Isaiah 49.1-6
Psalm 139.1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15 Resp. 14
Acts 13.22-26
Luke 1.57-66, 80
Today we commemorate the birth of a great prophet, and not just a prophet, but he of whom it was said, “Behold I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
The feast of Christmas, coincidentally, is placed near the winter solstice, near the darkest day of the year. The feast of John the Baptist, symbolically, is placed opposite Christmas, near the summer solstice, the lightest day of the year. In the northern hemisphere, the sun strengthens every day after Christmas and weakens every day after the feast of John the Baptist. This yearly astronomical event is a sign to us of the difference between the two men. John signals the end of something, something decreasing and fading away. When he says that he must decrease, he is not speaking only for himself but for the entire prophetic tradition of Israel. Jesus is causing something new to happen, something increasing.
John the Baptist marks the end of the age of prophecy. He is the last in a long line of the great prophets of Israel: Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and many others. Yet John was greater than all of these former prophets. He was greater than all before him inasmuch as the message he proclaimed was greater than theirs. They proclaimed justice, but he proclaimed the Just One. They proclaimed mercy, but he proclaimed the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
John the Baptist is great because, from his mother’s womb, he was a perfect instrument of God. God planned for him to prepare the way for Jesus. Before he was born, God had dedicated him as a prophet to the nations. His first prophecy took place while he was still inside his mother. Nevertheless, for all of his greatness, the character of John the Baptist in the Gospels is above all humble. He decreased; Jesus increased. He freely told his disciples to follow Jesus. He was never jealous of Jesus.
Thanks be to God for the great gift he sent in John the Baptist, but let us remember the words of Jesus. “The least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.” Every single one of us who are baptized into the Kingdom ought to exceed the humility and obedience of John. Not by our own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Daily Homilies
Showing posts with label Greatness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greatness. Show all posts
February 20, 2014 - Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
James 2:1-9
Psalm 34:2-7
Mark 8:27-33
What St. James warns about in the first reading today is a real temptation for anyone involved in service to the Church. Of course in principle, everyone is equal, and it is not as if the clergy actually desire to ignore the poor and give special treatment to the rich, but there are bills to pay. Not only all the regular bills, but if we want to do any particular service to the poor, we will probably need money to do so. And just like that bank robber who said that the reason he robbed banks was because that is where all the money is, so too the reason we have fundraisers and dinners and other events that cater to the rich is because they are the ones with money to give.
So what should we do? Should we ignore this reading and continue giving special treatment to the rich? Or should we follow this reading and make no distinction between someone who could give the church $1 million and someone who is barely able to give $1? For surely it is not reasonable to expect a person to give $1 million without a little special treatment, dinner in the rectory or a meeting with the bishop.
I do not think that St. James was ignorant of this difficulty. Undoubtedly, there were some very wealthy Christians who were able to provide for the community, and if they are anything like wealthy people today, they probably wanted a little partiality. Perhaps we do not know of any particular cases with St. James, but there is one recorded in Scripture about St. Paul. He converted a rich woman named Lydia, and then stayed in her house while he was working in Philippi. He converted other people in Philippi, but only Lydia gets a special mention. Probably there were other Christians who would have let Paul stay in their house, if they had had houses with room for him. It is not that Lydia was more generous than the others, but that she had more to give.
I do not think that St. James is telling us to treat the rich with less respect. When the rich man comes in with gold rings and fine clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” But then when the poor man comes in with filthy clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” The only solution is to be partial to everyone.
Psalm 34:2-7
Mark 8:27-33
What St. James warns about in the first reading today is a real temptation for anyone involved in service to the Church. Of course in principle, everyone is equal, and it is not as if the clergy actually desire to ignore the poor and give special treatment to the rich, but there are bills to pay. Not only all the regular bills, but if we want to do any particular service to the poor, we will probably need money to do so. And just like that bank robber who said that the reason he robbed banks was because that is where all the money is, so too the reason we have fundraisers and dinners and other events that cater to the rich is because they are the ones with money to give.
So what should we do? Should we ignore this reading and continue giving special treatment to the rich? Or should we follow this reading and make no distinction between someone who could give the church $1 million and someone who is barely able to give $1? For surely it is not reasonable to expect a person to give $1 million without a little special treatment, dinner in the rectory or a meeting with the bishop.
