Monday, March 5, 2018

Monday of the Third Week in Lent

(II Kings 5:1-15ab; Luke 4:24-30)

The first two and a half weeks of Lent deal with penance to make up for our sins.  We emphasized the need for prayer, fasting, and works of charity to overcome our egotistical desires.  The third week of Lent opens another perspective.  Now we have to ask ourselves if we are giving proper testimony to Jesus.  Today’s readings confirm Jesus as a prophet.  Do we see him in that way?

Naaman almost missed his opportunity for being cured of leprosy.  He wanted to dismiss the advice of the prophet Elisha who told him to just wash in the Jordan River.  Fortunately, his servants were able to convince him that he had little to lose by complying with the prophet’s order.  In the gospel passage the people of Nazareth do not have such good advice available.  They reject Jesus’ claim of being appointed by God to bring comfort to the oppressed.  Indeed, they are about to kill him for claiming to be a prophet.

Placing faith in Jesus is a risky venture.  We may not lose our lives or our fortunes, just the consideration of being “one of the guys.”  Accepting Jesus as a prophet means to stand with him by visiting the sick or greeting a child with a severe deformity.  It may also mean objecting to a slander that someone makes or questioning the standing opinion that is based on hearsay.  Former Vice-President Joe Biden speaks favorably of rival Jesse Helms when both men were in the Senate.  He says that they were able to accomplish much for their country because they refused to denigrate each other as some of their political allies would have had them do. 

Friday, March 2, 2018

Friday of the Second Week of Lent

(Genesis 37:3-4.12-13a.17b-28a; Matthew 21:33-43.45-46)

One of the many social problems of abortion-on-demand is that it facilitates bias against people with genetic abnormalities.  Most babies with Downs Syndrome are now being aborted in the so-called “developed nations.”  A similar rejection is seen in today’s first reading where Joseph’s brothers conspire to kill him for being his father’s favorite son.

But not all the brothers are so contemptuous.  Rueben, the eldest of the lot, suggests that they hold Joseph prisoner while he figures out how to send him home safely.  Another brother, Judah, seems to have a similar sentiment, but his suggestion to sell Joseph to Ishmaelite traders may just be a way to turn a profit.  In sum, the motive of all the brothers, save Rueben, is treachery.  They exemplify the dark side of humanity in crying need of renewal.

We are coming to the middle of Lent.  Hopefully, we have noticed by now that our motives are sometimes not just mixed but can be perverse.  Perhaps we have been envious of friends and family members receiving credit.  Perhaps we have advised someone to have an abortion because the baby would not be normal as most people think of the term.  Now is the time to repent of this wrongfulness and to beg God’s grace.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Thursday of the Second Week in Lent

(Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 16:19-31)

“The line between good and evil,” the Russian novelist and humanitarian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn remarked, “is not drawn between nations or parties, but through every human heart.”  We can understand this truth as saying that every one of us has a heart partly corrupted so that it awaits renewal.  Executing that renewal is our Lenten project.  Similarly, every one has in part a heart palpitating with generosity.  Experiencing the growth of that vibrant sector is a source of Easter rejoicing.  In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah laments a heart so rotten that it is beyond remedy.  In the gospel Jesus gives us an example – the rich man who ignores the beggar at his door.

Certainly the rich man is not punished just for having wealth.  That would be like criticizing a healthy person for not taking sick leave.  But wealth as well as health has attendant obligations which Pope Paul VI once called a “social mortgage.”  The rich must share some of their resources so that the needy not lose their human dignity.  Jesus in this Gospel of Luke never tires reminding his disciples of this responsibility.

Donating to the poor carries some risks.  A beggar may squander our beneficence on liquor, and even some highly regarded charities have misused contributions.  But we must not allow these concerns to trump God’s call to generosity.  Prudence indicates who deserves our offerings and how much is appropriate for us to give.  Failure to comply with the dictates of prudence may nudge our heart more to the side of corruption.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

(Jeremiah 18:18-20; Matthew 20:17-28)

As we approach the middle of Lent, we may find our initial Lenten resolutions losing their grip on us.  It is a parallel process to the capitulations found in today’s readings.  In the first, the people of Jerusalem are not willing to accept Jeremiah’s teaching that their allegiance must be to God alone.  They want to dally with other gods as a way of hedging their bets on divine assistance.  In the gospel no one seems to grasp what Jesus is saying about self-sacrifice for the good of the people.  James and John allow their mother to promote their advancement.  Meanwhile, the other disciples don't want to lose their chance of sitting on the places of honor. 

The conversion that the Lord seeks of us and to which we consent on Ash Wednesday runs against the ways of the world.  Where the world says “look out for number one,” Jesus tells us to “lose our lives for his sake and for the gospel.”  We have to renew our efforts continually so that one day we will be able to serve others joyfully.

The saints model Jesus’ self-abnegation for good of others.  Stanley Rother was an American priest defending the rights of the indigenous in Guatemala during the 1970’s and early 1980’s.  He was threatened with death if he did not leave his parish.  In fact, he tried going away but made the realization that, as he said, “a shepherd cannot run from his flock.”  He returned to Guatemala where shortly afterwards gunmen entered his rectory and killed him.  He has recently been declared “Blessed” by Pope Francis.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Tuesday of the Second Week in Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

A cartoon once appeared in the newspaper featuring a well-heeled couple emerging from church.  They thank the preacher for never saying anything to offend people like themselves!  The couple would have walked out in a huff if they were to hear what Isaiah says in today’s first reading.

Isaiah reminds especially the well-off of their responsibility for the needy.  They must assure that the rights of the defenseless are not violated.  Wrongs against them are to be prosecuted and their children must be taken care of.  In the gospel Jesus critiques the Pharisees for their obtuseness toward the same needy.  Rather than assist the poor, the Pharisees make life harder for them.  Meanwhile they seek praises from the people for carrying out lesser precepts.

We must take care never to act self-righteously like the Pharisees.  It is good, of course, to pray regularly.  But we must recognize that God demands that we also assist those in need.  It is not wrong to wear a silver cross or to pray with a crystal rosary.  But we also must send some of our resources to organizations that are helping the poor to live decently.