As soon as I woke up this morning, I was struck by a weird image in my mind about the wedding feast at Cana. I don’t know why it hit me, but I haven’t been able to think about much else all day. I figure if I write about it as my blog today, I won’t be so obsessed about it.
In case you’ve forgotten the story, here it is.
From the Gospel of St. John:
And on the third day a marriage took place at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now Jesus too was invited to the marriage, and also his disciples. And the wine having run short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “What wouldst thou have me do, woman? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the attendants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now six stone water-jars were placed there, after the Jewish manner of purification each holding two or three measures. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them to the brim. And Jesus said to them, “Draw out now, and take to the chief steward.” And they took it to him.
Now when the chief steward had tasted the water after it had become wine, not knowing whence it was (though the attendants who had drawn the water knew), the chief steward called the bridegroom, and said to him “Every man at first sets forth the good wine, and when they have drunk freely, then that which is poorer. But thou hast kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:1-10)
The image that I dreamt about last night is something straight out of Salvador Dali’s imagery. The stone water-jars were actually guests at the wedding. I was one of the stone jars holding only two to three “measures” of water. I was starting to feel left out of all the festivities because everyone was drinking wine, not water. Then one of the stewards came to get me and FILLED me to the brim with water. Even though I felt like I had something to offer now, it wasn't enough. “Nobody drinks water at a wedding,” I said to myself. Then Jesus turned the water that I held into wine and I understood that the wine that I now held was more than just a beverage given to the people attending the wedding, who were amazed at the quality of the wine. The wine was a sign that the King of Kings was ready to start His ministry, and I had been chosen to play a small part in the miracle!
So on meditating about this dream all day, it reminded me of the feeling I get sometimes that even though I KNOW Jesus and I want to share Him with others, I tend to give the “watered-down” version of the Proclamation of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ for fear of offending someone’s sensibilities. I need to start pouring out the “best wine”, to make sure the “guests” at the “wedding” are getting the best of what I have to offer, and become a small part in the Miracle that is Christ.
I told you it was a weird dream. I guess I’ll have to stop eating hot wings so close to bedtime from now on!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
San Carlos Cathedral
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Tomorrow, August 31, is Marilyn’s birthday. She wanted to go to Monterey with the kids this weekend to celebrate, so we left early Saturday morning and came back this evening.
Tomorrow, August 31, is Marilyn’s birthday. She wanted to go to Monterey with the kids this weekend to celebrate, so we left early Saturday morning and came back this evening.
Yesterday we went straight to Carmel to have lunch—we made sandwiches and packed drinks and chips before we left. We parked the car about a mile from the beach and walked past the shops and houses to the beach. We spent about an hour there, letting Lily play (with Daddy’s help) in the ocean. She loved it!
After lunch, we walked through a few of the shops, did a little buying, had some ice cream and went back to Monterey to find our hotels. We checked into our hotels—(I had some free nights available through the hotel that I usually stay at for work)—then headed to Fisherman’s Wharf for dinner. We ate at a very good restaurant, Isabelle’s that specializes in Italian and seafood cooking. Then, after a bit of unintended sightseeing (we took a wrong turn someplace) we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.
But first, I looked up the Mass times at the closest church—priorities, you know! Turns out there was a 7:30 AM Mass at San Carlos Cathedral. Here’s the information from their website, http://www.sancarloscathedral.net/.
San Carlos Borromeo de Monterey was founded by Father Junipero Serra on June 3, 1770, on the shores of Monterey Bay, as the cornerstone of his Mission. A year later, Fr. Serra moved the Mission to Carmel. The church remained as a Royal Chapel for the soldiers guarding the new Spanish Presidio of Monterey. The present sandstone church was completed in 1794.
But first, I looked up the Mass times at the closest church—priorities, you know! Turns out there was a 7:30 AM Mass at San Carlos Cathedral. Here’s the information from their website, http://www.sancarloscathedral.net/.
San Carlos Borromeo de Monterey was founded by Father Junipero Serra on June 3, 1770, on the shores of Monterey Bay, as the cornerstone of his Mission. A year later, Fr. Serra moved the Mission to Carmel. The church remained as a Royal Chapel for the soldiers guarding the new Spanish Presidio of Monterey. The present sandstone church was completed in 1794.
The significance of San Carlos cannot be overstated. It is the oldest continuously functioning church and the first stone building in the State of California. It is California’s first cathedral and stands for the birth of Carmel Mission and Monterey, the first capital of California.
The exquisite Spanish Colonial style, the masterful stone facade and the Moorish influence make the Royal Presidio Chapel a true jewel of architecture, unmatched by any of the California Missions. The beautiful portals, carved in sandstone with a fine molding and ornamental arches, are also unique. The niche at the very top of the facade contains a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and is the oldest non-indigenous sculpture in the State. Elevated to the status of cathedral in 1849, San Carlos is one of California’s exceptional historic monuments.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
What's your talent? How do you use it to glorify God?
Memorial of the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist
1 Thessalonians 4:9-11
Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9
Mark 6:17-29
It seems to me that today’s readings center on our inborn talents and the importance of using them in the service of God and our fellow man.
Paul's letter stresses to the Thessalonians that having been called by God to love, they must exercise this love to create a climate of peace within their community and develop a sense of fellowship.
John the Baptist's martyrdom illustrates that using God's gifts does result in good to others but opens the possibility of sacrificing one's own life. The world must be brought to see that it fools itself into thinking it can live comfortably in sin. “Telling it like it is”, however, can be a dangerous task, because the secular world despises and is anxious to shame and silence, by any means, critics of their values and behavior.
Those willing to suffer and die for the sake of preserving God's word throughout history are the saints and martyrs who deserve our thanks and God's blessings for selflessly exhorting us to embrace values leading to salvation.
We have to ask ourselves if we believe God has gifted us in any way. If we want to grow spiritually and make a genuine effort to develop these gifts, we need to discern them prayerfully. With greater appreciation for and use of our gifts we should be able to notice how they bring increased glory to God and more meaning to our life.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-11
Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9
Mark 6:17-29
It seems to me that today’s readings center on our inborn talents and the importance of using them in the service of God and our fellow man.
Paul's letter stresses to the Thessalonians that having been called by God to love, they must exercise this love to create a climate of peace within their community and develop a sense of fellowship.
John the Baptist's martyrdom illustrates that using God's gifts does result in good to others but opens the possibility of sacrificing one's own life. The world must be brought to see that it fools itself into thinking it can live comfortably in sin. “Telling it like it is”, however, can be a dangerous task, because the secular world despises and is anxious to shame and silence, by any means, critics of their values and behavior.
Those willing to suffer and die for the sake of preserving God's word throughout history are the saints and martyrs who deserve our thanks and God's blessings for selflessly exhorting us to embrace values leading to salvation.
We have to ask ourselves if we believe God has gifted us in any way. If we want to grow spiritually and make a genuine effort to develop these gifts, we need to discern them prayerfully. With greater appreciation for and use of our gifts we should be able to notice how they bring increased glory to God and more meaning to our life.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wise? or Foolish?
Memorial of Saint AugustineMatthew 25:1-13
Today's gospel is the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish. The five wise ones are prepared and await the return of the Bridegroom whereas the five foolish suffer the consequences of not being prepared.
My relationship with God is not something to just think about each Sunday. I need to strive to live my life so that at any hour or any day, I am ready.
I need to get better at looking for, and seeing God in all things. My vigilance can be one of joy, of wonder in the sense of discovery of the good in others and in me. Can I carry that off every hour of every day? I’d like to say yes, but I know that I will fall short. I will procrastinate, be rude, be unmindful of others, be impatient and cranky. I will not do the right thing all the time.
While I was listening to Father Corapi on the radio today, he told a story of a visit he had with Mother Teresa just before she died. She was in a wheelchair and very frail. She was weak. She was tired. And yet she was happy. Why? Because she was able to see Jesus in EVERYONE she met! The love she had for Him and her zeal to imitate His mercy is what drove her to help the millions of the “poorest of the poor” among us for so many years.
Christ urges us to strive towards holiness. He has given us many means to reach this goal—the Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Sacraments. We also have the Word among us in scripture whereby we can come to know and understand Christ. We can choose friends who have similar goals, who might assist us when we get off course. The choices are up to us. Life is not always easy even when we try to follow the themes of simplicity and directedness that Christ teaches us, but at least we have the assurance that we are doing our best. Christ never said it would be easy, but discipleship is worth it.
I’d like to ask you all to pray for me for help in waking up to my shortcomings, to wake up to the joy and wonder of God in all things—and to pray that I have enough “oil” in my “lamp” when the Master comes for me.
Today's gospel is the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish. The five wise ones are prepared and await the return of the Bridegroom whereas the five foolish suffer the consequences of not being prepared.
My relationship with God is not something to just think about each Sunday. I need to strive to live my life so that at any hour or any day, I am ready.
I need to get better at looking for, and seeing God in all things. My vigilance can be one of joy, of wonder in the sense of discovery of the good in others and in me. Can I carry that off every hour of every day? I’d like to say yes, but I know that I will fall short. I will procrastinate, be rude, be unmindful of others, be impatient and cranky. I will not do the right thing all the time.
While I was listening to Father Corapi on the radio today, he told a story of a visit he had with Mother Teresa just before she died. She was in a wheelchair and very frail. She was weak. She was tired. And yet she was happy. Why? Because she was able to see Jesus in EVERYONE she met! The love she had for Him and her zeal to imitate His mercy is what drove her to help the millions of the “poorest of the poor” among us for so many years.
Christ urges us to strive towards holiness. He has given us many means to reach this goal—the Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Sacraments. We also have the Word among us in scripture whereby we can come to know and understand Christ. We can choose friends who have similar goals, who might assist us when we get off course. The choices are up to us. Life is not always easy even when we try to follow the themes of simplicity and directedness that Christ teaches us, but at least we have the assurance that we are doing our best. Christ never said it would be easy, but discipleship is worth it.
I’d like to ask you all to pray for me for help in waking up to my shortcomings, to wake up to the joy and wonder of God in all things—and to pray that I have enough “oil” in my “lamp” when the Master comes for me.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
I'm trying to stay awake!
Memorial of Saint Monica
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 Psalm 90:3-5a, 12-13, 14 and 17
Matthew 24:42-51
“Stay awake!”
There it is, in today’s Gospel, standing emphatically on its own. One of the few direct orders we get from Jesus.
“Stay awake!”
If my hour comes today, will I be ready? Will I be awake? What exactly does Jesus mean about staying awake? Does he mean to not sleep? That doesn’t sound healthy.
People are generally very conscientious of taking care of their physical belongings. We lock our homes and cars, we buy insurance on almost everything and we buy and install all types of protective and preventive devices such as fire extinguishers and burglar alarms. We teach our children from the day they are born what to fear and what will hurt them. Like the master of the house in the parable, if we knew when something bad was going to happen we would be right there to prevent it.
