Thursday, January 11, 2024

Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 4:1-11; Mark 1:40-45)

The first reading and the gospel today converge to give an important lesson for the spiritual life.  The reading from the I Samuel shows the Israelis using the Ark of the covenant as a weapon to defeat the Philistines.  It is a fool’s strategy.  Not holy things but holiness incarnate in people will reap great rewards.

The gospel tells Jesus curing a leper.  He specifically tells the man not to say anything about his healing. But the man does not obey.  Jesus demands silence so that people will not think that he came simply to cure their illnesses.  He wants people to know that he came to call them to repentance and trust in God’s mercy.  His death on the cross will indicate the kind of self-surrender that Jesus expects of his followers.

We should expect good things to happen when we give ourselves over to Jesus.  But we should not be so presumptuous as to name what those good things will be.  Rather we want to follow Jesus amidst our trials and look forward to the mystery of his resurrection.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 3:1-10.19-20; Mark 1:29-39)

Today’s first reading presents a classic Old Testament text.  It will again be heard in Sunday’s Eucharist.  The story provides a template for how the Lord calls people to work in His service.

Two features stand out in this reading.  First, the child Samuel is made aware that he is being called.  He hears a voice. Whether the voice comes in a dream or is external to Samuel the reading does not say.  Anyway, Samuel is made conscious that someone wants something from him.  Second, Samuel consults his master, the priest Eli, about what he hears.  Indeed, at first he thinks that Eli might have called him.  Eli knows the ways of God so that he could help Samuel discern what the voice is asking from Samuel.

We should understand the story as the way God may be calling us.  In our time, as it was in Eli’s and Samuel’s, a revelation of the Lord seems uncommon.  Nevertheless, God may use a dream or an intuitive sense that He wants us to do something for Him.  We might, like Samuel, confer with a person known for holiness to help us discern what we are being called to do.  When we figure out what God wants, again with the assistance of a wise person, we should readily embrace the mission.  We need not worry.  God is like a father who always wants what is best for his children.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 1:9-20; Mark 1:21-28)

Three characteristics mark today’s gospel which might be entitled “the beginning of ä typical day in the life of Jesus.”  First, it’s Saturday when Jews go to the synagogue.  Jesus, who never exempts himself from Jewish law, also is found in the synagogue.  Second, Jesus speaks with “authority.”  This word, from the Latin “auctoritas,” means influence over others, both legally and practically.  Paraphrasing an old television commercial, when Jesus speaks, people listen. 

Finally, Jesus admonishes the evil spirit to be quiet when they call him “the Holy One of God.” This characteristic, known as the “Messianic secret,“ refers to Jesus’ not wanting others to know of his divine Sonship.  This sounds odd, but there is a reason behind the secrecy.  Jesus wants people to see how he has to suffer to fulfill his divine mission.  Only then will the people be able to understand that divine Sonship requires sacrificial suffering for others.

Our days might not be as busy as Jesus’, and we may not have his charismatic authority.  But we can follow Jesus by being faithful to our Catholic customs and laws.  Even more importantly, we can sacrifice our own comfort for the good of others to share in his divine Sonship.

Monday, January 8, 2024

The Baptism of the Lord

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

In the Gospel of Mark only Jesus hears the voice from heaven at his Baptism.  In Matthew’s gospel this is a moment of epiphany or manifestation to all.  But in the reading today the audience is limited to Jesus.  He is personally being made aware that he is God’s Son and has pleased His Father greatly.

This is meant as a revelation to Jesus.  As St. Paul indicates in the Letter to the Philippians, at the incarnation the Son emptied himself of divinity.  This emptying includes, presumedly, divine knowledge. Now, after formation in Nazareth and with John in the desert, Jesus is told of his status.  But there is more to the revelation than that.  The Spirit’s descent over Jesus is an anointing.  Jesus is blessed and protected for the mission of reestablishing his Father’s kingdom in the world.  He will preach, heal, and call others to follow his example.

The form and substance of Jesus’ baptism prefigure our own.  We too have become God’s “beloved” as we enter Christ’s body, the Church.  We too have been prepared and commissioned to bring the world in line with the love of God, our Father. 

Sunday, January 7, 2024

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

(Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3.5-6; Matthew 2:1-12)

It is nothing new that the three magi are not kings. Nor should they be considered magicians in the sense that they practice magic. Rather, Saint Matthew's intention is to present them as seekers of truth. They diligently search the heavens to determine exactly what the future holds. In a way they are like meteorologists looking for signs in the atmosphere to predict the weather tomorrow, next week, or in a year.

The gospel does not specify where the wise men come from. But because of their placement in the east and their interest in science, bible commentators believe they are Persians. Anyway, they have heard of the “king of the Jews” who was to be born. Perhaps they have heard of the prophecy that a descendant of King David is going to sit on his throne forever. He is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah who will reestablish David's kingdom and attract the world’s monarchs to hear his wisdom. The magi follow the newborn's star to pay him tribute.

The star provides the magi with only part of the truth. It can indicate approximately where the King is, but not precisely. For this, divine revelation is needed. This is why the Jews refer to the Scriptures when the magi ask, “Where is the king of the Jews…?” The prophet Micah wrote that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

The reference to the Scriptures provides us with a very urgent lesson for contemporary times. Every field of human study -- even the hard sciences like physics, chemistry, and biology -- cannot reveal the truth in its fullness. To know the complete truth we need God’s revelation. This is particularly the case in reference to morality. Without recourse to Scripture, people will allow manipulation of the body and soul to achieve their ends. For this reason in some parts there are persistent calls for the Church to bless gay marriages and for the state to allow the extermination of people with severe disabilities.

The magi finally encounter Jesus, the king who embodies the complete truth. His teachings will form a just people. His actions will show followers that eternal happiness does not consist of endless pleasure but of measureless love. The gifts presented by the magi are fitting for such a king. He is worth more than gold. As the Son of God he deserves praises that like fragrant incense ascend to heaven. And because as a human he will suffer death for a time, myrrh for his burial is included.

Despite the benefits that the King-Messiah brings, some do not want him to reign. They would eliminate him as if he were the plague and not the remedy for every ailment. Herod does not want to share power with anyone, even one who will bring peace to his reign. Others do not want to listen to Jesus because of the pride, greed, and lust that drive his hearts. These are not necessarily people foreign to us. It has been said that the line separating good and evil does not run through families, nations, or faith communities but through each human heart. Therefore, we must strive to increase daily our likeness to the King.

Jesus should be the focus of our lives. If we meditate every day on how to put the gospel into practice, we will have the truth at our disposal. When we live it, we will experience eternal happiness.