Sunday, March 5, 2023

 THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

(Genesis 12:1-4; II Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9)

The Hebrew word Shema names one of the best-known passages in the Old Testament. It is found in the Deuteronomy, the book in which Moses shares his final counsels to the people of Israel. The word itself means "listen." Israel always has to listen well to what the Lord says. In the first reading Abram is found doing exactly that.

When He speaks to Abram, God is putting into action His plan to redeem the world. Ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit there has been a decline in human goodness. One of their sons murdered the other. After a few generations the situation deteriorated so much that God decided to start over. He sent a flood to destroy the earth except for the righteous Noah, his family, and a pair of each kind of animal. But this did not solve the problem. Soon after the second creation the men of Babel tried to gain fame by building a tower that would challenge God in heaven. Now with Abram God tries a new strategy. He will form a holy people from the lineage of Abram that will teach the world His ways.

Abram must listen carefully to God. The project will not be easy. At seventy-five years old, Abram is to leave his homeland to transplant himself to a foreign land. However, as a man of faith, Abram does not hesitate to carry the orders that he is given.

In the gospel God commands Peter, James, and John to listen to Jesus, his son. Jesus is here to inaugurate the fulfillment of God's plan. By his surrender into the hands of the Jews, his passion, and his resurrection from the dead, Jesus will take away primordial sin from the world. He will become the head of the redeemed people of God.  His disciples must now be assured that his going over to death will not result in defeat. Rather, it will manifest his victory over death and regenerate them as his brothers and sisters.

The other day an article in the newspaper indicated the human preference of hearing what one wants to listening well. The author, who identifies as "pagan forever" (that is, "pagan forever"), criticizes the Bible for its extreme violence and sex. But he refers only to the Old Testament: the stories of Abraham's trial, Jonah's captivity inside the whale, and David's many wives. He doesn't mention anything about the person to whom the entire compendium of evil is pointing. Jesus Christ is the most prominent person in the Bible. He is presented there as the supreme teacher of justice and the redeemer of all human sin. He teaches us how to overcome vices through prayer and self-sacrifice. By sending his Spirit, he strengthens our hearts and enlightens our minds to overcome every evil spirit confronts us.

Yes, it is difficult to listen to Jesus with so many voices telling us what to do. Many people want to tell us what the good life consists of. And many advertisements try to attract us with things that we supposedly cannot live without. But we know deep down that there is only one voice that is worth our full attention. God speaks to us in the Bible, particularly through Christ in the gospels. Only to him should we pay full attention.

Thursday, March 2, 2023

 Thursday of the First Week of Lent

(Esther c:12.14-16.23-25; Matthew 7:7-12)

Thomas Aquinas was as intellectually gifted as any saint in Butler’s Lives.  Yet he did not rely on his own acuity.  Always before studying, teaching,  debating, or writing, he prayed intensely.  He withdrew into a private space, often before a crucifix. Then, pouring out tears, he asked for understanding of the divine mysteries.  No doubt, Thomas was quite aware that he was fulfilling the Lord’s instruction in today’s gospel.

Even people who pray regularly often delay their prayer until other means of resolving an issue fail.  The Book of Esther is famous for not mentioning God.  Yet, with nowhere else to turn except to heaven, the queen prostrates herself in prayer.  There is nothing wrong with praying in desperation.  However, Scripture recommends constant prayer, and the wise do not fail to take the advice. 

Like Thomas Aquinas, we can begin every endeavor with a sincere prayer for help.  God does not fail us when we show such faith.  Even if He does not fulfill our need as we imagine, we should notice a more agreeable disposition coming over us. God provides what we need like a father who wants the best for his children.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

 

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 11:29-32)

Historians label Jesus an “eschatological prophet.” They see him, in worldly terms, as a religious scold warning others of the end of the world.  Certainly, Jesus preached repentance.  Much like Jonah in today’s reading, he urged decisive change in how one lives to be saved from a dreadful end.

But the end of the world has not come after almost two thousand years.  Of course, there have been scenarios of an end.  Scientists and novelists tell of a nuclear war; a swift-spreading, death-dealing pandemic; or a giant meteor crash killing billions instantly and short-circuiting agriculture.  Still humans have never united in common effort to live righteously.  How should these facts be interpreted?

We should be thankful that the world has not approached an end.  When it happens, the panic will be unbearable.  Nevertheless, people die all the time.  In other words, we experience individual ends some after eighty or ninety years, others much sooner like a boy recently shot in the crossfire of a drug war.  We need to prepare ourselves for this inevitable occurrence.  Because we know that God is love, we should begin to love as purely and completely as He.  When the time comes then, He will recognize us as His own.

 Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

 (Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 6:7-15)

 A cartoon a couple of years ago showed two drivers after a fender-bender.  One says to the other, “My lawyer will contact you tomorrow.”  This is the way many people think today.  When offended, they first and foremost seek monetary redress through the legal system.  Today’s readings teach us that getting back at others is not God’s way.

 The passage from Isaiah’s is taken from the end of the second of three sections of the book.  The prophet is consoling the exiled captives in Babylon.  He has told them that they have suffered enough for their infidelity.  He has also assured them that God does not hold grudges.  Indeed, Isaiah makes clear that God takes delight in forgiving.  Jesus similarly teaches of his Father’s willingness to forgive.  However, he insists that God will forgive only those who are willing to forgive others.  He is saying that humans have to adopt God’s ways if they are going to receive God’s mercy.

 It’s tragic how wars are continually refought because peoples do not want to forgive.  Many Arabs live with resentment for Jews, and many Jews live so with Arabs.  The same is true of Indians and Pakistanis.  In the United States African Americans are demanding reparations while white Americans hold on to prejudices and memories of troubles.  These are not God’s ways.  If people want to be truly free, they should let go of these kinds of demands. They need to forgive others’ their offenses to receive God’s forgiveness for their own.

Monday, February 27, 2023

 Monday of the First Week of Lent

(Leviticus 19:1-2.11-18; Matthew 25,31-46)

Today’s first reading is taken from the famous “Holiness Code” in the Book of Leviticus.  The code lists a series of precepts that are to be followed so that one may become holy as God is holy.  The precepts mirror the Decalogue, but today’s reading has a striking peculiarity.  It tells the reader not to show “partiality to the weak.”  Doesn’t this conflict with the blessing that Jesus bestows on those who serve the needy in the gospel reading?

It doesn’t if one takes into account the context of the prohibition of partiality.  One should not show partiality in a judicial proceeding.  A criminal suspect should be judged guilty or innocent person according to the evidence, not according to the person’s socio-economic status.  Nevertheless, a weak person should be assisted in meeting physical needs.  In the gospel Jesus extends the scope of beneficiaries.  They are not only members of one’s family or community but to strangers as well. 

Despite our reluctance to think of ourselves as holy, achieving holiness is our vocation in life.  It is also the objective of Lent.  We recognize that it is a long road, and it often seems that we proceed at a snail’s pace.  But through the years and with constant effort, progress becomes evident.