Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
(I Samuel 4:1-11; Mark 1:40-45)
After every human tragedy – earthquake, hurricane, defeat in war – humans ask themselves why it happened. They wonder whether God is capricious, whether they did not respond properly to God’s initiatives, or whether He exists at all. Such questions echo the elders of the Israel in the first reading.
“’Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines?’” the men ask themselves. Apparently assuming that the problem lies with God’s lack of attention, the elders summon the Ark of the Covenant to be brought to the battlefront. “Surely the Lord will wake up,” the elders seem to say, “when He sees His people’s need.” Of course, the tactic fails. God knows quite well what their situation, yet chooses not to support the Israelis.
God has His reasons which will always, to some degree remain, obscure to humankind. We might speculate in the case under consideration that God is changing the center of human authority from judges to a king as well as the center of cultic worship from Shiloh to Jerusalem. But God’s reasons are, in the end, often unfathomable. If we could figure them all out, we would sit on an equal level with God. This is not to say that God caresses and despises humans at whim. No, He has definitively shown favor toward us in Jesus Christ. What Jesus suffered to liberate humans from sin manifests majestically the Father’s love. We must respond by embracing whole-heartedly the mystery of God -- both when it seems to favor us and when it seems to reject us.
Wednesday, January 11, 2011
Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
(I Samuel 3:1-10.19-20; Mark 1:29-39)
Many people discern a call to serve the Church, but few believe that God may be asking them to remain unmarried. They fear being left unfulfilled as human beings if they do no give themselves to another in sexual intimacy. Entertainment almost invariably sends a similar message. Parents as well, having few children, encourage the ones they have to marry so that they may see their family increase. Albeit in an oblique way, the first reading today addresses this question of vocational celibacy.
The biblical author indicates that a vocation is not easily discerned by commenting that “a revelation of the Lord was uncommon.” Yet the Lord does not cease to knock at Samuel’s door. The priest Eli provides the key to discernment of God’s call. Samuel must converse with the Lord in concentrated prayer if he is to understand what God wants of him.
We should understand that the Church does not hold virginity and celibacy high because sexual intimacy is suspect. Quite the contrary, it recognizes the beauty and, indeed, the necessity of married love. But it also is alarmed by the fancy of uncommitted sex that grips the world today. By holding its priests to celibacy and by encouraging women to consecrate their lives to a special relationship with Christ, it preaches the existence of the One who orders our lives so that we might experience not passing pleasure but lasting happiness. Deep and continual prayer will tell whether we have the vocation to preach in this special way.
(I Samuel 3:1-10.19-20; Mark 1:29-39)
Many people discern a call to serve the Church, but few believe that God may be asking them to remain unmarried. They fear being left unfulfilled as human beings if they do no give themselves to another in sexual intimacy. Entertainment almost invariably sends a similar message. Parents as well, having few children, encourage the ones they have to marry so that they may see their family increase. Albeit in an oblique way, the first reading today addresses this question of vocational celibacy.
The biblical author indicates that a vocation is not easily discerned by commenting that “a revelation of the Lord was uncommon.” Yet the Lord does not cease to knock at Samuel’s door. The priest Eli provides the key to discernment of God’s call. Samuel must converse with the Lord in concentrated prayer if he is to understand what God wants of him.
We should understand that the Church does not hold virginity and celibacy high because sexual intimacy is suspect. Quite the contrary, it recognizes the beauty and, indeed, the necessity of married love. But it also is alarmed by the fancy of uncommitted sex that grips the world today. By holding its priests to celibacy and by encouraging women to consecrate their lives to a special relationship with Christ, it preaches the existence of the One who orders our lives so that we might experience not passing pleasure but lasting happiness. Deep and continual prayer will tell whether we have the vocation to preach in this special way.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
(I Samuel 1:9-20; Mark 1:21-28)
Parents in Australia worry when their children finish secondary school. Graduation there is typically followed by a week with classmates at the beach. Un-chaperoned, the teens are likely to turn the rite of passage into a seven-day orgy. Some families offer their graduates a trip to Hong Kong if they forego the week-long partying. In today's gospel Jesus presents himself as the rescue of such people given to drink, drugs, and sex.
The passage speaks of "unclean spirits" which are normally considered devils possessing the innocent. However, it may be profitably read today as hedonists obsessed by lust and craving stupor. Jesus addresses this condition with authority. He is not concerned with how pitiful the situation appears but with the well-being of the people involved. He commands the spirits to leave the infected; that is, in a contemporary interpretation his care engenders a genuine love of self that moves hedonists out of self-abuse.
