michael's musings

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-10-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Click here to review the upcoming Sunday readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/101908.shtml

How appropriate that we have these readings just a few weeks before Election Day. Each of the readings addresses some aspect of political power and authority, making it appropriate to look at their original context and then seeing how we can apply them to our current situation.
The first reading from Isaiah refers to the anointing of Cyrus, king of Persia. This passage is absolutely dramatic in its effect on the original audience. Isaiah is writing to the Israelites who are exiled in Babylon, the great capital city of the Persian Empire. As we saw last week, this exile was a punishment for the idolatry of the Israelites. Now, they find themselves in a foreign land with polytheistic beliefs. Yet, Cyrus treats the Israelites well during their captivity, and God chooses to anoint Cyrus in the same way as a king of Israel would be anointed. Imagine – a foreign king who has no knowledge of the one true God has been chosen as the anointed of the one true God of the Israelites to be king. Why does God do this? God does so for the sake of his people and to make himself known to Cyrus and the Persians. God is greater than our preconceived ideas or even greater than God’s previous plans that we know.
The psalm continues this theme of the first reading, encouraging all lands to sing and praise God, even if they do not know him. God is not just for Israel, but for everyone. The other important message from the psalm is that the Lord is king and he alone. While we do have our temporal rulers set apart to rule over us, they do not detract from God’s kingship over us. In a sense, it really does not matter who is our ruler, for it does not change the fact that God is our king.
Paul makes this point to the Greeks in Thessalonica who have just accepted the word of God. Paul encourages them to rejoice in their calling, for the Gospel did not come to them in word alone, but through power in the Holy Spirit and conviction. God is not just for the Jews, but for everyone. They too are loved by God just as much as the original chosen people of Israel. That fact enables us to live in faith and love, serving without complaint no matter what our situation or condition.
Finally, we have the famous passage where Jesus is challenged with the question of whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Two different groups ask him this question – each of them having a political motive, as these groups were essentially political parties of the time. On the one hand, the Herodians were loyal to the Romans and supported tax payment, so that if Jesus rejected tax payment that would get him in trouble with the Romans. On the other hand, the Pharisees rejected tax payment, saying it was an offering to a false god. Thus, if Jesus accepted tax payment he would be in trouble with the larger Jewish community.
Thus, the answer Jesus gives transcends political understanding: ‘Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God the things that are God’s.’ In effect, what Jesus is saying is that if Caesar asks for the tax, give it to him, but in giving the tax it in no way diminishes God’s kingship over us. In reflecting on the idea of giving to God what belongs to God, we must ask ourselves what we have that does not come from God. We owe him our entire existence, and it is that which we owe to him.
What does this all mean for our own times? We’ve heard a lot about the upcoming election, and we have been told how to vote by various people. At the end of the day, it does not really matter who wins, for God is still God and we are still his people. If God can accept Cyrus and Caesar as rulers over his people, then he can certainly tolerate whomever wins our presidential race, and so should we.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-10-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Click here to review the upcoming Sunday readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/101208.shtml

Once again the Sunday readings provide us with a consistent theme: the promise of the eschatological wedding feast of the Messiah. Each reading provides a poignant aspect of this great mystery and promise.

In the first reading, Isaiah is trying to console and inspire the Jewish people who are suffering in Babylon. Their temple has been destroyed and they are far from Mount Zion in Jerusalem. It is within this context that Isaiah announces the Messianic promise of the banquet on the mountain of the Lord. In attending this feast we will no longer have need of the Temple veil that shrouds the presence of God. At the feast we will behold God as God is, our sins forgiven, and our fears relieved.

The responsorial psalm continues this theme with the famous hymn of the Lord as our shepherd. Again, the theme of Messianic fulfillment is evident in the words: God will provide abundantly for all of our needs in verdant pastures. Notice that the location of the feast shifts from the mountain in Isaiah to a pasture in the Psalms. Each image has special significance for its original audience and for us today. A mountain conveys the sense of closeness to God and getting God’s perspective on the world, while the pasture is clearly an image of peace and serenity.

The second reading at first glance seems out of place, but in point of fact we see Paul providing the essential focus for the readings. These Messianic promises do not refer to physical satisfaction in terms of hunger and security. Instead, it provides us with the serenity of spirit needed to trust God for all of our needs. Paul is referring to the context of his persecuted church. His people were shunned by the Jews and suspect by the Greeks. No doubt their livelihoods were meager, as Paul certainly had that experience of want. Yet, if we have God we have all, and God will provide for us in our need.

Finally, Jesus uses the image of the marriage feast to describe the eschatological fulfillment of the Messiah’s coming. The invitation to that feast is extended first to those in the kingdom – the Jewish people. However, not only was the invitation ignored, but also it was scorned in the worst possible terms – beating the messengers who brought the good news. The original invitation list, then, is cast aside and everyone who could be found are brought into the banquet. Still, we must have our wedding garment to attend worthily. What is the wedding garment? St. Gregory the Great gives us the answer:

“For if we say it is baptism or faith, is there anyone who has entered this marriage feast without them? A person is outside because he has not yet come to believe. What then must we understand by the wedding garment but love? That person enters the marriage feast, but without wearing a wedding garment, who is present in the holy church. He may have faith, but he does not have love. We are correct when we say that love is the wedding garment because this is what our Creator himself possessed when he came to the marriage feast to join the church to himself. Only God’s love brought it about that his only begotten Son united the hearts of his chosen to himself.” (Forty Gospel Homilies 38.9)

Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-09-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Click here to review the upcoming Sunday readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/100508.shtml

This week we are asked to look at the kingdom of God in terms of a vineyard. Agricultural images are common to the Scriptures, largely because most people earned their living from farming. The images are therefore familiar enough to the original audience, making it easy for them to draw the necessary analogy.

In the first reading the prophet Isaiah is reviewing the message of God for Israel just prior to the Babylonian captivity. For Isaiah, the vineyard was planted well by God, but it became a useless crop due to those whom God entrusted with the care of the vineyard. Here, Isaiah is referencing the unfaithful leaders of Israel who allowed themselves and the nation to worship false gods. Such a sin leads by nature to ruin; God need not send a special punishment when the sin itself leads to ruin. Thus, the Babylonian captivity of Israel is the result of infidelity on the part of Israel, for had Israel remained faithful they would have remained united with the Southern kingdom of Judah and would have been able to withstand the oncoming invasion. As it was, the lack of fidelity to God led to a lack of unity, thereby leading to inevitable ruin.

The Psalm continues this theme. Psalm 80 is a traditional lament Psalm, written at the time of the captivity and drawing on the same images of Isaiah. Here, the Psalmist puts into prayer form what Isaiah puts in the way of allegory and prophecy: despite the infidelity of your people, Lord, spare us this disaster and we will return to you. How often this prayer has been said by every succeeding generation! No doubt many are making a similar plea to God in our own times.

