Daily Retreat 10/01/08

2008 Oct 1 Wed: Thérèse of Lisieux, v, r, dr M
Jb 9: 1-12. 14-16/ Ps 87(88): 10bc-11. 12-13. 14-15/ Lk 9: 57-62

From today’s readings:  “God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood Him and remained unscathed?...  Let my prayer come before You, Lord....  No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Got God Figured Out?

In the central chapters of the Book of Job, the protagonist’s friends confront him with various philosophical and theological attempts to explain and understand his suffering, but Job is always able to point out inconsistencies and insufficiencies in the suggested explanations.  

In his reflections, Job maintains the central insight that God is simply infinitely greater than we are - we really cannot ever pretend to have Him figured out, or even imagine that we can sufficiently take into account all the aspects of the messy and complicated elements even of our own lives.  At the end of the book, Job gets a not-so-subtle reminder from God about his own insight!

Someone once suggested that the Book of Job (and even the entire Old Testament) can be summarized as God teaching and repeatedly reminding His people that “I’m God - you’re not!  Get over it!”  While that’s not the whole story, of course, the insight does sum up one of the most crucial lessons in the Bible.  St. Thérèse of Lisieux and other faithful followers of Christ learned well the lessons of humility in order to paradoxically live out God’s great plan in their lives.  For us, then, it’s just a matter of letting God be God in our lives, which is only possible when we have the humility to realize, in every way, that no one of us is God!

Daily Retreat 09/30/08

2008 Sep 30 Tue: Jerome, p, dr M
Jb 3: 1-3. 11-17. 20-23/ Ps 87(88): 2-3. 4-5. 6. 7-8/ Lk 9: 51-56

From today’s readings:  “Job opened his mouth and cursed his day....  Let my prayer come before You, Lord....  As the days were being fulfilled for Him to be taken up, Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem....”

Hitting Bottom

Sacred Scripture confronts the realities of life - one of the reasons it cannot be ignored even by non-believers.  Having been smitten by tragedy upon tragedy, Job curses the day of his birth, and who could blame him?  He bemoans his very existence, yet, he does not curse God, nor does he contemplate suicide.

Treating our faith as just a nice package of pat answers for all the problems in life is like trying to use gold coins from a treasure chest to buy junk food from a vending machine.  The gold simply won’t work in the machine, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthless!  The gold must be used for more than junk food, and faith must be wielded for more than shallow platitudes and glib “ivory tower” explanations about life’s mysteries.  Our faith is so much more than that, and, as we shall see, the Book of Job resolutely refuses to devalue this treasured inheritance.

So this lament of Job cannot be read by itself , as if to suggest that our faith offered nothing better than the poetry of existential despair!  But neither should Job’s words be ignored or dismissed, as if the “right attitude” and a naive optimism were all that one needed to make everything better!  In the end, it is difficult to focus on any mere snippets of this book - the whole work must be read to understand today’s and all other excerpts.  Admittedly, it is a lengthy, difficult book, but that’s what is needed to go beyond the junk food of pat answers!

Daily Retreat 09/29/08

2008 Sep 29 Mon: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, archangels F
Dn 7: 9-10. 13-14 or Rv 12: 7-12a/ Ps 137(138): 1-2ab. 2cde-3. 4-5/ Jn 1: 47-51

From today’s readings:  “War broke out in Heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon....  In the sight of the angels I will sing Your praises, Lord....  Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see Heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

All in the Name

Today we salute the three archangels mentioned by name in scripture: Michael (his name is found in the books of Daniel, Jude, and Apocalypse), Gabriel (Daniel and Luke), and Raphael (Tobit).

Michael’s name means “Who is like God?”  This is the battle cry raised against the rebellious Lucifer and his minions, who, in sinful pride, thought themselves as great as God, and for that, were expelled from Heaven by Michael and all the host of good angels.

Gabriel’s name means, “the Lord is valiant” or even “the Lord is a great warrior” - in both cases, this archangel’s name reminds all of the omnipotence of God.

Raphael’s name means, “the Lord heals” - a name of great comfort, and reminder of the Lord’s ability and desire to heal our iniquities and infirmities.

Daily Retreat 09/28/08

2008 Sep 28 SUN: TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Ez 18: 25-28/ Ps 24(25): 4-5. 6-7. 8-9 (6a)/ Phil 2: 1-11/ Mt 21: 28-32

From today’s readings: “Is it My way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?...  Remember Your mercies, O Lord....  Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.... Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you....”

On my way...

How do you get to Heaven?  How does one enter the Kingdom of God?  Is it enough just to live a “better than average” life, you know, to not pollute your mind or body with even an ounce of sleaze, the way those prostitutes do, to not dirty your hands with even a gram of greed, like those corrupt tax collectors?  Ha!  How comforting it is, isn’t it, to read in every morning’s paper about cold-blooded killers and diabolic drug pushers, to see daily on television devious dictators dealing death and  celebrity demigods divorced four times, to say nothing of the uncountable, unspeakable affairs - to contemplate such utter moral riffraff on one hand, then compare that to the beauty, the crystal purity, the refined virtue, the polished moral perfection of our own life (at least in comparison).  But does that get you to Heaven?

Hell must be full of people with one thing in common:  they all decided they had no need of repentance, after all, their sins weren’t half as bad, or half as many, as someone else’s; their fledgling virtue was at least twice as good as someone else’s.  In contrast, the hallmark of every single soul who ranks among the saints, is that personal reply to the call to repentance, that individual embrace of God’s arms of Mercy, that humble confession that “I am a sinner, I stand in need of Divine forgiveness and the Grace of God.”

