Reflection for April 24, 2016: 5th Sunday of Easter- Year C

Readings for the Day:
Acts 14:21-27
Psalm 145:8-9,10-11,12-13
Revelation 21:1-5a
John 13:31-33a, 34-35

“Love One Another as I have loved you.” On the surface, this seems like an easy command to follow- especially in today’s society, where the word “love” is thrown around with an almost nonchalant air. “Let’s go to Cheesecake Factory- I love that place!” “I love this new pair of Shoes!” “I just met this girl, and I think I’m in love!!”  These are just a few examples of how “love” gets thrown around and used in today’s society.  However, if we are to truly understand what Jesus is asking us to do, we need to unpack this saying a little bit.

            We can start by asking ourselves What does love mean?  While the English word “love” serves as a sort of “catch-all” for many different feelings, or types of love, the Greek language, which the New Testament was originally written in, uses four distinct words, when speaking of the different aspects of love. C.S. Lewis has given us a wonderful summary of these 4 ideas in his Book “The Four Loves.” A brief summary of each is warranted here.

            First, we have Eros, or erotic love. This love refers to romantic attraction towards another. When many people say that they are “in love” with a person they just met, this is often the type of love they are experiencing.  This type of love can be very profound, but it can also cause a person to act selfishly, to get what they want from the person they are “in love” with. This is especially true when the sexual overtones of eros are considered. 

            Another type of love is Storge, which can also be called affection. This is often used to describe the love between parents and Children- a bond which is present without any coercion, and which presents a real fondness for the other person, due to a level of familiarity which comes from being related to the other person.  In this sense, storge is the most natural type of love, but even this love can be met with imperfections, since it can be easily corrupted by Jealousy

            Philia, or brotherly love, is a strong bond between people who share common interests or activities. Lewis states that it is the least natural of the loves, but at the same time, it represents a higher level of love, because it is freely chosen. But even this type of love is imperfect, because as we can see in so many places in society, friendships are often prone to cliquishness, jealousy, pride, and an unwillingness to allow others to enter into the friendship.

            The last type of love is Agape, or charity. This is the term used to describe the love of man for God, as well as the love of God for man. This is the term most often used for love in the New testament.  Philia and Storge are used rarely, and eros does not appear in the New Testament at all. What can we make of this? C.S. Lewis here states that this emphasis on agape love is specificially Christian- so much so that he views this Agape love as the highest form of love. To achieve this love represents the highest form of Christian Virtue.

So what does this love look like? A development of this type of love can be found in St. Paul’s 1^st letter to the Corinthians.   ]Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated,  it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. In short: Thomas Aquinas explains this type of love as “willing the good of the other.”

This is exactly how Christ loves us. He desires for us the good of eternal life with God, and he brings this about by dying for us on the cross. This is more than just a “general feeling of goodwill” towards another person- It is more than being attracted to a person, or sharing common interests with them. This love is a love which requires us to “lay down our lives” for the other person, by dying to self-interests, and learning to truly serve others, and love them in the same way that Christ loves us. When we get down to it, this command, which on the surface seems to be a simple one, is very difficult to carry out!  But with God’s grace, we can learn to love others, just as Christ has loved us. This gospel gives us a chance to stop and reflect- Have I truly allowed myself to experience Christ’s love, so that I can share that love with others? in what ways can I be more loving in my life? In what areas do I need to let go of selfishness? What people am I excluding, who perhaps need to feel God’s love from others? If you spend even just a few minutes every day reflecting on these questions, I promise that you will find yourself growing in love of others, each and every day. And in this way, all will know that you are a disciple of Christ- Because of your love for others. 

Reflection for April 17, 2016: 4th Sunday of Easter: Year C

Readings for the day:
Acts 13:14,43-52
Psalm 100:1-2,3,5
Revelation 7:9,14b-17
John 10:27-30

            There are many voices which clamor for our attention in the world today. We are constantly bombarded by advertisements on TV, radio, the internet, and various forms of social media, which try to convince us to buy certain products. We hear Politicians giving us long lists of our country’s woes, and telling us that only they can fix the problems we face. We hear voices of people crying out against what they have termed “organized religion,” calling it oppressive and old fashioned. And in the midst of all of these voices, there is the one        still, small voice of Christ, the Good Shepherd. This is the voice of Truth: This is the voice that says “I know you, for you are mine. If we listen for and follow the voice of the Shepherd, we will have eternal Life.

