Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/013112.cfm
"The child is not dead but asleep." This statement from Jesus seemed foolish to those who knew Jairus' daughter was dead; in fact, it prompted them to ridicule him. However, Jesus is God; and so is Lord of death; therefore, bringing someone back from the dead is as easy for him as waking someone from sleep is for us. It is no problem because, with Jesus, death does not have the final word.
With us who are united by Christ through faith and love, death and its parent, sin do not have to have the final word either. The sins that are impossible for us to overcome are possible for Christ to overcome. All we need is to hear Christ saying to us what he said to Jairus: "Do not be afraid; just have faith," that is, "Don't be afraid of the sins and vices that are more powerful than you; just believe that I love you and will overcome these things in you."
May Christ give us the hope not to despair of our weaknesses but to confidently expect his help and protection.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Reflection for Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/013012.cfm
"Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
I would think if we were possessed by an evil spirit, we would not find it to be too much fun. In fact, we would hate it and would want to be delivered from it. We would not see the demon as our friend.
We tend to be "possessed" by some of the following "demons": pride, judgmental spirit, impatience, lust, greed, envy, and hate. Yet, we find them to be fun. We do not hate them, and maybe we do not want to be delivered from them. We see these "demons" as our friends. Why is this? Because they bring us a certain degree of pleasure and happiness. The pleasure is short-lived though, as it only lasts while we are engaged in the sinful behavior. Once the deed is done, we are left with feelings of guilt and emptiness. These negative consequences should clue us in that sin is not our friend.
You know what we need? We need our Lord to open our eyes to the fact that sin is just as bad for us as an evil spirit would be if it possessed us. We really need to see sin for what it is and what it does to us, so that we will hate it like we would hate being possessed by the devil. Plus, until we get a truthful perspective on sin, we will miss out on the power of gratitude in our lives; for why should we go to our family and friends and "announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for us" if he has merely "delivered" us from something that is a friend?
May Christ have pity on us by opening our eyes to the fact that he is our friend and that all things that oppose him are not our friend.
"Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
I would think if we were possessed by an evil spirit, we would not find it to be too much fun. In fact, we would hate it and would want to be delivered from it. We would not see the demon as our friend.
We tend to be "possessed" by some of the following "demons": pride, judgmental spirit, impatience, lust, greed, envy, and hate. Yet, we find them to be fun. We do not hate them, and maybe we do not want to be delivered from them. We see these "demons" as our friends. Why is this? Because they bring us a certain degree of pleasure and happiness. The pleasure is short-lived though, as it only lasts while we are engaged in the sinful behavior. Once the deed is done, we are left with feelings of guilt and emptiness. These negative consequences should clue us in that sin is not our friend.
You know what we need? We need our Lord to open our eyes to the fact that sin is just as bad for us as an evil spirit would be if it possessed us. We really need to see sin for what it is and what it does to us, so that we will hate it like we would hate being possessed by the devil. Plus, until we get a truthful perspective on sin, we will miss out on the power of gratitude in our lives; for why should we go to our family and friends and "announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for us" if he has merely "delivered" us from something that is a friend?
May Christ have pity on us by opening our eyes to the fact that he is our friend and that all things that oppose him are not our friend.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Letter from Daniel Jenky, Bishop of Peoria, Illinois About Secularism
The attached letter is long but well worth the read! The bulk of the letter begins on p. 6.
http://www.cdop.org/pdfs/festival/DRJFestivalLetter2012.pdf
http://www.cdop.org/pdfs/festival/DRJFestivalLetter2012.pdf
Reflection for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012912.cfm
"He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
It is not too often when we can learn from the example of a demon, but today's Gospel affords us such an opportunity. When Jesus is confronted by a man possessed with an unclean spirit, he commands the demon to come out of the man; and the demon obeys him. Would that we were as obedient to Christ's commands!
To be sure, the demon obeyed Christ out of compulsion, that is, he was forced against his will; whereas, we should obey Christ out of willingness and love. In addition, the demon was worried that Christ had come to destroy him; whereas, we know that Christ has come, not to destroy us, but to free us from the "demon" of sin in our lives and to take us to his home in heaven where we will be eternally happy. In other words, Christ's saving love for us is the best motivation we have for obeying him out of love, not out of fear.
When Christ commands, he simultaneously gives the power to obey. May we humbly depend on that power so that we can be freed of the "unclean spirits" in our life.
"He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
It is not too often when we can learn from the example of a demon, but today's Gospel affords us such an opportunity. When Jesus is confronted by a man possessed with an unclean spirit, he commands the demon to come out of the man; and the demon obeys him. Would that we were as obedient to Christ's commands!
To be sure, the demon obeyed Christ out of compulsion, that is, he was forced against his will; whereas, we should obey Christ out of willingness and love. In addition, the demon was worried that Christ had come to destroy him; whereas, we know that Christ has come, not to destroy us, but to free us from the "demon" of sin in our lives and to take us to his home in heaven where we will be eternally happy. In other words, Christ's saving love for us is the best motivation we have for obeying him out of love, not out of fear.
When Christ commands, he simultaneously gives the power to obey. May we humbly depend on that power so that we can be freed of the "unclean spirits" in our life.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Reflection for the Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012812.cfm
"They were filled with great awe and said to one another, 'Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?'"
Fear. It is a part of the human experience. We are afraid of many things including heights, insects, public places, public speaking, the opinions of others, and above all, death.
In today's Gospel, the disciples were afraid of a great storm that came up on the Sea of Galilee. To be honest, I think we would have been freaked out by the storm too. The squalls that would arise suddenly on the Sea of Galilee were quite violent.
But something happens to the fear of the disciples after Jesus calms the storm. It is not only transferred from the storm to Jesus, but it is also transformed from unhealthy fear to awe and worship.
I think the example of the disciples gives us a key for conquering our fears and anxieties. The more we fear God, that is, worship him with wonder and awe, the less impressed we will be with the things that frighten us, and the less we will fear them.
May God strengthen us to be more impressed with him whom the things that cause us fear obey than the things themselves.
"They were filled with great awe and said to one another, 'Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?'"
Fear. It is a part of the human experience. We are afraid of many things including heights, insects, public places, public speaking, the opinions of others, and above all, death.
In today's Gospel, the disciples were afraid of a great storm that came up on the Sea of Galilee. To be honest, I think we would have been freaked out by the storm too. The squalls that would arise suddenly on the Sea of Galilee were quite violent.
But something happens to the fear of the disciples after Jesus calms the storm. It is not only transferred from the storm to Jesus, but it is also transformed from unhealthy fear to awe and worship.
I think the example of the disciples gives us a key for conquering our fears and anxieties. The more we fear God, that is, worship him with wonder and awe, the less impressed we will be with the things that frighten us, and the less we will fear them.
May God strengthen us to be more impressed with him whom the things that cause us fear obey than the things themselves.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Reflection for Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012712.cfm
"And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."
Have you ever known someone whose company leaves you feeling annoyed and aggravated rather than refreshed?
