Daily Retreat 07/06/08

2008 Jul 6 SUN: FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Zec 9: 9-10/ Ps 144(145): 1-2. 8-9. 10-11. 13-14/ Rom 8: 9. 11-13/ Mt 11: 25-30

From today’s readings: “See, your King shall come to you; a just Savior is He, meek, and riding on an ass....  I will praise Your Name for ever, my King and my God.....  If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live....  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves....”

Christ’s Yoke

Last Sunday, readings for the feast of Sst. Peter & Paul pre-empted the lectionary plan for the thirteenth Sunday of the year, scripture readings which insisted that following Christ was not easy, as He Himself repeated, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”  So, as we know, discipleship entails taking up one’s cross, and dying with Christ in order to be raised to newness of life.  But there’s more to Christian discipleship than that, for here we have, just one week later (and just one chapter later in the same Gospel of Matthew), reading some of the tenderest and most consoling words of Jesus, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy, and My burden light.”

Now, some mistakenly believe that it is God who fashions and imposes the crosses of our lives, that the cross which each one of us must take up to be worthy of the Lord is that same “easy yoke” and “light burden” of which Jesus speaks.  Yet I can attest from personal experience that the crosses laid on my shoulders have not always been light burdens, or easy yokes!  And I say that with keen awareness that my own cross is by no means the heaviest - I know many of you have a much heavier cross to bear than I do!

No, Jesus does not make or distribute crosses either for Himself, or for others to carry.  To be sure, He did willingly take up His Cross when the time came, and He assures us of His comforting aid and real presence by our side when each of us take up the cross, as we must.  But again, that inevitable cross is not the same as His easy yoke and light burden.

Perhaps an essential, but often forgotten point, is that a yoke is not the same as a harness, for a yoke is specifically a device for coupling two animals together for the same task.   Now, we know the task for which Jesus was sent into the world - as He Himself declared, He came to save sinners!  So when Jesus says, “Take MY yoke upon you,” isn’t He inviting us to be coupled with Him in the task of saving sinners?

To be sure, it’s an unbalanced yoking and unequal partnership - He does the greatest part of the work, and that’s what makes it easy for us. But still, it is a partnership no less, for no sinner is saved without both the infinite merits of the Savior but also the whole-hearted cooperation of the sinner.  Simply put, God does not force anyone into Heaven.  As St. Augustine once said, “God, who created you without you, will not save you without you!”  So we have to do our part!  In this, we begin by being yoked to Christ, and we then share in His task of saving sinners first and foremost by cooperating with the way He’s working to save each one of us!

Daily Retreat 07/05/08

2008 Jul 5 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM/ Anthony Mary Zaccaria, p, rf
Am 9: 11-15/ Ps 84(85): 9ab and 10. 11-12. 13-14/ Mt 9: 14-17

From today’s readings:  “Yes, days are coming, says the LORD, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the vintager, him who sows the seed....  I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD—for He proclaims peace to His people....  Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the Bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast....”

Not So Fast

Since ancient times, fasting has been recognized as a beneficial spiritual and bodily discipline.  Christians associate fasting especially with the penitential season of Lent, but as I mentioned a a while ago, as a way of calling to mind Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross, Fridays throughout the year should also reflect a penitential spirit, for example, with a personal commitment to abstinence from meat and limiting oneself to simple meals (both mild variations of fasting).  This is a practical application of the Lord’s own recommendation: “The days will come when the Bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast!”

Jesus, however, explained that, just as it would be inappropriate for wedding guests to sour their joy in the company of the bridegroom, so it would be inappropriate for His disciples to let anything sour their joy at His presence.  Since every Sunday is the Lord’s Day, an observance of His Easter victory over death and celebration of His resurrected presence, Christians do not fast on Sundays (even during Lent).  The commandment to “Remember to keep the Lord’s day holy” thus means the whole day should be marked with the type of pervading  festive joy which one shows, for instance, when receiving a visit from a long absent friend.  Something to remember for tomorrow!

Daily Retreat 07/04/08

2008 Jul 4 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Elizabeth of Portugal, mw
Am 8: 4-6. 9-12/ Ps 118(119): 2. 10. 20. 30. 40. 131/ Mt 9: 9-13

From today’s readings:  “Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD, when I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the LORD....  Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God....  Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.”

Hunger for the Word of God

We all experientially know the meaning of the word “hunger,” but few, if any of us, have suffered the all-consuming starvation hunger of a land in the grip of famine.  Just consider your most ravenous moments, when you hadn’t eaten for hours or perhaps even days, and realize that such torment is only a mild taste of the torture of starvation.  Not pleasant to think of, at all!

And yet, the prophet Amos speaks of an even greater agony: famine for hearing the word of the Lord!  Most of us take our food supply pretty much for granted - when you and I hear talk of drought, we might muse that bread prices will go up a few cents per loaf.  And yet, with effort, we can at least vaguely imagine the personal effects of a severe food shortage so acute that we would be worried about where the next meal would be coming from.   Under such conditions, it would be hard to think of anything else.  Amos foresaw the day when the comforting word of the Lord, taken for granted far too long, would become similarly scarce, when, like starving scavengers, the people would search desperately for God’s word, but not find it.

This prophecy was fulfilled during the Babylonian exile, so much so that when the deportees finally were allowed to return, and the word of the Lord was proclaimed for the first time in years by Ezra the scribe, the people were moved to tears at finally hearing what they had so hungered for (cf. Nehemiah 8:9).

Like our food, you and I easily take for granted our ready access to scripture, so we can become picky about it, and even let it grow cold in our sight, only nibbling at it, instead of eating heartily of the nourishment of God’s word.  But when we consider the plight of those dying from starvation, we become more grateful for the food on our plate, and are less wasteful, and even filled with a Christian resolve to share our blessings with those in need.  

Likewise, when you and I call to mind peoples throughout history (and even many in our world today!) who are utterly deprived of the word of God, then the bountiful blessing of our biblical banquet which we feast on daily is better appreciated, and so, resolving to share the blessing of the word of God with all those in need, we prevent the generous helpings we have received from ever going to waste.

Daily Retreat 07/03/08

2008 Jul 3 Thu: Thomas, ap F
Eph 2: 19-22/ Ps 116(117): 1bc. 2/ Jn 20: 24-29

From today’s readings:  “You are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the capstone....  Go out to all the world and tell the Good News....  Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed!”

Doubting Thomas

St. Thomas the Apostle is popularly known as “Doubting Thomas” because he refused to believe the testimony of the other ten apostles to whom Jesus had appeared on the evening of Easter Sunday.  Even though the “doubting” appellative generally evokes a negative connotation (the chastisement for lack of faith), we shouldn’t overlook the positive aspects of Thomas’ incredulity.

In fact, his initial disbelief established a firm anchor for our own belief!  You may have heard of those imbecilic biblical interpreters who deny the historicity of Christ’s resurrection, claiming instead that the apostles merely suffered the delusion of “wishing thinking” and therefore had some fantasy or psychotic experience of Jesus as “living again” in their own minds and hearts.  

But the irrationality of such a fabrication is exposed by the very rationality of the doubt raised by Thomas!  The death of Jesus was a crushing blow for all of the apostles - none of them possessed such an unrealistic obstinate optimism that they needed to, or would have even been able to, somehow collectively dream up the resurrection to “prove” that their messianic hopes were not unfounded.  

