Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

(Revelation 12:7-12ab; John 1:47-51)

In Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet is alone when his father’s ghost reveals how he was murdered.  Then Hamlet’s friends arrive asking what just happened.  Before he tells them, Hamlet demands an oath of secrecy.  At this point the voice of the ghost chimes in to underscore the need of secrecy.   Hearing the voice but seeing nothing, Hamlet’s companion exclaims, “...this is wondrous strange,” to which Hamlet counters, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Like Horatio says of the ghost’s voice, many people find the doctrine of angels “wondrous strange.”  Believing that only what they can see and hear actually exists, they doubt the reality of angels.  To paraphrase Hamlet, angels are not parts of their philosophy.  But we Catholics, who accept a spiritual order of reality, forthrightly admit the reality of angels.  As Scripture attests in numerous places, angels exist as God’s attendants carrying out His commands.

The stories of the three archangels further reveal how angels extend God’s mercy.  Michael wages war against Satan to free humans from tyranny; Gabriel announces the coming of mercy incarnate, Jesus Christ; and Raphael leads Tobias from peril to peace.  We should happily admit that God sends angels as means for reaching our eternal destiny. 

Monday, September 28, 2015

Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary time

 (Zechariah 8:1-4; Luke 9:46-50)

Once Pope Francis scandalized some Catholics.  When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, the future pope, prayed with evangelical Protestants.  He even knelt down for their blessing.  “How could he do that?” the people asked.  “Does he not know that past popes have condemned any kind of collaboration with Protestants?”  These people sound like John in today’s gospel.

When John saw a man casting out demons in Jesus’ name, he and the other disciples tried to stop him.  Perhaps he was only concerned that the man did not have Jesus’ permission to use his name.  It has been suggested, however, that John may have been envious because the disciple’s sometimes have trouble casting out demons themselves.  In any case Jesus corrects him.  It does not matter to Jesus that someone uses his name to do something good.  What is important is that everyone helps the poor and troubled live with dignity.

We might want to ask Jesus if it is necessary tan to be his disciple.  In other words, why are we Catholics?  Is it just because we have been brought up in the Catholic Church or that now most of our friends are Catholic?  These are insufficient motives.  No, we are Catholic because we hear Jesus’ words at mass at least every Sunday.  More importantly, we are Catholic because we are offered his body and blood at mass.  This is no mean gift, of course.  It might be compared to the love and the truth that the Church community has demonstrated for two thousand years!

Friday, September 25, 2015

Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Haggai 2:1-9; Luke 9:18-22)

“Nine-eleven” was such an outrageous assault on the United States not only because it claimed so many lives but also because it attempted to destroy the nation’s dominant symbols.  Its perpetrators were able to bring down the World Trade Center, the symbol of economic power, and to damage the Pentagon, the symbol of military power.  The terrorists who hijacked the fourth airliner may well have targeted the White House or the Capitol – centers of political power before they were thwarted  The first reading today similarly focuses on a potent national symbol.

The Temple became the center of Jewish worship and of Jerusalem’s economic life.  Its original construction by King Solomon was laden with riches.  Its reconstruction after the Exile – the focus of the reading today – was necessarily humbler given the hardship of the people during these times.  Its final version, engineered by King Herod, contained the largest area dedicated to sacred worship in ancient times.  Jerusalemites lived off the revenue received from pilgrims visiting its confines.

The Roman army destroyed Herod’s Temple in 70 A.D., an event which ended the Jewish legacy of Temple worship.  The Gospels of Mark and Matthew, however, see the Temple functionally destroyed with the crucifixion of Jesus and then rebuilt in three days with his resurrection.  The new Temple, which is not a physical structure but a spiritual one, fulfills Haggai’s prophecy.  God has brought peace to earth because in the Body of Christ -- that is, the Church -- people of every nation give glory to God by living justly and lovingly.

Thursday, September 25, 2015

Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(Haggai 1:1-8; Luke 9:7-9)

There is much excitement over Pope Francis’ visit to the United States.  Masses of people are waiting eight hours just to see him.  Francis, however, hardly seems the type of person who wants so much attention.   He would likely advise the people not to bother trying to see him.  Rather, he would want them to make a similar commitment to the vulnerable as he has.  The gospel today presents a man who is as anxious to see Jesus as people today are to see Francis.

Herod Antipas is curious about Jesus.  He wants to see the man who works wonders.  He knows that Jesus is not John reincarnate as many people think.  When the two finally meet at the end of the gospel, he will ask Jesus many questions.  But he will receive no response.  Jesus has not come to satisfy the curiosity of proud kings such as Herod.  He is here to show God’s kingdom to those who repent of their sins.

Still it is worthwhile to go out of our way to see the pope.  We would be with a throng of other people whose faith will strengthen ours.  We will be left with a memory of a man who came out of his way to serve us.  Hopefully, then we will go out of our way to serve others.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, priest

(Ezra 9:5-9; Luke 9:1-6)

In Italy many stories are told about Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, known universally in the Church as Padre Pio.  A story told in America about him occurred during World War II when American soldiers were marching up the Italian peninsula.  A group of soldiers stopped at the Franciscan monastery where Padre Pio lived.  The saint spotted one of their numbers and told him that he had to go to confession.  The soldier knew what he was talking about and relieved his conscience of a heavy burden.  In today’s first reading a whole nation similarly relieves its conscience.

The issue causing Ezra’s public repentance with the approval of the people is the apostasy of many Israelites.  In great numbers Jerusalem’s men have taken foreign wives and converted to pagan idolatry.  Ezra knows that faith is both precious and elusive.  Unless the people take strides to practice and preserve their faith, it will slip from their possession like a fish just out of water from one’s hands.

Few of us seem to have the stomach for private penance, much less public demonstrations of remorse.  Friday is a day of penance on the books, but even church organizations do not hold back from celebrating on that day.  Yet penance is more about building up the self than tearing it down.  It acknowledges God as the supreme source of our strength and appeals to Him to correct our faults.