St. Paul’s letter at first sight does not appear to be connected to these readings, but he is speaking to the individual person of his day who is probably experiencing great trials from the outside world for accepting the new Christian faith. We have no control over what others do; we can only control our own actions and our response to what is happening around us. No matter what is happening around us we must still be joyful and remain faithful to God. Therefore, think of what is good and God’s peace will be with you.

Finally, the Gospel reading adds an additional layer to the prophecy of Isaiah. Jesus uses this familiar image from Isaiah and the Psalms and adapts it to his times. He uses the vineyard as it would be understood in his times. Vineyard owners in Jesus’ time were wealthy men who owned multiple vineyards and houses. They would rotate their time at each house and vineyard, and then would hire servants to care for the vineyards and houses in his absence. This man would have other servants of greater authority who could speak in his name, not to mention sons who could carry a much stronger message. The point Jesus makes, then, is crystal clear to his audience. The final line of this Gospel reading is not given in the lectionary: v. 45-46: “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parable, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.”

Both the Pharisees and the crowd were wrong. The Pharisees could not accept the clear message of truth, but the crowd only regarded Jesus as a prophet and no more. Neither could see Jesus’ real identity. May we not fall into the same traps, and may we be good stewards of the vineyard God has entrusted to us: our spiritual lives and those of others entrusted to our care.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-09-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

Click here to review the upcoming Sunday readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/092808.shtml

This week our theme from last week continues: the way of the Lord is not the way of the world. In the first reading we see the prophet Ezekiel pick up this theme in regard to those who repent of their sins. Ezekiel is writing before the Babylonian exile in an attempt to restore the piety of Israel, hoping that such a restoration will avert the impending doom. The prophet stresses two ideas: first, the importance of perseverance. It is not enough to begin a life of holiness; you must persevere in that state of holiness throughout your life. Second, a person who has not begun in virtue but converts later in life and perseveres in that virtue until death should receive a great reward. Those two elements constitute fairness in the eyes of God.

The responsorial psalm repeats those themes from the first reading. We pray for knowledge of God’s ways that we might follow the way of God all the days of our life. At the same time, we implore the mercy of God so that we might return to God if we have strayed from the path. Remembering that God is good and merciful will enable us to maintain the right path.

St. Paul then shows us in what that right path consists: humility. We should not think ourselves greater than others because of all the good things God has given us. Instead, we should realize the great responsibility that comes with such a high calling. He then reminds us of the example of Christ, who humbled himself to become a human and to die for our sakes – all in obedience to God’s will. Because of Jesus’ obedience, God exalts him, and God will do the same for us if we follow the example of Christ.

Finally, Jesus highlights the point of obedience to God’s will in the parable of two sons. All of us can see ourselves in this story. It is often the case that we are like the first son. We hear God’s word and initially we are resistant to it, but after thinking about it for a while, we come to our senses and follow God’s will. Unfortunately, we are also like the second son in many times in our life. We hear a great homily, or are excited by a profound passage from Scripture at first reading, but then we fail to carry out God’s will in our lives. What is worse, we are often like the Pharisees who have forgotten the first reading from Ezekiel. We see people turn from a bad life and yet that does not move us to be more fervent in our practice of the faith.

Let us always have the humility of Paul so that we can see God’s will in our lives and carry it out faithfully.a

Twenty fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-09-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Click here to read the upcoming Sunday Mass readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/092108.shtml

“The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works.” These words from the Responsorial Psalm of today’s Mass are our central theme. In our lives we yearn to know the will of God in our lives, but very often we really want our will confirmed by God. We become disappointed when God shows His will and it is very different from our own.

The first reading from Isaiah recalls the return of the Israelites to the Promised Land after the Babylonian captivity. The Jews who suffered for their faith did not have a lot of patience with those who may have capitulated under pressure and did not stay completely faithful to God’s law. Isaiah pleads for mercy here. If they turn to God for mercy God forgives them, which is not what is in the mind of the people. The early Church had a similar episode where some wanted to reject those who gave into persecution. They were called the Donatists, and they rejected backsliders. In response to them, St. Augustine evoked these words from Isaiah to encourage those who did fall away to return and begin again.

St. Paul encourages the Philippians to conduct themselves in a way worthy of the Gospel. Within the context of these readings that would mean we should show mercy to our neighbor just as God showed mercy to us. The saint struggles with two desires: to depart this world and be with Christ, and to stay on earth and serve others. To become mercy for others Paul sees it better to remain on earth for the benefit of his community. Accepting God’s will in this matter is an act of mercy toward others. We also have to recognize when others need us and to be available for them. In this way we show mercy to those in our life.

Finally, the Gospel teaches a hard lesson about the mercy of God. A landowner provides the same pay for everyone, regardless of how many hours they labored in the field. Those who worked all day find this unjust, while those who only worked a few hours found this extremely generous. The point of the Gospel passage is not about economics, but about the salvation that comes to us from God. The grace of salvation is a gift freely given by God; it is not owed to anyone out of justice. Thus, those who complained in the parable had no right to do so, and they are sent away. St. Gregory the Great has us ponder this sober reality:

“For many are called, but few are chosen; many come to the faith, and only a few are brought to the heavenly kingdom. See how many have gathered for today’s celebration; we fill the church! But yet who knows how few may be numbered in the flock of God’s elect. All voices shout ‘Christ!’, but not everyone’s life shouts it. Many follow God with their voices but flee from him by their conduct….In this world they mingle with the faithful through their confession of faith, but in the next they do not merit to be counted in the ranks of the faithful because of their wicked way of life. The sheepfold of our holy church receives goats together with lambs, but as the Gospel bears witness, when the judge shall come he will separate the good from the evil as a shepherd sets the sheep apart from the goats. Those who are subject to the pleasures of their bodies here cannot be counted as sheep there. The judge will separate from the ranks of the humble those who now exalt themselves on the horns of pride. Those who share the heavenly faith in this life but seek the earth with their whole desire cannot obtain the kingdom of heaven.” (Forty Gospel Homilies 19.5)

Triumph of the Cross

2008-09-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

Click here to follow the upcoming Sunday readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/091408.shtml

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Since it is a major feast day in honor of the Lord Jesus, it can take precedence over the regular Sunday cycle. This feast began when the alleged “true cross” on which Jesus died was found by St. Helena in the fourth century. Afterward, her son, the emperor Constantine, had built on that site the basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. This feast is designed to honor that event.
In the Catholic tradition, the triumph of the Cross is really the Good Friday celebration of the Lord’s Passion and Death. During that liturgy we process forward and venerate the holy cross. It is good, nonetheless, to have another day to focus our attention on the central symbol of the Christian faith.

Today’s first reading reminds us of the bronze serpent that God ordered Moses to make. Anyone who looked upon that image would be saved from death and the ill effects of the serpent bites that were tormenting the Israelites in the desert. As we shall see, the image of the bronze serpent is a type or foreshadowing of the lifting up of Jesus on the cross, so that anyone who looks upon Jesus will be saved from the death of sin. The responsorial psalm reminds us of that saving work of God, and it looks ahead to the saving work to be done by God in future times.