But people aren't the same when it comes to the non-physical things in their lives. When we forget that Jesus Christ is present within us, we tend to engage in things that are damaging to our souls and our relationship with God. We sin in a variety of ways with no regard for the consequences. We abandon the protection of our souls and become like the wicked servant in today's gospel.
That's the reason we must take care always and remain awake prepared for His return. It's also the reason we must secure our souls against the dangers of the world, we must "buy the proper insurance" and make sure our "fire extinguishers are charged and ready." We do this through daily prayer, reading the scriptures and through frequent reception of Holy Communion and the sacrament of reconciliation.
Saint Monica had the type of life one would not expect to produce a saint. She lived with an abusive husband, who did not believe in Christianity. It’s not clear what the limits of his abuse were, but suffice it to say that Saint Monica was able to speak with conviction to the other women of her day, many of whom were in the same perilous situation.
One of the primary issues for Monica was the baptism of her children, the oldest of whom was Saint Augustine (who will be memorialized tomorrow). As her husband was a non-believer, it was a constant battle for Monica to get his permission to have their children baptized (especially Augustine, who had left home and had become a heretic to the faith). Yet, after several years, all were eventually baptized Christian, even her husband! How?
She prayed. She waited. She watched for the opportunity to present itself.
She stayed awake!
We can’t dictate the hour we are called back to the Lord, but we can decide what to do with the hours we have until that appointed time. Should we spend them groggily staggering through the humdrum of our daily lives, or join Saint Monica in watching and waiting for the opportunity to do our Christian duties?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
We must learn to "practice what we preach".
I’m going to try something new today. Instead of pasting the daily readings in their entirety, I think I’ll just put hyper-links in so you can read them for yourselves if you want to.
There are two reasons for this change. I’ve been reading a lot of other blogs on line recently and most of them are much shorter and easier to read than those that I’ve been posting. I wouldn’t want to lose readers because my blogs are too long too be read. And by the way, thanks to you who think enough of my writing and thoughts to continue reading them--as my "counter" at the left attests, I have had about 250 "hits" since I put it there 3 weeks ago. That tells me I have about 10 or so regular readers. As the Alpha Beta Supermarket ads used to say, "Tell a friend!"
The second reason is for teaching purposes. If you click on the reading “hyper-links”, it will take you to the full text of the readings but more importantly to the USCCB website, where you can also link to the New American Bible and find the readings with the commentary as well. I think this is important to understanding the “little details” behind most of the verses and help us to know why the Church teaches what She does.
Please let me know if the new format is easier to follow, harder to follow or if you think I was already on the right track and no change was needed.
1 Thes 2:9-13
Ps 139:7-8, 9-10, 11-12ab
Mt 23:27-32
Our inner attitude and our prayer should be inspired by today’s psalm. “Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee. If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.” (Ps 139: 7-8)
In the Gospel the last couple of days Jesus is angry, like in today's Gospel when He says, "Woe to you," and calls the Pharisees hypocrites. The harshness of His words reveals how serious it is to be a hypocrite.
Until living a virtuous life becomes habitual, we should all worry about being hypocrites. It means having self-knowledge and requires us to be on our toes. We must be careful that we don't start slipping into doing what seems and looks good, instead of being good.
That's why daily examination of conscience is recommended and finds its proper place within the Liturgy of the Hours (The Divine Office) and is celebrated at the end of our day's activities with Night Prayer.
Virtue can be accomplished only with God's grace and acceptance of the means He provides. So we should take what He has freely offered: His Sacred Word, His Precious Body and Blood; read it; eat it. Let it help you be an authentic follower of Christ, the real thing.
St. Ignatius' General Examination of Conscience:
1. Give thanks to God our Lord for the favors received.
2. Ask for the grace to know your sins.
3. Examine how you have lived this day.
4. Ask forgiveness for any faults.
5. Resolve to amend with the grace of God.
There are two reasons for this change. I’ve been reading a lot of other blogs on line recently and most of them are much shorter and easier to read than those that I’ve been posting. I wouldn’t want to lose readers because my blogs are too long too be read. And by the way, thanks to you who think enough of my writing and thoughts to continue reading them--as my "counter" at the left attests, I have had about 250 "hits" since I put it there 3 weeks ago. That tells me I have about 10 or so regular readers. As the Alpha Beta Supermarket ads used to say, "Tell a friend!"
The second reason is for teaching purposes. If you click on the reading “hyper-links”, it will take you to the full text of the readings but more importantly to the USCCB website, where you can also link to the New American Bible and find the readings with the commentary as well. I think this is important to understanding the “little details” behind most of the verses and help us to know why the Church teaches what She does.
Please let me know if the new format is easier to follow, harder to follow or if you think I was already on the right track and no change was needed.
1 Thes 2:9-13
Ps 139:7-8, 9-10, 11-12ab
Mt 23:27-32
Our inner attitude and our prayer should be inspired by today’s psalm. “Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee. If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.” (Ps 139: 7-8)
In the Gospel the last couple of days Jesus is angry, like in today's Gospel when He says, "Woe to you," and calls the Pharisees hypocrites. The harshness of His words reveals how serious it is to be a hypocrite.
Until living a virtuous life becomes habitual, we should all worry about being hypocrites. It means having self-knowledge and requires us to be on our toes. We must be careful that we don't start slipping into doing what seems and looks good, instead of being good.
That's why daily examination of conscience is recommended and finds its proper place within the Liturgy of the Hours (The Divine Office) and is celebrated at the end of our day's activities with Night Prayer.
Virtue can be accomplished only with God's grace and acceptance of the means He provides. So we should take what He has freely offered: His Sacred Word, His Precious Body and Blood; read it; eat it. Let it help you be an authentic follower of Christ, the real thing.
St. Ignatius' General Examination of Conscience:
1. Give thanks to God our Lord for the favors received.
2. Ask for the grace to know your sins.
3. Examine how you have lived this day.
4. Ask forgiveness for any faults.
5. Resolve to amend with the grace of God.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Blessed are they who mourn....
1 Thes 2:1-8
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not without effect. Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi,we drew courage through our God to speak to you the Gospel of God with much struggle. Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts. Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed–God is witness– nor did we seek praise from men, either from you or from others, although we were able to impose our weight as Apostles of Christ.
Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.
Ps 139:1-3, 4-6
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
Mt 23:23-26
Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law, judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
Tonight was the rosary for my neighbor, Julio who passed away a few days ago. Marilyn and Sarah were able to attend, but Alicia stayed home to take care of Lily, who, at eight months, had no reason to be there. Marilyn and Alicia and Lily will be at the funeral Mass tomorrow with me, though.
Whenever there is a death of someone close to me, I have trouble expressing my feelings and I am torn in my emotions.
On the one hand, I am sorry that I won’t be able to wave to Julio as he is pruning his trees and shrubs while I’m getting in my car to go to work, or talk to him about his family or mine and share the stories only dads can share.
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not without effect. Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi,we drew courage through our God to speak to you the Gospel of God with much struggle. Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts. Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed–God is witness– nor did we seek praise from men, either from you or from others, although we were able to impose our weight as Apostles of Christ.
Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.
Ps 139:1-3, 4-6
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
Mt 23:23-26
Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law, judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
Tonight was the rosary for my neighbor, Julio who passed away a few days ago. Marilyn and Sarah were able to attend, but Alicia stayed home to take care of Lily, who, at eight months, had no reason to be there. Marilyn and Alicia and Lily will be at the funeral Mass tomorrow with me, though.
Whenever there is a death of someone close to me, I have trouble expressing my feelings and I am torn in my emotions.
On the one hand, I am sorry that I won’t be able to wave to Julio as he is pruning his trees and shrubs while I’m getting in my car to go to work, or talk to him about his family or mine and share the stories only dads can share.
After the rosary tonight when we got home, Sarah asked Alicia what her favorite memory of Julio was. Sarah had been asked the same question by Marilyn in the car on the way home. They both gave the same answer—riding to school in the back of Julio’s old white van!! There were no seats, because it was a “cargo” van—so the kids had to sit on the floor! Marilyn’s memory was that Julio was forever “warming up” the van. She said it was always idling in the driveway. My memory is of the time when Julio invited me over to taste his homemade beer—it was terrible—even though I told Julio it was pretty good, as he seemed to think it was and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
On the other hand, Christ does tell us, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Mt 5:4). Dying in this life brings us to new life in Christ, the life we were created to share with Him in the presence of our Almighty Father through the graces of the Holy Spirit. When we mourn the passing of someone we love, we are also being blessed and comforted with the hope that we will meet with them again in the presence of the Trinity.
Thinking about death today also brought me back to today’s readings. All of them point to the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us enough to provide us with all of the “tools” we need to get to our final reward with Him. I think the following reading from the Liturgy of the Hours today written by St. John Chrysostom on the temptations of the devil is a good “list” of the “tools” we need to use to “cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
On the other hand, Christ does tell us, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Mt 5:4). Dying in this life brings us to new life in Christ, the life we were created to share with Him in the presence of our Almighty Father through the graces of the Holy Spirit. When we mourn the passing of someone we love, we are also being blessed and comforted with the hope that we will meet with them again in the presence of the Trinity.
Thinking about death today also brought me back to today’s readings. All of them point to the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us enough to provide us with all of the “tools” we need to get to our final reward with Him. I think the following reading from the Liturgy of the Hours today written by St. John Chrysostom on the temptations of the devil is a good “list” of the “tools” we need to use to “cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
The five paths of repentance
Shall I list the paths of repentance? There are certainly many of them, many and various, and all of them lead to heaven.
The first path is the path of condemnation of sins. As Isaiah says, Tell your sins, and you will be acquitted. And the Psalmist adds: I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. So you, too must condemn the sins you have committed. Condemn them, and that condemnation will excuse you in front of the Lord, since whoever condemns the sins he has committed will be slower to commit them next time. Stir up your own conscience to be your accuser – so that when you come before the judgement-seat of the Lord no-one will be rise up to accuse you.
This is the first path of repentance but the second is in no way inferior to it in excellence. It is to forget the harm done to us by our enemies, to master our anger, to forgive the sins of those who are slaves together with us. As much as we do this, so much will our own sins against the Lord be forgiven. So this is the second path to the expiation of our sins. As the Lord says, Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours.
Would you like to know the third path of repentance? It is prayer: fervent prayer, sincere and focused prayer, prayer coming from the depths of the heart.
If you want to know the fourth path, I will tell you it is the giving of alms. It has great power.
And finally, if someone acts with modesty and humility, that path is no less effective as a way to deprive sin of its substance. Look at the publican, who had no good deeds to speak of. In place of good deeds he offered humility, and the huge burden of his sins fell away.
