Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 13:1-8; Mark 6:14-29)
Charlie and Pauline Sullivan have been working for reform in prisons for over thirty years. They have founded an organization with the acronym CURE to unite people -- mostly loved ones of the imprisoned -- with the same concern. The involvement of many hands and the tireless work of Pauline and Charlie along with their generous spirit have moved legislators to implement some of their ideas. Charlie and Pauline exemplify what the Letter to the Hebrews today exhorts: “Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment…”
As in other New Testament epistles, the Letter to the Hebrews ends with a paraclesis or exhortation that the readers act in consonance with the faith that has been proclaimed. As Jesus entertained guests in his home, so too must Christians welcome strangers. As he relieved the burden of the oppressed, so too much Christians share their load. As he was faithful and free, so too must Christians uphold the sanctity of marriage and not get obsessed with making money.
As we look forward to Lent, we might think of this holy time as an opportunity to deepen our efforts in the ways suggested by the Letter to the Hebrews. Jesus has won for us the grace to act like him. Now we have to avail ourselves of occasions to do so.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 12:18-19.21-24; Mark 6:7-13)
In workshops on preaching the late Ken Untener, bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, used to say that the homily should last no more than four minutes. Untener reasoned that mass in a Catholic church has much that speaks to the people besides the homily. The readings themselves are usually self-evident. The stained glass windows tell their stories. The hymns relate a message. And the prayers convey much meaning.
The Letter to the Hebrews today refers to the Christian liturgical assembly – what we call the mass. Like Bishop Untener’s description of mass in a Catholic church, it speaks of a setting of peace and light. It is where we meet Christ in a unique way. The mass differs dramatically from the Hebrew assembly in the desert. That was a terrifying experience because God had to soften and shape an unruly lot so that they may live more like His people.
Still, sometimes we grow weary of the mass and feel tempted to skip it for a Sunday. If the irregularity becomes a norm, we would be making a mistake worse than riding in a car with faulty brakes. It is not that everyone in church is a saint, but we come here to be reminded that sainthood is our destiny. Even more importantly, here we listen to the Word of God and receive the nourishment of Christ’s body so that we may act as we are destined to become.
(Hebrews 12:18-19.21-24; Mark 6:7-13)
In workshops on preaching the late Ken Untener, bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, used to say that the homily should last no more than four minutes. Untener reasoned that mass in a Catholic church has much that speaks to the people besides the homily. The readings themselves are usually self-evident. The stained glass windows tell their stories. The hymns relate a message. And the prayers convey much meaning.
The Letter to the Hebrews today refers to the Christian liturgical assembly – what we call the mass. Like Bishop Untener’s description of mass in a Catholic church, it speaks of a setting of peace and light. It is where we meet Christ in a unique way. The mass differs dramatically from the Hebrew assembly in the desert. That was a terrifying experience because God had to soften and shape an unruly lot so that they may live more like His people.
Still, sometimes we grow weary of the mass and feel tempted to skip it for a Sunday. If the irregularity becomes a norm, we would be making a mistake worse than riding in a car with faulty brakes. It is not that everyone in church is a saint, but we come here to be reminded that sainthood is our destiny. Even more importantly, here we listen to the Word of God and receive the nourishment of Christ’s body so that we may act as we are destined to become.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and companions, martyrs
(Hebrews 12:4-7.11-15; Mark 6:1-6)
There seems to be no bottom to the depths that humans can go in torturing others. Dr. Tom Dooley in the 1950s wrote of finding Vietnamese peasants with chop sticks hammered into their ears. Americans have recently used waterboarding which causes the victim to experience the sensation of drowning. At the end of the sixteenth century the Japanese shogun had St. Paul Miki’s and twenty-five others’ ears cut off. Then they were paraded through streets as a warning to their countrymen of the consequences of becoming a Christian. Finally, they were crucified with their abdomens and hearts pierced.
Although Christianity was forbidden in Japan, the faith did not die. The blood of Paul Miki and companion seemed to take root so that when Japan became open to the West in the nineteenth century, over two hundred thousand Christians were practicing the faith. The selection from the Letter to the Hebrews today reflects such a phenomenon. The author exhorts his readers not to give up the faith that their ancestors shed blood to maintain.
Although contemporary humans like to think of themselves as enlightened, an honest appraisal will note that torture and religious persecution are still prevalent. Unfortunately faith in Jesus’ message of peace and forbearance is waning. More than ever the world needs Christ, not just lip service paid to the gospel, but conversion of heart to his way.
(Hebrews 12:4-7.11-15; Mark 6:1-6)
There seems to be no bottom to the depths that humans can go in torturing others. Dr. Tom Dooley in the 1950s wrote of finding Vietnamese peasants with chop sticks hammered into their ears. Americans have recently used waterboarding which causes the victim to experience the sensation of drowning. At the end of the sixteenth century the Japanese shogun had St. Paul Miki’s and twenty-five others’ ears cut off. Then they were paraded through streets as a warning to their countrymen of the consequences of becoming a Christian. Finally, they were crucified with their abdomens and hearts pierced.
