Viernes de la Duodécima Semana del Tiempo Ordinario

(2 Reyes 25:1-12; Mateo 8:1-4)

¿Alguna vez has tenido que tomar una decisión en la que parecía no haber buenas opciones? Imagina que tu hija quiere una boda en un lugar apartado, fuera de la Iglesia. No solo no puedes aprobar un matrimonio inválido, sino que también dudas de la madurez de la pareja. ¿Deberías apoyar a tu hija asistiendo a la boda? En ambas lecturas de hoy, alguien toma una decisión cuando las opciones no parecen favorables.

En la primera lectura, el rey Sedequías se encuentra entre perder el apoyo de sus seguidores e ignorar la Palabra de Dios, anunciada por el profeta Jeremías. En el Evangelio, Jesús se enfrenta a un leproso que le pide que lo sane. Debe elegir entre tocar al hombre y demostrar su autoridad sobre la ley o decepcionar al leproso oprimido. Sedequías opta por no seguir la Palabra de Dios, pero Jesús, que es la Palabra, la cumple.

No debemos tener miedo de acatar la Palabra de Dios. Él nos habla a través de las Escrituras, la Iglesia y nuestra conciencia. Caminar con él, a veces, traerá dificultades. Sin embargo, saldremos fortalecidos y más cerca de la vida eterna.

Friday, January 17, 2025

Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot

(Hebrews 4:5-1-5.11; Mark 2:1-12)

The movie “The Miracle Club” describes the pilgrimage of a handful of Irish women to Lourdes.  Each woman to varying degrees has faith.  And each prays for a specific miracle.  In the end no one receives the miracle in the way she expected.  Yet each one’s life is altered so that it might be said that they did experience a miracle.  Something similar takes place in today’s gospel.

The four men bringing the paralytic to Jesus believe that he can enable him to walk.  They may be disappointed when they hear Jesus pronounce forgiveness.  They were looking for more visual healing.  If they have time to reflect, however, they may realize that they have received a miracle.  The paralytic is now able to enter the rest of the Lord, as the first reading puts it.

Miracles are more common than we imagine if we believe.  God is working with us, for us, and through us so that we too may enter His rest.

thursday, June 8, 2023

 Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Tobit 6:10-11.7:1bcde.9-17.8:4-9ª); Mark 12:28-34)

In case anyone is wondering Tobias does survive his wedding night with Sarah.  Presumably they enjoyed a long, happy marriage.  Although the Book of Tobit cannot stand up in importance to Genesis or the prophet Isaiah, it does confirm significant truths.

First, the story of Tobias and Sarah underscores the goodness of sexual love in the context of marriage.  Where spouses have a permanent, exclusive commitment to one another, their physical union brings them spiritually closer.  If a child results, she or he is more likely to be raised in a supportive environment.  Second, the story also demonstrates the capacity of prayer to secure divine support.  God knows human needs without the person praying telling Him.  Nevertheless, prayer opens the human soul to discern God’s loving action.

Many marriages nowadays are almost as frightening as the one between Tobias and Sarah. There is less social support to assure stability.  Yet marriage is still invaluable for both the couple and society.  The couple makes a commitment that will help each mature.  Society is strengthened as the couple set down roots that bring about growth in number and virtue.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

 Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Tobit 3:1-11a.16-17a; Mark 12:18-27)

Today’s first reading gives glimpses of two people who feel despised.  The pious, old Tobit has insulted his wife who turns around and calls him a fraud.  The young beauty Sarah senses that people ridicule her because multiple husbands have dropped dead on their marriage bed.  Both petition God to let them die.

Many today contemplate suicide out of similar feelings of depression.  Those who feel ashamed about their sexual inclinations often fall into this category.  They need to be assured that they are good and loved. 

In the Scripture story God responds to both petitioners’ pleas -- not with an angel of death but one of life.  He sends Rafael to match Tobit’s son Tobias with Sarah and, then, to guard their marriage bed.  In the process Rafael will find a solution to Tobit’s problem.  We should try to act in such helpful ways when we meet people in need.  Kind words will lift their hearts.  A touch on the hand or arm may reassure their self-worth.  We can see ourselves also as God’s agents assisting in His response to the distressed.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Tobit 2:9-14; Mark 12:13-17)

Today’s gospel demonstrates Jesus’ astuteness and, more importantly, his wisdom.  He sees through his opponents’ pretenses to their desire to trap him.  They ask whether a Jew should pay the Roman tax.  If Jesus says, “Pay the tax,” he would lose the people’s favor.  If he says, “Don’t pay it,” he may have soldiers tracking him down.  Of course, his solution avoids both unfavorable consequences.

