Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 431

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,

Saint Paul ruefully recalled the apparent failure of his mission to Athens. The intellectual capital of the Roman Empire laughed at his proclamation of a crucified and risen savior. It was only an idea to them; one among many; but a lot less plausible than most. 

He had invested too much of himself in Athens. Perhaps he had expected a welcome among the most influential teachers and thinkers; he would make a name for himself. And then he hoped to take his triumph in Athens to Rome, the political, economic, and military capital of the world. Deeply shaken, he arrived in Corinth "in weakness and fear and much trembling." 

He had learned his lesson. The skills, ruses, and art of rhetoric could not arouse the people for whom the message was intended. Brilliant metaphors and subtle allusions flew right over their heads. He must speak without sparkling wit and five syllable words about a poor man who had loved and healed many, who been crucified for the trouble he caused. 

He must speak as one man to other men. Where the Spirit saw opportunity, he should heal the sick, console the sorrowful, and direct the confused -- with the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and not by his own cleverness. He'd left that behind on the road someplace, and would not go back to retrieve it. 

Saint Paul's failure in Athens reminds us of how the mighty have fallen, and will fall. Many politicians, preachers, and leaders of business dazzle the mob with sarcasm, snide remarks, and insults. A jaded public is entertained and want more of the same. They suppose they know how the world works; it's predictable, and they've mastered it. "We know where this is going, and we know how to get there!" 

The faithful are not so clever; we know only that we must believe the Word of God, and that he has commissioned us to preach the Gospel. It speaks for itself and.calls those for whom it's intended. They recognize the call and come forward. We're often wrong about who we think must hear and answer the call. We prefer some more than others. The Word of God, as we encounter it in the Eucharist, may be consumable; but it's not for consumers. 

As Saint John said, 

"...to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God."

 

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 124

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me. 
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life? 

Anyone who has watched the play or seen the movie, "A Man for All Seasons" must remember Saint Thomas More's remarks to a former friend who had perjured himself and betrayed the saint: 

‘That is a fine chain of office you are wearing Richard, may I see it?’

‘Master Rich has, been made Attorney General for Wales’

‘Ahh but Richard it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world if he should lose his soul… but for Wales?’

In 1966, when the movie was made, few Americans knew what Wales might be worth to English royalty in the sixteenth century, but we knew it wasn't worth the loss of a good friend, of one’s dignity and self-respect, not to mention one's immortal soul. 

In those days Americans still believed in Kennedy’s dominos as the reason to fight communists in Vietnam. The  Watergate, Iran-contra, Abscam, and Enron scandals would not erupt for several more years. We trusted that no one would sell his immortal soul for a seat in Congress, or even an office in Washington. In those days movies about corrupt English kings like Henry II, Henry VIII, and their toadies made for good conversation in cafes, diners, and taverns. But we supposed that our a democratic nation could recognize corrupt politicians and keep them out of power.

That was a long time ago, in the wake of World War II, when most Americans attended church. But as a priest chaplain in the VA hospital, I met many young men who had never attended a church in their life; they had no idea what a priest, minister, or chaplain might represent. Only a few had known chaplains in the military. Unless they had hit a true spiritual crisis like alcoholism or drug abuse, we had nothing to talk about. 

The Catholic Church in the United States today finds itself set apart from a bewildered, distressed society. We represent a set of doctrines which we cannot adapt to the expectations and spiritual fads of a consumer society. We are not Cafeteria Catholics who pick and choose what they like and don’t like about the truth. We accept the Word of God with gratitude and try to understand what it means, and what it demands of us. We know we do not measure up to the standards of saints or martyrs, but we celebrate them nonetheless, and hope they accept us as companions on the road. 

The psalm response today expresses our desire, and the longing of every human being to know and believe the truth: 

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God whom I seek;

for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts

like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

We would not be here in this church today if we did not, in some way, feel that thirst. It’s more than an idea; it’s an anchor for our identity and our mission. Our desires are not satisfied with consumer goods and cheap entertainment. Even traveling to exotic places, dining on fine foods, and high society culture leave our flesh pining and our souls thirsting like the earth, parched, lifeless, and without water. 

