June 2016 - Advent 2016

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 18, 2016     

Isaiah 7:10-14
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-24

We are now on the eve of Christ’s birth and Matthew’s gospel renders an account of this great event. The account we just heard is different from Luke’s account and only the essential points of the nativity are similar in both accounts: Jesus is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and Joseph and Mary are the parents of Jesus. In both accounts there is an angelic appearance: in one case to Mary and in the other to Joseph. Mary is told – in Luke's gospel – that she is to bear a son. When she says that she is still a virgin, she is told that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and her child will be the Son of God. In Joseph's case, he is told – in Matthew's gospel – not to be afraid to take Mary home as his wife because the child with whom she is pregnant is from the Spirit of God. The stories are different but the central message is the same. Mary is the mother of the Child but Joseph is not the father. Both evangelists intended to affirm in faith the transcendental origin of Jesus’ history. Jesus is not a product of human evolution, but the intervention of the transcendent God in human history from outside.

The events of the birth of Jesus, was quite stressful for his parents. Joseph was caught in a very difficult position for his future wife was found to be with child before the marriage and the child was not his own. Mary was pregnant and her only explanation was spiritual, who would believe her story? Certainly at the outset Joseph did not believe and sought to divorce her quietly.  

Jewish weddings involved three stages. First, there was the engagement. This was often prearranged by the parents or a matchmaker while the couple was still young children. Marriages were primarily seen as the union of families and the continuing of the family line. They were not primarily unions of love, as we expect today. Of course, in the course of time husband and wife could become deeply bonded by a genuine love and caring for each other. But it was procreation, especially the bearing of sons that was the first priority. So we see in Old Testament times how cursed women felt who could not bear sons for their husband and his family. Love might or might not come later; it was secondary.  

The second stage was when the couple was betrothed. This was a legally binding relationship lasting for one year. During this period the couple lived apart and had no sexual relations. If either party did not want at this stage to go through with the marriage, there had to be a divorce. And the penalty for having sexual relations with a betrothed virgin was stoning to death for both. The third stage was the marriage itself. [Fr. Frank Doyle]

Hence Mary and Joseph found themselves in quite a dilemma. What was to be done? Matthew tells us that Joseph was a righteous man, hence his wanting to divorce Mary quietly. He did not want to expose her openly. To do so would have made her liable to the severest punishment. But at the very least the Mosaic Law required a man to divorce his wife under such circumstances. This was Joseph's duty and he was going to observe it. This way of divorce only required two witnesses and did not require pressing charges. 

It was in a dream that Joseph was told to resolve to take Mary as his wife. Why would Joseph believe a dream? In his uncertainty Joseph grasp the hand of faith and as a righteous man recognized the voice of God. 

Joseph was not a puppet on a string. He was not deprived of free will. There is no doctrine about his Immaculate Conception or sinlessness. Yet he responded with generosity. He responded with faith. He listened to this message from God told to him in a dream. He rose above his fear. He rose above his confusion. He did not know how the story was going to end other than knowing that this child was going to save his people from their sins. The words -- HE DID AS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD COMMANDED should be inspirational to all of us. They are simple words yet behind them stands a man who should inspire us to respond generously to every prompting of the Holy Spirit in us to do as the Lord commands. [Jim Mazzone]

Let us challenge and inspire each other to always listen to this Divine Voice in our hearts, in our heads, and in our dreams. Let us never dismiss generous and loving impulses that seem to come out of nowhere. We may never know their overall effect in the world.

Fear is not the characteristic of the Christian.  At the heart of Christianity is love, or to be more precise, sacrificial love.  Our whole lives must consist in ceaseless efforts to love more and more as Jesus loved, sacrificially. To do this we need a gift from God. That gift is trust.  We need to trust God to work things out.   We have to trust the Lord to remove the fear that prevents us from loving.  We have to trust the Lord to protect us from hurt when we take a step outside of ourselves and a step into love.  So many of us are afraid, afraid to trust, afraid to love, afraid to risk. We need to trust God so we can make His Presence real for others. [Joseph Pellegrino]

God is working in our lives.  When we are aware of this, when we behold His Presence, we can then bring his presence to others. Christmas is not a time for fear.  It is a time for love.  We have to trust God to protect and develop our love. Can we love others, as they deserve to be loved?  Will we be hurt in return?  These are the questions that Joseph asked himself as he stirred in his sleep.  He heard an angel say, “Do not be afraid.”  When Joseph took the step from fear to trust, the world beheld its Savior. As we approach Christmas may our hearts be trustful to receive Christ. May we come to know Emmanuel in our lives by recognizing his face in all we encounter.  

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Solemnity  of our Lord Jesus Christ the King

November 20, 2016      

2Samuel 5:1-3
Colossians 1:12-20
Luke 23:35-43

We have reached the end of the Church’s year. Today is the 34th and last Sunday in ordinary time. Next Sunday begins a new year for the Church and for her children. In fact this week we complete the three-year cycle of readings from the Old and New Testament. Next Sunday we begin the cycle again. The Church reserves the last Sunday of the Year to celebrate the Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe. 

Over the past year we have sat here and have heard reflections and homilies based on the sacred scriptures. The one constant theme that ran through the readings and sermons is Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Church who is our mother and teacher wisely arranges readings from both the Old and New Testaments, showing us that indeed it is Christ who had fulfilled the Old and has made all things new. As the collect of today’s mass proclaims, “Almighty and ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in  your beloved Son, the King of the Universe…”

Who is the King of Glory; how shall we call him? He is Emmanuel, the promise of ages. Jesus Christ is indeed our king and lord, and there are many titles we address him by, yet today we worship him as king of the universe. The second reading and the gospel offer contrasting images of Christ. St. Paul in his Letter to the Colossians describes a triumphant Christ, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation….all things were created through him, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers… Certainly this is a description of a most powerful King, yet at the end of the reading we have the image of the blood of his cross, which makes peace. 

It is the cross, which connects Paul’s letter to the gospel today. Jesus hanging between two criminals, being made fun of by the leaders of the people and by one of the criminals, this king of glory is being challenged to prove his worth and demonstrate his kingly power, If you are King of the Jews, save yourself…. Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. In the midst of suffering and certain death Jesus showed what his kingdom was all about by welcoming a criminal who deserved to die to dwell with him in paradise. 

The kingdom of God finds its greatness in humility, because the kingdom of God is born first within our hearts. Christ must reign in our hearts first before we can ever dream of being with him in paradise. Christ’s kingship begins now here on this earth, in the midst of all the issues of daily living, it is only the beginning, its completeness comes later. As the Church teaches: “Though already present in his Church, Christ’s reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled ‘with power and great glory’ by the King’s return to earth. This reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ’s Passover. Until everything is subject to him, ‘until there be realized new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells, the pilgrim Church, in her sacraments and institutions, which belong to this present age, carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God.’ [CCC 671] 

In every mass we pray for the coming of the kingdom of God. A kingdom planted initially in our hearts at baptism and that is meant to flourish in our lives preparing for its completeness at Christ’s advent. 

The kingship of Christ is one of service, redemption and love its glory cannot be gain without first going through the cross. Like the good criminal who recognized his sins and in so doing recognized the kingship of Christ, we must follow his example and desire the kingdom that is to come in its fullness. He did not request relief from his cross, nor did Christ seek his own relief. As Jesus told the Pharisees earlier in Luke’s gospel when they questioned him about the advent of the Kingdom of God, Our Lord replied that “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, look, here it is, or there it is. For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Christ then predicted that he first must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.  For true power comes through redemptive suffering. In his suffering Christ showed that his reign is to bring life, life that will last forever. 

