July 15, 2018 — Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

AM 7: 12-15; PS 85: 9-14; EPH 1: 3-14; MK 6: 7-13

“In God We Trust” has been the official motto of the United States for more than 50 years — declared so by unanimous votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in 1956, and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Most of us are aware that this declaration and motto have been challenged in courts through the years, but it is sending a message to us as Catholics that is similar to the messages in the Holy Scripture on this Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our First Reading is drawn from the Book of Amos. Amos is one of the Minor Prophets — however, he is said to have had a great influence on Isaiah, with whom we are more familiar perhaps. Like the other prophets, as well as each of us, God called Amos, a sheepherder and farmer. Any response to the call of God requires a combination of courage and trust in the Lord.

In today’s reading, Amos says, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’.”

Although we may not be called to prophesy, we are indeed called by God, and one of the driving forces in our lives should be to discover, pursue and follow that calling.

Yet, just as it did for Amos and many others, it will require our total trust in God.

After his dramatic conversion, St. Paul submitted his life to serving God. He trusted the Lord implicitly. Paul faced insults, rejection, and trial after trial, but he remained content with his life. Why? Because he surrendered his will to the Lord. Paul learned that God always has our best interests at heart. Paul would have each of us us ask “Who is in charge of your life?”

In effect, that is what he maintains in our Second Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. St. Paul may not say it directly, but that trust is implied when he says in this reading, “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

Paul is telling us that our trust is based on our view of life in general. He makes it clear that God’s guidance and help works in our lives, but we must cooperate with that by hearing the “word of truth,” accepting it, and believing in it. Paul consistently tells us that his view, and ours as well, is of eternity, not of the things of this earth.

Jesus confirmed to His Apostles how trust in God was paramount with His instructions to them in today’s Gospel from St. Mark. Jesus understood full well that if His apostles did not trust God and did not convey that trust to others, they could not effectively tell others to trust in God. That is why He told them to travel lightly, because that assured that they had to trust in God for everything.

Our belief as Catholics is that Jesus’ Apostles did exactly what He told them to do. At the same time, though, this can be quite the challenge for even the most committed and active Catholic. We can hear Jesus’ Word over and over, but until we actually follow it and live it out through stewardship, we are not truly fulfilling our calling. That is why we say that stewardship requires action on our part. We can not only talk the talk. We must also walk the walk. We need to show others that we understand it and embrace it by how we live our lives. As stewards, we must vividly demonstrate that we completely and wholeheartedly trust in God.

July 8, 2018 — Fourteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

EZ 2: 2-5; PS 123: 1-4; 2 COR 12: 7-9; MK 6: 1-6

The last verse in today’s Gospel says of Jesus, “He was amazed at their lack of faith,” in reference to the reaction and response He received from his own neighbors when He returned and preached at the synagogue. Might the Lord say the same about us? Might he be equally surprised at the lack of faith we sometimes show? Faith is based upon trust, and that trust is at the core of the readings on this Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In the reading from the Prophet Ezekiel, our First Reading, God addresses Ezekiel in this way: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites.” It is somewhat surprising, but God calls Ezekiel the “son of man” 93 separate times in this Book. Why? It would seem that Ezekiel is truly a man among men, and he seems to represent all of humankind. Of course, the phrase “Son of man” is what Jesus was most likely to call Himself at least 80 times in the Gospels. Jesus wanted us to know that He was one of us.

God makes it clear to Ezekiel that He, the Lord, will provide Ezekiel the strength to accomplish what He is calling him to do, in spite of the challenges it presents. In the same way if God has called us to do something, He will give us the strength to do it. That is what trust really is. We understand that we cannot of our own strength and abilities accomplish what God may want us to. To trust God is to have faith in Him.

After Jesus Himself and His Blessed Mother Mary, perhaps no one in Holy Scripture trusted God any more than St. Paul. Today’s Second Reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians contains Paul’s perspective of that. He mentions that “a thorn in the flesh was given to me…to keep me from being too elated.” He is referencing the burdens he feels he must bear. When we think of a thorn, we think of something small that might cause minor pain and a minor inconvenience. It is worth knowing that the word translated as “thorn”— skolops — can also be translated as a “tent stake,” more of a spike than a small thorn. Nevertheless, regardless the translation it is something that frustrates and troubles Paul.

Paul also knew, just as Ezekiel found in the First Reading, that when God calls you to do something He provides you the power to do it. Paul knew that he could not do what he felt he was called to do without assistance from the Holy Spirit. Paul also states in the reading, “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me. I am content with weaknesses…for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul understood that the “grace” he received from God would be sufficient to meet Paul’s every need. Perhaps each of us must accept his or her weaknesses in order to be stronger in faith.

