Friday, November 30, 2018

Feast of Saint Andrew, apostle

(Romans 10:9-18; Matthew 4:18-22)

Unlike other teachers of his time Jesus called a group of disciples to him.  Other teachers waited for men to come and study Torah with them, but Jesus is pro-active.  As we hear in the first reading and see in the gospel, Jesus searches out followers.  Peter and Andrew are the first of many disciples from whom Jesus will select twelve for a special mission.

Jesus is responding to the call of God to inaugurate the kingdom in the world.  It is to be a rule of justice where goodness is blessed and evil rooted out.  The new order takes effect as Jesus heals the sick, casts out evil demons, and preaches the will of God.  Andrew, Peter, and the other apostles will assume these ministries when Jesus leaves.  They will receive the Holy Spirit to spread God’s kingdom of justice and love throughout the world.

We may not have been called to be apostles, but all of us are Jesus’ disciples.  We study the Christian Torah, actually the whole Bible, with emphasis on Jesus in the gospels.  We are also sent out to the world to give witness to God’s kingdom.  By living righteously, by praying continuously, and by treating others with love, we fortify the kingdom’s foundations.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 18:1-2.21-23.19:1-3a.9; Luke 21:20-28)

The other day a man entered a religious goods store and committed horrible crimes.  He sexually violated two women and killed one of them.  The barbarism resembles the happenings which Jesus foresees in today’s gospel.  He says that lawlessness and destruction will take place everywhere at the end of time.

In all likelihood the evangelist Luke embellished the prediction of Jesus with accounts of actual events.  Just before he wrote his gospel Roman troops decimated Jerusalem.  They not only destroyed the Temple beyond hope of rebuilding but evidently ravaged the people.  Such marauding is typical of foreign soldiers sent to punish a nation.  It is no wonder then that the first reading describes God’s the downfall of Rome in such graphic terms.  “Babylon” is code word for Rome since both were associated with extravagant hedonism.  According to the reading, Rome is completely devastated.  It is as if an earthquake swallowed up the city.

Both Luke and the author of Revelation mean to encourage Christians to live righteous lives.  They see Jesus as coming to save his people when the situation becomes most desperate.  He will recognize them by their courage to stand erect in hope of being rescued.  The righteousness and courage which the Scriptures bespeak include efforts to build a society of justice.  We will not be able to eliminate all crime and misfortune in the world.  But guided by the gospel and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can approximate the peace of the Kingdom of God.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 15:1-4; Luke 21:12-19)

Both readings today proclaim the ultimate triumph of Christians who persevere.  The first reading pictures Christian soldiers making music over the ash heap of their impious foes.  The gospel passage ends with Jesus’ assuring those who remain faithful that their lives will be secured.  Such an overwhelming victory is hardly what we experience in everyday life.

A news report today focused on the war in Yemen.  Unknown to many Americans, the war is taking a costly toll on children.  According to the report, 85,000 children under five years of age have died of starvation and related disease in the middle eastern country.  Such evil occurs all too frequently in our world.  Yet we run across goodness as well all the time.  Groups of Catholics and oth4r people of good will are accompanying immigrants to hearings to assure their fair treatment. We seem to endlessly live in that wheat field where the enemy has sown weeds.  We may count on good and bad coexisting until the end of time.

This dualism reflects the struggle going on in our hearts.  We feel the urge to act sinfully.  Perhaps we want to tell an egregious lie to spite someone we don’t like.  Or maybe we dream of abandoning our families for a more adventurous lifestyle.  With God’s reliable grace we will be able to overcome these wicked impulses.  More significantly, with the same we will be able to love God and neighbor continuously.  This love will assure us a place in the symphony making music over our sins.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 14:14-19; Luke 21:5-11)

Death is often personified as a grim reaper.  Sickle in hand the reaper cuts down living plants.  The harvest is then either eaten and enjoyed or burnt as fuel.  Similarly human death ends in a judgment of either worthiness or worthlessness.  One is either destined for glory with God or for desolation.  Today’s first reading illustrates death seizing the entire world.

The first character mentioned seems to be Jesus Christ who refers to himself as “son of man” in the gospel.  In any case he swings the sickle of death over a bountiful and useful grain harvest.  The produce will be stored in barns for human consumption.  This is the people who pleased God and are destined to glory with Him.  The second reaper cuts down the vine yielding grapes which will be pressed into wine.  The stern seer John perceives wine as an intoxicant which turns humans into mindless animals. This produce then constitutes those people who are lost for eternity.

As fall gives way to winter weather, in northern climes at least, we are wise to consider death.  Sooner or later it will reach us.  Although an evil in that it snuffs out physical life, death serves a useful purpose.  It reminds us that we do not have forever to fulfill our destinies as human beings.  For Christians this means that we strive to be truly loving people.  We are to give of ourselves for the good of others.  In this way when death finally comes we will be gathered into God’s house as His beloved family.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 14:1-3.4b-5; Luke 21:1-4)

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is perhaps America’s best known choral ensemble.  Attending one of its concerts one is moved by the members’ dignified dress, their superbly trained voices, and their expansive numbers.  In analogous ways the celestial choir of today’s passage from the Book of Revelation can be understood.

The heavenly chorus is praising to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.  All its members have God’s name written on their foreheads.  The writing is a type of uniform that symbolizes their belonging to the Lord.  They sing a song whose intricacies require a dedicated voice.  Here dedication is more than training; it is a commitment to virtue.  The fact that there are 144,000 members of the choir does not mean that there is a strict limit to their number.  The number is symbolic for enormity so that there is room for every virtuous person.

With all the reason in the world we hope to sing with that celestial ensemble.  There is no need to worry about there not being a slot for us.  But we should concern ourselves with acquiring the virtue so that we might sing along.  We do not have to be especially intelligent or educated.  We do have to put aside all selfish pursuits to follow Jesus, the Lamb.  He generously gave of himself for others.  We should do the same.