Sunday, June 20, 2021

 TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY, June 20, 2021

(Job 38: 1.8-11; II Corinthians 5: 14-17; Mark 4: 35-41)

In a famous novel a young man no longer believes in a good God. He says that he cannot accept a God who would allow children to suffer. Instead of asking help from the Holy Spirit, the young man wants to “return the ticket” for church attendance. He does not deny God’s existence. He just won’t give Him any more attention. We see Jesus' disciples ready to do the same thing in the gospel today.

The disciples are in a boat in the middle of a lake when a storm arises. Their situation becomes perilous when the boat begins to take in the water. The disciples wonder if they will survive. Jesus has accompanied them, but he is sleeping. Their predicament resembles that of the first century church when Mark wrote his gospel. The storm represents the persecution that had existed from the church’s beginnings. It seemed to some Christians then that Jesus didn't care if they survived or not.

There is similar unrest within the church today. We know that marriage is a permanent alliance between a man and a woman. It has two purposes: to have children and to increase the mutual good of the couple. However, the world today accepts homosexual marriage as if it were natural. Also, it looks at sexual intimacy simply as means of pleasure. For many couples it does not matter whether the sexual act is open to procreation. Meanwhile, it seems to some as if Pope Francis wants to approve of homosexual relationships. These people ask: “Has he not said, ‘Who am I to judge?’ in cases of homosexuality. And didn't he endorse gay unions in a recent television interview? "

These charges are serious and disturbing. They result from the distortion of what the pope has said and a misunderstanding of his intentions. Like Christ, Pope Francis loves people deeply. He wants everyone - including homosexuals - to grow in human virtue. When he said, "Who am I to judge?" he was referring to priests with some homosexual tendencies but living celibacy with integrity. Likewise, the pope has never been in favor of gay unions that authorize sexual relations. Rather, he knows that homosexuals have needs as well as rights like everyone else. If they live together in the same home, they need insurance benefits and the right to make emergency medical decisions for one another. It should be the same for any couple sharing the same household, a single man living with his mother perhaps. However, the basis of the right has to be sharing the same house, not the same bed.

In the gospel Jesus awakens in time to save the disciples from drowning. Because he loves them, he does not want any of them lost. But he has to correct their mistaken notion that he did not care if they drowned.  Sometimes love requires that we correct the mistakes of those whom we love. This is why Pope Francis recently approved the ban on blessing gay unions. Like Jesus, he does not want to exclude anyone from his love, including – and maybe especially – homosexual persons.  However, neither does he want to bless relationships that are harmful to both society and individuals.

Today is Father's Day in several countries. It's only fair to ask: why do we celebrate our fathers?  Is it simply for passing on their genes to us?  We don't believe that because passing on genes did not cost them anything. No, we celebrate our fathers today for the many efforts they made to see us grow in strength and virtue. We celebrate them today for having fed us. We celebrate them today for correcting us when we were mistaken. We celebrate them today for showing us love when we felt disturbed or lost.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

 

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Acts 12:24-13:5a; John 12:44-50)

Pope Francis once told a group of priests that they should never send anyone away from Confession.  He said that even if one’s situation prohibited the priest from giving absolution, he could at least bless the person.  The pope also said that priests should such a person back, again and again, for additional blessings.  He is only reflecting what Jesus says in today’s gospel and at other points in John.

According to the fourth gospel, Jesus has not come to condemn the world but to save it.  He sees the world is engulfed in deceit and treachery.  People, he finds, often care little, if at all, about one another.  He says that they live in darkness.  But he has brought light to this darkness with his love and truth.  These virtues will save the world from folly.  Propelled by the grace of his death and resurrection, their practitioners will have eternal life.

