Echoes From Rome

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord - January 8, 2012: A Journey to Wisdom and a Question

2012-01-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

Click here for the Mass readings for the Solemnity of Epiphany - January 8, 2012 (Year B):

"...and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)

I'm back! It's been awhile since I last posted a Sunday reflection (my apologies about that), but "thank you" to those who have gently prodded me to get back to it! The main reason behind my silence is simple - a lack of time. I'll get back to that in a minute and ask your input about a new idea as well. But first, let's get to the reason your reading this blog - the reflection.

There is one simple thought that has captured my attention this Epiphany. Well, this "thought" is actually more than a thought, it's simply a sense of pure admiration for the Magi. Said admiration was stirred up after reading Pope Benedict's homily for Epiphany where he highlighted the caliber of these men from the East. What do we know about the quality of these wise men? First off, we know the Magi belonged to the great astronomical tradition that came out of Mesopotamia. But more importantly, we see there was something else within these men that separated them from the other astronomers of their day, and moved them to leave everything behind and set out on a journey. The Magi were very knowledgable men, they were "men of science", but they also had wisdom, courage, and humility (a harmonious blend of virtues so needed by our modern world, but unfortunately too infrequently found - but I digress). Since his comments on the natural virtues of the Magi were so beautiful and inspired me to contemplate the mystery of Epiphany from another perspective, I will quote Pope Benedict before asking for your opinion on something:

"They were men with restless hearts, not satisfied with the superficial and the ordinary.... they were watchful men, capable of reading God’s signs, his soft and penetrating language. But they were also courageous, yet humble: we can imagine them having to endure a certain amount of mockery for setting off to find the King of the Jews, at the cost of so much effort. For them it mattered little what this or that person, what even influential and clever people thought and said about them. For them it was a question of truth itself, not human opinion. Hence they took upon themselves the sacrifices and the effort of a long and uncertain journey. Their humble courage was what enabled them to bend down before the child of poor people and to recognize in him the promised King, the one they had set out, on both their outward and their inward journey, to seek and to know."

And now, on to the important question. As I mentioned above, the reason I haven't been posting reflections of late is because of my busy schedule. I've tried different tactics to get a post on the blog by Fridays (like writing a piece at a time during the week), but they just hasn't worked out. I have, however, thought of a possible solution. But since this solution would transform the blog fairly drastically, and seeing that you guys are the ones who use the blog, I want to ask you first for your input and listen to any new ideas you may have before making a move. So here's the possible solution: in place of a weekly written reflection, post a 2 minute(ish) video reflection. The obvious advantage for me would be the time factor...and it might be fun! But what do you think?! God bless!

(Photo of the "Tribus Miraculis I" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

PS - If you were looking for more information on the nuts and bolts of the feast of Epiphany, you can read up on it in last year's post.

Solemnity of Christ the King - November 20, 2011: To Reign Is to Serve

2011-11-19T18:22:00.001-05:00

The Mass Readings for the Solemnity of Christ the King - November 20, 2011 (Year A):

"And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Mt 25:40)

The Solemnity of Christ the King always hails the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Before the new liturgical year opens with the first Sunday of Advent, we celebrate the kingship of Jesus Christ over all creation and His power over every authority, including our worst enemies, evil and death. Ultimately, the feast calls us to open our lives more widely to Christ so His reign may be clearly visible in the way we think, in the decisions we make, and in the way we use our bodies.

The Gospel reading for this year's feast of Christ the King reminds us of an article of our faith that we tend to forget, namely, that Christ will come to earth once again at the end of time and there will be a final judgment; or in the words of the Creed: "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end". But what strikes me about this Sunday's Gospel is the central position that service plays in the final judgment. It might seem rather simplistic, but it's crucial to observe how often Christ speaks of kingship and authority in the framework of service: to reign is to serve!

If we stop and think of those individuals who serve the poor, clothe the naked, give food to the hungry, and visit the ill and imprisoned, one name usually stands out among others: Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa served and spoke about the poor everyday, but never without mentioning love or God. She understood poverty, and the deepest, most pressing needs of humanity, so when she spoke, the world listened - at least with intrigue.

This Sunday's Gospel reminds us that the charity and service demanded by Christ are far more than vague sentiments of compassion for the poor and needy. We must serve them in reality. And while we ponder concrete ways in which we can live this Gospel, I'll conclude with a few quotes from Mother Teresa that might inspire an even deeper reflection on the state of poverty present in every nation throughout the world: "Christ said, 'I was hungry and you gave me food.' He was hungry not only for bread but for the understanding love of being loved, of being known, of being someone to someone."; "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."; "Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."; "He was naked not only of clothing but of human dignity and respect, through the injustice that is done to the poor, who are looked down upon simply because they are poor....Do we go out to meet those? Do we know them? Do we try to find them?"

(Photo of the "Rex Regum" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 30, 2011: Proclaiming Liberty to Captives

2011-10-30T09:28:00.002-04:00

Click here for Mass readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 30, 2011 (Year A):

"They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them." (Mt 23:4)

Friday night I sat in a packed gym listening to an exorcist speak. Fr. Vincent Lampert, one of the few Vatican trained exorcists in the United States, spoke for two hours about various dimensions to the battle between good and evil. He emphasized several great points, one of which was the care the Church takes to distinguish between mental disturbances vs true possession, obsession, oppression, or infestation (i.e. varying degrees of the presence and influence of evil). Fr. Lampert was quick to point out that the Church works to alleviate the suffering of all those who approach an exorcist - whether that means directing people to seek out psychological or psychiatric help, or in the few cases where there is true possession, setting them free from the dominion of the devil and helping them build a true life of prayer, faith, and virtue.

This is obviously a time of the year when many people become intrigued once again with Halloween, evil, the devil, and various forms of paranormal activity - sometimes in an exaggerated or unhealthy manner. So I thought I'd highlight the main themes found in Sunday's Gospel reading and then reflect on the relationship between Jesus' message and the realm of evil.

Jesus comes on strongly in his rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees this Sunday. He admonishes them on two main fronts: seeking to secure their own honor and glory in the eyes of others instead of seeking the honor and glory of God, and using their God-given authority to lay up heavy burdens for others and not help out, instead of using their authority to serve, build up, and set people free (see Luke 4:18-19). Such an abuse of God's authority is ultimately a transgression of the two greatest commandments (the love of God and love of others), which explains Jesus' vehement denouncement. But what I find intriguing is the correlation between these lessons and Fr. Lampert's talk on exorcisms on Friday night.

In the exorcisms which Fr. Lampert either performed or witnessed, he noted certain common denominators. First of all, there was the absence of God in the person's life. Then there was a moment or something that started the person down the wrong path, where a relationship with evil was established - some sort of connection. Sometimes in the search for a sense of power or control over life (or out of dangerous curiosity), people turned to psychics, mediums, Ouija boards, seances, tarot cards, palm readers, or they began dabbling in white magic or the occult. All of these things open up doorways to evil and the gravest of problems. On one hand, God is removed from the picture and faith supplanted by something else - an idol - which exalts itself and strikes at the heart of the first and greatest commandment. The second correlation between the Gospel and Fr. Lampert's talk has to do with "tying up heavy burdens" for other people. Similar to the scribes and Pharisees laying heavy burdens on people, those who open themselves to evil begin to discover what real oppression, bondage, and slavery are all about. Fr. Lampert pointed out the other night that all of those who had at one time been possessed end up recounting the same experience of bondage: "When the demon manifested himself I was a prisoner, conscious of what was taking place, but without control of my body, my movements, my voice, or the words I was saying." Instead of tying up heavy burdens, the Church uses the God-given authority she has received to set people free of this horrific bondage and suffering, and then builds them up by helping them to establish a real relationship with God through faith and prayer.

Where the Church directs us to honor and glorify God and exhorts us to keep ourselves free from the dominion of sin, the devil works in direct opposition to lead us to glorify something or someone else (often times ourselves) and subtly fall prey to the dark slavery of sin and evil. While the devil is real and powerful, exorcisms also remind us that He is no match for the power of God. So let us reconsecrate ourselves to God and Our Lady this Sunday at Mass, and ask Him for the grace to seek always His greater glory and honor in the day to day decisions of life. May we faithfully reflect the power and splendor of God's love and work to overcome evil with goodness (Romans 12:21). God bless you!

(Photo of the "No One Comes to the Father but by Me" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 9, 2011: RSVP to Heaven

2011-10-10T01:47:00.000-04:00

Click here for the Mass readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A):

"Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.'" (Mt 22:8-9)

When it comes to talking about heaven or hell, a lot of people have a lot of questions. What is heaven like? What do we know about it? Fortunately, Jesus spoke about heaven and hell all the time, often through the use of parables. So it's definitely worth our effort to explore and reflect on the meaning of this Sunday's Gospel if we wish to learn something about the final goal to which we are all called.

Once again, it's late and it's been a long (but good) weekend. So I will quickly summarize the parable of the Wedding Feast and highlight two points which I find to be rather important for anyone seeking to follow Christ. The entire Gospel reading revolves around the story of a king who has prepared a wedding feast for his son and sends his servants to invite people to the feast. With this analogy Jesus is comparing the king to God the Father who invites His chosen people (the Jews) to share in the eternal banquet of heaven. The first wave of servants sent out represent the prophets of the Old Testament who faced rejection, suffering, and death for calling the Israelite people to repentence and faithfulness to God's Law. The second wave of servants represent the Apostles and disciples sent out to invite everyone into the Kingdom of heaven, "the bad and good alike". It goes without saying that God's invitation to partake in the eternal banquet of heaven is met with a variety of responses - most of them negative. At first glance it's a bit bewildering to think God would find so much resistance to His invitation to heaven! And yet He does - which tells us gaining entrance into heaven isn't something "automatic", nor is it to be taken lightly.

It's only right, therefore, to consider briefly the variety of responses to the king's invitation in the parable so we don't make the same mistakes. Immediately we can identify two main groups of people in the parable - those who refuse God's invitation, and those that accept it. Within the group that refuses, we can also see two types of refusal: one that is vehemently hateful toward God and violent, and another which isn't hateful, but simply indifferent or apathetic to the invitation. It's clear from the parable that at the end of the day both exclude themselves from the kingdom of heaven. But I want to look at the response of indifference since it's something all of us need to be on guard against. It's essential for all of us to protect the fire of divine love in our hearts - to guard it and feed it so we do not become lukewarm (see Rev 2:4 and 3:14-22). The best way to do that is to make sure we have quality prayer time scheduled into our day. We manage to eat each day, and check our email, Facebook, etc...and several times a day at that - but what about prayer? Our faith falters, our hope fades, and charity grows cold without prayer. All of these are necessary if we don't want to one day find ourselves numbered among "the indifferent" in today's Gospel.

Finally, there's the group that accepts God's invitation to the eternal feast of heaven. But here too Jesus indicates two types of acceptance: one good, and the other inadequate. The inadequate response is personified in the man who shows up to the wedding feast without a wedding garment, is questioned by the king and ultimately thrown out of the feast. Entering the kingdom of heaven is not simply a matter of sauntering through the pearly gates as we are and grabbing a seat at the table - a real change is required. And the wedding garment is a symbol of the change all of us must undergo if we are to be made worthy of heaven. The "wedding garment" in the parable symbolizes the soul which undergoes a complete transformation through an acceptance of the grace and love of God. God's grace is effective; it has the power to transforms us from within and make us a "new creation" - a tramsformation which, like the wedding garment, must become visible in our love for God and manifested in concrete acts of charity toward our neighbor. Let us remember that we have already been clothed with this white "wedding garment" at the time of baptism and exhorted to keep it pure. And if we fail, there's always hope. The sacrament of confession is given to renew within us the dignity of our baptism. Through the confession of our sins we open ourselves once again to the mercy of God and are washed clean.

May we ponder carefully the parable in this Sunday's Gospel and implore the Lord to set our hearts on fire with His divine love, and purify us from within so our "yes" to Him may be worthy of His invitation. And I pray that our lives may always be a living invitation to others! God bless!

(Photo of the "The Martyrs Before the Lamb" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 25, 2011: Love and Obedience

2011-09-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A):

"A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, 'I will not', but afterwards changed his mind and went." (Mt 21:28-29)

It's late Saturday night on the east coast (late for me), but instead of allowing another week to slip by without posting a reflection, I thought I'd at least share two short thoughts on this week's Gospel.

The parable of the two sons who are told by their father to go work in the vineyard highlights very vividly the type of obedience God desires from man: Words are not enough; action is required. Like the first son, we may have our own ideas/plans and we're simply not open to hearing anything contrary to our wants/opinions/dreams or whatever - not even if it comes from God. Or, like the second son, we may begin with a strong "yes" to God in word or intention and feel that's sufficient. Clearly neither of these two scenarios could be considered "doing the will of God". But the parable gives us hope. The first son is an image of the tax collectors and prostitutes of Jesus' day (those considered to be "the scum of the earth"). These are the ones who said "no" to God by living contrary to His law, but had a real change of heart and life after listening to John the Baptist (a credible witness). I think this is an important point for two reasons: Even if someone considers himself/herself to be ranked among the scum of the earth because of personal sinfulness, we see that God never gives up on anyone and that all have the possibility of being made new in Christ. Secondly, we see the need for credible witnesses - those who not only do the will of God in their lives, but reach out to others and invite them to Christ.

The second thought I had about this Sunday's Gospel is that Jesus underscores the type of obedience we owe to God within the context of a parable about a father and two sons. In other words, a familial bond of love establishes the context in which obedience is demanded! I think this is the key to everything. Christianity remains nothing more than a religion of rules if God has not loved us first. Our obedience to God is meant to be given as a free response to God's initiative, to His goodness and love. This doesn't mean that obedience will be easy, but it does mean that the true strength to die to ourselves and follow God's will can only originate in "the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Rom 5:5). May the Lord transform us with the fire of His divine love and increase the generosity and quality of our obedience to Him. God bless you!

(Photo of the "Agape" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

23rd Sunday in Orindary Time - September 4, 2011: Winning Over Your Brother

2011-09-03T20:00:00.001-04:00

Click here for the Mass Readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 4, 2011 - (Year A):

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.'" (Mt 18: 15)

Correction: It's not pleasant to receive, and it can be very tough to give. What is more, in a morally relativistic (or an "I'm okay, you're okay") society, correction can be misconstrued as being judgmental and considered offensive. And yet we see Jesus outline in this Sunday's Gospel a very specific three-step process of correction designed to bring about conversion and reconciliation. Since this particular Gospel passage can be difficult to understand, I'll make a few comments about the actual text and also offer some simple points we can take away from this Sunday's readings for personal reflection.

Context: That's the first important key. This Sunday's Gospel (Mt 18:15-20) is immediately preceded by the parable of the Lost Sheep, which is given to show the great lengths and pain God will undergo to retrieve and save one person. That parable provides the underlying spirit and motivation behind all true Christian correction. As we see, Jesus' understanding of correction does not derive from impatience or annoyance, nor does it spring from a spirit of nit-picking, nagging, or condemnation; it is truly "fraternal". Fraternal correction is meant to be a reflection of God's solicitude for each of us; it's ultimate aim is salvation. In this sense, fraternal correction seeks to undo Cain's flippant response to God: "Am I my brother's keeper?" The answer to that question is "yes, you are!" We are responsible to one another; we are brothers and sisters in Christ, and we cannot accept a mentality that induces us to live like children of Cain.

Critical: This is the next point worth highlighting. The three-step process of correction Jesus outlines in the Gospel indicates that He is speaking about something absolutely critical - the person's sinful actions are clearly grave and leading him or her away from salvation, and the community must respond in love. The Lord isn't speaking about some trivial sin which can be overlooked, but something deadly. The fact that the second step in the process involves 2 or 3 witnesses is meant to help the person realize the gravity of his or her situation and bring about repentance. Just as parents refuse to remain silent if they see their children playing on a busy street, so we cannot stand idly by and fall silent as a fellow disciple wanders off into eternal danger. There are undeniably appropriate and inappropriate times and ways to correct someone, but one thing is for sure, we cannot be afraid of being a true brother or sister in Christ to those around us.

On another note, I am personally indebted to the people who have corrected me at various points in my life. Usually they were pointing out flaws of which I was previously unaware. I have grown much thanks to those admittedly difficult, but graced conversations. Although the corrections were not easy at the time, it was easy to perceive the sincere love and kindness of these people. And a willingness on their part to pray and be available to help in any way possible always provided added inspiration to take their corrections to heart. They have been true brothers and sisters to me and have taught me the unforeseen value of fraternal correction - something we all need to learn to receive and be willing to administer with immeasurable love if the need presents itself.

I pray that all of us may weigh carefully the teaching Christ gives us in this Sunday's Gospel, and that He grant us strength to be open to the truth, and open to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of the "Amicitia Spiritualis" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 28, 2011: The Logic of the Cross

2011-08-28T22:53:00.000-04:00

Click Here to read the Mass Readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 28, 2011 (Year A):

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.'" (Mt 16:24)

Welcome back! After a busy month of meetings, some vacation time, and a cross-country road trip, Echoes from Rome is back in action! Before moving into this Sunday's reflection, however, I'd like to announce an exciting new development. After 12 blessed years in Rome, I have been transferred back to the United States. Although I will no longer be writing from Rome, I'm happy to announce that the Sunday reflections on the Gospel will now be coming from St. Paul Inside the Walls Catholic Evangelization Center located in Madison, New Jersey. It's an exciting new development in itself (you can check out the website), but it also opens up new possibilities / ideas / potential for this blog. So while I'm no longer physically living in Rome, the reflections on the Sunday Gospels will continue to come from a heart faithful to the heart of the Church! ...And for those of you who are curious, yes, the title of the blog will remain "Echoes from Rome". On to the Sunday reflection!

Who of us would ever have the courage to admonish Jesus to His face? It seems quite strange to think about, and yet in this week's Gospel we find Peter doing precisely that. Peter takes Jesus aside and actually reprimands the Lord for speaking about the rejection, suffering, and death He will have to endure at the hands of the chief priests and scribes: "God forbid, Lord!" Jesus' response to Peter couldn't have been more severe: "Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." This response seems quite harsh at first, but it makes sense if you remember an earlier event in the Gospel. Jesus responds to Peter here just as He responded to Satan when he tempted the Lord to forgo the cross and simply take possession of the world (Mt 4:10). In the mind of Christ, the cross must be embraced - it cannot be avoided. In fact, due to Peter's all-too-human aversion to the cross, Jesus calls Peter an "obstacle" (or "scandalon" in Greek) to Him! Jesus sees life without the cross as a scandal, or obstacle, to following the will of the Father, and not only for Himself, but for anyone who wishes to be His disciple: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."

In this we see how God's thinking and ours simply do not match up. Often times intense personal suffering can create a scandal (or stumbling block) to our faith. We feel the temptation to withdraw from God because He has not lived up to our expectations, or because He asks us to carry a cross and follow Him. How quickly we forget His words and example, and then falter in faith! On top of that, our society exasperates the natural aversion we have to suffering and exalts the ultimate goal of a pleasurable, luxurious, and comfortable life devoid of all anxiety and pain. Ironically, the only thing this goal is devoid of is reality. Nonetheless, an unrealistically high level of expectations in life is ingrained within us and we somehow feel cheated when we have to suffer, or life doesn't hand us something we (somehow) think should rightfully be ours. If we don't see these moments as opportunities to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow the Lord, then we can end up blaming or hating God for being unfair.

It's not easy to accept suffering and the real life crosses we have to bear in the way Jesus did. This is especially true when the world around us often makes an idol out of comfort and ease. St. Paul's words in the second reading for this Sunday can serve as a good reminder to us all: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...." Like the Apostles and saints, we too can learn to "put on the mind of Christ" slowly. Listening, reading, and meditating on passages of the New Testament is a great way to do just that and strength our faith, especially in times of suffering.

This week (and afterwards too) we can ask the Lord in prayer to transform our minds and help us live according to the logic of His wisdom and not the logic of man. We can also take practical steps by reading the Bible a little bit each day during the week, paying close attention to how Jesus approached the various sufferings and trials in His life - what He valued, what He said, how He acted, or reacted, or didn't react! May the Lord pour out His grace upon us and help us follow Him with generous and grateful hearts. Have a blessed week!

(Photo of the "Christ Carrying the Cross" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 17, 2011: How to Receive the Word of God

2011-07-16T14:29:00.000-04:00

Click Here to read the Mass Readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A):

"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. " (Mt 13:23)

I remember it like yesterday. We were in the family car pulling out of the church parking lot after Sunday Mass and my father asked the unimaginable: "So, can you guys tell me what the Gospel reading was for today?" We were like a deer caught in the headlights: stunned and helpless. There were no excuses, and there was no way out. Like last Sunday's Gospel parable of the sower, we were the "path" on which the seed had been scattered, only to be eaten up moments later by the birds. And while there was no recollection of what Gospel we had actually listened to only 45 minutes earlier, there was no doubt this moment would be seared into my memory forever.

That was the story I was going to share last week, but unfortunately I was too busy to write a reflection on how to listen to the Word of God. Luckily, not all is lost. This week's principal Gospel parable of the "weeds and wheat" continues the theme begun last Sunday with the parable of the sower. Last week's parable of the sower was meant to teach us the fundamental disposition of our heart needed to receive the "seed" - i.e. the Word of God. How we listen to the Word of God is of the utmost importance here. It's worth asking the question, "how and why do I listen to the Word of God?" Do I listen indifferently to the Gospel while it's proclaimed at Mass, or do I listen so as to absorb that Word and allow it to slowly change my way of thinking and acting? One way to really get a lot out of the Sunday readings is to read and reflect on them before going to Mass - for example, on Friday evening. Find out ahead of time which readings will be read at Mass - ibreviary.com has an application for smart phones that gives you all the Mass readings and other prayers to help you prepare (it's available in English and Italian). Then calm down and open your heart to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to bless and guide your reflection. Then simply read the readings, sit in silence for about 5 minutes and allow the Lord to speak to your heart. Instead of listening to the radio on the way home from work on Friday you could look up the readings before getting in the car and then pray over them as you drive home. Or you could do this with your spouse and share your reflections - it's a great means to help couples communicate and share from the heart the deeper things of life which are not normally shared. This is a great blessing for marriages and families.

This Sunday's Gospel of the weeds and wheat focuses attention on the seed that has already been sown in good soil - i.e. a heart and mind disposed to welcome the Word of God. This parable gives us a sober look at the perpetual situation of our life in this world: Good and evil grow alongside one another. As disciples (the wheat) we find ourselves temporarily surrounded by moral evil in this world (the weeds) which is the fruit of the devil's work. We must not allow ourselves to become despondent by the presence of evil, nor be conquered by evil, but rather seek to "conquer evil with good" (Romans 12:21). We also learn to be patient with the weeds around us because we see how patient God is with the weeds within us. As we know, His patience is directed toward our repentance and salvation (2 Peter 3:15). So let us repent of the hardness of our hearts, and ask pardon for the times we have lost patience with God and with His divine plan. May we renew our confidence and trust in the Lord's will and receive with love and gratitude both the Word proclaimed to us at Mass, and the perfect fruit of "the wheat" - the Eucharist. God bless you!

(Photo of the "Woodhouse Sower" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 3, 2011: The "Yoke" of Christ

2011-07-02T18:57:00.001-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 3, 2011 (Year A):

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves." (Mt 11:28-29)

This Sunday Jesus calls out to all those who are burdened and weary of heart to draw close to Him and find rest. Sooner or later everyone feels burdened (or overburdened) in life. There are innumerable reasons for these burdens - sometimes we create our own burdens through bad choices, other times we suffer burdens because of the faults of others. But whatever the cause of our burdens may be, Jesus invites us in Sunday's Gospel to learn from Him the path of true rest.

The "rest" Jesus speaks of is not physical rest, but a rest which only God can give. As Jesus indicates in the passage above, He is the true source of rest for man; a rest the "world" and the "flesh" cannot give. The Lord invites us to take upon ourselves His own "yoke" and to learn from Him. This is the "yoke" of the Gospel which requires us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ. For the outsider this seems a far cry from true rest, and absolute absurdity. But for the one who trusts in the Lord's words and actually draws close to Christ in simplicity and sincerity, he discovers this "rest" hidden from "the wise and learned". While we will always be burdened with the trials and crosses found in this "Vale of tears", our souls find rest in Christ who strengthens and refreshes us.

So what are the burdens you carry in this life? What are the sources or causes of those burdens? Although we can rattle off quick (and sarcastic) answers to these questions, they merit serious personal reflection. If others have created unjust burdens in our life it's essential we don't aggravate our plight by playing the perpetual "victim" - that path leads to no other end but deep interior sadness and sloth. More often than not though, we are the ones responsible for weighing ourselves down with unnecessary burdens. I thought it might be helpful to list some of bigger causes for our grief: greed is always a big culprit; an unrealistic search for the "perfect life" without pain or struggles; an unwillingness to accept reality; striving to achieve or maintain all the standards of this world - fame, wealth, power, success, youth, glorification/idolization of self; the "cares of this world", which Jesus appropriately termed "thorns", as they choke off the life of God in us; and basing our identity and value on what others think of us - e.g. scrambling to live up to the expectations of others. The list could be continued, but that offers us all at least some food for thought!

May we turn to the Lord with renewed confidence this Sunday and drop at His feet the heavy burdens of the "flesh" and the "world". And may we find true rest in Christ who came to free us from our sins and grant us life in abundance. God bless you!

(Photo of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi - June 27, 2011: "I Am the Bread of Life"

2011-06-25T14:28:00.005-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - June 27, 2011 (Year A):

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink." (Jn 6:54-55)

Most of us in the English-speaking world will celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi this Sunday. The readings for this feast highlight the meaning and significance of Jesus' gift of His "flesh" and "blood" to His disciples, and are intended to nourish our personal faith in His presence in the Eucharist. Much can be said about all three readings, as they offer ample material for reflection, but I will limit myself to a few particularly crucial points.

In the first reading Moses recalls Israel's forty year journey through the desert, but he also interprets the meaning of that experience for the Israelite people. Moses reminded them that God allowed them to experience hunger and thirst in order to test their faith in His words. He then fed them in the desert with manna to show them that one does not live by bread alone, "but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord." The Lord taught them that He can fulfill His promises even in apparently hopeless or impossible situations, and that their hope should be in Him. We too can learn from Israel's desert experience. We see that man cannot truly live without God. We find true life when we have faith in His promises and live by them, above all His promise to give us "the food that endures to eternal life" (Jn 6:27) - which is a reference to the Eucharist.

In the second reading St. Paul draws a direct connection between "the cup of blessing" and the "blood of Christ", and also "the bread that we break" and the "body of Christ". By receiving "the cup" and "the bread" we are brought into communion with Jesus Christ, and in Him we enter into communion with every disciple who partakes of the same Eucharist. If we did not truly receive the risen and glorified Christ in the Eucharist then such a "communion" would only be symbolic and not real. In contrast to a symbolic notion of the Eucharist, Pope Benedict recently highlighted the real "dynamics" of Eucharistic communion. He recounted the words Jesus spoke to St. Augustine in a vision: "You will not change me into yourself like bodily food; but you will be changed into me." (Confessions, VII, 10, 18) The Holy Father then commented that "the Eucharist is a different bread: We do not assimilate it, but it assimilates us to itself, so that we become conformed to Jesus Christ and members of his body, one with him."

Finally, in the Gospel Jesus tells everyone around Him that He is "the living bread that came down from heaven" and that "whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Just as God required faith from the ancient Israelites even when it seemed apparently impossible for Him to fulfill His promises, so now Jesus requires faith from His disciples as He promises something apparently even more impossible to fulfill. Some argue that Jesus was speaking symbolically here, and therefore the Eucharist is only a symbol of His flesh. And yet none of His listeners understood His words to be symbolic. It was precisely because they understood Him properly that "many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him." (Jn 6:66) And Jesus never stopped them; He knew they had understood Him correctly. What is more, after watching people walk away He turned to the Apostles and asked them, "do you also want to leave?" (Jn 6:67) The Apostles had no idea how Jesus would fulfill His promise, but they had faith in Him and therefore in His promise.