Caring for neighbors, friends, and family, praying for our enemies, and making peace with them, go a long way. Intimate conversations with loved ones take us further. But these wonderful activities, as necessary and beautiful as they are, inevitably lead us to gaze… 

toward God in the sanctuary

to see his power and his glory,

for his kindness is a greater good than life;

And our lips must glorify him.

Our faith insists that we never surrender our hunger and thirst for God himself. His kindness is a greater good than life. We cannot be duped by the promises of celebrities who sell us cheap stuff, or by politicians who speak vaguely of freedom and rights, and sell their souls for the support of a jaded electorate. 

If we complain, we complain like Jeremiah who hoped that God might give him what the world could not give, 

You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;

you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.

And so we come to Church and we hear: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” It might be the best news we’ve heard all day. It makes sense; it’s good; and for that reason, it’s satisfying. Our souls crave to hear something good and true, and that’s what we hear.

The crucifix which rises above every altar in every Catholic Church, the fourteen stations on our walls, the sorrowful mysteries, the season of Lent, and memories of martyrs remind us that life is not easy. It’s not supposed to be easy. The cross reminds us that only a fool wants a life without sacrifice. The cross reminds that the Lord insists that we dig deeper and make more sacrifices. The cross assures us that He has gone ahead of us; he has paid the price of our salvation not with silver or gold but with his own blood. If we accomplish something, we don't say “I did it!” but “Thank you, Lord! The credit is yours!”

The “Richard Rich” who betrays Saint Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons, was a true historical figure. In service to the King he destroyed monasteries and churches, and confiscated their land for the government. However, when the Catholic Queen Mary of Scotland, assumed the throne, Rich swiveled back to Catholicism and served her faithfully. restoring the Catholic Church in some small ways. But he flipped again under the Protestant Queen Elizabeth. 

A skilled survivor of politics when the most faithful toadies of Henry VIII, Queen Mary, or Queen Elizabeth were decapitated, he died a wealthy man with many estates, manors, and castles. Since the mid-16th century Rich is remembered for immorality, financial dishonesty, double-dealing, perjury and treachery. One prominent historian (Hugh Trevor-Roper) called him a man "of whom nobody has ever spoken a good word."

St. Thomas More warned him but he did not listen:

What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world

and forfeit his life? 

Or what can a man give in exchange for his life? 

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,

and he will repay everyone according to their conduct."

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

 Lectionary: 430/634

God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something....

Today's gospel begins with "Herod was the one who had John arrested...." Saint Mark introduced the story of John's martyrdom by recalling the tetrarch's bizarre reaction to stories about Jesus, 

"...when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Although Herod was wealthy and powerful, the Evangelist remembered his cowardly response to the Good News of Jesus. But the craven weakness of this dynasty had been revealed already, when "...on his birthday, he gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee." Stupid with drink, he swore he'd give a dancing girl anything she wanted, "even half my kingdom!" and quailed before her cute response, "Give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter." 

The superstitious fool had not forgotten the courage of a nonentity who challenged him from the mud of the Jordan River. Although he had been decapitated, he still frightened Herod.

Roman Christians, who were the first to hear the reading of Saint Mark's written gospel, were already familiar with the cowardice of city and empirial bureaucrats who trembled before the emperor. In fact the entire Roman world was first mystified, then puzzled, and finally terrified by the announcement of the Gospel and the impact of the Holy Spirit. 

Men and women without the usual earthly claims of wealth, education, family, or influence were telling stories of a new kingdom, about to appear, which would be governed by a man who had risen from the dead. They did not respond to threats, beatings, imprisonment, or torture and death. They just kept going; and people, both Jews and gentiles, were joining them. They insisted the kingdom to come was not of this world, and so it shouldn't alarm government authorities; but their stories and teachings were changing the ways people acted, spoke, gathered, and shopped. They refused military service and showed little interest in the inane entertainments of the Colisseum. 

