TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

6 OCTOBER 2024

 

            The Pharisees ask Jesus a loaded question, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”  They know the answer to that question.  Moses allowed a husband to divorce his wife.  However, they want to draw Jesus into the current argument:  What constitutes the reasons for a husband’s decision to divorce his wife.  The stricter rabbis insist that a husband could file for a divorce only on the strictest grounds, such as infidelity.  However, the more lenient ones argue that any reason would suffice.  A man can divorce his wife if he does not like her cooking, or if he cannot get along with her family.

            Jesus avoids that trap.  He knows that a wife has absolutely no recourse in a divorce proceeding.  She can do nothing to defend herself and no option other than to accept the husband’s decision and moving on to a very uncertain future.  Divorced women are driven into poverty and the shame of being an outcast without a family.  As always, Jesus has compassion for the poor and the vulnerable.  So, he argues that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of people’s hearts.  He refuses to be drawn into the arguments of the day and responds by going to the heart of what God intends for marriage.  He quotes the second chapter of Genesis and insists that God created marriage as a permanent institution.  He argues that when a man and a woman become one flesh, that union cannot be separated.  What God has joined together, no human being can separate.  According to Genesis, which the Pharisees would understand as Moses speaking, God instituted marriage as a mutual love and harmony that cannot be broken.

            His disciples have difficulty with this radical teaching.  Even though they accept Jesus as the Messiah, they have not yet realized what he means by the kingdom of God.  That kingdom, won by his death and resurrection, will restore humanity to the original intimacy and love of Genesis.  That is why Jesus wants children to come to him.  Children have a remarkable ability to embrace the present moment without question.  The disciples musty learn that same lesson.  They will need to embrace his message of love and permanence with simplicity and trust.

            Jesus invites us to embrace this very difficult teaching about marriage with simplicity and trust.  As Catholics, we accept his teaching that marriage is a permanent institution that can be ended only in death.  We are part of the kingdom of God begun with his death and resurrection.  As all of you who married couples know, marriage is not an easy vocation.  It is very demanding.  I argue that married couples face greater challenges than we who live the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  The Church has clearly defined what constitutes a valid bond of marriage that can only end in death.  We embrace the teaching of Jesus and know that civil divorce does not end a valid bond of marriage.  That is why we have a Marriage Tribunal in our Diocese.  Those whose marriages have ended in divorce can approach the Tribunal to decide about the truth of that bond.  Most Catholics do not understand what an annulment means.  If you find yourself in this difficult situation, do not hesitate to approach Father Andrew.

Married couples need to do everything possible to cooperate with the grace given by the Sacrament to be faithful to their commitment.  When you experience difficulties, do not hesitate to seek professional help.  There are other movements today which support married couples.  The Bible begins with a wedding in Genesis.  It ends with a marriage feast in the Book of Revelation.  We are painfully aware that we do not live in a world of perfect love and intimacy.  But in a world of sin and division, we are invited to embrace the Kingdom of God like little children.  That means that married couples in a valid bond of marriage need the faith to enter into the dying of Jesus Christ, trusting that together, they can share in his rising.   

 

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

15 SEPTEMBER 2024

 

            Ever since leaving the Easter Season and returning to Ordinary Time, we have been listening to the Gospel according to Saint Mark.  He has been telling us about the early ministry of Jesus in Galilee.  In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus had read from the Prophet Isaiah and announced that he was the promised and long-awaited Messiah.  Even though the locals could not believe in him, he called others who left everything and became his disciples.  They heard his teaching and witnessed his miracles to verify his identity.  He then chose twelve of them and sent them in pairs on a mission.  They accomplished miracles in his name and returned in triumph.  As their faith in him deepened, the opposition to him increased.  The religious leaders were beginning to plot against him and exploring ways to eliminate him.

            Today, Jesus leads his disciples to Caesarea Philippi, an area named for a local governor and his patron, Caesar.  They gather near the shrine dedicated to Pan, the pagan god of agricultural growth and fertility.  He asks his disciples to tell him the gossip about his identity.  They respond that some claim that he is John the Baptist.  Others claim that he is Elijah or one of the prophets.  Then he asks the key question: “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter responds with the correct answer: “You are the Christ.” 

