New series of posts for all my readers. Since we have entered the season of Advent, I thought it would be appropriate to have four posts all about Advent, drawing from the gospels and other scripture passages.
Advent is a season that reminds us to be watchful. Of course we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but Advent also reminds us to be prepared for the second coming. Christ is coming and it will be at a time we don't expect as seen in last Sunday's gospel.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
Expect the Unexpected or you will miss it altogether. Through the scriptures we constantly see men and women who may not have known what the future held for them but were ready for it nonetheless. Abraham was sent by God to a land he did not know but he put his trust in God to lead the way. Noah was told to build the ark and he did not know what lay in store for his family on the other side, but he too trusted in God's plan. More importantly, The Blessed Virgin Mary received the most shocking news anyone could ever receive. Most would not believe what the angel Gabriel revealed to her but she placed herself completely in God's hands.
So how do we stay prepared for what is to come? The answer is Grace. That is why Christ came into the world in the first place, to bring Grace to all who would accept it. He gave us the Church. He gave us the Sacraments. We are prepared when we are in a state of Grace, which we attain when we participate in what Christ has freely given us. If you think this sounds simple, you're right. Christ made it blatantly obvious what we are meant to do. We just have to do it. Be prepared.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
Sunday Series: November 9, 2014
This past Sunday, November 9, was an important feast in the Church calendar, more specifically the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. This is when we celebrate the foundation of the mother church, the Basilica of St. John Lateran. When people think of the Pope they think of St. Peter's but it is at St. John Lateran where the Bishop of Rome has his seat. Officially dedicated in the year 324, the first Pope to take up residency there was Pope St. Silvester I. When look at the foundation of the church, it is so clear how relevant Sunday's gospel was.
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
There are a number of things I could talk about with this Gospel, and all of them have to deal with how Christ is the foundation of the Church. Let's start with what is most obvious. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to give a sign of his authority, he told them to destroy the temple and that he would raise it up in three days. Following the resurrection, Christ's disciples understood what he meant. The Body of Christ is the new temple. The Body of Christ is the Church. The Jews who did not understand this were left in confusion and disappointment, and they continued to think Jesus was speaking about Herod's Temple, which was destroyed in the year 70. The Body of Christ will never be destroyed.
Let us also look closely at Christ's actions in the first half of the Gospel. He drives out the venders and money-changers and overturns their tables. He had a right to do this. The temple was his Father's house, and it was being turned into a market. The Church is to provide salvation, not sell it. But I think what Christ does here as a much deeper meaning. The venders were selling the animals for sacrifice. By driving them out, Christ is preventing the people from animal sacrifice, and by preventing it he is undoing it. Christ is setting himself up as the new sacrifice. Through the shedding of his blood all sins will be washed away. This becomes ever so evident at the institution of the Eucharist at The Last Supper. The Eucharist, the precious Body and Blood, is the most perfect offering and through partaking of it we are cleansed. The Eucharist is at the center of our faith, for without the Christ's Sacrifice, we would not know where to go.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Sunday Series: October 26 & November 2, 2014
Sorry to all my readers for not having a reflection last week. I had a lot of Schoolwork to finish up so I decided to combine this week's reflection with last week's.
In the Gospel from the 26th, Jesus gives us the two most important commandments. The first is to Love God with our whole being. The second is to Love our neighbor has ourselves. Notice how the root of both commandments is Love. Love is the most important of virtues as it will never leave. The question now arises. What is Love? Several weeks ago I was talking about this very subject. I said that Love is any action that gives life. This life can be physical or spiritual so long as we are giving of ourselves in the very act of Love.
Now how does this apply to God? He is perfect and lacks nothing. How can we give life to God? The answer is actually quite simple. God gives us all that have. All that we are is from him. Therefore it is fitting that we should offer our lives to him in service. In this we are giving our lives back to God and living in communion with him, which is all he ever wanted.
Then comes our neighbor. Every other human being is a neighbor to us. We are all members of the same family, the human race, which makes us all Children of the same God. True Love of neighbor stems from Love of God. If we do not Love God then we can never truly love our neighbor. Likewise, if we do not Love our neighbor than we do not truly Love God.
