Fourth Sunday of Easter – Cycle A (May 11, 2014)

First reading: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: ‘Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ 

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, ‘What are we to do, my brothers?’  Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.’  He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’  Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.”

 

Second reading: 1 Pt. 2: 20b-25

“Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.  He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

“When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.  He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of you souls.”

 

Gospel reading: Jn. 10: 1-10

“Jesus said: ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.  But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.  But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.’  Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

“So Jesus said again, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the gate.  Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

 

Introductory theme summary:

The common theme for today’s readings is a threefold metaphor: The shepherd, the sheep and the gate they must both pass through. 

 

Reflection:

We are all familiar with the Lord’s reference to himself as the Good Shepherd, which he certainly is as Peter reminds us in the second reading.  In today’s gospel story, however, the metaphor relating to the Lord, according to his own explanation, is the gate through which both shepherds and sheep must pass.  So, in this case the shepherd metaphor relates to those whom the Lord has called to shepherd his sheep, and all those who follow these authentic shepherds represent His sheep.

The first reading is perfect for substantiating that Jesus Christ is the one set apart by God as the only means through which we must all pass in order to receive God’s promises – the gate.  It is only by repenting and becoming baptized, believing in Jesus as Lord and Christ, that anyone can obtain the promised Holy Spirit through which we receive all the fruits of salvation.  Believing in Jesus as “Lord” refers to believing in His divine nature as the Son of God.  Believing in Jesus as “Christ” refers to believing in His redemptive work, inferred specifically from the significance of his crucifixion and truth of his resurrection.  These are clearly expressed as conditions for direct entrance into God’s plan of salvation. 

The second reading gives us a clear description of how Jesus is the gate for both shepherds and sheep.  Peter explains that we are all to imitate Jesus example of forbearance: “If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.”  “When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten.”  It is specifically through this type of suffering that Jesus accomplished our salvation, bearing in His own body our sins; thus making forbearance an essence element to the practice of Christianity.  Becoming accomplished in this example, and able to teach others how to follow it, is precisely how true shepherds distinguish themselves as such.  By that distinction the sheep will hear in their message Christ’s own spirit – represented metaphorically in the gospel reading by the image of “recognizing his voice”.  Then those who are true sheep will become able through their own reception of the Holy Spirit to follow the same example in their day to day lives.

Regrettably, few Christians practice forbearance these days.  Instead, everyone is concerned with asserting their rights and obtaining their due.  Since forbearance is such an essential element to the practice of Christianity, our failure to practice it must have some detrimental consequence.  To determine what that might be it is necessary to consider the image of Christ’s body in full practice of forbearance – hanging on the cross.  Remembering we are one in the body of Christ, taking our place as members of that body must involve this practice of forbearance, and failing to practice it must therefore cause one to lose his/her place therein.  Obtaining the means for practicing this grace is further dependent upon another factor – receiving the body and blood of Christ.  Otherwise one cannot receive the spirit by which that life is lived, for Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”  (Jn. 6: 53)  The life being referred to is simply “Christ’s life.”  Perhaps this is why so few Christians are able, or willing, to practice forbearance – not having His life within them!

Do you have His life within you?

Come . . . let’s show the light of His life within us by practicing forbearance in our daily lives.  Then we too can take our place as full members of the Body of Christ who are destined to share in His divinity!

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary time – Cycle A (February 23, 2014)

First reading: Lv. 19: 1-2, 17-18

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.  You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.  Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him.  Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.  You shall love you neighbor as yourself.  I am the Lord.’”
 

Second reading: 1 Cor. 3: 16-23

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

“Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: ‘He catches the wise in their own ruses,’ And again: ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.’  So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, Paul or Apollos or Kephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.”

Gospel reading: Mt. 5: 38-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.  When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.  If anyone wants to go to law with you over a tunic, hand him your cloak as well.  Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.  Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate you enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?  Do not the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?  Do not the pagans do the same?  So be perfect, just as you heavenly Father is perfect.”

Introductory theme summary:

Clearly, the running theme for today’s readings relates to us being holy as God is holy, thus we are reminded of the need to avoid sin, even, and most importantly, in circumstances where our fellow brothers and sisters sin against us because that is how we show ourselves to be true children of God.

