Daily Retreat 06/01/08

2008 Jun 1 SUN: NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Dt 11: 18. 26-28. 32/ Ps 30(31): 2-3. 3-4. 17. 25 (3b)/ Rom 3: 21-25. 28/ Mt 7: 21- 27

From today’s readings: “I set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse: a blessing for obeying the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD, your God....  Lord, be my rock of safety....  Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law....  Everyone who listens to these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.....”

A Simple Choice

The first part of the book of Deuteronomy presents a review of the salvation history of God’s chosen people after their Exodus from Egypt.  The review is meant to inspire faith and confidence in God’s guiding presence in the past, present, and future.  The review of history highlights how the saving actions of God contrast with the disaster that sin brings, so that, at the end of his sermon, Moses is able to remind the people that it all boils down to a choice between a blessing and a curse: “I set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse: a blessing for obeying the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, but turn aside from the way I ordain for you today.”  When put so bluntly, the choice seems crystal clear: Go for the blessing!  Who would be foolish enough to choose a curse?  

Yet, centuries after Moses, at the end of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded His listeners that they too had a crucial choice to make in their lives, for “everyone who listens to these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of Mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”  A blessing, or a curse; a house that stands the storms of time, or a house that is ruined.  When put so bluntly, the choice seems crystal clear: Go for the blessing, go for the house that stands!  Who would be foolish enough to choose a curse, that which leads to ruin?  

Centuries after Moses, centuries after Jesus, the listeners and readers of this time and place are reminded that we too have a crucial choice to make in our lives, the blessing of choosing the Lord and His law of life, or the curse of rejecting the Lord and His law of life.  The blessing of listening to the Lord’s words and acting on them, grounding our lives and hopes on the Lord Himself as our rock of safety; or, the curse of ignoring the Lord’s words and not putting His teaching into practice in our lives, settling instead on the sifting sands of times and trends that cannot withstand the buffets and blows of even everyday life, as so many have learned the hard way.

It’s not enough to nod and mumble, “I choose the blessing, I choose the rock solid foundation of Christ’s teaching.”  For Jesus makes it clear that our choice is determined, not by our words, but by our actions.  The foundation and construction of our lives is not a momentary choice based on a single decision of the past, good or bad - no, for the verdict of whether you or I have built on rock or sand is revealed by the tempests of time itself, for each day is a gracious reminder to us of why and how to choose the blessing instead of the curse.

Daily Retreat 05/31/08

2008 May 31 Sat: 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 05/30/08

2008 May 30 Fri: SACRED HEART OF JESUS S
Dt 7: 6-11/ Ps 102(103): 1-2. 3-4. 6-7. 8. 10/ 1 Jn 4: 7-16/ Mt 11: 25-30

From today’s readings: “It was because the LORD loved you....  The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear Him....  In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have life through Him....   I am meek and humble of heart....”

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Make Our Hearts Like Unto Thine!

The heart is the center of a person’s Love and Life.  So, in our devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are simply asking that He make our hearts like His - filled with His divine life and love!  

All of the readings today direct our attention to God’s divine life and love: “It was because the LORD loved you and because of His fidelity to the oath He had sworn your fathers, that He brought you out with His strong hand from the place of slavery, and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps His merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love Him and keep His commandments...”  “Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.”  “ Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love!”  “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy, and My burden light.”

Daily Retreat 05/29/08

2008 May 29 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
1 Pt 2: 2-5. 9-12/ Ps 99(100): 2. 3. 4. 5/ Mk 10: 46-52

From today’s readings: “Once you were no people but now you are God’s people....  Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.....  Jesus, son of David, have pity on me....”

Being Fed and Built

As Christians, our following of Christ is an ever ongoing journey - there’s no point in our lives at which we can claim to have definitively arrived, and reached the high point of faith.  Rather, there’s always room for deepening our faith and growing in holiness.  In his first letter, Peter writes that we should, “like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

One of the surest signs of spiritual disease thus is complacency - the presumption that we’re basically good enough, and so there’s no need for a hunger and thirst to always be growing in holiness.   But if we have little or no desire for ever greater closeness with God, that’s proof enough that our lives are focused on secular pursuits, which is why Scripture warns us “to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.”

For in fact, after the foundation of true Christian faith is laid, the real lifelong work of building up begins, so we should, “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.   You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may announce the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

Daily Retreat 05/28/08

2008 May 28 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
1 Pt 1: 18-25/ Ps 147: 12-13. 14-15. 19-20/ Mk 10: 32-45

From today’s readings: “Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another intensely from a pure heart....  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem....  For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many....”

