Monthly Archives: July 2016

Thursday of Week 16 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Jeremiah 2:1-3,7-8,12-13 | Psalm 35:6-11 | Matthew 13:10-17

For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Matthew 13:12)

The Bible has had a outsized impact on the development of the English language; over time, may few terms and phrases have been coined with reference to specific events and people (e.g. “Judas goat”, “you reap what you sow“). The above passage is no exception; today I learned that “the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer” is also known as the Matthew effect.

However, Jesus wasn’t speaking about worldly riches here. Instead, he was making a pointed reference to how those with a firm foundation in faith only get stronger and more passionate over time, while those who only dabble with Catholicism soon lose interest and either become “zombies” who attend Sunday masses out of misplaced obligation, or leave the church entirely.

I’ve found that to be personally true: during my “wilderness years”, going to mass at my college chapel was a chore, and even though I’d joined the chapel choir, my heart really wasn’t in it. It was only when my oldest friend began challenging my long-professed “belief” in God that I started to research my faith in earnest, and now I can’t stop blogging about it. ?

As St. Paul reminded the Corinthians:

Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Therefore, our faith gets healthy the same way our bodies do, through exercise. Stop researching and pondering our beliefs, and they’ll go to seed like couch potatoes. Eeew.

Lord, we need spiritual health, now more than ever in this dark and dreary world. Remind us daily to actively reunite ourselves with You through spiritual exercises and contemplation of Your Holy Word, so that like St. Paul, we may fight the good fight to the end, run the race to the finish, and keep our faith in You strong and resilient. (2 Timothy 4:7)

Amen.

Wednesday of Week 16 in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 1:1,4-10 | Psalm 70:1-6,15,17 | Matthew 13:1-9

We’re all familiar with the Parable of the Sower that forms today’s Gospel, but I’d like to propose a different parable. It goes like this:

Imagine a wicked sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the roadway and were swallowed up in the cracks. Others fell on rocky soil where they took shallow root, but as soon as the sun beat down on them they were scorched and disappeared into dust. Still others fell on rich soil and multiplied furiously like the darnel that they truly were, choking out the wheat desperately trying to grow alongside.

What the wicked sower is sowing is negativity. Those forming the roadway are the stalwart Catholics who support others journeying in Christ and nip harsh personal judgements in the bud. Those receiving the seed on rocky soil would like not to believe these poisonous words but spread them tentatively anyway, and when the truth emerges, they furiously backpedal and delete their relevant social media postings. Those receiving the seed on rich soil revel in gossip, play personal favorites, and generally undermine the smooth functioning of their parish through poison pen letters to the local bishop and encouraging negative commentary on their parish priests.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

If you suspected that today’s blog entry was inspired by our local archbishop’s recent public letter about a leaked ecclesial reshuffling list, you’d be right. It’s really an addendum to another entry from last week, when I was convinced I knew what would be going down.

I’ve had the privilege of serving with at least two dozen priests and deacons in almost three decades at my parish. Every single one of them had at least one quirk that ranged from mildly annoying to really quite aggravating, and I’ve been foolish enough to share some of them with folks over the years, forgetting that humanity = fallibility.

Well, not any more. Unless said quirk actually has major implications for my parish, it’ll stay between me and God. Even if it’s a deal-breaker of a fault, I’d still try my best to resolve it directly with the clergy of concern, rather than resorting to the bully pulpits of social media and petty gossip. I’d also see if I could “soften the blow” to the congregation as part of my ministerial responsibilities, so that the faithful who come to worship every Sunday aren’t too adversely affected.

After all, negativity only breeds more negativity, “each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34), and as St. Paul reminds us, “God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

Amen.

Tuesday of Week 16 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Micah 7:14-15,18-20 | Psalm 84:2-8 | Matthew 12:46-50

Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’ (Matthew 12:48-50)

As Catholics, we’ve always been taught to “hate the sin, love the sinner”, so is it even possible for the faithful to have enemies?

Yes, and more than you might think.

Satan is of course on that list. Along with his minions, he perverts our lives and causes us to doubt our belief in God. He’s Catholic Enemy #1, to be sure.

But the Devil doesn’t act alone. In fact, he usually relies on human agency to spread his message of fear, uncertainty and doubt. Anyone who actively, knowingly and unreservedly battles Christ’s message of love for God and compassion for each other, rebuffing all attempts to draw him back to the path of mercy, is therefore our enemy.

Which, sadly, makes too many fellow Catholics our enemies, like:

• The bosses who lord their position, riches and other advantages over others.
• The co-workers who regularly scheme over promotions and dump their own work on others.
• The church-goers who poison the well of Christian community with anonymous complaints and barbed put-downs against one and all.

I don’t have an easy answer to this, so I’m putting this out for discussion in the comments below: How do you deal with un-Christian Catholics?

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Monday of Week 16 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Micah 6:1-4,6-8 | Psalm 49:5-6,8-9,16-17,21,23 | Matthew 12:38-42

What is good has been explained to you, man;
this is what the Lord asks of you:
only this, to act justly,
to love tenderly
and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Easier said than done, when emotions run high and vengeance is the call of the day, with the recent coup attempt in Turkey just the latest incident in a rather grim week just past.

The antidote: Take a deep breath, exhale slowly. Repeat until calm, then proceed with whatever action you now deem appropriate, rather than the one that popped into you head in the heat of the moment.

And there’s no better breath to draw than ruach hakodesh, the Holy Spirit.

Thou, of all consolers best,
Thou, the soul’s delightsome Guest,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

Thou in toil art comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat,
Solace in the midst of woe.

Heal our wounds; our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away.

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

Amen.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Genesis 18:1-10 | Psalm 14:2-5 | Colossians 1:24-28 | Luke 10:38-42

I’ve heard the Gospel story of Jesus, Martha and Mary many times, and oft heard the modern parallel in the accompanying homily, about families who treat a parish house call like a Chinese New Year visit, pulling out all the entertainment stops to the detriment of the priest’s true purpose.

But I now realize that I’ve also seen Martha’s key action repeated many times over: “Please tell so-and-so that such-and-such. Yes, I know she’s standing right here.”

I’m sure we’ve all seen similar incidents, like:

• Siblings not on speaking terms at the dinner table over some imagined slight or inheritance fight.
• Co-workers giving each other the cold shoulder out of jealousy or fury at perceived favoritism.
• Lay ministers communicating with each other about their responsibilities on a church project…but only through the parish priest.

(I haven’t actually seen that last one myself, but a little bird who’s earned my trust whispered it in my ear once.)

In each case, a third party (often the boss or other authority figure) gets involuntarily drafted to play “telephone exchange”, to the annoyance of everyone involved.

To be sure, if Martha had instead gone to Mary and quietly asked for her help with the vittles, or perhaps even yelled it out from the kitchen, I think Jesus would still have reacted the way he did in today’s Gospel. The central message, that Jesus is the Living Bread come down from heaven, certainly can’t be ignored or pushed aside.

But perhaps we should also examine our interactions with others, or lack thereof. After all, it’s really hard to evangelize to people to whom we’re not willing to speak.

Lord, we ask for the courage and humility to communicate your Love to others instead of shunning them for selfish reasons, for your Love is Truth and Light for all mankind. Amen.