Daily Retreat 06/02/07

2007 Jun 2 Sat/BVM/Marcellinus and Peter, mts
Sir 51:12cd-20/Ps 18(19):8. 9. 10. 11/Mk 11:27-33

From today's readings: " When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer....  The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart....   Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin?"

A Final Word of Wisdom

As you recall, the book of Sirach, from which the first readings have been taken (aside from Sundays) for the last two weeks, is also known as "Ben Sira" (meaning "Son of Sira," from 50:27 and the subscripted last verse of the book), and it's also sometimes labeled  "Ecclesiasticus," which literally means "relating to the church (or assembly)," since this book, with its many witty proverbs, was often proclaimed for meditation and commentary when God's people assembled together for communal prayer.

Today's extract from the final chapter of Sirach is a reflection on the fruitful pursuit of wisdom.  Now even though wisdom is recognized as, first and foremost, one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. Isaiah 11), it is a gift which must be properly cultivated and developed, for it would clearly be the height of foolishness to ever arrogantly brag, "I am already wise enough!"  So, as Ben Sira reminds us, wisdom must be sought "openly in prayer," and she (wisdom personified) must be sought "until the end."  

Many in these modern times doubt that wisdom, as such, can actually be pursued - while not denying that wisdom really exists in some sense, they nonetheless see it more as a fortuitous convergence of several factors, so a decision is labeled "wise" simply if future developments confirm that decision as a good choice.  But the biblical view is that God's wisdom can indeed be pursued and developed, just as one can pursue scientific knowledge or physical skills.  But great discipline and focus of body and soul is needed for wisdom to be developed:"My heart delighted in her [i.e. Wisdom], my feet kept to the level path because from earliest youth I was familiar with her. In the short time I paid heed, I met with great instruction. Since in this way I have profited, I will give my teacher grateful praise. I became resolutely devoted to her– the good I persistently strove for. My soul was tormented in seeking her, My hand opened her gate and I came to know her secrets. I directed my soul to her, and in cleanness I attained to her!"

Daily Retreat 06/01/07

2007 Jun 1 Fri: Justin, mt M
Sir 44: 1. 9-13/ Ps 149: 1b-2. 3-4. 5-6a and 9b/ Mk 11: 11-26

From today's readings:  "Now will I praise those godly men, our ancestors, each in his own time....  The Lord takes delight in His people....  When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions...."

Eulogy of Ancestors

The first reading today, from Chapter 44 of Sirach, marks a major shift in the book, as the author turns to enumerate (and often praise) a healthy sampling of the biblical ancestors through whom God's goodness continues to shine forth.

Unfortunately, the lectionary omits most details of this section (in order to finish the book of Sirach tomorrow), but you and I don't have to!  Beginning with 44:16 and continuing through chapter 50, mention is made, among others, of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Phinehas, Joshua, Caleb, the judges, Samuel, Nathan, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Elijah, Elisha, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Josiah, Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and Simon.  Most of these are very familiar to all of us, but some of the names might not ring a bell - consider reading Sirach's eulogy of all of these ancestors in our faith, so that we can learn not only about them, but from them as well!

Daily Retreat 05/31/07

2007 May 31 Thu: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary F
Zep 3: 14-18a or Rom 12: 9-16/ Is 12: 2-3. 4bcd. 5-6/ Lk 1: 39-56

From today's readings:  "Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!...  Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel....  Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

Visits with God

Our Christian faith is meant to make a profound difference in our daily lives, and Mary's visit with Elizabeth is one of the most inspirational (though often overlooked!) gospel demonstrations of this insight.

At first glance, the Visitation seems almost mundane - two women get together and share news and experiences of their pregnancies.  Now it's true that both women experienced the miraculous intervention of God: Elizabeth had grown old and sterile (Luke 1:7,24) and even more wondrously, Mary "did not know man" (Luke 1:34), and so, each only conceived  through the power of God.  And yet, while not mitigating those miraculous interventions of God, it's important to affirm the "Power of the Most High" is at work in the conception of every child !

Note too the refrain of joy ringing in the words of both of these women - they shared with each other the joy of the presence of God in their lives, and they rejoiced in further confirming the presence of God in each other's lives.  This in itself is profound enough for us to dedicate ourselves this day to doing just that: sharing with loved ones, neighbors and strangers the joy of the presence of God in our daily lives, and rejoicing in the confirmation of God's presence in each other's lives!

Daily Retreat 05/30/07

2007 May 30 Wed
Sir 36: 1. 4-5a. 10-17/ Ps 78(79): 8. 9. 11 and 13/ Mk 10: 32-45

From today's readings:  "Come to our aid, O God of the universe....  Show us, O Lord, the light of Your kindness....  For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Expectations of God

The men and women of faith in both the Old and the New Testaments clearly expected God to live up to His Name and His promises - to "give new signs, and work new wonders.... Fill Zion with Your majesty, Your temple with Your glory.  Give evidence of Your deeds of old; fulfill the prophecies spoken in Your name, Reward those who have hoped in You, and let Your prophets be proved true. Hear the prayer of Your servants, for You are ever gracious to Your people; and lead us in the way of justice...."  In a word, they expected God to be GOD in their lives!

In modern times, however, some men and women, even while professing their belief in God as He revealed Himself in biblical times, really have too few expectations about God being active in their own lives and times - almost as if they assumed that God had now settled down to a state of semi-retirement, having earned that much from His great work and faithfulness  in biblical times.

The saints of our age (and every age!), however, have not lowered their expectations of God; rather, they call upon God to be God - to fulfill His promises, to bless the people of this time and place with as much bountiful grace as was given in the past.  Such an attitude is not "putting God to the test" - it's simply taking Him at His word!  So we should never ask God to back off - rather, we pray: God almighty,  help all of us to experience and recognize You in every way, and "thus it will be known to the very ends of the earth that You are the eternal God!"

Daily Retreat 05/29/07

2007 May 29 Tue
Sir 35: 1-12/ Ps 50: 5-6. 7-8. 14 and 23/ Mk 10: 28-31

From today's readings:  "LORD is one who always repays, and he will give back to you sevenfold....    To the upright I will show the saving power of God....  many that are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Gifts or Bribes?