Roman authorities, like all powerful people in this world, didn't like change. They had grown powerful through the ordinary, predictible ways. They liked the way things were and grew uneasy upon hearing of any new ideas.

Roman Christians remembered the story of John the Baptist. The forerunner of Jesus had suffered as Jesus would suffer, and as they were suffering. John had challenged the scandalous actions of a petty ruler who had married his sister-in-law too soon after his brother's premature death. 

The world still trembles when the Church reminds them, 

"What God has joined together, no human being must separate.... (and) Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." (Mark 10:9-12)

If Herod trembles with fear before a child who demands that he keep his oath, shouldn't the world tremble before God when they violate the oath of marriage? 

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

 Lectionary: 429

Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.

No one can ignore the impact of Saint Augustine on western Christianity, especially since his Autobiography is still widely read. Many people admit that the book brought them back to Church! 

A prolific writer, he was both theologian and philosopher, integrating the popular Neoplatonism of his day with his reading of the Scriptures and Patristics of the western and oriental Church. He had spent much of his youth exploring the nonsense of other philosophies which supported a foolish, irresponsible way of life. But, influenced by the prayerful virtue of his mother, and by admiration for Catholic leaders like Saint Ambrose, he converted, was baptized, then ordained as priest, and finally as bishop of Hippo in North Africa. (Today's Annaba in Algeria)

Augustine, like his predecessors, recognized God's influence in the world, especially in philosophical wisdom. Greek philosophers recognized there could be only one supreme being, the creator of all things. Greek philosophy supposed an eternal deity had molded eternal matter into forms; but Jewish wisdom insisted that God called creation out of nothing -- creatio ex nihilo. Jewish theology also identified the Name by which God may be known and invoked; (although, by the time Christ was born they never spoke the name out loud). The Greeks supposed there ought to be a Supreme God; but their religion with its temples and shrines could invoke only imaginary, lesser deities. They had no name for the One. 

We know God by His gracious revelation to us, and then we see how His revealed truth makes perfect sense in our human philosophy. Without faith in God and His Word, human philosophies wander into nonsense -- as we see and hear in the cacophony of notions, ideas, and feelings that are shouted at us from every direction. I met a young man a few months ago who had Internet-explored Velentinianism before returning to the Church. 

Today, more than ever, we must return to Saint Augustine's faith to find guidance in a disoriented and dangerous world. The Church seems more isolated by its doctrines even as it is recognized for its generosity and admired for its integrity. 

Madness says there is no God, and everyone's truth is the truth. John Lennon urged us to "imagine there's no heaven," and that we'd be better off without that promise. "Imagine no possessions / I wonder if you can / No need for greed or hunger  / A brotherhood of man." 

Tragically, he was slaim by someone who also imagined no heaven, no promise, and nothing to live for but the fame of having murdered an idol.

Saint Augustine taught us better: 

"...it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith."

 

Memorial of Saint Monica

 Lectionary: 428

I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you....

Our faith is built on the foundation which the Lord laid; that is, the school of his apostles built. It is a religion of doctrines and teachings, of sacraments, prayers, and traditions. It is built on the integrity of witnesses and believers, and the faith we place in them. And that is why we don't hesitate to notice, remark upon, and celebrate the virtue of our teachers even as we listen to their teachings. 

Saint Paul begins his first letter to the Corinthians by recalling the "grace of God bestowed upon" them in Christ Jesus. He knows, as they know and we know, that it was he who brought them the "discourse and all knowledge" which has "enriched (them) in every way." But this is not a subtle form of self agrandizement. He did not persuade them about the truth of Jesus Christ because that truth is not conveyed by persuasion, coercion, or force. It must be received as a blessing from God. It may come to the hearers as they hear the announcement; or it may come days, weeks, or years later. Sometimes it comes back again and again as it continues to work its way into the darker places in our hearts. 

