Sunday, April 3, 2022

 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, April 3, 2022

(Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:7-14; John 8:1-11)

Once a holy man was traveling on foot through the forest. When he stopped for the night, an assailant came upon him. The ruffian demanded the most valuable thing he was carrying. Without delay the holy man opened his bag, took out a diamond as big as a grapefruit, and presented it to the assailant. The assailant took the diamond and left. In a short time he returned to the holy man. He told him, "Now give me the thing that made you part with this diamond." In the second reading Saint Paul shows us such a valuable thing.

Paul has had the experience of knowing Christ on several occasions. On the road to Damascus Christ appeared to him asking why he was persecuting them. The Acts of the Apostles recalls other meetings and also II Corinthians. We have similar experiences in prayer. We can sense the presence of Jesus urging us to be less inclined to anger and more kind and loving. He assures us that he will be with us come what may.

The story told in today’s gospel reinforces our trust in Jesus. He controls the situation with all the skill of a surgeon in the operating room. He first outwits the Pharisees who uses the adulteress to trap him. Their strategy is if Jesus says that the woman should be stoned, he would be violating Roman law. But if he says that she does not deserve death, he would be ignoring Jewish law. Jesus outsmarts them with the demand that the sinless person cast the first stone.

His treatment of the woman seems even more wonderful. Only the two remain, as Saint Augustine says, "misery and mercy". Jesus does not condemn the woman; neither does he scold her. He just corrects her. He tells her to go and sin no more. She will be so grateful to Jesus that she cannot ignore his mandate. He treats us the same way.

Not only does Jesus forgive us; he also helps us to sin no more. He teaches us how to live with our hearts set on the good of our neighbor, not on desire for his or her belongings. In addition to teaching, he shares with us the Holy Spirit that strengthens us spiritually. By receiving Holy Communion, we realize that we are not alone in the struggle. Rather we are part of a great family that includes the angels, the saints, even Christ as well as the other communicants.

Now we should better understand the first reading. Through the prophet God says that he is going to do something new. It will be as refreshing as a river in the desert. The new, the refreshing thing is Jesus Christ. He has not come to judge us but to justify us. He does not make excuses for our faults but corrects them so that we live honorably. We will live as upright as oak trees giving nuts to the squirrels and shelter to the birds.

The discovery of a "new" star was recently reported. In addition to not being really "new", this star attracted attention because it does not conform to astronomers' theories. It is so with Jesus. He lived two thousand years ago, but to many, even us, he is new. He does not conform to the old models of judging and scolding. He simply corrects us and justifies us. We will see this process take place in the liturgies within the next two weeks.

Friday, March 25, 2022

 SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD

 (Isaiah 7:10-14.8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38)

 The unlikely story of the “Christmas truce of 1914” has been verified by accounts sent home by the soldiers involved.  It happened that as the First World War became a miserable standoff in the trenches, the Germans offered the British a resolution to stop the fighting on Christmas Day.  They sent the message along with a chocolate cake.  The British accepted the offer with a gift of tobacco for the German troops.  Today we take a similar day off in Lent to celebrate the beginnings of Jesus Christ.

 It is exactly nine months before Christmas.  Figuring that Jesus had a normal gestation, the Church has consecrated today as the day of his conception.  It proclaims the gospel of Mary’s acceptance of God’s offer to be the mother of His Son.  That Son, Jesus, will fulfill God’s ancient promise to Israel of a king who will rule forever.

 We should not hesitate to have a glass of wine today or a bar of chocolate.  We do not have to abstain from meat today either.  But beyond breaking our Lenten customs, we do well to relate the significance of this day to our Lenten journey.  God shared with humans His Son who showed us the Father’s love.  Being enmeshed in sin, we crucified the Son for his goodness.  But the cross on which he died became the source of our redemption.  The story unfolds in three weeks in our celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

 Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

 (Jeremiah 7:23-28; Luke 11:14-23)

 This is an age of expressive individualism.  People want to show off the choices they have made about themselves.  Many of these choices are frivolous. Take color, for example. Most settle for changing the color of their hair to blond  or brunette.  Some, however, opt for an exotic green or blue.  Other choices affect the core being of the person.  One such choice that some people claim to make is a gender different than the one indicated by their chromosomes.  They don’t necessarily choose to be a man when they are biologically a women.  They may consider themselves some sort of hybrid.  Another way people express their choice is faith.  Some choose to trust God.  Others see the Buddha as the source of enlightenment.  Still others think humanity is worthy of their ultimate allegiance.

Today’s readings treat the choice of a prophet who speaks for God.  In the first reading the Lord says that the people have rejected Him in not listening to Jeremiah.  In the gospel Jesus defends his status as God’s spokesman with an argument and a parable.  He argues that Satan cannot be the source of his exorcisms because Satan would be warring against himself.  Rather, he says, the one, true God is the source of his power.  For this reason, the people should accept him, Jesus, as his prophet.  In the parable Jesus points out that Satan has been overwhelmed by God’s prophet.  Now the people can reclaim from Satan their freedom to live with freedom and dignity.

Especially during Lent Jesus asks us to renew our faith in him.  This means limiting our expressive individualism to what corresponds to his virtue.  We must follow his directives to live lovingly, chastely, and wisely.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

(Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9; Matthew 5:17-19)

In his poem “Mending Wall” Robert Frost writes, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.”  Walls are barriers that keep people apart.  But they also maintain order.  Laws are like walls.  Something about them is repugnant.  People, for the most part, want to help not hurt one another.  Why should they be restricted in their outreach?  Yet both readings today speak of the value of laws. 

In the first reading, Moses tells the people that they form a great nation because their laws are just. Given by God Himself, they have shaped a population of slaves into a just and holy people.  In the gospel Jesus confirms the worthiness of Jewish laws although he will enhance them.  His aim is to make a holy nation perfect.

Laws preserve not only order but also identity.  Keeping the Law, Jews remain Jewish.  They also assure that wayward human tendencies do not hurt others.  Still, we look forward to the abolition of laws, as Jesus says, with the coming of the Kingdom.  Then there will only remain the law of love.  Then, as the Holy Spirit fills every soul, all will love as we should.

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

 

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

(Daniel 3:25.34-43; Matthew 18:21-35)

Sins are forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance if there is a “firm purpose of amendment.”  This means that the penitent must be determined not to commit the sin again.  She may fail and come to Confession the following day.  But she must want not to fail by taking measures to avoid the sin.  As important as a firm purpose of amendment is, it is not the criterion that Jesus lays out for forgiveness.

Jesus insists that any mercy shown by God will be revoked if the sinner is not willing to forgive in turn.  His parable is quite illustrious.  In today’s terms it would say a man is forgiven the debt of a billion dollars.  Then he refuses to forgive his debtor who under the same conditions could not pay back one hundred.  Of course, such asymmetry is inexcusable.  God may be incomprehensibly merciful, but He is no fool.  He will not overlook the unwillingness to forgive after one has been greatly forgiven.

We show mercy when we do not try to get even with others for their offenses.  We may try to understand why the offenders acted in the way they did.  Perhaps we remember not acting well under similar circumstances.  Our aim is not to make excuses for th person but to recognize in ourselves in others.  In this way we are more likely to care for them as brothers and sisters.