Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
It’s a little difficult for me to read the first lesson (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11) without also hearing Pete Seeger’s song “Turn, Turn, Turn” in my head, because his song is a very faithful rendition of verses 1 through 8, in pretty much exact translation. Seeger added only six words to those verses, including the “Turn! Turn! Turn!” refrain. The emphasis in this song is on cultivating world peace, and so the lines focus on those aspects of the first eight verses that relate to peace. (The Byrds' Rendition of Turn!Turn!Turn!)
Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, priest
“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” begins today’s first reading from the book of Ecclesiastes (Eccl. 1:2). This beautiful passage goes on to explain poetically the sort of pointlessness of human life as it is experienced. Qoheleth, who speaks, seems to say, life goes on and on, the same things happen over and over again, people forget those who came before, the sun rises and sets, but what is the point, what is the purpose? This first passage, then, seems to pose a question based on human experience. How can this life as experienced by us and millions of others have any meaning at all? Is not all life temporal and ephemeral?
Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Modern Society in many ways is built upon a culture of materialism. Part of this culture thrives on creating wants and needs that have to be fulfilled in order for our lives to be complete. In my own life, this could be illustrated by a voice in my head that says, “You need this tool in order to complete this project.” Or, I might feel the need to have a certain book or workshop in order to accomplish a task for ministry. In reality, today’s readings remind us that we have all that we need to be a disciple.
Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
I’ve often heard people say that Christianity takes away our freedom and the opportunity for self-expression and traps us in a life of rule-following. This is a common view of what it’s like to be Christian that’s often expressed by people both outside and inside the faith today. And since self-expression is such a big part of people’s self-understanding, it’s natural to ask why someone would choose to be a Christian. It would seem that Christianity doesn’t allow one to “be oneself.” Unfortunately, as Catholic Christians we haven’t always done a very good job helping people see how they can contribute to the life of the Church. I know of a number of people who feel that their individual gifts are not appreciated and that they are not encouraged to develop and use them within the Church.
Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn, priest and martyr, and Saint Paul Chŏng Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs
For the last few weeks we have been following first readings from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Today, however, we begin to have passages from the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. These little sayings contained in today’s selection have great meaning in terms of how to live a godly, or holy, life. Notice that the directives contained in this passage are all phrased in terms of the negative, and all have to do with relationships with others—that is, they are instructions about what NOT to do to others. But as negatives, they also imply affirmatives. In not refusing a neighbor, one ought to be generous. In not plotting evil and arguing, one ought to live in peace. We can see how developing habits of NOT doing things could build virtue, in a positive sense.
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In its latest report, the US Census Bureau has announced that in 2009 one in seven Americans was living in poverty. The bureau defines poverty as any family of four living on less than $21,954 a year. Officials said that the number of people in poverty increased by nearly 4 million between 2008 and 2009. Today, 43.6 million people live in poverty in the United States. Among the working-age population, ages 18 to 65, poverty rose from 11.7% to 12.9%, the highest level since the 1960s. Meanwhile, the number of Americans without health insurance increased by 4.4m between 2008 - 2009. This number rose from 15.4% to 16.7% - or 50.7 million people - mostly because of the loss of employer-provided schemes during the recession. The report also suggests that the group that suffered most from increasing poverty levels was children.
Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Did you ever wonder why it is that in the Apostles’ Creed that we confess belief in the resurrection of the body? Isn’t it enough to say that there is resurrection? Why is “of the body” so important that it is part of the oldest baptismal formula that we have, used in first-century Rome? There are at least three ways in which this prepositional phrase, “of the body,” makes a huge difference for Christians.
Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Life with an almost-three-year old makes me realize some things I would otherwise have forgotten. This week, it’s the reality of how much power I actually have in shaping my daughter’s view of and interaction with the world. “What color is that, Mama?” “Why does it get dark, Mama?” “Why do I have to go to bed now?” Each of my answers to these questions shapes how she encounters the world. What would happen if I one day decided to tell her that blue things are actually named “red”? She would be a rather messed up toddler, I imagine.
Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr, and Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr
Today’s first reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians ought to be one of the best-known excerpts of the New Testament. It contains, in a nutshell, the entire gospel message, and in can be regarded as having a creedal form. In other words, Paul’s testimony here seems to be a confession of faith: Christ died, was buried, rose on the third day, and appeared to people. Paul also personalizes this confession of faith, adding his own testimony, namely, that Christ appeared to him. Paul finds this last part particularly remarkable because of his own past; Paul was a persecutor of the Church, one who caused suffering for those who followed Jesus. Paul explains to the Corinthians that his apostolic work is the result of God’s grace.
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Have you ever lost someone whom you loved deeply? Those times may be where the phrase broken heart comes from? Those are the times in our lives when we can feel like we have lost the will to keep living because the pain is almost unbearable. This pain of a broken heart was surely something Jesus’ mother, Mary, must have known well. Even Mary or Miriam in Hebrew can be translated “sea of bitterness or sorrow.” Today’s feast of Our Lady of Sorrows remembers that the bearer of the Son of God carried many sorrows in her heart. Yet it also celebrates, like yesterday’s feast, that sadness is not the end of the story.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
When I was in school I had to memorize Bible passages from time to time. One of these passages was John 3:16. As a result it’s so ingrained in my head that when I look at it now I find myself just skimming the words. This passage is for many people one of the most familiar quotations from the Bible: even if they know nothing else of the Bible they will likely know this quote. It is held up on placards during televised baseball and football games. It is part of the common language of American Christianity. Yet because it is so familiar its full impact is often lost on us—both its strangeness and its power are often overlooked. At the same time, it has recently become fashionable to wear a cross around one’s neck—rappers, pop stars, and other celebrities seem to have embraced the symbol as a fashion fad. In the process of looking at this we may forget how strange it is that a symbol of brutal punishment and ignominious death could have become for Christians a symbol of comfort, healing, and new life.
Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church
In today’s first reading, Paul calls the Corinthian church to task because they are not sharing in each other’s suffering. The Corinthian church has divisions evident in their gatherings where some (the wealthier) eat and drink well while others (the poorer) go hungry. Paul indicates that this is not merely a case of bad manners, but rather it is contrary to Jesus’ own institution of the Eucharist. For in offering himself as body and blood, Jesus left a memorial of his death. Both in the Eucharist and in the fellowship of other meals, Christians ought to recall Jesus’ saving work, and this ought to bring compassion and concern for the others in the community. The Corinthians’ failure at this seems to bring out both the anger and the sorrow of Paul. He suffers in seeing these very un-Christian divisions.
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
When I use the word ‘scandal,’ what is it that comes to your mind? Perhaps we are thinking of a serious or a systemic immoral situation. For example, the abuse of children in the church – that is surely a scandal. It is normal to consider a scandal to be a negative situation. And we are right. There is nothing right about a child who demands his inheritance even before the death of his parents and then wastes it all in a life of dissipation (Lk 15: 11-20). There is nothing right about an entire people abandoning the God who saved them from slavery only to show their loyalty to the mere image of a golden calf (Ex 32:7-11). A scandal is serious business. It hurts the people involved, it destroys relationships, and most of all, it leads people away from God.
Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings offer some sharp words from both Jesus and Paul, which are focused on the link between participation in liturgy and the rest of our lives.
In the first reading, Paul exhorts the Corinthians to act as those who have received the Eucharist. They participate in the Eucharist, yet when they go to have dinner, they also participate in pagan sacrifices by eating the meat of the sacrificial animal, which was often sold in the market. Paul tries to get them to see that their participation in the Eucharist excludes any participation in other sacrifices because it is a participation in the one, true sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Paul tries to get them to see the contrast between their worship and their actions.
Friday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
I had the great privilege of attending Duke University for graduate school, where I did, indeed, get to see some of the basketball games. (Non-Duke fans - I hope you won't hold this against me...) I remember watching a game once where the top players started the game, but by the end Duke was so far ahead, that younger less experienced players were out there on the court. It was fascinating to compare: the star players were agile, acrobatic, and had their moves coordinated and timed; the less-experienced players had far less control of their bodies, and therefore, of the game. Despite the fact that both groups were on the same "team" the differences in training led to apparently small differences between their actions that made all the difference when it came to playing the game.
Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, priest
Today’s readings are certainly among the most challenging that we encounter in our Scripture. Somewhat surprisingly, they are challenging precisely because they deal with love. Normally we think of love as warm and fuzzy, a sort of emotional contentment. What’s so challenging about that? But when we hear love described as it is in today’s reading, we find ourselves confronted with demands on our very lives.
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Do the words “We are going to do something new” place fear in your heart? Sometimes they do for me. In part, the fear arises because I am comfortable with the way things are already done or perhaps it is because what is being asked is something that I have never done. However, just because I have not done something, is no reason to be afraid of that thing. This also holds true for most every part of our lives, especially our journey as disciples. Discipleship sometimes feels like walking in the dark. Yet this feast day can enlighten our journey by focusing us on the purpose and journey of the first disciple, Mary the Mother of God.
Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Due to various family and friends’ illnesses, I’ve been around hospitals and doctors a lot lately. Being ill is no fun, but I’ve noticed two things. First, even though what brought people to the hospital is a physical illness, usually they start wanting to talk about their lives beyond just the illness. Maybe it’s the vulnerability that comes with being sick, but I’ve had a fair number of conversations lately about emotions (being angry or tired of being sick) and relationships (wanting to patch up broken ones). The second thing I’ve noticed is that people pretty much always seem better off--emotionally, spiritually and sometimes even physically—when someone takes the time to pray with them.
Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Everyone probably has memories from their childhood of trying to fit in with a group. It’s a natural thing for us to want to be like others and be liked by others. In today’s individualistic society, we often fail to realize the powerful pull of our communal instinct. Both of our Mass readings for today bear on this subject.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
I remember this incident very clearly. I was in my moral theology class in the Seminary. The professor began his class by asking all of us to write our epitaph. I wanted mine to be the best and the most impressive. I remember thinking hard for a minute and finally wrote down the words: “Here lies a man who lived his life to the full.” I was so convinced that everyone in the room would want to copy my epitaph. When I shared my epitaph with the class, I did not hear the ooohs and the aaahhs I was expecting. The professor passed on to my friend sitting next to me. He had merely written, “Here lies a disciple.” Not only was I highly embarrassed at my own epitaph, but that was the single most life changing moment of my life. It is 20 years since then. Disciple – this word haunts me today as it did that day.