Jesus also tells his adversaries to give God His due.  This debt cannot be paid in a lump sum but requires due attention every day.  Humans are to praise and thank God for His blessings.  They are also to appeal to Him for their needs.  in short, they are to develop a close relationship with the Lord.

Often we worry when we should trust.  We should see every challenge that we face as an opportunity to seek God’s favor.  Expressing our dependency, we draw closer to God, who is hopefully our destiny as well as our Creator.

Monday, June 5, 2023

 Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr

(Tobit 1:3.2.1a-8; Mark 12:1-12)

Tobit, like St. Joseph, obeys the law, come what may.  In today’s reading he not only buries the dead, but also waits for the holy day to end before doing it.  In doing so, he defies orders of temporal rulers and inhibitions of kinsmen.  Jews as well as Christians see such actions as meritorious.  Today’s patron, St. Boniface, provides another example of such righteousness.

Boniface, English by birth, zealously preached the gospel among German pagans.  Once he defied pagan sensibility by cutting down an oak tree thought to be divine.  The act led to a mass conversion.  Named archbishop, Boniface established multiple monasteries and dioceses.  He was eventually martyred.  He is recognized as the patron saint of Germany.

We live in a time of social upheaval.  Sexual activity outside of marriage is not considered wrong; it is even expected.  We need people to defy the new social convention.  Parents and teachers ought to tell of the beauty of intimate relations when reserved for marriage.

Sunday, June 4, 2023

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

(Exodus 34:4-6.8-9; II Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18)

Most preachers dread the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. They don't know how to explain a mystery so profound that many say it doesn't make sense. However, the doctrine of the Trinity is the basis of the Christian faith. Somehow we have to say something that makes reasonable our belief that God is both one and three. In the process we hope that the explanation increases our faith.

Let's start with the second reading. Perhaps this passage was chosen for today's mass because it refers to the Trinity. As the conclusion of his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul blesses his readers in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But another part of the passage is also striking.

Paul says, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." “Kiss” here is a sign of peace between people, but it is even more an expression of love. For this reason people missed this symbolic act during the Covid restrictions. In fact, in many places today people still do not share this gesture of fraternity before Communion continues to be missed. As distance learning is not a substitute for the classroom, and as video calls are not a substitute for the presence of loved ones at Christmas, you cannot equate the waving of a hand with a chaste kiss.

The kiss indicates a relationship of friendship between people. We don't kiss foreigners but dear acquaintances. It also expresses both the joy of seeing the other and the willingness to forgive any offense that has been committed. We remember how the father kissed his son profusely when the prodigal returned home. With a kiss, one breathes over the other, indicating the desire to share one’s life with him or her. Of course, the kiss at mass can be abused or misunderstood. However, since the first centuries of Christianity, it has been used to express love and unity.

“God is love” – says the First Letter of John. It could not be love if God were alone. True love always has an object other than the self. Self-love is really a parody because it divides the person in two. It is really solo pride or, better, selfishness. When Jesus instructs us to love others as ourselves, he only means to attend to the needs of others as we attend to our own.

God's love has existed for all eternity. God the Father and God the Son have always loved one another with the Holy Spirit serving as a type of kiss between them. Because of the enormity of this love, it was desired that it be shared with others. Thus God created the universe to be recipients of his love. He reserved his highest affection for human beings, whom he created in his image. They, that is we, not only receive his love but also must imitate it.

The gospel tells us the extent of God's love for us. He says that it is so much that he gave his only Son so that we might share in his divine life. God gets nothing for himself in his enormous display of love. But like any Father, he wants all his children to share what he has. If we want to please him, let us do the same. That is, let us love not only our family and friends, but everyone.

There is a Hebrew word for the love of God that all Bible students learn. It appears in the list of adjectives presented in the first reading. Hesed is faithful, generous, and undeserved love. On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity we can say that the Father is hesed, that the Son is hesed, and that the Holy Spirit is also hesed.

Monday, December 14, 2020

 Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

(Numbers 24:2-7.15-17a; Matthew 21:23-27)

Religious persecution sometimes proceeds not from tyrants or atheists but from co-religionists.  John the Cross suffered greatly at the hands of Carmelite brethren.  When he began his reform movement, called the “Discalced Carmelites,” the regular Carmelites harassed him.  When his reform proved not radical enough, his discalced brothers had him silenced.  Probably neither group recognized John’s genius much less his holiness.  We see something similar at play in today’s gospel.

Jesus has drawn much attention since coming to Jerusalem.  The chief priests and elders take notice.  They come to question his authority.  Jesus, however, outwits them by his question regarding John the Baptist.  They will not forget their comeuppance.  Indeed, they will see that he is crucified out of spite.

