BIBLE STUDY#118
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 23, 2012
READING 1
MICAH 5:1-4A
Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 10:5-10
Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"
First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 1:39-45
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s Gospel passage is known as the “Visitation” and comes right after the Gospel passage known as the “Annunciation” in which Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she is to conceive and bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that this son will be the Son of God. She is also told that her cousin Elizabeth has conceived a son in her old age.
Mary then sets out “in haste” to “a town of Judah” to visit Elizabeth. It seems to indicate that Mary went alone because no one else is mentioned escorting her. I suppose we can assume that some people did escort her, but Luke’s intent here is not historical but theological. He wants Mary to be with Elizabeth to make a statement.
The first point Luke makes is that John is to be the precursor of Jesus. Elizabeth has prophetic insight and knows that Mary has been chosen by God for a special task; she knows without being told that Mary is pregnant and that Mary’s child will have a greater significance than her own son.
Elizabeth calls Mary’s child “my Lord” which is first of all a title for God. This title for Jesus is a resurrection title, so the shadow of the cross is there even before Jesus is born and implies the nature of Jesus mission. While Elizabeth recognizes Jesus as ‘master,’ there is a deeper dimension implied here.
Elizabeth recognizes Mary as blessed, because God h as chosen her for a special mission but also because she said yes to God and tries her best to follow God’s will for her life.
John leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Why? Because he recognizes Jesus as being superior to himself, showing that he is the precursor and not the messiah. Notice that Jesus doesn’t leap for joy at being in john’s presence. Something terrific is about to happen, and John is glad to be a part of it.
The second point Luke makes is Mary’s Magnificat otherwise called The Canticle of Mary (not included in today’s gospel). She begins by giving all the praise, glory, and honor to God. Mary recognizes that whatever happens is not accomplished by her own power but that of God’s. She proclaims God’s mercy, and says that in days to come, the messiah will turn things around: rulers are thrown down and the lowly are lifted up; and the hungry are fed, but the rich are empty. God promises not to forget his people.
The first reading is from the prophet Micah who lives 700 years before Jesus. Micah is concerned about the threat of an Assyrian invasion. Preparing for this invasion is expensive and causes poverty among the people. Micah is outraged against social injustices and about the corruption and greed of the leaders. He trusts that God will send a new king like David. Since Bethlehem was David’s hometown, the new king would have roots in that city. The early Christian community saw Jesus as the new king reflected in this prophecy.
In the second reading from Hebrews, the author agrees with Luke that a Christian is a person of action. Jesus is the perfect Christian whom we should be imitating, the one who does God’s will.
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #117
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 9, 2012
READING 1
BARUCH 5:1-9
Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery;
put on the splendor of glory from God forever:
wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,
bear on your head the mitre
that displays the glory of the eternal name.
For God will show all the earth your splendor:
you will be named by God forever
the peace of justice, the glory of God's worship.
Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights;
look to the east and see your children
gathered from the east and the west
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that they are remembered by God.
Led away on foot by their enemies they left you:
but God will bring them back to you
borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones.
For God has commanded
that every lofty mountain be made low,
and that the age-old depths and gorges
be filled to level ground,
that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God.
The forests and every fragrant kind of tree
have overshadowed Israel at God's command;
for God is leading Israel in joy
by the light of his glory,
with his mercy and justice for company.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
PHILIPPIANS 1:4-6, 8-11
Brothers and sisters:
I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Tiberius Caesar’s reign is usually dated beginning in 14 A.D., which makes this event around the year 29 A.D. According to the historian Josephus, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from 26 -36 A.D., and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee until 39 A.D. The Herod referred to here is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. Both Pilate and Herod play an important role later on in the gospel.
Annas and Caiaphas are both mentioned as high priest, but there was only one high priest at a time. Annas was high priest form 6-15 A.D. and was succeeded by Caiaphas, his son-in-law, who was high priest from 18-36 A.D. The gospels of Matthew and John list only Caiaphas as high priest, but John attests to the influence of Annas.
The “Word of God” is one of the themes of Luke and Acts. It is through the prophetic word that God addresses the people. In Acts, the word of God derives from the Holy Spirit and is accompanied by great signs and wonders. The mission of the church can be described as the word of God expanding and growing. In the parable of the sower in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus identifies the seed as the word of God, and the human response of faith is described hearing and obeying the word of God.
Luke is identifying the preaching of John as a call from God. Luke is therefore identifying John with the prophets whose ministries began with similar calls. In 7:26, John is referred to as “more than a prophet,” he is the precursor of Jesus, an important role in salvation history. In fact, he had his own ministry and following, as we see in Acts, where he had a following 20 years later.
By referring to John as the son of Zechariah, Luke connects John with the infancy narratives, and shows that everything prophesied about him is being fulfilled.
For Luke, John is the teacher of morals, a prophet who calls people to repent, to undergo a change of heart, a complete turning around of their lives. But he is primarily the precursor of Jesus, who turns people away from himself to one who is mightier than him; that is Jesus, the Messiah, whose baptism is in spirit and fire, which is fulfilled at Pentecost.
Luke quotes from Chapter 40 of Isaiah’s Book of Comfort. These words were directed to the Israelites in exile, and Isaiah was saying that God had not forgotten them, and will free them and bring them home, making the way smooth and easy to travel. Luke was reminding the people that god had not forgotten them and would send them a messiah. The hearers of John’s message were to prepare themselves for the coming of the messiah through repentance and reform.
Luke includes another line from Isaiah not in Mark’s gospel: “and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." For Luke, Jesus is not just the messiah of the Jews, but the messiah and savior of the whole human race. This universalism permeates Like’s gospel.
In the first reading from Baruch (a partner with Jeremiah who kept Jeremiah’s message alive), we hear a message and are given a choice. In the midst of human frailty and sin, we can wallow the evil of the world or we can entrust ourselves to God. If we trust God, we can, with God’s grace, work together to establish justice and peace, and be clothed with god’s grace and blessings. If we trust in God, he will lead us home, making smooth and level the road back to him.
In the second reading from Philippians, Paul is in jail as he writes these lines. He knows that even though he worked hard to plant the seed of faith in the Philippians, it is God who brought them to faith, so he gives God the credit. Paul is confident that what was begun in them will grow and that they will continue to grow in the love of Christ until He comes again. The faith that was planted in us, also, will continue to grow. It may not seem like it some days, we may feel weak in faith some times, but we continue on in the love of Christ and the good work begun is us will also be brought to completion.
Fr. Phil
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 9, 2012
READING 1
BARUCH 5:1-9
Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery;
put on the splendor of glory from God forever:
wrapped in the cloak of justice from God,
bear on your head the mitre
that displays the glory of the eternal name.
For God will show all the earth your splendor:
you will be named by God forever
the peace of justice, the glory of God's worship.
Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights;
look to the east and see your children
gathered from the east and the west
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that they are remembered by God.
Led away on foot by their enemies they left you:
but God will bring them back to you
borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones.
For God has commanded
that every lofty mountain be made low,
and that the age-old depths and gorges
be filled to level ground,
that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God.
The forests and every fragrant kind of tree
have overshadowed Israel at God's command;
for God is leading Israel in joy
by the light of his glory,
with his mercy and justice for company.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
PHILIPPIANS 1:4-6, 8-11
Brothers and sisters:
I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Tiberius Caesar’s reign is usually dated beginning in 14 A.D., which makes this event around the year 29 A.D. According to the historian Josephus, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from 26 -36 A.D., and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee until 39 A.D. The Herod referred to here is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. Both Pilate and Herod play an important role later on in the gospel.
Annas and Caiaphas are both mentioned as high priest, but there was only one high priest at a time. Annas was high priest form 6-15 A.D. and was succeeded by Caiaphas, his son-in-law, who was high priest from 18-36 A.D. The gospels of Matthew and John list only Caiaphas as high priest, but John attests to the influence of Annas.
The “Word of God” is one of the themes of Luke and Acts. It is through the prophetic word that God addresses the people. In Acts, the word of God derives from the Holy Spirit and is accompanied by great signs and wonders. The mission of the church can be described as the word of God expanding and growing. In the parable of the sower in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus identifies the seed as the word of God, and the human response of faith is described hearing and obeying the word of God.
Luke is identifying the preaching of John as a call from God. Luke is therefore identifying John with the prophets whose ministries began with similar calls. In 7:26, John is referred to as “more than a prophet,” he is the precursor of Jesus, an important role in salvation history. In fact, he had his own ministry and following, as we see in Acts, where he had a following 20 years later.
By referring to John as the son of Zechariah, Luke connects John with the infancy narratives, and shows that everything prophesied about him is being fulfilled.
For Luke, John is the teacher of morals, a prophet who calls people to repent, to undergo a change of heart, a complete turning around of their lives. But he is primarily the precursor of Jesus, who turns people away from himself to one who is mightier than him; that is Jesus, the Messiah, whose baptism is in spirit and fire, which is fulfilled at Pentecost.