When Jesus says in today’s Gospel from the Book of Mark, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house,” He is expressing another one of those passages from Scripture that has become very well known. Jesus understood, as did both Ezekiel and Paul in the first two readings, that rejection is a price that those who believe must sometimes pay. It hurt Him for sure to be rejected by people He considered friends and people who were His neighbors.

One limitation that we all face is a sense of doubt and even mistrust by some of those who are close to us. As indicated in the opening, Jesus also expresses amazement at the unbelief of those close to Him. That is a limitation and a frustration we all sometimes face. The question is, “Where is our belief?” and “Where is our trust in God?” Jesus never seemed to be amazed at what He saw in terms of the wonders of creation. What amazed Him was the lack of faith among people. In spite of the rejection He experienced, He did not hesitate to continue what He felt His ministry was. We need to have that same determination, knowing full well that God is with us always.

July 1, 2018 — Thirteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

WIS 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24; PS 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13; 2 COR 8: 7, 9, 13-15; MK 5: 21-43

In the Gospel Reading taken from the Book of Mark, Jesus says at one point, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” We have heard that put in so many ways, but for many of us it is somewhat difficult to grasp and accept. Yet it is the basic message of all of the Word of God and the words of the Lord Jesus that have been recounted to us.

The First Reading on this Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time comes from the Book of Wisdom. There was a time when this Book was called The Wisdom of Solomon. We have pointed out previously that the Book of Wisdom is part of what are called the wisdom books, which include Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job, and Sirach. Even the meaning of “wisdom” is elusive. Obviously, the central theme is “wisdom” itself — wisdom as it applies to us and wisdom as it applies to God. One of the intentions is to make it clear that “wisdom” as it applies to us shows itself in action. This would seem to parallel what we believe about stewardship — that it shows itself in what we do, our actions, more so than in any other way.

This particular reading serves as a prelude for what is to come in the other readings. It maintains that the wisdom of God from the beginning was to prepare us for, and to gift us with eternal life. That is the great gift of our salvation thanks to the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. To know that is “wisdom.”

The underlying of St. Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians, from which our Second Reading comes, is the idea of giving. If wisdom involves understanding the need to give, it follows that there are reasons for that. There was some friction between Paul and the Corinthian community. Paul sent his follower Titus to hand carry this letter and present it to them, because Paul wanted Titus to be able to explain and enhance.

It appeared that the Corinthian Christians probably intended to give. They certainly thought about giving. They were responsive to the idea of giving. However, the toughest part was actually getting them to, in Paul’s words, “complete this grace.” That is true to many of us as well. We may understand what it means to be a good steward, and we may even be willing to live lives of stewardship, but the most difficult part is actually doing it.

Paul, and for that matter the Lord, too, is not “commanding” the Corinthians to give. Paul understands that giving out of a sense of commandment is not giving at all. We tend to call that kind of giving “taxation.” Paul rightfully points to Jesus as the ultimate example of giving. Paul says in this reading, “for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” Rich does not always mean having lots of assets or money in the bank. It means you have the wisdom to see that through Jesus’ promise to you, you are richer beyond imagination.

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus shows us what “healing” and “wisdom” really are. Wisdom is one thing, but faith is another. Even the greatest of scholars, gifted with wisdom, are not always the holiest of people. There are two instances of healing in this Gospel, and they are very different. In the first mentioned, although not the first that occurred, Jesus is approached by a “synagogue official” with the request to heal his daughter, who was near death. His example shows us what we need to do for healing also. First, we must put ourselves in the presence of Jesus; next, we must humble ourselves before the Lord (note that this official “fell at his feet”). Third, we must make our request sincerely (“pleaded earnestly with him”); and finally, we must believe and have confidence in the Lord (“Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.”).

However, before Jesus heals the daughter, He experiences a woman in need of healing. Because of her condition, she was considered “unclean” by others; in fact, if she touched anyone else or any part of their clothing, they, too, would be made unclean. With Jesus, that is not the way it works though. Because of the power of God, Jesus was not made “unclean,” but the woman was cured. “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Note that the Lord called her “Daughter.” There is no other instance in all of Holy Scripture when Jesus calls someone by this name. Jesus wanted her to know that He had something special to give her. Jesus has something special to give to each of us also.

Next the Lord raises Jairus’ daughter from death. As quoted in the introduction, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Jesus is saying two things to Jairus, and the same two things to us. Before Jairus and we can trust Jesus we need to put away our fears. To “have faith” is to believe. We do not have to figure everything out. Everything does not have to make sense to us. Jesus brings us all hope, just as He brought it to Jairus. And look what happened!

