Memorial of St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the Church
(John 16:20-23)
In the gospel Jesus describes a mother’s joy in giving birth. Today we would want to include the father’s participation in that bliss. In having children parents contribute to the great chain of life. They not only experience solidarity with humanity but also realize a primordial personal goal. Their genetic material – what used to be called blood-line – is handed on. It is assurance against death in a way. Rather than being totally obliterated by time, they now have progeny to carry evidence of their existence into the future.
Of course, Jesus is only making a comparison when he speaks of the birthing process. Like a mother rejoices after the pang of birth, he says, his disciples will exult after the anguish of his crucifixion. We should see more here than a turn of emotion from unbearable sorrow to uncontainable joy. There is a deeper parallel between giving birth and rising from the dead. The one on whom the disciples have latched their hopes for the future has delivered. Better than handing on genetic material, they will achieve everlasting life.
Jesus then refers to “the Father,” a term the evangelist John continually cites to indicate Jesus’ filial relationship with God. We should take care, however, that we do not understand this bond to mean that the Son has issued from the Father like a child is borne of his parents. Today we remember St. Athanasius, the genius of the fourth century who saved the Church from this latter idea in the fourth century. At the time Christianity was deeply divided between those who understood Christ as one with the Father from all eternity and the so-called Arians who accepted Christ as created in time and therefore subordinate to the Father. St. Athanasius’ conception of the Father and the Son being of the same nature, alike in everything except being distinct persons, proved faithful to Scripture and traditional belief. It is the faith that we proclaim to this day in the Nicene Creed on Sunday.
Homilette for Thursday, May 1, 2008
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter (St. Joseph the worker, memorial)
(Acts 18:1-8)
Being a tentmaker both benefits Paul and restricts him. It gives him an income which not only makes him monetarily independent but also removes doubts regarding the motive of his preaching. More importantly, working in a tent-making shop – like he does with Aquila in the reading – allows him to meet people. We can imagine Paul steering any conversation with customers to his favorite topic, the Lord Jesus. The downside of being a laborer is that the upper crust may frown on him and his ideas. “So what?” we might ask. The problem is that Paul needs a rich patron to provide ample quarters for the Sunday gathering of all the people he is converting. Fortunately, Paul always seems to make the right connection.
Work continues today as a benefit and a burden. It enables people to develop their capabilities and to socialize with others. Of course, it provides daily needs for self and family. Often overlooked is how work allows people to contribute to God’s creation. Martin Luther King, Jr., once exhorted the street cleaners of Memphis to sweep the streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry; that is, with care and perfection.
But work is not always experienced as a good. One’s job may be tedious or one’s boss may be overbearing. People in these situations are often poorly compensated and otherwise exploited. We Christians should support them, especially in spiritual ways. We should suggest to workers that they express their grievances to the proper authorities and possibly to unionize. We too might speak up for the workers, at least to God. Finally, we should encourage disgruntled workers to pray and to practice prudence. Prayer opens us to God’s will; prudence insures that we follow it.
(Acts 18:1-8)
Being a tentmaker both benefits Paul and restricts him. It gives him an income which not only makes him monetarily independent but also removes doubts regarding the motive of his preaching. More importantly, working in a tent-making shop – like he does with Aquila in the reading – allows him to meet people. We can imagine Paul steering any conversation with customers to his favorite topic, the Lord Jesus. The downside of being a laborer is that the upper crust may frown on him and his ideas. “So what?” we might ask. The problem is that Paul needs a rich patron to provide ample quarters for the Sunday gathering of all the people he is converting. Fortunately, Paul always seems to make the right connection.
Work continues today as a benefit and a burden. It enables people to develop their capabilities and to socialize with others. Of course, it provides daily needs for self and family. Often overlooked is how work allows people to contribute to God’s creation. Martin Luther King, Jr., once exhorted the street cleaners of Memphis to sweep the streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry; that is, with care and perfection.
But work is not always experienced as a good. One’s job may be tedious or one’s boss may be overbearing. People in these situations are often poorly compensated and otherwise exploited. We Christians should support them, especially in spiritual ways. We should suggest to workers that they express their grievances to the proper authorities and possibly to unionize. We too might speak up for the workers, at least to God. Finally, we should encourage disgruntled workers to pray and to practice prudence. Prayer opens us to God’s will; prudence insures that we follow it.