The kingdom we should look for and what the church prays for is beautifully described in today’s preface: 

An eternal and universal Kingdom:
a kingdom of truth and life,
a kingdom of holiness and grace,
a kingdom of justice, love and peace. 

May God’s kingdom come on earth and may we be found waiting and watching ready for his advent. 

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Mass for the Evangelization of Peoples
November 6, 2016     

Isaiah 60:1-6
Romans 10:9-18
Matthew 28: 16-20

Today in our archdiocese we mark World Mission Sunday. World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice.

During this year’s 90th anniversary, World Mission Sunday celebration relates its theme to the Year of Mercy, “Mercy Changes the World.” Pope Francis notes, “The mercy of God is His loving concern for each one of us…. As the Father loves, so do His children. Just as He is merciful, so we are called to be merciful to each other.”.

In today’s gospel we see Jesus instructing the eleven to “make disciples of all nations…” This is also our instruction. For by virtue of our baptism we are all called to be missionaries, making disciples of all nations. Teaching others the good news of Jesus especially by the way we live. St. Paul reminds us in the second reading, “…how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?” 

Each of us are called to share the good news according to our particular vocation. We are also called to support the mission of the church through our material contribution. Our archdiocese and indeed our region is still considered mission territory. And some of you would remember some of the earlier missionaries to our land, including the Sisters of Charity and the Benedictines. 

Pope Francis in his message for World Mission Day wrote; “In many places evangelization begins with education, to which missionary work dedicates much time and effort, like the merciful vine-dresser of the Gospel (cf. Lk 13:7-9; Jn 15:1), patiently waiting for fruit after years of slow cultivation; in this way they bring forth a new people able to evangelize, who will take the Gospel to those places where it otherwise would not have been thought possible.” Certainly these words ring true to our history here in the Bahamas. When we support the missions we support ourselves.  

May we realize the full potential of our baptismal promises by proclaiming Jesus Christ in our words and in our lives. 

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Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 30, 2016    

Wisdom 11:22-12:2
2Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
Luke 19:1:10

In his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est Pope emeritus Benedict XVI reminds us of what a Christian should about. “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” The person being referred to is Jesus Christ. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should ... have eternal life” (John 3:16)

In today’s gospel Zacchaeus has an encounter with Christ, which changes his entire life. .  Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus provides us with several points to reflect on today. 

How often in our lives we are prevented from seeing Jesus because of the people and things that crowds him out. To see Jesus we sometimes have to escape the crowd and risk ridicule to have an encounter with the Lord. In fact the Greek term for “holy” refers to someone who is different, someone who is set apart. 

Jesus stopped at the place where Zacchaeus was and called him by name…. as the gospel tell us “And he came down quickly and received him with joy.” Christ calls all of us each and everyday of our lives. Do we hear him, and if we do, is our response as quick and joyous as that of Zacchaeus?    

We have much to learn from Zacchaeus, he responds to Jesus immediately, this man despised by his neighbors had no hesitation in welcoming Jesus into his house. He seemed disinterested in what the crowd was saying about him and Jesus. He knew that Jesus was good news for him and for his future and he fully embraced the opportunity to make a change in his life. The crowds were scandalized by this and reacted in astonishment “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”  Zacchaeus stood his ground in the midst of criticism and even condemnation. He teaches us that what people say about us is really none of our business, because our business concerns inviting the Lord into the home of our hearts. If Zacchaeus had mind the noise in the market that day he would have never found new meaning in his life.  

Zacchaeus, grateful for the presence of Christ in his life says: "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." This implies that Zacchaeus, because of his encounter with Jesus, has undergone a radical conversion. He will give up his corrupt ways. He will share his wealth with the poor and will make restitution to those he has cheated.  

Salvation came to the house of Zacchaeus because he was open to receiving Christ and his mercy. This is something we are called to do everyday of our lives. Jesus desires to enter under our roof and to abide with us. For his mercy is greater that all of our sins real or imagined. The first reading sums up the graciousness of the Lord. “But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned….” 

Our Lord wills that salvation will come to all of our homes. Zacchaeus and his encounter with Christ teach us valuable lessons in humility, in kindness and in the great mercy of God. What will be your answer when Jesus looks at you and says, “For today I must stay at your house”? May we have the grace to respond in kind like Zacchaeus. It is this grace which St. Paul prayed that the early Christians would possess, “that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of Our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of God and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.” Let this be our prayer also.

 May we always seek Jesus, not out of curiosity but out of a hunger for true peace of mind and heart.  May our hearts always yearn for the Lord to enter, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” 

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Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Tim
October 23, 2016

Sirach 35:12-14,16-18
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18: 9-14

“Whenever we want to ask some favor of a powerful man, we do it humbly and respectfully, for fear of presumption. How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the Lord God of all things with the utmost humility and sincere devotion. We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace.” [RB 20]

Those words are from the twentieth chapter of the Rule of St. Benedict. The Father of western monasticism in instructing his followers how to pray no doubt had read and understood the parable we just heard in today’s gospel. For St. Benedict prayer should ordinarily be short and pure. For all the saints prayer should always be approached with a deep awareness of our sinfulness and need for forgiveness. 

The fact is that our heavenly father already knows our needs and the condition we find ourselves in at any moment. The Pharisee’s mistake was not that he was a Pharisee or that he was bad, but because he was self-righteous and could not see his own sinfulness but only the sins of others. Contrast his attitude to another Pharisee in today’s Second Reading. [St. Paul himself!] “I have fought the good fight…” he says with apparent satisfaction.  Yet his attitude is so different from that of the Pharisee.  First, all that he achieved he attributes to his Lord and, second, his whole life had been lived as a “libation”, all his energies poured out, not for himself, but so that others might come to know, as he did, the power of Christ’s love in their lives. 

The tax collector was indeed a bad man, a great sinner. He surely does not observe the Jewish law. If he is like the average tax collector, he is a swindler and extortionist.  He collects tax money from his own – oppressed – people and hands (some of) it to the hated Romans.  He really is a sinner.  He really behaves abominably before God and neighbor.  And God loves him!  The reason is that, although the tax collector is undoubtedly a sinner, he admits his sin.  He knows that by himself he cannot do anything, that he cannot change, unless God comes to his help.  “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” he implores.  God will come immediately to the help of a sinner who in humility and truth recognizes his sin.  On the other hand, how can God come to help a proud man, who thinks he can take care of himself? [Sacred Space]

We must then always approach God with humility. In the collect of today’s mass the Church prays to God for an increase of the theological virtues; faith, hope and love.   First, we have some knowledge of God surpassing what we can know about Him naturally because He reveals it to us (faith). Second, we live by the patient expectation that what we learn and believe God promises will indeed be fulfilled (hope). Third is an affirmative response of love of God, whom we have come to know by faith, and also love of our neighbor (charity).

While natural human virtues are acquired through education and discipline, the three theological virtues faith, hope and charity are given to us by God. They are fused into us with grace at baptism.

Looking at the positive development of the theological virtues, we can say that faith logically precedes hope and charity, and hope precedes charity. From the negative point of view, considering their unraveling and loss, we lose charity first of all, and then hope and, last of all, our faith. Charity is the greatest of the three, followed by hope and then faith.

The theological virtues perfect and elevate everything virtuous that man can do naturally. St. Augustine (+430) says, “There is no love without hope, no hope without love, and neither love nor hope without faith” (enchir 8). The goal of the virtuous life, as we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1803), is to become like God. Living the theological virtues concretely reveals the image of God in us as well as the grace He gives to His adopted children. Today we pray for their increase.

