Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's gospel reading gives us a vivid description of what is to happen at the end time. Wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, persecutions, and betrayals will characterize the end times. This scene can be very frightening. But these things do happen. Even in these days, terrible floods, tornadoes, volcanoes, tsunami and forest fires to cause huge destruction. Certainly, npne of us thinks that this time, for sure, it will be the end of the world. At the same time, we know that our personal world can end at any time. This can be, for some people, a frightening thought.
Memorial of Saint Cecilia, virgin and martyr
Just yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King. Today’s readings lead us to reflect on how we all fit into this kingdom as the communion of saints, saved by Jesus the lamb and called to worship him in all we do. In our first reading from the Book of Revelation, we hear John’s description of all those saved by Jesus. The number 144,000 indicates a vast number of people; these people sing hymns of praise and follow the lamb wherever he goes. John describes them as “unblemished,” just as the Lamb has also been described as unblemished.
The Solemnity of Christ the King
Why would the church choose the most shameful moments of Christ’s life as the gospel reading for the Solemnity of Christ the King? When we celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, and events connected with our loved ones, don’t we normally focus on the positive? The gospel, on the other hand says about Jesus that the rulers sneered at him, the soldiers jeered at him, and one of the criminals reviled him, saying “Are you not the Christ?” But why does the church want to read this gospel for the feast of Christ the King? Why could the Church not have chosen a reading for this feast where Christ is shown in his splendor – the transfiguration of Jesus or the Ascension of Jesus, for example?
Saturday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus interacting with representatives from some of the various schools of Judaism of His day (of course, we must remember that Jesus was a Jew who observed the requirements of the Jewish Law). Since Jesus was known as a rabbi (or teacher), it would have been customary for him to debate the interpretation of the law with other Jewish leaders. Not surprisingly, these debates often included attempts to undercut and outsmart the other, especially if the authority of opposing party was suspect.
Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The words from today’s first reading (Revelation 10:8-11) are a bit of a puzzle: how is it that God’s words can taste sweet but yet make John’s stomach sour? It is perplexing, too, to turn from that reading to the Psalm (119), which proclaims that God’s promises are sweet to the taste! Surely, if God’s promises and God’s words are sweet, won’t the effect be sweet as well?
Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
In both today’s first reading and today’s gospel, our passages open with weeping. The gospel passage from Luke describes Jesus’ reaction to seeing the city of Jerusalem. It is clearly a city that Jesus loves, and filled with people for whom Jesus has great compassion. Here Jesus seems to be prophesying about the destruction of Jerusalem which was to come forty years after his own crucifixion. Notice that Jesus does not in any way delight over the impending destruction of the city that failed to recognize him as their Messiah. Rather, he weeps, the most human sign of sorrow.
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
Years ago, in a class taught by a theologian named Megan McKenna, I learned a principle that has fundamentally changed the way I read or listen to scripture. Her idea is that if there is a scripture that really stands out to a reader or a hearer, that this is where the Holy Spirit is guiding us. Megan went so far as to say that if a scripture really bothers you, God is trying to use those words to provoke a change in your heart. It is a great principle, and when I utilize it, the Spirit nudges my heart to change.
Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The readings for this week look forward to the Solemnity of Christ the King on Sunday, November 21. The theme expressed in them is repentance at the expectation of Christ’s coming. In the first reading, the writer of Revelation warns the churches not to be lukewarm but rather to remain steadfast in faith. The metaphor of the undesirability of what is lukewarm is one that most people can appreciate. In warm weather it is natural for people to drink cold beverages to slake their thirst. And conversely, in cold weather people drink warm beverages to warm them from the inside after they’ve come in from the cold. The problem with lukewarm beverages is that people do not find them to be refreshing either on cold or warm days. No one wants to drink lukewarm soda, or coffee once it has cooled off.
Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s gospel passage from Luke we encounter yet another healing story. In this case it is a blind man who relentlessly calls to Jesus for healing. The blind man was granted this healing, and upon receiving his sight, he followed Jesus giving glory to God, and “When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God” (Lk 18:53). This healing has a symbolic level inasmuch as Jesus comes to bring healing for all of us; he brings us sight that we may see life as it really is and justly praise God.
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today is the last ordinary Sunday of the liturgical year. Next Sunday is the feast of Christ the King and then we begin the season of advent. It is only appropriate that as both the liturgical and calendar years come to an end that the readings draw our attention to the end times. In biblical terms, literature that focuses on the end times is referred to as apocalyptic literature. This kind of literature has certain characteristics. It always almost is connected to some kind of persecution.
Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin
In today’s gospel, Jesus gives us a rather odd parable to illustrate the necessity that his disciples pray constantly. There are two important aspects of it, however, that perhaps we might miss on a first read—both are common features of Jesus’ parables in general and both help us to understand the story a bit better.
