Memorial of Saint Timothy and Saint Titus
I’ve often been stumped by the last verse of today’s gospel reading (Mark 4: 21-25): “To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” A similar verse is found in Luke and Matthew’s gospel (Mt 13:12), “To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” At face value, I have thought it to be a confusing, even disturbing verse in conflict with Jesus’ teachings on justice and mercy. Looking further, however, into a little scripture study, we find that it is not referring to a person’s social status or wealth, or even gifts and talents. This verse, as well as the one preceding it in today’s gospel passage (known as the parable of the lamp), is a call to an attentive hearing of God’s word. God gives further understanding to those who accept the revealed mystery, but from those who do not accept it, it will be taken away.
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the Apostle
Has anyone ever asked you “Are you saved?” The question can be disconcerting as the concept is not typically found in the Catholic spiritual vocabulary. When I was first asked this question, I did not have a thought out response, just a visceral reaction. I replied, “Of course I am saved, I am a Confirmed Catholic”. These words found no traction with the person asking the question; however they permanently changed the way I look at my faith. From that moment forward, I knew I had to claim my faith as my own. What had mainly been my father’s faith up to this point, now became mine own.
Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
In the gospel passage for today, Jesus is told by his disciples that his mother and brothers are standing outside the place where they are meeting. He responds by saying that the people gathered there are his mother and his brothers. This event raises a number of questions. Is Jesus saying that we should neglect our families? Doesn’t he think that families are important? If his family were in trouble wouldn’t he help them? Shouldn’t he favor the needs of his family over those of strangers?
Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church observes the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. This powerful intercession is a vital part of the work of fighting to restore the most basic human right—the right to life. Legalizing abortion gave human beings a right intended only for God. In our culture, abortion has become so acceptable it can seem impossible to even hope for any real change. I was thinking about how easy it is to become discouraged with this issue when the results of prayer and hard work are often difficult to see and there is so much resistance to the truth.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
In terms of flights and connections this last vacation was the worst one that I have ever had. My very first flight out of Dayton did not show up in time for me to connect in Washington DC. As a result all my flights had to be rebooked for the next day. I spent fourteen hours in DC before I even got on my 13 hours flight to Delhi. When I got to Delhi, they told me that they could not find my ticket to Bhopal on their computer and that I should go to upstairs to the main check-in counter. With only about fifty minutes to go, I got upstairs in a state of panic. And then… I met God. This mere baggage loader named Ashish (means, blessing) came to me and asked me if he could help. When I told me what had happened, he said to me, “Please do not worry. Just come with me.” He took all my baggage and took me to the appropriate counter. When the person behind the ticketing counter could not help, he took me to the supervisor, got her to get on to the system, found my booking, came back to the counter, got the agent to print my boarding pass, and then accompanied me all the way to the seat on my flight. He actually put me on my seat. Walking to the gate to board the flight, I thanked him profusely. He said to me, “When you came, I saw that you were desperate.” And he said to me, “Sir, this is what I believe. I believe that every person who comes my way at work is like God. When I take care of them, I take care of God.” I looked at him with awe. I could not believe that people like this exist in the world. Before I left the counter with my boarding pass, I had just said to the ticketing agent, “Today, this man came to me like God himself.”
Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
Today’s Gospel strikes firmly and in brief. We are left with the words of Jesus’ relatives, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).
If we explore the passage immediately preceding it, we are presented with an interesting contrast. Right before today’s gospel passage, as we heard in yesterday’s gospel, Jesus ascends to the top of a mountain and appoints his twelve apostles so that “they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons” (Mark 3:14). Often in the Scriptures, really important events occur on the top of mountains: the Sermon on the Mount, which mirrors Moses’ reception of the Ten Commandments on Sinai, Moses and the Burning Bush, the Transfiguration. We know, then, that Jesus’ naming those who would be his closest companions and stand at the beginning of the Church is really important.
