February 23, 2014

Bulletin February 23, 2014

7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48
I’m sure that many of the people who heard Jesus were impressed with Him and liked what He was saying. One could tell that He wasn’t like many of the teachers and leaders of the time; He was authentic and lived what He taught. So many of the teachings of Jesus were reminding them of the Jewish Law and how they were to live it in their daily life. Today, Jesus is giving a ‘radical’ interpretation to one of the prime teachings of the Mosaic Law: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Jesus is telling them, ’NO, you are to love all people including your enemies.’ It is very good for me to spend time with Jesus’ teaching and to make sure I am incorporating it to its fullest extent in my life.

The first reading from Leviticus sets the tone for Jesus’ teaching. The introduction in the Catholic Study Bible states, “The name ‘Leviticus’ was bestowed on the third book of the Pentateuch by the ancient Greek translators because a good part of this book consists of sacrificial and other ritual laws prescribed for the priests of the tribe of Levi.

Continuing the legislation given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, Leviticus is almost entirely legislative in character; the rare narrative portions are subordinate to the main legislative theme. Generally speaking, the laws contained in this book serve to teach the Israelites that they should always keep themselves in a state of legal purity, or external sanctity, as a sign of their intimate union with the Lord. Accordingly, the central idea of Leviticus is contained in its oft-repeated injunction: ‘You shall be holy, because I, the Lord, am holy.’” The book repeatedly reminds the people of God and what God is like. They had experienced how God was totally committed to caring for them as He delivered them repeatedly from the fears and trials they experienced as they made their way through the Sinai desert after escaping Egypt. God is a loving God, a caring God, a protective God and He has called them: “I will be your God and you will be My people.” Because of this the people are expected to reflect the character of God in their own lives. They must be holy as God is holy. So often I ‘cringe’ at comparing my holiness to God’s; but that is not the case. When I am loving, when I am caring, when I am responding to those who are in need then I am ‘like’ God, I am reflecting God and who God is...that means that I am being holy in those instances as God is always holy. Now the difficulty for them came in realizing that in reflecting God they had to remove any hatred they had for others. They don’t need to be reminded to love themselves and they shouldn’t have to be reminded to love others.

At the time of Jesus, Jewish law taught that one owed a duty of respect to one’s neighbors. Neighbors included the people of your family, your clan, and your nation but you did not owe that duty to foreigners. Why, because every foreigner was a potential enemy who might steal or hurt you without any consequences. So as a result, the Jewish people didn’t have to worry about mistreating or hurting a foreigner because they were not connected to your family, clan or nation. But Jesus repeated Leviticus, “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” How did they read this? They realized that Jesus taught that God loves everyone and He makes “the sun rise on the bad and the good...” So God loves everyone EVEN if they did not. How easy it is for me to fall into the same vein: ‘Well I’m glad that God loves them, because I certainly can’t.’ Jesus says the Christian’s love must be complete: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’” .... Each Christian is to “be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The Greek work translated as “perfect” is teleios, which actually means “having reached an end or achieved completion.” So when I love even those ‘enemies’ I am coming closer to my final end with is union with God forever in heaven. Jesus spells this out in the Our Father, ‘and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...’

It comes into so many minds, ‘well, I just can’t do all this, I try but I’m not created like that, it’s not me. MAYBE Jesus doesn’t mean what He says. There is no indication of that! In fact Jesus draws the parallel that just as God doesn’t discriminate, so too I must not discriminate between family, friends, and enemies when doing good. I could say ‘this isn’t the world’s way, and it isn’t BUT it is God’s way.
So what am I to do? I am called to be a lover as Jesus was a lover. Paul helps in this: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God which you are, is holy.” There is no option in this...it is important for me to ask myself how hard am I trying each and every day to be Jesus? Living the Word says, “In light of Jesus’ command to be perfect as God is perfect, Paul reminds us in the second reading of two things that are important to remember as we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus. First, though these teachings may make us look foolish in the eyes of others, they embody the deep wisdom of God. Second, we are not left without help in striving to live these teachings; we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to aid us. We may well fail in living out Jesus’ teachings perfectly, but we will surely fail to live them out at all if we decide beforehand that they are impossible.”
So I reflect on:

• I am called to be merciful. What does mercy mean? What is meant by a merciful God? How far does God’s mercy extend?
  