I do not think that St. James was ignorant of this difficulty. Undoubtedly, there were some very wealthy Christians who were able to provide for the community, and if they are anything like wealthy people today, they probably wanted a little partiality. Perhaps we do not know of any particular cases with St. James, but there is one recorded in Scripture about St. Paul. He converted a rich woman named Lydia, and then stayed in her house while he was working in Philippi. He converted other people in Philippi, but only Lydia gets a special mention. Probably there were other Christians who would have let Paul stay in their house, if they had had houses with room for him. It is not that Lydia was more generous than the others, but that she had more to give.
I do not think that St. James is telling us to treat the rich with less respect. When the rich man comes in with gold rings and fine clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” But then when the poor man comes in with filthy clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” The only solution is to be partial to everyone.
September 8, 2012 - Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30
Psalm 13:6
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
I count 59 people in that genealogy; maybe that is off one way or the other, but it is quite a few people. They are mostly just names to us, but behind every name there is a person. If you have read the Old Testament a few times you know a little about many of them and a lot about a few of them, but even these, like Abraham or David, lived long lives of which we only know a few stories. They all are gathered here in the reading today because they form the ancestors of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, according to his human nature.
His most immediate ancestor, the woman from whom he took flesh and blood to form his body, is Mary, the Mother of God. Today we celebrate her birthday, which is a good day to remember that she too lived an entire life of which we only know a few events and a few facts. She probably had a favorite food and a favorite color and a few art projects that Jesus made for her when he was little. She lived for many years after Pentecost. As she became an old woman, did she continue to participate in daily life or simply contemplate the mysteries she had been part of? Today she is the Queen of Heaven, higher than the cherubim, more glorious than the seraphim, but on this day a little over 2000 years ago, she was a baby, the daughter of poor parents. As far as the Emperors of Rome and China and India were concerned, she was nobody at all.
There are a lot of nobodies in this world. Indeed, the nobodies far outnumber the somebodies. But really, nobody is a nobody. Each person has their own story and desires, hopes and dreams. More importantly, each person is loved by God and has the potential to be loved by us. Every human life, from the perspective of eternity, is either a tragedy or a triumph. Every human being is important in the only sense that really matters: every human being is important to God.
“Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” God knew us before he created us, and we are destined to become great, maybe not as this world judges us, but God will make us perfect and then he will glorify us, and that is the only greatness worth having.
Psalm 13:6
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
I count 59 people in that genealogy; maybe that is off one way or the other, but it is quite a few people. They are mostly just names to us, but behind every name there is a person. If you have read the Old Testament a few times you know a little about many of them and a lot about a few of them, but even these, like Abraham or David, lived long lives of which we only know a few stories. They all are gathered here in the reading today because they form the ancestors of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, according to his human nature.
His most immediate ancestor, the woman from whom he took flesh and blood to form his body, is Mary, the Mother of God. Today we celebrate her birthday, which is a good day to remember that she too lived an entire life of which we only know a few events and a few facts. She probably had a favorite food and a favorite color and a few art projects that Jesus made for her when he was little. She lived for many years after Pentecost. As she became an old woman, did she continue to participate in daily life or simply contemplate the mysteries she had been part of? Today she is the Queen of Heaven, higher than the cherubim, more glorious than the seraphim, but on this day a little over 2000 years ago, she was a baby, the daughter of poor parents. As far as the Emperors of Rome and China and India were concerned, she was nobody at all.
There are a lot of nobodies in this world. Indeed, the nobodies far outnumber the somebodies. But really, nobody is a nobody. Each person has their own story and desires, hopes and dreams. More importantly, each person is loved by God and has the potential to be loved by us. Every human life, from the perspective of eternity, is either a tragedy or a triumph. Every human being is important in the only sense that really matters: every human being is important to God.
“Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” God knew us before he created us, and we are destined to become great, maybe not as this world judges us, but God will make us perfect and then he will glorify us, and that is the only greatness worth having.
August 6, 2012 - Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
2 Peter 1:16-19
Mark 9:2-10
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. There are two central lessons for us to learn from the Transfiguration. The first is perhaps the more obvious: Jesus is God. He looked just like a normal man walking up the mountain, but, when they reach the top, his clothes become brilliant white and he shines as if the light in him is greater than the sun. He speaks to Moses and Elijah, who have not been around earth for a thousand years. A voice speaks from a cloud, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This is the first lesson of the Transfiguration.
But just as Jesus has two natures, so there is another lesson. Nothing happened to Jesus that day that we do not hope for ourselves someday. Someday, we will speak with Moses and Elijah and all the Saints. Someday, we will be wearing spotless garments and a light from within us will shine brighter than the sun. Someday, we hope, God will say to us, “You are my beloved son (You are my beloved daughter) in whom I am well pleased.”