Even though everyone rightly recognizes and is repulsed by the sleazy nature of bribery, most of us would probably have to admit that many of the "gifts" we've presented to others often have been wrapped up with secret hopes of getting something back in return, whether it's some favor that we plan to ask for down the road, or simply more affection or esteem, or perhaps just the expectation of receiving a comparable gift when our turn comes....

This attitude of giving on the basis of an expectant return easily carries over to our faith life, and, interestingly enough, scripture even cultivates it - think of the many passages, for instance,  encouraging almsgiving or tithing with the enticing promise that "the Lord is one who always repays, and He will give back to you sevenfold!"

So there's something in our human nature, clearly recognized in scripture, that makes it difficult to give freely without any thought of return.  But even though the promise of future rewards are effective in encouraging generosity, any almsgiving or tithing has clearly degenerated into banal bribery if one assumes that "if I give this much to God, then I can expect this much in return."  After all, God has given us life and redemption with the promise of salvation - and  not because He's calculated that we'll ever be able to give Him a fair return!  Rather, even in spite of our clear inability to repay His gifts, through His example, God wants us to understand the meaning of truly generous giving, and His example then inspires us to strive, at least, to make our whole lives and complete selves a sacrificial offering in return...

Daily Retreat 05/28/07

2007 May 28 Mon (Eighth Week in Ordinary Time)
Sir 17: 20-24/ Ps 31(32): 1-2. 5. 6. 7/ Mk 10: 17-27

From today's readings:  "To the penitent God provides a way back, He encourages those who are losing hope....  Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord....  All things are possible for God..."

A way back

Have you ever had the experience of zipping along on the freeway, only to suddenly realize that you're going the wrong direction?  After the realization, it can be quite frustrating to remedy the situation - sometimes, you have to continue in the wrong direction for several miles before coming to an exit with the chance to turn around, and of course, the predicament would even be worse if a traffic jam kept you locked in your misdirection.

One of the greatest divine gifts advertised in Scripture is that, "to the penitent, God provides a way back, He encourages those who are losing hope and has chosen for them the lot of truth!"  In other words, when we're sinning and going in the wrong direction, through His revelation and illumination of conscience, God first helps us realize we're going in the wrong direction.  But He doesn't just leave us then to the frustrating experience of frantically trying to get ourselves back on track - no, because He Himself also provides a way back and offers to help us get going again in the right direction.

So, for this to work, two things are required on our part: first, we must realize that we're sinning and going in the wrong direction, and then we need to re-orient and re-commit ourselves to His "way back."  Tragically, many people are zipping along in the wrong direction so fast that they're missing the many warning signs God provides to warn them they're on the wrong road.  But even after realizing that they've taken a wrong turn in following a sinful course, some people lack the humility to admit their mistake in order to "Turn again to the Most High and away from your sin."   But all those who recognize and repent sincerely of their sins can soon find themselves back on the right road, for "How great the mercy of the LORD, His forgiveness of those who return to him!"

Daily Retreat 05/27/07

2007 May 27 SUN: PENTECOST S
Vigil: Gn 11:1-9, Ex 19:3-8.16-20, Ez 37:1-14 or Jl 3:1-5/Ps 103(104)/Rom 8:22-27/Jn 7:37-39
Day: Acts 2:1-11/ Ps 103(104):1. 24. 29-30. 31. 34/Rom 8:8-17/Jn 14:15-16.23b-26

From today's readings:  "When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together....  Lord, send out Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth....  For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God....  The Advocate, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

Fireworks Festivities

    In a few weeks, we Americans will be celebrating the birthday of our country on the Fourth of July:  we'll take the day off work, and try to spend our time in some refined leisure, such as swimming and splashing in a cool lake, munching on a juicy watermelon, roasting hot dogs on the grill, or watching a splendid parade march to the tune of Yankee Doodle.  Best of all, at night, there are the fireworks!  The twinkling stars fade into the background as the black sky is painted with red, white, and blue, and other dazzling colors of the flying flames of our fireworks.  The flowers and showers of brilliant light spark with a life of their own as they witness to the ardor of our patriotism.  As we gaze upon a whole horizon aglow with the glory of our festivities, we're wont to smile, and reflect on how fitting a sign are these festivities:  the birth of our great nation is such a momentous occasion that we insist that the heavens themselves join in our merrymaking!
    But our Pentecost celebration today is for an even greater feast.  For it is not the birth of our 200-year-old nation, but the birth of our 2000-year-old Church that we rejoice in this day.  Holy Scripture explains how this occasion also includes a display of works of fire, but there is a difference:  On Independence Day, we celebrate with earthly fire hurled heavenward, but today we celebrate with heavenly fire sent earthward!  The fire of our exploding rockets burns only briefly, but the fire of the Holy Spirit can inflame our hearts forever.  Yes, today is nothing less than a celestial feast day, for on this day God showers His Church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and invites us to His banquet of celebration.
    With the flickering flame of a single match, you can light one of those little spinning ground flower fireworks.  Once it's lit, it will whiz, and whirl, and smoke, and flash flames of fire, but only the people on your block will be able to enjoy the sight of its wild dance.  With the same match, though, you can ignite an awesome gigantic aerial rocket, that zooms high into the sky and thunders like a cannon so that everyone in the city can witness its beauty!  The same is true of that tongue of God's fire hovering over each of us:  we might use that marvelous flame merely to kindle a rather timid faith, real enough in itself, but never burning brightly enough to warm those outside of the walls of our homes.  Or, we can use that marvelous flame to ignite in our hearts the consuming fire of the Holy Spirit, fire that illuminates our daily lives, fire which cannot be contained by any walls, and will spread, bringing the warmth of Christ to everyone we meet.  Our celebration today is as glorious as that first Pentecost, but there are people missing the festivities!  We are celebrating today only because all those in the upper room needed to share their joy and spread the gospel.  Are we ready to do the same?  Evangelization can be easy when you're playing with heavenly fire - welcome to the party, and let the fireworks begin!

