Daniel 9:4-10
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Luke 6:36-38
In fairy tales, not the Disney versions but the originals, a common trope is that the king will ask the wicked person for advice on how to punish a wicked person. The wicked person misunderstands who the punishment is for and advises a particularly horrific punishment. Then the king tells the wicked person that they will be punished exactly as they said. There is some poetic justice in how the person is forced to suffer their own sentence. I often wondered why they never realize in time that they have been caught and suggest some very light punishment.
Jesus warns us that we are going to suffer this poetic justice. Hopefully, we hear his words in time to save ourselves. If our King asks me how a sinner should be treated, I am going to say that he should be forgiven if he is even a little bit sorry and then welcomed into heaven. These cannot be mere words: I need to start treating sinners that way since that is how I want to be treated. Jesus tells us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. In other words, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us, because that is in fact how it will be done unto us.
When we do something wrong, we are usually quick to talk about mitigating circumstances. It is truly a saint who takes absolute responsibility for their own sins. Even if we accept responsibility for our sin, we who fall far short of righteousness quickly begin to explain why it was not really so bad after all, until we are confessing merely that we misheard or misunderstood or were misunderstood: “I am very sorry that you were offended by what I said.” How rare is the person who can say “I’m sorry” without adding soon after “Although, it was not really as bad as you make out.”
So it is that we are very good about making up excuses for ourselves. We should stop that. But, at the very least, we should start using this marvelous talent with other people. Not pretending that bad is good, but making every excuse for the person who has sinned against us. When someone cuts you off in traffic, presume that they are on their way to the hospital. When someone snaps at you, presume they have a very bad headache. When we measure out punishment, what seems like a tiny dose given to another will look enormous when it is directed back at ourselves.
Daily Homilies
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
March 17, 2014 - Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Daniel 9:4-10
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Luke 6:36-38
In fairy tales, not the Disney versions but the originals, a common trope is that the king will ask the wicked person for advice on how to punish a wicked person. The wicked person misunderstands who the punishment is for and advises a particularly horrific punishment. Then the king tells the wicked person that they will be punished exactly as they said. There is some poetic justice in how the person is forced to suffer their own sentence. I often wondered why they never realize in time that they have been caught and suggest some very light punishment.
Jesus warns us that we are going to suffer this poetic justice. Hopefully, we hear his words in time to save ourselves. If our King asks me how a sinner should be treated, I am going to say that he should be forgiven if he is even a little bit sorry and then welcomed into heaven. These cannot be mere words: I need to start treating sinners that way since that is how I want to be treated. Jesus tells us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. In other words, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us, because that is in fact how it will be done unto us.
When we do something wrong, we are usually quick to talk about mitigating circumstances. It is truly a saint who takes absolute responsibility for their own sins. Even if we accept responsibility for our sin, we who fall far short of righteousness quickly begin to explain why it was not really so bad after all, until we are confessing merely that we misheard or misunderstood or were misunderstood: “I am very sorry that you were offended by what I said.” How rare is the person who can say “I’m sorry” without adding soon after “Although, it was not really as bad as you make out.”
So it is that we are very good about making up excuses for ourselves. We should stop that. But, at the very least, we should start using this marvelous talent with other people. Not pretending that bad is good, but making every excuse for the person who has sinned against us. When someone cuts you off in traffic, presume that they are on their way to the hospital. When someone snaps at you, presume they have a very bad headache. When we measure out punishment, what seems like a tiny dose given to another will look enormous when it is directed back at ourselves.
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Luke 6:36-38
In fairy tales, not the Disney versions but the originals, a common trope is that the king will ask the wicked person for advice on how to punish a wicked person. The wicked person misunderstands who the punishment is for and advises a particularly horrific punishment. Then the king tells the wicked person that they will be punished exactly as they said. There is some poetic justice in how the person is forced to suffer their own sentence. I often wondered why they never realize in time that they have been caught and suggest some very light punishment.
Jesus warns us that we are going to suffer this poetic justice. Hopefully, we hear his words in time to save ourselves. If our King asks me how a sinner should be treated, I am going to say that he should be forgiven if he is even a little bit sorry and then welcomed into heaven. These cannot be mere words: I need to start treating sinners that way since that is how I want to be treated. Jesus tells us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. In other words, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us, because that is in fact how it will be done unto us.
When we do something wrong, we are usually quick to talk about mitigating circumstances. It is truly a saint who takes absolute responsibility for their own sins. Even if we accept responsibility for our sin, we who fall far short of righteousness quickly begin to explain why it was not really so bad after all, until we are confessing merely that we misheard or misunderstood or were misunderstood: “I am very sorry that you were offended by what I said.” How rare is the person who can say “I’m sorry” without adding soon after “Although, it was not really as bad as you make out.”
So it is that we are very good about making up excuses for ourselves. We should stop that. But, at the very least, we should start using this marvelous talent with other people. Not pretending that bad is good, but making every excuse for the person who has sinned against us. When someone cuts you off in traffic, presume that they are on their way to the hospital. When someone snaps at you, presume they have a very bad headache. When we measure out punishment, what seems like a tiny dose given to another will look enormous when it is directed back at ourselves.
February 25, 2013 - Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Daniel 9:4-10
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Luke 6:36-38
In fairy tales, not the Disney versions but the originals, a common trope is that the king will ask the wicked person for advice on how to punish a wicked person. The wicked person misunderstands who the punishment is for and advises a particularly horrific punishment. Then the king tells the wicked person that they will be punished exactly as they said. There is some poetic justice in how the person is forced to suffer their own sentence. I often wondered why they never realize in time that they have been caught and suggests some very light punishment.
Jesus warns us that we are going to suffer this poetic justice. Hopefully, we hear his words in time to save ourselves. If our King asks me how a sinner should be treated, I am going to say that he should be forgiven if he is even a little bit sorry and then welcomed into heaven. These cannot be mere words: I need to start treating sinners that way since that is how I want to be treated. Jesus tells us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. In other words, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us, because that is in fact how it will be done unto us.
When we do something wrong, we are usually quick to talk about mitigating circumstances. It is truly a saint who takes absolute responsibility for their own sins. Even if we accept responsibility for our sin, we who fall far short of righteousness quickly begin to explain why it was not really so bad after all, until we are confessing merely that we misheard or misunderstood or were misunderstood: “I am very sorry that you were offended by what I said.” How rare is the person who can say “I’m sorry” without adding soon after “Although, it was not really as bad as you make out.”
So it is that we are very good about making up excuses for ourselves. We should stop that. But, at the very least, we should start using this marvelous talent with other people. Not pretending that bad is good, but making every excuse for the person who has sinned against us. When someone cuts you off in traffic, presume that they are on their way to the hospital. When someone snaps at you, presume they have a very bad headache. When we measure out punishment, what seems like a tiny dose given to another will look enormous when it is directed back at ourselves.
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13
Luke 6:36-38
In fairy tales, not the Disney versions but the originals, a common trope is that the king will ask the wicked person for advice on how to punish a wicked person. The wicked person misunderstands who the punishment is for and advises a particularly horrific punishment. Then the king tells the wicked person that they will be punished exactly as they said. There is some poetic justice in how the person is forced to suffer their own sentence. I often wondered why they never realize in time that they have been caught and suggests some very light punishment.
Jesus warns us that we are going to suffer this poetic justice. Hopefully, we hear his words in time to save ourselves. If our King asks me how a sinner should be treated, I am going to say that he should be forgiven if he is even a little bit sorry and then welcomed into heaven. These cannot be mere words: I need to start treating sinners that way since that is how I want to be treated. Jesus tells us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. In other words, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us, because that is in fact how it will be done unto us.
When we do something wrong, we are usually quick to talk about mitigating circumstances. It is truly a saint who takes absolute responsibility for their own sins. Even if we accept responsibility for our sin, we who fall far short of righteousness quickly begin to explain why it was not really so bad after all, until we are confessing merely that we misheard or misunderstood or were misunderstood: “I am very sorry that you were offended by what I said.” How rare is the person who can say “I’m sorry” without adding soon after “Although, it was not really as bad as you make out.”