The second reading is the famous hymn to Christ in the letter to the Philippians. This passage is a classic example of exaltation Christology, meaning that the obedience of the human Jesus to accepting death on the cross for our salvation leads God the Father to raise him up so that all peoples might acknowledge Jesus as Lord – the traditional title for God in the Jewish tradition. It is precisely in that act of submission to the cross that leads to such a glorious exaltation.

The Gospel then has Jesus make reference to the event which we read in the first reading. Here, Jesus applies that image to himself and makes the key distinction: the bronze serpent saved the Israelites from physical death, but Jesus being lifted on the cross will save us from the spiritual death of sin. The Venerable Bede has penned the best description possible on this replacement:

“The wounds caused by the fiery serpent are the poisonous enticements of the vices, which afflict the soul and bring about its spiritual death. The people were murmuring against the Lord. They were stricken by the serpents’ bites. This provides an excellent instance of how one may recognize from the results of external scourge what a great calamity a person might suffer inwardly by murmuring. In the raising up of the bronze serpent (when those who beheld it, they were cured) is prefigured our Redeemer’s suffering on the cross, for only by faith in him is the kingdom of death and sin overcome. The sins which drag down soul and body to destruction at the same time are appropriately represented by the serpents, not only because they were fiery and poisonous and artful at bringing about death, but also because our first parents were led into sin by a serpent, and from being immortal they became mortal by sinning. The Lord is aptly made known by the bronze serpent, since he came in the likeness of sinful flesh. Just as the bronze serpent had the likeness of a fiery serpent but had absolutely none of the strength of a harmful poison in its members – rather by being lifted up it cured those who had been stricken by the live serpents – so the Redeemer of the human race did not merely clothe himself in sinful flesh but entered bodily into the likeness of sinful flesh, in order that by suffering death on the cross in this likeness he might free those who believed in him from all sin and even from death itself.”

“O Crux Ave Spes Unica!” – O Hail the Cross, our only hope!

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-09-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

Click here to review the readings for this Sunday: http://www.usccb.org/nab/090708.shtml

This Sunday’s readings focus our attention on the theme of fraternal correction, i.e. how to correct someone who has gone astray. This skill does not come naturally, and so we need help in learning this important skill. Some people err in having a false notion of charity that says we should not correct anyone because that is judging, and thus that action is not charitable. On the other hand, some people err in having a self-righteous attitude about correction of others, implying that they are blameless in the sight of God.

The first reading is a call from the prophet Ezekiel to warn others about wickedness. He uses the image of a watchman to teach the lesson. A watchman would be ordered to watch the city gates for a set time at night, and usually there were three night watchmen who rotated the duties. If a threat to the city was detected at night, it was the night watchman’s job to warn the city and prepare to defend the city against the threat. So, the first lesson we learn is that wickedness is a real threat to the walls of our souls and those of others. We have an obligation to warn others about it in the same way a watchman has the responsibility of warning the city about impending threats.

The responsorial psalm gives us a reminder about the way in which God warns us about sin and wickedness. The psalmist reminds us of the time in the desert when the Israelites complained against God and wanted to return to the slavery of Egypt in spite of the fact that they had seen the marvelous works of God in their lives. How often have we been in the same situation? How often have we forgotten the mercies of God and returned to sinful ways? So, the way God warns us is by reminding us of the good God has done for us and of the evil we have committed that he has forgiven in our lives.

Paul’s contribution to the subject comes in the form of reminding us of our obligation to love others. Love does no evil to our neighbor, so in reminding them of the teachings of God we perform the best practice of love. Paul argues that we fulfill the law by loving our neighbor. Reminding our neighbor of God’s commandments is the greatest love we can show, for we care for their needs that extend into eternity.

Finally, Jesus gives us a guide to follow in the correction of others. This process is extensive and gradual. It takes a great deal of patience to correct in this manner. How easy it would be to excommunicate and condemn, but that would not provide for the needs of that person’s spirit. Some, however, see condemnation as justified when Jesus urges that after the lengthy process of charitable correction fails that we treat that person like a tax collector or Gentile. Yet, how did Jesus treat the tax collector and Gentile? He ate with them, talked with them, and kept open the dialogue with them. May we imitate the Good Shepherd in our dealings with others.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-08-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Click here to view the Sunday readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/083108.shtml.

Once again the readings present us with a coherent theme that runs throughout salvation history. That theme can be summed up in two words: overturning expectations.

In the first reading Jeremiah is reflecting upon his call to be a prophet. Jeremiah initially thought that this calling would be great. He would proclaim God’s word and people would automatically convert, sin would cease, and God would bless him abundantly. Instead, Jeremiah faced persecution, harsh treatment, rejection, and ultimately he will die for being a prophet. Needless to say, the reality of following God became very different from the preconceived notions Jeremiah had in his mind about following God. His initial reaction is to reject that call and preach the word of God no longer, but the prophet then realizes that approach would not do. Once you hear the voice of God in your life, there is no returning to your former way of life. That is the message and prayer of the responsorial psalm.

St. Paul reiterates that same point when he encourages the Romans to reject the message of the present age and to discern the will of God. Discerning the will of God is hard only because we do not want to do it. It is much easier for us to follow the voices of the world, and certainly that is what our body wants us to do. Knowing God’s will is not hard, though. We find it throughout scripture, in the lives of the saints, in the teaching of the Church, and it is found within our hearts and souls. Knowing the will of God is not hard, but doing the will of God is another matter.

Peter found it especially difficult to accept the will of God in the matter of Jesus’ death. Remember that last week Peter was praised by Jesus for his response of faith and then given authority to govern the Church of Christ. Yet, Peter finds it difficult to accept the fact that Jesus’ identity as the messiah is about suffering to save us. That goes against Peter’s expectation – and that of most Jews of the day – that the messiah would be a great political leader who would throw out the foreign oppressors, re-establish the kingship and priesthood of Israel, and usher in an era of peace. However, Jesus presents us with the reality of discipleship: it will involve denial of ourselves and the world in imitation of Jesus, who will die to save us from sin.

The ultimate question for us is not ‘What is God’s will for me?” We already know the answer to that question. The real question is “Will I follow God’s will?” Through the examples and teaching of this week’s scripture and in the example of Jesus’ life, may we come to accept the will of God and carry it out in our lives.

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-08-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

Click here to view this Sunday’s readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/082408.shtml

Today’s second reading provides us with the important question for our reflection: “Who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid?” The answer to these questions is the same: no one. No human being can fully know the mind of God. We seek to know his will through prayer, study of the Sacred Scriptures, and the teaching of the Church. Yet, we will never fully know God’s mind, as it is infinite and we are finite. What is more, we are not in the position to counsel God; that would be reversing the relationship. It is we who need his counsel. And none of us has given God anything that deserves repayment to us by God. God owes us nothing; we owe God everything.