Just look around. Those are some very ordinary people. Look in a mirror, and you will see a very ordinary person. Someday all of us will be so beautiful that if we were to see now what we will be then we might fall down in worship. Either that or we will be so hideous that we would run away in fear. None of us, no person on earth, is going to remain ordinary. God has plans for us to be extraordinary, and we will fulfill those plans or fail miserably. No one will remain in this current middling state. Someday, we hope we will be just like Jesus standing on top of that mountain, as far as his human nature is concerned.
This is the mystery of the Incarnation. Jesus became like us so that we could someday become like him. Everyone you meet today, the checkout girl at the grocery store, the man who cuts you off in traffic, the homeless woman you walk by on the street, every one of them has the potential to be transfigured. When you speak to your mother or father or husband or wife, you are speaking to someone who will someday, we hope, be like one of the gods of the old myths. You could not help but love them, and you cannot help but love them now if you could just see the potential that God sees when he looks at us.
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
2 Peter 1:16-19
Mark 9:2-10
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. There are two central lessons for us to learn from the Transfiguration. The first is perhaps the more obvious: Jesus is God. He looked just like a normal man walking up the mountain, but, when they reach the top, his clothes become brilliant white and he shines as if the light in him is greater than the sun. He speaks to Moses and Elijah, who have not been around earth for a thousand years. A voice speaks from a cloud, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This is the first lesson of the Transfiguration.
But just as Jesus has two natures, so there is another lesson. Nothing happened to Jesus that day that we do not hope for ourselves someday. Someday, we will speak with Moses and Elijah and all the Saints. Someday, we will be wearing spotless garments and a light from within us will shine brighter than the sun. Someday, we hope, God will say to us, “You are my beloved son (You are my beloved daughter) in whom I am well pleased.”
Just look around. Those are some very ordinary people. Look in a mirror, and you will see a very ordinary person. Someday all of us will be so beautiful that if we were to see now what we will be then we might fall down in worship. Either that or we will be so hideous that we would run away in fear. None of us, no person on earth, is going to remain ordinary. God has plans for us to be extraordinary, and we will fulfill those plans or fail miserably. No one will remain in this current middling state. Someday, we hope we will be just like Jesus standing on top of that mountain, as far as his human nature is concerned.
This is the mystery of the Incarnation. Jesus became like us so that we could someday become like him. Everyone you meet today, the checkout girl at the grocery store, the man who cuts you off in traffic, the homeless woman you walk by on the street, every one of them has the potential to be transfigured. When you speak to your mother or father or husband or wife, you are speaking to someone who will someday, we hope, be like one of the gods of the old myths. You could not help but love them, and you cannot help but love them now if you could just see the potential that God sees when he looks at us.
May 21, 2012 - Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 19:1-8
Psalm 68:2-7
John 16:29-33
Have you heard that there is a Holy Spirit? Christianity is not a tame religion. It is not just a mix of morality and Fall Festivals. There is a Holy Spirit, and if you are trying to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit, you are missing out. The Holy Spirit is our Consoler when we have to live through troubles. The Holy Spirit is the source of our love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, and temperance.
The Holy Spirit is the power of God dwelling within us. He is the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, equal to the Father and the Son. In short, the Holy Spirit is everything to a Christian. A Christian without the Holy Spirit is like a water balloon without water, like a day without light, like a fruit salad without fruit. In other words, a Christian without the Holy Spirit is basically just a normal person. We Christians are not supposed to be normal people; we are supposed to be inspired.
We Christians are supposed to live in the world, but act like strangers. We Christians are supposed to be simultaneously incomprehensible and awe-inspiring. We Christians are supposed to be like gods walking among men. How are we supposed to do that on our own? At best, Christianity lived out with human strength is a slight improvement on every other religion in the world. If there is no Holy Spirit, if we do not have God living inside of us, our claims fall flat.
I do not say this to make you depressed. I am not telling you all this to point out where you, and I, fall short of the glory that God has destined us for. I tell you, I tell myself, all this because it is still possible. We can still be converted. We can still be another St. Francis, Blessed Mother Theresa, St. Therese. It is never too late to be amazing. Not on your own, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is not going to be easy. Satan will be against us. The world will be against us. Our own fallen human nature will be against us. If we decide to become true Christians, we will face troubles for the rest of our lives. All of the regular troubles and more, but we will stand above them all because we do not belong to the world.
