Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 15:14-21; Luke 16:1-8)
Once an ecumenical group of ministers was discussing a gospel passage much like the one we read today. The ministers were nonplussed at the obvious implication that people should help others out of their own self-interests. Is love really the motivator, the ministers seemed to ask themselves, if ones benefits from the action?
The ministers were responding from the perspective of the influential Lutheran theologian, Anders Nygren. Intolerant of self-love, Nygren drove a wedge between real love, which he termed agape or divine love, and acquisitive love, which since the Greek philosophers has been called eros. According to Nygren, the former has nothing to do with the latter. He would label any action falling short of pure selflessness as unworthy of Christianity and revelatory of fallen human nature.
But Nygren’s thesis does not adequately account for how humans are created. We are people with real needs. Beyond physical necessities we need support and assurance which come to us when we go out to others. It is not necessarily selfish to satisfy these needs. What differentiates love from exploitation is the presence of cooperation for the good of all concerned. With this distinction in mind Jesus in the gospel today shows his disciples that they, like the parable’s steward, must show kindness to the poor, who are like the parable’s debtors, so that God will in turn favor them.
Homilette for Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
(Romans 14:7-12; Luke 15:1-10)
A recent decision by Pope Benedict has created a roe among Catholics. Two weeks ago the Vatican announced that it would set up ecclesiastical structures by which whole dioceses of Anglicans continuing their own traditions might be accepted into the Roman Catholic Church. Liberal Catholics are responding to the announcement with consternation for they see acceptance of these Anglicans as strengthening the conservative positions against homosexual sex and women’s ordinations. Of course, conservative Catholics see the development as a positive step toward Christian unification. What would St. Paul say of all this?
The reading from Romans today is part of a long passage addressed to the problem of “strong” or liberal Christians (probably the Gentile Christians) and “weak” or conservative Christians (probably Christians of Jewish origin). In Paul’s time an issue is dietary customs, e.g., whether a Christian has to observe the customary fast days of Wednesday and Friday. In the passage Paul exhorts his readers to avoid judgment on these matters but to allow each person to live according to her or his conscience. Of course, Paul does not condone everyone doing what he or she pleases. After all, it is the Lord who speaks to us through consciences being informed by valid interpretation of His word.
Today Paul would likely give thanks that at least part of the Anglican community is being reconciled with the Church. In any case he would chastise those who continually harp at Vatican decisions as too conservative or, in rare cases, too liberal. Rather, he would exhort each side of an issue to be more considerate of the other’s perspective. This means that we search for the value of what those who disagree with us are saying and, unless the situation becomes outrageous, accept the other side as brothers and sisters in the Lord with the assurance that the Lord himself will ultimately judge what is right.
(Romans 14:7-12; Luke 15:1-10)
A recent decision by Pope Benedict has created a roe among Catholics. Two weeks ago the Vatican announced that it would set up ecclesiastical structures by which whole dioceses of Anglicans continuing their own traditions might be accepted into the Roman Catholic Church. Liberal Catholics are responding to the announcement with consternation for they see acceptance of these Anglicans as strengthening the conservative positions against homosexual sex and women’s ordinations. Of course, conservative Catholics see the development as a positive step toward Christian unification. What would St. Paul say of all this?
The reading from Romans today is part of a long passage addressed to the problem of “strong” or liberal Christians (probably the Gentile Christians) and “weak” or conservative Christians (probably Christians of Jewish origin). In Paul’s time an issue is dietary customs, e.g., whether a Christian has to observe the customary fast days of Wednesday and Friday. In the passage Paul exhorts his readers to avoid judgment on these matters but to allow each person to live according to her or his conscience. Of course, Paul does not condone everyone doing what he or she pleases. After all, it is the Lord who speaks to us through consciences being informed by valid interpretation of His word.
Today Paul would likely give thanks that at least part of the Anglican community is being reconciled with the Church. In any case he would chastise those who continually harp at Vatican decisions as too conservative or, in rare cases, too liberal. Rather, he would exhort each side of an issue to be more considerate of the other’s perspective. This means that we search for the value of what those who disagree with us are saying and, unless the situation becomes outrageous, accept the other side as brothers and sisters in the Lord with the assurance that the Lord himself will ultimately judge what is right.
Homilette for Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, bishop
(Romans 13:8-10; Luke 14:25-33)
Gospel commentators call Jesus’ saying that his followers are to hate their families a “Semiticism.” This term means the way Jesus’ contemporaries expressed themselves in their own language. Evidently the Aramaic language, which Jesus spoke, did not use comparatives. For Jesus to mean that his disciples had to love him more than their families, he had to say that they were to love him and to hate their families. Of course, he never intended that they were to scorn their loved ones. After all, how could Jesus -- who taught about the primacy of love long before St. Paul wrote about it to the Romans – want us, his followers, to literally hate those who mean the most to us?
But still some of us may have trouble with the idea of loving Jesus more than our children and our parents, to say nothing of our spouses. “How could we do that?” we might ask. The answer is both simple and hopeful. First, we can and should love Jesus above all because he is so good – really perfect. Then, by loving Jesus above all, we actually love our children, our parents, and our spouses not less but better. Primary allegiance to Jesus means doing what is truly good for all. We will not confuse indulgence with care and give in to the whims of our children. We will not accept the prejudices that lived in our parents’ home but treat all people with respect. We will not allow communication with our spouses to shrivel but make a continued effort to express our thoughts and feelings.