Daily Retreat 05/26/07

2007 May 26 Sat: Philip Neri, p M
Acts 28: 16-20. 30-31/ Ps 10(11): 4. 5 and 7/ Jn 21: 20-25

From today's readings:  "Paul received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ....  the LORD is just, He loves just deeds; the upright shall see His face....  There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written."

The Incomplete Gospel

St. John's Gospel ends with a humble assertion of limitation, noting that "there are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written."  Clearly, the written gospels, the "good news" about Jesus Christ, accurately give the definitive and comprehensive account of the Lord's life, but at the same time, they are necessarily only anecdotal and summary, and do not pretend to be unabridged accounts of everything that Jesus said and did.

St. Mark commenced his Gospel with a similar disclaimer: "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."  In other words, the whole written Gospel of Mark is just the beginning of the entire good news about Jesus Christ, because He is alive and at work in the world today, in a different manner, but no less so than He was 2000 years ago.

As we've seen, the Gospel of St. John is particularly featured during the Easter Season, which comes to an end tomorrow with the celebration of Pentecost.  The final verses of the Fourth Gospel read today are thus an invitation to re-read that entire Gospel of St. John, but also to review with thanksgiving in our hearts the good news about all that Christ has done in our own lives!

Daily Retreat 05/25/07

2007 May 25 Fri: Easter Weekday
Acts 25: 13b-21/ Ps 102(103): 1-2. 11-12. 19-20ab/ Jn 21: 15-19

From today's readings:  "When Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar....  The Lord has established His throne in Heaven....  Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You!"

Shepherd of the Lord's Flock

Jesus Himself not only prayed for unity in His Church (cf. yesterday's Gospel and reflection), He also took concrete measures to achieve it!  Throughout the New Testament, there are numerous verses that record the leadership that Peter exercised in the early Church, and the Gospels attest that Jesus Himself entrusted Simon Peter with this office of shepherding all of the Lord's flock.

The Gospels also record that Peter was not perfect.  But even though he failed more than once and even denied the Lord three times, Jesus forgave him and led Peter to perfect contrition and reconciliation in his triple affirmation of whole-hearted love, as recorded at the end of the Gospel of St. John.  Later, as the Lord prophesied, St. Peter sealed his love in blood by dying as a martyr in Rome for Christ.

After St. Peter's martyrdom in Rome, history records that St. Linus was called upon to fill his shoes in exercising the ministry of visibly shepherding the Lord's flock.  After he died, another took his place, and this unbroken apostolic succession continues today in the person of Pope Benedict XVI, who is the 264th historical successor to St. Peter, for the Lord still prays and provides for the guidance of visible headship in His Church!

Daily Retreat 05/24/07

2007 May 24 Thu: Easter Weekday
Acts 22: 30; 23: 6-11/ Ps 15(16): 1-2a and 5. 7-8. 9-10. 11/ Jn 17: 20-26

From today's readings:  "I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead....  Keep me, O God, for in You I take refuge....  I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word...."

Unity and Communion

Concluding His priestly prayer at the end of the Last Supper, Jesus expressed His longing for unity and communion among His disciples, "ut omnes unum sint" ("that they may all be one") that they would reflect the absolute communion and unity of Jesus with God the Father.

All Christians long and pray for this unity among believers, ut omnes unum sint, that there be an end to division and discord in the mystical body of Christ.  To our prayers, we must join our own whole-hearted commitment to charity and to truth, for unity and communion is impossible without life being immersed in divine love and guided by the fullness of truth.

This means that every one of us needs to begin by repenting of sins against charity and striving daily to put into practice the divine command that we love one another as He has loved us.  It also means that each of us needs to accept all the teachings of Christ and His Church, no matter how demanding or difficult some may find them, for those who reject even part of Christ's Gospel thus reject part of the one true foundation for unity and communion!

Daily Retreat 05/23/07

2007 May 23 Wed: Easter Weekday
Acts 20: 28-38/ Ps 67(68): 29-30. 33-35a. 35bc-36ab/ Jn 17: 11b-19

From today's readings:  " I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock....  Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth....  And I consecrate Myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth."

Truth Twisters

Paul's exhortation to the presbyters of Ephesus was for them to "Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers..." (Acts 20:28).  Notice that, as is regularly emphasized throughout scripture, moral watchfulness begins with self, before being extended to include guidance of others.  And Paul emphasizes commitment to the full truth of the faith, warning against the wolves that will come forward "perverting the truth."

If we are to commit ourselves to the full truth of our faith, we need, first of all, to know the Truth.  Wolves are able to lead disciples astray, not so much because they lie outright, but because they "pervert the truth," that is, they say something that has elements of truth, but the truth is twisted.  This is seen, for instance, among pro-abortion forces who couch their advocacy in language of "pro-choice" and "pro-privacy."  In themselves, "choice" and "privacy" are indeed values to be defended, but never at the cost of another's life!  

Whenever the Church's teaching is spurned, it is almost always on the basis of a "twisted truth."  Paul's exhortation reminds us to take the time and effort to pursue the fulness of truth, first for ourselves and the matters of our own lives, and then to aid others in the quest for the untwisted truth.

Daily Retreat 05/22/07

2007 May 22 Tue: Easter Weekday/ Rita of Cascia, r
Acts 20: 17-27/ Ps 67(68): 10-11. 20-21/ Jn 17: 1-11a

From today's readings:  "I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God....  the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death....  Jesus raised His eyes to Heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come. Give glory to Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You, just as You gave Him authority over all people, so that Your Son may give eternal life to all You gave Him.' "

The Lord's Prayer

As the conclusion to the Last Supper, Jesus turned to God the Father in intimate communion and fervent intercessory prayer for His disciples of that time and of all ages.  While the "Our Father" is the "Lord's Prayer" because He taught it to us, the "Priestly Prayer" of Christ in Chapter 17 of John is the "Lord's Prayer" because He Himself spoke those words of supplication and intercession as the compendium of His entire saving mission at that pivotal moment at the end of the Last Supper and right before the suffering of His Passion.

