Monday, February 3, 2025

(Optional) Memorial of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

(Hebrews 11:32-40; Mark 5:1-20)

Today’s gospel shows both Jesus’ immense compassion and power.  The demoniac is deeply troubled.  Although he has great strength, he is confined to tombs where human remains fester in decay.  Undaunted by the man’s strength and unperturbed by the ghastliness of the tombs, Jesus demands that the evil spirits, the source of the man’s distress, depart from him at once.  The spirits cannot but comply.

In ancient times religious writers linked disease with demonic possession.  Mental illness was especially symptomatic of demons at work.  Today, of course, there are not only medical explanations of disease but also effective medical treatment.  Even the most religious people visit a doctor, not an exorcist, to cure a sick relative.  But the success of medicine should not cause people to stop praying for the sick.  God heals humans in more than physical ways.

Today we remember St. Blaise, a bishop and martyr at the time of the Church Fathers.  He has become a symbol of our faith in God’s power over all types of ailments.  In Blaise’s name, we bless our throats asking God to save us from all kinds of diseases.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD

(Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40)

Today’s Feast of the Presentation of the Lord gives us a last opportunity to meditate in common on the Incarnation before beginning the Lenten penitential season.   Its gospel highlights three significant actions. First, it places Jesus, the Son of God, in the Temple, the appropriate place for the encounter between God and humans. Second, it presents Jesus as the light of the nations, that is, the world’s guide to righteous living. And third, it hints at the death Jesus will undergo for the salvation of all. However, in several countries more emphasis is placed on the Memorial of St. Blaise, the following day, than on the Presentation. Let us try to correct this negligence now.

The Holy Family enters the Temple on the fortieth day after Jesus’ birth. The Book of Leviticus specifies that this length of time passes before the rite of purification of the mother is performed. The gospel adds this little note about purification to its main theme, the redemption of the infant Jesus. According to the Book of Exodus every firstborn male is to be dedicated to God and then redeemed. By showing Mary and Joseph fulfilling the details of the Law, the evangelist Luke demonstrates that Jesus was raised a faithful Jew and that Judaism is integral to the meaning of his life.

A poet once wrote: “How odd of God to choose the Jews.”  It may have been odd, but the fact is that He did so with instructions to build a Temple where sacrifices could be made for the forgiveness of sins. In today’s gospel the Son of God enters the Temple to take possession of it as his own. In time he will replace it with his own body. Then, forgiveness of sins will be achieved by participation in the sacrifice of his Body and Blood on the cross. Of course, this is the reason why we gather every Sunday for Mass.

In the Temple Mary and Joseph meet the holy and righteous Simeon. The reading specifies that the Holy Spirit, who can verify his words, is upon him. Taking the child Jesus in his arms, Simeon thanks the Lord for allowing him to live until this moment. Then he makes a prophecy of immense importance. First, he calls Jesus the “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” This means that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise first to Abraham, then to all Israel that one of their number will show the whole world the ways of God. As the prophet Isaiah predicted, Jesus will teach the nations to “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”

The second part of Simeon’s prophecy has to do with his own people. He says that Jesus will be the cause “for the ruin and rise of many in Israel.” Light makes it possible to distinguish good deeds from bad ones. First Israel and then the rest of the world will be judged by this light. Even Jesus’ mother is not excluded from this judgment. This is a matter commonly misunderstood. Mary deserves praise not because she nursed Jesus, but because she was the first in the gospel to meditate on God’s word and to put it into practice.

Finally, Simeon’s prophecy contains a note of foreboding. He says that Jesus will “be a sign that will be contradicted.” He has in mind the opposition that Jesus will encounter when he returns to the Temple as an adult. The religious leaders will not be able to bear to see him conquer the minds and hearts of the people. They will conspire with the Roman authority to put him to death. His sacrifice will free people from sin as the holy woman indicates at the end of the reading.

Hopefully we can now appreciate the Incarnation more clearly. God has prepared for the coming of his Son into the world throughout the history of Israel. When he finally arrives, he establishes himself in the Temple as a teacher of God’s ways to the world. Finally, the people of Israel, and in time the entire world, are divided into two camps -- those who accept him and abide by his teachings and those who reject him to the extent of arranging his death. Those who reject those teachings will fall into ruin while those who accept them will rise to glory.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest

(Hebrews 10:32-39; Mark 426-34)

Today’s reading from Hebrews speaks of youthful enthusiasm about one’s faith, followed by doubts and thoughts of abandonment.  The author pleas with the people to resist such temptations.  He names for them the sacrifices already made and assures them that withdrawal will mean the loss of great return on their investment.

We can see in the life of St. John Bosco an example of what the Letter to the Hebrews teaches.  After his ordination to the priesthood, the saint was introduced to the wealthy patrons and given a position as chaplain of a hospice for working girls.  However, Bosco did not abandon his desire to serve Christ by helping destitute boys.  He resigned from the chaplaincy and established a hospice and technical school for boys.  He also organized a congregation of priests to work with him in providing such services.  After his death, forty thousand people participated in his funeral.

We too might feel tremors of faith at times and wonder if it is worth the effort to live the gospel.  When these temptations arise, let us remember the plea of the Letter to the Hebrews and the lives of saints like John Bosco. 

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 10:19-25; Mark 4:21-25)

The man identified himself as Catholic, but he asked a question that comes from another religious tradition. “Do you believe in karma?” he said.  “What is that?” was the reply.  The man explained that karma is the teaching that one receives back what he or she gives ay.  If she does good, good things will happen to her.  If he does evil, then he will be punished in some way. Is this what Jesus is driving at in today’s gospel?

Jesus promises, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.”  It sounds like karma, but it goes beyond a simple tit-for-tat.  Jesus means that those who give of themselves in love like he does will experience eternal life – the “more” in his assertion.

When we respond to injury with care – maybe in the form of a prayer for our malefactor – we align ourselves with Jesus.  He is the light that illumines our lives now and will not dim as we enter the darkness of death.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Hebrews 10:11-18; Mark 4:1-20)

Much has been said this last month about presidential pardons.  People may be perplexed about the pardon the retiring president made for crimes not only already prosecuted but also for crimes not prosecuted yet.  Whatever the possibility of this outcome in civil society, it is what Christ’s sacrifice on the cross accomplished.  This is today’s message from the Letter to the Hebrews.

The Letter speaks of Christ’s one offering for sins making “perfect forever those who are being consecrated.”  It is referring to the death of Jesus on the cross justifying those who give themselves over to him in Baptism.  Their sins are forgiven as they recognize themselves as guilty of sin.  This takes place in Baptism and also in the Sacrament of Penance.  In the latter post-Baptismal men and women recognize themselves as having betrayed or at least having compromised their consecration to Christ.

It’s not easy these days to confess one’s sins.  It is to acknowledge weakness and corruption in a world that vaunts strength and beauty.  Yet we must realize that in doing so, Christ is not only forgiving but also perfecting us.