In a society that condones libertine sex and blinks at drunkenness we should see Jesus as a champion of spiritual integrity. His love for us suppresses bodily urges for illegitimate pleasure. He provides us with peace of mind and the tranquility of self-control.
(I Samuel 1:9-20; Mark 1:21-28)
Parents in Australia worry when their children finish secondary school. Graduation there is typically followed by a week with classmates at the beach. Un-chaperoned, the teens are likely to turn the rite of passage into a seven-day orgy. Some families offer their graduates a trip to Hong Kong if they forego the week-long partying. In today's gospel Jesus presents himself as the rescue of such people given to drink, drugs, and sex.
The passage speaks of "unclean spirits" which are normally considered devils possessing the innocent. However, it may be profitably read today as hedonists obsessed by lust and craving stupor. Jesus addresses this condition with authority. He is not concerned with how pitiful the situation appears but with the well-being of the people involved. He commands the spirits to leave the infected; that is, in a contemporary interpretation his care engenders a genuine love of self that moves hedonists out of self-abuse.
In a society that condones libertine sex and blinks at drunkenness we should see Jesus as a champion of spiritual integrity. His love for us suppresses bodily urges for illegitimate pleasure. He provides us with peace of mind and the tranquility of self-control.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
(Isaiah 42:1-4.6-7; Mark 1:7-11)
Civil insurrection in the Middle East, extreme poverty inAfrica, growing hedonism in the West - current conditions, as in times, call for a savior. He (or she) will change hearts, enlighten minds, and move people to work together. Today's feast celebrates the Father's commendation of the Son for the mission.
The Baptism of the Lord ends the Christmas season. God has now definitively revealed His Son to the world. First, the shepherds of Israel saw him as a babe heralded by the angels of heaven. Then, foreign wise men came to worship him after being led by a star and advised by those entrusted with the Scriptures. Now, the Father recognizes him as the one to arrest humanity from the devil's claws.
We stand before these happenings wondering if they make a real difference in our lives. Are they worth our radical attention? Or do they merely round our lives with traditions? Of course, we opt for the first. This option implies that we seek ever closer union with the one whom we now recognize clearly as The Savior of the world.
(Isaiah 42:1-4.6-7; Mark 1:7-11)
Civil insurrection in the Middle East, extreme poverty inAfrica, growing hedonism in the West - current conditions, as in times, call for a savior. He (or she) will change hearts, enlighten minds, and move people to work together. Today's feast celebrates the Father's commendation of the Son for the mission.
The Baptism of the Lord ends the Christmas season. God has now definitively revealed His Son to the world. First, the shepherds of Israel saw him as a babe heralded by the angels of heaven. Then, foreign wise men came to worship him after being led by a star and advised by those entrusted with the Scriptures. Now, the Father recognizes him as the one to arrest humanity from the devil's claws.
We stand before these happenings wondering if they make a real difference in our lives. Are they worth our radical attention? Or do they merely round our lives with traditions? Of course, we opt for the first. This option implies that we seek ever closer union with the one whom we now recognize clearly as The Savior of the world.
January 2-6
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THE DAY OF THE WEEK WHICH YOU ARE SEEKING
Christmas Weekday (Friday, January 6, 2012)
(I John 5:5-13; Mark 1:7-11)
Evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould opined that humans may not be as superior as they think. He acknowledged that the human brain has unequaled powers, but offered as a comparable marvel the ability of certain bacteria to withstand temperatures of several thousand degrees. And so the academic debate rages: are humans merely a twig among the wide array of evolutionary branches? Or are they at the pinnacle of earthly creation?
Christians should have no doubt about the answer. We believe not only that humans have been created in the image of the Creator, but also that the Creator has deigned to take on our human flesh. This second truth has especially vaulted humans far beyond other participants in the realm of biological life. Because of the Incarnation, being human can no longer be strictly associated with error and guilt. It is more appropriately considered with decency, respect, and love. This is the import of Christmas, the feast that still commands our attention, almost two weeks after its celebration.
Although humans are capable of the heights of heaven, they sometimes act more like dogs fighting over food. Sin has so tarnished the image of God that some have difficulty perceiving their potential for goodness. As the reading from the First Letter of John states, we must turn to Christ as the witness of the glory which is within our reach.