             Today is commonly referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday,” Since the Gospel Readings in all three cycles come from what is called the Good Shepherd Discourse in Chapter 10 of John’s Gospel. Today, we only hear the tail end of this discourse- but the central theme of the entire passage is present: Christ’s sheep, his followers, hear is voice, and follow after him.  This is not a blind obedience to a far off voice, but rather an intimate relationship of love. Christ knows his sheep by name, and is willing to lay down his life for them. He is also willing to go in search of the lost, as we hear in the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke’s Gospel. This selfless love that the Good Shepherd gives is intended for all, but why do so many seem to not hear this message?

            Listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd requires us to listen with ears of Faith, and to believe in God’s ability to speak in and through others. Our Faith, by its very nature, is incarnational, and that means that our experience of God will always be mediated in and through human experience. Do we recognize and accept when this is happening? Or do we, like the Jews described in today’s First Reading, contradict the message being spoken, because it does not fit our own preconceived notions of how things are supposed to be?

            The Many voices of the World also tend to get in the way of truly hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd. The constant bombardment can make it very difficult to discern what is true, and what is going to lead us astray. Some things may appear to be good on the surface, but after a time we realize that the voices of the world cannot bring us true happiness. It is in that moment that we are better able to listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd, calling us back to Truth, to love, and to the place where we will not want- the place of the Heavenly Vision described in the Book of Revelation. Here, the Lamb is both victim and shepherd, who cares for the sheep- not allowing them to hunger or thirst, providing them shade to protect them, and wiping every tear from their eyes.

            While this heavenly vision brings comfort, we are also reminded in the same reading that those who are the recipients of this consolation have “survived the time of great distress.” Here too, the Good Shepherd guides us, and protects us, as it says in Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through dark valley, I fear no evil; for you are at my side, with your rod and your staff that give me courage.” To truly live and believe these words requires trust- trust that the path that the Good Shepherd is leading us on is the right one, that will lead us to Eternal Life with God.  May we seek to listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd, who gave of his life for us, so that we may follow him down the path to Eternal Life. 

Reflection for April 10, 2016- Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

 Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter:

Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

Psalm 30: 2,4,5-6,11-12,13

Revelation 5:11-14

John 21:1-19  

How many of us, when our lives have changed in unexpected ways, find ourselves wishing that we could go back to the way things were before? Some might call this a “crisis of vocation”- and this is exactly where we find the Apostles at the beginning of today’s Gospel.

            The Apostles, who have all had encounters with the risen Lord, seem almost resigned; ready to return to their old way of life- so much so, that Peter decides to go fishing. Why is this? Perhaps it is fear. Perhaps it is unwillingness or unreadiness to accept the mission that Christ had entrusted to the Apostles. Or perhaps, it is because of shame- Shame that comes from deserting the Lord in his hour of need. In Peter’s case, this shame must have stung especially hard, since he had denied Christ not just once, but three times.   

            It is interesting to note that in this encounter with Jesus, Peter’s first fishing journey is unsuccessful, just as it was the first time that Peter encountered Jesus.  And once again, with Jesus’ help, he is able to haul in a large catch of fish.  Why does this occur? Perhaps it serves as a reminder to the Apostles of their call to be “fishers of men.” Perhaps it also serves as a reminder to the Apostles, and to us, that our work bears fruit only when we allow Christ to be present and work in and through our lives.

            Whatever the case may be, Peter seems to express a sense of joy at encountering the Lord again.  He jumps from the boat, and runs to shore to meet Jesus. And it is here, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, that Jesus reminds Peter of what he has been called to do. 

            It may seem strange to us that Jesus asks Peter “Do you love me?” Three times. Perhaps we share in Peter’s increasing frustration with each posing of the question, since it may feel like Jesus does not trust Peter’s answer. But Jesus knows what he is doing.  By asking the question three times, Jesus is effectively giving Peter a chance to “undo” his three-fold denial, and be completely and totally reconciled with Jesus. This is Peter’s own conversion experience- even though he may not recognize it at the time. Simultaneously, Jesus reminds Peter of his call to shepherd the flock of Christ. He also strengthens his faith, so that he may lead the other Apostles to share in this mission as well.