Many of us too often see the world in black and white.  That is, we want a strict determination between good and bad.  We are unable to work with people so that their charcoal-hued lives might brighten through exposure to Jesus. This negative posture will likely drift us in the direction of evil.  We too should open ourselves to salvation by heeding Jesus’ teaching today.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

 Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

(Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95; John 8:31-42)

Pope Francis was warned that he was taking a risk in going to Iraq.  Believing that the Christians there needed support, he went anyway.  While in the city of Mosul, which was ravaged by ISIS five years ago, the pope spotted three children and an elderly man.  Although they were Muslim, the pope had his car stopped, went over to the children, and blessed them.  A Muslim historian commented that he could see the city as the most beautiful in the world “because I saw it through the eyes of the pope.”  Pope Francis’ love for the suffering encapsulates what Jesus means in today’s gospel.

Jesus is speaking with those Jews “who believed in him.”  They are likely people who are fascinated by his healings but unwilling to change their ways.  Jesus challenges them to be true disciples by “remain(ing) in his word.”  He means that they must acknowledge the Father’s love for them by caring for one another.  The people, however, retort that they are already children of God because they are of the family of Abraham.  Jesus then tells them that being born into a family does not qualify anyone as a child of God.  One must live as he has taught them.

It is not easy.  One Iraqi woman told the pope on his visit that she is trying to forgive the terrorists who murdered her son.  Forgiving one’s mortal enemies culminates the lessons that Jesus gives.  Most of us are still trying to recognize that others have virtues that often surpass our own.

Sunday, November 15, 2020

 THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 

(Proverbs 31: 10-13.19-20.30-31; Thessalonians 5: 1-6; Matthew 25: 14-30)

Last month Pope Francis appeared again in the headlines. The newspapers reported that he already approves of gay marriages or, at least, "civil unions" between homosexuals. Supposedly he said so in a documentary made this year.

The news raised questions from many people. Promoters of the gay lifestyle wondered if the Church will change its condemnation of homosexual acts. Parents began to doubt what they taught their children. Some astute journalists had more pertinent questions. They wanted to know why the new documentary used recorded interviews made from last year for a different audience. They also questioned whether the pope really used the words "civil unions" or was talking about "civil coexistence." In ordinary parlance "civil union" refers to a state-recognized sexual relationship between two people of the same sex. The "civil coexistence" is a broader class of relationships between two people.

Pope Francis is not naive. He knows that the press often distorts his position. Perhaps for this reason he waited a while to respond to the concerns. He wanted to answer precisely to avoid further confusion. It is also not unusual for the Vatican to moderate the tenor of the debate by taking time to respond. It is saying, in effect, that the issues of sex are not the most important, much less the only ones that matter.

The response came through the Vatican’s Secretariat of State. It makes it clear that the pope believes that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. It follows that the Pope wants to reiterate the Church's concern for homosexuals: men and women with homosexual tendencies are human persons in need of family love. First, they need their fathers and mothers not to reject them as if they were undomesticated animals. Also, as adults they should not be deprived of the intimate trust of another person. In the interview made last year, the pope spoke of "a law of civil coexistence" to allow homosexual couples to speak for one another in the event, for example, of a medical emergency. He wanted to assure all people not married but living in the same house that they have the right, as he puts it, to "be legally covered."

The church has long supported the recognition of legal authorities whereby two people living together can share social benefits. But she insists that the scope of the law providing this recognition is not limited to people in a sexual relationship. The two people can be, for another example, a son living with his mother whom he wants covered in his health insurance policy. Presumably Pope Francis had this in mind when he spoke of "a law of civil coexistence."

The actions of Pope Francis provide testimony to the gospel we hear today. When Jesus tells of the man praising the behavior of the servants who invest his money, he is not promoting the stock market. Rather he is showing his disciples the need for charity. To be a Christian awaiting the coming of the Lord we have to do works of mercy. If we only wait sitting on our hands, we will be betraying Jesus who died for us. It is instructive that Pope Francis has the courage to declare himself in favor of people who are often despised, such as immigrants and homosexuals. He in no way wants to condone immorality. Rather, he is promoting the love of Jesus for the poor and outcasts.