Now, Jesus loves us; but I wonder if our company is refreshing to him like fresh fruits and vegetables at harvest, or if it is more like rotten fruits and vegetables. Certainly our Lord is more patient with us than we are with those whose company is like rotten fruits and vegetables; but we should work, with the strength the indwelling Christ provides, at being a delight to the Lord.
I sometimes wonder if the reason we are not a delight to the Lord is because we do not see him as a delight. In other words, we do not see him as refreshing like fresh fruits and vegetables. Maybe we think he is too stern, critical, and hard to get along with. Maybe we are bitter with him because he allowed suffering in our lives or did not do something for us we thought he should have done.
If any of these is true, then we need to be honest with the Lord about our struggles with him. If we cannot talk to him, then we should talk to Mary and/or our patron saint. It might also be helpful to talk to a Christian whom we trust and respect, and who will give us good advice.
May our Lord allow us to experience the delight that is his love, so that our presence will be a delight to him and others.
"And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."
Have you ever known someone whose company leaves you feeling annoyed and aggravated rather than refreshed?
Now, Jesus loves us; but I wonder if our company is refreshing to him like fresh fruits and vegetables at harvest, or if it is more like rotten fruits and vegetables. Certainly our Lord is more patient with us than we are with those whose company is like rotten fruits and vegetables; but we should work, with the strength the indwelling Christ provides, at being a delight to the Lord.
I sometimes wonder if the reason we are not a delight to the Lord is because we do not see him as a delight. In other words, we do not see him as refreshing like fresh fruits and vegetables. Maybe we think he is too stern, critical, and hard to get along with. Maybe we are bitter with him because he allowed suffering in our lives or did not do something for us we thought he should have done.
If any of these is true, then we need to be honest with the Lord about our struggles with him. If we cannot talk to him, then we should talk to Mary and/or our patron saint. It might also be helpful to talk to a Christian whom we trust and respect, and who will give us good advice.
May our Lord allow us to experience the delight that is his love, so that our presence will be a delight to him and others.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Reflection for the Memorial of Ss. Timothy and Titus, Bishops
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012612.cfm
Are we ashamed of our Lord?
In middle school, I went through a period of time when I did not want my friends to see me with my parents. I realize this is probably a normal part of adolescence; nevertheless, I look back on it with some regret. The truth is, I was ashamed of my parents; however, they were good parents and deserved better from me.
If we should not be ashamed of our earthly parents who were good but not perfect, then how much more should we not be ashamed of our heavenly Father who is all good and has loved us perfectly? Yet, if we are honest, we probably have to admit that there are times when we take the light of God's love in our lives and hide it under a bushel basket because we are ashamed to let it shine.
What causes us to be ashamed of the God who has loved us to the point of death? It is fear of persecution. God understands this, so to counter the fear, he has given to us the gift of courage in Confirmation. It is through courage that God the Holy Spirit strengthens us to say with St. Paul, even in the face of persecution, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ."
May God the Holy Spirit fill us with courage, so that we will never be ashamed of the God who has infinitely loved us in Christ.
Are we ashamed of our Lord?
In middle school, I went through a period of time when I did not want my friends to see me with my parents. I realize this is probably a normal part of adolescence; nevertheless, I look back on it with some regret. The truth is, I was ashamed of my parents; however, they were good parents and deserved better from me.
If we should not be ashamed of our earthly parents who were good but not perfect, then how much more should we not be ashamed of our heavenly Father who is all good and has loved us perfectly? Yet, if we are honest, we probably have to admit that there are times when we take the light of God's love in our lives and hide it under a bushel basket because we are ashamed to let it shine.
What causes us to be ashamed of the God who has loved us to the point of death? It is fear of persecution. God understands this, so to counter the fear, he has given to us the gift of courage in Confirmation. It is through courage that God the Holy Spirit strengthens us to say with St. Paul, even in the face of persecution, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ."
May God the Holy Spirit fill us with courage, so that we will never be ashamed of the God who has infinitely loved us in Christ.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Reflection for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, the Apostle
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012512.cfm
For today's Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, I share with you a quote from a homily on St. Paul by St. John Chrysostom, an Archbishop of Constantinople who lived in the fourth century:
"The most important thing of all to him, however, was that he knew himself to be loved by Christ. Enjoying this love, he considered himself happier than anyone else; were he without it, it would be no satisfaction to be the friend of principalities and powers. He preferred to be thus loved and be the least of all, or even to be among the damned, than to be without that love and be among the great and honored. To be separated from that love was, in his eyes, the greatest and most extraordinary of torments; the pain of that loss would alone have been hell, and endless, unbearable torture."May the Lord Jesus Christ open the eyes of our hearts to see his unfathomable love for us, for until we see it, we will always have something missing in our lives.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Reflection for the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012412.cfm
"For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
One of the things that unites family members is DNA. It is what causes us, sometimes, to look and act alike. Jesus lets us know in today's Gospel that there is a sense in which the same is true in our spiritual family, the Church.
Jesus, as the second person of the Trinity, has God's "DNA" by nature. As such, it was his nature always to obey the will of God the Father. This is because it is God's nature to love, so Christ always loved the Father and his fellow men and women perfectly.
Through baptism, we were given God's "DNA"; so we share in the divine nature. We share in the divine nature, or are participants in it, by grace; whereas, Christ had God's "DNA" by nature.
Since we share in God's nature, we need to act as Christ acted by loving God and our neighbor as Christ loves them. When we love, we are doing the will of God; and we reveal that we are brothers and sisters of Christ because we have the same DNA, that is, God's "DNA".
May God give us the wisdom to see the love he has for us in giving us his nature, and may he give us the strength to act in accordance with that nature.
"For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
One of the things that unites family members is DNA. It is what causes us, sometimes, to look and act alike. Jesus lets us know in today's Gospel that there is a sense in which the same is true in our spiritual family, the Church.
Jesus, as the second person of the Trinity, has God's "DNA" by nature. As such, it was his nature always to obey the will of God the Father. This is because it is God's nature to love, so Christ always loved the Father and his fellow men and women perfectly.
Through baptism, we were given God's "DNA"; so we share in the divine nature. We share in the divine nature, or are participants in it, by grace; whereas, Christ had God's "DNA" by nature.
Since we share in God's nature, we need to act as Christ acted by loving God and our neighbor as Christ loves them. When we love, we are doing the will of God; and we reveal that we are brothers and sisters of Christ because we have the same DNA, that is, God's "DNA".
May God give us the wisdom to see the love he has for us in giving us his nature, and may he give us the strength to act in accordance with that nature.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Reflection for Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012312.cfm
"But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man."
In today's Gospel, Jesus not only proves to the scribes how illogical it is for them to accuse him of working for Satan, but he also points out to them that he, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has "tied up" Satan, the "strong man." Christ's kingdom has defeated Satan's kingdom.
Christ's victory over Satan is good news for us because we tend to get ourselves enslaved to a sin or two, and it give us hope that the Christ who is in us is greater than the sins that hold us in their grasp.
Overcoming sinful patterns and addictions is not easy. There is no magical cure, and they will not disappear over night. In fact, some of these temptations may be with us for the rest of our lives. God allows them to be in our lives to humble us and raise us to a deeper dependence on himself through prayer.
