The name Jezebel became so famous that an older generation of Americans remember when some woman might be referred to as a Jezebel. What we forget is that if we go back and read the story of today's first reading, we find first of all that the reading has nothing to do with infidelity; it is about power.
There have always been power-hungry women, just as there have always been power-hungry men. We call the men ambitious and the women we call....
In all cases, from Jezebel's plot and murder of one man to Hilter's murder of millions, they all need one thing, collaborators. Sometimes it is active collaboration, sometimes it is the passive collaboration of silence. Without their collaborators they would be nothing.
What makes collaboration in sin so insidious is that it often looks so innocuous or even good. In the first reading today it could be described as patriotism, loyalty to the king. Often it is carried out by nice people, the ones who go along to get along. They don't want to be troublemakers.
And when the evil is finally exposed for what it is the collaborators are often the first to run from their own responsibility and history remembers only Jezebel, as if it were all her fault.
What they all forget is that a sin of omission is still a sin, and no human authority can make something that is a sin not a sin. We are reminded once again of of the famous quote often attributed to Edmund Burke, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
This is as true in small everyday things as it is in global things.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Imitating the widow
There is in each of that tendency toward selfishness that always seeks justification or even just rationalization. All you have to do is listen to the world economic crisis discussion, and scratch the surface of many people's solutions and you we see, self- interest.
This is what makes the widow of Zarephath so remarkable. She is literally about to starve to death with her child and yet she is able to overcome her own survival instinct and the maternal instinct in order to assist a man who is fundamentally a stranger.
Because we know how it turns out, we have a tendency to under value the depth of her sacrifice. We dismiss it as something in "Bible World" and forget what real life was like back then. It becomes just another bible story rather than a model for our moral choices.
As we all talk about what needs to be done to fix the economy, where do we fit the example of the widow?
This is what makes the widow of Zarephath so remarkable. She is literally about to starve to death with her child and yet she is able to overcome her own survival instinct and the maternal instinct in order to assist a man who is fundamentally a stranger.
Because we know how it turns out, we have a tendency to under value the depth of her sacrifice. We dismiss it as something in "Bible World" and forget what real life was like back then. It becomes just another bible story rather than a model for our moral choices.
As we all talk about what needs to be done to fix the economy, where do we fit the example of the widow?
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Infidelity
Of all the traditional values our modern culture has abandoned the concept of fidelity seems to remain. When talking to couples preparing for marriage some still see it as the one unpardonable sin. As a tribunal judge and pastor is it not unusual when you someone is asked why they divorced their spouse to hear them say, "They cheated on me." They are shocked to discover that the single fact of infidelity is not in itself grounds for an annulment. So strong is our feeling about this issue, when we are the aggrieved party.
Then we read in today's first reading with regard to Jesus, "If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself."
First of all do we even think of sin as infidelity. Week after week we go to church, we make the profession of faith, we say "Amen." to the words "The Body of Christ." And we go out the door and sin often because we have either told ourselves that something is not a sin, or we cannot seem to muster the self control to stop ourselves.
Perhaps this reading offers us a new point of view. If we think of our personal relationship to Jesus, and sin as an act of infidelity, perhaps we can approach it with a new seriousness. We would think more before we act.
This image can seem harsh and can make us feel guilty, but that is not always a bad thing. When I am guilty, I should feel guilty. That means your systems are functioning normally.
The great good news is that this simple passage reminds us that even when we are unfaithful Jesus remains faithful to us. Jesus does not divorce us, as it were, for our infidelity. Even when the church says we should not receive communion until we set ourselves right(excommunicated), we remain members of the Church. That is why in our theology no validly conferred sacrament can be undone. That is why we have the sacrament of Penance. We are part of Jesus by virtue of our baptism and he cannot deny himself.
Our cultural instinct to abhor infidelity is correct. Our narrow understanding of what constitutes infidelity is perhaps what we need to adjust. Today let us attempt to avoid being unfaithful to our relationship to Christ, to loving God and loving our neighbor as ourself. But if we are, let us also know that Jesus remains faithful and forgiveness is always available.
Then we read in today's first reading with regard to Jesus, "If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself."