That brings us to today's Gospel, where the Love of the Father for his children is demonstrated:
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”
For this is the will of the Father. He loves so much that he sent down his son to pay the price of Adam's sin. Whoever comes to the Son will be brought to Father. Nothing can separate us from the Love of the Father except for ourselves. It is like the parable of the Prodigal Son. The only thing that separated the Son from his Father was himself. The Father's love was so great for his Son that when he saw his Son returning he ran out to him, embraced him and kissed him as if no wrong had been committed. God always forgives. He will never reject those who come to him. There is only one sin that is unforgivable, and it is completely on us. We cannot be forgiven if we do not want to be. Therefore let us come to God and live in his love and mercy. Let us bask in the rays of his Glory and never be parted from him.
In the Gospel from the 26th, Jesus gives us the two most important commandments. The first is to Love God with our whole being. The second is to Love our neighbor has ourselves. Notice how the root of both commandments is Love. Love is the most important of virtues as it will never leave. The question now arises. What is Love? Several weeks ago I was talking about this very subject. I said that Love is any action that gives life. This life can be physical or spiritual so long as we are giving of ourselves in the very act of Love.
Now how does this apply to God? He is perfect and lacks nothing. How can we give life to God? The answer is actually quite simple. God gives us all that have. All that we are is from him. Therefore it is fitting that we should offer our lives to him in service. In this we are giving our lives back to God and living in communion with him, which is all he ever wanted.
Then comes our neighbor. Every other human being is a neighbor to us. We are all members of the same family, the human race, which makes us all Children of the same God. True Love of neighbor stems from Love of God. If we do not Love God then we can never truly love our neighbor. Likewise, if we do not Love our neighbor than we do not truly Love God.
That brings us to today's Gospel, where the Love of the Father for his children is demonstrated:
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”
For this is the will of the Father. He loves so much that he sent down his son to pay the price of Adam's sin. Whoever comes to the Son will be brought to Father. Nothing can separate us from the Love of the Father except for ourselves. It is like the parable of the Prodigal Son. The only thing that separated the Son from his Father was himself. The Father's love was so great for his Son that when he saw his Son returning he ran out to him, embraced him and kissed him as if no wrong had been committed. God always forgives. He will never reject those who come to him. There is only one sin that is unforgivable, and it is completely on us. We cannot be forgiven if we do not want to be. Therefore let us come to God and live in his love and mercy. Let us bask in the rays of his Glory and never be parted from him.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Sunday Series: October 19, 2014
Another week brings another message. This week's Gospel is quite different from the accounts of the previous several weeks. I will not be talking about the covenant fora change.
In this week's Gospel account we see one of the many attempts of the Pharisees to trap Jesus. The Pharisees hated Jesus. He constantly pointed them out and criticized them for their hypocrisy. If one man was able to defy them, what would stop the rest of the people from doing the same? To stop Christ's ministry, the Pharisees tried to catch him saying something controversial, something that would force the Romans to act.
The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
The Pharisees did not get what they want. They asked a Yes or No question, but Jesus gave them something completely unexpected. Let us look more closely at what he says. "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." This is said in response to the image on the coin. Since Caesar's image is on the coin, it is rightfully his. Nations require funds in order to function and taxes are a completely licit way of collecting funds. Jesus' response is highly logical. Man has no right to keep what is Caesar's away from him, for it is by his grace that they have the coins in the first place. That is only part of the point that Christ was making. Now we must look at the second half of Christ's response. In order to clarify it's meaning, let us look back to Genesis 1.
Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.
God created mankind in his image;
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Once again we see the word image. Just as the coin is in the image of Caesar, so man is in the image of God. Man is created in the God's image and therefore rightfully belongs to God. Who are we to keep ourselves from Him. Jesus was once again calling out the Pharisees. They did not repay God with their lives. They were too concerned with power, control and legalism that they lost sight of what there purpose on this earth. Man's purpose is to come back to God and give him everything. This is an admonishment to us as well. How often do we lives over earthly things be it wealth, pleasure or anything else of that nature. Too much is the answer. Let us instead turn back to God and give him our all. Let us serve him with all that we have. Let us live in complete love and adoration of him.
In this week's Gospel account we see one of the many attempts of the Pharisees to trap Jesus. The Pharisees hated Jesus. He constantly pointed them out and criticized them for their hypocrisy. If one man was able to defy them, what would stop the rest of the people from doing the same? To stop Christ's ministry, the Pharisees tried to catch him saying something controversial, something that would force the Romans to act.