Luke quotes from Chapter 40 of Isaiah’s Book of Comfort. These words were directed to the Israelites in exile, and Isaiah was saying that God had not forgotten them, and will free them and bring them home, making the way smooth and easy to travel. Luke was reminding the people that god had not forgotten them and would send them a messiah. The hearers of John’s message were to prepare themselves for the coming of the messiah through repentance and reform.
Luke includes another line from Isaiah not in Mark’s gospel: “and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." For Luke, Jesus is not just the messiah of the Jews, but the messiah and savior of the whole human race. This universalism permeates Like’s gospel.
In the first reading from Baruch (a partner with Jeremiah who kept Jeremiah’s message alive), we hear a message and are given a choice. In the midst of human frailty and sin, we can wallow the evil of the world or we can entrust ourselves to God. If we trust God, we can, with God’s grace, work together to establish justice and peace, and be clothed with god’s grace and blessings. If we trust in God, he will lead us home, making smooth and level the road back to him.
In the second reading from Philippians, Paul is in jail as he writes these lines. He knows that even though he worked hard to plant the seed of faith in the Philippians, it is God who brought them to faith, so he gives God the credit. Paul is confident that what was begun in them will grow and that they will continue to grow in the love of Christ until He comes again. The faith that was planted in us, also, will continue to grow. It may not seem like it some days, we may feel weak in faith some times, but we continue on in the love of Christ and the good work begun is us will also be brought to completion.
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #115
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
November 25, 2012
READING 1
DANIEL 7:13-14
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
one like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
when he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
REVELATION 1:5-8
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
JOHN 18:33B-37
Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s Gospel is from the trial of Jesus, part of the Passion Narrative. Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Pilate’s definition of a king is much different than Jesus’ definition. Pilate would have expected Jesus to be his rival for power, even a rival of Caesar. He would expect someone who says he is a king to use military force to subdue and conquer a kingdom, just as the Romans did in conquering the known world. Pilate would have expected a king to be a person of power and authority, lording it over other people, having his own way, getting rid of his enemies in whatever way necessary. This was the way of the world, the way every king acted.
Jesus was a different type of king, although he never claimed this title for himself. The second reading from Revelation calls Jesus “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is a king but not in a worldly sense. He is a king in the sense of being a servant, in the sense of a man of peace, and of weakness, not of power.
After Jesus questions Pilate on where he got his information, he never claims the title of king, but says that he does have a kingdom but that it “not belong to this world.” Jesus establishes the kingdom of heaven here on earth not just to get us into heaven, but to impact the way we live on earth. In the story of the rich young man in Mark chapter 10, he asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). It is presumed that people were getting into heaven before Jesus own ministry began. Jesus offers him an opportunity to enter the kingdom now instead of waiting: “Go, sell what you have, and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me (Mark 10:21).
How does living in the kingdom affect our lives? Living in the kingdom is more than believing in Jesus. This is relatively easy and harmless. We can all profess faith, but how does that impact our lives? Can we act like Jesus? That can really be difficult. In order to do this, we’ll need to repent and turn around our lives, making Jesus’ value systems our value systems. We need to make our relationship with God and others the focal point of our lives. In Mark chapter 10 we read: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus is a Messiah who is humble and who came to serve us. He did whatever was necessary, including undergoing a horrible death in crucifixion, so that we may be saved and live in the kingdom. He invites us to go out of our way to serve others. In Matthew 25:31-46, we read: “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. h 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 these 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.’ l And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
It seems to me that this Solemnity of Christ the King is as much about us as it is about Christ, who is not a king in the worldly sense, but one who is about peace, justice, humility, and service to others. We are called by our baptism to be servants in the same way. I put the rather long quote from Matthew 25 here because this is the type of disciple we are to be. We don’t have to solve any of the world’s problems, but we do need to contribute what we can to the solution of these problems. Helping some one doesn’t mean their problems will go away; it means that we are there to help. If every one does a little, no one has to do a lot.
Let me give you an example. We lost 2 weeks of food collection for our Thanksgiving food baskets because of Hurricane Sandy. Last week, I sent out an email asking for food donations. We collected enough food to make up 54 food baskets for the needy, give 25 turkeys to Straight and Narrow, and go a long way in restocking the Lincoln Park food pantry. This is a modern day Matthew 25.
I think a better title for this solemnity would be Christ the Humble Servant. It’s easy to get lost in the trappings of power and forget what Jesus was all about. The distinctive clerical and religious clothing, the titles, and the respect and authority that comes with being a leader in the Church have their place, as long as we don’t forget our origins in the humble, peaceful, servant named Jesus. Our task as disciples is to love God and each other through serving God and each other.
I like to think of Matthew 25 as a guideline to living in the kingdom. If we are really loving God and each other then Matthew 25 will be second nature.
Let’s thank Christ the Humble Servant for his presence in our lives, and let’s do our best to imitate Him.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
November 25, 2012
READING 1
DANIEL 7:13-14
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
one like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
when he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
REVELATION 1:5-8
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
JOHN 18:33B-37
Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s Gospel is from the trial of Jesus, part of the Passion Narrative. Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Pilate’s definition of a king is much different than Jesus’ definition. Pilate would have expected Jesus to be his rival for power, even a rival of Caesar. He would expect someone who says he is a king to use military force to subdue and conquer a kingdom, just as the Romans did in conquering the known world. Pilate would have expected a king to be a person of power and authority, lording it over other people, having his own way, getting rid of his enemies in whatever way necessary. This was the way of the world, the way every king acted.
Jesus was a different type of king, although he never claimed this title for himself. The second reading from Revelation calls Jesus “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is a king but not in a worldly sense. He is a king in the sense of being a servant, in the sense of a man of peace, and of weakness, not of power.
After Jesus questions Pilate on where he got his information, he never claims the title of king, but says that he does have a kingdom but that it “not belong to this world.” Jesus establishes the kingdom of heaven here on earth not just to get us into heaven, but to impact the way we live on earth. In the story of the rich young man in Mark chapter 10, he asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). It is presumed that people were getting into heaven before Jesus own ministry began. Jesus offers him an opportunity to enter the kingdom now instead of waiting: “Go, sell what you have, and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me (Mark 10:21).
How does living in the kingdom affect our lives? Living in the kingdom is more than believing in Jesus. This is relatively easy and harmless. We can all profess faith, but how does that impact our lives? Can we act like Jesus? That can really be difficult. In order to do this, we’ll need to repent and turn around our lives, making Jesus’ value systems our value systems. We need to make our relationship with God and others the focal point of our lives. In Mark chapter 10 we read: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus is a Messiah who is humble and who came to serve us. He did whatever was necessary, including undergoing a horrible death in crucifixion, so that we may be saved and live in the kingdom. He invites us to go out of our way to serve others. In Matthew 25:31-46, we read: “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. h 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 these 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.’ l And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
It seems to me that this Solemnity of Christ the King is as much about us as it is about Christ, who is not a king in the worldly sense, but one who is about peace, justice, humility, and service to others. We are called by our baptism to be servants in the same way. I put the rather long quote from Matthew 25 here because this is the type of disciple we are to be. We don’t have to solve any of the world’s problems, but we do need to contribute what we can to the solution of these problems. Helping some one doesn’t mean their problems will go away; it means that we are there to help. If every one does a little, no one has to do a lot.
Let me give you an example. We lost 2 weeks of food collection for our Thanksgiving food baskets because of Hurricane Sandy. Last week, I sent out an email asking for food donations. We collected enough food to make up 54 food baskets for the needy, give 25 turkeys to Straight and Narrow, and go a long way in restocking the Lincoln Park food pantry. This is a modern day Matthew 25.
I think a better title for this solemnity would be Christ the Humble Servant. It’s easy to get lost in the trappings of power and forget what Jesus was all about. The distinctive clerical and religious clothing, the titles, and the respect and authority that comes with being a leader in the Church have their place, as long as we don’t forget our origins in the humble, peaceful, servant named Jesus. Our task as disciples is to love God and each other through serving God and each other.
I like to think of Matthew 25 as a guideline to living in the kingdom. If we are really loving God and each other then Matthew 25 will be second nature.
Let’s thank Christ the Humble Servant for his presence in our lives, and let’s do our best to imitate Him.
BIBLE STUDY #116
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 2, 2012
READING 1
JEREMIAH 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
"The LORD our justice."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2
Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
and as you are conducting yourselves
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
What is a ‘sign’? A sign is something that points to a greater reality. The sign itself is not important as to what it signifies. An example would be the American Flag. We hold our flag dear to our hearts for what it signifies: freedom and our way of life. Our founding fathers could have picked any arrangement of colors and symbols for our flag, and it would mean the same to us. When someone burns our flag, it is more than the desecration of a symbol, but an attack on our very way of life. The flag burners are saying that they want to destroy us. That’s why a flag burning bothers us so much.
Today’s Gospel has a sign: the universe will be in dismay, “People will die of fright and… the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This is not just a prediction of a natural disaster such as earthquakes and famines, or the fall of a city, or even wars and revolutions, but is cosmic in nature. The signs will come in “the sun, the moon, and the stars.” Luke talks about the shaking of heavenly powers.
Notice that there is not a timetable for these coming events. The lesson of the fig tree in Mark 13 is eliminated as is any other reference to the timing of these events. The time of final judgment is left undetermined and unattached to any specific events. It will come, but who knows when. They are coming to grips with the delay in the Second Coming.