So it is that we are very good about making up excuses for ourselves. We should stop that. But, at the very least, we should start using this marvelous talent with other people. Not pretending that bad is good, but making every excuse for the person who has sinned against us. When someone cuts you off in traffic, presume that they are on their way to the hospital. When someone snaps at you, presume they have a very bad headache. When we measure out punishment, what seems like a tiny dose given to another will look enormous when it is directed back at ourselves.
September 18, 2012 - Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 12.12-14, 27-31a
Psalm 100.1b-2, 3, 4, 5 Resp. 3
Luke 7.11-17
Some Christians will say that they support peace and justice. Other Christians will say that they are pro-life. The pro-life Christians say to the others that the most important issue of peace and justice in our world is the child in the womb. The peace and justice Christians say to the others that if they really cared about life, they would care about it after it was born. These divisions come from Satan. There is only one division in this world: those who are working toward the Kingdom of God and those who are not.
We Christians are all one body. The nose should not reprimand the tongue for being too obsessed with taste instead of smell. We are all working together toward the same goal. If one person is working to preserve the true definition of marriage, and someone else is working to see that the hungry are fed, and someone else is working to retrain the unemployed, and someone else is working to end abortion, they ought to support each other in every way. They are all working for the good. We are not Republicans or Democrats. We are Christians, and we must refuse to allow any partisan spirit to infiltrate the Church. The only spirit in the Church is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is against abortion and in favor of taking care of the poor. The Holy Spirit could not get elected by any party these days.
Nobody has to do it all. That would be a silly goal, as if the entire weight of the Church rested on one person’s shoulders. When a person who dedicates their life to ending abortion meets a fellow Christian who has dedicated their life to ending poverty, they ought to embrace and celebrate each other’s work. When St. Dominic and St. Francis met, they embraced. Dominic had founded an order of studying priests who preached in convincing words. Francis had founded an order of non-studying non-priests who were told to preach without words. But they were both getting the work done, and that is all that mattered. We are one body in Christ, and each person ought to take up the particular responsibilities that God calls them to. We all have some work to do. God has designated some work for each of us. If I get my work done, and you get your work done, that is how the work gets done.
Psalm 100.1b-2, 3, 4, 5 Resp. 3
Luke 7.11-17
Some Christians will say that they support peace and justice. Other Christians will say that they are pro-life. The pro-life Christians say to the others that the most important issue of peace and justice in our world is the child in the womb. The peace and justice Christians say to the others that if they really cared about life, they would care about it after it was born. These divisions come from Satan. There is only one division in this world: those who are working toward the Kingdom of God and those who are not.
We Christians are all one body. The nose should not reprimand the tongue for being too obsessed with taste instead of smell. We are all working together toward the same goal. If one person is working to preserve the true definition of marriage, and someone else is working to see that the hungry are fed, and someone else is working to retrain the unemployed, and someone else is working to end abortion, they ought to support each other in every way. They are all working for the good. We are not Republicans or Democrats. We are Christians, and we must refuse to allow any partisan spirit to infiltrate the Church. The only spirit in the Church is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is against abortion and in favor of taking care of the poor. The Holy Spirit could not get elected by any party these days.
Nobody has to do it all. That would be a silly goal, as if the entire weight of the Church rested on one person’s shoulders. When a person who dedicates their life to ending abortion meets a fellow Christian who has dedicated their life to ending poverty, they ought to embrace and celebrate each other’s work. When St. Dominic and St. Francis met, they embraced. Dominic had founded an order of studying priests who preached in convincing words. Francis had founded an order of non-studying non-priests who were told to preach without words. But they were both getting the work done, and that is all that mattered. We are one body in Christ, and each person ought to take up the particular responsibilities that God calls them to. We all have some work to do. God has designated some work for each of us. If I get my work done, and you get your work done, that is how the work gets done.
September 3, 2012 - Labor Day
Genesis 1.26-2.3 OR Genesis 2.4b-9, 15 OR 1 Thessalonians 4.1b-2, 9-12 OR 2 Thessalonians 3.6-12, 16
Psalm 90.2, 3-5a, 12-13, 14+16 Resp. 17b OR Psalm 127.1, 2 Resp. 1ac
Matthew 6.21-34 OR Matthew 25.14-30
The problem the St. Paul is confronting with the Thessalonians is referred to by economists as the tragedy of the commons. It is why communism does not work. Because of the ideal that Jesus put forward, like in this Gospel, the early Christians set up communes, but these were given up before very long. Communism does work in monasteries and convents where people work as much as they can and take as little as they need. It will always fail in the larger world where people work as little as they can and take as much as they want.
The problem with communism is reflected in our psalm today: “Lord, give success to the work of our hands.” Humans need to have that dignity which comes from seeing the work of their hands. To build something and then step back and say, “I built that” is a great feeling. Ideally, every human job would lead to this feeling. “I built that; I wrote that; I made that; I fixed that; I cleaned that; I healed them; I taught them.” St. Paul’s concern is not just anger about these freeloaders. He is concerned for them, because of what happens when a person stops working.
Not that capitalism is the perfect solution either. Many people work in jobs that either are fundamentally useless or are a small, repetitive part of the larger task. They are not able to have pride in their work. This is what happens when the economy is driven by money rather than respect for human labor. Just because a business process is more efficient does not mean that it is right.
Labor Day is not only a chance to celebrate human labor and to thank God for the gift of our own labor, but a call to justice. There is no perfect economic system because no system can compensate for human selfishness and greed, but we can do better than we are doing right now. Many people are forced to do menial tasks in order to provide for their families. Many people do not receive a just wage for their work. We have an obligation to do better. We cannot just pass this responsibility off, blaming government and greedy business owners. Everyone who benefits from the work of another has a responsibility to that person.
Psalm 90.2, 3-5a, 12-13, 14+16 Resp. 17b OR Psalm 127.1, 2 Resp. 1ac
Matthew 6.21-34 OR Matthew 25.14-30
The problem the St. Paul is confronting with the Thessalonians is referred to by economists as the tragedy of the commons. It is why communism does not work. Because of the ideal that Jesus put forward, like in this Gospel, the early Christians set up communes, but these were given up before very long. Communism does work in monasteries and convents where people work as much as they can and take as little as they need. It will always fail in the larger world where people work as little as they can and take as much as they want.
The problem with communism is reflected in our psalm today: “Lord, give success to the work of our hands.” Humans need to have that dignity which comes from seeing the work of their hands. To build something and then step back and say, “I built that” is a great feeling. Ideally, every human job would lead to this feeling. “I built that; I wrote that; I made that; I fixed that; I cleaned that; I healed them; I taught them.” St. Paul’s concern is not just anger about these freeloaders. He is concerned for them, because of what happens when a person stops working.
Not that capitalism is the perfect solution either. Many people work in jobs that either are fundamentally useless or are a small, repetitive part of the larger task. They are not able to have pride in their work. This is what happens when the economy is driven by money rather than respect for human labor. Just because a business process is more efficient does not mean that it is right.
Labor Day is not only a chance to celebrate human labor and to thank God for the gift of our own labor, but a call to justice. There is no perfect economic system because no system can compensate for human selfishness and greed, but we can do better than we are doing right now. Many people are forced to do menial tasks in order to provide for their families. Many people do not receive a just wage for their work. We have an obligation to do better. We cannot just pass this responsibility off, blaming government and greedy business owners. Everyone who benefits from the work of another has a responsibility to that person.
June 18, 2012 - Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 21:1-16
Psalm 5:2-3, 4-7
Matthew 5:38-42
In the first reading today, Jezebel tells the town officials to find two scoundrels, but the reading is full, beginning to end with scoundrels. Ahab is bad because he throws a temper tantrum when he does not get to have the vegetable garden that he wants next to his house, and he is bad because he stands by while others do evil in his name. The town officials are wicked because they betray Naboth just because a letter tells them to. Of course, the two scoundrels are wicked for acting as false witnesses. Then there is a Jezebel, a woman so wicked that 3000 years later, her name still means a wicked woman.
We can agree that the only person of merit in the reading is Naboth who never did anything to deserve the way he was treated. However, while Naboth did not commit a sin per se, we could still say that he did something wrong. Clearly, in retrospect, he should have taken the deal when Ahab offered it to him. It was not just. Naboth had good reasons for refusing, but if he had taken the deal he might have lived for a while to come. No one likes to give wicked people what they want, but sometimes it is the most reasonable course of action. Your wallet or your car or anything you own is not worth your life.
