BIBLE STUDY #66
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 4, 2011
READING 1
IS 40:1-5, 9-11
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
2 PT 3:8-14
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay,"
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar
and the elements will be dissolved by fire,
and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.
Since everything is to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths."
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel's hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Our Gospel today is the beginning of Mark’s Gospel that proclaims the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ, the one crucified and risen, acknowledged by the community as Messiah (8:29) and Son of God (1:11, 9:7, 15:39).
The prologue of today’s gospel (1:1-13) has three events necessary before Jesus begins his public ministry: 1) John the Baptist appears as the precursor of Jesus who preaches repentance; 2) the baptism of Jesus at which the Spirit descends on him and he is called the Son of God, and 3) the temptation of Jesus by Satan. Our gospel reading today encompasses the first of these 3 events.
Mark attributes the prophecy in today’s gospel to Isaiah, but it is really a combination taken from Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3, and Exodus 23:20. John’s ministry is seen as a prelude to Jesus. "Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his path" is a reference to the end of the Babylonian exile and is applied to the future arrival of Jesus.
John being clothed in camel’s hair and a leather belt is reminiscent of the prophet Elijah. Jesus refers to John as Elijah who was to appear prior to the arrival of the Messiah (Mark 9:11-13, Matthew 17:10-12).
John’s food was locusts and honey. The locusts represent bitter punishment and destruction for the unbelievers, and honey represents the peace and plenty with which God blesses the faithful. These foods attest to the dual nature of the good news: the gospel brings judgment (locusts) or peace and comfort (honey) depending on how we receive the good news.
John preaches a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Many people were going to him to be baptized while they confessed their sins. They were preparing for the Messiah, who was expected to come at any time. He knows that to be ready for the Messiah, to be able to open our hearts to his work and word, we need to recognize our sinfulness and ask God for forgiveness. Nothing is more powerful in blocking the avenues of God’s grace than unforgiven sin. Jesus begins his public ministry by saying, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel (1:14-15).” Jesus picks up on John’s theme of forgiveness, and dies and rises to pay the price for our sins so we can inherit eternal life. Through Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit a new people of God is formed
John recognizes that he is the precursor of Jesus. He never makes the claim of messiahship, but says that "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.” He recognizes that his baptism isn’t as powerful as Jesus’ : “I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Jesus puts us in touch with God to bring us to holiness. The renewal that Jesus brings is more profound that John’s baptism.
The first reading from the book of Isaiah is from a time in Israelite history when they are displaced from their homeland in Babylon and are deprived of their right to worship God as freely as they did in their homeland. Today’s reading is taken from a section of the book of Isaiah called the Book of Comfort (chapters 40-55). They are told that God is with them, is present to them, even in the midst of their suffering and struggles. Isaiah was giving them hope that God would not abandon them, but eventually they would be freed and allowed to go home. Isaiah says that the Lord will lead them and the way will be easy: “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley.” God will lead them like a shepherd leads his flock, caring and guiding for those in his care.
The second reading is from 2 Peter, which is probably the last New Testament book written (probably in the early second century). The purpose of this book is to strengthen the faith of the believers while they wait for the second coming of Christ. Many false teachers point to the fact that Jesus hasn’t returned yet as proof that he never will. The book argues that human calendars are irrelevant when it comes to God: “One day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.” The world will be dissolved by fire (the only instance in the New Testament of the end times described in this way) which is also part of Greco Roman literature and Jewish apocalyptic literature. The author is trying to tell us that the Lord will appear in glory at the end of time and all of creation will be transformed. We are to prepare for this transformation by committing ourselves to living Gospel values in our lives.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #65
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
November 27, 2011
READING 1
IS 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7
You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 COR 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL MK 13:33-37
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!'"
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We begin the season of Advent this weekend and I would like to share the following with you.