So now I have shown you the five paths of repentance. First, condemnation of sins. Second, forgiving the sins of those near us. Third, prayer. Fourth, almsgiving. Fifth, humility.
So do not be idle, but every day advance along all these paths at once. They are not hard paths to follow. Poverty is no excuse for not setting out on the journey. Even if you are destitute you can do all these things: put aside anger, carry humility in front of you, pray hard, condemn your sins. Poverty is no obstacle – not even to that path of penitence that demands money: that is, almsgiving. Remember the story of the widow’s mite.
Now we have learnt the right way to heal our wounds, let us apply these remedies. Let us regain true health and confidently receive the blessings of Holy Communion. Thus we may come, filled with glory, to the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and receive its eternal joys through the grace, mercy and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first path is the path of condemnation of sins. As Isaiah says, Tell your sins, and you will be acquitted. And the Psalmist adds: I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. So you, too must condemn the sins you have committed. Condemn them, and that condemnation will excuse you in front of the Lord, since whoever condemns the sins he has committed will be slower to commit them next time. Stir up your own conscience to be your accuser – so that when you come before the judgement-seat of the Lord no-one will be rise up to accuse you.
This is the first path of repentance but the second is in no way inferior to it in excellence. It is to forget the harm done to us by our enemies, to master our anger, to forgive the sins of those who are slaves together with us. As much as we do this, so much will our own sins against the Lord be forgiven. So this is the second path to the expiation of our sins. As the Lord says, Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours.
Would you like to know the third path of repentance? It is prayer: fervent prayer, sincere and focused prayer, prayer coming from the depths of the heart.
If you want to know the fourth path, I will tell you it is the giving of alms. It has great power.
And finally, if someone acts with modesty and humility, that path is no less effective as a way to deprive sin of its substance. Look at the publican, who had no good deeds to speak of. In place of good deeds he offered humility, and the huge burden of his sins fell away.
So now I have shown you the five paths of repentance. First, condemnation of sins. Second, forgiving the sins of those near us. Third, prayer. Fourth, almsgiving. Fifth, humility.
So do not be idle, but every day advance along all these paths at once. They are not hard paths to follow. Poverty is no excuse for not setting out on the journey. Even if you are destitute you can do all these things: put aside anger, carry humility in front of you, pray hard, condemn your sins. Poverty is no obstacle – not even to that path of penitence that demands money: that is, almsgiving. Remember the story of the widow’s mite.
Now we have learnt the right way to heal our wounds, let us apply these remedies. Let us regain true health and confidently receive the blessings of Holy Communion. Thus we may come, filled with glory, to the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and receive its eternal joys through the grace, mercy and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Answering the invitation
Rv 21:9b-14
The angel spoke to me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Jn 1:45-51
Philip found Nathaniel and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathaniel said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathaniel said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”Nathaniel answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Today is the feast of St. Bartholomew (otherwise known as Nathaniel) and the readings are stories of beginnings. I’m struck by how easy it was for those first followers to come to a knowledge and faith in Jesus. With John the Baptist’s brief testimony, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” Jesus begins to gather an interested group who in turn invite others. They all drop what they are doing and, curious, they follow him. Nathaniel is the only skeptical one, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Nathaniel likes to lay it on the line, and one gets the impression that he has both an innocence and a sardonic wit that would have made him the guy who everybody wanted as a dinner guest. Jesus, upon hearing of Bartholomew's statement, immediately embraced him as one of the inner circle. Bartholomew's straightforward and clear-eyed observation allowed him to straddle that boundary between innocence and experience that helps each of us best serve God. As Jesus Himself tells us, "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves," (Matthew 10:16) and he gives us Bartholomew as the example of this behavior.)
Philip replies with the invitation, “Come and see”. Nathaniel, easily impressed because Jesus anticipated his coming, eagerly follows—effortless, uncomplicated and undemanding.
Surely the early disciples came to faith the way we do… over a long period of time, imperfectly, eager one minute, hesitant the next; hearts full of doubt and full of hope; a history of broken promises and re-commitment.
Accepting an invitation to relationship is not easy. We long for the life that Jesus promises, but we carry the hurts and heartbreak of human relationships. Can we take the risk? Is our desire for fullness of life greater than our need to hold onto our wounds, the battle scars of human relationships? How is Jesus inviting me into relationship through the circumstances and people of my life? I say it often—we won’t know unless we are open-minded, listening, and looking.
Here are some questions to consider:
Is there anyone in my life who sees something greater in me than I can see in myself? Do I trust him or her?
Jesus invited Nathaniel into relationship… who is inviting me to a deeper relationship?
Who is inviting me to greater love, greater hope, greater compassion and greater life?
Jesus promises that Nathaniel will see even greater things -- that Jesus himself will unite the heavens and the earthly, reveal the presence of the eternal within the temporal -- that all may know that the goodness and compassion of God are now carried in us, in our humanity and our everyday, mortal world. The kingdom is among us!
The angel spoke to me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Jn 1:45-51
Philip found Nathaniel and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathaniel said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathaniel said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”Nathaniel answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Today is the feast of St. Bartholomew (otherwise known as Nathaniel) and the readings are stories of beginnings. I’m struck by how easy it was for those first followers to come to a knowledge and faith in Jesus. With John the Baptist’s brief testimony, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” Jesus begins to gather an interested group who in turn invite others. They all drop what they are doing and, curious, they follow him. Nathaniel is the only skeptical one, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Nathaniel likes to lay it on the line, and one gets the impression that he has both an innocence and a sardonic wit that would have made him the guy who everybody wanted as a dinner guest. Jesus, upon hearing of Bartholomew's statement, immediately embraced him as one of the inner circle. Bartholomew's straightforward and clear-eyed observation allowed him to straddle that boundary between innocence and experience that helps each of us best serve God. As Jesus Himself tells us, "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves," (Matthew 10:16) and he gives us Bartholomew as the example of this behavior.)
Philip replies with the invitation, “Come and see”. Nathaniel, easily impressed because Jesus anticipated his coming, eagerly follows—effortless, uncomplicated and undemanding.
Surely the early disciples came to faith the way we do… over a long period of time, imperfectly, eager one minute, hesitant the next; hearts full of doubt and full of hope; a history of broken promises and re-commitment.
Accepting an invitation to relationship is not easy. We long for the life that Jesus promises, but we carry the hurts and heartbreak of human relationships. Can we take the risk? Is our desire for fullness of life greater than our need to hold onto our wounds, the battle scars of human relationships? How is Jesus inviting me into relationship through the circumstances and people of my life? I say it often—we won’t know unless we are open-minded, listening, and looking.
Here are some questions to consider:
Is there anyone in my life who sees something greater in me than I can see in myself? Do I trust him or her?
Jesus invited Nathaniel into relationship… who is inviting me to a deeper relationship?
Who is inviting me to greater love, greater hope, greater compassion and greater life?
Jesus promises that Nathaniel will see even greater things -- that Jesus himself will unite the heavens and the earthly, reveal the presence of the eternal within the temporal -- that all may know that the goodness and compassion of God are now carried in us, in our humanity and our everyday, mortal world. The kingdom is among us!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
As for me and my household....
Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges, and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: “If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”
Jn 6:60-69
Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
In the previous chapter to the reading we heard today, Joshua tells the people of Israel to follow the laws and customs and continue their covenant with the Lord. He calls to mind the great people and events that constitute them as God’s own people. Then he asks them "the" question.
Based on all that the Lord has done for Israel, which way will they choose? They have been invited to look backwards through their national history to see God’s goodness to them. Joshua is asking them to look forward now. Joshua declares that he and his folks choose the Lord. The people reply that they too know their history and they are sticking with the winner who has made them victorious themselves.
In the Gospel—remember that this discourse has been going on for the last five weeks at Mass—we finally reach the great conclusion of the discussion about Jesus’ being the “Bread of Life”, and his being the one ”sent”. Some of His disciples—in fact some theologians say “most”—find these words offensive to their senses and so boggle their minds. They have to leave and return to their former ways of seeing, thinking and believing. They saw the miraculous distribution of bread and fish with their own eyes and ate their fill. Their senses told them something they could grasp. Jesus stretches their minds and asks them to be as open to something even more miraculous, but which goes beyond the information provided by the senses. They choose the path of the “flesh” while Jesus is inviting them to walk the walk of the Spirit. They stumble over what they can’t see or imagine.
Many leave, but some stay including Peter. So Jesus puts the big question to them and to him specifically, “Do you also want to leave?” Just like Joshua, Peter professes that they have seen enough to trust what they can not see with the eyes of their “flesh”.
This affirmation comes at the end of the first half of John’s Gospel’s “Book of Signs” in which John presents Jesus’ doing “signs” which actions are sense-based, but intended to lead to such an act of believing as we hear from Peter. In other sections of this “book of Signs”, there are miracles of water becoming wine; blind and lame being healed as well as bread being multiplied. There is evidence, but just enough to allow the act of believing to be made freely, leaving the option that non-believing is also possible. Jesus tells us that the “spirit” draws some and the “flesh” attracts others.
In today’s world we can bring up an almost miraculous amount of data, facts, records, pictures, and collections. We sometimes even grow impatient when something does not come up immediately or when we have to click the mouse a few more times. Hand-held phones, MP3s, Ipods and all kinds of other devices, allow us to take a great amount of this information anywhere we go. We can have maps in our palms and lights to make sure we get there even in the dark. When we arrive we can phone or email those whom we left behind to tell them we’re safe, and to check if there is anything “new”.
I sometimes think faith of any kind and trust in anybody has been injured by our increased reliance on technology .We desire to the point of demanding to see the replay before the play. Signs lead only to wanting clarity and conviction.
It seems that faith in the “beyond” or “transcendent” or “God” was more a part of a time past when night was dark, trails and roads led “out there” and signs were both indicators and invitations to continue.
God continues to offer us invitations, or “signs” which are invitations to trust, while they can also be taken as nothing more than “nonsense” and not to be followed. There are signs that can indicate there is no God, that religion is absurd and the Church an “opiate of the people”, or man-made to make people compliant. Belief is a “non-sense” experience, in a sense. Faith is a human way of responding to what we sense, but our senses can take us only to the threshold where the signs say, “Go beyond!” Living with and through faith is not an easy way to go. We rely on the Spirit of God to draw us beyond what we can see, taste, touch and reason to. For us, it is the way we desire to go against our technological security-centered human inclinations.
"As for me", I’m with Peter who has seen enough, but not enough as his stumblings (and mine) will prove. And "As for me", I think after finishing this, I will turn off the computer, the lights, the phones, the radio, the TV, and try to believe that there is life without them all. (At least until tomorrow, when I will NEED these things to earn a living.)