At different points in history social integration seemed to require all members of a community to confess the same faith.  In contemporary times the Church has wisely taken another tact.  Vatican II made the just claim that a person’s conscience must be respected.  Our worship of Jesus as Prince of Peace compels us to appreciate other faith traditions.  We should proclaim Christ as understood in our tradition.  We should also endeavor to understand why others believe as they do.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Memorial of Saint Ignatius Loyola, priest (Jeremiah 14:22-27; Matthew 13:36-43) The Catholic Church in the sixteenth century may be compared to Jerusalem as Jeremiah sees it in the first reading today. The revolts by Luther in Germany, Calvin and Zwingli in Switzerland, and Henry VIII in England left the Church reeling. Ecclesiastical structures were abolished in places with Church possessions confiscated. Religious monasteries, convents and other institutions were devastated. The system may have completely broken down without the emergence of the Society of Jesus under the wise leadership of St. Ignatius Loyola whom the Church celebrates today. Ignatius formed a body of men to respond to the challenges of the times. Their minds were acutely formed to meet Protestant intellectual critiques. Their wills were also fortified to suffer deprivation if necessary for the sake of the Church. Certainly the Jesuits more than any other religious congregation are responsible for the Church’s renewal and indeed prominence in the last five hundred years. We recognize a Jesuit by the initials “S.J.” which stand for the “Society of Jesus.” But Jesuits themselves often refer to their fraternity as the “Company of Jesus.” This name rings of the military discipline with which St. Ignatius instilled them. But it more poignantly connotes the intimacy that each member feels with the Lord Jesus who, like many of them, gave up the glory of heaven to raise humanity from sin and death.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Luke 1:39-56) The sportswriters were frustrated. They wanted the star athlete to talk about himself, but he continually deferred to others. His teammates’ play allowed him to stand out. His family’s support was instrumental in making him who he was. The dialogue resembled, in a way, Mary’s speech in the gospel today. In visiting her kinswoman, Mary is given a supreme compliment. Elizabeth calls her the “most blessed …among woman” for bearing Jesus inside her womb. At this point one would expect Mary to return the compliment or to explain what she did to merit such an honor. But her eyes are fixed on God. Rather than speak of her own virtue or anyone else’s, she gives all the credit to the Lord. He “has looked with favor on his lowly servant.” He “has done great things” for her. He always “has mercy on those who fear him.” Most of us enjoy talking about our achievements so much that often enough we slip into vanity. Mary, the model disciple, reminds us that God is the source of every good deed we do. To sing His praises, not our own, is our role as agents in the new evangelization.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (I Peter 1:10-16; Mark 10:28-31) In his novel The Shack, William Young describes the Holy Spirit as a young Asian woman who like an electron in an atom seems to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Young’s Spirit differs remarkably from his portraits of the Father, a joyful hulk of a woman, and the Son, the classical Jewish carpenter. No doubt, the Spirit as a wispy maiden, as well as the Young’s conceptualization of the Father will offend sensibilities. But there is no way to adequately describe the central mystery of faith. Today’s reading from the First Letter of Peter twice mentions the Holy Spirit. The Spirit inspires Old Testament prophets with indications of Christ’s paschal event. The Spirit also moves the apostles to preach the gospel to the people with insight into their needs. The reading might have added, but didn’t, that the Spirit enables Christian holiness by illuminating the world’s allurements. We are wise to develop a habit of daily prayer to the Holy Spirit. The Father may seem distant at times, and the Son perhaps too righteous to approach with our persistent faults. But the Spirit, as sure to come as the morning sun, will see us through any trial.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, apostle

(Revelation 21:9b-14; John 1:45-51)

How can it be that on the Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle, we hear a gospel story about Nathanael? But it is not an oversight. On the lists of apostles in the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the name Bartholomew always appears paired with Philip. In John’s gospel, which makes no mention of Bartholomew, there is a story about Nathanael who is a friend of Philip. It is likely, therefore, that Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. Also, Bartholomew appears to be a surname since bar in Hebrew means son of. This fact makes some conclude that the celebration today is more properly the “Feast of St. Nathanael Bartholomew”!

As interesting as the apostle’s name may be, we commemorate him today for something more. He proclaims Jesus “the Son of God and King of Israel.” At the end of John’s gospel Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God.” But he will have the advantage of seeing him after the resurrection. Nathanael’s insight into Jesus’ identity comes from his being, as Jesus says, “a true child of Israel.” This means that he has faithfully waited for the Lord to send his servant for the redemption of His people.