ADVENT
Human beings cannot live without hope. Unlike the animals, we are blessed - or cursed - with the ability to think about the future and to fear our actions to shaping it. So essential is this to human life that human beings cannot live without hope, without something to live for, without something to look forward to. To be without hope, to have nothing to live for, is to surrender to death in despair. But we can find all sorts of things to live for and we can hope for almost anything: for some measure of success or security or for the realization of some more or less modest ambition; for our children, that they might be saved from our mistakes and sufferings and find a better life than we have known; for a better world, throwing ourselves into politics or medicine or technology so that future generations might be better off. Not all these forms of hope are selfish; indeed, they have given dignity and purpose to the lives of countless generations.
But one of the reasons why we read the Old Testament during Advent is to learn what to hope for. The people of the Old Testament had the courage to hope for big things: that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that their scattered and divided people would eventually be gathered again; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, that not only their own people, but all the peoples of the earth, would be united in the blessings of everlasting peace. Clearly, their hopes were no different from ours or from any human being’s lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, and an end to suffering, pain and misery.
Thus we hope for the same things as the Old Testament people, for their hopes are not yet realized. But we differ from them in two ways. First, the coming of Jesus in history, as a partial fulfillment of God’s promises, immeasurably confirms and strengthens our hope. Secondly, we differ from the Old Testament people because Jesus has revealed to us that God is not afar off, but is already in our midst. Hence the importance in the Advent liturgy of John the Baptist and of Mary: because they recognized the new situation, they serve as models for the Church in discerning the presence of our Savior in the world.
(Taken from “The Spirit of Advent,” Mark Searle, in Assembly, Volume 7:1, Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame Indiana, as reprinted in The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist 2012 for the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Camden, Metuchen, Paterson, and Trenton).
We also begin a new gospel this week. We will be using the Gospel of Mark for the coming liturgical year, with the Gospel of John used occasionally, such as the Passion on Good Friday.
Today’s gospel comes from a longer section (Mark 13:1-37) called the “Little Apocalypse.” The “Great Apocalypse” is the Book of Revelation. It is also called the “Synoptic Apocalypse” because versions of this gospel appear in Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21.
These 37 verses talk about apocalyptic events, which are mysteries of the future and of the heavenly realm. Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple, and the disciples ask Jesus when this will happen and what signs will there be when these things happen. Jesus takes the discourse to an eschatological level; he begins talking about the end times. He warns them not to believe the false prophets who come in his name (we’ve seen many of those, and some recently).
He talks about the persecution of the faithful, that the faithful will be hated by all because of Jesus. Then there will be a desolating abomination (a dramatic sacrilege) of some kind of religious site. Then there will be such tribulation as never seen before, and before all is lost, the son of Man will appear again.
Jesus exhorts them (and us) to be faithful through all kinds of trial and trouble; if we do, we will gain the crown of eternal life. We are to keep watch because only the Father knows when all this will happen.
We can look at the coming of the Son of Man in 3 different ways. The first, and most obvious, is the Second Coming, otherwise known as the parousia or the eschaton (from which the word eschatology is derived). Shortly after Jesus death and resurrection (the time of the Apostles) most people thought that Jesus would return shortly, at least in their lifetimes. Encouraging people to be aware for this event would make a large impact and be influential in their lives. It’s been 2,000 years since that time. And it is the eschaton is not much of a motivating factor nowadays.
The second way we can look at it is meeting Jesus at our death. That’s not much of a motivating factor unless you have a serous illness or are elderly. It will happen to all of us, but we tend not to think about our death or dwell on its’ consequences.
The third way we can look at it is that Jesus wants to be a part of our lives; he wants to come into our heart everyday. He wants us to be prepared to receive him in the myriad of ways he comes to us: through prayer, sacraments, scripture, good works, to name a few. If we prepare ourselves in this way, then the first two don’t matter.
Fr. Phil
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
November 27, 2011
READING 1
IS 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7
You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 COR 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL MK 13:33-37
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!'"
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We begin the season of Advent this weekend and I would like to share the following with you.
