In today's first reading we hear:
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, O champion!” Gideon said to him, “My Lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?
Which of us has not at some point asked this question? Bad things happen, sometimes really bad things, and we ask, where is God?
Gideon had it easy he got and angel and fire. We are not usually so lucky but then we don't have to go into battles like Gideon either. Our battles are smaller and so are God's signs. They tend to be more subtle.
Last week I was really wrestling with something, and turned on the TV just to unwind. The friend I was with and myself were completely taken aback when the program touched on the exact issue. It was as if one of the characters was talking right to me. Mere coincidence?
Or Friday night after 13 hrs on the train, my back was aching, I was hoping there would be a cab at the train station at that hour, and as I walked to the back of the car to get ready to exit, a couple I hadn't seen in ages was actually on the same train, and insisted on bringing me home. Again mere coincidence? They were certainly my angels that night.
God still works signs and wonders all around us. We simply have to have the eyes to see. All day every day, we must look at the world with eyes of faith.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Settling for Second
In the gospel today it is easy to notice that there are two possible goals.
First we are told what to do "If you wish to enter into life,....
And for that all we are told is keep the commandments.
But then Jesus offers the rich young man the opportunity to be more ambitious.
Jesus tells the young man, "If you wish to be perfect,...
Which do we want to go for?
This gospel reminds us that we should not be content to squeak by. We should be ambitious. Our ambition should be to be saints. And we should settle for nothing less than being perfect.
For the rich young man what stood between him and perfection was his possessions. What stands in the way of your perfection. For each of us this is a very personal discernment.
Is it a need for stuff. Is it the need to be liked. Is it the need for professional success.
Take a moment to look deep inside and find your answer.
First we are told what to do "If you wish to enter into life,....
And for that all we are told is keep the commandments.
But then Jesus offers the rich young man the opportunity to be more ambitious.
Jesus tells the young man, "If you wish to be perfect,...
Which do we want to go for?
This gospel reminds us that we should not be content to squeak by. We should be ambitious. Our ambition should be to be saints. And we should settle for nothing less than being perfect.
For the rich young man what stood between him and perfection was his possessions. What stands in the way of your perfection. For each of us this is a very personal discernment.
Is it a need for stuff. Is it the need to be liked. Is it the need for professional success.
Take a moment to look deep inside and find your answer.
It's all in how you look at it Sunday's Gospel
Today's gospel opens with "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! "
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? What is the first image that pops into your mind?
My guess is that it is one of destruction, particularly when you listen to the rest of the gospel about division. But look more closely.
Fire burns and destroys but it also purifies,cleanses, and refines. Fire is the symbol of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, tongues of flame. When Jesus says he has come to set the earth on fire, it is not to destroy, it is the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the mission of the Church to spread that fire to the ends of the earth.
It is no accident that he immediate goes from talking about fire to talking about Baptism. While his baptism will be crucifixion, ours will be with water and is precisely the moment when we are set on fire, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, making us the adopted children of God.
When Jesus says he did not come to bring peace, he is not contradicting the opening of Luke's gospel that we sing every week, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will."
Real peace is not simply absence of conflict. How many families keep the peace, by simply ignoring problems, not talking about them. Real peace the peace of Christ, must be a peace grounded in the truth. This peace can often only be achieved, not by avoiding conflict, but by working through it. And working through conflict is almost always messy.
It is no accident that Jesus uses family images today. For most of us that is where it is the most difficult. Confronting the tough issues in our own family is often the hardest thing to do. Feelings get hurt, and deep wounds are inflicted. But just as fire is necessary to purify gold, so the fire of truth must purify us. Just as Jesus had to pass through the crucifixion to the resurrection, we must often in our closest relationships pass though conflict to get to real peace. True love may at times require conflict and division leading to unity and peace grounded in truth.
We will never truly be children of God, if we hide from the truth, avoid conflict. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. Only in the truth can we find peace. Beginning with ourselves we must shine the light of the fire on our own hearts. And then in love share that light with others, even if it hurts, if all parties, are truly children of God, the division will only be temporary, and the conflict will lead to something better and stronger.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? What is the first image that pops into your mind?
My guess is that it is one of destruction, particularly when you listen to the rest of the gospel about division. But look more closely.
Fire burns and destroys but it also purifies,cleanses, and refines. Fire is the symbol of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, tongues of flame. When Jesus says he has come to set the earth on fire, it is not to destroy, it is the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the mission of the Church to spread that fire to the ends of the earth.
