Friday, October 17, 2025

 Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr

(Romans 4:1-8; Luke 12:1-7)

Today’s patron, St. Ignatius of Antioch, lived in a time of Roman persecution of Christians.  It is said that Christians then would walk up to a stranger and make a line on the ground with his foot.  If the stranger would draw a line through the first to make a cross, the two would know that they could talk freely.  If the other did not respond, then the conversation would not mention faith in Christ.  The gospel today seems to reference such a custom.

Jesus says that what has been whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on housetops.  He apparently means his Lordship, which his disciples knew of but did not understand well.  After his resurrection with the coming of the Holy Spirit, they will see clearly and profess openly that in Jesus sins are forgiven and people are destined to experience eternal life.

Today religion has been privatized.  Social pressures intimidate people from talking openly about how God has affected their lives.  Ironically, it is a message that others not only need but often want to hear.  When we give testimony to our faith, we strengthen others’ resolve to live righteous lives.  That benefits society and leads to personal salvation.

 

Thursday, October 16, 2025

 

Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 3:21-30; Luke 11:47-54)

Today’s first reading might be called, like John 3:16, “the gospel in miniature.”  It is not as concise as saying, “God so loved the world…”.  But it expresses more completely the gratuity of human justification through the martyrdom of Jesus Christ. 

St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans has already established the need of justification by explaining how all people sin.  Whether recognized as “good” or “bad,” humans have participated in Adam and Eve’s disobedience.  They could hardly help from doing so because their nature was distorted by sin.  To be justified, they needed more than a model but a representative totally innocent.  This was the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth.  His sacrifice of self on the cross won justification for all who believe in him.

We respond to the gift of justification with thankfulness.  We make sacrifices of gratitude for what Jesus did for us in prayer and good works.  When we go out of our way to help another – by telephoning someone whom we know to be in distress, for example – we imitate Christ and give God a high form of praise.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

 

Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

(Romans 2:1-11: Luke 11:42-46)

In her reform of Carmelite nuns, St. Teresa of Ávila had her critics.  She understood the need to return to basics. The sisters were living under such relaxed conditions and with such intrusions from the outside that the monastery was hardly monastic at all.  But some sisters preferred the status quo and denounced her to the Inquisition. Nevertheless, the reform started in her own convent and then spread to others. 

Teresa’s trajectory parallels Jesus in the gospel.  He too led a reform of Pharisaical Judaism.  He criticizes the Pharisees for faking a positive impression while they overburden the poor.  He calls the Pharisees “like unseen graves” because they appear as firm ground that could be trusted.  But in truth they are more like a plot of earth with a corpse buried beneath that will eventually give way to despoil those who step on it. The Pharisees, of course, could not tolerate such criticism.

Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees may be extended to some clergy today.  Priests must take care that they not only teach sound doctrine but that they also give example of true holiness.  Like Jesus, they should advise those who transgress God’s will to reform their lives.  Even more important, priests should exhibit true expression of love for God by devotion to prayer and kindness to all.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

 

Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 1:16-25; Luke 11:37-41)

Since Vatican II many Catholics have reasoned that if God loves us, He would not condemn anyone.  Rather He will give everyone a ticket to eternal life.  Often people hold to this line of thought without even postulating the need to believe in God.  Such thinking clashes with the thought of St. Paul, especially in today’s reading.

Paul does not refrain from writing about the wrath of God.  Wrath should be understood here as an anthropomorphism, a description of God with the attributes of a human.  God does not get angry with humans as we often become irate with one another.  But He has respected human free will to accept Him or to reject Him.  Acceptance is more than lip service, but an intention and an effort to live like His Son, Jesus Christ.  Rejection is the deliberate choice not to live Christ-like.

Sounds like a challenge, no?  It is difficult to follow Christ although not impossible.  We need to pray regularly so that we might avoid the temptations of living irresolutely.  We also pray to always imitate the love of Jesus, our Savior.

Monday, October 13, 2025

 

Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Romans 1:1-7; Luke 11:29-32)

Jesus says in today’s gospel that his generation “seeks a sign.” He means that it wants Jesus to prove his identity.  In today’s world he would provide a driver’s license, a telephone number, or his birthday.  These are the signs our society uses to verify that one is who he or she says.

Jesus calls the generation “evil” because it refuses to repent after he preaches to them.  His sign then is his preaching the mercy of God at which humans are to acknowledge their sins and be forgiven.  The city of Nineveh did exactly that when Jonah preached repentance.

That a generation refuses to repent should not surprise us.  Most everyone has trouble admitting that she or he has acted wrongly.  People make excuses for their failures to avoid being criticized and chastised.  We should note, however, that God loves a repentant sinner.  Any shame we may incur for sinning is more than compensated for by God’s mercy.  But we must trust that God loves us enough to want to see us correct our ways.