ADVENT
Human beings cannot live without hope. Unlike the animals, we are blessed - or cursed - with the ability to think about the future and to fear our actions to shaping it. So essential is this to human life that human beings cannot live without hope, without something to live for, without something to look forward to. To be without hope, to have nothing to live for, is to surrender to death in despair. But we can find all sorts of things to live for and we can hope for almost anything: for some measure of success or security or for the realization of some more or less modest ambition; for our children, that they might be saved from our mistakes and sufferings and find a better life than we have known; for a better world, throwing ourselves into politics or medicine or technology so that future generations might be better off. Not all these forms of hope are selfish; indeed, they have given dignity and purpose to the lives of countless generations.
But one of the reasons why we read the Old Testament during Advent is to learn what to hope for. The people of the Old Testament had the courage to hope for big things: that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that their scattered and divided people would eventually be gathered again; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, that not only their own people, but all the peoples of the earth, would be united in the blessings of everlasting peace. Clearly, their hopes were no different from ours or from any human being’s lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, and an end to suffering, pain and misery.
Thus we hope for the same things as the Old Testament people, for their hopes are not yet realized. But we differ from them in two ways. First, the coming of Jesus in history, as a partial fulfillment of God’s promises, immeasurably confirms and strengthens our hope. Secondly, we differ from the Old Testament people because Jesus has revealed to us that God is not afar off, but is already in our midst. Hence the importance in the Advent liturgy of John the Baptist and of Mary: because they recognized the new situation, they serve as models for the Church in discerning the presence of our Savior in the world.
(Taken from “The Spirit of Advent,” Mark Searle, in Assembly, Volume 7:1, Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame Indiana, as reprinted in The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist 2012 for the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Camden, Metuchen, Paterson, and Trenton).
We also begin a new gospel this week. We will be using the Gospel of Mark for the coming liturgical year, with the Gospel of John used occasionally, such as the Passion on Good Friday.
Today’s gospel comes from a longer section (Mark 13:1-37) called the “Little Apocalypse.” The “Great Apocalypse” is the Book of Revelation. It is also called the “Synoptic Apocalypse” because versions of this gospel appear in Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21.
These 37 verses talk about apocalyptic events, which are mysteries of the future and of the heavenly realm. Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple, and the disciples ask Jesus when this will happen and what signs will there be when these things happen. Jesus takes the discourse to an eschatological level; he begins talking about the end times. He warns them not to believe the false prophets who come in his name (we’ve seen many of those, and some recently).
He talks about the persecution of the faithful, that the faithful will be hated by all because of Jesus. Then there will be a desolating abomination (a dramatic sacrilege) of some kind of religious site. Then there will be such tribulation as never seen before, and before all is lost, the son of Man will appear again.
Jesus exhorts them (and us) to be faithful through all kinds of trial and trouble; if we do, we will gain the crown of eternal life. We are to keep watch because only the Father knows when all this will happen.
We can look at the coming of the Son of Man in 3 different ways. The first, and most obvious, is the Second Coming, otherwise known as the parousia or the eschaton (from which the word eschatology is derived). Shortly after Jesus death and resurrection (the time of the Apostles) most people thought that Jesus would return shortly, at least in their lifetimes. Encouraging people to be aware for this event would make a large impact and be influential in their lives. It’s been 2,000 years since that time. And it is the eschaton is not much of a motivating factor nowadays.
The second way we can look at it is meeting Jesus at our death. That’s not much of a motivating factor unless you have a serous illness or are elderly. It will happen to all of us, but we tend not to think about our death or dwell on its’ consequences.
The third way we can look at it is that Jesus wants to be a part of our lives; he wants to come into our heart everyday. He wants us to be prepared to receive him in the myriad of ways he comes to us: through prayer, sacraments, scripture, good works, to name a few. If we prepare ourselves in this way, then the first two don’t matter.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #64
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ The King
November 20, 2011
READING 1
EZ 34:11-12, 15-17
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.
