Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
(I John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44)
Early on, Catholics in the United States recognized the need
for parochial schools. The Church was established
here at roughly the same time as universal education and the “Great Awakening.” The latter was a period of evangelical
revival in the nineteenth century. Being
a minority, many Catholic children would have been enfolded into Protestantism
had they attended public schools. Educated
in Catholic schools, however, they maintained their faith. As a result, the Church in America prospered.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton began the first free Catholic school
in the United States. She also founded a
congregation that staffed many others as well as orphanages. St. Elizabeth died at a young forty-six years
of age. However, her legacy of
inexpensive, quality Catholic education still lives. It may be said that the American Catholic
Church was built on the backs of women like Elizabeth Ann Seton.
In today’s gospel Jesus feeds five thousand with a few
loaves of bread and some fish. This miracle
primarily foreshadows the Eucharist. It can
also be seen as representative of Catholic education. With meager resources but the virtues of many
women like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Catholic schools have fed millions of children. Because of their efforts, generations of
children learned about salvation through reception of Jesus Christ in the
sacraments.
Monday, January 3, 2022
(Optional) Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
(I John 3:22-4:6;
Matthew 4:12-17.23-26)
Society no longer
guards the names of people. Seventy
years ago, only children were called by their first names in public. The names of adults were considered personal,
for the exclusive use of family and friends.
Now attendants regularly call patrons by their first name. Older people may feel disrespected, but one should
not be shy about using the holy name of Jesus.
In all the gospels
only one person addresses Jesus only by name without any title. The so-called good thief crucified at Jesus’
side calls to him: “’Jesus, remember me…’”
Far from taking offense, Jesus assures his compatriot that he will soon
be with him in Paradise. In today’s
first reading, John, the presbyter, tells his readers that they must believe in
Jesus’ name. He means that recognizing
his power to save, they should pray to him.
Indeed, the name “Jesus” means “God saves.”
When we find ourselves
in difficulty, we should call Jesus by name.
He has promised to come to us.
The coming will take place in various ways until we see him in his
glorified flesh at the end of time. We
can count on him to save us from distress.
Sunday, January 2, 2022
THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
(Isaiah 60:1-6;
Ephesians 3:2-3.5-6; Matthew 2:1-12)
There are
traditional Christmas carols and new Christmas carols. In recent times many
people have taken to "The Little Drummer Boy". We all know the story.
A poor boy has nothing to give homage to the Christ child. Then it occurs to
him that he can play his drum for the newborn king. When he does, the child
smiles appreciatively. The drummer boy joins the shepherds and magicians of the
Gospels in worship of the Son of God.
The
shepherds are found only in the Gospel according to St. Luke. When they learn
that the Messiah has been born in Bethlehem, they waste no time going to honor
him. We see the Magi only in today's passage from the Gospel according to St.
Matthew. After an encounter with Herod and the Jews, they proceed to Bethlehem.
As they enter Joseph's house, they see Maria with her baby. They immediately
prostrate themselves to show their submission to the “King of the Jews.”
The evangelists
tell these stories to explain the mission of the Son of God. The shepherds
represent the common people. They are not educated and work for the minimum
wage. The Messiah will defeat the corrupt rulers who oppress them. He will bring them a closeness to God that
makes their hard life tolerable, even good.
The Magi
form a contrast to the shepherds. But they are not kings. (This idea comes from
the first reading. Isaiah tells of kings bringing gifts to Jerusalem. The
tradition of magicians riding camels also has its origin in the first reading.)
Magi are cultured people who search the heavens for truth. They find in the
child Jesus the source of wisdom that will bring peace to the world.
Just as
Jesus embodies grace in both stories, Herod personifies sin. He becomes jealous
when he hears of a child who is to become the Messiah of Israel. He asks the Magi
to inform him of the child’s whereabouts in order to kill Jesus. The high
priests and scribes unite with Herod to form a conspiracy against Jesus. In
time these religious leaders will oppose Jesus for interpreting the law in a fresh
way. They are satisfied with things as they are because they can take advantage
of them. They do not want to leave their authority to another, even if he is
the Messiah.
But Jesus
does not come to seize the political power of Herod. Nor does he intend to
change the law. His mission is to show the world the ways of God. He wants
everyone to have "the good life" that leads to justice. Often "the
good life" is depicted as a series of luxury cruises to different of the
world. But this is not the case in Christian history. "The good life"
means to recognize yourself as a child of God. It is experiencing the call of
Jesus to be his disciple. It is putting yourself in the company of other
honorable people.
You can
live "the good life" in a number of ways. One way that is worth mentioning
is the Christian movement called "People of Praise." This group is
dedicated to renewing the world with the power of the Holy Spirit. The members
belong to different Christian churches. They dedicate themselves to living
their baptismal promises to the full. They meet on Sunday afternoon after
services in their respective churches. They study the Bible together and plan their
social projects. An impressive project has been to inhabit decaying
neighborhoods to revive the spirit of the poor people. Members of "People
of Praise" show the world the true "good life."
We have launched 2022. Everyone hopes that it will be much better than last year. May it be God’s will! However, it is more important that we live the true "good life" in the new year. Whether we are as poor as the shepherds of Bethlehem or as educated as the Magi from the East, let us live our baptismal promises. This would be an appropriate gift for the Christ child next Christmas.
Saturday, January 1, 2022
Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
(Number 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21)
In the gospel today, we see three groups of people receiving the good news of Jesus’ birth. First, the shepherds, who have heard from the angels that a savior is born, act on the message. They go to Bethlehem to see the child who is their Lord and King. They also tell others of what has taken place to fulfill the angelic call to evangelize. Hopefully we are responding in the same ways – giving homage to Jesus, the savior, and telling others of how he has benefitted us.
The second group encountered in the passage is the people said to be “amazed” at what the shepherds tell them. Unfortunately, these hearers of the good news fail to respond in a significant way. Rather, like many witnesses of miracles later in the gospel, they dismiss the good news as only something “interesting.” These resisters represent the millions who celebrate Christmas with tinsel and brightly-wrapped presents but avoid the deeper meaning of the feast.
The third group is really just one person. Mary has already acted decisively on the good news announced to her also by an angel. The passage today says that she reflects in her heart on the events taking place. Thus, Mary becomes the model Christian in whom the word of God has taken firm root and whose fruit is abundant. We find people like Mary taking time daily to reflect on the Word of God and then living out what that Word teaches.