            Then he tells them not to tell anyone, because he needs to clarify his role as the Messiah. He will not be a messiah who defeats the Romans.   He confirms that the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes will win the battle and have him executed.  He will be the suffering servant who will defeat the power of sin and death by entering into death itself.  Peter takes him aside and rebukes him, because Peter cannot imagine that his trusted friend and mentor would have to undergo such a horrible fate.  Jesus strongly rebukes him and calls him “Satan,” the one who tempted him in the desert to depart from the will of his Father.  Jesus then tells them that if they want to be his authentic followers, they must accept the same fate.  They have accepted the gift of faith that he has offered.  Now, they must live that faith by surrendering themselves to the incredible love that Jesus will embrace.  As authentic followers, they too must deny themselves and take up the cross of putting others and needs of others first.  They had not earned the gift of faith.  They had received it feely and without pay.  Now, they must embrace the implications of living that faith and spreading it to others.

            That is exactly what Saint James is saying in the second reading.  He acknowledges that faith is a free and unearned gift.  Like the other disciples of Jesus Christ, he is grateful for that gift and has openly accepted it.  But then he spells out the implications of living that faith.  An authentic faith in Jesus Christ involves embracing the cross and putting the needs of others first.  He gives a specific example.  If a disciple sees a brother or sister who has no clothing and no food and simply wishes them well, then that disciple is not carrying a cross or entering into self-denial.  Saint James points out that this faith is dead without the good works that would allow them to provide clothing and food to the poor person.

            This is the message for every one of us, who are disciples of Jesus Christ. Like Peter, we know that we are not following the teachings of a great human leader or prophet.  We are disciples of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who has defeated the power of sin and death by embracing his cross and giving his life completely to us.  When we are dismissed from this Mass, we are challenged to display our faith in very definite works of mercy and compassion.  Peter may have balked at first.  But he will eventually understand and embrace the dying of Jesus Christ and to share in his rising.  He challenges us to do the same.

 

TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

18 AUGUST 2024

 

          In our modern age, we are blessed with technologies to help us get around.  Last year, I bought a car that included “driver assistance technology.”  There are blind spot warnings in the side mirrors.  When I back out of the rectory parking place, a backup camera warns me if there are any cars coming on Dubail Street.  It has adaptive cruise control that automatically adjusts the speed when approaching a car in front of me on the highway.  They make driving safer.

            Saint Paul lived at a time before technology.  But when he writes to the Ephesians, he provides “living assistance training,” which can be helpful for all who have chosen to become disciples of Jesus Christ.  First, he tells us to watch carefully how we live.  The Greek word he uses for “live” is better translated “to walk.”  As disciples, we need to walk together in a way that we have as our goal a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ.  We need to be aware of what lies before us, but we also need to be open to the advice of those who are wiser.  If we keep our eyes firmly on the goal of the new and eternal Jerusalem, then we will be less likely to make impulsive and foolish decisions about what is important in our walking pilgrimage.

            Second, he tells us to make the most of the time God has given us.  Like the Ephesians, we live at a time where there is plenty of turmoil and lots of disagreements.  There are so many things that are totally out of our control.  Instead of wasting time worrying about what cannot be changed, we disciples need to get involved in some kind of humble service.  Even small acts of kindness can make a difference in an angry world.

            Third, he tells us that we must avoid being foolish.  The Book of Proverbs speaks about avoiding what is foolish and embracing what is wise.  In his letter last Sunday, Saint Paul urged disciples to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit helps us to avoid all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling, along with all malice.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can replace these foolish attitudes with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

            Finally, he tells us to avoid being drunk.  There is nothing wrong with disciples drinking in moderation.  However, wise disciples do not drink and drive.  wise disciples do not spend inordinate amounts of time being fed by social media and those things that distract us.  Instead, disciples need to be drunk on the Holy Spirit.  Then we can sign psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another giving thanks to the Lord in our hearts.

That is why it is so important to continue to reflect with Jesus on the importance of the Eucharist as we continue our journey of faith together.  Jesus reminds us that God had fed his ancestors in the desert with manna during their journey in the desert as they walked together to the Promised Land.  Even though they had been fed by God, they still died.  Jesus invites his disciples to believe that he is the Eternal Word of God who has come from heaven and dwells in our midst.  We feed on God himself, eating his Body and drinking his Blood.  He gives himself as food and drink.  Those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will never die.

