Monday, May 14, 2018

Feast of Saint Matthias, apostle

(Acts 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17)

In the entire Bible Matthias is mentioned only in today’s passage from Acts.  The man himself evidently did not do anything of unique importance.  It is his office as an apostle that makes his selection a primary concern in the Christian community.

Most probably Jesus chose twelve apostles to give his movement continuity with Israel.  He recognized in the nation more than divine selection.  He saw it holding critical tenets of God’s self-revelation.  Israel knew, long before Jesus, that God loves unconditionally.  It also knew that God calls each human being to more perfectly reflect the divine image.  The role of Jesus’ apostles was to proclaim that God’s love and His promise is fulfilled in Jesus.  The community reiterates the continuity by maintaining a body of twelve primary witnesses to Jesus.  However, with the death of the original apostles, it did not see the need to name others.

The apostles handed on a system of belief which the Church still preserves.  For this reason in part the Church is recognized as apostolic.  The belief system unites our local church or diocese with all the others within the Roman Catholic Church.  It also unites, at least in the same faith, the Roman Church with Catholic and Orthodox Churches around the world. 

Friday, May 11, 2018

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 18:9-18; John 16:20-23)

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus said, “’It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). People who find themselves harassed by church donation seekers may take some comfort in knowing that this saying is not recorded in any of the four gospels.  Their relief may gain momentum when they read today’s gospel.  Jesus quite clearly states, “’Whatever you ask the Father in my name will be given to you.’”  In fact, a form of this promise is found in each of the four gospels!

But what does Jesus mean by it?  Perhaps all of us have prayed for something with faith and persistence that was not granted.  Recently a woman came to me sounding profoundly disillusioned.  She complained that she prayed for her mother to live, but the elder died.  Is Jesus then to be taken at his word?  Of course, he is.  An old African-American preacher once advised, “Until you have been knocking on the closed door for years with your knuckles bleeding, you do not know what prayer is.”  Persistence may not be a matter of days or even years.  It may require decades or even centuries.

Christians have been praying for two millennia that Jesus return soon without its full realization.  We see signs in the falling of the Iron Curtain, for example.  But we also recognize that all earthly progress is bound to fall short of God’s Kingdom.  Encouraged by the progress made and hopeful that it might grow, we continue to pray.  We take Jesus at his word because we have already received more than a fair share of blessing.  We pray always in his name confident that our Father in heaven will grant us all that is good.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 18:1-8; John 16:16-20)

Of all the innovations of the past fifty years none seems as incredible as walking on the moon.  It was the first contact ever of a human being with a celestial object.  Interestingly, after the Apollo program ended, humans have never landed again on a celestial body.  When Jesus refers to his resurrection in today’s gospel, he speaks of a more extraordinary occurrence.

Jesus keeps saying, “…in a little while.” In fact, the phrase is used seven times in the passage.  It refers to both his death and resurrection.  “In a little while,” he will be crucified.  Then in another “little while” he will rise from the dead.  His disciples cannot appreciate what he means because the concept of individual resurrection is utterly novel.  The Pharisees teach of a general resurrection.  But that one person would rise independently from the dead is as foreign an idea as a moonwalk was in the nineteenth century.

We too may have difficulty believing in the resurrection.  It is helpful to remember that Jesus’ was attested to by someone diametrically opposed to him.  St. Paul persecuted Christians until Christ encountered him on the road to Damascus.  The promise that Jesus’ resurrection gives of our own is essential.  It fixes our eyes on eternal happiness when they are readily sidetracked by banal interests.  Forty days after we first proclaimed Jesus’ rising this year, it is worth the effort to do so again.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 17:15.22-18.1; John 16:12-15)

A former seminarian no longer goes to church.  His wife gives his reason as no longer believing in the resurrection.  The man may be seeking an excuse to sleep late on Sunday, but he knows the critical issue of faith.  This is evidenced by reading Paul’s exhortations in the Acts of the Apostles.  In his sermon to Jews in Pisidia Paul preaches that Jesus’ resurrection fulfills the Scriptures (Acts 13:30-32).  In today’s reading he tells the Greeks that God raised Jesus from the dead as testimony of his coming to judge the world.  In both cases Paul did not accomplish very much.  In his First Letter to the Corinthians he indicates that he had to change his message.  He writes, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified…” (I Cor 1:22-23a).

Paul never got very far in preaching to Jews, but Greeks came to embrace his message.  They did so because the world longs to hear of one who would sacrifice his life out of love for another.  Despite evidence of narcissism most people suspect that they are not really worth much.  They look for testimony that someone loves them.  This is the message of the cross.  As Paul writes elsewhere, “…God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).

We need not worry how the resurrection can take place.  Everyday science reveals occurrences which never before were imagined, much less explained.  But we must act on our belief in the resurrection.  We should make some sacrifice of what we treasure for the good of others. 

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:22-34; John 16:5-11)

Today’s first reading from Acts serves as testimony to its accompanying gospel passage.  In the gospel Jesus tells his disciples that the Spirit will come to assist them.  He says that it will prove the world wrong in its judgments about sin, righteousness, and condemnation.  Jesus’ reasoning is subtle, but the story of Paul and the jailer illustrates what he means.

Regarding sin the Roman world of Philippi saw Christians as worshipping a false God.  So when that God frees Paul and Silas from jail, Christians are vindicated.  In turn, the people who refuse to believe in Jesus are convicted of sin.  Then Paul’s intervention stopping the jailer from committing suicide demonstrates the righteousness s of Christians.  Meanwhile the cultural value that moves one to kill himself is shown to be wanting.  Finally, the Christian movement has made its start in Europe.  Not only the Jews who gathered at the river but pagans as well are turning to Jesus.  Satan has been condemned is on the run. 

It is true that Jesus’ triumph is not clearly evident these days if it ever was.  An increasing number of young and old say they have left the Church.  Morals seem to be deteriorating throughout the world.  But Christ is gaining ascendancy in many parts of Africa and Asia.  The world also recognizes Pope Francis as its moral guide.  There is no need to feel defeated.  Quite the contrary, we should double our efforts to show that Jesus is the way to happiness.