Friday, January 9, 2015

Friday after the Epiphany

(I John5:5-13; Luke 5:12-16)

A man, known for his charity, would always give credit to his wife.  He would say that she was the kindest person in the world.  Deflecting praise to her, the man showed himself all the more worthy of it.  Jesus appears in this mode in the gospel today.

Being confronted by a leper is a bit like having a mentally deranged person come into the room.  He or she is likely to cost one time if not more serious trouble.  Jesus, however, shows no indication of fright.  Quite the contrary he is bold enough to touch the leper, thereby making himself unclean.  Meanwhile, his touch restores the leper to health.  Jesus then tells the man to have his healing verified by a priest as prescribed by Jewish law.  The people, unbothered by the possibility of Jesus’ contamination, throng around him. Curiously, however, he withdraws from them to pray to God.

This gospel gives us insight into God’s coming among us as we conclude Christmas festivities this weekend.  He is here to heal us of our infirmities, even at considerable cost to himself.  He does not overturn established customs but brings them to fruition.  Nor does he exploit his powers for self-aggrandizement; rather, he always stays in touch with their source – his relationship with the Father.  More than insight into Jesus, the gospel provides us a model for our lives.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Thursday after the Epiphany

(I John 4:19-5:4; Luke 4:14-22)

Within two weeks President Obama will deliver the annual State of the Union Address before Congress.  He will mention the challenges facing the country: millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, wars festering in Iraq and Afghanistan, racial tensions mounting, to name just a few.  Similarly, Jesus addresses the challenges of his times in what may be called his inaugural address in the Gospel of Luke.

Interestingly, Luke has Jesus making his first presentation in his hometown of Nazareth.  It is as if Jesus were a politician returning home to launch a campaign.  He references the prophet Isaiah to announce the issues on which he will concentrate.  He will lift the spirits of the poor, win amnesty for prisoners, relieve the burden to the oppressed, etc.  In short, he will fulfill God’s promise of justice made after Judah experienced the humiliation of military defeat and exile.  Of course, Jesus’ townspeople are edified by his speech.  They know that what he says are not just words but testimony to deeds already accomplished.

Still at the beginning of a new year, we should make some resolutions about what we would like to see happen in our lives this year.  If we are true followers, we will peg our hopes to the Lord Jesus.  We will ask his grace to be more patient on the road and at home.  We will also plead him to make us less insistent on having things our own way.  Like him we will see our role as thanking God and serving Him by helping others.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Christmas Weekday

(I John 4:11-18; Mark 6:45-52)

With most people having stored away their Nativity scenes, the meaning of Christmas fades from memory.  Surely the feast is meant to do more than stimulate the economy!  No, first and foremost, Christmas reminds the world that God has come into its midst.  This truth is amply demonstrated in the gospel reading today.

Jesus is capable of walking on water because he is God come to earth.  The boat being tossed about by the waves symbolizes the Church in a sinful world.  The winds churning up the waters represent human passions threatening goodness and truth.  But Jesus’ presence saves the boat from these implacable forces. 

Pleasure, power, prestige, even deep pockets lose their sway when we keep in mind that Jesus accompanies us.  The celebration of Christmas assures us that God has made His appearance among us.  Now we are to take notice that although the accoutrements of Christmas are gone, His presence remains forever.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Tuesday, Christmas weekday

(I John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44)

The woman was fond of saying, “Where there is a will there is a way.”  She knew that people often find excuses for not doing things that they could do if they set their heart on it.  She herself gave her three children a Catholic education after her husband died in their eleventh year of marriage.  Jesus has a similar idea in mind in today’s gospel.

The disciples are growing desperate.  They see the crowds staying to listen to Jesus as the day wanes.  They must be thinking, “Who will feed this multitude?”  Perhaps they have provisions that they are reluctant to share.  But Jesus shows no such worry.  “Give them some food yourselves,” he says.  He then blesses the bread and fish at hand which turn out to be more than enough.  What happened?  The gospel itself does not mention a multiplication of loaves.  Nor is anything said about each person sharing from his or her personal provision.  The “how” question evidently does not really matter to the evangelist.  What’s important here is Jesus’ trust in his Father to feed the crowd. 

We too sometimes make excuses for not fulfilling responsibilities.  We do not have to give it “the old college try.”  What’s important is sincerely asking God’s assistance.  There are as many ways for God to accomplish His purpose as there are fish in the ocean.  God will provide when we bring our needs to Him.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop

(I John 3:22-4:6; Matthew 4:12-17.23-25)

A couple of years ago a Harvard professor claimed to have evidence that Jesus was married.  She produced a parchment with writing in Coptic in which JesJesus' wifeus refers to his wife.  By itself the document could not have disproved the Christian belief that Jesus was as he indicates, “a eunuch for the sake of the kingdom” (Matthew 19:12).  But it certainly could have sown doubt in believers that what the Church has been preaching since the beginning was not true.  Upon investigation, however, the parchment has been shown to be a forgery.  In the first reading today John the Elder calls for a similar kind of investigation regarding the claims of others about Christ and his community.  He tells his followers that they must “test the spirits to see whether they belong to God.”

Throughout Christian history the Church has been plagued by dissension and fragmentation.  Today’s reading tells us that it took place in the first century as well.  The writer, who represents orthodox Christianity, condemns the group that has withdrawn from his community.  He tells his readers that they can test the invalidity of the group essentially by their fruits.  Since they do not believe that the Messiah came in the flesh according to the way John has been teaching, they are tragically wrong.

Extravagant claims are constantly levered about Jesus.  Ten years ago, for example, people were taken up with Dan Brown’s allegation that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers.  We need be very wary of such ideas by testing them.  In the end we will probably be convinced that the four canonical gospels say all that there is important to know about Jesus.  They do differ among themselves in minor details, but the core teaching is consistent.  We can put our trust in their claim that he died and rose that we might have eternal life.