Monday, March 22, 2021

 Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

(Daniel 13:1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62; John 8:1-11)

Both readings today exalt discernment and right judgment.  Daniel sees through the lies of the old lechers wanting to condemn Susanna for adultery.  Jesus shows himself even more insightful as he foils his nemeses’ attempt to condemn him.  In the process he saves the adulteress’ life.  But he does not let her sin go unnoticed; he demands that she never commit adultery again.

Something needs to be said about the sin of adultery itself.  Of course, it is prohibited explicitly by the sixth commandment.  But is seems to have survived well the condemnation by both divine and natural law.  Today one’s adultery can be uncovered without the person losing status even if the person never repented.  Yet adultery remains an insidious crime.  It violates both the marriage contract and vow.  It causes severe mental anguish and often the breakup of family with resultant child trauma.  It undermines belief in God as much as the marriage covenant represents Christ’s relationship with the Church.

Like Jesus we do not want to condemn adulterers.  But like him as well we want them to understand the gravity of their sin so that they do commit it again.  We also should pray to God for the conviction and courage to be faithful to the vows that we have made.

Sunday, March 21, 2021

 The Fifth Sunday of Lent

(Jeremiah 31: 31-34, Hebrews 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33)

It has been so long since our last time on a plane that we have almost forgotten the experience. We remember how we boarded the plane thirty or forty minutes before takeoff. We settled in while the others passengers found their seats. Then there was an announcement: they needed to take a count. If there were empty seats, they admitted a few more passengers and closed the door. Now the plane could take off to the skies. Today's gospel narrative begins with a similar experience.

When he learns of the coming of the Greeks, Jesus responds that the hour of his glorification has come. He will say later that when he is raised up, he will attract everyone to him. Evidently the Greeks represent the vanguard of the crowds that come to Jesus. It is time for him to save the world. We see everyone coming to Jesus in the catholicity of the Church. There are Catholics in all parts of the world, from Argentina to Siberia.

In the Church we Catholics are called to participate in the new covenant that God has forged by the death and resurrection of his Son. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this covenant in the first reading. The Jews forgot the Law written on stone tablets to form the heart of the covenant of Moses. The new covenant is made between God and the new Israel, both Jews and non-Jews who make up the Church. The law of this new covenant will not be engraved in stone but in the hearts of the faithful. In this way it cannot be forgotten. It is the work of the Holy Spirit forming the followers of Jesus according to his teaching.

But the new covenant is not achieved by spiritual teachings and inspiration alone. It will cost Jesus his life. He offers the parable of the seed dying on the ground to describe his sacrifice. As the seed has to be broken up to produce fruit, so Jesus has to give up his life. It will not be easy at all but a harsh, painful, frightful thing.

Always truthful, Jesus is not ashamed to admit the tumult taking place within him. But he declares that he is not going to ask the Father to remove this ordeal from him. He knows that God gave him this mission out of love for the world. Therefore, he is going to fulfill it. It is true that in the Gospel of John we do not see the pain and difficulty that Jesus experiences in his passion as we see in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. But we have the second reading as a testimony to his suffering. The Letter to the Hebrews says that Jesus learned obedience by suffering so that he could “become the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”

A proverb tells us that what happens to the teacher, also happens to his disciples. Since Jesus incurred the disdain of the wicked, we have to expect the same treatment. They will reject us when we insist, for example, that sexual intimacy outside of marriage is always immoral. They are not going to hang us on a cross, but they will probably make fun of us. When injustices like this happen to us, we want to remember the voice of the Father in this gospel: "'I have glorified (his name) and I will glorify it again.'" He will glorify our names as well because we have spoken the truth.

It is said that the Gospel of Saint John is symbolized with an eagle because the text soars high. More than in any other gospel, Jesus in this gospel presents himself as a man from heaven. We have to prepare to climb the heights with him on the next two Sundays. We are to see him lifted high on the cross next Sunday. Then, we will see him lifted higher still in his resurrection on Easter.