Reflection:

Paul gives us the image of being the temple of God to stress our unique dignity in all creation.  He does so in the context of instructing us on our responsibility to ourselves in regard to that dignity.  We are the ones who are being charged with the responsibility for not destroying our own representation as the temple of God.  There is only one way for us to do that and that is to perpetuate a life of sin by neglecting to repent our sins and sinfulness.  Simply committing a sin is not the issue, but rather the complete disregard for the perpetual need for repentance, whenever we do sin, in order to continue the reformation of our lives to convey the holiness of being a temple of God, is.  However we may fall, we must never throw in the towel and give up, or worse, rationalize our sins as if to excuse ourselves from that responsibility.

The most important aspect of this observation concerns our relationships with those who could rightly be consider our enemies.  They distinguish themselves as such by deliberately set themselves against our ways of faith without us having done anything to provoke them, other than simply practice our faith.  It is never justifiable to oppose anyone simply because of faith.  Even should one disagree on any of the many principals of faith, a respectful acknowledgement of difference in order to foster a mutually accepting environment is still required by everyone.  No one can claim an authentic faith in God without also perpetuating peace.  This should be a condition for all claims of faith to be considered authentic in any religion.

When faced with these great challenges, we are given the rare opportunity to participate in furthering the salvation of the world.  As Catholics we recognize that the Lord sacrifice on the cross is a continuous one, and when we are confronted with these opportunities to suffer as he did, we can join our sufferings with his and, as Paul says,[1] make up for what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.  When we do this we are fulfilling our role as a member of His Body, and there-by show ourselves as true children of God.  This is why ‘true’ children of God must: turn the other cheek, give up their coat, go the extra mile, give when asked, and lend if compelled so.  In all ways we are to show ourselves to be truly like God who provides for the life of all, even the evil and disobedient.

Come, let us be true children of God and accept the responsibility to live our faith, even in these greatest of challenges.

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[1][1] Col. 1: 24  “In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the Church.”

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary time - Cycle A (February 9, 2014)

First reading: Is. 58: 7-10

“Share your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.  Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.  Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: here I am!  If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.”
 

Second reading: 1 Cor. 2: 1-5

“When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive [words of] wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.”
 

Gospel reading: Mt. 5: 13-16

“You are the salt of the earth.  But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?  It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.  Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

 

Introductory theme question:

We are the light of the world, but what exactly is meant by the metaphor of light?  Is it simply performing charitable works of mercy as described above, or is there more to it then that?

 

Reflection:

In this day and age where Christian values are commonly understood, they are often ‘used’ to convey the impression of ‘being good’ in order to promote a certain type of ‘image’ of one’s self for some self-serving reason.  Yet the Lord said to not perform your good deeds so as to be seen, because that is what the hypocrites do.  Clearly, there must be a deeper level meant by the metaphor of conveying our light through our deeds than simply performing charitable works of mercy.

If we consider the first reading we must project what type of society those works were being performed in, to appreciate them as light.  It was a society of extremely sinful behaviors that completely lacked our basis for belief in eternal life – the life, teaching and resurrection of Jesus Christ giving validation to his words.  For them to perform deeds consistent with our Christian faith without all the helps our position in time affords, it is truly remarkable and thus warranting the correlation with signs of light.

For us in our time to achieve the same distinction we must do more than simply perform these works so that they may be seen.  We must embody the spirit of charity to actually convey light through these deeds.  We have no need to look any further that Paul’s description in 1 Cor. 13: 4-7.

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it sin not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

This is the spirit we need to display through our works in order to represent the light to the world.  In addition we must perform these works without fanfare.  A perfect validation of this principal is our Lord’s use of a single candle for his explanation.  A single candle can only give off a small amount of light, very modest in itself.  Consistent with this image we are to display our examples simply in our day to day lives without going out of our way or making special efforts: whenever the daily circumstance of life presents us with opportunities to perform those charitable deeds.  In other words, when we find ourselves ‘put on the spot.’  Yes… when we don’t expect it, and… when it isn’t convenient for us to perform them.  Then, is when our charitable works of mercy performed with a true spirit of charity become authentic deeds of light for the world to see!

Come, let us be true lights for the world to see, and by that we can actually show that Christianity truly does work, one person at a time.