Jesus' promise to be truly and really present in the Eucharist has been met with disbelief from the very beginning. Nonetheless, Jesus still asks each of us to believe the promise He made during the Last Supper: "this is my body"; "this is the cup of my blood". Like St. Peter, may we renew our faith in the Lord's words and promises this Sunday and call out to Him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:68-69)

(Photo of the "I Am the Bread of Life" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - June 19, 2011: The Inner Life of God

2011-06-20T06:36:00.004-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Trinity Sunday - June 19, 2011 (Year A):

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

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (also known as Trinity Sunday) is a rather unique feast in the Church. Most solemnities and feasts revolve around the mysteries of the life of Christ, Our Blessed Mother, other important saints, or the marvels God has done for our salvation. Trinity Sunday, on the other hand, was instituted to honor the inner life and mystery of God as He has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - a mystery previously unknown before the coming of Christ. What I love about this solemnity is that it's a feast dedicated particularly to the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity; we're not praising God because He's done something marvelous for us, we're praising Him simply for who He is!

God is worthy of our praise and honor independently from what we stand to gain from worshiping Him. But like all things with God, everything He does for us and reveals to us is for our benefit. And we can benefit richly if, like Our Blessed Mother, we treasure the mystery of the Trinity and ponder it in our hearts (Luke 2:19). There are different ways to contemplate the Trinity, but today I'd like to start with a simple question: why did God choose to reveal His inner life to us (i.e. that He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)? For what purpose?

Let's face it, it would've been much easier to think about God as a solitary divine Being instead of having to grapple with the mystery of Him being "three divine Persons in one God". But God revealed Himself to us for a reason - and it wasn't to try and confuse us! The most profound motive can probably be summed up by saying that God chose to reveal the depths of His inmost being simply because perfect Love desires to communicate itself, be known, and ultimately loved. In revealing Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God discloses that His inner life is really an eternal communion of love - the love that the Father and Son share is the Holy Spirit. This gives us a whole new insight into the Father and the Son's gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church at Pentecost, and to each of us in the Sacraments of baptism and confirmation! He pours all of His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)!

Thanks to the revelation of the mystery of the Trinity, we also learn some profoundly significant truths about ourselves. First of all, we see that creation doesn't spring from some haphazard cosmic concoction, but rather the order, goodness, and beauty in creation originates in and is reflective of the overflowing love and goodness found in the heart of God. What is more, we, haven been created in the image and likeness of God, reflect the communion of love, goodness, and beauty of God in a unique way. We have been "engineered" or made for communion with God and one another. We see this most powerfully in our natural desire to be loved perfectly, and to have the opportunity to love fully. In fact, we can say with confidence that these two dimensions of love express the deepest meaning of human existence, and the only way to authentic personal fulfillment. It's no wonder that the two greatest commandments have to do with (1) the love of God and (2) the love of neighbor. If we truly desire to achieve our full potential, we cannot do it apart from a life of grace (i.e. the Love and life of God). We must first receive humbly the Love we were created for - which no human love can replace - and with the strength of God's Love dwelling within us through grace, we can begin to love others as God has loved us.

By contemplating and praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may we grow in a deeper knowledge and love of God, and become a clearer reflection of divine love to those God places in our lives. God bless you!

(Photo of "The Most Holy & Undivided Trinity" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Pentecost Sunday - June 12, 2011: A New Pentecost

2011-06-11T08:27:00.002-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for Pentecost Sunday - June 12, 2011 (Year A):

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Jn 20:21-22)

Pentecost Sunday is upon us! "Pentecost" (literally "the fiftieth day") commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and disciples on the fiftieth day after Jesus' resurrection. Today's celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church recalls the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to His disciples to send "another Advocate...the Spirit of Truth" to be with us always, and to lead us into all truth. And while Pentecost Sunday marks the last day of the Easter Season, the mission of Jesus and the Holy Spirit continue on in our midst.

Although Jesus was no longer visibly present to the early Church after His ascension into glory, He has been present to her and acting within her throughout the centuries by means of His Holy Spirit. It is, in fact, through the work of the Holy Spirit that Jesus continues His salvific mission in the Church even today - most conspicuously through the Sacraments and the witness of the saints. The Holy Spirit communicates to the Church the divine life and love of God, or more accurately, He is the Love of the Father and Son poured into our hearts. He is the source of the Church's life and vitality, or in the words of St. Augustine, "what the soul is in our body, the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, which is the church." And for this reason the Church has need of a continual Pentecost; a continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all Christ's faithful so Christ may be encountered, known, loved, and proclaimed! Blessed John XXIII prayed for a "new Pentecost" for the Church, Pope Paul VI prayed for an "eternal Pentecost", Blessed John Paul II spoke often of the same thing and prayed fervently for a "new Pentecost" for the entire Church, and most recently Pope Benedict XVI has called on everyone "to implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost". So what's our response?

For some reason, on the personal level, many of us either hesitate (or neglect) to open the doors of our heart to the Holy Spirit and invoke His active presence in our day to day life. We often associate the Holy Spirit with Pentecostal Protestants or the Charismatic Movement, and we forget that He is the soul of everyone's spiritual life and without Him communion with Christ is categorically impossible. We can also be leery of opening ourselves to the Holy Spirit because deep down we're leery of change - either because we become too set in our ways and grow comfortable with the status quo, or we believe we're doing okay and there's no real need for conversion, or we're just plain stubborn. When the state of a soul is such, the word "docility" is rarely to be found in the mind or on the lips. And yet being a disciple of Christ means being "docile" (in Latin docilis means "easily taught" and is the contrary of "obstinate" or "unteachable"). The Holy Spirit is the one who directs us to be open and docile to the Lord and the Church. Docility manifests itself in a desire to know God's will, to receive Christ's teaching and assimilate it, to listen to the voice of Christ speaking through the Church, and an excitement to know and grow in the ways of God. Saint Josemaría Escrivá summed up nicely the importance of docility when he said, "you have to be docile, so as not to put obstacles in the way of your God."

Let us never dismiss the Holy Spirit as non-essential to our spiritual lives and to the Church, nor forget the docility needed to be a disciple of Christ so as to be guided into all truth (Jn 16:13). Instead, let us pray fervently on this Pentecost Sunday - together with our Holy Father, our Blessed Mother, and the whole heavenly court of saints and angels - for the grace of a "new Pentecost" in our personal lives and for the entire Church! May the Risen Lord hear our prayer, and may the Holy Spirit burn evermore brightly in your hearts! God bless you.

(Photo of "Veni, Sanctificator" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord - June 5, 2011: The Glory and Exaltation of Love

2011-06-03T09:48:00.005-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension - June 5, 2011 (Year A):

"'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight." (Acts 1:8-9)

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord into Heaven. As we hear in the first reading, Jesus appeared to the Apostles over a period of 40 days after rising from the dead. After 40 days of proving Himself to be truly alive, He ascends into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, "far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion...." The biblical imagery of being seated "at the right hand of the Father" is actually quite meaningful as it signifies both the honor and glory of Christ's divinity, and the inauguration of His messianic kingdom. But the Ascension includes a unique dimension to Jesus' return to the Father: Jesus enters into the glory of Heaven in our humanity - a risen and now exalted humanity.

Much attention is given to the human body today - most notably in the world of advertising. Unfortunately, the idea of portraying the deeper meaning and significance of the human body as an integral part and expression of the human person is all too absent in marketing plans. This is of course a symptom of a wider epidemic where the body is commonly viewed as an "accessory" to the human person. An accessory can be used (or abused) on a whim, and without much impact on the one using it. For example, I can choose to wear a watch and take care of it, or I can treat it poorly and abuse it, or even throw it away, but whatever I choose to do with my watch my life isn't really affected. Human experience teaches us, however, that the human body is not an accessory.

What we do with our bodies can have a lasting impact on who we become deep within, and can positively or negatively affect our ability to relate to others. If you have any doubt about this just sit down and listen to the struggles recovering drug, alcohol, or sex addicts have to face within themselves, and with their family and friends. How we use our bodies does matter because our choices affect us, those around us, and our relationship with God. Even our way of speaking reflects the intimate unity between our bodies and who we are as a human person. As someone once pointed out, "if you fall out of a boat you don't say 'oh, my body just fell out of the boat', but rather 'I fell out of the boat'." The human body is not a supplemental dimension to the human person, rather, through the body we express who we are within. In other words, the body is an expression of the human person, not a impersonal accessory.

When we understand the intrinsic unity of our humanity and it's inherent dignity, the real significance and beauty of the Lord's Ascension into heaven becomes even more evident. Jesus ascends to the Father in our humanity - a humanity glorified in the resurrection and now exalted in the ascension! But while on earth, Jesus used His humanity to reveal the fullness of the Father's love and salvific plan for us - above all through His Incarnation, suffering, and death. Jesus placed His humanity at the service of the Father's plan, and sacrificed Himself for our salvation and glorification. The Ascension therefore confirms that the path of true glory for humanity is to be found in a genuine love for God and neighbor - a love that "takes on flesh" and becomes visible in our actions.

May we always remember that the glory, honor, and respect we all desire can only be found in God. And may we abandon all efforts to garner glory for ourselves through a selfish use of our bodies, and seek instead to use our humanity to reflect the glory of God shining forth in the humanity of Christ! God bless you!

(Photo of "Christ Ascending on High" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

6th Sunday of Easter - May 29, 2011: Understanding the Ten Commandments

2011-05-27T00:00:00.575-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 6th Sunday of Easter - May 29, 2011 (Year A):

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth...'" (Jn 14: 15-17)

During His earthly sojourn, Jesus insisted at every turn that His disciples keep His Commandments. But what are the Ten Commandments all about? How does the Bible and the Church understand them? Is it simply a matter of obeying a "you shall" and "you shall not" list, or is there a deeper meaning to the God's Commandments? These are excellent questions so it's imperative we have a correct answer for them - as an improper or incomplete understanding of the Commandments can leave us with a distorted perception of God, and therefore negatively impact the way we live and pray. Fortunately the readings for this 6th Sunday of Easter draw our attention to the Commandments, and thereby offer us the opportunity to reflect on them in the light of Christ.

Let's turn immediately to the opening sentence to this Sunday's Gospel: "Jesus said to his disciples: 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'" (Jn 14:15) The first point is simple - the Commandments do not stand in isolation as a difficult "to do list", rather, they are intimately connected to a personal love for God. We see this same connection with love at the end of the Gospel reading: "whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me." (Jn 14:21)

But there is more to this Gospel passage than a simple connection of words. There is also context. In between the two exhortations to observe the Commandments are 5 verses that constitute the heart of the Commandments - and the supreme source of all love. If you look at the quote at the top of this post, you will see that Jesus speaks of "another Advocate" who will be with us always - the Holy Spirit. He then proceeds to reassure us that "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you," and that "I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you." So from the very context of this Gospel reading we see that the call to observe the Commandments is "filled in" with God - with Love itself who promises to be with us always. To live the Commandments faithfully and fully requires God's presence. Scripture never presents the Commandments as a "do-it-yourself" project, nor as the first step of discipleship. The Commandments are always presented as a response to the Lord's gracious love, to His initiative, and His saving action. Faithful adherence to the Lord's commands therefore comes from the strength of God's love in our lives, and is our loving response to the Lord - our way of saying "I belong to you, Lord: heart, soul, mind, and body." And this is why carving out time each day to cultivate a real, living relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for everyone. Without those relationships the Christian life is impossible.

Finally, we also know that God's Commandments require sacrifice on our part - as all true love does. The Commandments stand in direct opposition to all forms of selfish "love", and to the traces of "the world, the flesh, and the devil" present in our hearts. But once again, the love of God revealed to us and present within us, constitutes the core source of our strength to say "yes" to God in times of temptation and trial. We would do well to remember that temptation is not only about saying "no" to sin, but an opportunity to say "yes" once again to God's love. God does not desire us to live the Commandments in a vacuum, but filled with His presence and love. May our understanding and appreciation for the Commandments continue to grow, and may we discover greater faithfulness through little acts of love. God bless you!

(Photo of "Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

5th Sunday of Easter - May 22, 2011: Following & Proclaiming the Way the Truth and the Life

2011-05-20T12:21:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter - May 22, 2011 (Year A):

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me... I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (Jn 14:1;6)

Earlier this week world-renowned theoretical physicist, Dr. Stephen Hawking, made news when he stated "there is no heaven or afterlife...; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark." Of course, such a conclusion steps infinitely beyond the scope and methodology of his field of science and presents us with nothing more than an non-scientific statement of Dr. Hawking's personal disbelief. But why begin a reflection dedicated to this Sunday’s liturgical readings in this way? Well, aside from contrasting Dr. Hawking's most recent declaration of disbelief with the exhortation to faith we hear throughout the readings for this 5th Sunday of Easter, a stark example of disbelief also has the ability to inspire a more mature, concrete examination of the role of faith in our personal lives.

To encourage such a reflection, I would like to highlight two essential dimensions to our faith. The first is found most conspicuously in this Sunday's Gospel reading from St. John, who accentuates the role of faith like no other Gospel writer. For St. John, faith is an action. He consistently chooses to use the verb "to believe" throughout his Gospel to underscore the living, dynamic nature of faith. "To believe" isn't simply a sterile acknowledgement that God exists, but a vibrant "yes" to Jesus Christ and His message; a "yes" that draws us back to Christ on a continual basis, bears visible fruit in the way we live, think, and act, and ultimately opens us to receive the gift of eternal life. That's why Jesus confronted St. Philip's hesitancy to believe in this Sunday's Gospel with the exhortation, "believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe because of the works themselves." Jesus knew that a hesitancy to believe was also a hesitancy to follow. If St. Philip were hesitant to believe Jesus and the Father were one, he would not have had the conviction to follow Christ as "the way, and the truth, and the life."

As we know, St. Philip came to believe wholeheartedly in Jesus and went on to proclaim Him joyfully and zealously in numerous places. This brings me to the second dimension of faith I wish to highlight: proclamation. St. Peter summarizes this dimension of faith nicely in Sunday's 2nd reading: "You are a chosen race...so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Pet 2:9) "To believe" entails a personal transformation in Christ, but it also means explaining and proclaiming the salvific message of Jesus to others. Unfortunately, this dimension of faith seems somewhat foreign to us as Catholics, as it has been forgotten - or ignored in some cases - and is only now beginning to emerge with greater prominence and momentum.

We are called not only to follow Christ as the Way, live in His Truth, and participate in His Life, but to lead, inspire, and encourage others to a deeper knowledge, faith, and love of Christ. All of us can do this in some way or another. And given the fact that two-thirds of Catholics who leave the Church do so before the age of 23, we cannot wait for someone else to take the lead. It doesn't take much, a word of encouragement at the right moment can go along way. I still find inspiration in little things people said to me a long time ago. And while some people will accept what we have to say, it's true that others, like Dr. Hawking, will have nothing to do with it and reject it with vim. But faith cannot be silent, nor can it survive (never mind thrive) when we lock it up within. May the Risen Lord grant us the fire of His Spirit to follow Him more fervently, and seek opportunities to invite others to walk with us along the same path of faith, hope and love. God bless you!

(Photo of the "Philip Catechizes the Ethiopian Eunuch" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

4th Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday) - May 15, 2011: Following the Good Shepherd

2011-05-13T13:48:00.002-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday) - May 15, 2011 (Year A):

"But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." (Jn 10:2-3)

The world often portrays Christianity, and especially Catholicism, as being little more than a collection of ancient doctrines and ethical rules. Subtle traces of this mentality can even be found in good Christians who, with the highly praiseworthy intention of being faithful to God, want Christianity to answer two big questions: “what must I believe?” and “what must I do?” While there is certainly a very practical, demanding, and concrete dimension to Christianity – one that requires knowledge of our faith and knowledge of how we are to act – neither Christianity nor salvation can be reduced to a faithful adherence to rules and doctrines. As the Gospel for this 4th Sunday of Easter indicates, we believe in and follow a living person – Jesus Christ, “the Good Shepherd” and “the gate” of salvation. Using these two images employed by Jesus, let’s look briefly at what they teach us about the person of Jesus and their importance for every disciple.

The Gate: In a somewhat unusual analogy for us, Jesus compares Himself to the gate of a sheepfold. As He does so, Jesus points out two aspects involving the gate. First, it's through the gate that the shepherd enters the sheepfold (while thieves “climb over elsewhere”). In other words, the sign of a true shepherd is that he approaches the People of God through the person of Jesus Christ, and also leads them back through Jesus - as no one can come to the Father except through Jesus. If someone does not enter and exit the sheepfold through “the gate” he is not a true shepherd, but a thief who “comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy.” Second, it's only through the gate that the sheep can enter the sheepfold and go out to pasture. The gate is therefore an analogy that tells us it is only through Jesus Christ that we can find safety, protection, life, and ultimately salvation. Jesus is revealed as the gate of salvation.

The Good Shepherd: Although this Sunday’s Gospel ends just before Jesus actually says of Himself, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), certain qualities of a true shepherd are highlighted in this week’s Gospel. Firstly, the good shepherd calls out to his sheep by name. God knows us intimately, and by name! That’s absolutely amazing when we consider the enormity and expansiveness of creation. In fact, this past week I had such an opportunity while visiting the Vatican Observatory and seeing the numerous discoveries made by astrophysicists in recent years – not to mention gazing out at the universe through a telescope. We are so infinitesimal, and yet God knows each of us by name – now that’s awesome! Secondly, the good shepherd leads his sheep to pastures of abundant life by walking in front of them and speaking to them. Jesus leads by example - He doesn’t simply leave us a set of rules and directions indicating the way to eternal life. Rather, He goes before us and endures the full gamut of trials along the narrow and difficult way of the cross, and He beckons us to stay close to Him as we traverse this same path, so we may not go astray but eventually reach eternal life. And Jesus speaks to us – He speaks to us through prayer, people, and the events of daily life, but above all through the Scriptures and through the Church - “He who hears you, hears me” (Luke 10:16).

So “Good Shepherd Sunday” (as the 4th Sunday of Easter is sometimes referred to) shows us that our faith is always in a living person who knows us, personally calls out to us, and asks us to trust and imitate Him as He leads us to true happiness and rest. Jesus is both the “the gate” of salvation and the Good Shepherd who calls all of His disciples to know Him intimately with the heart, to heed His voice, to recognize Him in our day to day life, and to be “shepherds” to others by leading them to Christ. Discipleship isn’t something we “do” from time to time because we feel obliged to – rather, it’s a response born from the experience of God’s superabundant goodness and merciful love that opens up for us a new way of life. May the Lord renew within us a personal knowledge of His love, and through us draw countless people to Himself! God bless you.

(Photo of the "Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

3rd Sunday of Easter - May 8, 2011: "Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us?"

2011-05-07T07:50:00.002-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter - May 8, 2011 (Year A):

"Then they said to each other, 'were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?'" (Lk 24:32)

One of the greatest threats to the love of God and neighbor, and therefore our salvation, is an indifferent heart. In stark contrast to this indifference or lukewarmness, this Sunday's Gospel presents us with two disciples whose hearts catch fire with divine love as they converse with the Risen Lord on the road to Emmaus. We see this same interior fire of love in the heart of St. Peter in this Sunday’s first reading, as he fearlessly proclaims the death and resurrection of Christ to all those gathered in Jerusalem. From these two examples we learn that a disciple is one whose heart is alive and burning with the love of God and neighbor – this love is in fact the soul of discipleship, and needs to increase within us always. To inspire a concrete reflection on this Sunday’s liturgy we can ask ourselves two challenging questions: “how intensely does the love of God and neighbor burn within my heart?” and “what can I do to increase that intensity of divine love?” Let’s throw more light on the answer to these questions by looking at one real modern day threat to the fire of divine love present to most of us on a day to day basis.

We live in a world consumed by advertising and marketing. Advertisers vie unremittingly for our attention, our affection, and ultimately our devotion. They attempt to convince us that we need this or that product, and that until we have what they're selling, we're missing something - or worse, we're inferior to those who use their product. Let’s first admit that advertisers are very good at what they do. And with the sheer amount of new products on the market and the advertising that inundates our daily lives, it’s easy to surrender more and more of our attention, time, and energy to the things of this world. This is clearly not an exhortation to never buy anything ever again - but it in light of Jesus’ words, “where your treasure is, there also will your heart be,” (see Mt 6:19-21) it does call us to ponder how much of our heart ends up being dispersed or consumed by the world. As disciples we need to protect our hearts, and guard how much attention and value we put on the things of this world. We need to be attentive and vigilant lest the fire of divine love be extinguished within and we find ourselves indifferent or lacking energy and excitement for the things of God.

In addition to protecting the fire of divine love within, we also need to feed it – or fan it into flame again should it ever be in danger of going out. The readings for this Sunday point to two principal sources for this “fire”: the Holy Spirit whom God pours out on His disciples, and Jesus who reveals Himself to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus through the Scriptures, and above all in the breaking of the bread – the Eucharist – when “their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” God is the source of our love. To ignite or keep the fire of divine love burning within we need to encounter the Lord in prayer – not a haphazard prayer whenever we happen to think about God, but a conscious and concrete program of prayer on a day to day basis so we train our heart to direct its energy and affection to the living God. If you expect a fire to keep burning you need to throw wood on it more than once a week, in fact, more than once a day – so it is with the fire of God’s love within the human heart; it needs to be fed and sustained with daily prayer. If this fire goes out, charity and the desire to bring Christ to our neighbor also grows cold. May the Lord send forth His Spirit to renew our hearts and the face of the world as we seek the Risen One in the Scriptures and in the “breaking of the bread.” God bless you and Happy Mother's Day to all Mom's out there!

(Photo of the "The Road to Emmaus" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) - May 1, 2011: Touching the Heart of Christ

2011-04-30T06:22:00.003-04:00

Mass Readings for the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) - May 1, 2011:

"Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." (Jn 20:27)

The joy of our Easter celebrations will be magnified this Sunday as two great celebrations merge into the Second Sunday of Easter. First of all we will be celebrating what has come to be known as "Divine Mercy Sunday", a feast instituted by John Paul II in the year 2000 to celebrate the riches of divine mercy opened to man through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:4). In addition to this feast, all eyes will be on Rome this Sunday as Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the beatification of John Paul II - who will now be known as "Blessed John Paul II", and will be one step away from sainthood.

So what do the Sunday readings, the feast of Divine Mercy, and John Paul II have in common? A lot! But I would like to focus on one salient aspect which relates to the above quote from this Sunday's Gospel. The quote recounts the moment when "doubting Thomas" touched the glorious wounds of the Risen Christ and was healed of his disbelief in Jesus' resurrection from the dead. For St. Thomas the Apostle, this is the moment in which everything fell into place and he recognized Jesus Christ as God - not a distant and unknown god, but God who has taken on flesh, overcome the tyranny of sin and death through his cross and resurrection, and who is now present with us until the end of time. By putting his hand into the pierced side of the resurrected Christ, St. Thomas touched the heart of Jesus and was forever transformed. It's interesting that St. Thomas would later be martyred by being pierced through with a spear while proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in modern day India.

Like St. Thomas, John Paul II touched the heart of Christ during his lifetime and brought the joy and hope of that encounter to the entire world - and we have all seen the living face of Christ in JPII. Unlike St. Thomas, who physically placed his hand into the side of Christ, John Paul II touched the heart of Our Lord and encountered Him on a daily basis through faith - above all in moments of silent prayer and contemplation, and through the sacraments. The experiences of St. Thomas and John Paul II are very different, but both are very real - and the lives of both these men testify that they truly encountered the living Christ, albeit in different ways.

John Paul II witnessed to the world that Jesus still lives in our midst, that He is real, risen, present and accessible through faith. We can therefore have complete trust in Him and, in the words of John Paul II, "throw open wide the doors to Christ" without fear or hesitation. We too can touch the heart of the living God through faith and be transformed by the fire of divine love burning brightly in the heart of the resurrected Christ. John Paul II brought that divine fire of love and hope to the world in one of its darkest and bloodiest centuries. His life invites us to seek out Christ living in our presence, to open the doors of our hearts to the Lord, and share the love and mercy that transforms our hearts with those that God has placed in our lives.

When John Paul II was elected pope in 1978 he was unknown to world. But a French reporter by the name of Andre Frossard did know who he was and was able to capture what John Paul II was all about in a few simple words: "This is not a Pope from Poland. This is a Pope from Galilee." Through the intercession of Blessed John Paul II, may all of us come to experience and know ever more profoundly the divine love and mercy of the Risen Christ living in our midst, and may we walk fervently with Him all the days of our life.

Easter Sunday Vigil - April 23, 2011: He Is Risen!

2011-04-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Easter Vigil - April 23, 2011:
Click Here for the Mass Readings for Easter Sunday - April 24, 2011:

"Then the angel said to the women in reply, 'Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.'" (Mt 28:5-6)

The Easter Vigil is known as the "mother of all vigils", and stands as "the greatest and most noble of all solemnities" in the Church. On this holy night the Church embraces all of salvation history, past, present, and future: she recalls the great salvific works and promises of God in the Old Testament; she celebrates the resurrection of Christ who is now present with us in the sacraments; and, looking to the future, she keeps vigil for the return of her Risen Lord. This is important for us as disciples, because often times we forget that we are intimately involved in the drama of salvation history and that our salvation is still being worked out (Philippians 2:12).

In this evening's post, I would like to connect, ever so briefly, the six Old Testament readings proclaimed during the Easter Vigil to the resurrection of Christ. Within each Old Testament reading lies a "quality" or characteristic of Jesus' paschal mystery. By looking at salvation history through the lens of the Lord's death and resurrection we can see how Jesus' resurrection illumines and transforms our present and our future.

(1) The first reading recounts the creation of the world by God - a world that was created good, but would fall subject to death and suffering due to sin. With Jesus' death and resurrection, however, God recreates and renews all of creation. (2) In Issac we see Jesus bound and placed on the altar. And while God preserved Abraham's son, He did not spare His own Son who, as "the sheep for the holocaust," took our place and became our redemption. (3) In Moses we see a reflection of Jesus guiding His people out of slavery to sin and darkness into freedom and communion with the living God through the new Red Sea of His precious Blood. (4) In the prophecies of Isaiah we see Jesus swear fidelity to His people as a faithful husband who never abandons His spouse, the Church; (5) and we see an image of Jesus nurturing and satiating His people, preparing for them the eternal banquet where they will feast on the Eucharist - the sign of the New and Everlasting Covenant. (6) Through the Book of Baruch, Jesus calls us to listen to His voice, abandoning the foolishness of the men of this world and learning true wisdom from His teachings. (7) Finally, with the prophecy of Ezechiel we see Jesus reveal His plan to gather all people to Him as the Good Shepherd. He will purify them with the pure water of baptism, give them a new heart - opened on the cross for all - and place within them a new spirit - the Holy Spirit - so they can live in the freedom of the true children of God.

By looking at these Old Testament readings in the light of Jesus' death and resurrection, we discover the true significance of the salvific actions of God in history, and that Jesus' resurrection can illumine our history, our existence, our "today". Not only is salvation history illumined by Jesus' resurrection, but we see the above "qualities" or characteristics (in bold) of Jesus' resurrection present in our personal lives. It is the Risen and Living One who calls us today from the darkness of ignorance, of indifference, of fear, of sin, of shame, into the splendor of the truth that sets us free and leads us into a new life - the life of Jesus Christ Himself. This is why the Church continues to proclaim with immeasurable joy that Jesus Christ is Risen!! A happy and joy-filled Easter to you and your families!

(Photo of the "Christ Rising from the Tomb" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Holy Thursday - April 21, 2011: The Friendship of Christ Revealed

2011-04-21T17:47:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord's Supper - April 21, 2011:

"He loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end." (Jn 13:1)

And so the Easter Triduum begins. The Mass of the Lord's Supper places us in the Upper Room in Jerusalem as Jesus celebrates the Last Supper with His Apostles. We listen to His words and are invited to ponder and celebrate three wonderful mysteries on this holy evening: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and fraternal love. Each of these mysteries reveals the unfathomable love of Jesus for man, and it's that divine love which unites them and makes them sacred.

