Monday, June 3, 2019

Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs

(Acts 19:1-8; John 16:29-33)

After two or three days without sunshine most people become gloomy.  Think of how somber it must feel to have only an hour or so of sun for a number of weeks.  This is the experience of those working in Antarctica now and in the Arctic region in December.  Perhaps it might describe the lives of those disciples whom Paul meets in today’s reading from Acts.

Christianity without the Holy Spirit is sheer will power.  It is trying to love without feeling, trying to think without peace of mind.  The Holy Spirit provides heightened awareness and greater urgency so that one can do what it difficult.  Once the disciples of the passage receive the Holy Spirit, they begin to praise the Lord and make the necessary connections between him and their daily lives.

Next Sunday, the Feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the Holy Spirit.  We should be asking God now to renew the Spirit’s presence within us then.  We want to see each person as a brother or sister so that we might love them as Jesus commands.  We want to feel the Father’s closeness so that we might thank Him as is our duty.

Friday, May 31, 2019

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Luke 1:39-56)

Visits usually are said to be visitations when they are pre-planned and follow a prescribed form.  A bishop makes visitations to parishes to check financial and sacramental records.  Families have visitation rights to see their loved ones in prison.  Today the Church celebrates the most famous visitation of all: Mary going to the home of her kinswoman Elizabeth.  Neither planned nor formal, her visit qualifies as a visitation because of the dignity of the one whom she carries in her womb.

Mary bears the Messiah, the anointed king of Israel.  She takes him to meet the prophet of the country with whom he is to collaborate.  Most people, of course, do not realize what is happening.  But the child-prophet within Elizabeth’s womb has no trouble making recognizing his lord.  He leaps for joy in his presence.  Mary and Jesus will not stay very long, but the two –Jesus and John – will meet again.

The same Jesus makes more than a visitation to us.  With the Father and the Holy Spirit he makes our souls a place of residence.  That truth should make us joyful like John.  We should also turn to him in every need.  Whether to resist temptation or to find work, he is there to help us.  

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 18:1-8; John 16:16-20)

A novel about couple undergoing a trial in their marriage reaches a climax when an adolescent dies in a freakish accident.  At his funeral the youth minister says that the boy is much happier now because he is with the Lord.  Realizing that these words will sound platitudinous, she urges the distraught congregation to have faith.  She reminds everyone of a verse from Ecclesiastes saying: “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”  She has God in mind.  He can hold together any people who are struggling, be they a couple with a marriage problem or a community overwhelmed with grief.  Jesus intimates the same kind of faith in today’s gospel.

The disciples seem naively unaware of the ordeal that Jesus faces.  When he tells them that in a little while they will no longer see him, he is referring to his impending crucifixion.  But then they will see him because God will raise him from the dead.  Earlier Jesus urged his friends to have faith in him.  To overcome the grief they are about to experience they will need to trust in God.

Death separates us from those whom we love.  We believe that God will raise up from the dead all who believe in him.  Yet when it swallows up those about whom we care about the most, we can hardly help but wonder.  At such a moment we are wise to retreat into prayer and mutual support.  Doing so, we will not have to wait for the general resurrection to experience God’s glory.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 7:15.22-18.1; John 16:12-15)

No doctrine of the Church is harder to grasp than the Holy Trinity.  How the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are both three and one almost defies explanation.  They are not three individuals making up a collective like a three-person volleyball team.  The three persons have but one mind and one will.  The Son, of course, has taken on a human nature, and his body is part of his heavenly presence.  But this extrinsic quality does not explain the real difference among the three.  They differ only by their relationships – one is Father; one is Son; and one is the life or Spirit among them.  In today’s gospel Jesus reassures his disciples with reference to the unique triad and unity of the Holy Trinity.

Jesus underscores the unity of the Trinity when he says that the Spirit will teach only what it receives from him.  In turn Jesus passes on only what he has received from the Father.  One might ask whether only the Spirit would be present to Jesus’ disciples or to Christians today.  No, Jesus has said in this same discourse that all three are present to his disciples.  The Church would formulate the Trinity’s presence in this way: “The Father is present to us through the Son and in the Holy Spirit.”

Although they are one, we can develop a relationship with each of the three divine persons.  To do this daily we can make an examination of conscience with the three in mind.  We can say, “Thank you” to the Father, the source of all things, for any good that we have experienced during the day.  We can say, “Forgive me,” to the Son who died because of our sins for any sins we committed.  And we can say, “Please…” to the Holy Spirit who is sent to help us for any special need we have tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:22-34; John 16:5-11)

Television lawyer shows often picture defense attorneys acting as prosecutors.  In order to exonerate their clients, they uncover evidence that proves another guilty of the crime.  In today’s reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus tells how the Holy Spirit will perform this dual service. 

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, “the Advocate,” a fitting name for a defense attorney.  He says that the Advocate will convict the world “in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation.”  The Spirit will prove the world guilty of sin for refusing to follow the teaching and example of Jesus.  In doing so, it will show the righteousness of Jesus.  And it will condemn Satan, the prince of the world, for his pride and deceit.

Obviously, the Holy Spirit is a valuable ally in life.  It is a kind of free gift of membership in the discipleship of Jesus.  We want to treasure the Holy Spirit and make use of his assistance.