As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 COR 15:20-26, 28
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MT 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We have one of the most famous judgment scenes in scripture this week. This passage comes after three parables telling us that we need to prepare ourselves
for the coming of the Son of Man. The first parable is called the “Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant” in which a servant is admonished to be about his masters business while the master is away or pay the consequences.
The second parable, which we heard two weeks ago, is called the “Parable of the Ten Virgins” in which 5 were prepared for the masters’ return and 5 were not. The ones prepared enter the wedding feast (eternal life) while the others are left outside.
The third parable, which we heard last week, is called the “Parable of the Talents”, a more specific parable telling us to use our God given abilities for the building up of the kingdom, or be thrown “into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
This weeks gospel, while not strictly a parable, is called ‘The Judgment of the Nations” and is more specific than the previous 3 parables concerning our actions while we await the second coming of Christ.
No matter what else we do in our attempt to follow Jesus, we are required to help those in need. While not an exhaustive list, we are required to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome to the stranger, clothe the naked, care for those who are ill, and visit those in prison. In other words, we are to offer to our help to anyone who is in need.
In the face of the overwhelming needs in our society and our world, it is easy to throw up our hands and give up, wondering what difference our little contribution can make.
We are not called to solve the world’s ills; that is Jesus’ job at the Second Coming. We are required to do what we can in the concrete, every day world to help those in need. Some examples: monetary donations to a charity, giving clothes to a shelter; giving food to a food bank; visiting those ill in the hospital or at home; listening to those who need to talk about their problems, struggles, dreams, or aspirations.
When we do this, we are acknowledging peoples needs, which gives them the dignity and respect they deserve. Using our time, talent and treasure to assist those in need won’t solve all their problems, but it says to them that they are important and deserving of our help. I think that giving someone dignity and respect is one of the best things we can do for them.
Jesus gives us a dire warning in this gospel. While helping those in need is a requirement for eternal life, it is not the only requirement for eternal life: prayer and sacraments, for example, would be 2 others. But, as Jesus says, not helping those in need can certainly eliminate us from eternal life.
In the first reading from Ezekiel, we are at a time when Israel is in the Babylonian captivity, some time after 587 B.C. Some of Israel’s kings have been good kings, but many have not. Most people have lost faith in the monarchy; most of the kings did not serve the people, but themselves. The kings did not “strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind the injured” (Ez 34:4). Much of Israel’s problems can be attributed to poor leadership: “So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd” (Ez 34:5). But our loving God will not abandon his people but “I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep” (Ez 34:11). This is a great message of hope in time of great difficulty.
In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing the issue of resurrection and eternal life. In 15:12, some say that there is no afterlife. Paul says that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is in vain (15:14). Paul is very adamant that Jesus was raised from the dead, and that there is life after death.
On this Solemnity of Christ the King, we are called to become good shepherds in imitation of the Good Shepherd by being a king like Jesus: one who serves others. We are called to witness to what we believe by what we say and do. We are called to be people of prayer and sacraments so that we build up our relationship to the Lord and have the strength and grace to live like disciples. We are called to serve the needs of others humbly and without any fanfare. If we try our best to be the best disciples we can every day, then when it is our time to leave this life and enter the next, we will hear Jesus say to us, “'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. “
Fr. Phil
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ The King
November 20, 2011
READING 1
EZ 34:11-12, 15-17
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.
As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 COR 15:20-26, 28
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MT 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We have one of the most famous judgment scenes in scripture this week. This passage comes after three parables telling us that we need to prepare ourselves
for the coming of the Son of Man. The first parable is called the “Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant” in which a servant is admonished to be about his masters business while the master is away or pay the consequences.
The second parable, which we heard two weeks ago, is called the “Parable of the Ten Virgins” in which 5 were prepared for the masters’ return and 5 were not. The ones prepared enter the wedding feast (eternal life) while the others are left outside.
The third parable, which we heard last week, is called the “Parable of the Talents”, a more specific parable telling us to use our God given abilities for the building up of the kingdom, or be thrown “into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
This weeks gospel, while not strictly a parable, is called ‘The Judgment of the Nations” and is more specific than the previous 3 parables concerning our actions while we await the second coming of Christ.