We can see the fruits of this encounter with the Risen Jesus in today’s First Reading. In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke shows Peter as having embraced this leadership role, boldly standing up to the Sanhedrin, and proclaiming that he and the other Apostles must obey the command of God, and thus will not stop teaching in the name of Jesus Christ.  The editing of today’s first reading is unfortunate, because it leaves out some details that give greater meaning to the story. Among these are the fact that the Disciples were flogged before they were instructed to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. This is why the Apostles “Rejoiced at suffering dishonor for the sake of the name.”

We also do not hear Gamaliel’s testimony that if “the Way” as the Early Christians were called, was of human origin, it would destroy itself, but that if it were of God, there is nothing that the Sanhedrin could do to destroy it. This helps us to understand how the Apostles could be so emboldened, and continue to preach the Gospel after being rebuked by the Sanhedrin. Their strength to proclaim the Gospel comes from God, and no human power can take it away.  This is what enabled all of the Apostles to endure a martyr’s death, and John to endure his exile to the Isle of Patmos.

These readings today serve as a reminder to us of our own call to Follow Jesus Christ with our whole heart, and trust in his wisdom and guidance to lead us to fullness of life. When we do this, we receive the strength that comes from God to be able to carry out the work that he has called us to do. 

How do we do this? How do we learn what Jesus is calling us to do? The answer, just as it was for the Apostles, is through an encounter with the Risen Lord.  Knowledge of God’s will comes to us through prayer and silence, through frequent reception of the Sacraments, and through listening to and reading God’s word, the Sacred Scriptures.  Do you take the time to “be still” and have personal alone time with God?  Do you truly seek this encounter, or do things of the world get in the way?  As we continue to celebrate this joyous Easter season, my Challenge to you is to spend some time alone in private prayer with God. It can be small- start with 5 or 10 minutes a day to just be still, or to sit and pray with a short passage of Scripture. In this way, you can begin to make space for this encounter with the Risen Lord in your life, and begin to receive the strength that comes from seeking after knowledge of God’s will. 

Reflection for April 3, 2016: Second Sunday of Easter, or Divine Mercy Sunday

Readings for today:

Acts 5:12-16

Psalm 118:2-4,13-15,22-24

Revelation 1:9-11a,12-13,17-19

John 20:19-31

Seeing is believing. In this day and age, this saying is especially true.  An all too common occurrence when a person tells a story about an exciting event, is for another person to exclaim “pics or it didn’t happen!” People want proof- firm evidence that the event did in fact take place. Only then will they believe the story.

            But sometimes, even seeing is not enough- this was often true of the Disciples when Jesus appeared to them after the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus in the garden until he called her by name. The Disciples on the road to Emmaus did not recognize him until he broke bread with them. St. Matthew’s Gospel states that when the 11 disciples saw Jesus, they “worshiped, but they doubted.” Even St. Luke paints a drastically different picture of the events that we read in today’s Gospel. St. Luke’s account states that the disciples “were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Even after all of this, the Disciples were still “incredulous for joy and amazed.” In the Bible, when someone is amazed, that means that they don’t get it- they don’t understand what is going on. Or perhaps they were still unable, or perhaps unwilling to believe that he was risen.

So what about Thomas in today’s Gospel? “Doubting Thomas” as he is often called, gets a bad rap for not believing in the Resurrection after the others had seen the Risen Lord. But Thomas no doubt knew how violent of a death crucifixion was. He, like the other disciples, would have found it very difficult to believe that a person who had suffered such a violent death could be alive again. He wants to touch Jesus, to see that he is real, just as the others have. Can we blame him for this, knowing from St. Luke’s account that the other Disciples too were slow to believe that Jesus had risen, even when he was standing right in front of them?

Thomas’ reaction to seeing the Risen Lord is what makes him different from all the rest. for him, seeing IS enough- he has no need to touch the wounds of Christ, but instead exclaims “My Lord and my God!” giving us the strongest profession of Faith in Christ out of any of the Disciples. Thomas is the only one who recognizes Christ as God- a powerful confession that hearkens back to the prologue of John’s Gospel

What then are we to make of Jesus’ response to Thomas? “blessed are those who have not seen, and still believe,” it may seem that Jesus is downplaying Thomas’ faith, or rebuking him since he did not believe the testimony of others. But given the fact that all of the Disciples struggled to believe when they first saw the risen Lord, there may be a deeper message here.  Jesus could very well be reminding the disciples that those to whom they will go out and preach will not be able to see the Risen Lord as they have seen him. Their challenge then, is to be able to lead people to belief in the Risen Lord, and give them the faith that does not need sight to believe that He is Risen from the dead. These people will be blessed by accepting the testimony of the first witnesses to the Resurrection, who have seen the Risen Lord.