What is the greater reality of this sign? When all of these things happen, the people will see, “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
These events are not to frighten us because we are people of faith, believing in the Second Coming of Jesus. “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” These cosmic events point to our liberation from sin and death. They are the sign of our deliverance. That’s why it bothers us when people trash our religion, especially our signs and symbols: they are trashing us and the very core of our beliefs.
Therefore, it is not Rome or any power in our day that will precipitate the end. The future is God’s prerogative, ushered in by the Son of Man, Jesus, appearing in power and glory.
What are we to do in the meantime? Luke does not advocate a wait and see attitude, scanning the horizon waiting for these signs. We are to be prayerful and vigilant. If not, we can get lost in the daily cares and woes of our lives and not be attentive to our spiritual needs, and Jesus coming will surprise us and we will not be ready. Since there is no escape from these events, we must be vigilant and prayerful so we will be ready to stand before Jesus and make an account of ourselves.
To me, the Season of Advent is threefold in nature: it deals with the past, the present, and the future. In Advent, we begin to anticipate the birth of Jesus some 2,000 years ago, that great event of God breaking into human life, one of the pivotal points in our salvation history. We give thanks to God for sending his Son so that we may have eternal life. We also anticipate the future, when Jesus will come again in glory, and also the time when our life here on earth is ended and we go to meet the Lord. We are reminded that we are to be vigilant and prayerful to be ready to meet him when our life ends. Thirdly, we are reminded that Jesus wants to be born in our hearts everyday, if we let him. There is no need to wait to live in the Kingdom; it is here for us now. If we live in the Kingdom on earth, we should welcome the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the first reading from Jeremiah, the kings of Israel in Jeremiah’s time (and afterwards) were not very good kings. Jeremiah reminds the people that God promised “a just shoot,” a descendant of David who would do what is just and right. “Just shoot” or “righteous branch” have become classical titles for messiah, or anointed one. Jesus is that just shoot who leads God’s people in a right and just way.
Fr. Phil
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 2, 2012
READING 1
JEREMIAH 33:14-16
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
"The LORD our justice."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2
Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God
and as you are conducting yourselves
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
What is a ‘sign’? A sign is something that points to a greater reality. The sign itself is not important as to what it signifies. An example would be the American Flag. We hold our flag dear to our hearts for what it signifies: freedom and our way of life. Our founding fathers could have picked any arrangement of colors and symbols for our flag, and it would mean the same to us. When someone burns our flag, it is more than the desecration of a symbol, but an attack on our very way of life. The flag burners are saying that they want to destroy us. That’s why a flag burning bothers us so much.
Today’s Gospel has a sign: the universe will be in dismay, “People will die of fright and… the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This is not just a prediction of a natural disaster such as earthquakes and famines, or the fall of a city, or even wars and revolutions, but is cosmic in nature. The signs will come in “the sun, the moon, and the stars.” Luke talks about the shaking of heavenly powers.
Notice that there is not a timetable for these coming events. The lesson of the fig tree in Mark 13 is eliminated as is any other reference to the timing of these events. The time of final judgment is left undetermined and unattached to any specific events. It will come, but who knows when. They are coming to grips with the delay in the Second Coming.
What is the greater reality of this sign? When all of these things happen, the people will see, “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
These events are not to frighten us because we are people of faith, believing in the Second Coming of Jesus. “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” These cosmic events point to our liberation from sin and death. They are the sign of our deliverance. That’s why it bothers us when people trash our religion, especially our signs and symbols: they are trashing us and the very core of our beliefs.
Therefore, it is not Rome or any power in our day that will precipitate the end. The future is God’s prerogative, ushered in by the Son of Man, Jesus, appearing in power and glory.
What are we to do in the meantime? Luke does not advocate a wait and see attitude, scanning the horizon waiting for these signs. We are to be prayerful and vigilant. If not, we can get lost in the daily cares and woes of our lives and not be attentive to our spiritual needs, and Jesus coming will surprise us and we will not be ready. Since there is no escape from these events, we must be vigilant and prayerful so we will be ready to stand before Jesus and make an account of ourselves.
To me, the Season of Advent is threefold in nature: it deals with the past, the present, and the future. In Advent, we begin to anticipate the birth of Jesus some 2,000 years ago, that great event of God breaking into human life, one of the pivotal points in our salvation history. We give thanks to God for sending his Son so that we may have eternal life. We also anticipate the future, when Jesus will come again in glory, and also the time when our life here on earth is ended and we go to meet the Lord. We are reminded that we are to be vigilant and prayerful to be ready to meet him when our life ends. Thirdly, we are reminded that Jesus wants to be born in our hearts everyday, if we let him. There is no need to wait to live in the Kingdom; it is here for us now. If we live in the Kingdom on earth, we should welcome the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the first reading from Jeremiah, the kings of Israel in Jeremiah’s time (and afterwards) were not very good kings. Jeremiah reminds the people that God promised “a just shoot,” a descendant of David who would do what is just and right. “Just shoot” or “righteous branch” have become classical titles for messiah, or anointed one. Jesus is that just shoot who leads God’s people in a right and just way.
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #114
THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
November 18, 2012
READING 1
DANIELN 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Mark chapter 13 is sometimes called the “Little Apocalypse” (the Book of Revelation is known as the “Great Apocalypse”) or it is also known as the “Synoptic Apocalypse” because versions of this appear in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels. The word “Apocalypse” means “revelation” because the purpose of this genre or literary form of writing is to reveal the mysteries of the future and/or of the heavenly realm. Apocalyptic literature often deals with last things, such as death, resurrection, judgment, rewards, punishments, the after life, and is known as eschatology, meaning the study of the last things. This is a typical Advent theme which we will see in 2 weeks on the First Sunday of Advent.
The setting for this apocalyptic discourse is the Mount of Olives opposite Jerusalem. This discourse begins with Jesus answering questions from his disciples about the last things. It starts with Jesus answering questions about the destruction of the temple, to the course of future events, and the great transformation that accompanies the coming of the fullness of God’s Kingdom.
Today’s gospel reading comes from a section of this chapter known the “Parousia of the Son of Man” and the “Nearness of the Parousia of the Son of Man”; Parousia referring to Jesus’ second coming.
Mark firmly believes in the second coming of Jesus. There will be much destruction and suffering prior to his return. The disciples are urged to bear with the suffering; they are to flee and not to defend the city through misguided messianic hope. The Parousia occurs after the suffering and destruction. These concepts are drawn from the Old Testament, and are a collage of prophetic texts.
Upon his return, it is the same Jesus who suffered, died, and rose form the dead, but now he is seen in his fullness instead of being perceived dimly. He will be seen in the power and glory of the Father. This is a great promise of hope to those who await his return. It is this hope that enables all followers to persevere to the end.
In 8:38 Jesus tells that if we are not ashamed of him we will rejoice in his glorious coming. Mark insists that we watch and be ready for his coming which will be joy indeed for those who believe. Jesus comes not to execute judgment but to gather together the scattered people of God. We are the elect of Jesus, and he will return for us.
Mark did expect an imminent Parousia, coming in the lifetime of the first generation of Christians. Just as the sprouts on a fig tree signal the coming of summer, so the suffering they endure signals the nearness of the Son of Man in his second coming. This is not just his own belief, but is fully consistent with the words of Jesus (see 9:1 and 13:30).
So, was Mark wrong? In a sense, yes, he was: Jesus hasn’t returned. But there are some basic truths to be learned. Jesus death and resurrection did usher in the last age; Jesus is God’s final and definitive revelation of God’s desires for us. God’s definitive act was sending his Son; the Son’s return is the consummation of God’s plan. More importantly for us, I think, is the watching, waiting, and preparing that is important. Jesus comes to us everyday in many ways: through prayer, sacraments, and scripture to name a few. It is in opening our hearts to his love that we prepare ourselves to accept him in our lives. It is in the hope that he will bring us home that we have joy. Neither the date of Jesus second coming nor the date of our death when we go to meet him is not important. What’s important is if we are ready to meet him.
In the first reading from the Book of Daniel, the Israelites are in the midst of a persecution inflicted by the Syrian Emperor Antiochus IV in the second century B.C. In the midst of great persecution, Daniel directs the people to look to the future when Michael, Israel’s guardian angel, will liberate them from their persecutors. He encourages them to persevere since, as is usual in apocalyptic writing, things will get worse before they get better. However, those who develop proper relationships with God and others will find themselves in a future, liberated world. In perhaps the first reference to resurrection from the dead, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”
Fr. Phil
THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
November 18, 2012
READING 1
DANIELN 12:1-3
In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18
Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Mark chapter 13 is sometimes called the “Little Apocalypse” (the Book of Revelation is known as the “Great Apocalypse”) or it is also known as the “Synoptic Apocalypse” because versions of this appear in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels. The word “Apocalypse” means “revelation” because the purpose of this genre or literary form of writing is to reveal the mysteries of the future and/or of the heavenly realm. Apocalyptic literature often deals with last things, such as death, resurrection, judgment, rewards, punishments, the after life, and is known as eschatology, meaning the study of the last things. This is a typical Advent theme which we will see in 2 weeks on the First Sunday of Advent.
