Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

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

A recent magazine article tells the story of how the very rich give away much less of their income than poorer people and then, not to charities but to non-profits like universities and hospitals. St. Paul addresses the issue in today’s second reading.

Paul appeals to the Corinthians to be generous in the collection for the poor in Jerusalem.  He says that the churches of Macedon – principally, the Philippians and the Thessalonians – although relatively poor in comparison to the church in Corinth, have proven to be remarkably self-sacrificing in their contributions to the collection.  He then asks the Corinthians to consider Christ who sacrificed the richness of divinity to become a lowly human so that humans could share in divine glory. 

We receive so many requests from churches and charities that it seems the regular mail service is no more than a conduit for such appeals and for advertisement.  We should not become frustrated nor feel guilty about not giving to everyone who asks.  Rather, we should give what we can – even until it hurts -- to those who seem most in need of our help.  Doing so, we imitate Christ and can hope to share in his glory.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 6:1-10; Matthew 5:38-42)

Acteva is a company that ostensibly helps non-profit organizations with Internet services.  Recently, however, a number of the organizations that Acteva supposedly helps have found themselves swindled of their monies.  Left discouraged, such organizations could hardly be blamed for feeling a bit skeptical when they hear Jesus’ message in today’s gospel.

Jesus exhorts his listeners to open their wallets to those needing assistance.  Does he mean that one should risk losing the necessities of life?  Such a radical interpretation probably misrepresents Jesus who shows concern about people’s general welfare.  Nevertheless, he knows that people tend to so preoccupy themselves with money that they lose sight of the value of a human being.  Jesus only insists that his followers be generous with those in real need.

It is hard to lend when we intuit that the borrower will not pay us back.  Perhaps we should not lend what we cannot afford to lose or, better, from the beginning consider loans as gifts and ask borrowers to “pay it forward” (give it to another in need).  In any case Jesus wants us to help the poor with our money as well as with our prayers.  

Friday, June 14, 2013

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 4:7-15; Matthew 5:27-32)

Summertime brings people to the beach.  Men typically go to look at women and women go to be looked at – both groups with lust in their hearts.  Jesus addresses the situation in today’s gospel.

After he posts the great rewards for his followers in the beatitudes and gives a few images of encouragement, Jesus presents himself as Lord refining the law given to the Israelites at Sinai.  He tells the New Israel that they sin not just by committing adultery but by desiring it in their hearts.  Only by transcending such desires, which amount to idolatry, will they be able to see the true God.

Girl-watching (and boy-watching as well) seems like a pastime innocuous enough that we may not want to comment upon it.  Yet it counters Jesus’ teaching and instrumentalizes human beings. We need to model modesty as well as give each person his or her due respect.  We should also exhort youth when there is a chance of being heard to practice self-control over what they look at and what they think.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church

(II Corinthians 3:15-4:1.3-6; Matthew 5:20-26)

Although only thirty-six years old when he died, Anthony of Padua was declared a saint within a year of his demise.  He was recognized as one of the greatest preachers of his time, so strong that heretics converted after hearing him.  In surprising contrast, St. Paul was evidently not a forceful preacher.  He hints at this in the reading from II Corinthians that we hear today.

When Paul writes that “our gospel is veiled” but “we are not discouraged,” he is referring to his inability to convert the whole of Corinth.  Later on in the letter he reiterates a criticism that “’his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible’” (2 Cor 10:10).  But his defects as a speaker do not bother him as long as he remains loyal to his commission.  Indeed, he will write of enduring hardship as testimony to the legitimacy of his message about Jesus Christ.

We too testify to Christ by deeds of love.  But let us not be silent about our motives.  An age that speaks sophomorically about an “altruism gene” needs to hear that if it were not for Jesus Christ, we would likely behave very differently.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Corinthians 3:4-11; Matthew 5:17-19)

It is surely a credit to pro-life advocates that they can see in an infinitesimal human embryo a human being.  What gives them confidence, of course, is the knowledge that the embryo has all the life-producing information and dynamism to grow into a vivacious person.  St. Paul displays this same confidence in the incipient Christian movement when he compares it to the illustrious Jewish faith in the first reading today.

Paul acknowledges the inherent superiority of Christianity to Judaism because of the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Although we have to recognize the Spirit’s role in Jewish prophecy, we should see along with Paul its activity in the lives of Christians as the essential difference in their morality.  Where Judaism depends on a code of law to keep people in line, Christianity looks to the grace of the Spirit.  Christians also have a written law.  The Sermon on the Mount, which incorporates much of Jewish law, provides that.  But what is quintessential about Christian life is that this law is everywhere activated by the Spirit of love. 

We may see this Spirit at work in many pro-life workers.  Some stand voluntarily on sidewalks in front of abortion clinics day after day.  They are sometimes described as yelling at women about to have an abortion, but this kind of behavior is not the rule.  Rather, their love shines through as they pray for the fetus about to be annihilated and gently try to persuade the mother that there is help readily available for her to care for her baby.