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.