In the Gospel, Jesus is taking this concept further yet. He does not merely suggest that we should give the wicked what they want so that they will leave us alone, but that we should give them more than they want. Give them two miles instead of one, and give them your cloak in addition to the tunic they wanted. Let them hit you twice if they want to hit you once.
What he is showing is a disregard not merely for material possessions, but for those immaterial possessions we so greatly value: our pride, our comfort, even our freedom. In this unfair world, sometimes we are better off allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of rather than stand up for ourselves and suffer the consequences. This is not easy, but it is just the reality. By not holding tightly onto our rights, we are able to be above the battle of this world and free to do what really matters.
Psalm 5:2-3, 4-7
Matthew 5:38-42
In the first reading today, Jezebel tells the town officials to find two scoundrels, but the reading is full, beginning to end with scoundrels. Ahab is bad because he throws a temper tantrum when he does not get to have the vegetable garden that he wants next to his house, and he is bad because he stands by while others do evil in his name. The town officials are wicked because they betray Naboth just because a letter tells them to. Of course, the two scoundrels are wicked for acting as false witnesses. Then there is a Jezebel, a woman so wicked that 3000 years later, her name still means a wicked woman.
We can agree that the only person of merit in the reading is Naboth who never did anything to deserve the way he was treated. However, while Naboth did not commit a sin per se, we could still say that he did something wrong. Clearly, in retrospect, he should have taken the deal when Ahab offered it to him. It was not just. Naboth had good reasons for refusing, but if he had taken the deal he might have lived for a while to come. No one likes to give wicked people what they want, but sometimes it is the most reasonable course of action. Your wallet or your car or anything you own is not worth your life.
In the Gospel, Jesus is taking this concept further yet. He does not merely suggest that we should give the wicked what they want so that they will leave us alone, but that we should give them more than they want. Give them two miles instead of one, and give them your cloak in addition to the tunic they wanted. Let them hit you twice if they want to hit you once.
What he is showing is a disregard not merely for material possessions, but for those immaterial possessions we so greatly value: our pride, our comfort, even our freedom. In this unfair world, sometimes we are better off allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of rather than stand up for ourselves and suffer the consequences. This is not easy, but it is just the reality. By not holding tightly onto our rights, we are able to be above the battle of this world and free to do what really matters.
April 15, 2012 - Divine Mercy Sunday, 2nd Sunday of Easter
Today's Readings
We have been celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for the past week. Today we celebrate one particular aspect of the Resurrection: Divine Mercy. We see divine mercy at work in the appearances of Jesus. First the angel announced his Resurrection, but no one believed. Then he himself appeared to Mary Magdalene. She believed, but no one believed her. Then he appeared to Cleopas and another disciple, perhaps his wife, in Emmaus. Then he appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to a group including nine other apostles.
Only Thomas was left out now. With all these people testifying to the Resurrection, surely he will believe. No. He claims that he will not believe until he puts his fingers in the holes made by the nails and his hand into the side opened by the spear. He does not want to believe in a ghost or a con man. He thinks everyone else might have been fooled, and he is not willing to be fooled along with them.
As a side note, there is someone else left out, someone whom Jesus never appeared to: his mother, Mary. When Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”, he meant her above all. She receives every blessing in Scripture, and this is no exception. She first saw Jesus again after she was taken into heaven, decades later, but she believed in the Resurrection before anyone else. She did not even go to the tomb on Easter morning. She knew that no one was there.
It says in the Gospel that one week passed before Jesus appeared again. That must have been an uncomfortable week. Thomas was still sad, still mourning the death of Jesus; everyone else was celebrating the Resurrection and wondering. Perhaps Thomas thought that everyone was playing some elaborate (and not particularly funny) practical joke. Everyone must have seemed crazy. Thomas could not leave in case Jesus appeared again, but it must have been very hard to stay when everyone around him was celebrating what he thought was a mass delusion.
God is merciful. Not only does Jesus appear to Thomas, but he tells him to put his finger in his hands and his hand in his side. Whatever it takes, Jesus is willing to do, but Thomas was wrong. He did not need to touch Jesus to prove to himself the reality of the Resurrection. As soon as he sees Jesus, he falls down and says, “My Lord and my God.” Nevertheless, Jesus was willing to undergo any humiliation Thomas needed.
This is mercy. Our God is not aloof. He does not stand far off and tell us to make the arduous journey to him. He comes right down to us. He stands inches away and asks us to take one step. We have to make the journey, but he will be with us every step of the way. He will not put up with us living in sin, but he will do everything he can to help us get out.
Mercy does not take away justice. What is right is right. Consider the case of a child with a filthy room. A good mother will not allow him to live in filth. He must clean the room. This is justice. It would not be merciful for her to let him live in filth. It would not be merciful to clean the room for him. He must clean his own room; it is only just. But once justice is satisfied, mercy comes in. As soon as the child begins cleaning, his mother comes and helps.
God will not let sinners into heaven. He will not let unbelievers into heaven. It would not be just. If heaven was full of sinners and unbelievers, it would be a lot like earth, which is not exactly perfect. If heaven is going to be perfect, all the people in heaven have to be perfect. It would not be merciful if God made an exception and let someone bad into heaven; it would ruin heaven. Instead, he does everything in his power to make us good.
Jesus tells the apostles, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” He gives this immense power to them for one reason: because we need forgiveness. They do not receive this power to increase their importance. They passed this power on to their successors and assistants, the bishops and priests. Even today, every priest in the world can forgive sins. How amazing! Life would have been terrible if we had been saved but there were no forgiveness. Only small children would go to heaven. We would lose our salvation as quickly as Adam and Eve.
God has made it so easy to have our sins forgiven. We do not need to climb Mt. Everest or slay a dragon. We only have to go to one of the half a million priests in the world and confess our sins. Maybe you would prefer killing a dragon. Satan wants us to be afraid of Confession. Jesus has made it so easy, but Satan tries to scare us away. We do not need to climb Mt. Everest, but we have to climb over our pride, which might be harder. Only we can get in our own way.
But when we do get in our own way, Jesus will help us find our way again. If Thomas does not believe, Jesus will appear on Thomas’s terms. If we commit sins, Jesus gives his priests the ability to forgive sins. Who knows what secrets are contained within the mercy of God! We cannot imagine what he might have done for those who do not believe in him. We cannot imagine what how far he has gone to forgive an unrepentant sinner. Who knows what has been accomplished in the last second of life!
We must not question God’s justice or imagine that he would be unjust. God is never going to let anything slide. He will not ignore the smallest fault in our souls. God’s justice is perfect, but so is his mercy. We should not imagine any limit to the mercy of God. If we love someone, God loves them more. If we wish someone could go to heaven, God wants it more.
“For the love of God is this: that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.” Every commandment of God is for our good. There is no commandment designed to make life harder. This might be difficult to believe, if we feel the commandments as an imposition, a restriction on our lives, but every commandment of God is just God saying, “I love you. Please stop hurting yourself.” God is not trying to see if we can live up to his expectations; he knows that we cannot. God is trying by any means possible to show us mercy. We only have two options: conquer the world or be conquered by it, victory or defeat. On our own we would be defeated, but by the power and love of God our victory is certain if we will choose to be victorious.
We have been celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for the past week. Today we celebrate one particular aspect of the Resurrection: Divine Mercy. We see divine mercy at work in the appearances of Jesus. First the angel announced his Resurrection, but no one believed. Then he himself appeared to Mary Magdalene. She believed, but no one believed her. Then he appeared to Cleopas and another disciple, perhaps his wife, in Emmaus. Then he appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to a group including nine other apostles.
Only Thomas was left out now. With all these people testifying to the Resurrection, surely he will believe. No. He claims that he will not believe until he puts his fingers in the holes made by the nails and his hand into the side opened by the spear. He does not want to believe in a ghost or a con man. He thinks everyone else might have been fooled, and he is not willing to be fooled along with them.
