Psalm Sunday – Cycle A (April 13, 2014)

First reading: Is. 50: 4-7

“The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.  Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back.  I gave my back to those who heat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.

The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”

Second reading: Phil. 2: 6-11

“Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 

Gospel reading: “THE PASSION ACCOUNT” Mt. 27: 11-54 (Short form)

Due to its length the text will not be provided.  Please refer to your own bible for the book, chapter and verses listed above.  Thank you.

 

Introductory theme summary:

The common theme of today’s readings is best characterized by the word forbearance.  In the first reading we have the foretelling of the Messiah who, though gifted with great oratory skills, will persevere without retaliation despite being subjected to horrible abuse.  In the second reading we have the clear declaration of Christ knowing His own divinity, yet choosing humility and accepting the condition and fate of lowliness even to the point of death.  And then, of course, we have the retelling of the supreme act of forbearance – undergoing a punishment in no way deserved, but choosing to accept it on our behalf. 


Reflection:

Forbearance!  The forgotten virtue!!  So much so that it has become the “Holy Grail” of Christianity!!!  How terrible it is for the essence of Christianity to become so overlooked and dispensed with that it would seem no longer a part of our understanding of practicing faith.  We must never forget, our Lord’s sacrifice is an example for us to follow as well as the means for accomplishing our salvation.  Yet how many of us are unwilling to refrain from claiming an entitlement; unwilling to exercise patient endurance and self-control; unwilling to abstain from the enforcement of a right according to justice?  As if this forgetfulness wasn’t bad enough, we actually use Christianity to justify these assertions.  In the end, rather than turning the other cheek we have right fighting against right, all in the name of religion.  How ridiculous!  Yet, that is precisely what our world has become. 

The question then begs; where does justice fit in, aren’t we supposed to practice justice?  It would be a mistake to interpret the practice of forbearance as a contradiction to the principal of justice.  We are always called to practice justice in all our affairs of life, and defend the justice of the weak and powerless whenever we are presented with such an opportunity.  Failing to respond to the need of justice in these situations are themselves sin.  It is on our own behalf that we must not seek our right in order to practice forbearance.  In the moment one seeks his/her own right the opportunity to practice forbearance has been missed. 

So why then?  What is so important about practicing forbearance?  There are two groups of Christians; those who respond completely to our Lord’s call “so be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48), and those who do not while sustaining their belief in Him.  Those who respond completely to this call are accepting the invitation to advance the cause of salvation by joining their sufferings to the Lord’s, and in doing so they take their place as members of Christ’s body hanging on the cross.  They succeed in becoming able to do so by the grace they receive through the Eucharist.  It becomes Christ who accomplishes all that they do by His indwelling presence within them.  It is only by this distinguishing characteristic that we can know we truly are children of God.[1]

So, come, let us show ourselves as true children of God and practice forbearance for the cause of salvation.

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[1] “But what I tell you is this: Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors; only so can you be children of your heavenly Father…”  (Mt.5: 44-45 REB) 

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.”

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary time – Cycle A (February, 16 2014)

First reading: Sir. 15: -15-20

“If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do his will.  There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.  Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him.  Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.  The eyes of God see all he has made; he understands man’s every deed.  No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies.”
 

Second reading: 1 Cor. 2:6-10

“Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.  Rather we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  But as it is written: ‘What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,’ this God had revealed to us through the Spirit.  For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God."
 

Gospel reading: Mt. 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37 (Short form)

“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.

“You have heard that is was said, ‘You shall no commit adultery.’  But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

“Again you have heard that is was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’  But I say to you, do not swear at all.  Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’  Anything more is from the evil one.”

 

Introductory theme summary:

Appropriate for our society that presumes upon God’s gift of salvation, we again have another message that points to the necessity of repentance and reforming our lives.

Reflection:

In the first reading we have a clear indication of why it is necessary for us to repent our sins.  God, in His infinite wisdom, permits everyone the liberty to choose between life and death.  In our fallen state of knowing good and evil, we have ready access to each.  Considering all have sinned, there remains the necessity of a choice by us in order to avoid the consequence of death.   Only repentance serves as the real indication of having chosen life.  This passage concludes with a statement meant to confirm there is no rational for supporting the commission of any sin, and does so after assuring everyone that God will indeed grant death to those who do not repent. 

In the gospel reading we have an even clearer indication of the measure of moral observation expected from us.  It isn’t enough for us to simply avoid the actions that are obviously sinful.  We are also expected to adhere to an interior observation of moral conformity.  This is first characterized by the Lord’s reference to the Scribes and Pharisees, who analyzed the letter of the law in order to display an external observation of it, while failing to understand the spirit of the law and there by accomplish its interior objective. 