It is no accident that he immediate goes from talking about fire to talking about Baptism. While his baptism will be crucifixion, ours will be with water and is precisely the moment when we are set on fire, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, making us the adopted children of God.
When Jesus says he did not come to bring peace, he is not contradicting the opening of Luke's gospel that we sing every week, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will."
Real peace is not simply absence of conflict. How many families keep the peace, by simply ignoring problems, not talking about them. Real peace the peace of Christ, must be a peace grounded in the truth. This peace can often only be achieved, not by avoiding conflict, but by working through it. And working through conflict is almost always messy.
It is no accident that Jesus uses family images today. For most of us that is where it is the most difficult. Confronting the tough issues in our own family is often the hardest thing to do. Feelings get hurt, and deep wounds are inflicted. But just as fire is necessary to purify gold, so the fire of truth must purify us. Just as Jesus had to pass through the crucifixion to the resurrection, we must often in our closest relationships pass though conflict to get to real peace. True love may at times require conflict and division leading to unity and peace grounded in truth.
We will never truly be children of God, if we hide from the truth, avoid conflict. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. Only in the truth can we find peace. Beginning with ourselves we must shine the light of the fire on our own hearts. And then in love share that light with others, even if it hurts, if all parties, are truly children of God, the division will only be temporary, and the conflict will lead to something better and stronger.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Self-Control
What area challenges you the most?
For each of us it is different but today's gospel suggest one of the most common areas. It opens with a simple instruction:
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
Could it be any simpler? And how often is that really our first step?
More often it begins with the internal monologue about how we have been wronged. Then we look for a sympathetic ear, someone who, instead of giving us a fresh perspective, will reinforce our sense of being wronged. Even better, if they already dislike the person who wronged you. Before long all of our friends know how awfully we have been treated, and we still haven't talked one on one with the person.
And suppose it is true that the person treats everybody this way, and isn't going to listen. Does that absolve us of the obligation placed on us by the gospel? Does that give us the right to simply complain and gossip?
The gospel is simple but not easy. Perhaps our grandmothers had it right when they said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. Once again we are reminded that the words discipline and disciple come from the same root. Today lets see if we can't exercise some self-discipline.
For each of us it is different but today's gospel suggest one of the most common areas. It opens with a simple instruction:
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
Could it be any simpler? And how often is that really our first step?
More often it begins with the internal monologue about how we have been wronged. Then we look for a sympathetic ear, someone who, instead of giving us a fresh perspective, will reinforce our sense of being wronged. Even better, if they already dislike the person who wronged you. Before long all of our friends know how awfully we have been treated, and we still haven't talked one on one with the person.
And suppose it is true that the person treats everybody this way, and isn't going to listen. Does that absolve us of the obligation placed on us by the gospel? Does that give us the right to simply complain and gossip?
The gospel is simple but not easy. Perhaps our grandmothers had it right when they said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. Once again we are reminded that the words discipline and disciple come from the same root. Today lets see if we can't exercise some self-discipline.
Monday, August 12, 2013
How soon we forget?
Moses in first reading tells the people that
So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
Moses understands how easily the people of Israel may stake out their turf, and allow defending their turf to become a primary focus of their life.
This year we are extremely focused on the issue of immigration as a political issue and we forget that it is first of all a human issue, and therefore a moral issue.
The US-Canada border is 3,987 miles. The border with Mexico 1,954 miles. Net immigration from Mexico in the last two-years, zero. If it were really about terrorism where would e be focused?
Every one of the estimated 11 million undocumented aliens in the U.S. today are created in the image and likeness of God and loved by God.
Archbishop Chaput recently wrote
Americans have a right to secure borders, especially in an era of anti-American violence. We have a right to reasonably regulate our immigration policies. We have a right to exclude criminals from our country and to protect the financial health of our public institutions and services. We have a right to verify foreign visitors and guest workers, and to expect their compliance with the law.
But most undocumented immigrants in the United States – the vast majority — never commit a violent act, have no desire to undermine the common good and contribute productively to American prosperity. Thousands of farmers and businessmen rely on their services. The life many of us enjoy depends, in part, on the labor of “illegals.” Taking advantage of their work, and then blaming them for being here, is a uniquely unworthy form of doublethink.
We can and should debate policy, but rather than listening to the polemics or being driven by our fears and prejudices, as Christians our positions must first of all be driven by our principles: the equal dignity of every human life, the centrality of the family to a society.
So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
Moses understands how easily the people of Israel may stake out their turf, and allow defending their turf to become a primary focus of their life.
