Challenges to our Faith

In today's first reading, Daniel 3: 14-20, 91-92, 95,  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are asked to sacrifice to a golden statue that the king set up:  "Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I have made.....[If you don't", he says to them,] "you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?"  When the three men refuse, the king has the furnace "heated seven times more than usual and had some of the strongest men in his army bind" them and throw them into the furnace.  The King is amazed as he peers into the furnace and sees four men unbound walking around in the furnace.  He asks his nobles:   "'Did we not cast three men bound  into the fire?' 'Assuredly, O king,' they answered. 'But,' he replied, 'I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.'"  The king then praises God!

I can imagine the king raging against these three men. "How dare they refuse what I ask of them?" As his anger mounted, he increased the heat of the furnace and called forth his strongest men to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Is that not what our egos do when someone refuses to "worship" us and do what we ask of them? Does not our ego, at that point, become like this furnace heated 7xs greater than usual?  In some cases does not the rage lead to violence of some kind, even murder?

This passage also challenges us to look at the faith of the three men who stand up against the king and do not flinch in the face of death, a horrible death in fact! "There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up."

How strong is our faith in the face of danger? temptation? bullies? wickedness? Do we stand  so firm in our faith that all we need to do is calmly state our position; or do we need to loudly defend ourselves?

The Challenge of Living Lives of Integrity

In today's first reading, Daniel 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19=30-, 33-62, we are presented with the story of the wicked judges who had a history of  unjustly accusing women of adultery and having them executed for this crime. These wicked men would trap a woman and accuse her of committing adultery unless she allowed them to have sex with them. Susanna,a "beautiful and God- fearing woman", found herself in that situation. Her husband, a wealthy man , owned a garden. "Susanna used to enter her husband's garden for a walk. When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk, they began to lust for her. They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments."   They gave into their evil desires and said to Susanna: "Look, the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us; give in to our desire, and lie with us. If you refuse, we will testify against you that you dismissed her maids because a young man was here with you."   Susanna did not yield to these wicked men. As threatened, the wicked men brought Susanna before the court and leveled an unjust accusation of adultery against her and condemned her to death.  As she was being led out of the court to be executed, God raised up a young man by the name of Daniel to defend her and confront these wicked men with their crimes of "passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent, and freeing the guilty...."  Both men committed perjury that day and were given the sentence they passed on Susanna. They were executed and Susanna saved.

The questions each of us faces is:  Have I, over time, suppressed my conscience and avoided looking to heaven, not keeping the Law of God before my eyes even in small things like lying, cheating, stealing, lusting or whatever wrongful pleasure I may have been entertaining? Have I said to myself  when being tempted to give in to temptation:  "Don't worry!  It's only a small matter"? Like the wicked judges who were in positions of power and prestige, have I allowed an exalted status to sweep me away down a path that is contrary to what God expects of me?

Who am I in this passage: Susanna who does not give into wickedness--have I stood my grounds in the face of evil? Susanna, who calls upon God to come to her aid--do I seek God's help when I feel trapped? The wicked men who unjustly accused Susanna--have I unjustly accused others? Daniel who God raised up to confront these wicked men--has God called me to confront evil?

Following Jesus Example of Confronting Satan

In today's first reading, Gen 2: 7-9,; 3: 1-7. we reread the story of Adam and Eve being told by the Lord that they could eat the fruit of all of the trees in Paradise except the one in the middle of the garden, which was "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."  They weren't even to touch it, "lest you die!"  Along comes Satan hidden in the snake. He tempts Eve, asking her:  "Did God really tell you  not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?"  Eve repeats God's instructions and Satan replies:  "You certainly certainly will not die!  No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil."

What a temptation! To be like gods and to know good from evil!  Who does not want to be godlike and to discern good from evil. Anyone would want that!  and what is wrong with that desire!  So, sure enough, Eve falls for Satan's lies and invites her husband to also give in to the temptation!  Consequently, both feel naked, ashamed of having disobeyed God's directions!  Both hide from God as He comes to looking for them. "Adam/Eve, where are you? And Adam steps up and takes responsibility this time and says: "I was hiding!" God says to him: "You must have eaten of the fruit that I forbade you to eat!"

Temptation always involves a temptation to something that looks good, feels good, is "advertised" as something we must have because it will make us happy, increase our security, render us mature!  We'd have no problem staying away from something that is evil, unpleasant, dangerous.  But, good? Pleasant? Pleasing to the eye and to the taste; something that will enhance our well-being, decrease our gloominess, fill our emptiness! We are right there, chopping at the bit to participate in such a "good"!

Satan even tempts Jesus, as we are told in today's Gospel:  Mt 4: 1-11.  "You'll never go hungry, Jesus, if you turn these stones into bread!  You won't hurt yourself if you throw yourself off this building; you are the Son of God. Come on, use your power to  your advantage! And, if you worship me, I will give you all of the kingdoms of the world.  What more could you want, Jesus? Satan seems to ask! And Jesus replies: One does not live  by bread alone, is not to test the Lord, his God, and is to worship only God, nothing or no one else!  Get away, Satan!"