There are many channels God has given us through which he strengthens us in our fight against sin, e.g., prayer, fasting, practicing the opposite virtues, weekly reception of the Eucharist and frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation. We should avail ourselves of these.
In addition, I highly recommend the following: let us meaningfully say, at least, three Hail Mary's every day concerning the sins that entrap us. Mary, as mother and queen of Jesus the King, was never in Satan's kingdom by sin. God's grace so filled her from the moment of her conception that she never said "no" to God's will and "yes" to Satan's will; therefore, she, with the strength she receives from Christ the Mediator, can and will help us overcome our sins. With Christ her Son, she earnestly longs for our growth in the faith, for she wants to see her Son glorified in us.
May our Lord, through the intercession of his mother and ours, "tie up" the "strong man" in our lives each time we are tempted.
"But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man."
In today's Gospel, Jesus not only proves to the scribes how illogical it is for them to accuse him of working for Satan, but he also points out to them that he, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has "tied up" Satan, the "strong man." Christ's kingdom has defeated Satan's kingdom.
Christ's victory over Satan is good news for us because we tend to get ourselves enslaved to a sin or two, and it give us hope that the Christ who is in us is greater than the sins that hold us in their grasp.
Overcoming sinful patterns and addictions is not easy. There is no magical cure, and they will not disappear over night. In fact, some of these temptations may be with us for the rest of our lives. God allows them to be in our lives to humble us and raise us to a deeper dependence on himself through prayer.
There are many channels God has given us through which he strengthens us in our fight against sin, e.g., prayer, fasting, practicing the opposite virtues, weekly reception of the Eucharist and frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation. We should avail ourselves of these.
In addition, I highly recommend the following: let us meaningfully say, at least, three Hail Mary's every day concerning the sins that entrap us. Mary, as mother and queen of Jesus the King, was never in Satan's kingdom by sin. God's grace so filled her from the moment of her conception that she never said "no" to God's will and "yes" to Satan's will; therefore, she, with the strength she receives from Christ the Mediator, can and will help us overcome our sins. With Christ her Son, she earnestly longs for our growth in the faith, for she wants to see her Son glorified in us.
May our Lord, through the intercession of his mother and ours, "tie up" the "strong man" in our lives each time we are tempted.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012212.cfm
In today's Gospel, Jesus begins to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God, and calls four of the twelve disciples.
There is a sense in which the Kingdom of God is Christ himself, so when he says the Kingdom of God has come near, he means that he has come near. Through our baptism, and many ways every day, Christ, in his great love for us, has come near us. He longs for our love and wants to make us loving like himself, which will make us true human beings and bring us the happiness we so desire.
So, what specific thing or things in our lives keeps us from fully opening ourselves to the love of Christ? If it is something inherently sinful, then, by God's grace, we need to repent of it and abstain from it. If it is something that is not inherently sinful, then we either need to back off of it and enjoy it in moderation, or we need to eliminate it entirely from our lives if it is something we cannot love in moderation. God will give us the wisdom to know the difference.
The truth is, nothing and nobody will ever love us like Jesus. For us either to eliminate something totally from our lives, or to cut back on it, is well worth it in light of the deeper relationship with Christ, and the betterment of ourselves, we will gain.
May Christ, who comes near us every day with his loving presence, give us the wisdom and strength to open our hearts completely to him.
In today's Gospel, Jesus begins to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God, and calls four of the twelve disciples.
There is a sense in which the Kingdom of God is Christ himself, so when he says the Kingdom of God has come near, he means that he has come near. Through our baptism, and many ways every day, Christ, in his great love for us, has come near us. He longs for our love and wants to make us loving like himself, which will make us true human beings and bring us the happiness we so desire.
So, what specific thing or things in our lives keeps us from fully opening ourselves to the love of Christ? If it is something inherently sinful, then, by God's grace, we need to repent of it and abstain from it. If it is something that is not inherently sinful, then we either need to back off of it and enjoy it in moderation, or we need to eliminate it entirely from our lives if it is something we cannot love in moderation. God will give us the wisdom to know the difference.
The truth is, nothing and nobody will ever love us like Jesus. For us either to eliminate something totally from our lives, or to cut back on it, is well worth it in light of the deeper relationship with Christ, and the betterment of ourselves, we will gain.
May Christ, who comes near us every day with his loving presence, give us the wisdom and strength to open our hearts completely to him.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Reflection for the Memorial of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012112.cfm
In today's Gospel, Christ's relatives accuse him of being a madman. I imagine their misunderstanding hurt our Lord deeply.
I have never done a study of the personality traits of cult madmen like Charles Manson; but there are, at least, two ways Christ was different than they.
First, cult madmen are deeply egocentric and narcissistic; and in the end, they are only in it for themselves. They manipulate their followers for the glorification of their massive egos. In contrast, Christ was deeply humble and lived his whole life for others; he loved humanity more than himself.
Second, cult madmen lead their followers into depravity and debauchery, which makes their followers worse human beings. In contrast, Christ leads his followers into true love and holiness, which makes them better human beings.
If we believe Christ is not a madman but has the best grip on reality of anyone who has ever lived, then let us love him more deeply by following his teachings. The more we are like him, the more sane we will be, though the world may think we, too, are madmen.
In today's Gospel, Christ's relatives accuse him of being a madman. I imagine their misunderstanding hurt our Lord deeply.
I have never done a study of the personality traits of cult madmen like Charles Manson; but there are, at least, two ways Christ was different than they.
First, cult madmen are deeply egocentric and narcissistic; and in the end, they are only in it for themselves. They manipulate their followers for the glorification of their massive egos. In contrast, Christ was deeply humble and lived his whole life for others; he loved humanity more than himself.
Second, cult madmen lead their followers into depravity and debauchery, which makes their followers worse human beings. In contrast, Christ leads his followers into true love and holiness, which makes them better human beings.
If we believe Christ is not a madman but has the best grip on reality of anyone who has ever lived, then let us love him more deeply by following his teachings. The more we are like him, the more sane we will be, though the world may think we, too, are madmen.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Comment on Summa, Part 1, Question 2, Article 1
In this article, St. Thomas asks, "Whether the existence of God is self-evident?" He answers thus:
We come to know that God exists through the effects he has created, effects that are self-evident to us because we experience them with our five senses. In other words, from the visible creation, we learn that the invisible God exists (for the wonder, order, and beauty of creation could not have happened on its own, for nothing is the cause of its own existence) and that he is all-powerful (for only a being with unlimited power could have created such an amazing world).
"Therefore I say that this proposition, 'God exists,' is of itself self-evident, for the predicate is the same as the subject, because God is his own existence....Now because we do not know the essence of God, the proposition is not self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are more known to us, though less known in their nature--namely, by effects."The reason why the existence of God is not self-evident (not needing to be demonstrated or explained; obvious) to us is because we do not know the essence (what a thing is) of God; and if we do not know the essence of God, then we cannot know what makes up his essence. For example, the proposition, "Fire is hot," is self-evident to us because we know, in some measure, the essence of fire and that heat is part of that essence. Heat is so much a part of what fire is that it is impossible for there to be fire without heat. In contrast, the proposition, "God is existence," is not self-evident to us because we have never experienced God with any of our senses (like we have experienced fire); therefore, it is impossible for us to know that existence is part of his essence.
We come to know that God exists through the effects he has created, effects that are self-evident to us because we experience them with our five senses. In other words, from the visible creation, we learn that the invisible God exists (for the wonder, order, and beauty of creation could not have happened on its own, for nothing is the cause of its own existence) and that he is all-powerful (for only a being with unlimited power could have created such an amazing world).
Reflection for Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012012.cfm
In today's Gospel, Jesus ascends a mountain, the place of prayer and encounter with God, and calls the twelve disciples to be with him, that is, to be one with his prayer to the Father. In calling the disciples, Jesus, in love, took the initiative; he made the first move towards them. From their prayer to the Father through Christ, the disciples received the strength to preach and cast out demons.
Like the disciples, we, through our baptism, are called in love to the mountain, that is, to a relationship with God the Father, which is prayer where God, the lover converses with us, the beloved. All of this is from Christ, who invited us to this union with the Father through himself in love. From this relationship of prayer with the Father through Christ, we receive the strength to preach the good news of the Father's love in Christ through our words and actions, and to overcome the forces of sin and Satan in our lives.
May God always keep our hearts attuned to this loving conversation with himself.
In today's Gospel, Jesus ascends a mountain, the place of prayer and encounter with God, and calls the twelve disciples to be with him, that is, to be one with his prayer to the Father. In calling the disciples, Jesus, in love, took the initiative; he made the first move towards them. From their prayer to the Father through Christ, the disciples received the strength to preach and cast out demons.
Like the disciples, we, through our baptism, are called in love to the mountain, that is, to a relationship with God the Father, which is prayer where God, the lover converses with us, the beloved. All of this is from Christ, who invited us to this union with the Father through himself in love. From this relationship of prayer with the Father through Christ, we receive the strength to preach the good news of the Father's love in Christ through our words and actions, and to overcome the forces of sin and Satan in our lives.
May God always keep our hearts attuned to this loving conversation with himself.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Comment on Summa, Part, 1, Question 1, Ninth Article
In this article, St. Thomas asks, "Whether Holy Scripture should use metaphors?" He answers (in part) thus:
(It is my opinion that the challenge for today's Bible scholars is for them to ascertain correctly when the Bible is speaking metaphorically and when it is recounting a literal historical event.)
"It is befitting Holy Writ to put forward divine and spiritual truths by means of comparisons with material things. For God provides for everything according to the capacity of its nature. Now it is natural to man to attain to intellectual truths through sensible objects, because all our knowledge originates from sense. Hence in Holy Writ, spiritual truths are fittingly taught under the likeness of material things."It is appropriate and necessary for God to reveal spiritual truths (those things revealed by God that cannot be seen with the human eye or fully understood by the human mind) in the Bible through physical images (those things that can be seen with the human eye and understood by the human mind). For example, the Bible often speaks anthropomorphically of God, that is, it describes him using human characteristics. It says God has an "arm" that is strong to save and an "eye" that looks upon humanity. God, as pure spirit, does not have any physical characteristics; but the Bible applies these physical traits to God to help us understand the One whom we cannot see. God has a "strong arm" because he is almighty and has an "eye" because he is everywhere and knows what everybody is thinking and doing. (It is my opinion that God loves us and wants to be known by us; otherwise, he would not have described himself metaphorically in the Bible.)
(It is my opinion that the challenge for today's Bible scholars is for them to ascertain correctly when the Bible is speaking metaphorically and when it is recounting a literal historical event.)
Reflection for Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011912.cfm
In today's Gospel, the crowds pressed upon Christ constantly in an attempt to touch him. It is amazing that we physical human beings can actually touch the God who is pure spirit because he became physical in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Human love needs to express itself through the body and touch the one it loves. How do we physically touch Christ today? We touch Christ, and are touched by him, in the seven sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, since those are the sacraments we repeat the most.
In Reconciliation, the priest stands in the person of Christ, so he is the physical presence of Christ. When the priest pronounces the words of absolution, he speaks for Christ, which is another way of saying that Christ speaks through him. Christ's words, which are spoken by the priest and which we can hear with our physical ears, bring us forgiveness and healing.
In the Holy Eucharist, the physical appearances of bread and wine, which we can see, taste, and touch, point to the deeper reality of the body and blood of Christ, which are present under those appearances. In Holy Communion, Christ touches us in such a way that he is not only inside of our souls, but also our bodies.
God understands that we are physical beings whose faith in his presence and activity in our lives is strengthened when we see physical signs of his presence and activity; therefore, he gave us sacraments: physical things that make God and his saving work present in our lives.
If we want to see and touch Jesus the way the people of his day saw and touched him, then we will have to wait until heaven. For now, he has given us the sacraments, which reveal his presence differently than, but just as fully as, when he walked the earth 2,000 years ago.
May God give us the grace to be among those "who have not seen but believe".
In today's Gospel, the crowds pressed upon Christ constantly in an attempt to touch him. It is amazing that we physical human beings can actually touch the God who is pure spirit because he became physical in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Human love needs to express itself through the body and touch the one it loves. How do we physically touch Christ today? We touch Christ, and are touched by him, in the seven sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, since those are the sacraments we repeat the most.
In Reconciliation, the priest stands in the person of Christ, so he is the physical presence of Christ. When the priest pronounces the words of absolution, he speaks for Christ, which is another way of saying that Christ speaks through him. Christ's words, which are spoken by the priest and which we can hear with our physical ears, bring us forgiveness and healing.
In the Holy Eucharist, the physical appearances of bread and wine, which we can see, taste, and touch, point to the deeper reality of the body and blood of Christ, which are present under those appearances. In Holy Communion, Christ touches us in such a way that he is not only inside of our souls, but also our bodies.
God understands that we are physical beings whose faith in his presence and activity in our lives is strengthened when we see physical signs of his presence and activity; therefore, he gave us sacraments: physical things that make God and his saving work present in our lives.
If we want to see and touch Jesus the way the people of his day saw and touched him, then we will have to wait until heaven. For now, he has given us the sacraments, which reveal his presence differently than, but just as fully as, when he walked the earth 2,000 years ago.
May God give us the grace to be among those "who have not seen but believe".
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Comment on Summa, Part I, Question 1, Fifth Article
In this article, St. Thomas asks, "Whether sacred doctrine is nobler than other sciences?" He answers (in part) thus,
First, the truths which theology asserts are more certain because they are based on the knowledge God has of himself and of all things and has chosen to reveal to humanity, a knowledge that cannot err because God is infallible. In contrast, the knowledge asserted by other speculative sciences (like philosophy, for example) is less certain because it is based on human reason, which can err. (It is my opinion that if an infallible God revealed an infallible message, then he would have created a guardian of that message which he would have given a share in his own infallibility; otherwise, the message would have become corrupted with error, since to err is human.)
Second, the subject matter of which theology treats is of higher worth because it deals with things (namely, the essence of God) that human reason cannot discover on its own or fully understand; whereas, other sciences only treat of those things that reason can discover on its own and fully understand. (It is my opinion that only that which the human mind cannot fully understand, namely God, will keep the mind satisfied; for the mind eventually becomes bored with that which it can understand.)
"Now one speculative science is said to be nobler than another, either by reason of its greater certitude, or by reason of the higher worth of its subject-matter. In both these respects this science surpasses other speculative sciences; in point of greater certitude, because other sciences derive their certitude from the natural light of human reason, which can err; whereas this derives its certitude from the light of divine knowledge, which cannot be misled: in point of the higher worth of its subject-matter because this science treats chiefly of those things which by their sublimity transcend human reason; while other sciences consider only those things which are within reason's grasp."Sacred doctrine (theology) is nobler than other speculative sciences (humanities, liberal arts, those disciplines that are based on logic and abstract thinking rather than empirical data) for two reasons.
First, the truths which theology asserts are more certain because they are based on the knowledge God has of himself and of all things and has chosen to reveal to humanity, a knowledge that cannot err because God is infallible. In contrast, the knowledge asserted by other speculative sciences (like philosophy, for example) is less certain because it is based on human reason, which can err. (It is my opinion that if an infallible God revealed an infallible message, then he would have created a guardian of that message which he would have given a share in his own infallibility; otherwise, the message would have become corrupted with error, since to err is human.)
Second, the subject matter of which theology treats is of higher worth because it deals with things (namely, the essence of God) that human reason cannot discover on its own or fully understand; whereas, other sciences only treat of those things that reason can discover on its own and fully understand. (It is my opinion that only that which the human mind cannot fully understand, namely God, will keep the mind satisfied; for the mind eventually becomes bored with that which it can understand.)
Reflection for Wednesday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011812.cfm
"Jesus looked around at them with anger and was grieved at their hardness of heart."
Something is not right when our religion, which should make us more compassionate and loving people, makes us more hardhearted and arrogant; but this is what happens when we focus on externals, ignore the heart, and major on minors.
Let me give an example. When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I attended a strict Protestant church. Here are some of the rules the church commanded that, if followed, would make one a good Christian: Thou shalt read only the King James Version of the Bible; Thou shalt not listen to rock music; Thou shalt not dance; Thou shalt not drink alcohol; Thou shalt not smoke; Thou shalt not gamble; Thou shalt not go to movie theaters; If thou art a woman, thou shalt not wear makeup or pants; Men and women shalt not swim together in the same pool.
There are a number of problems with thinking that merely staying away from a few forms of entertainment makes one a good Christian, but the biggest problem I found was that I became full of pride because I could keep these rules with relative ease in my own strength; therefore, I did not need humbly to depend on God's grace. The rules were only about outward behavior; they did not deal with matters of the heart. Because I thought so highly of myself and of my ability to keep the rules, I looked down on those who did not keep the rules; I considered them not to be good Christians.
Once, by God's grace, I began to focus on the weightier matters (matters of the heart) of the Christian life like love for God and neighbor, humility, and prayerfulness, I saw what a sinner I was, and the high thoughts I had of myself slowly began to subside. I found I could not produce the weightier matters in my own strength, so in humility, I had to depend on God.
May God give us the strength and wisdom to major on the majors and minor on the minors.
"Jesus looked around at them with anger and was grieved at their hardness of heart."
Something is not right when our religion, which should make us more compassionate and loving people, makes us more hardhearted and arrogant; but this is what happens when we focus on externals, ignore the heart, and major on minors.
Let me give an example. When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I attended a strict Protestant church. Here are some of the rules the church commanded that, if followed, would make one a good Christian: Thou shalt read only the King James Version of the Bible; Thou shalt not listen to rock music; Thou shalt not dance; Thou shalt not drink alcohol; Thou shalt not smoke; Thou shalt not gamble; Thou shalt not go to movie theaters; If thou art a woman, thou shalt not wear makeup or pants; Men and women shalt not swim together in the same pool.
There are a number of problems with thinking that merely staying away from a few forms of entertainment makes one a good Christian, but the biggest problem I found was that I became full of pride because I could keep these rules with relative ease in my own strength; therefore, I did not need humbly to depend on God's grace. The rules were only about outward behavior; they did not deal with matters of the heart. Because I thought so highly of myself and of my ability to keep the rules, I looked down on those who did not keep the rules; I considered them not to be good Christians.
Once, by God's grace, I began to focus on the weightier matters (matters of the heart) of the Christian life like love for God and neighbor, humility, and prayerfulness, I saw what a sinner I was, and the high thoughts I had of myself slowly began to subside. I found I could not produce the weightier matters in my own strength, so in humility, I had to depend on God.
May God give us the strength and wisdom to major on the majors and minor on the minors.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Reflection for the Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbott
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011712.cfm
In today's Gospel, the Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) accused Jesus and his disciples of sin because they plucked the heads of grain, thus violating the Sabbath. The reason for this accusation was the Pharisees were so focused on the letter of the law that they missed the spirit of the law, which is love; and when Jesus said, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath," he was getting them back to the love that is the foundation of the Sabbath.
God created the Sabbath out of love for human beings because he wanted them, through worship, to refresh themselves in him and be strengthened to love their neighbor. It was a day to help people prioritize their lives by putting God first and by teaching them that work was not the most important thing in life. The worship of God would fill men and women with the love that is the spirit of the law.
Obviously, the Pharisees missed this as they turned the Sabbath into a meticulous set of rules as to what constituted work and what did not. In their overemphasis on the mere external observance of the rules, they forgot the love in the heart, and became full of pride at their own success in keeping the law externally, and full of criticism at those who did not keep the rules.
The same thing can happen to us when we focus on the outward observance of God's law and forget the fact that the heart of the law is love. God gave us the law because he loves us, and two greatest commandments ("You shall love the Lord your God with your entire being" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself") are about love.
One thing we can do to avoid being external in our faith is to keep in mind how much God has loved us in Christ. This truth warms the heart, keeps it aglow with love, and is kept in our hearts when we attend Mass weekly, receive the sacrament of Reconciliation frequently, and persist in prayer.
May God, through Christ, fill us with the love that is the core and foundation of the law.
In today's Gospel, the Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) accused Jesus and his disciples of sin because they plucked the heads of grain, thus violating the Sabbath. The reason for this accusation was the Pharisees were so focused on the letter of the law that they missed the spirit of the law, which is love; and when Jesus said, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath," he was getting them back to the love that is the foundation of the Sabbath.
God created the Sabbath out of love for human beings because he wanted them, through worship, to refresh themselves in him and be strengthened to love their neighbor. It was a day to help people prioritize their lives by putting God first and by teaching them that work was not the most important thing in life. The worship of God would fill men and women with the love that is the spirit of the law.
Obviously, the Pharisees missed this as they turned the Sabbath into a meticulous set of rules as to what constituted work and what did not. In their overemphasis on the mere external observance of the rules, they forgot the love in the heart, and became full of pride at their own success in keeping the law externally, and full of criticism at those who did not keep the rules.
The same thing can happen to us when we focus on the outward observance of God's law and forget the fact that the heart of the law is love. God gave us the law because he loves us, and two greatest commandments ("You shall love the Lord your God with your entire being" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself") are about love.
One thing we can do to avoid being external in our faith is to keep in mind how much God has loved us in Christ. This truth warms the heart, keeps it aglow with love, and is kept in our hearts when we attend Mass weekly, receive the sacrament of Reconciliation frequently, and persist in prayer.
May God, through Christ, fill us with the love that is the core and foundation of the law.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Reflection for Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011612.cfm
"Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?" This is a question posed by Jesus in today's Gospel. The answer is obviously no, for while Jesus (the bridegroom) is with the disciples (the wedding guests), it is a time of joy and celebration, not fasting. However, once Jesus removes his physical presence from them, it will be a time of fasting.
We who follow Jesus today are wedding guests waiting for the bridegroom to return and take us to the wedding feast of heaven. Since Jesus is not physically with us now, we fast. Once we are in glory, we will cease to fast because we will eternally experience joy and celebration.
Fasting can take several forms. The primary form is the giving up of food. The secondary form is the giving up of something we enjoy. For example, we might give up our morning coffee for a day. In either case, we are making a sacrifice that brings us a little bit of pain. When, by the grace of God, we keep our fasts to ourselves and do them with patience, that is, we do not complain about the suffering we experience from giving up things we love, then we can make reparations for the temporal punishment that is due for our sins.
The temporal punishment that is due for our sins is the suffering we have to endure to repair the damage our sins have caused others. We may not always realize how our sins affect the people in our life, but they do. When God forgives the guilt of our sins, so that we do not have to answer for them either in this life or in the life to come, he does not wipe out the pain our sins have caused others. This pain still remains, and we have to make up for it; and we can do this by fasting.
May God, through Christ, give us the grace to fast worthily, that is, with silence and patience.
"Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?" This is a question posed by Jesus in today's Gospel. The answer is obviously no, for while Jesus (the bridegroom) is with the disciples (the wedding guests), it is a time of joy and celebration, not fasting. However, once Jesus removes his physical presence from them, it will be a time of fasting.
We who follow Jesus today are wedding guests waiting for the bridegroom to return and take us to the wedding feast of heaven. Since Jesus is not physically with us now, we fast. Once we are in glory, we will cease to fast because we will eternally experience joy and celebration.
Fasting can take several forms. The primary form is the giving up of food. The secondary form is the giving up of something we enjoy. For example, we might give up our morning coffee for a day. In either case, we are making a sacrifice that brings us a little bit of pain. When, by the grace of God, we keep our fasts to ourselves and do them with patience, that is, we do not complain about the suffering we experience from giving up things we love, then we can make reparations for the temporal punishment that is due for our sins.
The temporal punishment that is due for our sins is the suffering we have to endure to repair the damage our sins have caused others. We may not always realize how our sins affect the people in our life, but they do. When God forgives the guilt of our sins, so that we do not have to answer for them either in this life or in the life to come, he does not wipe out the pain our sins have caused others. This pain still remains, and we have to make up for it; and we can do this by fasting.
May God, through Christ, give us the grace to fast worthily, that is, with silence and patience.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Reflection for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011512.cfm
In today's Gospel, Andrew find his brother, Simon Peter and tells him that he and the other disciples have found the Messiah. At this point in their lives, their understanding of the Messiah was largely political in that they expected him to free Israel from Rome by gathering the Jewish army and leading a revolution. They thought the Messiah would be a king but mostly in a political way.
Jesus is the Messiah/King, and he came to lead a revolution but not a political one. Rather, he came to overcome our greatest enemies: sin and death.
Consider this. None of us wants to die, and some of us may be terrified of death. But our King went through the jaws of death and came out alive on the other side. In the Resurrection, Christ revealed that he is stronger than death. In the Resurrection, Christ defeated death. In the Resurrection, Christ put death to death. Now, we who die in his friendship do not have to experience spiritual death (the separation of the soul from God) forever in hell; and we only have to experience physical death (the separation of the soul from the body) temporarily, because Christ will resurrect our bodies and reunite them to our souls when he returns in glory at the end of time.
A King who has done this for us must really love us. As such, he deserves our total obedience to his teachings. May he strengthen us to follow him in gratitude for such deliverance all the days of our life.
In today's Gospel, Andrew find his brother, Simon Peter and tells him that he and the other disciples have found the Messiah. At this point in their lives, their understanding of the Messiah was largely political in that they expected him to free Israel from Rome by gathering the Jewish army and leading a revolution. They thought the Messiah would be a king but mostly in a political way.
Jesus is the Messiah/King, and he came to lead a revolution but not a political one. Rather, he came to overcome our greatest enemies: sin and death.
Consider this. None of us wants to die, and some of us may be terrified of death. But our King went through the jaws of death and came out alive on the other side. In the Resurrection, Christ revealed that he is stronger than death. In the Resurrection, Christ defeated death. In the Resurrection, Christ put death to death. Now, we who die in his friendship do not have to experience spiritual death (the separation of the soul from God) forever in hell; and we only have to experience physical death (the separation of the soul from the body) temporarily, because Christ will resurrect our bodies and reunite them to our souls when he returns in glory at the end of time.
A King who has done this for us must really love us. As such, he deserves our total obedience to his teachings. May he strengthen us to follow him in gratitude for such deliverance all the days of our life.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Reflection for Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011412.cfm
There are many reasons we can be snobs and look down on others. In today's Gospel, Jesus warns us of religious snobbery, a form of snobbery where we think we are holy and look down on others because they are sinners. The scribes (experts in the Mosaic law) in today's Gospel thought their spiritual stuff did not stink, and so they not only looked down on the prostitutes and sinners who followed Jesus, but they also looked down on Jesus for associating with them.
The truth is, the scribes were sinners too; it is just that they did not know it. As such, they were spiritually in a worse place than the prostitutes and sinners who saw themselves according to truth. The scribes' blindness to their real condition kept them from turning to Christ for salvation.
Lest we make the same mistake as the scribes, it is important for us to keep in mind that, in and of ourselves, we are sinners. We are beloved by God, but we are sinners nonetheless; and any spiritual good that is in us has been put there by the grace of God. Were it not for that grace, the spiritual good would not be there. It may be the case that we do not do some of the sins for which we criticize others (although we probably do most of them), but we commit sins; and if grace were not in our lives, we would be worse sinners than we are.
You know, the only one who has ever had the right to be a religious snob is Jesus, yet he was not. He came to call sinners, and anyone who has ever followed Jesus is a sinner; so let us have an honest estimation of ourselves by realizing we are in the same camp as every other human being, that is, we are sinners who are beloved by God in Christ.
There are many reasons we can be snobs and look down on others. In today's Gospel, Jesus warns us of religious snobbery, a form of snobbery where we think we are holy and look down on others because they are sinners. The scribes (experts in the Mosaic law) in today's Gospel thought their spiritual stuff did not stink, and so they not only looked down on the prostitutes and sinners who followed Jesus, but they also looked down on Jesus for associating with them.
The truth is, the scribes were sinners too; it is just that they did not know it. As such, they were spiritually in a worse place than the prostitutes and sinners who saw themselves according to truth. The scribes' blindness to their real condition kept them from turning to Christ for salvation.
Lest we make the same mistake as the scribes, it is important for us to keep in mind that, in and of ourselves, we are sinners. We are beloved by God, but we are sinners nonetheless; and any spiritual good that is in us has been put there by the grace of God. Were it not for that grace, the spiritual good would not be there. It may be the case that we do not do some of the sins for which we criticize others (although we probably do most of them), but we commit sins; and if grace were not in our lives, we would be worse sinners than we are.
You know, the only one who has ever had the right to be a religious snob is Jesus, yet he was not. He came to call sinners, and anyone who has ever followed Jesus is a sinner; so let us have an honest estimation of ourselves by realizing we are in the same camp as every other human being, that is, we are sinners who are beloved by God in Christ.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Reflection for Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011312.cfm
The four men who carry the paralytic in today's Gospel teach us the importance of persistence in prayer. They try to bring the paralytic to Jesus but cannot because of the large crowd; so they climb the house, dig a hole in the roof, and lower the paralytic to Jesus.
I think there are times in our lives when Jesus does not answer our prayers right away (his timing is always best) to see if we will persist or if we will become discouraged and cease seeking good things from him. In addition, our relationship with him can be increased during these times of waiting.
There are two types of favors we can ask of our Lord. First, we can ask him to do something for us (or for others) we know is his will because he has revealed it in Scripture or in the Tradition of the Church. For example, if we ask the Lord to increase the love in our lives, we know he will answer this because it is his will that we live in love. Second, we can ask Christ to do something that we do not know whether or not it is his will for us. For example, if we ask the Lord to work it out so that we are offered a job for which we interviewed, we do not know whether or not it is his will for us to have the job. In these cases, we should ask Christ to give us the job if it is his will for us to have it. We have to submit our will to his with the knowledge that his will is always best for us.
May Christ teach us to pray always and never to give up.
The four men who carry the paralytic in today's Gospel teach us the importance of persistence in prayer. They try to bring the paralytic to Jesus but cannot because of the large crowd; so they climb the house, dig a hole in the roof, and lower the paralytic to Jesus.
I think there are times in our lives when Jesus does not answer our prayers right away (his timing is always best) to see if we will persist or if we will become discouraged and cease seeking good things from him. In addition, our relationship with him can be increased during these times of waiting.
There are two types of favors we can ask of our Lord. First, we can ask him to do something for us (or for others) we know is his will because he has revealed it in Scripture or in the Tradition of the Church. For example, if we ask the Lord to increase the love in our lives, we know he will answer this because it is his will that we live in love. Second, we can ask Christ to do something that we do not know whether or not it is his will for us. For example, if we ask the Lord to work it out so that we are offered a job for which we interviewed, we do not know whether or not it is his will for us to have the job. In these cases, we should ask Christ to give us the job if it is his will for us to have it. We have to submit our will to his with the knowledge that his will is always best for us.
May Christ teach us to pray always and never to give up.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Reflection for Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011212.cfm
In today's Gospel, Jesus heals a leper and sternly warns him not to tell anyone about it. Instead, he is to obey the Mosaic law by showing himself to the priest and offering a sacrifice as a witness or testimony for others. Why did Jesus forbid this man from verbally sharing his excitement? Because the proof that he was healed was a greater witness to the glory of Christ than what he could say by word-of-mouth.
There definitely are times when we need to "prove" the truthfulness of our faith with others by talking with them; however, the greatest "proof" we can give that the Gospel is true is lives lived in love. On an intellectual level, people can always come up with an argument against our faith. But, on a personal level, they cannot deny a life that lives Jesus because we are wired for God and goodness; so when they see these things through the life of another, they are attracted to them.
I think most of the time, Jesus wants us to do what the leper did: offer ourselves, in gratitude, as living sacrifices and obey his commandments. Truth is, it is much easier to talk about our faith than to live it. In order to live it, we have to constantly depend on Christ for the strength to overcome our sins and weaknesses. Becoming saints is hard work, but through Christ, it is very possible.
May Christ help us to live our faith and to have the wisdom to know when we need to talk about it.
In today's Gospel, Jesus heals a leper and sternly warns him not to tell anyone about it. Instead, he is to obey the Mosaic law by showing himself to the priest and offering a sacrifice as a witness or testimony for others. Why did Jesus forbid this man from verbally sharing his excitement? Because the proof that he was healed was a greater witness to the glory of Christ than what he could say by word-of-mouth.
There definitely are times when we need to "prove" the truthfulness of our faith with others by talking with them; however, the greatest "proof" we can give that the Gospel is true is lives lived in love. On an intellectual level, people can always come up with an argument against our faith. But, on a personal level, they cannot deny a life that lives Jesus because we are wired for God and goodness; so when they see these things through the life of another, they are attracted to them.
I think most of the time, Jesus wants us to do what the leper did: offer ourselves, in gratitude, as living sacrifices and obey his commandments. Truth is, it is much easier to talk about our faith than to live it. In order to live it, we have to constantly depend on Christ for the strength to overcome our sins and weaknesses. Becoming saints is hard work, but through Christ, it is very possible.
May Christ help us to live our faith and to have the wisdom to know when we need to talk about it.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Reflection for Wednesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011112.cfm
In today's Gospel, Jesus is involved in the two actions that characterize his ministry: preaching and healing. It is through these that the Kingdom of God comes upon men and women, for both set people free from sin and its effects.
In the middle of all this preaching and healing, Jesus rises early, goes to a deserted place, and prays. Prayer was the center of Christ's life, for it was from his relationship with God the Father that he drew the strength to preach and heal. Now, if Christ, the divine Son of God, needed prayer, how much more do we who are mere mortals and sinners? Through our relationship (which is based on prayer) with God the Father in Christ, we find the strength to overcome sin and its greatest effect, death.
The foundation of prayer is the conviction that God totally and unconditionally loves us in Christ; therefore, he looks forward to conversing with us; God longs for our prayer more than we do. In fact, our prayer is always a response to God who draws us to pray. He is always in the position of initiator, and we are always in the position of responders. God ceaselessly draws us to prayer because he loves us and and wants to increase the Kingdom of God in us.
Let us, with confidence, draw near to God in prayer, knowing that he loves us and that Christ, our high priest, intercedes for us at the Father's right hand; and God the Father is more pleased with Christ's sacrifice than he is displeased with our sins.
In today's Gospel, Jesus is involved in the two actions that characterize his ministry: preaching and healing. It is through these that the Kingdom of God comes upon men and women, for both set people free from sin and its effects.
In the middle of all this preaching and healing, Jesus rises early, goes to a deserted place, and prays. Prayer was the center of Christ's life, for it was from his relationship with God the Father that he drew the strength to preach and heal. Now, if Christ, the divine Son of God, needed prayer, how much more do we who are mere mortals and sinners? Through our relationship (which is based on prayer) with God the Father in Christ, we find the strength to overcome sin and its greatest effect, death.
The foundation of prayer is the conviction that God totally and unconditionally loves us in Christ; therefore, he looks forward to conversing with us; God longs for our prayer more than we do. In fact, our prayer is always a response to God who draws us to pray. He is always in the position of initiator, and we are always in the position of responders. God ceaselessly draws us to prayer because he loves us and and wants to increase the Kingdom of God in us.
Let us, with confidence, draw near to God in prayer, knowing that he loves us and that Christ, our high priest, intercedes for us at the Father's right hand; and God the Father is more pleased with Christ's sacrifice than he is displeased with our sins.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Reflection for Tuesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011012.cfm
In today's Gospel, Jesus begins to preach the good news that the Kingdom of God has come near and that repentance is required to enter the Kingdom. To understand what repentance is, we need to look at the four disciples in today's Gospel. When Jesus called them, they abandoned everything to follow him. From this example, we learn that repentance is not solely an intellectual act, that is, it is not something we do only in the mind. It is nothing less than the total gift of self given to Christ who, in his love, has given his total self to us. As such, repentance includes the whole person: mind, will/heart, and body.
In addition, because we are not sinlessly perfect, we need to make repentance a way of life rather than something we do once and never need to do again. Through sin, we back off of our commitment to give our total selves to Christ; and repentance is the path by which we renew our commitment.
The Kingdom of God, which is Christ and his love, has come near us: in the crucifixion, in the sacraments, and in every good thing in our lives. Therefore, let us abandon those things that keep us from fully responding to Christ's love with the gift of our total selves.
In today's Gospel, Jesus begins to preach the good news that the Kingdom of God has come near and that repentance is required to enter the Kingdom. To understand what repentance is, we need to look at the four disciples in today's Gospel. When Jesus called them, they abandoned everything to follow him. From this example, we learn that repentance is not solely an intellectual act, that is, it is not something we do only in the mind. It is nothing less than the total gift of self given to Christ who, in his love, has given his total self to us. As such, repentance includes the whole person: mind, will/heart, and body.
In addition, because we are not sinlessly perfect, we need to make repentance a way of life rather than something we do once and never need to do again. Through sin, we back off of our commitment to give our total selves to Christ; and repentance is the path by which we renew our commitment.
The Kingdom of God, which is Christ and his love, has come near us: in the crucifixion, in the sacraments, and in every good thing in our lives. Therefore, let us abandon those things that keep us from fully responding to Christ's love with the gift of our total selves.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Reflection on the Baptism of the Lord
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010912.cfm
When Jesus was ascending out of the water, three things occurred that were physical, that is, they could be seen and heard, not only by Jesus, but also by the crowd. First, the heavens were opened. Second, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove. Third, God the Father testified to Jesus' divine Sonship and to his pleasure in him.
These things happened physically for Jesus at his baptism, so that we might know and believe they occur spiritually for us when we are baptized. The heavens are opened, which means we have access to God. The Holy Spirit indwells us. And God the Father adopts us as his beloved sons and daughters and is pleased with us, because the indwelling Holy Spirit washes away our sins and replaces them with his love and all the virtues that go with it.
Through our baptism, we were "wedded" to God. God made the vow to us to be our loving heavenly Father, and we made the vow to him to be his faithful sons and daughters by, daily, renouncing the sin and self the Holy Spirit washed away and living according to the love and virtues he infused in us.
May God help us to be faithful to our baptismal promises every day of our lives so that, at the moment of death, we might "see the heavens opened" and the "Holy Spirit descending upon us", and might hear the Father say, "This is my beloved son or daughter, with whom I am well pleased".
When Jesus was ascending out of the water, three things occurred that were physical, that is, they could be seen and heard, not only by Jesus, but also by the crowd. First, the heavens were opened. Second, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove. Third, God the Father testified to Jesus' divine Sonship and to his pleasure in him.
These things happened physically for Jesus at his baptism, so that we might know and believe they occur spiritually for us when we are baptized. The heavens are opened, which means we have access to God. The Holy Spirit indwells us. And God the Father adopts us as his beloved sons and daughters and is pleased with us, because the indwelling Holy Spirit washes away our sins and replaces them with his love and all the virtues that go with it.
Through our baptism, we were "wedded" to God. God made the vow to us to be our loving heavenly Father, and we made the vow to him to be his faithful sons and daughters by, daily, renouncing the sin and self the Holy Spirit washed away and living according to the love and virtues he infused in us.
May God help us to be faithful to our baptismal promises every day of our lives so that, at the moment of death, we might "see the heavens opened" and the "Holy Spirit descending upon us", and might hear the Father say, "This is my beloved son or daughter, with whom I am well pleased".
Reflection on the Epiphany
Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010812.cfm
Today we celebrate the visitation of the magi (possibly Persian astrologers), a celebration that is known as the Epiphany, a Greek word that means "to shine upon". Because Christ is the light of the world, he shines upon every man and woman.
The interesting thing is that Christ's light was shining, even as a baby in Bethlehem; but the magi, themselves, needed to be enlightened by God to recognize Christ, the light. Otherwise, they could have looked right at Jesus and not recognized him as the light of the world. In the physical world, it would be like looking straight at the sun and not noticing its brightness. Funny thing, huh? This is what original sin does to us. The truth is, Christ manifests himself to us many times every day; but we often do not see the light that is shining upon us. He appears in the kind word of a friend; he appears in the innocence of a child; he appears in the co-worker who is misunderstood and rejected by others; and of course, he appears in the sacraments of the Church, especially the Holy Eucharist.
We need to recognize all the times Christ appears to or shines upon us; however, how often are we the channel of his appearance to others?
May the God who loves us open our eyes to see the epiphanies of Christ in our lives and to be a channel of his epiphany to others.
Today we celebrate the visitation of the magi (possibly Persian astrologers), a celebration that is known as the Epiphany, a Greek word that means "to shine upon". Because Christ is the light of the world, he shines upon every man and woman.
The interesting thing is that Christ's light was shining, even as a baby in Bethlehem; but the magi, themselves, needed to be enlightened by God to recognize Christ, the light. Otherwise, they could have looked right at Jesus and not recognized him as the light of the world. In the physical world, it would be like looking straight at the sun and not noticing its brightness. Funny thing, huh? This is what original sin does to us. The truth is, Christ manifests himself to us many times every day; but we often do not see the light that is shining upon us. He appears in the kind word of a friend; he appears in the innocence of a child; he appears in the co-worker who is misunderstood and rejected by others; and of course, he appears in the sacraments of the Church, especially the Holy Eucharist.
We need to recognize all the times Christ appears to or shines upon us; however, how often are we the channel of his appearance to others?
May the God who loves us open our eyes to see the epiphanies of Christ in our lives and to be a channel of his epiphany to others.
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