The setting for this apocalyptic discourse is the Mount of Olives opposite Jerusalem. This discourse begins with Jesus answering questions from his disciples about the last things. It starts with Jesus answering questions about the destruction of the temple, to the course of future events, and the great transformation that accompanies the coming of the fullness of God’s Kingdom.
Today’s gospel reading comes from a section of this chapter known the “Parousia of the Son of Man” and the “Nearness of the Parousia of the Son of Man”; Parousia referring to Jesus’ second coming.
Mark firmly believes in the second coming of Jesus. There will be much destruction and suffering prior to his return. The disciples are urged to bear with the suffering; they are to flee and not to defend the city through misguided messianic hope. The Parousia occurs after the suffering and destruction. These concepts are drawn from the Old Testament, and are a collage of prophetic texts.
Upon his return, it is the same Jesus who suffered, died, and rose form the dead, but now he is seen in his fullness instead of being perceived dimly. He will be seen in the power and glory of the Father. This is a great promise of hope to those who await his return. It is this hope that enables all followers to persevere to the end.
In 8:38 Jesus tells that if we are not ashamed of him we will rejoice in his glorious coming. Mark insists that we watch and be ready for his coming which will be joy indeed for those who believe. Jesus comes not to execute judgment but to gather together the scattered people of God. We are the elect of Jesus, and he will return for us.
Mark did expect an imminent Parousia, coming in the lifetime of the first generation of Christians. Just as the sprouts on a fig tree signal the coming of summer, so the suffering they endure signals the nearness of the Son of Man in his second coming. This is not just his own belief, but is fully consistent with the words of Jesus (see 9:1 and 13:30).
So, was Mark wrong? In a sense, yes, he was: Jesus hasn’t returned. But there are some basic truths to be learned. Jesus death and resurrection did usher in the last age; Jesus is God’s final and definitive revelation of God’s desires for us. God’s definitive act was sending his Son; the Son’s return is the consummation of God’s plan. More importantly for us, I think, is the watching, waiting, and preparing that is important. Jesus comes to us everyday in many ways: through prayer, sacraments, and scripture to name a few. It is in opening our hearts to his love that we prepare ourselves to accept him in our lives. It is in the hope that he will bring us home that we have joy. Neither the date of Jesus second coming nor the date of our death when we go to meet him is not important. What’s important is if we are ready to meet him.
In the first reading from the Book of Daniel, the Israelites are in the midst of a persecution inflicted by the Syrian Emperor Antiochus IV in the second century B.C. In the midst of great persecution, Daniel directs the people to look to the future when Michael, Israel’s guardian angel, will liberate them from their persecutors. He encourages them to persevere since, as is usual in apocalyptic writing, things will get worse before they get better. However, those who develop proper relationships with God and others will find themselves in a future, liberated world. In perhaps the first reference to resurrection from the dead, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #112
THIRTY SECOND SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
November 11, 2012
1 Kings 17:10-16
In those days, Elijah the prophet went
to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."
She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."
She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'"
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
The Word of the Lord
Hebrews 9:24-28
Christ did not enter into a sanctuary
made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Mark 12:38-44
In the course of his teaching Jesus
said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Scribes were proficient in reading and
writing contracts and other administrative documents. They were also experts in
the Jewish Law. Therefore, they took the roles of both lawyer and theologian. Scribes
are linked with the Pharisees and chief priests and usually were the opponents of Jesus such
as the plot to kill Jesus in 14:1 (An exception is 12:28-34).
The scribes are criticized here because
of their ostentationess. They want to attract the attention of others to
impress them and make a display of themselves. They greet others in the market
place so they can be seen.
The synagogue is the place where Jews gathered for
Scripture readings and prayer as well as for cultural events. It is thought
that the first seats in the synagogue would face the crowds and they could be seen. These seats are closest to the Torah
scrolls so they could feel important. At banquets, the bests seats were near
the host. The closer to the host you sit, the more the host thought of you.
Widows at that time had no protection.
When her husband died, she could return to her family if her dowry could be
paid to her husband's heirs. She could also be sold into slavery to repay past
debts. A priests daughter could be returned to father's home. The only other protection was a levirate marriage (see
Deuteronomy 25:5-10) and that wasn't always enforceable. Widows relied on their
children or on charity. Scribes would have themselves appointed as trustees
over the estates of widows to gain a share on the inheritance. The scribes are
accused by Jesus of preying on the most vulnerable of society for a profit.
Many Old Testament texts present God as
the ultimate defender of widows and orphans (Deuteronomy 14:29 and Jeremiah 49:11, for example). Old Testament
prophets frequently criticized the exploitation of widows (Isaiah 1:17,
Jeremiah 7:6).
The scribes recite lengthy prayers in
public to be seen as holy in front of the people. Their hypocrisy is obvious.
In Matthew 6:5, Jesus says that, "they have received their reward,"
that is, the adulation of the people but not of God. Here, in Mark 12:40, Jesus
says, " They will receive a very severe condemnation."
The Temple Temple
A widow comes along and puts in 2 coins
that were the smallest monetary denomination in circulation. Jesus tells his disciples
that she was more generous than anyone because she gave everything she had to
the treasury, while the rich weren't hurt by their donations.
This widow stands in contrast to the
scribes who spent their time promoting themselves and looking for opportunities
for financial gain. Remember, though, not to categorize all the scribes in this
way. It can lead to anti Semitism, and there were scribes who weren't like
this.
The widow gave all she had to the
support of the temple, an incredible act of generosity applauded by Jesus and
held up as an example to his disciples. She is much more generous than the
scribes who probably didn't miss the amount of their donation.
A few scholars, however, look on this
poor woman as a victim of an institutional religion that manipulated this
generous women into giving all she had. Usually looked upon as an example of
generosity, she can also be pitied as a victim of religious exploitation.
In the first reading from 1 Kings, we
have another example of a generous woman, the widow of Zarephath. Elijah served
in the 9th century as a prophet in a struggle to preserve the knowledge and
worship of God against the pagan worship of Baal introduced by Jezebel, the
pagan wife of King Ahab. The Elijah cycle of narratives includes today's story,
miracles, denunciation of kings, and Elijah's role as the forerunner of the
Messiah.
There was a drought, and this widow was
almost out of supplies. Elijah tells her to bake him a cake. She gives all he
has for him, and God rewards her: " the jar of flour did not go empty, nor
the jug of oil run dry" and they were able to eat for year. She trusted in God through believing in
God's prophet Elijah, as opposed to King Ahab, who refused to believe in Elijah
and was later punished.
This story was meant to encourage faith
and confidence in God's word.
In the second reading, the sacrifice of
Jesus is compared to the sacrifice in the Temple
on the Day of Atonement, where animals were sacrificed in the Temple
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #112
THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 28, 2012
READING 1
JEREMIAH 31:7-9
Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARKK 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We are at the conclusion of Mark’s journey narrative. The next passage is Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He will die within the week.
This story is more than a miracle story, it is a story of faith. The name “Bartimaeus” isn’t really a name. It means “Son of Timaeus.” It is a story of how he was healed both spiritually and physically and brought to faith. This story also tells us about Jesus’ identity.
Bartimaeus, the man without a real name, is sitting by the road begging. This was the only way to aid in the support of his family, who would have seen him as a drain on family resources. Unfortunately, there were a number of beggars, and they didn’t always do well.
He hears that Jesus is approaching, and calls out to him, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus fame has spread so far now that even a blind beggar has heard of him. The title “Son of David” is a messianic title referring to the one that was expected to be sent from God to be the Messiah that would save Israel.
In the Gospels, when someone applies a messianic title to Jesus, he tells them to be quiet and not to tell anyone. This is known as the ‘messianic secret’. We can’t understand Jesus until we take his whole life, death, and resurrection into context. Here, Jesus doesn’t do this. Ironically, it is the crowds who try to silence Bartimaeus, who don’t understand who Jesus is. We are to finds out shortly in the Passion Narratives. By being quiet, Jesus is assenting to this messianic title.
Bartimaeus is insistent, ignoring the crowd trying to silence him, and keeps calling out to Jesus. This continued calling shows his faith in Jesus abilities to heal and bestow God’s mercy. Notice that this blind beggar is not asking for alms, but for healing.
He is also being called by Jesus, indicating that he is being called to follow Jesus in faith, just as we are all called by our baptism to follow Jesus in faith. The crowds encourage him in this call, and we should all encourage each other in our own discipleship.
He threw aside his cloak (maybe the only possession he owns - he is giving up everything to follow Jesus), sprang up (he wastes no time in following Jesus), and went to Jesus.
Jesus asks him a seemingly strange question, since the beggar is blind. "What do you want me to do for you?" But it isn’t really that strange when you think about it. It seems that Bartimaeus has his priorities straight. He is like Solomon, when told to ask for anything he wants and it will be granted, asks for wisdom. Bartimaeus could have asked for physical sight, for riches or power, but he says to Jesus, "Master, I want to see." He wants to see with the eyes of faith.