As a side note, there is someone else left out, someone whom Jesus never appeared to: his mother, Mary. When Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”, he meant her above all. She receives every blessing in Scripture, and this is no exception. She first saw Jesus again after she was taken into heaven, decades later, but she believed in the Resurrection before anyone else. She did not even go to the tomb on Easter morning. She knew that no one was there.
It says in the Gospel that one week passed before Jesus appeared again. That must have been an uncomfortable week. Thomas was still sad, still mourning the death of Jesus; everyone else was celebrating the Resurrection and wondering. Perhaps Thomas thought that everyone was playing some elaborate (and not particularly funny) practical joke. Everyone must have seemed crazy. Thomas could not leave in case Jesus appeared again, but it must have been very hard to stay when everyone around him was celebrating what he thought was a mass delusion.
God is merciful. Not only does Jesus appear to Thomas, but he tells him to put his finger in his hands and his hand in his side. Whatever it takes, Jesus is willing to do, but Thomas was wrong. He did not need to touch Jesus to prove to himself the reality of the Resurrection. As soon as he sees Jesus, he falls down and says, “My Lord and my God.” Nevertheless, Jesus was willing to undergo any humiliation Thomas needed.
This is mercy. Our God is not aloof. He does not stand far off and tell us to make the arduous journey to him. He comes right down to us. He stands inches away and asks us to take one step. We have to make the journey, but he will be with us every step of the way. He will not put up with us living in sin, but he will do everything he can to help us get out.
Mercy does not take away justice. What is right is right. Consider the case of a child with a filthy room. A good mother will not allow him to live in filth. He must clean the room. This is justice. It would not be merciful for her to let him live in filth. It would not be merciful to clean the room for him. He must clean his own room; it is only just. But once justice is satisfied, mercy comes in. As soon as the child begins cleaning, his mother comes and helps.
God will not let sinners into heaven. He will not let unbelievers into heaven. It would not be just. If heaven was full of sinners and unbelievers, it would be a lot like earth, which is not exactly perfect. If heaven is going to be perfect, all the people in heaven have to be perfect. It would not be merciful if God made an exception and let someone bad into heaven; it would ruin heaven. Instead, he does everything in his power to make us good.
Jesus tells the apostles, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” He gives this immense power to them for one reason: because we need forgiveness. They do not receive this power to increase their importance. They passed this power on to their successors and assistants, the bishops and priests. Even today, every priest in the world can forgive sins. How amazing! Life would have been terrible if we had been saved but there were no forgiveness. Only small children would go to heaven. We would lose our salvation as quickly as Adam and Eve.
God has made it so easy to have our sins forgiven. We do not need to climb Mt. Everest or slay a dragon. We only have to go to one of the half a million priests in the world and confess our sins. Maybe you would prefer killing a dragon. Satan wants us to be afraid of Confession. Jesus has made it so easy, but Satan tries to scare us away. We do not need to climb Mt. Everest, but we have to climb over our pride, which might be harder. Only we can get in our own way.
But when we do get in our own way, Jesus will help us find our way again. If Thomas does not believe, Jesus will appear on Thomas’s terms. If we commit sins, Jesus gives his priests the ability to forgive sins. Who knows what secrets are contained within the mercy of God! We cannot imagine what he might have done for those who do not believe in him. We cannot imagine what how far he has gone to forgive an unrepentant sinner. Who knows what has been accomplished in the last second of life!
We must not question God’s justice or imagine that he would be unjust. God is never going to let anything slide. He will not ignore the smallest fault in our souls. God’s justice is perfect, but so is his mercy. We should not imagine any limit to the mercy of God. If we love someone, God loves them more. If we wish someone could go to heaven, God wants it more.
“For the love of God is this: that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.” Every commandment of God is for our good. There is no commandment designed to make life harder. This might be difficult to believe, if we feel the commandments as an imposition, a restriction on our lives, but every commandment of God is just God saying, “I love you. Please stop hurting yourself.” God is not trying to see if we can live up to his expectations; he knows that we cannot. God is trying by any means possible to show us mercy. We only have two options: conquer the world or be conquered by it, victory or defeat. On our own we would be defeated, but by the power and love of God our victory is certain if we will choose to be victorious.
March 5, 2012 - Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Today's Readings
In fairy tales, not the Disney versions but the originals, a common trope is that the king will ask the wicked person for advice on how to punish a wicked person. The wicked person misunderstands who the punishment is for and advises a particularly horrific punishment. Then the king tells the wicked person that they will be punished exactly as they said. There is some poetic justice in how the person is forced to suffer their own sentence. I often wondered why they never realize in time that they have been caught and suggests some very light punishment.
Jesus warns us that we are going to suffer this poetic justice. Hopefully, we hear his words in time to save ourselves. If our King asks me how a sinner should be treated, I am going to say that he should be forgiven if he is even a little bit sorry and then welcomed into heaven. These cannot be mere words: I need to start treating sinners that way since that is how I want to be treated. Jesus tells us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. In other words, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us, because that is in fact how it will be done unto us.
When we do something wrong, we are usually quick to talk about mitigating circumstances. It is truly a saint who takes absolute responsibility for their own sins. Even if we accept responsibility for our sin, we who fall far short of righteousness quickly begin to explain why it was not really so bad after all, until we are confessing merely that we misheard or misunderstood or were misunderstood: “I am very sorry that you were offended by what I said.” How rare is the person who can say “I’m sorry” without adding soon after “Although, it was not really as bad as you make out.”
So it is that we are very good about making up excuses for ourselves. We should stop that. But, at the very least, we should start using this marvelous talent with other people. Not pretending that bad is good, but making every excuse for the person who has sinned against us. When someone cuts you off in traffic, presume that they are on their way to the hospital. When someone snaps at you, presume they have a very bad headache. When we measure out punishment, what seems like a tiny dose given to another will look enormous when it is directed back at ourselves.
In fairy tales, not the Disney versions but the originals, a common trope is that the king will ask the wicked person for advice on how to punish a wicked person. The wicked person misunderstands who the punishment is for and advises a particularly horrific punishment. Then the king tells the wicked person that they will be punished exactly as they said. There is some poetic justice in how the person is forced to suffer their own sentence. I often wondered why they never realize in time that they have been caught and suggests some very light punishment.
Jesus warns us that we are going to suffer this poetic justice. Hopefully, we hear his words in time to save ourselves. If our King asks me how a sinner should be treated, I am going to say that he should be forgiven if he is even a little bit sorry and then welcomed into heaven. These cannot be mere words: I need to start treating sinners that way since that is how I want to be treated. Jesus tells us that the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. In other words, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us, because that is in fact how it will be done unto us.
When we do something wrong, we are usually quick to talk about mitigating circumstances. It is truly a saint who takes absolute responsibility for their own sins. Even if we accept responsibility for our sin, we who fall far short of righteousness quickly begin to explain why it was not really so bad after all, until we are confessing merely that we misheard or misunderstood or were misunderstood: “I am very sorry that you were offended by what I said.” How rare is the person who can say “I’m sorry” without adding soon after “Although, it was not really as bad as you make out.”
So it is that we are very good about making up excuses for ourselves. We should stop that. But, at the very least, we should start using this marvelous talent with other people. Not pretending that bad is good, but making every excuse for the person who has sinned against us. When someone cuts you off in traffic, presume that they are on their way to the hospital. When someone snaps at you, presume they have a very bad headache. When we measure out punishment, what seems like a tiny dose given to another will look enormous when it is directed back at ourselves.
February 5, 2012 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Readings
Slavery is horrible. It is difficult to imagine how horrible it really is from the perspective of the freedom that we enjoy as modern Americans. There is still slavery in the world: women enslaved as prostitutes, children enslaved as soldiers. There are also millions of workers whose conditions are such that their lives are no different than slaves, even if they are not called that. The economic system and globalization rely on such virtual slaves. The only way to ensure a constant supply of cheap clothing and electronics to American stores are these sorts of slaves.
Clearly we are not in a position to better their working conditions. We only buy what is for sale; we do not decide how it is made. But we also do not care how it is made. Oh I know that if someone said this shirt was made by people who are abused and forced to work and given very little in return, not nearly enough to survive, we would not buy it, but there is no one to say that. If we really cared we would insist on knowing, but it is easier to forget. The average family has its own struggles and must prioritize. If the shirt can be found for a few dollars less then that helps the budget.
