Thursday, June 4, 2026

 

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28-34)

We nod affirmingly to the words of Jesus in today’s gospel.  “Yes,” we say, “we are to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves.”  But then, as Paul points out in the first reading, we quibble about words.  “What does it mean to say, “above all”?  we ask, and “How can I be expected to show the same love to another household as I do my own?”

Responses to our queries need not be abstract.  “Above all” means that we realize, as Bishop Robert Barron frequently says, that our lives are not about ourselves but about God.  We are to seek what He wants of us, not what we may like for ourselves.  I might enjoy watching sports events at the bar with my friends on Sunday evenings, but my conscience – that is God speaking -- tells me to spend time at the nursing home visiting an old relative.

As everything else in the world, love should be ordered.  We can hardly pay as much attention to the needs of all who are around us as we do to ourselves and our families.  Loving our neighbor as ourselves means that we don’t forget them as we proportion our resources.  Certainly, our children have a greater claim on our time than the neighbor’s children.  But those children too require our consideration and effort. 

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

 Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

 II Timothy 1:1-3.6-12; Mark 12:18-27)

In A Grief Observed, his memoir of dealing with the death of his wife, C.S. Lewis exhibits no euphoria about eventual reunion.  He almost dismisses the idea saying that it is not biblical and, in any case, cannot be a replay of earthly bliss.  In this last remark Lewis reflects the surprising teaching of Jesus in today’s gospel.

 The context of the passage is a debate between Jesus and a group of Sadducees, the priestly party which does not believe in the resurrection of the dead.  The Sadducees propose to Jesus a ridiculous scenario of seven brothers marrying in succession the same woman in order to give the first brother-husband an heir.  Then they pose the question, “’At the resurrection when they arise, whose wife shall she be?’’’  Jesus responds that the Sadducees misunderstand the nature of resurrected life where marriage between man and woman does not exist.

 Although Christians eagerly look forward to eternal life, it is best that we not try to describe it.  Saying that it is like an eternal honeymoon seems to conflict with what Jesus is saying here.  Describing it as an eternal liturgy is likely to take away many people’s interest.  The idea of an eternal banquet may raise more interest, but sound theologians have commented that there is no corporal satiation in heaven.  We just don’t know what eternal life is like, yet we do know that it brings happiness eminently worth striving for.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Peter 3:12-15a.17-18; Mark 12:13-17)

The recent motion pictures “Man of God” relates the saintly life of the Greek Orthodox priest, Nektarios of Aegina.  Nektarios demonstrated holiness when he gave a beggar the shoes on his feet, when he retired to prayer and work in a monastery, and – most of all -- when he refused to use his popularity as a platform to attain high ecclesial office.  In a poignant scene, Nektarios is urged to seek the patriarchy of Alexandria for the sake of the people.  He told his promoter that he was tempting him with power.  In today’s gospel Jesus similarly resists the flattery of the Herodians and Pharisees.

In Jerusalem to give himself as God’s servant, Jesus is approached by his enemies.  Before they ask a question meant to ensnare him in controversy, they try to flatter him with accolades about his integrity.  Jesus, however, knows their hearts, refuses to respond to the flattery, and then deftly responds to the question.  The scene ends with even his opponents amazed at Jesus’ astuteness.

Flattery plays on our pride, the basest vice because it inflates our ego.  Thinking of ourselves as important, we think less of God.  We are wise to be wary of excessive attention to us and to acknowledge the Lord behind any virtue we possess.  

Monday, June 1, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

(II Peter 1:2-7; Mark 12:1-12)

Today’s first reading resonates with the life of its patron, St. Justin Martyr.  The reading speaks of the need to fortify one’s hope with virtue.  Desiring eternal life alone will not accomplish it.  Rather, we must strive to live in accord with the classical virtues.  Christ will then crown our achievement with the courage to live and die for him.

St. Justin was such a sterling example of a virtuous life crowned with Christ that “Martyr” has become his last name.  Born of pagan parents, he studied philosophy before he became a Christian.  When he converted, he used his developed reasoning and oratory skills to defend the Church.  His legacy includes not only arguments for Christianity but also descriptions of early Christian liturgy.

The word “martyr” today is often used to chide someone who strives to live virtuously.  Some would say to such a person, “Why do want to be a martyr?” as if the person wanted harm to be done to her. However, the root meaning of “martyr” is witness -- not necessarily dying witness but living witness as well.  We all can and should strive to be martyrs.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY 

(Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; II Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18)

Today’s readings focus on one of the deepest mysteries of our Christian faith. From almost the very beginning, the Church has proclaimed the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as God. In time, the triune God came to be called “the Most Holy Trinity.” For eight centuries there were controversies about how the three persons relate to one another. Even today there is misunderstanding of the doctrine. So we may ask: why does the Church bring the Trinity into the liturgy at all? The answer is not difficult: because the doctrine of the Trinity shapes the way we live our daily lives.

The Judeo‑Christian understanding of God differs from others. The defining characteristic of the God of the Bible is not power but love. Almost all ancient peoples believed that the world was created through battles among the gods. The culture of Babylon, where the Jewish leaders were exiled for half a century, offers a typical example. The Babylonians believed that the great goddess Tiamat represented all the forces of terror: storms, floods, famine, and invasion by foreign tribes. To defend themselves from disaster, the lesser gods asked the great god Marduk to protect them from Tiamat. Marduk agreed to save them on the condition that they become his servants. Then Marduk cut Tiamat’s body in two to form the sea and the land. Once the world was established, the gods created human beings to bear the yoke of divine service. They were in no way equal to the gods—neither their partners, nor their image-bearers, nor stewards of their lands.

The Babylonian creation story is completely different from the biblical account. In the Bible, the one God created the world with the intention of allowing human beings, made in his image, to care for it. In time, God shared with them his name so they could call upon him in their need. In the reading from Exodus, God reveals himself as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, rich in mercy and faithfulness.” In other words, God is loving.

The understanding of God as loving expanded with the coming of Christ. Today’s Gospel speaks of God’s “only Son.” There is great love between the Father and the Son. Yet the Father handed over his Son to save us from sin. If it is true that one who loves much, does much, then this gift of the Son reveals the Father’s love for us as well. As Saint Paul: “I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor the present nor the future, nor any powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38‑39).

The love between the Father and the Son is identified as the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not merely a common trait of the Father and the Son like strength. Rather, the Spirit is the dynamic love that unites them forever. Their mutual love overflows and reaches us so that we may become holy like they are.

The Most Holy Trinity is utterly unique. It cannot be described easily. What distinguishes the three persons? It is not what they think for all three think alike. Nor is what they want for all three want the same. Nor is it where they are for wherever one is, the other two are present. Nor is it what they do; what one does, the others do as well. The only way they differ is in their relationships with one another. One is Father, another is Son, and another is the Spirit of love.

The doctrine of the Trinity serves to remind us of the priority of love in our behavior. Just as the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father, so we are called to love one another.