Food for Thought--IV

The coronavirus crisis and the crisis of Jesus sufferings and death:

Condemned to death, Jesus freed us from eternal      death.
On the cross, Jesus prayed: "Father forgive them for  they know not what they do."
Remember me when you get into your Kingdom,      the good thief prayed!
On the way to Calvary, Jesus said to the women:      "Weep not for me but for yourselves and your           children."
Never will I deny you, said Peter to Jesus and, filled  with fear, ended up denying Him three times!
Afraid, the apostles all fled--only John stood with      Mary at the foot of the cross!
Verily, "this is the Son of God," the fearful onlookers  said when an earthquake shook the ground and      darkness covered the earth after Jesus' death.  
In cooperation with Satan, Judas betrayed Jesus        and then, in despair, took his own life.
Resurrected, Jesus triumphed over fear and death.
Until the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost, the        apostles hid behind locked doors for fear of the        Jews.
Secure in their faith by the outpouring of the Spirit    on Pentecost, the apostles went forth to spread        the Good News of Jesus' resurrection and did so        with incredible boldness and courage, not afraid        anymore to express their faith in Christ Jesus.

Following the crisis of the coronavirus, I pray that we will no longer be afraid to put God first in our lives and proclaim our faith in Christ Jesus by living just and upright lives for each other's sake!

Fear and Pride: Opposition to the Spirit Guiding our Conscience

In today's Gospel, Matthew 14: 1-12, we are confronted with how much fear can interfere with our faithfulness to God and lead us to ignore our conscience and the Holy Spirit's guidance in doing what is right. In Herod's case, out of fear of the people who have grown to highly respect John the Baptist as a prophet, Herod refrains from killing him. He considered doing so because John the Baptist confronted him on marrying his brother's wife Herodias (he killed his brother Philip for that reason).

Fear also is the basis of his decision to grant his daughter's request, when, on his birthday, he is so delighted with a dance she performed for him that he promises her anything she asks of him. She consults her mother who asked for the head of John the Baptist to be brought to her on a platter. Afraid to not keep the oaths he made and also afraid of his guests' reactions to going back on his promises, Herod ordered John the Baptist's head brought to his wife Herodias, who also wanted John the Baptist dead because of his disapproval of their marriage.

Oh, my God, what fear and pride will prompt us to do! Help us, Lord, recognize the "Herods" within us. Help us recognize how fear and pride can and does interfere with our faithfulness to You, to others, and to our true selves in doing what is right and just.  Help us be honest with ourselves and others when it is fear or pride directing us to act contrary to our conscience and to Your holy will for us.  Help us, also to realize that when we protest too much about another person's challenges that such protestations may very well indicate that fear and pride are at work within us.

Openness to God at Work in the Ordinary

In today's first reading, 2 Kings 5: 1-15b, we encounter Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram and a man afflicted with leprosy.  We are told that Naaman is highly respected by his master, for through him the Lord brought victory to the Arameans.   In that military victory over Israel,  a little girl was captured and made a servant to Naaman's wife.  This little girl says to Naaman's wife: "If only my  master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria, ..., he would cure him of his leprosy." The faith of a little girl!  Do I have the faith of a child?

The little girl's master sends Naaman to the king of Israel. The king reacts angrily when Naaman approaches him. His fear and his pride get in his way--what will he say? will he fail? will he look like a fool? "Am I a god with power over life and death,"  he asked.  Is the king of the Armenians "looking for a quarrel with me!" Where is this king's faith?  In reflecting on my responses to challenges, how does my fear and pride block me from acting in positive ways?  Are there times when I conclude that people are just out to pick a fight with me when that is absolutely not  true?

The prophet Elisha hears that the king tore his garments in anger and confronted him. "Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel."  Then there is Naaman who reacts angrily when the prophet sends a messenger to him and he is given the following instruction: "Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean."   
Naaman is insulted that 1) the prophet did not come out of his house and talk to him in person and 2) that he is asked to wash seven times in the Jordan River.  Ever bulk that you were not treated as "royalty," as someone of importance deserving a personal interview and a dramatic response to your need for help? "Wash seven times in the Jordan?  You kidding me! We have rivers in my own country!"  Ever walk away from a situation out of pride, refusing to follow a suggestion that, as for Naaman, could have brought you amazing results of God's mercy and compassionate, understanding love? Without humility, we easily deny ourselves hidden graces and blessings such as Naaman experienced.

