Fourth Sunday of Lent
(I have chosen to depart from my regular style of homilies to adopt a more Ignatian imaginative reflection method. I have tried to put myself in place of the blind man to experience what it must have meant for him to be set free. Please be sure the read the gospel reading before you continue to read.)
I remember this as clearly as the day I first saw light – my parents had taken me to a wise man in my village. I was so nervous. Even my parents were afraid. His voice was gruff. He did not even ask my name. He seemed distant. I could feel the coldness of his hands… and his heart. He touched my eyes and mumbled. His touch felt like dry wood. “It a punishment for sin,” he said. “But we are good people,” my parents protested. “We follow the law and the prophets.” “Go your way, now!” he said, dismissing us. “God does not do this to righteous people. If you did not sin then your ancestors probably did. Don’t waste your time over this blind boy. Sit him down in the market place to beg. May be someone will have mercy on him. And remember to make him look more miserable than he is. He will have a better chance.”
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
The great Catholic fiction writer Flannery O’Connor wrote a short story entitled “Revelation” in which the main character, Mrs. Turpin is a Southern white farmer, who is social, keeps up a nice appearance, and is well-respected. However, a glimpse into Mrs. Turpin’s head shows a different picture:
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
“Listen to my voice,” is God’s command to the people of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah in today’s first reading (Jeremiah 7: 23-28) Similarly, we heard a couple of weeks ago in the gospel reading about the Transfiguration of Jesus, God spoke to the disciples on the mountain top about Jesus, “This is my chosen Son, listen to him.” We hear from Jeremiah that the people did not listen; instead they “walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces” to God. It sounds to me like they were being stubborn, something I’ve found myself being with God at times. Sometimes, like a little kid who wants her own way, not what the parent wants, I have found myself hardening my heart to God and to other people. Sometimes it’s a matter of pride and not wanting to forgive a wrong, other times it’s a matter of thinking that what I want is better than what I hear God trying to tell me about my life.
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Today we are challenged to focus on living what our faith teaches. The first reading from Deuteronomy is a prologue of Moses to the people of Israel before he gives them the law. Moses told the people to observe carefully “the statues and decrees” of the Lord. (Dt 4:5) He does this in part to remind the people of Israel what happened to those who had built and worshiped the golden calf. Moses wanted to send God’s chosen ones into the promise land knowing that they would be exposed to people, cultures, and gods that would be foreign to them. He knew they would be tested. Consider the culture to which we ourselves are exposed? How are we being tested? What is our response to those tests? Do we find ourselves praising God and trying harder to more diligently live our mission of faithful discipleship?
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
At times Lent can feel like a burning fire. It’s not always pleasant to give things up—in fact it can be painful. Yet we also hope that giving up material things can have a purifying role in our lives and that it can help lead us closer to God. At other times, we can find ourselves, during Lent, feeling like it is difficult to connect with God. We can be brought face to face with our own weaknesses and lack of holiness. Lent helps us to renounce the control that we sometimes think that we have in our spiritual lives. This is especially true if we think that what we give up for Lent is what gives us favor in God’s eyes. It forces us to remember that we are already loved by God, and nothing we do can make God love us more. Both of these aspects of Lent are present in Azariah’s prayer in the first reading for today.
Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Oftentimes as I read about the lives of the saints or current day holy people like Mother Teresa, I find myself thinking, “If only I could have such amazing God experiences in my life.” I think that today’s readings remind us that God’s grace is found in the ordinary experiences of our lives, and sometimes it is our hardheartedness that prevents us from seeing God right in our midst. Being grateful is one way that we can become more aware of God’s presence in our lives.
Third Sunday of Lent
The story of the Samaritan woman is so dramatic and powerful that we could draw multiple themes from it. Add to it the very powerful story of the water from the rock in the first reading, these readings give us the possibility of an entire day’s retreat. I have chosen to focus on the second half of the story of the Samaritan woman as the theme of today’s homily. The common word that unites my homily is the word ‘story.”
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Today’s gospel might initially wash over us as the story we’ve heard many, many times of the “Prodigal Son” who lavishly spends his inheritance on pleasures and is left tending the swine and desiring their food. He then returns to his father to beg for mercy.
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Today's gospel passage (Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46) is one of the most mysterious of Jesus' parables, and also one that has been used, down through the centuries, to justify some of the most awful actions against Jews and others who are not Christian. It's a weird parable simply in terms of action: why is it that the vineyard owner keeps sending out slaves to be harmed? Why does he never call the police, raise up an army, or otherwise seek to punish the tenants? The tenants, too, act in very odd ways. Why are they bothering to beat up the slaves? They knew what the price was for renting the vineyard; their actions are more than a little inexplicable.