The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
The Pharisees did not get what they want. They asked a Yes or No question, but Jesus gave them something completely unexpected. Let us look more closely at what he says. "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." This is said in response to the image on the coin. Since Caesar's image is on the coin, it is rightfully his. Nations require funds in order to function and taxes are a completely licit way of collecting funds. Jesus' response is highly logical. Man has no right to keep what is Caesar's away from him, for it is by his grace that they have the coins in the first place. That is only part of the point that Christ was making. Now we must look at the second half of Christ's response. In order to clarify it's meaning, let us look back to Genesis 1.
Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.
God created mankind in his image;
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Once again we see the word image. Just as the coin is in the image of Caesar, so man is in the image of God. Man is created in the God's image and therefore rightfully belongs to God. Who are we to keep ourselves from Him. Jesus was once again calling out the Pharisees. They did not repay God with their lives. They were too concerned with power, control and legalism that they lost sight of what there purpose on this earth. Man's purpose is to come back to God and give him everything. This is an admonishment to us as well. How often do we lives over earthly things be it wealth, pleasure or anything else of that nature. Too much is the answer. Let us instead turn back to God and give him our all. Let us serve him with all that we have. Let us live in complete love and adoration of him.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Sunday Series: October 12, 2014
Last week I wrote about how the vineyard resembled the covenant that God has with his children and about how it was taken from the unfaithful tenants and given to those who would be faithful. In this week's Gospel we have a continuation of this theme but from a different angle.
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests,
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Once again we see a story representing the way God's covenant was originally rejected by those He had made it with. The people who were originally invited were the Jewish people. The King sought to bless his people by inviting them to the wedding feast of his son. It was a completely free gift, but the people either thought they had something better to do or held a grudge against the King when they had his servants put to death. The servants represent the prophets whom the Jews rejected. God calls people into covenant with him because he loves them and wants to be with them, but the gifts of grace and joy do not take effect when the people constantly turn their back on God.
The second half of the Gospel ushers in an example of the New Covenant. After the King had dealt with those who had rejected his invitation, he sent his servants (the 12 Apostles) to gather anyone they could find (Gentiles and Jews alike). All are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb, but not all will come. The Lord blesses us with his invitation. It is up to us to accept his wedding invitation, and when we accept it we must be in the right state.
Now we come to the man without a wedding garment. The wedding garment represents our heart. This man's reasons for showing up to the feast were not right. When in Covenant with God, God blesses us, but we must also seek to bless God. We cannot come to the feast just for the benefits. We cannot love God just for what he can give us. We must love God for who he is. We must give of ourselves to the one who ultimately gave everything for us. When we are in mortal sin or when we are only seeking the benefits, we are not wearing a wedding garment.
Let us examine ourselves and see where we stand. Are we wearing our wedding garments? Many are invited but few will be chosen. Many call themselves Christian, but few become other Christs.
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests,
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Once again we see a story representing the way God's covenant was originally rejected by those He had made it with. The people who were originally invited were the Jewish people. The King sought to bless his people by inviting them to the wedding feast of his son. It was a completely free gift, but the people either thought they had something better to do or held a grudge against the King when they had his servants put to death. The servants represent the prophets whom the Jews rejected. God calls people into covenant with him because he loves them and wants to be with them, but the gifts of grace and joy do not take effect when the people constantly turn their back on God.
The second half of the Gospel ushers in an example of the New Covenant. After the King had dealt with those who had rejected his invitation, he sent his servants (the 12 Apostles) to gather anyone they could find (Gentiles and Jews alike). All are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb, but not all will come. The Lord blesses us with his invitation. It is up to us to accept his wedding invitation, and when we accept it we must be in the right state.
Now we come to the man without a wedding garment. The wedding garment represents our heart. This man's reasons for showing up to the feast were not right. When in Covenant with God, God blesses us, but we must also seek to bless God. We cannot come to the feast just for the benefits. We cannot love God just for what he can give us. We must love God for who he is. We must give of ourselves to the one who ultimately gave everything for us. When we are in mortal sin or when we are only seeking the benefits, we are not wearing a wedding garment.