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges, and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: “If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”
Jn 6:60-69
Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
In the previous chapter to the reading we heard today, Joshua tells the people of Israel to follow the laws and customs and continue their covenant with the Lord. He calls to mind the great people and events that constitute them as God’s own people. Then he asks them "the" question.
Based on all that the Lord has done for Israel, which way will they choose? They have been invited to look backwards through their national history to see God’s goodness to them. Joshua is asking them to look forward now. Joshua declares that he and his folks choose the Lord. The people reply that they too know their history and they are sticking with the winner who has made them victorious themselves.
In the Gospel—remember that this discourse has been going on for the last five weeks at Mass—we finally reach the great conclusion of the discussion about Jesus’ being the “Bread of Life”, and his being the one ”sent”. Some of His disciples—in fact some theologians say “most”—find these words offensive to their senses and so boggle their minds. They have to leave and return to their former ways of seeing, thinking and believing. They saw the miraculous distribution of bread and fish with their own eyes and ate their fill. Their senses told them something they could grasp. Jesus stretches their minds and asks them to be as open to something even more miraculous, but which goes beyond the information provided by the senses. They choose the path of the “flesh” while Jesus is inviting them to walk the walk of the Spirit. They stumble over what they can’t see or imagine.
Many leave, but some stay including Peter. So Jesus puts the big question to them and to him specifically, “Do you also want to leave?” Just like Joshua, Peter professes that they have seen enough to trust what they can not see with the eyes of their “flesh”.
This affirmation comes at the end of the first half of John’s Gospel’s “Book of Signs” in which John presents Jesus’ doing “signs” which actions are sense-based, but intended to lead to such an act of believing as we hear from Peter. In other sections of this “book of Signs”, there are miracles of water becoming wine; blind and lame being healed as well as bread being multiplied. There is evidence, but just enough to allow the act of believing to be made freely, leaving the option that non-believing is also possible. Jesus tells us that the “spirit” draws some and the “flesh” attracts others.
In today’s world we can bring up an almost miraculous amount of data, facts, records, pictures, and collections. We sometimes even grow impatient when something does not come up immediately or when we have to click the mouse a few more times. Hand-held phones, MP3s, Ipods and all kinds of other devices, allow us to take a great amount of this information anywhere we go. We can have maps in our palms and lights to make sure we get there even in the dark. When we arrive we can phone or email those whom we left behind to tell them we’re safe, and to check if there is anything “new”.
I sometimes think faith of any kind and trust in anybody has been injured by our increased reliance on technology .We desire to the point of demanding to see the replay before the play. Signs lead only to wanting clarity and conviction.
It seems that faith in the “beyond” or “transcendent” or “God” was more a part of a time past when night was dark, trails and roads led “out there” and signs were both indicators and invitations to continue.
God continues to offer us invitations, or “signs” which are invitations to trust, while they can also be taken as nothing more than “nonsense” and not to be followed. There are signs that can indicate there is no God, that religion is absurd and the Church an “opiate of the people”, or man-made to make people compliant. Belief is a “non-sense” experience, in a sense. Faith is a human way of responding to what we sense, but our senses can take us only to the threshold where the signs say, “Go beyond!” Living with and through faith is not an easy way to go. We rely on the Spirit of God to draw us beyond what we can see, taste, touch and reason to. For us, it is the way we desire to go against our technological security-centered human inclinations.
"As for me", I’m with Peter who has seen enough, but not enough as his stumblings (and mine) will prove. And "As for me", I think after finishing this, I will turn off the computer, the lights, the phones, the radio, the TV, and try to believe that there is life without them all. (At least until tomorrow, when I will NEED these things to earn a living.)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled....
Ru 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17
Naomi had a prominent kinsman named Boaz, of the clan of her husband Elimelech. Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field of anyone who will allow me that favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go, my daughter,” and she went.
The field she entered to glean after the harvesters happened to be the section belonging to Boaz of the clan of Elimelech. Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter! Do not go to glean in anyone else’s field; you are not to leave here. Stay here with my women servants. Watch to see which field is to be harvested, and follow them; I have commanded the young men to do you no harm. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the vessels the young men have filled.”
Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, Ruth said to him, “Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?” Boaz answered her: “I have had a complete account of what you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband’s death; you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know previously.”
Boaz took Ruth. When they came together as man and wife, the LORD enabled her to conceive and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with an heir! May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!”
Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nurse. And the neighbor women gave him his name, at the news that a grandson had been born to Naomi. They called him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Mt 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Both Ruth and today's gospel reveal that a sincere love for God results in healthy changes in human attitudes. As I draw closer to Him, I have begun to realize that the true worth of my life isn't determined only by my overt actions or words, because these are only done and spoken to create a pleasing image of myself which serves to impress others and hopefully get people to “like” me either in a professional or a personal interaction.
God looks within our hearts to examine our motives to see if our behavior is merely self-seeking or genuinely self-giving, for He created us to be like Himself, to resemble His Son Christ Who, through purest love, gave His life for our salvation.
In today’s first reading Ruth, a Moabite, a foreigner married to an Israelite, is presented to illustrate her piety toward God and family, highly valued qualities by the Israelites. When Ruth's father-in-law and both of his sons died, her mother-in-law Naomi was left virtually alone when the wife of one son returned to her family's home.
Ruth, however, told Naomi that she was determined to remain with her to share her entire life, even to worshipping her God. The two journeyed to Bethlehem, Naomi's ancestral home, where an interesting series of events resulted in Ruth marrying a prominent member of Naomi's family, Boaz, who was drawn to her by her genuine kindness, integrity and her gift of faith. Commentaries tell us this story is historically true and shows that Ruth, the foreigner, now married into David's line is related to Christ Who is the universal Savior.
Christ, in today's gospel, humbles the Pharisees and Scribes by describing their pretension and hypocrisy, for while their teachings have some validity, their moral example, if followed by their students and converts, would make them victims of their instructors' sins and with them be excluded from the kingdom of heaven.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m really all that different from the religious leaders of Jesus' day, who are often “outed” by Jesus as dense and judgmental. I catch myself wanting to impress people by how I look or inflate the importance of my job. I really don’t mean to, but at times during a conversation with someone else I may embellish my daily routine to show them that I am devout, or tell them how much time I spend in prayer each day while at the same time forming a judgment about people who don't have “important” jobs, don't look as “polished” as I do, and even those who pray differently or less publicly, or something that does not “fit” my standards.
Just as there is nothing wrong with the phylacteries or tassels of the religious leaders in Jesus' time, there is nothing inherently wrong with titles in front of our names, having good jobs, or wanting to be holy. But as Jesus cautions us in today's gospel about titles and honors, he seems to be asking what priority these things have in our lives. How important are they? Have they become the focus of our lives?
Jesus is clear and direct: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” We must be servants for others, he says. Nothing is more important than caring for others and tending to those who have less than we do.
Jesus defended the weak and vulnerable of his day. A devout Jew, he broke with many traditions of his day, standing by lepers, speaking with women and making friends with tax collectors. He shows us with his life how to be a servant and how to stand up for those who have no one else. Carrying out that call from Jesus is not easy and may cause discomfort in our lives, but it is clearly what we are called to. Be a servant. Be humble. Don't judge. Don't move toward honors but away from them. This is going to be hard to do for me—but I must do it if I want to imitate Jesus.
Jesus is not leaving us to deal with all of these challenges alone, but is there with us in those challenges. We will fall and fail and still, when we sit quietly opening our hearts at the end of the day and listen, we can feel the deepest love Jesus has for us and know that tomorrow we can try again.
Naomi had a prominent kinsman named Boaz, of the clan of her husband Elimelech. Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field of anyone who will allow me that favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go, my daughter,” and she went.
The field she entered to glean after the harvesters happened to be the section belonging to Boaz of the clan of Elimelech. Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter! Do not go to glean in anyone else’s field; you are not to leave here. Stay here with my women servants. Watch to see which field is to be harvested, and follow them; I have commanded the young men to do you no harm. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the vessels the young men have filled.”
Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, Ruth said to him, “Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?” Boaz answered her: “I have had a complete account of what you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband’s death; you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know previously.”
Boaz took Ruth. When they came together as man and wife, the LORD enabled her to conceive and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with an heir! May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!”
Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nurse. And the neighbor women gave him his name, at the news that a grandson had been born to Naomi. They called him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Mt 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Both Ruth and today's gospel reveal that a sincere love for God results in healthy changes in human attitudes. As I draw closer to Him, I have begun to realize that the true worth of my life isn't determined only by my overt actions or words, because these are only done and spoken to create a pleasing image of myself which serves to impress others and hopefully get people to “like” me either in a professional or a personal interaction.
God looks within our hearts to examine our motives to see if our behavior is merely self-seeking or genuinely self-giving, for He created us to be like Himself, to resemble His Son Christ Who, through purest love, gave His life for our salvation.
In today’s first reading Ruth, a Moabite, a foreigner married to an Israelite, is presented to illustrate her piety toward God and family, highly valued qualities by the Israelites. When Ruth's father-in-law and both of his sons died, her mother-in-law Naomi was left virtually alone when the wife of one son returned to her family's home.
Ruth, however, told Naomi that she was determined to remain with her to share her entire life, even to worshipping her God. The two journeyed to Bethlehem, Naomi's ancestral home, where an interesting series of events resulted in Ruth marrying a prominent member of Naomi's family, Boaz, who was drawn to her by her genuine kindness, integrity and her gift of faith. Commentaries tell us this story is historically true and shows that Ruth, the foreigner, now married into David's line is related to Christ Who is the universal Savior.
Christ, in today's gospel, humbles the Pharisees and Scribes by describing their pretension and hypocrisy, for while their teachings have some validity, their moral example, if followed by their students and converts, would make them victims of their instructors' sins and with them be excluded from the kingdom of heaven.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m really all that different from the religious leaders of Jesus' day, who are often “outed” by Jesus as dense and judgmental. I catch myself wanting to impress people by how I look or inflate the importance of my job. I really don’t mean to, but at times during a conversation with someone else I may embellish my daily routine to show them that I am devout, or tell them how much time I spend in prayer each day while at the same time forming a judgment about people who don't have “important” jobs, don't look as “polished” as I do, and even those who pray differently or less publicly, or something that does not “fit” my standards.
Just as there is nothing wrong with the phylacteries or tassels of the religious leaders in Jesus' time, there is nothing inherently wrong with titles in front of our names, having good jobs, or wanting to be holy. But as Jesus cautions us in today's gospel about titles and honors, he seems to be asking what priority these things have in our lives. How important are they? Have they become the focus of our lives?
Jesus is clear and direct: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” We must be servants for others, he says. Nothing is more important than caring for others and tending to those who have less than we do.