The first reading presents us with the promise of God to the Davidic kings of Israel. God’s authority will be with them. They will have the keys to the kingdom that only the king is able to use. Here we have to understand the keys as being symbols of absolute authority over a city. The keys would have been used to lock and unlock the city gates that allowed people in or kept people out. Only the king had such absolute authority over the fate of another human being, and the king is to judge such things based on the wisdom God gives him.

In the Gospel reading we revisit the story of Jesus handing over authority over the Church to Peter. Here, Jesus uses the symbol of the keys from the first reading to grant such authority. Yet, there is an important difference in this conferral from that of the first reading. Here, Peter has authority to bind and loose on earth so that such a binding occurs in heaven as well. What is more, such a binding and loosing has to do with the content of revelation – “whatever”- not the fate of persons - “whoever”. Peter’s authority is not temporal like the kings of Israel. Instead, his authority is spiritual and applies to things of heaven.

Authority can be a very dangerous thing in the hands of the wrong person. Our acceptance of authority in another can also be a dangerous thing. The danger lies in forgetting where this authority originates. God alone grants authority and He alone is ultimate wisdom. As long as we maintain such a balance, our acceptance of authority in humans is safe. Let us accept this authority with docility, knowing that God alone is our counselor and king.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-08-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

Click here to view this Sunday’s readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/081708.shtml

This week’s readings focus on the theme of universal salvation, a radical theme in the ancient world where every ethnicity thought themselves exclusively beloved of God. In their world, salvation was only for them, not for anyone else.

In the first reading we see the first promise of salvation for all peoples in the prophecies of Isaiah. The prophet was writing to the Jews suffering exile in Babylon, and this announcement of universal salvation comes as quite a shock to that audience. Can God really save those who have destroyed His Temple and persecuted His people? Isaiah saw what God saw – every single person is a human being capable of loving God if invited to do so. It is our task to avoid getting in the way of God’s grace for others. That way, our prayer can be that of the Responsorial Psalm – “May the people’s praise you, O God; may all the people’s praise you!”

St. Paul reaffirms the teaching of Isaiah in his ministry to the Gentiles and in the words he writes to them in our second reading. He hopes that the conversion of the Gentiles to faith in the one true God would be a sign for the Jews – a sign that the words of Isaiah are now coming to fulfillment. This sign, in the hope of Paul would then lead the Jewish people to conversion as well, i.e. in accepting Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. That remains our constant hope, for Paul reminds us that God’s call is irrevocable – He will not forget His promises made to Israel, and now those promises are extended to all peoples.

The Gospel reading is perhaps the most shocking passage in the entire Bible. Could Jesus really have been so harsh to the woman? The answer lies in the context of the writing of Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew wrote his gospel for Jewish Christians who took very seriously the promises of God to Israel. Jesus, of course, knew these concerns and uses this occasion to test the faith of the woman as well as the faith of the Jews. We are shocked at the words Jesus uses with the woman, but perhaps we miss the shock of the original audience who would have been shocked at the acceptance of the Canaanite woman. This story confirms the prophecy of Isaiah and the ministry of Paul.

In our own times we need to remember this truth – that God calls us all to one single unity. As the early Church father Leander of Seville said, “Heresies and schism spring from the source of evils, and, therefore, whoever comes to unity returns from vice to nature; for just as it is natural for many to become one, so is it a vice to avoid the sweetness of brotherly love. Let us, then, with our whole hearts be lifted up in joy that Christ has restored to his friendship in a single church the people who perished from love of strife. In this church, the harmony of love will again receive them. Of this church, the prophet foretold, saying, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’” (Homilies on the Triumph of the Church).

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-08-05T07:01:00.001-07:00

Click this link to familiarize yourself with the Sunday readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/081008.shtml

This Sunday’s readings might be thematically described as “looking for God in all the wrong places.” In each of the readings we see different expectations and preconceived ideas about God and ourselves overturned by the action of God.

In the first reading God invites Elijah to Mount Horeb where he will find refuge from Jezebel, who wants to kill Elijah for the death of all his priests on Mount Carmel. God promised his presence to Elijah in this time of flight, and Elijah had all the expectations of a person of his times regarding where God might be found: the heavy wind, the earthquake, and fire. All of these would have been regarded as supernatural omens that reveal the presence of the divine by the people of Elijah’s time. However, God was found in none of these things. Instead, God was found in the whispering sound of a gentle breeze. Elijah’s response is indicative of his misplaced perceptions that were overturned by God who always surprises us with His presence.

In the same way Paul becomes frustrated over the fact that the chosen people of God refuse to accept Jesus. Paul recounts for us all the blessings God has given Israel that they might understand God’s presence among them in the person of Jesus – the adoption, glory, the covenants, the law, worship, promises, patriarchs, and Christ himself. Yet they did not see what should have been obvious to them. We might well say the same thing about ourselves. We are blessed to belong to the Catholic Church, the one Church of Christ. We have the gift of infallible teaching, the sacraments, and the blessing of saints who inspire us to holiness. And yet, do we recognize the presence of God in our world each day, and do we live as we should?

The answer to those questions is found in the Gospel reading where Jesus invites Peter to walk out on the water with him in the midst of the storm. Peter accepts Jesus’ invitation and begins to walk on the water toward Jesus. Then, Peter loses his focus. He takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to worry about the storm and the water. Imagine an experienced fisherman who knows how to swim very well, and he is unable to do not only the miraculous but also the very ordinary – all because he lost sight of the real source of all our abilities both natural and supernatural – Jesus. All of the other trappings of our tradition avail us nothing if we do not have that fundamental orientation in our hearts and minds.

May we always be attune to the presence of God every moment of our lives, appreciate the tradition from which we come, and always have Jesus as our sole focus in all we do.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-07-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

To view the readings for this Sunday, click here: http://www.usccb.org/nab/080308.shtml

What can separate us from the love of Christ? That is a question we should ask ourselves often, a question that many asked in the gospel text for today's Mass regarding the death of John the Baptist.

Many in Jesus' day mistakingly believed that John the Baptist was the Messiah, and even those who did not regard John as the Messiah followed him as the forerunner to the Messiah. John's role was misunderstood by the people of that time just as much as Jesus' identity was misunderstood by them. They figured that if John was the forerunner to the Messiah, and the Messiah was going to be a great political ruler who would liberate Israel from Roman occupation, restore the kingdom of Israel and restore the priesthood of the Temple - then how does John's death fit into this equation? Their misreading of the true nature and mission of the Messiah extends to the fate of John the Baptist as well. They failed to see John's death as a precursor to Jesus' own death. Thus, the crowd's were wandering around like sheep without a shepherd.

In the first reading we see the great Messianic expectation given by Isaiah: the Messiah will bring a time of great abundance where people will come to eat and drink without having to pay. This expectation finds a prayer form in our responsorial Psalm 147, where we exalt God for providing a bounty for us at all times. This expectation finds its fulfillment in the action of Jesus in the Gospel reading. With a few meager offerings Jesus is able to feed a crowd of 5,000 men - not counting women and children. Jesus's actions point the crowd to the notion of the Messiah as a suffering servant found throughout Isaiah and in the Psalms. He was attempting to correct their mistaken notion of the Messiah through this action that is set within the context of John's death.