Lord, please help us recognize Satan's cunning lies and resist his temptations to abuse power, to live on bread alone, to worship him, and to want more and more and more of this world's "kingdoms" when I already have all I need!s

Things that Cause Sin Are Inevitable But So Is Grace

In today's Gospel, Luke 17: 1-6, Jesus tells the disciples that "[t]hings that cause sin will inevitably occur but woe to the one through whom they occur."   Children watch adults intently, especially their parents, but others as well. Children imitate the good and the bad we do! A child is proud that he/she is like mom or dad.  Adults themselves will engage in evil because a leader--the president, a sport's star, a popular actor/actress--does so. A popular argument is that  "everyone does it."

Jesus issues a warning to us in today's Gospel:  "It would be better for [those who lure others into wrongdoing] if a millstone were put around his [her] neck and [that person] be thrown into the sea than for [one] to cause [another] to sin, [especially a child]."  Am I luring others into sin? Am I being lured into sin by others?  All of a sudden, do I find myself joining group gossip or am I the one being joined?  Am I teaching others to tell "white lies'? Am I cheating and teaching others to cut corners, as well! What example am I giving to others? Let me remember that where sin abounds grace more abounds, because Jesus comes to my aid always!  May I call upon Jesus' name when I am being lured into temptation.

The Wondrous Works of God

In today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 145, we praise the Lord for his wondrous works! These works are revealed to  us in both the Old and New Testaments.  In the first reading of today's liturgy from Romans 16:; 3-9, 16, 22-27, St. Paul tells us about all of the people who had been assisting him in spreading the Good News about Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection; in short, his dying to save us from eternal life and to strengthen us in being faithful to our God and Father in the spread of the faith.  In the responsorial psalm, Psalm 145,  we praise God for his greatness, for the splendor of His glorious majesty, and his wondrous works throughout the ages.  We ask for the grace that we will continue to give God thanks (the greatest prayer of thanksgiving is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the celebration of the Eucharist) and persevere in faithfully blessing the Lord by the good we do in building up the Kingdom, as Jesus did.  We pray, too, that we will "discourse of the glory of [God's] kingdom and speak of [God's] might."

God continues to bless us every day, providing us with the graces we need to be His disciples and spread the good news of salvation. This past week I had the privilege to teach a group of fifth graders about the call to holiness, a call given us at our baptism. The inspiration was given me to help the children see the call to holiness in very concrete ways in choosing good (love, truth, forgiveness, kindness, unselfishness,  generosity, obedience and many other virtuous behaviors) over evil (hatred, revenge, bullying, selfishness, stinginess, disobedience and other sinful ways). We spoke of being spiritual wrestlers, of being on God's team, wrestling with good and evil throughout our lives, as Satan persists in tempting us on a daily basis to choose evil over good. With God on our side, we will win the battle!, one day at a time!

The Pressures to Please Others and Abandon our Beliefs

As I bring a week's retreat to close, I am ready to glean the results of that retreat in my daily living--back to ordinary time, so to speak!  Today's Gospel, Mt. 14: 1-12, brings us the story about Herod, Herodias and their daughter, who pleased Herod so much by her dance for him on his birthday that he promises to a give her anything she asks of him. Little did he know that, prompted by her mother Herodias, who wanted John dead, she would ask for the head of John the Baptist, a prisoner of Herod's at the time.  He certainly does not want to kill John but he also does not want to break his promise in front of his friends.  His integrity is at stake!  So he gives in to her!

How often do we betray ourselves, afraid of losing face with our friends, so we do what we really do not want to do, even if that means committing a grave sin.  Doing so, I believe, means that I have been unfaithful in small ways and thus am more vulnerable to committing graver offenses!  Without grace, without God, we are apt to go astray, to betray our innermost self that is one with God. We are likely to do this, not once, but often. St. Paul struggled, just as we do, to do what is right.  He describes that struggle, in part, in Romans 7:21-25: "...[E]very  single time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand [as with Herod and Herodias]. In my inmost self I dearly love God's Law [and so did Herod and Herodias, I believe], but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates. This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body....Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

Lord, you know my weaknesses. You know that often I give in to the dictates of sin within me rather than following the guidance of the Spirit within my deepest self. Have mercy on me, Lord, when I fall into sin and give in to pressures outside of me, as did Herod's daughter and Herod himself.  Temptation is everywhere but so, too, are You, O Lord! I ask for the grace to call upon you, especially when I am tempted to follow the voice that opposes at the Holy Spirit at work within me. I ask for these graces in Jesus' name. Amen.

Setting Our Sights High

It is interesting how Satan lures us into temptation and when we fall leads us to laugh and take pleasure initially in what we have done that is sinful, like enjoying gossiping about  someone or something or looking scornfully at a homeless person or feeling good about ourselves when we walk away from the  good God invited us to do or the challenge to make  better that about which we are complaining. We may even find a way to  congratulate ourselves when we lust for power, are envious  of another's success, or jealous of anyone. Satan call also lead us to justify unjustifiable anger.

