Thrusday, November 0, 2014

Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 5:1-10; Luke 19:41-44)

The Book of Revelation was written to shore up the hope of first century Christians whom Rome was intermittently persecuting. Today’s first reading indicates their dire situation.

The scroll in the hand of the Almighty represents God’s plan of salvation.  The opening of that scroll would mean the unrolling of history.  It would bring about the rescue of Christians who wait in near desperation for relief of persecution.  The difficulty is that no hero has come forth who might overcome the evil that has encompassed the world.  Finally, the only one up to the challenge presents himself.  He is one as courageous as a lion and gentle as a lamb.  He has seven horns indicating the fullness of power and seven eyes suggesting complete wisdom.  His identity is a mystery to the nations, but to Christians he is intimately known and welcomed.  He is Jesus, the Son of God.

What is the evil threatening us today?  Is it the Islamic State ready to behead their captives?  Or perhaps it is relativism that would allow the killing of a human fetus because it has brown rather than blue eyes?  If we are really honest, we might notice virulent evil lurking in our own hearts.  It wants to vaunt us as “numero uno” and belittle others as means to our aggrandizement.  In order to overcome this evil we too must turn to lion-lamb, the Son of God, Jesus.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 4:1-11; Luke 19:11-28)

“Freedom isn’t free,” politicians favoring large military budgets say.  They are right although perhaps in a way that they do not intend.  Incipient freedom may come as a gift from God, but that freedom must be developed through hard work.  We might see today’s gospel in this light.

The nobleman gives gold coins to three servants.  Those coins may be considered the gift of freedom, the ability to choose among the good.  If it seems odd to imply that the three receive different amounts of freedom, it should be remembered that human freedom is always limited.  Physical, psychological, and social factors do not necessarily determine what one chooses but can limit her choice.  Two of the servants use their coins wisely.  They develop the freedom given them through virtue.  It becomes easy for them to choose good and reject evil.  They would no more swear at a driver who cuts them off on the highway than would Mother Teresa.  The third servant never works to develop freedom.  Only with difficulty can he choose the good.  More likely, he like a bulldog will bark at anyone who comes near. 

As Thanksgiving approaches, we might consider thanking God for the gift of freedom.  We are not determined beforehand to be saints or sinners, parents or priests for that matter.  Rather we can choose along these different paths.  We can be the kind of person we want to be by developing virtue.  Freedom is a truly wonderful gift.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Tuesday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 3:1-6.14-22; Luke 19:1-10)

An old movie shows a forlorn African-American outside a white church in the South.  The Lord appears to the man and asks why he is so sad.  The man replies that he wants to pray in the church but the people won’t let him in.  The Lord responds that they won’t let him in either!  The comment corresponds to the reproach of the visionary John for the church of Laodicea in today’s first reading.

The Book of Revelation was written to shore up the hope of Christians suffering persecution at the end of the first century.  Its revelation is not so much of what was going to happen in the future but what was happening then.  Some communities endured the persecution without giving up the faith.  Others, like the church addressed in today’s reading, did not live up to their baptismal promises.  The striking image of Jesus knocking on a door with no way to let himself in bespeaks of how Christ does not force himself on any community.  He only offers himself, but the community must move to accept him.

We might check our community to see if we welcome Christ.  He comes in the poor and the stranger.  Do we provide resources so that the poor have basic needs met?  Do we work for social justice so that the poor will have a sense of their innate dignity?  So we make an effort to reach out to strangers who may come to worship with us?  If we can honestly answer in the affirmative to these questions, Jesus is living well among us.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Mmemorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious

(Revelation 1:1-4.2:1-5; Luke 18:35-43)

It is one thing to see, but quite another to see with insight.  A sophomore can look at human tissue through a microscope, but a biologist names the different kinds of cells she sees.  A fifth-grader can read a racing form, but a handicapper will find the probable winners.  What is more important than seeing is having insight.

In the gospel today Jesus enables a blind man to see, and the man sees more in Jesus than a healer.  With insight he recognizes him as the “Son of David,” the Messiah who was to bring about everlasting justice.  He does not go away reveling with his newly-gained physical sight.  Rather he follows Jesus to death and glory in Jerusalem.

 Faith is having insight beyond what one’s eyes see.  We see bread and wine on the altar, but insight tells us that it is the body and blood of Christ.  We see a beggar holding a sign asking for money on a street corner, but insight informs us that it is an image of God.  We see ourselves struggling to believe after hearing about scandal in the Church.  Insight tells us that the humanity of the Church will always be attracted by evil, but still its virtue far outdoes its faults.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(II John 4-9; Luke 17:26-37)

Like the terms “liberal” and “conservative” “progressive” and “traditional” are buzz words that give more heat than light. One hundred years ago the progressive movement banned gambling and quick divorces in the Old West.  Today such legislation would be a victory for traditionalists.  In today’s first reading the term “progressive” has a definite negative ring.

The Second Letter of John does not elaborate on the odious “progressive” teaching.  It does say its adherents do not accept Christ coming in the flesh.  Although this reference may be a denial of Jesus’ return at the end of time, it more likely negates that Jesus actually offered himself as a bloody sacrifice for the salvation of the world.  If connected to the first part of the reading, then the adherents of the progressive teaching are also not likely to follow Jesus’ commandment to love.

Many today are “progressive” to the extent that they think a woman has a right to snuff the life a baby growing in her body.  Others are so “traditional” that they believe that capital punishment should be preserved as a way of dealing with criminals.  We must take seriously that Christ’s coming in the flesh has profoundly altered our perspective regarding the taking of every human life, whether innocent or guilty.