            We who share in this Eucharist trust his promise.  We know that eating his flesh and drinking his blood strengthens us to give of ourselves totally as he has given himself to us.  As we heard from Saint Paul last Thursday on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ is the first fruits of all who have died with him.  Fed by the Eucharist, we too can die to ourselves and trust his promise to follow where he has gone.

             

 

 

 

NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

11 AUGUST 2024

 

            The prophet Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal to a duel on Mount Carmel in the northern kingdom of Israel.  Most of his fellow Israelites had abandoned the Covenant with God.  Instead, they had chosen to put their faith in the Baals, the gods of fertility.  After the prophets of Baal had failed to demonstrate that their gods existed, Elijah called on God to demonstrate his power and presence.  Lightning came from the sky and consumed the sacrifice on the altar. Elijah had slain the prophets of Baal and restored the faith of the people.

            Today, we find Elijah running for his life.  Queen Jezebel has sent her troops to kill him.  Completely discouraged, he has entered the desert and wants to die.  But God sends him food in the form of a hearth cake and jar of water and commands him to continue his journey in the desert to Mount Horeb, the northern kingdom’s name for Mount Sinai.  There, he would encounter God and receive the strength to continue his mission.

            Many years earlier, his ancestors had entered the same desert.  They had won a victory against their Egyptian captors when Moses led them through the waters of the Red Sea.  But, like Elijah, they were discouraged and wanted to die.  In this deserted place, they had no food.  So, through the intercession of Moses, God gave them food in the form of manna from heaven.  Nourished by this food, they continued their journey to Mount Sinai.  There, they would encounter God and receive his covenant and eventually enter the Promised Land.

            Many centuries later, Jesus had fed a crowd of thousands with five loaves of barley and two fish in a deserted place.  They were so taken by this miracle that they wanted to make him king.  He withdrew from the crowd, because he had not worked this miracle to give them free meals.  He did it to be a sign of something much greater.

            Today, he continues to explain the significance of this sign.  He wants the crowd to know what we know:  that he is the eternal Word come down from heaven to remain with us.  We heard this the Gospel of Saint John proclaimed on Christmas day.  That is what Jesus is trying to tell the crowds.  He had been present at the creation of the world, and now he intends that this sign might deepen their faith in him.  He is the living bread come down from heaven.  He gives himself to those who believe that they might have eternal life in him.

            However, the crowds cannot believe in him.  He is too ordinary for them.  They know his humble origins in Nazareth. They are not interested in his invitation to imitate his example of giving of himself.  They do not want to give.  They want to get.  They want free meals for the rest of their lives. 

            These readings speak to us today.  Like the Israelites and Elijah, we too have experienced the presence and power of God in our lives.  But like them, we have known times of failure and rejection.  In those times when God seems far from our lives, we find ourselves in deserts and are tempted to give up.  But the Lord feeds us with his Body and Blood to increase our faith and strengthen us to continue our own journeys through life.  He gives himself to us as food, so that we can give of ourselves to others.

            In this Bread of Life discourse, he wants to deepen our faith in this central Mystery of our faith.  He invites us to enter into communion with him and his Father.  In this Eucharist, he shares a life that is already eternal.  We recognize his real presence.  Sent from this Mass, we open our eyes to the ways he is present in those we encounter – especially those on the margins and those we do not like.  We imitate him by giving, and thus receiving life that cannot end.

 

 

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

28 JULY 2024

 

          Ever since we returned to the Scripture readings assigned on Sundays in Ordinary Time, we have been hearing from Mark’s Gospel about the early ministry of Jesus in Galilee.  He has announced that he is the promised Messiah and has taught that the kingdom of God is at hand.  He has worked miracles to show people the beginnings of that kingdom.  He has been rejected by his hometown folks in Nazareth and worried his blood family about his behavior.  However, he has broadened the definition of family and has invited anyone who is willing to do the will of the Father to become part of a new family.  Many have accepted his invitation and joined that new family.  He has chosen twelve of those disciples and sent them out on mission.

