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  • The Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

    The Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

    Today’s readings

    The prophet Amos didn’t mince any words when it came to doing what God asked of him.  His central message was that the worship of the people Israel was completely messed up, because they dishonored God in their daily living, in every possible way, at every possible moment. Today’s first reading is evidence enough of what Amos was sent to preach: he details the various ways the rich cheated the poor who came to buy life’s sustenance from them.  And he concludes with the very haunting words: “Never will I forget a thing they have done!”

    I think we should keep Amos’s words in mind as we try to wade through what is, I think, a rather difficult parable to unravel in today’s Gospel.  The steward in the parable seems to be some kind of high-ranking assistant to the rich man.  He has enough authority that he is able to rewrite the deals people had made with the man, such that the rich man would have to honor them.  But apparently he has not been doing his job, because he learns that the rich man is about to fire him.  Much as anyone would do when they learn of that impending crisis, he takes stock of his abilities: he isn’t strong enough for manual labor, and his position has made the prospect of begging too humiliating to bear.

    Given that state of affairs, he knows that he has to start cutting deals with the rich man’s clients so that they will be more likely to help him when he is looking for it after he is fired.  So he basically writes off a large chunk of their debts to the rich man.  Now how he could do that is anyone’s guess.  Some scholars say that he just wrote of the commission he himself would have received for collecting the debt.  Others say that he wrote off the usurious interest the master had been charging.  Since we don’t know the answer, we have to assume that detail was either understood by Jesus’ hearers or simply unimportant to the story itself.

    Now the next statement is difficult for biblical scholars to unravel: “And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.”  Are those words part of the parable?  In other words, did the rich man call the servant dishonest, and if so, was this what was about to get the steward fired?  It doesn’t seem like that is the case.  The Greek word used for “master” here is kyrios, or Lord, which usually refers to Jesus in the gospels.  So it seems like Jesus is the one who is calling the servant dishonest, and that serves to squash the impression that Jesus was commending the steward for his dishonest dealings; clearly that was not the case.

    But having said all that and having waded our way through the strangeness of this parable, the question remains: what is the point?  Certainly Jesus isn’t saying that we should deal deceitfully with others, be they poor or rich.  I think what Jesus wants us to understand is that, in the vast scheme of things, there is something more important than money.  For the steward on the eve of his unemployment, the money owed to his boss was far less important than his ability to live after he was let go.  Perhaps all of this is summed up best by the words that come at the end of the gospel reading: “You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

    But what does that even mean?  What is mammon, precisely?  Mammon is avarice, an excessive love for money that treats money as a false god.  We don’t have to tax our imaginations too much to see what mammon might look like today.  It could be spending too many hours at work and not seeing your children grow up.  It could be a covetous desire for the very latest gadget, or the biggest flat-screen television, or the car with all the bells and whistles.  Money, career, gadgets, cars … none of these things are evil in themselves.  When we turn them into a goal that surpasses God such that they become gods in themselves, then we are serving mammon – our lives our way out of whack.

    And usually when things are this far out of whack, someone is paying the price.  It could be our families who are growing up not only with a basically absent parent, but also a skewed idea of what is really important in life.  Or maybe we desire clothing or other goods at the very cheapest prices such that the cost is someone in a foreign land – perhaps even a child – working in a sweatshop hours on end for very little pay so that we can have them.  Our desire for all the shiny gadgets may come at the cost of what they do to the environment, or at the cost of feeding the poor.  Mammon creeps its way into our lives so easily, and we cannot serve both God and mammon.

    So if we’re just here in church for the hour, and we cannot wait to get out of here and get to Best Buy, then we’re as bad as the people trampling the needy in our first reading.  If we leave this place and forget what we’ve been taught, quickly returning to unjust business practices on Monday morning, then we are serving mammon, not God.

    The Catholic image of worship and prayer is summed up in the Latin phrase lex orandi, lex credendi, which loosely-translated means “what we pray, we believe.”  So our vision of worship is that it doesn’t stop when we say “Amen” – our worship goes on into our daily lives.  In fact, when we say, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord” our worship has only just begun, because we only truly worship God when we live the Gospel and put our money where our mouth is.

  • Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time

    Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time

    Today’s readings

    Today’s Gospel gives us a bit of a glimpse as to how Jesus’ day-to-day ministry worked.  One of the things we certainly notice is the meticulous mention of the women that were among his followers.  In a day where a woman’s participation in anything of a public nature would be totally frowned upon, Jesus reached out to women, and brought them into his ministry.  Certainly the Evangelist would never have mentioned it if it weren’t important to the Gospel itself.

    We come here today for Mass, aware that our God seeks us out in little and big ways every single day.  We too want to be close to him, and respond as did the Twelve, the women, and the “many others.”  We disciples long to be among those who serve our Lord and are caught up in his ministry.

