Virtual Retreat

Daily scriptural reflections by Fr. Rory Pitstick, SSL from Immaculate Heart Retreat Center in Spokane, WA
Also available via daily email

Monday, August 31, 2009

Daily Retreat 09/02/09

2009 Sep 2 Wed:Ordinary Weekday
Col 1: 1-8/ Ps 51(52): 10. 11/ Lk 4: 38-44

From today’s readings:  “We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you....  I trust in the mercy of God for ever....  At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to Him....”

Faith, Hope, and Charity

Since we begin today reading Paul’s letter to the Colossians, the first bit of business is to encourage you to read the whole letter!  The next week and a half will take us through most of the letter, so it’s so helpful to have the big picture as we go along.

Beginning with the virtues of faith, hope, and love (v. 1:4-5), this greeting is theologically rich and one of the warmest of all Paul’s introductions, and that’s particularly interesting since Paul was not the founder of the Church there (probably founded by Epaphras mentioned in v. 1:7), and also, Paul was in prison when he wrote it (cf. 4:18).  

In the opening verses, notice how grateful Paul is, and not for any personal favors from the Colossians, as for the abundant fruits of their faith!  So today (and everyday!) you and I can remember to give thanks to God for those who, even if not known personally to us, nevertheless inspire us with their faith, hope, and charity.  The letter will develop this insight of the transcendent unity we enjoy because of our faith - don’t overlook it!

Daily Retreat 09/01/09

2009 Sep 1 Tue:Ordinary Weekday
1 Thes 5: 1-6. 9-11/ Ps 26(27): 1. 4. 13-14/ Lk 4: 31-37

From today’s readings:  “But you are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief....  I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living....  Jesus taught them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at His teaching because He spoke with authority....”

Afraid of the Dark

Pretty much all children go through a phase of being afraid of the dark, and even adults can find their hearts racing madly when some unknown noise is heard at night.  Of course, it’s not the darkness itself that frightens, it’s what might be lurking unseen and unknown in the darkness (like a thief at night) that frightens children (and adults).

Much of the future is also unseen and unknown, particularly our own death and the end of the world.  So, it’s understandable that such matters appear terrifying to us - at least until viewed with the light of faith.  God has indeed illuminated our lives with His revelation - St. Paul reminds us that God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ! 

Mind you, the future still will be terrifying for those who spend their lives trying to avoid God or keep Him at bay!  But for those who want nothing more than “to live together with Him,” no matter how long we have to stay alert and sober, His coming will certainly be worth the wait!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Daily Retreat 08/31/09

2009 Aug 31 Mon:Ordinary Weekday
1 Thes 4: 13-18/ Ps 95(96): 1 and 3. 4-5. 11-12. 13/ Lk 4: 16-30

From today’s readings:
  “For the Lord Himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from Heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first....  The Lord comes to judge the earth....  Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing....”

A Peak at the End

An essential aspect of Christian belief is preparation for the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ.  Our Lord Himself warned us that we must “be prepared” (cf. Gospel from last Thursday), but He refused to give details about time and place.  Nowadays, it’s common for us to operate under the assumption that the Parousia is too far off for us to be overly concerned about it, but such a lackadaisical attitude is never fitting for faithful followers of Christ, as the liturgies of Christ the King and Advent warn us!

Another error to avoid, though, is such an urgent preoccupation with the Parousia that it grows into a psychosis that wreaks havoc in our day-to-day life.  This is what was starting to happen with some of the Thessalonians - they worried that those who had already died would miss the Parousia, and some of them even concluded that the imminent coming of the Lord was a reason to lay aside any gainful employment.  Paul corrects these misconceptions, telling them to keep working (this blunt reminder appears several times throughout both letters to the Thessalonians), and don’t worry about those who have died being short-changed in any way!  Good advice then, good advice now - let us console one another with these words

Daily Retreat 08/30/09

2009 Aug 30 SUN:TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Dt 4: 1-2. 6-8/ Ps 14(15): 2-3. 3-4. 4-5 (1a)/ Jas 1: 17-18. 21b-22. 27/ Mk 7: 1-8. 14-15. 21-23

From today’s readings:  “What great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?...  He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord....  Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves....   This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me....”

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

It's so trite, isn't it?  We've all heard this cliché a million times, and in most cases we don't think it's necessary that we be reminded again.  But God thinks it is necessary to remind us again.  And again.  And again!  In fact, all the scriptures we've heard today highlight this simple theme:  Actions do speak louder than words.

In the first reading, Moses holds up the commandment of the Lord and tells the Israelites, "Behold the decrees   made by God Himself.  Listen to these.  Don't just talk about them, but live your lives in accordance with these."

Remember, the Lord gave us these statutes, so when we live out these commandments, our actions are speaking with the wisdom of God Himself...and all peoples can't help but admire divine wisdom put into action, for that is how we are meant to live!  Think about it:  are we bound to obey the laws of ancient Egypt?  or Greece?  or Rome?  Of course not!  All those laws have passed away, because they were mere human precepts.  Even though they were copied by thousands of scribes, even though they were proclaimed in every town square, even though the words were carved into stone, all those laws have been forgotten.  And all of our laws today are doomed to oblivion except for those few that speak with the wisdom of the Lord.  In a hundred years, no one will get a speeding ticket for driving faster than 55!  Only the commandments of the Lord, held up by Moses, are just as much in force today as they were in ancient times.  Only those laws which embody the commandments of the Lord will last through the ages, because the decrees of the Lord are proclaimed anew everyday, not so much by words, as by holy men and women putting them into practice.  The Word of God is not merely spoken or written, but etched indelibly in our hearts, and meant to be incarnated in our actions.