            Last Sunday, he tried to take his apostles to a deserted place to allow them to rest.  However, the vast crowd had gathered there, and his heart was filled with pity for them.  He knew that they are hungering for the truth.  Instead of sending them away, he took time to nourish their hunger for the truth by teaching them.

            Today, we depart from the Gospel of Mark and listen to the Gospel of John.  John picks up where Mark left off.  John is very careful to connect what Jesus is about to do with what Moses had done many centuries before.  Moses had led the large crowd of people through the waters of the Red Sea.  Jesus has just crossed the waters of the Sea of Galilee.  Moses led his people to a deserted place and had gone up the mountain to commune with God.  Jesus finds a large crowd in a deserted place, and goes up a mountain to sit down and teach his disciples.  The large crowd who had followed Moses were hungry and needed food.  There was no food in the desert. Jesus realizes that his crowd is hungry and needs to eat.  He asks Philip, who is from nearby Bethsaida, if he knows a place where they can buy food.  Moses then announces that the Lord will feed them with manna, so they will not starve.

            Jesus chooses to work this most remarkable of all his miracles at Passover, when his contemporaries would celebrate the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt.  Philip replies that they do not have enough money to buy food for such a huge crowd in Bethsaida.  Andrew points out that there is a boy here who have five barley loaves and two fish, not enough to feed so many.  Just as Elisha defies the obstacles in the first reading by feeding 100 people from 20 loaves of bread, Jesus takes the loaves, gives thanks, and distributes the loaves and fish to everyone.  There are twelve baskets left over.  Jesus withdraws when they want to make him king.  He does not work this miracle to get their attention.  He works it to help them understand that he is the bread come down from heaven to feed everyone.  We will hear his Eucharistic theology at Mass during the next few Sundays.

            The Lord feeds us today with the miracle of his real presence in the Eucharist.  But, as we are nourished and sent from this church to do the Lord’s work in our day, we tend to have the same obstacles.  Like Philip, we wonder if we are in the right place.  Like Andrew, we worry that we don’t have enough money to meet so many needs.  We cannot imagine how we can meet the needs of so many with what we have.  But Jesus can change our hearts.  He will take care of the feeding.  We just have to do the preparation.  The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving”.  As we express our gratitude for the Lord’s real presence, we can take another look at what we have been given and express a deeper gratitude by sharing our many gifts with others.

            Saint Paul says it all when he writes to the Ephesians.  In celebrating this Eucharist, we can be more intent on practicing the virtues of humility, gentleness, and patience.  We become what we consume:  The Body of Christ committed to gratitude and humble service.

 

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

21 JULY 2024

 

          In ancient Israel, the image for leadership was that of a shepherd tending sheep.  David himself had been a shepherd before being anointed as king.  He knew from his own experience the importance of being present to his flock.  He led them to pastures and refreshing water.  He protected them from wolves and thieves.  Shepherds sometimes gave their lives for their sheep.

            In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah is very critical of the leaders of his people.  They had not been good shepherds.  They separated themselves from the people entrusted to their care.  They were so busy caring for their own needs that they neglected the needs of their people.  They had not taught them about the Covenant and had not warned them of the ways they had departed from the Covenant.  They had not cared for the vulnerable, poor and weak of their day.  As a result, Jeremiah warns that the sheep will be scattered.  That is exactly what happened when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and scattered God’s people in exile.  In the deserted places of their exile, they would learn of the gentle care of God, the true shepherd.  Jeremiah promises that God will raise up a righteous shoot from the house of David.  That shepherd will reign and govern wisely.  He will do what is just and right in the land.

            Saint Mark sees this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus has announced that he is the promised Messiah.  He has traveled through Galilee proclaiming that the Kingdom of God has arrived in him.  He has taught about that kingdom and worked miracles to show people the truth.  He has cured the sick and wounded.  He has healed the broken hearted.  He has called people to become disciples.  He has sent twelve of them on mission to extend his ministry.

            Today, they return from their mission and report all that had happened when they exercised ministry in his name.  They had been sent out as fellow shepherds, and now they are exhausted.  So, Jesus invites them to go to a deserted place to rest for a while.  God had taken their ancestors into a deserted place for forty years after they had been freed from slavery in Egypt.  There, God tested them and provided a place of solitude.  Jesus himself had spent forty days in a deserted place before beginning his public ministry.  In that deserted place, solitude and rest helped him to come understand his Father’s will for him.  Unlike his ancestors, Jesus resisted the temptations of the devil and remained faithful to his mission.

