Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Memorial of St. Monica, holy woman

(II Thessalonians 3:6-10.16-18; Matthew23:27-32)

St. Monica is known today for her praying for her son, the great St. Augustine.  She was a holy woman who remained faithful to her unfaithful husband and solicitous of her son’s conversion. Augustine seems to have gone through opposite phases of detesting the world and glorying in its pleasures.  For a while he was a Manichean, the sect that professed belief in a benign principle of the spirit and an evil principle of matter.  He also had a mistress and once prayed famously, “Make me chaste, O Lord, but not just yet!”

In today’s gospel Jesus castigates such inconsistency.  He tells the Pharisees that their intentions do not match their actions.  If they want to honor the prophets, then they must follow the prophets’ call to reformation of heart.

We should not be dismayed to see Augustine’s and the Pharisees’ inconsistency in us.  It is deeply human in the sense that our physical emotions often run counter to right reason.  We should pray for one another like Monica prayed for Augustine.  We need to ask the Spirit to transform our hearts completely so that we might love like God loves.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(II Thessalonians 2:1-3a.14-17; Matthew 23:23-26)

Perhaps the most challenging reality for students of the Bible is the assertion of scholars that a few Biblical books were forgeries.   The very notion sounds absurd.  “How can Scripture, which is by definition inerrant, contain works that give false information?” good people ask.  However, St. Augustine among others was aware that all the information contained in the Bible was not completely accurate.  Vatican II declared that inerrancy has to do with the truths of the faith that God wished to pass on.  It must be remembered as well that the forgeries were not made to gain but to assure readership.  In any case today’s first reading has something to say about Scriptural forgery.

The writer warns readers of a letter being circulated that was written by another using his (presumably Paul’s) name.  This note testifies to the fact that there indeed were known forgeries of Paul’s letters.  But even more intriguing is the possibility, as many biblical scholars today believe, that II Thessalonians itself is a forgery.  The reasons for saying this include differences in emphasis between it and I Thessalonians.  For example, where I Thessalonians credits the people with good sense about the time of Christ’s return, II Thessalonians disapproves of the people’s obsession with the exact time of the event.

We must remember that the Bible is a compendium of books inspired by God but written by fallible human authors over a stretch of a thousand years.  We should not expect complete internal coherence, much less conformity to current literary standards.  Still we hold that the Bible contains God’s blueprint for life.  We must prudently follow its teachings as the Church guides us if we are to attain the eternal life it promises.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(II Thessalonians 1:1-5.11-12; Matthew 23:13-22)

Catholics genuflect before the tabernacle containing the Eucharistic bread.  For much the same reason we bow before the altar in church.  The altar is hardly just a table that is used to sit the bread which becomes the body of Christ.  Much more significantly, it symbolizes Christ standing as it does in the most prominent place in the church, itself a symbol of the People of God.  Much like Jesus complains of the scribes and Pharisees in today’s gospel, many people fail to give the altar its due respect.

In reading gospel passages like the one today one may have the false impression that the scribes and Pharisees are necessarily evil men.  Actually, like in almost any group of religious people, some are sincere in their religious fervor while others are opportunists who feign piety to belittle the poor and to enrich themselves.  This behavior is the polar opposite to the care for others that God has asked of those profess belief.

We might consider thinking about what Jesus expects of us when we give him honor by genuflecting and bowing.  He is the Lord who commands us to be humble toward others and to trust in him for our needs and not in deception.  When we pay him homage with a symbolic gesture, we are professing our commitment to obey him.

Friday, August 20, 2014

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 22:34-40)

A number of years ago a Jesuit theologian wrote of a disturbing trend.  He said that people today no longer talk about love of God.  Rather they talk about love of neighbor and love of self as if these were contemporary ways to love God.  The theologian did not approve of the trend and assured his readers that love of God is not only possible but necessary.

For Jesus to love God with all our heart means to have God as our first and foremost desire.  It is to say with Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, “As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”   To love God with all our soul is to desire eternal life in His company.  Although this may seem self-seeking, it is not selfishness.  It is pursuing the fulfillment of the heart’s legitimate desire.  A poem repeated every night on an old radio program put it well: “I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.”

Jesus wants us also to love God with all our mind.  This requires that we read about, think about, and talk about God with others.  Many people spend most of their free time watching television.  Loving God may mean for them turning off the TV to reflect on God’s goodness.  Helping others is a practical way to demonstrate our love for God.  Although St. Paul writes that it is possible to give away everything and still lack love, most of us send contributions for emergency relief to people we do not know because God wills it.  Those who love God generally respond quickly and effectively to the needs of other humans.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Memorial of St. Pius X, pope

(Ezekiel 36:23-28; Matthew 22:1-14)

Although a scourge to intellectuals of his time, St. Pius X was greatly loved by most Catholics.  He was the son of a cobbler born in 1835 and elected pope in 1904. As pope, he kept the welfare of the people utmost in mind.  He encouraged Catholics to receive Holy Communion regularly and gave permission for children to receive the sacrament.  But this does not mean he was a lax pastor.  No he insisted on adequate catechesis for everyone.  This emphasis may be seen reflected in the gospel today.

Jesus’ parable is quite disturbing for many people.  “Why is the poor man thrown out of the banquet just because he wasn’t wearing the right clothes?” they ask.  The explanation is that the wedding garment was not unusual or expensive clothing.  In fact, it could be provided by the host if necessary.  The man refused to wear it and thus insulted the host by eating his food without really participating in the nuptial festivity.  The wedding garment is usually taken as a baptismal garment and the story compared to one receiving Holy Communion without bothering to be baptized.

Many of the customs of the Church have ancient roots, and we should respect them.  Sometimes adherence to tradition is required as in the case of Baptism before Communion. By preserving the traditions we show ourselves in solidarity with Christians from times past -- all the way back to Jesus.  This does not mean that there is no room for innovation in the Church but that traditions have valued significance.