How many times have you and I proudly said, like that second son, “Yes Sir!  I am on my way, Lord!   I’m on my way to straightening out my life.  I’m on my way to kicking my bad habits, my vices.  I’m on my way to doing Your will in my daily life!”  We’re on our way...but you and I never get too far.  What steps have you or I taken to deepen our Christian commitment in the past week, month, or even year?  “Well, I haven’t really done that much lately, but I’m on my way!” What concretely have you or I done with prayers, personal contact, and political involvement in the past year to rid our country of the ever-worsening scourge of abortion?  “Um, I’m on my way!”    What’s changed since the last time the Sunday Sacred Scriptures rang with the call to repentance - have you had the courage and humility to embrace the Lord’s mercy in the sacrament of Confession?  “Uh, no, but I’m thinking about it - I’m on my way.”

Dear friends, if our Lord’s words today have helped you, as they’ve helped me, to recognize that, in word and deed, you and I have all too often echoed that first son in saying in reply to the Lord’s call, “No, Lord, I will not.  I will not do Your will in my life, I will not recognize my need for repentance, I will not welcome Your saving presence in my life,” - remember, this day God gives you and me the chance to change our lives, to repent!  This day God shows you and me how to get to Heaven - by following His Son, Who humbled Himself, obediently accepting the will of the Father.   His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, Who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Daily Retreat 09/27/08

2008 Sep 27 Sat: Vincent de Paul, p, rf M
Eccl 11: 9 – 12: 8/ Ps 90: 3-4. 5-6. 12-13. 14 and 17/ Lk 9: 43b-45

From today’s readings:  “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth....  In every age, O Lord, You have been our refuge....  They were afraid to ask Him about this saying....”

Be Good to Your Old Man!

Among the pithiest and punchiest bits of advice I’ve heard in my life, I’ll always remember the admonition to “Be good to your old man!” The mentor explained that the “old man” he was referring to here was not my father, or even the Heavenly Father; rather, he was talking about the “old man” that I would be turning into as the years pass.

“What you do with your life now and in the months and years to come, “ he explained, “ - the behavior habits you form, the companions you choose, the books you read and the movies you view, the virtues you practice and the vices you cultivate, the patterns you set and the character you mold - all this will fashion you into the OLD MAN you choose to become!  It is not the circumstances of life, so much as the choices in life that will determine who you will be later in life, so always remember to be good to your old man!”

The sage who authored such a sensible slogan certainly deserves credit for cleverness of expression, but the compelling truth of his wisdom was undoubtedly inspired by the insight found in Ecclesiastes and the other books of the Bible which all insist that the cumulative choices of our lives are determinative - not only of our later years, but also our eternal destiny!

Daily Retreat 09/26/08

2008 Sep 26 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Cosmas and Damian, mts
Eccl 3: 1-11/ Ps 143(144): 1b and 2abc. 3-4/ Lk 9: 18-22

From today’s readings: “There is an appointed time for everything....  Blessed be the Lord, my Rock....  The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.... ”

There is a time...

Although I’m sure we all complain “I never have enough time,” we nonetheless find it hard to argue with the common-sense insight about time found in the Book of Ecclesiastes: “There is an appointed time for everything....”

But so often, you and I find ourselves frustrated because events don’t match our idealized timetable. While it’s commendable to plan the use of our time as prudently and realistically as possible, it’s obviously a mistake to think that “my time” is something that is always completely subject to my will! That’s not to suggest that we should just sit back and passively be a perpetual victim of circumstances beyond our control - indeed, it’s only by pro-actively addressing such circumstances that even the greatest adversities can be transformed into invaluable experience.

So in the end, the time we spend reading Ecclesiastes and meditating on the Word of God can be one of the best ways of making the most of all our time....

Daily Retreat 09/25/08

2008 Sep 25 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
Eccl 1: 2-11/ Ps 89(90): 3-4. 5-6. 12-13. 14 and 17bc/ Lk 9: 7-9

From today’s readings:  “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!...   Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.....  Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed....”

The Churchman

A small sampling of the book of Ecclesiastes will be presented over the next few days. “Ecclesiastes” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Qoheleth,” which means “churchman,” or “man of the assembly.” The book’s stark realism appeals strongly to people who appreciate that, but one must avoid a superficial reading which could lead to the conclusion that the author is cynical. Although Qoheleth’s “vanity of vanities” refrain is often plagiarized by cynics, the Churchman is not that at all, unless one is limited by a strictly materialist worldview.

As with much of wisdom literature, the words of Ecclesiastes challenge the reader to look at the big picture of life, rather than the narrower day-to-day issues which occupy most of our thoughts, because so much of those insipid issues are nothing but “vanity of vanities.”

What do you spend your time doing? Where are you going in life? What in this world have you found with lasting value? These, and other philosophical “meaning of life” questions are too frightening for so many people to take the time to answer - they’d rather shake them off with the convenient excuse Scarlet O’Hara relied on in Gone With the Wind: “I can’t think about that right now - I’ll think about that tomorrow!” Ecclesiastes insists that we can and must confront the “big questions,” but the mind must first be cleared of superficialities and vanities in order to make room for sublimities.

Daily Retreat 09/24/08

2008 Sep 24 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
Prv 30: 5-9/ Ps 118(119): 29. 72. 89. 101. 104. 163/ Lk 9: 1-6

From today’s readings:  “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him....   Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet....  Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

Pondering Proverbs

The Book of Proverbs is actually a collection of collections of proverbs, which accounts for differences in length and style.  The first nine chapters make up a general invitation to seek after wisdom - the proverbs in these chapters are intensely poetic, and can be quite complex, and for this reason are generally much longer than the pithy samples in yesterday’s first reading, which instead are intended to illustrate the different styles of proverbs found throughout the book.

Chapters 10-15 is a collection of mostly antithetical couplets,  two poetic lines, combined in a single verse in our Bibles, that deliberately contrast: for example, “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent man ignores an insult.”  Each of these lines could be quoted by itself, but taken together, the resulting contrast neatly adds emphasis to both of them.  