• What would it mean in practice to love someone whom I considered an enemy? What sort of things might I do? Do I pray for them?
  
• How much does the fear of appearing foolish in the eyes of others hold me back from trying to follow what Jesus taught?
  
• Am I generous...am I grateful...these two are related.
  

Sacred Space 2014 says:

“Jesus calls us to look beyond the limit of the law. We need to be generous and imaginative if we are to rise beyond the restrictions that life presents.

I think of how I might be free from the constraints I find by acting from a generous spirit. I ask God to inspire and help me.”

February 16, 2014

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Sirach 15:15-20; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37
The readings today make me stop and reflect on their importance as I look at my retirement years and the end passage of my life.  St. Augustine said “Love God and do what you like”; I wonder if I am doing too much of what I like and not enough of loving God?  I look in depth at the readings.
Jesus ben Sirach collected his teaching into a book to help those who already wanted to continue to learn more about God’s ways and to advance in knowledge and wisdom of the Torah (the first five books of the OT).  Today’s passage shares how important it is to keep God’s commandments.  Do I want to keep these or go my own way?  Sirach says that God does not force or coerce people (today’s words might be ‘bully’ or ‘pressurize’).  God gives each person the incentive to make the right choices.  Am I going to do it God’s way or my way?  Sirach tells me that if I choose to keep God’s commandments I will be saved.  If I trust in God, I will live.  If I choose evil I will receive evil in the end.  Whatever I choose will be given back to me. So what am I going to do?  Sometimes it’s hard to trust in the God that I cannot see.  When temptation comes it seems very attractive and 'I' say, ‘Why not’?  Sirach states it so succinctly:  God is wise, powerful and understanding; He lays it all out in front of me:  God gives life, evil brings death.  Choose life.      
Paul continues in teaching me God’s wisdom as he writes to the Corinthian community.  Paul says that true wisdom is not found in the fashions of the day or its rulers.  God’s wisdom is mysterious and hidden yet it is revealed to the believers through the Holy Spirit.  So the question is what is this hidden wisdom?  What are the wonderful things that human eyes have not seen and human ears have not heard until Jesus came?  Scripture scholars say that it is the truth that salvation, mine and everyone’s come through Christ crucified.  Jesus came to tell me and each person that God loves them and Jesus came to redeem all from their alienation and sins, He has redeemed all.  That’s why He chose the ultimate form of love giving: His crucifixion to show God’s love.  What are the effects of God’s love and His saving power...Msgr. Eugene Lauer in Sunday Morning Insights says, “In particular they are the mysterious power to love everyone, the superhuman ability to forgive even the worst of our enemies, the knowledge that all suffering leads to resurrection.  Without this ‘hidden wisdom,’ human minds may never have figured out that even the most obnoxious people are reflections of God.  They may never have known that peace is possible in this present age.  They may never have guessed that passion-death-resurrection is the model process for every tragedy, for every human trial, and consequently that there is always hope.  