Friday, November 12, 2021

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr

(Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37)

Jesus tells his disciples that the end will come quickly.  He is warning them that they will not have a long time to repent of their sins.  Therefore – and this is his point -- they must always be prepared.  They must live like refugees always with bags packed so that they can go on a moment’s notice.  In this case, however, they need good works not the proper clothes and papers for travel.

“Business as usual” will not be good enough.  Disciple virtue should exceed those of other people.  Jesus’ disciples will tell the truth not only when they have nothing to lose but when it brings embarrassment or even punishment.  They will take time to listen to the troubled when they are busy, not only when they have time to waste.  In these ways they will merit Jesus’ favor upon his return.

Today the Church celebrates the first canonized saint of the Eastern Catholic churches.  St. Josaphat was a polish national who became a monk and then a bishop.  As a true disciple, Josaphat did more than most.  He reformed his diocese which was in disarray from a lax clergy.  He also defended Eastern Catholicism caught between the often hostile forces of Orthodoxy and Latin Catholicism. 

  

Thursday, November 11, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, bishop

(Wisdom 7:22-8:1; Luke 17:20-25)

An article just published in First Things gives examples for today’s lesson from the Book of Wisdom.  The writer shows how Leo Tolstoy sees wisdom embracing more than theoretical knowledge.  Wisdom, he would say, includes an understanding of how things work in a particular place and time.  It is born at least as much from experience as from books.  In War and Peace Tolstoy tells of how a general dismisses elaborate plans to defeat Napoleon as contingent on too many factors.  The general realizes that the deciding factor is always the morale of his army aimed in the right direction. 

The Book of Wisdom likewise teaches that wisdom is more than knowledge.  It is intelligent but also beneficent, unstained, and firm.  Wisdom enters into people so that they might know what God expects of them.  Because of wisdom, humans can do all kinds of things that please God.

Today the Church remembers one of the wisest saints of antiquity.  St. Martin of Tours was a soldier who retired his sword to serve Christ.  He became a monk and later a bishop.  He was renowned for his ability to convert pagans, administer Church needs, and work for reconciliation among differing parties. 

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, pope

(Wisdom 6:1-11; Luke 17:11-19)

Today’s gospel is traditionally read on Thanksgiving Day. The reason is obvious; it is about giving thanks.  Jesus has healed ten lepers, and one -- only one and he, a Samaritan -- returns to thank him.  Jesus extols him not only for giving thanks but also for doing so when his benefactor was of a different faith tradition.  Something similar is happening in America today.

The desire to give thanks is found throughout the world.  People everywhere have an almost innate need to thank others, if not God, for their welfare.  For this reason, Mexicans in border towns like to join family and friends on the American side for Thanksgiving dinner.  When doing so, they may take time to not only say grace before the meal but also spend time in common prayer afterwards.  Standing in a circle, each person will name aloud the benefits he or she has received with God’s help.

The Thanksgiving Day Mass also attracts a fair number of people.  Instinctively we know that the Eucharist is the best way to give thanks.  Latinos again excel here.  They seem more likely than European-American counterparts to participate in the Thanksgiving Mass. They believe that it actualizes Jesus’ death so that they might participate in it and have eternal life.  For this opportunity as well they want to thank him.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

 Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

 (Ezekiel 47:1-2.8-9.12; I Corinthians 3:9c-11.16-17; John 2:13-22)

 Today’s feast celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica.  Many wonder, what is so great about that?  It is one of the four magnificent churches in Rome and the locale of five general councils of the Church, the most important one being the fourth in 1215.   That council called for bishops to appoint preachers and to support them in their work.  The mandate paved the way for the establishment of the Dominican Order a year later.

 More importantly, the Lateran Cathedral is the church of the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ.  As such, it serves as the symbol of all Christian churches.  In other words, today we honor all the churches in the world.  A church is the preferred meeting place of the human person with God.  As we enter a church, we make a blessing with holy water.  This is a way of cleansing ourselves from the mess we sometimes make in the world so that we may communicate with God.

 The deepest meaning for a church is actually Christ himself.  The Church is the body of Christ as Jesus implies in today’s gospel.  Here we feel his warm embrace.  For this reason a church has been considered as a sanctuary where sinners and even criminals might find refuge.  Today we celebrate not so much a building but Jesus Christ.  We give God thanks for the love Christ has shown us and for the peace he imparts to us.

Monday, November 8, 2021

 

Monday of the Thirty-second Week in ordinary Time

(Wisdom 1:1-7; Luke 17:1-6)

More than most of us, government officials are subject to corruption.  People pursue them because fortunes – no longer millions or billions, but sometimes trillions – are dependent on their decisions.  To stay morally righteous, they need wisdom.  To provide them with it, the author of the Book of Wisdom wrote his text.

Today’s passage constitutes the book’s beginning.  The author urges officials to love justice.  He does not mean the police or social equality but a solidly moral life.  He says that God cannot abide a deceitful person.  People commonly say, “God helps those who help themselves.”  The author has a different message.  He says that God helps those who seek Him with integrity.  That is, God will assist those who obey His commands and pray to Him for guidance.

Of course, the admonishments offered in this text applies to all of us.  We have to live righteously if we expect God to come to aid us.  We are wise as well to ask for the specific assistance we need to fulfill our responsibilities.