In chapters 16-22, the couplets are almost all synonymous, or reiterative - instead of contrasting, they simply treat essentially the same theme with a slightly different twist or a clarifying development.  Example -  chapter 16, verse 16:  “To get wisdom is better than gold; to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”

In chapters 22 -27, most of the proverbs are a bit longer, generally covering two verses instead of one - here’s a sample from chapter 24, verses 19-20:
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked;
for the wicked man has no future, the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”

Chapters 28-29 return to the single verse couplets, chapter 30 is a bit of a grab bag, and chapter 31 ends with a 21 verse poem of proverbs praising the ideal wife.

Literally hundreds of proverbial gems to enjoy throughout the book, so savor every one as you remember: “A proverb a day will help you hear what the Lord has to say!”

Daily Retreat 09/23/08

2008 Sep 23 Tue: Pio of Pietrelcina, p M
Prv 21: 1-6. 10-13/ Ps 118(119): 1. 27. 30. 34. 35. 44/ Lk 8: 19-21

From today’s readings:  “All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the LORD who proves hearts....  Guide me, Lord, in the way of Your commands....  My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it....”

Proverbial Path to the Word of Wisdom

While most of the biblical proverbs are characteristically pithy, a few are longer and more complex - these need to be read more than just one verse at a time.  For an example of this, consider a selection of verses from Chapter 8, which is probably the most beautiful chapter in Proverbs, a poetic personification of Wisdom:

Does not Wisdom call, and Understanding raise her voice?
On the top of the heights along the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
By the gates at the approaches of the city, in the entryways she cries aloud:
"To you, O men, I call; my appeal is to the children of men.
 You simple ones, gain resource, you fools, gain sense.
Give heed! for noble things I speak; honesty opens my lips.
 Yes, the truth my mouth recounts, but the wickedness my lips abhor.
Sincere are all the words of my mouth, no one of them is wily or crooked....
 Mine are counsel and advice; Mine is strength; I am understanding.
By me kings reign, and lawgivers establish justice;
By me princes govern, and nobles; all the rulers of earth.
Those who love me I also love, and those who seek me find me.
With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than pure gold, and my revenue than choice silver.
On the way of duty I walk, along the paths of justice,
Granting wealth to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
 The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; 
From of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth.....
When he established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep....
Happy the man watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts;
For he who finds me finds life, and wins favor from the LORD;
But he who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

It is very clear why the fathers of the church saw in this chapter 8 of Proverbs an introduction to Jesus, the Word of God, the One who was there with the Father before the creation of the world - the One who is meant to be chosen above gold and silver!  In fact, Jesus Himself read the Proverbs, and even retold and expanded some of them:
Consider chapter 25, verses 6-7:

“Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great;
for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put lower in the presence of the prince. ”

Jesus expanded that into the parable He told in Luke 14:7-14.  Here again, we see the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament. What the Old Testament sometimes presents in a hidden way is made clear, opened up, and  fulfilled in the New Testament.

Daily Retreat 09/22/08

2008 Sep 22 Mon: Ordinary Weekday
Prv 3: 27-34/ Ps 14(15): 2-3a. 3bc-4ab. 5/ Lk 8: 16-18

From today’s readings:  “Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways...  The just man shall dwell on Your holy mountain, O Lord....  There is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light”

Proverbs

There are hundreds of wise little maxims in the book of Proverbs, which is kind of a “dessert” type book of the Bible  - like the 31 flavors served at Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, in the 31 chapters of Proverbs, everyone is sure to find more treats than is possible even to sample in just one visit!   Although it’s generally best to not just read little parts of scripture (isolated verses), the book of Proverbs is an exception to that paragon. For this book, it is OK to read just a verse or two - in fact, it is probably easier to read it that way.  

The book of Proverbs is this beautiful collection of the wisdom that is meant to be very practical, and  help us to live our life rightly and well.  Many of the proverbs specifically address youth, and while a right relationship with God is certainly a main focus, most of the proverbs appeal, not just to Jews and Christians, but even to atheists, because of the practicality of the points, and the enticing long-term rewards resulting from daily practice of wisdom.  

So I encourage you to consider, in the morning, reading one verse from Proverbs and keeping that verse on your mind all day long - try to somehow put it into action or see how it applies to everyday life.  Or read one Proverb at the end of the day, and look over the things of your life that day, do an examination of conscious in the light of that one Proverb that you read at the end of the day.   Remember: “A proverb a day will help you hear what the Lord has to say!”

Daily Retreat 09/21/08

2008 Sep 21 SUN: TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 55: 6-9/ Ps 144(145): 2-3. 8-9. 17-18 (18a)/ Phil 1: 20c-24. 27a/ Mt 20: 1-16a

From today's readings: "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call Him while He is near....  The Lord is near to all who call upon Him....  For to me life is Christ, and death is gain....  The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard...."

Can you imagine that?

Today's parable is one of the most difficult of all the Gospel stories to make sense of!  Why in the world would the owner of a farm ever pay a worker a full day's wages for only an hour of work?  That such a thing should ever happen is not only improbable, but almost unimaginable.  So it's no wonder that this parable is only found in the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

You see, Matthew didn't find the generosity mentioned in the parable to be beyond his imagination, because he had experienced this generosity firsthand.  Before Jesus invited them into His vineyard, most of the other Apostles had already been actively looking in some way for the coming of the Messiah - these men, such as Andrew and Philip, were like those workers in the parable who were ready and eager at dawn to begin their labor in the vineyard.  But Matthew, remember, had chosen to become a tax collector.  He wasn't looking very hard for God in his life, and so he was like those other workers who missed the morning round of hiring.  Matthew was definitely working for the wrong outfit, and so it was his own fault that he was the last apostle called in the Gospel, and because he recognized it was his own fault, Matthew probably wouldn't have complained too much if the other apostles, those who had started work early in the morning, were given some kind of preferential treatment by Jesus.