As St. Nathaniel Bartholomew and all true Israelites waited for the coming of the Messiah, so we and all true Christians wait for him to return. After two millennia we would feel frustrated if there were no evidence that he is close at hand. But such testimony is available. Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist from which we draw spiritual nourishment and moral guidance. Nevertheless, we yearn for him to reappear in human form so that he might tell us secrets about ourselves as he does about Nathanael in the gospel today.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, apostle

(Revelation 21:9b-14; John 1:45-51)

How can it be that on the Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle, we hear a gospel story about Nathanael? But it is not an oversight. On the lists of apostles in the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the name Bartholomew always appears paired with Philip. In John’s gospel, which makes no mention of Bartholomew, there is a story about Nathanael who is a friend of Philip. It is likely, therefore, that Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. Also, Bartholomew appears to be a surname since bar in Hebrew means son of. This fact makes some conclude that the celebration today is more properly the “Feast of St. Nathanael Bartholomew”!

As interesting as the apostle’s name may be, we commemorate him today for something more. He proclaims Jesus “the Son of God and King of Israel.” At the end of John’s gospel Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God.” But he will have the advantage of seeing him after the resurrection. Nathanael’s insight into Jesus’ identity comes from his being, as Jesus says, “a true child of Israel.” This means that he has faithfully waited for the Lord to send his servant for the redemption of His people.

As St. Nathaniel Bartholomew and all true Israelites waited for the coming of the Messiah, so we and all true Christians wait for him to return. After two millennia we would feel frustrated if there were no evidence that he is close at hand. But such testimony is available. Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist from which we draw spiritual nourishment and moral guidance. Nevertheless, we yearn for him to reappear in human form so that he might tell us secrets about ourselves as he does about Nathanael in the gospel today.

Homily for Sunday, February 25, 2007

First Sunday of Lent -- Year C

(Luke 4)

They said he had a glass jaw. Yet he must have packed a punch. Floyd Patterson was a boxer in the 1950's and 60's. He became the first heavyweight champion to regain his title. After he retired, the champ wrote a book he called Victory over Myself. That phrase might serve as the theme of today’s gospel reading, indeed of all Lent. It may be the devil who tempts us, as he does Jesus in the gospel, but temptations work through our inner desires. Each of us must struggle to attain a victory over himself or herself.

First, the devil lures Jesus with bread. We know this kind of temptation. We experience it every time we feel reckless desire in our sensual appetites. When we want a third beer or a peek at Internet porn, we are being tempted with the devil’s bread. But there is more here than temptation to satisfy one’s individual desires. Jesus is about to begin his public ministry. If Jesus starts turning rocks into bread, he could easily gain the allegiance of the masses. Would not the people stand by him if he daily filled their satchels with bread? This is the temptation to which parents succumb when they buy a PlayStation for their teen to win her affection. They should realize that they can only attain a child’s love through attentive care.

Of course, our temptations are not limited to sex and booze. Just as when the devil promises Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for his worship, we are tempted to do bad to achieve good. We may want to lie on an application form to get a decent paying job. The social dimension of this temptation is easy to imagine. Jesus is promised that the whole world will attend Mass on Sunday if he just kneels before Satan. Politicians grab this offer when they vote against restrictions on abortion to assure their re-election. We must realize that doing evil cannot produce what is truly good. Very often, like running red lights to get to work on time, it ends in disaster.

There is yet another, more pernicious kind of temptation. Not only do we want to control other people’s lives, we also want God to serve us on demand! How many times have we made God our instance of last resort, turning to Him for help only when all else fails? How many times have we attributed our success to our own keen judgment rather than acknowledge God’s Providence? How many times have we worried incessantly about what will befall us rather than trust in God’s love? In the gospel Jesus is tempted to subject his Father to his own desire. But he refuses to do this. For Jesus it is always “Thy will be done.” During Lent we learn to follow Jesus in this way. Through our prayer, fasting, and charity we put ourselves in God’s hands trusting that He can only do us well.

We should notice how Jesus uses Scripture to successfully turn away the devil’s lures. “One does not live by bread alone”; “you shall worship the Lord, your God”; “You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test,” Jesus tells Satan. In the parish mission this week we will look to Scripture for a better understanding of our faith. We will examine both the Old Testament and the New; two gospels and one of Paul’s letter. Now, it is true that the devil can also quote the Bible so we will have to interpret the texts carefully. I hope that you find the result helpful in moving closer to God on the Lenten journey. We will begin with Mass at 8 in the morning and 7 in the evening. After mass there will be a talk for approximately forty-five minutes. We will also make time for questions about our faith and for confessions. By all means, come if you can.

The “Return of the Prodigal Son” is a painting by the Dutch master Rembrandt. It pictures a young man in tattered clothing kneeling before a bearded man with a splendid red cloak. The young man yielded to the devil’s lures, probably sex and booze along with more pernicious kinds of temptation. Then he remembered the attentive care his father gave all his workers. So he came back. Now, he lays his head in his father’s bosom and puts himself safe in his father’s hands. He is where we want to be after the Lenten journey. Safe in our Father’s hands.