On the contrary, when Mary Magdalene and the other woman witnesses initially reported the empty tomb and the angelic testimony, the apostles completely dismissed their account and refused to believe.  In fact, in addition to Thomas’ doubt recorded in the gospel of St. John, the natural initial skepticism of all the apostles is also clearly attested to in the other three gospels: Matthew 28:17; Mark 16:11-14; Luke 24:11,37.  Such doubt could only be overcome by the most convincing of proofs!  While the details are given only about what Thomas demanded (and received) in order to believe, in His resurrected glory, Christ evidently provided each apostle with the undoubtable evidence needed to establish the redoubtable faith that gave birth to the indubitable, irrefutable testimony of martyrdom!

Daily Retreat 07/02/08

2008 Jul 2 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
Am 5: 14-15. 21-24/ Ps 49(50): 7. 8-9. 10-11. 12-13. 16bc-17/ Mt 8: 28-34

From today’s readings:  “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts, be with you as you claim....  Why do you recite My statutes, and profess My covenant with your mouth, though you hate discipline and cast My words behind you?...  When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met Him.”

Worship and Works

Hypocrisy in religion is probably the worst kind, when one honors God with the lips, but spurns His rule as the guide for life.  Now, we must admit that almost everyone is guilty of this to some degree, whenever our actions don’t measure up to our baptismal promises to utterly reject Satan and sin.  That’s precisely why we need a Savior, who not only saved us in the past from sin, but continues to save us this day as we reach out to Him whenever we fall.

So, it’s one thing to fail occasionally in living up to our faith, as long as one is striving mightily to follow Christ and embrace all His teachings, and continually calling out to God for divine assistance.  But the complaint raised in the book of the prophet Amos is against systemic religious hypocrisy, against the insidious belief that as long as one performed the skeletal duty of divine worship, the everyday actions were less consequential.  So, people would come to offer sacrifice, to observe religious feasts and rituals, to sing and praise God with music, and they presumptuously figured that all that should be enough for God, that He would be distracted by such offerings and so overlook habitual neglect of prayers, and everyday injustices, and the wicked schemes that lurked in their hearts even as they were making the offerings.

This systemic religious hypocrisy has not vanished - it can clearly be seen in some people’s approach to the sacraments, for instance.  Too many couples preparing for holy matrimony and ranks of parents who present their infants for baptism do not pray much together nor attend Church regularly, and they often have such a scanty familiarity with their faith that one can legitimately question how much of it they will be able to pass on to their children!  The situation is all too often the same when children begin preparation for First Communion or Confirmation.  

Now, without judging such parents’ intentions (which may be quite noble, even if inadequate!), if they have no plan of deepening their everyday faith commitment, it’s obvious that their approach to the sacraments is quite deficient!  It is as if they concluded that after immunizations, no further concern was needed to insure their child’s health, or as long as vitamins were set out, no other nourishment was required.  The same sorry syndrome is also found among those who regularly receive the Eucharist without sacramental reconciliation, even after nonchalantly skipping Holydays of obligation, or living in sin, or embracing moral viewpoints incompatible with the faith, such as promiscuity or the support of abortion.

When such attitudes are stubbornly held, it can reach the point that the celebration of the sacraments instituted by Christ paradoxically and tragically becomes displeasing to God, as were the hypocritical sacrifices offered in the days of Amos. This does not contradict the Church’s teaching that all the sacraments do guarantee the efficacious presence and work of the Lord, even when there exists substantial lack of preparation or intention – on the contrary, precisely because the sacraments do indeed warrant God’s real presence, the desire to celebrate them worthily must logically include the practical commitment to recognize the absolute sovereignty of God’s moral law. In other words, when we worship and seek the comfort of God in our lives, we have to conform our work and our lives according to Him!

So sacred scripture does not at all condemn the worship of sacrifice and religious ritual in itself, but only when the worship has degenerated into hypocrisy and is contradicted by wicked works.  In our own day, we need to likewise preserve the integrity of the sacraments and all the other means God gives us for approaching Him, so that whenever and in whatever way we present to God ourselves and our worship and our works, “then let justice surge like water, and goodness like an unfailing stream!”

Daily Retreat 07/01/08

2008 Jul 1 Tue: Ordinary Weekday/ Bl Junipero Serra, p, r, ms
Am 3: 1-8; 4: 11-12/ Ps 5: 4b-6a. 6b-7. 8/ Mt 8: 23-27

From today’s readings:  “Hear this word, O children of Israel....  Lead me in Your justice, Lord....  Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

The Disciple as Learner

When Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples found themselves wondering in awe, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”  Recall that since this incident occurred rather early in the public life of Jesus, the disciples hadn’t yet recognized the divinity of Christ.

But the important thing was, the disciples were reflecting about who Jesus was and learning from what they saw Him do and heard Him speak.  Thus, they proved themselves “disciples,” which is another word for “students.”

Too often today, however, that essential nature of discipleship gets forgotten.  For everyone who glories in the name “Christian” ought to be a true disciple of Christ, one who commits himself to lifelong learning from the greatest teacher of all.  But too many “Christians” obliviously act as if they already know enough about God and religion!  For, they don’t regularly read the Bible at home, they don’t study catechism lessons, they don’t utilize parish libraries and other resources, they ignore magisterial efforts to catechize, they don’t pay attention during homilies, and they don’t reflect about who Jesus is and learn from what He did and taught.

Here’s a simple test: What have you learned in the past week from Jesus or about Him or anything about your faith and morals? Or in the last month?  Or year?  If you find yourself hard-pressed to mention anything in particular, that’s a sure sign of a need to take Christian discipleship more seriously!

Daily Retreat 06/30/08

2008 Jun 30 Mon: Ordinary Weekday/ First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Am 2: 6-10. 13-16/ Ps 49(50): 16bc-17. 18-19. 20-21. 22-23/ Mt 8: 18-22

From today’s readings: “Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke My word....  Remember this, you who never think of God....  Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest His head....”

A Man Named Amos

The daily first readings this week will be taken from the book of the prophet Amos.  For historical background, it is important to know that after the death of Solomon in about 922 BC, the Jewish nation split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north, and Judah in the south.  In previous weeks, the Books of Kings recounted how Israel fell in 722 BC, and Judah capitulated in 587 BC with the destruction of Jerusalem.

Amos was active as a prophet in Israel sometime before its fall,  probably between 760-750 BC.  Although this was a time of apparent peace and prosperity, Amos prophesied divine chastisement for the moral crimes of Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and most especially, Israel (cf. today’s reading).  Amos’ prophecy develops the moral implications of God as All-good, and therefore intolerant of all evil.  

At that time, worship of God was often superstitious and superficial - many people assumed that as long as sacrifice was offered to Him, God would be satisfied and protect His chosen people, even in spite of their evil transgressions.  This sentiment is confronted in psalm 49(50), but tragically, this attitude toward faith can still be found today (more on this later).  Yet the clear insight arising from the prophecy of Amos is that the chosen people certainly and most especially are not excluded from God’s moral law, so when they chose evil, evil will come upon them!

So as we are confronted this week with the words of Amos, it is most important that we do not dismiss them as merely directed to others, or as the warning of an out-of-touch alarmist.  These words are for you and for me also, that we may repent of any and all transgressions (personal and collective) against God’s moral law, especially crimes (even when legally sanctioned) against the weak and the lowly, the poor and the small.