Memorial of St. John Neumann, bishop (Thursday, January 5, 2012)
(I John 3:11-21; John 1:43-51)
In a cinematic adaption of the French classic Les Miserables, the hero Jean Valjean writes his wife a letter from jail. Because monotony rules prison life and also because he a simple person, Valjean just repeats, “I love you,” over and over again. We may have a sense that John’s First Letter does basically the same thing.
John has testified that God is love. In order to please God then, John indicates that Christians must imitate His loving. This means that love flows from words into action. If not, he would say, then it is counterfeit. The test comes when one sees a member of the community in need. Just as Jesus gave his life for his followers, one has to assist the needy brother or sister.
Love, like all virtue, is not a habit in the sense that it is performed in a rote way. It calls for creativity as well as care. We may say that we love others, but we betray that word if we treat each person with the same chatter and the same piece of bread. No, love implies acknowledgement of the other’s individuality with a fresh and sincere response to her/his need.
Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious (Wednesday, January 4, 2012)
(I John 3:22-4:6; Matthew 4:12-17; 23-25)
The gospel passage says that Jesus “withdrew to Galilee.” But we should not think of him as beating a retreat. Actually, he is charging to the battlefront. Herod Antipas has just arrested John the Baptist for criticizing his unlawful marriage. Jesus leaves the solitude of the Jordanian desert to take up John’s banner in Galilee. His message is even the same as John’s, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” Herod Antipas, the Baptist’s nemesis, can hardly ignore it.
Like Jesus we are sometimes called to show courage. A shouting match turns into a fist fight where someone is going to get hurt. We should intervene or, at least, call for help. More often we exhibit courage by facing difficult tasks with calmness and determination. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton demonstrated such courage in her short life with many accomplishments. She mothered five children and then became a woman religious founding the Sisters of Charity. She also set up the parochial school system in the United States, established orphanages, and wrote spiritual reflections. Pope Paul VI canonized her as the first native-born American saint in 1975.
The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Tuesday, January 3, 2012)
(I John 3:7-10; John 1:35-42)
Western societies generally revere the name of Jesus so much that it is reserved for the Lord. Spanish culture is the significant exception to this rule. But Jesus was a popular name in biblical times. “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves.” Certainly, it is an apt name for the Christ who, as God’s agent, saves humans from sin and death. Because of Jesus we can live in freedom and look forward to heaven.
But providing the literal meaning of a name does not reveal why the name “Jesus” is “most holy” as we proclaim on this feast day. For this we must look deeper. We should note that in the four gospels dares to call Jesus by his name alone, without any titles or formalities. This is not his mother or one of his disciples. It is the so-called good thief. On the cross he calls out to his companion in suffering, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). The direct appeal does not incur reprimand but approval. Jesus awards the man for his boldness. “This day,” he 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 and still expect mercy when we call it repentantly. To be sure, it is not a magic formula but the last, best hope of a contrite heart.
Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church (Monday, January 2, 2012)
(I John 2:22-28; John 1: 19-28)
The great painting of the crucifixion by the German master Mathis Grunewald shows a diminutive John the Baptist standing on Jesus’ left pointing to the Lord. “What is he doing there?” we might ask, “Wasn’t he killed before Jesus?” Of course, he was. But he stands at the cross to give the same testimony that he does at the beginning of the gospel: Jesus is the Lamb of God who must increase while others must decrease, at least in comparison to him.
Today’s gospel forms part of the testimony that John gives in the first chapter of the fourth gospel. It may be noted that little is said of John’s baptizing and nothing about Jesus baptizing. John, the evangelist, is not interested in Baptism here, but in the Baptist’s testimony. Evidently in the first century John was considered as a rival of Jesus and the true Messiah. In the passage today John clarifies that he is not the long-expected one and that Jesus is greater than he.
We often exaggerate our own importance. We may like to talk about our accomplishments or use our money to attract notice. John gives us pause. As great as he was, he gives testimony to Jesus as greater than he. Jesus is the one that deserves everyone’s attention and our praise.
Christmas Weekday (Friday, January 6, 2012)
(I John 5:5-13; Mark 1:7-11)
Evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould opined that humans may not be as superior as they think. He acknowledged that the human brain has unequaled powers, but offered as a comparable marvel the ability of certain bacteria to withstand temperatures of several thousand degrees. And so the academic debate rages: are humans merely a twig among the wide array of evolutionary branches? Or are they at the pinnacle of earthly creation?