First of all do we even think of sin as infidelity. Week after week we go to church, we make the profession of faith, we say "Amen." to the words "The Body of Christ." And we go out the door and sin often because we have either told ourselves that something is not a sin, or we cannot seem to muster the self control to stop ourselves.
Perhaps this reading offers us a new point of view. If we think of our personal relationship to Jesus, and sin as an act of infidelity, perhaps we can approach it with a new seriousness. We would think more before we act.
This image can seem harsh and can make us feel guilty, but that is not always a bad thing. When I am guilty, I should feel guilty. That means your systems are functioning normally.
The great good news is that this simple passage reminds us that even when we are unfaithful Jesus remains faithful to us. Jesus does not divorce us, as it were, for our infidelity. Even when the church says we should not receive communion until we set ourselves right(excommunicated), we remain members of the Church. That is why in our theology no validly conferred sacrament can be undone. That is why we have the sacrament of Penance. We are part of Jesus by virtue of our baptism and he cannot deny himself.
Our cultural instinct to abhor infidelity is correct. Our narrow understanding of what constitutes infidelity is perhaps what we need to adjust. Today let us attempt to avoid being unfaithful to our relationship to Christ, to loving God and loving our neighbor as ourself. But if we are, let us also know that Jesus remains faithful and forgiveness is always available.
Timothy the man
For the rest of this week we read from the second of Paul's letters to Timothy. I refer to them without the title saint not out of disrespect but out of recognition that words work on multiple levels of meaning. When we call someone Saint we honor their holiness, but at the same time we can without meaning to transform them from human beings like ourselves to the perfect marble statues we see in museums and churches. We can make them too attractive in a superficial way.
In fact, we can do the same thing with Christianity as a whole. When we constantly talk of love we can without meaning to change Christianity into something that is very attractive, but in the way pastry is attractive.
When we read the bible we need to see human beings like ourselves who lived in a world harsher than most of us will ever encounter. Paul opens this letter to Timothy not by telling him "God loves you and wants you to find and do what will makes you happy." Paul opens by telling him to "bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God."
Holiness not happiness should be the daily, immediate goal. The good news is that if we aim at holiness we will get happiness in the long run. If we aim at happiness we may, in the long run, end up with the great nothing.
In fact, we can do the same thing with Christianity as a whole. When we constantly talk of love we can without meaning to change Christianity into something that is very attractive, but in the way pastry is attractive.
When we read the bible we need to see human beings like ourselves who lived in a world harsher than most of us will ever encounter. Paul opens this letter to Timothy not by telling him "God loves you and wants you to find and do what will makes you happy." Paul opens by telling him to "bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God."
Holiness not happiness should be the daily, immediate goal. The good news is that if we aim at holiness we will get happiness in the long run. If we aim at happiness we may, in the long run, end up with the great nothing.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The shaping of Europe
We can easily think of the map as having always been as we see it today. For convenience we group countries and cultures that are in reality quite distinct one from the other. Ask someone who speaks one of the more than 2000 languages of Africa about "African culture" and they will laugh because there is no one African culture. Even today we watch Europe struggle as it tries to maintain some sense of unity. Unity as we have seen in the readings around Pentecost was the great prayer of Jesus for his Church, and yet we continue to pull apart.
Today is the memorial of St. Boniface. Born in what is today England, it was his missionary work in the late 7th and early 8th century that gave shape to what we think of as Europe. In some ways the fact that we think of Europe at all is influenced by his work in unifying the church of the time.
His work was so extraordinary that he tomb in Fulda, Germany became a place of pilgrimage.
We all know St. Patrick the patron of the Irish American immigrants. Today we remember Boniface the patron for German and our German-American immigrants.
Today is the memorial of St. Boniface. Born in what is today England, it was his missionary work in the late 7th and early 8th century that gave shape to what we think of as Europe. In some ways the fact that we think of Europe at all is influenced by his work in unifying the church of the time.
His work was so extraordinary that he tomb in Fulda, Germany became a place of pilgrimage.
We all know St. Patrick the patron of the Irish American immigrants. Today we remember Boniface the patron for German and our German-American immigrants.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Spiritual supplements
We all know that as Christians we are supposed to love. But how do we really get there. In the first reading today Peter gives us a list of supplements, so popular today among the health conscious. His list is not vitamins but steps that trace a path from faith to love.