  • Saints Cornelius and Cyprian

    Saints Cornelius and Cyprian

    Today’s readings

    The sin of the Pharisees as portrayed in today’s Gospel was the sin of believing only certain people were destined for salvation.  They denied that sinners could be loved by God, and they mocked Jesus for apparently not knowing this basic fact.  Oddly enough, less than three centuries later, Saints Cornelius and Cyprian had to deal with much the same controversy.

    St. Cornelius was elected pope after a fourteen month vacancy in the office, because of all the infighting in the Church at the time. He had to mediate many crises, most especially the heresy of Novationism, which denied that anyone who sinned could be reconciled – sound familiar? Because of his stand, his detractors elected the first anti-pope, and had Cornelius exiled to Civitavecchia, where he died as a result of his exile. His friend, St. Cyprian, a bishop, was also involved in the Novation controversy. He too was exiled in the persecution of Valerian, and martyred on September 14, 258.

    We honor Saints Cornelius and Cyprian today, two men who gave their lives witnessing to the salvation that Jesus Christ came to bring. They believed in the Gospel and because of that, they were able to withstand heresies, persecution, exile and martyrdom, and come at last to the heavenly kingdom. May we, like them, build our spiritual lives on the firm foundation of God’s love and mercy so that we may withstand whatever persecutions life may bring our way.

  • Our Lady of Sorrows

    Our Lady of Sorrows

    Today’s readings

    The more years I live, the more I find myself relating to Mary.  I know that she experienced all of the joys and sorrows we do: frustration, fear, love, worry, and especially what we celebrate today, sorrow.  She was the one who rejoiced at the birth of her son and took pride in what he became as he grew.  But she also worried about him as his ministry brought him to confrontation with the religious leaders, and she wept at the foot of the Cross.

    The Sequence today sings of her sadness:

    At the cross her station keeping,
    Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
    Close to Jesus to the last.

    And so today, and any day when we experience sorrow, we know that we have an advocate in Mary, who experienced our sorrows, but was raised up beyond them in the joy of the Resurrection.

    Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

  • Saint John Chrysostom

    Saint John Chrysostom

    Today’s readings

    St. John Chrysostom was known to be a prolific, well-spoken and challenging preacher. The name “Chrysostom” means “golden-mouthed.” He spoke eloquently of the Scriptures, of which he had an extensive understanding, and applied their words to the times of his day. He was known, actually, to often preach for two hours or more! So, in his honor, I thought it appropriate to preach … oh, never mind.

    The emperor schemed to make John the bishop of Constantinople, the capital city, because the he thought he could manipulate John. But he couldn’t. John would often preach against the opulence of the wealthy and the mistreatment of the poor. He deposed bishops who had bribed their way into office. He would only offer a modest meal to those who came to kiss up to the bishop, rather than an opulent table that they had been expecting. He would not accept the pomp and ceremony that afforded him a place above most ranking members of the court.

    So, as you can well imagine, not everyone liked John. Many of his sermons called for concrete steps to share wealth with the poor. The rich did not appreciate hearing the challenging words that John was known to preach. When it came to justice and charity, Saint John acknowledged no double standards. I think his preaching would be intriguing, and certainly challenging, even in our own day.

    What we should get from St. John Chrysostom, is that discipleship has to be imbued with fidelity and integrity. We have to practice what we preach. Saint Paul, in our first reading today, echoes this sentiment of St. John.  He calls the Corinthians to task for having gatherings in which some have so much that they get drunk, while others leave hungry. We should hear that same challenge.  As we go forth from this place, we too have the opportunity to live our faith by giving generously to the poor, and reaching out to those who are marginalized. We have to be those disciples who give lavishly of our personal resources, who forgive from the heart, who avoid judging and love all people deeply. If our living had this kind of integrity, then we could be “golden-mouthed” too, not so much by our words as by our actions.

  • Saint Peter Claver

    Saint Peter Claver

    Today’s readings

    Today’s gospel reading urges us to extend ourselves, to go beyond what is easy and convenient.  We are called to reach out to those who can’t repay us, to give without counting the cost, to love those outside our own family and circle of friends.  This was a call that Saint Peter Claver took very seriously.  He was ordained in 1615 in what is now Colombia.  During that time, the slave trade was vigorous, and the port of Cartagena was a central entry point for African slaves.  Ten thousand slaves would pour into Colombia through Cartagena every year under extremely foul conditions.  Around a third of them would die in transit.

    Whenever a ship would enter the port, Peter Claver would swing into action. After the slaves were herded out of the ship, Claver plunged in among them with medicine, food, and other supplies. With the help of interpreters he gave basic instructions and assured his brothers and sisters of their human dignity and God’s saving love. During the 40 years of his ministry, Claver instructed and baptized an estimated 300,000 slaves.