In the Second Eucharistic Prayer, the priest asks God to bring the Church "to perfection through charity." Sometimes we miss this goal by not showing charity to different types of person. Pope Francis has taught us how to extend it to all. Hopefully all of us will hear him.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 11:1-11; Matthew 6:7-15)

The story of Job illustrates an important point in the Our Father.  Job is a rich man who pleases God.  Satan, who in the story is part of the heavenly court, believes that Job is faithful because things go his way.  God then allows Satan to test job.  He loses in a flash his property, his family, and his health.  He is tempted to curse God for his misfortune but doesn’t.

In the standard form of the Our Father, we pray, “Lead us not into temptation.”  We are asking God not to have us tempted like Satan tempted Job.  Pope Francis does not like the wording, however, because it can imply something different.  It sounds like God might tempt someone like a drug lord tempts youth to sell drugs for large commissions.  The pope has reportedly approved a translation which says, “Do not let us fall into temptation.” 

It is not likely that the pope’s translation will gain much traction.  The standard prayer is so well established that people will have great difficulty uttering different words.  The real problem is not so much the present wording, which have a legitimate meaning.  Rather the problem is that we do not listen to what we are saying when we pray the Our Father.  We do not tune into the words that Jesus himself has offered us for our salvation.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 8:4-7.10-22a; Mark 2:1-12)

Jesus’ enigmatic question, “Which is easier…?” may be applied to today’s first reading as well as the gospel.  Is it easier for God to create a conquering nation or a holy people? Most will respond unreflectively, “a conquering nation,” but the simple truth is that it is much harder to make a people holy.  Yet this is precisely Jesus’ purpose.

Jesus builds on already present faith.  The reading says, “Jesus saw their faith.” It may be referring to the faith of all present, not just to that of the paralytic’s porters. That is, Jesus may be responding to the faith of all who are coming to believe in him as God’s “favored one.”  Through Jesus’ teaching they begin to see that a nation’s true greatness consists not in having a victorious army but in being a loving people.  The people’s care will extend especially to those most in need – paralytics and the poor.

Pope Francis is making every effort to extend this concept of greatness through compassion.  He is sometimes criticized for insufficient concern about orthodoxy.  By all means preserving the apostolic faith is one of the prime responsibilities of the Bishop of Rome.  For this reason Francis continually asks prayers that he does not fail in his duties.  It might be added, however, that the pope is above all the head of apostles.  His primary task is to carry out Jesus’ mission of forming a holy people who will imitate God’s love for all.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

(Zechariah 1:14-17; Luke 1:39-47)

When Pope Francis travels abroad, he usually goes to the poorest countries or spends much time in the poorest parts of the country he is visiting.  Last week he went to Myanmar and Bangladesh, two of the most problematic nations on earth.  Next month when he visits Peru, Francis will travel to the remote Amazon region where the indigenous are struggling for survival.  He evidently chooses to visit marginalized populations for the same reason that the Lord goes to Jerusalem in today’s first reading.

Zion or Jerusalem at the time of the prophet Zechariah is a shadow of what it was in the days of David and Solomon.  The city was destroyed by the Babylonians and now is trying to rebuild itself without much success.  But God is coming to aid the effort.  He will make the city once again a place of international significance.  People from all over the world will travel there to give praise to the same God.

We can understand the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a similar way.  She is God’s special envoy dispatched to the indigenous of Mexico.  They have been defeated by the Spanish and find themselves being diminished by plague and subjugation. Mary’s semblance as well as her dress is much like their own.  They can feel the pride of blessing with her gracious presence.  Undoubtedly they feel much like Elizabeth in the gospel proclaiming, “’And how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’”  Mary’s response provides the reason.  God takes pity on the poor and lifts up the lowly.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 4:7-15; Matthew 5:27-32)

Pope Francis has been accused of creating confusion over today’s gospel message.  Noting the possibility of divorced and remarried persons receiving Communion in Orthodox churches, Francis floated the idea to the synod of bishops meeting two years ago in Rome.  It cannot be said with complete candor that just because Jesus in the gospel forbids marriage of divorced people, that it is absolutely impossible.  After all, in the very next section of the Sermon on the Mount he forbids the taking of oaths.  Yet presidents and peons have sworn in the name of God.