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Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 16, 2016  

Exodus 17:8-13
2Timothy 3:14-4:2
Luke 18:1-8

The Christian life is one of persistence. The one who perseveres to the end will be saved. That is why salvation is an ongoing process, among his many teachings St. Paul tells his fellow Christians to work out their salvation. Most of us were baptized as infants or children, as such the responsibility of the faith were entrusted to our parents and godparents. But at the age of reason we began to take greater ownership of our faith in Christ. After confirmation it was our responsibility to grow deeper in the faith and of our love for Christ and his Church. 

At the end of the gospel Jesus asked his disciples the question, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? The Son of Man will find faith on the earth at his advent only if we are persistent in our pursuit for God and his kingdom. We are responsible for our salvation and persistent in courageous living of the gospel is essential to a life of faith and good works. Guidance to knowledge of the truth comes through the Church, who is our mother and teacher. For our part we must have the hunger and thirst to receive the good news and apply it to our lives. 

In whatever state of life we find ourselves the art of persistence must be learned and perfected. Young people who are motivated to success in school are aware of the necessity to be diligent and to persevere in their studies. The reality is that the smartest students do not always succeed in their studies in part because of a lack of discipline and persistence. Not doing well on an exam or even in a class does not mean that one should not pursue further studies. So often it is because of not being persistent enough in one’s studies. As an individual who has spent most of his adult life as a student I know the importance of pursuing one’s educational goals, and so do many of you. The energy of a good student is the energy the Christian should have in pursuing knowledge of God and his word. We must be persistent. 

Married couples know well or they should know the need to be persistent, courageous, and hopeful in their relationships. Faithfulness is the act of being persistent in following the truth, in loving and listening, in caring and in living as husband and wife. The relationship of husband and wife is the model of Christ and the Church; it is indeed a great mystery. 

Older people have the treasure of accumulated experience and wisdom, they know the value of persistence but even in their state they must continue to practice it especially in light of eventual sickness and suffering. Yet it is God who gives them the power to bear such burdens. 

A successful Christian is one who perseveres in prayer. Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said that God does not want us to be successful, God wants us to be faithful. Real success, the success that counts in the end comes through faithfulness to Christ and his Church. St. Augustine gives us guidance in terms of our being persistent, especially in prayer. “Why in our fear of not praying as we should, do we turn to so many things, to find what we should pray for?  Why do we not say instead, in the words of the psalm: I have asked one thing from the Lord, this is what I seek: to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, to see the graciousness of the Lord, to behold his temple…” Why does the Lord ask us to pray, when he already knows our needs, this may confuse us if we do not realize that God does not want to know what we desire because he already knows, but God wants us rather to exercise our desire through our prayers, so that we may be able to receive what he is preparing to give us. His gift is very great indeed, but our capacity is too small and limited to receive it. The deeper our faith, the stronger our hope, the greater our desire, the larger our capacity to receive that gift, which is very great indeed. In this faith, hope and love we persevere in prayer, we remain persistent in our desire to please God. [St. Augustine]

The readings today along with the saints of the Church provide us with clear examples of persistence, but we have our own personal stories also. We must never forget them but use them as a source of strength and comfort. We must always be persistent, but only for those things that are right, holy and builds up each other. So often it is easier to follow the bad and the ugly especially when it concerns others. But we must be persistent with the things of God “whether it is convenient or inconvenient” we must convince, reprimand, and encourage through all patience and teaching. Let us be about the Lord’s business striving to be true to his word so that when the Son of Man comes, he will find faith on the earth. 

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Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 9, 2016 

2Kings 5:14-17
2Timothy 2:8-13
Luke 17:11-19

Both the first reading and the holy gospel speak of leprosy a devastating disease in the time of Jesus, which separated those infected with the wider society. Lepers were condemned to a life of isolation and had to warn strangers approaching them of their affliction. Naaman, who was army commander of the king of Aram and a leper, had fought against Israel, but ironically was healed by a prophet of Israel, Elisha. He was healed because he obeyed the words of the prophet even though he did not like what he heard. Naaman was an Aramean, a foreigner in the sight of Israel, but his faith healed him. 

The ten leapers in today’s gospel were all healed because of their faith. Unlike Naaman, they never question the command of the prophet; in this case Jesus but obeyed our Lord and proceeded to show themselves to the priests. This was required so that they could be fully integrated back into society. On the way to present themselves, they realized that they had been healed. But it was only the Samaritan, a foreigner that turned around to find Jesus in order to thank him. 

What are we to make of this? At this point in the gospel of Luke, Jesus has really set his face towards Jerusalem, for Jerusalem would be his final destination leading to the cross and our salvation. To get to Jerusalem, Jesus had to pass through Samaritan territory. Samaritans were hated by many of the Jews; they were seen as half-breeds, heretics and undesirables. Even the disciples of Jesus were known on occasions to have harsh words for Samaritans. Earlier on in the ninth chapter of Luke, Jesus had sent messengers ahead of him to prepare for his reception. The reception was to take place in a Samaritan village but they would not welcome him there because he was going to Jerusalem. It was the two disciples James and John who reacted by asking the question “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” They were rebuked by Jesus for such thoughts and they moved on to another village.

Aware of the antagonism between Jews and Samaritans Jesus consistently used examples of Samaritans to demonstrate to his fellow Jews the importance of faith. Today’s gospel shows more than faith. It also shows us gratitude, a sense of thankfulness and praise. All embodied in a Samaritan, twice an outcaste, simply for being a Samaritan and then a leaper. The Samaritan by returning to Jesus showed that he was called to resurrection, to new life and to walk the Way of Jesus. His deep insight into what he had experienced had been a saving experience for him. There is far more here than physical healing. The whole person has been fully restored in his relationships both with God and with his neighbors and the community [Frank Doyle, SJ]. 

The fact is that we are all in need of healing for we are all leapers. We all suffer from things, which separate us from Christ and the wider community. Leprosies of different kinds are still endemic in every society, no matter how sophisticated. In some parts of the world whole communities of people are neglected, despised, exploited and alienated. In every society there are people who are marginalized, sometimes by "benign neglect", sometimes by outright discrimination and oppression. Racism is rampant everywhere, sometimes very openly, sometimes in more subtle but equally hurtful ways [Frank Doyle, SJ]. 

What is needed is to recognize our own afflictions so as to better understand and serve others who are in need of healing and love.  Jesus over and over again demonstrated through his teaching and healing that true love has no limit to compassion and that the power of faith is not limited to only those who claim Christ as their Lord. Faith itself is a gift, we don’t create it, and we simply must have a receptive heart to live it.  Naaman and the Samaritan demonstrate for us the power of faith. They show us that the exercise of great faith is possible even among those we least expect to have faith. 

The word of God can never be chained or held hostage. St. Paul in the second reading tells us the importance of even suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul declares that if we are unfaithful Christ remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. When we turn away from God’s word, when we become unfaithful, we isolate ourselves from Christ and the Christian community. We remain apart like the leapers in the today’s gospel.  We need to reach out and cry to Jesus to have pity on us. This we do at every mass during the penitential rite, Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison. 