Jesus tells him that his faith has saved him. The word translated as saved can refer to both physical and spiritual healing. The healing is instantaneous, complete, and involves no physical contact or healing word. He gets up and follows Jesus, meaning he becomes a disciple and follows Jesus, but he is not heard from again.
Bartimaeus has no real name because he represents all of us. We are all blind in some way, broken by sin and unable to do anything about it; our own journey on the spiritual path is halted because of this. We sit on the side of the spiritual road unable to go towards God on our own. Our trip resumes when we acknowledge our plight and turn to Jesus for help. Like Bartimaeus, we should ask to be healed of our sins, of anything that keeps us from God, to be people of faith, for the grace to be the best disciples we can be. We should ask for spiritual healing to see with the eyes of faith so we can bring His light to others.
This idea of healing and salvation refers to living in the kingdom of God in the here and now. God gives us a better way to live, a way of grace, peace, and love, and we should be experiencing these kingdom values now.
In the first reading, Jeremiah promises that one day, God will save his people. He will bring them out of slavery, even from the ends of the earth. He is not referring to an afterlife, since there isn’t any concept of heaven or hell in Jeremiah’s day. One day, God will bring all of his people back from where ever they are, make the trip easy, and settle them in the Promised Land.
The second letter from Hebrews talks about the priesthood. Priests are to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins (sacraments). They are to be patient with people while leading them on their own faith journey. They are to acknowledge that they are beset by weakness and ask for forgiveness. They do it because they are called, and not for any honor for themselves. It is God who glorifies priests, so all honor, praise, and credit should go to God. This is some good advice for all us priests.
Fr. Phil
THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 28, 2012
READING 1
JEREMIAH 31:7-9
Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARKK 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
We are at the conclusion of Mark’s journey narrative. The next passage is Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He will die within the week.
This story is more than a miracle story, it is a story of faith. The name “Bartimaeus” isn’t really a name. It means “Son of Timaeus.” It is a story of how he was healed both spiritually and physically and brought to faith. This story also tells us about Jesus’ identity.
Bartimaeus, the man without a real name, is sitting by the road begging. This was the only way to aid in the support of his family, who would have seen him as a drain on family resources. Unfortunately, there were a number of beggars, and they didn’t always do well.
He hears that Jesus is approaching, and calls out to him, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus fame has spread so far now that even a blind beggar has heard of him. The title “Son of David” is a messianic title referring to the one that was expected to be sent from God to be the Messiah that would save Israel.
In the Gospels, when someone applies a messianic title to Jesus, he tells them to be quiet and not to tell anyone. This is known as the ‘messianic secret’. We can’t understand Jesus until we take his whole life, death, and resurrection into context. Here, Jesus doesn’t do this. Ironically, it is the crowds who try to silence Bartimaeus, who don’t understand who Jesus is. We are to finds out shortly in the Passion Narratives. By being quiet, Jesus is assenting to this messianic title.
Bartimaeus is insistent, ignoring the crowd trying to silence him, and keeps calling out to Jesus. This continued calling shows his faith in Jesus abilities to heal and bestow God’s mercy. Notice that this blind beggar is not asking for alms, but for healing.
He is also being called by Jesus, indicating that he is being called to follow Jesus in faith, just as we are all called by our baptism to follow Jesus in faith. The crowds encourage him in this call, and we should all encourage each other in our own discipleship.
He threw aside his cloak (maybe the only possession he owns - he is giving up everything to follow Jesus), sprang up (he wastes no time in following Jesus), and went to Jesus.
Jesus asks him a seemingly strange question, since the beggar is blind. "What do you want me to do for you?" But it isn’t really that strange when you think about it. It seems that Bartimaeus has his priorities straight. He is like Solomon, when told to ask for anything he wants and it will be granted, asks for wisdom. Bartimaeus could have asked for physical sight, for riches or power, but he says to Jesus, "Master, I want to see." He wants to see with the eyes of faith.
Jesus tells him that his faith has saved him. The word translated as saved can refer to both physical and spiritual healing. The healing is instantaneous, complete, and involves no physical contact or healing word. He gets up and follows Jesus, meaning he becomes a disciple and follows Jesus, but he is not heard from again.
Bartimaeus has no real name because he represents all of us. We are all blind in some way, broken by sin and unable to do anything about it; our own journey on the spiritual path is halted because of this. We sit on the side of the spiritual road unable to go towards God on our own. Our trip resumes when we acknowledge our plight and turn to Jesus for help. Like Bartimaeus, we should ask to be healed of our sins, of anything that keeps us from God, to be people of faith, for the grace to be the best disciples we can be. We should ask for spiritual healing to see with the eyes of faith so we can bring His light to others.
This idea of healing and salvation refers to living in the kingdom of God in the here and now. God gives us a better way to live, a way of grace, peace, and love, and we should be experiencing these kingdom values now.
In the first reading, Jeremiah promises that one day, God will save his people. He will bring them out of slavery, even from the ends of the earth. He is not referring to an afterlife, since there isn’t any concept of heaven or hell in Jeremiah’s day. One day, God will bring all of his people back from where ever they are, make the trip easy, and settle them in the Promised Land.
The second letter from Hebrews talks about the priesthood. Priests are to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins (sacraments). They are to be patient with people while leading them on their own faith journey. They are to acknowledge that they are beset by weakness and ask for forgiveness. They do it because they are called, and not for any honor for themselves. It is God who glorifies priests, so all honor, praise, and credit should go to God. This is some good advice for all us priests.
Fr. Phil
Thursday, October 18, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #111
TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 21, 2012
READING 1
ISAIAH 53:10-11
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 4:14-16
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 10:35-45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
James and John, along with Peter, form Jesus’ inner circle (see 5:37, 9:2, 14:33). This is the only time that James and John act on their own. It seems that in Matthew’s Gospel, he finds this request so offensive he attributes it to the “mother of the sons of Zebedee” (Matt 20:20-21).
The disciples want Jesus to give them anything they want, like writing a blank check. To clarify, Jesus asks a polite question, "What do you wish me to do for you?" And they respond, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
This request is self centered and shows their failure to grasp Jesus message contained in his passion prediction, like Peter in 8:32-33 and the other disciples in 9:33-34. James and John are seeking special places of prominence at Jesus second coming and in the fullness of the Kingdom.
Then Jesus says, “Can you drink the cup that I drink” refers to the cup of suffering Jesus undergoes during his passion (see 14:36).
When Jesus asks them if they can be “baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?, " he is not referring to baptism as we know it, but dying and rising, as in his passion, death and resurrection. It does remind us that, as St. Paul says, we are baptized into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3-4).
The disciples say that they can, but it is a foolish although confident remark that shows the depth of their misunderstanding of Jesus and ironically prepares us for their cowardice when Jesus is arrested (14:50).
It’s a mystery why the apostles weren’t arrested with Jesus and executed. It is tradition that most of them were eventually martyred. Jesus doesn’t say specifically that James and John will be martyred, but it does say that they will be persecuted on account of their ties to Jesus and in that sense they share his baptism and cup.
This is one of a couple instances where certain powers or functions are left to God the Father (see Mark 13:32 and 10:40). It is not certain who is to sit on God’s left and right.
The other 10 apostles became indignant at James and John. Were they jealous that these 2 asked first? This gives Jesus an opportunity to teach about true leadership and service.
The apostles would have already been familiar with the way people ruled: great ones made their authority felt and lorded it over those under them. Those ruled would have been subject to unlimited and overwhelming power.
I’d bet that the Apostles were surprised by Jesus next comment: “But it shall not be so among you.” I’d bet they expected that when Jesus came into his kingdom that he would be like all other rulers of the day. Is that why they wanted prominent places? Was it for power and control over others?
Jesus description of the way people should rule is the opposite of everyone else: “Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” The word for servant is “diakonos” which is used in the New Testament letters to mean deacon. In this more generic context, it means servant. This idea of a servant leader also appears in Mark 1:13, 1:31, 10:45, and 14:47. A slave is usually thought of as serving one master and doing the bidding of that master. Being the slave of all underlies Jesus universal service toward all other people.
If it wasn’t clear enough, Jesus expounds further on his idea of leadership: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.” Jesus isn’t interested in manipulating or controlling others, but to make the lives of others better. To me, serving indicates that someone is willing to do whatever is necessary to aid and assist another in whatever ways are necessary to improve someone’s life. Being a slave tells me that Jesus will do anything to that end. He is not interested in what we can do for him, but what he can do for us.
And how does Jesus serve us? He gave “his life as a ransom for many." Ransom refers to the price necessary to release a slave from captivity. We were held ransom by our sins, and there was no way we could atone for our sins. Jesus paid the price (ransomed us) for our sins through his death and resurrection, which freed us from the captivity of sin.
The best example of Jesus’ concept of servant leadership is in the Servant Songs of Isaiah, part of which we have in today’s first reading. We look on these Servant Songs as telling us that Jesus suffering, death and resurrection is a sacrifice for, and expiation of, our sins.
