Friday, January 5, 2024

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop

(I John 3:11-21; John 1:43-51)

It is said that unlike other rabbis of his day, Jesus sought out his own disciples.  Most rabbis waited for students to come to them.  Jesus, however, took the initiative.  In today’s gospel he calls Philip directly.  “’Follow me,’” he instructs the man from Bethsaida.  He has also had an eye on Nathaniel for evidently a long while.

Jesus called John Neumann, today’s patron saint from an early age.  John wanted to serve as a priest in his native Bohemia but was refused ordination because of a surplus of clergy.  Priests were hard to find in the United States where he emigrated.  Within a year of his arrival John was ordained and not long after that he was on the missionary trail. 

Jesus calls each of us to be his disciples.  Whether or not we become a priest or religious, we are to learn from Jesus and then, very importantly, serve in his name.  We need to discern what the Lord wants us to do and then go about it with all our heart.

Thursday, January 4, 2024

 Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

 (I John 3:7-10; John 1:35-42)

Today’s first reading speaks of God’s seed remaining in the Christian.  This seed enables her not to sin. What is it referring to with this obscure image?  May it be the same seed that impregnated the Virgin Mary?  It turns out that it is.  It is the Holy Spirit that comes down upon Christians to protect them from sinning.

Economists theorize how nation have comparative advantages in one way or another.  This conceptual reality will enable them outperform other nations in a particular industry.  Columbia’s many mountainous regions with moderate temperatures give it a comparative advantage over, say, the United States in producing coffee.  In a similar way the Holy Spirit gives Christians a comparative advantage over others in living righteous lives.

Unfortunately, Christians sometimes fail to use their comparative advantage.  We act contrary to the Holy Spirit when we choose to abuse others in order to love ourselves.  We may claim for ourselves more than justice permits.  Whenever this happens, we should note the whisper of the same Holy Spirit.  As invisibly as he was given to us, he calls us back to goodness.  Our comparative advantage does not fail us when we fail it.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

All the gospels feature John the Baptist near their beginning.  However, none picture John in quite the same way.  In the Gospel of Mark John does not know who is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit is.  In John’s gospel, the Baptist points to Jesus as he.

Mark claims that John’s baptism forgives sins.  So what more can Baptism with the Holy Spirit do?  It makes the baptized children of God, heirs of heaven, and temples of the Spirit on earth.  Knowing that Christians can act viciously, one may think the gospel is a fantasy.  But a person may devolve after becoming a child of God.  He or she may lose sanctity through serious sin. 

Living a spiritual life, we take Baptismal sanctity seriously.  We strive to act like the person we have become.  With the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can succeed in this endeavor as sure as we can learn to read.

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen

(I John 2:22-28; John 1:19-28)

Saints Basil and Gregory Nazianzen were fourth century bishops in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.  Because of their intimate friendship, they share a common feast day.  They also played a significant role in defending the divinity of Christ against the Arian heresy.  Their testimony to Christ may be likened to that of John the Baptist in today’s gospel.

In the Gospel of John the Jews from Jerusalem are set against Jesus.  Later in the gospel they will contest his claim that he gives his flesh to eat.  Here they play a similar role vis-à-vis John.  They first ask who he is and then if he might be related to the expected Messiah.  John’s replies must have frustrated them as he only claims to be the precursor of one is greater than he. 

We think that we may know who Christ is by saying that he is the Son of God.  But because he is that, we can never know him completely.  Yet this fact should not keep us from trying to know him more.  He will keep surprising us by both his gentleness and strength.  As the New Year takes shape, let us promise ourselves to make every effort to dialogue with Christ in order to know him better.

Monday, January 8, 2023

Baptism of the Lord

(Isaiah 42:1-4.6-7; Mark 1:7-11)

Each of the four gospels has its own way of seeing Jesus.  The Gospel of Mark sees him as learning of his Lordship at his baptism, the account of which we just heard.  Mark indicates that Jesus alone sees the Holy Spirit descending from heaven.  Likewise it implies that only Jesus hears the voice of the Father calling him “my beloved Son.”

These realities leave us with questions.  How could it be that Jesus did not always know of his relation to the Father?  Why would God not want the world to know that Jesus is His Son.  Regarding the first question, we find an answer in St. Paul’s description of Christ in his Letter to the Philippians. Paul writes that Jesus “emptied himself” of his divinity when he became human.  It is presumed that action includes awareness of his divine nature.  Secondly, the Father does not want the world to know of Jesus’ diving Sonship to avoid a false notion of what this means.  Being Son of God is not a reason to be well served.  Rather, it is a mandate to serve others.  Jesus will perform the ultimate service when he is crucified for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus’ becoming aware of his divine Sonship at Baptism should make us aware of our own relationship to the Divine because of our Baptism.  At Baptism we become children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit, and inheritors of eternal life.  We should never allow ourselves to lose the benefits associated with these titles.  We must take care to learn from Jesus how to live righteously through our study of the gospel.