We, the Followers of Christ 2000 years after the Resurrection, are both the recipients of this blessing, and challenged by it, just as the disciples were.  We may not be able to see Jesus’ physical body, but we can still make Thomas’ profession of Faith our own every time we encounter the Risen Lord in the Eucharist. And just as the Disciples were sent to preach to all nations, we too are called to bring the message of the Risen Lord to others, and to help lead them to Faith.

These encounters with the Risen Lord are also encounters with God’s mercy. On this Sunday of Divine Mercy, and especially as we continue to celebrate the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy, we continue to be mindful of this “mercy which endures forever.” This is the same mercy that the disciples encountered when Jesus came to them with the greeting of “Peace be with you.” This is the mercy that we encounter in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which Jesus institutes in today’s Gospel when he breathed the Holy Spirit onto his disciples. We are called to trust in this mercy, and to remember the words of Pope Francis, which remind us time and time again that God never tires of forgiving us. May we never tire of seeking this mercy, and have the courage to ask forgiveness for our sins. As we continue this Easter Season, we give thanks to God for his great mercy, and we continue to celebrate his victory over sin and death. We pray that our faith may be strengthened, so that we are able to see the Risen Lord with eyes of faith, so that we too may be able to exclaim with Thomas- “My Lord, and my God!”

Reflection for March 20, 2016- Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord- Year C

Readings for today:

Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14–23:56

Today could be considered a day of opposites. We began with joy and celebration, as we commemorated the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. However, that tone of joy was quickly muted, as we read St. Luke’s account of the Passion of our Lord. We see Jesus at the highest of highs entering into Jerusalem, and at the lowest of lows on the Cross. The same crowd that proclaimed “Hosanna to the Son of David!” shouts out “Crucify Him!” when they realize that Jesus is not the type of Messiah that they want him to be. In earthly matters, Jesus seems to be a failure. He has suffered the most shameful death imaginable- so much so that according to the Book of Deuteronomy, he is cursed, because he was hung on a tree.

            This scandal of the cross had to be explained by the early Church. How could the cursed one be the Messiah, the savior of all? Today’s Second Reading gives us one example of the interpretation of these events. . This hymn, quoted by St. Paul, represents a remarkable understanding of who Christ was- and is.  Already in this hymn, Christ is presented as Divine- yet Jesus does not “grasp” for his own divinity- another translation reads that he did not see it as “something to exploit for selfish gain.” This is a contrast to the Greek and Roman Gods, who were often portrayed as using their Divinity to fulfill their own selfish wants and desires.  Jesus, however, does not do this. As the Divine Son of God, he fully enters into the Human condition. He suffers not only the humiliation of taking on a human existence, but also the humiliation of death on a Cross, in order that he might be obedient to God the Father. And it is out of this earthly failure that God the Father does something new. St. Paul reminds us in the Letter to the Corinthians that “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:18). For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. This is why Christ, who has suffered extreme humiliation, is exalted above all else, and given the Name which causes all who hear it to bend the knee in worship and Adoration.

            This is the great mystery of our Faith. For we know that Christ had to become fully human, and truly suffer and die, in order to win our redemption. We commemorate this mystery every time the Eucharist is celebrated- but this week, we commemorate it in an even more powerful way. This Holy Week is a special time to pause and remember the great sacrifice that Christ made for us, as we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of the Resurrection. Will you take up your own cross this week, and walk with Christ to Calvary? If you have never been to any of the Triduum Liturgies before, I highly encourage you to go. These three days are the Holiest days of the Church year, and these beautiful Liturgies give the Faith that we celebrate a deeper meaning. If you are unable to attend, I highly encourage you to spend some time reading and reflecting on the Gospel accounts of the Passion of our Lord, so that you may celebrate the Easter Mysteries with a greater Joy for the Redemption that Christ has won for us. 