The current system removes us from the guilt; it removes everyone from the guilt. The managers of factories say that the corporate executives have set the production goals. The corporate executives say that consumers demand a certain product at a certain price. Consumers say that they never asked for anyone to the enslaved. Nevertheless, there are slaves. If we owned slaves directly, we would have to look at them and realize that they are human just like us, we would be forced to sympathize and imagine what it would be like to be a slave. Since no one is in charge, no one has to carry that guilt.
What is the solution? Clearly there is a problem. The solution is twofold: support those who are working to end slavery and stop supporting those systems that promote it. As it says in our first reading today, “a slave longs for the shade, a hireling waits for their wages.” On the one hand, through charity we can give some relief to those sort of suffering. On the other hand, through justice we can pay what we owe to those who work for us.
Each year on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we take up a collection for Catholic Relief Services. This collection does much of the most important work in the world. No one cares for the poor as much as the Catholic Church does. No one cares for the poor as efficiently. No one cares for the poor in more parts of the world. I am mentioning this now, almost two months before the collection is taken up , because our annual giving to this collection should not just be our spare change. If we could meet the people who need our help, if we were the people who need help, how much would be enough?
It is by means of Catholic Relief Services and similar organizations that the Body of Christ is united in charity. It is not possible for every one of us to go serve in Africa and Asia, so some members of the Church go serve there , and we support them. It is in this way that we give shade to those who are suffering.
Then we must oppose all systems that support slavery. What systems promote slavery? First of all pornography and prostitution. We must be opposed to such things because they serve no good end, but we also must oppose them because of how they are supported by slavery. We must also begin to care where things come from. We do not need, necessarily, to “buy American”, but we do need to insist that, wherever a product is made, it is made ethically, with respect for the human soul that labored to create it.
This means, above all, voting with our wallets. If we have to spend a few extra dollars on clothing that is not stained with the sin of slavery, even if that means that we cannot afford to buy as many shirts in a year, even if that means that we cannot be as fashionable as we want. Corporations always give us exactly what we want if we are willing to pay for it. If we demand that people be treated with respect, and we are willing to pay for that respect, they will get it. In this way the hirelings will receive their wages.
Slavery is horrible, but it is the image which St. Paul uses today for the life that he lives. He says that he has made himself a slave to all. What does this mean? Paul was free to do anything he wanted. He was a citizen of the Roman Empire. He was not a slave to anyone. He could have spent his life making money or on any of the pursuits that humans like to pursue. Instead, he dedicated his life to telling people about Jesus Christ.
He traveled long distances to deliver a message, though no one paid him to be messenger. He taught a wisdom greater than any philosopher, though no one paid him to be a teacher. He healed the sick and raised people from the dead, though no one paid him to be a doctor. He exercised concern for all those suffering, the poor and the rich, though no one paid him to be a social worker. He settled disputes that arose in the Christian community, though no one paid him to be a judge. He took up a collection for the poor in the Holy Land, though no one paid him to be a fundraiser. He gave his whole life, and asked nothing in return, because he considered himself a slave.
In this sense we are all slaves. As Bob Dylan said, “it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody.” We will spend our lives to some purpose. If it is a selfish purpose, we will be slaves to our addictions. If it is a generous purpose, we will be slaves to those we serve. Are any of you called to be slaves of the poor? Are any of you called to spend your life in order to relieve the suffering of another human being? It is a noble calling to be a slave of the slaves.
Slavery is horrible. It is difficult to imagine how horrible it really is from the perspective of the freedom that we enjoy as modern Americans. There is still slavery in the world: women enslaved as prostitutes, children enslaved as soldiers. There are also millions of workers whose conditions are such that their lives are no different than slaves, even if they are not called that. The economic system and globalization rely on such virtual slaves. The only way to ensure a constant supply of cheap clothing and electronics to American stores are these sorts of slaves.
Clearly we are not in a position to better their working conditions. We only buy what is for sale; we do not decide how it is made. But we also do not care how it is made. Oh I know that if someone said this shirt was made by people who are abused and forced to work and given very little in return, not nearly enough to survive, we would not buy it, but there is no one to say that. If we really cared we would insist on knowing, but it is easier to forget. The average family has its own struggles and must prioritize. If the shirt can be found for a few dollars less then that helps the budget.
The current system removes us from the guilt; it removes everyone from the guilt. The managers of factories say that the corporate executives have set the production goals. The corporate executives say that consumers demand a certain product at a certain price. Consumers say that they never asked for anyone to the enslaved. Nevertheless, there are slaves. If we owned slaves directly, we would have to look at them and realize that they are human just like us, we would be forced to sympathize and imagine what it would be like to be a slave. Since no one is in charge, no one has to carry that guilt.
What is the solution? Clearly there is a problem. The solution is twofold: support those who are working to end slavery and stop supporting those systems that promote it. As it says in our first reading today, “a slave longs for the shade, a hireling waits for their wages.” On the one hand, through charity we can give some relief to those sort of suffering. On the other hand, through justice we can pay what we owe to those who work for us.
Each year on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we take up a collection for Catholic Relief Services. This collection does much of the most important work in the world. No one cares for the poor as much as the Catholic Church does. No one cares for the poor as efficiently. No one cares for the poor in more parts of the world. I am mentioning this now, almost two months before the collection is taken up , because our annual giving to this collection should not just be our spare change. If we could meet the people who need our help, if we were the people who need help, how much would be enough?
It is by means of Catholic Relief Services and similar organizations that the Body of Christ is united in charity. It is not possible for every one of us to go serve in Africa and Asia, so some members of the Church go serve there , and we support them. It is in this way that we give shade to those who are suffering.
Then we must oppose all systems that support slavery. What systems promote slavery? First of all pornography and prostitution. We must be opposed to such things because they serve no good end, but we also must oppose them because of how they are supported by slavery. We must also begin to care where things come from. We do not need, necessarily, to “buy American”, but we do need to insist that, wherever a product is made, it is made ethically, with respect for the human soul that labored to create it.
This means, above all, voting with our wallets. If we have to spend a few extra dollars on clothing that is not stained with the sin of slavery, even if that means that we cannot afford to buy as many shirts in a year, even if that means that we cannot be as fashionable as we want. Corporations always give us exactly what we want if we are willing to pay for it. If we demand that people be treated with respect, and we are willing to pay for that respect, they will get it. In this way the hirelings will receive their wages.
Slavery is horrible, but it is the image which St. Paul uses today for the life that he lives. He says that he has made himself a slave to all. What does this mean? Paul was free to do anything he wanted. He was a citizen of the Roman Empire. He was not a slave to anyone. He could have spent his life making money or on any of the pursuits that humans like to pursue. Instead, he dedicated his life to telling people about Jesus Christ.
He traveled long distances to deliver a message, though no one paid him to be messenger. He taught a wisdom greater than any philosopher, though no one paid him to be a teacher. He healed the sick and raised people from the dead, though no one paid him to be a doctor. He exercised concern for all those suffering, the poor and the rich, though no one paid him to be a social worker. He settled disputes that arose in the Christian community, though no one paid him to be a judge. He took up a collection for the poor in the Holy Land, though no one paid him to be a fundraiser. He gave his whole life, and asked nothing in return, because he considered himself a slave.
In this sense we are all slaves. As Bob Dylan said, “it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody.” We will spend our lives to some purpose. If it is a selfish purpose, we will be slaves to our addictions. If it is a generous purpose, we will be slaves to those we serve. Are any of you called to be slaves of the poor? Are any of you called to spend your life in order to relieve the suffering of another human being? It is a noble calling to be a slave of the slaves.
November 23, 2011 - Wednesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Readings
Our first reading today is the source of a couple of sayings in English. The first is “seeing the hand writing on the wall”. When someone says that they have seen the hand writing on the wall, they mean that they are aware of what is coming next, usually something that cannot be avoided. In the reading today, the writing hand is a visible expression of the will of God. God gives the king this sign so that there can be no doubt that the end of the empire of Babylon was not a mere accident of history; it was part of God’s plan for the world.