Homilette for Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, memorial of St. Pius V, pope
(Acts 17:15;22-18:1)
The scene of the first reading likely inspires most Christians. Athens is the cradle of Western Civilization, the home of the philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle; the great Sophocles, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Euripides; and the historians Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. Now Paul, the best educated and most successful of Christian missionaries, clears his throat to speak to the learned populace. His words do not disappoint us. They, in colloquial terms, “meet the people where they are.” They hint at Athenian culture and mention the traditional regard for religion. They appeal to the people’s mind, especially their strong sense of justice. Certainly, we feel, Paul will win Athens over to Christ.
Of course, the result of Paul’s preaching is catastrophic. The Athenians not only reject his ideas; they scoff at him. “’We should like to hear you on this some other time,’” is only a nice way of saying, “Get lost.” But Paul and indeed all Christianity learn from this bitter experience. No longer will Paul attempt to impress the sophisticated with lofty arguments. He will tell the Corinthians that he came to them without sublime words or wisdom but preaching Christ crucified. Through the years Christians have had to defend the gospel with reasonable argument and has met this challenge remarkably well. But it has realized all along that faith is God’s gift that neither rhetoric nor logic can implant.
St. Pope Pius V implemented the reforms dictated by the Council of Trent. He was intelligent and had the luxuries of the Vatican in affluent times at his disposal. He was prudent enough, however, to perceive that brilliance and pomp will not carry the battle that the spirit wages. Like Paul and the preponderance of Christianity, Pius understood that that faith and discipline are essential. We remember Pius V to this day for his assiduous leadership in shepherding the Church through a truly critical historical period.
(Acts 17:15;22-18:1)
The scene of the first reading likely inspires most Christians. Athens is the cradle of Western Civilization, the home of the philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle; the great Sophocles, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Euripides; and the historians Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. Now Paul, the best educated and most successful of Christian missionaries, clears his throat to speak to the learned populace. His words do not disappoint us. They, in colloquial terms, “meet the people where they are.” They hint at Athenian culture and mention the traditional regard for religion. They appeal to the people’s mind, especially their strong sense of justice. Certainly, we feel, Paul will win Athens over to Christ.
Of course, the result of Paul’s preaching is catastrophic. The Athenians not only reject his ideas; they scoff at him. “’We should like to hear you on this some other time,’” is only a nice way of saying, “Get lost.” But Paul and indeed all Christianity learn from this bitter experience. No longer will Paul attempt to impress the sophisticated with lofty arguments. He will tell the Corinthians that he came to them without sublime words or wisdom but preaching Christ crucified. Through the years Christians have had to defend the gospel with reasonable argument and has met this challenge remarkably well. But it has realized all along that faith is God’s gift that neither rhetoric nor logic can implant.
St. Pope Pius V implemented the reforms dictated by the Council of Trent. He was intelligent and had the luxuries of the Vatican in affluent times at his disposal. He was prudent enough, however, to perceive that brilliance and pomp will not carry the battle that the spirit wages. Like Paul and the preponderance of Christianity, Pius understood that that faith and discipline are essential. We remember Pius V to this day for his assiduous leadership in shepherding the Church through a truly critical historical period.
Homilette for Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Memorial of St. Catherine of Sine, virgin and doctor of the Church
(John 16:5-11)
If we are left scratching our heads over what Jesus means in the gospel today, we are in good company. It is said that St. Augustine avoided the passage because of its difficulty. But the passage is not impossible to understand. To do so, however, we should note that the word convict is too literal a translation of the Greek and does not fit well with each object. It would be better to say that the Spirit Advocate proves the world wrong regarding sin, righteousness, and condemnation.
The world sees Christians as sinful for believing in Jesus. But the Spirit Advocate’s presence among Christians, sent upon Jesus’ return to the Father, reveals that those who refuse to believe in Jesus are the real sinners. These include those who doubted Jesus’ relation to God after seeing him work a sign and those who still shake their heads after being told about Jesus’ resurrection. The error of righteousness concerns the Jews’ putting Jesus to death for claiming to be God’s son. The Spirit Advocate moving Christians to love one another shows them to be righteous, not those who crucified him. The final error regards the condemnation of Satan, the prince of this world. Since Jesus is vindicated by his resurrection and return to the Father, his adversary Satan is condemned. We might ask, how is it that Satan is at liberty to ensnare humans? The gospel would answer that Satan is powerless over true believers and his limited domination will last only until Jesus returns in glory.
We can see in the life of St. Catherine of Siena a person who exhorted other Christians to manifest the Spirit Advocate that is given to them. She famously convinced Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome after years of refuge in Avignon. Not so well known is her ministry to a condemned man who refused to see a priest for reconciliation. The convict asked Catherine to be present at his execution, which she was. He died surrendering his soul to God with the names “Jesus” and “Catherine” on his lips.