But in fact, Jesus gave Matthew all the trust and love that He gave to the other apostles.  Matthew was even given that special privilege of becoming an Evangelist, of writing one of the Gospels.  As we celebrate this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which overshadows today's feast of St. Matthew today, we joyfully recognize that he has been rewarded with the full wages of an apostle, even though he began working in the Master's vineyard a bit later than others.

When Jesus invited Matthew to leave his tax business and become a disciple, Matthew must have had a thousand reasons against becoming a follower of Jesus.  But none of these mattered when confronted with the Lord's call.  Matthew realized that only the Son of God could inspire such faith that Matthew had no qualms about leaving his materially comfortable but spiritually agonizing living as a tax collector, in order to undertake the arduous work of a job in the Lord's vineyard.  Matthew understood that only the Messiah could offer such hope that Matthew dared to imagine that his life of sin and corruption could become a life of virtue and dedication by surrendering his will to the transforming power of the Messiah.  And Matthew recognized that only Jesus the Lord could tender such love that made all the sacrifices of following the Lord absolutely worthwhile.

Today, Jesus is inviting every single person reading this virtual retreat reflection to work in His vineyard.  He has a special job for each of you.  He asks many of you to be dedicated Christian parents - this is not an easy job (I know I don't have to tell you that)!  You are called to be good Christian examples for your spouse, your children, your friends, and your neighbors.  The Son of God will give you faith to guide all your labors.  He, the Messiah, will give  you hope to persevere through your greatest trials.  He, the Lord Jesus will give you His love, and it's your responsibility to build your family on the foundation of this love.

Others of you are being called, as was Matthew, to serve the Master of the harvest as a special laborer in His vineyard, as a priest, as a sister, or in some other role of consecrated religious life.  The Son of God will give you faith and courage, just as He did for me, so that you too can step forward when the time comes to answer His call.  He, the Messiah, will give you hope, so that you too can envision yourself, as I envisioned myself, changing your life and becoming, through the Messiah's transforming power, what one could never become on his own.  He, the Lord Jesus, will shower you with His love, and evoke such love and dedication from you, that working in the Lord's vineyard will be in itself the source of joy in your life.

The Lord needs many different kinds of laborers in His vineyard.  There's a place there for me, and a place for you.  No matter what we are - young or old, rich or poor, strong or weak, the Lord offers us full wages in exchange for spending the rest of our lives in His service.  Jesus says He came that we might have life to the fullest - Life to the fullest - that's something that just doesn't come pro-rated or in half measures.  Like Matthew, each of us is called in a different way to this full life of working for the Lord, but it demands our forsaking everything in our life that we've put before the Lord.  Seek the Lord today while He may be found, call Him and answer His call, while He is near, then you, like Matthew, will spend the rest of your life reminiscing and proclaiming the improbable, the almost unimaginable, but the Oh-so-real, generosity of the Lord of the Harvest!

Daily Retreat 09/19/08

2008 Sep 20 Sat: Andrew Kim Taegon, p, mt, Paul Chong Hasang, ca, mt, & co., mts M
1 Cor 15: 35-37. 42-49/ Ps 55(56): 10c-12. 13-14/ Lk 8: 4-15

From today’s readings:  “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one....  I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living....  As for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance....”

Spiritual Body

The resurrection of the body is something that is by definition beyond our present human experience.  So as Paul, in the heat of his passion and conviction, explains and defends the Church’s belief, he struggles to express the ineffable.  Strictly speaking philosophically, what Paul calls a  “spiritual body” has the tension of a contradiction in terms (as would also a  “corporeal spirit”).

In fact, some have turned away from Christianity precisely at this point, dismissing the notion of “spiritual body” as just as nonsensical as the idea of a “square circle.”  Now if the Christian faith were indeed to contradict right reason, then it would be perfectly rational to abandon the faith.  However, by recalling the difference between contradict and transcend, it is legitimately maintained that true faith and right reason cannot ever stand at odds: while faith can (and does) transcend the limits of pure reason, faith cannot (nor does it!) contradict the valid conclusions of reason.

So, for example, recognizing the existence of one true God is certainly a valid conclusion of human reason.   However, reason alone cannot extend that insight to embrace belief in the triune nature of one God in three divine Persons  - in this manner, faith enriches and transcends reason, but does not contradict it.

Similarly,  “spiritual body” is emphatically not an absurd contradiction in terms akin to “square circle,” but it does transcend reason and is admittedly an oxymoron, an arresting but valid juxtaposition of apparent antonyms (such as the word “bittersweet”).

Although Paul’s explanations don’t answer all our questions, St. Irenaeus offers a helpful analogy by noting that participation in the Eucharist already gives us a foretaste of Christ's transfiguration of our bodies:

Just as bread that comes from the earth, after God's blessing has been invoked upon it, is no longer ordinary bread, but Eucharist, formed of two things, the one earthly and the other heavenly: so too our bodies, which partake of the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, but possess the hope of resurrection.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has further food for thought on this mind-stretching matter in paragraphs §997-1005.

Daily Retreat 09/19/08

2008 Sep 19 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Januarius, bp, mt
1 Cor 15: 12-20/ Ps 16(17): 1bcd. 6-7. 8b and 15/ Lk 8: 1-3

From today’s readings:  “If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?...  Lord, when Your glory appears, my joy will be full....  Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God....”

What is Resurrection?

Too many Christians spiritualize the reality of the resurrection, even forgetting it’s crucial dogmatic weight as an article of the Creed.  In their impoverished notion of life after death, such people are generally comfortable with imagining some misty mode of the soul’s continual existence after the physical demise of the body.

But Christianity promises more than mere immortality of the soul - our faith is rooted in the non-negotiable, uncompromising belief in the glorified physical resurrection of the body!  In fact, the very word “resurrection” explicitly means “rising again,” so it would be an inappropriate term to use if one did not believe that the same essence (viz., the body) that experienced death was itself to be brought to new life.  The mistake is often made of assuming that “resurrection” is another word for “new life in Heaven with God,” but resurrection goes beyond that!

God created us body and soul; He redeemed us body and soul; and, in the end, it is His will that our eternal existence (for good or bad!)  will be experienced in the essential unity of body and soul.  This is the inevitable conclusion raised by the Resurrection of Christ!  Are you confused, hedging, doubtful, or even scandalized by this?  So were the Corinthians, which is why Paul needed to explicitly address the issue here in chapter 15, insisting on the logical inferences drawn from belief in Christ’s Resurrection.  Still have questions?  See how Paul answers them in the continuation of this chapter tomorrow....

Daily Retreat 09/18/08

2008 Sep 18 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 15: 1-11/ Ps 117(118): 1b-2. 16ab-17. 28/ Lk 7: 36-50

From today’s readings: “I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:  that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that He was buried; that He was raised on the third day ....  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good....  Who is this who even forgives sins? ”

The Resurrection

Chapter 15 of the First Letter to the Corinthians is probably the most important theological reflection on the significance of the Resurrection, so it’s crucial to read the whole chapter.  In the opening verses (today’s first reading), Paul reminds us of that part of history “of first importance” to all Christians: “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that He was buried; that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures....”

There’s a real temptation to lose sight of this nucleus of our Christian faith, effectively demoting Christianity to a mere life philosophy or ethical system.  While Christianity certainly incorporates robustly coherent philosophy and the most ennobling ethical system, it is much more than that, being grounded in the historical person of Jesus Christ, who “died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures... was buried; [and] was raised on the third day....”

Because of His Resurrection, Christ continues to be active and present.  It is the grace of God that has enlightened us with the Christian faith, and when we respond to His grace (so that, as Paul says, the grace is not ineffective!), the faith living in us transforms us, those around us, and indeed the whole world!

Daily Retreat 09/17/08

2008 Sep 17 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Robert Bellarmine, bp, r, dr
1 Cor 12: 31 – 13: 13/ Ps 32(33): 2-3. 4-5. 12 and 22/ Lk 7: 31-35

From today’s readings:  “Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts....  May Your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in You....  Wisdom is vindicated by all her children....”

Love!

Paul’s reflection about the nature of love is one of the most familiar passages in all his works, if only because these verses are so often read at weddings.  And, without a doubt, no marriage can exist without the striving for the multifaceted Christian charity which St. Paul extolls as the “greatest.”  

But, it should also be clear that the love Paul writes about is not something limited to sacred spousal relationships, for along with faith and hope, true selfless love is fundamental to Christian life.  In fact, as Paul explains, even a faith strong enough to move mountains, if such a faith could exist without love, would be utterly worthless!

As you and I read and re-read and read again Paul’s exquisite ode to love, we need to add a humble prayer and fervent zeal to fill our lives, in every possible way, with that love!

Daily Retreat 09/16/08

2008 Sep 16 Tue: Cornelius, pp, mt, and Cyprian, bp, mt M
1 Cor 12: 12-14. 27-31a/ Ps 99(100): 1b-2. 3. 4. 5/ Lk 7: 11-17

From today’s readings:  “As a body is one, though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ....  Sing joyfully to the LORD....  Young man, I tell you, arise!”

One Body

St. Paul’s reflections express Christian unity simply as the incarnation of the Body of Christ.  What a bold, yet so fitting, image of community communion!  Even the legitimate recognition of the diversity of the body’s members does not compromise the profound unity of the one body.

Too many verses have been omitted from the lectionary reading - take the time today to read all of chapter 12 of Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, and come to realize and appreciate anew your own unique vocation as an indispensable member of the Body of Christ!

Daily Retreat 09/15/08

2008 Sep 15 Mon: Our Lady of Sorrows M (Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time)
1 Cor 11: 17-26. 33/ Ps 39(40): 7-8a. 8b-9. 10. 17/ Optional Sequence Stabat Mater/ Jn 19: 25-27 or Lk 2: 33-35

From today’s readings: “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you....   Proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes again....  Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”

The beautiful medieval hymn Stabat Mater is offered for meditation on this feast:

1. At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

 2. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had pass'd.

 3. Oh, how sad and sore distress'd
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole-begotten One!

 4. Christ above in torment hangs;
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying glorious Son.

 5. Is there one who would not weep,
Whelm'd in miseries so deep
 Christ's dear Mother to behold?

 6. Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?

 7. Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd,
She beheld her tender child
All with bloody scourges rent.

 8. For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.

 9. O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above;
Make my heart with thine accord.

 10. Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ our Lord.

 11. Holy Mother! pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified.

 12. Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

 13. Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourn'd for me,
All the days that I may live.

 14. By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.

 15. Virgin of all virgins best,
Listen to my fond request
Let me share thy grief divine.

 16. Let me, to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of thine.

 17. Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd
In His very blood away.

 18. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awful Judgment day.

 19. Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
Be Thy Mother my defence,
Be Thy cross my victory.

 20. While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in Paradise with Thee.
 Amen.

Daily Retreat 09/14/08

2008 Sep 14 SUN: EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS F
Nm 21: 4b-9/ Ps 77(78): 1bc-2. 34-35. 36-37. 38/ Phil 2: 6-11/ Jn 3: 13-17

From today’s readings:  “Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived....  Do not forget the works of the Lord!...  Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped....  Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”

The Triumph of the Cross

The Cross of Christ is such a paradox - the most barbarian instrument of torture and suffering, now converted into the Savior’s sign of hope, comfort, and ultimate victory.  God, who in His omnipotence could have saved us in any number of ways, chose, in His wisdom, to unfurl His banner of victorious love in the most least likely locale.  What does it all mean?

In the darkest hour, engulfed in deepest despair, amidst coldest cruelty and vilest villainy, surrounded even by heartless hearts, in such situations from which one would concede God Himself had been completely banished - there, even there, and especially there, the Cross of Christ alone can stand again triumphant, but only when those now charged with carrying a cross dare to raise it anew as the banner of God’s victorious love!


Sequence for the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross

The Cross, the icon of Christianity,
Redeemer’s exulted banner of victory!
Yet in the beginning, this Wood was loser’s logo, expression of perdition -
even Paul muses on the Old Law’s malediction:
“Cursed is he who hangs on a tree!” (Gal 3:13, Deut 21:23).  
In transforming the sign of defeat into the sign of victory,
Christ vanquishes all sin and sorrow, defeat and drudgery,
and molds all such dross into His own victorious Cross!

How can this be?  
How can what harms become what heals?  
How can what shames become what thrills?  
Once long ago, in the day of Moses, such paradox was prefigured:
the venomous serpent, very biblical embodiment of evil, was transfigured -
death-dealing token of torture, set in bronze cast, raised upon a mast -
all who gazed were amazed
as God raised the death-bitten to new life!

Then His turn came, and He obeyed - Stripping immortality,
Christ emptied Himself, for you, and for me.  
Begotten as Master, yet born as a slave,
Word made flesh, laid manifest in a cave!  
Then His hour came, and He obeyed -
Putting on mortality,
Christ humbled Himself, for you, and for me.  
And ours was the loss, He embraced on that Cross!

Because of this, God exulted Him greatly
and bestowed on Him that Name most stately
so at the name of Jesus, every knee bends,
those above, those below, to earth’s farthest ends,
and all tongues confess Jesus Christ the Lord,
the glorious Father’s everlasting Word!
Yes, God so loved the world He gave His only Son,
not to condemn the world, but to be the One
to save the world and rid us all
of pains of death from Adam’s fall.

All who gazed were amazed
as God raised the death-smitten to new life!
Now never can Christ’s Cross denote defeat
sin is vanquished, death is beat,
all sin, all sorrow, all pain, all loss
has been surmounted by that exulted Cross!

Daily Retreat 09/13/08

2008 Sep 13 Sat: John Chrysostom, bp, dr M
1 Cor 10: 14-22/ Ps 115(116): 12-13. 17-18/ Lk 6: 43-49

From today’s readings:  “ You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.... My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all His people....  Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?”

Communion in the Body of Christ

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians includes his most detailed reflections and instructions about the Eucharist, particularly in chapters 10-11.  This is one of the primary reasons this letter is my favorite NT epistle!  

It’s no accident then that part of today’s reading is also read at the great solemnity of Corpus Christi.  In verse 16, Paul remarks, “The Cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The Bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?”  The word “participation” can also be translated as “communion,” because that’s what communion means: intimate sharing, participation, unity.

Paul insists that “you cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons” - you cannot be in communion with Christ, and be in communion with those who oppose Him!  This is part of the explanation offered by the Church in issuing guidelines for receiving Holy Communion.  

Whenever a person is in the state of a serious sin (e.g., having deliberately missed Sunday mass obligation, living together outside of marriage, having committed a weighty crime, etc.), it would be an offense to pretend that such a situation is congenial for Communion with Christ.  Certainly the Lord reaches out to sinners even in their sinfulness, but it stands to reason that the sinner must then confess and renounce the sinfulness he bears in order to be free to embrace Christ totally!  Likewise, whenever a person rejects an element of the Church’s solemn teaching (e.g., the sanctity of life, the Eucharistic Real Presence, the leadership of the Pope, etc.), it would be an act of dishonesty to participate in Communion, when communion is objectively lacking.

It’s not a matter of the Church coldly forbidding Communion to anyone who desires such sacred sacramental unity with Christ; rather, it’s a matter of the Church warmly explaining and insisting that anyone who desires such unity with Christ also must be completely resolved to living such full communion  with the Body of Christ.

Daily Retreat 09/12/08

2008 Sep 12 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Holy Name of Mary
1 Cor 9: 16-19. 22b-27/ Ps 83(84): 3. 4. 5-6. 12/ Lk 6: 39-42

From today’s readings:  “Every athlete exercises discipline in every way - they do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one!...  The LORD withholds no good thing from those who walk in sincerity....  No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.”

The Imperishable Crown

Most of us can barely even imagine the sacrifice made by Olympic athletes to reach that level of excellence which gives them a shot at the gold.  But while the whole world watches these games as they are played, the end soon comes, and both winners and losers return to their home as their moment of glory soon fades forever from the spotlight.

While an Olympic medal is certainly a treasured keepsake, in the end, even that is as ephemeral as the laurel wreaths awarded the winning athletes in Paul’s day.  So much time, determination, work, sweat, and money all invested just to compete for various perishable crowns, when Paul reminds us that the imperishable crown (eternal life with God!) is the only one really worth giving all we’ve got!

Think of what it is in your life for which you’ve made the greatest sacrifice and investment of self, whether that be a past dream already reached, or the one you’re chasing after right now.  Is it a perishable or imperishable crown?  Our faith demands sacrifice - we cannot run aimlessly, or fight as if shadowboxing!  Rather, we must run so as to win, driving and training ourselves to focus on the Finish....

Daily Retreat 09/11/08

2008 Sep 11 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 8: 1b-7. 11-13/ Ps 138(139): 1b-3. 13-14ab. 23-24/ Lk 6: 27-38

From today’s readings: “Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up....  Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way....  For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.... ”

Avoiding Scandal

More than any other religion, Christianity challenges one to consider the consequences of his actions.    This means that even when one is certain a particular decision would not be intrinsically sinful, it could still be the wrong choice if the effects compromise a commitment to charity.

For example, in New Testament times, many markets would sell meat and other items that had been offered to idols.  Some of the Christian Corinthians figured that since pagan gods are not real, no one should have any qualms about eating meat sacrificed to idols, whether when dining with pagan neighbors, or cooking such food for one’s own family.  However, other Christians, with admittedly a more simple-minded approach, considered that eating such food was an implicit tribute to such idols, and therefore they would not partake of such meat, and were scandalized when other Christians would.

Paul acknowledges that the line of reasoning is correct: since idols do not exist, eating food sacrificed to them is not intrinsically sinful.  However, because the nuance was lost to many recent converts who were struggling to completely put paganism and superstition out of their lives, Paul insists that Christian charity makes it imperative to consider the consequences of causing scandal.

This principle is not to be taken overboard, so that one is reduced to a paralysis of actions out of fear that some other person might misinterpret the actions and be scandalized.   But Paul is firm in maintaining that charity and common sense consideration of others are always part of the moral equation.

Daily Retreat 09/10/08

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2008 Sep 10 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 7: 25-31/ Ps 44(45): 11-12. 14-15. 16-17/ Lk 6: 20-26

From today’s readings:  “For the world in its present form is passing away....  Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear....  Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours....”

On Marriage and Celibacy

Chapter 7 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians includes a dense synthesis of Church teaching on marriage and celibacy.  While the lectionary only highlights a few verses, a thorough reading of the entire chapter, as always, will be much more advantageous.

Paul’s presuppositions are clear: most people have temperaments and characters best-suited for the married state, and thus, any consideration of Christian celibacy is not to be construed as suggesting that marriage is sinful in itself. The Lord Jesus Himself, in fact, addressed the issue of conjugal fidelity on more than one occasion (e.g., Mt 5:27-32;19:1-12).  

St. Paul took pains to show how Christ’s teaching on matrimony could and should be concretely applied as moral guidance in particular situations evidently common among the Corinthians at that time - by extension, all of Christ’s teaching, especially on pureness of heart and the sanctity of marriage, can and should be applied as moral guidance in every life today as well!

Daily Retreat 09/09/08

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2008 Sep 9 Tue: Peter Claver, p, r, ms M
1 Cor 6: 1-11/ Ps 149: 1b-2. 3-4. 5-6a and 9b/ Lk 6: 12-19

From today’s readings:  “Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God?...  LORD loves His people, and He adorns the lowly with victory....   Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God....”

The "Off" List

In my years as a priest, one of the surprises that  I continue to come across is the ubiquitous and  entrenched presumption that practically everyone will go to Heaven and inherit everlasting life.

Now, certainly God desires all to share in His life, and He makes it possible for every single person to  attain salvation, but it must be recalled that God endows all His children with free will, and so no one is forced or hoodwinked into choosing to accept God's invitation to live their lives according to His plan.

 Paul explains point blank that "neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers...will inherit the Kingdom of God."  While the many specific vices cataloged here (1Cor. 6:9-10) and elsewhere in the Bible (e.g., Gal. 5:19-21, Eph. 5:5, Apoc. 22:15) are not to be taken as an exhaustive list of  all possible mortal sins, such lists do provide a sufficient sampling to alert everyone to the reality of this "off" list of those excluded from God's Kingdom.

Paul points out, of course, that it is possible to get off the "off" list by turning to Jesus for forgiveness and sanctification, but one shouldn't overlook the other real possibility of getting on the dreadful "off" list by turning away from Jesus when one lives in such sinfulness.  So if you are on the "off" list, there's nothing more important than getting off it TODAY by turning to Jesus  in confession with contrition!

Daily Retreat 09/08/08

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2008 Sep 8 Mon: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary F
Mi 5: 1-4a or Rom 8: 28-30/ Ps 12(13): 6ab. 6c/ Mt 1: 1-16. 18-23

From today’s readings:  “Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel....  With delight I rejoice in the Lord.....  Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.”

Birthday prayers

Next to Christmas, there is no other birthday so joyful and so important as the nativity of Mary.  It would be inexcusable to ignore our Mother’s birthday!  Since Mary is the perfect model of Christian discipleship, perhaps the religious significance of her birthday can inspire us to celebrate our birthdays in that way as well.

This is what I mean: a birthday, of course, is meant to celebrate the gift of a person’s life.  So, wouldn’t it be rude if the celebrant forgot to thank the Giver of that gift?  So the very best thing to do on your birthday is to celebrate with Jesus in the Eucharist (the word means “thanksgiving”) to give God thanks for the gift of your life (not forgetting, of course, to also thank Him for your parents and your faith).

Sometimes, it can involve quite the extra effort to get to Mass on your birthday, but consider this:  if someone gave you $1000, wouldn’t you take great pains to enthusiastically thank the giver in a timely manner?   Yet the gift of your life is worth more than any fortune, so it only makes sense to go the extra mile to thank God, the greatest and most generous Giver!  Nonetheless, if work or school or illness makes it impossible to go to Mass on your birthday, you can still prayerfully thank God by means of some private devotion and unite your heart to the celebration of the Eucharist (perhaps also getting to Mass on another day of the week).

Birthdays are also an ideal time for reconciliation.  I recall a few occasions in growing up when I was, for whatever reason, at odds with a family member in the days before his or her birthday.  Whether it was my fault or the other person’s fault, birthdays were (and still are!) the ideal occasions to let bygones be bygones, and put differences aside, and focus on the joy of the feast.  So, why not use birthdays to be reconciled with family members (or at least take a step in that direction!), and also celebrate the reconciliation sacramentally by turning to our merciful Father for the peace given by Jesus in His sacrament of confession?

Write these ideas down on your calendar for birthdays in your family (and don’t be afraid to add your own ideas!). That way, you will offer Mary the perfect birthday present today by simply committing to commemorate your own birthday by making her Son the central part of the celebration!

Daily Retreat 09/07/08

2008 Sep 7 SUN: TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Ez 33: 7-9/ Ps 94(95): 1-2. 6-7. 8-9 (8)/ Rom 13: 8-10/ Mt 18: 15-20

From today’s readings: “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel....  If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts....  Love is the fulfillment of the law....  If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.... ”

On preventing blowouts...

It is a trait of our human nature to tend to concentrate on the failings of others, often overlooking or brushing aside our own faults, even though, as a general rule, it should be exactly the opposite:  you and I should first focus on doing something about our own sins before even thinking about how to broach the subject with our neighbors about their imperfections.

But, provided that we are thus taking care of first things first, scripture reminds us that it is NOT Christian to utterly ignore the sins of others close to us, it is NOT Christian to merely shrug our shoulders and say, “Oh well, that’s his problem.  Oh well, she’ll have to deal with that herself.”

Not too long ago, a stranger pointed out that the right front tire on my car was a bit flat.  Because of the warning, I was able to stop and address the problem before I had a blowout.  Needless to say, I was grateful to the kind person who was watching out for me.  

The tire was entirely my responsibility, so strictly speaking,  the stranger had no obligation to go out of his way to warn me of possible peril.  And yet, it’s clear that giving me that warning was the decent thing to do, the Christian thing to do.  It would have been cold-hearted for the other person to have shrugged his shoulders and left me without a word of warning, perhaps thinking to himself, “Well, I’m glad my tires are fully inflated - I sure don’t need to worry about anyone else!”

If it’s the right thing to warn another about a partially deflated tire and potential blowout, then it’s also the right thing to warn another about a partially deflated moral character and potential spiritual blowout.   This is, in fact, what love demands!   But love first demands addressing our own moral deflation, the “planks” in our own eyes, as Jesus teaches elsewhere in the Gospel.  

And then, when the right time comes to give warnings to others,  always doing that in a loving manner.  As Jesus explains, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you....  If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church....”  Because without the timely warnings God gives us through each other, through His Church, each one of us would soon end up with a tragic blowout that could and should have been prevented!

Daily Retreat 09/06/08

2008 Sep 6 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
1 Cor 4: 6b-15/ Ps 144(145): 17-18. 19-20. 21/ Lk 6: 1-5

From today’s readings:  “But if you have received it, why are you boasting as if you did not receive it? ...  The Lord is near to all who call upon Him....  The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath....”

A Spectacle to the World

Paul's first letter to the Corinthians presents a number of his musings on the vicissitudes of apostleship and discipleship of Christ. Paul does not at all ignore the fact that Jesus did not promise an easy life to His followers. On the contrary, all Christians are called to share in the Cross of Christ. For some, this means physical suffering. For others, ridicule from the world. In all cases, there is sacrifice involved in conforming one's life to the standards of the Gospel.

If the sacrifice engenders bitterness and resentment (or even mere stoicism), the Christian transformation is woefully incomplete. Only when the Christian's personal cross is converted instead into fuel for ardent zeal and charity is the power of the Gospel fully realized.  And what a beautiful and indisputable witness for the world to see us Christians putting into practice the full power of the Gospel, so that, as Paul noted, "when ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently."

Daily Retreat 09/05/08

2008 Sep 5 Fri: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 4: 1-5/ Ps 36(37): 3-4. 5-6. 27-28. 39-40/ Lk 5: 33-39

From today’s readings: “ Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.....  The salvation of the just comes from the Lord....  No one pours new wine into old wineskins....”

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

As an apostle, Paul was a servant of Christ and  steward of the mysteries of God. A steward is one who is given charge and responsibility of that which belongs to another.  Priests and the other sacred ministers of today continue this stewardship of the mysteries of God, which refers especially to the sacraments. We do not own them - they are not ours to do as we please. Rather, conscientious stewardship must always be  exercised, celebrating the sacraments in the way Christ intends, for the purpose He intends.  That's why simony is such an odious sin, when one sells the sacraments or uses them in another way for his own benefit.

Likewise, when a sacred minister unreasonably denies or illicitly modifies the celebration of the sacraments according to his own taste and ideas, he is similarly showing himself untrustworthy as a steward of the mysteries of God.  In addition to the sacraments, the concept of sacred  stewardship also applies to our own lives and gifts - all that we have and all that we are reflects what God has generously entrusted to our faithful stewardship - let us prove ourselves trustworthy, for "the One who judges...is the Lord.... He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God." 

Daily Retreat 09/04/08

2008 Sep 4 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
1 Cor 3: 18-23/ Ps 23(24): 1bc-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ Lk 5: 1-11

From today’s readings:  “Let no one deceive himself....  To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it....  Put out into deep water....”

Wise Warnings

In these initial chapters, Paul has already offered  a number of insights comparing the wisdom of God  with the wisdom of the world. The verses today bluntly  warn against any type of buy-in with this wisdom of the  world, which is shown to be the antithesis of God's wisdom.

Too often, we believe we can both be wise in God's  ways and in the world's ways, thereby "covering our bases."  But, as Paul explains, that is impossible - to the extent we  consider ourselves "wise in this age," it is necessary to  "become a fool, so as to become wise" in the ways of God's  wisdom.

It would be foolish of me to confuse the matter by writing anything more!