When I think of a servant leader, I always think of someone who leads by example; someone who practices what they preach; someone who is confident enough in themselves and what they believe not to be offended by differing opinions; someone who is humble enough to realize that they make mistakes and need to change; someone who is ready to accept the talents and abilities of others, even if it means they must be in the background; someone who has ideas based on their experience that is grounded in prayer, and blessed by the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray that God sends more of these servant leaders to our Church.
Fr. Phil
TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 21, 2012
READING 1
ISAIAH 53:10-11
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 4:14-16
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 10:35-45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
James and John, along with Peter, form Jesus’ inner circle (see 5:37, 9:2, 14:33). This is the only time that James and John act on their own. It seems that in Matthew’s Gospel, he finds this request so offensive he attributes it to the “mother of the sons of Zebedee” (Matt 20:20-21).
The disciples want Jesus to give them anything they want, like writing a blank check. To clarify, Jesus asks a polite question, "What do you wish me to do for you?" And they respond, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
This request is self centered and shows their failure to grasp Jesus message contained in his passion prediction, like Peter in 8:32-33 and the other disciples in 9:33-34. James and John are seeking special places of prominence at Jesus second coming and in the fullness of the Kingdom.
Then Jesus says, “Can you drink the cup that I drink” refers to the cup of suffering Jesus undergoes during his passion (see 14:36).
When Jesus asks them if they can be “baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?, " he is not referring to baptism as we know it, but dying and rising, as in his passion, death and resurrection. It does remind us that, as St. Paul says, we are baptized into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3-4).
The disciples say that they can, but it is a foolish although confident remark that shows the depth of their misunderstanding of Jesus and ironically prepares us for their cowardice when Jesus is arrested (14:50).
It’s a mystery why the apostles weren’t arrested with Jesus and executed. It is tradition that most of them were eventually martyred. Jesus doesn’t say specifically that James and John will be martyred, but it does say that they will be persecuted on account of their ties to Jesus and in that sense they share his baptism and cup.
This is one of a couple instances where certain powers or functions are left to God the Father (see Mark 13:32 and 10:40). It is not certain who is to sit on God’s left and right.
The other 10 apostles became indignant at James and John. Were they jealous that these 2 asked first? This gives Jesus an opportunity to teach about true leadership and service.
The apostles would have already been familiar with the way people ruled: great ones made their authority felt and lorded it over those under them. Those ruled would have been subject to unlimited and overwhelming power.
I’d bet that the Apostles were surprised by Jesus next comment: “But it shall not be so among you.” I’d bet they expected that when Jesus came into his kingdom that he would be like all other rulers of the day. Is that why they wanted prominent places? Was it for power and control over others?
Jesus description of the way people should rule is the opposite of everyone else: “Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” The word for servant is “diakonos” which is used in the New Testament letters to mean deacon. In this more generic context, it means servant. This idea of a servant leader also appears in Mark 1:13, 1:31, 10:45, and 14:47. A slave is usually thought of as serving one master and doing the bidding of that master. Being the slave of all underlies Jesus universal service toward all other people.
If it wasn’t clear enough, Jesus expounds further on his idea of leadership: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.” Jesus isn’t interested in manipulating or controlling others, but to make the lives of others better. To me, serving indicates that someone is willing to do whatever is necessary to aid and assist another in whatever ways are necessary to improve someone’s life. Being a slave tells me that Jesus will do anything to that end. He is not interested in what we can do for him, but what he can do for us.
And how does Jesus serve us? He gave “his life as a ransom for many." Ransom refers to the price necessary to release a slave from captivity. We were held ransom by our sins, and there was no way we could atone for our sins. Jesus paid the price (ransomed us) for our sins through his death and resurrection, which freed us from the captivity of sin.
The best example of Jesus’ concept of servant leadership is in the Servant Songs of Isaiah, part of which we have in today’s first reading. We look on these Servant Songs as telling us that Jesus suffering, death and resurrection is a sacrifice for, and expiation of, our sins.
When I think of a servant leader, I always think of someone who leads by example; someone who practices what they preach; someone who is confident enough in themselves and what they believe not to be offended by differing opinions; someone who is humble enough to realize that they make mistakes and need to change; someone who is ready to accept the talents and abilities of others, even if it means they must be in the background; someone who has ideas based on their experience that is grounded in prayer, and blessed by the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray that God sends more of these servant leaders to our Church.
Fr. Phil
Monday, October 8, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #110
TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 14, 2012
Reading 1
Wisdom 7:7-11
I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her company,
and countless riches at her hands.
The Word of the Lord
Reading 2
Hebrews 4:12-13
Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Mark 10:17-30
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God."
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Mark keeps the journey motif here – Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem where he will undergo his passion and death. During the journey, a man knelt before him and asked him an important question, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This man seems to be sincere in his wanting to know. He seems like a lot of religious people who speak to a person they consider holy to get their ideas concerning salvation. We do it, also. He seems interested in learning so he can be saved.
Jesus gets upset at being called good. Does he consider it insincere flattery? Or is he just deflecting all praise to his Father?
Jesus response to the man’s question is to say to him, “You know the commandments,” and then lists some of them, assuming that this man knows and keeps the commandments. These commandments come from the second part of the Decalogue concerning our relationship with others.
I’d bet that this man thought that was all he needed to do and probably responded to Jesus with anticipation and joy, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus has a big surprise for him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." He invites this rich man to put away all worldly things so he won’t be distracted from his mission to spread the Good News and to follow him. Lacking material possessions, he will be free to devote himself to the Gospel.
This rich man was so attached to all his many possessions that he just walked away. Why didn’t he ask Jesus what he meant by that? Jesus didn’t ask everyone to give up everything; in the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), Zacchaeus was a rich man who promised to give half of his money to the poor, “and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it 4 times over ( Luke 19:8). Jesus’ response? “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9). Jesus is not against possessions, he is against greed and attachment to worldly goods; he is against those who won’t share with those in need.
It is hard for those with wealth to enter the Kingdom. The accumulation and retention of wealth can become more important than making God’s kingdom the focus of our lives. Worldly goods become more important than heavenly treasures. We always find time for what is important in our lives. If God is important, we will find time, even if we work long hours or 2 jobs to support our families. We can always find time for God if we want to.
Do you remember the movie “The Mission?” Robert DeNiro is one of the stars of this movie set in Brazil in the 17th century (I think, I don’t remember exactly). He is a soldier who converts to Catholicism and joins the Jesuit community, but he finds it hard to completely give up his old ways. There is a very poignant scene where we see DeNiro (I forget the name of his character) trying to climb a steep and high hill carrying a large canvas bag that contains all of his soldierly equipment (rifle, sword, armor, and the like). Every time he nears the peak of the hill, he inadvertently drops the bag and has to climb down to get it and then climb back up. Eventually, someone cuts the cord on the bag and it falls all the way down and that person helps DeNiro to the top.
There are things that keep us from the kingdom but we don’t want to let them go. It could be money, possessions, power, prestige, past hurts (both done to us and things we’ve done to others), regrets, reluctance to forgive, or things for which we won’t forgive ourselves, for example. They drag us down. Like the rich man, we turn away from the kingdom because we won’t let these things go. We need to pray for God’s grace to drop these things and get over the top.
The word translated as camel is kamelos. Some scholars suggest that the phrase “a camel to pass through the eye of a needle” refers to the architecture of the walls surrounding Jerusalem. There were several gates in these walls, and some were so small that to get a camel through, one would have to unload everything off the wall and the camel would have to slowly shimmy through, and it still wasn’t guaranteed to make it through.
Other scholars suggest that kamelos is an error in the manuscript and it should be kamilos, a rope or cable. It would indeed be difficult to thread a cable through the eye of a needle. Either way, it illustrates how hard it is for rich person to enter the kingdom. But, all is not lost: "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." That is our hope. Not just for the rich, but for all of us. All things are possible with God.
To me, the rich man asked the wrong question. To answer his question directly, there is nothing you can do to earn eternal life. No matter how many masses we attend, how many prayers we say, how much money we give away, how much we do for each other, none of these things earn us the right to eternal life. Salvation is a free gift of God. We can’t earn it, we don’t merit it, but God gives it to us because he loves us.
But like any gift, we can misuse it or even throw it away. Salvation, thought a gift, is not guaranteed. Our response to God’s great gift of salvation is what we do with our lives. It is how we build our relationship with God through prayer and sacraments, and how we treat one another. It is being virtuous and witnessing to the kingdom. With God’s grace, we can cut the cord on the bag of our past life; we can get the camel through the gate; and we can thread a cable through the eye of a needle. With God all things are possible. It is through God’s grace that we accomplish our God given mission in life.
And the great thing is, we don’t have to wait until some time in the future to be blessed by God. He promises us a hundred times more now in the present age for following him as well as eternal life. Anyone who has been touched by the grace of conversion of who has been touched by the Spirit in anyway can attest to that.
The first reading is similar in nature to the Gospel. The Book of Wisdom has been attributed to King Solomon, seen to be the wisest ruler of the people. God promises Solomon that he could ask for anything and it would be granted. What did he ask for? He asked for Wisdom, which he values over scepter and throne, over riches, over gold, over anything earthly. Wisdom was regarded as God’s own Spirit, as the creative Word of God in which all truth is revealed.