May we always know the healing power of Christ in our lives, which frees us from our bondage.  In this knowledge may we always have generous hearts to welcome the lepers we see everyday of our lives. Like the Samaritan who returned to Jesus after realizing that he was healed, may we always return to the Lord because it is in returning to Christ that we become true disciples.  The Samaritan was healed from his leprosy, but because of gratitude his healing went even deeper, he recognized in Jesus something even greater that a healer of physical illness, he realized that in returning to the Lord his entire body and Spirit could be changed, he would not return to his old life before leprosy but to something greater by embracing the Lord of life.  For us the old life of sin and sickness have past and we long to follow Christ our only hope. For truly the Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. 

May we always return to the Lord, with grateful hearts and contrite spirits. May the love and compassion of the Lord be ours and may we always welcome the stranger and the sick, the foreigner and the outcasts, for in so doing we welcome Christ.  

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 Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 1, 2016 

Habakuk 1:2-3;2:2-4 
2Timothy 1:6-8,13-14 
Luke 17:5-1

 

The words of the prophet in the first reading can be the words of so many people today. Why is there so much violence, so much misery, and so much pain? Why is there so much fighting and contention? Why so much fighting among nations and peoples, among families and within families? Around the globe we have many conflicts from the Middle East to Africa, on every continent and region of the world there are those crying out for justice and mercy. Certainly we do not have to look outside our country to find everything the prophet complained so bitterly about before God who seemed at first not to have listened to his words.  The rise of violent acts and conflict in our nation is cause for concern, and one could ask where is God in all this? Does God see the destruction that has come upon us? Does God listen to the cry of those who have been victims of violence, conflict and division? 

In the midst of despair and disappointment the Lord does hear our cry. He tells his prophet that there is hope, in the form of a vision. The Lord declares that the “vision 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”. There is a warning at the end of the reading, it is only the one who has faith who waits on the Lord, and it is that person who will see the vision fulfilled. 

The disciples in today’s gospel ask Jesus to ‘increase their faith’… these men certainly needed to have faith, for even though they followed Christ they still did not grasp the full implication of who Jesus really was. This request also reflects the insecurities of the early church, small groups of Christians who wondered whether they could survive in the midst of those who were hostile to the message of Christ. The history of the Church is filled with stories of faith among Christians who remained true to the gospel despite the violence and injustice visited upon them. 

What the disciples asked for and what Christians throughout the centuries have prayed for is to have a deeper and stronger trust in God, especially when God seems to be far away. Fr. Frank Doyle commenting on this gospel says about faith “That does not mean, however, that with such a faith Christian life will be free of all hardship and difficulty. Being a Christian, taking the Gospel seriously, is never going to be a tea party. God has promised his loving care but he has never promised a life free of pain, difficulties, suffering, or even sudden and violent death. Let us not forget that "He did not spare his own Son". What God does promise is that, with a deep faith and trust in him, we can endure pain and difficulties, that we can accept pain and suffering, if and when it comes, for the sake of making the message of Jesus a reality in our world.”

Jesus continues in the gospel showing his followers what it means to ask for an increase of faith. So often we can get caught up in asking for things as if God was the supplier of all our wants and needs without us having to do anything. But look how Jesus described Christian discipleship, a discipleship that is needed in order to have a deep and abiding faith.  Jesus uses the image of a servant, really a slave who works hard in the fields all day and then is expected to wait on his master, only when the master is served can the servant attend to his own needs. At the end of the day the servant was only doing what was expected of him. We are God’s servants. Our relationship with God must be approached from this perspective. We don’t give God something and expect so much in return. No, our relationship with him is one of total and unconditional love and service. The joy and satisfaction is not in what we can do to squeeze favors from God but in what we can give and share of ourselves.

The reason for this, of course, is that no matter what we do we are ever in God's debt. The very energies with which we serve him are his gift to us. We are "merely servants". We can never do more than "our duty". However much we give to God it is a small repayment for all that he has already showered us with [Fr. Frank Doyle]. 

So, we must approach our religion not from the point of what we can get out of it, what we are entitled to, because God is not indebted to us. We must approach our religion with a sense of awe and gratitude to God the font of all good things. Our worship of God is not what we can get out of Mass, for the term worship means submission. When we worship God we submit totally to him. The words of St. Paul in the second reading are a sure guide to true worship. “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have…” Even our worship is a gift from God, being here is not about giving a compliment to God, its about responding no matter how inadequate to his never ending gifts to us.  

The gift of faith is not a “spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control” We must never be ashamed of faith in Christ even in social circles in which we might be made fun of or ridiculed. The gift of faith is needed ever so much in our world today. We live in a world where so many suffer and die in the presence of injustice and violence that are all too common. There are those who blame God. Yet so much of it is of our own making. Yes, we need to ask the Lord to increase our faith that we may see to worship him by how we live and stand together with those who are in need. Let us in faith wait on the vision for even if it delays, it will surely come, it will not be late.  

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Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 25, 2016 

Amos 6:1a, 4-7
1Timothy 6:11-16
Luke 16:19-31

It was a common practice in the time of Jesus that when one was at table there was usually a common stew pot in which people would dip pieces of bread, bite off what they wanted and simply throw whatever was left on to the floor. The gospel today tells us that, “Lazarus, covered with sores…would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.”  It must be obvious by know to realize that the scrapes that fell from the table were deliberately thrown there. All those at table including the host would have been aware of the scrapes that littered the floor. It is in this context of a common practice of eating and the awareness of a poor man at his doorstep that the rich man was condemned to the netherworld. The prophet Amos in the first reading condemned such disregard in his day: “Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall!”

Jesus in telling this parable was in no way begrudging the rich man and those of his day who dressed in purple garments and fine linen. In telling this story Jesus used characters, which, his audience could readily identify with and for the most part could, ascertain the deeper meaning of the parable. The issue here was relational which points to the human person essentially as a social being. As the Church teaches: “Since the human person is created in the image of the Trinitarian God the human person is made for community. Our development as persons and the advance merit of society “hinge on one another.” This means that the human person ‘is alienated if he refuses to transcend himself and to live the experience of self-giving.’” [The Gift of Life 2008]

The rich man certainly enjoyed his life, he probably entertained on a regular basis and in that sense he was very social. Yet he was not self-giving. He must have been aware of Lazarus lying at his door, because from the “netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side” and preceded to call Lazarus by name. He not only knew of this poor man, he knew his name and yet it never occurred to him to intervene and to uplift a single poor man at his door. Certainly the first lesson the rich man learnt too late was that of self-giving. Even if Lazarus was never invited to dip a piece of bread in the common stew pot at table at the very least what was discarded should have been given to him. For it would have shown that the rich man was aware of those lest fortunate than himself.

Someone has said that God loves the poor, not because they are good, but simply because they are poor, where "poor" means deprived of what is necessary to live a fully human life. This sense of poverty is intolerable and as Christians we should not only be moved by it we should also recognize our moral obligation to ease the poverty of others. Certainly the Church as an institution as done much over a number of generations to help the poor in our land and she continues to do so today. Never with the intention to make new converts but simply following the precepts of the gospel. 

And so the lesson here for us is that we are to learn or be reminded of the importance of self-giving. To live at one’s full potential implies that one is self-giving. Simply put, we can only come to a deeper appreciation of what it means to be human and what it means to be loved in the context of others. There are many examples of self-giving and a couple examples that are signs of the strength of a society is that between husband and wife and parent and child. To live for oneself is never life giving, it only helps to diminish our humanity.  We have heard the saying earlier, God loves the poor, not because they are good, but simply because they are poor. Can we say also that God does not love the rich, not because they are bad, but simply because they are rich? No. What does "rich" really mean? Indeed that rich man in the parable may have worked very hard to get his money, perhaps he was a good family man who loved his wife and was a good father to his children. Perhaps he went faithfully to the synagogue every Sabbath and observed all the regulations of the Sabbath day. He may have been seen as a very pillar of his community. Yet...as long as that poor man lay uncared for at his feet, the rich man was totally condemned. [Fr. Frank Doyle, S.J.]

