Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11b-19)

Bicycle mechanics speak of “truing” wheels.  This means that they adjust the tension on the spokes equally so that the wheel’s rotation does not pull it from side to side.  If the wheel is not “true,” it will wobble to cause an uncomfortable ride.   The “truth” that Jesus expresses in today’s gospel may be understood in this way.

Jesus himself is the word that is truth.  He grounds his disciples in what is good and pleasing to God so that they might attain eternal life.  Without him the way would become so arduous that the disciples would begin to wobble.   They would not be able to not complete their journey.  In this “priestly prayer” on behalf of the people Jesus petitions the Father.  He asks the Father to consecrate his disciples “in truth.” He wants them close to him for guidance and support. 

We are used to think of truth classically.  Truth is what corresponds closely to reality.  John’s gospel stretches our notion of truth to include what is most practical.  Truth – that is, Jesus of Nazareth – will enable us to attain eternal bliss, our heart’s deepest desire.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, priest

(Acts 20:17-27; John 17:1-11a)

Today’s patron saint, Philip Neri, characterizes the joy of the Holy Spirit.  Philip enjoyed talking with regular people about the Lord.  His natural good humor made him attractive to others.  But he was not just a chatterbox.  It is said that he had the Socratic gift of leading others to a deeper awareness of truth.  When his listeners made new insights about how to improve their ways of living, Philip would pose the question.  “Well, brothers,” he asked, when shall we begin to do good?”

But the Spirit is not only about living together happily.  It also calls people to hard truths and even to suffering.  In today’s first reading St. Paul relates how the Holy Spirit is compelling him to go to Jerusalem.  Paul is aware that imprisonment awaits him there.  He knows how he has stirred up Jewish enmity.  First, he converted to Christianity and then he has disputed Jewish doctrine.  Is the Spirit leading him to execution in likeness to Christ?

We are now preparing for Pentecost, the great feast of the Holy Spirit.   Since the Spirit comes as a rich and varied gift, we should want to witness its arrival.  We pray that it will set fast on us.  We ask the Father that through the Son, the Spirit may lift us up in joy.  We also ask that it confirm us with patience and peace.  Most of all, we beg that it set us on fire with its love.

Monday, May 25, 2020

(Optional) Memorial of St. Gregory VII, pope

(Acts 19:1-8; John 16:29-33)

Today the Church celebrates various saints.  Among them is Pope St. Gregory the Great, an eleventh century Church reformer.  Gregory is famous for excommunicating the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. The emperor refused to allow the Church to invest in office the bishops it chose.  In order to have the sentence lifted, Henry stood in the snow outside Gregory’s quarters as a kind of penance.  But once pardoned, Henry turned on Gregory and forced him into exile where he died.  No doubt Gregory felt some of the abandonment that Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel.

In the Gospel of John Jesus is prescient of all that is taking place.  He knows that he will be crucified and that his disciples will abandon him.  Yet he stands firm in his resolve to complete the mission of his Father.  He also knows that the Father will stand by him.  He further encourages his disciples to trust in him as he does in the Father.  Doing so, they will experience peace when are persecuted for proclaiming Jesus .

Jesus offers the same peace to us.  We may feel especially anxious because of the virus.  It really does threaten our safety and also our livelihood.  Praying for help, we will receive Jesus’ support.  He will enable us to make prudent decisions regarding when to act and when to wait.  He will also assure us that even if our decisions turn out mistaken, we will not perish.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

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

The passage from Acts today highlights two separate issues of importance.  The first regards the dating of St. Paul’s stay in Corinth.  From another source we know that the proconsul Gallio was in Corinth only in the years 51-52.  Since he adjudicated the complaint by the Jews against Paul and Paul was there for a year and a half, his stay must have been coincided with at least in part with those years.

The other issue is more significant.  Gallio, a government official, refuses to interfere in religious questions.  Nineteen centuries later the Second Vatican Council advocated for a similar stance by governments toward religion.  The council reasoned that religion is a matter of conscience which humans have to be free to follow.  A government must allow people and, indeed, religious organizations to practice what they believe to be God’s will.

Currently freedom of religion is being contested over refusal to provide contraception as an employee insurance benefit.  Some Catholic employers rightfully see providing such a benefit unconscionable.  Can the government, which mandates insurance benefits, force them to do so anyway?  Because the issue involves sexual behavior, logic is often set aside.  However, it is, I believe, fair to say that since contraception is usually not necessary for a woman’s health, it could be dismissed as an insurance benefit in most cases.  The matter in the United States is now waiting a Supreme Court judgment.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

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

A sixteen year-old girl was taken to the hospital last week.  She was complaining of a headache that would not go away.  The medical personnel tested her for the Corona-19 virus.  She didn’t have it, yet two days later she died.  How great the grief of her family!  Words are not able to express the sudden loss of a young life. Jesus is preparing his disciples for such an experience in today’s gospel.

The disciples display confusion over what Jesus is saying.  They cannot register that Jesus is about to be sacrificed for the salvation of the world.  They see him as a man at the height of his powers.  In their eyes he is ready to claim his position as King of Israel.  Now Jesus tells them that they soon will be mourning his loss.  And then, not much after that, they will rejoice at his return. 

We know that Jesus is referring to his death and resurrection.  We should glimpse that he is also referring to our death and resurrection as well.  Those who commit themselves to the Lord in Baptism – he assures us – will have eternal life with him at death.  The mother of the sixteen year-old who recently died need not think her daughter is lost forever.  She can hope to cherish her again in Jesus’ resurrection.