Homily for Sunday, February 18, 2007

(Corinthians 15)

A skull may scare us. But it also may provoke us to think. A famous painting at the Smithsonian Institute shows Mary Magdalene fingering a skull. From the look on her face she seems to be pondering what life is all about. “Do we live for pleasure?” she apparently asks herself, “or is there more to life than that?” In the second reading St. Paul does not have a skull but holds in mind the image of the first man. He is going to provide an answer to Mary’s question.

Paul calls him Adam. The name means man. There are no pictures of him. But his image resides in each of us. Our genetic make-up very closely resembles his.

Adam comes from the earth. In fact, the name A-dam literally means from the earth. He and, therefore, we as well share characteristics of other earthly creatures. We hear, see, smell, et cetera in similar ways as bats and buffalos. Other kinds of animals may even surpass us in these capacities. But none puts them all together better. We cannot fly like a bird but we have invented the airplane. We cannot lift many times our own weight like an ant. But we have developed levers, pulleys and the hydraulic lift. Along with Adam we are the crowning achievement of God’s creation.

Again like other earthly creatures we mess up. In fact, often our debasements like our accomplishments supersede those of animals. Examples abound. One particularly worrisome human failing was reported a couple weeks ago. A survey found that 42 percent of Internet users between 10 and 17 years of age have viewed on-line pornography. Never mind that most often they did not intend to see it and did not call it up. Children’s attitudes toward sexuality are still distorted by it. Being the kind of beings they are, no doubt many return with friends to view more and varied images. For such crimes as pornography, humans have merited the destruction that will be pronounced on us this Wednesday. The priest will impose ashes on our foreheads with the sobering words, “Remember, man, that thou art dust and to dust you shall return.”

But God has given us a second chance. Paul calls this new opportunity, the “last Adam.” He is, of course, Jesus Christ, born of the Holy Spirit to redeem us from sin. As the first Adam was able to pass on his image through genetic code, the second Adam gives us his spiritual life through his death and resurrection. Spiritual life empowers us to transcend earthly tendencies to sin. We resist entanglement in pornography. If we cannot shield our children from all Internet abuse, we are enabled to model for them a caring sexuality.

More than anything else, the promise of heaven spurs us on. Yet in our society, we are often reticent about heaven. Perhaps life in the United States is so full of opportunities that we are reluctant to imagine the life to come. Yet for Paul, the Corinthians, and still for much of the world today hope of heaven brings consolation for the struggle on earth. We strive to carry out the commands of Jesus in the gospel today so that we may obtain his heavenly image. To love our enemies, to give to those who ask, to forgive our offenders become our transport to heaven.

One of our favorite images of Jesus is the Good Shepherd. In one portrayal he retrieves a lamb from entanglement in a thorny bush. That lamb, of course, is we ourselves as earthly creatures. The entanglement is Internet porn or hatred of enemies. Jesus is there to rescue us. He is always there.

Homily for Sunday, February 11, 2007 (in Spanish)

Mírese en un espejo. ¿Qué ve? ¿Una imagen exacta? No, su mano derecha aparecerá como la mano izquierda en el espejo. Si, está llevando una camiseta con escrito, el escrito aparecerá inverso. Podemos decir que cada cosa reflejada en un espejo es el contrario de cómo aparece en la realidad, al menos según la dirección. Cuando Jesús habla del Reino de Dios en el evangelio hoy, está tratándolo como si fuera un espejo.

En la realidad actual, los pobres tienen que luchar para sobrevivir. En el Reino de Dios, ellos tendrán carne y tortillas en abundancia. En la realidad actual, los que lloran andan cabizbajos. En el Reino, van a bailar. En la realidad actual, algunos están despreciados. En el Reino, serán brindados como santos.

Sin embargo, no son todos los pobres que vayan a comer bien y no son todos los que lloran que vayan a alegrarse. No, Jesús tiene en cuenta aquí aquellos pobres que ponen a Dios como el arquitecto de sus vidas. Estos pobres viven llevando a cabo sus planes. Un muchacho estaba buscando comida entre los desechos en un gigante recipiente de basura. Cuando un hombre lo vio, le compró unos pedazos de pollo frito. El muchacho lo comió hasta que notara un gatito maullando a su lado. Entonces, el muchacho echó parte de su pollo al gatito. Este es un pobre que vale el Reino.

En el Reino los ricos también experimentarán una inversión. Si no confían en Dios, van a encontrarse empobrecidos. Esta semana se informó que una joven bellísima murió inesperadamente. Ella llamó la atención hace algunos años por casarse con un billonario de ochenta y pico años. Si no desfalleció de una dosis excesiva de drogas, es cierto que las tomaba. También, la mujer mentía mucho. Su madre dijo que lo importante para la bella era la plata – mentiría y vendería su afecto para hacerse rica. Evidentemente como muchas personas de este género, ella fue dejada muy decepcionada.

