Daily Retreat 09/01/07

2007 Sep 1 Sat/ BVM
1 Thes 4: 9-11/ Ps 97(98): 1. 7-8. 9/ Mt 25: 14-30

From today’s readings:  “You yourselves have been taught by God to love one another....  The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice....  A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them....”

Taught by God to love one another

In an intriguing statement, Paul asserts that the Thessalonians have been “taught by God to love one another.”  When were they taught?  How?  Jesus had never visited Thessalonika, so what could Paul be referring to?  Perhaps when Paul preached to the Thessalonians, his words on Christian charity must have struck a resonant chord - his words must have rang so true in their ears, they must have felt they had heard it all before....

God teaches us through Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church.  But in accord with these, God also teaches us through His Word written on our hearts.  To be taught by God, you and I must constantly be listening to Him speaking to us through Scripture, the Magisterium, and our hearts....  Since we have the best Teacher, there’s no excuse for us being slow learners!

Daily Retreat 08/31/07

2007 Aug 31 Fri
1 Thes 4:1-8/ Ps 96(97):1 and 2b. 5-6. 10. 11-12/ Mt 25:1-13

From today’s readings: “ For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness....  Rejoice in the Lord, you just!...  Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

The Next Step

As mentioned yesterday, the Christians in Thessalonika were evidently on the right track in many regards, inspiring Paul to give thanks to God for their inspirational conduct.  But Paul doesn’t say the Thessalonians are “good enough” now, and there’s no longer any room for improvement!  Instead, Paul writes, “We earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God– and as you are conducting yourselves– you do so even more!”

In striving to become saints, you and I need to humbly (and constantly!) admit that we each have room for improvement.  When we figure that we’re basically living an overall “good” life, it’s easy to slip into a degree of spiritual smugness, but that’s the very poison that will kill spiritual progress.

Instead, we need to constantly turn to Christ to show us the next step towards Him that we can make.  And coming closer to Christ always means shunning all sin, “for God did not call us to impurity, but to holiness.”

Daily Retreat 08/30/07

2007 Aug 30 Thu
1 Thes 3:7-13/ Ps 89(90):3-5a. 12-13. 14 and 17/ Mt 24:42-51

From today’s readings: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all....  Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!...  Stay awake, for you do not know on which day your Lord will come....”

Lulled into Complacency

Complacency is one of the most insidious temptations that you and I can fall into.  How easy it is to decide, “Well, I may not be perfect, but I’ve more or less got my act together, especially in comparison to other people I know!”  Granted, we might not be that explicit about our sense of self-satisfaction, but when we’re honest with ourselves, you and I will often be surprised to realize how often a certain sense of smugness has crept into our lives.

St. Paul was the master of giving people a nice “pat on the back” while encouraging them to keep striving for improvement.  In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is filled with thanksgiving, joy, and reassurance for the Thessalonians faithfulness - evidently, the young Church in Thessalonika wasn’t doing too bad!  Yet Paul also warns against complacency, gently pointing out certain “deficiencies of faith,” and praying that the Lord help his friends “INCREASE and abound in love...”  Jesus too, commands us to not be lulled into complacency, but rather, “Stay awake!”

Daily Retreat 08/29/07

2007 Aug 29 Wed:Martyrdom of John the Baptist M
1 Thes 2:9-13/ Ps 138(139):7-8. 9-10. 11-12ab/ Mk 6:17-29

From today’s readings: “We treated each one of you as a father treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His Kingdom and glory....  You have searched me and you know me, Lord....  Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison, on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.... ”

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!

Daily Retreat 08/28/07

2007 Aug 28 Tue:Augustine, bp, dr M
1 Thes 2:1-8/ Ps 138(139):1-3. 4-6/ Mt 23:23-26

From today’s readings: “ We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children....  You have searched me and you know me, Lord....  Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean....”

The Whys and Hows

The morality of human acts depends on:
    - the object chosen;
    - the end in view or the intention;
    - the circumstances of the action.

    The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the "sources," or
    constitutive elements, of the morality of human acts. CCC§1750

Christian ethics evaluates whether an action is good or evil based on the above three criteria mentioned in  The Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Paul specifically addresses the issue of intention (and partially, the circumstances) in these verses from chapter two of his first letter to the Thessalonians.  It is, after all, possible to do the right thing for the wrong reasons.  Paul says that even the noble task of spreading the Gospel can be defiled with delusion, impure motives, deception, desire to please men, flattering speech, or greed!

After reading Paul’s evaluation of his own pure and lofty motives for evangelizing, let us subject ourselves to the same scrutiny: of the things we think, say, and do, are our intentions and methods pure?  If perhaps you and I find ourselves doing the right thing for the wrong reason (or in the wrong way), NOW is the time to be inspired by Paul’s example....

Daily Retreat 08/27/07

2007 Aug 27 Mon:Monica, mw M
1 Thes 1:1-5. 8b-10/ Ps 149:1b-2. 3-4. 5-6a and 9b/ Mt 23:13-22

From today’s readings: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ....  The Lord takes delight in His people....  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.....”

Love Letters

E-mail and other modern means of communications are great inventions (of course, that’s how most of you receive these daily virtual retreat reflections!), but these modern media merely supplement, but will never completely replace, older methods of communications, such as writing personal letters.  

For instance, I’m sure many of you who receive this reflection have a full inbox today, and might only give a quick glance to these words. How different it would be if you received a personal letter from me!  You would almost certainly take whatever time necessary to read through the whole thing....  

One of St. Paul’s most effective evangelization strategies was his commitment to letter writing.  Not a single letter of his is an impersonal piece of throwaway junkmail - rather, each epistle is filled with profound truth, sincere personal solicitude, hearty encouragement, and Christian charity.  His letters of love became prized possessions of the recipients, so that they kept them carefully while copying them copiously to share the blessings received through reading them!

Today, the lectionary’s first reading is the beginning of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (probably the earliest written words of the entire New Testament!).  Take a few minutes to read the entire letter today, but be sure to read it as a personal letter (i.e., slowly, carefully, lovingly), not skimming through it the way we do with so much junkmail (and perhaps even this email!).    Then consider whom you would like to say these things to:
“We give thanks to God always for all of you,  remembering you in our prayers...”