Another saying taken from the reading today is an insult: “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” This insult is profound: it implies a judge of the world able to weigh emperors on a scale; it implies a minimum standard which everyone ought to meet. This statement is an expression of pure justice: no one can debate with a scale; no one can give excuses or explanations; no one can bribe a scale; the scale measures dispassionately. Thus we have the image of blind Justice holding the scales.
The king is terrified. In fairness, he did see a disembodied hand writing on the wall, but how did he know that the hand was writing something against him? The hand could have been writing something good. Such a hand would surprise anyone but it will only cause fear in the mind of a guilty person. The king knew that he deserved punishment, so he presumed that his punishment had come. When we have a clear conscience very little can frighten us, but a person with a guilty conscience is afraid of their own shadow.
Was this king guiltier than other men? I do not think so. No guiltier than I am, perhaps less so. We all have a guilty conscience because we all have sinned. We are afraid of ghosts and darkness because we know that we deserve punishment for our sins, and we fear that our punishment is just around the corner. We need someone to save us from our guilt, from our fear, and we have such a Savior. How many times did Jesus say, “Be not afraid”? In Jesus Christ, our sins will be forgiven so that we do not have to be afraid anymore.
Our first reading today is the source of a couple of sayings in English. The first is “seeing the hand writing on the wall”. When someone says that they have seen the hand writing on the wall, they mean that they are aware of what is coming next, usually something that cannot be avoided. In the reading today, the writing hand is a visible expression of the will of God. God gives the king this sign so that there can be no doubt that the end of the empire of Babylon was not a mere accident of history; it was part of God’s plan for the world.
Another saying taken from the reading today is an insult: “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” This insult is profound: it implies a judge of the world able to weigh emperors on a scale; it implies a minimum standard which everyone ought to meet. This statement is an expression of pure justice: no one can debate with a scale; no one can give excuses or explanations; no one can bribe a scale; the scale measures dispassionately. Thus we have the image of blind Justice holding the scales.
The king is terrified. In fairness, he did see a disembodied hand writing on the wall, but how did he know that the hand was writing something against him? The hand could have been writing something good. Such a hand would surprise anyone but it will only cause fear in the mind of a guilty person. The king knew that he deserved punishment, so he presumed that his punishment had come. When we have a clear conscience very little can frighten us, but a person with a guilty conscience is afraid of their own shadow.
Was this king guiltier than other men? I do not think so. No guiltier than I am, perhaps less so. We all have a guilty conscience because we all have sinned. We are afraid of ghosts and darkness because we know that we deserve punishment for our sins, and we fear that our punishment is just around the corner. We need someone to save us from our guilt, from our fear, and we have such a Savior. How many times did Jesus say, “Be not afraid”? In Jesus Christ, our sins will be forgiven so that we do not have to be afraid anymore.
November 17, 2011 - Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
Today's Readings
Jesus today prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem. It happened, exactly as he described, about forty years later. The prophecy is so accurate that some say that Luke invented it after seeing the destruction of Jerusalem. Some people will believe any nonsense rather than acknowledge the power of God.
Jesus gives more than a prophecy here. He also gives a reason: because the city failed to recognize the time of its visitation. It is not politic to say that Jerusalem was destroyed because they killed Jesus, and the idea is tied up with anti-Jewish attitudes, but we cannot reject the word of the Lord. Jerusalem was destroyed because they failed to recognize the time of their visitation. The destruction of Jerusalem was divine justice.
As Mattathias asks in our first reading today, “Will it benefit us to forsake the law and right-living?” The king may give them gold and high positions, but who wants gold and high positions if they cannot live the way they should? Nothing is as valuable as the freedom to serve God. Any city that chooses money or pleasure or political safety over the grace of God has chosen poorly. It is only appropriate that such a city should be destroyed.
Yet, though Jerusalem was destroyed by divine justice, this is not an anti-Jewish idea. The example of Jerusalem threatens all of us. Every city and every nation that fails to recognize the Lord is in danger of destruction. It does not come immediately, as imagined by a cartoonish, childish understanding of divine justice. Jerusalem was not destroyed for forty more years. The destruction comes at the appropriate moment.
Our country has been killing innocent children by the millions for 40 years now. We have chosen, as a society, convenience and selfishness over justice and love. Who can doubt that we are in danger of destruction? We pray for God to bless America, and we consider our country a shining beacon of freedom and safety in a dangerous world, and God has blessed America and continues to bless her, but how much longer will he put up with this injustice? Empires have risen and fallen before. God does not need America; America needs God.
So we pray for our country, our motherland. We pray for God to save her from the destruction due to her in justice, for the blood of 55 million babies killed even before they were born cries out to God for vengeance. We pray for God to remove this injustice in our midst, we work to remove this injustice in our midst, and we offer the sacrifice of fasts and prayer in reparation for injustices that have been committed.
Jesus today prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem. It happened, exactly as he described, about forty years later. The prophecy is so accurate that some say that Luke invented it after seeing the destruction of Jerusalem. Some people will believe any nonsense rather than acknowledge the power of God.
Jesus gives more than a prophecy here. He also gives a reason: because the city failed to recognize the time of its visitation. It is not politic to say that Jerusalem was destroyed because they killed Jesus, and the idea is tied up with anti-Jewish attitudes, but we cannot reject the word of the Lord. Jerusalem was destroyed because they failed to recognize the time of their visitation. The destruction of Jerusalem was divine justice.
As Mattathias asks in our first reading today, “Will it benefit us to forsake the law and right-living?” The king may give them gold and high positions, but who wants gold and high positions if they cannot live the way they should? Nothing is as valuable as the freedom to serve God. Any city that chooses money or pleasure or political safety over the grace of God has chosen poorly. It is only appropriate that such a city should be destroyed.
Yet, though Jerusalem was destroyed by divine justice, this is not an anti-Jewish idea. The example of Jerusalem threatens all of us. Every city and every nation that fails to recognize the Lord is in danger of destruction. It does not come immediately, as imagined by a cartoonish, childish understanding of divine justice. Jerusalem was not destroyed for forty more years. The destruction comes at the appropriate moment.
Our country has been killing innocent children by the millions for 40 years now. We have chosen, as a society, convenience and selfishness over justice and love. Who can doubt that we are in danger of destruction? We pray for God to bless America, and we consider our country a shining beacon of freedom and safety in a dangerous world, and God has blessed America and continues to bless her, but how much longer will he put up with this injustice? Empires have risen and fallen before. God does not need America; America needs God.
So we pray for our country, our motherland. We pray for God to save her from the destruction due to her in justice, for the blood of 55 million babies killed even before they were born cries out to God for vengeance. We pray for God to remove this injustice in our midst, we work to remove this injustice in our midst, and we offer the sacrifice of fasts and prayer in reparation for injustices that have been committed.
October 16, 2011 - Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Readings
Is Jesus a Democrat or is he a Republican? Is he Conservative or Liberal? Is he a Communist, a Socialist, or a Capitalist? This is the question of the Pharisees in the Gospel today. They want to know what Jesus’ politics are. Politics in ancient Israel ranged from the zealots who wanted to kill every Roman soldier to the Sadducees who thought that the Romans were filthy Gentiles but thought they could work together, all things considered. Everybody hated the Romans, but the parties differed on how to deal with the fact that Israel was part of the Roman Empire.
The problem with the taxes were that they were used to pay the soldiers who were stationed in Israel. So the Israelites were actually paying to be subjugated. Further, some of the money went to pay for the official religion of Rome, the worship of Jupiter and Neptune and all that. There was no separation of Church and state back then. So the Israelites were actually subsidizing the idol-worship. Further, some of the money went to pay King Herod who was a foreigner that the Romans had propped up as the King of Israel, and he used the money to pay for a life involving almost all of the sins. Above all, paying a census tax allows the emperor to count the people of Israel, something only God is allowed to do.
So the people paid the taxes because if they did not the soldiers would step in and steal their property anyway. One way or another, the IRS was going to have its share. Not paying taxes was a sort of futile protest, like spitting at the wind. They paid the taxes, but it troubled all of them, since they were willingly participating in evil. Judas Maccabees would not have paid the taxes; he would have fought a war. King David would not have paid the taxes; he would have stood up to Goliath. Moses would not have paid the taxes; he would have sent plagues on all of Rome.