            However, when they reach the place that should have been deserted, they find a vast crowd waiting for them.  Despite his exhaustion and desire to be alone with his apostles, Jesus has pity on the people, because they are like sheep without a shepherd.  In his heartfelt compassion, he teaches them and cares for them instead of scattering them.

            Behaving as the Good Shepherd promised by the prophet Jeremiah, Jesus models for his apostles and us what healthy Christian ministry looks like.  The Lord has called all of us to be faithful disciples.  In whatever vocation he has called us, we sent from this Mass to be good shepherds.  By the way, your good shepherd has abandoned you and is spending the weekend in Indianapolis.  You are stuck with me!  We who are priests and religious and lay ministers need to be active in ministering to the needs of the people entrusted to our care.  The same is true for husbands, wives, and parents.  We must allow our hearts to show compassion on those who need us.  But we must also come off by ourselves to a deserted place to root our activity in prayer.

            Today, Jesus feeds the sheep with his word.  Next Sunday, he will feed the assembled multitude with five loaves and two fish.  He does this for us at every Mass.  He feeds us with his word, and then feeds us with his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.  The Good Shepherd is with us and graces us with the courage to lead as he leads us.

 

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

14 JULY 2024

 

          As we have been listening to the Gospel of Saint Mark, he has been describing the early ministry of Jesus in Galilee.  Jesus has proclaimed that he is the promised Messiah, and that the kingdom of God is at hand.  He has been preaching and teaching about the kingdom.  He has worked miracles as signs of the presence of the kingdom.  And yet, people in his hometown of Nazareth and even within his own family have rejected him.  They cannot believe in him, because he is too ordinary. 

            However, he has attracted many who have begun to believe in him and have become his disciples.  They form his new family:  those who are willing to do the will of his Father.  Of those disciples, he has chosen twelve to become his Apostles.  He has chosen them not because they have any particular skills, but because they have faith in him.  They will become the foundation of the new Israel, as the old Israel was composed of twelve tribes.

            Today, he sends them on a trial mission, a boot camp of sorts.  He gives them authority over unclean spirits and tells them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick.  They will not need food or a sack or money.  They must rely on their own resources and trust in the Father’s all sufficient providence.  They will be free of distractions, so that they can accept hospitality.  They can preach out of conviction.  He warns them that not everyone will accept their message.  When they encounter opposition, as he himself has done, they should shake the dust off their feet.  In other words, they need to treat those who attack them with love, as Jesus would do from the cross: “Father, forgive them.  They know not what they do.”

            They go off, two by two, preaching repentance.  Repentance is more than changing moral behavior.  It involves a complete turning toward him.  Despite their lack of experience, they do pretty well in their boot camp.  They drive out demons and anoint with oil many of those who are sick and cured them.  They are doing what they had been observing Jesus did in Galilee.

            Much later, Saul of Tarsus would become Saint Paul the Apostle when he would encounter the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and repent of his intention to attack the Church.  After his conversion, he would follow the instructions given to the other Apostles and spread the good news throughout the area, including the residents of Ephesus.  He writes to the Ephesians to remind them of their identity in Christ.  He tells them, “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory.”

            In writing to them, he is also writing to us, the members of the Church of Saint Matthew in South Bend.  He reminds us that we have been chosen as disciples of Jesus Christ.  We exist for the glory of God and are called to focus on our role of witnessing to our identity in Christ.  We are sent from this Mass to do what Jesus sent the Apostles to do:  to trust in his authority and power.  We too do not need a lot of stuff.  We have to respond to his message of repentance and make him the center of our lives.  In witnessing to the Gospel, we will not always be accepted.  Like Amos, the prophet, we will be rejected when we have the courage to speak the truth.  Like Jesus, we will have to carry the heavy cross of not being understood or accepted by those who disagree with us.  Jesus insists that life is not about us.  Life is about loving people who do not love us back.  That is the Paschal Mystery.  If we are willing to embrace our identity in Jesus Christ, we can die to ourselves.  When we know that life is not about us, but about our identity with Jesus Christ, we can share in his rising.