Let us examine ourselves and see where we stand. Are we wearing our wedding garments? Many are invited but few will be chosen. Many call themselves Christian, but few become other Christs.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Sunday Series: October 5, 2014
I've been noticing a theme in Mass the last few weeks, and today it was all over the place. I'll start with the responsorial psalm. "The Vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel." The word vineyard has been very prevalent in the readings of the last few weeks, especially the Gospels. What does the vineyard represent? I've heard many answers to this question: earth, the kingdom of God, the Church. In the responsorial psalm the vineyard represents the House of Israel. At the moment, this answer may not seem all that profound, but Today's Gospel sheds a whole new light on it.
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
Once again Jesus is calling the leaders of the Jewish community. Every group of characters in the parable represents a part in the Jewish faith. The tenants are the religious leaders of the Jews. They were the ones who were supposed to tend to the people. The servants are the prophets. God sent a great number of prophets to the Jews, but the leaders never listened to them. So the Master (God the Father) sent his Son (Christ) to the tenants. The tenants disposed of the Son just as they did the servants. They killed him. Ironically, the pharisees and elders of the Jews saw what should be done in this case when they said that vineyard should be leased to other tenants who will give the fruit to the Master at the proper time. This is actually what happened. The Vineyard of the Lord was taken from the hands of the Chief Priests and the scribes and placed in the hands of those who would produce its fruit, the Apostles.
So what is the Vineyard? It is the Covenant. Just as the Jewish elders were leaders of the old, the Apostles were leaders in the new. The difference is that the Apostles actually produced fruit. The leaders of the Jews were prideful and selfish. All they did was for themselves. Behavior like that was not welcome in God's Covenant. God requires humility and love. Thus Christ was sent down to fulfill the Old Covenant by being a perfect example and then begin the New Covenant with him as the Cornerstone, and this has become wonderful in our eyes. If we too are to be good stewards of the Lord's Vineyard, we follow the words that St. Paul spoke to us today.
Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
Once again Jesus is calling the leaders of the Jewish community. Every group of characters in the parable represents a part in the Jewish faith. The tenants are the religious leaders of the Jews. They were the ones who were supposed to tend to the people. The servants are the prophets. God sent a great number of prophets to the Jews, but the leaders never listened to them. So the Master (God the Father) sent his Son (Christ) to the tenants. The tenants disposed of the Son just as they did the servants. They killed him. Ironically, the pharisees and elders of the Jews saw what should be done in this case when they said that vineyard should be leased to other tenants who will give the fruit to the Master at the proper time. This is actually what happened. The Vineyard of the Lord was taken from the hands of the Chief Priests and the scribes and placed in the hands of those who would produce its fruit, the Apostles.
So what is the Vineyard? It is the Covenant. Just as the Jewish elders were leaders of the old, the Apostles were leaders in the new. The difference is that the Apostles actually produced fruit. The leaders of the Jews were prideful and selfish. All they did was for themselves. Behavior like that was not welcome in God's Covenant. God requires humility and love. Thus Christ was sent down to fulfill the Old Covenant by being a perfect example and then begin the New Covenant with him as the Cornerstone, and this has become wonderful in our eyes. If we too are to be good stewards of the Lord's Vineyard, we follow the words that St. Paul spoke to us today.
Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.
The Covenant of God has been passed down to us through the Church. Through her traditions and teachings we have learned what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Here is our challenge: do it.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Sunday Series: September 28, 2014
I begin today with a simple question. Who are we?
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."
Here in the Gospel from today Christ poses a very familiar question if we have been paying attention the last few weeks. Who are we? Which son are we? The first son says he will not do his father's will but then does anyway. The second son says he will do his father's will but then doesn't. In the end, one son is penitent and the other treacherous. The pharisees and elders of the Jewish community knew that Jesus was calling them out, as he often did. They were known for their legalistic approach to the faith. They knew all the prayers and they stuck to the letter of the law, but there was nothing in their hearts. It is said that the holiest of men are the ones most aware of their sinfulness. The pharisees and elders were not aware of the great sin in their lives: pride. They thought they were better than everyone else because of status and education, but we all struggle with sin making us all guilty. No man is better than his neighbor. Once again, Which son are we?
Thus says the LORD:
You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
How wondrous is the love of God that he would be merciful to we lowly sinners. It is in our sin that we die, but in God's mercy we live. Ask and you shall receive. That is all the Lord requires of us. If we genuinely turn to him and leave behind our sinful ways we shall be forgiven. God is our Father, and he loves his Children. He wants us to live in his mercy and grace, mercy and grace that will help to cease being sinners and become saints.