The Ransom that was Paid

“Redeemer” is one of the titles Christians recognize for Jesus Christ, but sometimes, we fail to appreciate the full denotation of that word in the context of salvation.  We commonly speak of the custom of “redeeming” coupons, but that’s completely different from the act of “redeeming” souls!

The Latin root of this word means “to buy back” or “to ransom,” and that’s exactly what Jesus did for all mankind - since everyone’s life was forfeit as the wages of sin, Jesus, by laying down His life on the Cross, paid the ransom and bought back our life.  As the first letter of Peter puts it, we were truly redeemed “not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished Lamb.”

If someone were to bail us out of bankruptcy, what gratitude we would surely feel!  And even more so, if someone were to save our physical life!  Yet, the redemption wrought by Jesus applies to nothing less than our eternal souls, and so our redemption can’t be repaid with any  money in the world or ever earned with even a whole lifetime of service as a slave!  Redemption is wholly the gift of God, and the best we can do is humbly, gratefully accept the gift, and use it as the Giver and Redeemer intends.....

Daily Retreat 05/27/08

2008 May 27 Tue: Ordinary Weekday/ Augustine of Canterbury, bp, r, ms
1 Pt 1: 10-16/ Ps 97(98): 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4/ Mk 10: 28-31

From today’s readings:  “Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct.... The Lord has made known His salvation....  Peter began to say to Jesus: We have given up everything and followed You....”

Fully Informed

To be legally binding, a new law must be officially promulgated and publicized, in order to uphold the maxim, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”  For, if the enactment of a new law were to be deliberately concealed, how could citizens be expected to comply with it?  But since all laws are publicly authorized, it becomes the reasonable responsibility of citizens to learn at least about all the laws which would apply to their state, and thus whoever refuses to study such essentials clearly risks the worst penalties.

Likewise, “the Lord has made known His salvation.”  Divine Revelation completely publicizes God’s expectations for the moral conduct of all who are subject to His law (that includes everyone who is, who ever was, and who ever will be!).  A well-formed conscience, the light of human reason, the Natural Law, the words of Sacred Scripture, and the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium all corroborate and converge on the eternal Truth of God’s law, so ignorance of His law is no excuse!

This implies, though, that those who stubbornly ignore or reject those guides thus clearly risk the worst penalties.   Fortunately for us, God does not promulgate new laws every day, so there is no burden of keeping up with the latest divine legislation.  However, it’s important to note that such statutory permanency increases, rather than decreases, our reasonable responsibility for learning about all the God-given laws which apply to our state in life.  Sadly, in almost all cases, people are poorly informed about God’s law simply because they don’t see it as something with practical importance.  I’m always amazed, for instance, at how many people can’t even recall the 10 Commandments, yet the same people are often enough quite well informed about principles that are exponentially more complex, yet infinitely less significant, such as the 10 major points of the M.L.B.’s official rules of baseball.  Ignorance and violation of the laws of a sport leads even the repentant only to forfeiture of the game, but ignoring and violating the laws of God leads only the unrepentant even to losing a soul!

Daily Retreat 05/26/08

2008 May 26 Mon: Philip Neri, p M (Eighth Week in Ordinary Time)
1 Pt 1: 3-9/ Ps 110(111): 1-2. 5-6. 9 and 10c/ Mk 10: 17-27

From today’s readings: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead....  The Lord will remember His covenant for ever....  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....”

Cross Continuity

A few weeks ago, the beginning of the epistle of St. James addressed the issue of tribulations encountered in living out one’s Christian faith, hardships and challenges which, St. James insisted, should be considered a source of joy, since they serve to prove the mettle of one’s faith.  

Likewise, at the beginning of his first letter, St. Peter takes up the same theme, remarking that , “In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Even a quick review of the Gospels reminds us how often Jesus Himself spoke of the high price of Christian discipleship, that deprivations and denigrations and many other sorts of crosses would be part of the path of true discipleship.  And what else should we expect?  The life of Jesus, and the lives of His followers St. Peter and St. James and St. Philip Neri and others, so clearly were stigmatized with crosses, but crosses which were willingly and lovingly carried “for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  Our own crosses, those “various trials,” the big and small tribulations of our lives, can serve for the same noble end!

Daily Retreat 05/25/08

2008 May 25 SUN: THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST S
Dt 8: 2-3. 14b-16a/ Ps 147: 12-13. 14-15. 19-20 (12)/ 1 Cor 10: 16-17/Sequence Lauda, Sion/ Jn 6: 51-58

From today’s readings: “Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD....  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem....  The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?...  I am the living Bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this Bread will live forever; and the Bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world!”

Every Communion is as special as the First Holy Communion

Even if it was a long time ago, most of us can remember very well the day of our First Communion and our ecstatic intimacy with our Eucharistic Lord!  And yet, most of us would have to admit that the last time we received Holy Communion was not nearly as memorable - even if that occurred within this past week, it probably will be quite difficult to recall any noteworthy details.

But remember, Jesus hasn’t changed!  EVERY time we receive Holy Communion, you and I receive the priceless gift of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ - no less than the Apostles did at the Last Supper!  And so, if our most recent Holy Communion didn’t seem nearly as special as our First Holy Communion, that’s clear evidence that WE have changed and slipped in our attitude, preparation, and thanksgiving for receiving that Living Bread which Jesus promised to give for the life of the world.

The solemnity of Corpus Christi is thus our timely reminder that every Communion is as special as the First Holy Communion.  But to recognize and realize this fully, you and I need to commit to reverent and conscientious preparation of  body, mind and soul every time we intend to receive our Eucharistic Lord.    

We prepare our bodies by fasting for at least one hour before Communion, and leaving home early enough to arrive at Church punctually, dressed in our Sunday best.  

We prepare our minds by meditating on Christ’s own teaching on the Eucharist (found in Chapter Six of John and in the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper) and by feasting on the Church’s Eucharistic insights which have been provided by St. Paul and other saints fed and fortified by the Bread of Life.

We prepare our souls with daily prayers and lived commitment to our faith, sincere contrition for all sins, and by availing ourselves of  the sacrament of confession to be in the state of grace.  

Each Mass is the memorial celebration of Jesus giving Himself as the Bread of Life - how blessed are they who fully prepare body, mind, and soul every time to receive Corpus Christi!

Daily Retreat 05/24/08

2008 May 24 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
Jas 5: 13-20/ Ps 140(141): 1-2. 3 and 8/ Mk 10: 13-16

From today’s readings: “Is anyone among you sick?  He should summon the priests of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord....  I call to You, O Lord, hasten to me....  Let the children come to Me....”

The Anointing of the Sick

Many Gospel passages attest to the constant concern Jesus had to bring comfort and healing to the sick.  It is not surprising, then, that from the beginning, the Lord’s Church has been committed to providing loving, prayerful care for those who are ill, not only nursing the needs of the body, but also addressing the health of the soul as well.

This is especially done through the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, which is alluded to towards the end of the letter of St. James.  Through this sacrament, Jesus continues to bring the grace of His consolation, forgiveness, and strength to those who are gravely ill.  When the Lord deems that physical healing would also be most beneficial for a person’s spiritual well-being, then He grants such healing as well, sometimes directly through the sacramental anointing, but generally also working through doctors, nurses, and other agents of His care for the sick.

Some wonder why, though, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick does not always bring complete physical healing - why doesn’t the Lord show the fullness of His infinite compassion by curing all who suffer greatly?  We would all certainly welcome such an easy answer to the problem of suffering, and yet God, in His wisdom, evidently does not see that as the best answer for His children.  

Since Jesus Himself bore our infirmities in His Passion, He teaches us to voluntarily unite all our sufferings with His redemptive suffering.  This doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to seek cures for illness and relief for pain, but the fallen state of the human race means that it will always be impossible to wholly eliminate suffering from the human condition.  Thus those who are sick are called to share in the Cross of Christ precisely through their physical suffering, and the rest of the Church is then inspired to continue Christ’s ministry of comforting, consoling, and healing in His Name.

Daily Retreat 05/23/08

2008 May 23 Fri: Ordinary Weekday
Jas 5: 9-12/ Ps 102(103): 1-2. 3-4. 8-9. 11-12/ Mk 10: 1-12

From today’s readings:  “Do not complain about one another, that you may not be judged....  Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness....  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Complain, complain

Since no life is perfect, it goes without saying that, whether caused by us or imposed on us, the myriad imperfections of our lives do tend to grate on our nerves.  And since our fallen human nature tends, like Adam and Eve, to blame others for our own problems, it’s no wonder that many people have, as one of their favorite passtimes, the habit of complaining about others.

To be sure, there is such a thing as a legitimate complaint, when it is a warranted cry against a grave injustice.  In such cases, it’s generally the right thing to do to diligently work to put an end to injustice, but such efforts must nevertheless always be carried out in charity.

But so many complaints are more just about the things or persons that irritate us, and less about matters of injustice.  Scripture warns us against the bad habit of making such complaints, since we certainly don’t want God to judge us sharply about all the things we do that dismay Him!  Patience, compassion, and mercy are not only qualities we pray we may receive from God in our final judgment, they’re also what we should pray to receive from God now so that we can pass them on to others....

Daily Retreat 05/22/08

2008 May 22 Thu: Ordinary Weekday/ Rita of Cascia, r
Jas 5: 1-6/ Ps 48(49): 14-15ab. 15cd-16. 17-18. 19-20/ Mk 9: 41-50

From today’s readings:  “Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire....  Fear not when a man grows rich, when the wealth of his house becomes great, For when he dies, he shall take none of it; his wealth shall not follow him down....  Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

Richly Warned

While the Bible does not condemn riches per se, the love of money and the inordinate focus on amassing wealth are clearly asserted as incompatible with any full Christian faith commitment.  Even commonsense wisdom recognizes the danger of greed, and so, for instance, there’s a French proverb that goes, “Money is a good servant, but a bad master.”

The Epistle of St. James is eerily emphatic in warning of the spiritual bankruptcy of those whose primary interest is earthly wealth.  In particular, those rich will be condemned who acquired their fortunes unethically (e.g., depriving workers of decent wages), or misused wealth in wanton luxury, or abused riches to buy the power to pervert justice.

Do these dire warnings apply to you and me?  Our tendency is to pamper ourselves with comforting thoughts that, since many people are much wealthier and apparently more greedy than we ourselves are, surely our own attitude towards mammon is balanced and appropriate for our state in life, right?  But then, it’s far too easy to buy the silence of our conscience on this matter, as if a minuscule percentage of almsgiving somehow justified the humongous investment of our time and talents in lucrative pursuits.  So Scripture richly warns us:  in the eternal accounting, whatever money isn’t shared and used for good, amounts to nothing but fool’s gold!

Daily Retreat 05/21/08

2008 May 21 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Christopher Magallanes, p, & co., mts
Jas 4: 13-17/ Ps 48(49): 2-3. 6-7. 8-10. 11/ Mk 9: 38-40

From today’s readings: “So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin....  Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs....  For whoever is not against us is for us. ”

You know what to do....

"Doing the right thing" is not always easy, a fact that the sins of our lives give sad testimony about.  To be sure, there are times when it's difficult even to know what is the right thing to do, which is why it's essential for us to practice virtue in even small matters, and to educate our consciences with continuing schooling from the divine Teacher and the Magisterium of His Church.

But more often than not, we do know, with the help of God's light, what is the right thing to do, so when we fail to do it, the breakdown betrays a selfish or an anemic will much more often than a retarded or deficient intellect.  Note that, even when there is no obvious transgression of divine commandments, as St. James points out, simply refraining from doing the right thing is a clear wrong in itself, a "sin of omission," in common parlance.

Personally, I know I'm far too fast to excuse my many sins of omission - I'm busy, or tired, or distracted, or unprepared, or not absolutely sure what is best - there's always some seemingly good reason to simply not quite get around to doing what God has patiently helped me realize really is the right thing to do.   But all such self-justifications come from the Devil's Excuse Mill! So, instead of short-changing our God-given will by with poor rationalizations for not doing the right thing, you and I need to invest ourselves in the portfolio of Providence, for whenever God shows us, in whatever manner, what is the right thing to do, He concurrently pledges to assist us with super sufficient grace to just do it!

Daily Retreat 05/20/08

2008 May 20 Tue: Ordinary Weekday/ Bernardine of Siena, p, r, ms
Jas 4: 1-10/ Ps 54(55): 7-8. 9-10a. 10b-11a. 23/ Mk 9: 30-37

From today’s readings:  “Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God....  Cast your care upon the LORD, and He will support you....   Whoever receives one child such as this in My Name, receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but the One who sent Me.”

Lovers of the World

St. James professes the sobering insight that “whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God!”  Why?  As Christ Himself insists, “No man can serve two masters...” (Matt. 6:24).  So covetousness and envy and lust lead inevitably away from God to endless wars and conflicts.

To be seduced by the world is thus, as St. James claims, to fall into the most pathetic form of adultery.   God loves us with the truest, most faithful love, beyond our comprehension!  Through His Son’s Incarnation, He has espoused humanity to Himself - how is it that you or I would ever choose to betray that love by prostituting ourselves to the world?   And yet in big ways and small ways, sometimes, perhaps always, we move to be lovers of the world, and embrace enmity with God!

After playing the harlot, can we ever return to Love Himself?  St. James tells us how!
“So submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts.... Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you!”

Daily Retreat 05/19/08

2008 May 19 Mon: Ordinary Weekday (Seventh Week in Ordinary Time)
Jas 3: 13-18/ Ps 18(19): 8. 9. 10. 15/ Mk 9: 14-29

From today’s readings:  “...the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace....  The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.... This kind can only come out through prayer....”

Jealousy and Selfish Ambition

You and I both know many people who have way more than we do, and yet they are unsatisfied.  We moan, “If I only had his income, that would be more than enough for me.  Or her intelligence.  Or their sense of family peace.  Or his opportunities, or her charm, or their good fortune.  They have so much - why aren’t they ever satisfied?”  Yet even as you and I complain about so many ingrates, these people who don’t realize how good they have it, if we would ever stop and listen, we’d probably be able to hear just as many people hungrily longing for the abundant blessings in our own lives which we so much take for granted!

So jealousy is like a poisonous but invisible gas which can so easily permeate the air we breathe, robbing us of peace and contentment and gratitude to God for His super-abundant goodness to us.  Selfish ambition, the sinister sister of jealousy, likewise can snare our souls so softly and subtly, leading, as St. James observes, to “disorder and every foul practice.”

How can we resist such insidious fiends?  Only the wisdom from above can detect and discover and expose and expel these intrepid intruders, for jealousy and selfish ambition cannot long co-exist with Christian charity and “the humility that comes from wisdom!”

Daily Retreat 05/18/08

2008 May 18 SUN: THE HOLY TRINITY S
Ex 34: 4b-6. 8-9/ Dn 3: 52. 53. 54. 55. 56 (52b)/ 2 Cor 13: 11-13/ Jn 3: 16-18

From today’s readings: “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity....  Glory and praise for ever!...  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you....  God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life....”

The Sign of the Trinity

“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  The Sign of the Cross, with which we are accustomed to begin so many prayers, is also the Sign of the Trinity, our customary confession of faith of the very heart of our Faith, the belief in one God, in three divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Every truth of our faith - indeed, every truth the human mind can fathom, every truth in existence, is contingent on it’s bearing to the Blessed Trinity, the source and origin of all truth and being.

In asserting belief in the truth of the Trinity as the starting point of Christian faith, it can even be noted that, a man can  paradoxically hold to the mere existence of one God without staking faith in Him.  This is what I mean: our unaided human reason (if functioning properly, at least) will reach  the conclusion that there is a singular Starting Point, a unique Origin of all existence, which, by definition, can certainly be labeled “God” (with a capital “G”).  Now, clearly a man who has merely concluded that the universe has a singular Starting Point is still far from becoming a man of faith, for “faith begins where reason leaves off.”

As an aside, I must warn that this dictum “faith begins where reason ends” can be understood in two ways: for Voltaire and other atheist philosophers, “faith” is a counterfeit currency, a bogus blank check, used to fraudulently purchase whatever is too exorbitant for mere reason.  But for John Paul the Great and other rational believers, faith and reason are clearly complementary and both essential: “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the soul of man rises to the contemplation of truth.... Faith asks that its object be understood with the help of reason; and at the summit of its searching, reason acknowledges that it cannot do without what faith presents.”

So if we are to be people of faith in God, we must go beyond the limits of reason alone.  But “beyond” is not synonymous with  “contrary to” - consider that an astronaut in space is certainly beyond the confines of even the most accurate and detailed map of the earth.  Of course,  the limits of the map cannot pinpoint and circumscribe the astronaut’s physical location, but that doesn’t mean a contradiction has arisen.  Nor does the astronaut’s position “beyond” and “off the chart” invalidate at all the function and accuracy of the land map - in fact, it would be perilous for the astronaut to not care about his position relative to the earth!  Thus, in this analogy, “reason” corresponds to the map of the earth, and faith corresponds to the rocket, the astronaut’s means for passing beyond, but not contrary to, the charted limits of the earth.

Faith is, in fact, man’s response to God’s revelation of Himself.  Now, a person who affirms the existence of God, but denies divine Revelation, is called a “deist.”  Such a person explicitly denies that God wants to tell us anything about Himself, and so the deist only believes what he can figure out on his own about God, such as God’s role as the singular Starting Point of the universe.  In contrast to deism, all forms of Christianity explicitly assume that the Creator does want to tell His creatures something about Himself, and whatever He tells is then recognized as divine revelation, His initiatives in human history.

The Book of Exodus recounts how God spoke of Himself as “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.”  Already, that is more than any deist can affirm on the basis of reason alone!  But the LORD, the LORD, the merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity went on to reveal more and more about Himself, culminating in His definitive self-revelation in the person of Jesus, for “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”  

And last week’s solemnity of Pentecost commemorated what Jesus taught and did in revealing the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity.  So the Sign of the Cross is the Sign of the Trinity - God’s own signature, in a sense.  Because God is rich in kindness and fidelity, He didn’t leave His children in the dark about who He is, and how we can come to Him.  Rather, He clearly revealed His Trinitarian nature and three-fold embrace of His children!  And responding with faith in that divine revelation, St. Paul could thus close his letter to the Corinthians with that sublime blessing which I too leave with you:  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you!

Daily Retreat 05/17/08

2008 May 17 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
Jas 3: 1-10/ Ps 11(12): 2-3. 4-5. 7-8/ Mk 9: 2-13

From today’s readings:  “...we all fall short in many respects....  You will protect us, Lord....  Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. ”

Taming the Tongue

Control of the tongue is another topic repeatedly addressed in the letter of St. James.  There are so many sins committed by the tongue -  gossip, insults, arrogance, slander, lies, profanity, cursing - you name it!  In addition to these sins, there are those many times when everything would have turned out better if we had just kept our mouth shut, times that we’ve caused trouble just by unnecessary, imprudent speech, even if it was true and non-sinful.  

St. James points out that effort spent taming the tongue can have such positive effects on our whole lives.  Like the bit used to guide a horse, or the rudder which steers a ship, the tongue directs much of our moral orientation, so one who masters his own tongue is in a position to set a straight course of living.   

Reflect on this as well: when we receive Holy Communion, the moment the Sacred Host is placed in our mouths, our tongue is like a throne for Christ our Lord.  Is it a worthy throne?  Not if soiled by gossip and lies, not if defaced with the graffiti of profanity and cursing, not if scratched and scraped with abrasive sarcasm and unkind words!

Daily Retreat 05/16/08

2008 May 16 Fri: Ordinary Weekday
Jas 2: 14-24. 26/ Ps 111(112): 1-2. 3-4. 5-6/ Mk 8: 34 – 9: 1

From today’s readings:  “Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?...  Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands....   What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? ”

Faith Without Works is Dead

In the most famous passage from his letter, St. James insists that “faith without works is dead” and such faith cannot save!  This point is actually reiterated other times in the letter (as well as elsewhere in Scripture), but nowhere in the Bible more emphatically than in this passage, which clearly explains the inter-dependency of faith and works.

There is, of course, a well-known controversy here.  Martin Luther, disturbed by the balance St. James defended of faith and works, dismissed this letter as “an epistle of straw.”   Luther maintained that, in regards to justification, the emphasis should shift completely to faith, with the deliberate exclusion of works!  In his defense, Luther quoted from chapter 3, verse 28 of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans “for we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law!” To insure his central dogma wouldn’t be missed, Luther even added the word “alone” in the translation he prepared, “man is justified by faith ALONE apart from works of law!”

But do St. Paul and St. James really contradict each other?  As always, the apparent difficulties are cleared up by reading the texts in context.  In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes about genuine, active faith in God, whereas St. James is here distinguishing that same Pauline living faith from deceptive, dead faith.  In one of the hardest-hitting, but often overlooked verses in all of scripture, St. James reminds everyone that, Even the demons believe in God --and shudder! In other words, to the man who says, “I believe in God...” and thinks he thereby has Heaven sewn up because he’s doing God some big favor by simply acknowledging His existence, St. James is so clear that that is not enough - even the demons believe in God’s existence!  That kind of minimal, deceptive, dead faith can’t save!  

Likewise, Paul’s dismissal of works is in fact, reconcilable with James’ endorsement of works because, from the context, note that it’s clear Paul is specifically discounting works of the law of the Old Testament  - circumcision, for instance, whereas James is talking about the good works which embody Christian faith, such as feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.  

Now, those corporal works of mercy remind us of what Jesus said about the Last Judgment: (This excerpt from Matthew chapter 25): “Then the King will say to those at His right hand, 'Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food,” and “I was naked and you clothed Me... ” All those good works mentioned by Jesus are explicitly linked by Him as reasons for inheriting His Kingdom.

Now, let’s be clear:  St. James is NOT saying, and as Catholics, we do not, I repeat, we DO NOT believe good works in themselves can ever earn justification and salvation apart from God’s grace - in fact, that idea is a heresy, a form of  Pelegianism.  Good works can help prepare for faith, good works give essential witness to a living faith, good works, as Jesus Himself explains, are a way of welcoming and serving Christ and freely cooperating with God’s grace, but removed from that amazing, saving grace, good works in themselves do not earn salvation, and the Catholic Church, following St. James and the whole of Scripture, is very clear about these points.

Daily Retreat 05/15/08

2008 May 15 Thu: Ordinary Weekday/ Isidore the Farmer, mm
Jas 2: 1-9/ Ps 33(34): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7/ Mk 8: 27-33

From today’s readings:  “Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He promised to those who love Him?...  The Lord hears the cry of the poor....  He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.”

Preferential Treatment

When we focus on minor details, it’s tempting to dismiss scripture as archaic and inapplicable to our modern situations.  But when we look at the big picture and main points, it’s almost uncanny how pertinent and timely are the insights of the Word of God.

St. James, echoing the teachings of Christ, insisted on the equal dignity of all people, rich or poor.  The image of a rich man with gaudy golden rings might seem ridiculously ostentatious for modern taste (and therefore not overly impressive), but of course the essential point is not how he is dressed, but how he is treated because of his wealth.  And today, as well as the time St. James wrote, we continue to give rich people preferential treatment.

But our Christian faith calls us instead to give preferential treatment to the poor, recognizing in them our Lord Jesus, who said, “Whatsoever you do to the least of My brothers, that you do unto Me!”

Daily Retreat 05/14/08

2008 May 14 Wed: 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 05/13/08

2008 May 13 Tue: Ordinary Weekday/ Our Lady of Fatima
Jas 1: 12-18/ Ps 93(94): 12-13a. 14-15. 18-19/ Mk 8: 14-21

From today’s readings:  “No one experiencing temptation should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and He Himself tempts no one.....  Blessed the man You instruct, O Lord....  Jesus said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’ ”

How Tempting!

Temptation, of course, is not the same as sin - temptation is the “lure and enticement of desire” which leads to sin.  Even though temptation comes from Satan (never from God!), remember, Jesus Himself was tempted, so there is no sin involved merely in experiencing temptation.  In fact, it has been said that a person unaware of any temptations in his life has a lot to worry about, because the Devil evidently assumes such a one is already in his possession!  So, when a person perseveres, fighting against temptation, he is being virtuous.  That does not mean, however, that one should deliberately entertain temptation, for to do so intentionally would be a sin of presumption that one could successfully resist the temptation.

In fact, the most effective and straightforward resistance to sin is at the level of temptation.  When a person falls regularly into sin, an essential defense tactic is for him to quarantine himself as much as possible from the sources of temptation.  That’s the reason that, when making an examination of conscience, not only must we take responsibility for our sins, but we need to go the additional step of identifying the “near occasions of sin,” so as to avoid them in the future.  This is why we pray, “Lead us not into temptation...,” imploring God to lead us away, as far as possible, from sources of temptation, not because God Himself ever would lead us into temptation (note how emphatic James is about this point)!

Daily Retreat 05/12/08

2008 May 12 Mon: Ordinary Weekday (Sixth Week in Ordinary Time)
Jas 1: 1-11/ Ps 118(119): 67. 68. 71. 72. 75. 76/ Mk 8: 11-13

From today’s readings: “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.... Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live...  The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from Him a sign from Heaven to test Him....”

Greetings from St. James!

Yesterday’s solemnity of Pentecost signaled the end of the festive Easter season, so a marked shift now appears in the selection of daily scripture readings as the “ordinary time” liturgical season is resumed.   Ready for a change?  Read St. James!  In his letter, James writes to Christians of all ages about some of the most fundamental practical questions that arise in living out a daily whole-hearted commitment to Christian faith.

What to do when faced with difficulties and trials?  “Consider it all joy!”  What?!  Isn’t it our troubles that shatter our contentment - how then can we see problems as joy?  Because “the testing of your faith produces perseverance!”  And what a blessing that is, to rejoice in faith that has weathered all trials, and been strengthened instead of compromised.  

An anemic, untested faith will always be a source of concern and preoccupation, like a newly designed fighter plane that hasn’t been test flown yet - no matter how maneuverable in theory, the question still remains: how will it hold up in adverse conditions?  But after testing, there is proof of perseverance -  the plane (and faith!) can be relied upon to hold up under future trials - consider it all joy!

Coincidentally, today also marks the beginning preparation for a changed focus in my own priestly ministry.  This coming July, after ten years as pastor, I will be leaving Our Lady of the Valley parish in Okanogan, WA and moving to Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregan, where, in fulfillment of a long-held dream, I will be teaching scripture and serving as one of the formation directors on staff.  So, today I am driving to Mt. Angel for a short orientation session, and, my thoughts turn to those words of St. James, “Consider it all joy....!”  For, even though the decade in Okanogan has emphatically been full of many blessings, there has also lately been various trials which, while I would not have chosen them voluntarily, have nevertheless helped me, by the grace of God, to personally experience St. James’ joyful assertion that “the testing of faith produces steadfastness!”

If I can still be of service to Immaculate Heart Retreat Center and the readers of this “virtual retreat” column, my hope and plan is that I will be able to continue these daily reflections from new home at Mt. Angel - I’ll be looking into the feasibility of that as I learn more at this orientation about my new responsibilities.  So, remember me in your prayers, and pray also for priestly vocations!

Daily Retreat 05/11/08

2008 May 11 SUN: PENTECOST S
Vigil: Gn 11: 1-9 or Ex 19: 3-8a. 16-20b or Ez 37: 1-4 or Jl 3: 1-5/ Ps 103(104): 1-2. 24. 35. 27-28. 29. 30/ Rom 8: 22-27/ Jn 7: 37-39.
Day: Acts 2: 1-11/ Ps 103(104): 1. 24. 29-30. 31. 34/ 1 Cor 12: 3b-7. 12-13/ Sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus/ Jn 20: 19-23

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....  No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit....  Receive the Holy Spirit...”

Confirmation

The Latin roots of the word “confirmation” mean “to make strong.”  On the feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent down upon the disciples to make their faith strong, and so that occasion marked the first celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation.

And how their faith was strengthened indeed!  Instead of hiding behind closed doors, they all went forth to spread the good news of Christ’s Resurrection and His abiding presence in their lives - and so zealous were they, that 3000 were baptized into the faith that day, filling the new Church with the blessing of so many new members!

And yet, strength is to no avail without the commitment to use it wisely and diligently!  Having been strengthened in their faith, the disciples could have chosen to keep their strength and blessings to themselves, to  “play it safe,” to just stay with the status quo, or maybe form a committee to consider the pros and cons of different evangelization strategies.

All of us Christians who have received the sacrament of Confirmation have now been strengthened in our faith - we, no less than the first disciples, have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit.  What do you and I do with our strength of faith?  Do we zealously go out to the whole world to proclaim our faith in deed and in word, and thus lead many others to God?  Too often, perhaps, we’ve failed to apply our strength of faith for its proper use and instead, complacently kept our faith and blessings to ourselves.  Celebrating today the feast of Pentecost, we certainly can get fired up by the example of the first disciples to realize how thoroughly God strengthens our faith so that we can pass it on!

Daily Retreat 05/10/08

2008 May 10 Sat: Easter Weekday/ Bl Damien Joseph de Veuster of Moloka'i, p
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 05/09/08

2008 May 9 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 05/08/08

2008 May 8 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 05/07/08

2008 May 7 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 05/06/08

2008 May 6 Tue: Easter Weekday
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 05/05/08

2008 May 5 Mon: Easter Weekday
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 05/04/08

2008 May 4 SUN: Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 1:12-14/ Ps 26(27):1, 4, 7-8/ 1 Pt 4:13-16/ Jn 17:1-11a
(In some regions, the liturgical celebration of the Ascension Thursday is transferred to this Sunday)

From today’s readings: “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer....  I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living....  Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ....  Now this is eternal life, that they should know You, the only true God, and the One Whom You sent, Jesus Christ....”

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, scripture succinctly states, “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer....”

All the psalms are prayers - today’s includes that most important petition of all: “One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life!”  Obviously, this prayer should be made regularly - it makes a good final prayer at the end of each day.

The second reading includes the crucial reminder of what to do when faced with Christian suffering - instead of complaining, give glory to God !  “But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the Name....”

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!