Why not be like St. Paul - stop procrastinating, and write your own beautiful letter TODAY of profound truth, sincere personal solicitude, hearty encouragement, and Christian charity?  This is one of the best ways to not just brighten a person’s day, but to evangelize (share good news!) and give something that becomes a prized possession, a blessing to be treasured intently and shared joyfully!

Daily Retreat 08/26/07

2007 Aug 26 SUN:TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 66:18-21/ Ps 116(117):1. 2/ Heb 12:5-7. 11-13/ Lk 13:22-30

From today’s readings: “I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see My glory....   Go out to all the world and tell the Good News....  Strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees....  Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough....”

Election in Salvation

The ideal in a democracy is for every eligible and well-informed citizen to exercise his right to vote, and (barring due process for disenfranchisement) that right to vote is a sacrosanct privilege and responsibility guaranteed by the country’s constitution, for without it,  no nation can be recognized as a true democracy.

This ideal of 100% participation in an election is an actual possibility: even hillbillies in the remotest backwoods, and those burdened with illiteracy or physical handicaps are enfranchised,  for the government must provide sufficient polling places as well as recourse to absentee ballots so that no qualified citizen is denied the opportunity to cast his vote.  And of course, citizens are not merely given the opportunity to vote, we are positively encouraged and aided in this regard!

However, no election comes close to that ideal level of participation - not because it’s an impossibility, not because it’s discouraged or impeded, but only because citizens are not forced to vote, and so many tragically choose not to be a part of the election process.  In the last American presidential election, for instance, fewer than 60% of eligible voters cast a ballot.  For the “off-years,” when the White House is not up for grabs, the national turnout for congressional, state, and local elections is invariably less than 50%.

Now, I offer these sobering statistics not only to perhaps inspire more conscientious citizenship in our earthly democracies, but even more importantly, to cultivate future citizenship in the heavenly theocracy, because, as I will explain, the issue of ideal vs. actual voter participation parallels the issue of ideal vs. actual creature salvation.

It is not the intention or desire of God that any person He creates suffers eternal damnation.  Rather, the ideal would be for every single rational creature of God to elect to take part in God’s plan of salvation.  And God makes this an actual possibility: even those Stone Age men born into the most pagan and savage tribes of long ago could embrace salvation through faithfulness to the God-given light of conscience and the unflagging pursuit of Truth.  The psalm sings of this universal divine appeal: “Praise the Lord, all you nations, glorify Him, all you peoples!”

But it wasn’t enough for God in His plan of creation to make salvation possible for all - God deigned to encourage and aid His children in every way possible, and so He enlightened our world with Divine Revelation, beginning with His chosen people, and then, as Isaiah reminds us, proceeding  “to gather nations of every language.”  And with Godly Grace, He holds out His helping hand at every moment to guide and discipline us, to keep us on the straight path to Him through the narrow gate.

God wants all to be saved, God makes it possible for all to be saved, God offers help and aid so that all can be saved, and yet, God forces no one to be saved, and so many tragically choose not to be a part of the salvation process!  People elect to ignore God’s commands and the light of conscience.  They are seduced by this world’s empty campaign promises, and thus cast off divine discipline in order to cast their lot with lewd licentiousness.  They stand up to be counted as pro-choice for the most selfish pursuits, even at the cost of innocent lives.  They ratify immorality and endorse Godlessness and blasphemy.  And more often than not, they vote with their feet to absent themselves from God’s house, forgetting that the day will come when, having thus disenfranchised themselves, they will find the door locked for an eternal term, and the Voice from within saying, “Depart from Me, all you evildoers!”

Daily Retreat 08/25/07

2007 Aug 25 Sat/ BVM/ Louis of France, mm/ Joseph Calasanz, p, rf
Ru 2:1-3. 8-11; 4:13-17/ Ps 127(128):1b-2. 3. 4. 5/ Mt 23:1-12

From today’s readings: “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with an heir....  See how the Lord blesses those who fear Him....   Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted....”

Family Ties

The mobility of our society and many other factors have contributed to an overall weakening of family ties.  The Book of Ruth, however, is a reminder that such family ties are more than mere social customs that can come or go, because it was God Himself who ordained the traditional family as the unit through which He would continue the propagation of the human race.

You might recall that, in the Pentateuch, a number of actual laws were recorded that were designed specifically to strengthen and preserve family ties.  Some of the laws provided for the return of family lands after being mortgaged or sold in times of dire poverty (e.g.,  Lev. 25:25-28).  Another law stipulated that if a man died without children, his brother was expected to marry the widow and beget descendants in the name of the deceased man (cf. Deut 25:5-6; such a marriage was called a "levirate" marriage, from the Latin word levir, meaning “husband's brother”).   Many of these customs were based on assumptions of primogeniture, that idea that the oldest son should be the main agent for preserving and strengthening family prestige and property over the generations.

The Book of Ruth shows how such laws, even if considered obsolete for our times, did indeed provide some basis of security for widows, for both Ruth and Naomi are rewarded with a happy ending for their faithfulness.  In every age, those who defend and recognize the family as an obvious part of God’s plan continue the noble tradition recorded in the Book of Ruth, for those who cling dearly to family ties will find them to be a great blessing!

Daily Retreat 08/24/07

2007 Aug 24 Fri:Bartholomew, ap F
Rv 21:9b-14/ Ps 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.

Daily Retreat 08/23/07

2007 Aug 23 Thu/ Rose of Lima, v
Jgs 11:29-39a/ Ps 39(40):5. 7-8a. 8b-9. 10/ Mt 22:1-14

From today’s readings: “The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah....  Here I am, Lord; I come to do Your will....  Many are invited, but few are chosen....”

What does God want?

It is easy to be mistaken about what God wants - oftentimes, we figure God wants what we want.  Some of the most important lessons of our life come when we realize that we don’t always know what’s best for us, but God does!