No matter what else we do in our attempt to follow Jesus, we are required to help those in need. While not an exhaustive list, we are required to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome to the stranger, clothe the naked, care for those who are ill, and visit those in prison. In other words, we are to offer to our help to anyone who is in need.
In the face of the overwhelming needs in our society and our world, it is easy to throw up our hands and give up, wondering what difference our little contribution can make.
We are not called to solve the world’s ills; that is Jesus’ job at the Second Coming. We are required to do what we can in the concrete, every day world to help those in need. Some examples: monetary donations to a charity, giving clothes to a shelter; giving food to a food bank; visiting those ill in the hospital or at home; listening to those who need to talk about their problems, struggles, dreams, or aspirations.
When we do this, we are acknowledging peoples needs, which gives them the dignity and respect they deserve. Using our time, talent and treasure to assist those in need won’t solve all their problems, but it says to them that they are important and deserving of our help. I think that giving someone dignity and respect is one of the best things we can do for them.
Jesus gives us a dire warning in this gospel. While helping those in need is a requirement for eternal life, it is not the only requirement for eternal life: prayer and sacraments, for example, would be 2 others. But, as Jesus says, not helping those in need can certainly eliminate us from eternal life.
In the first reading from Ezekiel, we are at a time when Israel is in the Babylonian captivity, some time after 587 B.C. Some of Israel’s kings have been good kings, but many have not. Most people have lost faith in the monarchy; most of the kings did not serve the people, but themselves. The kings did not “strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind the injured” (Ez 34:4). Much of Israel’s problems can be attributed to poor leadership: “So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd” (Ez 34:5). But our loving God will not abandon his people but “I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep” (Ez 34:11). This is a great message of hope in time of great difficulty.
In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing the issue of resurrection and eternal life. In 15:12, some say that there is no afterlife. Paul says that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is in vain (15:14). Paul is very adamant that Jesus was raised from the dead, and that there is life after death.
On this Solemnity of Christ the King, we are called to become good shepherds in imitation of the Good Shepherd by being a king like Jesus: one who serves others. We are called to witness to what we believe by what we say and do. We are called to be people of prayer and sacraments so that we build up our relationship to the Lord and have the strength and grace to live like disciples. We are called to serve the needs of others humbly and without any fanfare. If we try our best to be the best disciples we can every day, then when it is our time to leave this life and enter the next, we will hear Jesus say to us, “'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. “
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
BIBLE STUDY #63
THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
November 13, 2011
Reading 1
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife,
her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,
has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil,
all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax
and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor,
and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.
The Word of the Lord
Reading 2
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief at night.
When people are saying, "Peace and security, "
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.
After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five.
He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
'Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
This is the third week in a row that we have heard a parable about the proper attitude and behavior we need to have while awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ. We are told that we need to act responsibly; the emphasis is on positive action as opposed to being fearful, lazy, and inactive.
A man is leaving on a journey and he gives away ‘talents’; this was a very large sum of money. The first man got 5 talents, the second 2, and the third received one talent. It is hard to calculate the exact amount of a talent, but one commentator said it was equivalent to 15 years of wages. The point is not to have an exact sum, but to know that it was a very large sum. Each got according to his own ability, which is where talents became known as the gifts and abilities given to each one of us.
One thing to note is that our abilities and talents are gifts from God, something for which we should give thanks to God. We didn’t acquire these gifts ourselves; they were given to us when God created us.
Two of the men used their talents responsibly - the one with 5 talents invested it and earned 5 more talents, and the second man took his 2 talents and made 2 more. The third man, however, just buried his talent in the ground.
The master goes on a journey and has great trust in these three men. He is not there to supervise, correct, or lead. He leaves them on their own to use their talents as they see fit.
