Sunday, June 25, 2023

TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, June 25, 2023

(Jeremiah 20:10-13; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33)

Today's gospel is taken from the "apostolic sermon" of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. It is one of the five great discourses that make up the body of the gospel. We heard from the beginning of this sermon last Sunday with Jesus sending out his disciples to proclaim the Kingdom. Next Sunday we will hear part of its conclusion. In the segment now Jesus wants to encourage his messengers. We should listen to him because, whether we are priests or laypersons, the Lord asks us to take his message to the world.

First Jesus tells his apostles, "Do not be afraid." It is certain that they will meet with opposition. Bandits roam the roads looking for travelers. In the towns the Pharisees will resist those who undermine their authority. What will make us afraid to proclaim the Kingdom in today’s world? In Nigeria, Muslim militia have created fear among Christians. With impunity they attack the faithful in churches and take children prisoners in schools. In our country the fear is not of being annihilated but devalued. If the person proclaims her faith in public, she may be considered childish. If he expresses Catholic teaching on a political issue, he can be excluded. He may even incur penalties for taking a stand against a new state policy.

However, we do not have to fear because of God’s promise. In the gospel today Jesus recommends trust in God. He says that if the Father takes care of the birds of the sky, he will protect us even more. Trevor Williams, a major league baseball player, was confident in this love when he criticized the Los Angeles Dodgers on Twitter. Realizing that the Dodgers were going to award a group that dresses up as nuns to promote homosexual love, Williams proclaimed: “To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion…undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization”. “

It is possible that Mr. Williams had our gospel today in mind when he tweeted about it. Jesus promises his apostles: "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father." Williams concluded his message by saying: "As Catholics, we look to Jesus Christ and the way he was treated, and we realize that any suffering in this world unites us to him in the next."

Maybe we don't have a Twitter account. Nor have we the apparatus or the inclination to set up a loudspeaker at the corner to broadcast our faith in the Lord. Yet we do not lack opportunities to manifest our faith in public. If we are used to praying before eating at home, why not do it in a restaurant? Wearing such a cross necklace can be a show of faith. In fact, in England it is considered a crime for a teacher to wear such a necklace in the classroom. Leaving a movie theater or turning off the TV when obscene scenes are shown is an act of faith that requires courage.  Gratefully accepting a baby with Down syndrome may indicate faith. We should pray that God never puts us in the situation of having a loved one in the persistent vegetable state. But if he happens to us, let us proclaim faith our faith by giving him the care required to live.

In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah is being denounced by the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Led by the Holy Spirit, he says that because of its sins God is going to destroy his city. Although his prophecy results in persecution, he does not cease to proclaim God's will. He is sure that his persecutors will be put to shame. He knows that God is on the side of the just.

Friday, June 23, 2023

Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 11:18.21-30; Matthew 6:19-23)

St. Paul sees himself as “insane” because he is boasting which he knows is not Christ’s way.  His motive begins to be clarified in due course.  He goes on to say that he is boasting of his “weakness,” not his strength.  In other words, he is ironically bragging of his failures, not his successes.  He tells of his being humiliated and failing to achieve his purpose, not having preached salvation to hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. 

Paul boasts of his weakness to demonstrate to his readers the power of the cross.  They should even look at themselves, people to whom Paul introduced Jesus Christ, as products of Christ working through him.  At the same time, Paul is demonstrating how Corinthians should act toward one another.  They should not think of themselves as better by nature than others.  Rather, they should recognize that any good they have comes through the grace of Christ.

We like to compare ourselves with others so that we might think of ourselves at least as good as most. Paul would say that we are foolish for doing so.  Rather, he would admonish, we should give thanks to God for making us who we are.  He would add that we should serve others so that they too may become more like Christ.

Thursday, June 22, 2023

 (Optional) Memorial of Saint John Fisher, bishop and martyr, and Saint Thomas More, martyr

(II Corinthians 11:1-11; Matthew 6:7-12)

In today’s gospel Jesus instructs his disciples to pray that God’s kingdom comes.  St. Thomas More gave his life as a witness to that kingdom.  The story of his martyrdom is well-known because of the powerful movie made in the 1960s.  Yet it is worth retelling because of the need for testifying to faith today.

More was chancellor of England, the highest-ranking minister in the state.  He was well-loved by King Henry VIII until he refused to sign a document legitimating the king’s second marriage in defiance of the Catholic Church.  Imprisoned, More refused to comment on the king’s assuming leadership of the Church in England.  For saying nothing, he was doomed to execution!  On the way to the scaffold he clarified his position saying, “I am the king’s good servant but God’s first.”

Recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers gave an award to a drag queen group that mocks the Church.  Proponents of distorted sex now openly heap disdain on the Catholic Church.  They cannot tolerate the Church’s consistent teaching that sexual intimacy is reserved for marriage.  One major league ballplayer criticized the award.  For the sake of a sound society, good people like this ballplayer must give witness to the legitimacy of the Church’s teaching.

 

Wednesday, June 20, 2023

 Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious

 (II Corinthians 9:6-11; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)

St. Aloysius Gonzaga died rich in the eyes of God, however poor in the sight of many in the world.  He gave up a claim to his family’s fortune to become a Jesuit.  As a religious, he dedicated himself to caring for the victims of the plague which was racking Italy in the late sixteenth century.  Eventually he contracted the disease and died from it.  His willingness to give himself completely out of love for Christ amply illustrates today’s first reading.

St. Paul is urging the Corinthians to be generous in his collection for the Christians in Jerusalem.  He tells them that they will reap what they sow.  If they make great sacrifices, they will receive great rewards.  Because God gives eternal life as well as harvests, they will not be disappointed for their efforts.

We may tire of being pestered by charities.  As we hear of donor names being passed from one organization to another, we may not want to contribute to any.  Let us not make such a decision out of frustration, however.  Rather let us pray for the grace to make prudent use of our resources for the good of the needy.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 8:1-9; Matthew 5:43-48)

The philosopher Plato theorized how a human being would act if he or she were invisible.  He said that the person would likely kill, steal, and rape among other things “like a god among humans”.   Plato had in mind the capricious gods of Greek mythology.  His conception of a god differs decidedly from St. Paul’s in today’s first reading.

St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be generous and benevolent like Christ whom he recognizes as Lord.  He says that although Christ was rich, he became poor not to do any mischief, quite the contrary.  He became poor so that he might make others rich in the Kingdom of God. 

We believe in a good God as He definitively revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.  Not only was he kind and generous, but also faithful, wise, and self-sacrificing.  Following him, we know that our destiny is as bright as the noonday sun in summer.