Facing Challenges

In today's first reading, 1 Samuel 16: 1-13,  God sends Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem, as He has chosen the successor of Saul from one of Jesse' sons. Samuel's initial reply is: "Lord, if I go in search of Saul's replacement and he hears of it, I am a dead man!" Samuel could have fearfully ignored God's request and spent his lifetime running away from God.  Some of us do that when we encounter difficulties: simply walk away from the situation that holds a challenge to our faith. We do not take God's request seriously, no matter what it is! But not Samuel. He asks the Lord "How can I go?"  In other words, he asks: "How can I handle this according to your holy will?" In the New Testament, when God asks Mary to be the Mother of God, becoming pregnant at age 13 or 14 during her betrothal to Joseph (before marriage) and not knowing man (also risking death)  she, too, asks God "How?" She does not walk out of the difficult situation. She converses with the person who can help her!

When you and I face difficult situations, which of the following options do we choose:  1) going to the Lord and asking God how we are to accomplish what He is asking of us, 2) ignore God's requests by walking away from God or 3) plunge into doing what God asks without seeking Divine help?

Lord, may we, like Samuel and Mary, have the wisdom to 1) share our fears with you, 2) ask the "how" questions and 3) set out to do what you are asking of us, knowing that You go before us and will give us the courage, the strength and the wisdom we need to accomplish Your holy will in the NOW moment!

Facing "Giants": What do we do?

In today's first reading, Numbers 13: 1-2, 25-14:1m 26-29a, 34-35, we read about the Israelites being sent into the land of Canaan to "reconnoiter the land." They returned to Moses reporting that truly Canaan is a land flowing "with milk and honey," but that giants live there. "[T]hey are too strong for us....And all the people we saw there are huge, veritable giants."  Moreover, "[t]he land we explored is a country that consumes its inhabitants."  The people wailed all night against God.  Fed up with them, God says to Moses and Aaron:  "How long will this wicked assembly grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the children of Israel against me....Forty days you spent scouting the land; forty years you shall suffer for your crimes: one year for each day. Thus you will realize what it means to oppose me...."  So their time in the desert--not in the land flowing "with milk and honey"--would be extended!

We create our own deserts by grumbling against God, by refusing to trust in the Lord and the Lord's promises.  How often do we not exaggerate the difficulties of a job that God asks of us:  "It's too hard." "I can't do that." "All the other kids are giants compared to me."  "There are others far superior to me; much wiser than me; much smarter than me; far more experienced than me," might be our complaints against God on any given day!

Lord, have mercy on us when, like the Israelites, we do not trust you!

Courage and Faith in Jesus

In today’s Gospel, Matthew 14: 22-36, the disciples are out on the sea, buffeted by strong winds.  Jesus had stayed ashore to dismiss the crowd of about 5000 men plus all of the women and children that they had just fed.   “During the fourth watch of the night  [around 3:00 in the morning][Jesus] came toward them, walking on the sea.”  The disciples are terrified, thinking that they are seeing a ghost walking toward the boat.  Jesus, aware of their fright, says to them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Impetuous Peter says to Him: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus says: “Come.”  So Peter begins to walk on the turbulent water toward Jesus and as the winds whip around him, he becomes frightened, takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink.  “’Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him," saying “O, you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

You and I are those disciples!  You and I are Peter.  With Jesus, we do wonderful things, things only God can do—in this case, it was feeding 5000+ people with five loaves and two fishes with 12 wicker baskets of food leftover.  We then go about our “business” and encounter situations beyond our power to guarantee our safety. Jesus is right at our sides but we do not recognize Him.  We hear in the depth of our beings: “Have courage! I am right here.”  Bolstered in our faith, we plunge ahead to take on the “storm.” The “stormier” it gets, the stronger  our fear becomes. We take our eyes off Jesus and feel ourselves sinking. “Save me, Lord,” is all it takes. Jesus immediately reaches out His hand. Do I take it? Do I realize that I need the Lord to survive Satan’s wicked schemes that rise up out of nowhere.

Jesus is not a ghost, as the disciples thought. He is real! He is with us whether it is 3:00 o’clock in the morning or 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, or any time of the day or night, to catch us, to lift us up, to save us.

I believe that! Do you?