He then gives three specific examples of this principal as it relates to everyday conduct: anger, lasciviousness, and deception. 

In the first case Jesus draws a correlation between the severity of murder and the interior disposition of harboring anger toward another, and declares that one doesn’t have to go as far as murder to deserve God’s wrath.  Harboring anger in our heart murders one’s love for the person who is the object that anger, filling the void with hate.  Murdering love in one’s heart accomplishes the exclusion of God, who is love.  Shutting out God invites His wrath upon one’s self.
In the second case Jesus instructs us on the importance of chastity.  By pointing out the interior origin of adultery, Jesus emphasizes the severity of neglecting the virtue of chastity.  A very relevant message for us today considering how drastically we have departed from the traditional values regarding sexuality.  Do we really think God has changed his rules for morality, which have been in place for so many centuries and bound so many people?

The third case seems minor in comparison but actually, the dishonesty of deception is considerably graver than most people consider.  God is truth, and any contradiction of truth is a direct opposition to God.  Directly opposing God makes one His enemy.  Try as one may, no one can stand against God.

Finally, perhaps surprising for many, the second reading points to the greatest significance of interior purity, which is to prepare us for intimacy with God.  Each one of these specific virtues are essential to an authentic intimate relationship with God.  It is only by a purified interior being that anyone can accurately follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit so as to perceive even the depths of God.  Our Lord said, “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.”  (Mt. 5:8)

Come, let us show God our faith is true.  Instead of continuing to rationalize our sins and sinfulness, let us pay God the respect He deserves and actually repent them as a matter of authenticity in belief.  For He who is holy calls those who believe in Him to a life of holiness!

Third Sunday of Ordinary time – Cycle A (January 26, 2014)

First reading: Is. 8:23 – 9: 3

“First he degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles.

Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness: for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.  You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoiced before you as at the harvest, as men make merry when dividing spoils.  For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.”

 

Second reading: 1 Cor. 1: 10-13, 17

“I urge you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be not divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.  For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chole’s people, that there are rivalries among you.  I mean that each of you is saying, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos,’ or ‘I belong to Kephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’  Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?  For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.”

Gospel reading: Mt. 4: 12-17 (Short form)

“When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.  He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.’

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, ‘repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

 

Introductory theme summary:

The second reading points directly to the failings of present day homilies, both within and outside Catholicism, to which can also be attributed the declining numbers of Catholics in attendance at mass as well as the numbers of those practicing the Catholic faith.   

Reflection:

In recent years the Catholic Church in America has seen declining numbers in attendance at mass, which has given rise to many people choosing to go to other Christian Churches resulting in fewer Christians practicing Christianity according to the Catholic faith.  Contrary to their common attitude, there is no truth in faulting any of the principals of Catholicism.  The fault lies in the failure to retain the true meaning of Christ’s cross.

As cited in the second reading, for whatever reason, today’s homilist is more concerned with impressing the audience with eloquence through an appeal to contemporary sensibilities.  The result of which has compromised the true principal of Christ’s cross to such an extent that the “Cross” has become emptied of its meaning as it relates to the true practice of Christianity; and by that it is meant – not represented at the pulpit. 

There are many reasons for this departure, but only two of the most significant will be addressed here.  The first of which is due to our society’s obsession with entertainment.  Because we hold entertainment in such high esteem, it is presumed by both homilist and church goer that entertaining elements are necessary in order to successfully communicating God’s word.  This couldn’t be more false.  What is necessary, and all that is necessary, but which is absolutely necessary, is to communicate God’s truth through the Spirit without distracting it by, or diluting it with, intellectualism and/or emotionalism for – His words were Spirit and Truth.  The next most significant reason is the general public’s desire for seeking personal fulfillment in this life.  The Cross of Christ guides us directly against the common understanding for personal fulfillment.  It admonishes us to repentance and purification from our sinfulness, while demanding complete self-denial.  This self-denial is an absolute necessity due to the reality of our fallen state.  Seeking personal fulfillment according to the perceptions of our fallen state commonly shared by all is the exact opposite to abiding by the cross of Christ.  If one is not carrying his/her cross, he/she is not following Christ for; “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”  (Mt. 16:24)  And, if one is not following Christ according to Christ’s command, how Christian could that person actually be?

Carrying our cross according to the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church is the only way for us to truly see the light referenced in both the gospel and the first reading.  That light liberates us from the confinements of our temporal necessities.  Then, and only then, can we realize the freedom of the children of God, and shine our light before all the worldly.[1]

Come, let us deny the self and carry our cross as our Lord commanded his followers to do, so that we too can join the apostles as true children of God.

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[1] Mt. 10: 38  “And whoever does not  take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”