Virtual Retreat

Daily scriptural reflections by Fr. Rory Pitstick, SSL from Immaculate Heart Retreat Center in Spokane, WA
Also available via daily email

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Daily Retreat 09/1/06

2006 Sep 1 Fri: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 1: 17-25/ Ps 32(33): 1-2. 4-5. 10-11/ Mt 25: 1-13

From today’s readings:  “For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God....  The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord....  ”

Puzzling Parables

Parables are, by their nature, allegorical, and not meant to be interpreted literally.  Furthermore, the central point is often supported by casual details that are not intended to be scrutinized for objections.  

So, for example, the parable of the ten virgins (which, incidentally, only occurs in Matthew), emphasizes the need to be vigilant for the coming of Christ, the Bridegroom.  Certain elements of the parable appear awkward and out-of-place, even in the context of an ancient Jewish wedding.  First of all, there is curiously no mention of the bride!  There was a custom for the bride to be escorted by her bridesmaids in a torchlight procession to the home of the groom, but that’s not exactly what is described here.  

We also note that both the foolish and wise maidens fell asleep, although at the end, Jesus emphasizes that the moral is to “stay awake.”  Also, the wise virgins come across as selfish for refusing to share their oil, and their suggestion for the others to buy some would have been impractical at that late hour.  Finally, the groom’s reply to the foolish virgins locked out is cruelly cold-hearted.

But all those disconcerting details don’t detract from the parable’s point; rather, their intrinsic improbability helps the listeners and readers to ignore them as inconsequential, precisely in order to focus more on the central theme!  Similarly, a painter might purposely portray a fuzzy, incongruent background in order to introduced some contrast with the sharp lifelike details of the picture’s subject.  Just as the blurred background thus enhances the portrait, so the puzzling particulars of the parable cleverly make it more memorable.

Daily Retreat 09/1/06

2006 Sep 1 Fri: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 1: 17-25/ Ps 32(33): 1-2. 4-5. 10-11/ Mt 25: 1-13

From today’s readings:  “For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God....  The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord....  ”

Puzzling Parables

Parables are, by their nature, allegorical, and not meant to be interpreted literally.  Furthermore, the central point is often supported by casual details that are not intended to be scrutinized for objections.  

So, for example, the parable of the ten virgins (which, incidentally, only occurs in Matthew), emphasizes the need to be vigilant for the coming of Christ, the Bridegroom.  Certain elements of the parable appear awkward and out-of-place, even in the context of an ancient Jewish wedding.  First of all, there is curiously no mention of the bride!  There was a custom for the bride to be escorted by her bridesmaids in a torchlight procession to the home of the groom, but that’s not exactly what is described here.  

We also note that both the foolish and wise maidens fell asleep, although at the end, Jesus emphasizes that the moral is to “stay awake.”  Also, the wise virgins come across as selfish for refusing to share their oil, and their suggestion for the others to buy some would have been impractical at that late hour.  Finally, the groom’s reply to the foolish virgins locked out is cruelly cold-hearted.

But all those disconcerting details don’t detract from the parable’s point; rather, their intrinsic improbability helps the listeners and readers to ignore them as inconsequential, precisely in order to focus more on the central theme!  Similarly, a painter might purposely portray a fuzzy, incongruent background in order to introduced some contrast with the sharp lifelike details of the picture’s subject.  Just as the blurred background thus enhances the portrait, so the maladroit particulars of the parable cleverly make it more memorable.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/31/06

2006 Aug 31 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 1: 1-9/ Ps 144(145): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7/ Mt 24: 42-51

From today’s readings:  “God is faithful, and by Him you were called to fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord....  Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable...  So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Seeing Triple

Before His crucifixion and death, throughout the Holy Week, Jesus did His best to prepare His disciples for what was to come, giving them detailed instructions and explanations of what to expect. Yet His words, as recorded in the Gospel, are at times difficult to understand, because there are in fact three distinct but overlapping references for the end times mentioned prominently in these penultimate chapters.

First, Jesus insisted that His followers ought to keep an eye on the end of earthly life, for the moment of one’s death will also bring personal judgment by God.  This is probably the primary sense to be read in today’s verses.  However, the words also could be taken as an admonition to be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ, for the preceding verses (e.g. 24:29-31) address that eventuality directly.  But then, the verses before those prophesy about the historical destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in 70 AD, only one generation after the death of Jesus, and that terrible event was certainly apocalyptic for the people of that time.

Even human words are sometimes charged with several layers of meaning, so we shouldn’t be surprised that the words of the Lord likewise can be understood in a number of contexts.  While that doesn’t ever legitimize twisting the meaning of  Sacred Scripture for one’s own purposes, we do need to humbly and diligently consider all the implications of the Son of Man’s warning to stay awake and be prepared!

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/30/06

2006 Aug 30 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
2 Thes 3: 6-10. 16-18/ Ps 127(128): 1-2. 4-5/ Mt 23: 27-32

From today’s readings:  “May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way....  Blessed are those who fear the Lord....  On the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing....”

If I had lived then....

There’s a tendency to look at dark moments of widespread iniquity in the distant past or faraway foreign places and imagine that we would have had the courage to stand uprightly against the mob mentality that left a shameful scar on the fabric of human history.

Perhaps we can give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, and at least hope that we would have unflinchingly protested the brutalities of the godless religious persecutions, or African slave trade, or French Revolution, or Nazi Germany.

But no matter what, what we would have done if we lived in different circumstances will never be more than mere matters of speculation.  What does matter, however, is our way of life in our present and actual situation.  What resistance do we show to the systemic and ubiquitous evils of our own day?  Consider, for example:  what will future generations think of our legal tolerance of abortion, and the disintegration of the family, and the indifference to true religion?

By self-righteously looking down on the past, the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees were too eager to give themselves the benefit of the doubt , claiming that they would have had no part in shedding the blood of the prophets.  And yet, Christ’s woe-filled warnings to them in Jerusalem came just a few days before His Passion, and let’s at least admit that the Lord’s words are just as apt for our own generation....

Monday, August 28, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/29/06

2006 Aug 29 Tue: Martyrdom of John the Baptist M
2 Thes 2: 1-3a. 14-17/ Ps 95(96): 10. 11-12. 13/ Mk 6: 17-29

From today’s readings:  “Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours....  The Lord comes to judge the earth....  Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip....”

The Allure of Hard Truth

Mark 6:20 is a particularly intriguing verse, commenting on Herod Antipas’  ambivalence toward John the Baptist: “Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.” On the one hand, Herod had been the one to imprison John in the first place because he had spoken out against his immoral union with Herodias.  But on the other hand, in spite of himself, Herod undeniably felt the attraction of John’s preaching of the truth.

Herod, of course,  was a thoroughly wicked man and hated tyrant, and so it’s unpleasant to think that perhaps you and I share some of his character traits.  Yet I think Herod’s ambivalence toward John is mirrored in many people’s ambivalence toward any agent of conscience that dares to clearly indict one of sin.  For, although the first reaction generally is to shut up or shut out the troublesome charges, yet some interior force often stalks one with haunting reminders that the truth simply should not be ignored.

Although he was once drawn by  that intrinsic allure of truth, Herod eventually compounded his sins when he was driven to behead the Baptist.  But you and I still can yet avail ourselves of Christ’s grace, which would embolden us to not merely listen occasionally to the hard truth, but rather, to have the courage to repent of the reality of our sins and make the changes necessary in our own lives in order to get ahead virtuously!


 NB:  See the August 5 virtual retreat reflection for a clarification of the three Herods mentioned in scripture.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/28/06

2006 Aug 28 Mon: Augustine, bp, dr M
2 Thes 1: 1-5. 11-12/ Ps 95(96): 1-2a. 2b-3. 4-5/ Mt 23: 13-22

From today’s readings:  “We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith....  Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations....  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!”


Woes

When Jesus expounded the series of  woes to the scribes and Pharisees, He was not pronouncing a curse on them, but rather, describing their already tragic, pathetic state for “missing the boat” in the essentials of religious observance.  

While it’s almost hard to believe that the scribes and Pharisees were so misled that they really needed the simple, straightforward explanations and clarifications offered by Jesus, most, if not all of us, are blind to our own instances of hypocrisy, for which we too stand in need of illumination from Christ.

For ultimately, that’s what makes up our own worst woes - not the curses heaped on by others, but the pathetic self-imposed blindness of ignoring the Lord and thinking we’ve got it all figured out on our own!

Daily Retreat 08/27/06

2006 Aug 27 SUN: TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jos 24: 1-2a. 15-17. 18b/ Ps 33(34): 2-3. 16-23 (9a)/ Eph 5: 21-32/ Jn 6: 60-69

From today’s readings:  “Decide today whom you will serve..... As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!...   Taste and see the goodness of the Lord....  For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the Church, because we are members of His Body....  Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!”

The Last Piece

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat - this is My Body!”  And similarly, taking up a chalice of wine, Jesus instructed, “Take and drink - this is My Blood!”  And He commanded His disciples to “Do this in memory of Me!”

At the Last Supper then, what exactly did Jesus give His disciples - His Body and His Blood, or just a morsel of bread and a sip of wine, perhaps flavored a bit with the significance of the moment?  In other words, did the Son of God mean what He said, and say what He meant, or was He just using a tasteless figure of speech?  

Well, from the moment that the first Eucharistic aroma started drifting into human consciousness, there were those who objected that the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist was just too much to swallow.  So the Gospel recounts quite frankly that some (many, in fact!) of His disciples lost their appetite that day for the Bread of Life.  They would walk no longer with Jesus as His companions, (and that word “companion” remember, means “those who share bread together”).  Our Lord had spoken plainly, and they had understood Him clearly.  He made no effort to call them back.  They could not appreciate His promise, they would not imbibe His words of life, so He had to let them go.  Though it grieved our Lord to see so many turn their backs on Him, Jesus still refused to water down the substance of His teaching.  He could afford to lose followers, but He Himself could not stomach diluted Truth, and He Himself never stooped to serving half-baked verities to His disciples.

Yet since the sixteenth century, that’s exactly what some who reject the original teaching of Christ and His Church have done, by mixing up a baker’s dozen or more of stale recipes for what they imagine Jesus really meant at the Last Supper.  But the common ingredients of all of those novelties boils down to putting these words on lying lips of our Lord, “This is NOT My body, this is NOT My blood - it’s just a symbol, a souvenir, a simple ritual.”   

Yet the words faithfully recorded in Scripture are “This is My Body, This is My Blood! My Flesh is real food, and My Blood is real drink!”  For nearly 2000 years, the Catholic Church has unswervingly maintained that the divine words of Christ were surely efficacious, for reality always necessarily conforms to His divine commands.   Thus, in spite of the manifest impossibility, when He unequivocally ordered, “Lazarus, come forth!”  a dead man was instantaneously changed into a living man, in order for reality to comply with the word of the Lord.  So, there can be no doubts about what happened when the truth-trumpeting  mouth of the Lord declared, “This is My Body....  This is My Blood!”   At that instant, reality again obeyed the command of divinity, and so, despite the apparent impossibility, the lowly bread miraculously became the Body of Christ, and the common wine was likewise transubstantiated into the Blood of Christ, and the miracle is renewed daily in fulfillment of the divine command to “Do this in memory of Me!”

Just one year before the marvelously acquiescent reality of the Last Supper, Jesus taught His disciples thoroughly so that they wouldn’t miss the miracle - in Chapter Six of the Gospel of St. John, the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus unambiguously insisted, “I am the Bread of Life....  The Bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world....  He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has life eternal.... My Flesh is real food, and My Blood is real drink.”  Sure enough, these are hard sayings, but every faithful disciple is conformed, as is reality itself, in order to accept the word of the Lord and His Bread of Life, the full and balanced diet of His divinely Real presence, which Peter and every other faithful disciple holds to, for :  “Master, to whom else shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God!”

Friday, August 25, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/26/06

2006 Aug 26 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
Ez 43: 1-7ab/ Ps 84(85): 9ab and 10. 11-12. 13-14/ Mt 23: 1-12

From today’s readings:  “And I saw that the temple was filled with the glory of the LORD....  The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land....  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted....”

Practice What You Preach

Religious hypocrisy was one of the sins that Jesus attacked most frequently, calling the scribes and Pharisees to task for not practicing what they preached.    And even though not everyone has the chance to literally preach in a religious context, we all have had times when our actions didn’t measure up to our stated beliefs, and this too, is a form of hypocrisy.

And hypocrisy is one of the most difficult sins to notice and correct in ourselves, since the tendency of fallen human nature is to gloss over our own failings and gloat about our virtues, while overlooking the merits of others, and pouncing on their misdeeds.

Humility is the cure prescribed by Jesus, both in His preaching, and in His practice.  For, the person who is humble has no illusions about exalting himself, and so does not need to hide his own faults from himself.  That makes recognition and confession of sins much easier, which is the road to Christ’s exultation.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/25/06

2006 Aug 25 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Louis of France, mm/ Joseph Calasanz, p, rf
Ez 37: 1-14/ Ps 106(107): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9/ Mt 22: 34-40

From today’s readings:  “ Thus says the Lord GOD: O My people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. ... Give thanks to the Lord; His love is everlasting....  Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

The Great Commandment

The thousands of years covered in Old Testament history, the life span of Jesus Himself, the teachings of the Apostles after the Lord’s death and resurrection, and the centuries of the Church’s faithful reflections all are elements in the formidable Christian deposit of faith.  Sometimes this all can seem overwhelming - how can one assimilate it all?

In His teaching, Jesus was not afraid to be specific and direct, but He never drowned His disciples with too many details that would have made it difficult for them to see His main points  Once, He was asked a probing question about “which commandment in the law is the greatest?” His answer, as always, cut to the chase.  In addition to the 10 Commandments, Jewish scribes had counted many other divine commands in the Old Testament - a total of 613!

Yet all of them, and the whole point of the entirety of divine revelation, could be summed up in the great commandment to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  This great commandment becomes the greatest simply by being put into practice!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/24/06

2006 Aug 24 Thu: Bartholomew, ap F
Rv 21: 9b-14/ Ps 144(145): 10-11. 12-13. 17-18/ Jn 1: 45-51

From today’s readings:  “The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb....  The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth....   Can anything good come from Nazareth?”


Bartholomew/Nathanael

“There is no duplicity in him.”  What a great compliment Jesus gave when he spoke thus about Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael).  So often, sin sits in a stealth mode in the duplicity of our hearts, as we delight in our own cleverness in disguising our motives and misleading others in ways that are not “technically” dishonest.

To be sure, charity and humility demand something from us akin to duplicity, as we endeavor to focus on one aspect of a given action while downplaying another.  For instance, if I were to make a generous donation to a charitable cause, but sought to stay out of the limelight, I wouldn’t necessarily be guilty of duplicity.  However, if I flatly denied my contribution, or conversely, if I were motivated primarily by secret hopes to gain fame from it, then the charge of duplicity would be justified.

Too often, we excuse our lapses into duplicity, and can even convince ourselves of its necessity and inevitability, when the light of Christ’s Truth would remind us that the opposite of duplicity is sincerity and integrity, traits which shine so brightly in the life of Christ and are thus also found in the lives of those who, like Bartholomew, seek to follow Christ and model their lives on His example.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/23/06

2006 Aug 23 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Rose of Lima, v
Ez 34: 1-11/ Ps 22(23): 1-3a. 3b-4. 5. 6/ Mt 20: 1-16

From today’s readings:  “Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves!...   The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want....   Are you envious because I am generous?”

Divine and Human Generosity

It follows that, since God is infinitely greater than we are, His generosity is infinitely greater than ours.  This is an essential insight to bear in mind when considering the parable of the workers in the vineyard, which at first seems absurd to a lot of people.   Why in the world would the owner of a farm ever pay a worker a full day's wages for only an hour of work?  That such a thing should ever happen is not only improbable, but almost unimaginable.

But the parable is not proposed as a practical example for labor and management, but rather, as an illustration of divine generosity, and probably also as an unsettling benchmark for considering our attitude towards God’s generosity to others.

It’s easy enough for each of us to consider our own experience of God’s generosity in the blessings received in this life, and the anticipation of the promised blessings of the life to come.  Is there ever any room to complain that God gives more to others?  In the parable, the landowner does not actually give more to any of the workers, but some of the workers give more for what they receive.  God is generous to us - how generous are we prepared to be with Him?

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Virtual Retreat 8/22/06

2006 Aug 22 Tue: Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary M
Ez 28: 1-10/ Dt 32: 26-27ab. 27cd-28. 30. 35cd-36ab/ Mt 19: 23-30
 
From today’s readings:  “The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord GOD:  Because you are haughty of heart....  Surely, the LORD shall do justice for His people; on His servants He shall have pity....  But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.....  ”
 
Topsy-Turvy Christianity
 
Most people have a natural inclination to strive to get ahead, to get on top.  Such ambitions are not necessarily sinful in themselves, and can push people to excellence in many fields.  But, it is of course wrong ever to use others as climbing blocks in getting to the top spot.
 
Jesus outlines a rather strange “fast-track” in His kingdom.  The accumulation of riches is of no use there - rather, as was suggested to the rich young man, giving alms to the poor is the way to attain eternal riches.  So much seems topsy-turvy in His kingdom, for as the Lord Himself asserts, “many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
 
Mary, the most simple, innocent woman without any worldly ambitions, is the one crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.  All this is a reminder to us to critically consider our own ambitions and efforts to get ahead - will they pay off in the long run, eternally?  Or just in the short run, temporarily?

 


Fr. Rory Pitstick
Our Lady of the Valley Parish
2511 N. Elmway
Okanogan WA 98840 USA
(509) 422-5049

"Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30


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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/20/06

2006 Aug 20 SUN: TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Prv 9: 1-6/ Ps 33(34): 2-3. 10-11. 12-13. 14-15 / Eph 5: 15-20/ Jn 6: 51-58
NB:  Some lectionary versions have the incorrect psalm verses printed, duplicating the verses from last Sunday (vv. 2-9) instead of the later verses as correctly indicated here.

From today’s readings: “Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table.... Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.... Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.... For My Flesh is true food, and My Blood is true drink....”

The Heart of the Bread of Life

The Lord’s Bread of Life Discourse in John 6 has a formidably steep progression of divine Eucharistic teaching - each bite becomes more and more substantial, heartier, fleshier. Starting with just the crowd’s renewed physical appetite, Jesus adeptly leads them to ponder how to start working for the Food that remains unto life eternal. When the crowd first reminisces about the magnificent miracle of manna in the desert, Jesus suggests that He is leading up to something even greater than that, even linking belief in Him with eternal life, and resurrection on the last day.

But the crowd, which had initially been eagerly devouring all the Lord’s words, suddenly started to choke on them, and have trouble stomaching how such a full meal deal could be cooked up by just Jesus. And so they began gnawing and grumbling and murmuring at His words. But rather than apologetically deboning His earlier servings, Jesus actually piles on an even meatier helping, favorably contrasting His “Bread of Life” recipe with the manna of old which, however miraculous and nutritive, nonetheless simply couldn’t starve off death. For in contrast, Jesus is prepared to fill the plate with so much more, saying “I AM the living Bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this Bread will live forever; and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world!” Notice the future tense. Earlier, speaking to the same people, Jesus attested, “My Father gives you the True Bread from Heaven.” “Gives”, “is giving” - right at that moment, present tense! That was the reality, that was the correct verb form for that moment, for God the Father was indeed actively engaged in giving His Son at that moment to those disciples there in Capernaum. But that present moment was not the chosen time for Jesus to give His flesh for the life of the world - that momentous moment would come a year later, at the Last Supper. Hence, the future tense.

Now, of all the hard sayings Jesus serves up in His Bread of Life discourse, this Chapter Six of the Gospel of St. John, the most scandalous was that shocking climax: the Bread of Life, of which He spoke, was His very flesh for the life of the world! So, it’s no wonder that the Jews were a bit burned - no longer just murmuring under their breath, but militantly quarreling aloud about His incredible claim! Had our Lord merely been speaking metaphorically, allegorically, or figuratively, He certainly would have realized His obligation to clarify the natural “misunderstanding” that had arisen among His listeners.

But instead of apologizing for stretching the poetic license, Jesus reconfirms the literalism of His words, insisting “My Flesh is true food, and My Blood is true drink.” And the Bread of Life is not just intended as some exotic gourmet intended only for the elite, for “unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you do not have life within you.” And the word “to eat” here, in the original New Testament Greek, is bold and vivid - almost could be translated “to munch,” to literally feed on that Flesh of the Son of Man!

How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat? For those who don’t believe in His divinity, the words of Jesus will forever be spit out as tasteless hyperbole. But for those who recognize Jesus as the true Son of God, for those who eat His Body and drink His Blood, the Lord’s words of life are joyfully digested as the recipe for the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, the true Bread come down from Heaven, having within it all sweetness!

Monday, August 14, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/19/06

2006 Aug 19 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM/ John Eudes, p, rf
Ez 18: 1-10. 13b. 30-32/ Ps 50(51): 12-13. 14-15. 18-19/ Mt 19: 13-15

From today’s readings:  “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD....  Create a clean heart in me, O God....  Suffer the little children to come to Me....”


Parents and Godparents

As a priest, it’s a privilege to share the joy of parents who present a newborn baby for the blessing and sacramental regeneration of baptism.- and today in particular, for I will be joining my brother and sister-in-law in Montana for the celebration of  the baptism of my neonate niece!

But while parents and godparents at baptism so earnestly bring their children to Jesus, sometimes, there’s a lack of follow-through, and they forget to continue bringing their children to the One who said,  “Let the children come to Me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Not only should they pray for their children everyday, but parents can and should pray with their little children - even before they’ve learned to speak, children can be taught gestures (such as the Sign of the Cross) and given appropriate sacramentals, such as a little wall crucifix, that can remind the children about the love and presence of God..  Children of any age can be read Bible stories, and each Sunday at Church, their parents can point out the different things that make the House of God a special place of prayer.

Godparents have an ongoing role in all this as well, and the help they give parents is especially crucial in our secular age.  If you have the privilege of serving as a godparent, make sure to ask God to help you today (and everyday!) to faithfully fulfill your commitment of praying for your godchildren, helping them to grow in their faith, and setting a good example for them of strong Christian commitment.

Daily Retreat 08/18/06

2006 Aug 18 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Jane Frances de Chantal, mw, rf
Ez 16: 1-15. 60. 63/ Is 12: 2-3. 4bcd. 5-6/ Mt 19: 3-12

From today’s readings:  “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations....  Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!...  Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate....”


Divorce and Annulments

Divorce has become so common in our society that it hardly is considered scandalous and even seems to be accepted by many Christians as something unfortunate but not necessarily sinful. Divorce, however, was already at least occasionally assailed in the Old Testament (e.g.,Malachi 2) and the New Testament is clear that Jesus Himself emphatically condemned divorce and re-marriage as equivalent to adultery.

What then can justify the Church’s issuance of a declaration of nullity, commonly called an “annulment” - isn’t that just the same thing as a divorce?  Actually, there’s a crucial difference.   Marriage, in fact,  is both a divine and human institution, and a decree of nullity rules on the standing of the marriage in the eyes of God and His Church, whereas a divorce concerns the standing of the marriage in the view of the civil laws.   A divorce is thus a legal decree stating that, for whatever reasons, the marriage between the specified man and woman is no longer to be lawfully recognized, with consequential changes in the status of the couple’s property and rights.

A decree of nullity, however, follows upon a careful investigation of the couple’s union and states that, because an essential element of Christian marriage was lacking from the beginning, the union cannot be recognized as a Christian marriage, and thus the man and woman are not bound to each other as spouses.   Since the Church’s decree of nullity does not determine the legal standing of the union, an annulment does not make the couple’s children illegitimate or affect the other legal issues of property and rights.

There is, unfortunately, a lot of confusion and misinformation about the annulment process, and since it is admittedly a complicated matter, the best advice is to contact the local pastor or diocesan tribunal office for accurate, confidential answers to specific questions.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/17/06

2006 Aug 17 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
Ez 12: 1-12/ Ps 77(78): 56-57. 58-59. 61-62/ Mt 18: 21 – 19: 1

From today’s readings:  “Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house....  They tempted and rebelled against God the Most High, and kept not His decrees ....  I say to you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times!”

How Many Times to Forgive?

To Peter’s question, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times!”  Have  modern translators arbitrarily discounted the demand for fraternal forgiveness?  A few years back, when this present translation had just been published and I first read “seventy-seven times,” I thought it was a misprint since the versions I had heard in the past all read “seventy times seven times.”

In the virtual retreat reflections this past Monday, I raised objections to the NAB translation for that day, but in contrast, today’s revised translation of “seventy-seven” instead of “seventy times seven” is quite justified, even if it will take awhile to get used to it.  For there is actually a good reason for this change, and the correction shows the fruits of biblical scholarship.  For, in the original Greek for Matthew 18:22, the number given actually could be taken either way.  A parallel ambiguity even is partially preserved in English, for if I say “Seventy, seven times” (meaning “70 x 7”), with only a minor change in punctuation and emphasis, it easily becomes, “Seventy-seven times.” Previous translators opted for “seventy times seven times” because it’s more common in Greek for compound numbers to be joined with a conjunction, so “77” usually would have been written out “seventy and seven.”  

But the implications of an obscure passage from Genesis argue for “seventy-seven” instead of “seventy times seven.” Lamech, the great-great-great-grandson of Cain, is introduced in Genesis 4:18.  Not much is recorded about him, except for the fact that he boasted to his two wives, not only of killing a man who had hurt him, but he even spitefully justified it just on the basis of vengeance, saying “If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold!” In the original Hebrew, the number is clearly “77,” but the Greek translation is the same ambiguous phrase found in Matthew 18:22.

So, the reply Jesus made to Peter was probably a deliberate allusion contrasting Christ’s teaching about forgiveness to the avenging madness exemplified by Lamech.  In any case, the basic question is not whether theoretically we forgive seventy-seven or seventy times seven times, but whether in practice we always forgive from our heart in order to approach God for the forgiveness we need, 7 raised to the power of 70 times!

Daily Retreat 08/16/06

2006 Aug 16 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Stephen of Hungary, mm
Ez 9: 1-7; 10: 18-22/ Ps 112(113): 1-2. 3-4. 5-6/ Mt 18: 15-20

From today’s readings:  “Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them, while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel....  The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies....  Jesus said to His disciples: ‘If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.’ ”


Fraternal Correction

The Christian faith is not so much a package of beliefs as it is a personal relationship of love with Jesus Christ.  But although we Christians are disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, and He is at the center of our faith, our Lord Himself taught that faith can never be limited to just “Jesus and me” - our relationship with Christ is intimately integrated with our relationships with others, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, for instance, Jesus draws up a very practical and charitable program of fraternal correction, beginning with, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”  Our fallen human nature prefers to gossip or brood about grievances, but those approaches tend to merely multiply the faults - how much more constructive is Jesus’s method, which squarely seeks to address the faults in kindness.  Most of us, I hope, can recall a time when someone we had wronged treated us in this way, making it much easier and more appealing for us to be reconciled.  

Jesus outlines additional steps that can be taken if needed, but if the first step is only followed faithfully, there will be fewer occasions when recourse must be made to those additional steps.  This very day, then, is the golden opportunity for you and me to prayerfully consider any case in which another has veritably sinned against us, and rather than gossiping or brooding about it, with lavish sincerity of charity, to simply do what Jesus tells us to do.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/15/06

2006 Aug 15 Tue: ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY S. Holy Day of Obligation.
Vigil: 1 Chr 15: 3-4. 15-16; 16: 1-2/ Ps 131(132): 6-7. 9-10. 13-14/ 1 Cor 15: 54b-57/ Lk 11: 27-28
Day: Rv 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab/ Ps 44(45): 10. 11. 12. 16/ 1 Cor 15: 20-27/ Lk 1: 39-56

From today’s readings: “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.... The queen takes her place at Your right hand in gold.... For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order.... And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant....”

The Assumption

When you open up the hood of a car, you’re faced with a formidable but carefully engineered and coordinated jumble of parts which everyone finds a bit overwhelming, except, perhaps, an expert mechanic, although even he probably is occasionally stumped by an unfamiliar make or model year. While even the uninitiated can point out a few obvious components - that’s the engine block, this here is the battery, that’s the steering column, etc. - most of us would have to admit that we might have a vague idea, at best, of what purpose is served by many of those elaborate contraptions under the hood.

But, just because we don’t know what something does, doesn’t mean we should start pulling out and discarding all of those parts which surpass our own expertise. For, there might be a tangle of wires that appear to go nowhere, but then turns out to be essential for the starting mechanism - if we take it out, a short-circuit prevents the ignition from turning over. Or, some hose that seems superfluous, but in reality is integral to the cooling system - if it’s removed, the engine quickly overheats. But even if we were to remove something purely ancillary, such as the horn or windshield wiper motor, the car itself might still run, albeit with some real handicap, since everything under the hood is there for a reason.

When you open up the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you’re faced with a formidable but divinely inspired and coherent body of dogmas and doctrines which everyone finds a bit overwhelming, except, perhaps, a well-studied, monkish priest, although even he (believe me!) probably is occasionally bedazzled by less familiar points of theology or Church history. While even the unbaptized can point out a few credal components of the Christian faith - Jesus Christ, the Son of the Virgin Mary, is true God and true man; He was crucified, but rose from the dead and now reigns in Heaven, etc. - still, most Christians would have to admit to having only a vague idea, at best, of the meaning and history of many of the elaborate tenets of the Faith.

But, just because we don’t completely understand a teaching of the Church, doesn’t mean we should start ignoring and denying all of those parts which surpass our own expertise. For, there are those extraordinary assertions, for instance, about the Immaculate Conception, and about the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into Heaven, declarations which appear to be biblically unfounded, but then turn out to be inescapable consequences of a number of solid scriptural convictions, for “what the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.”

How so? Well, for starters, the Book of Genesis, echoed by St. Paul, teaches that death is the wages of sin, whether it be the Original sin of Adam and Eve or the personal sins of the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve. But Jesus, who knew no sin, was nonetheless still truly human, having been incarnated of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the human nature which Mary possessed and passed on to her divine Son fittingly was free itself of sin, and that’s the kernel of the dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. But since preserved from the stain of sin, she was also blessed with a singular, more immediate participation in the fruits of her Son’s Resurrection, so that Mary, “when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord ....”

But suppose that just seems too complicated, and I decide I’m going to dispense with that unwieldy conglomeration of the dogma of Mary’s corporeal assumption. Oh, I’m sure she’s in Heaven with Jesus, but why can’t her bodily remains still be just buried somewhere on Earth, like everyone else’s?

Well, first of all, there’s the giant historical objection that the early Church, which so devoutly venerated the graves of St. Peter and other saints who had known Jesus personally, has no record of the death and burial place of Mary. And yet, from the beginning, Mary’s exalted role in God’s plan of salvation was explicitly recognized by the Church - why then would there be no acknowledgment of her tomb?

But, just like stripping a car of complicated parts leads to big problems, so does dismissing dogmas! Because, fundamentally, if Mary’s bodily Assumption is denied, then there is a concomitant denial that all faithful Christians are to share fully in Christ’s Resurrection. For Jesus conquered sin and death in His body and soul. And God created us body AND soul; He redeemed us body AND soul; and His eternal plan is to take us up, body AND soul, to be with Him forever in Heaven!

But as St. Paul teaches in his first letter to the Corinthians:
“For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end.... the last enemy to be destroyed is death....” So first, those who belong to Christ are brought to life - by this Paul means eternal life in Heaven. But then, afterwards, comes the end, and “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Now, Christ’s resurrection already vanquished and conquered death, but the definitive, utter destruction of death still awaits the general resurrection of the body at the end of time, for until then, death is obviously still among us.

But death, remember, entered the world through the envy of the Devil - death is the wages of sin! However, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, knew no sin, either in His human or divine nature. Since His human nature was uncorrupted by sin from the beginning, the maternal origin of His human nature fittingly also was free from the stain of sin. So, death has no claim on the body of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, spared as she was of the corruption of sin.

If Mary were not bodily in Heaven, that would mean that death still has a temporary claim on her. But if death has a claim on Mary, that would mean that Christ’s Resurrection, while perhaps cheating death, is insufficient to destroy death for those to whom He has promised a share in His Resurrection.

In short, if you disregard the bodily Assumption of Mary, you short-circuit the full effects of Christ’s Resurrection and sever the integral biblical connection between sin and death. Everything under the hood of a car is there for a reason, as any bona fide grease monkey could explain. Everything under the cover of the Church's Catechism is taught by the Church for a reason, as any bona fide priest “monkie” will likewise do his best to explain!

Friday, August 11, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/14/06

2006 Aug 14 Mon: Maximilian Mary Kolbe, p, mt M
Ez 1: 2-5. 24-28c/ Ps 148: 1-2. 11-12. 13. 14/ Mt 17: 22-27

From today’s readings:  “Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day was the splendor that surrounded Him. Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD....  Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights; Praise Him, all you His angels; praise Him, all you His hosts....  The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day....”


Pragmatic Idealism


In the best sense of the words, Jesus was at the same time both an idealist and pragmatist - He demonstrated how the highest principles could and should be applied to real world situations.  For instance, when Peter was asked whether or not his Master paid the temple tax, Peter affirmed that indeed He did.  Yet Jesus points out the incongruity of a king collecting taxes from his own sons, so as God’s Son, He is clearly exempt from this assessment.  Even the temple tax collectors perhaps recognized something of the Lord’s unique status, since they approach  Peter with the question, “Does your teacher pay the tax?”  instead of the simple demand, “Pay up!”

It’s particularly clear in Matthew’s Gospel that, while Jesus took issue with hypocrisy, He nonetheless had no objection to legitimate religious institutional practices - He prayed and taught in local synagogues and in the Jerusalem Temple.  He recognized the need for upkeep of the Temple and the importance of personal example, but He also needed His Apostles to recognize the full implications of His distinction as God’s Son.  His instructions for Peter to pay the tax from the fish’s mouth upholds His “exempt” status and avoids scandal.

So often, such a solution is available to us as well.  While it’s tempting to constantly insist on one’s legitimate rights, the Lord’s example shows us that sometimes, the confident self-assurance of one’s rights enables one to be especially generous and edifying in providing an example to others in order to promote peace and avoid scandal.

NB: In Matthew 17:25-26, the revised NAB translation substitutes “subjects” for “sons.” Although Semitic usage would occasionally allow this rendering (cf. Matthew 8:12 and 13:38), in the present context, it is decidedly awkward, since, for instance, kings do collect taxes from their subjects, but not from their sons!  Since I certainly recognize my own limitations,  I generally refrain from critiquing translation choices, but in this case, the NAB seems needlessly contradictory.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/13/06

2006 Aug 13 SUN: NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1 Kgs 19: 4-8/ Ps 33(34): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9 (9a)/ Eph 4: 30 – 5: 2/ Jn 6: 41-51

From today’s readings:  “Get up and eat, lest the journey be too long for you...   Taste and see the goodness of the Lord....   Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption....  I am the living bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this Bread will live forever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world!”

Bread from Heaven

During my seminary studies abroad, I had the chance to travel a bit and get a taste of European culture.   Now, fortunately train travel is quite cheap and economical there for students, but even so, after paying my round-trip fare I usually arrived at my destination with little more than a pocketful of change.  So when eventually my stomach started growling to remind me that it was time for lunch, I had to make the most of my meager resources.  So instead of a restaurant, I would go to a bakery and buy some bread.  Plain bread.  Then I would take it to a central park, sit down, and eat it.  

It was wonderful!  I would slowly chew on my bread as a gazed around my surroundings, listening to the children playing and smiling at the folks passing by on their mid-day stroll.  I had bought nothing but plain bread, but it became sweetly flavored with the air and the life of the community around me.  I was no tourist, I was no foreigner at those moments:  I was sitting in their midst, I was eating their bread - I was one of them!  They'd speak to me in their own tongue - sometimes I understood and answered, other times I had to just smile and continue chewing my bread as I tried to figure out what they had said.

You might think that bread alone wouldn't be enough, but I was always satisfied, for it never was ordinary bread.  True, it came from wheat like all bread does, but the texture, the taste, even the size and shape, made this bread something extra-ordinary.  In Holland, I ate short little loaves which they call "pistolets"; in Germany, I ate round bread rolls called “Brotchen,” which means "little bread"; and in France, I ate the long thin loaves we all know as French bread, but somehow it tasted much better eating it in France!

Although I could never afford fancy souvenirs, I vividly remember the peoples I visited:  having tasted of their bread and their life, something of the experience remained in me.  I discovered that bread alone is not always dull and tasteless.  Sometime this week, sit down with a bit of French bread, or some other ethnic bread, and slowly eat a piece.  Close your eyes, and see if you can taste something of the place where it's from.

    You know, even after eating my fill of the local loaves, I would also seek for a different kind of Bread, which comes down from another place.  This special Bread is available in every country, and it too is found at the heart of the neighborhood.  It too is flavored by the surrounding community.  It too is eaten without other food as we sit next to playing children and see people walk by us.  This Bread is real food, unique in its texture, taste, size and shape.  At Holy Mass, the Eucharistic celebration, God’s family gathers to eat the Bread of life, the flesh of the Son of Man.  This is the true Bread from Heaven, having all sweetness within it.  Eat of this Bread, close your eyes, and thank God for the taste of Heaven!

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/12/06

2006 Aug 12 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
Hab 1: 12 – 2: 4/ Ps 9: 8-9. 10-11. 12-13/ Mt 17: 14-20

From today’s readings:  “For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint....  You forsake not those who seek You, O Lord....  Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move....”


Faith and Faithlessness

Time and time again, the Gospels make note of how much can be done with faith, and how little can be done without it.  When Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up the mountain to His Transfiguration, what did the other nine apostles do?  Well, the scriptures record that they were approached by the father of a possessed boy, and they tried unsuccessfully to exorcize the demon.

Their failure baffled them, since, after being sent by Jesus, the apostles had already cast out many demons (cf. Mark 6:13).  Yet Jesus squarely blamed their failure this time on their weak faith, so earlier, their faith must have been stronger!

The time they spent with Jesus should have strengthened their faith, not weakened it.  Apparently, the recent prophecy about His passion (Matthew 16:21ff) shook the apostles’ faith, such that they now had less confidence in Him, and in their own share in His mission.

Many of the people that enthusiastically endorse the teaching of Jesus and adamantly admire His miracles yet cannot accept His insistence on self-denial and taking up one’s cross as conditions of following Him.  Today, as always, that criterion still looms as the crucial dividing line between faith in Jesus and faithlessness.

Daily Retreat 08/11/06

2006 Aug 11 Fri: Clare, v, rf M
Na 2: 1. 3; 3: 1-3. 6-7/ Dt 32: 35cd-36ab. 39abcd. 41/ Mt 16: 24-28

From today’s readings:  “See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace!...  Surely, the LORD shall do justice for His people; on His servants He shall have pity....  Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”


Self-denial and Taking up the Cross

After the prediction of His passion, which already scandalized His Apostles enough, Jesus went a step further in insisting that His disciples also had to share in His passion by their self-denial and taking up their cross to follow Him.

“Take up your cross” has become the familiar slogan of determined encouragement whenever faced with the adverse difficulties of life, but we shouldn’t forget that that motto is only the second half of the whole formula proposed by our Lord.

In fact, before taking up the cross, the disciple is bid to “deny himself,” unsettling words that are too easily glossed over in our self-indulgent society.  For the burden of the cross is generally something forced on us - we can take it up willingly or unwillingly, but no matter what, every life will have its share of suffering.  But self-denial is by definition something voluntary, and in order to take up the cross in a Christ-like manner, we all need lots of daily practice in saying “No” to our whims and selfishness.  Try counting how many times today you make a clear, altruistic decision of self-denial, then thank God for those training opportunities for taking up the cross!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/10/06

2006 Aug 10 Thu: Lawrence, d, mt F
2 Cor 9: 6-10/ Ps 111(112): 1-2. 5-6. 7-8. 9/ Jn 12: 24-26

From today’s readings:  “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully....  Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.”


St. Lawrence

Over the centuries, the city of Rome has been sanctified by the blood of many martyrs, and countless other saints have spent time there as well.  So, it speaks volumes that, among all those saints, a particular devotion to St. Lawrence is still quite evident even among the citizens of that city today.

Lawrence was martyred in 258 AD, and reliable historical records prove that he was actually put to death on this very day, the 10th of August.  One of his primary duties as a deacon was to care for the poor and oversee the distribution of alms.  The first reading and psalm remind us of how zealous Lawrence was in this regard: “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever!”  “Lavishly he gives to the poor, his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory!”  Such a personal commitment to charitable works is an essential component of the Christian faith, and we all need inspirational examples like Lawrence to prod us to greater giving of ourselves....

For not only did Lawrence generously exercise his care of the poor, he also literally gave himself in his martyr’s witness to his unshakeable faith.  Sentenced to be roasted alive on a giant gridiron, midway through his tortures, he reportedly quipped to his executioners, “You can turn me over now - I’m done on that side!”  Such humor, especially in the midst of torments, demonstrated the saint’s confidence that his dying to self would bear much fruit, for his own suffering was united to the redemptive sufferings of Christ, thereby securing his share in the Savior’s promise, “Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there also will My servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves Me.”

Monday, August 07, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/09/06

2006 Aug 9 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, v, mt
Jer 31: 1-7/ Jer 31: 10. 11-12ab. 13/ Mt 15: 21-28

From today’s readings:  “Thus says the LORD: With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept My mercy toward you....   The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock....  O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Rude or Shrewd?

One of the clearest demonstrations of the need for scholarly scripture study are those Bible passages in which, at first reading, Jesus seems almost “un-Christlike.”  For example, when the Canaanite woman begged Jesus to help her daughter, He at first refused to even reply to her plea, and then basically called her a dog - how rude that response rubs us!

How does scripture study shed new light on the situation?  Well, first of all, when Jesus withdrew to Tyre and Sidon, He entered Gentile territory, and the prevailing custom of the time was for Jews to have as little contact as possible with Gentiles, especially where the people were descendants of the Canaanites, the ancient enemies of the Israelites.

But something is different here, because the pagan Canaanite woman addresses Jesus, not as a despised alien, but as “Lord, Son of David.”  So, it was appropriate for Him, if only for the disciples’ sake, to elicit a confirmation from her that she was not just being sarcastic, and to affirm the central place in His mission for the house of Israel.

When Jesus pointed out that “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs,” He is not stooping to name-calling, so much as He was emphasizing the dignity of those whose faith has embraced God as Father.  The Canaanites worshiped idols - what help could they expect from the God they refused to acknowledge?  And yet, interestingly, the word Jesus used for “dogs” is actually less of a pejorative and more of a diminutive, perhaps better translated as “pets” or “puppies,”viz., something that is loved and welcomed, but necessarily not in the same way as children are.

So, when the woman acknowledges the aptness of the allegory, and then even extends it with her insight that “dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters,” she demonstrates a degree of faith quite extraordinary for her circumstances, as Jesus does not begrudge in acknowledging and rewarding!

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/07/06

2006 Aug 7 Mon: Sixtus II, pp, mt, & co., mts/ Cajetan, p (Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time)
Jer 28: 1-17/ Ps 118(119): 29. 43. 79. 80. 95. 102/Mt 14: 13-21

From today’s readings:  “The prophet who prophesies peace is recognized as truly sent by the LORD only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled....  Lord, teach me Your statutes....  When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by Himself....”

Feeding the Five Thousand (Again)

Two Sundays ago, we started Chapter Six of John’s Gospel, which begins with the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, moves on to the miracle of walking on water, and then covers the Lord’s Bread of Life discourse for the remainder of the chapter.  Incidentally, while Sundays of Ordinary Time normally take precedence over liturgical feastdays, all solemnities and those feastdays which commemorate moments of the Lord’s life (as opposed to feastdays in honor of a saint) are observed even when they fall on a Sunday.  So, yesterday’s liturgical feastday of the Transfiguration pre-empted the regular lectionary readings for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, which would have included further verses of Chapter Six of John’s Gospel. Since next Sunday’s Gospel will be John 6:41-51, I encourage you to read up to verse 40 of John 6 in order to stay in step with the Sunday systematic reading of that chapter.

As mentioned before, the Sunday lectionary cycle is separate from the weekly lectionary cycle, so  by coincidence, today, the daily lectionary presents that same feeding of the five thousand miracle covered two Sundays ago, although this time, the version given in Matthew’s Gospel is featured.

Remember, the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of our Lord’s public life recorded in all four Gospels.  Why?  Well, when the Apostles went forth after Pentecost to share the Gospel, in addition to repeating the words of Jesus, they also repeated His actions, especially as He commanded them at the Last Supper, “Do this in memory of Me.”  So, the Apostles regularly broke bread and celebrated the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, in memory of Jesus, and they used those occasions to pass on their memories of what Christ said and did.  In the context of celebrating the Lord’s Supper, they naturally would recall the miraculous meal when Jesus fed the five thousand, so that narrative must have been repeated many times, and become unforgettable to all the early Christians.  

And to us as well!  So we in turn now recall anew how Jesus, “taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven, said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied!”

Daily Retreat 08/08/06

2006 Aug 8 Tue: Dominic, p, rf M
Jer 30: 1-2. 12-15. 18-22/ Ps 101(102): 16-18. 19-21. 29 and 22-23/ Mt 14: 22-36

From today’s readings:  “You shall be My people, and I will be your God....  The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all His glory....  O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”


Walking on Water

After the feeding of the five thousand, there was a move among the people to make Jesus their bread king (cf. John 6:15), but not willing to stomach such misdirected enthusiasm, Jesus quickly compelled the Apostles to withdraw by boat while He Himself retreated to the mountain solitude.

Like the Transfiguration, the miracle of walking on water at first glance seems almost out of character for Jesus.  For none of the Lord’s miracles were performed just for show - they always were done to provide needed help in various situations.  This is easy to see, for example, in the case of the many cures, but less obvious in regards to the Transfiguration and walking on water.

The context of the Transfiguration helps us understand that that miracle, which immediately followed the Lord’s prophecy about His passion and death, was intended to bolster the Apostles’ faith, which would have naturally been shaken by the scandalous prediction of the Lord’s passion.  
But, although the Apostles were indeed threatened by the tempestuous sea, Jesus did not need to walk on the water to rescue them - He could have just calmed the sea by a word of command, as He had earlier done (cf. Mark 4:35-41).   But walking on water wasn’t just showing off, for with that miracle Jesus not only re-confirmed for His Apostles the power and peace of His presence, but also inspired Peter literally to step out in faith, and even when his faith faltered, Jesus proved how He would always be there with a helping hand when needed most.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/06/06

2006 Aug 7 Mon: Sixtus II, pp, mt, & co., mts/ Cajetan, p (Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time)
Jer 28: 1-17/ Ps 118(119): 29. 43. 79. 80. 95. 102/Mt 14: 13-21

From today’s readings:  “The prophet who prophesies peace is recognized as truly sent by the LORD only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled....  Lord, teach me Your statutes....  When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by Himself....”

Feeding the Five Thousand (Again)

Two Sundays ago, we started Chapter Six of John’s Gospel, which begins with the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, moves on to the miracle of walking on water, and then covers the Lord’s Bread of Life discourse for the remainder of the chapter.  Incidentally, while Sundays of Ordinary Time normally take precedence over liturgical feastdays, all solemnities and those feastdays which commemorate moments of the Lord’s life (as opposed to feastdays in honor of a saint) are observed even when they fall on a Sunday.  So, yesterday’s liturgical feastday of the Transfiguration pre-empted the regular lectionary readings for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, which would have included further verses of Chapter Six of John’s Gospel. Since next Sunday’s Gospel will be John 6:41-51, I encourage you to read up to verse 40 of John 6 in order to stay in step with the Sunday systematic reading of that chapter.

As mentioned before, the Sunday lectionary cycle is separate from the weekly lectionary cycle, so  by coincidence, today, the daily lectionary presents that same feeding of the five thousand miracle covered two Sundays ago, although this time, the version given in Matthew’s Gospel is featured.

Remember, the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of our Lord’s public life recorded in all four Gospels.  Why?  Well, when the Apostles went forth after Pentecost to share the Gospel, in addition to repeating the words of Jesus, they also repeated His actions, especially as He commanded them at the Last Supper, “Do this in memory of Me.”  So, the Apostles regularly broke bread and celebrated the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, in memory of Jesus, and they used those occasions to pass on their memories of what Christ said and did.  In the context of celebrating the Lord’s Supper, they naturally would recall the miraculous meal when Jesus fed the five thousand, so that narrative must have been repeated many times, and become unforgettable to all the early Christians.  

And to us as well!  So we in turn now recall anew how Jesus, “taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven, said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied!”

Friday, August 04, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/06/06

2006 Aug 6 SUN: TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD F

Dn 7: 9-10. 13-14/ Ps 96(97): 1-2. 5-6. 9/ 2 Pt 1: 16-19/ Mk 9: 2-10

From today’s readings:  “As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of Heaven....  The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth....  We ourselves heard this voice come from Heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain....   Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became dazzling white....”

Triptych of the Transfiguration

The word “triptych” denotes a set of three related paintings, with the central, most important subject flanked by two other depictions, important in their own right, but used in the triptych setting to further accentuate the main work.

The Transfiguration of Jesus is, it seems, a divine triptych, with Jesus, God’s beloved Son flanked by Moses and Elijah, those two towering figures from the Old Testament who together represent the fullness of the Law and the Prophets, and the very purpose of those planks of Divine Revelation, namely, to set the stage for the coming of the Son of Man and the fullness of His eternal light.

But we modern Christians sometimes forget, or worse still, have never learned the importance of Moses.  I recall coming across a riddle in my youth, “How many of each type of animal did Moses bring aboard the ark with him?”   It’s a trick question, of course, because it was Noah, not Moses, who built the ark!  And yet when I tried this riddle out on some contemporaries, and they fell for it and answered “Two,” I tried re-asking the question, dropping a hint with heavy emphasis on the anachronistic name: “How many did MOSES bring aboard the ark?” but they still didn’t get it.  Finally, I had to explain the riddle to them, but rather than feeling sheepish about their mistake, they just would shrug their shoulders and admit, “Well, I don’t know that much about the Bible anyway.”  And evidently, just didn’t care to learn any more....

For Christians, the most important books of the Bible are the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament.  For Jews, the most important part of the Bible is the Torah, also known as the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, sometimes referred to as the “Books of Moses.” Hearing that title, some people naturally assumed that meant that Moses had written Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  But that theory makes it rather difficult to explain the verses in Deuteronomy that depict the death of Moses!  In reality, the Torah scrolls were called the “books of Moses” simply because Moses is the central character in all those books, except Genesis, of course, which, however, clearly leads up to the birth of Moses at the beginning of Exodus.

It was Moses whom God chose to lead the children of Israel out of the slavery of Egypt, and the first quarter of Exodus recounts how difficult a task that was!  Then, at the center of the Book of Exodus, Chapter 20, God gives the 10 Commandments, through His servant Moses, the mediator of the divine covenant.  The rest of the Pentateuch chronicles the unflagging leadership of Moses during adventures and misadventures of God’s people wandering through the wilderness for 40 years, and the compilation of the Mosaic Law which governed the Israelites. 

Fittingly, the final verses of the Pentateuch conclude, “No one has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face-to-face.  He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel.”  A pretty impressive man indeed, that Moses, the unrivaled champion of Law and Order, and Freedom, and yet, he’s one of the supporting actors in the drama of the Transfiguration!

Along with Elijah!  Now, God sent Elijah to His people centuries after Moses, and even several generations after David and Solomon.  At that time, the majority of the Israelites, including the monarchy, had abandoned their God, the Ancient One, in favor of various new age pagan idols who seemed more in touch with where the people were at.  You see, not only did the pagan religions neatly dispense with the burdensome ethical impositions of the Decalogue, but there was even room in the heathen rites for sexual orgies, and human sacrifice of innocent children, and other such barbarisms which should be unimaginable in our more civilized age.

And without warning, in the midst of this sad state of affairs, God sends Elijah as His prophet, and though outnumbered 450 to one, he confidently challenges the pagan prophets to a contest on Mt. Carmel, and on that holy mountain, the Ancient One flashes forth flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where the One True God confirmed Elijah’s prophetic message as altogether reliable, as a lamp shining in a dark place.  Even when later taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah, the prince and prototype of all the prophets, remained in the hearts and consciences of the chosen people as the great man of God, the holy hero who would come again before the Day of the Lord, that great and terrible day!   

In the Book of Ecclesiasticus, Sacred Scripture records these words of his praise:
   How awesome are you, ELIJAH! Whose glory is equal to yours?
   You brought a dead man back to life from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.
   You sent kings down to destruction, and nobles, from their beds of sickness.
   You heard threats at Sinai, at Horeb avenging judgments.
   You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance, and a prophet as your successor.
   You were taken aloft in a whirlwind, in a chariot with fiery horses.
   You are destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
    To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to reestablish the tribes of Jacob.
   Blessed is he who shall have seen you before he dies!

And yet Elijah, for all his fiery aplomb and matchless retinue of miracles, nonetheless willingly cedes center stage to the dazzling white Son of Man.

Who is it then, who stands in the center of this divine triptych, flanked by Moses representing the rightful might of the Law, and Elijah, personifying the peerless power of holy prophecy?  At the very center is Jesus, the beloved Son of God, whom the Apostles had indeed acknowledged as the Messiah and Holy One of God, yet without realizing the full extent of His glory and dominion, without understanding that Moses and Elijah, and all that was good and true and holy and beautiful gives testimony, as did God Himself, that we should listen to Him!

Like Peter, James, and John, you and I have doubtlessly underestimated Jesus in various ways, for even when we sincerely confess Him as our Lord and Savior, how often do our sinful actions crowd Him to the peripherals of the drama of our own life, how often does our bloated pride upstage His rightful place in our hearts, how often we fail to focus on Him, and listen to Him!

Let this then be the day for the Son of Man to be transfigured anew in our lives, so that the eternal triptych may shine with the light of Christ, flanked not just by Moses and Elijah, but with all faithful saints of old along with zealous disciples of today, who together agree, “Lord, how good it is for us to be here with You in the center of our lives!”

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/05/06

2006 Aug 5 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM/ Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major
Jer 26: 11-16. 24/ Ps 68(69): 15-16. 30-31. 33-34/ Mt 14: 1-12

From today’s readings:  “For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear....   Lord, in Your great love, answer me....  Herod the Tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus....”

Herod

NB:  Later in the month, on the 29th, the feast of the martyrdom of John the Baptist is celebrated, so today’s commentary will be more of a brief digression, an educational summary of the three prominent “Herods” mentioned in the New Testament.  Since there’s nothing edifying about any of the Herods, I must apologize for the uninspirational tone of today’s virtual retreat, but I still hope it will help sort through some common historical confusion!

From 37 - 4BC, Judea was ruled by King Herod the Great, who was, however, himself subject to the Romans.  This fist Herod was a strong and cunning ruler, and the mastermind of a series of the most grandiose building projects of all time in the Holy Land, including the great Temple in Jerusalem which stood at the time of Jesus.  Herod was also a ruthless tyrant, had ten wives, and suspicions of assassination led him to execute several members of his own family and household.  This was the same Herod who ruled at the time of the birth of Jesus, and who met the Magi, and ordered the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem.

After the death of Herod the Great, his will decreed that his territory be divided among several heirs, including his son Antipas, who became tetrarch of Galilee (the title “tetrarch” basically denoted a monarch somewhat less than a king).  In honor of his father, Antipas assumed the name of “Herod”as a dynastic title, much like Roman Emperors were called “Caesar” in honor of Julius Caesar.  So, Antipas is the same “Herod the tetrarch” mentioned in Matthew 14 whose lust led him to marry Herodias (his brother’s wife) and eventually behead John the Baptist.  Herod Antipas was intrigued and haunted by the reports he heard about Jesus, and even slyly and underhandedly threatened Him,  which provoked Jesus Himself to label Herod a “fox” (cf. Luke 13:32).  During the Lord’s trial, Pilate expediently tried to rid himself of responsibility by sending Jesus to Herod for judgment, but since Jesus refused to speak a single word, Herod dismissed Him as a fool, sending Him back to Pilate.  A few years after the death of Jesus, Herod Antipas experienced some military and political setbacks, and was eventually exiled in disgrace.

Because of incest and divorce, the Herodian family tree is quite convoluted.  The Acts of the Apostles also briefly mentions Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great (but not the son of Antipas, although Agrippa ultimately succeeded him as ruler of Galilee).  Agrippa spent his wanton youth in Rome, where he became friends with Caligula, and when that madman became emperor in 37 AD, to reward Agrippa, Caligula established him as his satellite king.  Agrippa successfully curried favor with the Jews, going so far as to imprison Peter and execute James (cf. Acts 12), but after blasphemous ostentation, Herod Agrippa was smitten with a foul disease (perhaps a ruptured appendix) which caused  his death in 44 AD.

Daily Retreat 08/04/06

2006 Aug 4 Fri: John Mary Vianney, p M
Jer 26: 1-9/ Ps 68(69): 5. 8-10. 14/ Mt 13: 54-58

From today’s readings:  “Thus says the LORD: If you disobey Me, not living according to the law I placed before you and not listening to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them, I will treat this house like Shiloh, and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth shall refer when cursing another....  But I pray to You, O LORD, for the time of Your favor, O God!...  Jesus came to His native place and taught the people in their synagogue....”

Close to Home

The people of Nazareth were honored by God to have Jesus grow up there, and yet when He began His public ministry, teaching with divine wisdom, and working miracles with divine power, and returned for a visit to His native place, they were scandalized!

This same attitude is reflected even among some nominal Christians today, those who are comfortable with Jesus only in peripheral parts of their lives.  But as for taking His divine wisdom seriously and considering the implications of His omnipotence and living their lives accordingly, they take offense  at the idea that anyone would dare tell them how to live their lives!

It’s all too easy, in fact, to only accept Jesus and His Gospel up to the point where there starts to be a bit of personal discomfort, where His message begins to hit too close to home!  And yet, that’s where we especially need Jesus and His wisdom and divine power in our lives - not to scandalize us, but to put an end to the scandalous in us!


 

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/03/06

2006 Aug 3 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
Jer 18: 1-6/ Ps 145(146): 1b-2. 3-4. 5-6ab/ Mt 13: 47-53

From today’s readings:  “Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD....  Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them....  every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

The Old and the New

Chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel contains a healthy sampling of the Lord’s parables.  After the chapter’s last parable (the dragnet), Jesus asked His disciples, “Do you understand all these things?”  And the reply is a simple “Yes.”  

There is a real danger in studying scripture to assume that the Word of God is more complicated than at first it appears.  The parables of Chapter 13 seem clear enough, but some readers are inclined to start guessing about “deeper meanings.”  True, God’s Word expresses His unfathomable wisdom, and so there will always be something new that we can learn from it, by re-reading and studying more in depth.  But that doesn’t mean that scripture can only be understood by those with graduate degrees, because the Lord inspired the Bible specifically so His Word could be clearly spread in the written media!

On the other hand, an equally disastrous temptation is to pretend that the Bible is so clear, that no real study is necessary, because the intended meaning is always readily apparent.  But Jesus Himself refers to the advantages of the scribe who is learned and instructed in heavenly matters, able to bring forth from the treasury of both the new and the old.  That’s the effective balance that we need to strive for in our scripture study!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Daily Retreat 08/02/06

2006 Aug 2 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Eusebius of Vercelli, bp/ Peter Julian Eymard, p
Jer 15: 10. 16-21/ Ps 58(59): 2-3. 4. 10-11. 17. 18/ Mt 13: 44-46

From today’s readings:  “When I found Your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, because I bore Your Name, O LORD, God of hosts....  O my strength! your praise will I sing, for You, O God, are my stronghold, my merciful God!...  The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field....”

Buried Treasure

The parables of the buried treasure and superlative pearl are only found in the Gospel of St. Matthew.  These two simple and brief stories are clear enough - so straightforward, in fact, that the other evangelists either didn’t remember them, or didn’t consider them important enough to record.  But as he listened to Jesus speaking these parables, Matthew, the former publican, must have paid particular attention and received a profound sense of consolation in newly appraising the Pearl of great price which he had obtained by forfeiting his tax collector’s post.

But too often, I fear, we consider the prize of Heaven, not like a treasure or exquisite pearl, but like a season-end clearance sale.  If we don’t have to pay too much, then we’ll buy it, but if the price is too high today, well, perhaps it will go down tomorrow, or, in the worst case, if what we’re searching for is sold-out, then we’ll just have to wait until the season comes around again.

But anything heavenly surpasses everything earthly, and we need to get that straight!  For if they’re not recognized for what they’re worth, buried treasures and priceless pearls have a way of being lost by default....

Daily Retreat 07/27/06

2006 Jul 27 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
Jer 2: 1-3. 7-8. 12-13/ Ps 35(36): 6-7ab. 8-9. 10-11/ Mt 13: 10-17

From today’s readings:  “Be amazed at this, O heavens, and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD. Two evils have My people done: they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water....  How precious is your mercy, O God!...  Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Problematic Parables

Since Jesus is the greatest teacher of all time, His use of parables is exemplary.  And yet, while sometimes the parables do offer a concrete simile to help the audience understand abstract aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven, nonetheless, the parables generally mystify at least as much as they clarify.

But since Jesus brings the fullness of God’s revelation, it surely would have been counterproductive for Him to mislead the very people He came to save.  Thus, it would be unfair to conclude that Jesus intended to confuse His listeners with the parables - instead, His “mystifying” traits shrewdly entice the listeners to use their own minds and creativity to consider the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.  But for those who refuse to get involved and impatiently demand that the answers be spelled out for them, the parables properly shroud the mystery.

If we just gloss over the Lord’s parables, refusing to expend the necessary time and energy to profitably meditate on them, letting them come in one ear and out the other, then we continue to fulfill Isaiah’s pathetic prophecy about those who close their eyes and plug their ears to the saving revelation of God.  But, if we, like the apostles, take the time to prayerfully ask God to help us fathom the mysteries of the parables, He will surely make our eyes and ears blessed to see and hear and understand what many prophets and righteous people longed to see and hear.