The fact of the matter is that people want to be rich and prosperous, look how people buy lottery tickets and numbers. Many people work hard to achieve the lifestyle they desire and are rewarded for their hard work and dedication. But to be a good catholic, it is not enough to avoid the near occasions of sin or to remain free of mortal sin. We must be aware of the importance of justice and basic human need. When the first catholic missionaries arrived on these shores their main task was social outreach and education, they saw and met the basic human needs of the people. In so doing they preached the catholic faith through their actions. We follow in their steps when we recognize the needs of the poor. 

The rich man’s table was laden with every good food, this symbol of plenty points towards the kingdom of God but also to the altar of sacrifice where Christ is immolated and we receive his body and blood. Certainly when we approach the altar we partake of the same body and the same blood because we are members of the one body which is Christ. The rich man could have responded on two levels to Lazarus, he could have simply provided for his basic needs by means of food and water and medical supplies. This is basic charity but it does not go deep enough in terms of gospel values. The second level would have been a mutual recognition of both men as each other’s brothers. It would not matter that one was rich and the other poor, that one was more educated or sophisticated. What is important is that each man would see the need to care deeply for one another.

The ending of the gospel is a warning for all of us. At the end of the gospel, the rich man made the excuse (when it was too late) that he did not realize what was going on. His brothers did not realize either. Let them be warned, he pleaded. Even in hell, the rich man could still only think of his own family and not of all the others to whom he was responsible.

It would be no use warning them, Jesus said. They would not listen even if someone rose from the dead. Ironic words indeed. Jesus has risen from the dead 2,000 years ago and how many of us have taken in the message of the Gospel about wealth and poverty? Not a great many, it must be said. We have Moses and the prophets; we also have the words of Jesus and the wisdom of Mother Church.  You see, every time we approach the altar to receive the Eucharist we are enriched through the eternal sacrifice of Christ. In a very real sense we become rich because we take our place at table. The warning of Jesus in the gospel is for us, for we must show by our actions after having received the Eucharist that we are brothers and sisters to one another and that we are aware of the needs of the wider community. St. Paul tells us to “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” These are hallmarks of the Christian who not only feed at the table of plenty but also share his bread with the poor. 

May we learn to prefer nothing to the love of Christ in order to show that same love to all we meet.  May we realize the dignity of every human person, the richness of our faith and come to a deeper appreciation of our place and obligation here in this life so as to be with God in the life to come.

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Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 18, 2016 

Amos 8:4-7
1Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13 

It was in the 8th century BC that the prophet Amos was wondering the Land of Israel and what he saw disgusted him. Externally, 8th century Israel was a dynamic kingdom where many were prosperous, the political and religious aspects of the people were ornate and on full display. It appeared that this people had indeed been blessed. Yet just below the surface laid a world of injustice where as the prophet proclaimed the needy were trampled and the poor of the land were destroyed. Wholesale cheating was the norm with the poor on the losing end. Amos condemns the oppression of the poor by exposing the very words of those who perpetrated misery, “When will the new moon be over…that we may display the wheat…we will buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals…”  

Not much as changed so many centuries later. Exploitation and corruption are still all too common in our world, even in our own country. The race to accumulate material things at the expense of the dignity of others is the norm to quick riches. There are many challenges facing our young nation and among them is the equitable and wise use of our resources. The same issues Amos and many of the prophets fought against are the issues we are to take up to help form a society that is based on the dignity of every human person. 

The Church teaches that “the social order is to be subordinate to the order of persons, and not the other way round, and that the social order is to be guided by transcendent values, that is, the higher values of love and friendship, of prayer and of contemplation that Pope Paul VI described as the values which made it possible for human beings to find themselves. These values are clearly Gospel values and run counter to the prevailing materialism and moral relativism of our social order” [The Gift of Life, 2008].

The rage of the prophet Amos must be our rage also. For every catholic is called to be formed into a complete being where we are aware of our dignity precisely because we seek to uphold the dignity of others and better our society. In this way the laity fulfills its role in the “new evangelization” by shaping the secular world according to God’s will [John Paul II, The Gospel of Life].

To really live our faith is to engage one another and the wider society. Faith by itself is really sterile if it does not produce works; James in his epistle reminds us that faith without works is dead [2:26]. An important element of our good works towards a better society is to take up the recommendation of the apostle Paul in the second reading. To pray for our leaders who are charged to direct this nation, so “that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is a good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” We must pray for our leaders because they face a very challenging task in leading the effort to eradicate forces among us that prevent the development of a better society. 

The Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference in their pastoral letter on The Gift of Life recognized that our culture here at home and in the Caribbean is in crisis. They echo the words of Amos in articulating our current state of affairs, “No one can doubt that today we face a profound crisis of culture in the Caribbean. The culture in which we all share (the violent criminal included) is marked by a general weakening of the sense both of God and of sin, the influence of moral relativism and confusion, and a growing secularization that reduces religious faith either to the private sphere of the individual, or to public displays of intense emotion, coupled with a weak moral understanding, and fuelled by a spirituality that promises material success.” In essence we have a problem just as Israel did so many centuries ago, and there are no quick fixes. For the Christian it comes down to the essentials of our faith. The new evangelization compels us to be leaven for the world, to be ‘people of and for life’ to be educated about the dignity of the human person and to continual assess our attitudes and behaviors in dealing with others. 

The truth is that at the judgment we will be asked by the Lord what did we do for the least among us? Did we feed the hungry? Clothed the naked? Visit the prisoner? Did we reach out to improve our society? We cannot wait on others to make the change. The change must come from within us. The conversion process can never remain a private affair but it must bear fruit that will be beneficial and that will last. How we treat our brother and sister bespeaks the level of our conversion to Christ and his Church. St. Paul tells the Christians at Philippi “work out your salvation in fear and trembling” [2:12]. 

The dishonest steward in today’s gospel knowing his stewardship was at an end, worked out his salvation in terms of his survival after being condemned by his master. Despite his dishonesty he was prudent and exhibited an understanding of his past misdeeds and sought to take corrective measures. Why would this dishonest man not be condemned for his misdeeds but the people of Israel soundly condemned in the first reading? Because condemnation is visited upon those who trample the dignity of another, who grow wealthy at the expense of many who are left behind. The dishonest steward saved himself because he was prudent enough to uplift those who were in his master’s debt. He relived their sufferings and gave them new hope. He saved both the poor and himself. 

The prudence of this dishonest man is a lesson for all of us. As we struggle with our sinful nature we must never forget the debt we owe to God who gave us his son Jesus Christ. For Christ is our master, we are the stewards of his creation. How are we managing his property? Our stewardship is still a work in progress. May we recognize the awesome responsibility placed before us, despite ourselves let us pray for the grace of prudence to forgive our debtors so that we may be forgiven our debt.  Let us chose life, the divine life of Christ who leads us to all truth. 

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Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 4, 2016 

Wisdom 9:13-18a
Philemon 9:10, 12-17
Luke 14:25-33 

Once again Jesus shocks his listeners by the demands he puts on them. “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Why would Jesus proclaim such harsh sayings when he had a large crowd in the palm of his hands? In the time of Jesus there was great excitement when a famous person showed up in a city or a village. Many people followed them listening to their every word.  So often trying to get something from the famous person. Today we follow such personalities via cable news or twitter etc. 

