Monday, November 4, 2024

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop

(Philippians 2:1-4; Luke 14:12-14)

St. Charles Borromeo put some teeth in the conciliar decrees of Trent. He exemplified the reform proposals by adopting a simple lifestyle and carrying out visitations and councils in his archdiocese, that of Milan.  He also promoted clerical education by founding seminaries.

As St. Paul exhorts the Philippians in today’s first reading, Charles showed humility. He not only legislated relief to victims of natural disaster but also rolled up his sleeves to help.  These actions were particularly noticed during the famine of 1570 and the plague of 1576.

Coming from a wealthy family, Charles Borromeo had considerable resources at his disposition.  He used many of them to provide physical care for others.  Whether we have many or few resources, we can follow his examples of hands-on charity.

 

Sunday, November 3, 2024

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, November 3, 2024

(Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34)

Today’s scriptures are brief, but deeply significant. We will focus on the first and the gospel and leave the second reading for another occasion.

The passage from the book of Deuteronomy literally calls for our attention. “Hear, O Israel,” Moses cries out to the Israelite people. He announces the famous “Shema,” the saying that every pious Jew repeats twice a day. Moses shouts it because it contains perhaps the most important message in history. He addresses us, Catholic Christians in the year 2024, as much as he did the Hebrews freed from the tyranny of Pharaoh more than three thousand years ago. He wants us to tune out for a moment our inner voice to heed the word of God.

The message has two parts.  First, Moses continues, the Lord is the only god there is. All idols and fetishes – whether myths like “Mother Earth” or the cravings of our hearts like luxuries – are imaginary. They have no substance, much less the power to save. They are like clouds during a drought, bringing hope whenever they appear, but soon dissipating.

Second, Moses urges us to love the Lord, our God, not a little like we love our pets, but more than our own lives. “…with all your heart … soul, (and) … strength” says the prophet. We are to live for the purpose of pleasing God. Because today, November 3, is the Feast of St. Martin de Porres, let’s use him as an example. Martin spent his nights doing penance and praying to the Lord. He spent his days doing works of charity for God’s children.

Now let’s look at the gospel. Jesus is now in Jerusalem.  He has just bested the Pharisees about paying tribute to Caesar and the Sadducees about the resurrection from the dead. Evidently his ideas have impressed one scribe so much that the scribe wants his judgment on a pressing question of his day: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” The answer is not as obvious as it appears. The famous Rabbi Hillel said shortly before Jesus’ time that the first commandment is: “What you hate for yourself, do not do to your neighbor.” Today some, considering its placement in the Bible, would say that the first commandment is: “Be fruitful and multiply.”

Jesus’ answer to the question shows greater wisdom. He gives two commandments known to every Jew in his time. They are similar in structure, but different in their objectives and their importance with the second being derived from the first. First, we are to love God above all else. Second, we are to love our neighbor, who is God’s child, as ourselves. If we keep both commandments in their proper order, we will never stray from the path to eternal life.

The scribe is pleased with Jesus’ response. He acknowledges that acting in this way “is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” However, he does not say that sacrifices lose all value. In fact, they have great value for the one who performs them and for the beneficiary named by the doer. We need to remember this when we are told that ethics are all that matters, that prayers and sacrifices, even the Mass, can be set aside. But if we set them aside, how will we be forgiven when we fail to show love to others? And what will we do when we find ourselves completely overwhelmed with difficulties?

The passage ends with Jesus congratulating the scribe on his insight. He tells him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” He is not far because he is staring in the face of the Kingdom. If he follows Jesus like Bartimaeus in last Sunday’s gospel, he will reach the eternal Kingdom. It is the same with us. If we follow Jesus by putting God before everything and treating others as we want to be treated, the Kingdom is ours forever.

Friday, November 1, 2024

Solemnity of All Saints

Revelations 7:2-4.9-14; I John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a

Today we celebrate all holy men and women who enjoy the blessings of eternal life.  The majority of declared saints are probably priests and religious.  However, the company of saints includes people of different professions, nations, and social classes.  Let us focus today on saints who were doctors or healers.

There is biblical evidence that Luke, the author of the third gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, was a physician.  In many cities today the medical profession gathers for the Eucharist on October 18, the feast day of Saint Luke.

Not much is known for certain of Saints Cosmas and Damian except that they were martyred in Syria in the early fourth century.  According to one legend they were physicians who never accepted fees for their healing services.  They are also considered the patrons of doctors.

In contrast to Cosmas and Damian, much is known of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, a twentieth century Italian pediatrician, wife, and mother.  During her fourth pregnancy, she was diagnosed with fibroma on her uterus.  Her doctors gave her three choices: abortion, removal of the uterus, or removal of the fibroma.  She opted for the last choice to give her child the best chance of survival.  The child was born, but the mother died of complications a week later.

Saint Martin de Porres did not attend medical school, but he was knowledgeable of medicinal healings with plants and herbs.  He was also considered a surgeon by reason of having apprenticed with a barber in colonial Peru.  He attended many of Lima’s sick and injured people as well as the friars of the Dominican priory where he lived.

All saints are healers in a way.  They guide us to overcome or avoid spiritual injury as they pray for our integral well-being.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 6:10-20; Luke 13:3-35)

This evening many will celebrate Halloween, the eve of the Feast of All Saints.  For their purposes, however, they should celebrate tomorrow, the eve of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, more commonly called All Souls Day or the “day of the dead.”  The object of the commemoration is to pray for those who, having died in sin, must await entrance into eternal life.  Unfortunately, the celebration for most people has nothing to do with prayer.  It features death as a make-believe pretext for children, costumed as pirates and ghosts, to collect candy and for adults, dressed similarly, to have a party.

If there ever is a moment of crisis in life, it is at death.  It is a person’s last chance to ask forgiveness of sins and put one’s life in the hands of the Lord.  For this he or she needs the spiritual armor of which the Letter to the Ephesians speaks in today’s first reading.  Truth, righteousness, readiness for peace, faith, the hope of salvation, and the Spirit of discernment are all required.  With these protections one will not be terrified at leaving behind loved ones as well as his or her body.

There seems to be nothing wrong with playing “trick or treat” or gathering with friends to celebrate the fall (or spring for those in the southern hemisphere).  But let us remind one another sometime during the celebration not to forget the root of the occasion.  We should encourage one another to pray for those who have died.  We also should also ask God to keep us faithful to Him at the hour of our death.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 6:1-9; Luke 13:22-30)

Today’s gospel challenges Christians who think that hell in uninhabited.  They reason that God, who is all-loving, would not damn anyone. Yet Jesus makes clear here, as in other places, that hell has many occupants.

Yet Jesus does not intend to discourage people from striving for eternal life.  He insists that many will come from the four corners of the earth to share at the heavenly table.  And he would never underestimate the Father’s mercy.  He would allow that those who try to live virtuously but fail in significant ways may be judged with leniency.

Presumption takes God’s mercy for granted.  It would permit different kinds of erroneous behavior saying that God would never condemn one for it.  It is an adolescent way of thinking. We should realize that God has created us with freedom so that we may take responsibility for our behavior.