Tonight I would like to focus on a particular quality of the divine love we see displayed during the Last Supper. It's not an ambiguous or intangible kind of "love", but one which is concrete, intimate, and constant: the love of divine friendship. In fact, the entire paschal mystery, which begins with the Last Supper, offers the ultimate opportunity for Jesus to prove His love to His friends: "no one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (Jn 15:13)

Even as Jesus foretells Judas' betrayal, He dips a morsel of bread into the dish of herbs and passes it to Judas - a sign of close friendship. Moments later, Jesus will also predict Peter's betrayal. And yet, it is in the context of the betrayal and abandonment of His most intimate friends that Jesus gives us the gift of the Eucharist and the priesthood. Instead of abandoning us to loneliness and eternal misery, Jesus gives us the two gifts which will perpetuate His presence among us - so that He may be with us always, even till the end of the world.

May we never despair of God's mercy and friendship, but continually seek to deepen that divine friendship which has the power to recreate, renew, and redeem us. And may we realize that our friendship and intimacy with Christ becomes real only through fraternal love and concrete acts of charity. Have a blessed Triduum!

(Photo of the "Betrayed with a Kiss" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Holy Week 2011: How to Prepare for the Easter Triduum

2011-04-19T07:28:00.000-04:00

"When Jesus had said this, he raised his eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him.' " (Jn 17:1-2)

Breaking with convention, I would like to say a few words midweek as we prepare to celebrate the holiest days of the year - the Easter Triduum (or Holy Triduum - Latin for "three days"). This also serves in part as a "mea culpa" for not getting around to a Palm Sunday reflection!

The Easter Triduum begins with the evening celebration of the "Mass of the Lord's Supper" on Holy Thursday and runs through Easter Sunday. It is above all a time where we draw close to the Church's sacramental celebrations so as to be drawn into communion with Jesus and follow Him closely in the most important moments of His passion, death, and resurrection. We should therefore make every effort to attend all the liturgical celebrations this week (or as many as possible) - i.e. the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday, the celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday (usually at 3pm), and either the Easter Vigil late Saturday night, or Mass on Easter Sunday.

What is more, we need to prepare ourselves now, ahead of time, to receive the fullness of grace available to us in these upcoming days. There is no better way to prepare than to find a good "examination of conscience" (there are many online aids), and go to Confession - also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Here's a free tip - save yourself some time and do it now! Why wait for long lines to form? It doesn't matter if it's been 2 months, 2 years, or 20 years since your last confession - this is a special time of grace, and Jesus awaits. Make the decision to do it and start preparing - don't waste time! Put aside excuses, find out the confession schedules online - either at your parish or another Catholic Church - do whatever it takes. And whatever happens, don't pay any attention to the voice in your head that says, "this is a super busy time for priests, I shouldn't impose, disturb, or make more work for my pastor " - don't fall for that one!

Finally, I'll share something I do to prepare for the major celebrations or any important moment in the Church's liturgical year. Several days before any feast, I ask God to grant me a special grace - a "key" or a "light" - that will help me enter into the mystery we are about to celebrate and make it more personal. For example, this Lent I felt drawn to ponder the journey of Lent as a time to die to sin and rise to new life in Christ. I would then listen to and reflect on the readings at Mass from that perspective - discovering either concrete ways in which Jesus challenged the Apostles to conversion, or seeing how St. Paul understood and experienced this double dimension of death and resurrection in his personal life. Anyways, these "lights" help me experience and live Lent, Easter, Christmas, etc... as something real and present, where Christ enters into the depths of my soul in a new and exciting way.

The liturgy is meant to enrich our lives in the here and now, where Christ comes to meet us and draw us into the love, knowledge and praise of the Father. This encounter in turn transforms us from within and becomes a new source of hope and life in our daily life and inspires us to readjust our steps on the path of salvation. The Easter Triduum was never meant to be the simple retelling of a distant story of history, but a proclamation and celebration of faith where the Crucified and Risen Christ is encountered in a new and unique way. Preparing for the Easter Triduum now by means of prayer, confession, and seeking special graces from God, will help us rediscover that Christ is alive, and that by sharing in His death and resurrection in our daily life, we too find new life in Him. May the good Lord bless you and all you are doing for Him!

(Photo of the "Passiontide" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

5th Sunday of Lent - April 10, 2011: "I am the Resurrection and the Life"

2011-04-12T07:19:00.001-04:00

Click here for the Mass Readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent - April 10, 2011 (Year A):

"I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (Jn 11:25-26)

I'm sorry there was no post this past week in preparation for the 5th Sunday of Lent. I was out of town and away from a computer (which was admittedly quite pleasant!). Even though Sunday has passed, I thought I would offer you Pope Benedict's commentary on Sunday's Gospel reading of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is a beautiful reflection and worth pondering even mid-week. Have a blessed week!

"There are only two weeks until Easter, and the biblical readings of this Sunday all speak of resurrection. They do not yet speak of Jesus' resurrection -- which will irrupt as something absolutely new -- but of our resurrection, the one to which we aspire and that Christ himself granted to us, rising from the dead. In effect, death is for us like a wall that keeps us from seeing what lies beyond; and yet our heart desires to go beyond this wall, and even if we are unable to know what it hides, we nevertheless think about it, we imagine it, we express our yearning for eternity with symbols.

To the Hebrew people, in exile far from Israel, the prophet Ezekiel announces that God will open the tombs of the deported people and bring them back to their land, to lay them to rest in peace (cf. Ezekiel 37:12-14). This ancestral aspiration of man to be buried together with his fathers is a longing for a 'fatherland' that will receive him at the end of his earthly toil. This notion does not yet contain the idea of a personal resurrection from the dead, which appears only toward the end of the Old Testament, and still at the time of Jesus it was not accepted by all of the Jews. After all, even among Christians, faith in the resurrection and eternal life is often accompanied by many doubts and much confusion, because it is a reality that goes beyond the limits of our reason, and requires an act of faith. In today's Gospel -- the resurrection of Lazarus -- we hear the voice of faith speak from the lips of Martha, Lazarus' sister. In reply to Jesus who says to her: 'Your brother will rise again,' she says: 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day' (John 11:23-24). But Jesus responds: 'I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he die, he will live' (John 11:25-26). Here is the novelty that breaks and goes beyond every barrier! Christ destroys the wall of death, in him there dwells the fullness of God, who is life, eternal life. For this reason death did not have power over him; and Lazarus' resurrection is the sign of his complete dominion over physical death, which before God is like a dream (cf. John 11:11).

But there is another death, which cost Christ the most difficult struggle, indeed the price of the cross: It is spiritual death, sin, which threatens to ruin the existence of every man. Christ died to defeat this death, and his resurrection is not a return to the previous life, but the opening to a new reality, a 'new earth,' finally reconnected to God's heaven. This is why St. Paul wrote: 'If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you' (Romans 8:11). Dear Brothers, let us turn to the Virgin Mary, who already participates in this Resurrection, that she might help us to declare with faith: 'Yes, O Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God' (John 11:27), to discover truly that he is our salvation." - Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus Message, April 10, 2011.

(Photo of the "Lazarus Come Forth" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

4th Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday - April 3, 2011: Encountering Jesus as the Light of Life

2011-04-01T17:53:00.001-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent - April 3, 2011 (Year A):

"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (Jn 9:5)

Classically known as Laetare Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Lent marks the halfway point in our Lenten journey toward Easter. Because this Sunday holds a prominent place during the Lenten season it would be good to mention in a few sentences the changes you might see at Mass and what they mean. On Laetare Sunday (Laetare being Latin for “rejoice!”) certain Lenten observances at Mass are suspended. One may see flowers emerge once again on the altar or hear the organ ring out one last time before Easter, or see the priest wearing rose colored vestments. By placing visible signs of Easter in our midst, the Church encourages us to remain faithful to our Lenten penance and reminds us of the overall purpose of our Lenten journey: we die to sin so as to rise to new life in Christ.

The readings for this Sunday express what it means to live a new life in Christ by making use of contrasting themes such as light and darkness, sight and blindness. Light and sight symbolize "faith", while darkness and blindness represent a "refusal to believe" (or hardness of heart). These themes are particularly conspicuous in the Gospel reading, where Jesus miraculously gives sight to a man who had been born blind. The blind man, who can now see, is brought before the Pharisees, some of whom refuse to recognize this miraculous cure as a work of God. The man born blind finds himself in an ironic situation – he sees clearly what has happened and is left marveling at the “blindness” of the Pharisees who refuse to open their hearts and believe. And although he is expelled from the presence of the Pharisees at the end of the Gospel, this man welcomes the presence of Christ in his life through faith.

When we open our hearts in faith to Jesus Christ, His message, and everything He stands for, we open ourselves to the light of God. This is usually both consoling and unnerving - and one reason people are afraid to draw too close to Christ. The light of Christ reveals the "works of darkness" (i.e. sin) present in our minds and hearts (the unnerving part), but at the same time it has the power to transform our hearts and minds into light (the consoling part). Although we cannot see the light of God with human eyes, we know His light is present within us when we begin to see our inner darkness. We should therefore not be discouraged when we discover the sinfulness in our hearts and minds, as it signals the presence of Christ's light shining in our darkness. Rather, like the man born blind, we can turn to the Lord in humility and faith, and accept the light of Christ into the unexplored recesses of our hearts.

The season of Lent directs us to once again discover that Christ really is the only true light in this world, and that we need Him. By drawing close to the Lord we too become, in the words of St. Paul, "children of the light, for light produces every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth." What is more, when the light of Christ enters into us and begins transforming us, we begin reflecting the light of Christ to the world around us - to our families, friends, and coworkers - even though we still see our sinfulness. And while some may refuse the light that shines out in our works, words, and attitude, deep down we are all in need of humble and courageous witnesses to inspire us to seek Christ. God bless you!

(Photo of the "Faith" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

3rd Sunday of Lent - March 27, 2011: Encountering Jesus with the Samaritan Woman

2011-03-26T08:47:00.001-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent - March 27, 2011 (Year A):

"Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" (Jn 4:13-14)

The Gospel reading for this 3rd Sunday of Lent places us in the middle of a very personal and beautiful encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus sits down and waits for her at Jacob's well. He waits to encounter this woman at a source of life - a well - and open within her heart "a spring of water welling up to eternal life." In the Samaritan woman Jesus also waits to encounter all mankind at the various "wells" of life. He waits for us and longs to meet us at these "wells" so He can speak to our hearts and awaken in us a thirst for the living God.

In this famous encounter, Jesus opens the conversation with the Samaritan woman by asking her for a drink: "Give me a drink." In reality, Jesus begins by breaking through the social barriers between "man" and "woman" and the religious barriers between "Jews" and "Samaritans". What is more, we see that if those barriers had not been shattered by Christ, they would have ultimately become barriers to encountering the living God - the woman would never have dared to speak with Jesus. While it is true that these barriers stem from social or religious law, they are not reducible to these categories - these barriers find their deepest foundation in sin. It is sin that separates "man" from "woman" (as in Genesis), and it separates peoples from one another. Sin hardens the heart of man and estranges him from God and neighbor. But as we see in this encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, no human or supernatural barrier can hold God back from seeking out man and opening to him the springs of divine water. So "yes", Jesus is thirsty, but before all else, His thirst is a passionate love - a divine "thirst" - for man's reentry into communion with God and neighbor.

After surprising the Samaritan woman by speaking to her, Jesus enters into a personal conversation with her and speaks to her of the insatiable "wells" of this life, but adds that "whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst." The water which Jesus is speaking of is the Holy Spirit (see Jn 7:38-39). How true this is! Without God man remains "thirsty," that is, he remains unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and empty within. When man lives without God he becomes like an empty wasteland, and must constantly run to the "wells" of this world to find temporary relief - but deep within he remains as parched as the desert floor and becomes a slave to the "wells" around him. What Jesus reveals to the Samaritan woman is that God has come to seek us out and to save us from such an existence. Jesus offers us the "water" which will quench the greatest thirst of our souls; a water which will open a "spring" within us. As Pope Benedict said in his 2011 Lenten message, "only this water can extinguish our thirst for goodness, truth and beauty! Only this water, given to us by the Son, can irrigate the deserts of our restless and unsatisfied soul, until it 'finds rest in God.'"

The beautiful thing about this divine "spring" is that it creates a greater desire and love within us to encounter the living God. How much do we desire God? How ardently do we seek His love and want to know and fulfill His will? We need to ask the Lord with all sincerity to open within us the "spring of water welling up to eternal life." And once this spring is open we need to keep it open. We do this each time we pray to God in silence, or take private time to meditate on a passage of the Bible, or we enter into Mass and participate attentively with our heart, or we make a good confession, or we let our heart speak and listen to the Heart of Christ. It is also important to expand this interior spring, and we can do so when, like the Samaritan woman, we share the goodness of God in our life with others. The love that God shares with us is destined to flow out to others. We allow that to happen when we speak to them of His love and goodness in our lives, and when we serve others instead of seeking to be served. May the Lord touch us with His love, and may we always find a thirst for Him deep within our souls. God bless you!

(Photo of the "Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

2nd Sunday of Lent - March 20, 2011: Transformation in Christ

2011-03-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent - March 20, 2011 (Year A):

"After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light." (Mt 17:1-2)

We all desire some sort of transformation in life. Normally we focus on transforming our bodies, our appearance, our minds, or even our behavior - all through our own efforts. Insofar as these do not become idols in our lives, or make us idols unto ourselves, they can be healthy and good. But we would be selling ourselves and humanity short if we were to ignore or remain closed to a transformation still more profound - one that is capable of refashioning our hearts and minds through grace and raising us to the full potential of our existence. And it is this type of transformation the readings for this 2nd Sunday of Lent help us to contemplate and welcome in our lives.

If we spend a moment and look at the two men the first and second readings place before us, we can discover a key needed for this interior transformation: Faith. In the first reading God calls Abraham and asks him to leave his home for a land unknown to him. Through his faith in God, Abraham leaves everything behind and follows the obscure path God had marked out for him. In the second reading too, we see the courageous figure of St. Paul who had already responded to God's call and plan in his life by this point, and had endured much personal hardship in the process. St. Paul followed the Lord in faith nonetheless, and now he reminds us in the second reading that God has "saved us and called us to a holy life" - that is, a "new life" that begins with faith and bears the marks of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even the responsorial psalm represents what must have been the interior prayer in the hearts of these two great men as they responded to grace of God in their lives with faith: "Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you."

If we look at the Gospel reading for this Sunday we see a second key required for any lasting interior transformation: Prayer. The transfiguration of Jesus is often cited as an example of what happens to us interiorly when we pray: "...his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light." When we enter into prayer and draw close to God our hearts and minds begin to absorb the light of God and become more "luminous". We become more and more like God, in whose image and likeness we were created. We even experience this truth secondhand when we meet holy people. We mysteriously sense the presence, light and love of God present in them. A reflection of God's goodness emanates from within them, though we do not necessarily see any physical change to their appearance. This shows us the power of personal prayer, and in another way stands as a reminder that without prayer the love and light of God is unable to reach through us and bring about the transformation our world so desperately needs.

The season of Lent is a period of time when we respond more intensely and purposefully (through prayer, fasting and almsgiving) to Jesus' first public message to "repent and believe in the gospel" (Mk 1:15). It is a time of grace inviting us to renounce sin, draw close to Jesus Christ and be transformed in mind and heart through a participation in Jesus' sufferings, death and resurrection. Faith and prayer are the two keys which make this interior transformation in Christ possible - they are the interior doors through which the Lord transforms our minds and hearts and passes out to transform our world.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, we all desire some sort of transformation in this life. But even if we were to able to transform our bodies, appearance, minds and behavior as we would desire, we would still long for more deep within. That is because we were made for God, to be like Him, and until we respond to the call for an interior transformation in Christ through faith and prayer, we will always remain restless. In the words of St. Augustine, "you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." Have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of the "Transfiguration of the Lord" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )

1st Sunday of Lent: The Temptations of Jesus

2011-03-13T08:29:00.005-04:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent - March 13, 2011 (Year A):

"The tempter approached and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.' He said in reply, 'It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" (Mt 4: 3-4)

Temptation comes to us under the appearance of something good, pleasing to the eyes, or otherwise desirable (see Gen 3:6). It's like the delicious looking apple in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, or the Ring of Power in J.R. Tolkien's, Lord of the Rings. But under the appearance of good lurks personal destruction, sadness, and death. These well known stories represent the same drama found in the Garden of Eden: the seduction of evil and its disastrous consequences - usually death.

In the Gospel for this First Sunday of Lent, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert where He fasts, prays, and battles against a series of temptations presented by the devil. Unlike Snow White, Gollum, and Adam and Eve, Jesus does not accept the temptations of an apparent "good". What is most insidious about these temptations, however, is that each one attempts either to usurp power from God and subject Him to man, or distort (and ultimately destroy) the mission Jesus is about to undertake. The temptations might not seem that drastic after a first reading of the Gospel passage, but like all evil, death and destruction are hidden under the surface.

The first two temptations open with the words, "if you are the Son of God". These words throw doubt on the identity of Jesus, but above all, they are spoken with the intent of luring God into proving Himself. In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict made the following insightful connection: "'If you are the Son of God' - we will hear these words again in the mouths of the mocking bystanders at the foot of the Cross - 'If you are the Son of God, come down from the Cross'.... Mockery and temptation blend into each other here: Christ is being challenged to establish His credibility by offering evidence for His claims." These first two temptations attempt to trick Jesus into subjecting Himself to man; to invert the order of creation and allow man to stand over His Creator and dictate what God must do. And as the Holy Father noted later, these two temptations also pose a threat to man, who is unable to know God unless he seeks Him humbly: "The arrogance that would make God an object and impose our laboratory conditions upon Him is incapable of finding Him."

The third temptation is similar to the two that precede it, but it also attempts to dethrone the worship due to God and replace it with power and splendor of an earthly kingdom. The temptation to worship the devil in exchange for worldly power is not only a temptation of idolatry; it is a temptation to lure Jesus away from the crucifixion and death He must undergo for our salvation. It is an option proposed as an "alternative" to the Father's will. The suggestion is, "why rule over all mankind from heaven, when you can prove your power here on earth and rule over man without the need for a cross?" This temptation reminds us that discipleship is first of all about worshiping and serving God (the first and greatest commandment). We should not settle for anything that appears to be a decent "alternative" to our Father's will - something which is inevitably more pleasing and less challenging for us. It is in doing the will of God that we find true happiness.

The devil changes suggestions, tactics, etc... but his goal to usurp power from God and destroy man remains the same throughout history. Temptation to sin always looks good, and appears to be easy, but in the end it proves itself to be the cause of endless sadness, interior destruction, and spiritual death. May the Lord fill us with the light of His Holy Spirit during this Lent to recognize the temptations of the devil in our lives and thereby avoid the poison of sin. And may we respond generously to the Lord who calls us to abandon sin and return to Him that we may take part in the goodness, love and joy of God. Have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of "Christ Being Tempted by Satan" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )

9th Sunday in Ordinary Time - March 6, 2011: Building A House on Rock

2011-03-05T17:46:00.004-05:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time - March 6, 2011 (Year A):

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven....Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock." (Mt 7: 21, 24)

In this Sunday's Gospel passage we hear Jesus' final lesson from the "Sermon on the Mount". His words are clear, strong, and spoken with the utmost seriousness. Nothing could be clearer: putting His words into action means wisdom, while not acting upon them means foolishness. With a few simple words Jesus makes it clear that God is no fool. He will not be manipulated, nor tolerate His gifts to be used as a pretext for evil. Instead, Jesus calls His followers to listen to Him with an open heart and act upon His words so the tempests of this life, which threaten our salvation, may not sweep us away to destruction.

Jesus unambiguously declares in the opening of the Gospel passage that doing the will of God is the indispensable key to gaining entrance to heaven. He even dispels the most common arguments man so often uses to cloak his evil deeds: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?'" Prophesy, like the other gifts mentioned, such as driving out demons (exorcisms) and mighty deeds or miracles, are signs of God's power over all creation; gifts which Jesus promised to His disciples. But here, Jesus warns that the gifts of God are not enough. With the grace of God we must seek to know and fulfill the will of God in our day to day life - denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following the Lord in the concrete moments of our daily life. The gifts and favors from God are meant to build up the faith, hope, and charity of all. They are not meant to be abused or provide a "religious cloak" under which one can hide a heart closed to the will of our heavenly Father.

In the last half of this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus makes some very relevant points as He concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a brief analogy: "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock....And everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand." As we see, simply listening to God and knowing what He said needs to be supported by a life lived in accord with God's will. We cannot just listen and then never act; that is Jesus' definition of a fool. So when we go to Sunday Mass and listen to God's Word, or read the Bible on our own, we should be asking God for the grace and wisdom necessary to put that word into action throughout the coming week. We need to act on His Word.

Lastly, Jesus' analogy of the house being built on sand or rock teaches us another important fact of life. If you reread this section of the Gospel passage carefully, you will see that irrespective of whether the house was built on rock or sand, both houses were subjected to the same disasters: "The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house." The only difference is that one house falls and the other remains standing. This is a very relevant point for all of us.

We may not notice it, but it's easy to fall into a sort of "calculated Christianity", where we pray, go to church, try and do good, and because of our actions we expect God should somehow be in debt to us - or at least spare us the big troubles, pain, and difficulties of life. This is a dangerous, yet subtle, mentality that doesn't normally manifest itself until the storms of life begin buffeting "our house". It is when the rain falls, the floods come, and the winds beat against the house that we can feel God is dealing unjustly with us. Often times we then become angry, "disillusioned", or disappointed with God for not protecting us from the trials and sorrows of life. In these situations we should recall that both the wise man and the fool underwent the same trials and storm. There was never a promise that those who love God, listen to His words and put them into action would be spared pain and suffering - the lives of Jesus and Mary offer sufficient proof. Indeed, the Lord allows storms in our lives to bring us light, reveal the quality of our "foundation", and free us from different forms of superstition so we can turn and seek Him in true faith. What the Lord does promise us, however, is that our house will never collapse or be destroyed by the storms of life if we listen to Him in faith and sincerely strive, with the grace of God, to do His will. Have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of "The Cup of Christ's Passion" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 27, 2011: Seek First the Kingdom of God

2011-02-27T11:38:00.004-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 27, 2011 (Year A):

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'No one can serve two masters.... You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life....But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...'" (Mt 6: 24-25; 33)

The readings for this Sunday offer us a message that is both consoling and challenging. The supreme care and vigilance of God for each of His children is conveyed powerfully in the Gospel, and in particular, through the use of a metaphor in the first reading: "Can a mother forget her infant...? Even should she forget, I will never forget you." The responsorial psalm invites us therefore to "rest in God alone", and "to pour out your heats before Him"; to seek our refuge, strength, and our glory in Him. Exhortations such as these provide a sense of interior relief and hope for each of us, and remind us that God is worthy of our trust.

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to look around them and be attentive to the ways in which the Father provides for all of creation: "Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them"; and "learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them." The first lesson is, if God pays attention and provides such care for the smallest and most insignificant things of creation, how much more intense His care and providence will be for His children who place their trust in Him.

The second, and ultimate lesson, in today's Gospel passage is, however, quite challenging. Five times we hear Jesus either tell His disciples, "do not worry", or ask them, "why are you anxious...?" Jesus indicates that freedom from worry and anxiety derives from the knowledge that our heavenly Father knows everything we need in this life, and that He will supply everything we need if only we "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." But we don't tend to think like that. We normally think freedom from anxiety and worry can only be achieved when we have everything we want, and when everything goes smoothly according to our plans. When we are rich, famous, comfortable, and more powerful than everyone else, then we will be free from anxiety, right? But in reality, the more we try to "possess" and cling to things or people, the greater our reason for anxiety or worry, since everything can be taken from us. So how can we be free of these useless worries?

It must not be forgotten that the consoling words of God's providential care in today's Gospel are preceded by Jesus' statement that "no one can serve two masters...you cannot serve God and mammon." At times we become anxious simply because a situation looks grim and our faith begins to falter. The stronger our faith becomes, then less we become anxious. But other times, our anxiety reveals a deeper issue, that deep down we have other "masters" or "idols" in our heart such as wealth (mammon), power, prestige, comfort, control, etc... And when these desires take hold of our heart in some fashion, God's providence always seems to be insufficient. The truth is, the more we try to build "my kingdom" the more anxious we become to protect it, and the more we think and worry about sustaining it. We then become frustrated and angry when it is threatened or we cannot achieve what we want. Instead, Jesus tells His disciples to focus on God, not themselves, and on His kingdom, not their own. Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is the key to serving God and being able to live in His providential care.

When we have a particular anxiety or worry, we can simply stop and ask ourselves, "why am I anxious? Why am I worrying?" or "what am I seeking?" With a simple prayer we can then hand over both the worry and whatever we desire to our heavenly Father, renewing our trust in His providence, and asking Him to redirect our hearts to seeking first His kingdom and righteousness (holiness). It is also helpful to write down this passage of Scripture (Mt 6:33) and keep it visible in your room or bathroom, so you can ponder it each morning as you get ready for the day and direct your heart toward His honor and glory. God bless you!

(Photo of "Field of God" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 20, 2011: Be Perfect, Just as Your Heavenly Father is Perfect

2011-02-19T07:22:00.001-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 20, 2011 (Year A):

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.... You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.... So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5: 39-39; 43-44; 48)

Four Sundays ago we began reading the first part of what is commonly known as the "Sermon on the Mount": a high point in St. Matthew's Gospel where Jesus ascends a mountainside to reveal to His disciples the "New Law" of the Gospel and discipleship. This Sunday's Gospel reading highlights two teachings which are at the heart of this New Law (summarized as "love of God" and "love of neighbor"). After Jesus shows how His "New Law" perfects the "Old Law", He calls his listeners to the perfection of love - to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect!

Let's begin with this call to be "perfect". In what does this perfection consist? It might be helpful to clarify first of all what Jesus does not intend by the term. It is clearly not a "mathematical" perfection, where an error (e.g. 2+2 = 3) or natural flaw in one's work would be a transgression of God's Law. In this sense no one is perfect, only God. Nor is this "perfection" to which we are called akin to the various psychological or personality disorders that create tremendous internal strife and anxiety.

The call to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect is a call to holiness, or more specifically, a call to live in and be transformed by the love of God, and allow that love to set the standard as to how we should love others. So the perfection to which Jesus calls us in today's Gospel is the perfection of love - not the "love" we normally see and hear about in pop culture and the mass media, but the love Jesus taught us through His words and actions, and above all on the cross.

All of us have the capacity of experiencing and receiving this love, no matter who we are and no matter what we have done in life. But we need to stop to pray, and with all sincerity and faith, ask the Lord to reveal His love to us. The responsorial psalm offers us a good example of what a person understands about God after experiencing His love and mercy: "Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. Not according to our sins does he deal with us...." This new revelation of love does two things: (1) it shows us the way we are to love others - as God has been merciful, gracious, kind, slow to anger, and patient with my sins, so must I be toward those He has placed in my life; and (2) the experience of God's love also gives us the grace and strength necessary to love others with the love of God.

It is within this context of our call to be holy - the call to live according to the logic of God's love - that we can understand the two central teachings we hear Jesus mention in today's Gospel. The first teaching is that we are to "offer no resistance to one who is evil," which purifies the old law of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." St. Augustine explains this well: "This law [an eye for an eye] was enacted to repress the flames of mutual hate, and to be a check on their undisciplined spirits.... it is not to encourage but to check rage." So while the old law was aimed at stopping unjust retaliation and vengeance, Jesus brings the law to perfection by saying we are not to retaliate at all. St. Augustine explains Jesus' logic: "that which the Law sought to do, namely, to put an end to unequal revenge, is more safely secured when there is no revenge at all." St. Paul understood well the logic of love and repeats it: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil...if possible, on your part, live at peace with all...do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good." (Romans 12: 17, 18, 21) Hatred begets hatred, and violence generates even more violence and retaliation, but goodness and mercy have the power to transform evil and create true peace.