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."
Here in the Gospel from today Christ poses a very familiar question if we have been paying attention the last few weeks. Who are we? Which son are we? The first son says he will not do his father's will but then does anyway. The second son says he will do his father's will but then doesn't. In the end, one son is penitent and the other treacherous. The pharisees and elders of the Jewish community knew that Jesus was calling them out, as he often did. They were known for their legalistic approach to the faith. They knew all the prayers and they stuck to the letter of the law, but there was nothing in their hearts. It is said that the holiest of men are the ones most aware of their sinfulness. The pharisees and elders were not aware of the great sin in their lives: pride. They thought they were better than everyone else because of status and education, but we all struggle with sin making us all guilty. No man is better than his neighbor. Once again, Which son are we?
Thus says the LORD:
You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
How wondrous is the love of God that he would be merciful to we lowly sinners. It is in our sin that we die, but in God's mercy we live. Ask and you shall receive. That is all the Lord requires of us. If we genuinely turn to him and leave behind our sinful ways we shall be forgiven. God is our Father, and he loves his Children. He wants us to live in his mercy and grace, mercy and grace that will help to cease being sinners and become saints.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sunday Series: September 21, 2014
We all have those days when we feel that everything is against us. We feel that our friends have left us and that our prayers are not being answered. We feel alone. This is a common feeling amongst mankind, but it is one that should never be felt.
As we hear this passage from Isaiah, we should all come to realize that we are never alone. The Lord is everywhere. He is in each and everyone of us. He comes to us when we are in need. But there is one thing that we must do. We must seek the Lord. He is generous in forgiving, but we must accept his generosity and show that acceptance in our own lives. How hard it is at times for us to forgive our neighbor, but do we not say in the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." God forgives man for the most heinous crime ever committed, the cross, and it is by that crime that he forgives man. If God can forgive us for nailing him to a tree, how much more should forgive the little things our neighbors do to us.
This now leads into today's Gospel: Matthew 20: 1-16. It is harvest time, and the owner of the vineyard goes out to the market to hire laborers. The workers agree to the normal daily wage. The owner of the vineyard will do the same process throughout the day hiring more workers throughout the day. When it became time to pay the workers, the master gave the workers who worked an hour the same as the workers who were there the whole time. The ones that came late were grateful for the master's generosity, but ones who had been there a while became envious. They thought they deserved more. The question now rises: Who are we in this story? Are we the workers who are grateful to the master for his generosity, or are we the envious ones who have been there longer? Are we the prodigal son who found a new devotion to his father, or are we his jealous older brother? Are we the pharisee who says, "Thank you Lord that I am not like this Tax Collector, a sinner," or are we the Tax Collector, aware of his sinfulness, that says, "Have Mercy on me, a sinner."?
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
This now leads into today's Gospel: Matthew 20: 1-16. It is harvest time, and the owner of the vineyard goes out to the market to hire laborers. The workers agree to the normal daily wage. The owner of the vineyard will do the same process throughout the day hiring more workers throughout the day. When it became time to pay the workers, the master gave the workers who worked an hour the same as the workers who were there the whole time. The ones that came late were grateful for the master's generosity, but ones who had been there a while became envious. They thought they deserved more. The question now rises: Who are we in this story? Are we the workers who are grateful to the master for his generosity, or are we the envious ones who have been there longer? Are we the prodigal son who found a new devotion to his father, or are we his jealous older brother? Are we the pharisee who says, "Thank you Lord that I am not like this Tax Collector, a sinner," or are we the Tax Collector, aware of his sinfulness, that says, "Have Mercy on me, a sinner."?
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Sunday Series: September 14, 2014
Today in the Church calendar we celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross. It falls on every 14th of September, so I guess everyone knows what I am going to talk about already. To start, let us turn to Today's Gospel.
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Everyone is familiar with this passage of scripture. I remember hearing all the time growing up and it was just about everybody's favorite passage. The heart of this verse starts in the second half. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." This is very similar to what I spoke about last week. Why did God send Jesus, his only begotten son, into the world? He loves us and wants us to have life. It is unfitting for God to allow that which he loves to continue in corruption. Therefore, he came down from heaven to die on a cross so that we through his sacrifice might become sons and daughters of the Father.