The second reading from Hebrews is challenging a group of Jewish Christians who are getting weary to remain steadfast in their faith. They are undergoing some type of persecution and may have thought that it would be easier to give up their Christian faith. They are told to believe in the Word of God because it is life giving and transformative. The people are also reminded that some day they will have to make an account of their lives before God.
Fr. Phil
TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 14, 2012
Reading 1
Wisdom 7:7-11
I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her company,
and countless riches at her hands.
The Word of the Lord
Reading 2
Hebrews 4:12-13
Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel
Mark 10:17-30
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God."
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Mark keeps the journey motif here – Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem where he will undergo his passion and death. During the journey, a man knelt before him and asked him an important question, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This man seems to be sincere in his wanting to know. He seems like a lot of religious people who speak to a person they consider holy to get their ideas concerning salvation. We do it, also. He seems interested in learning so he can be saved.
Jesus gets upset at being called good. Does he consider it insincere flattery? Or is he just deflecting all praise to his Father?
Jesus response to the man’s question is to say to him, “You know the commandments,” and then lists some of them, assuming that this man knows and keeps the commandments. These commandments come from the second part of the Decalogue concerning our relationship with others.
I’d bet that this man thought that was all he needed to do and probably responded to Jesus with anticipation and joy, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus has a big surprise for him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." He invites this rich man to put away all worldly things so he won’t be distracted from his mission to spread the Good News and to follow him. Lacking material possessions, he will be free to devote himself to the Gospel.
This rich man was so attached to all his many possessions that he just walked away. Why didn’t he ask Jesus what he meant by that? Jesus didn’t ask everyone to give up everything; in the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), Zacchaeus was a rich man who promised to give half of his money to the poor, “and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it 4 times over ( Luke 19:8). Jesus’ response? “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9). Jesus is not against possessions, he is against greed and attachment to worldly goods; he is against those who won’t share with those in need.
It is hard for those with wealth to enter the Kingdom. The accumulation and retention of wealth can become more important than making God’s kingdom the focus of our lives. Worldly goods become more important than heavenly treasures. We always find time for what is important in our lives. If God is important, we will find time, even if we work long hours or 2 jobs to support our families. We can always find time for God if we want to.
Do you remember the movie “The Mission?” Robert DeNiro is one of the stars of this movie set in Brazil in the 17th century (I think, I don’t remember exactly). He is a soldier who converts to Catholicism and joins the Jesuit community, but he finds it hard to completely give up his old ways. There is a very poignant scene where we see DeNiro (I forget the name of his character) trying to climb a steep and high hill carrying a large canvas bag that contains all of his soldierly equipment (rifle, sword, armor, and the like). Every time he nears the peak of the hill, he inadvertently drops the bag and has to climb down to get it and then climb back up. Eventually, someone cuts the cord on the bag and it falls all the way down and that person helps DeNiro to the top.
There are things that keep us from the kingdom but we don’t want to let them go. It could be money, possessions, power, prestige, past hurts (both done to us and things we’ve done to others), regrets, reluctance to forgive, or things for which we won’t forgive ourselves, for example. They drag us down. Like the rich man, we turn away from the kingdom because we won’t let these things go. We need to pray for God’s grace to drop these things and get over the top.
The word translated as camel is kamelos. Some scholars suggest that the phrase “a camel to pass through the eye of a needle” refers to the architecture of the walls surrounding Jerusalem. There were several gates in these walls, and some were so small that to get a camel through, one would have to unload everything off the wall and the camel would have to slowly shimmy through, and it still wasn’t guaranteed to make it through.
Other scholars suggest that kamelos is an error in the manuscript and it should be kamilos, a rope or cable. It would indeed be difficult to thread a cable through the eye of a needle. Either way, it illustrates how hard it is for rich person to enter the kingdom. But, all is not lost: "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." That is our hope. Not just for the rich, but for all of us. All things are possible with God.
To me, the rich man asked the wrong question. To answer his question directly, there is nothing you can do to earn eternal life. No matter how many masses we attend, how many prayers we say, how much money we give away, how much we do for each other, none of these things earn us the right to eternal life. Salvation is a free gift of God. We can’t earn it, we don’t merit it, but God gives it to us because he loves us.
But like any gift, we can misuse it or even throw it away. Salvation, thought a gift, is not guaranteed. Our response to God’s great gift of salvation is what we do with our lives. It is how we build our relationship with God through prayer and sacraments, and how we treat one another. It is being virtuous and witnessing to the kingdom. With God’s grace, we can cut the cord on the bag of our past life; we can get the camel through the gate; and we can thread a cable through the eye of a needle. With God all things are possible. It is through God’s grace that we accomplish our God given mission in life.
And the great thing is, we don’t have to wait until some time in the future to be blessed by God. He promises us a hundred times more now in the present age for following him as well as eternal life. Anyone who has been touched by the grace of conversion of who has been touched by the Spirit in anyway can attest to that.
The first reading is similar in nature to the Gospel. The Book of Wisdom has been attributed to King Solomon, seen to be the wisest ruler of the people. God promises Solomon that he could ask for anything and it would be granted. What did he ask for? He asked for Wisdom, which he values over scepter and throne, over riches, over gold, over anything earthly. Wisdom was regarded as God’s own Spirit, as the creative Word of God in which all truth is revealed.
The second reading from Hebrews is challenging a group of Jewish Christians who are getting weary to remain steadfast in their faith. They are undergoing some type of persecution and may have thought that it would be easier to give up their Christian faith. They are told to believe in the Word of God because it is life giving and transformative. The people are also reminded that some day they will have to make an account of their lives before God.
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #109
TWENTY SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 7, 2012
READING 1
GENESIS 2:18-24
The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman, '
for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 2:9-11
Brothers and sisters:
He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them 'brothers.'
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 10:2-16
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."
And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
"Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
This week we have Jesus teaching on marriage and divorce. He is approached by the Pharisees who are trying to trap him by bringing him into clear conflict with Scripture.
Divorce was permitted; in fact, it was not uncommon. Moses allowed husbands to write a bill of divorce. But there were two schools of thought concerning the grounds for divorce. Rabbi Hillel, a contemporary of Jesus, interpreted Deuteronomy 24:1-4 to mean that a husband could divorce his wife for almost any reason, like spoiling a dish, or complaining about her in laws in public.
Rabbi Shammai, also a contemporary of Jesus, took a harder stand. He interpreted the same passage to mean that divorce is only allowed for adultery. In either case, only a man was allowed to divorce his wife; a wife could not divorce her husband. But as we see later in this passage, Mark follows the Roman custom which allows women to divorce their husbands.
Jesus would not be caught up in the controversy between these 2 well known rabbis. In fact, his teaching was radical and much stricter than either of these Rabbis.
Jesus said that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of their hearts. Jesus said that this teaching was not a law, but a dispensation from the law because of this hardness of heart.
Jesus goes to the heart of the matter and quotes God speaking from Genesis 2:24: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” He interprets that to mean: “Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." This is God’s original plan for marriage. Therefore, divorce is not permitted. Men and women were created for one another and are complementary beings.
There are other New Testament passages that reiterate this no divorce teaching: 1 Corinthians 7:10-11; Luke 16:18; Matthew 5:32; and Matthew 19:1-12.
The early Christians (at least some of them, anyway) did have trouble with this no divorce teaching. In 1 Corinthians 7:12-16, Paul allows divorce if a spouse who is an unbeliever wishes to separate. The believer may not initiate a divorce, but the unbeliever can. In Matthew 5:32 there is what’s called the exceptive clause. Divorce is allowed when the marriage in unlawful (i.e. a marriage between persons of certain blood and/or legal relationships).
In our own day, a divorce is never granted or recognized by the Catholic church in the case of a sacramental and consummated marriage between 2 baptized persons. Other marriages, though theoretically indissoluble, can receive what’s called a separation of the spouses (the church never uses the term divorce) with the dissolution of the bond (that is, freedom to marry). Here are 2 examples: 1) if the marriage has not been consummated; and 2) if 2 non-baptized persons are married, one converts to Christianity, and the unbeliever refuses to live with the believer.
The Church also grants annulments, which is a declaration by the appropriate ecclesiastical authority that a marriage contract was null and void from the beginning. This is different from a divorce. A divorce states that a marriage existed and is now dissolved. An annulment states that a marriage never existed at all (if the priest knew about the circumstances making this marriage invalid, he would have refused to do the marriage). There are 3 sources of invalidity: 1) one of the parties to the marriage has an impediment not cleared by competent authority (there are 12 in canon law); 2) the internal consent of one or both parties is missing (i.e. a substantial misapprehension about marriage, a disturbed psyche, or an incapacity to carry out the marital obligations); 3) the canonical form of marriage was not observed (catholics are required to be married by a priest in front of two witnesses in a church). These last 2 paragraphs are not exhaustive of this topic. If you have specific questions, contact your local priest.
Jesus takes the opportunity to teach his disciples about the kingdom of God by using the example of children. The kingdom is transcendent (not a product or achievement of humans) and eschatological (its fullness is in the future). No human can bring it about or have a claim on it. Only those who recognize if as God’s kingdom can enter. It is a pure gift and should be received as such. We need to be like children, open and trusting, with innocence and simplicity. We need to have these attributes to accept and live in the kingdom.
