Thursday, XX Week of Ordinary Time
(Judges 11 and Matthew 22)
Both the reading from the Book of Judges and the one from the Matthew’s gospel are so dispiriting that they require critical explanation. Many people find throwing a person out of a wedding reception simply because he lacks the expected clothing as outrageous. Human sacrifice is, of course, abominable in itself. What do scholars say about these biblical stories?
Human sacrifice is prohibited in the Covenant Law. It was probably practiced among the early Israelites because they associated with pagan peoples. The fact that the biblical writer makes no attempt to describe the sacrifice indicates his disproval. However, he sees as laudable Jephthah’s keeping his vow to God even though it means the death of his daughter and the end of his bloodline. Likewise, the writer understands the maiden’s willingness to accommodate her father’s vow to God even at the cost of her life as praiseworthy. The Virgin Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel in Luke’s Gospel echoes the maiden’s words, “’Do with me as you have vowed.’”
This gospel parable is intended as an allegory. Every element of it has a counterpart in the story of our salvation. For example, the people who refuse to come to the banquet should be taken as the Jews, the original Chosen People. Those who finally attend the banquet need to have responded to God’s invitation by making some preparations. They cannot participate if all that they have done is show up for the event. No, they need to have dressed themselves in good deeds which are symbolized by the wedding garment.
Homilette ofr Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Wednesday, Queenship of Mary
(Judges 9 and Matthew 19)
Fables are short stories humanizing animals or other non-human entities to deliver a moral. Most of us have heard of Aesop’s famous fables of antiquity. The reading from the Book of Judges today tells a fable about the appointment of a king for Israel. Nobler trees refuse the honor of kingship among trees so a buckthorn, which is no more than a scrub bush, assumes the office. The buckthorn represents Abimelech, the cutthroat son of Gideon, who slaughtered seventy half-brothers to secure his throne. He proves consistent in maliciousness by burning alive the people of Migdal-shechem as the reading anticipates.
The moral offered by the story is that Israel should not seek a king but accept the kingship of God. Accepting anything less will only bring heartache on the people as the full story shows. Jesus in the Gospel passage is preaching the Kingship of God as well. He begins by the familiar statement, “The Kingdom of heaven is like ...,” and proceeds to tell the parable of the workers in the vineyard. In the parable some of the workers grumble because the landowner, the God-figure in the story, chooses to pay all his workers the same salary. The point is that God would have every worker earning enough to feed his family. The grumblers insist on a more exacting form of compensation.
Today we celebrate the Queenship of Mary. This title, of course, points to the Kingship of her son Jesus Christ. These are no honorary or meaningless offices. Jesus and Mary rule over us when we live by their standards. Besides the compassion demonstrated in the parable, they show us – among other virtues -- prayerful attentiveness, implicit honesty, and courageous love.
(Judges 9 and Matthew 19)
Fables are short stories humanizing animals or other non-human entities to deliver a moral. Most of us have heard of Aesop’s famous fables of antiquity. The reading from the Book of Judges today tells a fable about the appointment of a king for Israel. Nobler trees refuse the honor of kingship among trees so a buckthorn, which is no more than a scrub bush, assumes the office. The buckthorn represents Abimelech, the cutthroat son of Gideon, who slaughtered seventy half-brothers to secure his throne. He proves consistent in maliciousness by burning alive the people of Migdal-shechem as the reading anticipates.
The moral offered by the story is that Israel should not seek a king but accept the kingship of God. Accepting anything less will only bring heartache on the people as the full story shows. Jesus in the Gospel passage is preaching the Kingship of God as well. He begins by the familiar statement, “The Kingdom of heaven is like ...,” and proceeds to tell the parable of the workers in the vineyard. In the parable some of the workers grumble because the landowner, the God-figure in the story, chooses to pay all his workers the same salary. The point is that God would have every worker earning enough to feed his family. The grumblers insist on a more exacting form of compensation.