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
This is the second reading of today from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians. In it is contained the very heart of what we celebrate today. Christ in the greatest act of humility came down from heaven in the form of a child. He humbled himself to death on a cross. For those who don't know, Crucifixion was developed by the Romans and used specifically for rebels and thieves. It was considered the most humiliating way for one to die and definitely the most painful. Now we have turned the cross into a sacred image. We hang crosses around our necks, many of them ornate with jewels, gold and silver. In the end though we must return to the wood of the cross. Upon entering the Church the first thing we see is the Cross. It's not just a cross though. It is the Crucifix, a cross with the Corpus of Christ still hanging upon it serving as a reminder of what is required of all of us.
My household (small faith communities at Franciscan University) is named Pater Noster (Our Father in Latin). In household it is our mission to be Sons of the Father so that in turn we might Fathers to the world, whether biologically or in the Priesthood. In order to be Fathers (Mothers, this goes for you too) we must first emulate the Son and His Sacrifice. Christ gave up himself so that the world might have life. We also should give of ourselves so that the World might see Christ in us. As Christ said, "Whoever would come after me must deny himself, take up his Cross and follow me." This life is not about us. It is about Love. It is about the Cross. It is about making our lives living Sacrifices, Holy and pleasing to God.
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Everyone is familiar with this passage of scripture. I remember hearing all the time growing up and it was just about everybody's favorite passage. The heart of this verse starts in the second half. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." This is very similar to what I spoke about last week. Why did God send Jesus, his only begotten son, into the world? He loves us and wants us to have life. It is unfitting for God to allow that which he loves to continue in corruption. Therefore, he came down from heaven to die on a cross so that we through his sacrifice might become sons and daughters of the Father.
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
This is the second reading of today from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians. In it is contained the very heart of what we celebrate today. Christ in the greatest act of humility came down from heaven in the form of a child. He humbled himself to death on a cross. For those who don't know, Crucifixion was developed by the Romans and used specifically for rebels and thieves. It was considered the most humiliating way for one to die and definitely the most painful. Now we have turned the cross into a sacred image. We hang crosses around our necks, many of them ornate with jewels, gold and silver. In the end though we must return to the wood of the cross. Upon entering the Church the first thing we see is the Cross. It's not just a cross though. It is the Crucifix, a cross with the Corpus of Christ still hanging upon it serving as a reminder of what is required of all of us.
My household (small faith communities at Franciscan University) is named Pater Noster (Our Father in Latin). In household it is our mission to be Sons of the Father so that in turn we might Fathers to the world, whether biologically or in the Priesthood. In order to be Fathers (Mothers, this goes for you too) we must first emulate the Son and His Sacrifice. Christ gave up himself so that the world might have life. We also should give of ourselves so that the World might see Christ in us. As Christ said, "Whoever would come after me must deny himself, take up his Cross and follow me." This life is not about us. It is about Love. It is about the Cross. It is about making our lives living Sacrifices, Holy and pleasing to God.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Sunday Series: September 7, 2014
Hello Internet, I’m back. I apologize to any of my readers
for being silent for so long, but now I am going to try to write every week.
Today I am going to start what I call my Sunday series. I know today is Monday
but I will be talking about yesterday’s readings followed by a post every
Sunday. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Brothers
and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to
love one another;
for the one who loves another has
fulfilled the law.
The commandments, “You shall not
commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall not
steal; you shall not covet, ”
and whatever other commandment
there may be,
are summed up in this saying,
namely,
“You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.”
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of
the law.
What you just was Sunday’s second reading from Romans
13:8-10. What I want to talk about are the first three lines. Owe nothing but
love. What does that mean? When we look at the Catholic Faith, the end goal is
really the perfection of Love which is to put the needs of others before our own.
As the Scriptures say,” No greater Love than this than for a man to give up his
life for his friends.” This doesn’t mean we have to die for them, at least not
physically. It means that we cannot place ourselves at the center of our own
existence.
St. Bernard
of Clairvaux wrote a number of discourses on love and in one of them he divides
love into four levels. The first is man loving man for man’s sake. This is a
selfish love since man places himself in the center. The second level is man
loving God for man’s sake. While better than the first level, this is still a
selfish love because we are only loving God because of what we can get from
Him. The third level is man loving God for God’s sake. This is selfless because
God has now been placed at the center of our love. The fourth level is the most
difficult for it is loving man for God’s sake. This requires us to love our
fellow man not because of what they are to us but because of what they are to
God: His sons and daughters who have been created in His image and likeness.