So representatives from two major political parties went to Jesus to see what his position would be. I think we Christians should note here that the Pharisee rabbis did not go themselves but sent their students. I wonder if this would have included the most famous Pharisee student of all: Saul of Tarsus. St. Paul never tells us whether he saw Jesus before the Resurrection, whether he ever spoke to Jesus before the day of his conversion, and maybe he had not arrived in Jerusalem yet or maybe he was just not in this group, but he might have been.
The Pharisees are so confident to send the students because they think that they have an airtight dilemma for Jesus. If he said, “Pay the taxes” the Pharisees would have called it proof that for all his high-minded ideas, he was no great leader of Israel either, but if he had said, “No, do not pay the taxes” the Herodians, those who supported King Herod would have had him arrested for encouraging people to break the law. The Pharisees think they have him trapped. He will now have to admit that he is no greater than any of them. He is not the Messiah who has come to free Israel. He will have to admit that he too is constrained by the limitations of society.
But he admits no such thing. He shows the Pharisees how limited their thinking had become. They thought that paying taxes gave them emperor power, but what gave him power was the fact that they chose to participate in the world that he ran. Jesus answer was more radical than the zealots: “Pay the taxes; it’s only money.” No one had thought of that. Everyone agreed with the emperor that money was of great value, so they had already bought into his system. If the emperor had taxed dirt, everyone would have gladly given him a pail of dirt every time he asked for one.
“When they heard this they were amazed, and, leaving him, went away.” Why did they go away? Their plan had been destroyed, but they ought to have realized that something greater was at stake here. All they can see is that they lost the debate, but they should have seen the wisdom and bowed down to worship.
I suppose that they realized they had lost the debate publicly, but were not actually convince. Since they were only students and not rabbis, they thought they had better cut their losses and retreat. The obvious rebuttal remained in their minds, and perhaps has formed in yours: “money is not worthless; money represents work and food and the necessities of life; money allows the Romans to persecute us; money enables all sorts of sins.” Jesus’ answer is clever, really clever, but is it truly wise?
Indeed it is. The coin had the image of Caesar, and so it belonged to Caesar. The economic system, the political system, the whole empire, all belonged to Caesar. What belongs to God? Well, what has the image of God stamped on it? We do. Each one of us was created in the image of God. Caesar can have the world and all the human structures built into the world, but we belong to God. If we do not choose to do evil, if we do not choose to give ourselves away to another Master, we will continue to belong to God.
So how does this all apply to us? Our government uses our tax dollars for abortion, for the death penalty, for wars, for many things that we would not choose to have our money pay for. Should we work within the structure of the government to change the laws, or should we give up on the government and consider it a lost cause?
The answer is both. We Christians should protest strongly the new rule that says that every employer must buy birth control for their employees. We should not just roll over while the government takes over Catholic hospitals and Catholic schools and Catholic adoption agencies and Catholic homeless shelters, imposing a warped and foolish morality on institutions that the Church built and which only continue functioning because of the work of Christians. The politicians do not want to serve the poor, but they want to force us to do it their way.
Politicians want to force the whole world to do things their way. The day is coming, indeed it is already here, when we are going to have to say: “You want our money? Take it. You want our buildings? Take them. You want our lives? Take them. The world is yours, if you can keep it, but you cannot have our selves. Those belong to God. We are not ours to give away. You can threaten. You can ostracize. You can do whatever you can do. We do not live in your kingdom. We are free citizens of the Kingdom of God.”
We must keep both mindsets active. There is a time to protest injustice, but we must never despair. Even if we cannot make the world just, that was never our primary task. Our real goal is to make ourselves just, if we can, with the help of God.
Is Jesus a Democrat or is he a Republican? Is he Conservative or Liberal? Is he a Communist, a Socialist, or a Capitalist? This is the question of the Pharisees in the Gospel today. They want to know what Jesus’ politics are. Politics in ancient Israel ranged from the zealots who wanted to kill every Roman soldier to the Sadducees who thought that the Romans were filthy Gentiles but thought they could work together, all things considered. Everybody hated the Romans, but the parties differed on how to deal with the fact that Israel was part of the Roman Empire.
The problem with the taxes were that they were used to pay the soldiers who were stationed in Israel. So the Israelites were actually paying to be subjugated. Further, some of the money went to pay for the official religion of Rome, the worship of Jupiter and Neptune and all that. There was no separation of Church and state back then. So the Israelites were actually subsidizing the idol-worship. Further, some of the money went to pay King Herod who was a foreigner that the Romans had propped up as the King of Israel, and he used the money to pay for a life involving almost all of the sins. Above all, paying a census tax allows the emperor to count the people of Israel, something only God is allowed to do.
So the people paid the taxes because if they did not the soldiers would step in and steal their property anyway. One way or another, the IRS was going to have its share. Not paying taxes was a sort of futile protest, like spitting at the wind. They paid the taxes, but it troubled all of them, since they were willingly participating in evil. Judas Maccabees would not have paid the taxes; he would have fought a war. King David would not have paid the taxes; he would have stood up to Goliath. Moses would not have paid the taxes; he would have sent plagues on all of Rome.
So representatives from two major political parties went to Jesus to see what his position would be. I think we Christians should note here that the Pharisee rabbis did not go themselves but sent their students. I wonder if this would have included the most famous Pharisee student of all: Saul of Tarsus. St. Paul never tells us whether he saw Jesus before the Resurrection, whether he ever spoke to Jesus before the day of his conversion, and maybe he had not arrived in Jerusalem yet or maybe he was just not in this group, but he might have been.
The Pharisees are so confident to send the students because they think that they have an airtight dilemma for Jesus. If he said, “Pay the taxes” the Pharisees would have called it proof that for all his high-minded ideas, he was no great leader of Israel either, but if he had said, “No, do not pay the taxes” the Herodians, those who supported King Herod would have had him arrested for encouraging people to break the law. The Pharisees think they have him trapped. He will now have to admit that he is no greater than any of them. He is not the Messiah who has come to free Israel. He will have to admit that he too is constrained by the limitations of society.
But he admits no such thing. He shows the Pharisees how limited their thinking had become. They thought that paying taxes gave them emperor power, but what gave him power was the fact that they chose to participate in the world that he ran. Jesus answer was more radical than the zealots: “Pay the taxes; it’s only money.” No one had thought of that. Everyone agreed with the emperor that money was of great value, so they had already bought into his system. If the emperor had taxed dirt, everyone would have gladly given him a pail of dirt every time he asked for one.
“When they heard this they were amazed, and, leaving him, went away.” Why did they go away? Their plan had been destroyed, but they ought to have realized that something greater was at stake here. All they can see is that they lost the debate, but they should have seen the wisdom and bowed down to worship.
I suppose that they realized they had lost the debate publicly, but were not actually convince. Since they were only students and not rabbis, they thought they had better cut their losses and retreat. The obvious rebuttal remained in their minds, and perhaps has formed in yours: “money is not worthless; money represents work and food and the necessities of life; money allows the Romans to persecute us; money enables all sorts of sins.” Jesus’ answer is clever, really clever, but is it truly wise?
Indeed it is. The coin had the image of Caesar, and so it belonged to Caesar. The economic system, the political system, the whole empire, all belonged to Caesar. What belongs to God? Well, what has the image of God stamped on it? We do. Each one of us was created in the image of God. Caesar can have the world and all the human structures built into the world, but we belong to God. If we do not choose to do evil, if we do not choose to give ourselves away to another Master, we will continue to belong to God.
So how does this all apply to us? Our government uses our tax dollars for abortion, for the death penalty, for wars, for many things that we would not choose to have our money pay for. Should we work within the structure of the government to change the laws, or should we give up on the government and consider it a lost cause?
The answer is both. We Christians should protest strongly the new rule that says that every employer must buy birth control for their employees. We should not just roll over while the government takes over Catholic hospitals and Catholic schools and Catholic adoption agencies and Catholic homeless shelters, imposing a warped and foolish morality on institutions that the Church built and which only continue functioning because of the work of Christians. The politicians do not want to serve the poor, but they want to force us to do it their way.