Friday, March 19, 2021

 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 (II Samuel 7:4-5a.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24a)

 Pope Francis has proclaimed this year as the Jubilee Year of St. Joseph.  Although relatively little is written about him in the gospels, he is being treated with the same reverence as St. Paul!  People may wonder why, given the fact that not only is little said about St. Joseph, but he never utters a word in all Scripture.  Yet he facilitated the incarnation and our salvation by giving Jesus and Mary a home.  It is instructive to imagine what Joseph brought to that home.

 First, he was open to life.  Joseph not only accepted Jesus as a foster son; he also sheltered and nourished the Son of God.  He allowed himself to contemplate the glory of God by watching Jesus grow in his midst.  Joseph also must have prayed constantly.  The statement that the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream implies that he was always thinking about God.  Dreams are often extensions of conscious life where hopes and fears are played out.  Joseph, called a righteous man in the gospel, probably prayed that he might serve the Lord.  Finally, Joseph no doubt instilled the human values of workmanship in his home.  He taught Jesus mindfulness in preparing the job at hand, diligence in pursuing its excellence, and patience in finishing a product.  Jesus was a more capable preacher and leader because of Joseph’s tutelage.

 In this Jubilee Year of St. Joseph, we can pray for his intercession with our needs.  He knew the human situation, its limits, and its difficulties.  Turning to him, we can count on his support to move us beyond our little world of self into the unbounded love of God.  Doing so, we will complete works that are helpful to others and meritorious for us.

 

 

Thursday, March 18, 2021

 Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47)

To appreciate today’s readings, we have to consider the argument between the Christian minority and Jewish majority in late first century. The Gospel of John was written in the midst of this argument.  The Jews were reforming after the Roman invasion and destruction of the Temple.  They looked upon followers of Christ as schismatics, not worthy to be treated as brothers.  Christians, to the contrary, saw themselves as the authentic Israel because they followed Jesus, God’s authentic prophet.

The first reading shows Israelites deviating from God’s ways in the desert, soon after the adoption of the covenant.  They worship a golden calf rather than the spiritual God who rescued them from slavery.  In the gospel Jesus challenges the Jews for continuing the errant beliefs of their ancestors.  He cites their rejection of him as the “Son of God” as evidence of their ignorance of Scripture.  He tells them that not only his healings but also the Scriptures testify to him.  They show that he is the prophet of whom Moses once spoke.  (That testimony is not in today’s reading but can be found in the Book of Deuteronomy.)

We don’t want to get involved in the first century argument.  Rather we should find the Lord challenging us if we have faithfully followed Jesus.  Most of all, Jesus showed us how to love truly.  It is done not by making sentimental attempts to please others.  Rather, loving is a matter of enabling others to experience the presence of the Lord Jesus.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30)

As St. Patrick is the patron of Ireland, the words of the characteristic Irish ballad, “Danny Boy,” may be recalled today.  They tell of a parent calling for his or her son who has left his homeland.  The lad may have gone off to war or perhaps to the United States.  His return is not expected soon; indeed, the parent expects to be dead when Danny comes back.  When he does return, the parent asks that he visit his/her grave to say an “Ave” or “Hail Mary.”  Danny is to pray for his parent’s eternal life. Jesus provides reason for the prayer in today’s gospel.

In John’s account of the passion, Jesus is not tried by the Jewish Sanhedrin.  Nevertheless, he faces Jewish interrogations throughout his ministry as in this passage.  In fact, in the other gospels the Jews ask Jesus what is at issue in today’s gospel: whether Jesus is God’s Son.  His affirmative answer includes a declaration that the Father has given him power to judge the dead.  He will determine whether each dead person is worthy or not of eternal life. 

We pray that our dead loved ones will be just mercifully by the Son of God.  They were not perfect, but they did do “good deeds,” the criterion for a positive judgment.  As we pray the “Ave” or “Hail Mary” for our dead, we also recommend ourselves for prayer.  We ask the Virgin to pray for us “now and at the hour of our death.”