Cuando usted tiene un momento, mírese en un espejo. ¿Qué verá? ¿Una persona bellísima? Sí, es cierto porque Dios lo ha formado. También, ¿una persona que ha puesto a Dios como el arquitecto de su vida? Esperemos que sí. Llevando a cabo sus planes vale más que la plata. Vale un puesto en el Reino de Dios. Sí, vale el Reino.

Homily for Sunday, February 4, 2007

(Luke 5)

The Super Bowl may be sold out. But scores of millions will watch it on television. They will keep one eye on the play of the quarterbacks. Which one can control the game? They will have the other on the coaches. How will the cool Lovie Smith of the Bears and the cooler Tony Dungy of the Colts maneuver their players? With similar interest the crowds pay attention to Jesus in the gospel we just read.

The people crowd around Jesus to hear the word of God. Sometimes we play down the importance of words. As children, we chirped, “Sticks and stone can break bones but words can never hurt me.” Yet we have witnessed the power of words. The eloquent words of Lincoln, “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” have shaped our love of country. We know that a few harsh words spoken with a mixture of contempt and ill-timing can provoke one man to kill another. What of God’s word then? It effectively consoles and advises us when we are in need. How can the people help but draw close to Jesus?

We should note that the “word of God” encompasses all the ways in which God reveals Himself to humans. Nature itself is a word of God since it was created by God to reveal His glory. The Bible or Scripture first voiced but eventually written comprises what most people think of as the word of God. Jesus himself is often identified as the “Word of God” since in him God reveals His full message for the entire world. Jesus’ spoken words do not differ from the one word but elaborate on it so that we might understand. We might think of the word of God as a spring of water. Every drop of water – every word -- does not differ from the water of the spring but incorporates it.

Jesus tells Peter, “Put out into deep water.” He is not only advising where to fish but also indicating the profundity of God’s word. Sometimes we think of the word of God as a general guide in life. It seems fair to “do unto others what you would have them do to you.” But we reserve the really large questions of existence for other sources of knowledge. With such a shallow perspective we will miss the depth of wisdom which the word of God offers. For example, a raging question today is intelligent design in evolution. The word of God shows how creation took place in stages culminating with the human species. This development indicates a priority of dignity to humans which should not be denied. Yet evolutionists who treat the human race as an accident of nature without any real priority seem to be doing just that. It may indeed be difficult to say whether God left traces of His design in fossil remains. But Scripture does tell us that the Creator did guide the development of creation.

Taking to heart the word of God by first meditating and then acting on it produces great rewards. Our lives grow not just more exemplary but happier. More importantly they become heaven-bound. The gospel indicates these benefits by the superabundant haul of fish. Peter and his partners are literally overwhelmed by the number. We cannot say that the word of God provides explicit solutions to all our problems. But it does give both direction and inspiration for making good decisions. More and more, reflection on the word of God is taking place in Catholic homes. Parishioners are coming together to discuss how Sunday Mass readings apply to their lives. In one parish such groups seem to keep the people united as time begins to pull them apart.

Seeing the immensity of the catch, Peter realizes that God’s power is at play here, not human know-how. He instinctively asks Christ to leave because he knows that he is not worthy to be in his presence. Seldom are we so honest. We generally see ourselves worthy of any opportunity. But we aren’t and we need to admit it. Our unworthiness is something like signing up for a course in physical chemistry, going to the first class where the lecturer uses terms that we never heard, much less understand, and knowing we don’t belong there. As the word of God is consoling, it also judges. It will provoke necessary guilt by pointing out where we go wrong.

But Christ will give us the means to correct our ways. He tells Peter, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Since he is God, he can turn Peter’s situation around. Where Peter felt like he would die of shame, Jesus gives him a whole new life. John Paul II often quoted these words of Jesus, “Don’t be afraid” to young people. “Don’t be afraid,” he would say, “to counter the trend by living chastely.” He might say to us today, “Don’t be afraid to live by the word of God.”

A couple of years ago an Alabama judge took the word of God on tour. Judge Roy Moore hauled a 5,280 pound monument with the Ten Commandments inscribed on it throughout the country. He wanted his case against the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision removing the monument from his courthouse to enter people’s consciousness. The marble was not very big, but so sturdy that keeping an eye on the crane that moved it created a sense of overabundance. Of course, the word of God does not have to be encased in marble to have impact. Read, meditated and acted upon from a little Bible, it can give us a whole new life. That’s our hope now. In some way the word of God will give us new life.

Homily for Sunday, January 28 (in Spanish)

(Lucas 4)

Un dibujo famoso apareció hace ochenta años en la portada de una revista americana. Muestra a un hombre demasiado sofisticado. Lleva abrigo y sombrero de copa. Está mirando con monóculo una mariposa. Parece decir el señor: “¡Que interesante el bicho!”

