Thursday, June 30, 2022

 

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Amos 7:10-17; Matthew 9:1-8)

Martin Luther King is revered today by almost everyone.  In his lifetime, however, he was reviled by many white people.  They saw him as a troublemaker and opportunist.  Although King predicted his assassination, people thought he enjoyed dictating terms to presidents.  King suffered the fate of prophets in Israel as today’s first reading makes clear.

Amos lived in the southern kingdom of Judah.  He was not trained as a prophet but as a horticulturalist when God called him northwards. There he denounced neglect of the poor as well as idolatry.  His prophecies made him undesirable in the eyes of the northern establishment.

We have need for prophets today.  Although every person who criticizes social structures does not speak on behalf of God, some point out genuine deviation from God’s will.  A true prophetic concern has arisen where state has allowed for physician-assisted suicide.  It is reported that in some hospitals the elderly sick are being encouraged to sign on for the procedure.  Suicide, like murder, is a grave disorder.  Assisting in it should be decried and prohibited.

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

 Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, apostles

(Acts 12:1-11; II Timothy 4:6-8.17-18; Matthew 16:13-19)

As we have been told many times, martyrdom is derived from a Greek root meaning giving witness.  Martyrs give witness in a supreme way by dying for their testimony.  However, those who give witness to the Lordship of Jesus by their words and actions are also legitimately called “martyrs.”.  Today’s readings show Saints Peter and Paul, who died for their testimony, witnessing to Jesus with their words. 

In the gospel Peter calls Jesus, “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Christ, of course, is not Jesus’ last name but his functional role.  Jesus is God’s anointed who wins back God’s kingdom for His people.  In the second reading, Paul gives witness to Jesus’ help both.  In his mission to Gentiles and in his personal struggle with evil Paul received Jesus’ assistance.

Beneficiaries of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, we likewise are to witness to Christ.  We should do this every day of our lives.  We are to be patient and kind to others.  We also are to stand up for the truth whether it be for the sanctity of human life from conception or an issue of lesser import.  In doing so, we too can hope with St. Paul that the Lord, “will rescue (us) from every evil and save (us) for his heavenly kingdom.”

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

 

Memorial of St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr

Amos 3:1-8.4:11-12; Matthew 8:23-27)

Perhaps it is because we dread the struggles that face us.  In any case, we often feel that the challenges ahead of us are more like mountains than hills.  We call them “crises” as if we doubt our ability to overcome them.  In the past twenty years the Church has experienced, among other setbacks, the “crises” of clerical abuse and the waning of faith.  These challenges are real, but they are not going to bring down the Church.  The reason for hope appears in today’s gospel

The boat containing Jesus and his disciples can be taken as a metaphor for the Church.  A storm, symbolizing a great challenge, arises.  With Jesus asleep the disciples feel doomed.  But all they have to do is to call upon him.  He is always ready to help.

St. Irenaeus, who lived in the last part of the second century, faced many challenges.  One was the theological error of Docetism.  This errant teaching claimed that Christianity amounted to a formula to get through life.  An excellent biblical theologian, Irenaeus answered the challenge by reaffirming the doctrine of the incarnation.  God becoming human has provided not a formula or belief but a new way of living.  Imitating Christ, we will go beyond surmounting crises to achieving life’s goal of eternity.

Monday, June 27, 2022

 

Monday of the Thirteenth Week in ordinary Time

(Amos 2:6-10.13-16; Matthew 8:18-22)

Characteristic of Matthew’s gospel, a narrative about Jesus follows a section of his preaching.  In today’s passage, the narrative gives examples of what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. 

Two disciples approach Jesus telling of their desire to follow him.  In the Sermon he admonished them to enter by the narrow gate.  Now he warns the first disciple approaching him that following him will not be easy.  “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” he tells him.  Also, he advised in the Sermon to “…seek first the Kingdom of God.” Now he tells the second disciple that following him takes precedence over everything, even the obligations to one’s parents.

Jesus does not want us to neglect our parents nor our children.  But he insists that submitting to his ways supersedes all other considerations.  We are to always put his will above our own.  We do not have to worry that it will lead to our ruin or other’s detriment.  Quite the contrary, we can be confident that prioritizing his will shall lead to our glory.

Sunday, June 26, 2022

 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

(I Kings 19:16b.19-21; Galatians 5:1.13-18; Luke 9:51-62)

With the coming holidays of national independence, it is worth reflecting on the second reading. St. Paul treats the ever-provocative theme of freedom. However, he does not think of freedom in the same way that we tend to think of it. We think of freedom as the removal of external restrictions. Slaves by the whip were prohibited from doing what they thought best. As human beings they deserved freedom. Still today many work under physically harsh conditions to survive. They seek freedom from their hard burdens. Paul has another conception of freedom in mind when he writes, "For freedom Christ set us free…”

For Paul, the freedom of Christ releases men and women from disordered passions. He has freed us from the inner urge to drink excessively and to run away from every uncomfortable situation. The unfortunate truth is that our internal dispositions can be an autocrat even more exacting than the whip or the demands of a boss. Just look at the way drug addicts ruin their lives for a few moments of pleasure.

The gospel today shows Jesus beginning the journey that will result in our deliverance. It says, "...he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” He knows that the cross awaits him in the holy city, but he will not go out of his way to avoid it. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus will defeat the forces of evil. These forces, which awaken inordinate passions, keep us as captives.

Jesus' emphasis on the discipline of his discipleship stands out in this gospel. He says, in contrast to our sensibilities, that it is more important to follow Christ than to bury our parents. In this way Jesus shows that his mission surpasses that of the great prophet Elisha. The prophet returned to his house to say goodbye to his people. In contrast, Jesus says that his disciples should not even look back once they decide to follow him.

However, this saying should not be taken as an excuse, much less a demand, to ignore filial responsibilities. Jesus would never say that it is not necessary to keep the fourth commandment. The Christian life offers us a great opportunity to serve our relatives together with the people of God. The saying, "Let the dead bury their dead," only emphasizes that his first priority is to save the world. Just so for us: the first priority is to support Jesus’ liberating work against human tendencies to sin.

A man, well known in his place, was an alcoholic. Many years ago he overcame this inner compulsion with the support of "Alcoholics Anonymous." Now this man participates in the discipleship of Jesus by encouraging other alcoholics to reform. In the process he has made himself really happy. This is just one example among millions of what St. Paul means when he writes: ""For freedom Christ set us free…”