It would ‘not have dawned on us’ that we could live forever with God and that we could begin to share some of the divine life right here on earth.  It would ‘not have dawned on us’ that the Spirit of God is beneath the surface of every human event, giving meaning that unbelieving eyes do not perceive.”  This is not just for the select ‘holy ones’ but for each person who believes, to each person who is willing to take pains to look where eyes do not look, to hear what human ears miss or don’t want to hear and that is in the teachings of Jesus.  Jesus came and told all and He proved it by His love...so often I have to just sit and reflect on the fact that Jesus died for me.  Then I look at the severity of my sins and almost immediately I am drawn into the total love of God for me...that is how important I am to God, how each person is to God.   God loves!
Matthew wrote for the community of Jewish Christians and they wanted to know how they were to interpret Christ’s passion, death and resurrection in light of their own anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promises?  They were the chosen people; the Messiah has come in Jesus what does this mean?  Jesus says, “I have not come to abolish but to fulfill” the commandments.  Jesus says the law and the prophets are important BUT they are now to be understood within the context of the new messianic age.  He is not just repeating the past.  Today’s passage gives a series of five concrete examples that Jesus places within the context of His new teaching.  He is not giving a new ‘written code’ but it telling each person that the Holy Spirit works within each person to transform them into God’s children, now a part of God’s family not because of anything I have done but it’s from God’s plentiful love.  The law made it easy to ‘go though the motions’ and maybe even grudgingly obey a rule than to grasp the real reason for the rule.  The real reason is love and Jesus tells us that love must become the fabric of my life and each person’s life.  This is hard.  It requires the hard work of inner transformation.  It is by this that I grow into the wisdom and spiritual maturity which Paul speaks about. Can I do it on my own...absolutely not?  It is only by the grace of the Spirit working within me and each person that accomplishes all that God needs done in me.  I for my part have to learn to stay out of the way of the Spirit and let the Spirit guide me.  I have to ask each day, ‘How am I doing?  What did I learn from the Spirit today?  Where is the Spirit leading me?  Where did I choose me and not God?  How is the Spirit helping me grow closer to God’s love?   So I reflect on:
What do I consider the signs of a spiritually mature person?
Are there rules that I follow without really grasping the reason behind the rule?
How do I reach reconciliation with people that I don’t like or don’t associate with?  What happens if I go to another person, ask for forgiveness, and they refuse to forgive me?  What happens when I refuse forgiveness to another person?  How do these affect my prayer life?
How can I rid myself of the habits and characteristics which make me less than I am called to be?
Sacred Space 2014 puts this in the positive
“I think of all those who have taught me, calling to mind the people who have helped me understand God’s ways.  I give thanks for them and ask God to bless them.  I pray that I may be such a person for those around me.
Jesus pointed to the continuity in God’s work and action.  I think of the traditions and teachings that have brought me to where I am, and I ask God to continue to draw me to life.”    