What does all of this have to do with our original question? The mistaken notion of the people then was that the Messiah was a temporal ruler only, and that the death of his precursor somehow separated them from God's love, i.e. the promise of the Messiah. But Jesus is not a temporal Messiah. He is God who defeats death and sin, our only real enemies. We should not fear death if we are free from sin, for then death is union with God in the perfection of heaven.

Let our motto for life be the words from St. Paul in the second reading: "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-07-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Click here to review this Sunday’s readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/072708.shtml

This week’s readings provide us with a powerful reminder of what is of real and lasting value in our lives. Jesus tells us earlier in Matthew’s gospel that where your treasure is, so there is your heart. If we are preoccupied with amassing treasures here on earth we will miss the treasures of the spirit that are of far greater value.

In the first reading God tells Solomon to make a request and God will grant it. Solomon made the wise choice – not silver and gold, but a heart that knows right from wrong so that he could lead God’s people with wisdom. God was pleased with Solomon’s answer and blessed him with everything else besides. It is pointless to ask for long life or for riches. Despite our advances in medicine the death rate has remained the same: we will all die. Therefore, it is pointless to seek for what will perish.

The lesson of Solomon’s choice is confirmed in the second reading where St. Paul reminds us that all things work for good for those who love God. If we truly love God we will want for nothing. God will provide for us what we need in the material order, and God provides for us what we need in the spiritual order as well. If we are focused on spiritual treasure, God will provide us with the material as well. Early in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus makes this same point: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the rest will be given to you.”

Finally, the Gospel provides us with three parables that bring to light the concept of genuine treasure. We would pay any price for a field that contained treasure in it, or we would pay any price for the pearl of great price. Yet, what will we do to obtain the treasure of God’s kingdom of love? Will we spend everything, i.e. give our whole selves, to acquire that immense gift? If not, then the final parable of this week’s Gospel reading provides us with the consequences: those who do not seek the kingdom of God will find the fiery furnace at the Day of Judgment, while those who did seek the kingdom will find themselves in the kingdom they sought.

The image of the net being dragged across the sea is our work in the kingdom on earth. Like last week’s reading, it is not for us to separate the weeds and the wheat, nor is it for us to separate the good from the bad catch in the net. Why? We are part of that catch and we are part of that harvest. May we be found worthy to be in the kingdom on that final day.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-07-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

The readings can be viewed by following this link: http://www.usccb.org/nab/072008.shtml

The focus of this week’s reflection will be on the Gospel passage where three parables of Jesus are linked together. One wonders why Matthew chose to put these three parables together. All of them are agricultural in nature, which may be one reason why they are connected. However, there is a profoundly theological reason for their grouping as well.

The parable of the sower who went out to sow good seed is clearly a reference to God the Father, as we saw last week. The seed is the word of God, who is Jesus the Lord. What is striking is the great mercy that God shows in allowing the weeds and wheat to grow together until harvest. It would be our natural inclination to attempt to pull the weeds, but those who know wheat farming know that chaff looks very similar to wheat, and that this weed wraps itself around the root ball of the wheat, so that if you did attempt to pull it out you would most certainly damage the wheat as well. Here we see the work of God the Father at work in the world, being ever patient, as patience that is emphasized in the first reading and the responsorial psalm.

The second parable we hear is that of the mustard seed, and as we’ve seen throughout Matthew’s Gospel, the seed is always the word of God, who is Jesus. Thus, this parable is about the work of God the Son, who dies as the seed does in order for a great growth to result. This growth of the mustard tree is a symbol of the Church, where birds of all kinds – people of every nation – come to find refuge. Again, we have an echo of this idea in the responsorial psalm, where it states that all nations shall come and worship God.

Finally, the parable of the yeast in the dough gives us the action of God the Holy Spirit at work in the world. The Spirit is often unnoticed in our daily lives and our prayer life and theology. Like the yeast in the dough, it is permeated throughout the whole mass of humanity, silently at work enabling us to rise to our full potential. The second reading addresses this silent work. We don’t know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit living in us – individually and in the Church – enables us to pray as we ought. That rising of the yeast is our prayer – individual and communal rising up to God – is inspired by the Spirit and is ever at work in our lives, if we but look for it.

Thus, our readings today take on a profoundly Trinitarian orientation. We see the work of God in each person and in a variety of images. Let us be attune to that work in our lives and cooperate fully with that work so that it bears abundant fruit.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-07-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

Click here to view this week’s Sunday scripture readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/071308.shtml

This week’s readings once again present us with a consistent theme to follow. Yet, we might be confused by the theme of these readings as given in the responsorial psalm: “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.” Is not all ground good because God made it? Metaphysically speaking, all things are good because they exist and have that existence from God, who is existence itself. However, the readings today have us reflect on moral goodness, which is the result of human choice.

The first reading points out to us that the word of God, the seed for our souls, is good in itself and will not be sowed in vain. It will achieve the purpose for which God sent it to us. Here again we have to remember that the word, of course, is Jesus, and so it is not a message but a person. The message and the person are in fact one, and the sending of Jesus to earth, while it will be rejected by many, will nevertheless achieve its purpose, which is the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of souls.

That clearly is the message St. Paul wishes to convey in the second reading. He also reminds us that when our first parents sinned, it affected not only themselves, but also the entire created order. This reading reminds me of a passage from Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” where Titania looks over the quarrels of humankind and the ravages of nature, pointing out to Oberon that they were to blame for the ills in the world – “We are their parents and original.” Would that we would accept such blame and look to lead Spirit filled lives!

Finally, the Gospel passage reiterates the point made in the first reading that the seed is the word of God and thus is good in itself. What makes for the unique results of God’s word in the world is not the word but the human response to God’s word. It should be noted that the analogy of the parable is limited. The types of soil are not predestined or predetermined. They represent instead the various responses of the human heart to God’s word, Jesus. Let us be good soil for the word and produce abundant fruit year after year.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-07-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Please follow this link to familiarize yourself with the Sunday readings.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/070608.shtml
This Sunday’s readings provide a clear thread on a controversial topic: peace and war. The first reading makes abundantly clear the mission of the Messiah, and the description of this figure clearly manifests itself in the person of Jesus. We see easily enough the allusion to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an even we celebrate on Palm Sunday in our liturgical tradition. What we have a harder time seeing is what follows: that the Messiah will banish war and the instruments of war, and that he would proclaim peace to the nations. We fail to see it because we fail to heed the message and example of Jesus. Notice that the passage says that he will proclaim peace, not impose it. Peace is for us to accept and to implement in our world. If we, the professed followers of the prince of peace, fail to live peace and work for peace in our world, then we cannot blame Jesus for failing to bring peace to the world.