Another mistake is to assume that God wants what other people mistakenly say He wants.  This was the mistake Jephthah made - he assumed God would be pleased with the same type of human sacrifices the bloodthirsty pagan idols looked for!  So, to thank God for victory, he promised God,  "Whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a burnt offering!"

Reading the text of Jephthah’s sacrifice of his daughter curdles our blood - we wonder why the awful deed is not condemned here (human sacrifice is, of course, condemned elsewhere - see, for example, Deut. 12:29-31).  There’s no question that the grisly sacrifice was not pleasing at all to God!  

But here we can learn a lesson about reading scripture: isolated passages can easily be misinterpreted.  Reading this passage by itself, someone could conceivably conclude that God was pleased with Jephthah’s vow, and therefore granted him the victory he sought.  But reading the passage in the whole context of scripture, remembering what God tells us He wants (the psalm gives some good hints - much later, Jesus came to give some good answers!), it’s impossible to praise Jephthah’s vow, but we can reflect on it, and maybe learn an important lesson from its gruesomeness - it’s easy to make tragic mistakes in our life when we refuse to listen to what God wants for Himself, and for us!

Daily Retreat 08/22/07

2007 Aug 22 Wed:Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary M
Jgs 9:6-15/ Ps 20(21):2-3. 4-5. 6-7/ Mt 20:1-16

From today’s readings: “Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves....  Lord, in Your strength the king is glad....  The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard....”

Settling for third rate

It is easy to follow a champion who seems invincible and is doing everything the way we think things should be done.  It is harder to follow a leader who is self-effacing and asks us to do the “right thing”, even when difficult and counter-cultural.  

There are many, for instance, who applaud the Pope when he stands tall for issues which they themselves see as worthwhile causes; however, the same people look for a more moderate “popular” standard-bearer when the Pope calls for peace, or social justice, or the upholding of Christian standards of morality, or realization of the uniqueness of Christ’s revelation.  

At the end of his life, Gideon, God’s chosen champion, was offered the kingship, but he refused, preferring to follow the direction God had indicated rather than the popular whim (Judges 8:22-23).  However, after Gideon’s death, his son Abimelech capitalized on the popular desire to be like everyone else and have a king.  But to become king, Abimelech had to kill all his brothers, which he managed to do, except for Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon.  

Now we can understand the strange “parable of the trees” narrated by Jotham in the first reading:  The citizens of Shechem weren’t satisfied with the good reasons for which Gideon (and possibly some of his nobler sons) refused the kingship (as did the olive tree, fig, and vine). They kept asking around until they found someone who gave them the answer they wanted to hear (Abimelech, who like the buckthorn, was more than ready to be king!).  Read the rest of chapter nine to see the tragic price of settling for an ignoble, sleazy third-rate leader who is ready to compromise principle in order to be popular!  Then, ask yourself honestly if you’re shopping around for someone to tell you what you want to hear, or if you are up to the challenge of the many “hard sayings” of Jesus, such as His commitment to being ever-generous in His mercy, as the Gospel relates, or His insistence on the importance of actually eating His very flesh, the Bread of life, which was rejected by the majority as a “hard saying”  (John 6:60-66).

Daily Retreat 08/21/07

2007 Aug 21 Tue:Pius X, pp M
Jgs 6:11-24a/ Ps 84(85):9. 11-12. 13-14/ Mt 19:23-30

From today’s readings: “The LORD is with you, O champion!...  The Lord speaks of peace to His people....  It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God....”

The Lord is with me???

    The deeds of Gideon are recounted in chapters 6-8 of the Book of Judges (it will take less than 5 minutes to read those chapters and thereby gain a much clearer picture of the importance of the incident in today’s first reading).  Evidently, life was really tough - Gideon had to beat out wheat secretly in the wine press so the ruthless Mideonites wouldn’t confiscate the little bit of food remaining for his family.  
    Understandably, then, Gideon is skeptical when an angel appears to him with the greeting, “The Lord is with you!”  Like you and me at times, Gideon is tempted to see disaster and the hardships of life as “proof” that the Lord is NOT with him and his family.  Nonetheless, the angel’s words have become a reality - the Lord IS with Gideon, and insists, and inspires Gideon to make an act of faith - to prepare an offering (from the tiny store of food remaining to Gideon!), which is convincingly accepted by the Lord.  Gideon will go on to seek even clearer signs that the Lord is with him, and the Lord will again give those signs convincingly (see 6:36-40).
    What proof is there that the Lord is with you?  The evil and tribulations which afflict our lives do not disprove the presence of God - rather, our perseverance in the face of adversity is itself only possible because of the presence of God!  Gideon is completely aware of his insignificance - he knows his victories can only be attributed to the presence of God.  So rather than resigning himself to being an eternal victim of injustice, Gideon allows himself to become the “champion” God wants to transform him into, a champion who will convincingly sing the Psalm that truly the Lord brings justice and “peace to His people, and to His faithful ones,  and to those who put in Him their hope!”  
    As soon as you and I realize that “for God, ALL things are possible," then we will stop being intimidated by evil, and we will offer all we have (however little and insignificant that might seem!) and allow ourselves to become champions of God’s righteousness!

Daily Retreat 08/20/07

2007 Aug 20 Mon:Bernard, ab, dr M
Jgs 2:11-19/ Ps 105(106):34-35. 36-37. 39-40. 43ab and 44/ Mt 19:16-22

From today’s readings: “Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD....  Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people....  If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, follow Me....”