Reflection for March 13, 2016: 5th Sunday of Lent, Year C

 Readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent:

Isaiah 43:16-21

Psalm 126:1-2,2-3,4-5,6

Philippians 3:8-14

John 8:1-11

This Reflection focuses especially on the Gospel account of the Woman caught in adultery.

           The woman was scared. She had just been dragged out of a house, and  paraded through the streets of the city towards the temple.  Surrounded on all sides, she listened, terrified, as insults and condemnations were hurled at her. The crowd was like a lion, ready to pounce at any second, ready to devour its prey. It was in that instant, that she saw Jesus. He was bent down in the midst of the crowd, drawing in the sand. What was he doing? And how could he be so calm, when the crowd was threatening to devour both of them at any second? Slowly, he raised his head. She couldn’t quite make out the words that came from his mouth, but suddenly, the crowd grew quiet.  One by one, they began to depart. She stood there, trembling, until only she and Jesus remained. He came to her, and as he stared into her eyes, she could feel him staring into the very depths of her soul. She began to turn away, ashamed, but then she felt something in that gaze- not condemnation, but love- a love like she had never known. As he began to speak, this same love was present in his words- a word saying “I do not condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

            Today’s Gospel shows us a radical encounter with the mercy of God. Looking at the Gospel from the perspective of the woman, we can begin to see how powerful this encounter must have been. But like many Gospel stories, today’s passage is left open ended. Perhaps we would like closure- to hear “and the woman went away changed, and heeded the words of Christ, and did not sin again.” But these words aren’t there. So we are left to wonder: Was the woman’s life truly changed as a result of this radical encounter? Did the crowd who condemned the woman learn anything from their encounter with Jesus? What can we learn from the story of today’s Gospel?

Like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, it seems that many in the world today are quick to condemn, and slow to forgive.  Jesus’ words to the scribes and Pharisees, then, should be a challenge to us-with these words, Jesus is calling us to be aware of our own faults, before we condemn the faults of others- to realize that we deserve punishment for our sins, just as the other person does. When we recognize this, it changes how we approach the other person. We learn to recognize the plank in our own eye, and not to criticize others for the speck in theirs. We learn to become more and more compassionate and merciful to those we meet. Recognizing our own faults, we learn to walk with others on their journey, and help them to achieve greater holiness, instead of condemning them for their sins.  Becoming aware of our own faults also inspires us to seek God’s mercy ourselves!

Where do we go to encounter this mercy? We can find it most easily in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Do we take advantage of this wonderful Sacrament of God’s mercy?  Have we remained away from this sacrament because of fear, or shame, or a belief that God will not forgive us for our sins? In this Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has called us to be especially mindful of God’s willingness to forgive. If we truly desire to turn our lives back to God, we will find his Mercy in Abundance. And what is this mercy that is found? It is Christ, knowing full well that we deserve the punishment for our sins, loving us enough to take away the punishment for our sins, and take it upon himself. This is what the message of the Cross is about. This is what we are preparing to celebrate in two weeks time.

God’s mercy knows no limit- but the last line of the Gospel reminds us that with mercy comes the call to conversion. Truly encountering the mercy of Christ means realizing that we cannot keep living our lives the same way. We are called to become more and more like Christ each and every single day.  This is a monumental task- and it can only be accomplished with God’s grace.  Conversion is not a one-shot deal: It is a life long process, in which we are called to continually recognize our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. Even when we struggle with the same sins repeatedly, Pope Francis reminds us that “God never tires of forgiving us. We are the ones who tire of seeking God’s mercy.” Indeed, so long as we are making an effort to draw closer to God, we will always know his mercy and love in our lives. We will know that we are not condemned for our actions, but that we are met with the gaze of God’s loving mercy.

So, my challenge to you this week is this: If you have not been to Confession in a while- Go. Allow yourself to experience God’s mercy, and be forgiven, so that you may celebrate the coming Easter mysteries with your heart and soul made new. And know that no matter how long you have been away, you can always come home. Then, like the woman in today’s Gospel, you can walk away from the radical encounter with God’s mercy, and live a changed life.