(Romans 13:8-10; Luke 14:25-33)
Gospel commentators call Jesus’ saying that his followers are to hate their families a “Semiticism.” This term means the way Jesus’ contemporaries expressed themselves in their own language. Evidently the Aramaic language, which Jesus spoke, did not use comparatives. For Jesus to mean that his disciples had to love him more than their families, he had to say that they were to love him and to hate their families. Of course, he never intended that they were to scorn their loved ones. After all, how could Jesus -- who taught about the primacy of love long before St. Paul wrote about it to the Romans – want us, his followers, to literally hate those who mean the most to us?
But still some of us may have trouble with the idea of loving Jesus more than our children and our parents, to say nothing of our spouses. “How could we do that?” we might ask. The answer is both simple and hopeful. First, we can and should love Jesus above all because he is so good – really perfect. Then, by loving Jesus above all, we actually love our children, our parents, and our spouses not less but better. Primary allegiance to Jesus means doing what is truly good for all. We will not confuse indulgence with care and give in to the whims of our children. We will not accept the prejudices that lived in our parents’ home but treat all people with respect. We will not allow communication with our spouses to shrivel but make a continued effort to express our thoughts and feelings.
Homilette for Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Memorial of St. Martin de Porres, religious
(Romans 12:5-16a; Luke 14:15-24)
God does seem to lift up the lowly as Mary proclaims in her great song The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Last week we celebrated the feast of the most obscure yet most popular of apostles, St. Jude. Certainly St. Therese, the Little Flower, seems to have eclipsed in fame her patroness, St. Theresa of Avila. Perhaps no saint is more broadly known than St. Francis who is thought of as il poverello, the little poor one. Today we celebrate a humble Dominican saint who has come to shine in more people’s heavens than any of his illustrious confreres, Martin de Porres.
Martin was the son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave Black woman. It is said that he might have become a street urchin had his mother not taught him kindness and generosity. Martin evidently did not take advantage of anyone because he thought of himself as lowlier than everyone. As St. Paul urges the Romans in the first reading today, Martin anticipated everyone in showing honor. Martin also followed Paul’s advice to not lack zeal for doing good.
In our age of increasing awareness of the environment we can again look to Martin de Porres for patronage. He was trained as a physician, which in his day meant as much an herbalist who grew his own medicines as a diagnostician or therapist. He also befriended animals. Indeed, he is often pictured with a rat at his side because he was a person who could readily thank God for all creation.
(Romans 12:5-16a; Luke 14:15-24)
God does seem to lift up the lowly as Mary proclaims in her great song The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Last week we celebrated the feast of the most obscure yet most popular of apostles, St. Jude. Certainly St. Therese, the Little Flower, seems to have eclipsed in fame her patroness, St. Theresa of Avila. Perhaps no saint is more broadly known than St. Francis who is thought of as il poverello, the little poor one. Today we celebrate a humble Dominican saint who has come to shine in more people’s heavens than any of his illustrious confreres, Martin de Porres.
Martin was the son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave Black woman. It is said that he might have become a street urchin had his mother not taught him kindness and generosity. Martin evidently did not take advantage of anyone because he thought of himself as lowlier than everyone. As St. Paul urges the Romans in the first reading today, Martin anticipated everyone in showing honor. Martin also followed Paul’s advice to not lack zeal for doing good.
In our age of increasing awareness of the environment we can again look to Martin de Porres for patronage. He was trained as a physician, which in his day meant as much an herbalist who grew his own medicines as a diagnostician or therapist. He also befriended animals. Indeed, he is often pictured with a rat at his side because he was a person who could readily thank God for all creation.
Homilette for Monday, November 2, 2009
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day)
(Wisdom 3:1-9; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40)
Mark Twain once said about the Bible, “Most people are bothered about the verses that they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” He meant that the word of God challenges us to assist others more and please ourselves less than we likely do. The consequences for not meeting those challenges, the Bible warns, are not at all reassuring.
And so we have All Souls Day to pray for the many people who had difficulty getting beyond pleasing themselves. They were not necessarily big sinners but people like most of us here, I am afraid, who could not pass up the opportunity to share a bit of gossip or to watch television rather than visit the lonely. Catholics have long placed these souls in Purgatory, a state not described in the Bible but logically deduced from squaring the prevalence of sin with belief in a merciful God.
We may have grown up thinking that Purgatory is punishment for venial sins. As far as one is prevented from enjoying what she comes to want more than anything else, there may be frustration to the point of pain involved in Purgatory. But the Eastern Church, what Pope John Paul II was fond of calling Christianity’s other lung, probably is closer to the mark when it sees Purgatory as a time of purification. In Purgatory we will work out our selfishness like a mother living in misery picks lice out of her children’s hair so that we might enter the presence of God without a blush of embarrassment. Our prayers today beseech God to expedite the process.
(Wisdom 3:1-9; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40)
Mark Twain once said about the Bible, “Most people are bothered about the verses that they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” He meant that the word of God challenges us to assist others more and please ourselves less than we likely do. The consequences for not meeting those challenges, the Bible warns, are not at all reassuring.
And so we have All Souls Day to pray for the many people who had difficulty getting beyond pleasing themselves. They were not necessarily big sinners but people like most of us here, I am afraid, who could not pass up the opportunity to share a bit of gossip or to watch television rather than visit the lonely. Catholics have long placed these souls in Purgatory, a state not described in the Bible but logically deduced from squaring the prevalence of sin with belief in a merciful God.
We may have grown up thinking that Purgatory is punishment for venial sins. As far as one is prevented from enjoying what she comes to want more than anything else, there may be frustration to the point of pain involved in Purgatory. But the Eastern Church, what Pope John Paul II was fond of calling Christianity’s other lung, probably is closer to the mark when it sees Purgatory as a time of purification. In Purgatory we will work out our selfishness like a mother living in misery picks lice out of her children’s hair so that we might enter the presence of God without a blush of embarrassment. Our prayers today beseech God to expedite the process.
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