When the master returns, the first 2 men are rewarded: they are called good and faithful servants for using their talents to the best of their abilities. There are 2 things to note here: 1) the more talent you have, the more is expected of you. Therefore, do not be jealous of talented people – the bar is set higher for them; 2) the Lord doesn’t expect you to return more than you are capable of; he didn’t expect the man with 2 talents to return an additional 5, but he did expect him to return 2 talents. Conversely, the man with 5 talents was expected to return 5 – 2 would not be good enough.
The third man is called ‘wicked and lazy’ because he buried his talent. He didn’t use his talent according to the masters’ wishes. He was fearful of not being successful, which the master considers wicked and lazy. This man reminds me of the person who is a taker and not a giver. He is the one who doesn’t contribute to the build up of the community but desires all the benefits of the community. He is the one who doesn’t do anything bad, but he doesn’t do much good either.
The first 2 share their master’s joy. Using your talents for the betterment of the community is joyful. The master blesses us with his grace and peace. This is the basis for the statement “Virtue is its’ own reward.” The more we use our talents the more we are blessed by God. These people never have to wonder where God is, because they always feel his presence. Those who bury their talents are the ones (at least in my experience) who usually complain about the lack of God’s presence in their lives.
There is also an eschatological (end time) dimension in this passage. The return of the man on the journey reminds of Jesus return at the end of time. We will be judged on how we used the gifts and talents given to us by God, and will be rewarded or punished accordingly. We will see this theme next week when the gospel is Matthew 25:31-46.
The first reading from Proverbs is an example of someone using her gifts and talents. By her very nature she blesses those around her and reaches out to the poor and needy because she is a faithful person who has God in her life. Her value is far beyond pearls and those who know her fall in love with her. Have you known anyone like that? Don’t you like to be with them? Don’t they inspire you?
The second reading has a similar theme to the gospel: be prepared for the coming of the Lord, which will come like a thief in the night. We don’t know when, but we need to be prepared by living the Christian life, using our gifts and talents for the building up of the kingdom.
The following story is from one of my homily sources and is called “Fulfilling Your Calling”
An anonymous writer has said, "My small son and I were taking a walk. In the far corner of the field we found a small patch of beautiful and fragrant flowers. They were in the middle of weeds, almost completely hidden and unnoticed, yet these flowers were blooming in full beauty and we sensed their fresh fragrance. All of us have met persons unnoticed by many, but who in the middle of struggle and unlikely surroundings far from the center of attention live lives of beauty and fragrance. And living lives which seemed obscure they faithfully fulfilled God's calling for them. God's question on the last day will not be, 'How much were you noticed?' or even 'How much did you do?' Rather, his question will be, 'Were you faithful in fulfilling your calling where I placed you?' "
Peter J. Blackburn, Using What We Have
Here is another story from another homily source called ‘Connections’ that I like and want to share with you:
“Life in the garden
They had a lived a good life together, these 39 years. But it would soon send. The doctors said his esophageal cancer was inoperable - nine months, maybe a year. So what would he like to do with the time that's left?
"I'd like to have a garden."
"That would be nice," she said vaguely, surprised, since he had never shown the slightest interest in growing anything. Maybe a few tomato plants in a bucket on the deck, she assumed.
But she came home a few days later to find their yard filled with workers, boards, dirt and a Bobcat - and a 20-by-30-foot raised garden. He was sitting in a chair, watching, talking, laughing. He had told some friends what he wanted to do and they happily signed on to make it happen. He tried paying for the materials, but the guys wouldn't hear of it. She kept thanking them and telling them they were amazing. When they left, she turned to him and said, "Have we met? You don't garden. I don't garden. This thing is gigantic - what are we going to do with it?"
"I think it will bring people together," he said.
Soon he was too weak to sit by his garden - nine months was now optimistic, doctors said. Their friends, who didn't want to tire him or ask how he was doing, came and worked in the garden instead. They planted and hoed and watered and weeded.
He died a few weeks later, but his garden had already yielded strawberries and lettuce. The first fruits of his garden were shared at the luncheon after his funeral.