In the psalm, it is the doing of justice, rather than the speaking of it, that is praised:  He who does justice, and not just talks about it, will walk in the presence of the Lord.  And in the second reading, St. James puts the matter point blank as he urges "Humbly welcome the word of God and ACT ON IT, for if all you do is listen to it, you are deceiving yourselves."

The gospel takes the matter one step further:  Jesus points out to the pharisees that some actions are so hollow that they do not speak louder than words.  Jesus complains that the Pharisees' actions are worthless token gestures because they go no deeper:  What is the use of cleaning something on the outside, when all the dirt is on the inside?  What merit is there in lip service when the heart is far from the Lord?  Actions speak louder than words, but not if the actions are just as empty as mere words.

On this weekend, the Lord asks us to consider what our actions are saying:  do our deeds and our labors throughout the week truly speak of a commitment to following Christ?  Is our heart shining with the Word of God that is written there, or have we covered it up with the muck of wicked designs?  We celebrate the Eucharist precisely so that Christ may dwell in our hearts and drive out any lurking evil and stain within us, so that all our actions, and our words, may reflect a true purity from within.  We pray that the Holy Spirit enter our hearts and our minds, so that all our actions will speak loudly and in fact thunder with the Word of God!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Daily Retreat 08/29/09

2009 Aug 29 Sat:Martyrdom of John the Baptist M
1 Thes 4:9-11/ Ps 97(98):1. 7-8. 9/ Mk 6:17-29

From today’s readings: “You yourselves have been taught by God to love one another....  The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.... .  Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison, on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.... ”


The Allure of Hard Truth


Mark 6:20 is a particularly intriguing verse, commenting on Herod Antipas’  ambivalence toward John the Baptist: “Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him..”  On the one hand, Herod had been the one to imprison John in the first place because he had spoken out against his immoral union with Herodias.  But on the other hand, in spite of himself, Herod undeniably felt the attraction of John’s preaching of the truth.

Herod, of course,  was a thoroughly wicked man and hated tyrant, and so it’s unpleasant to think that perhaps you and I share some of his character traits.  Yet I think Herod’s ambivalence toward John is mirrored in many people’s ambivalence toward any agent of conscience that dares to clearly indict one of sin.  For, although the first reaction generally is to shut up or shut out the troublesome charges, yet some interior force often stalks one with haunting reminders that the truth simply should not be ignored.

Although he was once drawn by that intrinsic allure of truth, Herod eventually compounded his sins when he was driven to behead the Baptist.  But you and I still can yet avail ourselves of Christ’s grace, which would embolden us to not merely listen occasionally to the hard truth, but rather, to have the courage to repent of the reality of our sins and make the changes necessary in our own lives in order to get ahead virtuously!

Daily Retreat 08/28/09

2009 Aug 28 Fri:Augustine, bp, dr M
1 Thes 4:1-8/ Ps 96(97):1 and 2b. 5-6. 10. 11-12/ Mt 25:1-13

From today’s readings: “ For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness....  Rejoice in the Lord, you just!...  Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”


The Next Step


As mentioned yesterday, the Christians in Thessalonika were evidently on the right track in many regards, inspiring Paul to give thanks to God for their inspirational conduct.  But Paul doesn’t say the Thessalonians are “good enough” now, and there’s no longer any room for improvement!  Instead, Paul writes, “We earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God– and as you are conducting yourselves– you do so even more!”

In striving to become saints, you and I need to humbly (and constantly!) admit that we each have room for improvement.  When we figure that we’re basically living an overall “good” life, it’s easy to slip into a degree of spiritual smugness, but that’s the very poison that will kill spiritual progress.

Instead, we need to constantly turn to Christ to show us the next step towards Him that we can make.  And coming closer to Christ always means shunning all sin, “for God did not call us to impurity, but to holiness.”

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Daily Retreat 08/27/09

2009 Aug 27 Thu:Monica, mw M
1 Thes 3:7-13/ Ps 89(90):3-5a. 12-13. 14 and 17/ Mt 24:42-51

From today’s readings:
“May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all....  Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!...  Stay awake, for you do not know on which day your Lord will come....”

Lulled into Complacency


Complacency is one of the most insidious temptations that you and I can fall into.  How easy it is to decide, “Well, I may not be perfect, but I’ve more or less got my act together, especially in comparison to other people I know!”  Granted, we might not be that explicit about our sense of self-satisfaction, but when we’re honest with ourselves, you and I will often be surprised to realize how often a certain sense of smugness has crept into our lives.