June 24, 2018 — Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

IS 49: 1-6; PS 139: 1B-3, 13-15; ACTS 13: 22-26; LK 1: 57-66, 80

In Luke 1:13 the Archangel Gabriel visits the parents-to-be of St. John the Baptist, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and says, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.” Today we celebrate the Birth of John the Baptist. For Luke the birth of John the Baptist closely parallels the birth of Jesus. John the Baptist’s birth is the prelude to the birth of Jesus.

The Archangel Gabriel announces to our Blessed Mother Mary also that she will bear a son. At that same time he revealed to Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant. Mary journeys to visit Elizabeth. You may recall that during that visit the baby “leapt” in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her. John the Baptist knew even then that this was the Messiah.

From the prophet Isaiah, who provides our First Reading, comes the voice of the Messiah announcing his impending arrival (albeit centuries later). The Lord says, “Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The Lord called me from birth; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.” Although this statement is Jesus speaking, it would be equally accurate about St. John the Baptist.

The Messiah begins by commanding the coastlands and distant peoples to listen to him. This is most likely a reference to the Gentiles. In an interesting statement, Jesus says, “He made of me a sharp edged sword.” This is not a reference to anything warlike or militaristic. Jesus Himself is the sword. This means that His very words, the Word of God, have power and authority. Weapons are left to others; Jesus needs only to speak.

When He says, “You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory,” we must keep in mind that the name Israel means “governed by God.” This is Isaiah’s way to make it clear that the Messiah Whom he is predicting represents Israel, that as part of the Holy Trinity Jesus is indeed not only governed by God, but is God.

In reference to the quote from the Gospel of Luke that appears in the opening paragraph of this reflection, the Archangel Gabriel not only told Elizabeth and Zechariah that they were to name the baby John, but the angel continues “And you will receive joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” The tradition at the time was that when a birth was imminent, friends and local musicians gathered near the house. When the birth was announced, and if it was a boy, the musicians would break into song, and there was general congratulations and rejoicing. This was natural but it was also a clear demonstration of the significance of the birth of John the Baptist.

The Church selected June 24 for this celebration, not because there is any definite record that is when it occurred, but because that is in keeping with the birth of Jesus six months later. St. John the Baptist began his public ministry around 30 A.D. He was known for attracting large crowds throughout Judea and near the Jordan River. When Jesus came to him to be baptized in the Jordan, John knew Him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me.” (According to the Gospel of Matthew)

John not only recognized the divinity of Jesus, he emphasized it with his sizable following. He told his followers to turn to Christ. It was John who called Jesus the Lamb of God. Many of John’s followers became what we might term to be the first Christians.

We hear in today’s Gospel, speaking of John the Baptist, “The child grew and became strong in spirit.” If that sounds familiar, it may be because it is so similar to what we hear about Jesus one chapter later (Luke 2:40): “And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was with him.” We learn some important lessons from John the Baptist.

First, we need to put total trust in God, in Jesus, just as he did. Also, stewardship calls us to serve God and others. Like his cousin Jesus John the Baptist came to serve, not to be served. We are summoned to do the same.

June 17, 2018 — Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

EZ 17: 22-24; PS 92: 2-3, 13-16; 2 COR: 5: 6-10; MK 4: 26-34

“I think that I shall never see…A poem lovely as a tree.” That is the opening stanza of a poem by American poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer. We know Kilmer better as a poet, but in his time he was also considered to be a great Catholic apologist. He was often compared to his English counterpart G. K. Chesterton. Clearly Kilmer had a great fondness for trees that is Biblically sound.

Trees have always had significance in the Bible. They are first mentioned in the second Book of Genesis with the “Tree of Life.” Along with mountains and the sea, trees are bigger than we are; they stand when we fall, and they endure when we pass away. Yet, unlike the sea and the hills, we can muster the power to overcome trees. We can chop them down and put them to use.

In today’s readings trees are significant from a number of standpoints. One of our problems in Biblical interpretation lies in our inability to see the world as charged with the power and glory of God. We decide that, for example, the “tree of life” means something in particular. Yet, we can feel trees and smell them in many instances. Trees are important in today’s readings.

The First Reading from Ezekiel makes reference to a tree to be planted by God: “I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.” This is Ezekiel’s version of the prophecy by Isaiah: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch will grow out of its roots.” In other words, from something that was thought to be dead, God promises to bring forth a wonderful and productive growth — Jesus.

St. Paul offers another perspective of being a branch or a limb from a tree. The Body of Christ, the Church, can also be compared to a tree with many branches, perhaps each serving a different purpose, but all combining to produce the whole. That is what we as a Church are like and why each of us in his or her own way is important to the total. It is all held together by the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s life gave him great confidence, a confidence he feels we should share. When Paul writes, “We are always courageous,” we must realize that the Greek word translated as “courageous” can also be translated as “confident.” With the confidence he had, Paul knew that God was at work within him. Paul reminds us often that this confidence comes from the realization that we are to “set our minds on things above, not things on earth.