Jesus gives us, in the Gospel today, all the encouragement we need to begin following him today as if yesterday never happened:
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
Psalm 68:2-7
John 16:29-33
Have you heard that there is a Holy Spirit? Christianity is not a tame religion. It is not just a mix of morality and Fall Festivals. There is a Holy Spirit, and if you are trying to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit, you are missing out. The Holy Spirit is our Consoler when we have to live through troubles. The Holy Spirit is the source of our love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, and temperance.
The Holy Spirit is the power of God dwelling within us. He is the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, equal to the Father and the Son. In short, the Holy Spirit is everything to a Christian. A Christian without the Holy Spirit is like a water balloon without water, like a day without light, like a fruit salad without fruit. In other words, a Christian without the Holy Spirit is basically just a normal person. We Christians are not supposed to be normal people; we are supposed to be inspired.
We Christians are supposed to live in the world, but act like strangers. We Christians are supposed to be simultaneously incomprehensible and awe-inspiring. We Christians are supposed to be like gods walking among men. How are we supposed to do that on our own? At best, Christianity lived out with human strength is a slight improvement on every other religion in the world. If there is no Holy Spirit, if we do not have God living inside of us, our claims fall flat.
I do not say this to make you depressed. I am not telling you all this to point out where you, and I, fall short of the glory that God has destined us for. I tell you, I tell myself, all this because it is still possible. We can still be converted. We can still be another St. Francis, Blessed Mother Theresa, St. Therese. It is never too late to be amazing. Not on your own, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is not going to be easy. Satan will be against us. The world will be against us. Our own fallen human nature will be against us. If we decide to become true Christians, we will face troubles for the rest of our lives. All of the regular troubles and more, but we will stand above them all because we do not belong to the world.
Jesus gives us, in the Gospel today, all the encouragement we need to begin following him today as if yesterday never happened:
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
February 16, 2012 - Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Readings
What St. James warns about in the first reading today is a real temptation for anyone involved in service to the Church. Of course in principle, everyone is equal, and it is not as if the clergy actually desire to ignore the poor and give special treatment to the rich, but there are bills to pay. Not only all the regular bills, but if we want to do any particular service to the poor, we will probably need money to do so. And just like that bank robber said the reason he robbed banks was because that is where all the money is, so too the reason we have fundraisers and dinners and other events that cater to the rich is because they are the ones with money to give.
So what should we do? Should we ignore this reading and continue giving special treatment to the rich? Or should we follow this reading and make no distinction between someone who could give the church $1 million and someone who is barely able to give $1? For surely it is not reasonable to expect a person to give $1 million without a little special treatment, dinner in the rectory or a meeting with the bishop.
I do not think that St. James was ignorant of this difficulty. Undoubtedly, there were some very wealthy Christians who were able to provide for the community, and if they are anything like wealthy people today, they probably wanted a little partiality. Perhaps we do not know of any particular cases with St. James, but there is one recorded in Scripture about St. Paul. He converted a rich woman named Lydia, and then stayed in her house while he was working in Philippi. He converted other people in Philippi, but only Lydia gets a special mention. Probably there were other Christians who would have let Paul stay in the house, if they had had houses with room for him. It is not that Lydia was more generous than the others, but that she had more to give.
I do not think that St. James is telling us to treat the rich with less respect. When the rich man comes in with gold rings and fine clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” But then when the poor man comes in with filthy clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” The only solution is to show partiality to everyone.
What St. James warns about in the first reading today is a real temptation for anyone involved in service to the Church. Of course in principle, everyone is equal, and it is not as if the clergy actually desire to ignore the poor and give special treatment to the rich, but there are bills to pay. Not only all the regular bills, but if we want to do any particular service to the poor, we will probably need money to do so. And just like that bank robber said the reason he robbed banks was because that is where all the money is, so too the reason we have fundraisers and dinners and other events that cater to the rich is because they are the ones with money to give.
So what should we do? Should we ignore this reading and continue giving special treatment to the rich? Or should we follow this reading and make no distinction between someone who could give the church $1 million and someone who is barely able to give $1? For surely it is not reasonable to expect a person to give $1 million without a little special treatment, dinner in the rectory or a meeting with the bishop.
I do not think that St. James was ignorant of this difficulty. Undoubtedly, there were some very wealthy Christians who were able to provide for the community, and if they are anything like wealthy people today, they probably wanted a little partiality. Perhaps we do not know of any particular cases with St. James, but there is one recorded in Scripture about St. Paul. He converted a rich woman named Lydia, and then stayed in her house while he was working in Philippi. He converted other people in Philippi, but only Lydia gets a special mention. Probably there were other Christians who would have let Paul stay in the house, if they had had houses with room for him. It is not that Lydia was more generous than the others, but that she had more to give.