The difference between Jesus and other famous personalities was that he did not tell the crowds what they wanted to hear. He knew his mission, and he had every intention to fulfill it. To follow Christ is not a simple or an easy thing to do. It takes a lifetime of conversion. To follow Christ also entails right relationship with those around us, namely our family and friends. So why does Jesus tell his listeners that they should hate the people closes to them? 

The Jews, like a number of other ethnic communities, are recognized for their close family ties.  Jesus, who tells us to love our enemies, now tells us to hate our nearest and dearest! Is this the same Jesus who cured the mother-in-law of Peter? The same Jesus who told the story of the Good Samaritan? The same Jesus who enjoyed the hospitality of his good friends, Mary and Martha?

The evangelist Luke presents following Jesus in the most radical terms. In following Jesus, we have to go with him the whole way. We have to accept totally his way of seeing life and then putting that into practice in the way we live. There cannot be, as is the case with practically all of us, a kind of wishy-washy compromise, trying to have our cake and eat it. Jesus must come first. And so we should not take the term hate literally as we understand it today. 

We are called to have love and compassion for every single person, irrespective of who they are or what their relationship may be to us. True love casts out fear. What Jesus is saying today is putting in another way what we have already seen in discussing other passages, such as, the story of the Good Samaritan and the Lord’s Prayer. Namely, those who are truly disciples of Jesus recognize that, as children of one God, we all belong to one family, that we are all brothers and sisters to each other. [Sacred Space]

We are therefore bound to love our close family members – but not only them.  We must love and show concern for all in need. “As often as you refused it to the least of my brothers, you refused it to ME.” The immigrant, the homeless is my brother or sister. Paul showed such love towards Onesimus by urging that he be welcomed upon his return. 

Christ welcomes us if we are ready to take up our cross and follow him. It is always a choice, it is not easy, but it is necessary for salvation. We do well to heed the words of St. Benedict when he wrote “Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love…. We shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom.” [RB 1980]

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Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 21, 2016 

Isaiah 66:18-21
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Luke 13.22-30

The question posed by a certain individual in today’s gospel concerning salvation is one that perhaps has been posed in every generation. “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”  For the last few Sundays we have heard Jesus give instructions about the duties and obligations to enter into the kingdom of God. In essence the way we are to live in order to achieve salvation. Jesus proclaimed previously, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” Two weeks ago we heard Jesus proclaim, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return…” Jesus also rejected the role of judge and arbitrator between two disputing brothers, reminding his audience not to store up earthly treasure. 

And so it is within this context of instructions that the question of how many people will be saved is posed. In many of the great religions there are those who claim only a select group will be saved. Even within Christianity there are those who claimed that only certain Christians would be saved. Christ however, has his own plans for us. The ways of God are not the same as man, and in this fact we should be eternally grateful. 

The questioner in today’s gospel was a Jew and he knew that he was part of the chosen people. Yet we hear from the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading that the Lord comes … “to gather nations of every language”.  Like in previous incidents Jesus does not answer the question directly, Jesus speaks today about coming in through a narrow door and about a householder who refuses to open the door after he has locked up for the night. The fact that those knocking claim to be companions known to him does not make him change his mind. “You are late and I do not recognize you any longer.” Terrible words!

So, in answer to the person’s question, Jesus does not confirm or deny that only a few will be saved. What he does say is that salvation is not guaranteed for anyone. “We are your Chosen People” will not be good enough. What Jesus is saying is that no one, no matter who they are, has an absolute guarantee of being saved, of being accepted by God. No one is saved by claiming identity with a particular group or by carrying a particular nametag. [sacredspace]

As Catholics being saved is to be understood on three levels: we have been saved. This acknowledges the first meaning of "saved" and "salvation" in scripture--Jesus Christ, Savior, by whose act of salvation we are objectively saved--He died, rose from the dead, saved us from sin.

2 Cor 5:17

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation

Catholic Christians are being saved. This acknowledges the second meaning "saved" and "salvation" have in scripture--the present experience, God's power delivering constantly from the bondage of sin.

1 Cor 15:2

Through it (the gospel) you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

Catholic Christians also respond that they will be saved, that they have hope and confidence that God will give them the grace of perseverance; that they will respond to it; and accept his gift of salvation until their death. This acknowledges the third meaning the words "saved" and "salvation" has in scripture--the future deliverance of believers at the Second Coming of Christ.

Rom 5:9

How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath.

In the final analysis we must follow the words of St. Paul and work out our salvation, principally by deepening our understanding of Christ’s love for us and striving to live holy lives always relying on divine grace.

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Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 14, 2016 

Jer 38: 4-6, 8-10
Hebrews 12:1-4
Luke 12:49-53

The sayings of Jesus in today’s gospel are rather strange and somewhat shocking. What is this fire that our Lord is talking about? Is he to receive a second baptism? And is the prince of peace advocating division and strife instead of concord? These particular sayings are rather striking because Jesus refers to himself in the first person, a rarity in the synoptic gospels.

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it was already blazing!” In this particular context Jesus is not referring to the fires of judgment or to division, which he will speak of later. Recall that on the day of Pentecost tongues of fire descended upon the apostles. Jesus then is filled with the spirit and his zeal knows no bounds to complete his mission here on earth, which means going up to Jerusalem to suffer and be crucified and on the third day to rise. It is the fire of heat and light.It is the fire that cleanses and purifies.It is the fire of God’s presence as in the burning bush that Moses saw, as in the pillar of fire that accompanied the Israelites in the desert. As a purifying fire it can also bring pain and purification but it ultimately leads to conversion and liberation.

His passion then is the baptism, which he speaks of in today’s gospel. Later on in Luke’s gospel our Lord makes reference to this baptism again; “For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be [in his day]. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation” [17:24-25]

The anguish, which Jesus experiences, is not that of anxiety or stress but really the zeal to accomplish the work of his Father. It is this zeal to accomplish his mission, which is the cause of the division of which Christ speaks of today. Christ desires that we have the same zeal, which he exhibited in his mission here on earth. When we are filled with zeal to follow Christ we will find peace, however, the peace of Christ is not of this world. Jesus in John’s gospel reminds us that his peace is not given “ as the world gives peace” [John 14:27]. We must be aware that to receive Christ’s peace, which only comes through the cross will at times set us in conflict with others. 

To welcome the peace of Christ in our lives is to choose his kingdom, which entails detaching ourselves from, all that is in contraction to Christ and his Gospel. Sometimes we do this very well at other times we retreat into our own little world to avoid conflict. The prophet Jeremiah in today’s first reading is a good example of one who chose to take a stand in the face of conflict. Jeremiah is a personification of Christ and like Christ he was willing to turn himself over to the authorities rather than to lose his life, that life which is eternal. A prophet is always in some way a contradiction, by remaining faithful to the word of God the prophet is at times misunderstood and is mistreated by the people. 

Because of our baptism we too must be set aflame with the passion of Christ and set our world on fire with the love of Christ. Every day we must make a conscious effort to focus on Christ who is the beginning and end of our faith. As the author of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us; “…let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” It is Christ who makes it possible for us to persevere to the end because Christ is our peace. 

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Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 7, 2016 

Wisdom 18:6-9
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Luke 12:32-48 

The story of our parents in Faith, Abraham and Sarah is a journey of openness of mind and heart. When the author of The Letter to the Hebrews used the examples of Abraham and Sarah to illustrate to his audience the meaning of faith, he did not really have in mind theological propositions, but an attitude of trust. Not only in the letter to the Hebrews is the example of our parents in faith used to show forth the gift of faith, but also in the Letter to the Romans, Galatians and the epistle of James. Essentially Abraham and Sarah became the paradigms of faith. 