Jesus defended the weak and vulnerable of his day. A devout Jew, he broke with many traditions of his day, standing by lepers, speaking with women and making friends with tax collectors. He shows us with his life how to be a servant and how to stand up for those who have no one else. Carrying out that call from Jesus is not easy and may cause discomfort in our lives, but it is clearly what we are called to. Be a servant. Be humble. Don't judge. Don't move toward honors but away from them. This is going to be hard to do for me—but I must do it if I want to imitate Jesus.
Jesus is not leaving us to deal with all of these challenges alone, but is there with us in those challenges. We will fall and fail and still, when we sit quietly opening our hearts at the end of the day and listen, we can feel the deepest love Jesus has for us and know that tomorrow we can try again.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sad news, good news: In both cases give Glory to God!
Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22
Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land; so a man from Bethlehem of Judah departed with his wife and two sons to reside on the plateau of Moab. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion died also, and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.
She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab because word reached her there that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her. Naomi said, “See now! Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god. Go back after your sister-in-law!” But Ruth said, “Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Thus it was that Naomi returned with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Mt 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
There has been sad news around these parts today and there has been very good news—I’ll begin with the sad.
My neighbor of over 30 years passed away yesterday after a long illness. Julio and Darlene were already living in the house across the street when Marilyn and I moved into our place in 1978. Their son Tony was born one month to the day after Alicia was born—the first children for both families. Julio was always a very busy man—with his job, the yard work, his hobbies—he was one of those guys who has to go, go, go. He was a big burly man, but very gentle with a sense of humor. He was a Korean War vet. He told me some stories years ago about his service during the war and although he was not a religious man by any means, he had the Spirit within him. I hope that Julio learned to recognize Him in the last few months; I'm sure that through the divine mercy of Jesus that he is in a better place without pain. He got very sick a couple of years ago and just never recovered. It has been very tough on Darlene watching him decline, but Darlene is a tough woman, very strong in her faith. She is a saint in so many ways—very much like Ruth in today’s first reading. When things got tough she never complained, she just prayed that much more. She knows she can turn to God for the strength to go on. I draw inspiration from her.
Then I heard some good news today as well. There is a young woman that I know who found out a few weeks ago that she is pregnant. She is barely 19 and has no means to support herself or a baby, and so was asking a friend of mine some questions about her options, and she was leaning toward abortion. He approached me and said, “You’re a catholic and pro-life—so you must have some connections. Do you have any advice?” I told him that this was the first time I had been asked for advice of this kind, but the one certainty I had was that she must not have an abortion, and that I would do whatever I could to help her through this event. I then called upon the resources of the internet and found a pro-life counseling center for her to contact close by. I also called my brother Bob who is good friends with an adoption advocate who was more than happy to talk to this young woman should she call upon her.
I asked my friend today how the young woman was feeling and if she had made her decision yet and ***THANKS BE TO GOD****she has decided to keep the baby! She still doesn’t know how or where she will be living, but evidently there are some options open to her. I told my friend to let her know we are all here and praying for her.
Please don’t forget to include all of these people who are close to me in your prayers this week.
Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land; so a man from Bethlehem of Judah departed with his wife and two sons to reside on the plateau of Moab. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion died also, and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.
She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab because word reached her there that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her. Naomi said, “See now! Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god. Go back after your sister-in-law!” But Ruth said, “Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Thus it was that Naomi returned with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Mt 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
There has been sad news around these parts today and there has been very good news—I’ll begin with the sad.
My neighbor of over 30 years passed away yesterday after a long illness. Julio and Darlene were already living in the house across the street when Marilyn and I moved into our place in 1978. Their son Tony was born one month to the day after Alicia was born—the first children for both families. Julio was always a very busy man—with his job, the yard work, his hobbies—he was one of those guys who has to go, go, go. He was a big burly man, but very gentle with a sense of humor. He was a Korean War vet. He told me some stories years ago about his service during the war and although he was not a religious man by any means, he had the Spirit within him. I hope that Julio learned to recognize Him in the last few months; I'm sure that through the divine mercy of Jesus that he is in a better place without pain. He got very sick a couple of years ago and just never recovered. It has been very tough on Darlene watching him decline, but Darlene is a tough woman, very strong in her faith. She is a saint in so many ways—very much like Ruth in today’s first reading. When things got tough she never complained, she just prayed that much more. She knows she can turn to God for the strength to go on. I draw inspiration from her.
Then I heard some good news today as well. There is a young woman that I know who found out a few weeks ago that she is pregnant. She is barely 19 and has no means to support herself or a baby, and so was asking a friend of mine some questions about her options, and she was leaning toward abortion. He approached me and said, “You’re a catholic and pro-life—so you must have some connections. Do you have any advice?” I told him that this was the first time I had been asked for advice of this kind, but the one certainty I had was that she must not have an abortion, and that I would do whatever I could to help her through this event. I then called upon the resources of the internet and found a pro-life counseling center for her to contact close by. I also called my brother Bob who is good friends with an adoption advocate who was more than happy to talk to this young woman should she call upon her.
I asked my friend today how the young woman was feeling and if she had made her decision yet and ***THANKS BE TO GOD****she has decided to keep the baby! She still doesn’t know how or where she will be living, but evidently there are some options open to her. I told my friend to let her know we are all here and praying for her.
Please don’t forget to include all of these people who are close to me in your prayers this week.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Looking for optimism in a gloomy set of readings
Jgs 11:29-39a
The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-Gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,” he said, “whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a burnt offering.”
Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power, so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramim. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the children of Israel.
When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her. When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, “Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract.” She replied, “Father, you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for youon your enemies the Ammonites.”
Then she said to her father, “Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions.” “Go,” he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her virginity on the mountains. At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed.
Ps 40:5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Mt 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a kin who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Some days the readings are full of optimism and happy endings—but not today. But I’ll try my best to find some optimism in them anyway.
From the book of Judges we have the story about how Jephthah killed his own daughter, his only child, as a “burnt offering” to God. In Matthew’s Gospel we read about how guests invited to a prince’s wedding feast actually “laid hold of [the king’s] servants, mistreated them and killed them.” Next, as might be expected, the king “was enraged…destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.” Finally, this harsh king rejects a guest who is wearing the wrong clothes – in fact, tells his servants to “Bind his hands and feet and cast him into the darkness outside.” And this difficult Gospel ends, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
It’s taken me the better part of the day to try and understand the grief, violence, judgment and punishment in these selections. I’ll try to be succinct.
I found my optimism in the Psalm’s refrain “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will”.
Right after we hear Jephthah’s story, the Psalm sings, “Sacrifice or oblation you wished not…Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not.” Instead, “To do your will, O my God, is my delight.”
So I reflected on how I tend to take God’s love for granted. Don’t we all sometimes tend to think that nothing more can be asked of us beyond what we’re already doing quite comfortably? We have smug and ready excuses for not feeding the hungry, tending the sick, etc – in other words, for not truly living the Christian faith: “I do enough already,” or “I can’t be expected to be more than I am.”
Today’s readings hauled me back – not to the ancient practice of human sacrifice or to an obsessive concern with proper attire, but to faith, fidelity and commitment. Jephthah is no ordinary man but a mighty warrior, a figure to represent power and success. The daughter is no ordinary child bouncing out the front door to greet Daddy, but rather a princess giving a ceremonial welcome, signifying, again, power and success. Together, father and daughter represent something greater still -- about not taking the Lord for granted, and about sacrifice beyond human reason, for love. To accept her role in fulfilling her father’s vow, the daughter must have loved God, and her father, very much!
And what about the man “not dressed in a wedding garment” in the Gospel? It reminds me that the Kingdom of Heaven is not to be taken for granted. When the king noticed him, the lazy guest “was reduced to silence.” So it’s not like he didn’t have or couldn’t get the proper clothing. After all, the other last-minute invitees managed to dress appropriately! This guest complacently preferred the comfort of his old jeans and t-shirt (or the first-century equivalent) instead of sacrificing a bit of convenience to do the right thing for his particular situation.
So basically the optimism in the readings today can be found in the fact that all God does wants is all of our love—nothing more. The fact that giving him all of our love may require that we sacrifice some “thing” is incidental. Things can be replaced. Love can’t. “Dear God, keep me from offering sacrifices that cost me nothing.”
The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-Gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,” he said, “whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a burnt offering.”
Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power, so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramim. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the children of Israel.
When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her. When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, “Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract.” She replied, “Father, you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for youon your enemies the Ammonites.”
Then she said to her father, “Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions.” “Go,” he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her virginity on the mountains. At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed.
Ps 40:5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Mt 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a kin who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Some days the readings are full of optimism and happy endings—but not today. But I’ll try my best to find some optimism in them anyway.
From the book of Judges we have the story about how Jephthah killed his own daughter, his only child, as a “burnt offering” to God. In Matthew’s Gospel we read about how guests invited to a prince’s wedding feast actually “laid hold of [the king’s] servants, mistreated them and killed them.” Next, as might be expected, the king “was enraged…destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.” Finally, this harsh king rejects a guest who is wearing the wrong clothes – in fact, tells his servants to “Bind his hands and feet and cast him into the darkness outside.” And this difficult Gospel ends, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
It’s taken me the better part of the day to try and understand the grief, violence, judgment and punishment in these selections. I’ll try to be succinct.
I found my optimism in the Psalm’s refrain “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will”.
Right after we hear Jephthah’s story, the Psalm sings, “Sacrifice or oblation you wished not…Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not.” Instead, “To do your will, O my God, is my delight.”
So I reflected on how I tend to take God’s love for granted. Don’t we all sometimes tend to think that nothing more can be asked of us beyond what we’re already doing quite comfortably? We have smug and ready excuses for not feeding the hungry, tending the sick, etc – in other words, for not truly living the Christian faith: “I do enough already,” or “I can’t be expected to be more than I am.”
Today’s readings hauled me back – not to the ancient practice of human sacrifice or to an obsessive concern with proper attire, but to faith, fidelity and commitment. Jephthah is no ordinary man but a mighty warrior, a figure to represent power and success. The daughter is no ordinary child bouncing out the front door to greet Daddy, but rather a princess giving a ceremonial welcome, signifying, again, power and success. Together, father and daughter represent something greater still -- about not taking the Lord for granted, and about sacrifice beyond human reason, for love. To accept her role in fulfilling her father’s vow, the daughter must have loved God, and her father, very much!
And what about the man “not dressed in a wedding garment” in the Gospel? It reminds me that the Kingdom of Heaven is not to be taken for granted. When the king noticed him, the lazy guest “was reduced to silence.” So it’s not like he didn’t have or couldn’t get the proper clothing. After all, the other last-minute invitees managed to dress appropriately! This guest complacently preferred the comfort of his old jeans and t-shirt (or the first-century equivalent) instead of sacrificing a bit of convenience to do the right thing for his particular situation.