Saint Paul reminds us that we "have been raised up in company with Christ" in our baptism.  We are strengthened by Christ in His Word, in the Eucharist, in Reconciliation, in our own love, understanding, compassion, mercy and forgiveness of others, and they of us: acts of God that begin with self and are possible because God first loved us.

"Set your hearts," Paul tells us, "on things above rather than on things of earth.  After all, you have died" with Christ in baptism. We have also risen with Christ in our baptism, risen to being sons and daughters of God, made new and placed on a path to holiness by Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus destroyed Satan's power on the  cross. Being the Father of Lies, Satan, however, wants us to believe that we have no power to turn away from sin once we have fallen. Because of our faith in Christ Jesus we know that is not true. Yes, over and over again, we can reset "our  clocks to "heavenly time."

The "You-Don't-Really-Believe-That,-Do-You?" Trap

In today’s first reading, Gen. 3: 1-8, we are given the story of the fall of Adam and Eve.  The serpent, “the  most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made, asked the woman, “did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”  How often does Satan not say to us: “Is that really true that…?” We can fill in the blank easily!  “Does the Church really say that?” “Are you sure that that is what the commandment means?” “You don’t really believe that, do you?” And on and on.  It is so easy to get trapped or to be the one setting a trap for another.  Satan is cunning, no doubt at all!  Imagine, Satan telling Eve and Adam, who was also present, that God lied to you, telling you that you shall die if you eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. “No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.”   How clever! Whenever we go contrary to God’s will, whenever we sin, our eyes are opened but not in the way that Satan suggest. No, we become aware of our nakedness, our shame.  Satan’s play on words is phenomenal and how often do we not fall for his trickery!

Adam and Eve fell into a hole from which they could not climb out by themselves.  “The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she…ate it; and …gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he [also] ate it.”  How many times are we not lured by that which appears “pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.” In that deception, humans kill babies in the womb, the Supreme Court legalizes abortion and gay marriages, the Congress passes bills that make the rich richer and the poor poorer without enough money to support their families, government deficits are reduced by cutting education and healthcare access for the minorities, and on and on and on! Yes, Satan, “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

By God’ grace may we not be that someone! May we remain alert and recognize our dependence upon the Lord’s mercy and unconditional love. Left to ourselves we cannot climb out of the holes into which we fall. How gracious of our God to have saved us by the death of His only begotten Son.

Remaining Tranquil

In today's first lesson, Isaiah 7: 1-9, we read that "when the word came to the house of David that Aram was encamped in "Ephraim, the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind."  The Lord sends Isaiah to King Ahaz, encouraging him to remain calm in the face of an invasion from the North.  "Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail...." The "blazing anger" of the northern kingdom "shall not stand, it shall not be!....[W]ithin sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!"

"It shall not be!" "This shall not stand."  How often do you and I "tremble like trees in the wind," not remembering that every hair on our heads is known to the Lord. And, yes, He protects each strand.  He knows when disaster looms, when Satan is about to strike, hurling boulders of temptations at us, rocks that could destroy "houses" not built on faith.  "Take care you remain tranquil," no matter what!Why? Because the power of redemption, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is at work in the world, in you and me, in our families, in our loved ones, in our parishes, our workplace, in areas that seem about to fall to Satan's deceptive snares.  "It shall not be" because God is in charge. God took possession of us in our baptism into Christ Jesus. We belong to Him, not to the world, not to that which is not-God. 

Do our actions in the face of "invasions of the tempter" reveal the strength of our faith?

Do You Love Me?

In today’s Gospel, John 21: 15-19, Jesus meets his disciples on the shore of Tiberius.  Things had, supposedly settled down! Yes, Jesus has appeared to some of them a few times after the resurrection and they knew that He would soon be leaving them. It had to be a depressing time for them. What were they to do when Jesus actually left them and returned to His Father. Simon says: “I’m  going fishing” and several of his companions join him. What else is there to do? The simplest choice was to go fishing, something with which they were very familiar and enjoyed.  It could be a distraction from the depressing situation in which they found themselves.

You and I  certainly can identify.  There have  been many down times in our lives  when we have  chosen to do the familiar, that which would distract us from “What do I do now? I feel depressed, uncomfortable. I need to get away from it all.”  We may have not gone fishing but resorted to that most familiar to us, that which would turn our attention away from the stresses of life for a while.
Jesus meets the disciples at the end of that fishing trip, prepares breakfast for them and then has a conversation with Simon Peter in which He asks Him three times: “Do you love me?” Remember,  Peter denied Jesus three times and He is gently reminding Him and challenging Him to think about his relationship with Jesus. Does Peter  really love Jesus?  Jesus does not give up on Peter. He remains committed to His request that Peter head the Church. Peter’s failures do not deter Jesus’ resolve.  No matter how many times we deny Jesus in a given day—giving in to temptation and not following the Spirit’s lead—Jesus does not give up on us either. He remains firm in His asking us to love Him, to be His hands and heart and feet in the service of others, in fulfilling the purpose for which we were created: to glorify the Lord God by our lives.