I do not think that St. James is telling us to treat the rich with less respect. When the rich man comes in with gold rings and fine clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” But then when the poor man comes in with filthy clothes, we should pay attention to him and say, “Sit here, please.” The only solution is to show partiality to everyone.
November 11, 2011 - Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, bishop
Today's Readings
Our psalm today has been characterized as the only poetic psalm. There are 150 psalms, but the ancient Hebrew taste for poetry was very different from modern poetry. This one psalm stands out as a strange exception. Not that the other psalms are not good, but they are all rather literal. Psalm 19 requires that we use our imaginations.
Psalm 19 calls us to imagine the night sky speaking to us and the day sky announcing a proclamation. Each day says something to us. Every night has a message for us. The earth, the plants, the mountains and the oceans, are all shouting in unison one message: “God made us!” They shout this message in every language and manner of speaking. No translation is needed.
When I see a skyscraper I am impressed. I suppose that many people worked very hard on it and a few great minds designed it. So what should I think when I see a mountain? The night sky is full of billions and billions of stars. How did they get there? The sun, the earth, the moon: all in perfect balance. The tides go in; the tides go out, and no one can explain why. Oh, sure, scientists have explained how: gravity and the moon and all that. “How” is easy enough, but what about “why”? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is everything balanced with more precision than a Swiss watch?
As our first reading today says, anyone who can study all this and not believe in God is empty inside. Anyone who considers the universe to be a giant machine of entropy – the dice rolled and this beautiful earth appeared by chance and life appeared by chance and someday it will be gone and mean nothing at all – anyone who believes that is empty inside.
We believe that God is who he is through faith, but that he is, that God exists, is not of faith. We can see it with our own eyes. This is not all just a coincidence. This is a work of art. This is the handiwork of a master craftsman. This is the masterpiece of a true genius.This universe is beautiful. How much more beautiful must the artist be? This universe is full of energy. How much more powerful must the creator be?
Our psalm today has been characterized as the only poetic psalm. There are 150 psalms, but the ancient Hebrew taste for poetry was very different from modern poetry. This one psalm stands out as a strange exception. Not that the other psalms are not good, but they are all rather literal. Psalm 19 requires that we use our imaginations.
Psalm 19 calls us to imagine the night sky speaking to us and the day sky announcing a proclamation. Each day says something to us. Every night has a message for us. The earth, the plants, the mountains and the oceans, are all shouting in unison one message: “God made us!” They shout this message in every language and manner of speaking. No translation is needed.
When I see a skyscraper I am impressed. I suppose that many people worked very hard on it and a few great minds designed it. So what should I think when I see a mountain? The night sky is full of billions and billions of stars. How did they get there? The sun, the earth, the moon: all in perfect balance. The tides go in; the tides go out, and no one can explain why. Oh, sure, scientists have explained how: gravity and the moon and all that. “How” is easy enough, but what about “why”? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is everything balanced with more precision than a Swiss watch?
As our first reading today says, anyone who can study all this and not believe in God is empty inside. Anyone who considers the universe to be a giant machine of entropy – the dice rolled and this beautiful earth appeared by chance and life appeared by chance and someday it will be gone and mean nothing at all – anyone who believes that is empty inside.
We believe that God is who he is through faith, but that he is, that God exists, is not of faith. We can see it with our own eyes. This is not all just a coincidence. This is a work of art. This is the handiwork of a master craftsman. This is the masterpiece of a true genius.This universe is beautiful. How much more beautiful must the artist be? This universe is full of energy. How much more powerful must the creator be?
October 30, 2011 - Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Readings
When the power goes out, we realize how powerless we are. We flip the light switches, but nothing happens. Really, that small movement of our fingers does not in reality create light, but we forget that, until the power goes out. Have any of you ever been driving a car when the power steering goes out? It quickly becomes obvious how hard it is to control a 2-ton car. Two fingers on the wheel is not going to get the job done. How much more so when the car runs out of gas! You can press the accelerator all you want, but that car is not going anywhere.
Health is sort of like this too. We are walking along, when we are suddenly hit by a cold or the flu or a headache. It slowly becomes clear how much we depend on health. When I have a headache or a stomachache, I cannot think straight; I can barely hold a conversation, let alone any kind of polite conversation. We seem so powerful and independent, but then we realize how much we depend on electricity and gasoline and good health and so many other factors just to get through the day.
This principle holds true for the spiritual life. We do not realize how much we depend on the grace of God to get through the day, but if that grace were cut off, just for a few hours, we would be more in the dark than when the electricity is gone. I cannot imagine how many times my guardian angel has saved my life. I notice it occasionally in the close calls, when I almost kill myself by my own stupidity, but I would guess that it is a couple of times each day, at least.
And the supreme grace of God is the Holy Spirit, who is himself God. We Christians do not realize how much the Holy Spirit changes our lives. We look at the world 2000 years ago, and it seems pretty bad: violent and brutal and short, and then we attribute the change to our more modern sensibilities. Where did ideas like human rights and scientific progress come from? It is no surprise that these have all appeared in the last 2000 years, since the Holy Spirit was sent.
It is not as if we modern people are beyond cruelty and war. We need only look at those parts of the world where the Holy Spirit has not filled the hearts of the faithful, or even look at those places where the Holy Spirit was rejected and denied such as Germany in the 1930’s. People are worried now about the impending economic crisis or the impending climate crisis. What about the impending spiritual crisis? An entire generation is being raised in Western Europe and Canada without baptism.
This is the essence of humility: realizing the truth about how weak we really are; realizing how much we depend on God. We are not so independent as we suppose. It is easy to sit in the comfort of our well-lit homes, eating food from the fridge and thinking how very independent we are. Then the electricity is cut out, the gas is turned off, and the farmer stops selling us food. Now we are shivering in our dark homes, eating nothing and thinking whether we will survive.
God has to keep us in a certain balance. If he withdrew his grace too much, we would just die, but if he gave us everything, we would begin to think that we are doing just fine without him. If we want more from God, we should learn humility. Like a child on their mother’s lap, even so our souls are entirely dependent on God, so we should learn to have the kind of trust in God that a toddler has in their mother.
St. Paul clearly knew this. In this section from Thessalonians, he is relating how hard he worked when he was among them. He did not take his share from the collection, as would have been his right. He worked as a tentmaker by day and preached the Gospel by night, and preached the Gospel by day and made tents at night. He says this not to build himself up but to remind the Thessalonians how much he loved them.
Then, having said all this, he thanks God that his work was fruitful. He thanks God unceasingly that when he had preached the word, it did not fall on deaf ears. He thanks “God who is also working in you believers.” He recognizes that he worked hard, but God worked harder. He preached the word, but God gave the conversion. He flipped the switch, but God turned on the lights.
The prophet Malachi is reminding the priests of this reality. He tells them that unless they begin following the straight and narrow way of God, he will turn their blessings into curses. What is it really when a priest blesses? A movement of the hands and a few words. The power is coming from somewhere else. The power is coming from God, and he can shut off that power.
God has unlimited power available, unlimited grace. We only survive because of that share of grace that he gives us, and he wants to give us more: he can give us the grace to pick up a mountain and cast it into the sea; he can give us the grace to fly up to heaven and hear the angels singing; he can exalt us above all the nations, if only we will humble ourselves.
What benefit would any of these graces be to us if we were not humble? The scribes and Pharisees wanted to impress human beings with their holiness; they wanted the place of honor at feasts and synagogues; they wanted titles and respectful salutations. The problem with the scribes and Pharisees was not that they wanted too much but that they wanted to little. God is holding out in his hands the grace to make us like gods, and the Pharisees want a nice chair and a little respect.
What sort of grace is God offering us? The grace to be the greatest: “The greatest of you will be your servant.” Who are the greatest people on earth? Servants like Blessed John Paul II, who spent his life serving the Church, and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, who served the poorest of the poor, and St. Maximilian Kolbe, who offered to die for another man. Ambition is no bad thing, but have the right ambition! Do not play around with small toys like honorifics and chairs. Make it your ambition to serve others with the strength and power of God, and you will discover that that power is unlimited. Human respect and awards will mean nothing in comparison.
When the power goes out, we realize how powerless we are. We flip the light switches, but nothing happens. Really, that small movement of our fingers does not in reality create light, but we forget that, until the power goes out. Have any of you ever been driving a car when the power steering goes out? It quickly becomes obvious how hard it is to control a 2-ton car. Two fingers on the wheel is not going to get the job done. How much more so when the car runs out of gas! You can press the accelerator all you want, but that car is not going anywhere.
Health is sort of like this too. We are walking along, when we are suddenly hit by a cold or the flu or a headache. It slowly becomes clear how much we depend on health. When I have a headache or a stomachache, I cannot think straight; I can barely hold a conversation, let alone any kind of polite conversation. We seem so powerful and independent, but then we realize how much we depend on electricity and gasoline and good health and so many other factors just to get through the day.
This principle holds true for the spiritual life. We do not realize how much we depend on the grace of God to get through the day, but if that grace were cut off, just for a few hours, we would be more in the dark than when the electricity is gone. I cannot imagine how many times my guardian angel has saved my life. I notice it occasionally in the close calls, when I almost kill myself by my own stupidity, but I would guess that it is a couple of times each day, at least.
And the supreme grace of God is the Holy Spirit, who is himself God. We Christians do not realize how much the Holy Spirit changes our lives. We look at the world 2000 years ago, and it seems pretty bad: violent and brutal and short, and then we attribute the change to our more modern sensibilities. Where did ideas like human rights and scientific progress come from? It is no surprise that these have all appeared in the last 2000 years, since the Holy Spirit was sent.
It is not as if we modern people are beyond cruelty and war. We need only look at those parts of the world where the Holy Spirit has not filled the hearts of the faithful, or even look at those places where the Holy Spirit was rejected and denied such as Germany in the 1930’s. People are worried now about the impending economic crisis or the impending climate crisis. What about the impending spiritual crisis? An entire generation is being raised in Western Europe and Canada without baptism.
This is the essence of humility: realizing the truth about how weak we really are; realizing how much we depend on God. We are not so independent as we suppose. It is easy to sit in the comfort of our well-lit homes, eating food from the fridge and thinking how very independent we are. Then the electricity is cut out, the gas is turned off, and the farmer stops selling us food. Now we are shivering in our dark homes, eating nothing and thinking whether we will survive.
God has to keep us in a certain balance. If he withdrew his grace too much, we would just die, but if he gave us everything, we would begin to think that we are doing just fine without him. If we want more from God, we should learn humility. Like a child on their mother’s lap, even so our souls are entirely dependent on God, so we should learn to have the kind of trust in God that a toddler has in their mother.
St. Paul clearly knew this. In this section from Thessalonians, he is relating how hard he worked when he was among them. He did not take his share from the collection, as would have been his right. He worked as a tentmaker by day and preached the Gospel by night, and preached the Gospel by day and made tents at night. He says this not to build himself up but to remind the Thessalonians how much he loved them.
Then, having said all this, he thanks God that his work was fruitful. He thanks God unceasingly that when he had preached the word, it did not fall on deaf ears. He thanks “God who is also working in you believers.” He recognizes that he worked hard, but God worked harder. He preached the word, but God gave the conversion. He flipped the switch, but God turned on the lights.
The prophet Malachi is reminding the priests of this reality. He tells them that unless they begin following the straight and narrow way of God, he will turn their blessings into curses. What is it really when a priest blesses? A movement of the hands and a few words. The power is coming from somewhere else. The power is coming from God, and he can shut off that power.
God has unlimited power available, unlimited grace. We only survive because of that share of grace that he gives us, and he wants to give us more: he can give us the grace to pick up a mountain and cast it into the sea; he can give us the grace to fly up to heaven and hear the angels singing; he can exalt us above all the nations, if only we will humble ourselves.
What benefit would any of these graces be to us if we were not humble? The scribes and Pharisees wanted to impress human beings with their holiness; they wanted the place of honor at feasts and synagogues; they wanted titles and respectful salutations. The problem with the scribes and Pharisees was not that they wanted too much but that they wanted to little. God is holding out in his hands the grace to make us like gods, and the Pharisees want a nice chair and a little respect.
What sort of grace is God offering us? The grace to be the greatest: “The greatest of you will be your servant.” Who are the greatest people on earth? Servants like Blessed John Paul II, who spent his life serving the Church, and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, who served the poorest of the poor, and St. Maximilian Kolbe, who offered to die for another man. Ambition is no bad thing, but have the right ambition! Do not play around with small toys like honorifics and chairs. Make it your ambition to serve others with the strength and power of God, and you will discover that that power is unlimited. Human respect and awards will mean nothing in comparison.
June 25, 2011 - Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Readings
We are familiar with this phrase from the Gospel today: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” We say it at every Mass, before we receive Communion. When the better translation comes along this November, the reference will be even clearer.
The phrase is rather unusual though. We say to the Lord, “I am not worthy to receive you” shortly before we receive him. I think that this has caused many people to think that what we are saying is “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but if you say the word, I will be worthy to receive you.” This is not right though. As it stands in the context of the story it means, “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but I know you can work by only saying a word.” The saying of the word is the alternative to reception.