(John 16:5-11)
If we are left scratching our heads over what Jesus means in the gospel today, we are in good company. It is said that St. Augustine avoided the passage because of its difficulty. But the passage is not impossible to understand. To do so, however, we should note that the word convict is too literal a translation of the Greek and does not fit well with each object. It would be better to say that the Spirit Advocate proves the world wrong regarding sin, righteousness, and condemnation.
The world sees Christians as sinful for believing in Jesus. But the Spirit Advocate’s presence among Christians, sent upon Jesus’ return to the Father, reveals that those who refuse to believe in Jesus are the real sinners. These include those who doubted Jesus’ relation to God after seeing him work a sign and those who still shake their heads after being told about Jesus’ resurrection. The error of righteousness concerns the Jews’ putting Jesus to death for claiming to be God’s son. The Spirit Advocate moving Christians to love one another shows them to be righteous, not those who crucified him. The final error regards the condemnation of Satan, the prince of this world. Since Jesus is vindicated by his resurrection and return to the Father, his adversary Satan is condemned. We might ask, how is it that Satan is at liberty to ensnare humans? The gospel would answer that Satan is powerless over true believers and his limited domination will last only until Jesus returns in glory.
We can see in the life of St. Catherine of Siena a person who exhorted other Christians to manifest the Spirit Advocate that is given to them. She famously convinced Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome after years of refuge in Avignon. Not so well known is her ministry to a condemned man who refused to see a priest for reconciliation. The convict asked Catherine to be present at his execution, which she was. He died surrendering his soul to God with the names “Jesus” and “Catherine” on his lips.
Homilette for Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time
(Acts 16:11-15; John 15:26-16:4)
Jews have been persecuted so much throughout history that it is hard to imagine them persecuting other peoples. Yet this is the claim of Palestinians today who say Israelis have occupied their land, especially in recent years on the West Bank. It is also the charge of Jesus in the gospel who foresees the eviction of Christians from Jewish synagogues.
Christians prayed alongside Jews for almost forty years after the crucifixion. We see this in the first reading where Paul goes to the riverside to meet the Jewish wives of pagan Greeks gathering there for prayer. Then, with the reforms of Judaism after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., Jews expelled Christians from synagogue worship. Jesus refers to this expulsion in the gospel where he says that he will send the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to testify that Christians truly worship God.
This Advocate, whom we just call “the Holy Spirit,” remains with the Church in contemporary times. It assists her in discerning what is true and good. When necessary, it also defends her from persecution. The revisionist criticism of Pope Pius XII serves as an example. For nearly twenty years after World War II, Jews considered Pius XII a hero for his efforts to rescue the Italian Jewry from the Nazis. In the 1960s, however, critics began claiming that Pius was in league with the Nazis. With the help of the Spirit of truth scholars today are coming to the truth of the matter. Pius XII did act compassionately on behalf of many Jews. It is true that he might have spoken out more forcefully against Nazi persecution. However, such denouncement likely would have resulted in more, not less, persecution against Jews and prompted severe reprisals against the Church as well. We pray today that the Advocate continues to guide the Church and our own lives in ways of truth and goodness.
(Acts 16:11-15; John 15:26-16:4)
Jews have been persecuted so much throughout history that it is hard to imagine them persecuting other peoples. Yet this is the claim of Palestinians today who say Israelis have occupied their land, especially in recent years on the West Bank. It is also the charge of Jesus in the gospel who foresees the eviction of Christians from Jewish synagogues.
Christians prayed alongside Jews for almost forty years after the crucifixion. We see this in the first reading where Paul goes to the riverside to meet the Jewish wives of pagan Greeks gathering there for prayer. Then, with the reforms of Judaism after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., Jews expelled Christians from synagogue worship. Jesus refers to this expulsion in the gospel where he says that he will send the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to testify that Christians truly worship God.
This Advocate, whom we just call “the Holy Spirit,” remains with the Church in contemporary times. It assists her in discerning what is true and good. When necessary, it also defends her from persecution. The revisionist criticism of Pope Pius XII serves as an example. For nearly twenty years after World War II, Jews considered Pius XII a hero for his efforts to rescue the Italian Jewry from the Nazis. In the 1960s, however, critics began claiming that Pius was in league with the Nazis. With the help of the Spirit of truth scholars today are coming to the truth of the matter. Pius XII did act compassionately on behalf of many Jews. It is true that he might have spoken out more forcefully against Nazi persecution. However, such denouncement likely would have resulted in more, not less, persecution against Jews and prompted severe reprisals against the Church as well. We pray today that the Advocate continues to guide the Church and our own lives in ways of truth and goodness.
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