All summer the garden became the focus of everyone who knew and loved him. It produced more vegetables than anyone knew what to do with. People came to remember him, share stories and memories, cry together - and weed. The garden couldn't cure anything or heal the loss or loneliness, but it gave everyone something to do. His wish for his garden was realized: it brought people together.
He had said to his wife just before she died, "I don't want this to become a memorial garden after I'm gone. Just enjoy it. Have an eggplant on me."
[Adapted from "Life in the garden" by Joan Wickersham, The Boston Globe, September 23, 2011.]
In his ability to marshal friends and loved ones to plant a garden, a dying man creates a place of consolation and peace for those he will leave behind. A talent for bringing folks together enables another talent for planting to be realized; a desire to bring comfort to the dying results in a harvest that gives hope to the soul and sustenance to the body. In today's Gospel, Jesus challenges us to commit whatever talents, strengths and resources we have, to use whatever wealth we possess, to bring the hope and peace of the kingdom of God into our hurting and desperate world. Jesus teaches that our place in the reign of God will depend on our stewardship of those talents God has given us: whether we "bury" them in fear or selfishness or use them readily to reveal God in our midst.”
I know that many of you live these gospel values in your life already; I’ve seen countless examples in the time since the hurricane and flooding occurred. Keep up the good work, all you good and faithful servants.
Fr. Phil
THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
November 13, 2011
Reading 1
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife,
her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,
has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil,
all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax
and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor,
and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.
The Word of the Lord
Reading 2
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief at night.
When people are saying, "Peace and security, "
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.
After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five.
He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
'Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
This is the third week in a row that we have heard a parable about the proper attitude and behavior we need to have while awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ. We are told that we need to act responsibly; the emphasis is on positive action as opposed to being fearful, lazy, and inactive.
A man is leaving on a journey and he gives away ‘talents’; this was a very large sum of money. The first man got 5 talents, the second 2, and the third received one talent. It is hard to calculate the exact amount of a talent, but one commentator said it was equivalent to 15 years of wages. The point is not to have an exact sum, but to know that it was a very large sum. Each got according to his own ability, which is where talents became known as the gifts and abilities given to each one of us.
One thing to note is that our abilities and talents are gifts from God, something for which we should give thanks to God. We didn’t acquire these gifts ourselves; they were given to us when God created us.
Two of the men used their talents responsibly - the one with 5 talents invested it and earned 5 more talents, and the second man took his 2 talents and made 2 more. The third man, however, just buried his talent in the ground.
The master goes on a journey and has great trust in these three men. He is not there to supervise, correct, or lead. He leaves them on their own to use their talents as they see fit.
When the master returns, the first 2 men are rewarded: they are called good and faithful servants for using their talents to the best of their abilities. There are 2 things to note here: 1) the more talent you have, the more is expected of you. Therefore, do not be jealous of talented people – the bar is set higher for them; 2) the Lord doesn’t expect you to return more than you are capable of; he didn’t expect the man with 2 talents to return an additional 5, but he did expect him to return 2 talents. Conversely, the man with 5 talents was expected to return 5 – 2 would not be good enough.
The third man is called ‘wicked and lazy’ because he buried his talent. He didn’t use his talent according to the masters’ wishes. He was fearful of not being successful, which the master considers wicked and lazy. This man reminds me of the person who is a taker and not a giver. He is the one who doesn’t contribute to the build up of the community but desires all the benefits of the community. He is the one who doesn’t do anything bad, but he doesn’t do much good either.
The first 2 share their master’s joy. Using your talents for the betterment of the community is joyful. The master blesses us with his grace and peace. This is the basis for the statement “Virtue is its’ own reward.” The more we use our talents the more we are blessed by God. These people never have to wonder where God is, because they always feel his presence. Those who bury their talents are the ones (at least in my experience) who usually complain about the lack of God’s presence in their lives.
There is also an eschatological (end time) dimension in this passage. The return of the man on the journey reminds of Jesus return at the end of time. We will be judged on how we used the gifts and talents given to us by God, and will be rewarded or punished accordingly. We will see this theme next week when the gospel is Matthew 25:31-46.