Although Christianity was forbidden in Japan, the faith did not die. The blood of Paul Miki and companion seemed to take root so that when Japan became open to the West in the nineteenth century, over two hundred thousand Christians were practicing the faith. The selection from the Letter to the Hebrews today reflects such a phenomenon. The author exhorts his readers not to give up the faith that their ancestors shed blood to maintain.
Although contemporary humans like to think of themselves as enlightened, an honest appraisal will note that torture and religious persecution are still prevalent. Unfortunately faith in Jesus’ message of peace and forbearance is waning. More than ever the world needs Christ, not just lip service paid to the gospel, but conversion of heart to his way.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Memorial of Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr
(Hebrews 12:1-4; Mark 5:21-43)
It is said that there was a rivalry in ancient times between the Church of Rome and that of Sicily. Each claimed that its martyrs were greater. The universal Church has honored these claims by including their representative saints in the first Eucharistic Prayer. Today the Church honors St. Agatha, a virgin and martyr, hailing from Sicily just as three weeks ago it celebrated St. Agnes, a Roman virgin-martyr.
Sicilians say that Agatha was tortured and died in prison in the middle of the third century. A year after her death, when Mount Etna was about to explode, the people asked Agatha’s intercession with the Lord. The volcano did not erupt, and the people credited their safety to her.
The reading from Hebrews today mentions a “great…cloud of witnesses” who stand as models of a faithful life. The reference is properly to the great personages of the Old Testament, but we can think of it as including saints like Agatha who endured death rather than abandon faith in Christ. As today we live in a society where faith wanes, we should consider the “cloud of witnesses” and strive to emulate their commitment to Christ.
(Hebrews 12:1-4; Mark 5:21-43)
It is said that there was a rivalry in ancient times between the Church of Rome and that of Sicily. Each claimed that its martyrs were greater. The universal Church has honored these claims by including their representative saints in the first Eucharistic Prayer. Today the Church honors St. Agatha, a virgin and martyr, hailing from Sicily just as three weeks ago it celebrated St. Agnes, a Roman virgin-martyr.
Sicilians say that Agatha was tortured and died in prison in the middle of the third century. A year after her death, when Mount Etna was about to explode, the people asked Agatha’s intercession with the Lord. The volcano did not erupt, and the people credited their safety to her.
The reading from Hebrews today mentions a “great…cloud of witnesses” who stand as models of a faithful life. The reference is properly to the great personages of the Old Testament, but we can think of it as including saints like Agatha who endured death rather than abandon faith in Christ. As today we live in a society where faith wanes, we should consider the “cloud of witnesses” and strive to emulate their commitment to Christ.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 11:32-40; Mark 5:1-20)
In the final scene of George Bernard Shaw’s play Saint Joan, the protagonist appears in a dream. She has been convicted of heresy, executed, but then exonerated and even made a saint. She now proposes that she work a miracle and return to her people. But no one in the dream thinks it a good idea. They say that the world is not ready for saints like her. The gospel passage today has a similar conclusion.
Jesus has just resolved one of the Gerasene territory’s biggest problems. The man who was possessed by demons and terrorizing the people now sits as graciously as a butterfly. You would think that the people should thank Jesus and invite him to dinner. But they ask him to leave their area. True, the taming of the strongman did result in the loss of a herd of pigs, but the reason for the people’s desire that Jesus distance himself lies deeper. His evident holiness makes them painfully aware of their own sinfulness. Rather than ask for mercy, they ask that mercy move on.
We may not directly ask Jesus to leave, but our response to Jesus’ presence may be little better. We often refuse to acknowledge him and choose instead to worry about our problems and perhaps curse our rivals. But he is there to cast out the demons in our lives that get us worked up. We only have to open ourselves to him.
(Hebrews 11:32-40; Mark 5:1-20)
In the final scene of George Bernard Shaw’s play Saint Joan, the protagonist appears in a dream. She has been convicted of heresy, executed, but then exonerated and even made a saint. She now proposes that she work a miracle and return to her people. But no one in the dream thinks it a good idea. They say that the world is not ready for saints like her. The gospel passage today has a similar conclusion.
Jesus has just resolved one of the Gerasene territory’s biggest problems. The man who was possessed by demons and terrorizing the people now sits as graciously as a butterfly. You would think that the people should thank Jesus and invite him to dinner. But they ask him to leave their area. True, the taming of the strongman did result in the loss of a herd of pigs, but the reason for the people’s desire that Jesus distance himself lies deeper. His evident holiness makes them painfully aware of their own sinfulness. Rather than ask for mercy, they ask that mercy move on.
We may not directly ask Jesus to leave, but our response to Jesus’ presence may be little better. We often refuse to acknowledge him and choose instead to worry about our problems and perhaps curse our rivals. But he is there to cast out the demons in our lives that get us worked up. We only have to open ourselves to him.
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