Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 4:11-19; Mark 9:38-40)

L’Chaim is the Hebrew toast to life.  Most everyone will lift a glass to it.  We all want to live and to live well. To do the latter requires wisdom which looks beyond the superficial.   Wisdom peers into the heart of reality informing us what is truly beneficial and what is harmful.  As Sirach says in today’s first reading, “He who loves (wisdom) loves life.”

Sirach goes on to describe how wisdom may be a hard taskmaster.  It often tells us things that are not of our liking.  Wisdom recommends that we do not try to manipulate human life by producing children without the marriage act.  For a childless couple this seems unfair.  The husband and wife only want the good of raising a child like the majority of families.  Wisdom provides reasons, however.  In the case of procreation wisdom speaks of the rights of the child.  She should know that she was conceived through an act of love between her father and mother.

Many today embrace the “technological imperative.”  This false axiom stipulates that what can be done must be done.  Pursuing it will lead to the ambiguous identity of human clones, to the dangerous instability of global nuclear weapons, and to a host of other threats to well-being.  No, before saying it must be done, we must ask if it is good to do it.  Only following wisdom in this way can we avoid disaster for ourselves and for the world.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 2:1-11; Mark 9:30-37)

There is a story about Don Ramon, an old man who lived in a village in the state of Tabasco in Mexico.  Every day Don Ramos was seen sitting in front of the hut where he lived with an open Bible on his lap.  One day a passer-by, a visiting priest from the United States, stopped to talk with the old man.  “Don Ramon,” the priest asked, “what are you reading in the Bible?”  The old man looked at the priest and said: “Padrecito, I do not know how to read.  So I sit here every morning and ask God to teach me something from his Word.  And every morning He does.  God has never failed me!”  This story of Don Ramon exemplifies the message in today’s first reading.

Sirach, the Old Testament sage, tells his readers, “Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, …Trust God and God will help you; trust in him, and he will direct your way…”  God does not abandon those who seek him.  Rather they will learn that it is He who has sought them first.  Sirach probably learned this lesson from bitter experience.  During his time Israel was occupied by Greek rulers who tried to forcibly change Jewish ways and customs.  They even desecrated the Temple!  Sirach preaches patience and trust.  The Lord will show the Jews what to do.  They must wait on him.

We live in a trying time as well.  (Perhaps all times are trying.)  The Church appears under siege, and many people are angry about one thing or another.  We have to heed Sirach’s advice.  Like Don Ramon we are wise to wait on the Lord every day.  We have the advantage of being able to search the Scriptures for an inspiration.  There He will advise us how to not become discouraged but to help improve the situation.

Monday, February 25, 2019

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 1:1-10; Mark 9:14-29)

Since Charles Darwin explained the evolution of the species, many Christians have had trouble believing.  They say with the father of the demoniac in today’ gospel, “’I do believe; help my unbelief.’”   We live in awe of science with its own brand of wisdom to explain how the world works.

Nevertheless, Jesus invites us to another, deeper wisdom.  Science is hardly likely to satisfy all our needs.  Yet God is ready to assist us in the endeavor to live free from fear and distress as Jesus shows here.  When we pray with confidence and diligence, God comes to our sides.  He provides what we need whether by granting our literal request or the means to grow in charity.  After all, it is the latter which makes us like Him, the immortal Creator.

We have all heard of the prayer for serenity: “God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”  The prayer helps us face our own limits when we feel responsibility weighing heavily upon us.  The prayer may be altered when our faith wanes.  We could pray: “Lord, grant me wisdom to know You, prayer to seek you, and love to remain with You.” 

Friday, February 22, 2019

The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

(I Peter 5:1-4; Matthew 16:13-19)

Today’s Feast of the Chair of St. Peter is meant to emphasize the authority of the bishop of Rome.  Like St. Peter, popes today use this authority to shepherd all the faithful in the Catholic Church.  Just last week Pope Francis made a decision that insures the well-being of some of the Church’s most vulnerable members.  He laicized a former cardinal and archbishop for sexual abuse of minors.  The action signals that no cleric – no matter his status -- will be exempt from severe consequences if he is responsible for an instance of this horrible crime.

Since yesterday we read the parallel passage in the Gospel of Mark, we can compare it with today’s gospel in search of insights into its meaning.  In all probability Matthew used Mark’s gospel for his basic storyline.  He added material which he took from other sources to support his message.  Mark has Peter saying that Jesus is “the Christ.”  Matthew has him adding “the Son of God.”  Although “Son of God” does not likely mean here all that it means to post-Nicene Christians, it still indicates intimacy with the Almighty.  For this reason it should not be a surprise that Matthew has Jesus saying how Simon was able to identify Jesus through a special revelation from the Father.  Divine assistance, then, becomes a hallmark of the Chair of Peter.  Matthew also adds the renaming of Simon as Peter with the explanation that he is like a petrus or rock who serves as a firm basis for the Church community.  Finally, Matthew, but not Mark, pictures Jesus promising Peter the keys to the Kingdom.  These instruments, of course, are not physical but spiritual.  They represent Peter’s authority not only to forgive sin but also to impose or remove spiritual penalties.  In this way Peter can constrain people to do what is right.

Pope Francis is always asking people to pray for him.  Very likely he is sincere in this appeal.  With all his responsibilities, he realizes the need for divine assistance.  We do pray for him every day at Mass.  Today, however, our Mass becomes a special prayer that he uses his great authority for the benefit of all.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 9:1-13; Mark 8:27-33)

 “’Who do you say that I am?’” Jesus asks his disciples in today’s gospel.  We should make the question our own.  In our own way of thinking, who is Jesus?  Some may answer, “One of the great men of history.”  Surely as far as the answer goes, that is correct.  In fact, it may be shown that no other human has had the impact that Jesus of Nazareth has had.  But he is still being defined as a human being.

Peter’s answer to Jesus query does not really admit more than that.  Peter understands Jesus as “the Christ,” which is to say that he is like David and the other kings of Israel.  With this idea in mind Peter sees Jesus as cleansing Israel of Roman rule and being installed as king in Jerusalem.  But he is still far from all that may be said to disclose Jesus’ identity.

It took almost three hundred years for the Church to come to an adequate conception of who Jesus is.  He is God, one of the Blessed Trinity.  This distinction is a mystery that we cannot really understand.  But it does reveal that he is the Creator and Lord of all.  It also calls us to worship him.  Finally, as his followers, it assures us of safety and well-being.