In today’s second reading, Abraham and Sarah had the capacity to shape a vision of the future informed by the promise of God and to project themselves forward into that future. The term promise is repeated numerous times in the text. Abraham aware of the promises of God, first had to possess a new land and be willing to become a foreigner, leaving what he knew to enter into a strange land. He spent many years as a nomad, living in tents, following the promise, which eventually led him to the ultimate promise land, the City of God.  Sarah herself, taking up the promise was able to conceive through natural means to produce numerous descendants. 

In the first reading the people of Israel, having been enslaved and putting their trust in God decided to flee Egypt. In so doing, they put themselves at great risk, but at the same time remembering the benevolence of God in the past trusted in a future they could not see. The people had to wait on the Lord, not really knowing what they were waiting for. It is the loyal servant in the gospel who waits for his master’s return that will be rewarded; “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” The gospel tells us that the master will actually serve them! This alludes to the heavenly banquet, for such is the reward for those who have been faithful.

So what dose faith mean for you? Is it something abstract? Is it real? Is it merely academic? When St. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus declared to him that this revelation did not come “from flesh and blood,” but from “my Father who is in heaven.” Faith is then a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him. And so believing is possible only by grace, yet faith is also a human act, because trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed are contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason. As St. Thomas Aquinas puts it: “Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace.” [CCC 154]

What Abraham and Sarah teaches us, what Jesus in today’s gospel teaches us, what the people of Israel teaches us is that faith is about one’s disposition towards God. Faith is not about wishing something good to happen, it is not about gaining material wealth, but it is about being open to the will of God in our lives. It is about using all of our human capacities to seek after the promises of God. It is very instructive that Abraham spent many years wondering and living in tents, yet his faith increased as time when on. Abraham and Sarah never received all that was promised them, “They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth.” Yet they believed!  Faith then cannot be calculated or measured by our perceived rewards or material gains, but faith is that disposition that connects us to God despite the challenges of life. 

A life of faith does have its rewards, for we are promised blessings, yet we do not have control of those blessings. The people of Israel were freed from their bondage only to wonder in the wilderness facing yet another test of faith. Abraham offered his son in sacrifice not knowing if the ultimate price would be paid. If he had been assured that Isaac’s life would be spared, then it would not have been a matter of faith. To live in faith then is to live in hope, trusting God and carrying out our responsibilities. In this way we cling to our dreams when failure is all around us. Through faith we enter into the lives of others, faith helps us to endure heartbreaks, disappointments and diminishments we all must and will face. But it is faith that is the inner light that enables us to carry on in the darkness [Bergant, 2000]. 

Let us continue our journey of faith, with hearts and minds open to the will of God. For faith seeks understanding [St. Anselm], we who believe must desire to know better the God in whom we have placed our hope. For the more we know God the deeper our faith becomes and our hearts will be open to receive and give divine love. St. Augustine tells us “I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe.” May we always have on our lips the prayer, “I believe Lord, help my unbelief.”

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Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 17, 2016 

Gen 18:1-10
Col 1:24-28
Luke 10:38-42 

The appearance of three strangers to Abraham was an occasion to show hospitality. This was instinctive not only for Abraham but for the people of the ancient world. Hospitality is essential in every place and culture. For Christians it is still highly regarded and a very necessary virtue. What Abraham did for the Lord and his companions was really nothing extraordinary, it was expected. And yet Abraham was rewarded for his hospitality.  

The scene in the house of Martha and Mary was one of entertaining, and someone had to take care of the guest, Martha felt obliged to do it. Hospitality was indeed a virtue in this household as well. There are a number of passages from sacred scripture, which compel us to show charity and to be aware of the needs of others. Many of the early saints wrote about charity and hospitality. In the Rule of St. Benedict a chapter is dedicated to the manner of receiving guests.  

“Let all guests who come to the Monastery be entertained like Christ Himself, because He will say: “I was a stranger and ye took Me in.”187 

187Matth. xxv. 35. Let due honour be paid to all, especially to those who are of the household of the Faith, and to travellers. As soon, therefore, as a guest is announced, let the Prior or the Brethren go to meet him with all show of charity. First let them pray together, and so be associated to each other in peace. The kiss of peace shall not be offered till after prayer, because of the illusions of the devil. And in the salutation itself let all humility be shewn. By bowing the head or prostrating on the ground before all the guests who come or go, let Christ Who is received in their persons be also adored in them.” [RB LIII] 

And so our tradition teaches us that we should receive each other as if we were receiving Christ. Martha was doing what was expected and so was Mary. The point is that hospitality is a means of finding and serving Christ. Once we have found him or rather he has found us we are to set everything else aside and listen to his words. The story of Martha and Mary can be seen as a parable in action. Whereas last Sunday’s gospel story of the Good Samaritan stressed the importance of action, or practical love, in the life of the disciple, this story stresses the importance of contemplation. Both of these virtues are necessary for a balanced Christian life.  

In the religious life, those communities who are considered contemplative or cloistered are still expected to welcome guests and show hospitality, while the more active groups are expected to take certain periods of time during the year for private contemplation and retreat. The Church demands this of her priests and religious and certainly encourages this balance among her members. Jesus himself in the midst of preaching and teaching took time with his disciples and withdrew from the crowds to rest. We are to do the same.  

In our very busy world the Sunday obligation to attend mass should be seen as a time of grace which we set aside to sit at the feet of Jesus to listen to his words read from the scriptures and to receive him in the sacrament. This is our time to leave the busyness behind just for a moment and to simply sit and contemplate the divine presence. If we could spend some quiet time with God our lives would be calmer, less driven by anxiety and worry, and deeper and richer. In fact, everything would benefit; our spiritual life, our relationships, even our work [McCarthy].

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Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 10, 2016

DT 30:10-14
Col 1:15-20
Luke 10:25-37

Moses in the first reading is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites, a people who had tried him and God for many years as they wondered in the desert. The saga of the Israelites is well known. So often they defied God, and went their own way, and yet just as often Moses lead them back to the God who had saved them from Pharaoh. It was Moses who gave the law to the Israelites and encouraged them to obey its precepts. We should not be mislead about the many commandments and decrees that the people of Israel had to follow, for all of these were summed up in one commandment; that there was only one God, the God of Israel and only he was to be served. 

In our day so many find it a burden to observe laws, whether they are the law of the land or the law of God. Laws are necessary to maintain order and the well being of society. Laws and regulations are necessary within the Church as Benedict our pope emeritus pointed out in his Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum”: “Since time immemorial it has been necessary – as it is also for the future – to maintain the principle according to which ‘each particular Church must concur with the universal Church, not only as regards the doctrine of the faith and the sacramental signs, but also as regards the usages universally accepted by uninterrupted apostolic tradition, which must be observed not only to avoid errors but also to transmit the integrity of the faith, because the Church’s law of prayer [lex orandi] corresponds to her law of faith [lex credendi].’”  This means that the law of prayer is the law of faith: the Church believes as she prays. [CCC 1124]

The laws and regulations and the traditions of the Church are not meant to confine us or even to control us, their purpose is to lead and guide us towards Christ who is our salvation. We tend to feel imprison if we look at such laws and regulations as being elements that are foreign or apart from us. As Moses pointed out to the people of Israel, the commandment he was giving them was not mysterious and remote from them, no, it was very near to them, already in their mouths and in their hearts, they only needed to carry it out. The people of Israel prayed well, for the law was with them, they knew it and yet they were not following it through their faith, which meant through their actions. St. Paul tells us that the great gifts are faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. Love is faith put into action. Love is not a theory, it is compassion and solidarity that is informed by the way we pray, lex orandi, lex credendi!