I want to
use this opportunity also to speak about how abortion and contraception are not
compatible with Love. God is Love. We have all heard that before. When God
loves us he gives us Life. I was sitting in Mass yesterday and during the
Homily the priest posed the question, “Can Love be sterile and still be
called Love?” He then said, “What if God said, ‘I’m contracepting today.’” Yes,
I was a little stunned when I heard that but as Father explained it, it made a
lot of sense. Imagine if God separated the Life giving property from his Love.
After confession we would be spiritually dead and there would be no hope of
heaven within the Eucharist, even tough God would still “love” us. The thing is
God doesn’t do that because He wants us to have life and have it abundantly.
Therefore when we Love we must also give life or at least be open to it.
Anyone who
does not love shall be treated as Christ says to treat the Gentiles and the tax
collectors from Sunday's gospel. They will be separate from the Body of Christ. Even though they are
separate God still wants them to have life, but they must choose it. We too, if
we are truly loving, should desire the same.
PS: Please comment if you have something to say. I would love to have discussion.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Interpretation of Scripture
I've taken a month off to gather material for this next post and I also had to get readjusted to the Spring semester this year. In my last series of posts, a question came up about the Interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures. I was asked to address the Fundamentalist view of Scripture being literal in every word. Let me start by saying that I don't really have a problem with their view of Scripture. I just have a problem with hypocrites. Fundamentalists say that every word of Scripture is literally true but they don't even believe that Ex. John 6, Matthew 16. Here is a section of John 6 to illustrate my point:
53
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
53
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
If a Fundamentalist were to take this literally, he would believe in the true presence of the Eucharist, and this isn't the only passage that teaches this. Matthew 16 is another passage that Fundamentalists do not take literally. Here it is:
13
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16
Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
18
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
19
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20
Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.
Once again another instance where Fundamentalists don't take the literal meaning that is right in front of them. Jesus spoke in parables and allegories all the time, but these instances are not examples of that.
Now that I've stated my problem with Fundamentalists, I want to look more closely at a strictly literal interpretation of Scripture. It is true that there is a literal sense of Scripture, but it is not the only sense. Hugh of St. Victor, a medieval author and teacher in the 1100s, in his Didascalicon laid out the three senses of Scripture. They are historical (or literal), allegorical, and tropological. The historical is essentially the meaning that is written on the page. The allegorical sense is that second meaning hidden behind the words, though sometimes it is quite evidently present. The tropological sense is simply anything that moves the morals. Not all of Scripture will contain all three senses. It is most common that it contains one or two of them. For example, Song of Songs does not partake in the historical sense. It is rather an allegory for the divine love God has for the Church. Jesus, once again, also spoke in many parables. These parables were allegories representing the Kingdom of God. These are rather obvious examples of the allegorical sense, but there are others. Revelations is a big one. Sometimes Scripture can be difficult to interpret. That is why we have the Magisterium to help us.
Hugh of St. Victor was a member the Augustinian Canon. This being so also says that he was a proponent of the Augustinian Soul, which I am a proponent of as well. Augustine held that the soul consisted of three parts: reason, understanding, and will. If man sticks to a solely literal interpretation of scripture, he is not using the three parts of his soul. Man must discipline his reason so that he can see that there is more than one sense of Scripture. He must then study these senses so that he may come to an understanding of their meaning. Through understanding, he must then use his freedom of will to accept them.
I must also state that I strongly dislike translations. I believe that they are open to human error creeping into the Scriptures. The Muslims say that if you have never read the Quran in the original text, you have never read the Quran. I believe something can be taken from this. I am not saying that we cannot read the Scriptures in English. I am saying that it would be best if we all had a working knowledge of the original languages. Something is always lost in translation, but some translations are better than others.
In my experience as a Journalism major, I have realized that there is a difference between fact and truth. A fact is that which can be verified. Truth is that which is good and beautiful. It is a fact that many people engage in sex outside of marriage, but these actions are not filled with truth. Certain movies, however inaccurate, may contain truth if they uphold the dignity of man. These same rules can be applied to Scripture.
If anyone has questions, feel free to comment.
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