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
I’m guessing that most of us reading today’s readings do not consider ourselves “rich,” as in today’s gospel reading of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19-31), although we probably have all that we need and even some of what we want. We may not immediately identify with the Rich Man who dressed in fine linen and dined “sumptuously” each day, although compared to most people in the developing countries, and some in our own country, we are quite rich, having three meals a day and as many snacks as we like and throwing away our leftovers even if we did have good intentions not to waste any food. Granted, we probably don’t have a Lazarus sitting outside our front door, but this parable makes me think about all the poor and suffering people that I prefer to ignore as did the Rich Man. It’s not that I’m mean or unconcerned, and I’d like to think that I’m not selfish. Personally, I find it overwhelming to consider all the poverty and suffering in the world, and so it’s just easier to turn away from it, sometimes even fooling myself into thinking I’ll do something about it later.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
In Lumen Gentium, a document from Vatican II, we learn that the people of God by virtue of their Baptism share in Christ’s office of priest, prophet and king. This sharing means we too are called through grace to be faithful disciples who imitate Christ. In thinking of these three roles, do we see ourselves as priest, prophet and king? Would I dare think of myself as a prophet? Do I embrace my ministry as priest or prophet with joy, or is it more like resentment? Often our response is like Jeremiah, “Oh Lord, I am too young to do that.” Or like Jonah, “No Lord, your crazy if you think I’ll do that,” and then we run the other way. Sometimes we are like today’s disciples, “Sure we can drink the same cup Lord;” all the while failing to realize that Jesus means to lay down his life.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
Often we are reminded the importance of a faith that takes its form in practice. Indeed, this embodiment of faith is a Christian imperative. In the words of James, “Faith without works is dead” (2:14-26); faith alone is not enough. Faith is movement. Faith draws us from our sloth to be actively present in the world around us, attentive and informed.
Monday of the Second Week in Lent
In scanning the index in the back of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I've noticed over time that the three most extensive subject headings are "Church", "Jesus Christ", and "Man." Certainly the subjects of "Church" and "Jesus Christ" in the Catechism index come as no surprise in being the most extensive, considering these critical, multifaceted subjects lend themselves to numerous subheadings that cover so much of our faith. However, the subject of "Man" as also being a prominent subject within the index gives me a healthy reminder of the totality of Catholicism. Not only does our faith teach us about God and the Church, but it also tells us who we are as human beings, how we are to live as mankind, and who we are called to be like.
Second Sunday of Lent
There are two spectacular events in today’s scripture readings – the miraculous fiery consummation of Abrahams sacrifice and the transfiguration of Jesus. I reflected upon these passages both from God’s perspective and from the perspective of the characters in the story. And I found great contrasts in these perspectives. For the God who created the entire universe what does it take to get a flaming torch pass through Abraham’s sacrifice? I think it was child’s play for God. For that matter, what does it take God to have Abraham and Sarah have a baby in their old age? For the God who created the universe it really was not a big deal. On the contrary, for Abraham and Sarah this was a BIG DEAL. Similarly, in the transfiguration event, what does it take God to create that divine experience for the disciples? Not much! God merely revealed who God really is! But for Peter, James and John this was a BIG DEAL. They wanted to stay there forever.
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
In today’s first reading we have the narrative of the establishment of the covenant between God and the Hebrews through the prophet Moses. This ends the section of Deuteronomy (or “Second Law”) which expounds on the law. Both parties of the covenant—God and the Hebrews—are to keep up their ends of the agreement. The Hebrews “are to walk in [God’s] ways
and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees” (Dt 26:17) and God will make them His chosen people.
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
In today’s first reading we have the narrative of the establishment of the covenant between God and the Hebrews through the prophet Moses. This ends the section of Deuteronomy (or “Second Law”) which expounds on the law. Both parties of the covenant—God and the Hebrews—are to keep up their ends of the agreement. The Hebrews “are to walk in [God’s] ways and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees” (Dt 26:17) and God will make them His chosen people.
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, apostle
AS we await the election of a new pope, today's feast assumes great significance. I’ve been thinking, for example, about how astonishing it is that two thousand years after Jesus lived on earth Christians can still think of ourselves as his followers. We don’t serve God in the abstract; instead we serve God as revealed to us by Jesus. There were many teachers in ancient times who had disciples then, yet very few if any can be said to still have disciples now. So it is even more remarkable that we can be counted among Jesus’ disciples. As I reflect on the readings for today I’m reminded of the ways that our ability to live as disciples of Jesus is a result of God’s providence and grace through the church.
Thursday of the First Week in Lent
Does God answer our prayers? That’s a tricky question because I think it depends on the prayer. Today’s gospel reading (Matthew 7: 7-12) from the Sermon on the Mount has Jesus teaching his disciples about prayer. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” And he doesn’t exclude anyone, for Jesus’s words continue that “everyone” who asks, seeks and knocks will receive, find, and the door will be opened. So, why, then, do not all of our prayers seem to be answered?
Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
How often in making a decision do we seek a sign? Discerning a choice, especially between two seemingly good things, can be difficult. Sometimes we get a push toward the choice by the word of a friend, or a verse of Scripture that keeps appearing in our prayer. At other times we seek a sign, and fail to recognize the one that we have been given.