Today we celebrate the Queenship of Mary. This title, of course, points to the Kingship of her son Jesus Christ. These are no honorary or meaningless offices. Jesus and Mary rule over us when we live by their standards. Besides the compassion demonstrated in the parable, they show us – among other virtues -- prayerful attentiveness, implicit honesty, and courageous love.
Homilette for Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Tuesday, Memorial of St. Pius X, pope
(Judges 6)
The frank dialogue between Gideon and the Lord sounds like the script of a twentieth century play. When God assures Gideon that He is with His people, Gideon retorts cynically, if you are with us then why have we suffered so much humiliation? Actually the passage from the book of Judges read yesterday at Mass provides the reason for the lack of Israelite success. The Israelites have been unfaithful to their Covenant with God. Compromising their integrity as a people, they become easy prey to enemies.
Gideon may be talking a bit casually to God because he is not sure if the stranger before him is really the Lord. He asks for a sign which is soon given in the form of fire consuming Gideon’s sacrificial food offering. Then Gideon begins to wonder if he will have to suffer for his casualness, but God reassures him that he will be fine.
We may long to have a casual conversation with the Lord like Gideon. Why do we doubt its possibility? St. Paul will tell us that we see God face-to-face in Jesus Christ. He is present to us in the Eucharist where many around the world today are finding great solace in dialoguing with him in adoration. When we encounter him in such a way, we are likely to hear him encourage us, as he does Gideon in the reading, to take up a challenge like defending those whose plight is precarious.
(Judges 6)
The frank dialogue between Gideon and the Lord sounds like the script of a twentieth century play. When God assures Gideon that He is with His people, Gideon retorts cynically, if you are with us then why have we suffered so much humiliation? Actually the passage from the book of Judges read yesterday at Mass provides the reason for the lack of Israelite success. The Israelites have been unfaithful to their Covenant with God. Compromising their integrity as a people, they become easy prey to enemies.
Gideon may be talking a bit casually to God because he is not sure if the stranger before him is really the Lord. He asks for a sign which is soon given in the form of fire consuming Gideon’s sacrificial food offering. Then Gideon begins to wonder if he will have to suffer for his casualness, but God reassures him that he will be fine.
We may long to have a casual conversation with the Lord like Gideon. Why do we doubt its possibility? St. Paul will tell us that we see God face-to-face in Jesus Christ. He is present to us in the Eucharist where many around the world today are finding great solace in dialoguing with him in adoration. When we encounter him in such a way, we are likely to hear him encourage us, as he does Gideon in the reading, to take up a challenge like defending those whose plight is precarious.
Homilette for Monday, August 20, 2007
Memorial of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
(Matthew 19)
A team of psychologists recently analyzed data of surveys given to college students over the last twenty years. They report that there is an increasing amount of narcissism among American youth. Although a positive self image is desirable, the psychologists claim that narcissism, which is an exaggerated self-image, often results in social pathology. Difficulty forming meaningful relationships, materialism, and greater likelihood of infidelity, substance abuse, and violence are all associated with narcissism. Is it any wonder then that there are few vocations today to the priesthood and religious life?
The young man in the gospel demonstrates a bit of narcissism. He appears both sincere and good-hearted as he confronts Jesus. No doubt he keeps all the commandments as he says. But eternal life for the Gospel of Matthew, and even more for the Gospel of John, means to follow Jesus. For this earnest young man at least following Jesus will require dispossessing himself of his riches to walk at Jesus’ side. But, of course, it seems too great a sacrifice for the person because he loves his riches.
Jesus’ words should test all of us. Although most of us do not have to sell all that we have for the sake of the poor, each of us is called to follow Jesus. This means listening to his words and dialoguing with him in prayer. It also includes acting with intentionality and generosity in whatever he asks of us personally. Is it hard? Maybe, but we must not forget that we are after the same goal of the rich young man. We too seek eternal life.
