Monday, February 25, 2019

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 1:1-10; Mark 9:14-29)

Since Charles Darwin explained the evolution of the species, many Christians have had trouble believing.  They say with the father of the demoniac in today’ gospel, “’I do believe; help my unbelief.’”   We live in awe of science with its own brand of wisdom to explain how the world works.

Nevertheless, Jesus invites us to another, deeper wisdom.  Science is hardly likely to satisfy all our needs.  Yet God is ready to assist us in the endeavor to live free from fear and distress as Jesus shows here.  When we pray with confidence and diligence, God comes to our sides.  He provides what we need whether by granting our literal request or the means to grow in charity.  After all, it is the latter which makes us like Him, the immortal Creator.

We have all heard of the prayer for serenity: “God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”  The prayer helps us face our own limits when we feel responsibility weighing heavily upon us.  The prayer may be altered when our faith wanes.  We could pray: “Lord, grant me wisdom to know You, prayer to seek you, and love to remain with You.” 

Friday, February 22, 2019

The Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

(I Peter 5:1-4; Matthew 16:13-19)

Today’s Feast of the Chair of St. Peter is meant to emphasize the authority of the bishop of Rome.  Like St. Peter, popes today use this authority to shepherd all the faithful in the Catholic Church.  Just last week Pope Francis made a decision that insures the well-being of some of the Church’s most vulnerable members.  He laicized a former cardinal and archbishop for sexual abuse of minors.  The action signals that no cleric – no matter his status -- will be exempt from severe consequences if he is responsible for an instance of this horrible crime.

Since yesterday we read the parallel passage in the Gospel of Mark, we can compare it with today’s gospel in search of insights into its meaning.  In all probability Matthew used Mark’s gospel for his basic storyline.  He added material which he took from other sources to support his message.  Mark has Peter saying that Jesus is “the Christ.”  Matthew has him adding “the Son of God.”  Although “Son of God” does not likely mean here all that it means to post-Nicene Christians, it still indicates intimacy with the Almighty.  For this reason it should not be a surprise that Matthew has Jesus saying how Simon was able to identify Jesus through a special revelation from the Father.  Divine assistance, then, becomes a hallmark of the Chair of Peter.  Matthew also adds the renaming of Simon as Peter with the explanation that he is like a petrus or rock who serves as a firm basis for the Church community.  Finally, Matthew, but not Mark, pictures Jesus promising Peter the keys to the Kingdom.  These instruments, of course, are not physical but spiritual.  They represent Peter’s authority not only to forgive sin but also to impose or remove spiritual penalties.  In this way Peter can constrain people to do what is right.

Pope Francis is always asking people to pray for him.  Very likely he is sincere in this appeal.  With all his responsibilities, he realizes the need for divine assistance.  We do pray for him every day at Mass.  Today, however, our Mass becomes a special prayer that he uses his great authority for the benefit of all.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 9:1-13; Mark 8:27-33)

 “’Who do you say that I am?’” Jesus asks his disciples in today’s gospel.  We should make the question our own.  In our own way of thinking, who is Jesus?  Some may answer, “One of the great men of history.”  Surely as far as the answer goes, that is correct.  In fact, it may be shown that no other human has had the impact that Jesus of Nazareth has had.  But he is still being defined as a human being.

Peter’s answer to Jesus query does not really admit more than that.  Peter understands Jesus as “the Christ,” which is to say that he is like David and the other kings of Israel.  With this idea in mind Peter sees Jesus as cleansing Israel of Roman rule and being installed as king in Jerusalem.  But he is still far from all that may be said to disclose Jesus’ identity.

It took almost three hundred years for the Church to come to an adequate conception of who Jesus is.  He is God, one of the Blessed Trinity.  This distinction is a mystery that we cannot really understand.  But it does reveal that he is the Creator and Lord of all.  It also calls us to worship him.  Finally, as his followers, it assures us of safety and well-being. 

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 8:6-13.20-22; Mark 8:22-26)

Perhaps you have wondered about why Noah sends out a raven first and then a dove.  And maybe you have asked why the dove but not the raven comes back to the ark when land cannot be found.  And then, what is the purpose of Noah’s animal sacrifice to God?  We should not think that these actions are arbitrary or, much less, that they comprise a historical record.  As in much of Genesis the author of the story is telling us something of nature – both human and non-human.  These questions have answers which may be ascertained through attention to both the Scripture and the environment.

A raven is a scavenger bird which is particularly fond of rotten flesh.  Evidently the raven was having a difficult time onboard the ark where there was only vegetative food.  It waited out the drying of the land rather than go back to a vegetarian diet.  The dove, which is content with eating vegetables, does not mind returning to the ark.  Noah burns animals as a sacrifice because he too enjoys the taste of flesh.  But God has always frowned on animals tearing apart one another and also on humans doing it.  He accepts Noah’s sacrifice but is not pleased with it.  He realizes that the plan to renew creation with both humans and beast living in harmony will never work.  So He makes a covenant with humans.  They can eat the flesh of animals and even offer Him sacrifices with it, but they will have to obey His law.  They may not eat the blood of animals and, most importantly, may not spill one another’s blood.

In time God will give humans other laws, but none will calm their hearts.  That will come only when God sends His Son to make up for humanity’s sins and to bestow on humans the Holy Spirit.  Jesus will bring about the new creation that turns women and men into true daughters and sons of God.

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 5:5-8.7:1-5.10; Mark 8:14-21)

On top of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, stone statues of the twelve apostles look over the world that they have struggled to win for Christ.  Each member of the band appears so magnificent in wisdom and power that we are challenged to reconcile these figures with the fumbling characters we meet in the gospel today. 

The twelve have twice witnessed Jesus distribute a thousand times more bread than they had at hand.  Yet they worry about having enough food in the boat when they have one loaf – that is, the Lord himself!  Like most people, they cannot get over the human condition of scarcity.  They cannot see that in Christ’s company they have more than enough.

Bumpkins as they are at this point, Jesus has to warn the disciples about thinking themselves greater than they are.  He uses the example of leaven or yeast to give them the message.  Put a bit of yeast in a little dough and in a short time you find a full loaf of bread.  Yeast or leaven puffs up making something appear more massive than it is.  “The leaven of the Pharisees” and “the leaven of Herod” puff up their carriers to the extent that they cannot recognize God’s messengers.  The Pharisees think that they are defending God as they demand signs on the spot from Jesus, even after he has repeatedly given witness to his divine commission.  In decapitating John, Herod pretends to have authority over innocent life.  Jesus warns his disciples against both kinds of arrogance.  They and we are neither to worry about what is lacking nor to think of our own virtue as sufficient.  Rather, they and we must trust in Jesus.