Daily Retreat 04/01/06

2006 Apr 1 Sat: Lenten Weekday

Jer 11: 18-20/ Ps 7: 2-3. 9bc-10. 11-12/ Jn 7: 40-53

From today’s readings: "I knew their plot because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings.... O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.... Never before has anyone spoken like this Man."

Innocence instead of gullibility

The innocence of Christ shrines particularly brightly throughout His passion. Remember, Jesus was not blinded in the least by ignorance or naivete - His own detailed predictions of His passion (cf. Mk 8:31, 9:31, 10:33, etc.) and His penetrating insights into human hearts (cf. John 2:25) rule out those possibilities.

Yet He was like the "trusting lamb led to slaughter," but not because He trusted vainly in man, rather, because He trusted valiantly in His Father’s plan. In living out our own Christian faith, we are to imitate Christ in that element of innocence, but that’s not at all to say that we should deliberately be dull-witted, gullible or obtuse - quite the contrary, for none of those traits are seen in Christ, so being such couldn’t possibly be Christ-like!

Daily Retreat 03/31/06

2006 Mar 31 Fri: Lenten Weekday. Day of abstinence from meat (age 14 and up).

Wis 2: 1a. 12-22/ Ps 33(34): 17-18. 19-20. 21 and 23/ Jn 7: 1-2. 10. 25-30

From today’s readings: "Their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God.... The LORD is close to the brokenhearted.... they tried to arrest Him, but no one laid a hand upon Him, because His hour had not yet come..."

Just One

Sometimes, scripture offers an insight into wickedness - not to encourage us in that path, of course, but rather, just to help us to see evil plainly, and then, with the help of God, uproot it from our lives.

The first reading, from the book of Wisdom, presents the thought process of those wicked men who determine to "beset the just One, because He is obnoxious to us." Clearly, their description of the "just One" prophetically fits Jesus perfectly, and all the evil schemes mentioned were carried out against our Lord literally, for they "put Him to the test with revilement and torture," and "condemn[ed] Him to a shameful death."

As repulsive as such blatant wickedness is to us, we do well to thoroughly examine our consciences for any traces of such thoughts before quickly and self-righteously assuming that scripture is not at all referring to us here. For it is a matter of our fallen human nature that, too often when you and I hear about or come in contact with a person living a more virtuous life than we ourselves have lived, instead of being inspired by such moral excellence, we are miffed by the contrast with our own failings, and so we seek to throw aspersions of hypocrisy or undercut the impressiveness of the "just one’s" virtue in some other way.

For example, I’ve noted times in the past when, after I’ve come across a person who is much more scrupulous about copyright laws than I am, or more generous in personal willingness to help homeless people, that I’ll find myself either pitying such a person’s naivete, or calling to mind some apparent character flaw, thereby distracting me from acting on the pricks to my own conscience. Then too, I’ve often marveled at how many people will become hotly self-defensive or coldly aloof when I even obliquely, and in an unthreatening impersonal manner, bring up topics such as confession or contraception.

So, scripture warns us against being blinded by our own iniquities - rather, we need to be continually enlightened by the splendor of truth and virtue, whether the example comes from the pages of the Bible, or from the lives of saints and contemporary "just ones" God sends to inspire us.

Daily Retreat 03/30/06

2006 Mar 30 Thu: Lenten Weekday

Ex 32: 7-14/ Ps 105(106): 19-20. 21-22. 23/ Jn 5: 31-47

From today’s readings: "They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it .... They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bullock.... But you do not want to come to Me to have life....."

Poor Exchange

Idolatry is obviously idiotic - it seems incomprehensible that anyone would commit such a stupid sin as those Israelites did who turned away from the Lord and, as summarized in the psalm, "They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bullock!" What a poor exchange!

And yet, even though it might be hard to find many people worshiping molten calves today, we would be sadly mistaken to boast that in our "enlightened" age, there are no transgressions against the first commandment. On the contrary, in fact, there are many sins of idolatry in our age, because whenever anyone treats a thing or another person as more important than God, then the Lord’s rightful place has effectively been displaced by a modern variant of the "grass-eating bullock."

So, for instance, if a person is willing to make formidable sacrifices in order to get ahead in his career, yet contents himself with the flimsiest excuses for missing Mass, or not praying daily, or dismissing charitable appeals, can it not be said that such a person treats his career as his god? Or, if a person is fanatical in his patriotism, but lukewarm in his faith, then clearly, his priorities prove his allegiance is not first to God!

Look closely at how you spend your time, energy, and money - is your offering of these things directed to the one true God, or to some contemporary reincarnation of a molten calf?

Daily Retreat 03/29/06

2006 Mar 29 Wed: Lenten Weekday

Is 49: 8-15/ Ps 144(145): 8-9. 13cd-14. 17-18/ Jn 5: 17-30

From today’s readings: "Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you!... The LORD is near to all who call upon Him.... the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation."

Forsaken or Forgotten by the Lord?

When times are tough, it’s easy to complain about practically every little thing, because even small problems, darkened with the shadow of larger problems, can seem so formidable. Following this tendency to its illogical extreme, people in adversities have been known to discount their blessings and even feel abandoned by God Himself.

Historically, this very sentiment has arisen in the heart of God’s chosen people in times of national calamity. In the book of the prophet Isaiah, to Zion’s plaintive complaint, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me," the reply comes from God, "Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you!"

It is, in fact, especially in time of turmoil that our reliance on the Lord is most patently demonstrated. So whether we’re faced with personal afflictions and hardships, or whether it’s the more general dismay provoked by the prominent presence of Evil in the world, rather than seeing these as signs that the Lord has forsaken and forgotten us, we can and must recognize God’s presence among us precisely in these times we need Him most, for if He were not upholding us, we would already have been overcome by Evil’s adversities long ago. Indeed, "the LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth!"

Daily Retreat 03/28/06

2006 Mar 28 Tue: Lenten Weekday

Ez 47: 1-9. 12/ Ps 45(46): 2-3. 5-6. 8-9/ Jn 5: 1-16

From today’s readings: "I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east.... There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.... Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled."

Holy Water

Ezekiel’s vision of water flooding from out of the Temple at first seems confusing - why in the world would so much water flow from the House of God?

For Christians, though, since water immediately makes one think of Baptism, specifying the sanctuary as the source of this life-giving water cinches the matter - Ezekiel’s vision is an allegorical depiction of the saving waters of Baptism!

In fact, the whole season of Lent originated in the preparation of catechumens for Easter Baptism. The forty days Jesus had spent praying and fasting in the desert was the inspiration for the length of Lent, and because the catechumens were so exemplary in their commitment to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, it wasn’t long before the whole Church decided to commit also to this penitential time, and so the Easter liturgy includes not just the Baptism of the elect, but also the renewal of baptismal promises for all the children of God, who then joyfully sing together the opening verses of Ezekiel’s vision!

Daily Retreat 03/27/06

2006 Mar 27 Mon: Lenten Weekday

Is 65: 17-21/ Ps 29(30): 2 and 4. 5-6. 11-12a and 13b/ Jn 4: 43-54.

From today’s readings: "Thus says the LORD: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth.... I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.... Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."

What’s New?

There is so much beauty in creation to give thanks to God for, and yet the pervasive pollution of sin has contaminated so much, one can wonder if there’s anyplace left unscarred by evil!

But it is the Lord’s ambitious plan to go beyond a mere cleanup operation, for as we read in the book of Isaiah: Thus says the LORD: "Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in My people!"

This glorious promise is echoed in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Pet 3:13, Rev 21:1), so we should never see the task of cooperating with God’s work as too daunting - when the Lord completes His new creation, there shall be the complete end of evil, suffering, and sadness....

Daily Retreat 03/26/06

2006 Mar 26 SUN: FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT.

2 Chr 36: 14-16. 19-23/ Ps 136(137): 1-2. 3. 4-5. 6 (6ab)/ Eph 2: 4-10/ Jn 3: 14-21

From today’s readings: "Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers, send His messengers to them, for He had compassion on His people and His dwelling place.... Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you.... God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love He had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ.... For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. "

Be Cleansed of Sin!

The error of painting God as a cruel, tyrannical, vindictive ruler of the universe certainly is not supported by scripture - it is, in fact, a ploy of the Devil to cast God in such a bad light, so that no one would even want to avail himself of the light of divine illumination.

God is good and loving - the whole of revelation insists on that. But precisely because God is all-good and all-loving, He cannot tolerate sin and evil. Not even "just a little bit!" His readiness to forgive is guaranteed in Scripture, but the divine pardon is not imposed without a person’s firm sense of contrition.

This is an essential distinction, and can be illustrated with an example: if a foolish and disobedient child chases after a skunk, and then is consequently sprayed by the skunk, his loving parents wouldn’t disown him just for that - they would, rather, help him to get cleaned up thoroughly. However, if the child refused to be washed of the stench, the parents would certainly explain that they would, under no circumstances, tolerate any such stink in their home, and therefore, they would rightly insist that the child submit to a cleansing bath.

Every sin is an act of foolishness and disobedience, like the child chasing the skunk. And every sin envelops the sinner in the odor of evil, although, to be sure, there are various degrees of that malodor. Yet even a little sin pollutes the pure aroma of a soul sanctified by God’s love, so God insists that the sinner submit to a cleansing bath of His mercy.

And there’s no sin that cannot be cleansed by immersion in the mercy of God! The penetrating stink of a skunk might take several washings to eliminate thoroughly, but through the purifying water of baptism and the cleansing power of the sacrament of confession, in an instant, God entirely removes all smell of sin, even the rotten stench of mortal sin!

Naturally, a child sprayed by a skunk is thoroughly aware of his olfactory offense, and thus generally quite eager to be cleansed. But even if they’re not hit by a skunk, all children (and adults!) get dirty and smelly after awhile, and end up needing a bath, but sometimes, immature kids resist that idea, protesting, "I don’t need to get cleaned up - I just had a bath last month!"

Yes, we laugh to think about some grimy, smelly kid engaging in such ridiculous objections for something he so clearly needs, and yet many kids and adults fall back on those same antics when God dares (during this season of Lent, for instance) to suggest that it’s high time to be thoroughly cleansed of sin: "I don’t need to go to confession - I just went last year!" Try not taking a bath for a year, and others will notice your body odor, even if you don’t. Try going to confession regularly, and you will notice a stronger aroma of sanctity in your soul, and most likely, others will to!

Daily Retreat 03/25/06

2006 Mar 25 Sat: ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD S

Is 7: 10-14; 8: 10/ Ps 39(40): 7-8a. 8b-9. 10. 11/ Heb 10: 4-10/ Lk 1: 26-38

From today’s readings: "The Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and shall name Him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us!’... Here I am, Lord; I come to do Your will... Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.... Behold the handmaid of the Lord - let it be done unto me according to your word!"

The Incarnation

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us...." John 1:14 is one of the most jubilant verses in all of Sacred Scripture, the gospel, the "good news" of the Incarnation. Although those first verses which form the prologue of John’s Gospel are proclaimed on Christmas day, they also are equally appropriate for meditation on today’s solemnity of the Annunciation, recalling Mary’s fiat and the moment when the Eternal Word of the Father became flesh and was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This feast day continues to grow in importance and in people’s awareness, mostly because the link between Christ’s conception and His birth nine months later is being stressed to emphasize the sacredness of human life even before birth. Consequently, many parishes celebrate Holy Mass with a particular pro-life focus on this day.

Even by themselves, the Gospel texts of the Annunciation (Lk 1:26-38) and the Visitation (Lk 1:39-56) prove the indisputable biblical basis for recognizing the sanctity of unborn human life. So, one of the best pro-life strategies is simply to cultivate greater appreciation for these feasts in the life of the Lord, which each one of us can do simply by sharing with others the gospel, the good news of what is celebrated today - the Incarnation of the Word of God!

Daily Retreat 03/24/06

2006 Mar 24 Fri: Lenten Weekday. Day of abstinence from meat (age 14 and up).

Hos 14: 2-10/ Ps 80(81): 6c-8a. 8bc-9. 10-11ab. 14 and 17/ Mk 12: 28-34

From today’s readings: "Thus says the LORD: Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt.... If only My people would hear Me, and Israel walk in My ways.... Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength...."

Return!

We've all had the experience of making a wrong turn in a congested downtown area, then driving cluelessly about for awhile with no idea of how to get back on track, then breathing a sigh of relief when we finally come across a sign pointing to the right road.

It's easy to see how that scenario is quite analogous to our spiritual life. It certainly is all too easy to get off track, and soon we find ourselves going around in circles or wandering about aimlessly, having almost forgotten where we're supposed to be going.

But then, God graciously provides us with a sign that points to HIM, and we're reminded of where we're supposed to be going, and how to get there. That's what the season of Lent is all about: noticing the many signs that God provides for us that lead us to return to Him. Of course, no matter how clearly a sign may point to the right direction, one must freely choose to follow the sign in order to get back on track.....

Daily Retreat 03/23/06

2006 Mar 23 Thu: Lenten Weekday/ Toribio de Mogrovejo, bp

Jer 7: 23-28/ Ps 94(95): 1-2. 6-7. 8-9/ Lk 11: 14-23

From today’s readings: "Thus says the LORD: Listen to My voice.... Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, where your fathers tempted Me; they tested Me, though they had seen My works..... Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters!"

Turn Back to the Lord or Turn Your Back to the Lord

The whole season of Lent is an earnest call to repentance, the admonition to turn back to the Lord with all our hearts. Throughout these days, the scripture readings continually return us to this central message, which is also re–echoed in the Church’s liturgical prayers.

Yet in spite of the simple, unflagging insistence of this penitential invitation, many fail to hear it or, even worse, fail to act on it, effectively turning their back to the Lord, instead of turning back to the Lord! This is the complaint voiced in the first reading: Thus says the LORD: "This is what I commanded My people: Listen to My voice.... Walk in all the ways that I command you.... But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to Me."

It is, of course, easy to point to so many other people we know who are turning their backs to the Lord. But, while you and I do have an obligation to help such people hear the Lenten call to repentance, our primary responsibility is to commit OURSELVES whole-heartedly to repentance! As the half-way point of Lent approaches, it’s time to honestly consider how seriously we’re taking that call to turn back to the Lord, and to repent of even the small ways in which we’re still turning our backs to the Lord!

Daily Retreat 03/22/06

2006 Mar 22 Wed: Lenten Weekday

Dt 4:1. 5-9/ Ps 147: 12-13. 15-16. 19-20/ Mt 5: 17-19

From today’s readings: "What great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?... He has proclaimed His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.... Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

God’s Commandments

Many think of any commandment just as an impingement on absolute freedom. However, the commandments given to us by God lead us to fulfillment of the high dignity to which we are called and for which we were created - living our lives as loving children of God! It is in fact when we transgress God’s commandments that we make ourselves less than what we are meant to be - when we lie, cheat, or steal, for example, we have cheapened ourselves, and hurt others in the process.

Moses points out how attractive are the commandments when lived out faithfully, demonstrating wisdom and intelligence in those who keep them. When we realize this insight, we realize how much we have to gain by keeping God’s commandments, thereby giving us even more reason to faithfully fulfill everything God asks of us.

Daily Retreat 03/21/06

2006 Mar 21 Tue: Lenten Weekday

Dn 3: 25. 34-43/ Ps 24(25): 4-5ab. 6 and 7bc. 8 and 9/ Mt 18: 21-35.

From today’s readings: "But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received.... In Your kindness remember me, because of Your goodness, O LORD.... You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?"

Contrite heart and humble spirit

Do you pray to God, or do you voice your personal demands and expectations for Him? Do you approach God as your God (recognizing yourself as His creature) or do you approach Him as your personal indentured Genie-in-a-bottle?

Biblical prayers (such as that of Azariah in the Book of Daniel) demonstrate the need to approach God with a contrite heart and humble spirit. "Contrite heart" means that we’re aware of our sins, and have contrition and remorse for them, and that, on account of our sins, we’re in no position to make demands on God, except when we explicitly pray for the fulfillment of what He has promised. "Humble spirit" means that we recognize God’s majesty and our own littleness and insignificance.

When we approach God with contrite heart and humble spirit, He’s sure to "deal with us in Your kindness and great mercy. Deliver us by Your wonders, and bring glory to Your name, O Lord!"

Daily Retreat 03/20/06

2006 Mar 20 Mon: JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY S

2 Sm 7: 4-5a. 12-14a. 16/ Ps 88(89): 2-3. 4-5. 27 and 29/ Rom 4: 13. 16-18. 22/ Mt 1: 16. 18-21. 24a or Lk 2: 41-51a

From today’s readings: "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before Me; your throne shall stand firm forever.... I have sworn to David My servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.... as it is written, I have made you father of many nations.... His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for You with great anxiety.’ "

St. Joseph

It’s odd that, while so many people celebrate the feast of St. Patrick (March 17), far fewer people are even aware of the much more solemn and important feast in honor of St. Joseph (generally celebrated on March 19^th, but "bumped" up this and other years when the 19^th is a Sunday of Lent).

It’s absolutely essential to Christian faith to recall that Jesus was begotten by God the Father, and born of the Virgin Mary; consequently, the Gospels are clear that Joseph, the husband of Mary, was the foster father of Jesus, not His natural father (forgive me if it seems I’m belaboring such a basic point, but after running across too many Christians ignorant of this fact, I’ve concluded that it needs to be reviewed more frequently).

Although Joseph was called by God to be head of the Holy Family, Jesus is the center, and the Immaculate Virgin Mary’s role is infinitely more exalted than that of her husband, so Joseph is necessarily the most diminutive member of that family - in fact, scripture does not record a single word spoken by him! But that doesn’t mean at all that he deserves to be overlooked - in fact, next to Mary, Joseph enjoys the highest degree of saintly dignity. Note how St. Luke, who stresses the Virginal Birth most emphatically, nonetheless refers (without an apologetic qualifier!) to Joseph and Mary as the "parents" of Jesus, and Mary herself even refers to Joseph as "Your father" when speaking to the child Jesus in the Temple.

Because of his privileged role as putative father of Jesus, husband of Mary, head and guardian of the Holy Family, St. Joseph is thus to be honored by the whole Church, especially today on his solemn feast day. Indeed, it is only this day and next week’s feast of the Annunciation which are ranked as solemnities in the Church’s liturgical calendar, preempting the austerity of Lent with the joyful overtones of these two fundamental feasts in the mystery of salvation!

Daily Retreat 03/19/06

2006 Mar 19 SUN: THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT.

Ex 20: 1-17/ Ps 18(19): 8. 9. 10. 11/ 1 Cor 1: 22-25/ Jn 2: 13-25

From today’s readings: "In those days, God delivered all these commandments.... The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.... Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.... Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem...."

The Divine Primer

Probably the first thing that all of us learned about God is the fact that He made us. In the course of human history, there has certainly been a lot of discussion and argument about who God is, but at least there’s remarkable agreement across the board of monotheism that some divine being made us.

O.K., simple enough - God made us. But where do we go from there? Some people (a small minority, to be sure) will grant that God made us, but then they make the absurd claim that he didn’t really know what he was doing in the act of creation - they basically reduce God to a cosmic "Sorcerer’s Apprentice" who was playing with powers beyond his control.

The rational conclusion, though, is that God did know what He was doing in the act of creation, that since the effect cannot be greater than the cause, the entire universe of creation cannot be greater than the Creator. So God must have some plan and purpose in creation.

But did God ever bother with the divine courtesy of revealing His plan to His creation, or did He keep it to Himself and leave it up to us to figure that all out? Here again, there are two basic schools of thought. The vast majority of believers of all ages have been theists, confessing faith in God, along with the additional assumption that He has intentionally revealed something about Himself and His plan for us. Others, however, are classified as deists: they believe in God the creator, but they deny that any intelligible "Word of the Lord" has ever been revealed to man. Deism, however, is ultimately a rational dead-end - what sense is there in believing in a creator who just sits back and passively observes the inane unwinding of creation?

Those who believe that God has created us and revealed Himself, generally believe that He has revealed Himself as Good - Good, with a capital "G" since He is the source of all goodness. One historical group of people, the Jews, even claim that God, who is Good, has specifically revealed Himself in human history, choosing them, the Jews, as the elected recipients of that Divine Revelation, as is recorded in the Old Testament.

About 2000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth, a member of the Jewish people, went even further, presenting Himself as the incarnated Son of God, the One entrusted to unveil the fullness of Divine Revelation, and aptly described as "the Power of God and the Wisdom of God."

As Christians, we, of course, all believe that God made us, that God knew what He was doing in creating us, that He revealed the Truth and Goodness of Himself first to the Jews in the Old Testament, and then, in the fullness of time, God revealed Himself in the person of His divine Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. As creatures and children of God, our first duty is to Him, not to ourselves.

Curiously and tragically, among Christians who nominally, at least, subscribe to this belabored chain of belief, many, in practice, make a most gratuitous assumption that they know better than God, the Creator who is Good and has revealed Himself to us. For many professing Christians don’t even know a rather crucial slice of divine revelation, namely, the 10 Commandments of God, and even more Christians, whether or not they can yet recite the Decalogue, will cheerfully grant themselves at least an occasional dispensation from God’s commandments. In complete honesty, have not all of us rationalized at one point or another about being exempt in some sense from the full force of God’s laws? But that implies that we know better than God!

Yet God’s laws are not human laws: His laws are perfect, and universal, whereas human laws are imperfect and limited in their scope. Moreover, God is not like a traffic cop, who turns his back occasionally and thus invites stealthy infractions with impunity. But neither is God a tyrant, who capriciously makes laws for his own selfish ends - no, God is Good, and so His laws are all good laws, always beneficial to those who keep them.

All this leads to the question: why don’t people in general (and ourselves in particular!) always keep God’s laws? The reason is obvious for people who don’t believe in God, or don’t believe that God knows best, or don’t believe that God has revealed His law to us, but for those of us who do believe all those things, there’s simply no good reason. A lot of excuses, but no good reasons!

The Gospel reminds us that Jesus doesn’t need anyone to explain to Him about human nature - He understands every person very well Himself. He knows our weaknesses, our excuses, our rationalizations. And He also knows what’s best for us! So Lent is the insistent reminder to be consistent about our professed belief in God who knows best, so that we can have the courage to give up our weary excuses, and take up the Cross of Christ, which is the Divine Law of Life and Love.

Daily Retreat 03/18/06

2006 Mar 18 Sat: Lenten Weekday/ Cyril of Jerusalem, bp, dr

Mi 7: 14-15. 18-20/ Ps 102(103): 1-2. 3-4. 9-10. 11-12/ Lk 15: 1-3. 11-32

From today’s readings: "Who is there like You, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance?... He redeems your life from destruction, He crowns you with kindness and compassion.... Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found!"

The Good News of Lent

We’ve seen what a mistake it is to view Lent as a gloomy season, mired in sinful preoccupations. Instead, these days are specifically intended to give us a renewed appreciation for, and acceptance of, the great mercy of God. The book of the prophet Micah concludes in this vein of joyful wonder:

"Who is there like You, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from days of old!"

That’s the same Good News that Jesus preached and embodied - nothing gloomy about that!

Daily Retreat 03/17/06

2006 Mar 17 Fri: Lenten Weekday/ Patrick, bp, ms.

Gn 37: 3-4. 12-13a. 17b-28a/ Ps 104(105): 16-17. 18-19. 20-21/ Mt 21: 33-43. 45-46

From today’s readings: "When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.... Remember the marvels the Lord has done.... What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"

The Solution to the Bitterness of Jealousy

It is a simple matter for me to see the goodness of God in bestowing so many blessings upon me. I can also see God’s generosity in showering others with many blessings as well. However, jealousy can easily arise if, even in my awareness of my own manifold blessings, I perceive others as having more blessings than I do, or as possessing particular blessings which I may lack.

Joseph’s brothers were jealous of the particular attention Jacob (Israel) their father paid to their younger brother. When given the opportunity, they stripped Joseph of his special tunic (designated a "coat of many colors" in older translations, but now, many scholars favor a colorless translation, such as "full-sleeved robe" or "striped garment"). The brothers then threw Joseph into a cistern, and, in their greedy "benevolence," they recognized him as their own flesh and blood, so instead of killing him, they sold him into slavery.

Yet the psalm reminds us how God’s blessings for Joseph actually increased even in such adverse conditions. And we know how Joseph eventually even forgave his brothers and shared all his blessings with his whole family. This, then, is the key to overcoming jealousy: remembering that all God-given blessings are meant to be shared (as Christ shared all His blessings; St. Paul also emphasized this often, e.g., 1Cor 12:4-7). So, individual blessings which you and I enjoy must also be used for the common good - when we do this, our blessings multiply instead of diminishing! And, when you and I see others with blessings which we ourselves lack, we should remember that even blessings given to others are indirectly given to us as well, since all blessings are meant to be shared.

Daily Retreat 03/16/06

2006 Mar 16 Thu: Lenten Weekday

Jer 17: 5-10/ Ps 1: 1-2. 3. 4 and 6/ Lk 16: 19-31

From today’s readings: "I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, To reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds.... For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes..... If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead."

Who knows the human heart?

Despite some helpful and legitimate insights from philosophy, psychology, and allied fields, so much of human nature remains enigmatic to our modern world - as is pointed out in the book of Jeremiah, "More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?"

Quite simply, man by himself cannot fathom the mystery of man! But the Creator of Man can and does, of course, understand and know everything about human nature, so the most profound insights about the human mind and human heart necessarily come only from Revelation given by the One Who alone can "probe the mind and test the heart."

So whenever we find ourselves misguided or on the wrong path, it’s time to renounce the ways we’ve trusted in worldly wisdom instead of divine Wisdom. Lent is our privileged time to do just this as we chew on the basic choice of life: "Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD....[But] blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD!"

Daily Retreat 03/15/06

2006 Mar 15 Wed: Lenten Weekday

Jer 18: 18-20/ Ps 30(31): 5-6. 14. 15-16/ Mt 20: 17-28

From today’s readings: "Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life?... You will free me from the snare they set for me, for You are my refuge. Into Your hands I commend my spirit; You will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.... Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"

The Price of Faithful Prophecy

Jeremiah was perhaps the most unpopular of all the prophets - his unrelenting call to repentance and warnings about the inevitably disastrous consequences of evil choices caused the people and princes to hate him and frame him as an insurgent killjoy. Time and time again, Jeremiah finds himself a hunted man, and why? Simply because he faithfully lived up to his God-given vocation to serve as a prophet! Justifiably upset at the persecution he’s suffered as a result of his faithfulness, he complains, "Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life?"

Faithfully carrying out God’s will in our lives is always a challenge, particularly when the good we do unto others is, at times, repaid with evil. At such moments, you and I need to follow Jeremiah’s example as he turned to God and poured his heart out in prayer! The God-given mission of bringing the Good News to a weary, sinful world is not to be called off simply because the Message and messengers are not received with open arms. In fact, God sends His most faithful agents to situations where He knows they will be confronted with ingratitude, indifference, rejection, and opposition, because it is the people with such attitudes that stand most in need of the transforming power of the Gospel!

Daily Retreat 03/14/06

2006 Mar 14 Tue: Lenten Weekday

Is 1: 10. 16-20/ Ps 49(50): 8-9. 16bc-17. 21 and 23/ Mt 23: 1-12

From today’s readings: "Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.... I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.... Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

"If you are willing and obey...."

Since the Word of God unmasks the Devil's deceptions, thereby enabling us to see the brutal, contagious ugliness of sin, choosing good and refusing evil is a pretty straightforward choice, at least in theory. In practice, however, you and I too often continue to choose the ugliness of sin, mostly because we "refuse and resist" God's saving revelation.

Remember, God's grace in leading us to conversion is never imposed upon us - we must be willing and accepting of it, and as a prerequisite, we must commit ourselves to obeying His commandments and instructions. The Devil attempts to cast God as a mad dictator who imposes his will on us for his own glorification and our own consternation. In reality, God's very rational directions for life are more like those of a traffic cop: when we obey such orders, we protect ourselves and others from getting hurt and stay on the right road; when we disobey, we get ourselves and others in trouble and danger.

Daily Retreat 03/13/06

2006 Mar 13 Mon: Lenten Weekday

Dn 9: 4b-10/ Ps 79: 8. 9. 11 and 13/ Lk 6: 36-38

From today’s readings: "Lord, great and awesome God, You who keep Your merciful covenant toward those who love You and observe Your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from Your commandments and Your laws.... Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.... Be merciful, just as Your Father is merciful. Stop judging, and you will not be judged. Stop condemning, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven!"

Collective Guilt

So many of the prophets and saints have, in addition to a keen sense of contrition for personal sins, an equally zealous spirit of penance for sins of all the people. Rather than coldly but justifiably disassociating themselves from the sins of others, such saints imitate Christ by committing themselves to penance on behalf of others, thereby joining themselves to the saving mission of Christ.

Chapter nine of the book of Daniel includes one of the most penitential prayers in the whole Bible - throughout the prayer, the holy prophet deliberately accepts more than his share of the collective guilt of his nation as he intercedes fervently for all the people. Even though he came before Christ's revelation of the fullness of God's mercy, Daniel is still acutely aware of God's willingness, in spite of our unworthiness, to forgive us, concluding near the end of his prayer, "we do not present our supplications before Thee on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of Thy great mercy!" (Dan 9:18).

For each one of us, the penance of Lent must begin with personal contrition for our own sins as individuals, but, following Daniel's example and joining ourselves to the saving mission of Christ, you and I can and should also shoulder some of the weight of the heavy cross of our collective guilt. A timely idea for doing this is to choose any one of the great societal evils of our day, and commit yourself to a daily Lenten act of penance, invoking God's mercy and calling on Christ's redemptive self-sacrifice in reparation for that particular evil, seeking the compassion and forgiveness that God is so ready to give all His children who call upon Him!

Daily Retreat 03/12/06

2006 Mar 12: SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Gn 22: 1-2. 9a. 10-13. 15-18/ Ps 115(116): 10. 15. 16-17. 18-19/ Rom 8: 31b-34/ Mk 9: 2-10

From today’s readings: "Because you acted as you did in not withholding from Me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore.... I believed, even when I said: I am greatly afflicted!... If God is for us, who can be against us?... Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves...."

Transfigured Glory

Of the twelve chapters of Genesis which recount the life of Abraham, today’s verses from chapter 22 are the most poignant and most memorable, when God put Abraham to the test, and called upon him to sacrifice his son Isaac, for whom he had waited so many years.

At first glance, the incident gives rise to a legitimate objection to God’s way of doing things: how can He, the God who is all good, ask Abraham for human sacrifice? According to other scripture passages, such a custom is abominable to God (e.g., Deut. 12:31, Psalm 105:37-40). Even with the realization that God, who knows all things, already knew how Isaac’s sacrifice would be averted, it still seems God’s command has inexcusably inflicted Abraham with great mental anguish.

But the things about God are not just things of the moment, but things of eternity, so the brightest light is shed on biblical mysteries through meditation on not just the present moment related, but the past that leads up to it, and the future that springs from it.

In the case of Abraham, there are a dozen chapters focusing on him in the Book of Genesis, starting with chapter 12, and God’s promise to make of Abram a great nation. But up until chapter 21, Abraham just waits and waits to become the father of a single legitimate son, let alone the father of a whole nation. When Isaac is finally born (in chapter 21), Abraham must have assumed that the waiting and testing was finally over.

And yet, to be the stalwart father in faith, Abraham needed to prove to himself and to his descendants that God ALWAYS comes first, no matter what. For the test and lesson for Abraham is just a variant foreshadowing of the teaching of Jesus (cf. Matt. 10:37ff), "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." And this testing of Abraham, far from condoning child sacrifice, conclusively illustrates that God does not want that - indeed, the gripping pathos of this chapter made that message clear enough to even the most primitive peoples. And finally, God knew that Abraham’s example would help his future descendants one day understand the significance of His own Son’s sacrifice....

And that’s what the Transfiguration is all about, as well. An unforgettable moment, seared forever in the disciples’ memories. But not just a momentary experience, but rather a momentous expedient that was to be the key to all of the Old Testament history of salvation, and the glorious glimpse of the New Testament climax of salvation.

For Moses, the charismatic liberator and inspired lawgiver, and Elijah, the faithful prophet and fearless forerunner, taken together stand for the whole of the Old Testament Law and the Prophets. But that whole first volume of divine revelation was just the beginning of what God planned to give His people, for the voice from Heaven, while not abolishing the Law and the Prophets, nevertheless supercedes the witness of Moses and Elijah by focusing on only One: "This is My beloved Son - Listen to Him!"

And so Christ’s disciples of that time, as well as Christ’s disciples of this time, and of every future age, are commanded anew: "This is My beloved Son - Listen to Him!" Listen to Him, yes, when He speaks words of comfort, but listen also when He speaks words of warning! Behold Jesus as the beloved Son of God in the glory of the Transfiguration, but behold the Man no less in the gore of the Crucifixion!

And thus, let the lesson be seared forever in our own lives: if God is for us, who can be against us? So indeed, it is good that we are here with Jesus in celebration of His Sunday victory and transfigured glory, but that cannot be solidly ours wholly, unless we are good to be with Jesus in holy solidarity, listening to Him again wherever the reality of the Cross points its shadow to the suffering of any and all the beloved children of God.

Daily Retreat 03/11/06

2006 Mar 11 Sat: Lenten Weekday

Dt 26: 16-19/ Ps 118(119): 1-2. 4-5. 7-8/ Mt 5: 43-48

From today’s readings: "Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: He is to be your God and you are to walk in His ways and observe His statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to His voice.... You have commanded that Your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping Your statutes!... I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for He makes His sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."

The Deal about God

God creates us, God redeems us from sin, God adopts us as His children, God sanctifies us, God showers us with His blessings, God calls us to the fullness of life with Him in Heaven. God does a lot for us! It's only natural that He would have some expectations on our part - not that anything we can do for God would ever entitle us to such generosity on His part, but we can at least show our appreciation and our commitment to use wisely the blessings He's given to us, and share these blessings with others.

Thousands of years ago, Moses remarked, "Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: He is to be your God, and you are to walk in His ways and observe His statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to His voice."

Note that those who recognize the Lord as God, must, at the same time, commit themselves to living life His way. During this season of Lent, the Scriptures remind us to examine if we've been shirking our end of the deal, and to remember: now is the time to start living up to what God expects of us!

Daily Retreat 03/10/06

2006 Mar 10 Fri: Lenten Weekday.

Ez 18: 21-28/ Ps 129(130): 1-2. 3-4. 5-7a. 7bc-8/ Mt 5: 20-26

From today’s readings: "Hear now, house of Israel: Is it My way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?...If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?...I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. "

Who’s not fair?

"It’s not fair!" is the battle cry of those who perceive a violation of justice, and in cases of objective injustice, the iniquity should certainly be addressed. But there are also cases of subjective unfairness, when the injustice only exists in the mind of the one raising the complaint.

All that God has decreed must be recognized as completely just and as the most objective standard, so those who would complain that God isn’t living up to their own standards of fairness are engaged in the folly of presuming to judge God, who is all-just!

Through the prophet Ezekiel, God explains His justice: to his very last breath, the sinner has the opportunity to repent of sins and be embraced by God’s forgiveness. This is the very best of the Good News! On the other hand, even a virtuous man can commit a mortal sin and forfeit eternal life (this is yet another warning against the sin of presumption, since this dreadful possibility must be admitted as a consequence of the reality of free will). In other words, for better or for worse, it’s not too late to change! May this day, and every day remaining in our lives, be recorded as days on which you and I turned away from sin and committed ourselves to keeping God’s commandments and doing what is right and just!

Daily Retreat 03/09/06

2006 Mar 9 Thu: Lenten Weekday/ Frances of Rome, mw, rf

Est C: 12. 14-16. 23-25/ Ps 137(138): 1-2ab. 2cde-3. 7c-8/ Mt 7: 7-12

From today’s readings: "Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the LORD.... Lord, on the day I called for help, You answered me.... If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him...."

God, Our Last Recourse

The Bible, all of history, and often enough our own lives too tell the tale of the frantic search for aid in moments of dire need, and when no other help is to be found, God is finally invoked as the last recourse. The prayer of Queen Esther, at the very heart of that book of the Bible, is such an instance of turning to God as the only hope for her and her people.

Yes, God is there when we need Him most, but, it’s good to remember too that, in truth, we always need Him! Jesus taught that we should turn to God in prayer, not just when we’ve tried everything else, but at all times in life, even for our "daily bread." Prayer in our life then should not be something extraordinary - every day should be lived with its share of asking, seeking, knocking, praying to our God as our first recourse!

Daily Retreat 03/08/06

2006 Mar 8 Wed: Lenten Weekday/ John of God, rf

Jon 3: 1-10/ Ps 50(51): 3-4. 12-13. 18-19/ Lk 11: 29-32

From today’s readings: "Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, ‘Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,’ when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.... A heart contrite and humbled, O God, You will not spurn.... This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah."

Jonah and Jesus

Despite his initial reluctance to go and prophesy in Nineveh, Jonah had unmatched success in completing his mission - the king and the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and committed themselves to doing penance. This was all the more remarkable because Nineveh was a pagan and evil city, and Jonah himself was not the most zealous of prophets, nor was his own life the most elegant example of personal holiness.

Why couldn’t Jesus, the most zealous and holy of all, match Jonah’s success? There are always three factors involved in conversion: God’s grace, past and immediate circumstances, and the person’s free response. Grace is never lacking, but also is never forcefully imposed. Circumstances are never ultimately the decisive factor, but they certainly can either enhance or inhibit the receptivity to grace. Free will, then, is always the critical variable. Nineveh converted, in spite of the handicap of circumstances, because its citizens chose freely to embrace the grace of Jonah’s prophetic warnings. The evil generation hearing Jesus did not convert, in spite of the advantages of circumstances, because its citizens chose freely to reject the grace of Christ’s presence.

In our own day too, grace is never lacking. Admittedly, the circumstances have changed drastically - on the one hand, the culture of death markedly inhibits receptivity to grace, but, in any case, it’s debatable whether this ambience is more inhospitable than that of Nineveh; and on the other hand, the culture of life engendered by Christ’s Gospel has an ascendant vitality that reaches, in some way at least, to every person on the planet. So, free will is still the critical variable. You and I and all our contemporaries can choose to embrace God’s call to repentance, or we can ignore it, in which case, "at the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."

Daily Retreat 03/07/06

2006 Mar 7 Tue: Lenten Weekday/ Perpetua and Felicity, mts

Is 55: 10-11/ Ps 33(34): 4-5. 6-7. 16-17. 18-19/ Mt 6: 7-15

From today’s readings: "Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down ... So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth.... The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit He saves.... This is how you are to pray:  Our Father who art in Heaven...."

The Fruitful Word of God

In the first reading, God explains that His Word is like the rain and snow that come from above, irrigate the earth, and then return after completing their purpose of bringing fertility to the land. Jesus, the Word of God, came down from Heaven and became flesh when Mary welcomed the Annunciation of the Angel. Christ’s life, Passion, saving death, and glorious Resurrection brought the blossom of the New Covenant to the ends of the earth. When His end on earth was achieved, Jesus ascended into Heaven, returning to the Father.

Likewise, the Word of God in Scripture is never to be barren: when we listen and read, and allow it to take root in our heart and make a difference in our lives, then we have the glorious privilege of grafting ourselves to that Word whose destiny is nothing less than to return to God in Heaven!

Daily Retreat 03/06/06

2006 Mar 6 Mon: Lenten Weekday

Lv 19: 1-2. 11-18/ Ps 18(19): 8. 9. 10. 15/ Mt 25: 31-46

From today’s readings: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.... The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.... Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of Mine, you did for Me."

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy!

In a word, "Holiness" is the goal of Christian living, and Heaven is the home of the holy. And God explains that the best reason to be holy is not connected with any reward for holiness - rather, God simply says, "Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy!"

So to be holy, is to be like God. Now, since we were made in the image and likeness of God, holiness is not something foreign to us - it suits us best, in fact, like a tailor-made suit fits best. Yet because of Original Sin, we all have an inclination to sin, even though that is something foreign to us. Suited in sin, we become like the teenage boy who wears ridiculously baggy pants, or the teenage girl who wears uncomfortable skintight clothing - by all objective standards, such teenagers are poorly dressed, even if subjectively they’re convinced by their peers that such styles somehow lead to popularity. No matter how hard they might assert that these funny fashions fit them, in truth, if they were separated from the subjective aura of their classmates, more practical fashions would prevail.

So it is with our sins - in our immaturity, we irrationally allow ourselves to become attached to things with only an illusory appeal, even though such things don’t suit our noble nature as children of God. Lent is a time to detach ourselves from the subjective aura of worldly views and return to the objective standard of what is good for us, namely, holiness, everything that God says is good for us!

Daily Retreat 03/05/06

2006 Mar 5 SUN: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Gn 9: 8-15/ Ps 24(25): 4-5. 6-7. 8-9/ 1 Pt 3: 18-22/ Mk 1: 12-15

From today’s readings: "God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ‘See, I am now establishing My covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you....’ Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep Your covenant.... This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.... This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand - Repent, and believe in the gospel!"

Noah and the Ark of Salvation

Even though Noah is, without a doubt, one of the most memorable characters in the whole Bible, this is, in fact, the only Sunday, out of the entire three year lectionary cycle, which features a reading from those four chapters (6-9) in Genesis that focus on Noah and the Ark, and the Flood. Today, the Second Reading as well, from the first letter of Peter, mentions Noah by name, and even the Responsorial Psalm alludes to God’s covenant, which was first established with Noah.

The short Gospel reading, from St. Mark’s account, attests that, at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus taught about the imminent advance of the Kingdom of God. In the final days of His life, the Lord was heard teaching about the culmination of the Kingdom of God, when the Son of Man would come again in glory: "For as it was in the days of Noah," Jesus noted, "so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man....."

Ezekiel and Isaiah made reference to Noah in the course of their prophecies, and not surprisingly, his name also comes up in the compelling meditation of the faith of our fathers outlined in Chapter 11 of the Letter to the Hebrews: "By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith."

Considering all this, it only seems logical to conclude that the example of this man Noah could provide some timely direction for our cruise through this penitential season of Lent, for since he was able to successfully navigate through the deluge which began with those torrential rains of 40 days and 40 nights, surely his course is a good starting point for charting our own 40 days of Lent!

The first thing we note about Noah is that he was an upright, God-serving man living in an evil age - in other words, a non-conformist of the best type! Rather than compromising his morals as everyone else was doing at the time, Noah faithfully lived a life of righteousness, thereby "walking with God," according to the beautiful biblical idiom. Noah put his faith into action, and because of his commitment to prayer, even built the first altar recorded in the Bible. Following that example, this Lent is indeed the acceptable time for you and me to do a reality check of our moral character and the extent we’ve inexcusably conformed to the prevailing immoral norms of this age or have been lax in our prayer and worship of God! Now, note that the Bible doesn’t just say that Noah wasn’t nearly as bad as the worst men of his generation - no, Noah was positively upright and blameless, and put worship of God first! So, it’s obviously not enough for you and me to soothe our consciences with the platitude that we’re not as bad as the worst of our generation - no, we need to strive for that standard of being positively upright and blameless, and putting God first in our lives!

Noah was also a family man - and obviously, his whole household. was completely onboard with his high moral standards. Evidently, Noah wasn’t the spineless kind of man who abdicated religious leadership in the family and left that all to his wife - Noah wasn’t the irresponsible type of father who always had better things to do than pray with his sons and be their role model for walking faithfully with God. Following that example, this Lent is the acceptable time for you and me (especially the Christian husbands and fathers among us!) to re-commit ourselves to living our faith fully in the context of our family, for God want us to embrace His salvation, not just individually, but with our whole family, gathering together around the holy altar, just as Noah and his whole family did.

Furthermore, Noah was faithful to his vocation and obedient to the will of God, in spite of all difficulties. It wasn’t enough that Noah was an upright family man in a general sense - God specifically called upon him to build and man that ark of salvation. We can just imagine the ribbing that Noah’s neighbors and cronies heaped on him as he set about the task of building the huge ark! And note that, because God knew best, He spelled out specific details for the construction of the ark, and didn’t even allow Noah the unbridled freedom of doing his own thing and designing the ark according to his own human preferences. Following that example, this Lent is the acceptable time for you and me to take a more active role in building up and manning the new ark of salvation, which is the Barque of St. Peter, Christ’s Holy Church! God, who always knows best, has designed His Church as the infallible vessel of His redemption - left to our own unbridled freedom and imagination, we would have doubtlessly constructed a softer, laxer church. Some, indeed, have done just that, eliminating the bothersome unbending beams of biblical ethical demands, and whittling down the hull of authentic worship of God, and thus forfeiting the true Church, the one divinely-designed, seaworthy Ship of salvation, in favor of a fallible, rickety raft of man’s own making.

How blessed and beneficial, then, can our Lent be, if we just spend these 40 days being like Noah, that memorable man sealed with God’s covenant, and decorated with the highest mettle, that of the rainbow, forever honoring Noah’s flying colors in his faith, morals, family commitment, and most prominent position in the Ark of Salvation.

Daily Retreat 03/04/06

2006 Mar 4 Sat: Saturday after Ash Wednesday/ Casimir

Is 58: 9b-14/ Ps 85(86): 1-2. 3-4. 5-6/ Lk 5: 27-32

From today’s readings: "Thus says the LORD: If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.... You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon You.... Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."

The Joy of Lent

Popular parlance focuses on the somber side of Lent, as if our simple sacrifices were somehow sufficient to actually weigh heavily on us. While a real commitment to practical penance and our serious meditation on Christ's passion is nothing light-hearted, gloominess during penance is actually forbidden by Christ in the Gospel of Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:16), and the first reading today relates how, through true Lenten practices, "gloom shall become for you like midday!"

In fact, the first Lenten preface in the missal (prayed aloud by the priest immediately before the "Holy, Holy, Holy" Sanctus prayer)actually refers to Lent as this "joyful season" of purification and self-denial!

So Levi had it right: our awareness and confession of our sinfulness is absolutely essential so we can hear the voice of Him who explained, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners!" When you and I hear that voice, and give answer with our lives to His invitation to "Follow Me!", surely that is nothing to be glum about - rather, our Lenten response needs to be celebrated with the great Eucharistic banquet of joy!

Daily Retreat 03/03/06

2006 Mar 3 Fri: Friday after Ash Wednesday/abstinence from meat

Is 58: 1-9a/ Ps 50(51): 3-4. 5-6ab. 18-19/ Mt 9: 14-15

From today’s readings: "Would that today you might fast so as to make your voice heard on high.... Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense.... Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? "

A Humble, Contrite Heart

Just two days ago, we started the penitential season of Lent, praying the same psalm selected today, which begins, "Have mercy on me, O God..." and is either psalm 50 or psalm 51 (for inessential reasons, two valid ways of numbering the psalms are in circulation). Since there are 150 psalms, it might seem like the Church is lacking originality and variety in repeating the same psalm so soon. But it’s no lack of creativity that led to the re-run of this psalm - rather, it’s the undeniable suitability of this psalm for the whole Lenten season that explains why it comes up, at one time or another, in the lectionary at least once in nearly every week of Lent.

It is, in effect, the psalm par excellence of Lent, so copy it down, and pray it everyday, and learn it by heart - a humble, contrite heart!

Daily Retreat 03/02/06

2006 Mar 2 Thu: Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Dt 30: 15-20/ Ps 1: 1-2. 3. 4 and 6/ Lk 9: 22-25

From today’s readings: "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding His voice, and holding fast to Him.... Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked.... If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. "

Moral Inventory

In addition to the prayer, fasting, and almsgiving recommended in the Gospel passage on Ash Wednesday, Lent is also a time for introspection, for taking an honest moral inventory of our lives. Are we choosing God, and life, and His blessings, or are we choosing death and the curse of separating ourselves from God?

This clear theme unites the scripture readings: the first psalm (which should seem especially familiar, since we prayed it a week ago last Sunday), the speech of Moses recorded in the book of Deuteronomy, and Christ’s frank presentation of the demands of discipleship all outline the essential central choice of life: turning toward God, or turning away from Him. The very first words of scripture proclaimed in Lent remind us of which choice God urges us to make:

"Even now," says the LORD, "return to Me with your whole heart...."

Daily Retreat 03/01/06

2006 Mar 1 Wed: Ash Wednesday..

Jl 2: 12-18/ Ps 50(51): 3-4. 5-6ab. 12-13. 14 and 17/ 2 Cor 5: 20 -- 6:2/ Mt 6: 1-6. 16-18

From today’s readings: "Even now, says the LORD, return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning.... Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense.... Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.... When you give alms, when you pray, when you fast...."

Making Fast

In spite of the popularity of dieting, the concept of fasting is curiously uncommon in modern life. And yet dieting and fasting both amount to the same basic activity - that of abstaining from certain foods. But dieting, of course, is endured merely to enhance the health of the body, whereas fasting is undertaken precisely to strengthen the health of the soul.

Biblical fasting is thus never intended to wreak havoc on bodily health - that would be taking the discipline way too far! Rather, the fasting the scriptures enjoin upon us today has a noble purpose: to help us harness the drive of bodily appetites as a means of assisting with spiritual progress. For, while a wild horse is perhaps a beautiful animal, an intractable brute is inevitably either a nuisance or even a threat, whereas a tamed, harnessed horse can be every bit just as majestic, but quite helpful as well for productive labor and travel. Likewise, our bodily appetites, if left out of control, soon become a nuisance or a threat to our overall well-being, but when properly reined in, the appetites serve us in our work and progress.

During Lent, the Church prescribes a rather mild regimen of fasting as the minimum for her members. Today, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only days of required fast, but that does not even mean that we are forbidden to eat a single bite of food on these two days! Rather, the Church’s discipline merely calls for moderation: one main meal of our choice during the day of more or less normal portions, but the other two meals are to be reduced more or less to half portions, and on these two days of fast, as well as on all of the Fridays of Lent, we are to abstain from meat and meat products. And further allowances are even made for reasons of age and health.

But those regulations are meant to be merely a common starting point for fully entering the spirit of fasting! Each one of us can and should put together a more complete Lenten program of fasting, with the understanding that this discipline of self-denial need not just be limited to foodstuff. Many people abstain throughout Lent from desserts or favorite dishes, but one can also legitimately fast by turning off the TV, or limiting time spent on the computer, or arising earlier in the morning, or curtailing any leisure activity. By thus taming the bodily appetites, we suddenly re-discover resources of time and resolve of the will in order to better feed the spiritual appetite, our soul’s real hunger for the Lord’s Bread of Life, and real thirst for His living water.