Daily Retreat 06/29/08

2008 Jun 29 SUN: PETER AND PAUL, APS S
Vigil:Acts 3:1-10/Ps 18(19):2-3. 4-5/Gal 1:11-20/Jn 21:15-19.
Day:Acts 12:1-11/Ps 33(34):2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9/2 Tm 4:6-8. 17-18/Mt 16:13-19

From today’s readings: “Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf....  The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear Him....  I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand....  You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church....”

Stumbling to Success

Peter and Paul were certainly the most noteworthy apostles - Peter, that chosen rock providing stability, direction, and leadership for the Church; and Paul, that teacher of the nations in faith and truth.  And yet, in spite of their glorious and indispensable roles in the Church, these two were also the ones with the most glaring failings among all the faithful apostles.

Both Peter and Paul were keenly aware of their sins - not just Peter’s denials of Jesus and Paul’s persecution of Him, but also their day-to-day struggles and their evident character flaws and lapses.  So no wonder both of them rightly recognized where the credit belonged - that it was God Himself who rescued them from peril (as Peter insisted, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod”) and strengthened them in their weakness (as Paul maintained, “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength”) and worked marvels through them.

So the examples of Peter and Paul remind us that the decision to welcome Christ as our Savior does not make us impervious to temptation and incapable of sin.  Like those apostolic princes, each  of us must struggle constantly with our own character flaws and lapses.   And yet even the most glaring failing can’t prevent us from turning to God so He can rescue us from peril, strengthen us in weakness, and even work marvels through us to the glory of His Name!

Daily Retreat 06/28/08

2008 Jun 28 Sat: Irenaeus, bp, mt M
Lam 2: 2. 10-14. 18-19/ Ps 73(74): 1b-2. 3-5. 6-7. 20-21/ Mt 8: 5-17

From today’s readings:  “Your prophets had for you false and specious visions; they did not lay bare your guilt, to avert your fate; they beheld for you in vision false and misleading portents.....  Lord, forget not the souls of Your poor ones....  Lord, I am not worthy to have You enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.”

Lamentations

Bemoaning the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 BC, the five chapters of the Book of Lamentations could hardly qualify as anyone’s favorite scripture passages.  Indeed, following on yesterday’s first reading which recounted the Fall of Jerusalem at the end of the Second Book of Kings, today is the only day of the year that the lectionary prescribes verses from the woeful book of Lamentations!

In the ancient mindset, the fall of a nation to an invading army was generally equivalent to the capitulation of the vanquished nation’s gods to the evidently superior gods of the invaders.  When Jerusalem fell, however, the prophets helped the people recognize that their defeat was not due to weakness of their true God or any invincible might of the Babylonian idols - on the contrary, Jerusalem fell because God Himself  “has consumed without pity all the dwellings of Jacob; He has torn down in His anger the fortresses of daughter Judah; He has brought to the ground in dishonor her king and her princes.”  The tragedy was therefore correctly recognized as a divine chastisement as God simply allowed His people to experience the terrible consequences of their sins of abandoning Him.  That meant that the people could only be saved by returning to hope in the Lord with their confession and contrition (see Lamentations 1:18, 3:21-36.40.58, 4:22, 5:20-22).

What do we do with tragedy in our lives?  The point of the book of Lamentations is NOT that all catastrophes  are direct personal punishment for sins (although that was clearly the case when Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BC), but rather, the book proves that when tragedy strikes, rather than abandoning God, that is the best time with humble, contrite hearts to embrace Him as our comfort and salvation.

Daily Retreat 06/27/08

2008 Jun 27 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Cyril of Alexandria, bp, dr
2 Kgs 25: 1-12/ Ps 136(137): 1-2. 3. 4-5. 6/ Mt 8: 1-4

From today’s readings:  “Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it, and built siege walls on every side....  How could we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land?...  Go, show yourself to the priest....”

Go to the Priest

“I confess directly to God, so I don’t need to tell my sins to a priest.” The simple aspect of confessing sins to a priest is one of the most common objections raised by both Protestants and nominal Catholics against receiving sacramental confession.

But there are at least three scriptural rebuttals to that excuse.  First, recalling John 20:23, on the evening of Easter Sunday, Jesus specifically empowered His first priests, the Apostles, to forgive sins, as He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit - whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins you hold bound, they are held bound!”    So, since the power to forgive sins has been entrusted by Jesus to the apostolic ministry of the Church, that’s where one should regularly go for divine pardon and peace.

Second, more generally, Jesus founded His Church specifically to continue His ministry and His presence through the whole sacramental economy.  So actually, in all of the sacraments, it is Jesus Himself who is the High Priest and primary minister, so the human priest acts not in his own name, but in the Name and Person of Christ.  The human priest thus bears witness that the sacraments are always a personal encounter between the person receiving and Christ Himself.  Thus, when a person seeks baptism for instance, he cannot baptize himself, or “go to God directly” by simply standing in the rain - as is always the case in Scripture, one can only receive the sacramental presence of Christ at the hand of a minister recognized by the Church’s authority.

Third, since our sins not only offend God, but also wound the other members of the mystical Body of Christ, it is fitting that the sacramental process of reconciliation also entails an ecclesial dimension.  When Jesus cured the leper, He sent him to the priest, so the priest could verify and authenticate to God’s people, the assembly of believers, that the leper had indeed been made clean.  Who cured the leper?  Jesus Himself, yet He deigned to associate the miraculous healing with the authority of the priesthood.  Who forgives sinners?  Jesus Himself, who continues to dispense His divine pardon ordinarily through His priests who administer the sacrament of confession!

Daily Retreat 06/26/08

2008 Jun 26 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
2 Kgs 24: 8-17/ Ps 78(79): 1b-2. 3-5. 8. 9/ Mt 7: 21-29

From today’s readings: “Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive....  For the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us....  Everyone who listens to these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock....”

The End of the Sermon on the Mount

Chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of St. Matthew present the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.  Although the lectionary systematically goes through the entirety of this text, it’s helpful to spend 5 or 10 minutes re-reading (and re-praying!) this section without interruptions.

At the end of the Sermon, Jesus reminds us, though, that it’s not enough to just listen (or read) His words - they need to be acted upon!  The difference between the wise man who built his house on a firm rock foundation and the foolish man who built on sifting sand is clear enough - may God help us to clearly put the Lord’s teachings into practice in our lives as well!


I am grateful for all of the prayers and notes received earlier this week on the anniversary of my ordination!  Please continue to pray for me as I prepare for my new work teaching at Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon.  Many things there will be new for me and, no doubt, there will be a time of adjustments, but I do plan to continue writing these virtual retreat reflections - thank you for the encouragement and prayerful support!