Memorial of Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr
Intuitively, we believe that it is important for the church, and especially for our witness to Christ, that we make use of contemporary culture for witnessing to Christ. We know that different people like different kinds of music, for example, and so our parish has masses that make use of a variety of musical styles in order to help people worship. Other, more controversial topics relate to this too: use of medical technology at the end of life, birth control, gay marriage.
Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, bishop
Today’s gospel passage from Luke is an interesting one that directs our attention toward the end of the liturgical year. It is only a few weeks until Advent begins, and the Catholic year begins with it. In the reading for today, Jesus is asked by the Pharisees about the timing of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ answer is not very satisfying for the Pharisees. Nor is it completely clear to us who read it today. Jesus seems to be redirecting their attention from their concern, and we might interpret his comment that the “Kingdom of God is among you” (Lk 17:21) as meaning either that He is the kingdom or that his followers are the kingdom or that the kingdom lives in each one of them if they choose to embrace it. Each of these three interpretations has its own history within the tradition of the Church.
Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
There are many stories, in the history of the early church, -of the tremendous works of the people of faith and how their steadfast faith and service transformed the people and communities in which they lived. One story from the church in Alexandria is an extraordinary example of Christian discipleship. A plague broke out throughout the region and many fled from fear of the plague. Yet, historians remarked that one group stayed to care for the sick and the dying. It was the Christian community of Alexandria. People were amazed at this group’s action. Many of these Christians died in service of the sick. By their actions, the Christians of Alexandria confronted the norms of a culture that was perplexed by their extreme love.
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Today happens to be the feast of the dedication of the Basilica of St. John, Lateran in Rome. This past summer I had the privilege of spending some time in Rome, and one Sunday I was able to go to mass at the Basilica, which officially is the seat of the Pope, although St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is perhaps today much more closely associated with the papacy in the popular media. What struck me about the Basilica was the massive size of the building, the high coffered ceiling. I was also impressed that the Church had been a site of Christian worship since the early centuries of Christianity. Yet it was also striking that the interior had been completely renovated at least once since then, so that it was hard to tell that it was more than a few centuries old. It was filled with religious art, including a set of very large statues of the twelve disciples mounted on either side of the nave.
Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Today we begin St. Paul’s letter to Titus. This is considered to be one of Paul’s pastoral letters because of his very practical advice; here it is in regard to the requirements and duties of Church leaders known as presbyters and bishops. Such a Church leader ought to live an upright life, as indicated by his personal conduct as well as his family’s. Indeed, every Christian should behave as described by Paul here, but for those who lead it is particularly important that they witness well to the Christian faith in the entirety of their lives. The last line describes well the task of such a leader, namely, that he hold fast to the true message in order both to refute opponents and to exhort the faithful (Tit 1:9).
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
In 332 BC the Greeks conquered what we know today as the Holy Land. They ruled Palestine for a good century and a half. Around 167 BC, in an effort to unify the many different people under his rule, Antiochus IV Epiphanes imposed Greek language, customs, and religion on all of them including the Jews. As a result the Jews were compelled to eat renounce Yahweh and eat pig’s meat – an abomination to the Jews. The book of Maccabees is an account of Greek rule and particularly, the persecution of the non complying Israelites at their hands. Today’s reading recounts the story of a mother and her seven sons who were martyred for their refusal to eat pork.
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
In the reading from Luke’s Gospel today, Jesus exhorts His disciples to keep money in its place. It’s interesting, in light of the eventual sharp contrast between God and mammon, that Jesus begins by talking about trust, and a rather common sense notion at that. If people cannot be trusted on small matters, we certainly don’t trust them with more important ones! (Lk 16:10-2). The key here is that money is not of the essence, at best its an instrument toward something, certainly not an end in itself, a small matter.
Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
What is the difference between Christians and non-Christians? It is not that Christians are any less sinful, any less capable of committing crimes, any more likely to get to heaven. Today’s scriptures make that quite clear.
The gospel (Luke 16:1-8) features Jesus’ parable of the dishonest steward (familiar because we last heard it at Sunday Mass in September). This parable has often perplexed me, because I find myself wondering why the master commends the steward for reducing his (the master’s) tenants’ debts. After all, it is the master’s money and now the master will get less in repayment while the steward has protected himself. The steward’s hope is that the people whose debts he’s forgiven will likewise find themselves generous when the steward no longer has a job.
Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop
In today’s gospel passage from Luke, Jesus uses two parables to convey his dedication to the “lost.” In the first of these, he compares the repentant sinner to a lost sheep who is found by his shepherd. In the second parable, Jesus compares the repentant sinner to a lost coin. In both cases, the one who finds, rejoices. So we are led to understand that Jesus rejoices in the sinners that he is accused of welcoming. This is an important lesson for the Pharisees and scribes to understand because of their emphasis on righteousness. While righteousness in and of itself is praiseworthy, the Pharisees and scribes used it for exclusionary purposes; they preferred the lost to stay lost rather than be found. The law provided a convenient way to disregard those who had fallen away.