Christians should have no doubt about the answer. We believe not only that humans have been created in the image of the Creator, but also that the Creator has deigned to take on our human flesh. This second truth has especially vaulted humans far beyond other participants in the realm of biological life. Because of the Incarnation, being human can no longer be strictly associated with error and guilt. It is more appropriately considered with decency, respect, and love. This is the import of Christmas, the feast that still commands our attention, almost two weeks after its celebration.
Although humans are capable of the heights of heaven, they sometimes act more like dogs fighting over food. Sin has so tarnished the image of God that some have difficulty perceiving their potential for goodness. As the reading from the First Letter of John states, we must turn to Christ as the witness of the glory which is within our reach.
Memorial of St. John Neumann, bishop (Thursday, January 5, 2012)
(I John 3:11-21; John 1:43-51)
In a cinematic adaption of the French classic Les Miserables, the hero Jean Valjean writes his wife a letter from jail. Because monotony rules prison life and also because he a simple person, Valjean just repeats, “I love you,” over and over again. We may have a sense that John’s First Letter does basically the same thing.
John has testified that God is love. In order to please God then, John indicates that Christians must imitate His loving. This means that love flows from words into action. If not, he would say, then it is counterfeit. The test comes when one sees a member of the community in need. Just as Jesus gave his life for his followers, one has to assist the needy brother or sister.
Love, like all virtue, is not a habit in the sense that it is performed in a rote way. It calls for creativity as well as care. We may say that we love others, but we betray that word if we treat each person with the same chatter and the same piece of bread. No, love implies acknowledgement of the other’s individuality with a fresh and sincere response to her/his need.
Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious (Wednesday, January 4, 2012)
(I John 3:22-4:6; Matthew 4:12-17; 23-25)
The gospel passage says that Jesus “withdrew to Galilee.” But we should not think of him as beating a retreat. Actually, he is charging to the battlefront. Herod Antipas has just arrested John the Baptist for criticizing his unlawful marriage. Jesus leaves the solitude of the Jordanian desert to take up John’s banner in Galilee. His message is even the same as John’s, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” Herod Antipas, the Baptist’s nemesis, can hardly ignore it.
Like Jesus we are sometimes called to show courage. A shouting match turns into a fist fight where someone is going to get hurt. We should intervene or, at least, call for help. More often we exhibit courage by facing difficult tasks with calmness and determination. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton demonstrated such courage in her short life with many accomplishments. She mothered five children and then became a woman religious founding the Sisters of Charity. She also set up the parochial school system in the United States, established orphanages, and wrote spiritual reflections. Pope Paul VI canonized her as the first native-born American saint in 1975.
The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Tuesday, January 3, 2012)
(I John 3:7-10; John 1:35-42)
Western societies generally revere the name of Jesus so much that it is reserved for the Lord. Spanish culture is the significant exception to this rule. But Jesus was a popular name in biblical times. “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves.” Certainly, it is an apt name for the Christ who, as God’s agent, saves humans from sin and death. Because of Jesus we can live in freedom and look forward to heaven.
But providing the literal meaning of a name does not reveal why the name “Jesus” is “most holy” as we proclaim on this feast day. For this we must look deeper. We should note that in the four gospels dares to call Jesus by his name alone, without any titles or formalities. This is not his mother or one of his disciples. It is the so-called good thief. On the cross he calls out to his companion in suffering, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). The direct appeal does not incur reprimand but approval. Jesus awards the man for his boldness. “This day,” he 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 and still expect mercy when we call it repentantly. To be sure, it is not a magic formula but the last, best hope of a contrite heart.
Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church (Monday, January 2, 2012)
(I John 2:22-28; John 1: 19-28)
The great painting of the crucifixion by the German master Mathis Grunewald shows a diminutive John the Baptist standing on Jesus’ left pointing to the Lord. “What is he doing there?” we might ask, “Wasn’t he killed before Jesus?” Of course, he was. But he stands at the cross to give the same testimony that he does at the beginning of the gospel: Jesus is the Lamb of God who must increase while others must decrease, at least in comparison to him.
Today’s gospel forms part of the testimony that John gives in the first chapter of the fourth gospel. It may be noted that little is said of John’s baptizing and nothing about Jesus baptizing. John, the evangelist, is not interested in Baptism here, but in the Baptist’s testimony. Evidently in the first century John was considered as a rival of Jesus and the true Messiah. In the passage today John clarifies that he is not the long-expected one and that Jesus is greater than he.
We often exaggerate our own importance. We may like to talk about our accomplishments or use our money to attract notice. John gives us pause. As great as he was, he gives testimony to Jesus as greater than he. Jesus is the one that deserves everyone’s attention and our praise.
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