The gospel story today illustrates this relationship of prayer and belief nicely. The more one reads the gospel - and especially the Gospel according to Luke - the more one feels that the core of Christian living is service to the human family, the whole human family. Of course, we must believe in the message that God has revealed to us but, as the Letter of James says, "faith without good works is dead". 

There can be no orthodoxy (correctness of belief) without orthopraxis (correctness of behavior). Clearly, we must spend time praying and worshipping both individually and together. Yet is not our worship a time to become more deeply aware of the oneness of all creation, of the interlocking relationships between human beings first and then with all living and non-living things, and the God who is above all and in all?

We term this our Christian calling but, in fact, it is the calling of all human beings. Our Christian vocation does not put us on a higher or separated level from others. It rather helps us to grasp that the Way of Christ is the way of all true human living.

In today's Gospel story is one of the most famous stories told by Jesus. There are four people. There is a priest, who is a Jew and, besides, a man of deep religious convictions. There is a Levite, also a Jew, and also a religious person and a member of the priestly caste. There is a Samaritan, whom we only know as some kind of merchant. We know nothing about his religious convictions (although in those days a totally non-religious person would be rare); it seems that his religious faith is irrelevant to the story. Finally, there is a fourth person lying severely injured on the road. Who is this person? What was he by profession? We think of him most likely as another Jew, otherwise the point of the other Jews passing by loses some of its force. But he could have been a Samaritan, or another priest, or another Levite, or someone else altogether...

As far as the story goes, it is totally irrelevant what labels could be attached to him. The only thing that matters is that here is a human person who is deeply in need of help. In such a situation, the response to be given is perfectly clear. Forget about your own ambitions, or what other people will think about you. Forget about your personal desires and fears, which lock you into a kind of prison.

Forget about your "religious" obligations. Were the priest and the Levite on the way to the Temple in Jerusalem? If so, they could not risk coming in physical contact with the injured man if, as was most likely, he was bleeding. Contact with blood would have rendered them "unclean" and prevented them from carrying out their Temple obligations. 

Forget about the moral condition of the person to be helped. It is again totally irrelevant to the story how the injured man got into this situation. He may have been quite stupid to be traveling alone along a road that was notorious for robberies and hijackings. He might even have been a highwayman who had been beaten up by those he intended to rob!

For Jesus, in telling this story, none of these considerations mattered. What did matter was that this injured man now had a higher priority than the concerns of the other three. But only one of the three others - and he was a despised, non-believing outsider - responded to the injured man's immediate and urgent need. Yet one is given the impression that the Samaritan was the one most likely to be in a hurry. However, not only did he break his journey to apply first aid, he even went out of his way to bring the man to a hostel where he could rest and recover. He paid the expenses as well. 

The key word in the story (and it is used twice) is "compassion" or "mercy". This is not the same as pity. Compassion implies a deep feeling of brotherhood by which one can enter into the suffering of the other and share it. Moreover, the "neighbor" in the story is not so much the man who was helped. The neighbor, the Gospel says, is "the one who showed compassion". A true neighbor is one who shows compassion to a totally unknown other person who is in need of help.  

The Samaritan showed by his actions what he actually believed. Jews and Samaritans were enemies. By his actions this particular Samaritan showed that he followed the law of love. Another way of putting it is that he realized that there was no law against love. The woman who anointed the feet of Jesus was forgiven because of her great love. The way we pray should reflect and inform the way we believe and therefore the way we love. There can never be any rupture between the two.   

The law we must follow will always be burdensome if it is seen outside the context of the love of God. God’s law must live within us daily. That is why we sign our head, lips and heart at the reading of the gospel, to remind us that God’s word must become a part of us informing our entire lives. It should be our daily prayer, which gives clear reflection on our actions. The way we pray both privately and publicly should give a clear indication of what we believe. 

The lawyer’s question in today’s gospel was meant to embarrass Jesus. Jesus turns the question on the lawyer who tries again by asking for a clearer definition of neighbor. We know the law of God, that is love and we know who are neighbor is, anyone in need. Let us embrace it that it may become our prayer so that we may live it in our daily lives. May our prayer always correspond to our belief. 

 

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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 3, 2016

Isaiah 66:10-14c
Galatians 6:14-18
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

The sending out of the seventy-two disciples in today’s gospel is in addition to the sending out of the apostles on mission.  Who the 72 are is a mystery; they are never given names, nor do they appear in any Gospel other than Luke’s, and in Luke they appear only in this passage.  The 72 are important, for, when Jesus later asks the Twelve if they remember the instructions he gave for their mission, what Jesus recites are portions of what he said to the 72, not to the Twelve!   The seventy-two disciples symbolize the future expansion of the good news beyond the boundaries of Israel. They were to go to the places Jesus intended to visit and their greeting was to be “Peace”. The harvest was ready because the planting and growing had already been accomplished, they were to go out as laborers and bring in what had previously been planted. 

As Christians we are members of something greater than ourselves. We make up the body of Christ, which is the Church. So often today’s gospel is understood as a vocation gospel, pointing towards those who are seeking a life of service in the church as priests and religious. However, when this gospel was written there were no priests and religious, as we understand the terms today. This gospel message is for all members of the church. We are the ones who are to go out into the world and labor on behalf of Christ. 

This past week we celebrated the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. Paul is the greatest of missionaries in the history of the church. The church’s growth throughout the world is due in large part to her missionary endeavors.  St. Paul in his missionary journeys spread the Christian faith among the nations by showing its relevance to the lives of people he encountered. The Church has always pushed its boundaries in the world, not only in a geographical sense, but also pushing her concerns on social and moral issues.  In this light the Church has always been pressed to be creative in her message, it is the church that is semper reformanda a church always in need of renewal and reform. 

As we gather in this holy place in the presence of God in word and sacrament, relying on the prayers of the saints, we must be cognizant of the fact that by virtue of our baptism we too are called to be prophets and missionaries. The Church’s work is accomplished by her sons and daughters, not only priests and religious but in a profound way lay people who have an essential role. The laity’s “apostolate is exercised when they work to evangelize people and make them holy; it is exercised, too, when they endeavor to have the Gospel spirit permeate and improve the temporal order, going about it in a way that bears clear witness to Christ and helps forward the salvation of humanity. The characteristic of the lay state being a life led in the midst of the world and of secular affairs, lay people are called by God to make of their apostolate, through the vigor of their Christian spirit, a leaven in the world.” [Apostolicam Actuositatem 2]

One word that occurs in all three readings today is "peace". Isaiah, in the First Reading, speaks of God sending "flowing peace, like a river". Paul speaks of the peace and mercy that come to all who become that transformed person in Jesus Christ. And, in the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to bring peace with them to every house they enter. This peace is not dependent on outside circumstances. It can exist even when we are surrounded by storms. It is the peace Jesus experienced after his prayer in the garden. It is the peace that Paul experiences, even though he has had his share of the "cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" and who bears in his own body the marks of Jesus' pain and suffering. [Doyle]

The mission of the seventy-two disciples must become our mission also. As God allowed peace to envelope Jerusalem during its restoration and the joy of its inhabitants who had previously mourned for the city was now fulfilled. We must become active laborers in our society contributing to the common good and promoting peace. 

May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts and in our land and may God bless our nation. 

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