Friday, August 2, 2024

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58)

Both readings today speak of a prophet being rejected in his native place.  Jeremiah will be spurned for telling Jerusalemites that they must repent of unfaithfulness to God.  The people of Nazareth take offense with Jesus for daring to lecture those with whom he had been raised.

Since the prophetic message is often critical, people will not want to hear it.  They are resistant to change at another’s beckoning even when it might spare them hardship.  They believe that one’s dignity is somehow heightened by having one’s own way.

We should not allow a probable negative response to prevent us from speaking the truth to family and friends.  Of course, our perception of the truth should be tested.  Also, we need to be prudent about when and how to express it.  Nevertheless, when necessary for the good of others, we should not refrain from declaring the truth.

Friday, July 26, 2024

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Jeremiah 3:14-17; Matthew 12:18-23)

Today’s feast and both Scripture readings proclaim saintly people.  The tradition of Joachim and Anne tells of a barren couple who prayed for children.  The Lord granted them the Blessed Virgin Mary as fruit of their union.

In the first reading Jeremiah predicts that the Lord will return a remnant of Jews from exile.  These men and women will learn holiness from righteous leaders.  The gospel highlights various outcomes for hearers of the word of God.  One group puts the word into practice so that it produces benefits for them and others.

Holiness is a matter of priority.  Those who have attained it put God first over wealth, pleasure, and fame.  They will live forever because they belong to the eternal God.

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Feast of Saint James, apostle

(II Corinthians 4:7-15; Matthew 20:20-28)

A Scripture professor once joked that all the apostles were martyrs ex officio.  He might have added “except John,” the brother of James in today’s gospel. Although historical knowledge of most of the twelve is scant, there is New Testament testimony that James did die by the sword.  The Acts of the Apostles records that King Herod had him brutally murdered.

Today’s first reading from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians testifies that the apostles suffered if not martyrdom, then injury to body and spirit.  Although Paul was not of the original twelve, he likely had them in mind when he wrote, “For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus.” His point, however, is not to praise martyrs but to call attention to the power of God.  It is by no meaner inspiration than divine grace that apostles surrendered their lives for Christ.  Paul’s implication is that the Corinthians and other followers of Christ have this same grace working within them.

Grace is moving us like the apostles to sacrifice our lives and resources for Christ.  In response to his teaching we assist the poor, console the down trodden, and teach the uneducated about God.

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Jeremiah 1:1.4-10; Matthew 13:1-9)

The woman did not know what to say.  Her granddaughter had just confessed that she wanted to move in with her boyfriend.  Then the younger asked her grandmother whether she would disown her if she did.  Such a scene of conflicting values is reminiscent of the era of the prophet Jeremiah featured in the first reading today.

 Jeremiah lives in the southern kingdom of Judah in the seventh and sixth centuries before Christ.  The time of his calling as a prophet, which today’s reading reports, is particularly corrupted.  Manasseh, Judah’s king, has allowed Assyrian idols to be placed in the Temple area.  God is commissioning the young Jeremiah to speak his truth to the people.  It would be a tough assignment for a seasoned prophet.  It is no wonder then that Jeremiah tries to shy away from the challenge. 

 Not only young people today live together outside marriage.  Elders as well, whether to avoid the emotional or the legal entanglements of marriage, are opting for cohabitation.  We certainly should not show approval for the practice.  In fact, we should express our concern –with both prayerful care and prophetic integrity– that the couple is offending our Creator.

 

Tuesday, Jul 23, 2024

Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Micah 7:14-15.19-20; Matthew 12:46-50)

Today’s gospel challenges the Catholic Christian for two reasons.  First, it seems to slight Jesus’ familiar relationships when he turns to his disciples as his “mother” and “brothers.”  Second, it begs the question, if Mary was a virgin before, during, and after giving birth to Jesus as the Church teaches, how could he have “brothers´?

As a response it can be said that Jesus does not exclude his blood relatives from a spiritual relationship with him.  In fact, his mother was with him when he was crucified.  James and Jude, called “brothers” of Jesus in the gospels, did join his disciples after his death.  Regarding the question of Mary’s virginity, it is possible that the word brother has been extended by the gospel writers to include cousins.  Or it may be that the “brothers” were Jesus’ half-brothers by virtue of Joseph having a family before he married Mary.

The import of this gospel is surely that we, disciples of Jesus, have more than a casual relationship with him.  When we do the will of his Father, we are as close to him as we are to our most intimate siblings.