So what about unjust aggressors in society, for example, those who murder, and other criminals? Are we to let them run free to kill, steal, and overturn order and justice? Obviously not. Continuing his commentary on this teaching of Jesus, St. Augustine points out that the "retribution which tends to correction is not here forbidden, for such is indeed a part of mercy." But the infliction of a just punishment rests with someone given the power to do so (e.g. a parent, teacher, or judge), but again, the motive must not stem from "angry hate", but from a desire to correct and reform.

Finally (and more succinctly), we can see Jesus apply the same logic of love to the second teaching in Sunday's Gospel: "You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Often times our love is conditioned according to the way someone treats us, but, as Jesus implicitly asks, is that really love? We may be justly angry at someone for some offense or another, but we must ask the Lord to help us pray for that person and keep our hearts from evil. In prayer we find new graces and strength to love others as God has loved us. Two things are important to remember: love deals with the "will", not the "emotions"; and secondly, we need to recall how patient and merciful the Lord has been to us. When we extend the same unmerited love we received from God to others who don't "merit" it, we imitate God and show ourselves to be true children of our Heavenly Father. God bless you!

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 13, 2011: The Law of the Gospel

2011-02-12T19:32:00.003-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 13, 2011 (Year A):

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.'" (Mt 5: 17)

At various points in life we stop and ask ourselves some very serious questions; questions worthy of time and serious reflection. We may ponder whether God exists or not, or if we already believe He exists and believe in Jesus Christ, we normally ask ourselves at some point, "what do I have to do to get to heaven?" Our first tendency might be to draw up a mental check list of the biggest "dos and don'ts" of Christianity and be satisfied in following them in a very external manner. Jesus tells His disciples in this Sunday's Gospel reading, however, that "unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." What then must we do?

Before we answer this question it will be helpful to understand the first two readings. The first reading is reminiscent of the choice Moses placed before the Israelite people shortly before his death: "I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom." (Deut 30: 15) If the Israelites choose to follow the commandments of the Lord, to listen to Him, and walk in His ways then they would live and prosper, if not, they would perish. The responsorial psalm repeats the same truth, encouraging us in our own day to choose the Lord: "Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!" And in the second reading, St. Paul distinguishes between the "wisdom of this age" and "God's wisdom", which is a hidden and mysterious wisdom not understood by the world, but revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. To paraphrase everything: God gives us His law, reveals His ways to us, shows us how He lives, and calls us to follow Him so that we may have eternal life. The choice lies before us of walking the path He has shown us and entering into life, or leaving the path of Christianity - if, however, we choose the path God has prepared for us, we must expect to be ridiculed and misunderstood by the wider society around us, as "God's wisdom" appears to be foolishness to those who subscribe to the "wisdom of this age".

Now we can turn our attention to this Sunday's Gospel which opens with the quote found at the top of this post. Jesus states very clearly that He has not come to take away the law (the 10 Commandments) or the message proclaimed by the prophets of the Old Testament, but to fulfill them. And with this statement, I would like to offer a brief reflection on two relevant points.

The first point touches a question a lot of people have in regard to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, which can more or less be summed up as follows: "why doesn't the Catholic Church simply change its moral teachings and become more 'modern'?" Normally the moral teachings referenced most often are abortion, homosexual activity, heterosexual activity outside of marriage (what Scripture refers to as "fornication"), divorce and remarriage, contraception, adultery, etc.... Each of these issues merits special attention, but on a more foundational level we can say the Church does not have the power to abolish the law that Jesus came to ratify and fulfill. That which God calls "good" is good, and cannot be declared "evil", and that which He calls "evil" no one has the power to make "good". The Church is at the service of God's Word and must be faithful to her Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. And although we are members of the Church, the Body of Christ, it is not ours to refashion into the image and likeness of modern day society. So the first point is to underline the foundational principle that the Church must uphold and defend that which Christ established or confirmed, such as "thou shall not kill" and "thou shall not commit adultery", two Commandments which we hear about in this week's Gospel.

The second point centers around how to understand and live the 10 Commandments in the manner and spirit of the Gospel. While listening to the reading, the first thing that stands out after Jesus cites the two Commandments "thou shall not kill" and "thou shall not commit adultery", is the interior demands of discipleship. The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes beautifully this newness of Jesus' teaching: "It does not add new external precepts, but proceeds to reform the heart, the root of human acts, where man chooses between the pure and the impure, where faith, hope, and charity are formed and with them the other virtues." (CCC, 1968) In other words, if someone wants to be a disciple of Christ he must do more than simply not kill or commit adultery (or transgress any other Commandment for that matter). Discipleship requires that we follow Christ in the depths of our being, which involves a purification of the heart, soul and mind. How else could we expect to fulfill the first and greatest commandment, "you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind"? (Mt 22: 37)

But let us not lose heart when we look within our souls and see so much filth and so many things that need to be transformed. That which is impossible for man is possible for God (Lk 18: 27). The righteousness God desires cannot originate with us. In fact, the only way our righteousness can surpass that of the scribes and Pharisess is by means of the grace of the Holy Spirit whom we received at baptism. It is He who purifies us and makes us true disciples of Christ, renewing us from within. It is our responsibility to cooperate with the grace of the Holy Spirit and seek to increase that grace within us through prayer and the sacraments.

So, in the light of this Sunday's Gospel when we ask ourselves the question, "what do I have to do to get to heaven", we learn that Christianity is much more than following a set of rules in a purely exterior and unreflected manner. Rather, being a disciple of Christ is above all a profound "yes" to a living Person, a "yes" to Jesus Christ who asks us to open our hearts to listen to His Word and receive the Holy Spirit so we can walk along the path to eternal life according to "God's wisdom". May God bless you and your families as you follow Him. Have a great Sunday!

(Photo of Jesus as "Lux Mundi" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 6, 2011: Salt and Light of the World

2011-02-05T14:50:00.002-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 6, 2011 (Year A):

"You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Mt 5: 13-16)

Before I begin this week's reflection, I'd like to apologize for missing last Sunday's post. Yesterday I returned to Rome after spending the last 3 weeks in the United States. It was difficult to find time to write the Sunday reflections during the month of January, due to travel and meetings, but last week it was just impossible. So a hearty "mea culpa" to one and all. On to this Sunday's reflection...

This week we hear Jesus tell His disciples that they are "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world". His words in this Sunday's Gospel are a poignant reminder that Christianity and discipleship extend well beyond the all-too-narrow confines of "Jesus and I". The call to follow Christ is definitely personal, but it is anything but private or individualistic.

Through the sacrament of baptism we are united to Jesus and His body, the Church. The two are inseparable (see 1 Cor 12: 12-31). This means that we cannot adopt or accept any kind of attitude which smacks of "Jesus and me, to hell with thee" - as one of my college professors so eloquently summarized it. This is one of the reasons why it's not sufficient to be a Christian and worship God on Sundays in isolation, apart from the rest of the Church, the body of Christ. Or to state the same thing more bluntly and more generally, we cannot live in isolation from the Church as if it were a dispensable component of Christianity. We need the Church - as painful as that may be for some - but it's the truth, and it's beautiful.

In addition to our communion with Christ and one another, the call to be a disciple of Christ involves yet another dimension. The light and life that we receive from God must be shared and witnessed to beyond the borders of the Church. As disciples we have a responsibility and a mission to the unbelieving world around us. It is this last dimension of discipleship which this Sunday's Gospel highlights.

Being a disciple of Christ means we must make a positive impact on the world and draw others to Christ by our words and actions. As "salt" we help preserve and bring out the goodness that God has created in the world and in others so it may be directed to God's glory and the salvation of all. As "light" we reflect Jesus Christ, the true light of the world (Jn 8:12), in our words, actions, and attitudes - a light that reveals the ultimate meaning of man's existence. These analogies of salt and light are powerful indeed, but so is Jesus' challenge to us in today's Gospel when He speculates about salt losing it's taste and light being hidden. If salt and light no longer serve their intended purpose then they are "no longer good for anything." Those are tough words, but they are true. If we keep Christ locked up in ourselves, or in the Church, or we share Him only with those who think and act like us, how can we serve the world, or preserve, flavor, enlighten, and call forth goodness from the world? The world needs Christ, it needs His Church, and it needs each one of us.

I sat in on a meeting this past week with several ex-Catholics who had returned to the Church and are now on fire to serve and share with others what they discovered after leaving, and why they returned. I know that many people in their position can ask themselves "but what good can I do, I'm only 1 person?" Many times we can feel so helpless, especially if we view the world through the lens of the mass media. But one person can do so much good and have a lasting impact on the world for good - the life of each saint testifies to this, even down to our day. Anyways, I shared with those present in the meeting how much encouragement, support and strength a priest can receive from a single parishioner who strives to love God, put His will into action, and serve others faithfully. One person can have a massive effect on another, who can in turn have a great effect on tens of thousands more people. So let us never accept the lie that our efforts in this world are useless, rather, let us ask the Lord to bless our efforts as we seek to love and serve Him and all those He places on our path to Him. God bless you and have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of St. Paul, "the Lord's Chosen Instrument" in bringing God's Word to the world, courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 23, 2011: Building the Kingdom of God

2011-01-23T20:49:00.001-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 23, 2011 (Year A):

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mt 4:17)

In Greek mythology, King Midas is well remembered for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. Unlike Midas, we can at times feel like everything we touch turns to dust. Contrary to all appearances, however, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. As is often the case in life, before renewal or new growth can take place, some form of destruction must occur. The readings for this Sunday speak of both darkness and destruction, along with the subsequent light and restoration which Christ initiates as He begins to build up the Kingdom of heaven.

In the first reading we hear a prophecy of restoration and hope for the two tribes of Israel (Zebulun and Naphtali) whose lands had been decimated by the Assyrians. The desolation and exile of these two tribes apparently signaled "the beginning of the end" for the everlasting kingdom promised to King David. But Isaiah prophesies that "the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone." We find this same prophecy in today's Gospel reading, as St. Matthew sees it fulfilled when Jesus moves to Capernaum, a town situated in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

It's at this time that Jesus begins to proclaim the first essential message of all restoration and renewal: repentance. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The Greek word used in this passage for repentance is "metanoeite", which is a variation of the verb "metanoeo", literally meaning "to think differently after." With Jesus' presence, words, and actions in today's Gospel, light begins to shine in the land of darkness and gloom, and a new hope appears. Jesus' presence, along with His words and actions, stimulates us to change our lives and "to think differently after" His light has penetrated the darkness of our minds. Repentance is a gift from God: it is an opportunity to be free of darkness and the sadness of sin, and opens us to the joy of God's light and goodness.

As Jesus calls all to repentance in today's Gospel, we also see Him building up the kingdom of God. In calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be His first Apostles, Jesus begins to establish the 12 foundation stones of the heavenly kingdom (Rev 21:14). Repentance is not simply a tearing down, but rather a tearing down of the old in order to replace it with the new and eternal kingdom of God. So we see that repentance (or "conversion") actually involves a two-fold process; one which requires the destruction of that which is old, and the simultaneous building up of the kingdom of God. Before renewal can take place deep within us our old interior kingdoms must fall. Our old ways of thinking, reasoning, and relating with God and others must crumble and give way to the "kingdom of heaven" and the ways of God. As the old kingdoms of our pride and sin crumble within us, God works to build up His everlasting Kingdom in its place. The experience of conversion can make life quite unsettling at times, but we ought to be patient with the work God is doing within us and patient with ourselves, knowing deep conversion does not happen overnight.

Often times we don't recognize God tearing down our old kingdoms. In times of crisis when we see "our world falling apart" or crumbling underneath us, we should look for the hand of God in our midst, and know that He is at work to build us up. In these difficult and trying moments, we can turn to the Lord in faith and offer Him our pain and trials. We should ask for the grace to be patient and the generosity to be open to all He wills to do within us. Finally, we should live in hope, and set our attention on the Lord as He builds up within us His kingdom of truth, goodness, grace, holiness and light. God bless you!

(Photo of "Jesus calls Simon Peter and Andrew" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 16, 2011: Behold the Lamb of God

2011-01-16T16:11:00.001-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time -Year A (January 16, 2011):

"John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.'" (Jn 1:29)

In this Sunday’s Gospel we hear St. John the Baptist call Jesus the “Lamb of God”. Now, if someone is referred to as a “man of God”, or a “woman of God”, or a “servant of God”, we can intuitively perceive that the reference is meant to highlight the person’s steadfast love and dedication to God. But no one, outside of Jesus, is referred to as the “Lamb of God”. And while this title can seem quite strange to us, it was something the Jewish people within ear shot of St. John the Baptist easily understood, as they knew well the biblical event to which St. John referred. So why does the Baptist call Jesus the “Lamb of God”, and what is the significance of the title? And how does that title relate to the other readings for this Sunday?

If you recall the exodus of the Israelite people from the land of Egypt in the Old Testament, you will also recall that each family had to procure and slaughter a lamb the evening before the exodus. Moses instructed the Israelites to sprinkle the blood of the lamb on the door posts of their homes. Seeing the blood of the lamb on their doors, the angel of death would “pass-over” their homes later that night and spare their first born sons.

This is the biblical event and "lamb" St. John the Baptist was referring to when he called Jesus the “Lamb of God”. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb for the People of God. It would be through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus that salvation would come to the household of God – the Church. The lamb’s blood used during the exodus saved people from physical death (or more accurately, delayed physical death, as everyone eventually died). But Jesus’ blood poured out for us on the cross is far more powerful. Although all of us must sooner or later experience physical death, through the blood of Jesus we are saved from “eternal death” – which is complete separation from God, the source of all life and happiness.

The title and image of the “Lamb of God” has always been of great importance for the Church. It is an image that reappears in various places throughout the New Testament, including the Book of Revelation, where Jesus is portrayed as the lamb that was slain, but living and victorious over death. And in every Mass the priest holds up the Eucharist just before communion and proclaims, "behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." In the Eucharist we receive the Lamb of God, who was slain on the cross to take away our sins, and now stands in our midst victorious over death and able to give us a share in the very life of God.

In the Eucharist we receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus offered Himself completely to the Father as the Lamb of God, holding nothing back. When we receive the Eucharist we receive Jesus Christ, whole and complete, and the strength to offer our lives to the Father as well, body and soul. The Eucharist calls us to live a life of holiness, which means seeking to know the will of God and putting it into action with love when we discover it. May the Eucharist be the main source of our inspiration to believe that no matter how distant the possibility of holiness may feel to us, the presence of God within us gives us the strength to do the Father's will one day at a time. God bless you!

Photo of the "Lamb of God" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord - January 9, 2011: "My Beloved Son"

2011-01-08T20:05:00.002-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the Baptism of the Lord (January 9, 2011):

"After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'" (Mt 3:16-17)

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan river not only signals the last day of the Christmas season, but above all, Jesus' baptism foreshadows the liberation from the eternal grip of darkness and sin, and the beginning of a new life of grace and light for all who receive baptism. Baptism frees us from original sin, makes us sons and daughters of God (something we could never merit, nor claim as a "right"), and through baptism we become temples of the Holy Spirit. It's pretty clear why we need to be purified by baptism (and in a previous post I highlighted the Catholic Church's teaching on the necessity of baptism for salvation), but many people wonder why Jesus received baptism. Did Jesus need to be baptized? And if not, why does He insist St. John the Baptist baptize Him in this Sunday's Gospel reading?

St. Thomas Aquinas summarized the teaching of several Fathers and Doctors of the Church in answering these questions. The first question can be answered easily: "no", Jesus did not need to be baptized. So why did Jesus want to be baptized? St. Thomas indicates several reasons. First, while Jesus had no need of being cleansed or purified by the waters of baptism, He was baptized in order to purify and sanctify the waters for our baptism. Secondly, although Jesus did not need to be baptized for His own sake, the carnal nature in us did need to be sanctified; or as St. Gregory Nazianzen said it so poetically, "Christ was baptized that He might plunge the old Adam entirely in the water." And finally, Jesus wished to leave us an example, so that we too would seek baptism. The final command He gave to the twelve Apostles before ascending into heaven was, "go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Mt 28:19) and so He wished to set the example and do first what He would eventually command of others. So in summary, Jesus was baptized for us sinners, and for our salvation.

But in addition to Jesus being baptized for us, His baptism also has a revelatory dimension to it. If you remember from last week's post, the feast of Jesus' baptism is intimately connected to the Solemnity of Epiphany (Jesus being "manifested" to the world). As Jesus exits the waters of the Jordan "the heavens were opened for him," the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, and the Father reveals Jesus as His "Beloved Son". In this moment, Jesus' identity is "manifested" (epiphany) and His public ministry to bring salvation to all nations begins. But as His baptism was for our benefit, so also is the revelation of His identity. In what way? Not only do we benefit from hearing God the Father testify to the identity of His Beloved Son, but something of the mystery of our own baptism is revealed. As we are "plunged" into the water at baptism (or have the water poured over us) we are washed of our sins, and as we come out of the water as a "new creation", we are anointed by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus was, and Our Heavenly Father opens heaven to us and looks upon us saying, "this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Baptism reveals to the world the mystery of our identity as human beings - that we were created to be sons and daughters of Almighty God and intended to share His life.

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is also a day on which we should thank the Most Holy Trinity for the gift of baptism, and in particular, the gift of our own baptism. I had a friend in college who made a pilgrimage to the church where he was baptized as an infant, precisely to pray before the baptismal font in which he was baptized and to thank God for this gift - an example which has remained always in my memory, and which I hope to one day be able to imitate. Have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of the "Epiphany at the Jordan" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord - January 2, 2011: Venite Adoremus

2010-12-31T13:35:00.005-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the Solemnity of Epiphany (Sunday, January 2, 2011):

"When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.'" (Mt 2: 1-2)

NOTE: Although some countries celebrate Epiphany on January 6 each year (like Italy), many countries have transferred this feast to the Sunday between January 2 and 8. Since so many people celebrate Epiphany this year on January 2, this Sunday's reflection will be focused on the readings for Epiphany, and not those of the 2nd Sunday of Christmas.

The word "epiphany" is the English translation of the Greek "epiphaneia", meaning "appearance" or "manifestation". On this day the Church celebrates the manifestation of the Lord Jesus to the world. Until this moment the mystery of Jesus' Incarnation and birth unfolded in secret, and were known only to a privileged few. With the feast of Epiphany we celebrate the moment in which the glory and love of God were revealed to the world in the Person of Jesus Christ. With the appearance of the three magi, (all of whom are Gentile, or non-Jewish, kings), there is the first indication that God plans to save not only the Jewish people, but all peoples through Jesus Christ.

Historically there are three significant moments connected to the feast of Epiphany: the adoration of the magi (pictured above), the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan (when the Father spoke from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove), and also Jesus' first miracle in Cana (where He revealed is divinity by changing water into wine). In the western part of the Church the feast focuses on the adoration of the magi. In fact, to those of us in the west, the other two moments in which Jesus is "manifested" to the world are not commonly known to be a part of Epiphany, but they are known and celebrated in the Eastern Catholic rites, especially the baptism of the Lord. To highlight the full richness of the feast of Epiphany, and to inspire a broader contemplation of the mystery, I am posting three images (for your viewing pleasure) representing each "manifestation" of Christ to the world.

There are several thoughts that come to mind as the celebration of Epiphany draws near, but I would like to reflect briefly on only one point: the importance of Jesus' "manifestation" for our modern world, and in particular, for all disciples of Christ.

Sacred Scripture tells us in various ways that Jesus is the complete revelation or "manifestation" of God: "He is the image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15); and "whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:7); and Jesus' statement (of particular importance) that "no one knows the Father except the Son..." (Mt 11:27). There are many more quotable passages, but the point is that Scripture speaks of Jesus Christ as the full and complete revelation of the mystery of God, and that through Him God's mysterious plan of salvation has been revealed in its entirety - even if the depth of this mystery remains inexhaustible.

But why is all of this of great importance for our modern world, and for us as disciples of Christ? To start with, many Catholics, and Christians in general, do not believe that Jesus Christ is the sole source of all true knowledge about God. As a priest I often meet people convinced that their actions are good and pleasing to God (and that heaven is their certain and everlasting reward), even if they know their actions are in direct contradiction or in violation of what Jesus has revealed. If you ask them about the basis for such certainty their responses usually point to a foundation constituted out of "feelings" and what is defined as "normal" for pop culture. The classical phrases employed to justify an ongoing breach of God's commands are many - and some of them are already very popular cliches: "it doesn't feel wrong", or "how can it be wrong when it feels so right?"; "but I do it for love"; "but everyone does it"; "that's your opinion"; "I don't agree with that", etc... In practice, many live as if they had received some other revelation from God superior (albeit contradictory) to what Jesus has revealed. If we believe and hold on to something that is in contradiction to what Jesus or the Church teaches we need to pause and ask the question, "how can I be certain that my knowledge of God is accurate, especially since it goes against Jesus' knowledge of the Father?"

We live in a very relativistic age where the existence or "knowledge of good and evil" is said to be determined by each individual, regardless of what God has said. It's the same problem that got Adam and Eve into trouble in the first place - we keep wanting to eat from the "tree of knowledge of good and evil", and not from the "tree of life".

The feast of Epiphany proclaims to the world the hidden mystery of Jesus' birth and that God has come among us to save us. Epiphany proclaims that God wants to be known, that He wishes to speak to us of His plan and show us the only definitive way to "life in abundance". Jesus' "manifestation" to the world not only reveals God's face to us, but in revealing Himself to us God also reveals the answer to the deepest and most mysterious longings in the heart of each man and woman. As we have been created in the image and likeness of God, so we discover ourselves as we gaze upon Jesus, who is the visible "image of the invisible God". May we accept Jesus Christ as He has revealed Himself to us, and may we always trust His knowledge of the Father. Have a blessed and joyful Epiphany!

(Photos of the "Epiphany at the Jordan" and "Epiphany at Cana" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Christmas Midnight Mass - December 25, 2010: The Light of the World

2010-12-24T06:21:00.003-05:00

Click Here to read the Mass Readings for Christmas Midnight Mass (December 25, 2010):

"I proclaim to you good news of great joy... today a Savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord" (Lk 2:10-11)

There is something special and purposeful about celebrating Mass at midnight; something extra solemn about putting on "our Sunday best" and setting out to pray and worship God in the middle of the night while the rest of the world is still. There is certainly the added air of excitement and joy knowing Christmas is here, and so many familiar symbols which evoke happy memories, but there is also something very solemn and wonderful about this night. It is in the silence of this night that God gives to man the "Light of the world". If we ponder for a moment the symbols of "darkness" and "light" which characterize Christmas Midnight Mass, we will be able to not only enjoy the visible symbols of Christmas, but also appreciate anew their significance for our lives.

The opening sentence of tonight's first reading catches the real spirit and source of our Christmas joy: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone." (Is 9:1) "Darkness" not only describes the time and physical context in which Jesus was born, but on a deeper and more pressing level it describes man's inner state without Jesus Christ. The darkness which evil and sin plunge man into is far more dangerous than any physical darkness. Without God we lose sight of our origin, our goal, and therefore the true meaning of our present life. But, as Pope Benedict said 2 days ago, "man, who cannot see God, can see Jesus, and so he sees God, and begins to see the truth and thus begins to live." The Light which saves us from eternal darkness shines in this holy Christmas night, and this is the source of joy for those who have welcomed and live by the Light of God, Jesus Christ.

The second reading for tonight speaks of the grace of God which has "appeared" to us, and also about the glory of God which we await, but has yet to appear. St. Paul teaches us that this "grace of God" (i.e. Jesus) has trained us "to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age...." St. Paul tells us that by accepting the "grace of God" the light of Christ must necessarily begin filtering through our hearts and become visible in our actions, words, priorities, decisions, and attitudes. This Christmas light of grace certainly stands in stark contrast to the darkness of the "world" and "flesh" which our society embraces (and aggressively seeks everyone to embrace). Yet we must not let our "blessed hope" slip from our hands, nor exchange it once again for the darkness of this world. A conscious effort is required in order to cling to Christ, otherwise we simply slip into darkness.

Like the shepherds we hear of in the Gospel, "keeping the night watch over their flock," so we keep vigil for the Lord in the midst of the darkness around us. We see that the joyful message of Christmas was proclaimed by the angels to those who would accept Christ with simplicity of heart, and not to the wider world around them. On this Christmas Eve, let us ask the Child Jesus to grant us that same simplicity of heart, so brilliantly reflected in the hearts of Mary and Joseph, that we may accept Him completely and open ourselves without fear to the wonders of His Providence before we worry about any "if, ands, or buts". May the opening prayer of Christmas Midnight Mass be repeated in our hearts: "Father, you make this holy night radiant with the splendor of Jesus Christ our light. We welcome him as Lord, the true light of the world. Bring us to eternal joy in the kingdom of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." Amen! And have a blessed and Merry Christmas!!

(Photo of the "Holy Family" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

4th Sunday of Advent - December 19, 2010: God is with Us

2010-12-18T10:36:00.004-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 4th Sunday of Advent (Year A):

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" (Mt 1:22-23)

The 4th and final Sunday of Advent is upon us, and Christmas draws nigh. The readings for this Sunday direct our attention to an ancient prophecy and its fulfillment: God has come in the flesh to dwell among us. Jesus has divested Himself of the majesty and glory of His divinity and has taken on flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to be one with us. God has come to seek us out in the person of Jesus, and we must now look within ourselves and see the extent to which we have welcomed His presence among us.

Our Advent preparations are aimed at creating room in our hearts and minds not just to celebrate the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago, but to welcome Christ anew into our "now", so that He can be with us. As the Lord emptied Himself of His glory to make room for us, so we can empty ourselves of all that keeps us at a distance from God and welcome Him into our life. But this is the step that many find difficult, and avoid taking, even if it means enduring yet another somewhat superficial Christmas.

Even though God desires to be with us and to be close to us, many people fear getting too close to God. There are different reasons behind these fears. Some people fear He might ask too much of them, or that if they really open themselves to Him they might lose their identity, or have to change. Others fear that the grace of God will lead them into social disgrace, and lack the courage to embrace the message of Advent. And then there is the fear that springs from the most ancient and cunning of lies: that God draws near to us and asks us to obey Him so He can enslave us and dominate us. This was the thought the devil planted subtly in the minds of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: "...God knows well that the moment you eat of it [i.e. the fruit] your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods...." (Gen 3:5) Man believed the lie and became suspicious of God. At the suggestion of the serpent man pitted himself against God and believed his true identity and peace could only to be obtained by being completely independent from God. Many still believe that lie.

But in the mystery of Advent and Christmas, Jesus reveals the lie of the serpent in Eden for what it is. He stripped Himself of His glory and took on flesh in the womb of a poor virgin and became man. And by being born into poverty He subjected Himself to a life of weakness and trials, and eventually to man's judgment, condemnation, to torture and crucifixion, thereby proving to us that the "obedience of faith" which God asks of us is not meant to enslaves us, but to set us free and lead us to true and everlasting happiness. God does not want to be near us to dominate and control us, but to share His love with us. We see this same pattern or "logic" when we look at the Eucharist - the same quality of humility, simplicity, and self-effacing love.

The Gospel reading for this Sunday offers us two beautiful examples of what it means to empty and open ourselves to the mystery of God. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is discovered to be pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, although no one knew this. She said "yes" to the plan of God knowing she would be exposed to complete disgrace, but trusting that God would be her protection. And St. Joseph, heeds the voice of the angel who spoke to him in a dream, and changes his plans of sending Mary away. By emptying himself of his own plans and trusting in God's plan, Joseph received the blessing of being the foster-father of Jesus, and together with Mary, experienced God's presence in our world in a unique and unrepeatable way.

May the prayers and example of Mary and Joseph give us strength and courage to open ourselves once again to the mystery of God who desires to be a part of our daily life. And may the Lord Jesus increase within our hearts the desire to do the will of our Heavenly Father. May God bless you and fill your last week of Advent with the abundance of His grace.