So basically the optimism in the readings today can be found in the fact that all God does wants is all of our love—nothing more. The fact that giving him all of our love may require that we sacrifice some “thing” is incidental. Things can be replaced. Love can’t. “Dear God, keep me from offering sacrifices that cost me nothing.”
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Keep your eye on the prize
Mt 20:1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off.
And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
In today’s Gospel Jesus is telling us to be careful about taking things for granted; that we watch out and not put too much emphasis on ourselves and miss the most important part of our existence: the graciousness of God.
In other words it's not up to the amount of work that is done or how much "heat of the day" is endured, or even how well the work is done. It all depends on God's call and invitation, and our acceptance of the invitation. Eternal happiness in the presence of our God is the ultimate wage. That's where we need to focus ourselves--not on grumbling against those we think don't deserve the wages for which we contracted.
To me the point of today’s Gospel is God's generosity in giving freely to those who don't deserve what they are graciously given (not by EARNING God's love). The response to such generosity should be GRATITUDE.
I often feel like one of the "eleventh hour" people who received the benefits of God's graciousness. There are so many others I know who deserve His gifts of love and mercy much more than I do, yet I am constantly showered with His graces. I hope I can live up to His expectations of me.
Jesus reminded me on a personal level today of His generosity and HIS gratitude when we put into practice what He has taught us.
I haven’t seen my “friend” at the Cathedral for a couple of months. I was hoping that he had found a job and was so hard at work that he would not have to humiliate himself by asking strangers for monetary assistance. He was there at Mass this morning. He was dressed in the cleanest clothes I think I’ve ever seen him wear and he looked good. I said hello and asked him how he was doing. He said he was released from jail last night. Then he told me that he had walked to the Cathedral from the jail! That’s about a 15-mile walk along the mean streets of South Stockton, which is not the most pleasant or safe area (putting it mildly). So I could empathize with him when he said he was hungry and could use some money for breakfast.
At first I wasn’t going to give him anything—I confess that at that point I was angry because I had given him money before and I was very disappointed that he doesn’t seem to want to get out of his situation, and I thought I was probably just throwing my money away. Then it occurred to me that I had just received Christ within me and that He never refuses anyone who asks for His help—can I do any less and still call myself a disciple? Normally I don’t carry cash, but Marilyn and I went to the coast this last weekend and I had a five-dollar bill with me, so I gave it to him.
Later in the day when I was getting ready to go home from work (about a 45-minute drive today) when a last-minute customer came in who needed a hitch put on his car. Usually, when I’m tired and at the end of my shift I just want to go home and I will tell the customer to make an appointment for the next day or send him to another store if it’s really an emergency. But for some reason I felt compelled to help this guy and train my new manager at the same time, so I agreed to install the hitch. Out of the blue, this customer came outside to where I was and put a small “wad” of cash in my pocket and said, “Thanks for being so kind and generous to me. Please go out tonight and have a drink on me.”
I don’t normally accept tips, but my hands were full with the task at hand and so I just thanked him and told him I’d be done in about 20 minutes. When the hitch was done, I went into the store to tell the cashier what to ring up and he said that the customer had also decided to rent a trailer from us because I was so accommodating at the last minute—another couple of hundred dollars of revenue!
At this point I went outside to clean up my work area and I checked out the tip. He gave me twenty-five dollars! That’s 5 times what I gave the guy at the church this morning. Since I was showing the new manager how to install the hitch and thence he was a help to me, I gave him ten of the dollars. I felt it was necessary to continue the customer’s generosity.
I can’t help but think that Christ is showing me in a practical way what His message is all about for us. We have to love one another and help each other without passing judgment on our neighbor. And He will repay us 5-, 10- or 100-fold or more.
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off.
And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
In today’s Gospel Jesus is telling us to be careful about taking things for granted; that we watch out and not put too much emphasis on ourselves and miss the most important part of our existence: the graciousness of God.
In other words it's not up to the amount of work that is done or how much "heat of the day" is endured, or even how well the work is done. It all depends on God's call and invitation, and our acceptance of the invitation. Eternal happiness in the presence of our God is the ultimate wage. That's where we need to focus ourselves--not on grumbling against those we think don't deserve the wages for which we contracted.
To me the point of today’s Gospel is God's generosity in giving freely to those who don't deserve what they are graciously given (not by EARNING God's love). The response to such generosity should be GRATITUDE.
I often feel like one of the "eleventh hour" people who received the benefits of God's graciousness. There are so many others I know who deserve His gifts of love and mercy much more than I do, yet I am constantly showered with His graces. I hope I can live up to His expectations of me.
Jesus reminded me on a personal level today of His generosity and HIS gratitude when we put into practice what He has taught us.
I haven’t seen my “friend” at the Cathedral for a couple of months. I was hoping that he had found a job and was so hard at work that he would not have to humiliate himself by asking strangers for monetary assistance. He was there at Mass this morning. He was dressed in the cleanest clothes I think I’ve ever seen him wear and he looked good. I said hello and asked him how he was doing. He said he was released from jail last night. Then he told me that he had walked to the Cathedral from the jail! That’s about a 15-mile walk along the mean streets of South Stockton, which is not the most pleasant or safe area (putting it mildly). So I could empathize with him when he said he was hungry and could use some money for breakfast.
At first I wasn’t going to give him anything—I confess that at that point I was angry because I had given him money before and I was very disappointed that he doesn’t seem to want to get out of his situation, and I thought I was probably just throwing my money away. Then it occurred to me that I had just received Christ within me and that He never refuses anyone who asks for His help—can I do any less and still call myself a disciple? Normally I don’t carry cash, but Marilyn and I went to the coast this last weekend and I had a five-dollar bill with me, so I gave it to him.
Later in the day when I was getting ready to go home from work (about a 45-minute drive today) when a last-minute customer came in who needed a hitch put on his car. Usually, when I’m tired and at the end of my shift I just want to go home and I will tell the customer to make an appointment for the next day or send him to another store if it’s really an emergency. But for some reason I felt compelled to help this guy and train my new manager at the same time, so I agreed to install the hitch. Out of the blue, this customer came outside to where I was and put a small “wad” of cash in my pocket and said, “Thanks for being so kind and generous to me. Please go out tonight and have a drink on me.”
I don’t normally accept tips, but my hands were full with the task at hand and so I just thanked him and told him I’d be done in about 20 minutes. When the hitch was done, I went into the store to tell the cashier what to ring up and he said that the customer had also decided to rent a trailer from us because I was so accommodating at the last minute—another couple of hundred dollars of revenue!
At this point I went outside to clean up my work area and I checked out the tip. He gave me twenty-five dollars! That’s 5 times what I gave the guy at the church this morning. Since I was showing the new manager how to install the hitch and thence he was a help to me, I gave him ten of the dollars. I felt it was necessary to continue the customer’s generosity.
I can’t help but think that Christ is showing me in a practical way what His message is all about for us. We have to love one another and help each other without passing judgment on our neighbor. And He will repay us 5-, 10- or 100-fold or more.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
You can't take it with you
Jgs 6:11-24a
The angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine pressto save it from the Midianites, the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, O champion!” Gideon said to him, “My Lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian.”
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you.” But Gideon answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.” “I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him, “and you will cut down Midian to the last man.”
Gideon answered him, “If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me. Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.” He answered, “I will await your return.”
So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and a measure of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth.” When he had done so, the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held, and touched the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock that consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight.
Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD, said, “Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” The LORD answered him, “Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die.” So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Yahweh-shalom.
Ps 85:9, 11-12, 13-14
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace
To his people, and to his faithful ones,
and to those who put in him their hope.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
Mt 19:23-30
Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Today’s readings speak to hearing and seeing a vision that seems impossible in light of current circumstances. The Lord proclaims peace to us in the midst of chaos, war, and injustices. God sees a champion in us even when we see ourselves as losers. God promises wealth beyond measure to those who give rather than hoard despite the fact that hoarding seems the obvious path to wealth.
“Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.”
The story of Gideon encourages us to get moving even if the vision is not yet clear – but also encourages us to keep asking for clarity. God tells Gideon to go with the strength that he has – but is willing to spend considerable time with Gideon to assure him and prepare him for the work ahead. Gideon, for his part, is also willing to invest in discernment (an understatement we see as the story unfolds). Gideon hears and begins to act on what he understands in a big and risky way. God honors this commitment and continues to clarify and reveal a new vision of reality. Peter and the others gave up their livelihoods and families to follow Jesus in a big and risky way. Jesus assures them that their commitment is worth it with a vision of reality that goes beyond what seems possible in the existing circumstances.
Can we go in the strength that we have in confidence that all things are possible with God despite discouraging daily circumstances?
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)
Most of us find truth in the saying, "You can't take it with you." But it's hard to pay heed to it when we're so busy yearning. The gap between God's kind and loving grace and our fixation on vain, earthly treasures is enormous -- the two just don't mix. It's not wrong to have success and riches, but we aren't able to fix our minds on God while basking in the delight of our possessions or in clinging to the prospect of having them.
In fact, Jesus tells us it's impossible; "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) Because we were made out of nothing by the power of God, it's impossible for us to do anything without Him, yet with the help of His grace, we're able to conform our lives to do His will because He gives us all we need to thrive. It's true, there's no one "thing" we can take with us, but what we will take are the riches God gives us for accepting His offer of divine friendship -- the kind of riches we attain now that stay with us forever.
The angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine pressto save it from the Midianites, the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, O champion!” Gideon said to him, “My Lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian.”
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you.” But Gideon answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.” “I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him, “and you will cut down Midian to the last man.”
Gideon answered him, “If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me. Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.” He answered, “I will await your return.”
So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and a measure of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth.” When he had done so, the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held, and touched the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock that consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight.
Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD, said, “Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” The LORD answered him, “Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die.” So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Yahweh-shalom.
Ps 85:9, 11-12, 13-14
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace
To his people, and to his faithful ones,
and to those who put in him their hope.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
Mt 19:23-30
Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Today’s readings speak to hearing and seeing a vision that seems impossible in light of current circumstances. The Lord proclaims peace to us in the midst of chaos, war, and injustices. God sees a champion in us even when we see ourselves as losers. God promises wealth beyond measure to those who give rather than hoard despite the fact that hoarding seems the obvious path to wealth.
“Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.”
The story of Gideon encourages us to get moving even if the vision is not yet clear – but also encourages us to keep asking for clarity. God tells Gideon to go with the strength that he has – but is willing to spend considerable time with Gideon to assure him and prepare him for the work ahead. Gideon, for his part, is also willing to invest in discernment (an understatement we see as the story unfolds). Gideon hears and begins to act on what he understands in a big and risky way. God honors this commitment and continues to clarify and reveal a new vision of reality. Peter and the others gave up their livelihoods and families to follow Jesus in a big and risky way. Jesus assures them that their commitment is worth it with a vision of reality that goes beyond what seems possible in the existing circumstances.