But divorce affects life at its deepest levels.  It ends a relationship where two people by word and deed have promised lifelong fidelity.  It often leaves children in desperation.  Moreover, as Christian marriage is a sacrament expressing Christ’s love for the Church, divorce becomes a countersign of that love.  Furthermore, the proscription of divorce has been the perpetual practice of the Church since antiquity.

Of course, Francis only wanted to exhibit God’s mercy.  Many innocent people have been adversely affected by divorce, and many divorced persons have undergone significant conversions.  Life’s contingencies do not always neat solutions to these situations.  Yet Francis eventually yielded to the majority opinion of the synod.  In his apostolic exhortation The Joy of Love he restates the traditional teaching of the Church with some pastoral recommendations. 

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, apostle

(I Peter 5:1-4; Matthew 16:13-19)

St. Peter is depicted with different images in the gospels.  At his call as a disciple, he is first seen as a fisherman.  Indeed, Jesus tells him that he will become a “fisher of men.”  Especially in John’s gospel, Peter is given a very different profession – that of a shepherd.  Jesus will tell him to feed his sheep.  In today’s gospel Jesus uses another image for Peter; he is the rock on which Jesus will establish his Church.

We could ask, how is Peter like a rock?  After all, he appears more like sand when he vacillates in his commitment to Jesus.  The answer lies not in any quality that Peter has displayed, but in what God is doing to him.  As Peter is inspired by the Holy Spirit to correctly identify Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” he will be strengthened to oversee direct the mission of the Church.  Certainly Peter has some potential, but he will require special graces to fulfill the tasks of Jesus’ chief steward.

Today we remember Peter precisely as pope.  So we also pray for his current successor, Francis.  He evidently sees his mission not just as calling attention to the poor but also restoring the credibility of the Church.  Many people have turned away from the Church because of priests acting at the same time scandalously and sanctimoniously.  Francis has to model and encourage authentic action.  At the same time he should convince the world that fulfillment is not found in material prosperity but in loving relationships.  Such relationships, of course, find their source and sustenance in knowing Christ.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Friday of the First Week of Advent

(Isaiah 29:17-24, Matthew 9:27-31)

The Feast of St. Cajetan is celebrated with grand fanfare in Argentina.  In a video message three years ago Pope Francis expressed his longing to be there on the occasion.  He also encouraged the people to assist the poor like St. Cajetan did.  He told them that when they give alms, they should not just toss the coin to the poor person but put the coin in the poor person’s hand.  In today’s gospel Jesus restores the sight of the blind with a similar physical touch.

In curing the blind men Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading. The visionary speaks of the time when the tyrant will be overcome and the deprived will be made whole.  He probably has in mind the king of Assyria who was threatening the kingdom of Judah.  But the image can be universalized to mean all rulers who terrorize people.  The prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus who has conquered death to become the just sovereign of all.  Jesus also restores fullness to those with defects.  Very often in the gospels he works such wonders through physical contact.

We are now preparing for the truly awesome feast of Christmas.  If we do it well, we will take time to contemplate why God took on human flesh.  Was it not to show His love by becoming one of us?  Did he not wish to share the frustration we often have at home, at work, and even among friends?  More than feeling our pain, however, Jesus has come to relieve it as we hear today.  He is doing it for each of us as we lift a hand to help one another.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(1 Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 1:1-16.18-23)

In his homily for the canonization of St. Teresa of Kolkata Pope Francis told his audience that they must ask themselves, “’What is God’s will in my life?’”  Mother Teresa as a religious discerned a calling from God to take care of the poor.  She acted on it in such deep and varied ways that her saintliness became evident to the world.  Just so the Virgin Mary, whose birthday we celebrate today, discerned her calling.

