Sunday, August 17, 2008
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
No unheard prayers
Some people will tell you that God only hears the prayers of Christians. But today’s story is about a pagan woman whose prayers are answered because she believes they will be. In Christ, there is no “us” and “them”; there is only “us.” God’s mercy and compassion is universal. You can’t divide up God’s infinite love. Not everyone goes to church on Sunday or even claims a religion. But just about everyone prays because God is the first and final hope of all. When the chips are down and everything else fails, people pray. And God, who hears the prayers of all, will answer.
Today’s readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28
“Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ ”
Monday, August 18
Poor guy
A wealthy young man came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to have eternal life. We can identify with him; it’s the question we all have in the end. Christ told him that if he wanted to “enter into life” he was to keep the commandments. The young man said he had done that. But then Jesus threw him a curve ball: Sell what you have, give to the poor, and follow me, and that will clinch the eternal life thing. But the young man couldn’t stomach that last step and “went away sad.” Jesus asks us, too, to go beyond following the rules and make a personal sacrifice of our security in order to share with one another. Will we follow or go away?
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 24:15-24; Matthew 19:16-22
“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
Tuesday, August 19
Feast of John Eudes, priest
The descending way of Christ
The way of Christ is a descent that will take us very far from the ascending pull of the world. For John Eudes (1601-1680) this way brought him all the way from the Normandy estate of his inheritance to an empty cask. How? Eudes first veered from the path of the world when he took a private vow of celibacy, defying his father’s wishes to marry and build up the family’s fortune. Later, when Eudes had become the star preacher in the Congregation of the Oratory of France, he departed again to serve the victims of a plague. From then on, there was no turning back. Even when Eudes returned to his monastery, he lived in a cask in the middle of a field to avoid infecting others. At what times have you felt the closest to Christ?
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 28:1-10; Matthew 19:23-30
“Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Wednesday, August 20
Feast of Bernard, abbot, doctor of the church
Past imperfect
Strike with confidence and die yet more confidently, for he serves [God] when he strikes. . . . He is God’s minister, for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of the good. Should he be killed himself, we know that he has not perished, but has come safely into [heaven].” These words come from the mouth of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), the “Mellifluous Doctor” of the church, who “preached” a crusade against the Muslim empire of his day. We celebrate someone like Bernard—and rightly so—as a theologian and leader. But saints are also human beings who don’t always do or say the most admirable things. That’s what makes them human—like us.
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 34:1-11; Matthew 20:1-16
“Thus says the Lord God, I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand.”
Thursday, August 21
Prophets see things differently
Anyone who sees Ezekiel only as a haranguing prophet needs to turn to the oracle mentioned in the reading today, remarkable not only because of the tender and powerful love of God it promises, but because God chooses to prove God’s own holiness not by spectacular special effects but by wiping out the sin that separates a foolish people from their loving God. “I’ll show you that I am God by cleansing you of your impurities, giving you a new heart and a new spirit.” It’s as though God is starting all over again so that creation is not left wallowing in its own folly. It will bring hope to remember today, should things not go well, the absolute statement of God: “They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Any questions?
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 36:23-28; Matthew 22:1-14
“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you.”
Friday, August 22
Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A different kind of queen
An odd juxtaposition of images comes to mind when we consider the words queen and Virgin Mary. The common words associated with “queen”—wealthy, dominant, imperious, proud, and distant—do not apply to Mary in any way. Rather we know her as humble, present, gentle, kind, protecting, and consoling. Why then has the title “queen” resonated with so many people for so long? Perhaps she embodies what we most desire in our leaders—thus, she is our true Queen. When Pope Pius XII instituted this feast day he was not proclaiming a new truth but rather making official what for centuries had been a cherished belief. Today, take some time to think about what Mary, Queen of Heaven means to you.
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 22:34-40
“I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live.”
Saturday, August 23
Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The exalted and the humbled
Jesus frequently cautioned people about their religious leaders. Follow what they say, he told the crowds, but don’t imitate their example, for they like outward displays of piety, try to impose their priestly ways on others, take the best seats, and want to be called things like rabbi, teacher, father. As one quipster put it, “I trust God, but not always the people who work for him.” Leaders lead best by doing, and the best doing is not lording it over others but serving them. On this weekly Saturday remembrance of the Virgin Mary, recall the words of her Magnificat in which she praised God who “has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.”
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 43:1-7ab; Matthew 23:1-12
“The greatest among you will be your servant.”
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
The big question
You might remember or have heard of the 1950s game show The $64,000 Question. If contestants answered questions correctly, they won more and more money, culminating in a shot at the $64,000 question—worth a fortune then—which they attempted to answer from the sponsor-named “Revlon Isolation Booth.”
Two millennia earlier Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” After they had reported the theories that were floating around, he asked them the first-century version of the $64,000 question: “Who do you say that I am?”—with the emphasis on you. Quick, before the clock runs out: What would be your answer?
Today’s readings: Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ ”
Monday, August 25
Feast of Louis of France
Can you see yourself in Saint Louis?
Not too many of those who wield political and military power on earth also manage to attain sainthood. King Louis IX of France (1214-1270) was one of the rare few, the only king of France to do so. Perhaps we rightly look askance at the Crusades he undertook in the name of the papacy (both of which failed utterly), but he is also remembered for his great piety, his kindness toward the poor, and his work for justice. He founded hospitals, built libraries, visited the sick, and like his patron Saint Francis of Assisi, even cared for people with leprosy. We would do well to cultivate a similar zeal in our own piety, care of the poor, and work for justice.
Today’s readings: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12; Matthew 23:13-22
“We always pray for you, asking that our God will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith.”
Tuesday, August 26
How to make interesting conversation
The true battles of our hearts seldom make good conversation. The poet W. H. Auden hit squarely on this point when he wrote, “To hear people talk, you would think that in their free time they were concerned with nothing but sex, prestige, and money. But the very readiness with which we frankly discuss such matters is a sign that they are not our serious concern.” Our serious concerns? That we do not feel worthy to be loved and that we cannot love others. We fight to keep these hidden beneath conversations about celebrities or investments. As Christ put it to the Pharisees, we strain out gnats while leaving camels to swallow whole. Begin to let the most serious concerns of your life guide your interactions with others.
Today’s readings: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17; Matthew 23:23-26
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”
Wednesday, August 27
Feast of Monica
Temperance becomes her
Saint Monica is the patron of alcoholics. Not, as you might imagine, because of the licentious ways of her adulterous husband and profligate son Saint Augustine, whose conversions to Christianity were her crowning achievements, but because she herself became addicted to alcohol at a young age. As Augustine tells the story, according to biographer Serge Lancel, “Monica was sent to the cellar to fetch wine from the cask, but before using the goblet she had brought to fill the carafe she would just wet her lips with the wine . . . Gradually she had acquired a taste for it, to the point where she was drinking entire goblets of it with great gusto.” Monica eventually chose prayer over drink and lived a life of holy perseverance worthy of imitation.
Today’s readings: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18; Matthew 23:27-32
“We were not idle when we were with you . . . in order to give you an example to imitate.”
Thursday, August 28
Now and then
In the early days of the church, many—maybe most—Christians expected Jesus to fulfill his promise to come back soon, maybe in their lifetimes. For people today, 2,000 years out, the anticipation may have retreated to a dim expectation. We’ve grown used to thinking Christ will fulfill the kingdom in which we have placed our hopes at some distant point in the future, probably after we die, sort of like the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series. But it’s easy to forget that Christ has been with us always, through his Spirit, in our neighbor, ourselves, the sacraments, scripture, and all of creation. We can look for him there, as well as in the time to come.
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; Matthew 24:42-51
“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Friday, August 29
Nothing to fear
Fear wears many masks. Often it looks like anger or annoyance. At other times it appears as defensiveness or aggression. Now and then it shows up as the desire to control or even harm another person. The absolute destructiveness of fear is well known. There are literally thousands of books on the subject. But if we think what we are feeling is anger, a book about overcoming fear isn’t going to be of much help. Consider this: Every negative emotion you can name is rooted in fear. The next time you feel resentful or defensive or powerless, ask yourself, “What am I afraid of?”
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25; Mark 6:17-29
“Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody.”
Saturday, August 30
Well done
The delightful Oscar-nominated Iranian film Children of Heaven tells the story of a boy living in Tehran who must share a single pair of shoes with his little sister. He’s a fast runner, so he enters a foot race to win a second pair of shoes for his sister. It is a lovely parable of someone who takes the one talent he has and puts it to use for the sake of love. If we are truly good and faithful servants of God, we can share our master’s joy by putting our talents to work for the sake of those who are in need.
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 25:14-30
“Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.”
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Aiming too low
It must have stung Peter to have Jesus call him Satan, especially because Jesus had already chosen him to be the foundation rock of his community of believers. Peter, in his bullheadedness, seems a good stand-in for many of us, taking the heat for what we ourselves might have done or said (“What’s in it for us, Lord?”). Here he is merely expressing his care for Jesus by saying, as any of us would to someone we love, “God forbid that any tragedy should fall upon you.” Yet Jesus reprimands him because Peter cannot see beyond his desire to protect his Lord (and perhaps himself) from the terrible fate Jesus foresees. Peter does not yet see how great a cost a “wondrous love” will pay to accomplish good. By God’s standard no price is too high. Peter, we know, will learn.
Today’s readings: Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27
“Get behind me, Satan! You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Monday, September 1
Labor Day
Safety first
On the holiday to honor work and workers, it’s worth remembering that workplaces are not always as safe as they could be. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 28,000 Americans between 2002 and 2006 were killed on the job. Mining had a high fatality rate—27.8 per 100,000—but was second to agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting at 29.6. In 2005 U.S. workplaces had 4.2 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses, of which about 4 million were injuries. While the U.S. industrial safety record has improved drastically since 1900—when, for example, the mining fatality rate was 10 times higher than today—and is far better than that of the developing world, it’s worse than that of most countries in the European Union. What can you do to promote the safety of work and workers?
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Luke 4:16-30
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”
Tuesday, September 2
Ramadan begins
Think fast
Fasting for religious or spiritual purposes is an ancient human practice. Jews, Christians, and Muslims consider their periods of fast (Yom Kippur, Lent, and Ramadan) the holiest times of the year, and these three great religious traditions share similar goals for fasting: namely, to cleanse the body and mind of impurities, focus all attention and energy on God, repent for one’s sins, mourn losses, and remember graces received. As Muslims enter their month-long fast, be respectful of their holy obligation and consider what your holy obligations are as a follower of the Prince of Peace.
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 2:10b-16; Luke 4:31-37
“For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
Wednesday, September 3
All together now
Whether it’s family, work, school activities, or the neighborhood bowling team, for groups to function and achieve a common goal individual members need to figure out how to work together. While a little competition can be healthy, the cutthroat variety usually ends up dividing people and working against the collective effort. Saint Paul used this same argument when he told the Corinthians to stop their rivalries and factions and work together for the kingdom of God. Cooperation and respect will take people a lot further than conflict.
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Luke 4:38-44
“For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
Thursday, September 4
In deep water
We use the phrase “in over your head” to indicate being in a situation that presents challenges that go beyond a person’s capacity or resources to cope. People sometimes “get in over their head” financially or find themselves in a classroom or a job function for which they have not been properly prepared. In a larger sense, however, we are all “in over our heads” in life, part of something more vast, mysterious, and complex than we alone can manage. We need each other, and we need the guidance of One who can guide us as we navigate the deep water we find ourselves in.
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23; Luke 5:1-11
“Jesus said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ ”
Friday, September 5
Something old, something new
It’s hard to imagine the time when Christ and his message was new, but indeed they were. At the beginning many people had trouble accepting his person and his gospel, just as many do today. Back then they wanted to see him in terms of what was familiar, well-known, comfortable. But he tried to move them off this course. New things, like new wine or a piece of a new garment, do not go onto or into old things, like old wineskins or garments. Can you experience your faith as something new and maybe a little uncomfortable, challenging you to fresh ways of seeing and doing?
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Luke 5:33-39
“New wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”
Saturday, September 6
Peace is with us
“The moral right to conscientious objection is recognized in the 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church (sect. 2311), but it is in no sense mandatory,” noted St. Thomas University Professor Scott Wright in a recent issue of St. Thomas Magazine. “Still, as a form of Christian witness, pacifism—the opposition to all war—has also had a long and distinguished tradition.” This tradition is rooted in Jesus’ Beatitudes and the gift of peace he leaves with his disciples; it is further sustained by Saint Paul’s admonishment to the church in Corinth to be fools for Christ—and bless when reviled, endure when persecuted, and speak kindly when slandered. Peace be with you today and every day following.
Today’s readings: 1 Corinthians 4:6b-15; Luke 6:1-5
“When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly.”
©2008 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. Phone: 800-942-2811; e-mail:mail@takefiveforfaith.com; website:www.TakeFiveForFaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
Contributors: Father Paul Boudreau, Alice Camille, Daniel Grippo, Father Larry Janowski, Ann O’Connor, Sean Reynolds, Joel Schorn, and Patrice J. Tuohy