Very often there are reasons given for resorting to war, and sometimes those reasons are valid; most of the time, however, they are not. It is easy to demonize an opponent in war until we are faced either with the reality that we are often no better than our opponent or that perhaps they are as good as we in many instances. The responsorial psalm reminds us of that fact: “The Lord is gracious and merciful (are we?), slow to anger and of great kindness (are we?). The Lord is good to all (are we?), and compassionate toward all his works.” Even our enemies receive good things from God, and we are called to love our enemies, not to fight them.

Why, then, do we continue in the practice of war? The second reading gives us a clue. Despite our baptism and profession of faith, we still live according to the flesh, which leads to dissention and war. When we are concerned about the flesh we resort to war, for all wars are based on that which is material – land, power, riches, oil, whatever. As long as we remain attached to these things we will continue in our paths to war. If, however, we truly wish to experience the life of the Spirit, then we will put aside our attachments to material things and war.

Finally, the Gospel passage makes clear the insistence of Jesus that his yoke as the Messiah is distinctly different than that of the world and its attachments to material things and war. “Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” We are invited to imitate Christ, as that is the only way to be holy, and here we are invited to two particular virtues, the acquisition of which makes attachment to material things and the pursuit of war utterly impossible: meekness and humility. St. Gregory the Great makes that clear in his commentary on this passage: “For a cruel yoke and hard weight of servitude it is to be subject to the things of time, to be ambitious of the things of earth, to cling to falling things, to seek to stand in things that stand not, to desire things that pass away, but to be unwilling to pass away with them. For while all things fly away against our wish, those things which had first harassed the mind in desire of gaining them, now oppress it with fear of losing them.”

Let us ask for the grace to follow Christ and to pursue paths of peace.

The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

2008-06-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

Here are the readings for the Sunday feast: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/062908.shtml

This Sunday the Feast of St. Peter and Paul takes precedence over the Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Roman Calendar. The feast of St. Peter and Paul is a feast that can be celebrated as a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church. The holy days celebrated are determined by the National Bishops Conferences.

The readings for this week highlight the importance of these two saints in the life of the Church. Again, the theme for the readings is found in the responsorial psalm: "I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears." The first reading shows the head of the Church, St. Peter, in prison for preaching the name of Jesus. No doubt there is fear when going to prison, and no doubt that fear was present in the members of the Church who experienced the event. Yet, they did not allow fear to rule over them. They prayed and God heard their prayer by releasing Peter through the intervention of an angel. Indeed, St. John Chrysostom says, "See how Peter slept and was not in anguish or fear. In the very night when he was about to be brought before the court he slept, leaving everything to God. Indeed, the multitude becomes powerful when virtue is present. And it had such a power that even though the doors were closed, chains bound the apostle and the jailers slept at both sides, virtue delivered him and saved him from all those difficulties. So if virtue is present the multitude has great strength, but if vice is present it makes no benefit." (Catena on The Acts of the Apostles, 12.6-7)

St. Paul experienced the hardships of prison and persecution, to which he alludes in the second reading. The text seems to suggest that Paul is boasting and had no fear, but he says that the Lord gave him strength, implying that he had none of his own, and indeed that is the case. Without God we can do nothing. Paul too is rescued from the "lion's mouth", a reference to Nero and imprisonment in Rome, just as Peter was rescued from imprisonment by Herod in Jerusalem.

The Gospel passage relates the famous profession of faith by Peter and the subsequent bestowal of authority over the Church by Jesus. The conferral of keys was the ultimate sign of authority in the ancient world, as keys would be given to the magistrates for the gates that led into the city that was protected by walls. Peter feared, as just after receiving this great gift he can't accept that Jesus will die. Yet, Jesus does not give up on Peter, and he continually confirms Peter in his ministry, and as time passes Peter gets stronger. St. Ephraim the Syrian places these words in the mouth of Jesus for Peter: "Simon, my follower, I have made you the foundation of the holy Church. I betimes called you Peter, because you will support all its buildings. You are the inspector of those who will build on earth a Church for Me. If they should wish to build what is false, you, the foundation, will condemn them. You are the head of the fountain from which my teaching flows, you are the chief of my disciples. Through you I will give drink to all peoples. Yours is that life-giving sweetness which I dispense. I have chosen you to be, as it were, the first-born in my institution, and so that, as the heir, you may be executor of my treasures. I have given you the keys of my kingdom. Behold, I have given you authority over all my treasures!" (Homilies 4, 1)

May these holy apostles intercede for us so that we may have their faith, a faith that always sought the Lord and a faith that delivers us from all our fears.

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-06-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Read the Sunday readings here: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/062208.shtml

The readings follow a particular pattern where the theme of persecution is strong. Jeremiah was a prophet to Israel during the time of the Babylonian captivity. The prophet makes clear that such an event was due to the sins of Israel - the worship of false gods and the sinful living of the people: immoral lifestyles and a lack of care for the poor and vulnerable. Such a message is never popular to convey, and Jeremiah has the unenviable task of doing so. Despite the fact that Jeremiah will die at the hands of those who hate him, he entrusts his life to God, knowing that he is doing the will of God: calling people back to the loving covenant relationship with God and protecting the poor. In our baptism we have been called to the prophetic role, and it is no easier now than it was then. We must entrust our lives to God and follow his will: call others to a loving relationship with God and care for the poor.

The responsorial psalm is in many ways a prophetic prayer. Those who live among us have forsaken God, and yet we try to remain faithful. If we remember the saving words and deeds of God not only in salvation history but also in our own lives then we are constantly aware of God's love and presence. It is the same in our human relationships. If we remember the loving actions of our spouse or parents, we are more likely to remain faithful and loving to them, for those memories inspire new acts of love and devotion that become added to the memories.

St. Paul's letter to the Romans functions as that reminder this week. Just as the death of one brought misery to the human race, so the death of the just one - Jesus - has brought the grace of God to all. That event is the ultimate event which we remember at each Eucharist - do this in memory of me. We remember the ultimate act of love, which in turn inspires us to perform acts of love for God to our neighbor.

Finally, the Gospel returns us to the theme of the first reading and responsorial psalm. We have no need to fear the harm others may do to our bodies, for they have no power over our souls where God resides. Jesus then reminds us of the care God has for the whole created order. How much greater is that care for us who carry within us the presence of God in our hearts! The memory of that fact then should lead us to acknowledge Jesus before others. It is not enough to merely acknowledge Jesus in our hearts. Religion is not merely a private matter; it is a most public affair. The ultimate acknowledgement of Jesus is not with words but the way we live our lives. May we be faithful in our relationship with God and Jesus by what we say and what we do.

2008-06-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

Click below to read this Sunday's readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/061508.shtml

The readings for this week point to God's unceasing care and love for his people. The first reading reminds us of God's saving deeds to his people Israel in Egypt. In addition, God reminds them of the covenant he has established with them. The term covenant cannot be overstressed. A covenant is not merely a contract that binds us to someone else in one aspect or instance of our lives. Rather, a covenant is a relationship that is forever. God will never be unfaithful to his people, even if we are unfaithful to him. The image of marriage, as we saw last week, is the preeminent one in finding an analogy. That is why in the Catholic tradition marriage is taken so seriously and divorce is so foreign to the concept of marriage. If we continually remind ourselves about the meaning of covenant, all our relationships and committments will take on a deeper meaning.