Paul could "boast" of his hard work, sacrifices, and setbacks; but he would also have to admit that "unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it." He was only a worker; the Master made it happen. Nor could he point to the building and say, "I built that!" because there is no actual building; there is only that group of men and women committed to the Lord and to one another. In a very near future, new members would not recognize him in the street; and would know him only by reputation, if at all. 

But they would remember his work forever. The Lord's building crew neither ask nor expect the reward of universal recognition. It's simply not important. What's important is the House the Lord has built; and whenever we look up on it we thank God for building it "as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you...."

Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 427

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.

An age that cannot love reality as it is cannot enjoy ontology. They prefer image of the way things might be, should be, would be, and could be -- if only.... 

They insist that impressions and appearances are more real than reality; even as they invoke "Truth," which Christians know as one of God's names. 

Power in this world must keep up appearances, even when its contradictions blind us like snow flakes in the headlights. One of those statements, avowals, and declarations might be true, but which one could it be? When salesmen become politicians we can expect heavy snowstorms. When we support their every action, suggestion, and opinion we agree there is no truth. They endorse John Lennon's song Strawberry Fields -- "Nothing is real." 

That alternate way of thinking began with the serpent's suggestions to Eve: 

“You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.”

The Wisdom Psalm 119 teaches us to hate hypocrisy and love God's teaching.  Jesus used hypocrisy  freely to describe his opponents. Unwilling to see the truth he lived and spelled out to them, they could only insist on their alternate facts and artificial wisdom.

You can tell hypocrites by watching their lips: "If they're moving they are lying." Hypocrites tell you what they want you to hear; or what they think you want to hear; or what they hope might be true; or what might persuade you that it's okay to repeat such nonsense to others. Having neither interest nor investment in truth, and confident that no one believes that truth exists, they fabricate and prevaricate, and hope to get away with it for as long as possible.  

Only those who love the truth and are willing to make enormous sacrifices to the truth can speak the truth. Where the hypocrite hopes to die before the truth appears, lovers of truth know that "the Word of the Lord endures forever." They pray daily "Thy Kingdom come!" They will live forever in the truth and are willing to invest everything in it. 

I like to remember the old woman who gave everything she had to the Temple, although it was only a few copper coins. She gave her all. It didn't appear to be much, but the Lord saw it. He insists that we give our all, even if it seems our lives are worth little. We give it all, and God decides what it's worth. 

Optional Memorial of Saint Louis of France

Patron Saint of the Secular Franciscan Order

 Lectionary: 426

Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm
and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,
either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

In today's Gospel the Lord urges us to "cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” Anyone who does dishes would amen that teaching. I'm sure auto mechanics would add to that chorus; they've seen young men tow shiny, clean car into their garages in desperate need of oil. 

Pastors know the story as they watch families fall apart. Many people haven't a clue about their spiritual obligations to God and one another. They owe the Lord glory and praise; and one another appreciation, gratitude, and attention; but they are too busy taking care of other, louder, more visible obligations to notice the deeper, spiritual dimensions of life. Raised in a severely dysfunctional society, many suppose there is nothing behind this world's images and illusions; they exist and desperately seek companionship in a world of make-believe.

God calls us into the deeper dimensions of life, into the reality behind appearances. The Church recognizes the substantial relationships of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; they are consubstantial. We celebrate a transubstantial relationship with God in the Eucharist. 

Substantial human relationships are not, of course, entirely spiritual. Human beings are God's image in mud. We can discern the invisible behind the visible, timelessness in temporal thing, and the Creator who creates creatures. Though created of matter and in time, we are destined for eternal life. Because we are born once and live forever, we have a sure and certain knowledge of eternity. 

And, despite the foolish claims of some spiritual people who say everything is illusion, matter is as real as appearances, and appearances are as real as matter. The Son of Mary is truly the Son of God. The Blessed Sacrament is truly the Flesh and Blood of Jesus.