(Photo of "Mary and Joseph" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

3rd Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday - December 12, 2010: The Joy of Expectation

2010-12-11T14:00:00.002-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday (Year A):

"Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you." (Is 35: 3-4)

This 3rd Sunday of Advent is classically known as "Gaudete Sunday" (Gaudete being the Latin imperative for "rejoice!"). It's the day on which we light the rose colored candle on the Advent wreathe, and the day on which the priest typically dons rose colored vestments for Mass. "Rose" symbolizes that our penitential violet of Advent has momentarily mixed with the festive white of Christmas. All of this signals a moment of excitement in our Advent preparations; we have crossed over the halfway point of the Advent season and the nearness of Christ's presence brings with it the joy of expectation.

The Christian spirit of joy and expectation is altogether different, however, from the predominant "holiday" spirit that imbues the secular societies of today. In the period leading up to Christmas many people sense an increased level of anxiety, stress, and worry, followed by an anticlimactic sense of unfulfilled expectations, or even depression, on Christmas day. There are innumerable reasons and factors for all of these sentiments, and some of them very understandable. But as disciples of Christ we want to make sure that the exterior preparations and excitement of the time leading up to Christmas is excelled and transcended by our interior preparations and vigilance. In this way we open ourselves to receive the joy of an expectation and hope that do not disappoint.

So what do the Mass readings for this 3rd Sunday of Advent teach us about the Christian sense of joy and expectation that mark "Gaudete Sunday" in a unique way? And how can we avoid the trap of externalizing the Advent and Christmas seasons to the neglect of our interior life? These are the questions we will look at in today's reflection.

All of the readings for this Sunday speak of the imminent presence and action of God in human history. In the first reading from Isaiah we see a lot of action and movement taking place: God is moving toward His people with the intention of saving and healing them from all of their sorrows. Signs are given that will mark God's presence among us: the blind will see, the lame will leap, the deaf will hear, and the mute will sing. We who are like "the desert and the parched land" will now exult with joy at His presence. Throughout this reading "joy" is understood not as something that we can acquire with our own efforts, but as an effect or fruit of God's presence and action.

In the Gospel, John the Baptist sends his disciples to inquire of Jesus if He is truly the "promised one". Jesus does not simply give them a fruitless "yes". He offers them a more profound answer by pointing to the fruits of His actions: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised. In other words, Jesus not only fulfills the prophecy given through Isaiah, but He also exceeds all expectations! In the Gospel we see a sense of tremendous level of expectation in St. John the Baptist; an expectation which is vigilant because it keeps the promises of God in mind and awaits their fulfillment in hope. The Baptist, being in prison, never saw this with his own eyes, but he heard and rejoiced.

Finally, the second reading reveals the expectation and patient endurance of the early Christians who were awaiting Jesus' final return. As the prophets of the Old Testament were vigilant in waiting for the Messiah's coming, so St. James exhorts the first disciples of Christ to remain firm and patient "until the coming of the Lord." And although the prophets never saw the fulfillment of God's promises in their lifetime, those promises were fulfilled and they were rewarded for their faithfulness. In an age that demands instant results, satisfaction, and fulfillment, the witness of the prophets is a powerful reminder of the patient endurance necessary to be a disciple of Christ. God is present, but He is yet to come; the promises of God have been fulfilled, but not in their fullness.

So the readings for this Sunday teach us about Christian joy, about an expectation that comes from a vigilance of the heart, and the need for patient endurance if we are to receive what God has planned for us. Another common denominator to all of these readings is that the sacred authors direct their readers' gaze to Christ. And this is an essential point for Advent and Christmas. If we are to avoid a profound interior emptiness at Christmas time then our gaze must be focused on Christ, and not ourselves. Advent trains us to lift up our head and see God's presence and action in our "now"; to raise our eyes and look forward, instead of constantly looking at ourselves. The devil would prefer us to focus is merely on ourselves, on our little world, to brood on disappointments because we didn't get what we wanted, to constantly look at our problems (and even our sins!), and that way be led into depression and despair. The Church directs our gaze to Christ, to pause and ponder His promises, to see God's action and love already present, to understand what He is trying to teach me, and to seek His face with all our strength. Let us step up to this challenge and seek simple, personal, and concrete ways that can truly prepare us to welcome the joy of God's presence. God bless you and have a joyful Sunday.

(Photo of "St. John the Baptist: He Must Increase, I Must Decrease" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

2nd Sunday of Advent - December 5, 2010: The Knowledge of the Lord

2010-12-03T03:00:00.854-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent (Year A):

"There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea." (Is 11:9)

The Gospel reading for this Sunday places us in the austere presence of St. John the Baptist, who describes himself as "a voice of one crying out in the desert." Even though we may be surrounded by people on a daily basis, there are times when we too feel like we're in a wilderness or a desert, crying out with no one to hear. We can cry out about the injustices we suffer in life, or those in the world in general. We can cry out about the violence, hatred, prejudice, immorality, and madness that seem to be engulfing our world, and the feeling of helplessness in the face of all of these evils. This Sunday, St. John the Baptist offers us an ancient message, and yet it is one that, if taken to heart, has the power to bring hope and renewal to the desperation of our modern age.

God chose the Baptist as a prophet "to prepare the way of the Lord" for His first coming, and so each Advent season the Church listens attentively to the Baptist's voice that she may recognize anew the Lord "who is, and who was, and who is to come." (Rev 1:8) The Baptist challenges us to accept the very simple and straightforward message which rings out with clarity in this Sunday's Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repentance is at the heart of the Baptist's call, and it highlights the first step required of all who wish to accept the "kingdom of heaven" and its King.

Repentance leads us to turn our back on the actions, thoughts, words, and inaction which lead us or others into darkness, error, or sin. But there is a much more positive thrust to repentance than simply turning our back on darkness. Repentance is not meant to create a vacuum in our lives and end in making us dark, depressing and boring people. It is not primarily a "no" to the (destructive) "fun" of the world, the flesh, and the devil, but it is above all a "yes" to accepting the "kingdom of heaven", and is necessary if we are to be free of anything which impedes Christ from reigning within us.

In harmony with this Sunday's call to prepare ourselves to accept the "kingdom of heaven", the entire first reading talks to us of Christ's kingship. The promised king and judge spoken of in the first reading will be filled with the Spirit of the Lord: "a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord...." The biblical imagery of the reading also reveals the type of power this king will hold over all creation: "Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb", and "the baby shall play by the cobra’s den." Towards the end of the reading we discover there will be no harm or ruin on God's mountain because "the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord." Although this last phrase doesn't immediately strike us as important, it is a very powerful point. We see that the transformation of creation is attributed to the "knowledge of the Lord".

In a similar manner, this "knowledge of the Lord" has the power to transform our lives and bring about true repentance. Just as the whole of creation is transformed by the knowledge of the Lord, so we too are progressively transformed and share in the fruits of the Lord's reign through our "knowledge" of the Lord. This is not a knowledge about the Lord, as in the facts surrounding His life (e.g. where He was born, where He traveled, etc...), but it is an intimate knowledge of the Lord which comes from spending time with Him. On a side note, Pope Benedict gave a powerful teaching on the distinction between these two ways of knowing the Lord which you can read here. As we come to a deeper knowledge of the Lord with the heart, our hearts slowly undergo an inner transformation and the Lord's ways of acting, thinking, speaking, and relating to others, begin replacing our old ways. This "knowledge" of the Lord from the heart has the power to purify and recreate us from within and, in the words of St. John the Baptist in today's Gospel, "produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance."

If we look within our hearts we can find traces of all the evils mentioned in the opening sentences of this post - injustice, prejudice, hatred, lust, hardheartedness, etc... Our own heart constitutes the first place where the "kingdom of heaven" must be welcomed, and this is crux of the message for this Sunday. If our cries for change in this world are to have any real hope of producing good fruit, then we need to accept the constant challenge of repentance and seek a deeper knowledge of the Lord with sincerity of heart.

Looking to St. John the Baptist as a model, we can see how many people are impacted for the better when the Lord's kingdom finds a home within a person's heart. The kingdom of heaven certainly seems insignificant, like the mustard seed or leaven, and at times we can wonder how much good it can really do within our families, schools, or places of work. But the effectiveness and power of the kingdom of heaven does not depend on its size. The lives of the saints are a vivid proof that the kingdom of heaven can produce more good and lasting fruit than man could ever hope to produce without God. The saints had such a marvelous effect on the lives of those around them and changed their lives for the better precisely because people perceived Christ in them. The witness of their lives and their prayers continue to transform hearts today. The Lord can produce good and lasting fruit in the world through us too when we humbly seek to know Christ from the heart and live as one who knows the Lord. Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo of "St. John the Baptist" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

1st Sunday of Advent - November 28, 2010: Living Advent

2010-11-27T04:41:00.002-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A):

"So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." (Mt 24: 44)

Today marks the first day of a new liturgical year and the beginning of Advent (from the Latin "adventus", meaning "an arrival", or "a coming"). It is a season draped in violet (as you will see in church) to signify the penitential spirit which characterizes the four weeks of Advent. But what is Advent all about? And how can we allow the spirit of Advent to penetrate and transform our lives over these next several weeks? The readings from this first Sunday of Advent provide some answers to these questions.

If you have read the Gospel for this Sunday's Mass, you may be struck by the choice of the reading. Jesus speaks of "the coming of the Son of Man" over and over again, exhorting His disciples to "stay awake" and "be prepared," because "you do not know on which day your Lord will come." After hearing today's Gospel some may be led to ask, "but wouldn't it be more fitting to have a reading that has something to do with Jesus' birth since Advent is all about preparing for Christmas?" As shocking as it may be for many, Advent is not only about preparing for Christmas.

The readings for this first Sunday of Advent direct our gaze not to the crib in Bethlehem, but to heaven and the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God and Jesus' return in glory. Advent prepares us to recall the moment when God took on flesh and entered our world 2,000 years ago as a baby, but it also urges us to prepare ourselves to live with God now, as He is still present among us, and to be prepared for His eternal presence. Advent is therefore a season of grace, given to us by the Church, so we may be better prepared to receive the full mystery of Jesus Christ, "who is [present] and who was [past] and who is to come [future]" (Rev 1:8).

In reference to the effect Advent can have on our immediate lives, Pope Benedict had this to say last year:

"The meaning of the expression 'advent' ... includes that of visitatio, which simply and specifically means 'visit'; in this case it is a question of a visit from God: he enters my life and wishes to speak to me. In our daily lives we all experience having little time for the Lord and also little time for ourselves. We end by being absorbed in 'doing'. Is it not true that activities often absorb us and that society with its multiple interests monopolizes our attention? Is it not true that we devote a lot of time to entertainment and to various kinds of amusement? At times we get carried away. Advent, this powerful liturgical season that we are beginning, invites us to pause in silence to understand a presence. It is an invitation to understand that the individual events of the day are signs that God gives to us, signs of the attention he has for each one of us. How often God gives us a glimpse of his love! To keep, as it were, an 'interior journal' of this love would be a beautiful and salutary task for our life! Advent invites and stimulates us to contemplate the Lord who is present. Should not the certainty of his presence help us see the world with different eyes?"

Advent challenges us. It exhorts us to wake up, to open our eyes, to "throw off the works of darkness" and everything that belongs to the "flesh" (as we hear in today's 2nd reading), and embrace the Lord who continually moves toward us so we may even now know His goodness. Advent stirs us to shake off any lukewarmness, spiritual idleness, indifference, and sloth - all deadly fruits of other sins - as they paralyze us and render us incapable of moving toward or welcoming the Lord who comes to visit us. It calls us to look at where we have placed our heart and our hopes, and it challenges us to redirect our energies and attention to the Lord, who is also present in the "now" of every day.

Let us take advantage of the special graces given to us in this season of Advent. We can do this in many ways. But we can start by asking the Lord to break any bonds that keep us from seeking Him, or those which keep us from walking in His light. We can plead that he frees us from the "works of darkness" and that He clears out room within us for His presence. We can ask Him to give us the strength and courage to draw closer to Him in personal and sincere prayer, as it is through prayer that our hearts grow vigilant in expectation and hope, and we discover that we too can eagerly await and long for His coming. Nothing is impossible for the Lord, so let us trust in His love for us and take the step to draw closer to Him with confidence. God bless you, and may the Lord fill you with His choicest blessings. Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo of "Rex Regum" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

The Solemnity of Christ the King - November 21, 2010

2010-11-19T05:54:00.011-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the Solemnity of Christ the King (Year C):

"As they approached to offer him wine they called out, 'if you are King of the Jews, save yourself.' Above him there was an inscription that read, 'This is the King of the Jews.'" (Lk 23:37-38)

Each year the Solemnity of Christ the King signals the beginning of the last week of Ordinary Time. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to look beyond this solemnity to the beginning of Advent, or even Christmas. To do so, however, would be a costly mistake. This Sunday's celebration of Christ's kingship over all creation deserves its proper place in our liturgical year, and as disciples of Christ we need to pause, reflect upon, and absorb its lessons on a yearly basis. What is more, if we stop to ponder the mysteries of this solemnity throughout this coming week we will have a head start on our interior preparations for Advent and Christmas.

So what does the solemnity of Christ the King teach us in general? And what are a few pertinent lessons that we can reflect on here which will make our celebration of this solemnity more fruitful?

To answer the first question, this solemnity reminds us of one supremely simple truth of our faith: that God alone is God; He alone rules as "king". That might seem too simple, but we shall return to this point in a moment. Secondly, in addition to establishing the simple fact of Christ's kingship, the readings for this solemnity teach us how Christ rules over all creation as King. And it is within this framework that I offer this Sunday's reflection.

On to the first point: God alone is "king". It's a simple lesson, but one all of us need to hear frequently. Beginning with the Garden of Eden, man has always been tempted to exalt himself above God... and it is no less true in our day. We are always tempted to worship and glorify ourselves in place of God, in either obvious and subtle ways. We can consider ourselves slighted when God does not conform to our plans, and if we are not attentive, we can quickly become experts at downgrading His law from "commandments" to "suggestions" and justify our actions for doing so. In summary, we can see that the solemnity of Christ the King is meant to renew within us the centrality of the first and greatest commandment: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mk 12: 29-30)

God alone is "king". In addition to the first commandment, we can look at this solemnity from the point of view of the second greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Mk 12:31) Corresponding to the inclination to usurp power from God there is the temptation to dominate and "rule over" others, especially for those of us who are men (see Gen 3:16). This is manifested in attempts (even subtle ones) to manipulate, intimidate, dominate, and at times resort to different forms of violence or force in our relationships with others. John Paul II addressed this temptation at length in paragraph 10 of his encyclical on "The Dignity of Women" (which you can read by clicking on the link). He highlighted the disturbance and rupture this temptation creates in marriages, and its devastating consequences for the family if it is not overcome by a "sincere gift of self" from the woman and a corresponding gift of "self" on the part of the husband. Given the tendency of western society to glorify the "masculinization" of women, it's worth pointing out in passing that such a program merely perpetuates and aggravates the root problem, as it reproduces and re-appropriates to women the inclination to dominate. Although this mentality arises from the fact that women have been and still are the principle victims of this evil tendency to dominate others, a musculinization of women is not the answer - women cannot be the sole agents fighting this temptation in family life and society. Both men and women are called to fight against it in their personal lives and relationships and open themselves to a conversion of heart, so that a mutual "gift of self" becomes a daily reality in both marriage and society.

After looking at some of the ever-present threats to the most basic message of this Sunday's solemnity of Christ the King (that God alone is "king"), we see some reasons why the feast is so important for us. But before concluding, it's worth considering what the readings for this solemnity teach us about how Christ rules over all creation as King, as His kingship shows us the way to overcome an idolatry of self and work towards overcoming so many other marital, family, and social problems.

In the first reading for this Sunday the leaders of Israel ask David to become their king. What's interesting is the prophecy they quote regarding David, to whom the Lord said, "you shall shepherd my people Israel." The model of kingship God chose for His people was that of a "shepherd". In the Gospels the titles "the Son of David" and "the Good Shepherd" are applied to Jesus. As disciples of Christ we are no longer led to Jerusalem, "the city of David", but "the Son of David" leads us to the New Jerusalem, our true promised land of heaven.

As the responsorial psalm repeats, "let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord," so we follow the Good Shepherd confidently along the way He has already walked and forged for us - the way of the cross. The cross is Jesus' throne, His "hour of glory" (Jn 12:23). From the cross He rules as the Good Shepherd, holding open the gate to everlasting life for each of us who follow Him. Jesus' kingship is marked by self-sacrifice, by a self-effacing love that saves us, recreates us, and encourages us. On that tree of life the King of Glory laid down His life for His Bride, for each of us, and in that moment He revealed the most powerful weapon to overcome the idolatry and rupture Adam's sin introduced into our human nature - the gift of oneself to God and others - the two greatest commandments. In today's Gospel Jesus hears the shouts of everyone around Him, "save yourself" - but He came to save us, and in doing so, He has shown us that the way to heaven consists in giving our life to God and others as a gift. May our participation in Jesus' kingship in marriage, family life, the priesthood, and society be a reflection of the way Jesus "rules". And may you have a blessed Sunday! Viva Cristo Re!

(Photo of "Mortem autem Crucis..." courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 14, 2010: The Perspective of Faith

2010-11-12T16:37:00.001-05:00

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end....Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place....Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you....By your perseverance you will secure your lives." (Lk 21:9-12)

As the end of the liturgical year draws to a close with next week's celebration of Christ the King, the Church listens once again to the words of her Lord and Savior regarding the end times. Far from promising His Apostles an easy, comfortable, and peaceful life in the interim between His ascension into heaven and His return to this world in glory, Jesus foretells bitter suffering, hatred, betrayal, and violence. Although such predictions are frightening, the readings for this Sunday speak plainly of the trials and ordeals the Church must undergo, but they also teach us to wait for the Lord with courage and faith.

The first reading for this Sunday tells us that "the day" is coming when God will reduce the wicked to "stubble". We then proclaim in the responsorial psalm that "the Lord comes to rule the world with justice." However, as Jesus tells us in this Sunday's Gospel, there are certain "signs" that must take place before "the day" of the Lord is manifested. All of the woes in the quote at the top of this post are "signs" to mark the approach of the day of the Lord. These signs include not only upheaval in the world in general, but also suffering for the Lord's disciples in particular.

Do we see the sufferings, persecutions and upheaval in our world in the light of the ongoing "signs" which the Lord speaks of in today's Gospel? All of these "signs" were present in the early Church, and are seen in the various sufferings the Apostles had to endure in the New Testament. Like the Apostles we too live in between the Lord's first and second coming. Salvation history is not something that belongs to the past, it is still unfolding and it involves us. In the uncertainties and sufferings of this life we too are meant to cling more closely to the only one who can save us and bring us true life, security, and peace - just as the Apostles did. But there is the ever present danger of losing this wider perspective of faith.

If we turn on the TV, or pick up a newspaper, we see that our world is inundated with violence, wars, starvation, persecution, and injustices of all kinds. In particular, the massacre of 58 Catholics in the cathedral of Baghdad two weeks ago is fresh in mind. When faced with the cold reality and pain of the present moment it is easy to focus so intensely on what is happening in the "now" that we lose the broader perspective of faith - we can get caught in a spiritual "tunnel vision"; and there is no light at the end of that tunnel, only despair.

By continually nourishing the gift of faith that we have received from God we can avoid this danger. Frequently reading, listening, and reflecting on the Word of God elevates and expands our faith. Faith lifts us above the present moment and unites us to God who reminds us of the bigger picture - that our "now" has a context and that it is a part of salvation history, and therefore it has a meaning.

The "signs" which we hear about in the Gospel will continue throughout history until the definitive coming of God - a day known to God alone. On one hand, they remind us of the instability of this life and direct us to place our hope in Christ and not this world. On the other hand, walking amid the sufferings, upheaval, and persecutions in this world is part of our lot as disciples, but we do so with faith and hope in the Lord. Jesus suffered injustices, persecution, and death. By his suffering, death and resurrection He became the "sign of Jonah" to the world. In a similar manner the Church too is called to share in that paschal mystery in every age of history - to be a permanent "sign of contradiction" to the world - witnessing our faith in God even when surrounded by the uncertainties of this life. Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo of "Crucified" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Resurrecting Marriage & Celibacy

2010-11-05T09:54:00.007-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage." (Lk 20:34-35) - From the Sunday Gospel reading for November 7, 2010

The above quote can be quite provocative or even shocking - so there's no marriage in heaven? I remember coming across this passage of Scripture as a teenager and having to stop and reread it several times, having been stunned by what Jesus said. Of course, as a teenager, my thoughts were more on the immediate life ahead of me, and not on the resurrection or heaven - which seemed to be so vague and distant, and so far removed from my daily life and immediate goals. But when I eventually began to read Scripture and pray, I slowly discovered how powerfully the thought of heaven and the life of the resurrection could influence my daily life for the better! And it is in this line that I would like to begin a short reflection on the readings for this Sunday.

I have two basic points to make this week: the first revolves around the thought of heaven itself; the second concerns understanding (and hopefully appreciating more!) the role that both marriage and celibacy play in turning our attention to heaven.

Last June at a prayer vigil here in Rome, several priests from around the world had the chance to ask Pope Benedict questions on a variety of topics. The Holy Father listened attentively and then spoke off-the-cuff in response to each question. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear what was closest to his heart on several issues. One response, however, struck me in particular, as it dealt with a situation facing modern day Christianity as a whole. Here's a snippet of what he had to say: "One great problem of Christianity in today's world is that it does not think anymore of the future of God. The 'present' of this world alone seems sufficient. We want to have only this world, to live only in this world. So we close the doors to the true greatness of our existence."

In other words, we have stopped thinking about the life of the resurrection, about heaven as our final goal, which in turn negatively influences our choices and what we accept or reject on a day to day basis. We want to be careful that we do not reduce or limit Christianity to a category of what can be considered "useful" for society and the present world. As Christians we are called to be leaven for the world, but if we lose the perspective of eternity, of heaven, of the resurrection, of our continued existence after this present life, then we will fail in our duty to the world - and miserably at that. If Christians lose sight of the resurrection and it fades from our minds, and therefore no longer influences our actions and decisions, then our faith will no longer have the power to lift this world to God. Without the perspective of heaven and the resurrection, life is emptied of its ultimate meaning and becomes vulnerably exposed to the ever present temptation of man to dominate, manipulate and reorientate everything to himself. If the resurrection and heaven find little or no room in our minds, then as Christians we should heed well the words of St. Paul, "if for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all." (1 Cor 15:19)

The second point of today's reflection regards the relationship between marriage and celibacy, and how both support one another in directing our minds toward heaven. Jesus states quite clearly in this Sunday's Gospel that marriage is meant for this world alone. And yet, think about how many times Jesus compares the Kingdom of God with a marriage banquet in His parables. Marriage and heaven go together - but it's a different type of marriage in heaven - a spiritual marriage with God, where we belong completely to Him and He to us. The sacrament of marriage is a living sign of the spousal love between Christ and His Church. But the sacrament also carries within it the grace and strength to create a new, salvific bond of union between a man and woman and bring them into deeper union with Christ and His Church.

For those who embrace celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God (Mt 19:12), marriage is a constant reminder and sign of the spousal relationship, intimacy and fidelity we are to have with Christ and His Church on a spiritual level. The witness of celibacy on the other hand, is a reminder for those who are married that we have been created for God alone, and that there is more to life than the present moment. Celibacy is a sign and reminder that the spousal relationship that a man and woman enjoy here on earth is meant to lead them and their children to that ultimate spousal relationship of love in heaven. To put it more synthetically: marriage reminds us about the relationship of love, intimacy and fidelity we are called to with God; and celibacy reminds us that Christ is the center of our lives as Christians, and that our ultimate goal is communion with God in the marriage feast of the heavenly court. Each vocation benefits if the gifts of the other are understood and appreciated - and both vocations benefit when holy and happy examples of each are easily found. God bless you and have a wonderful Sunday.

(Photo of "Christ on the Tree of Life" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Joy of Welcoming Christ

2010-10-30T17:17:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, 'Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.' And he came down quickly and received him with joy." (Lk 19:5-6)

A few years ago a friend of mine called me up and asked if I could drop everything to head over to the Vatican to attend a "Wednesday Audience" with him - each Wednesday the Holy Father gives a teaching and greets those who have come to Rome on pilgrimage. I've been in Rome for 11 years, and have been to many Wednesday Audiences, but this was one of the most moving and memorable audiences I have ever attended. Part way through his teaching, Pope Benedict suddenly broke off from the text and began speaking off-the-cuff about the holiness of the saints. This is what he had to say:

"...the saints have not 'fallen from Heaven'. They are people like us, who also have complicated problems. Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness....Consequently, it is not the fact that we have never erred but our capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness which makes us saints. And we can all learn this way of holiness."

With these words everyone jumped to their feet and began clapping and cheering. I will never forget the expressions of joy and hope which were so conspicuous on the faces of everyone there that day. The cheers continued well over a minute before the Holy Father could resume the rest of his teaching.

I mention that experience because the unexpected joy and renewed sense of hope all of us felt that day are the sentiments that I imagine Zacchaeus must have felt when Jesus looked up at him and told him He wanted to spend the day at his house; the joy and hope of being loved, and being able to love in return.

Although Zacchaeus was very rich, he was an outcast and therefore isolated; considered to be beyond the reach of the merciful love and goodness of God. He was socially invisible and effectively non-existent to the religious world around him. But as we hear in the closing of today's Gospel "the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." God searches for man, and as today's first reading says, He has mercy on him, "for you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made...O Lord and lover of souls" (Wis 11: 24,26) And through the love and grace of Christ conversion, repentance, and a new life become possible. Zacchaeus experienced the joy of welcoming Christ into his home and his life. He teaches us how to respond to the Lord's love with concrete acts of repentance and superabundant generosity: "But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, 'Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.'"

Whenever we take a step out in faith and embrace Christ, who invites us to abandon the way of death and sin through humble repentance and generosity, we can feel vulnerable or afraid because something new is happening. In these times we should pray and ask God to "powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith," (2 Thes 1:11) as St. Paul does in today's second reading.

Let us find courage through Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus to once again be convicted that holiness is possible for all of us, as all things are possible with God. (Mt 19:26) Let us rededicate ourselves to seeking out Christ in prayer and searching for His forgiveness, knowing His merciful love is more powerful than our sinfulness. And like Zacchaeus, let us use everything at our disposition to seek out Jesus; to seek out He who climbed the tree of the cross to look for us and bring us the joy of His saving love. May God bless you abundantly! Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo of "The Good Shepherd" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time: A Tax Collector's Prayer

2010-10-23T03:15:00.009-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector... The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity....' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'" (Lk 18: 10-11,13)

Modern day advertising often encourages us to be strong and independent, or quicker, smarter, better looking, and stronger than the next man or woman. The consistent undercurrent to such advertising creates a powerful desire to get ahead of the rest, and can pull us down into a fiercely competitive mentality where a lot of energy is consumed in comparing ourselves to others. In today's Gospel, Jesus throws us a lifeline and shows us the way to escape this raging and swirling lifestyle of comparison and self-centeredness.

In the opening of today's Gospel parable we see that both the Pharisee and the tax collector "went up to the temple area to pray...." However, each takes up a different position in the temple area. The Pharisee stands arrogantly before God, while the tax collector kneels humbly at a distance with head and eyes bowed. If the Pharisee and tax collector had never spoken a word, we would still be able to perceive, in some fashion, the interior disposition of each by physical mannerisms alone. But they do speak. And what they say is quite revealing.

The prayer of the Pharisee is entangled in comparisons, which ultimately revolve around him: "O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity...or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income." The prayer of the tax collector, on the other hand, is a true prayer directed to God: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." These two vastly different prayers can teach us several lessons. While I will share a few reflections of my own, it is good to ask yourself what lessons you see in the words of the Pharisee and tax collector?