Daily Retreat 06/25/08

2008 Jun 25 Wed: Ordinary Weekday 2 Kgs 22: 8-13; 23: 1-3/ Ps 118(119): 33. 34. 36. 37. 40/ Mt 7: 15-20   From today's readings:  "The king made a covenant before the LORD that they would follow Him and observe His ordinances, statutes and decrees with their whole hearts and souls, thus reviving the terms of the covenant which were written in this book....  Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of Your statutes, that I may exactly observe them.....  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves."   Re-learning the Lord's Law   Josiah was another good king (2 Kings 22:2) who sought to lead the nation back to God.  After he had given the order to repair the Lord's Temple, a great discovery was made there: the book of the law of the Lord (probably the book of Deuteronomy)!  It had been lost and forgotten during the reigns of evil kings who followed pagan gods, so it is providential that it was preserved at all, and then re-discovered at the proper moment.  This happened around 640BC - remember, at that time, even the Old Testament canon was far from being established, so there was absolutely no common notion of the Bible or Sacred Scripture, or the written Word of the Lord.   Instead of being satisfied with isolated verses and bits of the Bible, I always encourage people to read whole books, which is exactly what King Josiah did, who ordered that it be "read out to them, the entire contents of the book of the covenant that had been found in the temple of the Lord."  And that wasn't enough - Josiah followed up by leading the people in making a covenant to keep the law of the Lord.   Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament, and although He even superseded some of the precepts of the old Law, He was emphatic that He did not come to abolish the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17).   The Ten Commandments, included in the Book of Deuteronomy (chapter five), were clearly re-affirmed in Christ's teaching.   You and I can take the time today to re-discover the Old Testament and imitate Josiah's example as we read and study whole books, committing ourselves to learning and living the Lord's law as we pray in the psalm, "Teach me the way of Your decrees, O Lord!" Fr. Rory Pitstick Our Lady of the Valley Parish 2511 N. Elmway Okanogan WA 98840 USA (509) 422-5049 "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30

Daily Retreat 06/24/08

2008 Jun 24 Tue: NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST S Vigil: Jer 1:4-10/Ps 70(71)/1 Pt 1:8-12/Lk 1:5-17. Day: Is 49:1-6/Ps 138(139)/Acts 13:22-26/Lk 1:57-66.80   From today's readings:  "The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name....  Truly You have formed my inmost being; You knit me in my mother's womb. I give You thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works....  My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent....  For surely the hand of the Lord was with him..."   The Baptist's Birth   Some artists have produced masterworks partly on accident - they started with one idea, but ended up changing design plans because of the quality of their raw materials, or limitations of the medium, or a fresh inspiration.   However, such developments and modifications are completely excluded from the creative activity of God our Creator - He always starts with a complete and perfect plan that takes into account all contingencies, and so He then molds His work into the envisioned model.   Today's solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist emphasizes this point.  Half a year away from celebrating the birth of our Savior, we see how God prepared the world for that event - by sending His precursor to prepare His way.  The scriptural texts that relate the birth of John clearly outline the guiding power of Providence, and thus explain why God's people are called upon to embrace their own parts in God's plan as it is gradually unfolded in their lives.   For although John's role of preparing the way of the Lord was certainly unique,  yet that doesn't mean that our Creator  was more concerned and involved in John's birth than He was in your birth or mine.  In fact, each one of us is just as entitled to echo Isaiah's words: "The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb, He gave me my name!"  So when you come to celebrate your own birthday this year, re-read these biblical verses detailing God's Providence in bringing John to birth, and rest assured that the very same creative Genius created you as well as a masterpiece with a uniquely sculptured place in the plan of Providence! Fr. Rory Pitstick Our Lady of the Valley Parish 2511 N. Elmway Okanogan WA 98840 USA (509) 422-5049 "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30

Daily Retreat 06/23/08

2008 Jun 23 Mon: Ordinary Weekday 2 Kgs 17: 5-8. 13-15a. 18/ Ps 59(60): 3. 4-5. 12-13/ Mt 7: 1-5   From today's readings:  "Give up your evil ways and keep My commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent you by My servants the prophets....   Help us with Your right hand, O Lord, and answer us....  Stop judging, that you may not be judged...."   Truth or Consequence   Each of us has experienced in some way the negative consequences that haunt the betrayal of truth, whether one is simply caught in a lie, or life becomes restlessly complicated when enmeshed with what Sir Walter Scott called the "tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive."   Likewise, many of the biblical reflections (particularly in the Old Testament) drive home this insight of the dire aftermath of straying from the Truth of God.  The First and Second Books of Kings not only chronicle the history of the monarchs in Israel and Judah, but the books also pound out blunt conclusions about how abandonment of true faith leads to disaster, as when Shalmaneser besieged Samaria around 725 BC.   To be sure, the risk of unpleasant consequences can hardly be the sole inspiration for our faith, which is meant to be a whole-hearted embrace of God's grace lovingly reaching out to us.  But just as the sour complications of a lie can providentially be the bitter but best medicine to cure the liar, so the biblical debacles offer the sober but sure cure for the disease of anemic faith!     P.S. Please especially remember me in your family prayers as I celebrate today the anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood - 14 joyful and fulfilling years in this happy vocation of serving God and His people!  Coincidentally, today is also the start of my final week as pastor of Our Lady of the Valley parish in Okanogan - my new assignment at Mt. Angel Seminary begins on July 1st! Fr. Rory Pitstick Our Lady of the Valley Parish 2511 N. Elmway Okanogan WA 98840 USA (509) 422-5049 "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30

Daily Retreat 06/22/08

2008 Jun 22 SUN: TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jer 20: 10-13/ Ps 68(69): 8-10. 14. 17. 33-35 (14c)/ Rom 5: 12-15/ Mt 10: 26-33   From today's readings: "Terror is all around....  Lord, in Your great love, answer me....  Just as sin came into the world through one man....  Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul... "   Intimation of Intimidation   Fellow Christians, dear brothers and sisters who follow Christ Jesus - you and I are on a hit list! Those who wield power in this world are out to get us. Beware, true Christian, beware!   Is this paranoia?  I think not, or , at least if it is, we can blame it on an unbiased glance at history, and the taking to heart of certain warnings made by our Lord Jesus.  For the plight of the faithful follower of Christ today is no different than it ever was for the servants of God, as the prophet Jeremiah bemoans, "Terror on every side!  Everyone is on the watch for any misstep of mine."  Can anyone deny that today the princes of the culture of death, the magnates of Madison Avenue, the chieftains of unbridled consumerism are constantly campaigning, even when we sleep, to intimidate all Christians into disowning Jesus before men.  Or rather, in a diabolic bow to tokenism, they permit, even encourage, perhaps, the "harmless" profession of faith in almighty God for one hour on Sunday, provided that every other hour of the week confesses submission to the almighty dollar.   Dearly beloved, outside of our sacred hour of worship, do you and I really acknowledge Christ before the world, or do we disown Him?  Do you and I acknowledge Christ by bedecking our souls in the beauty of virtue, or do we disown Christ by turning our whole attention to care of outward appearance, clothing our bodies with designer lines, but covering our souls with nothing but the filthy rags of vice?  Do you and I confess Christ with our every word, always using language pleasing to Him, recognizing the tongue as the sacred vessel which momentarily bears the Body of Christ?  Or do you and I deny Christ with so many words, casually polluting the air with profanity, and sharpening our tongues with slander and gossip?  Let's ask ourselves: do I recognize the presence of Christ in the neediest, and at times, the most annoying of His brothers and sisters, and do what is in my power to assist them, or do I overlook the presence of Christ in all the people I meet whose halos are a bit dim or crooked - those who don't live up to my expectations?  Do you open your heart to Christ be welcoming His consecrated servants, or do you slam the door in His face by disregarding, ignoring, or even maligning the shepherds He's given to His flock?   During this very week, each of us will have at least 100 opportunities (and you can count 'em) to acknowledge Christ before men, or to disown Him.  How many times will you let the power-wielders of this world intimidate you, scare you into disowning your God in favor of the false gods of the world?  Or how many times will you take heart, and proclaim Christ from the rooftops, so He will recognize you in the presence of the Heavenly Father?  Dear friends, let it never be said that you and I were intimidated by the mafia of hedonism, for the true Lord of Heaven and earth is with those who call upon His name - always! Fr. Rory Pitstick Our Lady of the Valley Parish 2511 N. Elmway Okanogan WA 98840 USA (509) 422-5049 "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30

Daily Retreat 06/21/08

2008 Jun 21 Sat: Aloysius Gonzaga, r M 2 Chr 24: 17-25/ Ps 88(89): 4-5. 29-30. 31-32. 33-34/ Mt 6: 24-34   From today's readings: "Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord?...  Forever I will pledge My love for My Servant....  Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness...."   What are you worried about?   The Lord's Sermon on the Mount, if taken seriously, brings a whole new perspective to both big things and little things in life.  Although the priceless reminder that we cannot serve both God and mammon presents us with one of the most fundamental either/or dilemmas in life, we nonetheless still work to have it both ways, desperately seeking a successful ratio between amassing treasure on Earth and treasure in Heaven.   But precisely because we hold back from serving God with all our hearts, we thereby resist filling our hearts with the tremendous treasure of His comforting presence and promises.  What am I to eat?  What am I to drink?  What am I to wear?  What's going to happen to me tomorrow?  These and a thousand other daily worries preoccupy us incessantly only because they are legitimate concerns for those who believe that ever-fickle Mammon is what feeds us and clothes us and protects us and provides for our future.   But Jesus insists otherwise - just by looking up, one can note how the birds of the air, by divine providence, find food and drink without spending a cent; or, by looking down, one can observe how the lilies of the field, by the magnanimity of God, clothe grass with beauty beyond the pale spring styles of designer labels.   But surely God's solicitude and generosity has more in store for His children than for birds and grass?  Yes, of course, which is why Jesus teaches us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..... Fr. Rory Pitstick Our Lady of the Valley Parish 2511 N. Elmway Okanogan WA 98840 USA (509) 422-5049 "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30

Daily Retreat 06/20/08

2008 Jun 20 Fri: Ordinary Weekday 2 Kgs 11: 1-4. 9-18. 20/ Ps 131(132): 11. 12. 13-14. 17-18/ Mt 6: 19-23   From today's readings: "He brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant....  The Lord has chosen Zion for His dwelling....    Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.... "   The Treasure of the Heart   Towards the middle of his life, while still very focused on the beauty and wisdom of Cicero and other pagan literature, St. Jerome was struck with a fever, and in his delirium, he imagined himself brought before the throne of Christ for judgment.  When asked who he was, he affirmed that he was a Christian, but the reply thundered, "No, that's not true, for in reality, you're a Ciceronian, for where your treasure is, there also is your heart!"    The sobering experience helped Jerome realize that, up to that point,  he truly had not been  recognizing and treating God as the treasure and center of his life, and so, to fix that, he set out on  making the necessary life-changing decisions to completely enthrone Christ in his heart.   What is the treasure of your life?  What do you spend most of your time, energy, and resources in pursuit of, or what brings you the greatest delights?  Jerome's vision warns us that it's quite easy for anyone to find a few feebly-throbbing pulses that point to some Christian vein in one's life, but much more than that is needed  to give evidence of a Christ-centered heart! Fr. Rory Pitstick Our Lady of the Valley Parish 2511 N. Elmway Okanogan WA 98840 USA (509) 422-5049 "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30

Daily Retreat 06/19/08

2008 Jun 19 Thu: Ordinary Weekday/ Romuald, ab
Sir 48: 1-14/ Ps 96(97): 1-2. 3-4. 5-6. 7/ Mt 6: 7-15

From today’s readings:  “Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace....  The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad....  This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father who art in Heaven....’  ”

Perfect Prayer

Since many saints have written such profound commentaries on the Lord’s Prayer, it seems appropriate on this day, when those verses are proclaimed, to pass on at least one sample of those saintly writings.

In one of his sermons on the Our Father, St. Thomas Aquinas remarked that the Lord’s prayer elucidates both what we ought to desire, and what we ought to avoid.  Since the glory of God should be sought first, it is the first petition mentioned: hallowed be Thy Name.  We pray for our eternal life (Thy kingdom come), and the complete fulfillment of God’s plan (Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven), and we turn to God for the necessities of this life (Give us this day our daily bread).

The opposite of those four goods are what we also implore God to save us from.  For, anything  directed away from the glory of God is Evil.  To remove the evil of sin, we say, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We pray to keep us far from temptation that leads to sin (And lead us not into temptation) and for definitive salvation from the Devil (but deliver us from Evil).

Daily Retreat 06/18/08

2008 Jun 18 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
2 Kgs 2: 1. 6-14/ Ps 30(31): 20. 21. 24/ Mt 6: 1-6. 16-18

From today’s readings:  “When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to Heaven in a whirlwind, he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal....  Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord....  your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.”

Penance in Progress

Day by day, the lectionary continues to step through the verses of the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, Chapters 5-7 of St. Matthew’s Gospel.  Today’s text should sound especially familiar - it’s read every year on Ash Wednesday, at the beginning of the penitential season of Lent.

Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting are the three subjects our Lord addresses, warning against hypocrisy and pointing out essential traits for the authentic exercise of these self-disciplinary practices.

Even though these three disciplines are encouraged especially during Lent, that certainly doesn’t prohibit us from engaging in extra prayer, fasting, and almsgiving at other times of the year as well!  In fact, although it is often forgotten, Fridays throughout the year are designated as days of penance (except when they coincide with liturgical solemnities, such as this Friday’s Feast of the Sacred Heart).  This point is established in many Church documents, including the Code of Canon Law: (Canon 1250  “All Fridays throughout the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the universal Church.”  Canon 1251 “Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”)

Many can still remember abstinence from meat on all Fridays as the form of penance mandated by the Bishops for Catholics across the country.  In 1966, the American Bishops re-iterated abstinence as the recommended penance for all Fridays, but they dispensed with the obligatory nature of abstinence, as long as some other penance was substituted (Pastoral Statement On Penance and Abstinence, NCCB, 11/18/1966).  

Sad to say, the penitential aspect of Fridays has not been sufficiently publicized by most  bishops and pastors, so that many Catholics are not even aware of this as an expectation!  But by simply taking to heart the Lord's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, we can re-discover and re-vitalize penitential practices as a regular part of the practice of our faith, especially on Fridays:

    “In memory of Christ's suffering and death, the Church prescribes making each Friday throughout the year a penitential day. All of us are urged to prepare appropriately for that weekly Easter that comes with each Sunday.” Penitential Practices for Today's Catholics, USCCB, 11/12/2000. www.usccb.org/dpp/penitential.htm

Daily Retreat 06/17/08

2008 Jun 17 Tue: Ordinary Weekday
1 Kgs 21: 17-29/ Ps 50(51): 3-4. 5-6ab. 11 and 16/ Mt 5: 43-48

From today’s readings:  “Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight, I am bringing evil upon you...  Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned....  You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father....”

Proof of Christ’s Divinity

The manner of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and His miracles and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy certainly attest to the divinity of Christ, but I think the most accessible proof that Jesus is indeed God is found right in His teachings.

Much of what Jesus taught was already taught before (even if not quite as clearly), either in the Old Testament, or even by pagan sages of ancient times.  For such teachings, Jesus is generally regarded, even by atheists, as a very wise man.

But some elements of Christ’s doctrine clearly transcend all human wisdom and Old Testament revelation.  Consider, for example, His command, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”  It’s hard to conceive of any other expectation so contrary to our fallen human nature!  And Jesus doesn’t even try to make the demand more appealing with a promise of a great reward - the only reason He offers is so that we can be children of our Father in Heaven.

If Jesus were just a merely human wise man, like the sages of other ages, He never would have dared to voice such a counter-intuitive command.  But, because of His divinity, He not only called for love of enemies, He showed the world, with His redemptive death, what He meant.  And that’s why we can and must believe Him and follow Him!

Daily Retreat 06/16/08

2008 Jun 16 Mon: Ordinary Weekday
1 Kgs 21: 1-16/ Ps 5: 2-3ab. 4b-6a. 6b-7/ Mt 5: 38-42

From today’s readings:  “The LORD forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage....  Heed my call for help, my king and my God!...  When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well”

Laws of Retribution

Centuries before the time of Moses and the 10 Commandments, King Hammurabi of Babylon promulgated his famous law code, one of the earliest written texts of systematic legislation.  Hammurabi’s work represented a step forward for universal justice, since ideally all citizens would receive equal application of the norms of the kingdom, and there was less danger of perversion of justice by the whims of magistrates and rulers.

But many punitive aspects of the Code of Hammurabi were excessive - those who stole substantial amounts were punished with execution, and even petty thieves were condemned to bodily mutilation.  So, the Old Testament principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” was actually another step forward in the order of justice, since it prohibited inordinate punishment and established a logical standard for retribution.  This rule, juridically titled lex talionis (Latin for “law of retaliation”) is foundational in many legal systems even today.

Jesus, however, in bringing the fulfillment of the Old Law, advocated another step forward, to the level of mercy and forgiveness.  His purpose was not to criticize the lex talionis as excessive - in point of fact, judges of that time already employed common sense in cases of personal injury, generally subjecting the offender to a proportionate fine in penalty, rather than strict mirror mutilation.  But Jesus taught that even the lex talionis could be advantageously superseded, as the actions of His life and redemptive death proved.

Daily Retreat 06/15/08

2008 Jun 15 SUN: ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Ex 19: 2-6a/ Ps 99(100): 1-2. 3. 5 (3c)/ Rom 5: 6-11/ Mt 9: 36 – 10: 8

Where do priests come from?

Where do babies come from?  It seems parents are never quite prepared for that very natural question, or even if the parents believe they are prepared, the question is inevitably raised in an inopportune time or place - perhaps visitors are present in the house, and the indelicacy of possible scandal, or a imminent appointment means there isn’t sufficient time for a detailed answer.  Stories of storks and cabbage patches are ridiculous enough that it’s unlikely that such tales are even halfway believed by even the littlest kids!  It’s clear that only a pressured mom or dad, caught off guard with such a serious call to parental responsibility, frantically stalling for time while fumbling to figure out the appropriate answer and the right time for that answer, would have been creative enough to come up with such an fanciful explanation.  The true answer is that babies come from God, ideally and generally with the loving, prayerful, and committed assistance and cooperation, “working together” of the parents!  (Whatever children might be reading this and are curious for more details, I respectfully refer back to their parents!).

Where do priests come from?  It seems parishioners are never quite prepared for that very natural question, or even if the parishioners believe they are prepared, the question is inevitably raised in an inopportune time or place - perhaps visitors are present in the house, and the consternation of priestly scandals, or some crucial upcoming Sunday recreation plans like watching a game, or playing in the lake, or taking care of the grass means that many would begrudge me sufficient time right now for a detailed answer.  And while no one dares to suggest that the newly ordained, the “baby priests,” are delivered by storks, there is an equally ridiculous myth that is still flying around (and more than halfway believed!) , and that’s the idea that priests come from other parishes, and other families, but certainly not from our parish, and our family.  It’s clear that only a pressured parish, caught off guard with such a serious call to Christian responsibility, frantically stalling for time while fumbling to figure out the appropriate answer and the right time for that answer, would have been creative enough to come up with such an fanciful explanation.  The true answer is that priests come from God, ideally and generally with the loving, prayerful, and committed assistance and cooperation, “working together” of the parishioners.

Curious for more details?  Well, perhaps, after all, this is the right time and place, especially if we give ear to the Gospel words of our Lord, “the harvest is plenty, but laborers are few; pray, therefore, to the Lord of the harvest, that He send laborers to His harvest.”  Indeed, the potential harvest is plenty - dozens in our neighborhoods, hundreds, if not thousands, of people in our own communities, millions in our nation, and billions in our world, are all ripe for the preaching of Jesus, the High Priest.  Or, if you pardon a mixing (or at least a transplanting) of the metaphor - these dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions and billions are positively parched, desperately in need of the creed of Christ and His sacramental seed of life, love, hope, faithfulness, truth, and beauty.  Yes, as the Lord repeated elsewhere, “Look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest!”

But whence come the workers for this harvest?  For no matter how numerous or rich the congregation, they can’t make a priest - but we can pray, and pray, and pray to the Lord of the Harvest, Who, through the Bishop, continues to call by name to priestly service for today’s harvest a new Peter, Andrew, Tom and Matthew, Jim and John, and others, yes, from your parish, from your family!  And these, the Lord of the harvest continues to send to His harvest, even when such faithful workers are sullied by the scandal of being joined by a Judas.

Neither I, nor any other priest, could have even set out on the road to ordination without being called first by the Lord of the Harvest.  But precious few, if any, of us priests have answered His call without the loving, prayerful, and committed assistance and cooperation, “working together” of our parents and parishes.  So, forget about storks and other crazy myths about baby priests coming just from other parishes and other families - the true answer is that laborers come from the Lord of the harvest, priests come from God, ideally and generally with the loving, prayerful, and committed assistance and cooperation, “working together” of parents and parishioners!

Daily Retreat 06/14/08

2008 Jun 14 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
1 Kgs 19: 19-21/ Ps 15(16): 1b-2a and 5. 7-8. 9-10/ Mt 5: 33-37

From today’s readings:  “Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen....  O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, You it is who hold fast my lot....  Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.”

Honesty, honestly

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” and a few passages about the seriousness of sacred oaths (e.g., Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Deuteronomy 23:21) were among the strongest injunctions  in the Old Testament for honesty in speech.  True to form, Jesus advocates the perfected fulfillment of those principles, when, quite simply, a person’s “yes” would mean “yes,”and “no” would mean “no,” and there would not be any need of swearing to guarantee credibility.

No one would disagree, for in this matter especially, the teaching of Jesus is so clearly the way things ought to be - and yet how different is the reality of human history, with our own “enlightened” age being no exception!  Tragically, in fact, modern times have witnessed highly publicized equivocation and prevarication even of testimony given under solemn oath.

But instead of the hazy honesty advocated and practiced by too many politicians and media spin doctors, you and I, as followers of Christ, need to strive to live by His standards of truthfulness. In large matters and small matters, it’s always possible and right to witness with the splendor of the Truth, which is Christ Himself!

Daily Retreat 06/13/08

2008 Jun 13 Fri: Anthony of Padua, p, r, dr M
1 Kgs 19: 9a. 11-16/ Ps 26(27): 7-8a. 8b-9abc. 13-14/ Mt 5: 27-32

From today’s readings:  “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by....  Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD....  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away....”

Sanctity of Marriage in the New Covenant

Jesus continues His exposition of the fulfillment of the Old Testament, calling again for pure interior attitudes in order to safeguard against wicked actions.  This time He goes even further, calling for a complete break with whatever causes one to sin, even if that means a member of the body!

Although not even a fundamentalist would take literally the Lord’s injunction to dismember oneself if necessary in order to avoid sinning, His reasoning is not exaggerated - it would indeed be better to suffer the loss of anything in this life, rather than suffer in eternal damnation!  “Gehenna” is the Hebrew name for Hell, originally a reference to an ancient smoldering garbage dump to the south of Jerusalem.  

Jesus not only prohibits adulterous actions and thoughts, but He also warns against divorce and other compromises against the sanctity and permanence of marriage.  The exception clause in verse 32 is difficult to translate.  Clearly, since Jesus was unequivocally opposed to divorce, most scholars conjecture that the exception refers to unions which are intrinsically illicit, such as incest.  It’s obvious that Jesus was not afraid to confront hard issues with the call to holiness!

Daily Retreat 06/12/08

2008 Jun 12 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
1 Kgs 18: 41-46/ Ps 64(65): 10. 11. 12-13/ Mt 5: 20-26

From today’s readings:  “The hand of the LORD was on Elijah....  It is right to praise You in Zion, O God....  Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven....”

Inside & Outside

As Jesus explained, He came to fulfill the Old Testament Law and Prophets, not to abolish them.  As the first example of His fulfillment, He considers the Fifth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” certainly one of the clearest dictates of the old Law.

Jesus, of course, does not abrogate that cornerstone of civic order - rather, He builds on it, insisting that not only will we be judged on the basis of our actions, but we’re even also answerable for our attitudes and interior dispositions.  Thus, since murder is sparked by anger and disdain, those tendencies must be immediately addressed so that they never can develop to the point of even contemplating murder.

In addition, strained relations with others even jeopardizes our good relation with God, so “if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”  Jesus thus fulfills the Old Testament by re-affirming the old Law’s principles of exterior conduct and logically extending the principles to guide interior dispositions.

Daily Retreat 06/11/08

2008 Jun 11 Wed: Barnabas, ap M
Acts 11: 21b-26; 13: 1-3/ Ps 97(98): 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4. 5-6/ Mt 5: 17-19

From today’s readings:  “ Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill!”

St. Barnabas

Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement” or “son of consolation,” was one of the first to excitedly approach the fledgling Church and declare himself “all in” (cf. Acts 4:36).   He later put himself on the line to welcome Paul after his conversion (cf. Acts 9:27), and then, along with Paul, was designated by the Holy Spirit for missionary work (cf. 13:1-13).

As a pastor, I can attest to the wonderful difference a new “son of encouragement” can make, how a Christian community can suddenly thrive with renewed spiritual vitality when even just one person “filled with the Holy Spirit and faith” steps forward with a burning commitment to live the faith fully and help and encourage others to do the same!

As Christians, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, so while our relationship with our Lord is always central, it’s not enough to just work on our own personal spiritual development and neglect our affect on others - we all need to contribute to the team spirit as well, following the example of St. Barnabas, so that we might even perhaps merit his nickname for our own commitment to console and encourage the Christians of this time and place.

Daily Retreat 06/10/08

2008 Jun 10 Tue: Ordinary Weekday

1 Kgs 17: 7‑16/ Ps 4: 2‑3. 4‑5. 7b‑8/ Mt 5: 13‑16

From today=s readings:  AShe was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah....  When I call, answer me, O my just God, You who relieve me when I am in distress; Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!...  You are the salt of the earth....@

Visible Faith

One of the most insidious facets of modern secularism is its insistence that religion belongs only to the private sphere.  Any country, communist or capitalist, dictatorship or democracy, will happily accommodate any anemic faith that quietly keeps to itself and doesn=t dare to challenge public policy.

But such a mindset cannot be called freedom of religion, because it essentially attempts to normalize freedom from religion!  Authentic Christian faith simply cannot be short-circuited and confined to private matters.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains that His disciples are not to hypocritically divorce their private practices from their public positions, rather, AYou are the salt of the earth....  You are the light of the world!@ 

The splendor of the truth, like a city on a mountain, cannot be hidden.  But sadly, it can be ignored, avoided, and even contemptuously derided and denied, as secularism arrogantly tries to do.  But if our Christian faith is worth anything to us, then it certainly is worth sharing with others, and bringing the light of this faith to scatter the darkness of modern doubt and confusion.

Daily Retreat 06/09/08

2008 Jun 9 Mon: Ordinary Weekday/ Ephrem of Syria, d, dr
1 Kgs 17: 1-6/ Ps 120(121): 1bc-2. 3-4. 5-6. 7-8/ Mt 5: 1-12

From today’s readings:  “You shall drink of the stream, and I have commanded ravens to feed you there....  Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth....  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!”

True Blessednesss

    A great overture was sounded once on a hill in Galilee - it was the fanfare of the Beatitudes, which was the beginning of the Lord’s great Sermon on the Mount.  At first, the words sounded unbelievable - how could anyone honestly say “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the meek...”  In the eyes of the world, such people certainly are anything but “blessed!”  Yet the fishermen and farmers who first heard these words, and down through the ages, many many people placed their faith in these words; many people, with their quiet honesty and integrity, have adopted this beautiful overture as their own theme song, not because of intrinsic appeal of the words themselves, but because of the integrity, the charisma of the Lord Jesus Who spoke these words.

    For He proclaimed these words (and all that He taught), not just with His lips, but with His entire life.  So, in fact, if we didn’t have the concrete example of the life of Jesus (echoed, as it is, in the lives of the saints who modeled their lives on His example) it would be foolish to give any credence to anything as clearly counter-cultural as these beatitudes.

    But we do believe the beatitudes, not because they’re any secret of success for getting ahead in this world, but because our blessed Lord assures us that such blessedness is the best way to get a head out of this world.....

Daily Retreat 06/08/08

2008 Jun 8 SUN: TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Hos 6: 3-6/ Ps 49(50): 1. 8. 12-13. 14-15 (23b)/ Rom 4: 18-25/ Mt 9: 9-13

From today’s readings: “ It is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts....  To the upright I will show the saving power of God....  Abraham believed, hoping against hope....  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners....”

What God wants

Speaking through the prophet Hosea, God insisted that “it is love that I desire, not sacrifice...!”   After the call of Matthew, Jesus quotes that same verse, emphasizing the importance of learning the meaning of those words!

I know some people are intimidated or just put off by linguistic distinctions, but please stay with me here as we follow the Lord’s recommendation to learn the meaning of these words.  In this case especially, a little language study is quite essential, since you probably already noticed that many translations show a discrepancy between the original verse (Hosea 6:6)  “it is love that I desire, not sacrifice...” (translated from the Old Testament Hebrew) and Christ’s quotation (Matt 9:13, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice...” (translated from the New Testament Greek).

In the first reading, the Hebrew word hesed is what is rendered in English as love - “It is love (hesed) that I desire...”  While hesed certainly does mean love, since the word conveys a particularly rich nuance in Hebrew, no single English word is an exact equivalent, and so translations will vary greatly: “merciful love,” “faithful love,” “compassionate faithfulness,” etc.  My Hebrew dictionary gives 1 ½ pages of possibilities!

Many times in the Old Testament, God’s love for us is denoted as hesed, that rich, merciful, compassionate, faithful love.  But, as in the book of Hosea, God then insists that we extend that same hesed to Him (hence, the word is sometimes translated piety) and to one another.

Now since the New Testament was written in Greek, most Old Testament quotations and allusions follow the Septuagint, which is the most important Greek translation of the Old Testament.  So, the Greek word eleos (usually rendered in English as mercy or compassion) is found both in the Gospel original, and in the Septuagint translation of Hosea 6:6 - “I desire mercy (eleos)...”  As a translation of the Hebrew word hesed, the Greek word eleos is certainly justifiable, although it narrows the semantic focus somewhat.

So, God clearly is not interested in animal sacrifices - the responsorial psalm even pokes fun at the notion that God would hunger for such things, “Do I eat the flesh of strong bulls, or is the blood of goats My drink?”  But, emphatically, God does desire compassionate, merciful love - this is what He continually offers to us (since, as Jesus reminds us, He came to call sinners...) and it is what He looks for from us - faithful, compassionate, merciful love for one another!

Daily Retreat 06/07/08

2008 Jun 7 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
2 Tm 4: 1-8/ Ps 70(71): 8-9. 14-15ab. 16-17. 22/ Mk 12: 38-44

From today’s readings: “Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient....  I will sing of Your salvation....  Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury....”

Proclaim the Word in season, and out of season!

Paul not only gives Timothy encouragement, he charges him up with a motivational pep talk which any coach or general would gladly imitate.  Among the memorable verses of 2Timothy, my favorite is 4:2, which is the exhortation (expressed in a variety of translations) to “Proclaim the Word in season, and out of season!”

Although Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus are categorized as the “pastoral epistles” because they are rich with instruction and encouragement for pastors of souls, that does not mean that these letters are not for everyone.  So even though pastors certainly have more public expectation to find them proclaiming the Word, all Christians are entrusted with the responsibility of sharing the Gospel.  As St. Francis of Assisi once explained, “Preach the Gospel always - if necessary, use words.”  So of course, putting Christ’s message into practice in our daily lives is the only authentic way to receive and share the Gospel, and this must be done in season, and out of season, whether convenient, or inconvenient.

Daily Retreat 06/06/08

2008 Jun 6 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Norbert, bp, rf
2 Tm 3: 10-17/ Ps 118(119): 157. 160. 161. 165. 166. 168/ Mk 12: 35-37

From today’s readings: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness....  O Lord, great peace have they who love Your law...  David himself calls Him ‘Lord’....”

What Scripture is good for....

2Timothy 3:16-17 is one of the best known comments in Scripture about Scripture: “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

As strong as this statement is in support of Scripture, it is not to be confused with the protestant notion of “Sola Scriptura,” the belief that “Scripture Alone” is sufficient and the Church’s Magisterium and all else is superfluous when it comes to establishing the essential dogmas of Christian belief.  Such a belief is ultimately self-contradictory, because it can be found nowhere in Scripture; it does not address the origin of Scripture (since the Bible’s table of contents is not part of inspired Scripture, it was the Church that decided which books were included in the Bible); and even if one were to mistakenly believe that “Sola Scriptura” was somehow established by biblical texts, that still would be a logical fallacy (begging the question).

The rejection of “Sola Scriptura” does not imply, however, that the Catholic Church undervalues Scripture.  Paul’s praise of Scripture is in no way compromised in the Catholic position - rather, it is realized!   For the inspired Scripture itself gives witness to the apostolic foundation of the Church and the teaching authority, which Paul commends to Timothy:
“You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings....”

Daily Retreat 06/05/08

2008 Jun 5 Thu: Boniface, bp, mt M
2 Tm 2: 8-15/ Ps 24(25): 4-5ab. 8-9. 10 and 14/ Mk 12: 28-34

From today’s readings: “If we have died with Him we shall also live with Him; if we persevere we shall also reign with Him; but if we deny Him He will deny us....  Teach me Your ways, O Lord.....  To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.... ”

The Word of Truth without Deviation

Some parts of Paul’s letters are very basic: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my Gospel....”  Clearly, Paul was always Christ-centered; true, at times he seems to go off on a tangent, but we can assume he was addressing or preempting misconceptions among the communities to which he wrote.

On the other hand, although he never tires of repeating the core message of the Gospel, he does not shy away from plumbing the depths of the philosophical and moral implications of Christian life, always succeeding in “imparting the word of truth without deviation,” as he urges Timothy to do as well.

Here then, is the lesson for you and me: our Christian discipleship must be centered on the person of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!  That is to say, Christianity means following Christ, so our faith is more than just a philosophical system or moral code.  There’s an unfortunate tendency to reduce Christianity to a convenient vehicle for secular humanism, because of some overlapping values.  But such an attitude is a betrayal of our faith, and selling it way short!  On the other hand, another temptation to avoid is spiritualizing or compartmentalizing our faith, thereby divorcing it from “real world” application.  Rather, awareness of the risen person of Jesus Christ (and His teachings) is meant to be reflected in our daily lives, thereby living the Word of Truth without deviation!

Daily Retreat 06/04/08

2008 Jun 4 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
2 Tm 1: 1-3. 6-12/ Ps 122(123): 1b-2ab. 2cdef/ Mk 12: 18-27

From today’s readings: “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control....  To You, O Lord, I lift up my eyes....  Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?”

Spirit of power and love and self-control

For the rest of this week, the first reading will be from Paul’s second letter to Timothy.  Since this is the first opportunity we’ve had in a awhile for the lectionary to dwell on a shorter book of the Bible, I want to remind you of the advantage of reading the whole letter through, and then re-reading it as the lectionary goes through the chapters.

The opening is particularly warm, as Paul addresses himself to his “dear child” Timothy, urging him to “stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands” (a reference to Timothy’s ordination by Paul).  This gift is no “spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and self-control,” all three of which are essential in living out Timothy’s vocation.

But, as the eternal antidote against pride, Paul reminds Timothy that God “saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works, but according to His own design.”  As Christians, we must never tire of meditating on this insight: God calls us to Himself in holiness on His own initiative, not because it’s something we’ve earned or merited!  That does not deny that actions are meritorious insofar as they are faithful responses to God’s call, but any and all merit comes after God’s gratuitous grace, and so the personal merit can never “earn” salvation on it own.

Daily Retreat 06/03/08

2008 Jun 3 Tue: Charles Lwanga & co., mts M
2 Pt 3: 12-15a. 17-18/ Ps 89(90): 2. 3-4. 10. 14 and 16/ Mk 12: 13-17

From today’s readings:  “Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled and to fall from your own stability....  In every age, O Lord, You have been our refuge....  Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

What Belongs to God

Christ’s response to the question about paying taxes shouldn’t be categorized as merely a brilliant and politically astute comment which successfully dodges the main issue.  No, for our Lord’s words were offered as an honest and complete answer, which did, however, obviously transcend the limitations of the insidious question.

I’ll leave it to others to argue about “what belongs to Caesar,” for the bigger issue is about “what belongs to God.” If you were to compile a quick inventory about who and what you are and what you have, how much would you reckon actually belongs to God?

When we remember that God created everything out of nothing, it’s hard to minimize, compartmentalize or otherwise downplay the legitimacy of the Lord’s claims on our entire existence!  He gives us Life - and He asks us to repay Him with reverence for all life made in the divine image.  He gives us Time - and He asks us to repay Him by keeping holy the weekly Sabbath.  He gives us Hope - and asks us to repay Him by trumpeting that hope to others.  He gives us Love, Mercy, and Forgiveness - and asks us to repay Him by sharing that with others.

I write these daily reflections as a humble offering and small part of rendering to God what belongs to Him.  Your own time spent reading, reflecting, and taking action can be offered in the same spirit of giving to God what clearly belongs to Him!