The responsorial psalm extends the idea of God caring for his people to the entire earth. God's love is for all people, as the image of the shepherd here indicates. The shepherd image is another appropriate analogy for the covenant. A shepherd could never leave his flock, nor could he entrust that flock to another, as he has trained the sheep to hear only his voice and to follow him alone. So, the psalmist uses the shepherd image to show how deeply God is committed to all people.

The reading from St. Paul's letter to the Romans continues the theme of God' love for all people in talking about the death of Jesus. Paul points out a valid point: we could understand a person who died for someone who is good or superior to us. The person who does such a thing desires to be like the one for whom he dies. Yet, Jesus showed the depth of love by dying for all of us - we who are inferior to him in every way. He did so that we might be more like him.

Finally, the Gospel reading indicates that this love God has for us is not merely to be appreciated and rememberd. No, God's care is now our care. He commissions and commands us to carry out his saving work in the world. The final line of the Gospel reading is key: "Without cost you have received; without cost are you to give." It is not enough to have received a gift. It must be used for the good of others, and without discrimination. St. John Chrysostom says, "For this reason Christ was sent to teach us that he came simply to do good. He did not wait for the sick to come to him. He himself hurried to them, bearing them a twofold blessing: the gospel of the reign of God and the healing of their diseases. And for this he went everywhere, not overlooking the slightest village." (Homily, 32.3 on Matthew's gospel).

Let us imitate Jesus by carrying out his work on earth to every single person and place.

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-06-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Once again the theme for this Sunday's readings is justification, and once again the readings flow beautifully from one to the other. Click below to view the Sunday readings:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/060808.shtml

In the first reading from the prophet Hosea proclaims to the people of Israel: "for it is love I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts." Hosea was a man who was married to a prostitute, a woman who made her living by breaking her marriage vows to the prophet. Throughout his book, Hosea compares his personal situation to that of the people of Israel, who once again have begun to worship idols. Hosea reminds the people of their covenant with God in using this phrase - "love I desire, not sacrifice." The word he uses for love - hesed - is the term used in the book of Exodus for God's covenantal love for Israel, a love that is a marriage between God and his people. Hosea calls Israel back to that covenantal love. God will not hear our external words and actions if our heart is elsewhere.

Essentially, that is the message of the responsorial psalm as well. Here, Psalm 50, probably written by King David, tells of Israel's offerings before God, which are acceptable in and of themselves, but that is not what God really wants. He wants our whole hearts and selves - "offer to God praise as your sacrifice and fulfill your vows to the Most High." If our whole hearts and selves are not part of the external action - if the external action becomes merely an activity done out of unconscious habit, then it has no efficacy.

Paul continues that theme in his letter to the Romans, where he insists on faith as the essential aspect of justification. If faith be not present, then observance of the law has no value. Our justification comes from Jesus and the power of his death and resurrection. Abraham was the great example of faith in the Old Testament, but now each and every one of us can be greater than Abraham now that we have the great fulfillment of the law in Jesus. If we have faith in him, then our actions will have value beyond measure - but not because of our own efforts, but because of the faith, the great gift that comes to us from God in Jesus.

Finally, the Gospel reading finds Jesus quoting the very words of Hosea from the first reading - "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Hesed, the term used in Hosea, was a word rich in meaning, just as God's covenantal love would be. Here, Jesus emphasizes the mercy aspect of God' love, a love that calls all to God. Jesus was in the house of a sinner, not outside that house. Jesus came into that house of a sinner because it is God's utmost desire to see the sinner return to God. Remember, that was the original message of Hosea - calling Israel back to the love relationship of covenant with God. Jesus' entire mission was the very same, one that would take him to death and resurrection to accomplish, the very source of our justification.

9th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2008-05-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

This week's readings provide us with a profound sense of development in the thought of salvation from the time of the old covenant to the time of Jesus. Each of the readings presents us with this development, and reading them together provides us with the proper balance for understanding the issue of salvation.

In the first reading we are presented with the final decree from God at Mount Sinai. Here, God instructs his people to obey the commands that He has given to His people Israel. The Israelites, then, interpreted salvation to follow God's commands given to them in the covenant. The problem arose in the interpretation of those laws. Different rabbinic schools held various interpretations on the proper following of the law, as well as what was essential within the law for all to follow. Over time, the spirit of the covenant was lost - following God with all your heart, mind, soul, and being. It became reduced on the one hand to a slavish obedience to the letter of the law, or to a cavalier libertine attitude on the other.

St. Paul, himself a former Pharisee who had interpreted the law strictly, sees salvation in Christ from a unique perspective. He notes that obedience to the old law could not save, because external action devoid of faith have no power to save. Thus, St. Paul emphasizes the internal dimension of faith that is the necessary component to salvation. God has transcended the law by sending his son to die as an expiation for our sins because we have all sinned and are in need of salvation. If external works were enough to save, then the old law was sufficient, but Paul notes its inability to save. Faith saves apart from works of the law, and many within the Protestant tradition interpret this passage out of context, arguing that works are not necessary for salvation. That is not Paul's overall message, as is plain in reading all of his writings in context. Here, Paul wanted to emphasize faith because it had become lost in the Jewish tradition and was threatening to pose a problem in the early Christian community.

That fact is emphasized in the Gospel from Matthew, which is the very end of the Sermon on the Mount. Scholars agree that the Sermon on the Mount is the Christian fulfillment of the Sinai covenant, given on a mountain. Jesus sets forth the proper interpretation of the old law, then sets about to fulfill it in the actions of his life. We are given that same mission in these closing words from the Sermon on the Mount. Again, we see that works without faith in Christ has no power to save. Here, the proper balance is again emphasized: listening to the word of God is not enough. We must act on them, but action that is motivated by faith in Christ and patterned after His example of love.

Ultimately, our lives are akin to the apprentice/master builder relationship from the Middle Ages. We are forever apprentices, learning the moral and spiritual life from God, the master builder. Imagine yourself as a helper who goes about assisting the real builder in the task of salvation. Those of us with kids know this role all too well, as we have our kids help us with tasks all the time. They perform real work, though it could never be fully accomplished apart from our main work and oversight. The same is true in our lives. God continually does His work, and we help in whatever way we are able. Our efforts are not nothing - they are necessary, but they are not sufficient.

The responsorial psalm for this week provides us with the words of prayer we need in order to affect this balance in our lives. Lest we think that in building the house of faith on rock that it is our doing, the psalmist corrects us and leads us to the One who builds:

In you, O Lord, I take refuge:

let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me,

make haste to deliver me.

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to give me safety.

You are my rock and my fortress:

for your name's sake you will lead me and guide me.

Let your face shine upon your servant;

save me in your kindness.

