Monday, September 3, 2018

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church

(I Corinthians 2:1-5; Luke 4:16-30)

Like some of the other national holidays, "Labor Day” has lost much of its meaning.  Few people today see it as an opportunity to celebrate work.  Instead, like Presidents’ Day and even Memorial Day, Labor Day is just another day off.  Ideally, it is an opportunity to contemplate at leisure the meaning of work and its inherent dignity. Today’s gospel can assist us in this effort.

Jesus proclaims "glad tidings to the poor." He does not have only the homeless and unemployed in mind.  The vast majority of workers at this time have difficulty meeting family needs. As is indicated in the parable of the Laborers of the Vineyard, many workers do not receive a full day’s wage.  But now that Jesus has come, workers may fret no longer.  He brings the good news of salvation. As his disciples, the rich will share with the poor.  More to the point, as God’s anointed Jesus will lead the people from fetishes and misconceptions about religion.  He will speak authoritatively so that they will follow.  Most of all he will care for the people sacrificing himself so that they may be freed from the snares of sin.

Work, of course, produces much more than money to put food on the table. As importantly, it gives all women and men occasion to confirm their inherent dignity by participating in divine creation. This may be readily seen in the efforts of engineers, scientists, and artists, but it is also true of people who labor. By cooking, selling, or cleaning, we make the world a better place.  Putting our mind as well as our muscle into work, we can legitimately call ourselves “co-creators of the world.”

Friday, August 31, 2018

Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 1:17-25; Matthew 25:1-13)

Last year the movie Casablanca celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary.  Of course, that is not so great a milestone.  It was newsworthy because the movie never ceases to capture the imagination of the public.  What makes it so outstanding?  Some will say it was the acting of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart.  Others marvel at how the movie was filmed in its entirety in Hollywood.  But consider this as the reason for the movie’s popularity: it re-presents the sacrifice of which St. Paul writes in today’s first reading.

The movie portrays a man’s sacrifice of the woman he loves for her benefit and that of a foreign nation.  In the Letter to the Corinthians Paul tells of how he preaches Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself for the good of humanity.  The sacrifice, Paul says, would be considered folly by the Greeks, the worldly wise, who marvel at rational arguments.  Likewise, it would be considered inconsequential by Jews, the worldly prudent, who look for demonstrations of power.  But to those with an inkling of the true God, Christ’s sacrifice reveals the superabundance of divine love.

God’s love for us is more immense than an ocean and more intense than the sun.  We can never understand it fully, much less imitate it completely.  We only can give thanks for it and vow to follow the same Jesus Christ in all he said and did.

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 1:1-9; Matthew 24:42-51)

A year before he was murdered, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered a famous speech about work.  He preached that each of us in her or his occupation should do the best job possible.  Knowing that many of the people listening to him had relatively simple jobs, he focused on street sweepers.  “If a man is called to be a street sweeper,” King said, “he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.”  In today’s gospel Jesus calls his disciples to work with the same kind of diligence.

The passage comprises the middle section of Jesus’ “eschatological discourse” in Matthew’s gospel.  The Lord is teaching his disciples how to consider the end of time when he will come in glory.   Ironically he says that one prepares for his coming by not preparing.  Since the end will come when it is least expected, disciples must always be ready for it.  They are to assiduously fulfill their daily responsibilities.  Jesus uses a butler as his prime example.  As a worthy butler will dispense food rations equitably so must disciples perform their duties prudently.   As the responsible butler will be made chief steward, faithful disciples will find secure places in the Kingdom.

For many of us a new year is beginning at this time when summer is ending.  It is time to rededicate ourselves to our task – be it school work or waiting tables.  We do it for the Lord as much as for ourselves or for the common good.  We want people to say, “There goes a true Christian,” if they should see us at work.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Memorial of the Passion of John the Baptist

(II Thessalonians 3:6-10.16-18; Mark 6:17-29)

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, the protagonist says: "Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once."  Caesar is referring to the many occasions in which cowards betray their consciences.  Out of fear they fail to do what is right.  King Herod proves himself to be a coward in today’s gospel.

Herod fears that his guests will think of him as weak-kneed for refusing to carry out the promise he made.  He also shows himself a coward for not reprimanding his stepdaughter for her outrageous request.  Quite the opposite, John the Baptist shows real courage by speaking out against Herod for causing a public scandal.  He knows that civic leaders should give good example to the people by living upright lives. 

We are being continuously jarred by the unseemly acts of politicians.  Marital infidelity and cavorting with prostitutes are regular front-page features.  We need to look to Jesus for a remedy.  He will tell us not to cast stones on the guilty.  But he will add that their sins cannot be tolerated.  They should repent, do penance, and find consolation from us.  After all, we too struggle at times to live righteously.

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church

(II Thessalonians 2:1-3a.14-17; Matthew 23:23-26)

It has been said that the three most influential persons in Christianity are Jesus, St. Paul, and today’s patron, St. Augustine.  It is a plausible selection.  Jesus and Paul are natural choices, and much can be said to defend Augustine’s placement in the troika. His prodigious thought lent coherency to biblical teaching.  And his long service allowed him to comment on most aspects of theology and church life.  He wrote books, theological tracts, and sermons.  His best known work, The Confessions, is found on most lists of great books of Western Civilization.  He certainly fulfilled the demand articulated in today’s first reading.

The Second Letter to the Thessalonians like most New Testament epistles emphasizes the urgency of holding to faith traditions.  “…stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,” it says.  Unlike other religious systems Christianity understands itself as a religion with a fixed theological tradition.  Proper understanding of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit more than anything else makes one a Christian.  Morality, particularly love of God and neighbor, is also essential but in a real sense not so much as firmness of belief.

Today, as in biblical times, there are many odd ideas that pretend to be Christian.  The “prosperity gospel” provides a relevant example.   Of course, Christ never preached the desirability of riches, quite the opposite.  Endeavoring to understand our faith will help us to practice as he taught and lived.