Why do we say this then? It is because of what Jesus says. “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” No one! Really? Not Peter? Not John the Baptist? Not your mother? And there is no reason to limit this statement to the human nature of our Lord. He freely uses “I” to refer to his person. He knows Abraham, our father in faith. He knows Israel himself, and all the prophets and King David.
Our Lord may have been hyperbolizing here; the form of the words in Greek suggests that he was. He has found some rather remarkable expressions of faith before, but what is certain is that he has found something extraordinary in the centurion. The centurion does not doubt in the least that Jesus is capable of healing by merely saying a word. He is not asking for evidence that Jesus is the Christ. He has not come to see some great work. He simply wants his servant to be healed, and there is not an ounce of doubt about this request.
So we recall these words at every Mass. With these words we remember that we are not worthy of the great gifts that Jesus has given to us, and we also remember the limitless power of Jesus Christ to work in whatever way he chooses. Truly, we are not worthy to receive Jesus, but, then again, receiving Jesus is not about being worthy. He condescends to us.
June 24, 2011 - Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Today's Readings
Today we commemorate the birth of a great prophet, and not just a prophet, but he of whom it was said, “Behold I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
The feast of Christmas, coincidentally, is placed near the winter solstice, near the darkest day of the year. The feast of John the Baptist, symbolically, is placed opposite Christmas, near the summer solstice, the lightest day of the year. In the northern hemisphere, the sun strengthens every day after Christmas and weakens every day after the feast of John the Baptist. This yearly astronomical event is a sign to us of the difference between the two men. John signals the end of something, something decreasing and fading away. When he says that he must decrease, he is not speaking only for himself but for the entire prophetic tradition of Israel. Jesus is causing something new to happen, something increasing.
John the Baptist marks the end of the age of prophecy. He is the last in a long line of the great prophets of Israel: Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and many others. Yet John was greater than all of these former prophets. He was greater than all before him inasmuch as the message he proclaimed was greater than theirs. The proclaimed justice, but he proclaimed the Just One. They proclaimed mercy, but he proclaimed the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
John the Baptist is great because, from his mother’s womb, he was a perfect instrument of God. God planned for him to prepare the way for Jesus. Before he was born, God had dedicated him as a prophet to the nations. His first prophecy took place while he was still inside his mother. Nevertheless, for all of his greatness, the character of John the Baptist in the Gospels is above all humble. He decreased; Jesus increased. He freely told his disciples to follow Jesus. He was never jealous of Jesus.
Thanks be to God for the great gift he sent in John the Baptist, but let us remember the words of Jesus. “The least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.” Every single one of us who are baptized into the Kingdom ought to exceed the humility and obedience of John. Not by our own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.
March 2, 2011 - Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The apostles are making some progress. They still have a distance to go, as is clear from what follows, but it is impressive that, when Jesus told them that he was going to Jerusalem to be mocked, to be spit upon, to be scourged, and put to death, James and John ask to be given positions of prominence in his kingdom. It is not clear that they understood totally what it would mean to drink the chalice that Jesus would drink and be baptized with his baptism, but they were eager to bet everything they had on Jesus, no matter what. Some of the crowd following Jesus to Jerusalem, a motley group of the poor and lower-class with a few wealthy women mixed in, without weapons, might have been doubting the whole enterprise; James and John see the same group, with Jesus at the head, and just want to make sure that they have a good position locked up in the kingdom that would inevitably result.
They displayed great faith, but something was still missing, and their question becomes an opportunity for us all to learn something about what it means to be great. James and John were not unwilling to do the hard work: they were following Jesus, even to be spit upon and scourged. They merely wanted to be sure of the reward at the end. They wanted to be something great, and, thinking with minds of this world, they asked for a position of greatness. Jesus told them, and us, that the positions of greatness in the Kingdom of God are not merely handed out as rewards.
Jesus is telling us that, in the world, the weaker serve the stronger, because the stronger are able to force the weaker to do so, but in the Kingdom of God, the stronger serve the weaker, because they are the ones able to serve. This is simply one way that our world has gotten things completely backward. The strong man should carry the weak man, but we expect the weak to carry the strong. In the Kingdom, we serve our brothers and sisters who are in need; the angels, who are stronger and smarter than us, serve us; and God, who is infinitely strong, serves all of us. If we want to be great, we need to do great things: we should find someone who needs our help, and then help them.
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