February 9, 2014

5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

Isaiah 58:-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16
The focus today is that Christians, since they are God’s People, are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Today’s gospel passage is from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which is contained in Matthew chapters 5 - 7; the Beatitudes are contained in the first twelve verses followed by today’s passage. I have heard this passage often, preached on it and spent much quiet time on the Sermon on the Mount. Today, I googled ‘salt of the earth’ and was fascinated with the responses: “It means a thoroughly good type....an individual or group considered as representative of the best or noblest elements of society (1350-1400 Middle English)...You and I, as Christians, are called the salt of the earth because our lives enhance and give meaning to this existence we call life....a common hard working man or person. ... The exact meaning of the expression is disputed, in part because salt had a wide number of uses in the ancient world.” Salt was used as money...as fertilizer...as flavoring....as preservative...it was found almost exclusively in the Dead Sea area and really didn’t lose it flavor except when it was polluted with other additives. Living the Word shares more insights, “Salt is almost certainly the oldest seasoning used by the human race. We have archeological evidence of facilities for the refining of salt as early as 6000 BC. Of course, salt was used for more than seasoning; salting was for many centuries the only way we had to preserve food from decay and corruption. Salt was, in fact so valuable that a wider variety of cultures have used it for religious purposes. In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome salt mixed with water was offered to the gods; in ancient Israel, salt was included in grain offerings and burnt offerings; salt was used to purify and to exorcise; but it also symbolized the table fellowship of a shared meal.” This made me reflect even more.
What did Jesus mean when He tells me and His followers that we are the salt of the earth? As with any good metaphor, Jesus is saying a number of things at the same time all which add to my reflection. When I enter Church, I sign myself with blessed holy water. This water is blessed with ritual prayers and with the adding of a few pinches of blessed salt. Why? Salt is a preservative. Baptism is my entry into the Church, the People of God. What spoils me after my baptism is sin. And what preserves me from sin is faith in God’s mercy and the reception of the sacraments, especially Reconciliation. Now if the ‘salt loses its saltiness, it is worthless’ and it does this by being polluted. So I reflect on what pollutes me...what weakens my faith....what makes it easier for me to run the risk of falling back into sin? I cannot ever feel that ‘I’ve got it made’; the devil is always rearing his ugly head to distract me away from the Lord.
What Jesus is telling me today is that I and each Christian have been given a tremendous gift, we have been called: called to be Christ to the world. How am I to do this; by giving my ‘flavor’ to the world. It entails using the gifts and talents from God and through His grace preserve my world from decay and corruption. Am I reading too deeply into this, I don’t think so? If I do not retrain my daily focus on the Lord, I can so very easily turn into myself and lose the desire to foster the self giving love and being in relationship that are the keys of Christian life. I become centered on ‘me’. And Jesus calls me each day to be the light of the world. When each Catholic was baptized, he or she was given a candle lit from the Easter candle that burns brightly at every baptism, during the Easter season and at every funeral. Jesus said that if that candle, which is God’s light’ is placed under a basket, the light isn’t just blocked, it is extinguished, and it dies. I’ve thought about that. I have been given the gift of faith and it should be enflamed with the Lord. If I keep that ‘fire’ to myself it will die, but if I share it with others, it will spread.
Today’s readings give practical advice on the how to’s...Isaiah calls on those who believe in God to show their belief by doing good deeds. He tells me to share my abundance with the hungry, come to the aid of those who are hurting and those who feel hopeless, clothe those who feel they have nothing and do not turn my back on my own. Isaiah says this is when people see the ‘me’ that God graces me to be. He adds, “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and He will say: here I am!” WHY...”Those who allow their faith to change them will feel closer to God and find their lives transformed as if they have come out of darkness into light.”
Paul gives an outstanding example of what it means for a person to ‘be Jesus’ and be ‘right’ with the Lord. Unlike most of the orators in the first century, Paul was not very eloquent and as he states was unable to demonstrate a “sublimity of words or of wisdom.” He came in weakness, fear and trembling and the power of his message was Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” He was filled with awe and wonder in the presence of God and God’s marvelous works. It always was about Jesus to Paul, not about himself. Fr. John Hingsbergen from Franciscan Media sums up the readings and what I am to do as ‘Jesus’ “a) The accomplishments of Christ’s followers are not necessarily extraordinary actions, but simple acts of love and caring. b) Our beliefs and the actions that flow from them can serve as a powerful antidote to hatred and hostility. c) Believers who show their faith through their actions not only serve others, but inspire them to follow Christ and His teachings.” And when I do this, I have done all that I was called to do...I ask God for this grace as I reflect on:

• “How am I salt? Which of the traditional uses of salt—as flavoring, a preservative, an offering—best describes how I see my role as a follower of Jesus?”
  
• How am I letting my light shine? When do I try to hide it or actually hide it?
• What are the things that I would do if I wanted to grow in faith? Do I do these? What kind of people would I associate with? Who would be my faith models?
  
• How do I affect other people’s faith lives? How am I a faith model for the people who come into my life?
  

Sacred Space 2014 shares:

“Jesus reminds me that faith is not a wet blanket on the joys of life, but something that brings zest and spark. I ask Jesus to touch my imagination to show me how my faith can bring color and life to me and those around me.

The salt under foot is wasted; the light under the tub puts itself out. I consider how I might better use my energies for the good of others and for the glory of God.”