Thanks to the Lord we are part of the Body of Christ, what might be termed the great Tree of Life.

At the Heart of our Gospel Reading from St. Mark is the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Speaking of this seed, Jesus says, “But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches.” Our Lord and Savior is the perfect teacher. It was through parables that He was able to present profound spiritual truths. His parables were often intended for simple people, but also to an agrarian population — that is, people familiar with agriculture and agricultural terms.

The mustard seed and mustard plan were something that would have been familiar to most of His listeners. As is the case with everything Jesus said, scholars have studied and examined and developed opinions on what He meant. The mustard seed was not the smallest seed, and the plant it produced was not the largest, but yet even to this day there are wild mustard plants over ten feet tall near the Jordan River. Jesus was most likely referring to black or white mustard seeds and plants. Mustard, as we know it, was made by grinding the seeds.

There were three important features of the mustard plant that the Lord knew his audience would understand — the small size of the seed, the large size of the plant, and the rapid germination and growth of the plant. That is part of the importance of all trees and large plants as they tend to come from seeds, perhaps not always tiny ones, but they come to life and they grow. That is what is supposed to be happening to us as well.

The last stanza of Kilmer’s famous poem about trees is the most telling. It is, “Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.” Only God can truly make us what we are to be and what we are called to be.

June 10, 2018 — Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GN 3: 9-15; PS 130: 1-8; 2 COR: 4:13–5:1; MK 3: 20-35

The Feasts of May and June have been called a “liturgical love feast.” They should help us to realize the persistent love of God. On May 20, we received the Holy Spirit Who pours the love of God into our hearts. The following Sunday we celebrated the Blessed Trinity. On June 3, last week, we celebrated the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Out of love Christ gave us the gift of Himself. He is always available to us, ready to listen and ready to support.

This past Friday, we commemorated the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the revelations of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus promised, “Sinners shall find My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy. I will console them in all their troubles.” What we hear in the Word at every Mass should be a source of inspiration and affirmation about the love of God toward us.

Adam and Eve were certainly aware of God’s love. In the First Reading from the Book of Genesis, when they “hear” that God is in the garden, they know full well that He wants to be with them. It is difficult for us to conceive of how intimate and close God was to that first couple. What made them “afraid” of God was sin, something that probably makes all of us afraid of the Lord at times. Ever since Adam we as humans have tended to run from God’s presence and we surely do not always wish to listen to His Word.

Nevertheless, we must always keep in mind that we are made in God’s image, so as fearful of Him as we may be, we still want to be in the presence of God. As we note in the reading, Adam tried to blame Eve for his sin. That is something we may tend to do as well — blame others for our sins and faults. In 2 Samuel, David declares, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Each of us has to consider taking that responsibility for our actions as David did.

St. Paul had a way with words to be sure. During Paul’s lifetime many felt his Paul’s life was a failure. At the height of his success in life, he chose to leave it for a career that from our perspective is much higher. We view St. Paul as the great evangelizer and the equivalent of an Apostle. Paul left a comfortable life for a life of hardship, suffering and persecution.

His message to us and to the Corinthians in this reading is that faith creates testimony. Paul believed deeply that God had a purpose in his, Paul’s, sufferings. Paul understood and embraced and truly believed in resurrection. Al the trials he faced, and all the trials we may face, are trivial in relationship to the life that is to come. Suffering can destroy us; they could have destroyed Paul. Paul recognized that we tend to see the outward, not necessarily the unseen eternal things. He speaks, nevertheless, of the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” That is where his focus was and where our focus needs to be — not the present but what is in our future.

President Abraham Lincoln is often given credit for saying “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” This was the theme of a speech he gave when he was nominated for the United States Senate in 1858. However, we see it in today’s Gospel Reading from St. Mark: “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

Jesus is quoted as saying that in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Lincoln was a man familiar with scripture, and he knew that Jesus said this. He also knew most likely that most of his audience knew that. Jesus gave this answer to the Pharisees in all three instances in the Bible, including today’s reading. It was a response the Lord made when accused of being the agent of Satan. It is a logical thought because we all know that any community, including our parish, which is divided will run into problems. Success and cohesion, whether in a family or in an organization or the Church itself, is reliant upon congruency.

We face this in many ways in daily life all the time. It does not matter whether it is a sports team, a government, a family, or our own minds things must work together in order to accomplish goals. God expects unity among believers because once conflict enters into the picture, the whole organization becomes weaker. That is part of what stewardship demands of us. There are times when each of us must place his or her personal preferences to the side for the good of the group. That is never easy to do, but to be the kind of community we wish to be and need to be it is absolutely necessary. Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Indeed!