Can we go in the strength that we have in confidence that all things are possible with God despite discouraging daily circumstances?
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)
Most of us find truth in the saying, "You can't take it with you." But it's hard to pay heed to it when we're so busy yearning. The gap between God's kind and loving grace and our fixation on vain, earthly treasures is enormous -- the two just don't mix. It's not wrong to have success and riches, but we aren't able to fix our minds on God while basking in the delight of our possessions or in clinging to the prospect of having them.
In fact, Jesus tells us it's impossible; "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) Because we were made out of nothing by the power of God, it's impossible for us to do anything without Him, yet with the help of His grace, we're able to conform our lives to do His will because He gives us all we need to thrive. It's true, there's no one "thing" we can take with us, but what we will take are the riches God gives us for accepting His offer of divine friendship -- the kind of riches we attain now that stay with us forever.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Asking the right questions
Jgs2:11-19
The children of Israel offended the Lord by serving the Baals. Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress.
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers, they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors. But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
Mt 19:16-22
A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
In today’s gospel the young man asks, "What good must I do to gain eternal life?"
Often we're given this story of the young man as a lesson of the love of wealth and how difficult it would be for a wealthy person to get into heaven. And certainly Jesus Himself points this out to us. It’s not a literal command to each of us to give up all that we have earned—although we certainly should give a portion of what we have to help the poor—rather the message is, to me, much more.
While the young man’s question is well intentioned, it is a question that betrays his lack of clarityand maturity of faith as to what’s really important, and perhaps that is why Jesus knows to put this hardest challenge to him.
There is nothing wrong with seeking after eternal life, but it is not the greatest good in terms of attitude. The greatest good does not start with this question -- it starts with another, which is supplied by God's Holy Word and tested by the command Jesus gives to the young man.
In Deuteronomy, we are told that it is best for us when we "Love God with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Deut 6:5)
The young man's question should have been, "How do I learn to love God in this way and so enter eternal life to continue in this love?" And the answer is as Jesus implied in His command -- give up every other lesser love, abandon all desire for good things and desire only the One Good, and we'll find the path.
This sounds hard, but it is made easier by the Holy Spirit who helps us and by training the will to think always first of God and His glory and only second of our own desire. This is how we "sell all we have and give it to the poor." When we serve with the love of God foremost in our hearts, we have met the need Jesus articulates. And we must do this day by day, because each day we have a new chance to "sell all we have and give it to the poor." And day after day, if grace is there, the Holy Spirit supports this action.
The children of Israel offended the Lord by serving the Baals. Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress.
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers, they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors. But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
Mt 19:16-22
A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
In today’s gospel the young man asks, "What good must I do to gain eternal life?"
Often we're given this story of the young man as a lesson of the love of wealth and how difficult it would be for a wealthy person to get into heaven. And certainly Jesus Himself points this out to us. It’s not a literal command to each of us to give up all that we have earned—although we certainly should give a portion of what we have to help the poor—rather the message is, to me, much more.
While the young man’s question is well intentioned, it is a question that betrays his lack of clarityand maturity of faith as to what’s really important, and perhaps that is why Jesus knows to put this hardest challenge to him.
There is nothing wrong with seeking after eternal life, but it is not the greatest good in terms of attitude. The greatest good does not start with this question -- it starts with another, which is supplied by God's Holy Word and tested by the command Jesus gives to the young man.
In Deuteronomy, we are told that it is best for us when we "Love God with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Deut 6:5)
The young man's question should have been, "How do I learn to love God in this way and so enter eternal life to continue in this love?" And the answer is as Jesus implied in His command -- give up every other lesser love, abandon all desire for good things and desire only the One Good, and we'll find the path.
This sounds hard, but it is made easier by the Holy Spirit who helps us and by training the will to think always first of God and His glory and only second of our own desire. This is how we "sell all we have and give it to the poor." When we serve with the love of God foremost in our hearts, we have met the need Jesus articulates. And we must do this day by day, because each day we have a new chance to "sell all we have and give it to the poor." And day after day, if grace is there, the Holy Spirit supports this action.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Whover eats this bread will live forever
Prv 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table.
She has sent out her maidens; she calls from the heights out over the city: “Let whoever is simple turn in here; To the one who lacks understanding, she says, “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.”
Eph 5:15-20
Brothers and sisters: Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
Jn 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
We have been reflecting on the Eucharist most of the summer in our readings.
In today’s Gospel passage Jesus speaks of His own identity in the Eucharist. He speaks of the Eucharist, not only in the ordinary terms of bread and wine, but even more powerfully, He speaks of this bread and wine as being His flesh and His blood. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you."
Flesh and blood. We use that phrase all the time – usually to refer to the whole person. And so does Jesus. He reminds us even that this Eucharist is Him – flesh and blood, the whole person. If there were any doubt remaining, He states boldly and plainly, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven.” Jesus equates the bread from Heaven with Himself totally. This is not a part of Jesus. This truly is Jesus – flesh and blood, so to speak.
Knowing that Jesus equates the Eucharist with His total person, we can see that it is an understatement to say merely that the Eucharistic bread is the Body of Christ. It is certainly more than a “wafer.” And it is even more than the Body of Christ. It is the whole of Christ. Using the traditional expression, it is “the body and blood, soul and divinity” of our Lord Jesus Christ--His very Essence. Jesus is not only present in the Blessed Sacrament, rather in the Blessed Sacrament the fullness of Jesus is completely revealed.
It is not so much a question of presence as that of identity. Jesus reveals His full and complete identity to us in the Eucharist in the hopes that we will look into that mirror and see our identity. Who we are is never complete unless it is who we are in the sight of Jesus.
And so, we don’t just hear these readings about the Eucharist this summer and say, “Got it! Bread and wine to Body and Blood.” Rather, take a moment and see the Eucharist anew. As the Body and Blood of Jesus are elevated during the Holy Mass, look into the mirror that is the full and complete presence and identity of Jesus in the Eucharist. What is Jesus reflecting back to you? Who are you – what are you – in the sight of your Lord? What Jesus reflects to you there is the most complete, best, happiest and holiest person you can ever be – the one that you see reflected back to you when you gaze into the face of Jesus.
St. Clare, whose feast we celebrated last Tuesday, instructed her sisters to look into the face of Jesus in the Eucharist. She said, “Gaze upon Christ, consider Christ, contemplate Christ, imitate Christ.” When you gaze upon Christ, and even more powerfully, receive Christ, He will show you who you truly have been created to be. Have the courage to cast off everything else and embrace your identity in the sight of Jesus.
As we receive Holy Communion, let us be conscious that we are receiving Jesus Christ Himself – totally, fully, completely – and let us open our hearts to receive the new life that He brings to us. As we learn more about the very identity of Jesus through this Communion, let us remember that Jesus also wants to tell us something about our own identity, who He wants us to be, and as the root of the word "communion" suggests, where we fit into the "communion of Saints".
Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table.
She has sent out her maidens; she calls from the heights out over the city: “Let whoever is simple turn in here; To the one who lacks understanding, she says, “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.”
Eph 5:15-20
Brothers and sisters: Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
Jn 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
We have been reflecting on the Eucharist most of the summer in our readings.
In today’s Gospel passage Jesus speaks of His own identity in the Eucharist. He speaks of the Eucharist, not only in the ordinary terms of bread and wine, but even more powerfully, He speaks of this bread and wine as being His flesh and His blood. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you."
Flesh and blood. We use that phrase all the time – usually to refer to the whole person. And so does Jesus. He reminds us even that this Eucharist is Him – flesh and blood, the whole person. If there were any doubt remaining, He states boldly and plainly, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven.” Jesus equates the bread from Heaven with Himself totally. This is not a part of Jesus. This truly is Jesus – flesh and blood, so to speak.
Knowing that Jesus equates the Eucharist with His total person, we can see that it is an understatement to say merely that the Eucharistic bread is the Body of Christ. It is certainly more than a “wafer.” And it is even more than the Body of Christ. It is the whole of Christ. Using the traditional expression, it is “the body and blood, soul and divinity” of our Lord Jesus Christ--His very Essence. Jesus is not only present in the Blessed Sacrament, rather in the Blessed Sacrament the fullness of Jesus is completely revealed.
It is not so much a question of presence as that of identity. Jesus reveals His full and complete identity to us in the Eucharist in the hopes that we will look into that mirror and see our identity. Who we are is never complete unless it is who we are in the sight of Jesus.
And so, we don’t just hear these readings about the Eucharist this summer and say, “Got it! Bread and wine to Body and Blood.” Rather, take a moment and see the Eucharist anew. As the Body and Blood of Jesus are elevated during the Holy Mass, look into the mirror that is the full and complete presence and identity of Jesus in the Eucharist. What is Jesus reflecting back to you? Who are you – what are you – in the sight of your Lord? What Jesus reflects to you there is the most complete, best, happiest and holiest person you can ever be – the one that you see reflected back to you when you gaze into the face of Jesus.
St. Clare, whose feast we celebrated last Tuesday, instructed her sisters to look into the face of Jesus in the Eucharist. She said, “Gaze upon Christ, consider Christ, contemplate Christ, imitate Christ.” When you gaze upon Christ, and even more powerfully, receive Christ, He will show you who you truly have been created to be. Have the courage to cast off everything else and embrace your identity in the sight of Jesus.
As we receive Holy Communion, let us be conscious that we are receiving Jesus Christ Himself – totally, fully, completely – and let us open our hearts to receive the new life that He brings to us. As we learn more about the very identity of Jesus through this Communion, let us remember that Jesus also wants to tell us something about our own identity, who He wants us to be, and as the root of the word "communion" suggests, where we fit into the "communion of Saints".
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The firstfruits
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Munificentissimus Deus -- Defining the Dogma of the Assumption, Pope Pius XII, November 1, 1950
God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”
1 Cor 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
St. Ignatius had a passionate devotion to Mary, and in his Spiritual Exercises, he often urges us to go to God not only through Jesus, but also through Mary. The first contemplation Ignatius recommends for the Resurrection is the appearance of Jesus to his Mother. Ignatius acknowledges this first apparition of the Risen Lord is not mentioned in Scripture, but he goes on to say that common sense tells us it is so. It seems to me that this is the best way to prepare to celebrate Mary's Assumption into heaven, which, in a way, is her own Resurrection. Like her Son, because she was sinless, she did not have to go through the corruption of the Body that all other mortals go through at death. Rather, she was taken body and soul into heaven, truly the first-fruits of Christ's own resurrection. No wonder there are so many accounts of her appearing to people of simple faith! Like her Son she has the ability to be present to us in a new way. She is able to intercede for us not-so-immaculate children of God in a unique manner.