February 2, 2014

Presentation of the Lord A

Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
Today the feast of the Presentation of the Lord falls on a Sunday, this happens only occasionally. It is a wonderful feast for me to reflect on the message that I live and that I carry for Christ. It’s also a time to ask how I maintain the strength and freshness of my commitment to that message...it is important for each person to do this.
What is this feast all about? According to the laws found in the Leviticus (12:2-8) a woman who gives birth to a son is considered impure for forty days during which time she cannot touch anything sacred nor can she enter the sanctuary of the Temple. At the end of that period, a lamb is presented to the temple as a burnt offering and a pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. If one could not afford a lamb, then two turtledoves could serve as a substitute. The purpose of the bringing their first born child to the Temple to be presented or dedicated to the Lord reminded the parents that their child really was a gift from God entrusted to them. I am honored when parents talk about the ‘miracle’ of the birth of their children. There is a purpose for each person in being created and God has tremendous plans for each child. These plans revolve around being loved and giving love so that others may be drawn to the Lord’s love.
So Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple to fulfill their religious obligations and encounter Simeon and Anna which is why this feast is also known as the ‘Feast of the Encounter.’ This word suggests an element of surprise. All their lives, Simeon and Anna had waited in the temple preparing them to ‘encounter’ the Messiah even though they had no idea of when or how it would happen. Because of their prayer life and attentiveness to the Spirit these two were able to see the ‘glory of God’ in this small child. Simeon picked up Jesus and in gratitude proclaimed his prayer Nunc Dimittis (“Lord, now you let your servant go in peace”). This beautiful prayer/canticle expresses the longing of the people of Israel down through the centuries for the coming of the Messiah. Simeon proclaims this mission is now finished; the new covenant is being born in Jesus. Living the Word adds this thought:”In some ways, this feast represents the last flicker of the Advent-Christmas season, commemorating the presentation of Jesus in the Jerusalem temple. In Vatican City, the large outdoor manger scene is left in place until this day. It is almost as if the Church just can’t give up on celebrating the mystery of God-made-flesh.”
The Lord came to Simeon and Anna in the Temple and the Lord comes to each person every day. In the Mass, Jesus comes in his Word and in the Eucharist to join each person in their life journey. Luke a Devotional Commentary says, “How blessed are we that the resurrected Lord has come to His temple to remain! In the Eucharist, under the appearance of ordinary bread and wine, Jesus comes to meet us. In baptism, He has taken up residence in the temple of our hearts as well. By the shedding of His blood and the outpouring of His Spirit, He has purified us and delivered us from death.” (This is seen in the first reading from Malachi 2:2-3).
Another aspect of this feast helps me to remember my mission and each person’s mission from God, this is the blessing of candles that is performed and as a result is called ‘Candlemas Day’. This ancient tradition is the day that people would bring to Church candles to be blessed. They would bring these candles home and light them when the Eucharist was brought in case of sickness or in any kind of difficulty or storms. These lit candles would remind them that Christ is with them. This is a very simple sign but it says so much, especially that darkness can be terrifying. It was as a young child that many became scared of the dark; some just had to have a light kept lit in their bedrooms to keep them safe from the ‘boogie man’ or whatever. But the point of the candle is that it gives light; a light in darkness gives location, balance and a center. I am comfortable. I know where I am and what is all around me. This is what Christ does for me and for each person. He keeps me balanced; giving me direction in my life; letting me know how I am to live each moment by bringing my gifts and His love to each and every one.
Like Simeon and Anna I have to be prepared each moment for an encounter with the Lord. Where will it come, when will it come; I can’t say that but I know it has come each day in my life and so often it has been a surprise. I have met the Lord in the poor and the helpless, the sick and the dying; I have met the Lord in the little ones giving a hug at the end of Mass or being affirmed or challenged by all sorts of people. What I can say is that each of these encounters helps me grow closer to the Lord when I reflect on them in gratitude. I try to do this each evening as I put my head on the pillow, ‘Where have I seen God today...what message did He have for me...’ Simeon trusted in God. I can trust that everything that happens in my life has a reason and can be used by the Lord; and most especially that I am never alone. Jesus promised that and it is the promise of the blessed candle, symbolizing that Jesus is my Light in any darkness. So I reflect on:

• Do I live my life each day in anticipation of God revealing Himself to me? How can I do this?
  
• What hinders me in my love of the Lord? What worries and anxieties hold me back from giving myself over to God?
  
• How does the knowledge that Jesus was tested as a human being bring consolation to my difficulties and struggles? Do I really believe that Jesus understands?
  
• Simeon and Anna waited in anticipation and excitement; do I put off my encountering with the Lord?
  
• Do I feel as Simeon did that being in God’s presence and much loved by Him is the achievement of my human life?
  

Sacred Space 2014 says it so beautifully:

“The feast of the Presentation can happen every day if I wish it so. This is because when I pray, I am presenting myself before God. God and I meet directly. When Jesus tells us to pray always, He is inviting us to live out our lives with this awareness of God.

Like Simeon, I can take the child in my arms. Perhaps the child wakes up and smiles at me. What goes on in my heart when this happens? Simeon praised God. I give thanks that God is presented to me in such a tangible and vulnerable form.”