The prayer has three main parts.  First, Jesus prays for Himself (vv. 1-5), for the glorious fulfillment of God's plan of salvation about to be completed through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.   Then, Jesus prays for His Apostles (vv. 6-19) with ecstatic confidence in the unity He enjoys with the Father and extends to His disciples, concluding with verse 19, the distinctively priestly summary of His life: "And I consecrate Myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth!"

Finally, Jesus prays also for the whole Church, for Christian unity among all those who will come to belief through the apostolic foundation.   In other words, Jesus was praying for you and for me and for all believers of all times!  Just as His prayer embraces us, we embrace the Lord's prayer and raise our voices and shape our wills in union with His....

Daily Retreat 05/21/07

2007 May 21 Mon: Easter Weekday/ Christopher Magallanes, p, & co., mts
Acts 19: 1-8/ Ps 67(68): 2-3ab. 4-5acd. 6-7ab/ Jn 16: 29-33

From today's readings:  "Paul entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God....  Sing to God, chant praise to His name; whose name is the LORD....  In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world!"

He Has Conquered!

Chapters 13,14,15, and 16 of the Gospel of St. John recount the Lord's Farewell Discourse spoken to His disciples during the Last Supper.  So many words of our Lord are recorded there: words about humble service; words about the commandment to love one another; words about the way, the truth, and the life; words about the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth; words of comfort and promise; words of confident assurance, all concluding with Jesus saying, "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world!"

What does it mean that the Lord has conquered the world?  Amazingly enough, these words were spoken before Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection.  Easter, of course, confirmed that Jesus was clearly the victor over sin and death, but it was on Holy Thursday when Jesus was already assuring His apostles that He had conquered the world!

It's obvious that Jesus was not speaking of a military conquest.  But we certainly shouldn't think of His triumph as something less than a military victory - rather, it was much more!  For every military conquest is subject to eventual displacement in history by some future conquest - every land that the mighty Romans once subjugated, for instance, has since their time seen new battles, with new victors and new vanquished peoples.

In contrast, the Lord's conquest is complete, definitive, and eternal.  Yet how can that claim be made, since the world as a whole clearly does not fully recognize God's dominion?  God's will is done completely in Heaven, but on Earth, in accordance with divine decree, the probation of human free will continues to be played out in the great drama of history, because that is the whole purpose of history - for each person created by God to exercise free will in the loving choice of embracing the Lord of all!

Daily Retreat 05/20/07

2007 May 20 SUN: Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 7:55-60/Ps 96(97)/Rev 22:12-20/John 17:20-26
(In some regions, the liturgical celebration of Ascension Thursday is transferred to this Sunday)
Acts 1: 1-11/ Ps 46(47): 2-3. 6-7. 8-9 (6)/ Heb 9: 24-28; 10: 19-23/ Lk 24: 46-53

From today's readings:  "Lord, do not hold this sin against them....  The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth....  Come, Lord Jesus!...  Righteous Father, the world also does not know You, but I know You, and they know that you sent Me."

Novena

A novena is a nine day commitment to pray for a particular petition.  Why nine days?  Acts 1:14 relates that the disciples were all gathered with Mary in prayer - this was the time between the Ascension of Jesus (forty days after Easter) and the Coming of the Holy Spirit ("Pentecost" - fifty days after Easter).  The disciples would have certainly been praying for the fulfillment of Jesus' words, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you..." (Acts 1:8).

The scripture readings offer material for a novena theme, for they all include instances of prayer which reflect a commitment to praying more than on a single occasion.  In the first reading, Stephen's last words are a prayer of forgiveness: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!"  When you and I pray for the grace to forgive others from our heart, oftentimes, it's very difficult to do that completely in one moment, and so we should commit ourselves to regularly mentioning that petition in prayer until we have completely forgiven wrongs done to us.

The second reading ends with that all important petition that is found at the end of the Bible: Come Lord Jesus!  Obviously, this prayer should be made regularly - it makes a good final prayer at the end of each day.

The prayer that Jesus makes in chapter 17 of the Gospel of St. John is the sublime summary of Our Lord's whole lifetime of prayer.  Read the whole chapter, and thank Jesus for His prayers for you and me!

Daily Retreat 05/19/07

2007 May 19 Sat: Easter Weekday
Acts 18: 23-28/ Ps 46(47): 2-3. 8-9. 10/ Jn 16: 23b-28

From today's readings:  "After staying in Antioch some time, Paul left and traveled in orderly sequence through the Galatian country and Phrygia, bringing strength to all the disciples....  God is king of all the earth....  I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

Asking for It

Perhaps the most enticing claims of the entire Bible are those repeated promises Jesus made to His disciples that "whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you."  Such  categorical commitments certainly call for careful consideration and clarification.

For example, we see unbelieving cynics dismiss the Lord's word as the worst example of false advertising - "I just asked God, in the name of Jesus, for a million dollars, and since I certainly haven't received it, that proves that Jesus was just a charlatan or deluded megalomaniac."  But, in reality, God's refusal to grant such requests ultimately prove His love and truth as much as the times when He does fulfill those petitions which He knows are best for us.  

For comparison, consider the example of King Herod, who was so enthralled by Salome's seductive dancing that he promised to give her whatever she would ask for.  Prompted by her mother's hatred for John the Baptist, Salome demanded the prophet's head on a platter (cf. Mark 6:14-29).  Salome coldly capitalized on Herod's rash promise, and some people try to treat God that way.

But Herod's fulfillment of his oath was damning to both Salome and himself, and obviously, that's not the way God operates, since He only does what is good.  In fact, since it's inconceivable that Jesus would have mimicked Herod's foolhardy unconditional promise, we need to pay close attention to the conditions of the divine promises.

What, then, does it mean to ask for something "in the name of Jesus?"  Clearly, to ask in the Lord's name for a prophet's decapitation or anything evil would be blasphemous!  In fact, anything that diminishes goodness in the least is antithetical to Jesus - one can never, for instance, ask God to only grant another person half as many blessings as before!  Rather, to ask God "in the name of Jesus" is equivalent to praying to the loving Father with a Christ-like mind, heart, and spirit, and so all our prayers can and should be made in the name of Jesus!

Daily Retreat 05/18/07

2007 May 18 Fri: Easter Weekday/ John I, pp, mt
Acts 18: 9-18/ Ps 46(47): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7/ Jn 16: 20-23

From today's readings:  "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you....  God is king of all the earth....   I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you...."

In contrast to Athens, the city of Corinth gave Paul an overall warm welcome, which is why he stayed there for a year and a half before returning to Antioch and thus ending his second missionary journey.  During his stay, he wrote his letters to the Thessalonians, which are generally recognized as the oldest parts of the New Testament.  Later, on his third missionary journey, Paul would also write profound epistles to the Corinthians themselves.

The Lord's words to Paul at Corinth are words for us as well:
"Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you...."   Christ's comforting, joy inspiring presence is the cause of our courage!

Daily Retreat 05/17/07

2007 May 17 Thu: Ascension Thursday
Acts 1: 1-11/ Ps 46(47): 2-3. 6-7. 8-9 (6)/ Eph 1:17-23 or  Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23/ Lk 24:46-53
(In some regions, the liturgical celebration of the Lord's Ascension is transferred to Sunday)

From today's readings:  "[Jesus] presented Himself alive to them by many proofs after He had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God....  God mounts His throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord....  Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but Heaven itself, that He might now appear before God on our behalf. ....  As He blessed them He parted from them and was taken up to heaven...."

Where Christ, Our Head, Has Gone, We Hope to Follow!

The beginning of the Acts of the Apostles specifies that Jesus was on earth for forty days after His Resurrection, before ascending into Heaven.  So today, forty days after Easter, the scriptures direct our attention to this mystery, which is unfortunately overlooked by many Christians in their celebrations of Eastertide.  In Luke 9:51, Jesus begins His climatic journey to Jerusalem which was to culminate in His being "taken up." In the original Greek, the same verb is used in this verse as Luke uses in the Acts of the Apostles to refer to Christ's Ascension, so this day marks the corporeal completion of the Paschal mission. The First Eucharistic prayer especially highlights this importance of the Ascension, mentioning it at the anamnesis (right after the "mystery of faith" acclamation) along with the Passion and Resurrection as the completion of the Paschal triptych.  

Since baptism makes a person a member of the Body of Christ, the members share in the destiny of Christ the Head.  Since Christ has ascended into Heaven, that is the hope to which all the members of His Body press toward.  As the Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions (§662):

 "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces His lifting up by His Ascension into Heaven, and indeed begins it. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, "entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf." There Christ permanently exercises His priesthood, for He "always lives to make intercession" for "those who draw near to God through Him". As "high priest of the good things to come" He is the center and the principal actor of the liturgy that honors the Father in Heaven.

Daily Retreat 05/16/07

2007 May 16 Wed: Easter Weekday
Acts 17: 15. 22 -- 18: 1/ Ps 148: 1-2. 11-12. 13. 14/ Jn 16: 12-15

From today's readings:  "God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now He demands that all people everywhere repent....   Praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above Earth and Heaven....  When He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth!"

"I have much more to tell you...."

God is divine and infinite - we are human and finite.  So, it stands to reason that we could (and should) spend our whole lives learning more about God, and getting to know Him better.  While it's true that saintly scholars such as Thomas Aquinas learned and taught much about God, in humility, neither Thomas nor any other Doctor of the Church ever considered himself some kind of an expert about God!

It's essential that we never lose that humility in our own Christian discipleship.  As a pastor, one of my greatest concerns is in regards to the number of Christians who seem to have little interest in deepening their faith and understanding of God.  A kindergartner who can perfectly recite the alphabet understands that this skill is just the beginning of reading, and a child who masters the multiplication tables still has so much more to learn about mathematics.  And yet, so many people are content to learn just the scantiest basics about God, and then conclude that there's better things to do with their time and effort than ongoing faith formation.

To be sure, earthly life doesn't end with a big pass or fail quiz about how much one has academically learned about God.  But, on the other hand, this life indeed is, and should be recognized as the crucial pass/fail test about how much we've accepted and applied God's initiatives in our own lives.  If there were merely some magic formula for salvation (e.g., "I believe in Jesus as my personal Lord and savior"), then Jesus Himself would not have so diligently spent Himself in patiently teaching His disciples, and it would not have been necessary to send the Holy Spirit to guide the Church to the fullness of truth.

Even after spending three years in daily communion with Jesus, the apostles were still told by Him, "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now."  Surely then, you and I can also recognize that we still have so much to learn from Him, and He will teach us, as we progress in our readiness and eagerness to learn!

Daily Retreat 05/15/07

2007 May 15 Tue: Easter Weekday/ Isidore the Farmer, mm
Acts 16: 22-34/ Ps 137(138): 1-2ab. 2cde-3. 7c-8/ Jn 16: 5-11

From today's readings:  "He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God....   In the presence of the angels I will sing Your praise; I will worship at Your holy temple, and give thanks to Your name....  But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you."

Overturning the World's Judgment

Having spent three years in daily communion with Jesus, the apostles must indeed have been filled with sadness at the idea that their Lord would be leaving them.  And yet, Jesus insisted that it was better for Him to go, for His departure would not mean the absence of divine presence in their lives, but rather, His return to Heaven would be the catalyst for the sending of the Holy Spirit.   And the Holy Spirit would disseminate and amplify the experience of God's presence!

Moreover, the Advocate would completely reverse the world's judgment on Jesus "in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation."  For the world impugned Jesus as a sinful blasphemer and insurrectionist, but the works of the Holy Spirit testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so, the sin is found among those who stubbornly refuse to believe in Him.  And the world maintained that righteousness demanded the conviction of Jesus, but the Resurrection and Ascension certifies instead the perfect righteousness of Jesus.  And while the world condemned Jesus, the divine and definitive judgment instead establishes the eternal condemnation of the diabolic ruler of the world.

In other words, the world's judgment and view of things is, in the end, only transitory, even when that seems momentarily so daunting and entrenched.  But since God's judgment and view is eternal and ultimate, we Christians are reminded to adopt only the divine criteria as the guiding standard for our lives!

Daily Retreat 05/14/07

2007 May 14 Mon: Matthias, ap F
Acts 1: 15-17. 20-26/ Ps 112(113): 1-2. 3-4. 5-6. 7-8/ Jn 15: 9-17

From today's readings:  "Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles....  The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people....  You are My friends if you do what I command you."

The College of Apostles

Chapter 15 of Acts (the Council of Jerusalem) recounted an instance of the inspired and decisive leadership of the Apostles in the early Church.  This was also seen even earlier in the election of Matthias, which was the Church's first order of business after the Ascension of Jesus.

The "apostolic" foundation is one of the four marks of the Church, which is "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic."  The New Testament relates that the Apostles were more than once at odds with one another, yet they managed to preserve and pass on the unity of their faith.  To continue their work, they chose Matthias, and after him, a long line of others who were ordained among the college of Apostles, continuing in an unbroken tradition to the bishops of this day.

The apostolic foundation is the anchor of our Christian faith - neither the Pope nor all the bishops together are able to contradict the original teachings of the Apostles in matters of faith and morals.  However, disciplinary practices in the Church can change though - for instance, I wouldn't imagine that bishops today are chosen by drawing lots, as was Matthias!  But, what cannot change is the apostolic commitment to appointing successors - even the Pope and all the bishops together could not decide never to ordain more bishops, because such a decision would contradict the apostolic precedent.

Daily Retreat 05/13/07

2007 May 13 SUN: SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 15: 1-2. 22-29/ Ps 66(67): 2-3. 5. 6. 8 (4)/ Rv 21: 10-14. 22-23/ Jn 14: 23-29

From today's readings:  "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us ...  O God, let all the nations praise You!...  The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb....  Whoever loves Me will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him."

Promise of the Paraclete

The Gospel readings of this time of year (the last weeks of the liturgical Easter Season) return to the Lord's "Farewell Discourse" given at the Last Supper (ch. 13-17 of John).  With the illumination of the Resurrection, our Easter faith is equipped to better ponder these crucial parting words of our Lord.

With the approach of Pentecost, the time has certainly come to focus on our Lord's teaching about the Holy Spirit.  No doubt, He had to reiterate some of these points as He prepared His disciples for His Ascension.  Having the physical presence of Our Lord with them was certainly the best thing the Apostles had ever experience, or could imagine.   What were they to think of Christ's insistence that His return to the Father should be a cause for their rejoicing?

As comforting and reassuring as it must have been for the disciples to stand in the physical presence of Jesus, it must have been difficult to ever depart from that Presence for whatever reason.  And so, Christ's promise to send His Holy Spirit as His abiding spiritual presence with His Church was, indeed, a cause for rejoicing - whether asleep or awake, traveling, or at home, the Holy Spirit brings the comfort of the abiding presence of God!

Daily Retreat 05/12/07

2007 May 12 Sat: Easter Weekday/ Nereus and Achilleus, mts/ Pancras, mt
Acts 16: 1-10/ Ps 99(100): 1b-2. 3. 5/ Jn 15: 18-21

From today's readings:  "Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number....  Let all the earth cry out to God with joy....  If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you."

Getting Along with the World

The inspired authors of holy scripture all assumed that future readers would be able to make common sense distinctions, but extremely literal approaches to scripture study run the risk of collapsing such differentiations.  For example, particularly in the 4th Gospel, the word "world" is used in two quite different contexts.  In the first case, "world" simply denotes the whole theater of redemption, e.g.,"For God so loved the world....  God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" (John 3:16-17).

But, in addition to that neutral connotation, in other contexts, "world" is decidedly negative.  Consider, for instance, the words of Jesus to His disciples as the Last Supper:
"If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you" (John 15:19).  Here, "world" means everything opposed to Jesus, the whole temporal, material, and secular spirit that overlooks or rejects anything authentically eternal, spiritual, and supernatural.

A good part of the challenge of Christian living consists of honing the proper balance of attitude and conduct toward the "world" in each sense of the word.  "God so loved the world...."  - and so we too are called to love everyone in the world and rejoice in the whole beauty of creation.  "Because you do not belong to the world..." - so we, like Christ Himself, need to reject the worldly spirit of secularism in order to focus always and in all ways on the heavenly world that does not pass away.

Daily Retreat 05/11/07

2007 May 11 Fri: Easter Weekday
Acts 15: 22-31/ Ps 56(57): 8-9. 10 and 12/ Jn 15: 12-17

From today's readings:  "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us....  My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast....  This is My commandment: love one another as I love you."

The Loving Command

The words of Christ, no less than His miraculous deeds, make a claim for His divinity.  For since it is absurd for any human authority to promulgate a new commandment about whom to love, only God, who is love, is obviously in position to make universal demands about love.

God commands us not only to love Him (cf. Deut. 6:5), but also, to love one another - our friends, and even our enemies (cf. Mt. 5:44).  And not just in a half-hearted way, for the Lord's bidding is "love one another, as I have loved you!"  It's far-fetched that a mere human being on his own would even conceive of the possibility of such love, but to God, such love is not only possible, it is explicitly demanded!

Now, it would be unjust for God to command and demand something that is absolutely impossible, so, it follows that He Himself is irrevocably committed to empowering His friends to fulfill His divinely demanding commandments of love.  And so this becomes one of the greatest thrills of authentic Christianity - the personal discovery of the ecstatic truth and fullness of joy in loving God and one another as God loves!

Daily Retreat 05/10/07

2007 May 10 Thu: Easter Weekday/ Bl Damien Joseph de Veuster of Moloka'i, p
Acts 15: 7-21/ Ps 95(96): 1-2a. 2b-3. 10/ Jn 15: 9-11

From today's readings:  "By faith, He purified their hearts....  Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations....  If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love."

Love and Commandments

St. John is well known as the evangelist who best stressed the dimension of divine love, but it's essential to also note that, in both his Gospel and his letters, the love of God is emphatically connected with the fulfillment of His commandments.

There's a tendency to resent any commandment from another as a restriction and an imposition on our freedom, but as St. John explains elsewhere, God's commandments aren't burdensome (cf. 1 John 5:3).  Quite the contrary - since God is our loving Creator, He knows and wants what is best for us, and so His commandments give clear direction for us to likewise choose what is best for us.

As Jesus insists, only by keeping the divine commandments, can we remain in God's love.  And the commandments and teachings of Christ, far from being a bitter burden, show us the very source of happiness, for as Jesus explained  "I have told you this so that My joy might be in you, and your joy might be complete!"

Daily Retreat 05/09/07

2007 May 9 Wed: Easter Weekday
Acts 15: 1-6/ Ps 121(122): 1-2. 3-4ab. 4cd-5/ Jn 15: 1-8

From today's readings:  "They were sent on their journey by the Church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brethren....  Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord....  I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine grower."

Can you bear to be pruned?

Not even the greatest saints ever presumed that they had reached human perfection - each of them humbly realized their faults and their need of the Savior's continual sanctification.  Jesus Himself taught that even the disciples that counted as "fruitful branches" would be subject to ongoing purification, for every branch that bears fruit, the Father "prunes so that it bears more fruit."

In short, Christianity leaves no grounds for complacency.  While one can and should rejoice in the harvest of the good fruits of committed Christian discipleship, there's no place in this life for resting on one's laurels, for there's always room for improvement.

Sometimes, you and I can take some initiative in this pruning process, such as when we apply scripture lessons to our lives diligently, and make thorough examinations of conscience, and sacramentally confess our sins regularly, and devote ourselves to legitimate penitential practices.

At other times, though, we find ourselves being pruned in unexpected (and even painful) ways, as we struggle to carry the crosses that come our way.  But, after all, since the crucified Christ is Himself the divine vine, only those branches grafted to the arms of the Cross fully tap into the divine tree of life!

Daily Retreat 05/08/07

2007 May 8 Tue: Easter Weekday
Acts 14: 19-28/ Ps 144(145): 10-11. 12-13ab. 21/ Jn 14: 27-31a

From today's readings:  "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God....  Let all Your works give You thanks, O LORD, and let Your faithful ones bless You....  Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

The Gift of Peace

One of the aspects of authentic Christianity that appeals to believers and unbelievers alike is the commitment to peace.  But, as Christ Himself explains, "Not as the world gives, do I give [peace] to you."  

At the most primitive level, peace can be defined as "the absence of war or hostilities."   While Jesus certainly condemns wanton violence, He never advocated the type of radically compromising pacifism that would grasp for peace even at the price of principle - if necessary, Jesus is reconciled to being the source of division in order to put an end to such false peace (cf. Luke 12:51).

We can also speak of interior peace, the freedom from all disturbances.  Here again, the world offers a pseudo-brand of such peace, for example, in the form of euphoric pop psychology which would anesthetize even the legitimate pricks of conscience.  

But the peace that Jesus gives is more than the world can give, for it is the peace that He Himself possessed!  At every moment, Jesus was fully aware of God the Father's love and providence, which infinitely outweigh all troubles and fears.  Even in the midst of bitter exterior cold, one can bundle up in a cozy coat, and look ahead to a warm hearth of welcome, and likewise, even when faced with the most perturbing threats and problems of this life, we can take comfort in the peace that Jesus gives His followers in this life, and the fullness of peace to which He calls us in the next life.

Daily Retreat 05/07/07

2007 May 7 Mon: Easter Weekday
Acts 14: 5-18/ Ps 114(115): 1-2. 3-4. 15-16/ Jn 14: 21-26

From today's readings:  " We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them....  May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth....  The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name— He will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

How to Love God

In an age of unbridled anarchy, obedience itself is derided as demeaning - even divine obedience, as if the fulfillment of God's commandments were somehow an impingement on human freedom.  The tragedy of Eden's fall is relived again and again as man gives ear anew to the Tempter's tired tune: "God is a deceptive, divine despot who curtails human freedom for His own selfish ends!"

Emboldened by an audaciously exaggerated autonomy, man soon stops believing in God, or else starts treating Him as a senile grandfather, who, for the sake of good P.R.,  might be still occasionally honored in public, but can be safely ignored in private.  

But in his Gospel and letters, St. John repeatedly emphasizes the point Jesus Himself brought up more than once: love of God always goes hand-in-hand with obedience of God's commands.   In other words, it is an outright lie for one to claim to love God while dismissing His commandments as "no longer applicable."   

Divine mercy still can appeal to those who transgress God's law but then repent; however,  those who obstinately attempt to usurp or replace God's moral laws with their own indulgences thereby define themselves as too self-reliant to ever stand in need of God's commandments, corrections, or clemency.

Daily Retreat 05/06/07

2007 May 6 SUN: FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 14: 21-27/ Ps 144(145): 8-9. 10-11. 12-13 (see 1)/ Rv 21: 1-5a/ Jn 13: 31-33a. 34-35

From today's readings:  "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God....  I will praise Your name for ever, my king and my God....  Behold, I make all things new....   I give you a new commandment: love one another!"

Passion

The Gospel command to "Love one another!" is fittingly one of the most familiar verses in the Bible - everyone knows that Christian charity is essential to Christian faith, and not an option!  Jesus says, "I give you a new COMMANDMENT"; He does NOT say, "I give you a suggestion...." or, "Here's an extra-credit project for those who really want to shine!"

It's noteworthy that the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, includes an equally constitutive verse about Christian faith, but we often fail to associate these words with our faith: "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God!"   When you think about it, this axiom is even more emphasized throughout Scripture than the crucial injunction that we love one another, for Jesus and company often made reference to the Cross and tribulations as the price of discipleship.

It's natural, of course, that we would latch onto the heart-warming insinuations of that commandment of Christian love while passing over the soul-shaking implications of those repeated warnings of crosses and trials, and yet, as I mentioned, both are crucial elements of Christian faith - they go together, they define each other! We need to consider Christian charity in light of Christian adversity, and vice versa.

Jesus commanded, "Love one another!"  but He didn't stop there - He went on to define by example what this ambiguous term "Love" means in His vocabulary, "As I have loved you, so you also should love one another!"  What does this mean, "As I have loved you"?  What is the manner of Christ's love?  Quite honestly, it is love that suffers, love that undergoes many hardships, love that faces, rather than flees, adversities!  Love that lays down His life for others!

Then what about facing hardships, and carrying the Cross?  Is that to be done merely as the stoic resignation to pessimism, saying, "I guess I'll suffer because that's all there is to life - suffering, pain, and hardships!"  Is that the Christian "Good News" that sets the world on fire?  NO! NO! NO!  The Christian Cross is not cowardly capitulation to cruel fate; rather, the Cross is the Divine definition of love first-rate!  Love like a mother that spends herself for another, suffering as Christ has done, to share in what Christ has won!

"Love one another!"  and  "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God!" These two verses go so well together that there's one word that captures both these concepts, to love as Christ loved, to suffer as Christ suffered - both expressed, defined, and exemplified as Passion - the Passion of the Christ!

Daily Retreat 05/05/07

2007 May 5 Sat: Easter Weekday
Acts 13: 44-52/ Ps 97(98): 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4/ Jn 14: 7-14

From today's readings:  " The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit....  All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God....  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?"

Communion

At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke quite a bit about His unity, His communion, with God the Father.  He was concerned that His disciples understand that unity and communion with Him (Jesus) was equivalent to unity and communion with God the Father.

So, when Philip asked Jesus to "show us the Father," his request betrayed the disciples' own lack of understanding in this fundamental matter.  For Philip and the others were evidently looking for a theophany, a personal revelation of God, such as when He appeared to Moses in the Book of Exodus.   But as Jesus patiently and persistently explains, He Himself is the incarnated theophany, God-in-the-flesh, so that "whoever has seen Me [Jesus], has seen the Father."

For many people today, the whole concept of "unity with God" is dismissed as abstract and personally irrelevant, even though, in point of fact,  the quest for unity with God is actually the defining task of our earthly existence.    Thus,  Jesus gave His all to show that unity to God was not to be reduced to some meaningless merely mental pursuit, but rather, because of the Lord's incarnated theophany, unity with God is the intimate and intensely personal communion with His loving Divine and Real Presence.

Daily Retreat 05/04/07

2007 May 4 Fri: Easter Weekday
Acts 13: 26-33/ Ps 2: 6-7. 8-9. 10-11ab/ Jn 14: 1-6

From today's readings:  "We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers He has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are My Son; this day I have begotten You....  I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Room for You!

"In My Father's house, there are many dwelling places."  The words of our Savior smack of hospitality, generosity, true charity, and comfort.  The Father's house is spacious and roomy - there's room there for you, and for me!  At the end of the long journey of our life, how comforting to know that Jesus has already prepared a place for us, a place with Him, no less!

So it's no wonder that no life here on earth, even one endowed with many blessings, no terrestrial house should be seen as a permanent home.   For all of us Christians, we who are baptized, are united to the Body of Christ - the Body of Christ, which suffered to achieve our redemption, died, was buried, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven.  So, logically, we who are united to the Body of Christ share in the same eternal destiny.  For the unity we enjoy with Christ is absolute:  Baptism and all the sacraments are much more than just a symbol - they effect a reality, the sacraments unite us and incorporate us to the Body of Christ.  Through Baptism, St. Paul reminds us that we are baptized into the Life of Christ, into the Redemptive sufferings and Death of Christ, and finally, into the Glorious Resurrection of Christ.

And this unity, this oneness, is further effected in the Holy Eucharist, when we receive Our Lord, and we give room for Him in our lives, so that He can remain in us, and we can remain in Him.  This is what it means to eat the Bread of Life, to nourish ourselves with the very flesh of Christ!  Since the Lord Himself has prepared such room for us, the least we can do is give Him generous room in our lives!

Daily Retreat 05/03/07

2007 May 3 Thu: Philip and James, aps F
1 Cor 15: 1-8/ Ps 18(19): 2-3. 4-5/ Jn 14: 6-14

From today's readings:  "For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that He was buried; that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve....  The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork....  I am the way, and the truth and, the life.  "

Philip and James

Philip's request to Jesus ("Lord, show us the Father...") elicited a profoundly rich theological response from Christ: "Philip, after I have been with you all this time, you still do not know Me?  Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father!"

The unity between Jesus and God the Father is one of the central themes in John's Gospel, and the beautiful thing is, Christ desired ardently to share and extend that unity to His followers (cf. John chapter 17).  The very purpose of the Resurrection of Christ and Descent of the Holy Spirit can be found in the Lord's commitment to establishing that unity in His Church.

Philip and James, and the rest of the Apostles that witnessed the Resurrected Christ, spent their whole lives evangelizing to the world about that God-Love that defines our lives and the entire universe.   That's the Gospel that has been preached to us, which we have received, and in which we, like Philip and James, hope to always stand firm!

Daily Retreat 05/02/07

2007 May 2 Wed: Athanasius, bp, dr M
Acts 12: 24 -- 13: 5a/ Ps 66(67): 2-3. 5. 6 and 8/ Jn 12: 44-50

From today's readings:  "The word of God continued to spread and grow....  May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear Him....  I came into the world as Light, so that everyone who believes in Me might not remain in darkness."

Last Light

In St. John's Gospel, the Last Supper and the Lord's Farewell Discourse to His disciples begins with Chapter Thirteen.  So today's verses, from the end of Chapter Twelve, recap the Lord's final teachings to the general crowds before His Passion, and because of the urgency of this exhortation, the Gospel specifically notes that Jesus "cried out" His words of life, for all to hear.

Jesus stresses His unity with the heavenly Father, and in illuminating His divine mission, He explains, "I came into the world as Light, so that everyone who believes in Me might not remain in darkness."  Without light, of course, we just fumble around in the darkness in a blind search for truth - tragically, that's exactly what those who have rejected and ignored Christ end up doing with their lives.

But in the Light of Christ, the brilliant splendor of Truth shines fully!    This crucial insight is highlighted many times throughout the Gospel of John, so when Jesus "cried out" and reiterated this point in His final address to the crowds, He was again calling all to be guided by His Light to the fullness of all life!