Fr. Phil
TWENTY SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 7, 2012
READING 1
GENESIS 2:18-24
The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman, '
for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
HEBREWS 2:9-11
Brothers and sisters:
He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them 'brothers.'
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 10:2-16
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."
And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
"Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
This week we have Jesus teaching on marriage and divorce. He is approached by the Pharisees who are trying to trap him by bringing him into clear conflict with Scripture.
Divorce was permitted; in fact, it was not uncommon. Moses allowed husbands to write a bill of divorce. But there were two schools of thought concerning the grounds for divorce. Rabbi Hillel, a contemporary of Jesus, interpreted Deuteronomy 24:1-4 to mean that a husband could divorce his wife for almost any reason, like spoiling a dish, or complaining about her in laws in public.
Rabbi Shammai, also a contemporary of Jesus, took a harder stand. He interpreted the same passage to mean that divorce is only allowed for adultery. In either case, only a man was allowed to divorce his wife; a wife could not divorce her husband. But as we see later in this passage, Mark follows the Roman custom which allows women to divorce their husbands.
Jesus would not be caught up in the controversy between these 2 well known rabbis. In fact, his teaching was radical and much stricter than either of these Rabbis.
Jesus said that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of their hearts. Jesus said that this teaching was not a law, but a dispensation from the law because of this hardness of heart.
Jesus goes to the heart of the matter and quotes God speaking from Genesis 2:24: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” He interprets that to mean: “Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." This is God’s original plan for marriage. Therefore, divorce is not permitted. Men and women were created for one another and are complementary beings.
There are other New Testament passages that reiterate this no divorce teaching: 1 Corinthians 7:10-11; Luke 16:18; Matthew 5:32; and Matthew 19:1-12.
The early Christians (at least some of them, anyway) did have trouble with this no divorce teaching. In 1 Corinthians 7:12-16, Paul allows divorce if a spouse who is an unbeliever wishes to separate. The believer may not initiate a divorce, but the unbeliever can. In Matthew 5:32 there is what’s called the exceptive clause. Divorce is allowed when the marriage in unlawful (i.e. a marriage between persons of certain blood and/or legal relationships).
In our own day, a divorce is never granted or recognized by the Catholic church in the case of a sacramental and consummated marriage between 2 baptized persons. Other marriages, though theoretically indissoluble, can receive what’s called a separation of the spouses (the church never uses the term divorce) with the dissolution of the bond (that is, freedom to marry). Here are 2 examples: 1) if the marriage has not been consummated; and 2) if 2 non-baptized persons are married, one converts to Christianity, and the unbeliever refuses to live with the believer.
The Church also grants annulments, which is a declaration by the appropriate ecclesiastical authority that a marriage contract was null and void from the beginning. This is different from a divorce. A divorce states that a marriage existed and is now dissolved. An annulment states that a marriage never existed at all (if the priest knew about the circumstances making this marriage invalid, he would have refused to do the marriage). There are 3 sources of invalidity: 1) one of the parties to the marriage has an impediment not cleared by competent authority (there are 12 in canon law); 2) the internal consent of one or both parties is missing (i.e. a substantial misapprehension about marriage, a disturbed psyche, or an incapacity to carry out the marital obligations); 3) the canonical form of marriage was not observed (catholics are required to be married by a priest in front of two witnesses in a church). These last 2 paragraphs are not exhaustive of this topic. If you have specific questions, contact your local priest.
Jesus takes the opportunity to teach his disciples about the kingdom of God by using the example of children. The kingdom is transcendent (not a product or achievement of humans) and eschatological (its fullness is in the future). No human can bring it about or have a claim on it. Only those who recognize if as God’s kingdom can enter. It is a pure gift and should be received as such. We need to be like children, open and trusting, with innocence and simplicity. We need to have these attributes to accept and live in the kingdom.
Fr. Phil
Friday, September 28, 2012
BIBLE STUDY #108
TWENTY SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
September 30, 2012
READING 1
NUMBERS 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
JAMES 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
I think you would agree with me that exclusivity is not uncommon among religious people. It even goes back to the era of Moses. Eldad and Medad received God’s Spirit and were prophesying. They weren’t at the tent of meeting where God’s Spirit came upon the 70 elders who began prophesying. Joshua, Moses aide and future leader of the people is upset and wants Moses to stop them. They weren’t one of the 70 elders, and Joshua thinks that they shouldn’t be prophesying. Moses disagrees. He wishes all could be prophets. Moses won’t have anything to do with Joshua’s petty jealousy. Moses wants all people to share in God’s bounty. God bestows his grace feely to whomever he wishes, and we should be happy when that happens.
In the Gospel, someone is driving out demons in Jesus name, and John protests because “he does not follow us." It seems that the apostles think that they have the exclusive right to Jesus and his mission and they don’t want to share their authority with others. Do they think the power resides in them instead of Jesus? Are they jealous because of their failure to cast out a demon in Mark 9:14-29? Is it a matter of control? Do they think that this exorcist is somehow not worthy?
John wants Jesus to stop him, but Jesus disagrees: If he is exorcising in Jesus name, he must believe in him. Jesus is tolerant of those who may not be part of his group of disciples. This may have been used in the early church to battle factionalism or exclusivity.
Not everyone in the church follows Jesus perfectly. We all misunderstand, make mistakes, and sin. Being tolerant doesn’t mean that we condone people’s mistakes and sins, but that we don’t condemn or exclude the person. How are people going to grow in God’s grace if we exclude them from the one place where God’s grace abounds? After all, we all need to grow in grace and improve our lives, so if all sinners were excluded from church, the church would be empty of people and clergy. We need to preach the Gospel and support each other as we imperfectly try to follow God’s will for us in our lives.
The search for exclusive prestige is a sin to be avoided at all costs. Last week we were reminded that, as followers of Jesus, we were to take up our cross and follow him, that we should not look to be the greatest, but the least. Two weeks ago we heard that if we want to follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. It seems that John and the other apostles didn’t quite learn these lessons on proper attitude and humility yet.
We must avoid sin and avoid bringing scandal (causing others to sin) through our actions. If we are a bad influence, if we want power and prestige, if we exclude someone who wants to do things in Jesus name, if we do something to harm another’s faith, or if we do anything contrary to Jesus teachings, then we are risking eternal life.
I’ve often thought that we and the world would be a lot better off if we were as concerned about our faith and our standing in front of God as we are about others.
Fr. Phil
TWENTY SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
September 30, 2012
READING 1
NUMBERS 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
JAMES 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
MARK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
I think you would agree with me that exclusivity is not uncommon among religious people. It even goes back to the era of Moses. Eldad and Medad received God’s Spirit and were prophesying. They weren’t at the tent of meeting where God’s Spirit came upon the 70 elders who began prophesying. Joshua, Moses aide and future leader of the people is upset and wants Moses to stop them. They weren’t one of the 70 elders, and Joshua thinks that they shouldn’t be prophesying. Moses disagrees. He wishes all could be prophets. Moses won’t have anything to do with Joshua’s petty jealousy. Moses wants all people to share in God’s bounty. God bestows his grace feely to whomever he wishes, and we should be happy when that happens.
In the Gospel, someone is driving out demons in Jesus name, and John protests because “he does not follow us." It seems that the apostles think that they have the exclusive right to Jesus and his mission and they don’t want to share their authority with others. Do they think the power resides in them instead of Jesus? Are they jealous because of their failure to cast out a demon in Mark 9:14-29? Is it a matter of control? Do they think that this exorcist is somehow not worthy?
John wants Jesus to stop him, but Jesus disagrees: If he is exorcising in Jesus name, he must believe in him. Jesus is tolerant of those who may not be part of his group of disciples. This may have been used in the early church to battle factionalism or exclusivity.
Not everyone in the church follows Jesus perfectly. We all misunderstand, make mistakes, and sin. Being tolerant doesn’t mean that we condone people’s mistakes and sins, but that we don’t condemn or exclude the person. How are people going to grow in God’s grace if we exclude them from the one place where God’s grace abounds? After all, we all need to grow in grace and improve our lives, so if all sinners were excluded from church, the church would be empty of people and clergy. We need to preach the Gospel and support each other as we imperfectly try to follow God’s will for us in our lives.
The search for exclusive prestige is a sin to be avoided at all costs. Last week we were reminded that, as followers of Jesus, we were to take up our cross and follow him, that we should not look to be the greatest, but the least. Two weeks ago we heard that if we want to follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. It seems that John and the other apostles didn’t quite learn these lessons on proper attitude and humility yet.
We must avoid sin and avoid bringing scandal (causing others to sin) through our actions. If we are a bad influence, if we want power and prestige, if we exclude someone who wants to do things in Jesus name, if we do something to harm another’s faith, or if we do anything contrary to Jesus teachings, then we are risking eternal life.
I’ve often thought that we and the world would be a lot better off if we were as concerned about our faith and our standing in front of God as we are about others.
Fr. Phil
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