Scripture Reflection for March 3, 2016

Today's Readings:

Jeremiah 7:23-28

Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Luke 11:14-23

            “This is a nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord, its God.” One might wonder if these words from today’s first reading might have crossed Jesus’ mind at some point during the events of today’s Gospel reading. Jesus, who continues the saving mission of God, and brings it to its fulfillment, meets with the same rejection that God faced from the people of Israel. The crowds reject his power, either by attributing it to Beelzebul, or by demanding that he perform another sign “from heaven”. They refuse to accept the presence of God’s grace, and in doing so, their hearts become hardened to the truth of God’s presence among them in the person of Jesus Christ.

            It might be easy for us to look at today’s Gospel, and laugh about how the people just didn’t get it. However, Jesus’ words to the crowds at the end of the Gospel should give us pause for further reflection. They are a reminder to us that there is no middle ground when it comes to following Jesus-There can be no half-hearted attempts at Discipleship, no lukewarm recognitions of his message- we are either with him, or we are against him. The choice is ours to make- Do we accept the power and Grace of God present in our lives, and allow it to work in us and through us? Or do we reject this power, and choose instead to turn our backs to God, allowing our hearts to become hardened?

            Truly listening to God’s voice can be hard, because God calls us to do things and go places that we might not like to go. It is in these moments that we need the reminder of today’s Psalm response: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” In keeping these words in mind, we might be truly able to respond to that voice in Love, and not reject God’s word. 

            This message to not allow our hearts to be hardened is especially timely, since we are roughly halfway through our Lenten Journey. This “halfway point” gives us a chance to stop and reflect on how our journey has gone thus far. Perhaps things have gone well, but If things have not been going as well as you had hoped, don’t give up! it is not too late. Make the most out of the time you have left, and ask God to help you soften your heart, so that you may become more open to hearing his voice each day.  

Reflection for February 18, 2016: Thursday of the First Week of Lent

            For many of us, today’s Gospel may seem to run contrary to our experiences. How many of us have prayed for something, and seemingly gotten no answer? Does this mean that God has not heard our prayers- that he has not answered us, or we are somehow not praying hard enough? How do we reconcile what seems to happen in our prayers with today’s Gospel?

            God answers all prayers- however, he does not always answer them in the way we expect.  Sometimes the answer is no, or not yet. Sometimes the answer is “I have something better in store for you, if you trust me.” Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that our Heavenly Father will bestow “good things” on those who ask for them. God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, knows what our needs truly are- and is waiting to give us these good things- if we only ask for them.

            In order for our prayer to bear more fruit, it is important to recognize that God is not a divine “genie,” whose only purpose is to grant the wishes of humankind. Prayers of petition are  important, but unless we are also willing to pray for knowledge of God’s will, these prayers of petition can only take us so far. As St. Paul says in his letter to the Colossians, The goal of our prayer is to “attain full knowledge of God’s will through perfect wisdom and spiritual insight,” in order that we may “lead a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way.”

            Praying for and accepting God’s will is difficult, because it requires us to let go of our selfish wants and desires, and accept God’s will as our own.  This requires great trust.  Trust that God will indeed provide us with good things, which will help us to grow closer to Him, and seek after the life which is to come. 

            Each day at Mass, when we pray the Our Father, I challenge you to truly think about the meaning of the words “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This is just one example of a way in which we pray every day for knowledge of God’s will for our lives. Do we take this part of the prayer seriously? Or do we gloss over it as we say it, because it has become routine? When we truly make this prayer our own, and begin to accept God’s will, we are better able to see how God does answer prayer, and we will be able to recognize that His answers to our prayers are continually guiding us to knowledge of his will.

Reflection for February 11, 2016

February 11, 2016

Thursday After Ash Wednesday

            “Choose Life.” These words from today’s first reading form the basis of Moses’ instructions to the Israelites before they take possession of the Holy Land. But what does it mean for us to choose life? and how does this relate to our Lenten observance?

            In today’s first reading, Moses equates choosing life with fidelity to God’s law. If the Israelites are faithful in observing the Law of God, then they will enjoy life and prosperity in the Land of Israel. If they are not, they will suffer the death of exile, and be cut off from the land, their promised heritage.  This instruction is very much focused on earthly realities- especially true since the Israelites at the time did not have a concept of heaven or an afterlife. In their view, earthly prosperity was a sign of God’s favor.

            In today’s Gospel, Jesus also instructs his disciples to “choose life”, albeit in a more implicit manner. but this time there are eternal implications. And perhaps most strikingly, Jesus hints that earthly prosperity is not part of the deal- in fact, he tells his disciples that earthly prosperity can be a hindrance to entering the kingdom of heaven! Jesus’ words are clear- “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”  If yesterday’s readings issued a call to repentance, and gave us a model for our Lenten observance, today’s readings issue a call to action, and remind us that our journey cannot end with mere sorrow for our sins. Jesus calls us to daily conversion- to a daily denial of self wants and interests, in order to take up the cross of discipleship, and faithfully follow in the footsteps of Christ. In this way, we save our life by losing it- we deny ourselves of earthly treasure, power, and prestige, in order that we might store up treasure in heaven

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And this is the key to eternal life. But this does not mean that everyone here must completely divest themselves of all possessions- we have a right to ensure that our basic needs are met, and we would be foolish to deprive ourselves of the resources to do so. Rather, we are called to be good stewards of the gifts that have been entrusted to us, and to use those gifts to serve those in need, and build up treasure in heaven. Pope Francis, especially in this year of Mercy, has spoken extensively about the need to care for the poor- saying that the Year of mercy is not complete unless we are willing to give to the poor. This is also a part of our Lenten observance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and our experience of lent will be richer if we heed Pope Francis’ words - even if all we do is give up one cup of coffee at starbucks a day, and give that money to the poor.

              As we continue this Lenten Journey, Let us ask God for the grace to take up our own cross in order to follow Christ- not allowing the desire for earthly power, wealth and prestige to hinder us, but striving to be faithful witnesses to the Gospel, and faithful servants of Christ. In this way, we will be able to “choose life” every single day- not the passing life of this world, but the eternal life that is to come.  

Gospel Reflection for February 4, 2016

As I begin my studies in Homiletics this Semester, I am going to start posting my reflections here, for people to read.

Gospel: Mark 6:7-13

How many of us, when preparing for a journey, spend many hours packing suitcases, making sure our finances are in order, arranging transportation, hotels, planning activities, and many other tasks- before we even step out the door?  Often in our preparations, we pack too much for the journey, wanting to be prepared for all possible situations. And often, we find that the items we packed “Just in case” were not necessary- they only cause us more trouble, because we must lug them around with us until we return home.

Now imagine if you were told to go on a journey, and were told to leave immediately, taking nothing with you. How would you feel then? anxious? Scared? Afraid?

The disciples in today’s Gospel must have felt some of these feelings when they heard the instructions of Jesus telling them how they were to go out and preach the Gospel to the villages and towns. It seems strange to us that Jesus would tell his disciples to go out to preach without basic necessities, and basic means of providing for their own survival. Jesus, however, knew what he was doing.

By commanding the disciples to bring no food, money, or extra clothing, Jesus is telling the disciples that their own personal needs are to take second place to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. He does not want them to be worried about where they are going to buy lunch, or whether they have enough money to pay the innkeeper- rather Jesus wants their sole focus to be on proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, trusting that if they faithfully proclaim the message, God will take care of everything else.  Jesus doesn’t want “extra baggage” to get in the way of proclaiming the Gospel. In fact, the faithfulness of the disciples to these instructions will begin to make the reality of the Kingdom of God manifest.

Too often, our “extra baggage” weighs us down, and keeps us from authentically proclaiming the Gospel Message through word and deed. Jesus’ instructions to the disciples challenge us to examine our own lives, and ask “What can I leave behind so that I am better able to make the Gospel known through my life? Do I truly trust that God will take care of me?” Learning to leave aside our extra baggage will help us to focus on our own needs less and less, and increasingly focus on the needs of others. It will help us to build relationships, and better communities. It will make us authentic witnesses to the Gospel. and in the end, we too, will make the Kingdom of God manifest. 

Worship and Transcendence

I recently had a conversation with a friend, in which she expressed her misgivings about worship consisting solely of a song leader leading worship in a concert-like environment. Her misgivings were well founded, and while she was looking for a purely biblical answer to her question, that got me thinking: What is the nature of worship supposed to be, and how is that concept often lost in contemporary society?

First, I think a little background info is in order. Let's begin with the question "how is worship portrayed in the Old Testament?"  Scripture contains many references to the tent of meeting, the tabernacle, the temple... all names for the various places where God's presence was said to dwell on earth. And while we can find in Scripture very detailed explanations for the Liturgical Rites of the Temple, what is more important to notice is the attitudes that the Israelites had toward God, and how that had an effect on their approach to Divine worship.

There is a tradition among the Hebrews that the Divine name of God is never to be said aloud. In fact, the only place it could be pronounced was by the Priest as part of the Temple rituals.  This reverence for the Divine name (referred to as the Tetragrammaton, is given to Moses in Exodus 3, and roughly translates to I AM WHO AM)  is important, because there is another ancient belief that to name something or someone is to exercise power over that person.  The insistence on not pronouncing the Divine Name indicates a recognition that no person can exercise power over God.

Another key element worth noting is the fact that even when the Israelites assembled at the Temple to worship, they themselves did not enter the Temple proper, remaining instead in the courtyard outside. Only the Priests could lawfully enter the temple, and only on the most solemn of occasions could they enter the Holy of Holies, which is the place where God's presence on earth was said to dwell, and is also the place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.  What this shows is a reverence for the Mystery of God's presence, which the people gathered to worship.

Present also in the actions of the Israelite people is a recognition of the transcendence of God's majesty and power. God's presence is known and mediated in and through real-life persons and events (the prophets, the Exodus from Egypt, etc.). But God is wholly other- and even when God does reveal His presence, it is always masked, as it was in the pillar of cloud/fire present at the Exodus. This is what leads to the belief that no one can see the face of God and live, and leads to Biblical Characters who do have an encounter with the Divine expressing great fear over said encounter.  This is why so many people struggled with understanding the concept of how God could become man in the Person of Jesus Christ.  If God truly was one, he should not have a physical presence- and moreover, he should not have a son!  This was one of the great mysteries that the Early Church had to wrestle with- and while we see remarkable explanations of the nature of Jesus the Christ present in the writings of St. Paul, it would take the Church until 381 to fully codify the Creedal formula we use today, and many more Church councils to combat the heresies that sprung up that attempted to either deny Christ's Divinity, or his Humanity.

So why is all of this important?  Because in order to fully understand what it means to Worship God, we must first recognize that God's transcendence plays a key role in worship. To worship is to enter into the Mystery of God's life and love for us- to have a reverence and respect for the Presence of God among us. Worship understood in this vein becomes a communal act, which transcends space and time.  True Worship unites us to the entire community of Faith, making present one of the great mysteries of our Faith- the Body of Christ, which is present not only in the Eucharist, but in the assembled body of Believers.

Here, the concept of Mystery and transcendence is of the utmost importance.  In contemporary society, people do not like unanswered questions. People instead want everything to be neat and organized, and they want to be able to have answers to all of life's great questions.  The unfortunate side effect of this is that it devalues the transcendent nature of God, and makes God into a commodity- something that we can keep in a neat little box, and can explain with a few trite words that tell us who our "god" is.  And here is the problem with worship expressed only through song- even though people are gathered together in a common space, there is no emphasis on community: The reality is very much that it's "just me and Jesus" and that's all that matters. All sense of mystery is lost, and we are left with a skeleton faith, which tells people that if they believe in "god," all will be well for them, and they will prosper.  There is no theology of suffering, and most importantly, no theology of Sacrifice. This personal "god" enables a person to see god as they want to, and not as He truly is- the transcendent Other, whom no human being could possibly explain.

So does this mean that Praise music is bad, and we shouldn't listen to it?  No, it doesn't. But what it does mean is that gathering together to "worship" at a concert every week cannot be the be-all and end-all of one's Faith Expression.  The fact that worship has become such is by and large a product of the secularization of society, and our modern scientific mindset. It demonstrates an unwillingness to enter into and wrestle with things beyond our understanding, and to admit that we don't have all the answers.   When we can begin to enter into mystery, without needing to find all the answers, then we can truly begin to understand what it means to Worship God.

In closing, I just want to state that the challenge for all of us who profess faith in God is to continually grow in our Faith. Even a person who has faith at the level described above can grow and deepen their knowledge of God. That should be the goal for all of us. Not to stay where we are comfortable, but to continually seek to grow in faith, even when it is difficult, or when challenges arise. That is how our faith gets strengthened.

There is so much more that I could say on this topic- I just wanted to express some basic thoughts. I hope reading this post has been helpful.