If we know that matter and spirit are "other" to one another; we also see their substantial relationship. A husband and wife are substantially one; and their children are also "flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone." Sibling, niblings, cousins, and grand-relations are undeniably real. There is no divorce in God; and families which have been united by God cannot be set apart. 

These substantial relations are visible, but they also have an invisible characterics. We might not recognize how real they are by their appearances. 

Scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites eagerly pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin; and think these apparent sacrifices satisfy the Law. But they neglect the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. They live entirely for appearances, and hope that no one notices.  They do not stand firm and hold fast to the traditions they were taught. 

The Catholic Church of today is charged with administering these mysteries, even as we are challenged by them. Conservative and liberals, more loyal to their opinions than the Church, appeal to tradition while hiding selfish motives. They fear that their opponents may triumph, and fear drives them into foolishness. 

God sees the heart. He sorts these things out when we get out of His way. 

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Lectionary: 629

But Nathanael said to him,
"Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."

The question has been raised, "Was Nathaniel, aka Bartholomew, mentally handicapped. The exchanges between today's patron with Philip and the Lord, as told in Saint John's Gospel, might suggest it. His question about Nazarenes might echo the popular humor of any region about a neighboring region. Just mention an Iowan to a Minnesotan! It's an immediate, humorous, thoughtless, and perhaps insensitive reaction to a word. 

Nathaniel's amazed reaction to Jesus' remark about him, uttered in spontaneous simplicity, apparently prompted the Lord's caricature of him -- "There is no duplicity in him." Does that suggest a form of mental impairment? 

Patristic references to Nathaniel as an author and apostle to India, and a different reading of today's text suggest that this Apostle had above average intelligence; but he is nonetheless invoked today as a patron saint of autism. And it's good to see that many organizations, religious and secular, now welcome the talents, abilities, and eager generosity of people with disabilities. When I entered the seminary as a high school freshman in 1962, the standards were more arbitrary than reasonable. African-American applicants were often turned away as if that too were a disability. 

Saint John's account reminds us of the cynicism of this world about anything new or unexpected. Although our culture prides itself on its willingness to explore the unexplored and go where no man has gone before, there is also room for cynical reactions to religious truths. A scientific age dismisses philosophy, once known as the "mother of all sciences;" and theology, the "queen of all sciences." 

Many scientists frankly dismiss the idea of philosophy although the entire enterprise is founded on certain necessary ontological principles. That things can be counted with numbers, and predictions made about how many things there are in a set with multiplication and division, are assumptions based on the principle that things are as they seem. If reality is an illusion, as some philosophes insist, then nothing is predictable or reliable. 

The Gospels speak truth to us, a truth which is deeper than a philosophy limited to research, facts, hypotheses, and theories. The Truth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has been revealed to us; and Nathaniel's amazement expresses our human, joyful astonishmnet at the Good News. We are privileged and delighted to share that exhileration with him despite naysayers.

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 121

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. 
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

As a young man reading the Bible, I noticed something that I found rather troubling at the time. Rarely, in any of the sacred stories does God do anything. We read the Bible as Salvation History and we know that God is the One who saves us; and so we expect him to play a very active part in most everything that happens. He is not only the Creator; he is the Lord of History, and its principal agent. If something is worth doing, God is doing it. Or so it would seem. 

But, more often than not, he lets someone else stand in for him, act for him, and speak for him. After he made the woman Eve from Adam's rib, he never appears. If he were human we’d say he is "the man behind the curtain," but we should pay attention to him.

In later stories he speaks to Cain, Noah, and Abraham; and then to Moses and the prophets, and they always know who is speaking although they do not see him. If anyone else wants to know what God said, they’ll have to ask, “What did God say to you?” 

For instance, the Book of Exodus begins with the ominous words, “A new king came to Egypt who knew not Joseph.” You remember that the Patriarch Joseph, Abraham’s great grandson, had saved Egypt from starvation. But Joseph had been dead for four hundred years when this new king came to power; and how many heroes do we remember from four hundred years ago? 