    He ministered in the Colombian missions until his death, vowing to be “the slave of the blacks forever.”  He died in 1654 and was given a public and pompous funeral by the city magistrates, even though they had previously expressed their displeasure for his ministry to the black outcasts.  He was canonized in 1888 and Pope Leo XIII declared him to be the worldwide patron of missionaries to the black peoples.

    The gospel tells us today “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”  With the help of St. Peter Claver’s intercession, let us pray that the measure we use will be one of generosity and not one of judgment.

  • The Birth of Mary

    The Birth of Mary

    Today’s readings

    The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been celebrated since at least the sixth century. This is not a historical feast, of course, and the date was chosen to correspond to the beginning of the Church year in the Eastern Church. The date of her birth also helped to determine the date of the Immaculate Conception – on December 8, nine months prior to today.

    It is said that Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, were infertile, and they prayed for a child. They received the promise of a daughter who would be central to the salvation of the world.  That promise was, of course, fulfilled gloriously.  Mary’s birth begins the unfolding of God’s ultimate plan for the salvation of the world.  With her fiat, her “yes” to God’s call, she made possible the birth of many souls into eternal life.

    The Byzantine Church Daily Worship proclaims well the joy that we have on this feast of Mary’s birth: “Today the barren Anna claps her hands for joy, the earth radiates with light, kings sing their happiness, priests enjoy every blessing, the entire universe rejoices, for she who is queen and the Father’s immaculate bride buds forth from the stem of Jesse.”

  • Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week of Ordinary Time

    Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week of Ordinary Time

    Today’s readings

    I’ve heard it said that the only one of the disciples Jesus called that day was Judas Iscariot, and we all know how that worked out.  We don’t know what God considers qualification for discipleship, we just know that somehow, for some reason, we have been called to do whatever it is that we are meant to do in life.  We probably don’t have all the skills necessary to accomplish it, but that’s okay.  If we were able to accomplish everything on our own then we wouldn’t need God, wouldn’t need a Savior.  Thank God that we both need and have him in our lives, and that he has called us all to share in the work of discipleship in some way.

  • Labor Day

    Labor Day

    Today’s readings: Genesis 1:26-2:3; Psalm 90; Matthew 6:31-34

    It seems like Labor Day is a little bit painful these past few years.  This year is no exception.  I caught a part of the news the other day when I was getting ready for Mass and they pointed out that it’s ironic we celebrate Labor Day when so many are out of work.  In July, our nation lost 131,000 jobs, bringing the unemployment rate to 9.5 percent, and we found out this past week that that figure dipped to 9.6 percent in August.  Our bishops point out that the most difficult part of this Labor Day is the fact that so many workers have died in tragic circumstances.  They write: “The nation still mourns the twenty-nine West Virginia miners who died when the earth around them collapsed. We still grieve for the eleven riggers who died in the Gulf of Mexico when their oil derrick exploded. We are still saddened as the work life of the entire Gulf Coast is damaged or destroyed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These are just the most visible examples of workers whose lives have been lost.”

    This is frustrating because it’s not supposed to be that way.  Back in the Blessed Garden, God gave humanity a hand in the ongoing work of creation: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.”  Our readings today give foundation to the Church’s social teaching that meaningful work which provides the worker with human dignity and the ability to care for self and family is a basic human right.

    Since Pope Leo XIII’s ground-breaking encyclical Rerum Novarum, the Church and her popes have consistently taught that:

    • The economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy.
    • A fundamental moral measure of any economy is how the poor and vulnerable are faring.
    • All people have a right to life and to secure the basic necessities of life (e.g. food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, safe environment, economic security).
    • All people have the right to economic initiative, to productive work, to just wages and benefit, to decent working conditions, as well as to organize and join union or other associations.

    In this year’s Labor Day statement, the bishops of the United States note that we have strayed from those ideals, and that it is time for a new social contract that would embrace the uniqueness of our current economy and provide those basic rights once again.  They write: “This Labor Day we must seek to protect the life and dignity of each worker in a renewed and robust economy. Workers need to have a real voice and effective protections in economic life. The market, the state, and civil society, unions and employers all have roles to play and they must be exercised in creative and fruitful interrelationships. Private action and public policies that strengthen families and reduce poverty are needed. New jobs with just wages and benefits must be created so that all workers can express their dignity through the dignity of work and are able to fulfill God’s call to us all to be co-creators. A new social contract, which begins by honoring work and workers, must be forged that ultimately focuses on the common good of the entire human family.”

