Monday, November 6, 2023

Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 11:29-36; Luke 14:12-14)

Anti-Semitism has marred western civilization since the time of Christ.  The polemic against the Pharisees and, to an extent, all Jews in the gospels is understandable.  Jews had ejected Christians from synagogues where they prayed together.  Although some Church Fathers wanted to protect Jews, others quite vehemently condemned them.  The influential Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 mandated that Jews wear marks of identification which could not help but increase hateful discrimination.  The Jewish list of grievances extends for volumes.

St. Paul certainly had a different perspective. He never forsook his Jewish heritage although, of course, he swore complete allegiance to Christ.  In today’s passage from the Letter to the Romans Paul affirms that God’s election of Israel as His “Chosen People” cannot be undone.  As unlikely as it may seem, he foresees the time when they too will become part of Christ’s fold. 

With society becoming increasingly fractionated, we must be ready to stand in solidarity with unjustly persecuted minorities.  We should not allow prejudicial remarks against Blacks, Jews, and other traditionally slandered peoples go uncontested.  Jesus was a Jew, but more importantly he suffered and died on behalf of all.  If we really love him, we will defend the dignity of all human beings.

 

Monday, November 4, 2019

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop

(Romans 11:29-36; Luke 14:12-14)

Since almost the beginning of Christianity, ignorant Christians have harassed Jews.  They have called Jews “Christ-killers” and persecuted some until death.  Such a vindictive spirit contradicts the New Testament as St. Paul explains in today’s first reading. 

The passage states that the call of God to the Jews to be His people is irrevocable.  In other words, despite what happened to Christ, God still claims the Jews as His own.  Paul sees God bringing Jews to righteousness in an unexpected way.  First, He uses the disobedience of Jewish authorities to justify Christians.  Those leaders plotted for Jesus’ crucifixion.  His death and resurrection then unleashed the Holy Spirit sending apostles to the corners of the world.  They converted the pagans to righteousness.  Finally, in Paul’s vision, Jews observing this wonder will seek conversion. 

Many Jews have converted to Christianity, especially in late antiquity.  Still, however, millions of Jews remain.  Are they somehow lost?  Judging by Paul’s criteria, one may think so.  But, as Paul also states, God’s ways are unsearchable.  We find among the Jews many who are both good and loving.  Who is to say that they are not saved?

Monday, November 6, 2017

Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 11:29-36; Luke 14:12-14)

Anti-Semitism has marred western civilization since the time of Christ.  The polemic against the Pharisees and, to an extent, all Jews in the gospels is understandable.  Jews had ejected Christians from synagogues where they prayed together.  Although some Church Fathers wanted to protect Jews, others quite vehemently condemned them.  The influential Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 mandated that Jews wear marks of identification which could not help but increase hateful discrimination.  The Jewish list of grievances extends for volumes.

St. Paul certainly had a different perspective. He never forsook his Jewish heritage although, of course, he swore complete allegiance to Christ.  In today’s passage from the Letter to the Romans Paul affirms that God’s election of Israel as His “Chosen People” cannot be undone.  As unlikely as it may seem, he foresees the time when they too will become part of Christ’s fold. 

With society becoming increasingly fractionated, we must be ready to stand up for all minorities.  We should not allow prejudicial remarks against Blacks, Jews, and other traditionally slandered peoples go uncontested.  Jesus was a Jew, but more importantly he suffered and died on behalf of all.  If we really love him, we will defend the dignity of all human beings.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop

(Romans 11:29-36; 14:12-14)

When Pope Francis tells bishops to refrain from trips abroad to be with their people, he is echoing an abuse prevalent in the Renaissance church.  Bishops of remote dioceses would live in the great cities of the time spending the money of the people they left behind.  This kind of abuse triggered the Protestant reformation and the vigorous Catholic reform from within directed by the Council of Trent.  St. Charles Borromeo, whom we remember today, was one of the leaders of the latter movement.

In some ways Charles was not a likely candidate for leading reform.  Born into a prominent Italian family, he was chosen by his uncle, Pope Pius IV, to be a cardinal and the administrator of the diocese of Milan at twenty-two years of age – a clear case of nepotism.  However, Charles not only took part in the Tridentine Council but vigorously instituted its reforms by establishing seminaries and religious education for children.  When the plague ravished Milan, he personally saw to the care of the sick-poor.

St. Paul writes in the first reading “how unsearchable are (God’s) ways!”  We should recognize that God often works beyond the norms that we impose on reality to produce good where it is unexpected.  This is not to say that we shouldn’t have norms like “no more nepotism” but to caution us from judging any situation differing with our norms as inherently bad.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 11:29-36; Luke 14:12-14)

A religious education program conducted its classes prior to Halloween every year in the parish cemetery. When daylight ebbed, the children grew skittish and ran back to the cemetery entrance where they might feel the security of numbers. The experience provided a spark in the religious ed curriculum but was actually a missed opportunity. Rather than provide a lesson on eternal life, the organizers of the event only added a thrill in an overheated season of excitement. Today is a teachable moment when a walk through a cemetery may reveal God's goodness to people accustomed to taking it for granted.

Humans are created with souls united to bodies as intimately as words and music make up a song. Death separates the two bringing the body to decay and the incorruptible soul (or spirit if you wish) to carry on alone. But there are few historical records of mischief-making spirit-sightings. More likely spirits yearn for bodily reunion perhaps like we feel when we have a tune in our head but have forgotten the words that match it.

Here we see the unsearchable ways of God that St. Paul refers to in the first reading. The souls of the saved are destined to be reunited with their bodies at the end of time just as Jesus' body and soul came together in his resurrection with the result of actual sightings. It promises to be even more glorious than the finale of Beethoven's Choral Symphony where words and music are joined to God’s eternal glory.

Homilette for Monday, November 5, 2007

You will find homilettes for weekdays since October 29 below.

Monday, XXXI Week of Ordinary Time

(Romans 11:29-36)

In the reading from Romans today St. Paul speaks quite optimistically about good coming from evil. The disobedience committed by Jews and Gentiles, he says, is bound to end in salvation for both groups. We may wonder if all evil has such happy endings. Perhaps everyone has at one time or another witnessed the proverbial “cloud with a silver lining”– maybe meeting one’s future spouse while sick in a hospital bed. But what about monumental catastrophes like the 9/11 hijackings; has any commensurate benefit developed from those horrors?

We are pondering the mystery of suffering which, by definition, will not yield a completely satisfactory answer. One approach to understanding human suffering is to recognize that we often do not view reality from a sufficiently distant perspective to see what good comes forth. If we lived in 2107, we might notice much human advancement as a result of 9/11. Another approach, which seems closer to the mark, is to accept suffering as part of the mystery of God. Just as we cannot understand the purpose of all the suffering humans endure so God will always remain incomprehensible to us. It is precisely in accepting suffering and not railing against God as unfair or unendurable for allowing it that that we show our love for God.

Acknowledging that the mystery is suffering is part of the mystery of God, however, does not mean God is capricious or evil. He still loves us beyond reckoning and provides us all we need for eternal life. We only need to cultivate trust in Him by faithfully listening to His word and responding attentively in both prayer and action.