The first reading from Proverbs is an example of someone using her gifts and talents. By her very nature she blesses those around her and reaches out to the poor and needy because she is a faithful person who has God in her life. Her value is far beyond pearls and those who know her fall in love with her. Have you known anyone like that? Don’t you like to be with them? Don’t they inspire you?
The second reading has a similar theme to the gospel: be prepared for the coming of the Lord, which will come like a thief in the night. We don’t know when, but we need to be prepared by living the Christian life, using our gifts and talents for the building up of the kingdom.
The following story is from one of my homily sources and is called “Fulfilling Your Calling”
An anonymous writer has said, "My small son and I were taking a walk. In the far corner of the field we found a small patch of beautiful and fragrant flowers. They were in the middle of weeds, almost completely hidden and unnoticed, yet these flowers were blooming in full beauty and we sensed their fresh fragrance. All of us have met persons unnoticed by many, but who in the middle of struggle and unlikely surroundings far from the center of attention live lives of beauty and fragrance. And living lives which seemed obscure they faithfully fulfilled God's calling for them. God's question on the last day will not be, 'How much were you noticed?' or even 'How much did you do?' Rather, his question will be, 'Were you faithful in fulfilling your calling where I placed you?' "
Peter J. Blackburn, Using What We Have
Here is another story from another homily source called ‘Connections’ that I like and want to share with you:
“Life in the garden
They had a lived a good life together, these 39 years. But it would soon send. The doctors said his esophageal cancer was inoperable - nine months, maybe a year. So what would he like to do with the time that's left?
"I'd like to have a garden."
"That would be nice," she said vaguely, surprised, since he had never shown the slightest interest in growing anything. Maybe a few tomato plants in a bucket on the deck, she assumed.
But she came home a few days later to find their yard filled with workers, boards, dirt and a Bobcat - and a 20-by-30-foot raised garden. He was sitting in a chair, watching, talking, laughing. He had told some friends what he wanted to do and they happily signed on to make it happen. He tried paying for the materials, but the guys wouldn't hear of it. She kept thanking them and telling them they were amazing. When they left, she turned to him and said, "Have we met? You don't garden. I don't garden. This thing is gigantic - what are we going to do with it?"
"I think it will bring people together," he said.
Soon he was too weak to sit by his garden - nine months was now optimistic, doctors said. Their friends, who didn't want to tire him or ask how he was doing, came and worked in the garden instead. They planted and hoed and watered and weeded.
He died a few weeks later, but his garden had already yielded strawberries and lettuce. The first fruits of his garden were shared at the luncheon after his funeral.
All summer the garden became the focus of everyone who knew and loved him. It produced more vegetables than anyone knew what to do with. People came to remember him, share stories and memories, cry together - and weed. The garden couldn't cure anything or heal the loss or loneliness, but it gave everyone something to do. His wish for his garden was realized: it brought people together.
He had said to his wife just before she died, "I don't want this to become a memorial garden after I'm gone. Just enjoy it. Have an eggplant on me."
[Adapted from "Life in the garden" by Joan Wickersham, The Boston Globe, September 23, 2011.]
In his ability to marshal friends and loved ones to plant a garden, a dying man creates a place of consolation and peace for those he will leave behind. A talent for bringing folks together enables another talent for planting to be realized; a desire to bring comfort to the dying results in a harvest that gives hope to the soul and sustenance to the body. In today's Gospel, Jesus challenges us to commit whatever talents, strengths and resources we have, to use whatever wealth we possess, to bring the hope and peace of the kingdom of God into our hurting and desperate world. Jesus teaches that our place in the reign of God will depend on our stewardship of those talents God has given us: whether we "bury" them in fear or selfishness or use them readily to reveal God in our midst.”
I know that many of you live these gospel values in your life already; I’ve seen countless examples in the time since the hurricane and flooding occurred. Keep up the good work, all you good and faithful servants.
Fr. Phil
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