Tuesday, February 22, 2022

 Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, apostle

 (I Peter 5:1-4; Matthew 16:13-19)

 It was reported that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger carried in his wallet a card authorizing organ transplants.  But when he became pope, the authorization was annulled.  The reason was not that the pope’s organs are sacred or useless.  Rather, it was that a pope’s body is no longer his own to dispose of.  It belongs to the Church.  This sacrifice of disposition of body organs is small in comparison with the others that modern popes make.  The reading from the First Letter of Peter today gives some indication of other denials of self a pope is called to make.

The reading underscores the pope’s need of humility.  It expressly says that he (really any priest) is not to lord it over the faithful.  Such behavior would give counter-testimony to Christ who humbled himself by dying on the cross.  Nor are popes and other priests to seek favors for their work.  Such actions would undermine their credibility.  More positively, they are to eagerly look after and encourage the faithful.  Only joyful care will win hearts to Christ.  The Vicar of Christ, for whom no retirement age is set, will necessarily wear himself out under such responsibilities.  His consolation, of course, is eternal glory upon the Lord’s return.

 All of us should take to heart Peter’s advice to priests.  We never stand so tall as when we bend down to help a poor or weak neighbor.  Seeking special favors for our work would corrupt justice.  It sends a message that we want for ourselves more than is ours by right.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Wednesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25)

Unfortunately our gospel translation omits a word that is in the original Greek manuscripts.  The passage should begin with the word Then.  “Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot…”  This time notation indicates a critical moment in the lives of both Jesus and Judas. 

Jesus has just been anointed by an unknown woman with expensive ointment.  His disciples complain about the waste of money that might have been given to the poor.  But Jesus tells them that there are times when significant outlays of money are justified.  Such a time is burial of the dead for which the woman anointed Jesus.  At the same moment then Judas goes seeking money from the chief priests.  For thirty pieces of silver he will deliver Jesus into their hands.  Actually it is a small amount – the equivalent of paying a hitman approximately $50 for committing murder.  For some other reason Judas must want Jesus out of the way.  Unlike Jesus he does not know the value of things.

A recent statement by Pope emeritus Benedict indicates the value of something that is frequently overlooked today.  The statement was issued to show how the sexual revolution and the deterioration of moral theology gave rise to sexual abuse of children.  In the statement Benedict emphasizes the value of faith.  He says that our Christian faith must be protected.  In the context of sexual abuse this means that the rights of an accused priest must not be exaggerated to the extent that faith in Christ and his Church is jeopardized.  In a larger context it means that we proclaim the priority of faith when contemporaries treat it as superstition or personal preference.  Faith in Jesus gives human life a solid meaning.  It assures the presence of love among persons and nations.  It gives everyone – from the poorest beggar to the wealthiest king – hope for eternal life.

Homilette for Friday, October 17, 2008

(I have begun publishing these reflections on mass readings by 12 noon on the day prior to that on which the passages are read at mass. If, however, many prefer that I publish them earlier, I can return to doing it two days before. If the day of publication is a concern to you, please contact me at cmeleop@yahoo.com.)

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr

(Luke 12:1-7)

On his visit to the United States earlier this year, Pope Benedict warned American bishops about privacy in religion. He said, “To the extent that religion becomes a purely private affair it loses its very soul.” The pope only echoed what Jesus tells us in the gospel today. We are to be especially wary of hypocrisy; that is, our public and private lives need to correspond with each other.

Pope Benedict’s remarks on privacy probably had much to do with some Catholic public officials’ refusal to work for outlawing abortion. The officials claim that such an endeavor would be imposing their private beliefs on the general public. One commentator traces the source of this thinking to John Kennedy’s campaign for President in 1960. The candidate told the ministerial association of Houston that a President’s religion should be a private affair.

There are senses in which a public servant’s religion may remain private. Most American Catholics would grimace if they saw a Catholic President wearing a rosary around her or his neck. Likewise, very few would want any public servant showing exclusive favor to the Catholic Church. On the other hand, we do not want our Catholic officials to shy away from being seen attending Sunday mass. We are even more concerned that they follow their faith-formed consciences regarding public morality.

Homilette for Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Matthew 18:1-5;10;24)

Pope Benedict recently extended the possibilities of using the so-called Tridentine mass. Many Catholics still remember it as the form of the Eucharist in their youth. Of course, the language of the Tridentine mass is Latin which the priest speaks largely with his back to the congregation. In the old days, the people in the pews never responded to the celebrant’s periodic addresses to them. Rather, they just followed the prayers with a missal or said private prayers while the sacramental action was taking place inside the communion rail.

Some of us may ask why the pope would return to this old form of the mass. One reason is found in the gospel today. As Jesus exhorts his disciples to seek out the one in a hundred sheep who goes astray, so the pope is asking priests to accommodate the relatively small number of Catholics who prefer the old rite. He wants to keep religious-minded people within the Church fold by all legitimate means available.

Perhaps some observations on the Tridentine liturgy are in order. First, there has not been a rush to go back to the old form. Most masses are still celebrated in the now familiar way. Therefore, there is no need to fear that the pope intends to impose an antiquated rite on anyone. Second, some pastors, already overburdened with work, might find that adding a Tridentine mass burdensome. Thus, those who want to worship according to the Tridentine rite may have to find a parish where it is offered. In most American cities this should not prove too inconvenient. And third, all Catholics might experiment with the older rite. Perhaps now that they are familiar with all the parts of the Eucharist, the faithful can appreciate the phonetic beauty of Latin and the aesthetics of all the congregation facing in the direction of the rising sun while praying to God.