With, in, and through the Power of the Spirit, All Things Are Possible

In today’s first reading, Acts 9: 31-42, Peter, totally transformed by the outpouring of the Spirit upon him at Pentecost, is an instrument in the hands of Christ, healing the sick, the paralyzed, raising those who have died and proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection. He is doing everything in the name of Jesus, the Son of God, the Holy One whom he had denied, whom he had challenged when He spoke of going up to Jerusalem to be killed by the chief priests and leaders of the people, the man who jumped in to the waters to walk to Jesus and sunk out of fear of the elements, the one who chopped off the soldier’s ear, and the one who locked himself in the upper room out of fear of the Jews.  Now, baptized in the Spirit, he feared no one and never said “no” to Jesus again. He opened his mind, his heart and his will to the Spirit of Christ leading him, strengthening him, challenging him to act in His name without fear, without giving in to weaknesses, without pride, knowing, beyond doubt, that only in Christ Jesus is his salvation and only in Christ Jesus does he do the will of the Father.

The same is true for us. Apart from Jesus, relying upon our own strength, we, too, will challenge God, complain against God, begin a project and abandon it when the going gets tough. We, too, relying only on ourselves, are prone to deny the Lord in crucial circumstances or to engage in behaviors that are contrary to what God expects of us. On the other hands, with Jesus, nothing is impossible because we are acting as ones dependent on grace and grace alone. We, too, will get across the troubled waters of our lives only when we humbly call out for help. We will leave our comfort zones only because we are empowered by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, sent my Jesus, to take possession of our minds, our will, our hearts. 

Darkness or Light: A Choice!

In today’s Gospel, John 3: 16-21, the evangelist reminds us that “the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his [or her] works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his [or her] works may be clearly seen as done in God.”

Let’s write that as though John were addressing us personally. It would read as follows:  “When you prefer darkness to light, you do so because your works were evil.  When you do what is wrong, you hate the light and avoid coming toward the light, so that ‘ your works might not be exposed.’  But when you live the truth, you come to the light, so that your ‘works may be clearly seen as done in God.’”

How true John is! When I have done wrong, the last thing I want is to have my wrongdoing exposed, so what do I do? Avoid the light, that is, avoid the person who will confront my deceitfulness or sinfulness.  When I have done wrong, I shudder at being found out. If  I have grown spiritually, however,  and realize that Jesus, the Light of the world, comes into my darkness, not to scold me or condemn me, but to “put on the light,” so to speak, and lead me to safety, then I do not succumb to fear.  In my maturity, I realize that confronting my wrongdoing is a grace that leads to my freedom, to intimacy with the Lord, to wholeness and holiness.  When spiritually mature, I do not shun truth but seek it. Spiritually mature persons know the value of acknowledging the truth, facing the truth and being brought into the Light.  Easy? No! But worth the sacrifice made possible for us by Jesus’ death and resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit, who overshadows us so that we are able to give birth to truth and welcome the freedom won for us on the Cross!

The Power of Love, Human and Divine

In today’s first reading, Tobit 6: 10-11; 7: 1abcde, 9-17; 8: 4-9a, we are told the story of Tobiah’s marriage to Sarah, daughter of Raguel. Sarah was married seven times before and each of her husbands died the night of their marriage before having relations with Sarah.  For Tobiah to be given to Sarah in marriage was, to say the least, a great risk. Would harm come to him as well and would Sarah again be devastated by acute loss, shattered dreams, by the death of yet another husband.  Sarah’s mother, in preparing her daughter for this eighth marriage, says to her: “Be brave, my daughter. May the Lord grant you joy in place of your grief. Courage, my daughter.”  Sarah’s father says to Tobiah: “Your marriage  to her has been decided in heaven! Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after. And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both. May he grant you mercy and peace.”  That night, Tobiah says to Sarah, “My love, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and grant us deliverance.” The couple prayed and begged the Lord for deliverance that night, blessing the Lord, praising His name, calling upon the heavens and all of creation to praise God. And then said to God: “You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended…Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”

What love! What an intimate relationship with the Lord. God must have smiled on both of them. Several lessons emerge for me from this story, as I reflect upon this Scripture passage: 1) every vocation is made in heaven, 2) Putting God at the center of each of the events in our lives is important, and especially when choosing our vocation, 3) Intimacy with the Lord is a lifetime task that needs to be taught to our children/grandchildren early in life, 4) Taking risks is possible when our faith/hope is anchored in the Lord, 5) Love must be the motivator of our choice of vocation or any other choice, not lust, not power, not “It is going to be my way or the highway; I’m the boss here.” 

What lessons emerge for you? What is God saying to you in this passage?

