Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Lent

(Ezekiel 47:1-9.12; John 5:1-16)

“...I think the river is a strong brown god,” T. S. Eliot wrote in his majestic poem, The Dry Salvages.  John, the evangelist, would reverse the idea.  The river is not a god, but God is like a river.  In today’s first reading a river flows from its source in God’s Temple to not only grow every kind of nutritional and medicinal fruit but also to purify the oceans.  The gospel then portrays Jesus with even greater healing power than the Temple river.

The paralytic at the Sheep Gate is as sorry a dolt as seen in the gospels.  He cannot arrange a way to make use of the healing pool in the Temple precinct. When Jesus heals him on the Sabbath, the man reports the deed to Jesus’ enemies who are looking for something to indict him.  Yet Jesus shows no regret in taking pity on him.

Nor does he regret showing pity to us.  We may be wavering, even unfaithful. We may take him or put him low on our list of priorities.  But he remains ready to forgive, to heal and to assist us.  As Holy Week approaches, we want to recommit ourselves to follow him closely.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4:43-54)

The readings today focus on innovation.  In the first the Lord announces that He is about to create something so great that it will forever change life as it has been lived. The gospel gives a hint of what that change will be by relatedly a previously unheard of feat.  It shows Jesus healing the dying son of a royal official without even seeing him.  More wondrously, Jesus will bring new life to women and men living in different places and at different times.

Jesus accomplishes new life for people by rising from the dead on Easter Sunday.  As he rose, they will rise as well at the end of time when he returns to earth in glory.  Until relatively recently there was a lot of fanfare about Easter.  Most Christians wore something new on that day to symbolize the new life that was promised.  Everyone went to church.  Now the day seems to have less significance for most Christians than Mother’s or Father’s Day.  Perhaps Easter promises too much for people who are regularly awed by the products of technology. 

We should strive to keep Easter faith strong.  The best way to do so is to invite others to participate in the events of Holy Week and to celebrate Easter Sunday in an especially festive way.  Whatever the blessings that we have experienced in our lives, they are nothing compared to what Christ’s Easter victory promises.

Friday, March 9. 2018

Friday of the Third Week of Lent

(Hosea 14:2-10; Mark 12:28-34)

Jesus’ “first commandment” in today’s gospel originates in the Book of Deuteronomy.  It is taken from a famous passage known by its first words, “Shema Yisrael” – “Hear, Israel”. The passage then dictates the commandment that Jesus cites and concludes by saying that the words should hang “as a pendant on your forehead.”  Probably the author never intended a literal pendant, only that Jews would fix the command firmly in their minds.  But, as in many things religious, some fanatics started to wear headbands with receptacles carrying the written words.  There is challenge enough with loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

To love God with all our heart means to love Him unreservedly.  We cannot love Him in this way if we are going to love at the same time contrary things.  We cannot love God and at the same time look at pornography.  The soul is the seat of supernatural life.  To love God with all our soul is to love Him so that we may have the fullness of supernatural life in heaven.  It is to love Him by carrying out His will that we forgive and assist others in need.

When we love God with all our mind, we take care to learn more about Him.  We read books and magazines that help us understand His ways.  And when we love God with all our strength we make sacrifices for Him.  Our added prayer and fasting during Lent are signs of a strong love for God.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

(Jeremiah 7:23-28; Luke 11:14-23)

In today’s first readings Jeremiah accuses the people of Jerusalem of turning their backs on God.  They have not been faithful to the Covenant that they have made with the Lord.  The judgment could hardly be more severe.  According to Jeremiah, they no longer even pretend to be faithful; they do not even say the word.  The situation has not really improved by Jesus’ time.  He sees the same hardness of heart shown toward God’s ways of justice and mercy.  The people seem to refuse to accept Jesus as God’s prophet in order to follow their own preferences.

The same offense may be found in our society although, perhaps, magnified.  Faithfulness to one’s baptismal promises is now considered a betrayal of self.  Of major importance are the values that one chooses to recognize himself.  Forget about one’s culture, family background, even previous choices, one must do what he thinks is necessary to do at the moment. 

Faithfulness is an all-encompassing virtue.  It acknowledges one’s readiness to live in the ways that we have professed.  But we are not only faith to principles; we are also faithful to the people or the person who has imparted those principles.  For us Christians this means faithfulness to the Lord Jesus.  We promise to do as he commands because we know that he will provide our deep and lasting happiness. 

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

(Deuteronomy 4:1.5-9; Matthew 5:17-19)

The Scripture readings may remind us of the story of the wise man and the robber.  Once a wise man was traveling through a forest when he was stopped by a robber demanding the most valuable thing the wise man was carrying.  Without hesitating a second, the wise man opened his bag and pulled out a diamond as big as a grapefruit.  The robber took the diamond and went his way.  Later that same day, the robber returned.  He said that the wise man must have in his possession something more valuable than the big diamond.  Otherwise he could not have possibly given the diamond away so easily.  That something was what the highwayman now wanted from the wise man. 

Of course, the wise man had wisdom to know that the most important things in life are not riches.  They are spiritual realities like faith in God, a good character, and the moral virtues.  In today’s first reading Moses reminds the Israelites how valuable is the Law that God has given them.  He tells them that if they keep the Law, other nations will come to admire them.  In the gospel Jesus states that he has come not to take away Moses’ Law but to fulfill it.  He will perfect the law by emphasizing the need to love one’s neighbor from the heart.  Personal righteousness is always more than providing resources to the needy; it is caring for them from the heart.  This heart-felt care is like the “something more valuable” that the wise man possessed. 

We have to find effective ways of showing our care for the needy.  Monthly contributions to organizations that feed the homeless or provide social services for the poor may be the best we can do.  But it is better to dedicate some time ourselves to helping others in great need.  In this way we will form relationships with the poor so that we can love them from the heart.