But, had the new king remembered that ancient story, he might not have persecuted Joseph’s people, the descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons. And Egypt might have been blessed because God promised Abraham that those nations who honored and welcomed the Jews would be blessed, while those who cursed them would be cursed. Had he remembered that, Egypt might still be the world’s most powerful nation. 

Instead, because he did not know Joseph or Joseph's God, he and all his chariots and charioteers, with all their horses, were drowned in the Red Sea. He had never seen either one face to face or heard their voice. The God of Heaven and Earth never visited the man who pretended to be the god of Egypt. He used shock and awe on him to show him who’s in charge; but that had no effect on the foolish young ruler. Nor had God ever displayed his seraphic armies with chariots of fire, flaming swords, and blazing saddles.

He only spoke to Moses, and sent him to speak for him; and according to some accounts, Moses had such a terrible stutter people regarded him as a fool. The moral of the story is, “Be careful who you ignore! They might be God’s spokesmen, or spokeswomen!”

Christians, of course, believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the incarnate son of the Virgin Mary. He is God in Person and the Word of God in the flesh; and every word he speaks is God’s word. So we’re kind of used to thinking God says and does a lot. 

But Jesus appeared only as Joseph’s son. And his public ministry was very short. And then, after fortys and several appearances to a few people, he ascended into heaven. And hasn’t been seen in public since! And so we come to today’s gospel: 

Simon son of Jonah… I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;

and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 

My point is: God speaks to us only through other human beings; and specifically, the Church. What the Church binds in God's name is bound; and what the church loosens in God's name is loosened.

However, many unhappy people habitually believe, and listen to, no one. They distrust their parents, their spouses, and their children. They do not listen to teachers, preachers, judges, politicians, or police. And they are certainly not willing to believe in Peter and his successors, the popes; much less bishops, priests, and Catholics in general. Because they believe in no one, they do not believe in God who speaks to them through the Church.

The Book of Revelation describes our Church with a marvelous vision of the heavenly city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. Its walls are built upon the foundation of the apostles. Our faith and our teaching are like rock, solid, hard, and dependable. Once you set a rock in place, it stays there! If it’s big enough you can build a house on it, or a city!  

I remember when that unfamiliar, almost-unAmerican – truth came to me. I had made my solemn vows as a Franciscan, and finished one year of theology. I was learning about the opinions of many theologians, both Catholic and Protestant. The Protestant Rudolph Bultmann taught what any American might believe: that the Gospels are wonderful stories about the Truth, even when they tell us about things that might not have happened. Because Jesus' birth and death and Resurrection are so important, he said, and so necessary for our salvation, even if they never happened – even if Jesus was not born of Mary or died on a cross or was raised up – we should believe them – because they’re good stories! The stories -- or "myths" -- will free us from guilt, sin, and sham; make our lives meaningful; and lead us to salvation. Believing these stories we will honor the godlike dignity of every person.

It almost makes sense, but it doesn’t. It can make sense only to those who think that salvation, purpose, meaning, and human dignity are also imaginary, or spiritual; and don’t actually happen, and make no difference in the real world. 

I realized then, at the tender age of twenty-two, that our belief in Jesus is rooted in human history and began with the Apostles. If they fabricated their Gospel about Jesus’s teachings, life, death, and resurrection, then nothing we believe is built on the rock of truth. If they stretched the truth and told people what they wanted to hear, then we have lost touch with Jesus, His Word, and His God a long time ago; and everything we say, no matter how good it sounds, is just speculation. It might be so but; as Sportin Life sang “It tain’t necessarily so.” 

Our Catholic faith, with its belief in the sacraments, the teachings, the authority, and it apostolic foundations, is more than symbolic. The Ten Commandments are not ten suggestions. They are laws just as real as the law of gravity, and just as fatal to those who ignore them.