Jesus' Hour Had Come

In today’s Gospel, John 13: 21-22, 36-38, Jesus is “reclining at table with his disciples.”  He is “deeply troubled” and says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”   Imagine Jesus’ sorrow.  My mind goes to situations in which a criminal is fearful of being betrayed. Jesus is no criminal yet one of His own is about to hand him over to those who are plotting to crucify him. I think of King David being pursued by his son Absalom, who, also,  is seeking to put his father to death. Jesus, our King, is, in a sense, pursued by His Father to reveal the depth of their love for you and me. Each person of the Trinity is eager to reveal the willingness of the Son of God to die in our place. Out of their love for us, the Trinity gives one of their own to sacrifice his life for the exoneration of each human being from the claws of death, which we call sin.

When the apostles heard Jesus’ message that one of them was about to betray Him, they frantically begged to know which of them would do such a thing. “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” He gives the consecrated bread to Judas. At that moment “Satan entered him.” Jesus says to him: “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Judas leaves. “It is night.” Darkness seems to have triumphed. So even more urgent is the act of redemption, Jesus, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, giving His life to save us from the kind of night that engulfed Judas.

Oh, the mercy and the love of our God. This is the hour for which Jesus became man. This is the hour when Jesus will be glorified and we with Him. The gates of heaven will be reopened to humankind, the gates that had been closed when Adam and Eve followed their own will instead of God's.  What will you and I do when tempted by Satan, as was Judas in his betrayal and as was Peter in his denials of Jesus. Judas leaves Jesus. Peter stays.  What will you and I do in moments like these?

Be Not Afraid of What I Am Asking of You

“’Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary  your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his house” (Mt 1: 16, 18-21, 24a).

Imagine the agony of Joseph in discovering that Mary, to whom he is engaged,  is pregnant.  He trusted her. He loves her dearly and felt privileged that she is to be his wife. He then finds out that she is carrying a child that is not his own.  Distraught, he plans to divorce her quietly so as not to shame her.  He also is terrified that she could be stoned to death, the consequences, in  that culture, if found to have conceived a child out of wedlock.  Struggling with the situation, a messenger from God appears to him in a dream one night and reveals to him the circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy and that the son she is carrying is the Messiah, the one who “will save his people from their sins.”  “Do not be afraid, Joseph, to accept Mary as your wife; take her into your home.” And Joseph obeys the messenger of God.

Joseph suddenly realizes, in a profound way, the purpose for which God created him: to protect, cherish and love Mary and to be the foster father of Jesus, the Son of God made man.  He is to provide for both of them, being compassionate as His heavenly Father is compassionate, being understanding, and caring.  He is no longer identified with his job, that of a carpenter. His calling is much more profound than that. His career is not his calling. It is not the reason God brought him into existence.

For what purpose did God bring you into the world? What is your calling?  What gives substance and meaning to your existence? What transcends  job/career for you and transforms you into the best version of yourself as a human being?

Tolerance and Wisdom versus Fear and Jealousy

In today’s Gospel, Mark 9: 38-40, the apostle John expressed his fear and jealousy that persons other than the apostles and disciples of the Lord are casting out demons. He does not yet possess the wisdom that would enable him to be relaxed, tolerant and accepting of others doing the same good works that he himself does. His view is narrow. The “law” he applies is rigid. Jesus, on the other hand, does not feel threatened or the least slighted that this man is casting out demons in His name. He does not question whether this man has the necessary credentials or the right educational background to be acting in His name. He recognizes his goodness and says to John: “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” Every morning, I release to the Lord any personal feelings that other people’s beliefs, values or intelligence threaten me. That has had a powerful effect upon me: with the grace of God, I have significantly resisted the temptation to put others down and am no longer afraid of other people’s intelligence as I once was. My tolerance of other people’s opinions, decisions and actions has grown, as I realize that, they, too, are doing the good that they believe God is asking of them. I am not their judge. That lesson, I believe, is what Jesus is trying to teach John and those following His Way, His Truth, and His Life. That is a lesson that we, like the apostles and earlier followers of Jesus, may need to learn repeatedly. “Wisdom,” Sirach tell us, “…puts us to the test….With her precepts she puts us to the proof, until our heart is fully with her” (Sirach 4: 11-19). Jesus’ heart was fully with Wisdom! You and I, God willing and through the grace of God, will arrive at that same spot before we die. We see this Wisdom in many of our elders!