Friday, June 13, 2014

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest

(1 Kings 19:9a.11-16; Matthew 5:27-32)

This year Billy Graham will turn ninety-six years old.  When he eventually dies, he will be duly remembered as the greatest preacher of his time.  His world-wide “Crusades” helped thousands of people come to a personal relationship with Jesus.  He became known as a social reformer and a friend of presidents.  What Billy Graham was to the twentieth century, St. Anthony of Padua was to the thirteenth.

Anthony of Padua was actually Anthony of Lisbon, the place of his birth, and is evidently called so in his native Portugal.  As an adolescent, he joined a religious society and studied theology.  Later he was ordained and transferred to the Franciscan Order.  Then he was sent to Italy to become one of the most illustrious preachers of his time.  He died at only thirty-six years of age but by then had earned the reputation not only of a master preacher but also of a champion of the poor and a tireless worker among heretics.

Most people think of St. Anthony as the patron of finding lost objects.  We would be better to think of him as a searcher of the Word of God.  Although legends vary, it is said that he is often pictured with the Christ Child in his arms as a substitute for the Scriptures which he studied fervently.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 18:41-46; Matthew 5:20-26)

The seven sacraments use the most ordinary of objects to relate God’s presence.  Water, bread, wine, oil, the human body: one does not have to go far to find the stuff that conveys eternal life.  Similarly in the first reading God’s work is manifested in the simplest of forms on the horizon.

Elijah’s servant spies a wisp of a cloud in the distance.  It is hardly probably that such a fluff will grow into the storm that the dry earth craves.  But just as the Lord speaks later in the saga through a gentle breeze, the cloud grows into a thunderhead to revive the parched land.

We should not expect God to approach with trumpets blaring.  Indeed, it is much more characteristic of Him to come to us subtly, perhaps in our meditation on Scripture or in the depths of our consciousness when we pray with consistency.   He will indicate His desire for us, and it will lead to our benefit.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Memorial of St. Barnabas, apostle

(Acts 11:21b-26.13:1-3; Matthew 5:17-19)

St. Barnabas may not be on any short list of patron saints for religion teachers, but he consummately fills the role.  We might call him the prototypical catechist given that, besides Jesus, he seems to be the first teacher mentioned in the New Testament. 

In the Acts of the Apostles Barnabas teaches by example as well as by words.  In fact, his giving the total proceeds of the sale of his property to the community of disciples in Jerusalem has eloquently taught Christians generosity and commitment throughout the centuries.  Today’s reading from Acts testifies how the Holy Spirit calls Barnabas from teaching to preaching as an apostle.

All of us can imitate Barnabas.  We need to be generous with our belongings, caring of others in order to teach, and bold enough to proclaim Jesus in public. It is a tall order, but having been endowed with the Holy Spirit, we can do it.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 17:7-16; Matthew 5:13-16)

The recent movie Philomena opens with a devout woman at prayer.  Later it is learned that she asks God constantly to enable her to know the whereabouts of her son who was separated from her many years before as a child.  Eventually the woman decides to pursue an offer that a journalist makes to find her son.  Could it not be said that the Lord answered the woman’s prayer by telling her to trust the journalist?  God seems to be speaking to Elijah in this way in today’s first reading.

The Scripture is quite explicit. “So the Lord said to Elijah:” it says, “’Move on…’”  It may be that Elijah hears a voice ordering him, but it is more likely that Elijah intuits the Lord’s command.  The difference between Elijah and most other people who say that the Lord spoke to them is that Elijah constantly waits on the Lord attending to every word from Scripture.

God speaks to us as well.  Principally He communicates through the Scriptures, especially the gospels in which we hear the words of Jesus.  We must discipline ourselves to intuit what He intends for us personally by constantly carrying out His will and praying for guidance.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 17:1-6; Matthew 5:1-12)

Today we return to Ordinary Time after almost a quarter of a year contemplating the Easter mystery.  We say ordinary as if we expect nothing unusual to happen except, of course, perhaps a change of venue for a while during the summer and perhaps the celebration of our birthday.  But that is not what “Ordinary Time” in the liturgical sense is all about.  Now is the time to encounter the Lord Jesus; it is the time to work out our salvation.  Ordinary is meant to signal the order of weeks – one following another – on one day of which we will find our salvation.

Today’s gospel indicates how the experience will affect us.  When we come to know the Lord, we will act like him.  We will live “poor in spirit,” that is completely at God’s disposition not calculating on securing dividends for ourselves.  We will mourn our sins and meekly confess them so to breathe freely again.  But we will show understanding, even mercy for fellow sinners.  The drive for power and pleasure will not sully our hearts.  Quite the contrary, we will pursue justice in all our dealings with others.  Our motive like St. Francis’ will be to reconcile differences so that the world may have peace.  Even if it means suffering persecution, we will not shirk from doing what God wants of us.