Thursday, September 5, 2024

Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Cor 3:18-20; Luke 5:1-11)

A boat makes a fitting symbol of the Church.  As boats carry passengers to their destination, the Church takes its members to God’s kingdom.  Also, as a boat has capacity for an enormous number of fish, so too the Church has room for all peoples.  Peter’s boat in today’s gospel, therefore, can be seen as the Church.

Peter’s great haul of fish symbolizes the Church’s success over the centuries at making converts of individuals and nations.  However, at the moment in the western world at least the numbers of Baptisms are reduced.  Now the Church must listen again to Jesus’ command, “Put out into the deep…”  In the deep people reflect and create.  So the Church will find new methods for bringing in a great haul.  Effective use of social media is one way the Church is attracting new members.  Also, the Church is organizing young people as missionaries to tell their friends about Jesus, our Savior.

There are many ways to evangelize, and all Christians have a role in the endeavor.  We must live our faith openly and not be intimidated by the current indifference if not disdain for Christianity.  People will respond to the calls from the Church reinforced by our positive example.

 Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 (I Corinthians 3:1-9; Luke 4:38-44)

In today’s first reading St. Paul addresses a division in the Christian community at Corinth.  He urges those who see themselves as disciples of Apollo and those who claim to be followers of Paul himself to end their rivalry.  In today’s Church there is evidence of a similar disunity.  Many Catholics consider themselves as conservative while others describe themselves as liberal or progressive.  The two sides also have their heroes.  St. John Paul II represents the conservative contingent, and Pope Francis is taken as the standard-bearer of the liberals.

Paul recognizes the foolishness of such division.  He accuses those who participate in the rivalry as “fleshy people,” no more than “infants” in the faith.  He desires that the community reimage itself as a whole that has been assisted be both himself and Apollo.  Finally, he exhorts all members to understand themselves as God’s children.

As much as we allow the conservative-liberal dichotomy to thrive, our gospel message will be weakened.  Certainly there are different mindsets among Church members.  However, on close inspection there are ways in which some conservatives share values more with liberals, and vice versa, than with their own cohorts.  More importantly, the common ground of both sectors is vast and differs significantly from secular territory.  For the sake of the gospel then and for the needed support we provide one another, we must strive to overcome division.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

 

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and Doctor of the Church

(I Corinthians 2:10b-16; Luke 4:31-37)

In today’s first reading St. Paul almost opposes the “Spirit of God” to the “Spirit of the world.”  There are great differences between the two.  The “Spirit of God” promotes love, peace, and understanding, and the “spirit of the world” often advises pleasure, prestige, and power.  But often enough the world, imbued with the Holy Spirit since Christ’s mission on earth, reflects God’s goodness.

St. Gregory the Great recognized that the material world is not bad in and of itself.  He encouraged missionaries to use the vestiges of paganism to evangelize.  As pagan worshipped nature, Gregory condoned processions into the fields to bless natural surroundings.  As pagans kept idols, Gregory admonished missionaries to consider the saints as minor deities worthy of veneration.

We also should not condemn things material.  Objectively, they are neutral.  They may be put to good or to bad uses.  Of course, we want to make good use of everything so that they too may give praise to God.

Monday, September 2, 2024

 

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 2:1-5; Luke 4:16-30)

Jesus’ discourse in Nazareth’s synagogue might have been delivered to the Labor Day Breakfast of the AFL-CIO.  It clearly addresses social concerns with a priority of the poor.  Jesus knows that men and women need fair wages, affordable health insurance, and freedom to associate so that they can avoid desperation and thank God.

Jesus was no slouch in the social arena.  He continually raged against Pharisees for burdening peasants with unimportant religious niceties.  The sermon today, which has been seen as an inaugural address, presents Jesus’ enlightened position on a number of issues including assistance to the needy and aid to the persecuted.

Despite the huge differences in the two major political parties of the United States, it is encouraging to see both championing the poor.  Government, after all, has a role to play in the development of a society although it is not as important to that end as the family.

Sunday, September 1, 2024

 Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 1, 2024

(Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8; James 1:17-18.21b-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8.14-15)

Today we return to the Gospel of Mark after reflecting for five weeks on the Bread of Life Discourse in the Gospel of John. The theme remains eating, but this time deals with how we eat rather than what we eat. By “how,” we mean that Jesus will outline some principles of Christian morality.

We need to understand that Christian morality is not simply a list of obligations and prohibitions. Rather, it is about following Jesus in daily life towards eternal life. Jesus will show us how to fulfill God’s will so that He may welcome us into His Kingdom. As the book of Deuteronomy states in the first reading: “"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.”

In the Gospel, Jesus emphasizes some obstacles that might trip us up along the way. He particularly insists on avoiding hypocrisy. He criticizes the pretentiousness of the Pharisees who observe various purification rituals not prescribed in the Law, while accusing his disciples for not following them. We see this type of hypocrisy when some people come for ashes at the beginning of Lent but refuse to reform their lives.

More than just avoiding hypocrisy, we need to avoid other “intrinsically evil” acts.  That is, acts that cannot be justified for any reason or in any situation. The list is more extensive than the examples Jesus presents in today’s Gospel, but his serve as fitting samples: “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit,” etc.

If it is necessary to avoid doing evil, it is even more important to imitate Jesus by doing good. The second reading from the Letter of James indicates the type of activity Jesus desires when it says: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction.” Consider this true, albeit amusing, story. Once a bishop removed a priest from his parish to work with him at the diocesan office. When the priest reported the news to his mother, he was surprised because she seemed worried. The priest asked her, “Mom, aren’t you going to congratulate me?” The mother replied, “No. How are you going to get to heaven if you don’t visit the sick and bury the dead?” We all need to ask ourselves something similar. “How are we going to please the Lord if we don’t help the unfortunate and the needy?”

Moral life is not easy, but it is rewarding. It allows us to avoid the shame and guilt that invariably accompany vices. It frees us from the selfishness that may seem pleasant at first but ultimately leads to isolation and misery. Above all, through moral living, we come to know Jesus Christ, our greatest hope for eternal joy.Top of Form

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