Thursday, August 31, 2017

Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 3:7-13; Matthew 24:42-51)

We think of the “good thief” as the bandit who was crucified with Christ and asked his help.  But the gospels present another “good thief” who more authentically deserves the name.  He is the thief Jesus mentions in today’s passage.  Actually, he is Jesus himself.

Jesus’ extravagant use of parables allows him to call himself a “thief” to make a point.  Like a thief he will return to his people at an unexpected time.  They, therefore, have to prepare themselves for his coming by being constantly alert.  This does not mean that they stand around or even that they polish the candlesticks.  No, being alert or “staying awake” means that that they look for Jesus in the needy.

Who are the needy and how might we help them?  Many live in the parts of town where we seldom find ourselves.  But they are really everywhere.  They are the lonely whom we might engage for a few minutes in conversation.  They are friends deluged with work to whom we might offer a hand for half an hour.  They are the sick, the uneducated, and the aged whom we might spend a few hours a week visiting in hospital, schools, or nursing homes.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 1:1-9; Matthew 24:42-51)

All Christians enjoy the story of the so-called good thief. He is the one of the two men crucified along with Jesus. In the twelfth century this man acquired a name, Dismas, which means death or sunset. The Gospel According to Luke is the only one of the four which mentions the conversation of Dismas with Jesus. Interestingly, Luke never calls him a thief. Rather Luke calls him a “criminal” by which he means revolutionary. It has been speculated that the only valid reason that he may be called a thief is that he stole heaven. Without following Jesus, he is awarded a place at Jesus’ side in Paradise.

Jesus himself may be more properly labeled the “good thief.” In the gospel parable today Jesus compares himself to a thief coming in the night. He means that he will come at the moment when we least expect him to reward his faithful followers with everlasting life.

We can also think of Jesus as a thief in the sense that he steals our souls from the clutches of sin and death. Each of us is inclined to excess in relation to created goods. Whether it be food, drink, or sex we usually want more than is good for us. Jesus’ example and, more importantly, the grace from his death and resurrection enable us to overcome these tendencies. If we move with his divine grace, we too will find a place at his side in Paradise.

Homilette for January 3, 2008

Thursday, The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

(Luke 2:21-24)

“What’s in a name?” an infatuated Juliet asks the handsome Romeo. At first, the two mistakenly believe very little substance resides in a name. But they come to learn there is really much at stake. For their love to mature they must accept who they are and make the necessary sacrifices to overcome the difficulties their identities create.

We reserve much import for the name “Jesus.” I remember being admonished as a boy of six or seven for suggesting that our family name its new dog “Jesus.” In fact, however, it was a popular name for men in biblical times as it is today in Hispanic cultures. “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves.” Certainly, it is an apt name for the Christ who, as God’s agent, saves humans from folly. He does this basically in two ways: by imparting wisdom through his teachings and by bestowing grace through his death and resurrection so that we might practice what we have learned. Because of Jesus we can live in freedom and look forward to heaven.

But providing the literal meaning of a name hardly tells enough about it. It certainly does not reveal why the name “Jesus” is “most holy” as we proclaim on this feast day. For this we must look deeper. Perhaps a telling use of the name late in Luke’s gospel will satisfy our need to know more about the name “Jesus.” Only one person in the four gospels dares to call Jesus by his name alone, without any titles or formalities. This person is not his mother or one of his disciples. It is the so-called good thief. On the cross he calls out to the Lord, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). The direct appeal, of course, incurs no reprimand. Quite the contrary, Jesus seems to award the criminal’s boldness. “This day,” the Lord tells him, “you will be with me in Paradise.”

The name “Jesus” is most holy because when we call it out in faith, God listens. We can be dying sinners, but as long as we repentantly ask Jesus’ mercy, we can depend upon it. To be sure, it is not a magic formula. It is the last, best hope of a contrite heart.

Homilette for Thursday, August 30, 2007

Thursday, XXI Week of Ordinary Time

(Matthew 24)

All Christians love the story of the so-called good thief. He is the man who hung on a cross at the side of Jesus during Jesus’ own crucifixion. In the twelfth century this man acquired a name, “Dismas,” which means death or sunset. The Gospel According to Luke is the only one of the four which mentions the conversation of “Dismas” with Jesus. Interestingly, Luke never calls him a thief. Rather Luke calls him a “criminal” by which he means a marauder or insurrectionist. It has been speculated that the only valid reason that he may be called a thief is that he stole heaven. Without following Jesus, he is awarded a place at Jesus’ side in Paradise.

We might call Jesus himself the “good thief.” In the gospel parable today Jesus compares himself to a thief coming in the night. He means that he will come at the moment when we least expect him to reward his faithful followers with everlasting life.

We can also think of Jesus as a thief in the sense that he steals our souls from the clutches of sin and death. We are all inclined to excess of created goods. Whether it be food, drink, or sex we want more than is good for us. We also like to think of ourselves as more important than others. Jesus’ example and, more importantly, the grace coming from his death and resurrection have enabled us to overcome these tendencies. If we keep on moving with Jesus’ Spirit, we too will have a place at his side in Paradise.

Homilette for Wednesday, January 3

The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Luke 2)

“What’s in a name?” an infatuated Juliet asks the handsome Romeo. At first, the two mistakenly believe very little substance resides in a name. But they come to learn there is really much at stake. For their love to mature they must accept who they are and make necessary sacrifices to overcome the difficulties their identities create.

We reserve much import for the name “Jesus.” I remember being admonished as a boy of six or seven for suggesting that our family name its new dog “Jesus.” In fact, however, it was a popular name for men in biblical times as it is today in Hispanic cultures today. “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves.” Certainly, it is an apt name for the Christ who as God’s agent saves us humans from our folly. He does this basically in two ways: by imparting wisdom through his teachings and by bestowing grace through his death and resurrection to practice what we have learned. Because of Jesus we live in freedom and look forward to heaven.

But providing the literal meaning of a name hardly tells enough about it. It certainly does not reveal why the name “Jesus” is “most holy” as we proclaim on this feast day. For this we must look deeper. Perhaps a telling use of the name late in Luke’s gospel will satisfy our need to know more about the name “Jesus.” Only one person in the four gospels dares to call Jesus by his name alone, without any titles or formalities. This person is not his mother or one of his disciples. It is the so-called good thief. On the cross he calls out to the Lord, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). The direct appeal, of course, brings the thief no reprimand. Quite the contrary, Jesus seems to award his boldness. “This day,” the Lord tells the criminal, “you will be with me in Paradise.”

The name “Jesus” is most holy because when we call it out in faith, God listens. We can be dying sinners, but as long as we repentantly ask Jesus’ mercy, we can depend upon it. To be sure, it is not a magic formula. But it is the last, best hope of a contrite heart.