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
When I read the passages for today, I am reminded of all the times I teach ethics courses and seminars, but then see people shake their heads and tell me, “You’re just being too idealistic. The ideas of just wages (or abolition of the death penalty, or saying no to premarital sex – fill in the blank) can’t work “IN THE REAL WORLD.” Even the seemingly smaller things, like responding to someone kindly when they’ve yelled at you, seem an impossibility.
Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Jealousy is an ugly emotion. It can destroy relationships and sometimes destroy people. Have you ever noticed that you can feel good about yourself or something you’ve done until you compare yourself to another person, and then you suddenly feel lousy or even angry and resentful? It’s not a good feeling and it’s even worse if you act out of your jealousy.
Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Life can be so demanding. It feels like life is so busy with work, family and friends, participating in church, not to mention our volunteering efforts and our hobbies. Often, it can seem difficult just to catch our breath. On top of all of that, there are situations or people that stand in front of our path forward. Sometimes these people and situations seem to be regular obstacles set out to distract if not destroy our discipleship.
Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbott
The accounts related in the Bible can often seem very remote and unrelated to contemporary life. Yet it seems to me that the themes in today’s first reading speak to spiritual truths that are very relevant for how each of us lives our life today.
The first reading for today explains how David is chosen to be king of Israel to replace Saul, who has found disfavor with God. God instructs Samuel to go to Bethlehem to the household of Jesse. The new king is to be chosen from among the sons of Jesse. Jesse and his sons accompany Samuel to a ceremony in which Samuel makes a sacrifice to God. Then Samuel considers each of Jesse’s sons in turn going down the line from the oldest to the youngest. For each of the brothers present, God indicates that he is not the one. Finally Samuel asks if Jesse has any other sons, after which David is found and anointed by Samuel.
Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
As a child growing up, I remember that being obedient was more than just doing what my parents told me to do. It was an action that demonstrated my love, trust, and dependence on their guidance for me and my life. To disobey was to assert that I knew better than them what was best for me in a prideful and oppositional manner. I can still recall telling the priest in the confessional that I was sorry for my sins, but especially for the sin of disobedience. As a parent, I have experienced from the other side of the relationship the disappointment when my children have gone against my requests. Because I love my children so deeply, I believe that I know what is in their best interest (although as an imperfect parent I do not always know what is best!) I experience a sadness or loss when they choose to go against my will.
Second Sunday In Ordinary Time
The theme of God’s call is perhaps the most preached about theme. The reason is simple. Stories of God’s call to human beings occur quite frequently in the Scripture. There is the call of Abraham, the call of Moses, the call of Samuel in today’s first reading, the call of David, the call of Isaiah, the call of the Mary and the call of the Apostles in today’s gospel reading. And, if we compare these stories we realize that there are common threads that run through each of these stories.
Saturday of the First Week In Ordinary Time
It’s striking how different Levi and the crowd that Jesus eats with in today’s gospel are from Saul in today’s first reading.
Saul, we hear, was the most handsome man in Israel; he “stood head and shoulders above the people” and had a “a stalwart man” for a father. We know from the readings over the past week or so that the elders of Israel demanded that Samuel give them a king to rule over them, so that they might be like all of the other nations. Samuel asks God to grant their desire and God does, designating Saul as the first king. By the description of Saul and his family, no one would have been surprised at the choice of Saul. He seems almost the very definition of a righteous man.
Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
This weekend, we observe a holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr., a champion of civil freedoms and martyr for that cause, and so this is a fitting time to think about what it means to be free. Today's scriptures help us reflect further on what it means to be free.
Freedom may seem, at first, like an obvious thing, but the more I think about it, the less obvious it is. For example, in our culture people often think of freedom as being able to do whatever they want, so long as they aren't impeding anyone else's freedom also to do whatever they want. Yet it turns out that what we think are "free" decisions have unintended, unfreeing, consequences. I think of some of my students, for example, who drink a lot and often. When I raise a question about that drinking, they might say "Don't spoil my fun! I am free to do what I want." And yet, I have been a professor long enough to know people who have seen some of the consequences of their drinking: they become addicted, to the point that alcohol is not free or fun, but rather ruins a life (or several).
Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings remind me of a question one of my children asked me last year while sick with an awful stomach virus. The sickness shortened our visit with grandparents and thwarted our plans to see my sister and her family for fear of spreading it to them while we were traveling. Thankfully it only lasted about 24 hours, but it was a rough 24 hours for all three of our kids who got it (and not easy on the adults caring for them!). As I recall it, the question was, “Why do we have to get sick… Why does God let us get sick?” Kind of a big question and not one that I’m sure I have the right theological explanation for. But what I was inspired to tell her, and which seemed to make sense to her as I was sitting with her through the discomfort, was that I think God allows sickness because it reminds us of our need for God and for each other. It keeps us aware of our vulnerability as humans and the importance of our dependence on God. We are not invincible or superhuman, and we’re not meant to be.
Wednesday of the First Week In Ordinary Time
Ever looked at something for a longtime without seeing all that was there? Or have you ever heard a sound that you couldn’t figure out its source? Or have you ever been so paralyzed by a situation or illness where you just could not see a way forward? Recently I was struggling for days to trying to solve an issue at home. Finally an idea flashed in my head and I was able to figure out a solution. What struck me afterward was how I had stared at the solution and failed to see it. Often our faith journey is similar. God is repeated nudging us in a direction that demands we be more faithful to the Gospel, but the message we don’t see.
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
In life today we are bombarded by so many different messages on a daily basis. We see advertisements in magazines, newspapers, television, and on the internet. We see product placements in movies. We listen to commentators and pundits give their opinions and theories about politics and the world in general on talk radio and cable television. In our interaction with other people we are confronted with the opinions of friends and family on how to spend our time and money, and how to make sense of our lives. It is sometimes easy for the message of the gospel to get lost in this cacophony of voices. Nevertheless, as seen in the gospel reading for today, Jesus has a message that is clear and pure. Jesus’ fundamental message is that we need to turn towards God and to acknowledge God’s revelation of Godself in Jesus. It seems to me that paying attention to Jesus’ gospel message can help us to focus on what is truly important in our lives.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
When I was 18 years old, during my senior year of high school, my dad wrote me a letter. Possibly sensing my life, attitude, or demeanor shifting, he gave me some words of wisdom. Nearly the entire letter consisted of uplifting words of affirmation. He told me how proud he was of me. He told me how successful I had been in my studies, pointed out my accomplishments on the baseball field, and reminded me that if I continue to work hard that I would certainly be successful. Great letter, right? What more could I ask for? But my dad closed his letter with words that I would never forget. After his declaration of all of my present and future successes, the very last words of the letter were, “But, Ryan, never forget that if you lose your relationship with Jesus, you will be a failure. Sincerely, Your Dad.” That last sentence is the one that I hold close to my heart and the one that I will never forget. In one sentence my dad reminded me that whatever I had, I should consider it “a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (1 Phil. 3:8)
The Epiphany of the Lord
At least on two different occasions last year I had the opportunity to visit newborn babies in the hospital. To enter the room to visit either the mother and the baby or the parents and the baby is a very special experience. There is a sense of mystery and awe during such times. After nine months of wondering, waiting, expecting, hoping and longing, out comes the miracle of life. Every baby born is a sign that God still loves the world.
Christmas Weekday
As we continue to celebrate the great feast of Christmas, we hear in today’s gospel the very first miracle of Jesus’ public ministry—turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. How often do we think about miracles? Do they still happen? How do we know if was has happened? Oftentimes, the criterion for whether or not a miracle has occurred is scientific explanation. If an occurrence can be explained by science, the conversation goes, then it’s not a miracle. Alternatively, if it can be explained by scientific investigation, then it’s not miraculous, it’s not God’s work.