    This Labor Day reminds us with urgency that we don’t have permission to write off human labor as some kind of necessary evil or a commodity to be bought and sold.   We are reminded that the economy exists for the good of people, not the other way around.  We must truly venerate all labor, that of our own efforts as well as that of others. We must vigorously defend the rights and dignity of workers, particularly of the poor and marginalized. And we must always offer all of this back to our God who created us to be co-creators with him. May we pray with the Psalmist this day and every day, “Lord give success to the work of our hands!”

  • The Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary time [C]

    The Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary time [C]

    Today’s readings

    Jesus tells us some things about discipleship today that, quite honestly, I think might make a person think twice about becoming a disciple.  The first two come right at the beginning of the gospel reading: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”  And then, right at the end, he says: “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”  He’s pretty clear: if we’re not willing to do these things, then we cannot be his disciples.

    How does that make you feel?  Are you willing to hate those closest to you for the sake of the Gospel?  Would you take up your cross, knowing what happened to him when he did it, and come after him?  Think of the things that you have that you love: are you willing to renounce them in order to follow Christ?  Today’s Gospel is incredibly challenging, to say the least.  Maybe I should say it’s incredibly unsettling.  We might find ourselves totally willing to be Jesus’ followers, but at what cost?

    And that’s the point of the parables he tells.  Who is going to build a building without first calculating how much it would cost to build it to be certain there is adequate funding?  Most of us have probably passed by some commercial buildings that started going up, only to be later abandoned, or that took quite a bit of time to build, possibly because the funding dried up.  So we’re not unfamiliar with the metaphor here.  Or if you were a military leader going into battle, don’t you estimate what the adversary is brining to the battle to be sure that you can be victorious?  Bringing it down a notch, think of a coach scouting out the other team to see how they play.

    In any of these situations, it is absolutely necessary to calculate the cost.  Not to do so would be foolish.  The same is true of discipleship.  There is a cost to discipleship.  Those first disciples, almost without exception, paid for it at the cost of their lives.  Preaching in the name of Jesus was a dangerous thing to do, but they calculated the cost and realized it was worth it, and they did die.  Praise God for their faithfulness to the mission despite the cost; had they not been faithful we might not have the faith.

    For us modern disciples, should we choose to follow him, there will be a cost too.  We might not get nailed to a cross as some of those early disciples did and have to pay for it with our lives.  But there will be a cross to bear.  We might have relationships that get in the way.  We might have things that we own that tie us too closely to the world and get in the way of our relationship with Christ.  Those will have to go.  That is the cost for us, and today we’re being asked if we are willing to pay it.

    So how far do we take this?  Do we really have to hate our families?  Do we have to sell everything we own?  Do we have to take up the cross in such a way that we become doormats for those whose views are different from ours?  How much of the cost do we ourselves really need to pay?
    We certainly know that Jesus – who loved his mother and father very much – did not mean that we were to alienate ourselves from our families.  But there may be relationships in our lives that are obstacles to the Gospel.  Maybe we’d gossip less if we didn’t hang out with people who brought that out of us.  That would certainly help us to be better disciples.  Maybe we’re in friendships or casual relationships that lead us to drink too much, or see the wrong kind of movies, or that draw us away from the healthy relationships we have.  Those relationships have to end if we are to follow Christ more fully.  Anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God and our ability to follow him in whatever way he’s called us has to go right now.  Ruthlessly put an end to it now, because otherwise we give up the life to which we are called, the life that is better than even these things that we might enjoy very much.

    Our first reading speaks about God’s wisdom.  It’s so hard for us to understand that our own world most days, let alone understand the things of heaven.  We just don’t have the mind of God.  Our minds are very good, the best on the planet, but they aren’t enough.  Steven Hawking is one of the smartest people in our world right now, but when he talks about religion, he’s an absolute fool.  His current contention that the world doesn’t need a God to create it and run it is absolutely backwards, but that’s another homily.  The point is that we cannot ever understand the things of this world, or the world to come, unless God reveals them.  We have a deep and unquenchable need for his wisdom.  The more of it we have, the more we know that we need it.

    God’s wisdom can help us to put our relationships, our possessions, the cost of discipleship, in proper perspective.  We have to beseech God day and night to give us the wisdom to live life the right way.  If we think we can go without it, we are fools too.  Wisdom is the tool that we are being offered for our discipleship toolbox today; we just have to gratefully accept it.

    Our Liturgy of the Word today reminds us that following the Gospel on our own terms is not possible. The call to discipleship is one that calls us to step out of our comfort zone, leave behind whatever ties us to the world and separates us from God, and follow our Savior wherever he leads us. So if our only sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God is maybe getting out of bed and coming to Church on Sunday, then Jesus is telling us today that’s not enough.  It is a good start, but we have to reflect with wisdom on those things that are getting in the way, because it’s time we gave them up.

    As we present our gifts today, God gives us the gift of wisdom.  How we live our lives this week will be the test of the way we’ve put that gift into action.