The king of Egypt had never heard the story of  Joseph, a man who had died four centuries before. And because he knew not Joseph and would not listen to the stuttering of Moses, he and his nation were condemned. We know Jesus, who died twenty centuries ago, because honest men and women have told the truth for that many centuries. We’ve suffered scandals, hypocrites, and crimes; we’ve survived persecutions, schisms, heresies, protests, and reforms that changed nothing. The Spirit of Truth has not abandoned us; He binds us to God and to one another. 

We tell the truth. And if the world is saved, it's because they listen to us.

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 Lectionary: 424

The vision was like that which I had seen
when he came to destroy the city,
and like that which I had seen by the river Chebar.
I fell prone as the glory of the LORD entered the temple
by way of the gate which faces the east,
but spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court.
And I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.

On the eighth day of the Assumption of Mary, the Church  celebrates her crowning as Queen of Heaven. And, as the memorial falls on a Saturday this year, Ezekiel tells about a marvelous vision of restoration. 

The prophetic Old Testament book is long and mysterious with many obscure verses that defy explanation and discourage curiosity. But today we hear of the Lord's return to the Temple of Jerusalem. It finishes a story he had begun earlier, a vision of the Glory of God abandoning the temple. That first vision was not implausible because he knew the most sacred shrine had been razed and the site leveled. 

But, despite their sins and the punishment their sins incurred, God's love is irrevocable.

Those who wait on the Lord will see his return. 

I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.

Then I heard someone speaking to me from the temple,

while the man stood beside me.

The voice said to me: 

Son of man, this is where my throne shall be,

this is where I will set the soles of my feet;

here I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.

The secular history of the Temple is long and involved, as one would expect of any human story that involves three millennia. The Salvation History of the Temple is simpler; and we find its fulfillment in the first chapter of Saint Luke's Gospel: the Glory of God overshadowed the Virgin Mary and inspired her to give birth to Jesus. She is a dwelling for God's faithful forever.  

Saint Matthew adds to the story by his account about the Magi. They could not find the "newborn King of the Jews" in the Holy City or its temple; and so they travelled on to Bethlehem where, 

...on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

We find Mary living like her Son in poverty, which is the only place where the faithful might find the majesty and mystery of God. Their appearance in earthly splendor would be absurd, a parady, and too ridiculous to even look at. Can one compare the brilliance of a diamond to the light of the sun? 

We know the Queenship of Mary by Gabriel's greeting and her response. First he said, "Hail, Full of Grace!" and then, "Do not fear!" And, like a queen, she dismissed her startled reaction and received the Message of her Lord and God. 

...and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. 

 

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Lectionary: 423

Aa scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

The scholar of the law in today's gospel has the good sense to ask the Lord a sensible question. Christians often share their faith by asking similar questions like, "Which verse of the Bible is your favorite?" or, "Which verse speaks to you today?" 

Answers vary from one person to another, and from time to time. School of thought, spiritualities, and denominations have their different emphases. But, for good or ill, they represent those who answer such questions rather than the Lord who speaks to us in sacred words of the Bible.

As Saints Mark and Matthew tell the story, the conflict between the Lord and his many opponents has come to a critical moment. The Sadducees have retreated from the Lord; they cannot stump him. The Pharisees, despite the Lord's objections to their rigidity, are not as obtuse; and the scholar's question seems to be an honest one, "Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 

As Saint Mark tells the story, the lawyer is more than satisfied with the answer; and the Lord blesses him for it: "“You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Saint Matthew does not tell us the Pharisees' reaction; he is more interested in the Lord's teaching authority. In both Gospels, the initiative shifts and Jesus will ask the next questions. And, in all the Gospels, it is clear that He speaks with the authority of God. There will be no more hostile questions until Jesus stands before the midnight kangaroo court following his Last Supper.

His answer is quite a surprise because Jesus answers one question with two verses which seem opposites: 1) You shall love the Lord your God; and 2) You shall love your neighbor. "Which one is it?" we might ask. 

Neither the Sadducees, Herodians, or Pharisees had noticed that the two verses, found in different books of the Old Testament -- Deuternomy and Leviticus -- are inseparable. Don't kid yourself: You do not love God if you do not love your neighbor. You do not love your neighbor if you do not love your God. 