Use your God-given imagination and put yourself into the scene of Jesus appearing to his blessed Mother in body and soul. Enter into the intense consolation, the ecstatic joy of that unique encounter and ask for the grace to rejoice and be glad intensely at so great a glory and joy of both Mary and Jesus. Delight in this scene and allow your own heart to be filled with longing for the fulness of life and love that is the promise of God for all those who follow the path that Jesus marked out for us in his life and teaching and death on the cross. Then, reflect on today's Gospel:
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Divorce?? It's inconceivable to me!
Mt 19:3-12
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and motherand be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”
He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”
I have been kicking around several thoughts about today’s gospel.
Marilyn and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary this October. This will sound cliché, but it seems like yesterday, and neither of us has ever even entertained the thought of being with someone else. I’m one blessed individual. Thank You, God.
That said, the Jews in Jesus’ time must have had one heck of a time with their wives—just because Jesus tells them that divorce is wrong, they think they would be better off not getting married. Oh, wait! That’s happening in today’s world, too!
Jesus gives 3 reasons (probably not an all-inclusive list) why some are incapable of marriage:
“Because they were born so.” Some studies today show that there is a gene in many people that messes with their brains and gives them a tendency to homosexuality. I’m not sure I believe this, but even if it is true then Jesus is telling them right here in the gospel that they should not marry.
“They were made so by others”. I assume these are the spouses of those who are the victims of their partner’s infidelity. A civil divorce ensues, but they are still married in God’s eyes.
“Because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven”. This, to me, is an obvious reference to the priesthood and/or religious life.
Seems pretty clear to me. Marriage is not to be taken lightly. It is not an “event”. It is a vocation.
===================================================
The following is a reprint of the Saint of the Day at Americancatholic.org
August 14
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941)
“I don’t know what’s going to become of you!” How many parents have said that? Maximilian Mary Kolbe’s reaction was, “I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I said, ‘I choose both.’ She smiled and disappeared.” After that he was not the same.
He entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in LvÃv (then Poland, now Ukraine), near his birthplace, and at 16 became a novice. Though he later achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.
Ordained at 24, he saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day. His mission was to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work and suffering. He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata,, a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News to all nations. For the work of publication he established a “City of the Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later founded one in Nagasaki, Japan. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through devotion to Mary.
In 1939 the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed. Niepokalanow was severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
In 1941 he was arrested again. The Nazis’ purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the leaders. The end came quickly, in Auschwitz three months later, after terrible beatings and humiliations.
A prisoner had escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would die. He relished walking along the ranks. “This one. That one.” As they were being marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line. “I would like to take that man’s place. He has a wife and children.” “Who are you?” “A priest.” No name, no mention of fame. Silence. The commandant, dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Father Kolbe to go with the nine. In the “block of death” they were ordered to strip naked, and their slow starvation began in darkness. But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang. By the eve of the Assumption four were left alive. The jailer came to finish Kolbe off as he sat in a corner praying. He lifted his fleshless arm to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid. They burned his body with all the others. He was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982.
Comment:
Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration. He is the Patron Saint of Addicts or Drug addiction.
Please say a prayer to Father Kolbe today asking him to present those you know who are/were suffering from addiction to Our Lord for His Mercy.
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and motherand be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”
He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”
I have been kicking around several thoughts about today’s gospel.
Marilyn and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary this October. This will sound cliché, but it seems like yesterday, and neither of us has ever even entertained the thought of being with someone else. I’m one blessed individual. Thank You, God.
That said, the Jews in Jesus’ time must have had one heck of a time with their wives—just because Jesus tells them that divorce is wrong, they think they would be better off not getting married. Oh, wait! That’s happening in today’s world, too!
Jesus gives 3 reasons (probably not an all-inclusive list) why some are incapable of marriage:
“Because they were born so.” Some studies today show that there is a gene in many people that messes with their brains and gives them a tendency to homosexuality. I’m not sure I believe this, but even if it is true then Jesus is telling them right here in the gospel that they should not marry.
“They were made so by others”. I assume these are the spouses of those who are the victims of their partner’s infidelity. A civil divorce ensues, but they are still married in God’s eyes.
“Because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven”. This, to me, is an obvious reference to the priesthood and/or religious life.
Seems pretty clear to me. Marriage is not to be taken lightly. It is not an “event”. It is a vocation.
===================================================
The following is a reprint of the Saint of the Day at Americancatholic.org
August 14
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941)
“I don’t know what’s going to become of you!” How many parents have said that? Maximilian Mary Kolbe’s reaction was, “I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I said, ‘I choose both.’ She smiled and disappeared.” After that he was not the same.
He entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in LvÃv (then Poland, now Ukraine), near his birthplace, and at 16 became a novice. Though he later achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.
Ordained at 24, he saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day. His mission was to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work and suffering. He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata,, a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News to all nations. For the work of publication he established a “City of the Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later founded one in Nagasaki, Japan. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through devotion to Mary.
In 1939 the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed. Niepokalanow was severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
In 1941 he was arrested again. The Nazis’ purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the leaders. The end came quickly, in Auschwitz three months later, after terrible beatings and humiliations.
A prisoner had escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would die. He relished walking along the ranks. “This one. That one.” As they were being marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line. “I would like to take that man’s place. He has a wife and children.” “Who are you?” “A priest.” No name, no mention of fame. Silence. The commandant, dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Father Kolbe to go with the nine. In the “block of death” they were ordered to strip naked, and their slow starvation began in darkness. But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang. By the eve of the Assumption four were left alive. The jailer came to finish Kolbe off as he sat in a corner praying. He lifted his fleshless arm to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid. They burned his body with all the others. He was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982.
Comment:
Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration. He is the Patron Saint of Addicts or Drug addiction.
Please say a prayer to Father Kolbe today asking him to present those you know who are/were suffering from addiction to Our Lord for His Mercy.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Finding love through forgiveness
Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17
The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you, as I was with Moses. Now command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant to come to a halt in the Jordan when you reach the edge of the waters.”
So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God. This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites. The ark of the covenant of the LORD of the whole earth will precede you into the Jordan. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; for the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a solid bank.”
The people struck their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them. No sooner had these priestly bearers of the ark waded into the waters at the edge of the Jordan, which overflows all its banks during the entire season of the harvest, than the waters flowing from upstream halted, backing up in a solid mass for a very great distance indeed, from Adam, a city in the direction of Zarethan; while those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely. Thus the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel crossed over on dry ground, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD remained motionless on dry ground in the bed of the Jordan until the whole nation had completed the passage.
Mt 18:21–19:1
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
When I got home tonight from work, I kissed Marilyn and Lily Bug, said “hey!” to Alicia, got my dinner (they had already eaten), and turned on the TV to “M.A.S.H.” Just another typical night. Then usually I will turn the TV off go to http://avemariaradio.net/catholic-online-radio.php and listen to EWTN radio and try to get inspiration for my blog. For some reason, I didn’t turn off the TV tonight or listen to the radio. Instead, I left the TV on “just for background noise”, and tried to start my meditations on the Gospel. Of all the programs to be coming on after M.A.S.H., the network chose that oldie, “Touched By An Angel.” I know, I know, it’s corny and it’s not exactly Catholic, but it’s not anti-Catholic, either.
Anyway, tonight’s episode fits in with today’s Gospel in a way. It’s a story about two of God’s creatures who get caught up in Satan’s hate—one a human being and the other an angel of God. The angel is sent from heaven to show the man that his hate is destroying his family and in fact the whole community. The man has hate because his father was a tyrant who ruled the house by violence and intimidation and the devil uses the man’s hate for his father to turn the man to his ways of lying and murder. The angel confronts the devil face to face and becomes so angry at Satan that he becomes stronger in his control of the man’s hate, and the angel actually comes to hate the man for allowing the devil to take over. As a result the angel is “relieved” of her “assignment” and another angel is brought in to “pinch hit” for her until she can re-learn to love the man again. As I said, the TV show is very corny. But it’s also the way the devil works—so in a sense, I guess the show served a purpose for me tonight.
There was a line from the episode tonight that brought today’s Gospel home for me. “If you can’t find the love for him IN YOU, let GOD love him THROUGH you.” (The capital letters are for emphasis, to show the proper inflection in the actor’s voice).
Even when you think you can’t forgive, you have to anyway, as many times as necessary to understand what God’s love is for all of us.
The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you, as I was with Moses. Now command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant to come to a halt in the Jordan when you reach the edge of the waters.”
So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God. This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites. The ark of the covenant of the LORD of the whole earth will precede you into the Jordan. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; for the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a solid bank.”
The people struck their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them. No sooner had these priestly bearers of the ark waded into the waters at the edge of the Jordan, which overflows all its banks during the entire season of the harvest, than the waters flowing from upstream halted, backing up in a solid mass for a very great distance indeed, from Adam, a city in the direction of Zarethan; while those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely. Thus the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel crossed over on dry ground, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD remained motionless on dry ground in the bed of the Jordan until the whole nation had completed the passage.
Mt 18:21–19:1
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
When I got home tonight from work, I kissed Marilyn and Lily Bug, said “hey!” to Alicia, got my dinner (they had already eaten), and turned on the TV to “M.A.S.H.” Just another typical night. Then usually I will turn the TV off go to http://avemariaradio.net/catholic-online-radio.php and listen to EWTN radio and try to get inspiration for my blog. For some reason, I didn’t turn off the TV tonight or listen to the radio. Instead, I left the TV on “just for background noise”, and tried to start my meditations on the Gospel. Of all the programs to be coming on after M.A.S.H., the network chose that oldie, “Touched By An Angel.” I know, I know, it’s corny and it’s not exactly Catholic, but it’s not anti-Catholic, either.
Anyway, tonight’s episode fits in with today’s Gospel in a way. It’s a story about two of God’s creatures who get caught up in Satan’s hate—one a human being and the other an angel of God. The angel is sent from heaven to show the man that his hate is destroying his family and in fact the whole community. The man has hate because his father was a tyrant who ruled the house by violence and intimidation and the devil uses the man’s hate for his father to turn the man to his ways of lying and murder. The angel confronts the devil face to face and becomes so angry at Satan that he becomes stronger in his control of the man’s hate, and the angel actually comes to hate the man for allowing the devil to take over. As a result the angel is “relieved” of her “assignment” and another angel is brought in to “pinch hit” for her until she can re-learn to love the man again. As I said, the TV show is very corny. But it’s also the way the devil works—so in a sense, I guess the show served a purpose for me tonight.
There was a line from the episode tonight that brought today’s Gospel home for me. “If you can’t find the love for him IN YOU, let GOD love him THROUGH you.” (The capital letters are for emphasis, to show the proper inflection in the actor’s voice).
Even when you think you can’t forgive, you have to anyway, as many times as necessary to understand what God’s love is for all of us.
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