Politicians want to force the whole world to do things their way. The day is coming, indeed it is already here, when we are going to have to say: “You want our money? Take it. You want our buildings? Take them. You want our lives? Take them. The world is yours, if you can keep it, but you cannot have our selves. Those belong to God. We are not ours to give away. You can threaten. You can ostracize. You can do whatever you can do. We do not live in your kingdom. We are free citizens of the Kingdom of God.”
We must keep both mindsets active. There is a time to protest injustice, but we must never despair. Even if we cannot make the world just, that was never our primary task. Our real goal is to make ourselves just, if we can, with the help of God.
September 12, 2011 - Monday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary time
Today's Readings
St. Paul asks us in the first reading to pray “for everyone, for kings and for all in authority.” He wrote this at a time when kings and those in authority were often very bad people. We all know about King Herod and the various Roman Emperors. Today we vote for our government and become very upset if they happen to disagree about tax policies. Perhaps modern people are more likely to be dissatisfied with any leader, or maybe ancient people just expected their leaders to be cruel and capricious.
We have to live somewhere, under some political system. Christians can engage in the political process of their countries like anyone else, and really ought to so that they can bring the truths they know from faith into the public sphere, but if someone is elected whom we disagree with, we ought to pray that they will do what is right.
St. Paul is just being practical. He says that we should pray for government leaders because he believes that praying has effect. He believes that if we pray for them, they will be helped to lead in a wise and just way. Some people might think that praying is nice but not a very effective way to change the world. What about faith? If we believe that God can do anything, and we believe that he is waiting for us to ask him for what we need, then we should eagerly pray for peace and justice.
Some people like the policies of President Obama. Some people do not. If we consider only one policy that we Christians all ought to strongly oppose, namely his support for those who kill small children who have not been born yet, we ought to pray for him to learn the truth about the dignity of every human being. If we consider the many other policies and decisions involved in being President, we should pray that he has the wisdom to know what is right.
I do not know how to reduce unemployment, maybe no one really knows, but God knows. His wisdom could help our President to make the country better. Whether we voted for him or not, it is in our best interest to pray for him, and not only for him but for all the Senators and Representatives and Legislators and Justices and Judges and police officers and everyone else, “for kings and all in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life.”
St. Paul asks us in the first reading to pray “for everyone, for kings and for all in authority.” He wrote this at a time when kings and those in authority were often very bad people. We all know about King Herod and the various Roman Emperors. Today we vote for our government and become very upset if they happen to disagree about tax policies. Perhaps modern people are more likely to be dissatisfied with any leader, or maybe ancient people just expected their leaders to be cruel and capricious.
We have to live somewhere, under some political system. Christians can engage in the political process of their countries like anyone else, and really ought to so that they can bring the truths they know from faith into the public sphere, but if someone is elected whom we disagree with, we ought to pray that they will do what is right.
St. Paul is just being practical. He says that we should pray for government leaders because he believes that praying has effect. He believes that if we pray for them, they will be helped to lead in a wise and just way. Some people might think that praying is nice but not a very effective way to change the world. What about faith? If we believe that God can do anything, and we believe that he is waiting for us to ask him for what we need, then we should eagerly pray for peace and justice.
Some people like the policies of President Obama. Some people do not. If we consider only one policy that we Christians all ought to strongly oppose, namely his support for those who kill small children who have not been born yet, we ought to pray for him to learn the truth about the dignity of every human being. If we consider the many other policies and decisions involved in being President, we should pray that he has the wisdom to know what is right.
I do not know how to reduce unemployment, maybe no one really knows, but God knows. His wisdom could help our President to make the country better. Whether we voted for him or not, it is in our best interest to pray for him, and not only for him but for all the Senators and Representatives and Legislators and Justices and Judges and police officers and everyone else, “for kings and all in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life.”
May 22, 2011 - Fifth Sunday of Easter
The first reading is particularly meaningful to us deacons because it relates to the foundation of our ministry. The apostles realize that they need assistants, servants, to help them with the enormous task in front of them. When Jesus walked on earth, he had the twelve apostles to assist him, so now when the apostles are in charge, they need servants too. So they choose seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and Wisdom. These men were called servants, which in the Greek language is “Diaconos.”
These deacons were not ordinary servants, as is clear from the reading. The Apostles prayed and laid hand on them. This is a sign of handing over some of the power and authority that they received from Jesus. So it is now today that we repeat this same process. Our bishop is a successor of the Apostles, but he cannot serve our entire diocese alone, so, like the apostles, he has laid hands on certain men who have been chosen, sharing the power and authority that he received when he became a bishop. So it was four years ago that the bishop laid his hands on my head, and I became a deacon, a servant.
A deacon serves the people of God in many ways. We can look back to the Acts of the Apostles to see how a deacon should serve. First of all, he should be a reputable man. If a deacon sins, it is his own sin, but it reflects badly on the Church. A deacon then must avoid sin on account of his own reputation and on account of the Church’s reputation. More than merely avoiding scandal, a deacon should represent the Church he serves well. He must be filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom. He must be an example to the whole community of what each member of the community should be.
This is a high calling, and surely many deacons have fallen short. We look to some of the great deacons in the history of the Church for an example of how a sinful man can fulfill this high calling. First of all, we consider Stephen, the first deacon named of these first seven deacons. We see how he was unafraid to preach the Gospel, even when it meant that his death. He was the first martyr. As he was being killed, he forgave those who were throwing stones at him. We see the second deacon named here, Philip, who was a great preacher. He is seen throughout the Acts of the Apostles, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There are other deacons who have done remarkable things, like Ephrem and Lawrence and Francis.
The continuing importance of deacons in our present day is clear. We have only to consider the problem that occasioned the original foundation. There was a charity program in the early Christian community, where widows were provided food each day. Some of the Christians were natives of Jerusalem and spoke Aramaic. Other Christians were immigrants and spoke Greek. The immigrants were complaining that their widows were not receiving the food that they should have gotten. The job of the deacons was to make sure that justice was being done.
Today, in our own churches in America, we experience the same problem as the early Christians did. Even though we are all Christians, we are still divided between those who are immigrants and those who are natives, we are still divided above all because of language. The solution of the early Christians can still be a solution today. If we look at the names of the first seven deacons, we see that they were probably chosen from the immigrants who were complaining about injustice.
We need more deacons today, both Deacons, in terms of the ministry, and servants in general. If you see injustice in the Church, the first question must be, “What am I doing to correct it myself?” If some Christians are not being served as they should be, have you considered becoming their servant? It is easy to complain that other people are not doing something correctly, but who will listen if you are not doing anything at all? The best way each of us can reform the Church is to be reformed ourselves, by the Holy Spirit, and then be part of the Church.
When St. Francis wanted to reform the Church, he did not go to conferences or protest in the streets. He became a deacon and began serving the poor in the way that he knew they should be served. This kind of work is not as satisfying in the short term. It might be more fun to march in the streets, but it is more practical if you yourself become the change you want to see in the world. When the poor or immigrants are ignored by the government, take care of them. Sometimes we need to march in the street, sometimes there is an unjust law that has got to be changed, but we should not be fooled into believing that the best work is done by changing the government.
What we need to learn to do is waste our lives serving others. You and I have been given a certain number of years on this earth. We do not know how many we have left, but we know that it will probably not be as many as we expect. We stand, holding our lives in our own hands, each year like a coin. What will we spend these coins on? How will we spend our lives? We can hold onto them so tightly; we can spend our lives trying to be as happy as possible with the things of this world, or we can spend our lives serving others; we can waste our lives serving others. If this earth were our entire life, it would be foolish to waste it, but if heaven exists, if we have riches of infinite years ahead of us, we can afford to waste these hundred or so years.
Earth is earth and not heaven. It cannot satisfy our desires. Our desire for happiness is so strong, because our happiness someday will be equal to our desire. It is possible to be happy here on earth, so long as our lives are oriented completely toward heaven. Every one of us is a rich person. Each of us has a treasure in heaven that makes whatever we hold onto here on earth seem like Monopoly money. If we remember this, we will not be afraid to spend these coins, to spend our lives, doing nothing more than serving others.
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