Revelation often gives us perfectly obvious truths that we had never seen before, and would never have thought of! Our minds may be able to comprehend the truth once we've heard it; but our hearts, unredeemed and ungraced, must object loudly, "That's impossible! I cannot do it!"

The Lord's opponents must withdraw. They are stunned into silence by a truth that is so obvious, so unexpected, and so far beyond their comprehension.

We, the Lord's disciples also must withdraw into the silence of our hearts to allow this truth to challenge our minds and hearts. There has to be some serious rearranging of our inner furniture! And we might have to let him do it because the mind's tables, sofas, and bureaus are too heavy. 

In prayer, and in time, we may notice the changes He makes. We're not as antagonistic toward people we don't like and distrust. We notice virtues in them we had not noticed; and worse, we might not own in ourselves! But these unexpected, unnoticed virtues are available to us, if we're available to them. 

Revelation often throws us back on ourselves. But we know how to reply, 

"Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. Say but the Word and my soul will be healed." 

Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

 Lectionary: 422

I will prove the holiness of my great name, 
profaned among the nations, 
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations....

My sense of humor may be a bit off, but I take a wry delight in the "good news/bad news" of today's first reading. Ezekiel has announced, "The Lord is taking us home!" (Hurray!)
Because He is very unhappy about how the nations abuse his Holy Name after witnessing our deplorable conduct! (Uh Oh!) 

That can't be good. It means the "Promised Land" of the future ain't what it used to be. If it was a land flowing with milk and honey, it may be that more familiar place of thorns and thistles we heard about in Genesis 3.

A lot depends upon whose side you're on. If you stand only for yourself, you will certainly be disappointed and disatisfied with the promise and its fulfillment. However, if you stand with Job and the holy ones of God, you will sing, 

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

"In his will, is our peace!" as Dante wrote. It's that simple and when we keep it simple, it is profoundly, deeply satisfying. 

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 421

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves!

If you can't support your lavish way of life with public funds, what's the point of running for office? But, don't worry. It is frightfully easy to cheat once you garner popular support and attain high office. 

The only drawback is the dead certainty that God will avenge those who were cheated, abused, and ignored when they needed help. That's whether you believe in God or not. If you run a red light and are killed by an oncoming semi, it doesn't matter whether you believed in red lights and semis, or not. It doesn't matter whether your parents were kind or cruel when you were young. You're dead in either case. God's judgment is just as certain; and for the wicked, just as deadly. 

The merciful may argue that I am wrong about that. And I would not mind being wrong. But I am not willing to risk it either. As people said during the recent pandemic, "It's better to err on the side of caution." (Only later, when the crisis has passed, do some exercise the luxury of questioning that excess.)

The wealthy and powerful are well advised to hear the warnings:  "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves!" Power and wealth, like high-voltage electricity can be deadly in the hands of fools. 

I take a delight in the landowner's reply to a single worker in today's gospel. 

'My friend, I am not cheating you.

Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?

Take what is yours and go.

What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?

Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?

Are you envious because I am generous?'

The explanation is given only to one man and not to the crowd because he didn't own them an explanation! They agreed to the usual daily wage. So why are they complaining now?

As the devil said in the western poem, The Hellbound Train:

"My faithful friends, you've done the work

And the devil never can a payday shirk.

"You've bullied the weak, you've robbed the poor,

The starving brother you've turned from the door;

You've laid up gold where the canker rust,

And have given free vent to your beastly lust.

"You've justice scorned, and corruption sown,

And trampled the laws of nature down.

You have drunk, rioted, cheated, plundered, and lied,

And mocked at God in your hell-born pride.

"You have paid full fair, so I'll carry you through,

It's only right you should have your due.

Why, the laborer always expects his hire,

So I'll land you safe in the lake of fire,

"Where your flesh will waste in the flames that roar,

And my imps torment you forevermore."