Keeping the Pharisee's prayer in mind, let's return to our first consideration of advertisements and the competitive mentality which they can awaken within us. There are similarities between the two. First of all, by "competitive mentality" I am not referring sporting events - where a healthy sense of competition is necessary. I am referring to the constant comparing of oneself to someone or something else. These comparisons lead to an unhealthy competition and can have disastrous effects on us and others. When the competition which is proper to a sporting event exits the field and becomes the underlying mentality in which we live, and the ruling stick by which we measure every other aspect of our life, then even our concept of God, prayer, sin, and righteousness is bound to become warped. This was the mentality and the error of the Pharisee which Jesus highlights in today's Gospel.

See how the Pharisee did nothing but compare himself to others in his "prayer". He exalted himself and thought himself to be righteous (holy), but only because his concept of righteousness was based on human comparisons. If I were to play football with a bunch of 9 year old kids I would look like a superstar. But if you compared me to a professional football player, I'd probably look less capable than a 9 year old! The same holds true for goodness and holiness. Jesus calls us to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48), and not to base our concept of holiness on a comparison of ourselves to others. And yet, how often we do this! Have you ever thought to yourself, "I don't need to go to confession: I haven't stolen anything or murdered anyone"? Compared to a thief or murderer we look pretty good. But that's the error which got the Pharisee into trouble. If we want to understand how good, righteous, or holy we are then we need to compare ourselves to God! Which brings us to the tax collector...

The tax collector was the one who realized the true measure of righteousness is found only in God, before whom we are but dust and man's holiness is like a "filthy rag" (see Is 64:6). As we know from the moral of Jesus' parable, "the latter [tax collector] went home justified, not the former [Pharisee]; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." If we hope to receive God's mercy, we need to learn a lesson from both the Pharisee's failure and the tax collector's humility.

As we hear in today's first reading, it is the prayer of the lowly which pierces the clouds and does not rest until it reaches its goal (Sir 35:17). The lowly one is not someone who lives independent from God, but in dependence on God, and on His merciful love and grace; someone who realizes that God alone is good and holy and strives to be like his heavenly Father; someone who seeks and finds his strength in God in times of trial and abandonment - like St. Paul in today's second reading.

Through the light of the Word of God in this Sunday's readings may we find a new way of living and thinking, and be free of a life of constant comparisons. May we fix our gaze on God in humble prayer recognizing our need for Him in all things. May we become more aware of our exalted vocation to grow in the image and likeness of God and respond to that call with sincerity and generosity. And may God bless you and make you a blessing to others! Have a great Sunday.

(Photo of "St. Matthew" - a penitent tax collector - courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: How to Persevere in Prayer

2010-10-15T18:07:00.001-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary." (Lk 18:1)

Have you ever grown weary of praying for something? Or been tempted to give up praying altogether? To throw in the towel and walk away because God doesn't seem to be responding? Jesus foresaw these difficulties and struggles in prayer, and addresses the issue in this Sunday's Gospel.

In the opening line in today's Gospel, we catch the moral of Jesus' parable right from the beginning; we are to pray always without growing weary. It is abundantly clear what Jesus expects of us, but the secret to sustaining a vibrant and untiring prayer is revealed only towards the end of today's parable. And here we can identify two essential points.

First of all, Jesus uses the parable of the widow and the dishonest judge to show us that even an unjust judge can render justice to those who are assailed by adversaries. If that is the case, how much more will God, who is just, come with all speed to the aid of His children who continually cry out to Him in prayer?! With this rhetorical question the Lord reveals the foundational secret to praying without growing weary: faith. It is faith which gives us the ability to penetrate the heavens and address Almighty God, our loving Father, with supreme hope. Faith is a certain knowledge of God (see Heb 11:1) which infuses within us a hope which does not disappoint (see Rom 5:1-5). In faith we are convinced that God is our Father, that He has the power to help us, and that He will respond in the manner best suited to our needs, just as a father knows what is best for his children.

So we see that prayer finds its strength and sustenance in faith - a living faith in God. After alluding to this answer in the parable, Jesus poses one further question - a question which ought to pierce our hearts: "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Wow. The Lord gives us the key to praying without growing despondent (faith), but then asks whether we will hold on to that key. Jesus' last question signals intense struggles which will challenge the faith of His disciples, but it is also serves to push us forward and be active in reinforcing the faith we know will soon come under attack. So what can we do to build up our faith, which is the foundation of true prayer? I will offer you a few points found in the other readings for this Sunday to inspire further reflection.

In the first reading we hear how the Israelites were successful in battle only when Moses kept his hands raised in the air. But Moses' hands grew weary and needed the help and support of Aaron and Hur. We too need holy friends to help, support, and inspire us to continually reach out to God and "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim 6:12). Our greatest and most powerful advocates in this work, however, are always Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Our Blessed Mother.

Finally, in the second reading we hear this exhortation from St. Paul: "Beloved, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it....All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work." Our faith needs food if it is to not only survive, but also flourish. We can nourish our faith in several ways, but personally reading, praying, meditating, and studying the Scriptures is irreplaceable. There are many good Catholic sources out there to begin this exciting and fulfilling journey, but I highly recommend reading books or listening to podcasts by Dr. Scott Hahn, or getting your hands on different volumes of the New Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. We must be pro-active in reinforcing our faith so it in turn may give vigor and strength to our prayer. Without faith our hope and charity and prayer begin to shrivel up and die.

May the readings for this Sunday inspire us to pray and work to cultivate a mustard-seed-size of faith so our prayer never grows weary. And when Jesus asks, "but when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" may our faith be strong enough to stand up and give Him our "yes". And may you have a holy and joyful Sunday. God bless you.

(Photo of the personification of "Hope" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Faith and Thanksgiving

2010-10-09T04:11:00.001-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, 'Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?' Then he said to him, 'Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.'" (Lk 17: 15-19)

As we see in the closing line of this Sunday's Gospel, faith in Jesus Christ is the basis of our salvation. While we recognize that faith is both a pure gift from God (Eph 2:8) and that it ultimately leads to our salvation, we should also be attentive to the way it expresses itself in today's readings. What does faith look like? Does it take on any particular shape or form? We have 3 powerful examples of faith in this Sunday's readings, two of whom are lepers.

The first reading recounts the story of Naaman, the leper from Syria. He had come to Israel to seek out the prophet Elisha. Listening and believing in the word of God spoken through Elisha, "Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times" and was miraculously cured of his leprosy. But what does he do immediately after his cure? Naaman returns to the prophet Elisha in order to give him a gift in gratitude for the healing he received. It is here that we see some interesting points develop. First of all, we notice that Naaman believed, was healed, and now returns to express his gratitude. Second, we see that Elisha refuses to grow rich and profit from the miracles of God, and that he also refuses to accept the thanks which is owed to God, proclaiming himself to be a servant of the Lord. It is only at this point that Naaman requests two mule-loads of dirt to bring back to his country so as to build an altar and offer sacrifice to God alone. And while it is interesting to note how Elisha's humility lead Naaman closer to God, we see above all that faith bears fruit in gratitude and a turning away from idolatry to worship the one true God.

In this Sunday's Gospel reading we see a similar pattern of faith personified in another leper, this time from Samaria. However, we are also presented with 9 bad examples of faith. As we read in the opening quote of this post, ten lepers cry out to Jesus in faith and are healed. But only one of them returns to thank Jesus. All ten lepers had faith in God, 9 of whom are presumably Israelites, but only one of them will hear the words, "stand up and go; your faith has saved you." Although this story parallels that of Naaman's in the first reading, there are some important novelties in this Gospel passage which reveal further qualities of the faith each of us is called to have in Jesus Christ.

First of all, we see very clearly that faith in Jesus should naturally lead us to glorify, thank, and praise God; it is not about getting what we want and then abandoning God - that is precisely what Jesus finds lacking in the faith of the other 9 lepers who believed, were healed, and neglected to thank and praise God. A life of faith necessarily implies that we return frequently to God in order to praise Him and thank Him - and not just for the good things we receive. It is about a living, on-going relationship of love that begins with faith and leads to salvation. God uses miracles to draw us to Himself so we can begin to live in a loving communion with Him.

Second, unlike the prophet Elisha, Jesus accepts this leper's adoration and thanksgiving. Elisha knew adoration and thanksgiving for such a miracle was reserved for God alone. Jesus, on the other hand, being God Himself, is worthy to receive this leper's thanksgiving and praise - expressed vividly by the leper falling down in adoration at Jesus' feet.

The last point I wish to make can only be perceived by looking at the original Greek text of St. Luke's Gospel. It was Dr. Scott Hahn's reflection on this Sunday's Gospel that tipped me off to this last point. He noted that when St. Luke wrote that the leper "fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him," the Greek word used to express this thanksgiving is what we also translate as "Eucharist". In fact, the entire Gospel passage for this Sunday reflects the way in which we should be participating interiorly at each Mass. We begin like the 10 lepers by calling out to God in faith to "have pity on us" through Jesus Christ. We then listen to the word of God which has the power to expose and begin healing the leprosy of sin within us. Finally, having experienced the wonders and love of God, we draw close to Him in praise and adoration (the Greek word used in the Gospel for praise is "doxan", where we get "doxology" from). We fall down at the Lord's feet in Mass to humbly present ourselves, our entire lives, before Jesus, and we receive Him in the Eucharist - in thanksgiving. In summary, our faith is meant to be thoroughly Eucharistic, both in Mass and outside of Mass - in the daily praise of God and loving service of God and neighbor. And what is more, the Eucharist springs from faith, and therefore will never make sense without a personal, living faith in Jesus Christ.

Finally, our third example of faith in this Sunday's liturgy is seen in the person of St. Paul, who perseveres in faith even though it entails suffering. He states in the 2nd reading, "I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus." In other words, we see that our faith is not only for our own good, but it is also intended to build up the faith of others, so they too may be healed and saved. May we never forget this. God bless you.

(Photo of the personification of "Faith, Hope, and Charity" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Strong and Patient Faith

2010-10-02T02:21:00.002-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' The Lord replied, 'If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea," and it would obey you.'" (Lk 17: 5-6)

Often we encounter so many different forms of violence, suffering, corruption, devastation, injustice, and hatred in our world. In fact, if we keep up with the news we are presented with all of these horrors on a daily basis. All of these events can shake our faith in God. How many times have we turned to Him and cried out, "what is going on?! Why don't you do something?!" Or maybe we've never put our sentiments and pain into words. The prophet, Habakkuk, who we hear cry out to God in this Sunday's first reading, did put those questions to God in no uncertain terms. His words can summarize the cry of our hearts at times: "How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not intervene." God's patience and trust in us can sometimes be scandalizing to our faith. Our own indifference and inaction can also be scandalous to others and shake their faith - remember last week's parable of the rich man and Lazarus and how the rich man was condemned precisely for his indifference and inaction. As a side note, since I won't return to the topic here, there is a powerful quote which runs: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Something definitely worthy of deeper reflection.

How do the readings for this Sunday teach us to respond to the scandals in our world, and Jesus' Church at times, which cause our faith to be shaken, and not just stirred? First, let us listen to the response God gives to the prophet Habakkuk in the first reading: "For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live." In other words, God has a plan. While God's ways are not our ways, and His plan is definitely mysterious to us, God calls us to have faith in His plan and His timing. St. Peter tells us to "consider the patience of the Lord as salvation." (2 Pet 3:15) God's patience is aimed at giving us time to repent and be converted, and is a testament to the true power of goodness which can transform us just as yeast transforms the dough.

The responsorial psalm exhorts us to listen to God's response to Habakkuk. In the psalm we are warned about giving up hope in goodness and God's ways, as this can lead us to harden our hearts against God Himself: "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." God has spoken to us, He has revealed His plan to us in Jesus Christ, we have seen His wonders in salvation history, we understand that His ways are not our ways, and we have heard Him tell us not to surrender faith, no matter what happens: "And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." (Mt 24:10-13) Evil has the power to make our love for God and neighbor grow cold, but faith in the power of God's goodness and plan - although it can seem foolish at times - keeps our love alive. Even though I referred to J.R. Tolkien's, Lord of the Rings, a few weeks back, it is serves as good example here too. No one expected Frodo to succeed in his quest to destroy the Ring of Power - he was so small, so insignificant, and far from being a warrior - and yet the weakness and smallness of goodness which he represents proved stronger than the arrogance and power of evil. A quote from St. Paul also jumps into mind: "The weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (1 Cor 1:25)

So in the readings for today we are told to maintain our faith in God's word, in His plan, to not be scandalized at His patience, and to continue doing His will. But even though we might know how to respond when we are scandalized by evil, we can nevertheless feel our faith is too weak. In these moments we can cry out to the Lord like the Apostles did in this Sunday's Gospel: "Increase our faith!" As Jesus pointed out in response to their plea, faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed, is powerful indeed. Faith resides in the realm of God's strength, that is it's base, not human strength, and therefore we only need a little to do great things. With the parable of the "unprofitable servant" we see that our faith is meant to strengthen us in being faithful to God, to what He has asked of us, and is not to be conceived as power over God which subjects His Will to ours. I think all of us have been upset at God at one point or another because we prayed with faith and God didn't carry out our command – even though we might not have realized this was our underlying mentality at the time. We are not to use faith as a weapon of impatience against God and His way of doing things. Rather, we are to find in faith the strength necessary to believe in the power of goodness and love which surround us, and to persevere in God's ways as "unprofitable servants".

Finally, we can see in the second reading a key to increasing our faith: "take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." We must listen and ponder frequently the Word of God - the Bible - and allow that Word to grow deep within us through silent prayer and meditation. Our faith is ultimately founded on the living Word of God, a Person - Jesus Christ. Reading the Bible and speaking sincerely with the Lord can strengthen our faith. If we expect our faith in God to grow and develop then we need to make time for Him in our daily life - time to speak with Him freely about our doubts, concerns, anxieties, and trials - asking all the while that He place His strength and love within our hearts. This is a beautiful way of praying in faith, and all of us have access to God and can stop to speak with Him honestly – which, by the way, would be a good way of putting this week's liturgy into practice. God bless you.

(Photo of the personification of "Faith" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Choice Is Yours

2010-09-25T10:42:00.010-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table." (Lk 16:19-21)

In 1991 a hip-hop group by the name of Black Sheep produced a popular song entitled, "The Choice Is Yours" which captivated the airwaves of several radio stations in the greater Seattle area where I grew up. For some unknown reason it was the chorus of this song that floated back into memory as I read through the readings for this Sunday. The chorus (which repeatedly states, "now you can get with this, or you can get with that") is actually in tune with the message that Jesus communicates to us rather powerfully through today's readings. In fact, it harmonizes nicely with the moral of last Sunday's Gospel parable as well - "no man can serve two masters....you cannot serve both God and mammon." So "you can get with this" and serve God and others, or "you can get with that" and live a life of selfishness and disregard both, but the one thing one cannot do is be a servant of money and God at the same time. The choice is ours, as Jesus made absolutely clear in last week's Gospel, but as this Sunday's readings show, there are consequences attached to whatever we choose.

In today's first reading the Lord issues a forceful rebuke through the prophet Amos: "Woe to the complacent in Zion!" The words of the prophet Amos were directed against those who lived in the lap of extravagant luxury while being completely indifferent to the suffering and poverty of their kinsmen. The parable which we hear in today's Gospel presents us with the same story: A rich man enjoys a life of extreme luxury and doesn't do anything to relieve the suffering of poor Lazarus who lies outside the rich man's door in a state of extreme suffering.

In the parable we also see that both Lazarus and the rich man die, but they end up in two drastically different places: Lazarus is in peace, while the rich man finds himself in a state of eternal and inconsolable torment. Notice that the rich man hasn't murdered anyone, he hasn't stolen anything, he hasn't been lustful or adulterous, nor has he appeared to have broken any of the commandments as they are written. But the rich man's sin is the cold hearted indifference and in-action in refusing to relieve the suffering of Lazarus who was lying at his doorstep when he had more than the necessary means to do something to help him. "The rich man" is the antithesis of the "Good Samaritan". This is what is classically known as the sin of "omission", and in the rich man's case it was most grievous due to (1) the proximity of Lazarus, and (2) the superabundance of means at the rich man's disposal.

With this parable Jesus demonstrates that it is impossible to love God while hating our brother (see 1 Jn 4:20-21) - in this case "hatred" is shown through indifference, where the heart is closed to others. This is the inevitable interior state of affairs when one chooses "mammon" over God and neighbor. Given the power of allurement of material wealth and possessions, if one does not consciously choose God over "mammon" (in whatever form it may take) there is the imminent danger that God and neighbor will slip from their rightful place. Often times a "hardness of heart" is the key sign that this is taking place deep within, as noted in today's parable: "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead." When the heart is hard it is amazing how many excuses and "good reasons" we are able to come up with in order to justify our actions and why there is no need for change. If we catch ourselves having to make a lot of justifications in life, maybe that can be a sign we should look more closely at what we are clinging to - or what is clinging to us.

While addressing the desire for money and the many people who have "strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains," (1 Tim 6:10) St. Paul exhorts Timothy in today's second reading, "but you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness." (1 Tim 6:11) We are called to live "in the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Rom 8:21). This is most profoundly an interior freedom of heart which allows us to be generous, and allows us to make that ultimate gift of ourselves to God and to others - something to which every Christian is called.

Through prayer and meditation on this Sunday's readings may the Word of God find good soil within our souls so that we may gain the strength to free ourselves, little by little, from the things of this world that steal our desire and energy to serve God and those people He places in our lives. May we consciously choose to serve God and others at the beginning of each day this week, realizing that we forge our future with the decisions or omissions of each day. Making this conscious decision each day, and asking the Lord for the grace to live as His faithful servant, is a good way to put the message we hear this Sunday into action. God bless you.

(Photo of "The Rich Man and Lazarus" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - No Servant Can Serve Two Masters

2010-09-18T09:51:00.011-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon." (Lk 16:13)

In this Sunday's first reading we hear the Lord's anger flare up against those who cheat and trample down the lives of the poor and the vulnerable in order to increase their own wealth. In their lust for wealth these men develop tricky techniques and tactics to cheat others, regardless of the poor who suffer grievously at their hands. God, however, regards the poor and comes to the defense of those who are particularly exposed to being taken advantage of by the selfish and greedy.

The responsorial psalm is a hymn of praise to "the Lord who lifts up the poor," and the second reading from St. Paul's Epistle to Timothy reminds us that Jesus "gave himself as a ransom for all." Of particular importance to St. Paul he asks that we pray, petition, and thank God for everyone, and "for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved...." (1 Tim 2:2-4) We see that St. Paul is truly a man who shares the concerns of God's own heart. His prayer is universal, as is God's desires that all be saved - including the poor and weak. St. Paul asks that we pray for those in authority, that their power may be used to serve the common good and dignity of man - all men, all women, and all children - and he tells us how pleasing such an action is to God whose love and solicitude extend to all. We see here that salvation does not concern the soul alone, but it is intimately linked to the concrete daily decisions we make here on earth, where Paul exhorts us to "work out your salvation in fear and trembling." (Phil 2:12)

In the Gospel for this Sunday we hear the parable about the dishonest steward who is caught squandering his master's wealth. Thinking quickly, the steward uses his astuteness to gain friends by lessening the debt owed by his master's creditors. While being praised by the master for such a high level of astuteness, the steward remains dishonest and selfish. Jesus then draws out several lessons to be learned from the parable with regard money in general, the proper use of it, and its connection to eternal life.

"For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." In other words, men of this world know how to use money in order to acheive whatever happens to be their goal - they are astute and prudent with the use of money. Jesus is teaching His discples, "the children of light," that we too should have the same level of astuteness and prudence with money and the material things of this world, but should prove ourselves trustworthy stewards who use those temporal goods to make friends with those who will welcome us into Heaven - namely, those who are "poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5:3)

A good steward is one who recognizes that he has been entrusted something which ultimately does not belong to him, and that he will one day have to render an account to God for the use of the talents, graces, and gifts received. As Jesus says elsewhere, "much will be required of the person who has been entrusted with much...." (Lk 12:48) The danger lies in the fact that the things entrusted to us by God also have the potential of becoming idols. And instead of using those gifts in a way that glorifies God and builds up our neighbor, those gifts can become our new master. J.R. Tolkien's book, The Lord of the Rings immediately springs to mind. In the book, those who "owned" the "ring of power" slowly began to discover that the ring owned them. Figures like Gollum, Bilbo, and Frodo often repeated, "it's mine, it belongs to me," and at the same time they longed to be free of its power over them. They became servants/slaves of the very thing they thought they controlled. The same is true with material wealth (or material possessions in general), it has the same power of allurement and gives one the illusion of possession, and it can slowly erode our lives, the noble goals we originally set out to achieve when we were younger, and become an obstacle to the 2 greatest commandments - loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

May the light of the Word of God illumine our souls this week and give us the strength to look at how we use the goods of this world that have been entrusted to us for the glory of God and the good of others. God bless you.

(Photo of the "Virgin of Sorrows" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Transforming Love

2010-09-11T23:45:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'" (Lk 15:4-6)

The parables of the "lost sheep" and the "prodigal son" in the Gospel reading for this Sunday are among some of the most beloved parables in the bible. Through these parables, together with the parable of the "lost coin", Jesus reveals in a unique and startling manner the inner heart of God where love, mercy, compassion, and joy burn ardently for each one of us.

But before going further, let's take a look at the first reading for a moment, where we witness a dialogue taking place between God and Moses on Mt. Sinai, shortly after the exodus from Egypt. God is furious with His people who "have become depraved" and have begun worshiping the golden calf. He threatens to wipe them out and start His plan all over, but this time with Moses. Moses, however, quickly leaps into the breach and pleads with God on behalf of the Israelite people, and God listens to his plea, abandoning His wrath and relenting in the punishment He had threatened.

In this reading we hear of the sin of the Israelites and God's threat of cutting them off and punishing them. Strictly speaking, when we sin we too deserve nothing but punishment and isolation - or better yet, our punishment is our isolation, as our separation from God means being separated from the fountain of love and all life. Throughout the Scriptures we see this cycle repeated: God establishes a bond (a covenant) with His people, man breaks that bond, and God has to devise a new plan to restore communion. But unlike the human bonds of friendship which can be healed by our efforts, the bonds that once united us to God cannot be healed unless God steps in and intervenes. To give you an off-the-cuff example, if you and a friend tie your hands together with a rope and then cut the rope it's still possible to retie the rope in some fashion. If, however, you are 3,000 feet off the ground, clinging to the end of a rope that is tied to a hot air balloon and you decide to cut the rope, there's no hope, that bond is broken. When we turn our backs on God we cut our "lifeline" and plunge away from God and towards death.

So on one hand, today's Gospel parables give a stark illustration of the isolation and sorrow man experiences when he distances or separates himself from God - we see this in the lost sheep who wanders far from his shepherd, and the son who moves far away from his father. But, on the other hand, just as Moses jumped into the breach in the first reading to intercede on behalf of the Israelite people and saved them, so Jesus Christ leaped from Heaven (Wisdom 18:14-15) into the breach caused by our sin to bring us back to God. We have here the clash between sin, isolation and death, and the powerful and dramatic action of God to bring us home where we belong.

So through Jesus' use of the parables of the "lost sheep", the "lost coin", and the "prodigal son" we discover that God is not a severe judge waiting for us to make a mistake so He can punish us, nor does He merely dole out mercy from above with a disdainful glance and the greatest of reluctance. Rather, the parables show us that in the person of Jesus Christ God has broken into our world to actively search us out, and that He rejoices when He is able to save us from our misery. God is our Father who patiently, yet ardently desires our return home, and rushes out to embrace us when He sees us drawing close. God is infinitely interested in us! We are His inheritance and treasure - and that's something to ponder! In all three parables Jesus speaks of joy and rejoicing - expressions which faithfully reveal the inner heart of God who longs to be with those He loves.

In closing I would like to say two things. First of all, the parables in today's Gospel should cause us to reflect on our concept of God - how we view Him. They have the power to purify how we see God, ourselves, and others if we spend time with them. Secondly, St. Paul (who we hear in the 2nd reading) is a shining example of a man who lives on the fringes of the sorrows of this life and the joy of Heaven. He embodies the parables of the "lost sheep" and the "prodigal son" beautifully. The sorrow for the sins he committed does not cast him into despair, but rather become the context in which Jesus revealed the depth of His merciful love. St. Paul can therefore openly recognize his sins - not trying to pretend they never occurred, nor blame someone else for them - and at the same time rejoice at the mercy of God - a merciful love which transformed St. Paul's entire life and led him to exclaim, "to the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Tim 1:17) Have a great Sunday!

(Photo of the "Return of the Prodigal Son" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Commitment and Love

2010-09-04T02:58:00.025-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple....anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." (Lk 14:26-27, 33)

The bonds of family life and love are sacrosanct and are meant to be inviolable. Throughout His public life, Jesus spoke with insistence on the importance of family life: the sacredness and indissoluble nature of marriage (Mt 19:4-6); the beauty and blessing of children (Mt 19:13-14); the need to honor your father and mother and love your neighbor as yourself (Mt 19:19). And these are only a few examples. So how are we to understand this apparently contradictory teaching in the Gospel reading for this Sunday?

First of all, no, Jesus is not asking us to honor our father and mother and despise them at the same time. If we look, however, at the Gospel passage which immediately precedes today's Gospel reading we can see the bigger picture. Before Jesus told the vast crowds who were following Him that they had to hate their families in order to be His disciples, Jesus told a parable of a man who had prepared a banquet and then received news that all of his guests had refused the invitation. Each guest had a different excuse for not accepting the invitation: one had just bought some land and had to go inspect it; another had to go check out some oxen he had just bought; and the last one had recently been married. Now, missing a party seems pretty harmless, and these seem to be legitimate excuses, but the parable was not about any old party, it was about those who were refusing the invitation to the Kingdom of God - Heaven - because they had other priorities. That is the context in which Jesus gave the above teaching. So what does all of this mean for us?

It means that if we wish to be a disciple of Christ we cannot allow anything or anyone to come before Him. This is not easy, but this is the simple truth which Jesus is underscoring for the vast crowds that are following behind Him. You have to be ready to make sacrifices, to "deny yourself and take up your cross," because that is the only path to blessedness and true happiness. Jesus is making it crystal clear that following Him is not something we can do half heartedly, in a disinterested or unreflective haze, nor just in our spare time, once we get around to it. We have to be prepared like the man building the tower, or the king preparing for war. Discipleship requires our attention and dedication on a day to day basis. Each day we have to say "yes" to Christ and be disposed to do His will as we discover it.

I have nothing but pure admiration for those who experience the cost of discipleship - both big and small. There are many people who understood the ridicule and hatred they would have to endure from family and friends for becoming Catholic, and still they chose Christ anyways. And there are countless people who suffer some form of persecution on a daily basis for standing up for their faith, or for striving to live and work according to the precepts of justice. And despite the personal difficulties or hatred they receive from others for living according to the Gospel, they continue to choose Christ over family, friends, coworkers, or society in general. These are the people who Christ can look to and say, "here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Mt 12:49-50) Aside from the persecutions and difficulties inherent in following Christ, this quote also reminds us of another fact - in the Church we are never alone - we are brothers, and sisters to each other. The bond of love in family life is sacred and good, but Jesus desires that we also belong to a bigger family, one in which the bonds of blood are purified and strengthened by His love - and this is the Church.

Before winding this reflection up, I would like to offer you a commentary from St. Bede on the last sentence of today's Gospel reading. I think the distinction he makes is an important one, as many hear Jesus' closing words in today's Gospel about renouncing all possessions (see the last line in the quote at the top of the post) and think, "how can I give up all of my material possessions and still maintain a family?" Here is what St. Bede had to say: "But there is a difference between renouncing all things and leaving all things. For it is the way of few perfect men to leave all things, that is, to cast behind them the cares of the world, but it is the part of all the faithful to renounce all things, that is, so to hold the things of the world as by them not to be held in the world." God bless you.

