Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
(I Corinthians 2:10b-16; Luke 4:31-37)
Sr. St. John died a prophet. Entering the convent in 1942, she spent most of her years teaching. At first she concentrated on simple messages from catechism and English grammar. As time passed, her lessons touched on more controversial subjects like the needs of the poor and of prisoners. Perhaps Sr. St. John showed her prophetic zeal most when she volunteered to serve with sisters from her congregation in Rwanda just after the massacres there. She returned to the United States to remind Americans that divine love does not come easy but extracts the whole of one’s being: body, soul, and mind. In the first reading today, St. Paul names this kind of sacrifice as having the Spirit of God.
Paul has proclaimed Jesus Christ to the Corinthians by telling how Christ died on the cross as the supreme example of God’s love for the world. Now the Corinthians are being urged to assume that love for their own with exemplary lives in support of one another. They are to stop boasting and bickering, and most of all they must put aside all immoral behavior. They are to live in the Spirit of God that has been revealed to them.
We also are tested every day whether we live in the same Spirit. It is not just our outrage with abortion but, really more critically, our care for our neighbors that shows whether God’s Spirit has become our own.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
(I Corinthians 2:1-5; Luke 4:16-30)
If all "Labor Day¨ means is the last of the summer holidays, then there has been a pitiable loss of significance. More than a day off work, Labor Day celebrates work. It is a time to contemplate the meaning of work and its inherent dignity. Jesus at least intimates as much in today's gospel.
Jesus proclaims "glad tidings to the poor." He does not mean the destitute or the unemployed but the majority of workers at the time who have difficulty meeting family needs. They no longer have to worry for their salvation is at hand. God loves them and will provide for their welfare.
Work, of course, produces much more than money to put food on the table. As importantly, it gives humans an opportunity to participate in divine creation. This may be readily seen in the efforts of builders, scientists, and artists, but it is true of all people who labor. By cooking, selling, or cleaning we make the world a better place by assisting others live full and gracious lives.
(I Corinthians 2:1-5; Luke 4:16-30)
If all "Labor Day¨ means is the last of the summer holidays, then there has been a pitiable loss of significance. More than a day off work, Labor Day celebrates work. It is a time to contemplate the meaning of work and its inherent dignity. Jesus at least intimates as much in today's gospel.
Jesus proclaims "glad tidings to the poor." He does not mean the destitute or the unemployed but the majority of workers at the time who have difficulty meeting family needs. They no longer have to worry for their salvation is at hand. God loves them and will provide for their welfare.
Work, of course, produces much more than money to put food on the table. As importantly, it gives humans an opportunity to participate in divine creation. This may be readily seen in the efforts of builders, scientists, and artists, but it is true of all people who labor. By cooking, selling, or cleaning we make the world a better place by assisting others live full and gracious lives.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
(I Corinthians 1:17-25; Matthew 25:1-13)
The current Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" resembles perhaps half the motion pictures made today. The hero overcomes the villainous foe in a series of combats with narrow escapes. St. Paul writes in the first reading that this is definitely not Christ's way.
Paul says that Jews see the savior as giving marvelous demonstrations of power. These acts may be controlling the forces of nature like Elijah’s calling down fire, but they as likely are conquering the enemy against all odds like David. Christ's way, however, encompasses non-resistant love. He cares for everyone he encounters by enlightening troubled minds and healing diseased bodies. Quite uniquely he gives himself over to his enemies as a sacrifice of obedience to the Father’s will. In the ordeal that ensues, he is mauled and killed, but the Father raises him from death to reign as our Lord and eternal hope.
We must take care not to see the heroes of epics like Batman or even historic warriors like George Washington as other Christs. Their greatness does not stand up to scrutiny. Although we may cheer their apparent victory over evil, we will find flaws in their character to say nothing of the implausibility of their feats. On the other hand, Christ points to the eternal God in both life and death. He wants us to follow him both by caring for one another and by resisting the will to conquer.
(I Corinthians 1:17-25; Matthew 25:1-13)
The current Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" resembles perhaps half the motion pictures made today. The hero overcomes the villainous foe in a series of combats with narrow escapes. St. Paul writes in the first reading that this is definitely not Christ's way.
Paul says that Jews see the savior as giving marvelous demonstrations of power. These acts may be controlling the forces of nature like Elijah’s calling down fire, but they as likely are conquering the enemy against all odds like David. Christ's way, however, encompasses non-resistant love. He cares for everyone he encounters by enlightening troubled minds and healing diseased bodies. Quite uniquely he gives himself over to his enemies as a sacrifice of obedience to the Father’s will. In the ordeal that ensues, he is mauled and killed, but the Father raises him from death to reign as our Lord and eternal hope.
We must take care not to see the heroes of epics like Batman or even historic warriors like George Washington as other Christs. Their greatness does not stand up to scrutiny. Although we may cheer their apparent victory over evil, we will find flaws in their character to say nothing of the implausibility of their feats. On the other hand, Christ points to the eternal God in both life and death. He wants us to follow him both by caring for one another and by resisting the will to conquer.
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.
(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.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Memorial of the Passion of John the Baptist
(II Thessalonians 3:6-10.16-18; Mark 6:17-29)
Ugo Betti, an Italian jurist and playwright, once wrote, “…there is nothing sadder than a human being who feels worthless for we all aspire to be just the opposite, to be important.” It is a true sentiment because humans are created in the image of God. However, in striving for importance, one should not transgress the goodness of another as today’s gospel demonstrates.
King Herod has John the Baptist executed to avoid being seen as or a liar or a coward. As he promised his stepdaughter anything that she asks, he feels compelled to deliver the head of John as she requests. Ironically he shows himself as more of a coward than he would have appeared if he told the girl that he could not take John’s life. Courage would have fortified Herod to do what is right even in the face of reproach.
John the Baptist shows true courage by speaking the truth of a public scandal. He put his life on the line because he believed that people look up to public officials. When the latter act outrageously, their actions should be repudiated.
(II Thessalonians 3:6-10.16-18; Mark 6:17-29)
Ugo Betti, an Italian jurist and playwright, once wrote, “…there is nothing sadder than a human being who feels worthless for we all aspire to be just the opposite, to be important.” It is a true sentiment because humans are created in the image of God. However, in striving for importance, one should not transgress the goodness of another as today’s gospel demonstrates.
King Herod has John the Baptist executed to avoid being seen as or a liar or a coward. As he promised his stepdaughter anything that she asks, he feels compelled to deliver the head of John as she requests. Ironically he shows himself as more of a coward than he would have appeared if he told the girl that he could not take John’s life. Courage would have fortified Herod to do what is right even in the face of reproach.
John the Baptist shows true courage by speaking the truth of a public scandal. He put his life on the line because he believed that people look up to public officials. When the latter act outrageously, their actions should be repudiated.
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