In his model you start with something simple: Faith in Jesus.
If you're reading this, you probably already have step that one. Then he tells us to
2. Supplement the faith with virtue. In order to have virtue you have to know what they are and so he tells us to
3. Supplement virtue with knowledge. We must constantly deepen our knowledge of the faith.
Then it gets a bit harder because we have to move the knowledge to action.
4. Supplement knowledge with self-control. Imagine doing and saying only those things we choose to do and say. This is easy enough to do when all is going well but what happens to our self-control when things go wrong? He then tells us
5. Supplement self-control with endurance. We love to celebrate this virtue in athletes but do we really want it for ourselves? The next step is to my mind the uniquely Christian key
6. Supplement endurance with devotion. Christian endurance is not gritting your teeth and getting through the pain. Endurance comes from falling into deep devotion to Jesus and drawing strength from him, the crucified Christ.
When we lose ourselves in Christ then we can take the next step and
7. Supplement devotion with mutual affection. We're not expected to suddenly one day be able to love every body. We start with baby steps, just some basic mutual affection.
Lastly he tells us:
8. Supplement mutual affection with love.
Faith
Virtue
Knowledge
Self-Control
Endurance
Devotion
Mutual affection
Love
A simple but not always easy path to walk.
In his model you start with something simple: Faith in Jesus.
If you're reading this, you probably already have step that one. Then he tells us to
2. Supplement the faith with virtue. In order to have virtue you have to know what they are and so he tells us to
3. Supplement virtue with knowledge. We must constantly deepen our knowledge of the faith.
Then it gets a bit harder because we have to move the knowledge to action.
4. Supplement knowledge with self-control. Imagine doing and saying only those things we choose to do and say. This is easy enough to do when all is going well but what happens to our self-control when things go wrong? He then tells us
5. Supplement self-control with endurance. We love to celebrate this virtue in athletes but do we really want it for ourselves? The next step is to my mind the uniquely Christian key
6. Supplement endurance with devotion. Christian endurance is not gritting your teeth and getting through the pain. Endurance comes from falling into deep devotion to Jesus and drawing strength from him, the crucified Christ.
When we lose ourselves in Christ then we can take the next step and
7. Supplement devotion with mutual affection. We're not expected to suddenly one day be able to love every body. We start with baby steps, just some basic mutual affection.
Lastly he tells us:
8. Supplement mutual affection with love.
Faith
Virtue
Knowledge
Self-Control
Endurance
Devotion
Mutual affection
Love
A simple but not always easy path to walk.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
It's not just about God
When we speak about the Trinity we are not simply talking about our Christian understanding of the nature of God, but about the nature of humanity as well.
One aspect of our having been created in the image and likeness of God is that we are each unique individuals, and even after death we do not lose out distinctive identity. At the same time we are called to live in unity, "that they may be one as you and I are one" was the prayer of the Son to the Father.
The great difference between us and God is that while the Holy Trinity exists in constant perfect harmony, an interpenetration, that St. Gregory of Nanzianzus called perichoresis, in our human lives we experience it as constant tension.
We want to love and be loved and yet we are selfish. We know that we should work together but continue to divide ourselves by nation, language, race. The balance required is a difficult one.
Communism tried to erase the individual in favor of the unity. Our modern American individualism can undermine the essential unity, in a misguided notion of independence. Where do we find the balance? In God. By keeping our eyes constantly fixed on the Holy Trinity and striving to model every aspect of our lives on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
One aspect of our having been created in the image and likeness of God is that we are each unique individuals, and even after death we do not lose out distinctive identity. At the same time we are called to live in unity, "that they may be one as you and I are one" was the prayer of the Son to the Father.
The great difference between us and God is that while the Holy Trinity exists in constant perfect harmony, an interpenetration, that St. Gregory of Nanzianzus called perichoresis, in our human lives we experience it as constant tension.
We want to love and be loved and yet we are selfish. We know that we should work together but continue to divide ourselves by nation, language, race. The balance required is a difficult one.
Communism tried to erase the individual in favor of the unity. Our modern American individualism can undermine the essential unity, in a misguided notion of independence. Where do we find the balance? In God. By keeping our eyes constantly fixed on the Holy Trinity and striving to model every aspect of our lives on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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