(Photo of Jesus' "Deposition" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Truth of Humility

2010-08-28T01:00:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted....when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you." (Lk 14:11, 13-14)

The first reading for this Sunday provides us with simple wisdom: "humble yourself the more, the greater you are." The second reading has another tone to it. It speaks to us of the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem, and the exaltation of those who are within "the city of the living God." These seem to be opposing themes being presented to us, but both of them merge beautifully in the Gospel reading.

Jesus is invited to a feast at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and He notices that the other guests are seeking the seats of honor at the table. This is the context in which Jesus takes the opportunity to provide two parallel teachings, the summaries of which are in the quote at the beginning of this post - humbling oneself, and inviting the poor and rejected to your table. So what ties these two teachings together?

First of all, it is important to recall that often times Jesus uses parables about feasts and banquets to describe what the Kingdom of God is like in Heaven. In addition to Jesus' metaphors there are numerous other references throughout the New Testament where the sacred authors use the imagery of a wedding banquet, or a feast, to describe Heaven - especially in the Book of Revelation. So Jesus' teachings about humility and the poor within the context of a banquet give us a further glimpse into the nature of the Kingdom of God. We see this confirmed in recalling the first Beatitude, "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5:3) In Pope Benedict's book Jesus of Nazareth he demonstrates that the Scriptural phrase "poor in spirit" is a reference to those who belong to God - those who depend upon Him for everything.

Back to the question at hand: what unites the two lessons we hear about in today's Gospel - being humble, and inviting the poor to your feasts? To answer this I think a phrase from St. Teresa of Avila can be of some use: "to be humble is to walk in truth" (located somewhere in her book, Interior Castle). For St. Teresa of Avila, humility is intimately united to truth. If we live in the truth that we are helpless without God ("without me you can do nothing"), but that with God all things are possible (Mt 19:26), then we have the proper disposition of being "poor in spirit". So humility is not about debasing ourselves, but rather living in the truth. Inviting the poor and the rejected to share your table is a concrete reminder of the truth that we are all one - it helps us to live in truth, and awakens us from the world of illusion which seems to be ever expanding - a world where someone can feel as if he or she doesn't actually need God, and can be happy and totally self-sufficient without Him. There is no bigger illusion!

I was listening to someone explain to me last night that the Community of Sant'Egidio seeks to truly befriend the poor. In fact, to be a member requires that you actually befriend someone who is poor - you honestly become their friend and involve them in your life. What a beautiful witness at a time when many people do not feel that Jesus' teaching of inviting the poor, the blind, and the lame to a meal at their house is even possible. The poor, rejected, abandoned, and forgotten are out there in droves (on the streets, in nursing homes, shelters, etc...), and sometimes within our very own homes and families. May the good Lord open our eyes and hearts this day to see the poor, and recognize ourselves and Jesus in them. God bless you.

(Photo of "Blessed Among Women" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - The Narrow Gate

2010-08-21T03:53:00.002-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, 'Lord, will only a few people be saved?' He answered them, 'Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough." (Lk 13:22-24)

The Gospel reading for this Sunday opens with an interesting question - are only a few people going to make it to Heaven? And of course, Jesus' answer to that question is answered in His seemlingly confusing, yet familiar style: "Strive to enter through the narrow gate...." It seems like Jesus must have heard the question wrong! That, however, is not the case. St. Cyril of Jerusalem offers a good explanation as to what is taking place here: "And what advantage would it have been to His hearers to know whether there should be many or few who would be saved. But it was more necessary to know the way by which man may come to salvation. Purposely then He says nothing in answer to the idle question, but turns His discourse to a more important subject." In other words, Jesus heard the question correctly, but with His response Jesus teaches us that the man had posed the wrong question. We see something similar to this in C.S. Lewis', Chronicles of Narnia, where on more than one occasion someone asks Aslan (a figure representing Jesus) what is to be the future of one particular person or another. Aslan essentially always responds by saying that it does not concern the person asking, and he proceeds to refocus the attention on what the person asking must accomplish. In other words, Jesus is not there to satisfy people's curiosity, He is there to reveal the way to the Kingdom of God and what each of us must do to arrive safely.

Before moving on to another aspect in today's Gospel, I would like to touch upon an attempt that has been made (beginning only last century) to give an answer to the question which Jesus refused to entertain. The Jehovah Witnesses hold that there will only be 144,000 people saved. Where did they get that a number, and who was able to twist Jesus' arm to reveal the precise number of those to be saved after Jesus had refused to answer the more generic question in today's passage? Jehovah's Witnesses alone hold that only 144,000 people will be saved, but they arrive at this number by interpreting 2 passages in the Book of Revelations absolutely literally - Rev 7:4, and Rev 14:1. I mention this because they eventually come around to this point if they come knocking at your door. Unfortunately they miss the following 4 verses in chapter 7 which state that the 144,000 people who are saved are not Christians, but 12,000 people from each of the 12 tribes of Israel (since we are talking literally). And then immediately after naming where the select few come from the Jehovah Witnesses also miss the statement, "I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands." (Rev 7:9) In 1998 I was present at John Paul II's Mass in Havana, Cuba, together with what was estimated to be around 1 million people - nearly 7 times more people than what the Jehovah Witnesses say will make it to Heaven - and it was still a crowd that could be counted. I could go on, but would like to make another comment about today's Gospel. Since we tend to be curious about how many people will make it to Heaven, I thought I would at least give you a practical example of an historical attempt to invent such an answer, and why the attempt fails.

Moving on...One of the most important points in today's readings is that God does want all of us to be saved and to live in eternal communion and joy with Him. The first reading speaks about God planning to "gather nations of every language" and that "they shall come and see my glory." The second reading seems to leave this happy thought behind and exhort us to "'not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.' Endure your trials as 'discipline'; God treats you as sons. For what 'son' is there whom his father does not discipline?" This is then echoed by Jesus' own exhortation to strive to enter through the narrow gate. What is this "narrow gate"? Again we can turn to St. Cyril of Jerusalem for an answer: "The narrow gate also represents the toils and sufferings of the saints. For as a victory in battle bears witness to the strength of the soldiers, so a courageous endurance of labors and temptations will make a man strong." So we can see that through the difficulties, trials, and sufferings of this life the Lord disciplines us, and that through His discipline He is actually pushing us toward this narrow gate, so we may enter in and have life. In other words, God is not indifferent to whether we make it to Heaven or not, but He is fully aware of what we need, what we don't need, what we would be better off without, and what is necessary for each person to be prepared to pass through this narrow gate. One thing people often forget when Jesus speaks about the "narrow gate", is that it opens up to the enormously vast Kingdom of God. The picture above shows that to a degree. In the foreground we see stark colors, the cross, and a narrow way. But beyond those doors we see how everything expands - an image of our pilgrimage on earth, and the immensity of what God has prepared for those who love Him. God bless you.

(Photo of the "The Narrow Gate" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Notice

2010-08-21T03:00:00.000-04:00

My computer is in the repair shop (again), so I will not be able to write a reflection for this Sunday until early tomorrow morning. For those of you who receive the reflections by email, you will still receive them at the normal time on Sunday morning.
God bless you.

Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary - Seeking the Glory of God

2010-08-14T12:37:00.355-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary (Year C):

"And Mary said: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior....He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.'" (Lk 1:46-47, 52)

Today in so many countries throughout the world the feast of Mary's Assumption into Heaven is celebrated, after weeks of personal preparation, with superabundant love, devotion, and joy. For those of the the Eastern Catholic Churches, and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, today marks the end of a strict 2 week fast in preparation for this feast. The Assumption is the crowning feast of Our Blessed Mother - the day she was raised by God, body and soul, into Heaven - her "birthday" into the glory of Heaven. It is the day when her "Magnificat" (partially quoted above) is fulfilled in a singular way. God has lifted up His lowly handmaid to the heights of Heaven, and honored her in a way only the Son of God can do. And as we rejoice when someone we love is honored, so the Church rejoices at Mary's Assumption - she who is our Mother, the Mother of the Church.

I know there is so much that can be said on today's feast, so I will limit myself to a few points found in the Mass readings for the Assumption. Unfortunately, two of the most important images for today's feast happen to be in the opening sentences of the first reading - the image of the "ark of the covenant" in Heaven, and "the woman clothed with the sun" and the moon under her feet (Rev 11:19-12:1). Why is this unfortunate? Well, unless someone has read and prayed over the Sunday Mass readings in advance, it is easy to miss the opening words of the first reading since people are still getting settled in the pew and don't cue in right away as to what is being read. But the "Ark of the Covenant" image was used in early Christianity to describe Mary. The ark of the covenant in the Old Testament was the dwelling place of God, and therefore nothing was holier. Since Mary carried Jesus in her womb she became the unique "dwelling" of God, and was referred to by the Church Fathers as the Ark of the New Covenant (Jesus Christ).

So why are these images important? Well, they speak volumes to us not only about the person of Mary, but also about Christ and the entire Church. St. Augustine described Mary as the personification of the Church - in other words, if the Church wishes to understand her vocation and God's plan for her, and how she should respond, then the Church can look to Mary. This is true not only for the Church as a whole, but for each member of the Church individually.

Through these two scriptural images in the first reading we learn not only of the love and honor God has shown for Mary personally, but that He calls us to live in the same glory. One thing we can draw from this is that we should occupy ourselves with seeking first the Kingdom of God, with seeking the glory that comes from God and not the "glory" of man or the world - which we actually call "vainglory" since it's never permanent and can never match the glory which we have been created for. I think it is safe to say if we put half as much of the attention and energy into seeking God's glory that we put into seeking our own glory and honor we'd grow quickly in holiness. I would also say that Mary's Magnificat (which we hear in today's Gospel) offers us a not only a window into the inner beauty of her soul, but also the spirit in which we should strive to live as disciples of Christ. It would be helpful to stop and meditate on the Magnificat today and also ask Our Blessed Mother for the special grace of a pure heart which desires to love God and give Him glory and honor, rather than seek them for ourselves.

As I said above, there is so much that could be said on this feast - especially since there are a lot of misconceptions and bad assumptions out there (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) that always need clearing up (especially among our Protestant brothers and sisters). To that end, I would like to suggest an article written by a buddy of mine, Jason Evert, who has since become famous in the States for his work in apologetics and the innumerable purity talks he gives across the country. I found his article very interesting and very pertinent for Catholics who find themselves in a Protestant culture (like the USA), since it addresses the historical foundations of today's feast of Mary's Assumption, and answers quite well the objections and questions often raised against both this feast and the dogma.

Click Here to Read a Catholic Answers article on Mary's Assumption by Jason Evert

Finally, let us praise God for the gift of Mary and the great works He has done through her, and let us strive to honor her in our daily life with the same honor and love Jesus has always shown her. God bless you and have a blessed Feast Day.

(Photo of the "Assumption of Mary" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Heavenly Faith

2010-08-07T17:05:00.005-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.... For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.'" (Lk 12: 32,34)

Last Monday I began the long flight back to Rome after a refreshing 10 day vacation visiting my parents and some friends in Arizona - I know, usually the term "refreshing" doesn't spring to mind when you think of summer in the desert, but it was for me! Anyhow, on one of the segments of my return flight to Rome I ended up having a great discussion about faith, heaven, the Bible, celibacy, and the Catholic Church. At one point the man next to me posed the question, "according to the Catholic Church, how do we get to heaven?" I always like that question. It offers an opportunity to clear up misconceptions about what we believe as Catholics. I responded that it all begins with faith, which is man's response to the initiative and revelation of God, and that our faith must be accompanied by concrete acts of charity - loving God and others - and obedience to His will. I mention this experience because it connects two important points that we see present in all of the readings for this Sunday: faith and awaiting the coming of the Kingdom of God (Heaven).

Let's start with faith. In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom we see faith connected to a type of knowledge and conviction which are not acquired through human observation and reasoning. Faith enabled the ancient Israelites to perceive what was to come, and that foresight kept them faithful to God in the present moment. The second reading is similar, though it comes from the New Testament, where the sacred author praises those who placed their faith in God and made concrete choices based on that faith. These weren't little decisions that were made! In the case of Abraham we are speaking about moving to another country and enduring hardships, believing God would grant him a son, and then be willing to offer up his only son, Isaac, by sacrificing him to God on the altar Abraham had made with his own hands. And finally, in the Gospel we hear about the servant who remains faithful to all that his master asked of him even when it seemed the master would not be returning on time. In all of these cases that which was promised by God was not immediately attainable or evident. Faith required and enabled these people to wait with conviction, to keep their hearts focused on what was promised and be faithful to God in the present moment - even when it seemed easier to relax the level of vigilance, or give up hoping all together.

Now let's see how faith and Heaven are connected in today's liturgy. In the Gospel, Jesus makes it very clear where our hearts and thoughts should be directed towards - Heaven, the everlasting Kingdom of God. He tells us, "where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." He also says, "your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom." These two statements are key to understanding the parable which follows: being faithful to what God requires of us in this life demands that our hearts be set on Heaven. If our energy and focus in this life is spent only on the things of this world then there will be no room in our heart for God, nor the heavenly kingdom He wants to give us. If our hearts are too full of the things of this world - on material possessions, wealth, gaining more and more power and prestige - then there will be no room nor desire to receive the things of God. And if we think we can keep putting things off and God will just give the Kingdom of God to us anyways, without any effort and desire on our part, today's Gospel will be a big wake-up call - because according to Jesus, that is not the case. The question is not whether God wants us to go to Heaven or not, it is about whether we will be capable of receiving that gift. That is determined here and now, on earth.

So what is the secret? As the readings for today show us, we need to redirect our gaze toward God, and towards the life to come. That is what gives us the strength to be faithful to God in the midst of a world that wishes to eliminate Him, and the conviction that He will be faithful to His promises. Pope Benedict mentioned something similar about 2 months ago - Christians have stopped looking to the future, to what God has promised, to the life of the resurrection, and have begun living only for this world, as if God did not exist. If we want to discover where our heart lies, then we can simply look at how we spend our days and where our mental energy is spent. If our thoughts and much of our time is spent striving for goals which have to do with money, power, and fame, then we need to do something about it. How often do we ponder God's promises and turn our thoughts to the life to come? All of us are free to choose our "treasure", but we must remember that nothing endures for eternity except God and the Kingdom He prepares for those who choose it. May this day of rest with the Lord and your families be blessed and be a time where you can leave work behind to ponder the meaning of it all. God bless you.

(Photo of the "Transfiguration" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Praying the "Our Father"

2010-07-24T16:34:00.003-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.'" (Lk 11:1)

There is no such thing as a "spiritual life" without prayer. Prayer strengthens the bonds of faith, hope, and charity which unite us to God and to one another; it keeps those relationships alive and well. And just as a healthy relationship with someone requires time, dedication, selflessness, and effective communication, so too our relationship with God requires not only time and personal effort, but that we also learn how to pray effectively. In today's Gospel Jesus teaches the disciples the Our Father, but He also teaches them how to pray.

At the request of one of the disciples, Jesus unfolds the prayer which would become the hallmark prayer of every Christian - the Our Father. This prayer has nourished the souls of all the saints since the time of Christ. St. Teresa of Avila used this prayer for nearly 15 years as the sole source of her meditation during prayer time. The Our Father is unlike any other prayer, not only because it is taught to the disciples by Christ Himself, but above all because the prayer reveals the Father to whom we pray, and teaches us what is most important in our relationship with God. I will illustrate what I mean by referring to a commentary on the Our Father by St. Basil, who wrote: "Whenever then you pray, do not first break forth into petition....And when you begin to pray, forget all visible and invisible creatures, but commence with the praise of Him who created all things. Hence it is added, 'and he says to them, when you pray, say, Our Father.'" When we pray do we kneel down before God and immediately begin telling Him what we need, or petitioning Him to help others? Or do we begin our prayer without any idea of where we should start and therefore trail off into daydreaming? Using the Our Father as their basis, many saints have said that with the first two words of the prayer, Jesus revealed to us the proper beginning of all prayer. As St. Basil said, we begin prayer by recognizing and praising the Person to whom we are praying. The words "our" and "Father" place before our mind our relationship to God as sons and daughters, and our relationship to others as brothers and sisters of the Father. If you look at the Our Father as a whole, you will see that it moves from what is most important to what is of lesser importance - although every phrase is essential to being a disciple of Christ. For a beautiful and practical reflection on the relationship between the Our Father and the spiritual life see especially the last half of St. Teresa of Avila's book, The Way of Perfection.

With this brief thought we can now penetrate today's readings more deeply. Looking at the first reading we see Abraham speaking with God and interceding on the behalf of the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. He persists in asking God to spare the city from destruction if only a handful of innocent people can be found within it. In the Gospel reading for today Jesus tells the disciples that they too must be persistent in their prayer to God. They cannot give up simply because they are faced with some difficulty, or because God does not respond immediately to their prayer.

So what is the key to praying with persistence? How do we not become discouraged when God does not seem to be answering our prayers? The answer lies in the words of the Our Father. The one who can pray with persistence is the one who lives the Our Father - whose prayer is based on a living relationship with God as Father, and not a utilitarian relationship, or one of "give and take"; who seeks first the glory of God, striving to know and fulfill His will. We can persist in prayer because we know that we have received the Holy Spirit who makes us sons and daughters of a God who knows each of us better than we know ourselves, and who loves us more than we love ourselves. We know that God is our Father, that He has a plan for us, and that He will always provide everything we need. Therefore we can continually plead with God in confidence, knowing that He will respond to the prayers we make in good faith in some way or another, precisely because He is our Father. Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo of courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Serving the Lord

2010-07-17T16:34:00.010-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"The Lord said to her in reply, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.'" (Lk 10:41-42)

Several years ago I was having breakfast in little Mexican taqueria in South Texas with 2 other priests when a local construction worker approached our table to ask who we were. I explained to him that we were Catholic priests and that our community had a Catholic college just down the street. He then asked, "who do you serve?" So I basically repeated what I had just told him, emphasizing that we serve the local people through education. He then shook his head and said, "no, you are God's priests, so you serve the Lord." I don't remember the man's name, but he was a gift from God that morning. I had been sitting at the table cringing interiorly at the prospect of yet another all-day administrative meeting. His words brought a smile to my face and reminded me that I serve the Lord in my daily toil...even in meetings.

In this Sunday's Mass readings we see Abraham serving the Lord who had appeared to him. Abraham set before the Lord both food and water, and waited on the Lord while He ate. And in the Gospel we have the famous story of Martha and Mary, two sisters who were hosting the Lord in their home. First and foremost we see that the Lord visits His people, and that it is possible to serve Him in some capacity - not that He needs our service, but that we are enriched by serving Him. Next we see that while God appeared to Abraham as a man, in Jesus Christ God has united Himself in someway to every man and woman by taking on our flesh. So what was prefigured in the first reading we see fulfilled in the Gospel. This means that in a very real way we serve the Lord in our service of other people - something of which we need to constantly remind ourselves, for it should be the deepest motivation for all we do for others.

Before returning to the Gospel I would like to underscore another point which is brought out in today's second reading. St. Paul speaks of the sufferings that he endures in his service of proclaiming and teaching the mystery of Jesus Christ. We can see that suffering makes up an integral part of serving the Lord. If we are not ready to sacrifice and to endure some discomforts or hardships in the service of God, simply for the glory of God and the good of others, then we are still too anxious to serve ourselves. In serving God and our neighbor we should not be looking for some sort of personal profit or reward. When we discover these impure motives in our hearts we can ask the Holy Spirit to burn them away with the fire of His love, that our lives may become ever more pleasing to God.

This leads us back to today's Gospel passage where Martha ends up complaining to the Lord as she serves Him. Jesus gently reprimands her for the numerous anxieties she has placed upon herself and reminds her that only one thing is necessary if one is to serve the Lord properly - listening to the words and person of Jesus Christ. How many useless anxieties we can create for ourselves on a day to day basis which blind us to what is most essential in life! How often within the life of the Church do we see people equate "progress" and "service" with an ever-increasing list of activities which does not allow for time to sit and be with the Lord. Sometimes people feel they need to be anxious or nervous about many things, as if the absence of anxiety is a sign one is not doing enough for God, or is not really caring or loving others. The Lord reminds us that if we do not stop to sit at His feet and listen to Him then we are missing what is most essential in our service of God and others. What people need most of all is Jesus Christ. They need to perceive Him living within us, not through our efforts, projects, and activities alone, but above all that He has come to dwell within us and that we live with Him on a day to day basis. Our activities need to be infused with the living presence of Christ, with His blessings, and with the light and wisdom that comes to us through time spent with Him in prayer.

May we rejoice once again in the knowledge that we can serve God in our day to day life, and that we have the possibility of serving Him in others. May we sit once again in silence at the feet of the Lord and rediscover "the one thing necessary" so we may always serve in the spirit in which Christ served, and that our activities may receive His blessing and be truly fruitful. Have a blessed week!

(Photo of courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mercy without Borders

2010-07-11T02:27:00.002-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God..." (Col 1:15)

I remember sitting in a classroom during my college years at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and listening to our wise Dominican professor state rather candidly, "Christianity is not 'Jesus and me, to hell with thee.'" If I remember correctly, the class revolved around the institution of the Church by Christ, and the role she plays in the mystery of salvation history. Our good professor was instilling within us the fact that our faith is not something which concerns only "God and I", and that such a notion would have been not only wholly foreign to the experience of the early Church, but also a contradiction to the reality of the Church which Christ established. As I've heard Archbishop Charles Chaput state this reality in positive terms, "our faith is always personal, but never private."

In a way, today's Gospel passage reminds us of this simple truth. A scholar of the law of Moses approaches Jesus and eventually inquires into the nature of the second greatest commandment found in the Old Testament, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. This is the backdrop to the famous parable of the Good Samaritan who comes upon a man who has been beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the side of the road. Two men had already bypassed the man on the road - one was a Jewish priest, and the other a Levite - while the Samaritan puts his own journey on hold to care for the man and help him recover. It is important to note that the Samaritans and the Jews were very hostile toward one another at the time of Jesus, and yet it was not the priest nor the Levite to stop and care for their "neighbor" (their fellow Jew), but it was their "enemy" - a Samaritan. The two men from the tribe of Levi (ancestors of Moses and Aaron) had special duties and privileges in the public worship of God, and they are the ones to ignore without hesitation their own fellow Jew in need. This was the attitude my professor had been trying to eradicate from our hearts with his statement that Christianity was not about "Jesus and me, to hell with thee."

At the end of the parable, Jesus asks the scholar of the Law, "which one of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" The answer is of course, "the one who treated him with mercy." The particular characteristic of mercy is that it is a sympathy and compassion of heart which leads one to do something about human suffering and misery. As John Paul II pointedly remarked, "solidarity is not a vague feeling of compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both far and near. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say the good of all and each individual because we are all really responsible for all." With these words the stark reality of what the second greatest commandment means in our day to day life becomes immediately clear. Mercy must become incarnate if it be said to really exist. This is why I opened this post with a quote from today's second reading, "Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God...." In Christ mercy did become incarnate. God reached out to human misery and united Himself to each of us by becoming man. Almighty God took upon Himself our misery, sin, suffering, and death - even though we brought it upon ourselves by turning away from Him.

So just as we can say there is no spiritual life without prayer, so we can also say that no one can be called merciful until he reaches out to meet human suffering and misery through concrete acts of mercy. This is what we are reminded of in today's liturgy - we are called to make the merciful love of God present once again in our world through our acts of mercy. Our love for others originates in the love that we have received from God, and leads us back to God's love (and in this we differ from "social workers"), but we cannot disillusion ourselves with a vision of Christianity which begins and ends at the front doors of the church we attend each Sunday. This was the mentality and error of the two Jews who walked past the man beaten and left for dead on the road.

As I am writing this post from Tucson, Arizona, I cannot help but be reminded of the immigration law debate raging right now within the borders of the United States. It is a complex issue to say the least, and one which demands serious attention. Let us invoke God for the wisdom necessary to find a solution that respects the precepts of justice and solidarity, for both the nation and individuals. Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo of the "Good Samaritan" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: A Christian Paradox

2010-07-03T09:55:00.008-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her!" (Is 66:10)

Looking at the first two readings for this Sunday our attention turns to two great Christian themes, which can seem paradoxical: Christian joy and the cross of Christ. At first glance the two readings seem to place us on an emotional roller coaster. In the first reading the prophet Isaiah speaks of rejoicing, joy, delight, comfort, and so forth. And then all of that suddenly comes to an end with St. Paul's sobering words about the cross, being crucified, and "bearing the marks of Jesus on my body." What is going on? What is the relationship between the two readings?

Before seeking an answer to our question let's look at what is taking place in today's Gospel. Here we see Jesus sending out 36 pairs of disciples to every town and place He planned to visit. The disciples were to prepare the people for Jesus' coming; announcing to every town that the "kingdom of God is at hand for you." Or in other words, God is visiting His people. Jesus gives the disciples several instructions, but He makes particular reference to two different scenarios: what the disciples are to do if a town welcomes them, and what to do if a town refuses to welcome them. It is clear therefore that the disciples are going to have to face obstacles and rejection. The mission they are being sent out on will be a test for their faith, and will require courage and perseverance.

In a way this relatively brief mission on which the 72 disciples are sent seems to be a glimpse of the future missionary life and work of the Church - embodied in a special way in St. Paul. As we all know, St. Paul was to spend his life traveling and proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus - and at great personal cost. No one can express just how much it cost him better than St. Paul himself: "Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked...on frequent journeys....in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure." (2 Cor 11:24-17) We can see how St. Paul could claim in today's second reading that he had been crucified to the world and the world to him, and how he bore in his own body the marks and sufferings of Christ Himself. But there is something more - which brings us to the heart of our paradox of joy and suffering.

In the second reading Paul speaks about boasting in the cross of Christ, and immediately afterward he speaks about "a new creation". So he draws a connection between the cross of Christ and being "a new creation". St. Paul had been transformed deep within by the overwhelming experience of encountering Christ - this experience re-created him. The love of Christ, evident above all in His suffering on the cross, shaped St. Paul completely and became the joy and meaning of his life and missionary work - as he said at one point, "the love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all...." (2 Cor 5:14) St. Paul is not a depressing figure - quite the opposite. He was a man fully alive. He discovered the meaning of life through his encounter with the living Christ, and he knew what it meant to be "a new creation". He was therefore ready to endure any suffering in proclaiming the kingdom of God if it meant others would experience the same joy of being re-created in Christ. Paul's joy came from Christ, but it grew as he labored to make Him known.

The joy, consolation, rejoicing, and delight in Jerusalem, which today's first reading speaks of through the imagery of a mother-son relationship, is something we will not experience in its fullness before we enter the heavenly Jerusalem (heaven). In another way, however, that image can also be an expression of the joy that comes from discovering one's identity and meaning in Christ, even amidst the various crosses of life. What is more, today's Gospel shows us we must proclaim this kingdom of God which we have found; we are called to proclaim this new life to those around us in creative ways. Jesus said that "the kingdom of God is within", and so it is from deep within us that each of us can discover what we can share about the kingdom of God with others. We can all make a contribution, and the world would be a better place if we began today.

(Photo of "St. Paul Shipwrecked" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time: You are my inheritance, O Lord

2010-06-26T10:42:00.012-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"And another said, 'I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.' To him Jesus said, 'no one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (Lk 9: 61-62)

As I pondered over the readings for this Sunday a few points jumped off the page, one of which reminded me of what Pope Benedict said two weeks ago at the prayer vigil for the closing of the Year for Priests. I'll start with the readings themselves and then share how the Holy Father's insights are relevant for each of us.

In the first and second readings, and the Gospel in particular, we see that following the will of God requires a decisive decision on our part - a willingness to sacrifice everything for God, whether it means material things, friendships, or even our family ties. Nothing is allowed between us and God which has the potential to distract us or become an idol. Elisha wanted to return home in today's first reading in order to say goodbye to his parents before becoming Elijah's disciple, and Elijah responds, "go back!" as if to say, "forget it! Never mind!". Perceiving the seriousness of the call, Elisha quickly sacrifices the yoke of oxen (which is his whole livelihood) and thereby demonstrates a repentance for his hesitation and a complete willingness to follow God's call. We will see something similar when we look at today's Gospel.

