Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“I am meek and humble of heart.” —Matthew 11:29
“Humility is the foundation of all virtues” —Saint Augustine.
“The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.” —Saint Vincent de Paul
Despite having the same Latin root of humilis, which means “lowly,” people often associate humility with a loss of dignity. They shame themselves into thinking that they are unworthy and even worthless. That’s not the true meaning of the word.
Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“I’m hiding, I’m hiding,
and no one knows where,
for all they can see are my toes and my hair,
And I just heard my father
Say to my mother —
“But, darling, he must be
Somewhere or other;
“Have you looked in the ink well?”
And Mother said, “Where?”
“In the INK WELL,” said Father. But
I was not there.…”
This poem, “Hiding,” by Dorothy Aldis is a beloved family favorite. It portrays a child hiding, holding in laughter as parents look in all the wrong places, and then finally erupting in giggles. The parents, of course, know where the child is all along. They find the child, and all three delight in the finding.
Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin
When I read the news, it seems there is always something about war. Indeed, at this moment, multiple wars are taking place around the world. I suppose it was not much different in ancient times. Today’s first reading describes the threat of war that the Kingdom of Judah faced from its neighbors. What can we learn from this passage in the Book of Isaiah?
Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“I have not come to bring peace, but the sword.” - Matthew 10:34 Today we hear another one of those “difficult sayings” of Jesus. Jesus, rebuker of Peter for drawing his sword. Jesus, admonisher of those who live by the sword. Jesus, whose nativity inspired heavenly hosts over Bethlehem to sing of “peace on earth.”
So what’s up with that?
Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot
One of the recurring laments in higher education is that the job market is terrible, and that getting a teaching position at a university is nearly impossible. That is certainly a huge fear among graduate students today, and for good reason. It was also the fear in the mid-1990s when I was in graduate school.
Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.” (Psalm 51:17)
This last verse of today’s responsorial psalm (from which the refrain comes) is one that is prayed at the start of morning prayer throughout the world. I started praying morning prayer more regularly since first subscribing to the Benedictine liturgical publication “Give Us This Day” a few years ago.
Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Hosea tells a story about God’s love. God cherishes all people despite the tendency for us to turn away or ignore God’s nurturing attention. Since we are made in God’s image, God is able to see our goodness. It is this loving God that draws us close, surrounds us with tenderness, and looks beyond our brokenness. God then invites us to do the same, as we are all called to cherish one another.
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Whether it is in others or in ourselves, it is not uncommon for us to notice certain discrepancies. As parents we might notice that children don’t always live up to the expectations we have of them. Our superiors and coworkers may not live up to the expectations we have of them. Even our religious leaders might fall short. For that matter, we might disappoint ourselves with the discrepancies we see in our own attitudes and conduct. There is always the ideal, and then there is the reality.
Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
While little is known about Hosea, a good deal is known about Israel during the time in which he prophesied. It was a time that followed peaceful rule and preceded the fall of Israel to the Assyrians. It was a time in which kings were assassinated, corruption was rampant, economic disparities were great, the rich increased their abuses of the poor, and Israel’s relationships even with its allies were rocky. To make matters even worse, as the prophet tells us, the people of Israel had taken to creating and worshipping false gods. In all of this, the people of God are about as divided from God as they can be. Naming this, Hosea promises that God will remember their sins and will punish them.
Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Every day this week we will be hearing from the Book of the Prophet Hosea. Hosea is unique (along with Jeremiah) for acting out his prophetic message. Hosea dramatically married prostitute Gomer and did it ever get the attention of the people of Israel! Eventually they understood that Hosea was Yahweh and Gomer was Israel in the drama.
What follows is from Frederick Buechner, a popular, humorous, and creative writer and pastor.
Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Among the people of Jesus’ day who puzzled over him and at times questioned his motives, were the disciples of John the Baptist. John’s disciples followed his ascetic lifestyle, which included fasting and other strict disciplines. Jesus answers their query by offering the image of a wedding feast. Today let us consider the hallmarks of a vibrant relationship with Jesus our Bridegroom. Our psalm gives us some clues to that life of love and devotion, as well.
Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle
It’s the Feast of St. Thomas, “Doubting Thomas,” Apostle of Jesus Christ. I wonder how Thomas feels about that nickname. But it fits him well. He did doubt, at least according to the Gospel of John that we read today: “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (20:25b) Maybe, like me, you’ve been known to say at least once or twice in your lifetime, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” But Thomas didn’t just want to see Jesus, he wanted to touch him, to place his finger and hand in his wounds, to feel and know that this truly was the same person he had walked with, eaten with, laughed, prayed, and probably cried with; that this was the same man in whom he had placed all of his hopes and dreams, only to be shockingly crucified between two criminals. How else could he believe what the others had seen and claimed to be true?
Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The prophet Amos was famous for many reasons.
Of all the prophetic books, Amos was first. As such he laid the groundwork for the writing prophets that followed him. He is famous for being from Judah (the southern kingdom) yet he prophesied in Israel (the northern kingdom). He is famous because of his humility — he did not fancy himself as learned or suave. In his simplicity his message hit home where the vast majority lived. He was famous because he wasn’t trained as a prophet nor was he from the upper class. He is famous because his gruff unfiltered message resonates with us still.
Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
A pastor, a prophet, a community organizer, Martin Luther King, Jr was steeped in the scriptures and knew the current reality is not God’s desire for the world. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, he laments, with great specificity, the racism of his day. We could easily add to that list in our own day. He speaks God’s word from the prophet Amos, “We cannot be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” King paints a dream that is drawn from God’s dream for us. After naming his dream he reminds us again, this is God’s dream, pulling from the prophet Isaiah, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Does the word of God ever catch you off guard? The place and time of Amos was a time not unlike our own; overall a prosperous time, punctuated by various natural and political disasters. According to Amos, the lesson of all those calamities was to return to God and follow the commandments. Yet, we are no doubt surprised by the threats and curses embedded in Amos’s prophesy. I certainly was. In our present time, what do we take from a fiery prophet?
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
And Peter was imprisoned, bound with chains. Acts 12:5
Like tyrannical narcissists who fancy themselves as god-like throughout the human story, Herod thought he was in control of history itself, or at least as far as Caesar permitted him. Claiming God like powers, he believed that he could stamp out a new strange branch of Judaism—the followers of a crucified messiah. Already he had martyred James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John. But he did not realize he was opposing the will of the one true God.
Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Stories like the one we encounter in the passage from Matthew today sure make faith seem simple. All you have to do is believe the right thing and say the right thing. If you can do those two things, then you’ve got faith, and Jesus is singing your praises. Right?
Somehow it doesn’t seem as easy as that.
Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s first reading (2 Kings 25:1-12) is about the destruction of Jerusalem (including the temple) and exile of the people from their land. The Responsorial Psalm that follows begins with the familiar verses, “By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. On the aspens of that land we hung up our harps….how could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land?” (137:1,2,4)
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, those listening to Jesus speak are “astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority not as their scribes.” (Mt: 7 29) What did these people see and hear that gave them such insights, and do we have open ears and hearts to hear the same?
Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
“You, child, shall be called prophet of the Most High.” On this feast of the birth of John the Baptist this gospel acclamation points us directly to John’s identity and role. It also points us to our identity and role. First, like all of us, John is a child of God. You and I, every human being, is a child of God. Take a moment and soak that in for yourself. You are a beloved child of God. The people closest to you, those far away, those you love, and those who drive you crazy - each a beloved child of God. It’s easy to read quickly over this, “sure,” you say, “I know that.” It is one thing to know this in our heads. It is an entirely different thing to feel this in our hearts, our bodies, in the depth of our being. Again, I say, let it soak in, “you are a beloved child of God.”