Con tal arrogancia la gente de Nazaret mira a Jesús en el evangelio hoy. Lo trata como una curiosidad, un bicho con colores variados. Para estos hombres Jesús es solamente el hijo de Pepe que ha ganado alguna fama por sus curas. Posiblemente están diciendo entre sí mismos, “¿Por qué él no nos da a nosotros una muestra de su magia?”

Les falta a estas personas un aprecio de Jesús como profeta, el hombre de Dios. Sus curas no son trucos. Más bien, son actos autorizados por Dios para indicar que las palabras de Jesús valen acatamiento. No está allí para entretenerlas sino para instruirlas acerca de la voluntad de Dios.

Hasta el día hoy muchos ven a Jesús como si fuera una mariposa. Dicen que era un buen hombre pero ¿qué me importa? Se fascinan con la canción famosa tanto en español como en inglés, “A mi modo.” Jesús instruye que tenemos que rezar por aquellos que nos ofendan. Pero dicen ellos, “No es mi modo; yo voy a tener venganza.” Jesús instruye que hemos de decir la verdad. Pero dicen ellos, “No es mi modo; yo voy a echar mentiras cuando me parece oportuno.”

En este país estamos muy inclinados a hacer las cosas “a mi modo.” Recientemente la asociación de ginecólogos ha anunciado que todas las mujeres embarazadas deben someterse al examen para determinar si su bebé tiene el síndrome de Down. Quiere dar a las mujeres la oportunidad de cuidar al bebé con el síndrome “a su modo”; eso es, abortarlo. Es realmente una tragedia porque personas con el síndrome de Down no sólo son imagines de Dios dignas de respeto sino también promueven cariño y gozo en la familia.

En frente de una iglesia en el sur de California hay una imagen de Jesús sentado. A su lado está una mujer a quien está aconsejando. La mujer tiene que decidir: ¿es Jesús un profeta cuyas palabras valen el acatamiento? O ¿sólo es un buen hombre con consejos “interesantes”? ¿Va a vivir según sus preceptos o a sus propios modos? Es una postura y una pregunta para todos nosotros. Que nos pongamos al lado de Jesús para escuchar sus consejos. ¿Valen el acatamiento? O ¿vamos a vivir “a mi modo”? ¿Será su modo o mi modo?

Homily for Sunday, January 21 (in Spanish)

Lucas 1 & 4

La novela El Poder y la Gloria fue escrita por un autor católico. Tiene que ver con la persecución de la Iglesia en México. Un sacerdote ha sido infiel al celibato. Sin embargo, sigue creyendo en los sacramentos y últimamente el estado lo ejecuta por celebrar la misa. La introducción del libro llama la atención. En ella el autor cuenta de la interrogación que le dio el Vaticano por haber escrito de un sacerdote decaído. En el Evangelio según San Lucas que escuchamos hoy y casi todos los domingos este año hay otra introducción que llama la atención.

San Lucas es el único escritor en el entero Nuevo Testamento que escribe introducciones. Y él la hace dos veces – una vez para su evangelio y otra vez en los Hechos de los Apóstoles. En las dos San Lucas menciona la persona por la cual está escribiendo – un tal Teófilo. No sabemos quien es este hombre. Pero puede ser un cristiano fijo o, tal vez, usted desde que Teófilo significa “amigo de Dios.”

San Lucas nos dice también que después de investigar todas las cosas acerca de Jesús, él las escribe “por orden.” Imaginamos que San Lucas quiere decir que va a poner en más orden los eventos relatados en el Evangelio según San Marcos escrito algunos años antes. Una cosa es el lenguaje. San Lucas no incluye palabras foráneas en su relato como hace San Marcos. Por ejemplo, en el Evangelio según Lucas cuando Jesús levanta a la hija de Jairo de la muerte, no dice “Talitá kumi” como en Marcos sino sólo, “Niña, levántate.” Otra cosa es la secuencia de la narrativa. Los eventos en el Evangelio de Lucas son más fáciles a seguir. Donde San Marcos trata la negación de Pedro en dos partes – antes y después de la interrogación de Jesús -- Lucas termina con la historia de la negación antes de tratar la interrogación de Jesús.

Después de la introducción la lectura hoy brinca al principio del ministerio de Jesús. Lucas nos dice que Jesús regresa a su pueblo donde entra la sinagoga al día sábado. Entonces lee la Escritura del profeta Isaías y hace un discurso de sólo catorce palabras: “’Hoy mismo se ha cumplido este pasaje de la Escritura que acaban de oír.’” En el Evangelio según San Mateo Jesús comienza su ministerio con el gran “Sermón del Monte.” Una vez más Lucas escribe de manera más simple que los otros evangelistas.