In the second reading St. Paul reminds and exhorts the Galatians that the ways of the "flesh" are diametrically opposed to God's ways - the way of the "Spirit". Living according to the "Spirit" means true freedom, while the life of the "flesh" means slavery. There is a firm and resolute choice to be made for one or the other. Living for one means death to the other. It would be nice if this meant a once in a lifetime choice, but it's not that easy. This entails a daily decision backed by concrete actions, as the "flesh" always attempts to gain new ground or regain the ground it lost to the Spirit.

Turning to today's Gospel we have a series of encounters between Jesus and unnamed persons. These encounters take place within the wider context of Jesus resolutely journeying toward Jerusalem where He will undergo betrayal, torture, and death. His words are clear, direct, and decisive - as the choice to become a disciple of Christ must also be. There's no room in discipleship for trying to figure out how to live the best of "both worlds". According to some Fathers of the Church who commented on these passages, Jesus spoke very directly to the men in today's Gospel because their words revealed a divided heart, or hesitation, or a heart in which other people or things were preferred to God. As for the man who said, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father," and Jesus responded, "let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God," St. Ambrose and St. John Chrysostom made two interesting points. First, both hold that Jesus would not prohibit a man from burying his father, but rather responding to God takes priority over other relationships (St. Ambrose), or that the man meant "let me take care of my father until he dies and then I will follow you," and Jesus responded the way He did knowing the man had other brothers or sisters who could take care of their father (St. Chrysostom).

So we can see in the readings for this Sunday that God has a plan for us, that He does reach out to us, that He does call us, and that if we are to follow Him worthily a full-hearted "yes" is demanded of us. This is true for every single person (not just priests and sisters). But the question remains: "How can I give up, or risk, so much?!" I think the beginning of the answer to that question is found in today's responsorial psalm: "You are my inheritance, O Lord". Many times we are slow to want to give up the things of this world. Maybe we do not understand that God is our true inheritance, or maybe we think this world is all we have, or maybe we don't remind ourselves that the world we live in is only temporary, or maybe we don't reflect enough on heaven and the afterlife.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the Holy Father said something 2 weeks ago which is especially relevant for this Sunday - especially the responsorial psalm. I will quote what he had to say and comment afterwards: "One great problem of Christianity in today's world is that it does not think anymore of the future of God. The present of this world alone seems sufficient. We want to have only this world, to live only in this world. So we close the doors to the true greatness of our existence."

If we live our lives closed to "the future of God", living only for this world, then the wisdom of today's responsorial psalm seems to be foolishness. There is a twofold challenge in the psalm. First, we are speaking of giving absolute priority to the God we cannot see, versus the people, relationships, and things of this world which are immediately visible to us. Second, we say that God is our inheritance. An inheritance is not given immediately, but requires a long period of patient waiting. So on two fronts we see that the answer provided in the response, "you are my inheritance, O Lord" requires that we live in this world with the "eyes of faith", recognizing that there is more to our existence and destiny than meets the natural eye. It is the loss of this vision of faith which the Holy Father sees as problematic for Christianity. We no longer look to our future, but only the material world, resulting in Christians becoming fixated not on our eternal and fulfilling inheritance but on what we can get out of this world - that which is immediately within reach. This ultimately results in a hesitant response to God's call, or renders us incapable of giving God our best, where we respond to Him with a wholehearted "yes".

I pray that the Lord may illumine our minds and hearts so we may recognize His voice in our lives, and that strengthened daily by His grace, prayer, meditation, and the knowledge of our inheritance, we may follow Him generously through the trials and pains of this life to our heavenly inheritance. Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)
(Quote from www.vatican.va)

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time: When God asks for Commitment

2010-06-19T16:36:00.006-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, 'who do the crowds say that I am?'...Then he said to them, 'but who do you say that I am?' Peter said in reply, 'the Christ of God.'" (Lk 9:18,20)

This Sunday we hear Jesus question his Apostles about the nature of His identity. Two questions are asked: "who do the people say that I am?", and "who do you say that I am?". The second question indicates that the first group ("the people") have not guessed correctly, and that the Apostles ought to have a deeper insight as Jesus' intimate friends. Peter speaks up and answers the question correctly. Jesus is the Messiah, "the Christ of God". Here we see that Jesus' true identity is discovered only by those who follow Him closely; those who live with Jesus. He cannot be understood by those who look on from afar and just watch Him.

Right now the 2010 World Cup holds center stage in the world of sports. It is not difficult to see that the way one experiences the World Cup depends largely on how close he or she is to the game. Those of us here in the seminary are having a lot of fun hooking up the computer to the TV to watch the matches over the internet (we don't have Italian television), but the fans in South Africa who are actually present at the matches have a completely different experience of the World Cup than those of us watching the games from home. The ones, however, who have the deepest knowledge and experience of the World Cup are the players on the field. This last category is the most important for today's Gospel.

Jesus wants each of His disciples to have the same depth of knowledge and personal experience of Him that the players out on the soccer field have of the World Cup. Just as those who actually play in the World Cup have the deepest understanding of what the World Cup is all about, so those who live in imitation of Christ and remain close to Him understand Jesus' identity at the deepest level - they know Him on the level of the heart. Jesus calls all of us to a personal knowledge of Him - a personal knowledge which deepens and grows by our imitation of Christ in our day to day life - denying ourselves, picking up the crosses that are laid in front of us, and carrying them with the Lord. Those who look at Jesus from the outside, like the spectators in the stands or at home, will never really understand who Christ is. They might know facts about Him, but they won't really know Him as a person, and therefore His true identity will always evade them. As Jesus says elsewhere in the Gospel, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that 'they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand...'" (Mark 4:11-12)

There is another essential reason why we need to grow in our knowledge of God on a personal level. This is where our soccer analogy breaks down. If someone doesn't like soccer it doesn't create any kind of identity crisis for the person. But that is not so with us when it comes to God. We only come to really discover who we are, what our life is all about, when we begin discovering who Christ is. The deepest part of our being was made in the image and likeness of God. In order to understand who we are we need to deepen our knowledge of God, not as a spectator who gathers information and facts, but as one who is personally involved and comes to know God by drawing close to Him and spending time with Him. As Jesus says at the end of today's Gospel, "whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." In other words, salvation is for those who throw themselves into "the game" completely (choosing to make Jesus' life their own), and not for those who remain in the stands watching from afar, never risking a commitment to God which might cost them something. As we know, knowing facts about Jesus is not enough - the devil knows a lot more about God than we do and yet it does him no good. If we take our faith seriously and desire to enter the game then God will show us the way and strengthen us, if only we begin to draw close to Him, or seek Him anew if we find we have wandered away from Him.

Finally, I pray that all of us might experience deep within the thirst we hear about in today's responsorial psalm. This is the thirst we experience when we begin to know Christ personally. It is the thirst which draws us to enter to "the game" and encourages us to seek Christ continually, whether we seem to be winning or losing: "O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water." (Psalm 63) Have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Notice:

2010-06-17T15:01:00.001-04:00

Over the last few months I have not been posting reflections on a consistent basis because of different obligations. Since things do not seem to be slowing down I have decided to offer at least one consistent post for each Sunday. Those reflections will be posted on Saturdays. When time permits I will also post further reflections during the week. Thanks for your understanding and be sure to check back on Saturdays!

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time: New Life in Christ

2010-06-13T05:39:00.007-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C):

"Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he [Jesus] was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment." (Lk 7:37-38)

Every now and again it happens that I wake up in the morning and a certain key word or phrase comes to mind which guides my reflection on the liturgy for the day. It happens before I even have a chance to open my eyes or put a coherent thought together, and yet the words are simple, crystal clear and I understand them. It would be nice if that happened every day! The phrase which I woke up to this morning was "newness of life". So I wish to say a few simple things about this Sunday's liturgy from this perspective.

Jesus, after replying to the secret thoughts of the pharisee with whom He was dining, turned to the sinful woman who had shown Him so much love and said to her, "your sins are forgiven", and then He added, "your faith has saved you, go in peace." We can learn several things from this encounter between this woman and Jesus. First, from the actions of this woman we can see that deep within her heart she had recognized her sinfulness, admitted it to herself and accepted responsibility for it - much like King David in the first reading. Jesus' parable to the pharisee about a debtor loving much because he had been forgiven much would not make sense if the debtor did not understand the full weight of his debt. After the first movement of grace in our souls, this becomes the first step toward receiving forgiveness - we take a brutally honest look at what we have done, or failed to do, and we admit it to ourselves and accept responsibility for it.

At this point we ask ourselves the big question: "how could I ever bear the weight of my guilt or live with myself if I admit what I have done?" I think Jesus' last words to the woman reveals the secret to this question: "your faith has saved you". Not only does this phrase hold within it the answer to our question, but it also reveals another exemplary quality of the woman - facing the unsupportable weight of her sins and guilt, her faith in Jesus assured her that He could do something about it, that He could save her and give her a new life. If an examination of our life is not accompanied by the faith that there is a way out of our sinfulness, that there is the possibility of a new life, we will never admit the truth of our sins to ourselves, or if we muster up enough strength to do so, we would end up falling into a dark despair. Knowing that Christ can save us, that His love is more powerful than our sinfulness, gives us the courage to begin admitting the truth to ourselves, and to turn to Him with confidence. Some might be slow to make these steps because of pride - since we must admit that we are not self-sufficient, or that we actually need to be saved. The only thing hopeless in this life is the attempt to create self-fulfillment and salvation - which always includes a strong effort to ignore, dodge, redirect blame, cover up, or excuse our own guilt. Such a self-illusory attempt brings to mind the old saying, "you can run but you can't hide".

For the newness of Christ's life to break through into our personal lives we need those two aspects of truth and faith - to accept the truth of our true interior state, and to do so with the faith that brings us to open our hearts wide and confess our sins to the only One who can free, heal and save us. These two dispositions were present in the woman's soul as she knelt before Jesus weeping. These are also the two interior dispositions that we should carry within us at all times, and especially when we approach the Sacrament of Confession, where Jesus reaches out to us and says, "I absolve you from your sins"..."go in peace."

Finally, the second reading gives us another exemplary figure of someone whose heart was pierced when he discovered the true weight of his sinfulness, and yet by turning to Jesus in faith he came to experience a new life in Christ - that man was St. Paul. We hear St. Paul speak about how he was overwhelmed by Jesus' love, and how that experience changed his life forever: "I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me" (Gal 2:20).

From all of this we see that life can change - for the better. We don't have to live under the punishing weight of sin, darkness, and death - we were not created to endure life, but to live it, and that means searching out the fullness of life that is available to us by turning to Jesus in faith - which includes confessing our sins to Him in the Sacrament of Confession if we have not been to Confession in a long time - so as to receive the necessary freedom and salvation to begin living a new life in Christ. Have a blessed Sunday.

(Photo courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

The Priesthood and the Eucharist

2010-06-09T15:06:00.001-04:00

Today's reflection, as I mentioned on Sunday, will be another reflection centered around the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. I had originally planned to write this post last Sunday, but another idea came to mind when I sat down to write so I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to return to the discussion of the Eucharist midway through the week. As the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life" it is necessary to be imbued with a profound understanding of the Eucharistic life we are called to live.

While Sunday's post focused on the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, today I would like to look at the connection between the Eucharist and what we call the "common priesthood" or "royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9) - which is a gift every single baptized person has received from God. One of the duties of a Catholic priest (who shares in a unique way in the "ministerial priesthood" of Jesus Christ) is to teach God's people how to live and use the gift of the "royal priesthood", and any discussion about the Eucharist provides the perfect context in which to understand both facets of the one priesthood of Jesus. Let us start by looking at the readings for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

The first reading presents us with the encounter between Abram (whose name had not yet been changed to Abraham) and Melchizedek, who is both the king of Salem and a priest of God. As a priest Melchizedek "brought out bread and wine" and also "blessed Abram". Although Melchizedek appears on the scene only once in the Old Testament, he is not forgotten by the sacred authors of the Bible. Pslam 110, which is the responsorial psalm for the feast of Corpus Christi, refers to the future Messiah in these words, "you are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek." The importance of Melchizedek's priesthood carries over into the New Testament as well, where we see is discussed above all in the Letter to the Hebrews. In this letter Jesus is called a priest according to the order of Melchizedek - He who offered bread and wine at the Last Supper and became not only a blessing, but the source of eternal life for all who believe in Him (Jn 20:31).

Here we begin to see the connection between Jesus' priesthood and the Eucharist. As Jesus took up the bread and wine during the Last Supper He said the words "this is my body", "this is my blood", and thereby instituted the Eucharist. What is unique about this act is that Jesus is both the priest and the victim. According to Jewish tradition the priest is the one who offers sacrifices to God, but he himself is never the victim. As I listened to Pope Benedict's homily last week during the celebration of Corpus Christi in St. John Lateran, I heard him underscore the fact that Jesus did not come from a priestly family according to the lineage of Aaron, rather His priesthood is placed in the line of the prophets. The Holy Father also pointed out that Jesus' death on the cross is rightly termed a "sacrifice", but a sacrifice unlike any offered by the priests of the Old Testament. Jesus' priesthood and sacrifice are wholly new. His sacrifice consisted of His own body and blood - not a bull, nor a calf - and He offered Himself up as the "Lamb of God" so as to take away the sins of the world. So we see that this new order of priesthood to which Jesus belongs requires that the priest also be the victim, the sacrifice.

Through our baptism we were intimately united to Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest. For St. Paul baptism is nothing less than being baptized into the death of Christ and sharing in the newness of His resurrected life (Rom 6: 3-4). So baptism allows us to share in Jesus' sufferings, His life, and the offering of both to God through a priestly act - all of which are most vividly expressed in the Eucharistic celebration. This is why the gift of baptism culminates in the celebration of the Eucharist, and why the Eucharist is necessary if we wish to live our baptism. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist the crucified and Risen Lord becomes present to us again under the appearance of bread and wine so we may receive the abundance of His life. Each time we go to Mass we are expected to offer our life, our sufferings, our joys, our work, and our efforts to the sacrifice of Christ, so they may be offered to the Father in the Eucharist. We must make of our life a perpetual offering to God - that is the meaning behind the "royal priesthood".

So what does this mean for us on the day to day level - outside of Mass? It means that we do not run away from the difficulties of daily life, from the hardships of discipleship, from the crosses that we come up against as we struggle to do the will of God each day. It means we do not hide our faith from others, or ignore the values of the Gospel when making concrete decisions in life so as not to stand out. It means being ready to be faithful to Christ even when the attitudes, lifestyles, or cultural mindset is contrary to those of Jesus. It means taking all of those difficulties, and our life in general, and offering them back to God as the first fruits of our discipleship.

One of the things I love about St. Paul is that he always kept the death and resurrection of Christ united. His understanding of Christ was very balanced and well grounded in reality. He experienced the life and joy of Christ precisely in embracing the sufferings and crosses that came his way. He did not flee from sufferings or trials and only dream about the resurrected life, nor did he become despondent in sufferings and lose sight of the hope which drove him to do all for Christ. Following Christ was not only about experiencing the resurrection, nor was it only about the sufferings and death of Christ. This is an important example for us so we do not flee trials and difficulties, nor do we lose faith or hope as we face the challenges God allows in our daily life.

As we continue reflecting on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi let us remember that the Eucharist is always blessed, offered to God, broken and then given so that we may have life. The Eucharist is the model for every disciple - we have been blessed by God, we must offer ourselves back to God, we must allow ourselves to be broken by accepting our personal crosses, and we must give ourselves to others so they may have life. The Eucharist is also the source of strength we need to live a truly Eucharistic life. God bless you.

(Photo of the "Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Solemnity of Corpus Christi: The Gift of the Eucharist

2010-06-06T07:28:00.000-04:00

Click here for the Mass Readings for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi:

Today the Church celebrates the solemnity of Corpus Christi (that's Latin for "the Body of Christ"). It is a special solemnity dedicated to praising and thanking the Most Holy Trinity for giving us the greatest treasure of the Church - the Eucharist. It is also a commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist during Jesus' last supper with His Apostles the night before His crucifixion. These are two reasons why (1) the solemnity of Corpus Christi follows Trinity Sunday and (2) why Corpus Christi is normally celebrated on Thursday (the day on which the Last Supper was celebrated).

What is the Eucharist? In a few words, it is Christ Himself - His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Through the ministry and words of the priest at Mass the simple bread and wine brought to the altar are substantially transformed into the living, glorified Christ, present in both His glorified humanity and the fullness of His divinity. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. In the most extraordinary, unique, and unexpected way the Eucharist is the fulfillment of Christ's last promise to His disciples: "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Mt 28:20)

It is said that there are many Catholics who do not believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, which is indeed very sad, but not hopeless. It is not my intention to enter into the various arguments in support of our faith in the Eucharist in this post - there are many well prepared articles on the internet dealing with the meaning of the Eucharist and Christ's real presence. You can also read the section on the Eucharist in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1322-1419) to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Church's faith in the Eucharist. All of that said, I wish to leave you with two more things as we contemplate and celebrate the gift of the Eucharist today. First, I will quote one of the Church Fathers, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (born in 315 and died in 386), who is famous for his catechetical lectures, and had this to say about the Eucharist:

"Even of itself the teaching of the Blessed Paul is sufficient to give you a full assurance concerning those Divine Mysteries, of which having been deemed worthy, you have become of the same body and blood with Christ. For you have just heard him say distinctly, 'That our Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it, and gave to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body: and having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, Take, drink, this is My Blood.' Since then He Himself declared and said of the Bread, 'This is My Body', who shall dare to doubt any longer? And since He has Himself affirmed and said, 'This is My Blood', who shall ever hesitate, saying, that it is not His blood? He once in Cana of Galilee, turned the water into wine, akin to blood, and is it incredible that He should have turned wine into blood?" (Catechetical Lecture 22)

Secondly, God has given the world numerous Eucharistic miracles throughout history to renew, support, or strengthen our faith in His real presence in the Eucharist. What is a Eucharistic miracle? It is the physical transformation of the bread and wine which are offered during Mass into real human flesh and blood. I have visited a few shrines or pilgrimage sites here in Europe where these miracles have occurred and where you can still see the Eucharistic species which were turned into flesh and blood. One of the most famous Eucharistic miracles took place in the year 750 in Lanciano, a small city here in Italy. I am including a link to YouTube where you can watch a captivating video about another Eucharistic miracle which took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1996 - and how it is actually connected to the miracle of Lanciano. Both of these Eucharistic miracles have been approved by the Church (which means they have withstood extensive and rigorous scientific and ecclesial investigations). The video is part of a presentation given by the medical doctor who was in charge of investigating the scientific authenticity of the miracle in Argentina - a man who was at one time an atheist until he began investigating Eucharistic miracles - the word "fascinating" does not do justice to the presentation. The video is in Spanish, but there are English subtitles. Click here for the video on the Eucharistic Miracle. If you are interested in other officially approved Eucharistic miracles from around the world you can take a look at this web page dedicated to the Vatican's International Exhibition on the Eucharistic Miracles of the World. It lists all of the miracles, and provides a short historical explanation of what happened in each place.

Well, I have officially written a post I had no intention of writing when I first sat down! As the Eucharist is so central to our Catholic faith I will post my original reflection for today's solemnity on Wednesday - so we can continue pondering and thanking God for the gift of the Eucharist throughout the week. Have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of the "Eucharistic Miracle of St. Anthony and the Mule" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Offering Spiritual Sacrifices

2010-05-29T08:39:00.004-04:00

In my last post I spoke of the need we have for suffering; how the Lord forms and strengthens us to become real men and women of God through sufferings, trials, persecutions, and difficulties. This "narrow path" of discipleship is something that requires our effort, but above all the grace and strength of God given to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As I listened to the Mass readings during this week my mind kept returning to the topic of suffering. With the exception of today's readings (Saturday) each day mentioned something about difficulties, trials, or persecutions. So in today's post I want to continue a simple reflection on suffering and it's relationship to discipleship.

In many passages of the Gospels Jesus promised His disciples that they would be persecuted. Exhortations about enduring sufferings/persecutions patiently abound in the rest of the New Testament. In yesterday's first reading St. Peter had this to say: "Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly." (1 Pet 4:12-13). It is true that the struggles we go through in daily life do not always originate from someone hating us because we are disciples of Christ. But we can use the daily difficulties and struggles in our day to day life in order to grow stronger in holiness and grace. We can offer to God any difficulty, no matter how big or small, and no matter where it comes from. This is an aspect of discipleship that can easily been forgotten. We tend to forget to offer to God the trials and difficulties we experience from day to day - we are not meant to suffer in isolation, or have our sufferings become dislodged from our spiritual life, but rather they should be an integral part of our spirituality and be transformed into a spiritual offering to God. I'm sure all of us have heard at some point the famous phrase, "offer it up". It is based on another phrase from St. Peter: "Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Pet 2:4-5) God expects us to offer Him spiritual sacrifices - not goats, calves, and bulls, but our very lives.

This is something we can do at any time of the day, quietly within our hearts, when we face any type of suffering. But this is also intimately related to how we celebrate Mass. Every person is called to offer to God spiritual sacrifices through Jesus Christ at every single Mass. What does that mean? It means you are called to interiorly prepare your heart during the "offertory" (when the bread and wine are brought to the altar) and unite your own trials, sufferings, prayers, intercessions, and your life in general to the one and eternal sacrifice of Christ which becomes present again in the Eucharist and is offered to the Father. Your concrete experiences can be sanctified by uniting them to the sacrifice of Christ on the altar. This is one of the most vital ways in which we actively participate in Mass. It also reminds us that we should not flee from the discomforts, difficulties, or pains of life, but deny ourselves, pick up our cross and offer it to God. If we forget this part we begin to become bystanders at Mass. I remember listening to a recording of a homily given by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen where he challenged people to offer themselves to God as a spiritual sacrifice in Mass. He repeated an objection which is often heard, "I don't want to go to Mass, I don't want to go to Church, I don't get anything out of it." Bishop Sheen then responded, "do you know the reason why? Because you don't bring anything to it." In other words, you need to participate in each Mass not only by be being present, singing, and responding, but above all you must participate interiorly and offer yourself to God. You offer Him yourself at the offertory, and you receive Him at Communion. Mass involves an exchange of death and life. We offer to Him our crosses, our "dying to self", and through Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary (which becomes present again at Mass) we receive His life.

I wanted to touch upon this topic because many people do not know or hear about the ways in which they can actively participate interiorly in Mass. This constitutes, however, the core of what is supposed to happen at each Mass. It is what gives personal meaning to the Mass, the way in which we can "get something out of Mass". Try it out!

(Photo courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

"How Hard it is to Enter the Kingdom of God!"

2010-05-26T12:08:00.010-04:00

Click Here for the Mass Readings for Today:

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise." (Mk 10:33-34)

There has been a long interval since my last post (sorry!), but sometimes there are periods that are so busy I just cannot get around to posting reflections. I managed to escape from Rome for a week and am now up in Belgium visiting my brother, his wife, and my new nephew, Nathaniel! It is a welcome break for sure.

It seems a little ironic, but since I have had more time to slow down, relax a bit and reflect, my thoughts have turned to suffering. In today's Gospel we hear Jesus tell the Apostles all about His upcoming sufferings (rejection, mocking, abuse, torture and death) and finally, the resurrection. Two days ago while speaking about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter Heaven, Jesus also made the statement, "Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!" (Mk 10:24) Suffering, trials, hardships...these are things that normally cause one to flinch and withdraw from whatever seems to be the source of discomfort or suffering. But being a disciple of Christ is not for the faint of heart. It requires courage, fortitude, and a love that extends beyond the borders of comfort and ease.

We must suffer. Suffering is necessary for our own good, and for our salvation. It forms us, and strengthens us in ways nothing else can. The narrow way, the way of the cross, denying ourselves, picking up our cross, following Christ, and living in the power of His Spirit is not a cheap cliché, it is meant to define our lives as disciples. St. Paul spoke of carrying about the "dying of Jesus" in our bodies so that His life would also be manifested in our bodies (2 Cor 4:10). Sufferings can come to us in innumerable ways and shapes. As someone once said, each suffering is custom-made for us. God has carefully considered it before allowing it to enter our lives, and with it He gives us His grace and strength to persevere.

This aspect of "death" is something that must be familiar to all of us. Aside from the various sufferings that can come into our lives unexpectedly, there are also numerous opportunities to practice a "dying to self" in every day life. St. Therese of the Child Jesus was a master at making the most of each day's little opportunities, and she became a saint because of her "little way".

I need to stop here and prepare for Mass, but not without a final word. Coupled with these random reflections on suffering, I have also been pondering the need for the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and each disciple. Since the Ascension we have been focusing on the Gift of God. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit who fashions Christ within us through the concrete events of everyday life. It is He who strengthens us in adversity, in trials, temptations, and suffering, to be faithful to Christ and to the path He has prepared for us. And it is He who enables us to live the resurrection of Christ in the midst of difficulties and suffering. We need suffering in our life, but for it to be truly effective and bear the fruit willed by God, we also need the Spirit of God - "For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." (Mk 10:27)

(Photo of "The Passion I - Arrested and Betrayed" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

Carpe Diem: Thoughts on an Anniversary

2010-05-11T17:23:00.003-04:00

I remember waking up seven years ago today to a bright Roman sky and my heart filled with reverential joy. It was to be the most beautiful day of my life - the day of my priestly ordination. Not only was I to receive the greatest gift of my life on that day, but together with four other SOLT deacons and twenty-six deacons from the Diocese of Rome, I was to receive that gift in St. Peter's Basilica through the hands of one of my greatest heroes, Venerable John Paul II. Now seven years have passed, and I feel I have received so much more from God as a priest than I can ever hope to give in return - it's a pure gift. Each year has brought new lessons, new graces, new challenges and crosses, and new joys. And I thank God all the time that He created me to be a priest.

Last year on this day my brother asked me what I had learned during the previous year as a priest. Of course he asked me in front of about 15 people at a restaurant, but thankfully I had been pondering that exact question for about a week prior to my anniversary. I found that I could summarize my simple and fragmented reflections with the famous phrase "carpe diem" (seize the day). I would use the same phrase today, but with some added nuances gained from this past year's experiences.

As time and history invariably continue forward, I have come to appreciate the urgency of the Gospel message, of responding to it "today" - the urgency of conversion, of saying "yes" to God "now", of striving with God's grace to grow closer to Him in virtue and holiness each day through concrete, and at times banal, experiences - but always with zeal and patience. Carpe diem! The urgency of the Gospel message impresses on me the truth that holiness is not something that will arrive one day in the distant future, but is rather something presented to me, and to all of us, a little bit each day in different ways and with different faces, all of which are opportunities to give my life to God and others as Providence disposes.

To those of you who feel God might be calling you to the priesthood, or to religious life, I would say, "seize the day!" Begin making yourself and your life a gift to God and others today, and continue responding to Him as He leads you step by step. If He is calling you, you will find peace in His will. I never imagined the priesthood could ever be such a joyful adventure.

I would like to share one further experience with you, one that caught me by surprise, and one I will always remember and treasure as a gift from God. It happened during the opening of our ordination Mass in 2003. The Vatican choir had just begun to sing the processional hymn when the massive velvet curtains were thrown open before us revealing a crowd which filled St. Peter's (close to 50,000 people). All thirty-one of us deacons passed through the curtains and began our long procession to the high altar. As we were processing down the center of the basilica everyone began cheering joyfully and loudly, and clapping their hands. I naturally assumed John Paul II had just passed through the curtains behind us. Well, I was wrong. He hadn't come out yet. It was then that I began looking around and realized the people were cheering and clapping for the thirty-one of us about to be ordained priests! It was overpowering. In that moment we were experiencing the love of the Church for her priests. I still remember the genuine joy and exultation on the tens of thousands of faces I passed on my way to the altar. It was a moment I will never forget; a brief glimpse at the perpetual love within the heart of the Church for the priesthood; a faint vision of the joy of the heavenly court.

Please continue praying for me, and for all priests, that we may be as loving and faithful as God is to us. Seven years down, and an eternity to go!