Today’s gospel indicates how God planned for eternity the coming of His Son.  His intentions were implemented at once independently and coordinately in the actions of each person in the long list of Jesus’ ancestors.  Most of all, they were construed and acted upon by Mary and Joseph.  The two must have discovered in their reflections why they were born.  That is, Mary found by giving birth and raising Jesus and Joseph by participating in his upbringing answers to Pope Francis’ question: “What is God’s will in my life?”

Each of us should be asking herself or himself the same question.  The answer probably will not be to become a priest or religious.  But it can be said with certainty that the answer will be not only something moral but also something supportive of God’s people.  God has graciously given everyone one of us life so that we might serve others as part of His eternal family.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, apostle

(I Peter 5:1-4; Matthew 16:13-19)

Pope Francis has alarmed many with his prediction that he will not serve very long as Bishop of Rome.  Although he appears strong, he has only one lung.  What is more, he is already in his eightieth year.  Nevertheless, he expends himself by going out of his way to be with the little people who matter so much to God.  He exemplifies as well as any other pope since those who were martyred in the first three centuries, the lesson of today’s first reading.

The passage underscores the pope’s and, indeed, all priests’ need of humility.  It expressly says that they are not to lord it over the faithful.  That kind of behavior would give counter-testimony to Christ who humbled himself to the point of undergoing unjust execution.  Nor are they to seek favors for their work as this would undermine their credibility.  On the positive side, they are to eagerly look after and encourage the faithful.  After all, only joyful care-giving will capture hearts for Christ.  Especially the Vicar of Christ, for whom there is no retirement plan, will necessarily wear himself out with such responsibilities. 

Pope Francis gives of himself so generously as an example to the rest of us.  He wants to encourage us to be humble and to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the needy.  Admittedly he sets the bar high, but we also are strengthened by Christ to serve one another. 

Monday, September 28, 2015

Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary time

 (Zechariah 8:1-4; Luke 9:46-50)

Once Pope Francis scandalized some Catholics.  When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, the future pope, prayed with evangelical Protestants.  He even knelt down for their blessing.  “How could he do that?” the people asked.  “Does he not know that past popes have condemned any kind of collaboration with Protestants?”  These people sound like John in today’s gospel.

When John saw a man casting out demons in Jesus’ name, he and the other disciples tried to stop him.  Perhaps he was only concerned that the man did not have Jesus’ permission to use his name.  It has been suggested, however, that John may have been envious because the disciple’s sometimes have trouble casting out demons themselves.  In any case Jesus corrects him.  It does not matter to Jesus that someone uses his name to do something good.  What is important is that everyone helps the poor and troubled live with dignity.

We might want to ask Jesus if it is necessary tan to be his disciple.  In other words, why are we Catholics?  Is it just because we have been brought up in the Catholic Church or that now most of our friends are Catholic?  These are insufficient motives.  No, we are Catholic because we hear Jesus’ words at mass at least every Sunday.  More importantly, we are Catholic because we are offered his body and blood at mass.  This is no mean gift, of course.  It might be compared to the love and the truth that the Church community has demonstrated for two thousand years!

Monday, August 31, 2015

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 4: 16-30)

After his election as pope, Jorge Bergoglio was beseeched by a fellow South American cardinal not to forget the poor.  The new pope explained afterwards that he chose the name Francis, the poor little one, because he had every intention of assisting the poor.  Today the world has to say that solidarity with the poor is the hallmark of Francis’ papacy.  In this way he is much like Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.

Today we begin daily readings from the third gospel.  Like political candidates often do when beginning a campaign, Jesus has returned to his home town to outline his purpose.  He quotes the prophet Isaiah saying that the Holy Spirit has anointed him to “bring good news to the poor.”  Jesus will fulfill this intention throughout the gospel.  His solidarity to the poor is most beautifully in his observation at the Temple in Jerusalem.  A poor widow has just put all she had in the Temple treasury.  Like her, Jesus will sacrifice his life on the cross to redeem humans.

We must not forget the poor.  They need what so many of us have in abundance – resources to live with dignity.  Many of them have precisely what we need – a simple faith that looks to God for deliverance.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

(Jeremiah7:23-28; Luke 11:14-23)

The other day Pope Francis preached that worldliness transforms souls so that they lose consciousness of reality.  They no longer see other people as images of God worthy of respect but as object of exploitation.  This refusal to see, this blindness runs through both readings today.

Jeremiah speaks of the people’s diffidence to the will of God.  He says that God desires to bring them to happiness but they refuse to follow his lead.  The gospel echoes this faithlessness on the part of the people.  Jesus has cast out a demon – a sign that the reign of God has finally arrived.  But witnesses make excuses to withhold their belief in him.  Frustrated, Jesus draws a line in the sand.  “Whoever is not with me,” he says, “is against me.”

We pray that we have really made an option for Jesus.  Sometimes it is hard to tell because we know that the human person has a million ways to deceive herself.  Yet we know that the best prescription for making an authentic choice for Jesus is to imitate his ways – all of them from prayer in the early morning to serving others well after the sun goes down.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Amos 2:6-10.13-16; Matthew 8:18-22)

Pope Francis has raised eyebrows around the world by speaking against the idolatry of money.  He finds the contemporary situation of a privileged few growing richer “exponentially” while leaving ever farther behind the poor as intolerable.  He sounds much like the prophet Amos in the first reading today.

Amos is preaching in the wealthy Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Although money abounds, so do the poor and injustice.  God gave the people the law to promote both prosperity and community.  But some ignore it in the pursuit of riches.  Their greed results in squalor amidst luxury and widespread scandal.

We must ask ourselves about our disposition toward wealth.  Is becoming rich our ambition?  Following Jesus, we will be moving in another direction.  The one “with nowhere to rest his head” will show us that the joy of his company outpaces the possession of gold.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 7:51-8:1a; John 6:30-35)

A man sends a Twitter message: “As Pope Francis said today: ‘I am a sinner.’ There is something cathartic about saying that to yourself. We should all try it.”  St. Paul seems to have said that often enough with astonishing results.

Paul is introduced in the Acts of the Apostles with today’s reading.  He is, of course, the “Saul” who witnesses St. Stephen’s execution. (Paul, by the way, is not the Hebrew word for Saul but most likely the saint’s name given at birth and Saul the name he used in Jewish company.)  No doubt, the experience of seeing Stephen executed affected Paul profoundly.  At first, he wanted to see all followers of Jesus dispatched in a similar way.  Upon meditation of Stephen’s blessing while be stoned, however, Paul surely wondered about the grace that could allow a man to forgive those who were killing him.

As Pope Francis indicates, all of us sin.  But this does not mean that we are not to overcome sin with the grace of Christ.  Acknowledging ourselves as sinners is the first step in the process.  Then we need to pray for help and finally to act on the grace God offers us to reject temptation.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(James 5:16; Mark 9:41-50)

Pope Francis seems to make headlines every day.  This past weekend in his meeting with the cardinals of the Church he reminded the elite group that their purpose is to serve not to set up court.  They, like all of Christ's disciples, are called to poverty, regardless of the popular conception that they are "princes of the Church."  In today's gospel Jesus reviews the rewards and the risks of being his disciple.

A noted Catholic biblical theologian has shown how the call to discipleship does not apply to all of Jesus' followers, at least in the same manner.  In the gospels Jesus calls his disciples specifically.  They are not to dally but to respond immediately.  They must face the rough road ahead without looking back.  In short, the physical contours of a disciple’s life are formidable.  But not everything on the agenda will challenge their mettle. In today's passage Jesus assures his disciples that they might expect a cup of water from some good people. At the same time, however, he also warns them to take special care not to sin or give scandal.  He calls their desire to follow him salt flavoring fish.  It will appeal to others.  But let it wane and, like salt losing acridity, they could serve only the most menial of purposes.

Are we Jesus' hard-core disciples?  It is not a matter of being a priest or religious but of our relationship to the Lord.  If we live for him, striving both to know him better and to follow his commands, we belong to the chosen group.  If we live more for ourselves, then we should pray for help to change our ways.