St. Paul was the master of giving people a nice “pat on the back” while encouraging them to keep striving for improvement.  In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is filled with thanksgiving, joy, and reassurance for the Thessalonians faithfulness - evidently, the young Church in Thessalonika wasn’t doing too bad!  Yet Paul also warns against complacency, gently pointing out certain “deficiencies of faith,” and praying that the Lord help his friends “INCREASE and abound in love...”  Jesus too, commands us to not be lulled into complacency, but rather, “Stay awake!”

Daily Retreat 08/26/09

2009 Aug 26 Wed:Ordinary Weekday
1 Thes 2:9-13/ Ps 138(139):7-8. 9-10. 11-12ab/ Mt 23:27-32

From today’s readings:
“In receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God....  You have searched me and you know me, Lord....  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs....”

Whose Word Is It?

In general, the attention that we give to another’s words is an accurate indication of the respect and love we have for the other person, and our attention is also a measure of the importance that we attach to the message.  

Thus, when a supervisor is giving a presentation, his subordinates are expected to be alert and focused, even if the material is lackluster.  Or, when a newborn infant starts to babble, all those around are driven by love to a hushed anticipation, in spite of the inherent meaninglessness of the gibberish.  Or, when even a complete stranger has a message of life or death urgency, people will suddenly pay attention.

When the biblical readings are proclaimed at Mass, they are followed by a clear reference to the Authorship: “the Word (or Gospel) of the Lord!” God is, of course, deserving of our highest respect and greatest love.  Moreover, His message is more important than any merely human words.  How is it, then, that you and I would ever dare dismiss His Word?  And yet, all too often, listening to the Word of God proclaimed in our midst, or reading it on the pages of our Bibles, we fail to muster much loving attention, and thus treat it, not as the Word of God, as it truly is, but just as another annoying alien word.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Daily Retreat 08/25/09

2009 Aug 25 Tue:Ordinary Weekday/ Louis of France, mm/ Joseph Calasanz, p, rf
1 Thes 2:1-8/ Ps 138(139):1-3. 4-6/ Mt 23:23-26

From today’s readings:
“ We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children....  You have searched me and you know me, Lord....  Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean....”

The Whys and Hows

The morality of human acts depends on:
    - the object chosen;
    - the end in view or the intention;
    - the circumstances of the action.

    The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the "sources," or
    constitutive elements, of the morality of human acts. CCC§1750

Christian ethics evaluates whether an action is good or evil based on the above three criteria mentioned in  The Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Paul specifically addresses the issue of intention (and partially, the circumstances) in these verses from chapter two of his first letter to the Thessalonians.  It is, after all, possible to do the right thing for the wrong reasons.  Paul says that even the noble task of spreading the Gospel can be defiled with delusion, impure motives, deception, desire to please men, flattering speech, or greed!

After reading Paul’s evaluation of his own pure and lofty motives for evangelizing, let us subject ourselves to the same scrutiny: of the things we think, say, and do, are our intentions and methods pure?  If perhaps you and I find ourselves doing the right thing for the wrong reason (or in the wrong way), NOW is the time to be inspired by Paul’s example...

Daily Retreat 08/24/09

2009 Aug 24 Mon:Bartholomew, ap F
Rv 21:9b-14/ Ps 144(145):10-11. 12-13. 17-18/ Jn 1:45-51

From today’s readings:
  “The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb....  The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth....   Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Bartholomew/Nathanael

“There is no duplicity in him.”  What a great compliment Jesus gave when he spoke thus about Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael).  So often, sin sits in a stealth mode in the duplicity of our hearts, as we delight in our own cleverness in disguising our motives and misleading others in ways that are not “technically” dishonest.

To be sure, charity and humility demand something from us akin to duplicity, as we endeavor to focus on one aspect of a given action while downplaying another.  For instance, if I were to make a generous donation to a charitable cause, but sought to stay out of the limelight, I wouldn’t necessarily be guilty of duplicity.  However, if I flatly denied my contribution, or conversely, if I were motivated primarily by secret hopes to gain fame from it, then the charge of duplicity would be justified.

Too often, we excuse our lapses into duplicity, and can even convince ourselves of its necessity and inevitability, when the light of Christ’s Truth would remind us that the opposite of duplicity is sincerity and integrity, traits which shine so brightly in the life of Christ and are thus also found in the lives of those who, like Bartholomew, seek to follow Christ and model their lives on His example.

Daily Retreat 08/23/09

2009 Aug 23 SUN:TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jos 24: 1-2a. 15-17. 18b/ Ps 33(34): 2-3. 16-23 (9a)/ Eph 5: 21-32/ Jn 6: 60-69

From today’s readings: 
“Decide today whom you will serve..... As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!...   Taste and see the goodness of the Lord....  For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the Church, because we are members of His Body....  Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!”

The Last Piece


At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat - this is My Body!”  And similarly, taking up a chalice of wine, Jesus instructed, “Take and drink - this is My Blood!”  And He commanded His disciples to “Do this in memory of Me!”

At the Last Supper then, what exactly did Jesus give His disciples - His Body and His Blood, or just a morsel of bread and a sip of wine, perhaps flavored a bit with the significance of the moment?  In other words, did the Son of God mean what He said, and say what He meant, or was He just using a tasteless figure of speech?  