The Vicious Cycle

    Many of us Christians have very little familiarity with the Old Testament, especially since numerous passages are difficult to understand, or are just plain ponderous reading!  If you’ve never really “gotten into” reading the Old Testament, consider trying the Book of Judges - it’s juicy, dramatic, exciting, and even occasionally familiar (not to mention a bit gory at times!).  Some highlights will be presented in the next few days, but since the lectionary cycle of readings skips a lot, I encourage you to read the whole book!  
     This book is toward the beginning of the Bible, right after the Book of Joshua, and basically starts where Joshua leaves off - after the Israelite conquest and settlement of the land of Canaan.  Understandably, this was a time of “getting settled” - there wasn’t very much routine or  certainty about anything.  The book of Judges reports, however, that a certain routine did get established: the cycle of  disobeying the Lord by turning to false gods, consequential disasters, realization of the need for repentance, and help from God in the form of a “judge.”   
    Today, we think of a judge as a public official who deliberates on a legal case and passes a sentence of justice, but the judges mentioned in this book of the Bible, however, have the more difficult task of doing themselves whatever it takes to restore justice and righteousness (which usually means ridding the land of an oppressive invader!).
    This all makes for not only thrilling history, but also instructive history.  Whether as individuals, families, or nations, we continue that same cycle: first we turn away from God, then we suffer consequential problems, finally we realize the need for repentance, and inevitably, help from God comes just when we need it the most!  Ideally, reading the book of Judges will help us learn a bit from mistakes of the past....

Daily Retreat 08/19/07

2007 Aug 19 SUN:TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jer 38:4-6. 8-10/ Ps 40:2. 3. 4. 18 (14b)/ Heb 12:1-4/ Lk 12:49-53

From today’s readings: “Jeremiah ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them....  Lord, come to my aid!...  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood....  I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! ”

The Most Difficult Thing

What is the hardest, most difficult thing you were ever asked to do?  And, were you persuaded to do it?  I know the answer!  I know the answer because I have dedicated my life to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the One who explained that He had come to set the earth on fire, the One who admitted to the greatest anguish in anticipation of His baptism, His Passion on the Cross.  And He asks you and me and all who would be His disciples to die to self and take up our Cross and follow Him.

That’s along the same lines of what Jeremiah was asked to do.  A demanding prophet is never popular, particularly in demanding times, when people most want to hear anything to make them feel good about themselves.  In Jeremiah’s day, the calamitous effect of decadent decades of a whole nation turning away from God was all too evident, but people preferred to pitifully punish the prophet who pointed out such problems, rather than heeding his call to do things God’s way.  You see, Jeremiah was asked to do things God’s way in his own life, even at the price of his own life, and further, Jeremiah was asked to relay that same message to all the people.  Not an enviable way to make a living!

And yet, the Second Reading surprises us with the unlikely but nevertheless undeniable reminder that, over the centuries, a great crowd of witnesses have joined Jeremiah in doing things God’s way in their own lives, even at the price of their own lives.  How so?  Simply by “keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken His seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how He endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood....”

What’s the hardest, most difficult thing you and I have ever been, and will ever be, asked to do?  To take Jesus at His word, and to take our faith in Him seriously, to do things God’s way in our lives, even at the price of our very lives!  It’s not at all easy to do that in these demanding times, when people most want to hear anything to make them feel good about themselves and their predicament.  But it’s never been easy, nor will it ever be easy - by definition, dying to self is the hardest, most difficult thing one can be asked to do, and yet here we are, in spite of our unworthiness, in spite of our failings and fears, praying that same psalm, “Lord, come to my aid!”   For the sake of the joy that Christ defined, we have been persuaded, and so we ask God for the grace to join that great crowd of witnesses who do things God’s way in their own lives, even at the price of their own lives!

Daily Retreat 08/18/07

2007 Aug 18 Sat/ BVM/ Jane Frances de Chantal, mw, rf
Jos 24:14-29/ Ps 16:1-2a and 5. 7-8. 11/ Mt 19:13-15

From today’s readings: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD!...  You are my inheritance, O Lord....  Let the children come to Me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these....”

The Choice

    Free will is the most sublime element of our human nature.  Whenever we see great evil done by others (or by ourselves!), the question can arise, “Why did our Creator endow us with this gift of free will, which makes us capable of hatred and evil?”  The answer, of course, is that, without our free will, you and I would be incapable of love and goodness.  God gave us this gift of freedom simply so that we could love and choose Him!  So this is the drama of human life: how do we use or abuse our freedom?
    Joshua stresses this point - no one is forced to know, love and serve God.  Ultimately, we can (and too often do!) choose to serve false gods (as is the case, for instance, when we put our pursuit of money or prestige ahead of our dedication to God).  But Joshua gives the timely reminder that the exercise of our free will bears weighty consequence, for good or for ill.  So the psalmist reminds us:  When, with all of our heart, we choose and recognize the Lord as our inheritance, you and I are using His gift of free will for its intended purpose, and so, our life is filled with the consolation of His presence – “With Him at my right hand, I shall not be disturbed!”
    Free will actually makes us like God - after all, He did not have to create us, and redeem us, and choose us and love us every moment of our existence!  He chose (and chooses!) us, not because He needs us, or is dependent on our help, but rather because He has freely decided to give of Himself to His beloved children, to embrace and bless for all eternity those who choose Him and come to Him!

Daily Retreat 08/17/07

2007 Aug 17 Fri
Jos 24:1-13/ Ps 135(136):1-3. 16-18. 21-22 and 24/ Mt 19:3-12

From today’s readings: “Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges and their officers....  His mercy endures forever....  Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate....”

Don’t Forget!

The first half of chapter 24 of Joshua is a quick summary of salvation history from the time of Abraham (chapters 12-24 of Genesis) to the end of the Book of Joshua.  By presenting this overview of God’s continuous intervention on behalf of His chosen people, Joshua hopes to inspire the people to respond by whole-heartedly choosing God (that choice, and the Israelites’ response, will be presented in tomorrow’s reading of the second half of Joshua 24).

By now, it should be apparent that one of the most basic recurring themes in Sacred Scripture is “Don’t forget what God has done for you and your ancestors!”  Most of us are probably guilty of not thanking God enough for the many blessings we’ve received from Him in our own lives, but all of us are certainly neglectful too often of thanking God for the blessings He’s given to those who came before us - all that we’ve spiritually inherited should certainly inspire us to turn in gratitude to Him through whom all blessings come....

Daily Retreat 08/16/07

2007 Aug 16 Thu/ Stephen of Hungary, mm
Jos 3:7-10a. 11. 13-17/ Ps 113(114):1-2. 3-4. 5-6/ Mt 18:21 – 19:1

From today’s readings: “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God....  When Israel came forth from Egypt....  Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? ”

Joshua

For many people, the ruthless military campaigns recorded in the Book of Joshua make its 24 chapters among the least edifying scripture readings.  Nevertheless, the book is indisputably part of the Bible, and so, part of the divine revelation God has given us to ground our faith.  We thus ignore or discard this text at our own peril!

The name “Joshua” is a Hebrew word meaning “the Lord saves.”  When the Hebrew scriptures were translated intro Greek, “Joshua” was rendered “Jesus,” so our Savior’s Name was actually derived from the name of the hero of this book of the Bible, who was the assistant and eventual successor of Moses.  For this reason, a number of the Church Fathers commented on how Joshua pre-figured Jesus as Savior.

The Book of Joshua can be divided in three parts.  Chapters 1-12 give the account of the Israelite conquest and settlement of the Promised Land, including the miraculous crossing of the Jordan (chapter 3 - today’s reading) and fall of Jericho (chapter 6).  Chapters 13-21 relate details of the division of the land among the Israelite tribes.   Finally, chapters 22-24 recount Joshua’s last words and deeds, including the renewal of the covenant.  While the lectionary only covers a small portion of Joshua, the book is a fairly easy read (particularly the first half), and so we should take up the book and follow Joshua’s invitation to “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God.”

Daily Retreat 08/15/07

2007 Aug 15 Wed: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....  The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold....  Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep....  My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord....”

Assumption and Ascension

Two related feastdays that occasionally get confused are the Assumption (of Mary) and the Ascension (of Jesus).

Forty Days after His Resurrection, in the sight of His apostles, Jesus ascended into Heaven, where He is seated in glory at the right hand of God the Father.  The term “Ascension” is used to emphasize that Jesus, as God, returned to Heaven by His own divine power.

At the end of her earthly life, Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven, where she reigns as first among all the saints. While understandably endowed by God with the highest honor, Mary is still a creature of God and therefore not divine herself, and not the recipient of the divine worship and adoration owing to God alone. The term “Assumption” is used to emphasize that Mary, intrinsically possessing no divine power, was taken up into Heaven body and soul by God.

While different, the two feastdays are nonetheless similar in specifically insisting on the bodily dimension of the presence in Heaven of Mary and Jesus.   Christ ascended into Heaven in His glorified body, not just in spirit!  Likewise, Mary was assumed into Heaven body and soul, a singular privilege that will not be accorded to other saints until the end of time and the general resurrection of the body, since God created us body AND soul; He redeemed us body AND soul; His eternal plan is to unite us with Him, body AND soul, just as He has already taken the Blessed Virgin, body AND soul, to be with Him forever in Heaven!

Daily Retreat 08/14/07

2007 Aug 14 Tue:Maximilian Mary Kolbe, p, mt M
Dt 31:1-8/ Dt 32:3-4ab. 7. 8. 9 and 12/ Mt 18:1-5. 10. 12-14

From today’s readings: “It is the LORD who marches before you; He will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you....  The portion of the Lord is His people....  In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost....”

The End of Moses and the Torah

The whole book of Deuteronomy is set at the end of Moses’ life, when the Israelites had finally come to the end of their wilderness wandering and were preparing to enter the Promised Land.  So, the book’s collection of Moses’ words serve as a type of last will and testament of that great servant of God, and the last chapter (34) recounts the death of Moses.

For almost two months now, the daily first readings have been from the first five books of the Bible, collectively known as the “Torah” or “Pentateuch.”  For the Jewish people, these five books are the most revered part of Sacred Scripture, so it is inexcusable for us Christians to be ignorant of the content and significance of these books!  When He was growing up, Jesus Himself would have spent many hours reading the Torah and meditating on the words we have been studying these past weeks.

The book of Deuteronomy is especially apt as the Pentateuch’s finale because its verses review and recall parts of the other books of the Torah, thereby reminding us that the words of Scripture should be read and re-read.  We should take the time to reflect on all of salvation history in order to thank God for His saving work before our own times, because we are the heirs of all the blessings of the past!  But that implies that we should also learn as much as we can from the past.

The best known verses of Deuteronomy (30:15-20) are skipped this week because they are included elsewhere in the lectionary at the start of Lent.  I encourage you to re-read them now, though, since those verses summarize the end and purpose of all Scripture, which shows us how choosing God and His life and law leads to blessings and the fulfillment of our existence, whereas turning away from God and His life and law leads to death and curses.  The right choice is so clear, yet we certainly need God’s loving help every day to choose Him every day of our lives!

Daily Retreat 08/13/07

2007 Aug 13 Mon/ Pontian, pp, mt, and Hippolytus, p, mt
Dt 10:12-22/ Ps 147/ Mt 17:22-27

From today’s readings: “ In His love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples....  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem....  From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?”

Chosen People

The rhetoric of the book of Deuteronomy is divine - the words of Moses again and again explain why and how to put God first in our lives, to “fear the LORD, your God, and follow His ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD.... He is your glory, He, your God, who has done for you those great and terrible things which your own eyes have seen!”

There are many reasons to put God first in our lives - even if there weren’t other reasons, just the mere fact that He is Almighty God is, of course, a sufficiently compelling reason to love, worship and obey Him.  But Moses reminds the Israelites (and us) that an even more compelling reason exists to love, worship and obey God, for although “the heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the LORD, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it... yet in His love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples, as indeed He has now done!”

In other words, God chose us to be His people  - even though we had no intrinsic merits to commend ourselves, God chose us!  On the other hand, God certainly does have every merit to commend Himself to us, so how unthinkable it would be that we should not gratefully choose Him who has graciously chosen us!

Daily Retreat 08/12/07

2007 Aug 12 SUN:NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Wis 18:6-9/ Ps 32(33):1. 12. 18-19. 20-22 (12b)/ Heb 11:1-2. 8-19/ Lk 12:32-48

From today’s readings: “The night of the Passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage....  Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be His own....  Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen....  Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more....”

Blessings and Blanks

What has God given you and me?  The simple answer is “God has given us everything that is  good,” although, of course, that answer is so trite and generalized, it’s too easy to remain unmoved in spite of the colossal scope of that simple truth.  Much more helpful is the simple but highly recommended spiritual exercise of listing each specific blessing received from God.  Go ahead and do that now - it should be easy to come up with a fairly long list!

Then, make a parallel list:  for each blessing you’ve recorded, write how you’ve used that gift in God’s service.  If you’re like me, you will probably find more than one blank line in this second list, indicators that we’re not gratefully and faithfully employing our blessings sufficiently for their intended purpose.

What’s the point of this little exercise?  To help us digest the sobering principle in the last verse of this Sunday’s Gospel: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more!”  Certainly we need to be ever grateful for all that God has given us, but when we take the time to actually take stock of how much He’s given us, we can’t help but be overwhelmed, as well as a bit sheepish, when we confront our own selfishness and laziness in light of His generosity.

Can you imagine someone giving you a brand new car?   Wow!  What incredible gratitude you would feel.   But what if someone gave you outright a beautiful new house?  Oh!  A lifetime of saying “Thank you!”  would be too little a response for that.  But God gives us more than a car or house, as Jesus explains: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the KINGDOM!”  No one could give more than that!  And having been entrusted with so much, what do we have to show for it?  I know I’m going to be busy today filling in some of those blanks on my list - how about you?

Daily Retreat 08/11/07

2007 Aug 11 Sat:Clare, v, rf M
Dt 6:4-13/ Ps 17(18):2-3a. 3c-4. 47 and 51/ Mt 17:14-20

From today’s readings: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength....  I love you, Lord, my strength....  Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed....”

Listen!

The first reading commences with what are, for the Jewish people, the best known verses of Sacred Scripture: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength....”  Faithful Jews recite these verses every day, even covering their eyes when they do so, in order to avoid any distraction.  

What then, about faithful Christians?  Jesus explicitly affirmed the overarching importance of this commandment (cf. Mark 12:29), which is why we immediately recognize it as the First and Greatest Commandment.

But have we taken these words to heart - is our recognition real and incarnate, or merely theoretical?  In other words, have you and I truly set this commandment as the cornerstone of our existence, the principle reference point to measure and evaluate every decision and action, or are they still just words to us?  Whether the eyes are opened or covered, anyone can plainly see the clear reason to listen to and pray these words every day, taking them to heart, drilling them to children, speaking of them at home and abroad, binding them close at hand, keeping them always in mind, incorporating them in our homes, and signing our very lives with their preeminent truth!

Daily Retreat 08/10/07

2007 Aug 10 Fri: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.”

Daily Retreat 08/09/07

2007 Aug 9 Thu/ Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, v, mt
Nm 20:1-13/ Ps 94(95):1-2. 6-7. 8-9/ Mt 16:13-23

From today’s readings: “Raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff, and water gushed out in abundance for the people and their livestock to drink....  If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts....  You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it....”

God’s Will, God’s Way

Among the heroes of the Old Testament, Moses clearly stands the tallest, having been specially chosen by God for the mission of leading His people out of the slavery of Egypt and presenting to them God’s holy law.  Yet Moses, for all his strong points, was still only human - he too sinned at times, failing in faithfulness to God.

Today’s first reading recounts a sin of Moses which was sufficiently grave that, as a direct result of that sin, Moses was denied the satisfaction of finally leading the Israelites into the promised land.  What was his sin?  At first glance, that’s not so clear, since he seems to have more or less obeyed God’s order to give His people water from the rock.

But, as one grows closer to God, the standard of “more or less” compliance to His will becomes more and more inadequate, for God’s love deserves nothing less than a wholehearted commitment, the offering of one’s total self.  And this was certainly lacking in Moses’ response.  

In the first place, God’s instruction was for Moses to “order the rock to yield it’s waters.”  But instead, Moses struck the rock with his staff, thereby not completely fulfilling God’s will in the way God wanted.  Addressing the people in a question, Moses also didn’t directly reveal to them God’s assurance of providing water, which along with his panic in striking the rock twice, is indicative of a certain lack of faith, so Moses did not complete God’s will with the full faith that God wanted.  Finally, Moses’ sharp words to the Israelites, calling them “rebels,” reveals his reluctance and his doubt about God’s mercy being extended in this situation, so Moses did not carry out God’s will with the willing, loving and merciful attitude God wanted.

So, even if we are “more or less” doing God’s will in our own lives, you and I must still examine our conscience to insure that we do what God wants in the way He wants, with the full faith He expects, and with the willing, loving and merciful attitude that He asks of us.

Daily Retreat 08/08/07

2007 Aug 8 Wed:Dominic, p, rf M
Nm 13:1-2. 25 – 14:1. 26a-29a. 34-35/ Ps 105(106):6-7ab. 13-14. 21-22. 23/ Mt 15:21-28

From today’s readings: “Send men to reconnoiter the land of Canaan, which I am giving the children of Israel....  Remember us, O Lord, as You favor Your people....  O woman, great is your faith! ”

The Voice of the People and the Voice of God

Those of us with the fortune (and concomitant responsibilities) of living in a democracy can fall into the temptation of  placing too much faith in majority decisions, for even when most of the people endorse a certain choice, that alone does not make it the right choice! There's a Latin phrase that expresses that mistaken mindset: Vox populi, vox Dei - the voice of the people is equivalent to the voice of God!

Without a doubt, the clear opinion of the majority on any issue needs to be taken into consideration, but what about those cases when the "voice of the people" is directly opposed to the "voice of God?" Chapters 13 and 14 of Numbers recounts one of the many times when a clear majority reached a conclusion which conflicted with Divine Revelation.  A minority report, submitted by Caleb and Joshua, advocated trust in God, who had led the Israelites out of Egypt with the specific intention of bringing them to the Promised Land.  But the majority of the Israelite spies refused to believe God would give them the necessary help to overcome the expected resistance from the Canaanites, and therefore they despaired of ever possessing the Promised Land, and they even marshaled a majority of the people to take their side.

The consequences were tragic - by following the voice of the majority, instead of the clear voice of God, the Israelites  doomed themselves to the frustration of forty years of pointless wandering in the wilderness, when they could have enjoyed the fruits of the Promised Land in their own lifetimes, if only they had listened to God, and the minority which took His side.  In our own day too, there are always tragic consequences whenever immorality is justified on the basis of majority opinion, for the voice of the people never can carry the same authority as the voice of God....

Daily Retreat 08/07/07

2007 Aug 7 Tue/ Sixtus II, pp, mt, & co., mts/ Cajetan, p
Nm 12:1-13/ Ps 50(51):3-4. 5-6ab. 6cd-7. 12-13/ Mt 14:22-36 or Mt 15:1-2. 10-14

From today’s readings: “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses....  Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned....  Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water....”

Pretext of Complaints

It’s always easy enough to find something to complain about - even about the very best!  Although Moses was “by far the meekest man on the face of the earth,” some of the Israelites accused him of lording it over them, and even his own brother and sister (perhaps driven by jealousy) find a flimsy excuse for speaking out against him.

Moses, of course, was only human, and therefore, not perfect - Thursday’s reading will even mention an instance when Moses sinned and gave God Himself something to complain about!  Still, Moses was clearly the leader God Himself had chosen for His people, and by all accounts, he did a pretty good job of it.  So, the Israelites could have and should have remained focused on the good qualities of Moses, instead of exacerbating the tensions of their precarious situation by finding something to complain about Moses.

Now it’s thousands of years later, but little has changed in this matter!  Pope Benedict XVI is the leader God has chosen for His people at this time, and some people have been voicing  complaints about him - often enough, their complaints are based on misconstrued interpretations of clearly articulated positions.  Even so, admittedly, the Pope is only human, so he’s bound to make mistakes at times.  Yet, Benedict, like his predecessor John Paul the Great, is doing his “job” quite well -  enthusiastically evangelizing the whole world.  It’s always easy to find something to complain about, even about the leaders God Himself chooses!  But for those who just open their eyes to the blessings God gives through His chosen ones, the reasons for giving thanks to God far outweigh the pretexts for complaints!

Daily Retreat 08/06/07

2007 Aug 6 Mon:TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD F
Dn 7:9-10. 13-14/ Ps 96(97):1-2. 5-6. 9/ 2 Pt 1:16-19/ Lk 9:28b-36

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....”

A Superfluous Miracle?

When I was growing up, the Transfiguration of Jesus almost appeared to me as a superfluous event.  Nearly all of Jesus’ miracles were clearly worked as an intentional blessing for other people: changing water into wine, numerous healings, multiplication of the loaves, etc.  Yet the beneficiaries of Jesus’ Transfiguration are not immediately apparent, since Peter, James, and John certainly failed to grasp the significance of the moment (cf. Luke 9:33), and were even forbidden by Jesus to recount what they had seen (Mark 9:9).

Yet we must remember that Jesus’ miracles were intended not only to help and to inspire wonder, but also to provoke reflection which was in turn to lead to deeper faith and discipleship as well (cf. John 6:26).  This is especially true of the Transfiguration - everything about it invites questions: why?  how?  what does it mean?  Jesus silenced His disciples because He knew they had not reflected enough at that time to speak coherently about it - after the Resurrection, their fuller faith would enable them to proclaim and explain the Transfiguration (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-18).

The same is true for you and me - through prayerful questioning and meditation, key insights about Christ can be established.  For instance, the Transfiguration occurs immediately after the first time Jesus explicitly predicts His Passion, so the timing reveals Jesus’ intention to link the glory of the Transfiguration (and Resurrection) to the suffering of the Passion.  Moreover, since Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, Jesus standing in their midst demonstrates clearly that the Old Testament is meant to lead the focus to Jesus.  His glorious aspect and the Father’s voice from Heaven confirm Jesus as the beloved Son of God, Whom we should always listen to!  You take it from here - think and pray about the Transfiguration to understand why it’s not superfluous at all, but supersaturated with revelation about the resplendent face of our faith!

Daily Retreat 08/05/07

2007 Aug 5 SUN:EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23/ Ps 89(90):3-4. 5-6. 12-13. 14. 17 (1)/ Col 3:1-5. 9-11/ Lk 12:13- 21

From today’s readings: “Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities!...  If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts....  Think of what is above, not of what is on earth....  Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Working Hard for What?

Even though, like you, I suspect there are many lazy, idle people in the world, I can’t recall having ever met a single person who considered himself such!  Every person I know will, when given the chance, explain how busy he is and how hard he must work just to keep up with everything.  It’s hardly surprising then that one of the most frequent compliments I get about these virtual retreat reflections is that I keep them short and sweet so even those with hectic schedules have time to read them.

So apparently, we’re all busy, all working hard - at least in our own minds!  Leaving aside for a moment the issue of whether or not we all actually are as busy as we claim to be, let’s consider just the question of: What is it that we’re all busy about?

Well, the answer to that varies, of course, according to one’s life and priorities, so I can only gently encourage you to take a few moments from your busy schedule to think about what it is that makes up that mess of overwhelming urgencies that dictates how you spend your time.  It would be ideal to write these down on a list (and yes, I’m sure it will be a long list!).

Now take your list and read through it to make sure nothing has been left out.  Then, put your list to the side for a moment, and read the Sunday scriptures.  The First Reading, the Psalm, the Second Reading, and the Gospel all have crucial insights which are meant to give you and me a new perspective about our “busy list.”  No matter how busy we are and how hard we’re working, you and I do best to make the time to consider carefully and completely God’s appraisal of both the busyness of our whole business, and the whole business of our busyness!

Daily Retreat 08/04/07

2007 Aug 4 Sat:John Mary Vianney, p M
Lv 25:1. 8-17/ Ps 67:2-3. 5. 7-8/ Mt 14:1-12

From today’s readings: “Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God. I, the LORD, am your God....  O God, let all the nations praise You!...  Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip....”

Outline of Leviticus

A simple outline of the book of Leviticus will help in reading through it.  The first seven chapters specify certain forms of sacrificial worship, norms for holocausts (that is, “burnt offerings”), as well as peace offerings, and sin and guilt offerings.  From reading these pages, it becomes clear that God’s plan provides for the expiation of sins in the context of sacred liturgy (cf. the sacrament of reconciliation).

Chapters 8 through 10 present the priestly ordination of Aaron and his sons, and a close read here will uncover a number of elements that have been taken up in the Christian sacrament of priestly ordination  - although there are obvious differences too, since, for instance, there certainly was no bull or ram slaughtered and offered up when I was ordained!  

Next, chapters 11 through 15 cover the aspects of ritual purity, what makes one “clean” and “unclean.”  Here, it’s intriguing to note how many of these admonitions reflect commonsense concerns for sanitation, such as the prohibitions of contact with rotting carcasses, and the necessity of quarantine to quell the spread of contagious diseases.  

Chapter 16 specifies the solemn ceremonies for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the crown of the Jewish liturgical year.  Part of the rite called for the procurement of two goats, both of which were to have symbolic roles in the ritual of atonement.  One of the goats was to be sacrificed, but the priest would lay his hands over the other goat’s head, confessing over him all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, and thus he would symbolically put the burden of all this upon the head of the goat, and then send him away into the wilderness.   This goat, which “escaped” the knife of sacrifice, thus became known in English as the “Scape” goat, and we still use this term for innocent people or things which are made to bear the guilt of others.  Chapter 9 of the Letter to the Hebrews explains how Christ, the eternal High Priest, became Himself the ultimate and definitive scapegoat when He shed His own blood in taking on the sins of all the world.  So that’s chapter 16, especially recommended!  

Now Chapter 27 is an appendix about vows and tithes, and it’s preceded by Chapters 17-26, which form the “Code of Holiness,” centering on God’s repeated command to His people, “Be Holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy!”  Chapter 23 lists the Jewish holy days, and chapter 25 outlines the idea of the sabbatical and jubilee years.  Chapter 19 is perhaps the best example of this section - note how, in that chapter, the summarized principles of the 10 commandments are applied to everyday life.  

As we note how God’s chosen people were so concerned with, and aware of, having God direct the big and little aspects of their lives, then you and I in turn can ask if there is something in our lives, big or little, for which we have not yet turned to God for His guidance, and so say, “God, come here, and help me to look at this, give me Your direction, because I need Your guidance in big and small things, in all things in my life!”   That, I believe, is the most important insight that we can lift from the book of Leviticus!

Daily Retreat 08/03/07

2007 Aug 3 Fri
Lv 23:1. 4-11. 15-16. 27. 34b-37/ Ps 80(81):3-4. 5-6. 10-11ab/ Mt 13:54-58

From today’s readings: “These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate at their proper time with a sacred assembly....  Sing with joy to God our help....  Jesus came to His native place and taught the people in their synagogue....”

Leviticus

There’s a number of people I’ve met who have made the excellent resolution to read the entire Bible.  With determination in their hearts, they sit down and start reading Genesis, “In the beginning....”  After quickly reading the fifty exciting and involved chapters of that first book of the Bible, they hunger for more, and turn at once to Exodus, the second book.  Here too, they find themselves on pretty familiar holy ground:the life of Moses, and the liberation of the Israelites from the slavery in Egypt, the 10 commandments, and many other precepts of the Torah.  

And yet, after awhile, a bit past the midway point of the 40 chapters of Exodus, many readers find the wheels of their enthusiasm clogged by the tedious details recounting obsolete case law and outmoded liturgical practices.  Upon reaching the end of Exodus, and the beginning of Leviticus, readers are thrown into a panic as they find themselves hurled into the midst of a flooding sea (27 chapters!) of such minutia, with no clear way out!  And so all too often, that noble intention of reading the whole Bible gets drowned and lamentably lost in the Book of Leviticus.

Yes, Leviticus, I will admit, right offhand, is one of the hardest biblical books to read. It presents excessively detailed laws about even the smallest little things that touch upon cultic worship and daily life for the Jewish people way back then, about 33 hundred years ago, so naturally, it’s rather difficult for us to relate now to so many of those things. Does that mean we shouldn’t read the book of Leviticus at all?  Well, if it’s going to cover and wash away all the forces of your enthusiasm for reading scripture, then we’d have to admit you probably should “let it go,” and pass over the book of Leviticus.

On the other hand, if nothing else, at least the verse from Leviticus 19:18, “Love your neighbor as yourself!”  is affirmed by Jesus as one of the greatest commandments (cf. Matthew 22:39), and so, if you figure there’s got to be some good reason that the book of Leviticus was included in Sacred Scripture, then I invite you to come closer, stretch out your hand, and open your Bible to the book of Leviticus, and then do not fear to march into the midst of this third book, and see how the Lord will part the sea of our difficulties, with every tedium like a wall to our left and our right....

Daily Retreat 08/02/07

2007 Aug 2 Thu/ Eusebius of Vercelli, bp/ Peter Julian Eymard, p
Ex 40: 16-21. 34-38/ Ps 83(84): 3. 4. 5-6a and 8a. 11/ Mt 13: 47-53

From today’s readings:  “He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil, thus screening off the ark of the commandments, as the LORD had commanded him....  How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!...  The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind....”

The End of Exodus

The last chapter of Exodus details the definitive erection and consecration of the Tabernacle, “the Dwelling of the meeting tent,” which was a concrete expression and visible guarantee of God’s guiding presence, as well as the physical focal point for worship, prayer, and “meeting” with God.

Like it is for the Book of Genesis, the common synopsis of Exodus focuses almost exclusively on the earlier chapters.  So, many people are surprised to discover that, in addition to the historical narratives about Moses and the Israelites’ flight from Egypt, the Book of Exodus also addresses numerous detailed legal issues, and includes copious chapters introducing many of the Jewish liturgical practices.

A few prayerful hours would be well spent this week re-reading the entire Book of Exodus, since it is arguably the most foundational book in the Old Testament, tracing not just how God, through His servant Moses, led His people from the slavery of Egypt, but also how and why that historical event of the exodus emerged as the constitutional inspiration of Jewish liturgy and morality.