(Matthew 19)
A team of psychologists recently analyzed data of surveys given to college students over the last twenty years. They report that there is an increasing amount of narcissism among American youth. Although a positive self image is desirable, the psychologists claim that narcissism, which is an exaggerated self-image, often results in social pathology. Difficulty forming meaningful relationships, materialism, and greater likelihood of infidelity, substance abuse, and violence are all associated with narcissism. Is it any wonder then that there are few vocations today to the priesthood and religious life?
The young man in the gospel demonstrates a bit of narcissism. He appears both sincere and good-hearted as he confronts Jesus. No doubt he keeps all the commandments as he says. But eternal life for the Gospel of Matthew, and even more for the Gospel of John, means to follow Jesus. For this earnest young man at least following Jesus will require dispossessing himself of his riches to walk at Jesus’ side. But, of course, it seems too great a sacrifice for the person because he loves his riches.
Jesus’ words should test all of us. Although most of us do not have to sell all that we have for the sake of the poor, each of us is called to follow Jesus. This means listening to his words and dialoguing with him in prayer. It also includes acting with intentionality and generosity in whatever he asks of us personally. Is it hard? Maybe, but we must not forget that we are after the same goal of the rich young man. We too seek eternal life.
Homilette for Friday, August 17, 2007
Friday, XIX Week of Ordinary Time
(Matthew 19)
A generation ago a Protestant theologian stirred up controversy by writing a book on the sexuality of Jesus. He said that Jesus likely had a wife because marriage has always been highly valued in Jewish culture and nowhere do the gospels say that he was not married. In fact, the theologian argued that since most Jews in the first century married, the gospel writers just assumed that readers understood that Jesus was also married. Of course, the best-selling The Da Vinci Code created a much greater uproar by supposing Mary Magdalene to be Jesus’ wife.
Careful scholars, however, point to today’s gospel as a powerful argument against the likelihood that Jesus had a wife. When he talks about men renouncing marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God, he most likely has himself in mind. After all, no one was more committed to establishing that Kingdom than he. It is also telling that when Jesus is confronted by his mother and other family members, nothing is said about a wife being with them.
Of course, just because Jesus was celibate, not all workers of the Kingdom must be so. Priests, for example, might be allowed to marry. This seems to have been the general practice in the first millennium of Christianity and perhaps it will resume at some point in the third. We have all heard several reasonable arguments to change the practice. Yet celibacy is an invaluable counter-sign in a world that greatly exaggerates sexuality. Priests and religious vowing to forego a wife or husband and family tell the world that there is a value more important than personal satisfaction. Indeed, their living the vow with integrity and happiness indicates that God’s Kingdom will exceed all human desires.
(Matthew 19)
A generation ago a Protestant theologian stirred up controversy by writing a book on the sexuality of Jesus. He said that Jesus likely had a wife because marriage has always been highly valued in Jewish culture and nowhere do the gospels say that he was not married. In fact, the theologian argued that since most Jews in the first century married, the gospel writers just assumed that readers understood that Jesus was also married. Of course, the best-selling The Da Vinci Code created a much greater uproar by supposing Mary Magdalene to be Jesus’ wife.
Careful scholars, however, point to today’s gospel as a powerful argument against the likelihood that Jesus had a wife. When he talks about men renouncing marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God, he most likely has himself in mind. After all, no one was more committed to establishing that Kingdom than he. It is also telling that when Jesus is confronted by his mother and other family members, nothing is said about a wife being with them.
Of course, just because Jesus was celibate, not all workers of the Kingdom must be so. Priests, for example, might be allowed to marry. This seems to have been the general practice in the first millennium of Christianity and perhaps it will resume at some point in the third. We have all heard several reasonable arguments to change the practice. Yet celibacy is an invaluable counter-sign in a world that greatly exaggerates sexuality. Priests and religious vowing to forego a wife or husband and family tell the world that there is a value more important than personal satisfaction. Indeed, their living the vow with integrity and happiness indicates that God’s Kingdom will exceed all human desires.
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