Take courage and be stouthearted,

all you who hope in the Lord.

The Feast of Corpus Christi - May 25, 2008

2008-05-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Let’s begin this week’s reflection with the rhetorical questions Paul gives in the second reading:

· “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?

In the Old Testament animal sacrifices, the people would be sprinkled with the blood of the sacrificed animal, signifying their participation in the ritual and uniting themselves to the sacrifice (Exodus 24: 38). The importance of blood in Jewish theology cannot be overstated. Blood was sacred, for blood is life, and everything touching life is in close contact with God, the sole Master of life (Lev. 17: 11, 14; Deut. 12: 23). The sprinkling of blood signified the covenant between God and His people (Zech. 9: 11; Hosea 9: 16-21). The use of blood in the Passover ritual was to preserve the people from death (Exodus 12: 7-22), and in the atonement ritual blood served the function of forgiveness of sins (Lev. 17: 11). Finally, blood also served as a vehicle of consecration to God (Exodus 29: 20; Lev. 8: 23).

So, when we participate in the blood of Jesus in the Eucharist we are fulfilling every function that the ancient sacrifices of the Old Covenant, for now the sacrifice of the New Covenant is a perfect sacrifice for the purpose of making us one with God, forgiving our sins, preserving us from death, and consecrating us to God. The blood of Christ is the ultimate source of life and makes us one with each other.

· “The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?”

Bread was considered a gift of God, for it was a source of strength (Psalm 104: 14) and a means of surviving that was so essential that to lack bread was to lack everything (Amos 4: 6; Gen. 28: 20). In Jewish history, the abundance or scarcity of bread had the value of a sign in their relationship to God: abundance meant a blessing from God (Ps. 37: 25, 132: 15; Prov. 12: 11) while scarcity was considered a punishment from Him (Jer. 5: 17; Ezek. 4: 16; Lam. 1: 11, 2: 12). Bread is also the supreme gift of the Messianic period, both for individuals and the community (Isaiah 30: 23; Jer. 31: 12).

Bread is also connected to the Word of God in the Jewish tradition, cf. Amos 8: 11; Deut. 8: 3; Isaiah 55: 1; Prov. 9: 5; Sirach 24: 19-22. The consuming of the Messianic bread, then, is consuming the word of God and receiving His wisdom.

All of these images come forth in sharing the bread and participating in the body of Christ, for Christ is the word and wisdom of God. By eating his flesh we consume the wisdom of God and receive His wisdom.

As we look at the rest of the readings related to this feast of Corpus Christi, they all relate in some way to this central theme of the second reading. The first reading references the manna God gave the Israelites in the desert, a symbol of the divine favor and a source of food mysterious to them and us. The Eucharist is that very reality and one that is still a mystery to us here on earth. Jesus references the manna in teaching the crowd about the reality of the former symbol. He, the word of God, is the bread come down from heaven that we must consume in order to have life. It is a teaching firmly grounded in the Jewish tradition of both blood and bread, one that is echoed in the words of the Responsorial Psalm: “He has granted peace in your borders, with the best of wheat he fills you. He sends forth his command to the earth, and swiftly runs his word.” May we enjoy this peace all our days until we are in the full presence of God in the heavenly Jerusalem.

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1. What images come to your mind in hearing about blood? How can they be related to what we believe about the Eucharist?
2. What images come to your mind in hearing about bread? How can they be related to what we believe about the Eucharist?
3. What did you already know in this reflection? What did you learn? How does it apply to your life as a follower of Jesus?

Trinity Sunday - Deeper Reflection and Questions

2008-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Who Is God for You?
By Daniel J. Harrington MAY 12, 2008

Most Holy Trinity (A) , May 18, 2008

Readings: Ex 34:4-6, 8-9; Dn 3:52-55; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor 13:13)

W ho is God for you? That is a question to stop a conversation or empty a room, even of learned and devout Christians. It is at once a very personal question (since we each experience God in a unique way) and a very broad one. The phrase “for you” is important, since the God whom we Christians worship is not an abstract principle or an “unmoved mover” who created the world and let it run on its own. No, the God whom we acknowledge and worship is “for us,” has entered into personal relationship with us and cares for us both individually and communally.
On reflection we should find it easy to begin to answer the question “Who is God for you?” because we stand in a theological tradition that can help us speak about who God is. We derive that tradition from Scripture and from statements issued by early church councils. Those councils made definitions about the nature of God (one God in three persons) and Christ (human and divine). Those conciliar definitions made sense of and gave system to what the Scriptures say about God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They were necessary from the perspective of history and remain foundational for Christian faith throughout the ages.

Yet if we look at the Scripture readings for Trinity Sunday, we will find a different emphasis, one that is also necessary and important. We will find that the Scriptures emphasize how we relate to God and how God relates to us. There is always a personal, relational and experiential dimension to what the Scriptures say about God. A good starting point for grasping the biblical understanding of God is the final verse (13:13) of Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. It is familiar to most Catholics today because it has become the greeting most often used at the beginning of Mass in many parishes. It can provide a useful framework for reflecting on today’s other texts from Exodus 34 and John 3:16-18.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. The word “grace” in a theological context refers to divine favor. In Christ, God has shown favor toward us humans, a special care for us and a desire that through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection we might find and enjoy right relationship with God. Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, is proof of God’s loving care for us. This recognition has been captured most memorably in the words of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Christ is God’s gift to us, the ultimate sign of God’s favor, God’s grace incarnate. How we respond to that grace is our gift to God.

And the love of God…. We often use the phrase “the love of God” to describe our response to God and our duty to love God. That is both correct and appropriate. But what comes first is God’s love for us. The Scriptures emphasize that God has loved us first and that our love for God is only a fitting response. Today’s reading from Exodus 34 is as close as the Bible comes to giving a definition of God. According to that text, the Lord is “a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” Every part of that statement stresses God in relationship to humankind, and it emphasizes especially God’s great love for us. This is no distant and impersonal God. This is no first principle or deity or even a “higher power.” This is a God who loves us with a mother’s love, as the Hebrew word translated “merciful” (derived from the word for womb, rechem) suggests. This is a God who shows infinite patience with us, enters our lives, acts within our history, forgives our sins and works for our salvation. The passage from Exodus 34 goes on to remind us also of the justice of God. The two most prominent divine attributes in the Bible are justice and mercy; usually divine mercy wins out over divine justice. This is the God whom we call “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.... On Pentecost Sunday we celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles 50 days after Easter and the abiding presence of the Spirit in the church throughout history and today. The Holy Spirit guides, empowers and teaches in Christ’s place. The Holy Spirit brings us together in faith, love and hope. The Holy Spirit shapes and animates the life of the Christian community. We live our Christian lives in the fellowship, or koinonia, formed by the Holy Spirit.

Praying with Scripture

• Who is God for you? How might you explain this to someone?
• Does your own experience of God correlate with the approach found in the Bible?
• How do you balance the mercy of God and the justice of God?

Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., is professor of New Testament at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass.