We continue to focus on the Beatitude, Blessed are the pure of heart." What does the heart signify? Yesterday, we heard from Pope Francis. Today, we will hear from Pope Benedict XVI. "The heart--the wholeness of man--must be pure, interiorly open and free, in order for man to be able to see God. Theophilus of Antioch once put it like this in a debate with some disputants: 'If you say, "show me your God," I should like to answer you, "show me the man who is in you."...For God is perceived by men who are capable of seeing him, who have the eyes of their spirit open....Man's soul must be as pure as a shining mirror.'"
He goes on to say one of the ways to discern the purity of our heart is in the area of our relationships. He says: "Each one of us must learn to discern what can 'defile' his or her heart and to form his or her conscience rightly and sensibly, so as to be capable of 'discerning the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.'"
"Blessed are the pure of heart." This beatitude focuses on the true intention of the heart of the person. Why am I doing what I am doing? Am I doing it out of love of God, to please God or am I doing it to be seen by others or to ingratiate myself to others? "All our actions are honest and pleasing in the presence of God if they are done with a sincere heart, that is, with love as their goal....Thus, it is not so much the action that must be considered but the intention with which it is done."
What does the heart signify? Pope Francis reflected on this. He said: "Let us now try to understand more fully how this blessedness comes about through purity of heart. First of all, we need to appreciate the biblical meaning of the word heart. In Hebrew thought, the heart is the center of the emotions, thoughts, and intentions of the human person. Since the bible teaches us that god does not look to appearances, but to the heart, we can also say that it is from the heart that we see God. This is because the heart is really the human being in his or her totality as a unity of body and soul, in his or her ability to love and to be loved."
:"The Beatitudes are the manifesto of the new greatness, the way of Christ to self-realization, to happiness>' Fr. Cantalamessa.
Let us look at the fourth Beatitude. "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God." Another translation has: "Blessed are the single-hearted." This means "to be without admixture, to be simply one thing. Do we really want to see God? Yes. Is this the desire of our heart? Hopefully. Then is our heart pure before him? No, for we have sinned. Are we single-hearted? Not sure? But if we want to see God one day face to face in the glory of heaven, this is what, with the grace of God, we must be seeking. We need to make the words of the psalmist our own daily: "Let me seek your face." (Ps 27:8) "Your countenance, Lord, I will seek (1 Cor 1:24.) Possibly when Jesus taught this Beatitude, he was recalling Ps 24:3: "Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord? Those whose hands are innocent and whose hearts are pure." Our desire. Our goal.
Someone has said: “To be meek is to recognize
that power is not about using force but about standing in truth and in love. To
be meek is to be considerate and caring in one’s dealings with others. To be
meek is to acknowledge one’s place as a child of God, filled with dignity but
not with pridefulness.”
“To be meek is a way of being that brings us close to Jesus,”
Pope Francis said.
“This is his spiritual portrait and it reveals the abundance of
his love. Meekness is a way of living and acting that draws us close to Jesus
and to one another. It enables us to set aside everything that divides and
estranges us, and to find ever new ways to advance along the path of unity.”
Pope Francis
“To see what meekness is, you must look not at meekness but
at Christ. Saying meekness is this or that sends you to concepts which are pale
copies of reality. Saying "Jesus is meek" sends you to the living
reality of it.” Peter Kreeft,
Back to Virtue
What can you do today to begin to practice this virtue of meekness? Does it begin with a change of attitude and seeing things with a different perspective? At the end of the day, reflect on how you sought to put on this mind of Christ who was meek and humble of heart.
At the same time, Jesus, the model of meekness and gentleness, showed
just anger in the Temple for his Father’s house that had become a commercial
den of thieves. And he showed prophetic justice when he cursed the fig tree,
symbol of the barren life of the religious leaders of his day. He was still meek, but the justice of God needed to be expressed.
Pope Francis said: “If we are constantly upset and impatient
with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard the faults and
limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air of
superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless
complaining. Saint Thérèse
of Lisieux tells us that “perfect charity consists in putting up with others’
mistakes, and not being scandalized by their faults.’”
He goes on to say: “Paul speaks of meekness as one of the fruits
of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:23). He suggests
that, if a wrongful action of one of our brothers or sisters troubles us, we
should try to correct them, but “with a spirit of meekness”, since “you too
could be tempted” (Gal 6:1). Even when we defend
our faith and convictions, we are to do so “with meekness” (cf. 1 Pet 3:16). Our enemies too are to be treated “with
meekness” (2 Tim 2:25). In the Church we have
often erred by not embracing this demand of God’s word.”
Homily:
Seventeenth Sunday Year C
Reading
1: Background. Sodom and Gomorrah are cities in which sin is rampant,
especially the sin of sodomy. But living in the city of Sodom is Abraham’s
nephew, Lot, and his family. God is angry with the inhabitants of these cities
and tells Abraham that he intends to destroy them.
Abraham,
mainly because of his nephew and family, intercedes with God persistently for
mercy upon the inhabitants. He basically bargains with God. That is how his
persistent prayer is seen by the author. Knowing the extent of sin present,
Abraham pleads with God to spare the cities, if at least 10 righteous persons
are found there.
We
know what happened. The cities are destroyed because of the lack of even ten.
But because of the persistent prayer of Abraham, Lot and his family were
rescued and spared before the destruction.
Abraham
shows boldness and persistency in prayer before God. He became a model for
generations afterwards. Moses interceded before God for the Chosen People, who
sinned continually against God during the Exodus journey. The prophets
interceded for the people who broke the covenant, while expecting God to look
the other way. Jesus teaches, as we see in the Gospel, the necessity of prayer
but also to pray with persistency and certainty.
Gospel:
Last week in the story of Martha and Mary, we saw a glimpse of contemplative
prayer: Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, gazing at him and listening to him.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us specifics on prayer, based on his own
personal prayer. He was a man of prayer.
The
Lord’s Prayer we heard was different from what we are accustomed to, but Luke’s
version has the same basic elements. Jesus says to begin our prayer not with
petition but adoration, praise and thanksgiving for who God is and all that he
has already done in our life. Then, as if by the way, bring our petitions and
intercessions for ourselves and others.
Then
Jesus shows that one’s prayer should be spoken with confidence that God wants
the best for us. Therefore, we need to be bold and persistent. He expresses
these aspects in the parable and in the teaching that follows.
In
the midst of our persistent prayer we realize that what we ask for might seem
best for us in the moment, but there may be a higher good that God desires to
give us. This greater good is the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is given to us to
dwell within us, to reveal the love of God to us, to lead us to the truth, to
be our advocate, to sanctify us and to empower us as witnesses of Jesus Christ.
This
gift of the Holy Spirit must be activated by us, first by being aware of his
presence and purpose and then yielding ourselves, by following his lead and the
movement of his grace within. Just as we have been given muscles at birth, if
we do not develop them and use them properly, what good are they? So too with
the gift of the Holy Spirit. Not only are we to ask for a fresh awareness of
the Holy Spirit, but we are to exercise the gifts he has given us.
Reading
2: Besides prayer of intercession, there is also the need to pray in
thanksgiving for what God has done for us. Paul reminds us of the mercy we have
already received from God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. When we
were dead because of our alienation from God as a result of original sin, we
experienced reconciliation and redemption in the waters of baptism through
faith in the power of God.
And
when we returned to sin afterwards, he reconciled us and forgave us through the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. On the cross Jesus showed us mercy. In legal terms
he paid the debt due to our sins; he tore up the bond against us; he removed
the barrier between us and God by embracing the cross. For all this and more we
should give thanks to God.
An illustration of meekness as power under
God’s control would be the Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is one of the most
spectacular sights in the world. The roar of 6 million cubic feet of water each
minute makes it the most powerful waterfall in North America. Few people,
however, know that more than 50 percent of the river’s water is diverted before
it reaches those falls via four huge tunnels. This water passes through
hydroelectric turbines that supply power to nearby areas in the US and Canada
before returning to the river well past the Falls.
The model for us, of course, is Jesus himself who said: “I am meek and humble of heart.” (Mt 11:29)
At the same time, Jesus knew when to thunder with words of justice and stand
for himself and his Father against those who questioned him or tried to trip
him up. He was not timid or weak at all, but meek and firm in the truth.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied about his meekness and gentleness
when he said: “The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoldering wick he
will not extinguish. (Isaiah 42:3) In a later chapter Isaiah said, referring to
the Lord’s Suffering Servant: “I have given my body to those who strike me, and
my cheeks to those who plucked them. I have not averted my face from those who
rebuked me and who spit on me. The Lord God is my helper. Therefore, I have not
been confounded. Therefore, I have set my face like a very hard rock, and I
know that I will not be confounded.” (Isaiah 50:6-7)
Seventeenth Sunday Gospel C
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”
· Matthew gives us a slightly longer version of the Our Father in the Sermon on the Mount. (Mt.6:9-15). Read and compare the two.
· In the prayer Jesus stresses the Fatherhood of God and his due. He also reminds us that God is the source of our sustenance, the source of forgiveness and the source of protection and deliverance in the time of trials.
· As you pray the Our Father slowly reflect on the phrases you are saying and explore what each means to you.
· Luke gives us two petitions that relate to who God is and three petitions that impact our relationship to God.
And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
· Not only does Jesus share his own prayer with the apostles, but he teaches them the need to persevere in prayer. This perseverance is not only in asking again and again but coming back to God again and again. Perseverance of presence as well as need.
· This persistency is based on a conviction of trust in the love of the person of God.
· How much time do we spend in prayer before the Lord?
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
· There is a sense of certainty that God will respond. Maybe not the way we desire, but in a way that is good for us.
What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
· That persistency and certainty in prayer are based on the person of God, who is Father, and on the love of God for his own.
· The person and work of the Holy Spirit are important themes in Luke’s Gospel.
· The person of the Holy Spirit is the perfect love between the Father and the Son and is the greatest gift God desires to give to us, namely himself. When the Father loves the Son and the Son the Father, they are giving of their total self one to the other, that is the Holy Spirit. The same is true with God to us.
· How are we to receive this gift? Pray and ask God to pour out his Spirit in a fresh new way into our lives. Pray with the assurance of certitude in the love God has for you.
· What does this passage say to you about your prayer life? What does it say about your relationship to the Holy Spirit?
Fr. John Riccardo says that the
biblical writers used meek to refer to strength that is under control. It’s
strength that knows when to assert itself and when to be passive, as opposed to
reacting purely out of emotion. It is strength that can effectively defend
itself and what it values, all the while knowing that it, in itself, is not in
control but is instead a capable and crucial instrument of the one who is.
Jesus describes meekness as being “wise as
serpents and gentle as doves.” St. Francis de Sales further elucidates meekness
when he says “there is nothing as strong as true meekness, there is nothing as
gentle as true strength.”
When Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek,” He
was not advocating a spineless acceptance of life or a doormat mentality. He
was telling His followers to be submissive to God and be willing to put their
strength under His control. Do we desire to be meek in this way? Then start practicing this virtue.
While
the world says: “Happy are those who have power over others”, Jesus says
:”Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.”
A popular dictionary offers a secondary
definition of meek as “too submissive; easily imposed on; spineless;
spiritless.”
In contrast, Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines meekness as “an attitude of humility toward God
and gentleness toward men, springing from a recognition that God is in control.
It is strength and courage under control, coupled with kindness.” Thus, Jesus is meek and humble of heart. Though he had the power of God, he showed love and compassion.
The Greek word for meek has a twofold meaning: strong as iron, yet gentle as a feather.
Depending on their temperament, some were used for tasks like
pulling carts and others were used for racing. The finest stallions, however,
would be trained for war.
“They retained their fierce spirit, courage, and power, but were
disciplined to respond to the slightest nudge or pressure of the rider’s leg,” Whatley writes. “They could gallop
into battle … and come to a sliding stop at a word. They were not frightened by
arrows, spears, or torches. Then they were said to be meeked.” How meek are we? Do we have the strength of meekness?
One
day, while St. Ignatius was passing a field, a group of farmers began to deride
him and call him names. In order not to deprive them of this pastime, the saint
stopped and waited serenely until they finished. Then he blessed them and left.
They were so astonished by his conduct that from then on they told everyone he
was a saint.
What
did he do that was different?
While
traveling, three monks lost their way and had to cross through a field of
wheat, crushing quite a bit of it. Upon seeing this, the farmer yelled at them
angrily, calling them fake monks. The elder of the three exhorted the other two
not to answer him. As soon as they were near he said to the farmer: “You are
right, my son, for if we were real monks we would not have done so much damage.
But now forgive us, for the love of God, because we acknowledge our mistake.”
Amazed at such meekness, the farmer fell to his knees before the monks and
begged their pardon.
What
did he do that was different?
As we reflect on the other seven Beatitudes we realize that they
depend on the first. For without a poverty of Spirit, a total dependence upon
God, we will not be able to put the others into practice.
The first Beatitude calls us to be totally dependent upon God whatever He intends for us and calls us not to clutter
our lives with material things that keep us attached to the world and
everything else but God.
Jesus confronted this lie and revealed the truth in the
following parable. “Then he spoke to them using a comparison, saying: “The
fertile land of a certain wealthy man produced crops. And he thought within
himself, saying: ‘What should I do? For I have nowhere to gather together my
crops.’ And he said: ‘This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and
build larger ones. And into these, I will gather all the things that have been
grown for me, as well as my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, you have
many goods, stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, and be cheerful.’ But
God said to him: ‘Foolish one, this very night they require your soul of you.
To whom, then, will those things belong, which you have prepared?’ So it is
with him who stores up for himself, and is not wealthy with God.” (Luke
12:16-21)
Reflecting on this St. Leo the Great said: “blessed,
therefore, is poverty which is not possessed with a love of temporal things,
and does not seek to be increased with the riches of the world, but is eager to
amass heavenly possessions.”
Did not Jesus say: “For where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)
It is not that we do not have material things, but that we are not possessed by them. Rather we are possessed by the Lord who is the Lord of our lives.
Homily:
Sixteenth Sunday Year C
Reading
1: We have a reading that speaks on the surface of hospitality. Being in a
desert area with a few trees around, one does not get visitors regularly. So when
Abraham sees the three men, he was excited and wanted to show them hospitality
by bathing their feet and providing a meal for them. That is the surface view.
But let’s go beneath the surface.
Did
you notice the back and forth between the Lord and the three men. It begins
with the Lord appearing to Abraham and ends with what the Lord said. In between
it refers to the three men. Sounds confusing, but it isn’t. The early Church
Fathers interpreted this and other similar passages as the initial revelation
of the true identity of God: Three Persons but one God. It is not that the author would have been
aware of this as he wrote. But God, inspiring him, was revealing the seeds of
this mystery of faith which becomes clearer through Jesus and after Pentecost.
The
first message is that of hospitality; the second, that of initial revelation of
the fuller mystery of the Trinity. The third message is the prophetic promise
made to Abraham decades earlier—your wife Sarah will have a son. After all
these years of waiting, now when Sarah is beyond the age of child bearing Abraham
is told of a son in a year. What is not included in this passage is that,
hearing this, Sarah laughed, expressing her disbelief. But as we know, the
prophetic promised was fulfilled. God is faithful.
Reading
2: Paul writes something which has raised questions, namely, “in my flesh I am
filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.” If we believe that
Christ’s suffering and death on the cross was all sufficient for our salvation,
what does Paul mean?
Over
the years as the Church reflected on Paul's words, it became clearer that Christ,
as part of his sufferings, included our sufferings for his sake as part of the
redemptive act. It is not that he needed our sufferings to complete his sacrifice,
but he wanted our sufferings to be united to his sufferings. Why? He wanted to
give meaning and purpose to our sufferings. The unique importance of what Jesus
did on the cross for our salvation is not changed. Instead, our sufferings,
united to his, changes us from suffering with anger and negativity to suffering
with surrender and love. We have seen people who suffer without purpose or hope
of meaning and are bitter. We have seen those who embrace their sufferings and
unite them to Jesus’. What a difference the two are.
Gospel:
Hospitality is the first connection with the first reading. Background. Jesus
is a friend of Mary, Martha and their brother, Lazarus. When in the area of
Jerusalem, he would stay at their house outside of Jerusalem in the mountain
close to the Mount of Olives.
When
Jesus came with his apostles, Mary, Martha and Lazarus welcomed and showed them
hospitality by making them comfortable, probably washing their feet and preparing
a meal.
But
the Gospel speaks of two activities going on. Mary is sitting at the feet of
Jesus, listening and reflecting on his teachings. Martha is preparing a meal.
On the surface it seems that Mary should be helping Martha. At least that is
what Martha felt. She is anxious and troubled about many things.
What
Mary is doing is good for Mary and what Martha is doing is good for her. Both
are good, but one is better. Martha is focused on doing for Jesus, while Mary is
focus on Jesus. Martha rebukes Jesus for not telling Mary to help her. Jesus
shares an important teaching with Martha.
There
are many good things in life, but some may distract us from the better. Mary
has chosen not just a good thing, but the more important thing, namely,
focusing her attention on Jesus, seeking a deeper oneness with Jesus. Martha
has chosen a good thing, preparing a meal.
It
is a matter of both/and rather than either/or. Our life should revolve around
doing what needs to be done at the moment, but also on spending time and
focusing on the Lord and his teachings. For in the end what will be the most
important aspect of heaven? Gazing on the face of God as well as enjoying the
bliss of eternity.
What
are other qualities of one who seeks to embrace the first beatitude--Blessed are the poor in spirit? The person is
humble, docile and open to the grace of God in the present moment.
Pope
Francis in one of his reflections says:
“The happiness of the poor – of the poor in spirit – has a
twofold dimension: in relation to goods, and towards God. With regard to goods,
to material goods, this poverty in spirit is sobriety: not necessarily
renunciation, but the capacity to enjoy the essential, sharing, the capacity to
renew every day the wonder of the goodness of things, without being weighed
down in the opacity of voracious consumption. And this kills the soul. The man
or the woman who does this, who has this attitude, “the more I have, the more I
want”, is not happy and will not attain happiness. In relation to God, it is
praise and acknowledgement that the world is a blessing and that at its origin
there is the creative love of the Father. But it is also openness to Him, docility
to His lordship: He is the Lord, He is the Great One; I am not great because I
have many things! It is He: He Who willed the world for all mankind and willed
that mankind would thus be happy.”
In saying this Pope Francis is reminding us about the truth
vs the lie. The lie is that things make me who l am. The truth is my
possessions do not make who me who I am. I am a son or daughter of God whether I have or do
not have. The lie is that God is not sufficient for me. The truth is the only
real and lasting thing in life is my relationship with God. The truth is I am
totally dependent on God for everything. I would not exist if God did not
create me and sustain me. I am dependent on air to breathe, water so as not to
dehydrate, food for nourishment and strength. As Jesus said: “Apart from me you
can do nothing.” Or as St Paul realized: “In him who strengthens me I can do
all things.” I am called to dispossess myself of self-importance and self-righteousness
apart from God. Instead, I am to see myself as God sees me. As someone has
said: “I am who I am in the eyes of God, nothing more and nothing less.” This
is not false humility, but the basic truth. This is not putting myself down but
realistically living fully in my true identity in Christ.
Sixteenth Sunday Gospel C
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
• Martha, Mary and Lazarus lived in Bethany which was near Jerusalem. Jesus preferred to stay there rather than in Jerusalem.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”
• Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening and learning from him, like a disciple. Martha was busy with the task of preparing food for Jesus and his disciples.
• Maybe there was a sense of jealousy on the part of Martha.
The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
• Jesus is not saying that Martha is not doing the right thing, but that she is anxious and worried rather than at peace with the good she was doing.
• On the other hand, Mary is at peace with what she is doing.
• Here we have the tension between the contemplative life (Mary) and the active life. (Martha). Both are part of the life of the disciple of Jesus and neither should be neglected.
However, Jesus indicates that contemplation is higher than the busyness of life. But even
a contemplative person needs to work to provide for their needs.
• How much time do we spend at the feet of Jesus, listening to him? Maybe this week we can try to incorporate this more in our life of activity.
If
we reflect on the rich young man who went to Jesus
wanting
to gain eternal life of happiness, we can see how
it
was difficult for him to respond to Jesus’ invitation. He
knew
how to keep the commandments of the Law, but he
was
possessed by his possessions. Unlike Matthew or
Zacchaeus,
both wealthy tax collectors, who left all to
follow
Jesus, he could not walk away from the less for the
more.
It was hard for this particular person to accept
Jesus’
teaching when he said: “For how does it benefit a
man,
if he gains the whole world, yet truly suffers damage
to
his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul?” (Matthew 16:26) What possesses us?
Would
you consider our relationships with others another
area
in which we can exercise this beatitude? Are our
relationships
indifferent and free or possessive and
controlling?
I
remember a lesson God taught me years ago and
continues
to remind me in the present. I had a close
seminarian
friend. We were classmates and roommates. I
presumed
that we would do something together on one of
our
rare days off. When I found out that he had made
other
plans, I was crushed and felt betrayed and rejected.
God
confronted me in my possessiveness and challenged
me
to continue to be a friend by freeing him to be himself
out
of love. Our friendship has lasted. To try to control a
friendship
is to lose it.
Jesus
is the premier model of how to embrace this way of holiness, reflected in the first Beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Learning
from Jesus, St. Paul was a model of this beatitude when he expressed: “I know
how to be humbled, and I know how to abound. I am prepared for anything,
anywhere: either to be full or to be hungry, either to have abundance or to
endure scarcity. Everything is possible in him who has strengthened me.
(Philippians 4:12-13)
Paul
learn the spirit of detachment or indifference. In his First Principle and
Foundation, St. Ignatius talks about “making use of those things that help
to bring us closer to God and leaving aside those things that don’t.”
In
this regard Pope Francis identifies one area in a disciple's life where
detachment is necessary. “First of all, try to be free with regard to
material things. The Lord calls us to a Gospel lifestyle marked by sobriety,
by a refusal to yield to the culture of consumerism. This means being concerned
with the essentials and learning to do without all those unneeded extras which
hem us in. Let us learn to be detached from possessiveness and from the
idolatry of money and lavish spending. Let us put Jesus first. He can free us
from the kinds of idol-worship which enslave us. Put your trust in God. He
knows and loves us, and he never forgets us. Just as he provides for the lilies
of the field (cf. Mt 6:28), so he will make sure that we lack
nothing....We must be also ready to change our lifestyle and avoid so much
wastefulness. Just as we need the courage to be happy, we also need the courage
to live simply.”
Homily:
Fifteenth Sunday Year C
Reading
1: What was the great commandment for the Israelites? It was summed up in these
words: There is no other God. God alone is our God. You shall love God with all
your heart, mind and strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. They
would recite this at least three times a day. Moses here is reminding the people after one
of their rebellious actions against God of the command of God which they
previously said yes to. Even though they had sinned, they were invited to
return to the Lord with all their heart and soul.
Once
more Moses enjoins them to embrace and live what is already on their hearts and
in their mouths. But to know something is not enough. To speak the truth is not
enough. It must be acted on. How often we know what is right but do not do it?
Paul calls this the law of sin within us. He says: I do what I don’t want to do
and I don’t do what I want to do. Woe is me, I am a wretch, he says. Only in
Jesus, who has saved me, do I have the grace to overcome this law of sin
within.
If
we were conscious of our relationship with God would we choose to sin? If a man
or woman really loves their spouse, would either one be unfaithful even in the
heart? Sin is the opposite of love. The reason the Israelites repeated the
great Schema was to keep the Lord ever before them and to choose the way of the
Lord, rather than offend the Lord through sin.
Reading
2: Paul talks about the centrality of Jesus as the God/Man. Without saying it
directly, he is proclaiming that Jesus is truly God and Man. How does he say it
in different ways? He is the first born of all creation, reflecting his humanity. He is the image of the invisible God,
reflecting his divinity. Jesus said he
who sees me sees the Father for the Father and I are one.
Being
the first born of all creation, he is the pattern of all creation. All things
were created for him, through him and in him. Yet He is God. He is before all
things and all things are sustained in existence through him.
Do
we hear the foundation of our Creed which we proclaim each Sunday? He is God.
He is the beginning, the first-born of the dead through his resurrection. He is
preeminent. In him all fullness dwells in him as God. Through his death and
resurrection he has reconciled us to the Father, bringing peace and healing.
Gospel:
The first thing we notice is this is another attempt to test Jesus and to
discredit him as a teacher. The question is legitimate. What must I do to
inherit eternal life? It is the same question another person, the rich young
man, also asked Jesus.
In
his response, Jesus quotes the great schema that Moses referred to in the first
reading. Notice Jesus responded with a question. When the scribe answered
correctly, Jesus responds with the words of Moses: Do this and you will live.
The
man is not satisfied. He questioned Jesus further, not because he was really
interested, but to justify himself. Jesus knows the animosity between the Jews
and the Samaritans. He knows the ritual laws of purity and cleanness that the
scribes would follow. So he chooses an illustration that will throw light on the
law of legality and the law of love.
When
the scribe affirms the truth of love, Jesus pushes him further by saying it is
one thing to know the truth but it must be lived and acted on to make a
difference. Do we go out of our comfort zone to help others or do we put
barriers between ourselves and others? Do we just know what is right and wrong
or do we act on what we know is true?
"Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
The
word “poor” in biblical Greek refers to one who is a destitute, who
survives
by begging. The character of Lazarus in the parable of Lazarus
and
the rich man comes to mind. “And there was a certain beggar,
named
Lazarus, who lay at his gate, covered with sores, wanting to be
filled
with the crumbs which were falling from the wealthy man’s table.
But
no one gave it to him. And even the dogs came and licked his
sores.”
(Luke 16:20-21) Is this the role model we are called to embrace
in
responding to this Beatitude? No.
The
Hebrew word for “poor” is more in line with Jesus’ thought. The
“anawin”
are the poor who depend upon God’s providential care for
everything. The character of
the poor widow who contributed out of her need in contrast to those who gave
out of their surplus is an example.
Totally
dependent, God alone was her hope. Are we so dependent upon
God?
In
the words of Pope Francis: “(Anawim) suggests lowliness, a sense of
one’s
limitations and existential poverty. The anawim trust in the Lord,
and
they know that they can count on him.”
He
goes on to say: “When the Son of God became man, he chose the path of poverty
and self-emptying. As Saint Paul said in his letter to the Philippians: “Let
the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the
form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied
himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in human likeness” (2:5-7).
Jesus is God who strips himself of his glory. Here we see God’s choice to be poor:
he was rich and yet he became poor in order to enrich us through his poverty
(cf. 2 Cor 8:9).” (Pope Francis)
Beatitudes a way of life for each disciple of Jesus.
Do you want to be truly happy?
It is part of our nature to desire to be
Happy. God wants us to be
happy. Are you truly happy? What is the
difference between the
desire for happiness and the fulfillment of that
desire? The Beatitudes give
us a glimpse into the answer.
These are Gospel mandates
not Gospel options for disciples of Jesus
Christ. Though the
principles remain the same for all disciples, how they
are lived in different
states or vocations of life do vary. As disciples of Jesus,
we are expected to be witnesses of this Gospel
life we proclaim.
What do the Beatitudes, these stepping
stones towards holiness, teach us? In
the words of Pope Francis: “With the
example and words of Jesus before us,
we realize how much we need to be
converted, so that the logic of being more
will prevail over that of having
more!” (Pope Francis)
The Beatitudes are the areas
in which on-going conversion needs to occur
in our lives as disciples.
In this past Sunday's Gospel reading from Matthew, we heard Jesus say to the seventy-two disciples after their initial missionary outreach, "Rejoice in the fact that your names are written in heaven." The disciples were rejoicing that they saw the power of God work that even the demons were subject to their command. The focus was on the success they experienced. Jesus was reminding them to rejoice, not in their success, but in doing the will of God. In another place in the Gospels, Jesus says that those who enter the kingdom of God are those who did the will of his Father in heaven, not those who performed miracle in his name. How often do we focus on our success in action rather than on rejoicing in God's will which we sought to fulfill in our actions? In one case the focus is on us; in the other, the focus is on God.
Homily:
Fourteenth Sunday Year C
Reading
1: To a people who are returning to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon,
their initial reaction is disheartening. The city is in total destruction. It
would be the feeling you would have if you came back home to find that your
home has burned to the ground. You would not be in a state of joy but sadness.
Yet
God says to the people to rejoice and exult and not to mourn. Why? God was
going to restore the city to an even greater glory than it formerly
enjoyed. We know that God fulfilled his
promise. Not only the city but the Temple was restored and became more
beautiful than before.
This
Jerusalem is a symbol of both the Church and of the heavenly Kingdom that we
are called to be a part of. The old Jerusalem was a symbol of the Old Covenant
and the old people of God. The Church is the New Jerusalem established by
Christ through his death and resurrection. We are the new people of God chosen
by him to live in the new Kingdom. But the Church is a foreshadowing of the
final and eternal Jerusalem. It is where God’s elect will live in eternal glory
with him.
The
key is that God is doing something that is beyond us, but it is for us. “As a
mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” In God we find our security
and comfort.
Reading
2: Paul was confronting those who came to the Galatians after him and said the
people must first be circumcised before being baptized. This left the
impression that following the Mosaic Law would save a person and not baptism.
Paul insisted that it was the death and resurrection of Jesus which has brought
eternal salvation.
It
is baptism not circumcision that saves us, once we enter into that mystery of
Jesus’ death and resurrection. That is why Paul glorified in the cross. Again,
it is the work of God and not of human being which brings salvation.
For
us baptism is the sign of the new Covenant and of the new people. As we sign
ourselves with the sign of the cross we are reminding ourselves that we bear
the marks of Jesus. By his wounds we have been saved and made a new people. We
wear a cross, we place the cross in our homes so that we can remind ourselves
of and embrace what God has done for us.
Gospel:
The most important statement in the reading is the last: Rejoice that your names
are written in the book of life. After all is said and done, after our life
comes to an end, what matters is doing the will of God and being in the will of
God, so that we may be with him forever in glory.
Jesus
had sent the seventy-two disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal
the sick. Some people responded, others did not. The most important thing was
not the response of people, but the disciples doing the will of God. Yes, they
saw the power of God in their ministry, but that was not the primary reason
they were sent. Did they do what they were sent to do?
The
same mission has been given to us who have been baptized and confirmed. We have
a prophetic mission, namely, to spread the word of God and to share the message
of truth, which is God’s love in the gift of salvation, manifested through and
in the name of Jesus.
The
urgency is greater today than it was in the day of Jesus. It is not results
that will make the difference, but our faithful response to God’s call to each
of us in our own state of life. While the disciples focused on the effects of
their ministry, Jesus focused on the obedience to the plan of God for them.
What do we focus on?
"'The revelation of Love,' wrote Henri de Lubac, 'overturns all that the world had conceived of the Divinity.' What are the consequences of Divine Love? One such consequence is that if Jesus suffers in an atrocious manner on the cross, he does not do so principally to pay the un-payable debt owed by human beings. No, Jesus dies crucified so that the love of God could reach humanity in the most distant point people have come to in their rebellion against him, namely, death. Even death is now inhabited by the love of God. The traditional motive of the expiation of sins retains all its validity, as we can see, but it is not the ultimate motive. The ultimate motive is 'the unconditional goodness of God,' his love." (Rainero Cantalamessa)
Jesus was not a sadist, seeking the suffering of the cross. He was a Lover in love with the Father, whose will he sought to do. He was a Lover in love with us, who had strayed through sin and in his mercy chose to give his life that we may have life. His only motive was love. As God he is perfect love. As Man he expressed this perfect love in a undeniable way. "Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for his friends."
Fourteenth Sunday Ordinary Gospel C
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
· These seventy-two are disciples other than the twelve apostles who also are sent on mission. This number is significant because in the Old Testament Moses chose seventy men upon whom God poured out his Spirit and they prophesied. But there were two others who remained in the camp and they too received the same outpouring of the Spirit and manifested the same gift of prophesy.
He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
· Notice he said to pray for more laborers. Is anything different today? The harvest is just as ripe today and the need for more workers in the vineyard of the Lord is equally as great. So what are we suppose to do? Are we?
Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
· Besides asking them to pray, he also indicated that they were to do the work themselves. Is your call rooted in baptism and confirmation any different? How are you responding?
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.
· There is a sense of urgency and dependency. Do you have the same sense? Look around your family. How many truly are on fire for God? Look around at the people you associate with at work or other places. Is their faith alive? What do you think God may be saying to you?
Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another.
· The focus of not moving from house to house was to avoid the appearance that they were looking for the best accommodations and meals. The proclamation of the message of salvation was more important than their comfort or well being.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
· Here is the key to their missionary thrust: speak the truth and confirm it with signs and wonders. This was the same process Jesus used. To make sure that the people would believe the message he proclaimed, Jesus would follow it with some confirmation or use a sign or wonder and then give a teaching, so that the teaching would be better received.
· The sign and wonder were essential in the ministry of Jesus. Should it be less for us? If Jesus sets the pattern for us, should we not follow his plan?
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”
· It was not the task of the disciples to make the people respond to their message, but just to proclaim the message with confirmation. The burden of acceptance was on those who heard. Sometimes we think that we have to make people act on the message we share with them rather than just be faithful to the call God gave us and leave the response up to the hearer.
The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
· Not only did they do signs and wonders, they also saw signs and wonders that God revealed.
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
· They were not to focus on the results of their missionary activities but on what God did through them.
· What message is God giving you upon reflecting on this passage?
"Among those who make a habit of following the maxims of Christ, simplicity ought to be held in great esteem; for, among the wise of this world there is nothing more contemptible or despicable than this. Yet it is a virtue most worthy of love, because it leads us straight to the Kingdom of God, and, at the same time, wins for us the affection of others; since one who s regarded as upright, sincere, and an enemy to tricks and fraud is loved by all, even by those who only seek from morning till night to cheat and deceive others." (St. Vincent de Paul)
Jesus himself recommended that his followers be "simple or innocent as doves... and wise as serpents." For most of us we complicate life and thus make our lives difficult and burdensome. Simplicity of life comes from a decision to see things from God's perspective and not the world's. Simplicity leads us to seek first the Kingdom of God, which basically means to seek God himself first in our lives. True simplicity brings about real harmony and order.
In the words of the Catholic Dictionary, "Simplicity is single-mindedness. As a supernatural virtue it seeks only to do the will of God without regard to self-sacrifice or self-advantage."
This past Sunday the theme of discipleship was evident in the Mass readings. This coming Sunday's Gospel will also speak of the purpose of discipleship in action. What is the bottom line for Jesus concerning those who want to be his disciples?
A. "Whoever loves
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will
lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-
Disciples are those who love Jesus Christ more than they love any other person,
including themselves. Great crowds were
traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them,
"If any one comes to me without hating
his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my
disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my
disciple. Luke 14:25-27
Question: What
relationship in your life would most compete with your relationship with Jesus
Christ?
B.
Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my
word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32.
Disciples are those who hold to His teachings no matter what. It is a top priority.
Question: What
would you expect to see in someone's life who is doing this ? How do you rate as a disciple of Jesus?
