Monday, March 28, 2022

 Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4:43-54)

Yesterday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, is called “Laetare Sunday.”  Most Catholics know that this term means rejoicing.  Preachers in pink vestments explain that the Church rejoices because the time of penance is half-over.  Wearing pink, rather than the solemn purple, symbolizes the lighter spirit.

The shift of Laetare Sunday is more significant than a one-day change of color. The daily mass readings will no longer call for repentance and prayer.  They will anticipate the fulfilment of God’s promises at Easter.  The spirit of coming fulfilment is readily seen in today’s first reading.  God tells the people that He is “about to create new heavens and a new earth.” The gospel actually shows fulfilment.  Jesus rescues the son of a Jewish royal official from death.

We may look for signs of fulfilment in our own lives.  Perhaps fasting has slimmed our waistlines a bit.  But if this were all the fulfilment so far, we have missed Lent’s purpose.  By now we should have developed a closer familiarity with the Lord.  Our conversation with him should be less tentative and more intimate.  We should be communicating our readiness to suffer with him.   If this is the case, we will likely see those around us in a new way as well.

Sunday, March 27, 2022

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 27, 2022

(Joshua 5:9.10-12; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3.11-32)

Where St. Paul says that Christ became sin, he does not mean that he was a sinner.  “Sin” describes the precariousness of the human condition.  Women and men can live holy lives, much like angels whose only desire is to serve the Lord.  Unfortunately, many choose the opposite.  They focus on selfish pursuits.  They do not think of God, much less of others.  The second son in the parable of today’s gospel opts for this egotistical road.

It does not take long for the young man to be blindsided by reality.  He loses everything, even food for survival.  Rehearsing his apology, he returns to his father.  There he meets only mercy.  The father is ecstatic to see his son alive.  He does not listen to the apology.  He only showers affection upon his son.

Recently someone told me another version of a familiar story.  A man was discovered on skid row in Chicago.  He was drunk and homeless.  His founder provided him a place to stay and good counsel.  Soon the drunkard was attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Sixty years later he died a happy death.  He never forgot the day of his return to sobriety.  Like the second son, he humbled himself in order to survive.  Again like the second son, he fell into the hands of God, his loving Father.

Sunday, April 3, 2022

 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, April 3, 2022

(Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:7-14; John 8:1-11)

Once a holy man was traveling on foot through the forest. When he stopped for the night, an assailant came upon him. The ruffian demanded the most valuable thing he was carrying. Without delay the holy man opened his bag, took out a diamond as big as a grapefruit, and presented it to the assailant. The assailant took the diamond and left. In a short time he returned to the holy man. He told him, "Now give me the thing that made you part with this diamond." In the second reading Saint Paul shows us such a valuable thing.

Paul has had the experience of knowing Christ on several occasions. On the road to Damascus Christ appeared to him asking why he was persecuting them. The Acts of the Apostles recalls other meetings and also II Corinthians. We have similar experiences in prayer. We can sense the presence of Jesus urging us to be less inclined to anger and more kind and loving. He assures us that he will be with us come what may.

The story told in today’s gospel reinforces our trust in Jesus. He controls the situation with all the skill of a surgeon in the operating room. He first outwits the Pharisees who uses the adulteress to trap him. Their strategy is if Jesus says that the woman should be stoned, he would be violating Roman law. But if he says that she does not deserve death, he would be ignoring Jewish law. Jesus outsmarts them with the demand that the sinless person cast the first stone.

His treatment of the woman seems even more wonderful. Only the two remain, as Saint Augustine says, "misery and mercy". Jesus does not condemn the woman; neither does he scold her. He just corrects her. He tells her to go and sin no more. She will be so grateful to Jesus that she cannot ignore his mandate. He treats us the same way.

Not only does Jesus forgive us; he also helps us to sin no more. He teaches us how to live with our hearts set on the good of our neighbor, not on desire for his or her belongings. In addition to teaching, he shares with us the Holy Spirit that strengthens us spiritually. By receiving Holy Communion, we realize that we are not alone in the struggle. Rather we are part of a great family that includes the angels, the saints, even Christ as well as the other communicants.

Now we should better understand the first reading. Through the prophet God says that he is going to do something new. It will be as refreshing as a river in the desert. The new, the refreshing thing is Jesus Christ. He has not come to judge us but to justify us. He does not make excuses for our faults but corrects them so that we live honorably. We will live as upright as oak trees giving nuts to the squirrels and shelter to the birds.

The discovery of a "new" star was recently reported. In addition to not being really "new", this star attracted attention because it does not conform to astronomers' theories. It is so with Jesus. He lived two thousand years ago, but to many, even us, he is new. He does not conform to the old models of judging and scolding. He simply corrects us and justifies us. We will see this process take place in the liturgies within the next two weeks.

Friday, March 25, 2022

 SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD

 (Isaiah 7:10-14.8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38)

 The unlikely story of the “Christmas truce of 1914” has been verified by accounts sent home by the soldiers involved.  It happened that as the First World War became a miserable standoff in the trenches, the Germans offered the British a resolution to stop the fighting on Christmas Day.  They sent the message along with a chocolate cake.  The British accepted the offer with a gift of tobacco for the German troops.  Today we take a similar day off in Lent to celebrate the beginnings of Jesus Christ.

 It is exactly nine months before Christmas.  Figuring that Jesus had a normal gestation, the Church has consecrated today as the day of his conception.  It proclaims the gospel of Mary’s acceptance of God’s offer to be the mother of His Son.  That Son, Jesus, will fulfill God’s ancient promise to Israel of a king who will rule forever.

 We should not hesitate to have a glass of wine today or a bar of chocolate.  We do not have to abstain from meat today either.  But beyond breaking our Lenten customs, we do well to relate the significance of this day to our Lenten journey.  God shared with humans His Son who showed us the Father’s love.  Being enmeshed in sin, we crucified the Son for his goodness.  But the cross on which he died became the source of our redemption.  The story unfolds in three weeks in our celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

 Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

 (Jeremiah 7:23-28; Luke 11:14-23)

 This is an age of expressive individualism.  People want to show off the choices they have made about themselves.  Many of these choices are frivolous. Take color, for example. Most settle for changing the color of their hair to blond  or brunette.  Some, however, opt for an exotic green or blue.  Other choices affect the core being of the person.  One such choice that some people claim to make is a gender different than the one indicated by their chromosomes.  They don’t necessarily choose to be a man when they are biologically a women.  They may consider themselves some sort of hybrid.  Another way people express their choice is faith.  Some choose to trust God.  Others see the Buddha as the source of enlightenment.  Still others think humanity is worthy of their ultimate allegiance.

Today’s readings treat the choice of a prophet who speaks for God.  In the first reading the Lord says that the people have rejected Him in not listening to Jeremiah.  In the gospel Jesus defends his status as God’s spokesman with an argument and a parable.  He argues that Satan cannot be the source of his exorcisms because Satan would be warring against himself.  Rather, he says, the one, true God is the source of his power.  For this reason, the people should accept him, Jesus, as his prophet.  In the parable Jesus points out that Satan has been overwhelmed by God’s prophet.  Now the people can reclaim from Satan their freedom to live with freedom and dignity.

Especially during Lent Jesus asks us to renew our faith in him.  This means limiting our expressive individualism to what corresponds to his virtue.  We must follow his directives to live lovingly, chastely, and wisely.