Wednesday, July 30, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 34:19-35; Matthew 13:44-46)

Today’s reading from Exodus provides a positive outcome to Israel’s tragic idolatry.  After worshipping the golden calf, the nation has been purged and punished.  Moses has reestablished the covenant between God and Israel and will remain until death its leader more respected than ever. He also bears a mark of glory. For the time he has spent with the Lord on Sinai, he emerges with a resplendent face.

For much of the Christian era Moses’ face was misunderstood.  A mistranslation rendered the Hebrew for “radiant skin” “sprouting horns.”  For this reason Michelangelo’s magnificent sculpture of Moses shows two horns sprouting from the top of Moses’ head. It was not a ridiculous idea as the horns of bulls and rams symbolized power in the ancient world.  However, in this case the words tell of a projection not of horns from his head but of shafts of light from Moses’ face.  Light is God’s first creation and ever representative of his glory.

We will soon hear of Jesus’ resplendence in the account of the Transfiguration.  More than Moses over the Israelites, he is our justifier and leader.  His paschal triumph has made an end to the sin of the world.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 34:29-35; Matthew 13:44-46)

One of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures shows Moses with horns coming out of his head!  It was not that Michelangelo thought Moses some kind of devil.  Rather he was faithfully depicting the figure described in the Latin Bible that was used at the time.  In it the Hebrew word for radiance was incorrectly translated as horn.  Hence the great sculptor and religious devotee shapes horns protruding from Moses’ head.  Moses is radiant, of course, from having spent time with God who imparts his wisdom to him in the Ten Commandments. 

The gospels speak of Jesus as having a similar radiance when he is transformed on the mountaintop.  He also has seen God face-to-face.  We learn from him even more clearly God’s will for us.  Today’s gospel expresses that will as seeking the kingdom of God.  It tells us not to allow anything or anyone to take priority to living the joy and peace of that life.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 13:1-16; Mark 2:23-28)

Of all Renaissance artists none besides, perhaps, Leonardo da Vinci characterizes the age better than Michelangelo. And of all Michelangelo’s works none illustrates the spirit of the Renaissance better than his statue of David. Tall, graceful, muscular yet elegantly reserved Michelangelo’s David glorifies humanity, not above God but as the epitome of God’s creation.

The perfect form Michelangelo carved out of stone God saw first. The first reading today gives the story. The Lord tells Samuel that He does not judge by appearances but looks into a person’s heart. For this reason He dismisses the eminently fair but still wanting older sons of Jesse and finds in the youthful David the perfect candidate for king. David, of course, will lead Israel to its height as a world power. He will conquer nations and bring prosperity to the people.

Many young men would say that they would die for David’s physique, at least as portrayed by Michelangelo. And perhaps many young women would like to date such a handsome specimen. But such fantasies miss the point of what the Scripture is expressing and, probably, the sculpture as well mean to convey. Again, it is not by outward appearances that God judges but by the inner working of one’s heart. Men and women both should aspire to have David’s youthful nobility that recognizes God as the source of his strength and service to others as its purpose.

Homilette for January 28, 2008

Monday, The Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church

(Mark 3:22-20)

Art scholars attribute the genius of Raphael Sanzio to his ability to adapt the technical brilliance of two other celebrated artists of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He took a pose style of Leonardo for his famous painting of St. Catherine of Alexandria. In Michelangelo’s works Raphael found the kneeling posture which he uses in a painting of Jesus’ deposition from the cross. But no one should consider Raphael a copy-cat. Rather, he forged a unique painting style on his own. Still he was not too proud to draw upon the insights of other masters.

Similarly, St. Thomas Aquinas was anything but proud. He also adapts the wisdom of two supreme masters. As a philosophical resource he relies repeatedly on the learning of Aristotle, “the Philosopher.” And as a theological compass St. Thomas uses the writings of St. Augustine. However, contrary to popular opinion, St. Thomas even more pervasively defers to a third source. Everywhere he cites Scripture. How could he do otherwise? St. Thomas’ title at the University of Paris was Magister in Sacra Pagina, Master of the Sacred Page.

Thomas’ commentaries on various books of the Bible contain a good deal of his theology and spirituality. His masterwork, the Summa Theologiae, likewise provides insights into many, many Scriptural verses as it builds a synthesis of all Catholic doctrine. For example, the Summa elucidates the intriguing concept of “an everlasting (or unpardonable) sin” that we hear of in today’s gospel. After typically making necessary distinctions, St. Thomas declares that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is considered unpardonable because by its nature it removes the elements that lead to repentance – fear of punishment and hope of heaven. But, St. Thomas graciously adds, the sin does not leave its perpetrator completely helpless. God in his mercy and love might still open the way to repentance and forgiveness by extraordinary means.

Homilette for January 22, 2008

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 13:1-16)

Of all the artists of the Renaissance none, besides perhaps Leonardo da Vinci, characterizes the age better than Michelangelo. And of all Michelangelo’s works none illustrates the spirit of the Renaissance better than his statue of David. Tall, graceful, strong but elegantly reserved Michelangelo’s David glorifies humanity, not above God but as the epitome of God’s creation.

In the first reading the Lord tells Samuel that He does not judge a person by appearances but looks into the heart. For this reason He waits until Samuel presents the young David as a candidate for king of Israel. We can compare fourteenth century Europe to time of the election of David. As Saul shows himself unworthy of kingship under God, Europe was decimated of one third of its population by the Black Death. No doubt, to some the time appeared to be the end for an ignoble humanity. But Michelangelo, representing the insight of the Renaissance in his work, perceived that humanity’s unrelenting spirit would, to paraphrase William Faulkner, not only endure but prevail.

Sometimes in our generation it seems that humanity is up to no good and will suffer a tragic end. Not only do we cheapen ourselves unashamedly with television rot and barbarous music; we also build bombs capable of destroying the human race. With the help of God we too must look to the core of our nature and find the nobility of our humanity. Then we have to renew our civilization once again with that in mind.

Homilette for Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Wednesday, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Ligouri

(Exodus 34)

One of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures shows Moses with horns coming out of his head! It was not that Michelangelo thought Moses some kind of devil but that he was faithfully depicting the figure described in the Latin Bible that was used at the time. In it Hebrew word for radiance was incorrectly translated as horn; hence Moses had horns protruding from his head. Moses is radiant, of course, from having spent time with God who imparts his wisdom in the Ten Commandments.

Putting the Commandments aside for a moment, today, as yesterday, the Church celebrates the founder of a great religious order. St. Alphonsus Ligouri started the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or Redemptorists. St. Alphonsus achieved notoriety also for his brilliance as a moral theologian. It is said that he consistently gave opinions that steered a prudent path between rigorism and laxity, two dangerous currents that can throw the People of God off course. Many Redemptorists have followed their patron in writing excellent moral theology.

We too want to follow St. Alphonsus’ prudent course in obeying the Ten Commandments and in practicing virtue. Rigorism can make us neo-Pharisees joylessly looking for faults in others. Laxity, the greater challenge today, can lead us to idolatry as we worship creation and not the Creator.