Well, from the moment that the first Eucharistic aroma started drifting into human consciousness, there were those who objected that the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist was just too much to swallow.  So the Gospel recounts quite frankly that some (many, in fact!) of His disciples lost their appetite that day for the Bread of Life.  They would walk no longer with Jesus as His companions, (and that word “companion” remember, means “those who share bread together”).  Our Lord had spoken plainly, and they had understood Him clearly.  He made no effort to call them back.  They could not appreciate His promise, they would not imbibe His words of life, so He had to let them go.  Though it grieved our Lord to see so many turn their backs on Him, Jesus still refused to water down the substance of His teaching.  He could afford to lose followers, but He Himself could not stomach diluted Truth, and He Himself never stooped to serving half-baked verities to His disciples.

Yet since the sixteenth century, that’s exactly what some who reject the original teaching of Christ and His Church have done, by mixing up a baker’s dozen or more of stale recipes for what they imagine Jesus really meant at the Last Supper.  But the common ingredients of all of those novelties boils down to putting these words on lying lips of our Lord, “This is NOT My body, this is NOT My blood - it’s just a symbol, a souvenir, a simple ritual.”   

Yet the words faithfully recorded in Scripture are “This is My Body, This is My Blood! My Flesh is real food, and My Blood is real drink!”  For nearly 2000 years, the Catholic Church has unswervingly maintained that the divine words of Christ were surely efficacious, for reality always necessarily conforms to His divine commands.   Thus, in spite of the manifest impossibility, when He unequivocally ordered, “Lazarus, come forth!”  a dead man was instantaneously changed into a living man, in order for reality to comply with the word of the Lord.  So, there can be no doubts about what happened when the truth-trumpeting  mouth of the Lord declared, “This is My Body....  This is My Blood!”   At that instant, reality again obeyed the command of divinity, and so, despite the apparent impossibility, the lowly bread miraculously became the Body of Christ, and the common wine was likewise transubstantiated into the Blood of Christ, and the miracle is renewed daily in fulfillment of the divine command to “Do this in memory of Me!”

Just one year before the marvelously acquiescent reality of the Last Supper, Jesus taught His disciples thoroughly so that they wouldn’t miss the miracle - in Chapter Six of the Gospel of St. John, the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus unambiguously insisted, “I am the Bread of Life....  The Bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world....  He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has life eternal.... My Flesh is real food, and My Blood is real drink.”  Sure enough, these are hard sayings, but every faithful disciple is conformed, as is reality itself, in order to accept the word of the Lord and His Bread of Life, the full and balanced diet of His divinely Real presence, which Peter and every other faithful disciple holds to, for :  “Master, to whom else shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God!”

Daily Retreat 08/22/09

2009 Aug 22 Sat:Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary M
Ru 2:1-3. 8-11; 4:13-17/ Ps 127(128):1b-2. 3. 4. 5/ Mt 23:1-12

From today’s readings: “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with an heir....  See how the Lord blesses those who fear Him....   Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted....”

Family Ties


The mobility of our society and many other factors have contributed to an overall weakening of family ties.  The Book of Ruth, however, is a reminder that such family ties are more than mere social customs that can come or go, because it was God Himself who ordained the traditional family as the unit through which He would continue the propagation of the human race.

You might recall that, in the Pentateuch, a number of actual laws were recorded that were designed specifically to strengthen and preserve family ties.  Some of the laws provided for the return of family lands after being mortgaged or sold in times of dire poverty (e.g.,  Lev. 25:25-28).  Another law stipulated that if a man died without children, his brother was expected to marry the widow and beget descendants in the name of the deceased man (cf. Deut 25:5-6; such a marriage was called a "levirate" marriage, from the Latin word levir, meaning “husband's brother”).   Many of these customs were based on assumptions of primogeniture, that idea that the oldest son should be the main agent for preserving and strengthening family prestige and property over the generations.

The Book of Ruth shows how such laws, even if considered obsolete for our times, did indeed provide some basis of security for widows, for both Ruth and Naomi are rewarded with a happy ending for their faithfulness.  In every age, those who defend and recognize the family as an obvious part of God’s plan continue the noble tradition recorded in the Book of Ruth, for those who cling dearly to family ties will find them to be a great blessing!

Daily Retreat 08/21/09

2009 Aug 21 Fri:Pius X, pp M
Ru 1:1. 3-6. 14b-16. 22/ Ps 145(146):5-6ab. 6c-7. 8-9a. 9bc-10/ Mt 22:34-40

From today’s readings:“Your people shall be my people, and your God my God....  Praise the Lord, my soul....  Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? ”

Ruth

Find 5 or 10 minutes today to read all of this delightful gem from the Old Testament - the four chapters of the book of Ruth.  This narrative is set in the same time frame as the preceding book of Judges.  In search of fertile land, Elimelech and Naomi moved west with their sons from their home in Bethlehem to the pagan country of Moab.  After the death of her husband and sons, Naomi prepares to return to her home country, and is surprised when her daughter-in-law Ruth “clings” to her and insists “Wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,
 your people shall be my people, and your God my God!”

Ruth had received the gift of faith - in accepting the gift, she gave up all her security (her own country, people, friends, family, home and pagan faith) to stay with Naomi, an impoverished foreign widow.  What did Ruth have to gain by all this?  Nothing, by worldly standards, but everything, by God’s standards!  What do you and I have to gain by making a more radical commitment to our faith?  The answer is the same!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Daily Retreat 08/20/09

2009 Aug 20 Thu:Bernard, ab, dr M
Jgs 11:29-39a/ Ps 39(40):5. 7-8a. 8b-9. 10/ Mt 22:1-14

From today’s readings:
“The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah....  Here I am, Lord; I come to do Your will....  Many are invited, but few are chosen....”

What does God want?


It is easy to be mistaken about what God wants - oftentimes, we figure God wants what we want.  Some of the most important lessons of our life come when we realize that we don’t always know what’s best for us, but God does!

Another mistake is to assume that God wants what other people mistakenly say He wants.  This was the mistake Jephthah made - he assumed God would be pleased with the same type of human sacrifices the bloodthirsty pagan idols looked for!  So, to thank God for victory, he promised God,  "Whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a burnt offering!"

Reading the text of Jephthah’s sacrifice of his daughter curdles our blood - we wonder why the awful deed is not condemned here (human sacrifice is, of course, condemned elsewhere - see, for example, Deut. 12:29-31).  There’s no question that the grisly sacrifice was not pleasing at all to God!  

But here we can learn a lesson about reading scripture: isolated passages can easily be misinterpreted.  Reading this passage by itself, someone could conceivably conclude that God was pleased with Jephthah’s vow, and therefore granted him the victory he sought.  But reading the passage in the whole context of scripture, remembering what God tells us He wants (the psalm gives some good hints - much later, Jesus came to give some good answers!), it’s impossible to praise Jephthah’s vow, but we can reflect on it, and maybe learn an important lesson from its gruesomeness - it’s easy to make tragic mistakes in our life when we refuse to listen to what God wants for Himself, and for us!

Daily Retreat 08/19/09

2009 Aug 19 Wed:Ordinary Weekday/ John Eudes, p, rf
Jgs 9:6-15/ Ps 20(21):2-3. 4-5. 6-7/ Mt 20:1-16

From today’s readings: “Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves....  Lord, in Your strength the king is glad....  The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard....”

Settling for third rate

It is easy to follow a champion who seems invincible and is doing everything the way we think things should be done.  It is harder to follow a leader who is self-effacing and asks us to do the “right thing”, even when difficult and counter-cultural.  

There are many, for instance, who applaud the Pope when he stands tall for issues which they themselves see as worthwhile causes; however, the same people look for a more moderate “popular” standard-bearer when the Pope calls for peace, or social justice, or the upholding of Christian standards of morality, or realization of the uniqueness of Christ’s revelation.  

At the end of his life, Gideon, God’s chosen champion, was offered the kingship, but he refused, preferring to follow the direction God had indicated rather than the popular whim (Judges 8:22-23).  However, after Gideon’s death, his son Abimelech capitalized on the popular desire to be like everyone else and have a king.  But to become king, Abimelech had to kill all his brothers, which he managed to do, except for Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon.  

Now we can understand the strange “parable of the trees” narrated by Jotham in the first reading:  The citizens of Shechem weren’t satisfied with the good reasons for which Gideon (and possibly some of his nobler sons) refused the kingship (as did the olive tree, fig, and vine). They kept asking around until they found someone who gave them the answer they wanted to hear (Abimelech, who like the buckthorn, was more than ready to be king!).  Read the rest of chapter nine to see the tragic price of settling for an ignoble, sleazy third-rate leader who is ready to compromise principle in order to be popular!  Then, ask yourself honestly if you’re shopping around for someone to tell you what you want to hear, or if you are up to the challenge of the many “hard sayings” of Jesus, such as His commitment to being ever-generous in His mercy, as the Gospel relates, or His insistence on the importance of actually eating His very flesh, the Bread of life, which was rejected by the majority as a “hard saying”  (John 6:60-66).

Daily Retreat 08/18/09

2009 Aug 18 Tue:Ordinary Weekday
Jgs 6:11-24a/ Ps 84(85):9. 11-12. 13-14/ Mt 19:23-30

From today’s readings:
“The LORD is with you, O champion!...  The Lord speaks of peace to His people....  It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God....”

The Lord is with me???

    The deeds of Gideon are recounted in chapters 6-8 of the Book of Judges (it will take less than 5 minutes to read those chapters and thereby gain a much clearer picture of the importance of the incident in today’s first reading).  Evidently, life was really tough - Gideon had to beat out wheat secretly in the wine press so the ruthless Mideonites wouldn’t confiscate the little bit of food remaining for his family.  
    Understandably, then, Gideon is skeptical when an angel appears to him with the greeting, “The Lord is with you!”  Like you and me at times, Gideon is tempted to see disaster and the hardships of life as “proof” that the Lord is NOT with him and his family.  Nonetheless, the angel’s words have become a reality - the Lord IS with Gideon, and insists, and inspires Gideon to make an act of faith - to prepare an offering (from the tiny store of food remaining to Gideon!), which is convincingly accepted by the Lord.  Gideon will go on to seek even clearer signs that the Lord is with him, and the Lord will again give those signs convincingly (see 6:36-40).
    What proof is there that the Lord is with you?  The evil and tribulations which afflict our lives do not disprove the presence of God - rather, our perseverance in the face of adversity is itself only possible because of the presence of God!  Gideon is completely aware of his insignificance - he knows his victories can only be attributed to the presence of God.  So rather than resigning himself to being an eternal victim of injustice, Gideon allows himself to become the “champion” God wants to transform him into, a champion who will convincingly sing the Psalm that truly the Lord brings justice and “peace to His people, and to His faithful ones,  and to those who put in Him their hope!”  
    As soon as you and I realize that “for God, ALL things are possible," then we will stop being intimidated by evil, and we will offer all we have (however little and insignificant that might seem!) and allow ourselves to become champions of God’s righteousness!

Daily Retreat 08/17/09

2009 Aug 17 Mon:Ordinary Weekday
Jgs 2:11-19/ Ps 105(106):34-35. 36-37. 39-40. 43ab and 44/ Mt 19:16-22

From today’s readings:
“Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD....  Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people....  If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, follow Me....”

The Vicious Cycle

Many of us Christians have very little familiarity with the Old Testament, especially since numerous passages are difficult to understand, or are just plain ponderous reading!  If you’ve never really “gotten into” reading the Old Testament, consider trying the Book of Judges - it’s juicy, dramatic, exciting, and even occasionally familiar (not to mention a bit gory at times!).  Some highlights will be presented in the next few days, but since the lectionary cycle of readings skips a lot, I encourage you to read the whole book!  

This book is toward the beginning of the Bible, right after the Book of Joshua, and basically starts where Joshua leaves off - after the Israelite conquest and settlement of the land of Canaan.  Understandably, this was a time of “getting settled” - there wasn’t very much routine or certainty about anything.  The book of Judges reports, however, that a certain routine did get established: the cycle of  disobeying the Lord by turning to false gods, consequential disasters, realization of the need for repentance, and help from God in the form of a “judge.”   

Today, we think of a judge as a public official who deliberates on a legal case and passes a sentence of justice, but the judges mentioned in this book of the Bible, however, have the more difficult task of doing themselves whatever it takes to restore justice and righteousness (which usually means ridding the land of an oppressive invader!).

This all makes for not only thrilling history, but also instructive history.  Whether as individuals, families, or nations, we continue that same cycle: first we turn away from God, then we suffer consequential problems, finally we realize the need for repentance, and inevitably, help from God comes just when we need it the most!  Ideally, reading the book of Judges will help us learn a bit from mistakes of the past....

Daily Retreat 08/16/09

2009 Aug 16 SUN:TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Prv 9: 1-6/ Ps 33(34): 2-3. 10-11. 12-13. 14-15/ Eph 5: 15-20/ Jn 6: 51-58

From today’s readings:  “Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table....  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord....  Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord....  For My Flesh is true food, and My Blood is true drink....”

 The Heart of the Bread of Life

The Lord’s Bread of Life Discourse in John 6 has a formidably steep progression of divine Eucharistic teaching - each bite becomes more and more substantial, heartier, fleshier.  Starting with just the crowd’s renewed physical appetite, Jesus adeptly leads them to ponder how to start working for the Food that remains unto life eternal.  When the crowd first reminisces about the magnificent miracle of manna in the desert, Jesus suggests that He is leading up to something even greater than that, even linking belief in Him with eternal life, and resurrection on the last day. 

But the crowd, which had initially been eagerly devouring all the Lord’s words, suddenly started to choke on them, and have trouble stomaching how such a full meal deal could be cooked up by just Jesus.  And so they began gnawing and grumbling and murmuring at His words.   But rather than apologetically deboning His earlier servings,  Jesus actually piles on an even meatier helping, favorably contrasting His “Bread of Life” recipe with the manna of old which, however miraculous and nutritive, nonetheless simply couldn’t starve off death.   For in contrast, Jesus is prepared to fill the plate with so much more, saying “I AM the living Bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this Bread will live forever; and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world!”    Notice the future tense.  Earlier, speaking to the same people, Jesus attested, “My Father gives you the True Bread from Heaven.”  Gives”, “is giving” - right at that moment, present tense!  That was the reality, that was the correct verb form for that moment, for God the Father was indeed actively engaged in giving His Son at that moment to those disciples there in Capernaum.  But that present moment was not the chosen time for Jesus to give His flesh for the life of the world - that momentous moment would come a year later, at the Last Supper.  Hence, the future tense.  

Now, of all the hard sayings Jesus serves up in His Bread of Life discourse, this Chapter Six of the Gospel of St. John, the most scandalous was that shocking climax:  the Bread of Life, of which He spoke, was His very flesh for the life of the world!  So, it’s no wonder that the Jews were a bit burned - no longer just murmuring under their breath, but militantly quarreling aloud about His incredible claim!  Had our Lord  merely been speaking metaphorically, allegorically, or figuratively, He certainly would have realized His obligation to clarify the natural “misunderstanding” that had arisen among His listeners. 

 But instead of apologizing for stretching the poetic license, Jesus reconfirms the literalism of His words, insisting “My Flesh is true food, and My Blood is true drink.”  And the Bread of Life is not just intended as some exotic gourmet intended only for the elite, for “unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you do not have life within you.”  And the word “to eat” here, in the original New Testament Greek, is bold and vivid - almost could be translated “to munch,” to literally feed on that Flesh of the Son of Man!

How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat?  For those who don’t believe in His divinity, the words of Jesus will forever be spit out as tasteless hyperbole.  But for those who recognize Jesus as the true Son of God, for those who eat His Body and drink His Blood, the Lord’s words of life are joyfully digested as the recipe for the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, the true Bread come down from Heaven, having within it all sweetness!

Daily Retreat 08/15/09

2009 Aug 15 Sat:ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY S
Vigil: 1 Chr 15: 3-4. 15-16; 16: 1-2/ Ps 131(132): 6-7. 9-10. 13-14/ 1 Cor 15: 54b-57/ Lk 11: 27-28
Day: Rv 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab/ Ps 44(45): 10. 11. 12. 16/ 1 Cor 15: 20-27/ Lk 1: 39-56

From today’s readings:  “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars....  The queen takes her place at Your right hand in gold....  For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order....  And Mary said:  My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant....”


The Assumption


When you open up the hood of a car, you’re faced with a formidable but carefully engineered and coordinated jumble of parts which everyone finds a bit overwhelming, except, perhaps, an expert mechanic, although even he probably is occasionally stumped by an unfamiliar make or model year.  While even the uninitiated can point out a few obvious  components - that’s the engine block, this here is the battery, that’s the steering column, etc. - most of us would have to admit that we might have a vague idea, at best, of what purpose is served by many of those elaborate contraptions under the hood.

But, just because we don't know what something does, doesn't mean we should start pulling out and discarding all of those parts which surpass our own expertise.  For, there might be a tangle of wires that appear to go nowhere, but then turns out to be essential for the starting mechanism - if we take it out, a short-circuit prevents the ignition from turning over.  Or, some hose that seems superfluous, but in reality is integral to the cooling system - if it's removed, the engine quickly overheats.  But even if we were to remove something purely ancillary, such as the horn or windshield wiper motor, the car itself might still run, albeit with some real handicap, since everything under the hood is there for a reason.

When you open up the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you’re faced with a formidable but divinely inspired and coherent body of dogmas and doctrines which everyone finds a bit  overwhelming, except, perhaps, a well-studied, monkish priest, although even he (believe me!) probably is occasionally bedazzled by less familiar points of theology or Church history.  While even the unbaptized can point out a few credal components of the Christian faith - Jesus Christ, the Son of the Virgin Mary, is true God and true  man; He was crucified, but rose from the dead and now reigns in Heaven, etc. - still, most Christians would have to admit to having only a vague idea, at best, of the meaning and history of many of the elaborate tenets of the Faith.

But, just because we don’t completely understand a teaching of the Church, doesn’t mean we should start ignoring and denying all of those parts which surpass our own expertise.  For, there are those extraordinary assertions, for instance, about the Immaculate Conception, and about the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into Heaven, declarations which appear to be biblically unfounded, but then turn out to be inescapable consequences of a number of solid scriptural convictions, for “what the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.”   

How so?  Well, for starters, the Book of Genesis, echoed by  St. Paul, teaches that death is the wages of sin, whether it be the Original sin of Adam and Eve or the personal sins of the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve.  But Jesus, who knew no sin, was nonetheless still truly human, having been incarnated of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Consequently, the human nature which Mary possessed and passed on to her divine Son fittingly was free itself of sin, and that’s the kernel of the dogma of Mary’s  Immaculate Conception.  

But since preserved from the stain of sin, she was also blessed with a singular, more immediate participation in the fruits of her Son’s Resurrection, so that Mary, “when the course of her earthly life was finished,  was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord ....”  

But suppose that just seems too complicated, and I decide I’m going to dispense with  that unwieldy conglomeration of the dogma of Mary’s corporeal assumption.  Oh, I’m sure she’s in Heaven with Jesus, but why can’t her bodily remains still be just buried somewhere on Earth, like everyone else’s?

Well, first of all, there’s the giant historical objection that the early Church, which so devoutly venerated the graves of St. Peter and other saints who had known Jesus personally, has no record of the death and burial place of Mary.  And yet, from the beginning, Mary’s exalted role in God’s plan of salvation was explicitly recognized by the Church - why then would there be no acknowledgment of her tomb?

But, just like stripping a car of complicated parts leads to big problems, so does dismissing dogmas! Because, fundamentally, if Mary’s bodily Assumption is denied, then there is a concomitant denial that all faithful Christians are to share fully in Christ’s Resurrection.  For Jesus conquered sin and death in His body and soul.  And God created us body AND soul; He redeemed us body AND soul; and His eternal plan is to take us up, body AND soul, to be with Him forever in Heaven!

But as St. Paul teaches in his first letter to the Corinthians:
“For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end.... the last enemy to be destroyed is death....”  So first, those who belong to Christ are brought to life - by this Paul means eternal life in Heaven.    But then, afterwards, comes the end, and “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.”  Now, Christ’s resurrection already vanquished and conquered death, but the definitive, utter destruction of death still awaits the general resurrection of the body at the end of time, for until then, death is obviously still among us.

But death, remember, entered the world through the envy of the Devil - death is the wages of sin!  However, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, knew no sin, either in His human or divine nature.  Since His human nature was uncorrupted by sin from the beginning, the maternal origin of His human nature fittingly also was free from the stain of sin.  So, death has no claim on the body of  the Immaculate Virgin Mary, spared as she was of the corruption of sin.

If Mary were not bodily in Heaven, that would mean that death still has a temporary claim on her.  But if death has a claim on Mary, that would mean that Christ’s Resurrection, while perhaps cheating death, is insufficient to destroy death for those to whom He has promised a share in His Resurrection.  

In short, if you disregard  the bodily Assumption of Mary, you short-circuit the full effects of Christ's Resurrection and sever the integral biblical connection between sin and death.  Everything under the hood of a car is there for a reason, as any bona fide grease monkey could explain.  Everything under the cover of the Church's Catechism is taught by the Church for a reason, as any bona fide priest "monkie" will likewise do his best to explain!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Daily Retreat 08/14/09

2009 Aug 14 Fri:Maximilian Mary Kolbe, p, mt M
Jos 24:1-13/ Ps 135(136):1-3. 16-18. 21-22 and 24/ Mt 19:3-12

From today’s readings:
“Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges and their officers....  His mercy endures forever....  Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate....”


Don’t Forget!


The first half of chapter 24 of Joshua is a quick summary of salvation history from the time of Abraham (chapters 12-24 of Genesis) to the end of the Book of Joshua.  By presenting this overview of God’s continuous intervention on behalf of His chosen people, Joshua hopes to inspire the people to respond by whole-heartedly choosing God (that choice, and the Israelites’ response, will be presented in tomorrow’s reading of the second half of Joshua 24).

By now, it should be apparent that one of the most basic recurring themes in Sacred Scripture is “Don’t forget what God has done for you and your ancestors!”  Most of us are probably guilty of not thanking God enough for the many blessings we’ve received from Him in our own lives, but all of us are certainly neglectful too often of thanking God for the blessings He’s given to those who came before us - all that we’ve spiritually inherited should certainly inspire us to turn in gratitude to Him through whom all blessings come....

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Daily Retreat 08/13/09

2009 Aug 13 Thu:Ordinary Weekday/ Pontian, pp, mt, and Hippolytus, p, mt
Jos 3:7-10a. 11. 13-17/ Ps 113(114):1-2. 3-4. 5-6/ Mt 18:21 – 19:1

From today’s readings: “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God....  When Israel came forth from Egypt....  Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? ”

Joshua


For many people, the ruthless military campaigns recorded in the Book of Joshua make its 24 chapters among the least edifying scripture readings.  Nevertheless, the book is indisputably part of the Bible, and so, part of the divine revelation God has given us to ground our faith.  We thus ignore or discard this text at our own peril!

The name “Joshua” is a Hebrew word meaning “the Lord saves.”  When the Hebrew scriptures were translated intro Greek, “Joshua” was rendered “Jesus,” so our Savior’s Name was actually derived from the name of the hero of this book of the Bible, who was the assistant and eventual successor of Moses.  For this reason, a number of the Church Fathers commented on how Joshua pre-figured Jesus as Savior.

The Book of Joshua can be divided in three parts.  Chapters 1-12 give the account of the Israelite conquest and settlement of the Promised Land, including the miraculous crossing of the Jordan (chapter 3 - today’s reading) and fall of Jericho (chapter 6).  Chapters 13-21 relate details of the division of the land among the Israelite tribes.   Finally, chapters 22-24 recount Joshua’s last words and deeds, including the renewal of the covenant.  While the lectionary only covers a small portion of Joshua, the book is a fairly easy read (particularly the first half), and so we should take up the book and follow Joshua’s invitation to “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God.”

Daily Retreat 08/12/09

2009 Aug 12 Wed:Ordinary Weekday/ Jane Frances de Chantal, mw, rf
Dt 34:1-12/ Ps 65(66):1-3a. 5 and 8. 16-17/ Mt 18:15-20

From today’s readings:“So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD, died as the LORD had said....  Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!...  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them ”

Fraternal Correction

The Christian faith is not so much a package of beliefs as it is a personal relationship of love with Jesus Christ.  But although we Christians are disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, and He is at the center of our faith, our Lord Himself taught that faith can never be limited to just “Jesus and me” - our relationship with Christ is intimately integrated with our relationships with others, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, for instance, Jesus draws up a very practical and charitable program of fraternal correction, beginning with, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”  Our fallen human nature prefers to gossip or brood about grievances, but those approaches tend to merely multiply the faults - how much more constructive is Jesus’s method, which squarely seeks to address the faults in kindness.  Most of us, I hope, can recall a time when someone we had wronged treated us in this way, making it much easier and more appealing for us to be reconciled.  

Jesus outlines additional steps that can be taken if needed, but if the first step is only followed faithfully, there will be fewer occasions when recourse must be made to those additional steps.  This very day, then, is the golden opportunity for you and me to prayerfully consider any case in which another has veritably sinned against us, and rather than gossiping or brooding about it, with lavish sincerity of charity, to simply do what Jesus tells us to do.