Thursday, September , 2022

 Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Micah 5:1-4a; Matthew 1:1-16.18-23)

Today’s celebration of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary underscores an important principle of faith.  Each of us is born for a purpose.  We share with Mary the vocation to know, love, and serve God.  But also like Mary, each of us has a singular call in life.  Hers was to be the mother of the Savior.  Ours is something else.

 

We should think of our vocation as dynamic.  We are to discern God’s call through our imagination, experience, and abilities as well as prayer.  What is more, we will usually find that it is a complex calling.  We are likely to be a salesman–father or a teacher-mother.  In Mary’s case, she was both mother and disciple of Christ.   Again, we have to find our purpose by probing and seeing, questioning and listening, asking and thinking.  This is what Mary did.

 

It’s important as well that once we decide on our purpose, we stick to it.  If we discern a vocation to be a nurse, then we are to prepare ourselves by taking the required courses and getting used to treating people in acute need.  Although there may be the possibility of a change of careers, sometimes the determinations we make are permanent.  Those who see themselves as married in the future should realize that this vocation lasts until death.  So as always we need to make the best discernments possible.

 

 

Sunday, September 4, 2022

 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, September 4, 2022

(Wisdom 9:13-19; Philemon 9-10.12-17; Luke 14:25-33)

The issue of infant baptism has become controversial at different times in the Church. In the early church some parents did not want their children baptized because they were likely to sin in their youth. Then, during the Protestant Reformation some reformers said that infant baptism is not valid because the person has to make a free decision for Christ. The Church has responded to these approaches with three points.  First, there is evidence of infant baptism in the New Testament. Second, baptism delivers children from the darkness of error into the light of grace. Finally, at baptism parents commit to raising their children in the faith. However, those who were baptized as infants still have to decide for Jesus. Therefore, Jesus challenges us together with the people following him in the gospel today. Jesus tells us: “’ If anyone comes to me without hating his… own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

We have to ask ourselves first how Jesus can make such a sweeping statement. Who is he that we have to love him above all other things? Is he revealing his divine nature in this statement? He may be, but it is also possible that he is identifying himself with the fight against Satan. It is as if a generalissimo asked his troops to fight for him to save the country. Or this weekend we would like to put this example of the world of work. It is as if a union leader were to ask the members to fight for him to win the dignity of the worker.

Then Jesus warns his followers to be aware of what it costs to be his disciple so that they avoid appearing foolish. For the poor of his followers, Jesus gives them the example of a farmer who, before beginning the project, calculates the expenses to build a watchtower in his vineyard. For the rich Jesus compares the preparation for discipleship to a king seeing if he has the troops to defeat another king before he attacks him. In other words, Jesus is challenging his followers to be prepared to make sacrifices to be his disciples.

What St. Paul asks of Philemon in the second reading is no different. Paul wants Philemon to free his slave Onesimus for the sake of Jesus' service. Onesimus sought out Paul after running away from Philemon. He evidently could help Paul so that Paul now wants to get him released. Philemon has to weigh his friendship with Paul and perhaps his membership in the Colossus community against the cost of freeing Onesimus. This cost will be more than the loss of his service. If he frees Onesimus, probably his other slaves will try to gain their freedom by running away to an apostle.

Today's gospel ends with Jesus declaring: "'... anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.” What does he mean by this alarming statement? Do we have to destitute ourselves to be Christians? But it's not like that. The statement means that the disciple has to be ready to relinquish his possessions when necessary. As the peasant has to be ready to spend his savings and the king has to be ready to sacrifice his troops, the disciple has to be ready to sacrifice all his goods if necessary. We have several examples of this type of sacrifice. After the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea gave his own tomb to bury Jesus. Twenty years ago, the so-called "richest man in the world" gave most of his wealth to charity. Today the war in Ukraine has revealed many willing to open their homes to refugees.

In the movie "Jurassic Park" someone comments that people would pay any amount of money to see an island full of dinosaurs. As interesting as that is, it's worth much more to inherit the God’s Kingdom as a disciple. We should not worry about the costs involved to get it. Let us look at the good that the Kingdom will present us.

Friday, September 2, 2022

 Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 4:1-5; Luke 3:33-39)

Although the great Irish poet W.B. Yeats was not a Catholic, he perceived the goodness of priests.  In one poem, “The Ballad of Father Gilligan,” he tells of an old country priest who worked diligently, mostly visiting and burying the dead.  One evening, after a long day, Fr. Gilligan is informed that another parishioner is near death.  The priest utters a complaint and immediately checks himself.  Praying for forgiveness, he falls asleep.  Awakened in the middle of the night, he remembers the dying man and quickly mounts his horse to visit him.  When he arrives, the man’s widow tells him that her husband died right after the priest had left him.  Fr. Gilligan then thanks God for working a miracle.

What’s the point of this story?  In the reading from Corinthians St. Paul says that apostles are “stewards of the mysteries of God.”  Priests, who assist bishops, the successors of the apostles, with their pastoral work, must be likewise trustworthy.  Although not all have proved themselves so, there are many like Fr. Gilligan. 

Most of us have an opinion on whether married men or women could be ordained.  We might express it but should do so humbly.  Church leadership has a store of wisdom gathered through the centuries to resolve these questions.  Beyond praying for priests, we need to encourage them to be faithful and caring in their ministry.  As in the story of Fr. Gilligan, God will treat them kindly.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

 Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 7:25-31; Luke 6:20-26)

“Too soon old, too late smart” is a lament evidently originating among German immigrants in Pennsylvania.  It describes the human condition of postponing education until one is too old to profit from it.  The phrase can be applied to both readings today.

In the first St. Paul advises the Corinthians not too be anxious about satisfying carnal desires.  He says that the Lord will be coming soon to fulfill their deepest longings.  He advises complete attention to him.  In the gospel Jesus acclaims the poor and downtrodden.  He is saying that sooner than they might expect, they will experience the happiness of the Kingdom.

We are used to thinking of the coming of the Lord in the Kingdom in absolute terms.  In this way it is hard not to be disillusioned by his delay of two thousand years and counting.  But considering today’s readings in terms relative to the individual person and with the German proverb in mind, they make imminent sense.  Death comes inexorably to all of us.  We must prepare for this great encounter with the Unknown.  We are to become humble like the devout poor and attentive like virgins and widows who give themselves wholeheartedly to God.

Thursday, September 1, 2022

 Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 3:18-23; Luke 5:1-11)

After Jesus has taught the crowds, he asks Peter to take his boat into deep water to catch fish.  Peter hesitantly says, “’Master, we have worked hard all night…’” Yet he complies with the command.  His obedience results, of course, is a tremendous catch.  Then Peter addresses Jesus again.  He no longer calls him “master” (that is, teacher).  Now he recognizes Jesus as we do today.  “Lord…,” he says. 

As Jesus’ title has changed, so does Peter and companions’ profession.  Jesus tells them that they will no longer be catching fish but catching men.  The new line of work will cost them plenty.  The passage reads that they left everything to follow Jesus.

Is Jesus calling us to a similar sacrifice?  We are used to thinking that such complete surrender was reserved for religious.  However, Vatican II emphasized that all Christians are called to holiness.  We may not leave our homes to follow Jesus.  Nevertheless, our priority in life should change.  From seeking what is best for “me”, we seek to do God’s will.  We carefully discern what that means for us as individuals.  It will probably seem daunting at first but like the fishermen in the gospel, obedience brings a tremendous dividend.