Monday, April 29, 2013

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church

(Acts 14:5-18; John 14:21-26)

An expert in medieval music was commenting on the composition of a nun from that era.  The expert mentioned how the nun was motivated by love for her spouse, Jesus Christ.  To the expert’s credit she did not doubt the reality of the nun’s spousal love or the possibility of its enhancing the ability to compose beautiful music.  Catherine of Siena demonstrated such love for the same Jesus.

Catherine also considered herself the spouse of Christ as indeed we all should.  Her love moved her to enter in such profound spiritual union with Jesus that she thought of his heart as being hers.  She used to pray, “Lord, I give you your own heart.”  Out of love for Christ, Catherine exhausted herself seeking the reunification of his Body, the Church.  She died in effort to bring the pope back to Rome from Avignon where he lived in self-imposed exile.

In today’s gospel Jesus asks his disciples to love him which in sum means to love one another.  We should not hesitate to do this because we wonder whether our love will go unrequited.  No, Jesus loves each of us with even greater intensity than Catherine loved him.  He can have such love for all not because he is human but because he is God.  We need only to trust in his love to realize its richness.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Acts 13:26-33; John 14:1-6)

Projection is the psychological phenomenon by which a person hides from himself an inner evil by projecting it on another.  There he can condemn the evil without feeling any guilt.  So it happens that people often see and hate in others what is most repellant about themselves.  In today’s first reading Paul enables the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia see their own sins by telling them of the crime of their coreligionists in Jerusalem.

Paul says that the Jerusalemites condemned Jesus as a false prophet and had Pilate crucify him.  But, Paul concludes, God confirmed the truth of Jesus’ message and, indeed, his whole life by raising him from the dead.  Now, he will go on to say, his hearers may have their own sins -- which by association are the same as those of Jerusalem Jews – forgiven by accepting Jesus as God’s Messiah.

We too should find our sins among those of the Jews who had Jesus crucified.  Our jealousy and envy is reflected in the Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus out of the way.  Our prejudice against others kinds of people finds a parallel in the attitude of the Jerusalem Jews toward the carpenter from Galilee.  Our failure to recognize every person as an image of God likewise is seen in the rush to have Jesus executed.  We too must repent and believe in Jesus.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

(1 Peter 5:5b-14; Mark 16:15-20)

The Gospel according to Mark represents a literary landmark.  It is not only seems to be the first of the four canonical gospels to be written, but the first gospel of any kind.  Never before had the world witnessed a pronouncement of “good news” (what “gospel” literally means) based on one man’s work, death, and glorious aftermath.  We might say that the originality and sheer wonder of Jesus’ story required a new form of literature.  As Jesus says in the same gospel, “new wine...new wineskins.”

We may enjoy reading Mark’s Gospel because it exhibits an earthiness about Jesus that is true of his Palestinian roots.  Only in Mark of the four gospels is Jesus called a carpenter.  Only Mark mentions Jesus living among wild beasts in the desert during his long pre-ministry retreat.  Only in this gospel does Jesus use both fingers and spittle at the same time to cure the deaf mute.  And only Mark quotes Jesus healing in Aramaic, his native tongue, when he tells the dead girl to arise, “Talita koum.”  Jesus is a man of his times in Mark but also one that transcends those times because of his divine mission.

For almost the entire gospel Mark treats the disciples as dim-witted and cowardly.  After Jesus feeds the five thousand and walks on water, Mark says that the disciples still do not understand.  Likewise, they abandon Jesus like thieves in the night when he is arrested in Gethsemane.  The disciples must await the grace of the resurrection in order to understand who Jesus is and to carry out his mission.  In today’s gospel passage we see them going forth charged by that grace which accompanies Jesus’ commands.  And that is where we are today – renewed and mandated to show God’s love to the world. 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Acts 12:24-13.5a; John 12:44-50)

One of the sad realities in the Church today is the high percentage of youth who stop coming to Mass after they receive the sacrament of Confirmation.  It is as if the laying on of hands had the effect of weakening their faith, not strengthening it for mission.  Today’s first reading indicates what the practice should produce. 

The church of Antioch discerns the Holy Spirit’s will that Saul and Barnabas become its agents in bringing the good news to the world.   Interestingly, it does not merely give assent and presume that everything will be all right but prays and makes sacrifices on their behalf.  Then the people lay their hands on the two sending them off to preach the gospel.  Their preaching will bring new life to many in Jesus’ name.

Somehow we must instill in our youth the promise of this abundant life in Jesus.  Perhaps it will come about if we, like the church at Antioch, pray and sacrifice our time on their behalf.  The more we live our faith, the more those who come after us will find it worthwhile.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

 

(Acts 11:19-26; John 10:22-30)

 

The railroad in a small town long ago announced that it needed to fill a position.  Soon a roomful of applicants filled the office anxiously hoping for an interview.  After a while without anyone being called, a tapping noise was heard in the background.  One person rose from his chair and walked to the receptionist desk.  Then a sign was posted that the position was filled.  The people in the room were infuriated not to be given an opportunity to display their skills.  But the railroad officer told them that the tapping noise they heard was Morse code inviting anyone who understood the message to claim the job.  Today’s gospel tells a similar story.

 

Jesus explains to his listeners that only those people given him by the Father will recognize that he is the Messiah.  Others may similarly see the marvelous deeds that he has done but will not come to him because they cannot hear his voice.  Its subtlety is not tonal but conceptual.  His followers realize that Jesus is not a Messiah who will free the nation of Roman domination but one who will liberate them from sin.

 

If we hear Jesus’ voice, we will understand that he comes not to make Catholic ethics public law but to give us access to eternal life.  Yes, for the common good we press for the prohibition of abortion and the abolition of capital punishment.  However, we should not be discouraged if our efforts are not soon rewarded.  We know that being faithful to Jesus, he will give us the life he promises.