Por la lectura de Isaías con el discurso breve Lucas indica dos temas principales suyos. En primer lugar, muestra la preocupación por los necesitados: los pobres, los cautivos, los ciegos, y los oprimidos. No debe sorprendernos que solamente en este evangelio escuchamos la parábola del pobre Lázaro y el rico o solamente en este evangelio tenemos la historia de Zaqueo prometiendo la mitad de sus bienes a los pobres.

También en el pasaje hoy escuchamos del Espíritu Santo, otro tema en que Lucas hace hincapié. Sólo en Lucas Jesús dice que el Padre enviará al Espíritu Santo a aquellos que lo pidan. Por supuesto, es en los Hechos de los Apóstoles, escrito por el mismo Lucas, donde encontramos al Espíritu Santo descendiendo sobre María y todos los discípulos. Seguramente, el propósito de Lucas es para recordarnos que el Espíritu está con nosotros también. Y no solamente esto, sino que el mismo Espíritu nos mueve a actuar por los necesitados.

Para los orientales el año 2007 es el año del cerdo. Para las Naciones Unidas es el año de los derechos de las personas desplazadas. Para los científicos es el año para estudiar dos cosas: los polos de la tierra y el sol. Y para nosotros cristianos Católicos el 2007 es el año para leer el Evangelio según San Lucas. Que aprovechémonos de este año por hacernos todos verdaderos Teófilos. Eso es, que seamos amigos de Dios con la preocupación de los necesitados en el Espíritu Santo. Que nos preocupemos de los necesitados en el Espíritu.

Homily for Sunday, January 14, 2007

(John 2)

Weddings are not only times of joy. They are also moments of peace. We see this portrayed in the movie, “My Big, Fat Greek Wedding.” Two very different families come to like each other on the occasion of the wedding of their children. The Greek-American family of the bride is loud and large. In contrast, the blue-blood parents of the groom are sedate. But by the end of the wedding feast everyone is dancing together. In the gospel today a much more momentous peace emerges at a wedding banquet.

Jesus arrives at the wedding in Cana with his disciples. They always travel together. Discipleship by definition is to keep one’s eyes on the teacher in order to learn from him. Jesus’ disciples stand apart from those of other teachers because he has called them personally. And so are we called at baptism. “Carmen, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” a priest said pouring water over my head sixty years ago. As disciples, Jesus teaches us through the gospels that encapsulate his message.

The wedding feast comes to a roadblock. There is no more wine for the celebration. Wine cheers human hearts. The French have a saying, “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” If that is so, then a wedding feast without wine is like three months of cloudy skies. We might change this analogy a bit, “A wedding feast without wine is like a society without justice.” It’s like Montgomery, Alabama, fifty-one years ago when an African-American woman who worked all day was told to cede her seat on a bus to a man simply because his skin was white.

But Montgomery was not to remain with this injustice. A Black preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr., told the people to resist racial discrimination. They organized a bus boycott. Black people would not ride city buses until racial discrimination stopped. Many would walk to work and to visit their families. They would walk from one side of the city to the other if necessary, rather than submit to racial subjugation. They practiced discipline, the mark of discipleship. Did it hurt them? Not that much. As one elderly person put it during the bus boycott, “My feet may be hurting, but my soul is at rest.” In the gospel Jesus’ mother tells the servers at the wedding to do whatever Jesus tells them. Discipleship entails developing the discipline of doing whatever Jesus tells us.

Jesus then transforms the water into wine. This miracle is not meant just to give everybody another drink. No, it is infinitely more welcome than that. The water in the six stone jars is to be used for ceremonial washing. It represents the Jewish law which, as St. Paul writes to the Romans, has no power to save us from sin. Transformed by Jesus into wine, however, it brings shalom, that is peace and well-being, to all. We partake of this wine at the Eucharist. From our coming together on Sundays (and on weekdays if possible) we become peacemakers in the world. At work we support efforts of taking grievances honestly and respectfully to those responsible. In the community we extend our helping hand to anyone in legitimate need.

Patty is just one of Christ’s disciples transformed by the Eucharist to bring peace to the world. She comes from Mexico but has made her home in southern California. She has four children and two part-time jobs. Still, she finds time to teach catechism to Spanish-speaking children. Through all her efforts family, church, and community are blessed with shalom.

In the long struggle for racial justice, African-Americans would remind themselves to “keep your eyes on the prize.” Our prize, the one whom we watch with more attention than dancers at a Greek wedding, is Jesus. He teaches us and transforms us. Without him our efforts at creating peace will hit a roadblock. With him our failures are rewarding and our successes bring the fullness of peace. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus.