Daily Retreat 08/02/08

2008 Aug 2 Jer 26: 11-16. 24/ Ps 68(69): 15-16. 30-31. 33-34/ Mt 14: 1-12   From today's readings:  "For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear....   Lord, in Your great love, answer me....  Herod the Tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus...."   Punishing the Messenger   Jeremiah finds himself arrested and on trial for being faithful to God's command to "omit nothing" of the divine but dire warnings the prophet was charged to deliver to the people.  Because of some influential protectors, Jeremiah narrowly escapes the death sentence - this time!  It certainly wasn't the end of his persecution, and a rabbinical tradition maintains that Jeremiah was eventually stoned by his own people in exile, although that is not mentioned in scripture.   It's bad enough when people ignore God's messengers, but it's common enough for true prophets to be persecuted and even put to death, as the Cross reminds us, as well as the martyrdom of John the Baptist mentioned in the Gospel!  Even in recent times, we can recall the violent death of Oscar Romero in 1980, and the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul the Great in 1981, to say nothing of malicious press attacks on other faithful servants of Christ who call the world to live the standard of the Gospel.   But you and I should not smugly compliment ourselves just because our hands are clean of violence or libel against God's servants - we must also ask ourselves how we personally react when confronted by modern messengers repeating in a disquieting  personal way the divine but dire warnings.  Do we tune out the hard sayings?  Do we cut back on church contributions because we feel offended?  Do we seek another, softer church or pastor?  Why not instead have the courage to welcome Truth, even when hard to swallow, and to be grateful to God for the gutsy pastor of whom it can be said, "it is in the name of the LORD, our God, that he speaks to us!"

Daily Retreat 08/01/08

2008 Aug 1 Fri Jer 26: 1-9/ Ps 68(69): 5. 8-10. 14/ Mt 13: 54-58   From today's readings:  "Thus says the LORD: If you disobey Me, not living according to the law I placed before you and not listening to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them, I will treat this house like Shiloh, and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth shall refer when cursing another....  But I pray to You, O LORD, for the time of Your favor, O God!...  Jesus came to His native place and taught the people in their synagogue...."   Omit Nothing!   The Bible is by all accounts a big book - even many people who have discovered the treasure of Scripture have yet to read the entire Bible cover to cover.  So it's natural for people to be more familiar with some passages, and basically ignorant of others.  And indeed, some books of the Bible are objectively more important than others, e.g., the lengthy book of Jeremiah is more significant on all counts than the pithy 21 verses of the prophet Obadiah (the only book of the Bible that appears no where in the lectionary cycle!).   Yet the overwhelming nature of the Bible does not give a person license to pick and choose, to focus exclusively, for example, on only the comforting verses which assure us of God's forgiveness, while ignoring the lofty but demanding moral exhortations and precepts!  While this is especially tempting for those charged with preaching God's word to pass over the most unsettling "hard sayings" in Scripture so as not to irk listeners, God's insistence that his prophet Jeremiah "omit nothing" applies as well to all of us who hear or read His word today.   Most people are woefully ignorant of too many essentials found in the deposit of our faith because God's demand that we "omit nothing" has conveniently been ignored.  We simply cannot be God's faithful people without a lifelong commitment to accept the whole of His revelation -  living this commitment in practice means meditating on the Word of God daily and studying all the tenets of our faith regularly so that we may put into practice in our lives all that we believe, and omit nothing!

Daily Retreat 07/31/08

2008 Jul 31 Thu Jer 18: 1-6/ Ps 145(146): 1b-2. 3-4. 5-6ab/ Mt 13: 47-53   From today's readings:  "Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD....  Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them....  every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."   Clay in the Hands of the Potter   We all believe in God as our Creator, but at times, we forget that our creation is an immediate and continuous, ongoing relation, not a static happenstance from the distant past.  As the saying goes: "Be patient with me - God isn't done creating me yet!"  God initially created the physical universe at the beginning of time, but it still would collapse instantly into nothingness if God did not continue to uphold its existence.  Likewise, God initially created you and me in the physical order at the moment of conception, but the continuation of our life is at every moment still dependent on His beneficence as our Creator.   A beautiful biblical image of this is found in chapter 18 of the book of Jeremiah - as the prophet notes the clay's pliability in the potter's hands, the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah, reminding him (and us) that "indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, house of Israel!"   Have the scars and sins of your past totally mangled your life?  No matter, because just as easily as a potter can reshape a disfigured lump of clay into a beautiful vase, so can God transform our life into the masterpiece He creates us to be!

Daily Retreat 07/30/08

2008 Jul 30 Wed Jer 15: 10. 16-21/ Ps 58(59): 2-3. 4. 10-11. 17. 18/ Mt 13: 44-46   From today's readings:  "When I found Your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, because I bore Your Name, O LORD, God of hosts....  O my strength! your praise will I sing, for You, O God, are my stronghold, my merciful God!...  The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field...."   Lord, I'm ready to quit!   Five times in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet bares his soul in a series of desperate confessions, expressing his inner anguish because of the weight of his prophetic office: 11:18-12:6, 15:10-21, 17:12-18, 18:18-23, 20:7-18.  In the first reading (most of his second "confession"), while not denying the joy his vocation has brought him, Jeremiah nevertheless curses his birth and voices his frustration at the Lord for the bitter fruits of his vocation.   God's reply is not overly sympathetic, insisting on Jeremiah's repentance for his nearly blasphemous complaints.  But God does offer to renew Jeremiah's vocation, and promises the protection of His presence.   Even though our trials and tribulations aren't generally as torturous as were Jeremiah's, most of us in all walks of life have moments when the weight of our own vocation is overbearing - we focus on the suffering that it's brought us, which seems to overshadow all the joys that are part of it too.  And God's reply is similar, re-calling us to fidelity in our vocation, and promising the protection of His presence.  No matter what difficulties we encounter, we will find God with us when we are faithful to His call, whereas if we were to give in to the temptation to abandon our vocation, we would also be abandoning God.

Daily Retreat 07/29/08

2008 Jul 29 Tue Jer 14: 17-22/ Ps 78(79): 8. 9. 11 and 13/ Mt 13: 36-43   From today's readings:  "Is it not You alone, O LORD, our God, to Whom we look?...   Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of Your Name.... The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will collect out of His Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers."   Ravages of Sin   In addition to the crisis of foreign invasion, chapter 14 of the book of Jeremiah recounts the catastrophe of a great famine.  Droughts and food shortages were common from time to time throughout the ancient world, but the prophet bewails the effects of a famine which was evidently quite severe, and particularly bad-timed, coinciding as it did with grave military threats.   Read all of chapter 14 to get the complete picture: false prophets were promising that no famine or war would come, even in spite of the people's sinfulness.  But Jeremiah and the true prophets had announced that the Word of the Lord had foreseen the coming of these adversities because of the people's iniquities.   And come they did!  The people were faced with the unmasked reality of the fruits of their wickedness.  Drought is so visibly awful, when life-giving water is dried up, and food sources quickly become scarce.    We can recall  the Lord's complaint voiced in Jeremiah 2:13 that "Two evils have My people done: they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water!"  So now, the people physically experience the famine which parallels the spiritual dryness their sins have caused.

Daily Retreat 07/28/08

2008 Jul 28 MON Jer 13:1-11/Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21/Mt 13:31-35   From today's readings:  "Wicked people who refuse to obey My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts....  you have forgotten God who gave you birth!...  All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables."   Heavenly Thoughts   Many of the Lord's parables offer analogies to help us understand the Kingdom of Heaven.  The tendency is to limit our notion of Heaven, considering it strictly as God's dwelling and the place of eternal reward for saintly people after death.  Heaven is certainly all that ... and more!  For some of the parables seem to be intended specifically to help us expand our understanding of God's Kingdom.   Some translators, instead of "kingdom" prefer the word "reign," which seems less territorial based, and thus more focused on the dynamic extent of God's active and providential rule.  Nonetheless, both nuances are included in the perfection of Heaven!  Likewise, sometimes the context portrays the Kingdom of Heaven as a future, eschatological reality, whereas other times, the immediate and present dimension of God's Kingdom is stressed - but again, both the present and future aspects of Heaven need to be acknowledged.   When Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed and yeast, He wanted His listeners to understand the inherent potential and transforming power of God's reign.  Like so many of the Lord's  parables, these similes cannot be reduced to any one trite explanation, for they are intended to offer food for thought now and until the end of time.

Daily Retreat 07/27/08

2008 Jul 27 SUN: SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 1 Kgs 3:5.7-12/Ps 118(119)/Rom 8:28-30/Mt 13:44-52   Selling Everything   Some are rich, some are poor, but have any of us ever seriously entertained the idea of selling all we have in order to secure a treasure, some exquisite pearl of great price?  Starting with my house, my car, perhaps some stocks or various paper securities, then go and sell the computer and the TV and the stereo with the whole music collection; the major appliances, yes, including the air conditioner.  Go and sell every piece of furniture in my house, then the bikes, the electronic gadgets and all the other toys.  And finally my watch, and even the shirt off my back.  When you think about it, the idea of selling everything you have, everything I have –  it's an idiotic idea!   Yet, on the other hand, what Olympian athlete doesn't make almost superhuman sacrifices to win the gold medal?  What chess player would hesitate to sacrifice even his queen, if that meant winning the game?  Similarly, if you or I truly had a sure thing, an ingenious way we could win big - like quadruple our net worth overnight - if we could just scrounge up enough capital - yes, you and I would go to any lengths, including selling all our possessions - yes, the shirt off our back, if by doing so we could truly guarantee for ourselves the treasure of our dreams.  In that case, it would be idiotic not to go to any extent for such a grand payoff!   Read closely, my friends:  Every page of the Gospel is a fair, honest advertisement of the price of following Christ, but every page also points out the honest-to-God truth of miraculous infinite return for our investment!   Still, my guess is that you and I aren't quite prepared yet for this degree of sacrifice, of selling all we have.  Most of us, I'm sure, are stuck with the preliminary step of asking ourselves (which we can and ought to do so today): Given that pearl of infinite value, that reward better known as "Heaven", have you or I even started saving, have we yet made any sacrifice capable of securing this most exquisite pearl for us?  Are you and I ready today to die to self in some way, to literally or even figuratively sell even one, even one of our prized possessions, so that we can providentially land that infinite treasure of eternal life?

Daily Retreat 07/26/08

2008 Jul 26 Sat: Weekday/BVM Jer 7: 1-11/ Ps 83(84): 3. 4. 5-6a and 8a. 11/ Mt 13:24-30   From today's readings:  "Has this house which bears My name become in your eyes a den of thieves? I too see what is being done, says the LORD....  How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!... The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field...."   Is God your Genie of Invincibility?   In Jeremiah's day, people took God so much for granted, that they started to consider Him their "Genie of Invincibility" - false prophets convinced the crowds that no matter what they did, the Temple of the Lord was their unconditional guarantee that almighty God would always be with them to save them and protect them from all their enemies.   Such a notion was a Satanic distortion of God's covenant!  God never promised that He would be at His people's beck and call, to grant their every wish, clean up their every mess, and stand at their disposal to facilitate their iniquities.  Rather, the divine election of Israel created a sacred and mutual bond of Love and Responsibility between the Lord who said, "I will be your God!" and His chosen ones to whom He said, "You will be My people!"  Those who refuse to recognize God's moral authority and worship other gods can hardly be considered God's people,  just as a man who repudiates his native country and pledges allegiance to a foreign power can hardly claim to be entitled to the privileges of citizenship!   Have you been misled by false prophets to practically consider God merely your own "genie of invincibility," who will grant your prayers and avenge your scares, relieve your cares and overlook your affairs, regardless of your own conduct?  Or, have you listened to Jeremiah and the true prophets who teach that those who claim God's blessings and protection need to prove by their actions and choices that they are in fact His people?

Daily Retreat 07/25/08

2008 Jul 25 : James, ap F 2 Cor 4: 7-15/ Ps 125(126): 1bc-2ab. 2cd-3. 4-5. 6/ Mt 20: 20-28   From today's readings:  "We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us....  The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed....  The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many...."   St. James the Greater   Since there were two with the name "James" among the Twelve Apostles, it's easy to get them both mixed up.  One of them is mentioned in Mark 15:40 as "James the less," but this diminutive title most likely refers to his age or height, not his relative importance.  So in contrast, the saint commemorated today, the other James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, is often called "the greater," but again, that flattering title probably just reflects his greater age or height in comparison to the other James.   This St. James and his brother John and St. Peter were privileged to be the closest companions of Jesus among all the apostles, for  the three of them are mentioned as alone with the Lord on a number of occasions, including the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration, and the Agony in Gethsemane.   The Acts of the Apostles also records (12:2) that James was the first martyr among the apostles.   He was put to death by Herod Agrippa I, and since that monarch had a short reign, the year of James' martyrdom is well established as 42 AD.

Daily Retreat 07/24/08

2008 Jul 24 Thu: Ordinary Weekday Jer 2: 1-3. 7-8. 12-13/ Ps 35(36): 6-7ab. 8-9. 10-11/ Mt 13: 10-17   From today's readings:  "Be amazed at this, O heavens, and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD. Two evils have My people done: they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water....  How precious is your mercy, O God!...  Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."   Jeremiah's Gripe   It is tragic enough for one to grow cold and lethargic in the love of God, but it is even worse for one to seek and strenuously pursue an idolatrous love that deliberately disintegrates divine love dwelling within!  This is the heart of Jeremiah's prophecy: not only have so many people grown dispassionate in their love for God, but, worse still, so many are positively passionate in their prostitute's love of idols and other evils.   Jeremiah's outcry is terrifying: "Be amazed at this, O heavens, and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD. Two evils have My people done: they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water."  Not only had the people left God ("the source of living waters"), but they had labored ("dug cisterns") to provide themselves with some soulless substitute that would quench their lives' thirst, but all their efforts were in vain.   Without a doubt, there are times when it is hard to go to church, or hard to pray, or hard to live up to our Lord's commandments, or hard to have faith in God at all.  In the lifelong struggle against all temptations, you and I at times feel too little strength within us to put up much of a fight, and so we nibble at temptation, like a drowsy fish that knows there's better food than the worm hanging on the hook, but is too lazy to look elsewhere.    But after one or two careless nibbles, we soon find ourselves hooked on sin, even embracing it and aroused with a pathetic passion for iniquity.  Like the once slothful fish which suddenly has some rush of adrenalin which gives it the boost to dart around for miles dancing with the hooked line, so you and I can find ourselves expending so much energy following the lead of sin - ironically (tragically so!), since often the fall into sin is justified because we had been "so wearied" and "overworked" by the demands of virtue, and even though it might  gradually dawn on us how painful but how essential it is to get free of its barbs.  Pay attention, because Jeremiah (and the whole Bible) teaches us how to get unhooked from sin!

Daily Retreat 07/23/08

2008 Jul 23 Wed: Weekday Jer 1: 1. 4-10/ Ps 70(71): 1-2. 3-4a. 5-6ab. 15 and 17/ Mt 13: 1-9   From today's readings:  "Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD....  For You are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth....  Let the one who has ears hear!"   Here's Jeremiah!   Although containing fewer chapters, the Book of Jeremiah is about as long as Isaiah.  In fact, over the next few weeks,  we'll actually be reading much more of Jeremiah than the few sections we covered of Isaiah.    During his lifetime, Jeremiah became the most unpopular of all the prophets, and is known as the "weeping prophet" because of the hardships of his life and the severity of his prophecy.    In addition to details about his life, the book of Jeremiah also includes both poetic and prose prophecies and historical notes.  However, although the book begins logically with the call of Jeremiah in his youth, it is important to note that the book is not strictly arranged chronologically, as will soon be noted.   Since his prophecy spanned a number of decades, it is essential to have at least a rough understanding of the historical background.  His vocation came to him in 626 BC, the 13th year of King Josiah, who was one of the few good kings who sought to put an end to the idolatry of God's people.    At that time, Judah was a vassal nation to Assyria, whose power was clearly waning.  But although Josiah was able to lead Judah from the yoke of Assyrian dominance, Babylon was fast becoming the dominant empire in the region, and Jeremiah warned that military resistance was futile to the new power.  Such talk explains a lot of his unpopularity - he was even considered a traitor!  Nonetheless, history tragically proved him right when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC.   But the fall of Jerusalem was not the end of his career as a prophet - God continued to inspire Jeremiah to bring the Word of the Lord to His people in one of their darkest hours.

Daily Retreat 07/22/08

2008 Jul 22 Tue: Mary Magdalene Mi 7:14-15.18-20/Ps 84(85)/Jn 20:1-2.11-18   Micah's Final Word   On the whole, Micah certainly could be considered the typical "gloom and doom" prophet - he takes pains to prove to the people the painful reality of their many sins, and he's quite explicit about the tragic consequences that will inevitably follow as a result of the widespread iniquity.   But, Micah's message also calls to mind the mercy of God, especially in the closing verses of the final chapter (today's first reading).  The cool relief of these words is best experienced in contrast to the blistering heated passages which precede them (almost the entire rest of the book).  Don't be afraid to read the whole work - we can take a cue from this passionate prophet Micah, who does not shirk from confronting the bitter reality of sin, but he clearly is not at all defeatist toward it, realizing that ultimately, sin does not have the final word, for   "Who is there like You, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins!"

Daily Retreat 07/22/08

2008 Jul 22 Tue: Weekday Mi 7:14-15.18-20/Ps 84(85)/Mt 12:46-50   Micah's Final Word   On the whole, Micah certainly could be considered the typical "gloom and doom" prophet - he takes pains to prove to the people the painful reality of their many sins, and he's quite explicit about the tragic consequences that will inevitably follow as a result of the widespread iniquity.   But, Micah's message also calls to mind the mercy of God, especially in the closing verses of the final chapter (today's first reading).  The cool relief of these words is best experienced in contrast to the blistering heated passages which precede them (almost the entire rest of the book).  Don't be afraid to read the whole work - we can take a cue from this passionate prophet Micah, who does not shirk from confronting the bitter reality of sin, but he clearly is not at all defeatist toward it, realizing that ultimately, sin does not have the final word, for   "Who is there like You, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins!"

Daily Retreat 07/21/08

2008 Jul 21 Mon: Weekday Mi 6: 1-4. 6-8/ Ps 49(50): 5-6. 8-9. 16bc-17. 21 and 23/ Mt 12: 38-42   From today's readings:  "You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.... To the upright I will show the saving power of God....   At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here."   God's People on Trial   The most famous passage from the Book of Micah is skipped for now and saved for the fourth Sunday of Advent: Micah 5:1-4, the Messianic prophecy that specifies Bethlehem as the future birthplace of the Christ.  The lectionary text for today is from the beginning of chapter six: the Lord's trial with His people.  The plaintive charge leveled by the plaintiff God in verse 3 might sound a bit familiar:  "O My people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you?"  It can be helpful to supply the implied continuation of the question: "...that you mistreat Me so?"  This verse is adapted during the Triduum as the first stanza of the moving "reproaches" of Good Friday.   God's question is not just for the people of Micah's time, nor should we only consider it once a year on Good Friday.  In fact, it makes an excellent examination of conscience: God has done literally everything good for you and for me - how have we repaid Him?  The truth is, we have done much to weary our God with our sins, though He has done nothing to weary us!   What then are we to do (vv. 6-7) - try to appease God with extravagant animal, oil, or even human sacrifices?  No!  That's not what God wants at all, for "You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God!"

Daily Retreat 07/20/08

2008 Jul 20: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 12:13.16-19/Ps 85(86)/Rom 8:26-27/Mt 13:24-43   Learning the Basics   My friends, have you ever had that annoying experience of a particularly presumptuous person pointing out that you didn't know how to do something which you thought you had been doing just fine all your life?  Whether it was the meddlesome mother-in-law or the know-it-all teenager, I imagine we've all heard things like, "You know, you walk funny!" or "Don't you know there's a better way to tie your shoes?" or, my personal favorite, "Are you sure that's how you spell your name?"   Of course, generally, you and I would respond to such provocations with patronizing sympathy for that poor simpleton who can't think of anything better to do with his time than to rate people's perambulatory skills or crusade for one certain method of tying or lacing shoes.   However, particularly when the observation is made by a true expert in the field, there can at times be quite an element of truth in at least some such annoying claims.  For instance, if a trusted family doctor remarked that "You know, you're a bit stiff when you walk - why don't you relax a bit more?", most of us would at least consider the possibility that maybe we can improve our walking style.  Even so, such observations are still difficult to accept because they demand extraordinary humility - the personal admission that something basic and fundamental in my life still needs improvement.   So I wonder how the Romans reacted when Paul made that audacious claim (check out the second reading) that " we do not know how to pray as we ought!"  Maybe their response was a bit of indignation, "Aren't you happy enough with the fact that we are praying, and most of us have been praying all our lives?  What kind of hang-up do you have, Paul, that you feel the need to offer advice even in this area?"   On the other hand, maybe even the proud Romans were humble enough, and maybe you and I can be humble enough today, to realize that Paul was a true expert in this field, and so worthy of being taking seriously in even such an audacious claim.   St. John Damascene defined prayer simply as "the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."  Simple enough - so then, how is it conceivable that you and I do not know how to do this the way we ought?  It boils down to one word: humility.  Humility is the foundation, the essential ingredient of all true prayer.  All too often when you and I pray, we speak from the height of our own pride and will, and essentially dare to ask God to do our will, because we think we know what's best for ourselves, or for our loved ones, and we certainly know what's best for the people who annoy us!   In contrast, true prayer comes "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart.  Only when you and I begin by humbly acknowledging that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we then ready to receive freely the gift of prayer.  "Man is always a beggar before God," as St. Augustine put it.   So, are you and I convinced that "we do not know how to pray as we ought"? Are we asking God for "what is good for us"? Our Father knows what we need before we ask him, but He awaits our petition because the dignity of His children lies in their freedom. We must pray, then, with His Spirit of freedom, to be able truly to know what He wants.   Humility then means that you or I can never dare to claim that any one of us is all wheat and no weeds.  All members of the Church must acknowledge that we are sinners, whose only hope, whose sure hope, is the patient God of all compassion, Who gives His children this hope:  that He graciously permits repentance for our sins!  If the world had ended yesterday, God's harvesting angels could easily have deduced that I and so many others belonged with the weeds, yet the good Lord gave you and me the light of this new day, a new opportunity to do penance, so today the dew of His Grace can wash us clean, and today the fertile soil of humility can enable you and me to bear a rich harvest for the Lord, because today we can set aside our will, and let the Spirit pray in us, "Gracious Father, Thy will be done!"

Daily Retreat 07/19/08

2008 Jul 19 Sat Mi 2: 1-5/ Ps 9(10): 1-2. 3-4. 7-8. 14/Mt 12:14-21   From today's readings:  "Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches....  Do not forget the poor, O Lord!....   This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet...."   Meet Micah   Sadly, the lectionary cycle now leaves the book of Isaiah behind - although that doesn't need to stop us from reading the rest of it on our own!  Much of the text of the second half of Isaiah (ch. 40-66) will be read during Advent and Lent.   So now we turn to Micah, the sixth of the minor prophets, who was a contemporary of Isaiah, and although certainly similar themes are shared by the two, Micah's words are more simple and focused: through means of foreign invaders, God is about to punish His people for their sins!   Micah mentions particularly sins of oppression, dishonesty, arrogance, and superstition, and he especially upbraids the upper classes for their subjugation of the poor.  Micah is almost relentless in his prophecy of gloom and doom, except for the first verses of chapters 5, 6 and 7.   Perhaps you were intimidated by the length of Isaiah (66 chapters), and therefore didn't read it through.  Micah is much shorter (only 7 chapters), and so I urge you to read the whole book, reflecting on the same social and personal sins confronted by Micah which still abound in our time, and still bring tragic effects.  So, Micah's message is still for us - how are we to confront those sins in our times?

Daily Retreat 07/18/08

2008 Jul 18 Fri Is 38: 1-6. 21-22. 7-8/ Is 38: 10. 11. 12abcd. 16/ Mt 12: 1-8   From today's readings:  "O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in Your presence, doing what was pleasing to You!...  Those live whom the LORD protects; Yours is the life of my spirit....   the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."   An Isaiah Aside   A few weeks ago, the two Books of Kings were skimmed during the daily first readings.  Those with a good memory will recall mention of Hezekiah, one of the few good kings (though not perfect!) in the history of Judah and Israel who instigated reforms to uproot idolatry and return the people to worship of the True God.  Some highlights of his reign are recorded in chapters 18-20 of the Second Book of Kings, and those chapters are included (almost verbatim!) in chapters 36-39 of Isaiah.   This duplication of the history of Hezekiah reveals a thought-provoking anomaly found in the book of Isaiah: verses 21-22 of chapter 38 are clearly out of order!  The lectionary text, in fact, corrects the deviation and inserts those verses between verses 6 and 7, which better preserves the sense and also echoes the order in II Kings 20.  Then, there follows the Psalm-prayer of Hezekiah, most of which is read today in place of the responsorial psalm.  Although beautiful, this prayer has also suffered textual corruption, necessitating quite a bit of pure conjecture to establish the meaning (this can be noted by contrasting two translations, for which the major differences will betray the sketchy underlying original Hebrew text).   Since we recognize the Bible as the Word of God and profess a belief in the "inerrancy of Scripture," what are we to make of such scribal glosses that have crept into the text of the Bible over the course of centuries?  First, we cannot justify them all as somehow "intentional," as if the scribes were led by the Holy Spirit to make "slips of the pen" errors which would lead to thought-provoking insights of faith.  Inerrancy of Scripture applies to the sacred writers, not the copyists!  If you or I copy some verses from scriptures, there's no guarantee that we won't misspell, omit, or change the order of words (either by accident, or even on purpose!), and the scribes of the past had the same fallibility.     On the other hand, we need not be alarmed, because while there are many examples of such textual problems, their presence in the whole huge corpus of Scripture turns out to be the exceptions which prove the rule, because, by and large, the words of Holy Writ are remarkably well-preserved and firmly established by a near unanimity of ancient copies and translations - no other work of antiquity has anything close to the level of certainty that can be established for the text of Scripture.    I apologize to those who find my musing today to be too focused on somewhat technical aspects - I generally keep all that to a minimum, but sometimes such explanations are needed to reflect on the Church's approach to Scripture as a whole - clearly, appeal must occasionally be made to an authority outside of the Bible alone!

Daily Retreat 07/17/08

2008 Jul 17 Thu: Ordinary Weekday Is 26: 7-9. 11. 16-19/ Ps 101(102): 13-14ab and 15. 16-18. 19-21/ Mt 11: 28-30   From today's readings:  "O LORD, You mete out peace to us, for it is You who have accomplished all we have done....  From Heaven the Lord looks down on the earth....  Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest!"   About God   One of the purposes of Scripture meditation is to grow in our understanding and appreciation of God, for He has revealed Himself through His Word.  This is especially important since we all have the tendency to be satisfied with whatever incomplete image of God we've inherited from our respective religious backgrounds and experiences.  The Bible helps us add crucial dimension and color and correction to our uncomplete portraits, and when we learn more about our Maker, we discover new things about our own nature.   For example, today's passage from Isaiah 26 mentions several insights about God and His ways, but some of the insights can easily be glossed over if they're not immediately resonant with our own perceptions of God.   Turning to his Maker, Isaiah notes that "Your name and Your title are the desire of our souls. My soul yearns for You in the night, yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for You...."  Tragically, many have not yet identified God with the deepest yearning of their souls - they focus on certain people, things, or achievements that inspire them, but do not realize that it is ultimately the goodness of God that makes them inspirational.   Isaiah also speaks of the chastisement of God, noting not only its severity, but also its salutary purpose.   It seems that many people have dismissed the notion of divine chastisement as somehow outdated, limited to the Old Testament and incompatible with the full revelation of God's love through Jesus Christ.  Yet the New Testament also clearly recognizes the hand of God in earthly chastisements that purify us, and save us from undue attachments to the world, and to ourselves.

Daily Retreat 07/16/2008

2008 Jul 16 Wed: Ordinary Weekday Is 10: 5-7. 13b-16/ Ps 93(94): 5-6. 7-8. 9-10. 14-15/ Mt 11: 25-27   From today's readings:  "Thus says the LORD: Woe to Assyria!...  The Lord will not abandon His people....  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him."   The Answer to the Problem of Evil   Yesterday, it was mentioned that King Ahaz of Judah sought salvation from the pagan Assyrian empire, and that fateful choice led to disaster for both the northern and southern kingdoms.  The oracle in chapter 10 of Isaiah is against Assyria itself: while the Assyrian invasion served God's purpose in providing chastisement for His faithless people in Israel and Judah, the cocky pride of the Assyrians would soon lead to their own downfall (which occurred about a century later).   The rise and victories of evil forces can be unsettling to people of faith in God, who is all-good and all-powerful.  But, since God is all-good and all-powerful, how come Evil exists at all, and why are forces of good defeated at times?  This, in a nutshell, is the "Problem of Evil" which has troubled philosophers, theologians, and many other people unsettled by victories of evil forces.   No trite explanation provides a satisfactory resolution to this "Problem of Evil," but the issue is wrestled with often throughout the Bible (such as today's prophecy for Assyria) and comes to its sharpest focus in the Cross of Christ, and so, God's ineffable answer to that Sign of contradiction is our solution to the problem of Evil!

Daily Retreat 07/15/08

2008 Jul 15 Tue: Weekday Is 7: 1-9/ Ps 47(48): 2-3a. 3b-4. 5-6. 7-8/ Mt 11: 20-24 From today's readings:  "Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!...  God upholds His city for ever....  Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of His mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented." Intriguing Intricacies Chapter 7 is a crucial part of the book of Isaiah - the beginning of the prophecies about Emmanuel (see especially 7:14 "the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and call His name "Emmanuel").  The verses today give only a sketch of the complicated political background, introducing King Ahaz.  At that time (about 734 BC), the Assyrian empire was on the rise in the east, and so the northern kingdom of Israel allied with Aram (Syria) to resist the inevitable Assyrian expansion, asking the southern kingdom of Judah to join in the resistance.  Because King Ahaz refused to join the alliance, Israel and Aram then attacked Judah in order to force cooperation by enthroning a sympathetic king: "Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there."  More historical background can be found in chapter 16 of the Second Book of Kings. Isaiah brings an encouraging message to Ahaz, assuring him that the alliance against him would come to naught.  Ahaz, however, is already set on making his own unholy alliance with Assyria itself, which explains why he wasn't really interested in Isaiah's message (cf. 7:12), even though it was Good News! So basically, Isaiah counseled the king to put aside all political scheming in favor of faith in God, but Ahaz is content to just do things his own way, which led not only to the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 by the Assyrians, but also to the subjugation of the southern kingdom as a vassal state.  The lesson is clear: rejection of the direction God gives always leads to disaster, especially when we arrogantly assume, as did Ahaz, that we know better!

Daily Retreat 07/14/08

2008 Jul 14 Mon: Weekday Is 1: 10-17/ Ps 49(50): 8-9. 16bc-17. 21 and 23/ Mt 10: 34 – 11: 1 From today's readings:  "Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before My eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good....  Why do you recite My statutes, and profess My covenant with your mouth, though you hate discipline and cast My words behind you?...  Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me. " Learn to Do Good A few weeks ago, we considered the condemnation of religious hypocrisy found in the book of the prophet Amos, a view echoed in Hosea's writings  (cf. Hosea 6:6) and many others, including these early inflammatory verses of Isaiah, who compares the hypocritical listeners of his day to the rampantly immoral people of Sodom and Gomorrah. But, as always, it would be folly to dismiss the words of the prophet as directed merely to the people of another age - they're also meant for us!  Even though we don't worship with the blood of sacrificed animals, and we observe religious solemnities unknown at the time of Isaiah, the same insight applies: worship is worthless without the wholehearted resolve to "Put away your misdeeds from before My eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow!"

Daily Retreat 07/13/08

Is 55:10-11/Ps 64(65)/Rom 8:18-23/Mt 13:1-23 Blessed Eyes that See and Ears that Hear Having just read (or listened to) the Scripture readings for this Sunday, we all have seen or heard the word of God at least four times - that's four instances, four experiences of the word of God - just within a few minutes today!  There's something good, very good, about that, as Jesus remarks, "Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Indeed, our eyes and our ears are blessed for having encountered and received the word of God! But note well that the Gospel also goes on to raise the issue of whether or not that word of God has penetrated beyond our external senses yet, and come to our internal senses!  That is to say, has the word of God taken root in our hearts and born fruit in our lives as it is meant to do, or has there been a poor yield or even a crop failure, meaning we have little or no fruits to show? Well, first we must consider in our lives the first possibility mentioned in the Gospel: the seed is sown on the path, but the birds come and eat it up.  That is, the word of God is sown, but there's no understanding it, for the Evil one comes and steals away the seed before it even starts to sprout.  At first glance, all of us practicing Christians, just by the very fact that we are practicing Christians, might assume that this scenario doesn't apply to us, since our faith proves that we still have the word among us, in some sense at least.   But, on the other hand, consider this question: My reflection thus far has focused on the parable of the sower from the Gospel, but what was the first reading about?  And the responsorial psalm?  And that second reading?  Remember, all of us were recently blessed with four instances of the word of God, and each of those was like a seed that could and should take root in our lives.  But too often, at best,  we merely tune in for the Gospel or most familiar reading, and we basically ignore the other readings, not even trying to understand them, because we're content to allow the Devil to steal away those other seeds God sows and shows to us.  But Isaiah reminds us (in the first reading!) that when the word goes forth from the mouth of God, His word should not return to Him void, but should achieve the end for which it was sent.  The word of God should be received and cultivated every time it comes to us, so that each seed sown leads to God's fruit grown!  So don't be content to let sinister birds steal seed intended for you! The second possibility mentioned in the parable deals with those times the seed falls on rocky ground, so it sprouts quickly, but then is soon dried up for lack of roots.  I think all of us can see a side of ourselves here:  those times we were fired up with our faith, and expressed a joyous commitment to living it fully, but then came the call to sacrifice some of our precious free time on the weekend, or to lend a helping hand or make a substantial contribution toward sowing the seed and spreading the word, and suddenly, it seemed it just wasn't worth that much to us after all.  Or perhaps an old friend or even your spouse started teasing or complaining about the fervor of your faith, and the easiest thing was just to back off, and let the fervor fizzle.  Or maybe you were miffed, or offended, or scorched and scandalized by a priest or some other who failed visibly and miserably in bringing forth good fruit, and that inexcusable failure became the excuse for falling away.  But Paul reminds us (in the second reading!) that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us!  Living our faith involves sacrifice and suffering, a real and substantial giving of ourselves, and putting up with persecution, and persevering in spite of offenses and scandals, but in the end, we have the word of God to assure us it's all worth it!  So don't be content to let your faith wither because of rocky grounds! The third possibility concerns those times when the seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  Again, there's at least a bit of all of us here: those many times we made a firm resolution that from now on, we were going to make more time for God in our lives, we were going to go to confession and uproot sin in our lives, we were going to read the Bible every day, we were going to do so many good things to grow in our faith, and the potential was certainly all there, but as Jesus saw and said so clearly, "The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word, and it bears no fruit."  So don't be content to let worldly weeds for you choke God's marvelous seeds for you! You see,  no seed of God's word need be eaten by birds, or fall to rocky grounds, or be choked by worldly weeds.  Because, as the psalm reminds us, "The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest!"  Blessed indeed are the eyes that see and the ears that hear the Word of God, but more blessed still is the mind that takes what is seen and heard, and cultivates that Word, so that It may take root in the heart, and bring forth a hundredfold yield!

Daily Retreat 07/12/08

Is 6:1-8/ Ps 92(93)/ Mt 10:24-33 From today's readings:  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!...  The Lord is king; He is robed in majesty....  Do not be afraid of theose who kill the body but cannot kill the soul...." Association with Christ Jesus made it pretty clear to His Apostles about what they could expect from the world on account of their association with Christ.  Basically, the way the world treated Jesus would be the pattern for the way the world treated His disciples.  Just as Jesus, for example, was accused with being in league with the spirit of Evil, so would His Apostles be similarly maligned. But, Jesus also made it clear why His Apostles shouldn't fear denunciation by the world.  The Providence of God extends to even the smallest things, such as the hairs of one's head.  This being the case, nothing that happens can escape divine scrutiny, and this awareness must always inspire and govern our actions and attitudes. Which means, for example, that commitment to Christ must permeate the entire person - it's not sufficient to just do a list of external tasks that give some witness to faith, if one's thoughts and hidden actions undermine or even contradict the faith.

Daily Retreat 07/11/08

Hos 14: 2-10/ Ps 50(51): 3-4. 8-9. 12-13. 14 and 17/ Mt 10: 16-23 From today's readings:  "Straight are the paths of the LORD, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them....  Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense....  Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." What a deal! One of the most amazing things about Christian discipleship is its cost!  Jesus certainly was forthright in warning His followers that He was sending them "like sheep in the midst of wolves," and that their faithfulness would lead to their persecution and hatred. The Apostles experienced the literal fulfillment of Christ's prophecy, as was attested by many a martyr's death.  The religious freedom which most of us take for granted shields us from martyrdom and bodily suffering for the Name of Jesus, but the modern religious indifference fosters a more subtle form of persecution.  As long as a person quietly keeps his faith to himself, there are no problems.  But, when Christ and His Gospel is embraced in everyday life, there will necessarily be clashes with the secular mindset. And that's when we have the opportunity (and obligation!) to stand up for our faith, and follow in the footsteps of the Apostles - they were cautioned by Christ Himself about the cost of Christian discipleship, but also taught by Him who made it all worthwhile!

Daily Retreat 07/10/08

Hos 11: 1-4. 8c-9/ Ps 79(80): 2ac and 3b. 15-16/ Mt 10: 7-15 From today's readings:  "Yet, though I stooped to feed My child, they did not know that I was their healer....  O LORD of hosts, look down from Heaven, and see....   Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give!" Missionary Theme Chapter Ten of Matthew's Gospel begins with the naming of the Twelve Apostles, those whom Jesus sent forth with the mission of proclaiming His Gospel.  In fact, the word "apostle" is derived from the Greek verb "to send," and also the word "mission" is the Latin derivative, again from the verb "to send." So, in this and all of their other missionary work, the Apostles were agents of Christ, doing things the way He wanted them done.  If they had insisted on doing things their own way, they would have shaped a much different church, one of merely human origin.  But because they were given and followed the Lord's specific directions, the Church will forever glory in the four divine trademarks:  One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Jesus specified that the heart of His missionaries proclamation should be, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"    This was, in fact, the theme of His own preaching (cf. Matthew 4:17).  Without doubt, there is much entailed in faithfully preaching and living the full Gospel, but every evangelistic effort must be centered on the practical consequences of that cardinal Christian insight: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Daily Retreat 07/09/08

Hos 10: 1-3. 7-8. 12/ Ps 104(105): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7/ Mt 10: 1-7 From today's readings:  "Sow for yourselves justice, reap the fruit of piety; break up for yourselves a new field, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain down justice upon you....  Rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!...  The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus." The Twelve Apostles Here's a little trick for remembering where a list of the Twelve Apostles can be found in the Bible: St. Matthew's Gospel is the first book of the New Testament, and since Matthew was one of the Apostles, it would make sense that the list of all twelve original Apostles could be found in the that book.  Everyone knows that "10 + 2 = 12" and by a happy coincident, the roster of Apostles can be found beginning with Matthew 10:2! The word BAPTISM can also be used as an acronym to help one memorize the names of the Apostles, since the letters of that word include the first initials of all of the Apostles. B - Bartholomew A - Andrew P - Peter, Philip T - Thomas, Thaddeus I - James, James, John, Judas S - Simon M - Matthew Note that the letter "I" legitimately stands for all the "J" Apostles, since "J" was introduced in the Roman alphabet only in the 16th century, precisely in order to alert readers when the letter "I" was to be pronounced as a consonant.   Also, as variations in the acronym, "Peter" could be listed under his original name ("Simon"), and St. Thaddeus could be listed under "I" with his other name, "Jude" (as we find in Luke's listing).

Daily Retreat 07/08/08

Hos 8: 4-7. 11-13/ Ps 114(115): 3-4. 5-6. 7ab-8. 9-10/ Mt 9: 32-38 From today's readings:  "How long will they be unable to attain innocence in Israel?...  Our God is in heaven; whatever He wills, He does....  The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few...." Asking the Lord of the Harvest Jesus, despite being true God, was also true man, so He had human limitations during His earthly life - He couldn't be two places at once, for instance.  The burgeoning needs of the crowds who followed Him proved the divine foresight in preparing His apostles to be effective laborers for the Lord's harvest.  In His omnipotence, God could have devised some other system for shepherding souls, but He chose to elevate human dignity by entrusting and empowering His apostles to share substantially in Christ's pastoral care of people. Jesus, however, was not only moved with pity for the people of His own day, for there continues to be crowds of troubled and abandoned people, like sheep without a shepherd.  And so the good Lord continues to call men of this time and place to serve as His priests, whom He sends out as laborers to His ripe and abundant harvest. Yet still, these laborers are few!  St. Francis de Sales once remarked that a single soul was a big enough diocese for a bishop - this is certainly true, for every imperiled soul is worthy of a shepherd's lifelong efforts to lead to the Lord's salvation.  And on a personal note, although I just finished a 10 year term as pastor of a small parish, I never felt that there wasn't enough for me to do there - on the contrary, at the end of everyday, it seemed I had made but little pastoral headway, so I pray continually that the Lord will send more laborers to His harvest. And it's a sacred duty for all of God's people to pray and thereby take to heart the Lord's words, "The harvest is plenty, but laborers are few.  Ask, therefore, of the Lord of the harvest, that He send out laborers for His harvest."

Daily Retreat 07/07/08

2008 Jul 7 Mon: Ordinary Weekday Hos 2: 16. 17c-18. 21-22/ Ps 144(145): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9/ Mt 9: 18-26 From today's readings:  "I will espouse you to Me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD....  The Lord is gracious and merciful....  Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you." Getting God's Attention Especially in our busy world, it's an essential courtesy to others to be considerate of their own engagements and responsibilities before trying to get their attention and help for our own issues.  No doubt, each one of us can call to mind disruptions in our life when we busy in the middle of addressing one task, and someone approached us for help with some other routine issue that really had no urgency to warrant an interruption.  I recall, for instance, a few weeks ago, I was perched on a 12 foot ladder, installing a new light for the choir loft in my parish church.  A man wandered in, whom I had never met before.  He had a question about a Latin translation, and had heard that I knew some Latin, and so, with apparent disregard for the fact that I literally had my hands full at the moment, he asked if I could look over a particular text that he had.  Although in general I'm happy to help in such cases, I had to explain to the man what should have been obvious:  that I was occupied at the moment and so unable to help until sometime later.  My deferral was expressed  in a polite tone, but I can't say I successfully concealed every  trace of exasperation as well! From similar personal experiences, all of us realize how rude it is (except, of course, in cases of emergency) to expect someone busy with something else to drop what he's doing in order to attend to us.  However, some people actually shy away from "bothering" God because they consider Him too busy with other people and bigger issues.  While it is indeed an essential courtesy to take into account the preoccupations of other people before approaching them for help, for God, the rules are different: He wants us to involve Him in the small and big things of our lives, and so we needn't ever worry that our prayers might be interrupting His work elsewhere.  In the Gospel, the woman with the hemorrhage saw Jesus on His way to help someone else.  But it was faith, not selfishness, that impelled her to grab His cloak and His attention.  And praising her faith, Jesus cured her, and then went on, without any hint of annoyance, to complete His original errand of mercy....