus’ mighty deeds in the graciousness of those around us are expected to live earnestly our faith in God. Evidently many in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum after witnessing Jesus’ cures and exorcisms refuse to take up his message of reform. Now he warns them that they will pay for their apathy. We want to take care that we do much better than they.

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.