This year we are extremely focused on the issue of immigration as a political issue and we forget that it is first of all a human issue, and therefore a moral issue.
The US-Canada border is 3,987 miles. The border with Mexico 1,954 miles. Net immigration from Mexico in the last two-years, zero. If it were really about terrorism where would e be focused?
Every one of the estimated 11 million undocumented aliens in the U.S. today are created in the image and likeness of God and loved by God.
Archbishop Chaput recently wrote
Americans have a right to secure borders, especially in an era of anti-American violence. We have a right to reasonably regulate our immigration policies. We have a right to exclude criminals from our country and to protect the financial health of our public institutions and services. We have a right to verify foreign visitors and guest workers, and to expect their compliance with the law.
But most undocumented immigrants in the United States – the vast majority — never commit a violent act, have no desire to undermine the common good and contribute productively to American prosperity. Thousands of farmers and businessmen rely on their services. The life many of us enjoy depends, in part, on the labor of “illegals.” Taking advantage of their work, and then blaming them for being here, is a uniquely unworthy form of doublethink.
We can and should debate policy, but rather than listening to the polemics or being driven by our fears and prejudices, as Christians our positions must first of all be driven by our principles: the equal dignity of every human life, the centrality of the family to a society.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Equity not Equality
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more
The problem with this verse is that we all tend to apply it to "the rich and powerful" and simultaneously under-value ourselves and what we have.
If you are reading this, you part of the 34% of the world using the Internet. Two-thirds of the world has no access. If you are in the US you are in the 7th richest country in the world. We can easily forget how rarified our lives are.
The fundamental truth is that we must remain constantly aware that stewardship is the heart of the Christian life. Beginning with our own mind and body to the environment of our planet, today's gospel reminds us that at any moment our time on this earth may come to an end and we will each face a truly individual judgment of how we have cared for and used each of the countless gifts we have. This is not intended to fill us with fear, but to help us to take absolutely nothing for granted.
The problem with this verse is that we all tend to apply it to "the rich and powerful" and simultaneously under-value ourselves and what we have.
If you are reading this, you part of the 34% of the world using the Internet. Two-thirds of the world has no access. If you are in the US you are in the 7th richest country in the world. We can easily forget how rarified our lives are.
The fundamental truth is that we must remain constantly aware that stewardship is the heart of the Christian life. Beginning with our own mind and body to the environment of our planet, today's gospel reminds us that at any moment our time on this earth may come to an end and we will each face a truly individual judgment of how we have cared for and used each of the countless gifts we have. This is not intended to fill us with fear, but to help us to take absolutely nothing for granted.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Total surrender
Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Does this literally mean I have to lose my life? Many in the early church thought so and craved martyrdom.
I would still answer yes, but in a different sense, as St. Paul tells the Galatians,
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives it is Christ who lives in me.
Jesus wants nothing less than all of us. We speak of unconditional love, but are we truly ready for unconditional surrender.
In one of the courses I teach regularly we talk about magisterium, the deposit of faith, etc., and the levels of assent. And when we get to one point the assent called for in Latin is obsequium. Immediately there is a level of discomfort. After all which of us wants to be thought of as obsequious.
The standard definition of obsequious is "obedient or attentive to an excessive degree or servile degree." With humans that is possible, but what an excessive degree of obedience to God look like? Is there any such thing? And as for servile, isn't Servant of God the first step on the road to sainthood, before Blessed and Saint?
Even the word surrender, we just don't like the sound. And yet we are told that in order to save our lives we must surrender to the point of losing our lives.
Most simply put "Thy will be done."
Does this literally mean I have to lose my life? Many in the early church thought so and craved martyrdom.
I would still answer yes, but in a different sense, as St. Paul tells the Galatians,
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives it is Christ who lives in me.
Jesus wants nothing less than all of us. We speak of unconditional love, but are we truly ready for unconditional surrender.
In one of the courses I teach regularly we talk about magisterium, the deposit of faith, etc., and the levels of assent. And when we get to one point the assent called for in Latin is obsequium. Immediately there is a level of discomfort. After all which of us wants to be thought of as obsequious.
The standard definition of obsequious is "obedient or attentive to an excessive degree or servile degree." With humans that is possible, but what an excessive degree of obedience to God look like? Is there any such thing? And as for servile, isn't Servant of God the first step on the road to sainthood, before Blessed and Saint?
Even the word surrender, we just don't like the sound. And yet we are told that in order to save our lives we must surrender to the point of losing our lives.
Most simply put "Thy will be done."
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