How To Be A Martyr (9-20-24; Lk 8:1-3)

We do not usually think of ourselves as martyrs, but a martyr is a witness.  A martyr is someone who voluntarily sacrifices his or her personal safety for the sake of a principle or belief.  Early Christians were among the first such witnesses because they suffered death in refusing to deny what they believed about Christ.  The martyrdom of John, Stephen, Peter, and Paul are well known examples.  Among the apostles, the martyrdom of James is the only one recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:1-2).  The term “martyr” still applies to anyone who suffers death for their witness to the truth of Christ.  Our celebration today commemorates the death of such martyrs for Christ—Andrew Kim, Paul Chong, and their companions.  

Fortunately, most of us today do not risk being killed for our belief in Christ.  The more common way we bear witness to Christ today is by acting on his word.  As followers of Christ, we embody the words and values of Jesus in our lives, even when doing so may jeopardize our career, personal status, or security. We risk such consequences of martyrdom because the Christian way of life often opposes the way that the world teaches. 

The world frequently teaches us to be cunning, competitive, clever, jealous, shrewd, and not let others take advantage of us.  The Spirit of God, however, directs us to be charitable and humble.  God wants us to avoid conflicts and power struggles.  Instead, God wants us to seek unity and peace because we are one body and one Spirit (Eph 4:1-6).  The Spirit of God directs us to be a different kind of person, even to the point of sacrificing our own interests at times.  God loves us and expects us to love others as he does (Jn 13:34).  In St. Paul’s view, this is nothing less than life in the Spirit. 

When we live by the Spirit, we follow the lead of the Spirit to be the kind of person God wants us to be (Gal 5:25). We live in the Spirit in daring to be Christ to others.  Most of us do this in very ordinary ways throughout our daily lives.  We do this each time we renew our commitment to be just and good to others, even when they don’t deserve it.  We live in the Spirit of Christ when we do not give up on life just because everyday virtue does not pay off, or when things don’t go our way.  Following the lead of the Spirit, as St. Paul reminds us, enables us to remain true to our moral convictions even when doing so is to our disadvantage (Gal 5:16-25).  The Holy Spirit empowers us to be true to our conscience.

            This is what bearing witness to Jesus Christ means for the ordinary person today.  Bearing witness to Christ is a life-long journey and study of putting on the heart and mind of Christ.  Gradually, over time, and sometimes even with great effort, we can live as authentic followers of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit enables and empowers us to bear witness to the truth of Christ with our lives.  Today, this is the way in which Jesus Christ calls all of us to be martyrs.

 

How's Your Reputation Going? (B 24 Sun 24; Mk 8:27-35)

 

Our reputation is an important feature of our lives, and rightly so.  We gain our reputation, good or bad, by what we do and what we say.  Our reputation is the perception others have of us rather than how we see ourselves.   In that sense, it is a kind of social currency used in many different contexts (Milinski, 2015).  It provides a way for others to decide about our trustworthiness and to predict our behavior.  A good reputation opens doors, while a bad one closes them.   

No wonder Jesus asks his disciples two questions about his own reputation.  The first question—Who do people say that I am—is rather ordinary even if a bit odd.  It seems odd because, by this time, the disciples had seen the large crowds gather as Jesus went around teaching his message of love and salvation.  They saw his deep concern for the poor and the oppressed, and how he included sinners and outcasts in his inner circle of friends. They were there the many times Jesus engineered a successful challenge to the cruel hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  By this time, the disciples had also witnessed Jesus heal many people of their ailments, forgive their sins, walk on water, drive out demons, and raise the dead to life.  So, why would Jesus ask the disciples a question they could answer with ease? 

This first question is a simple prelude that requires very little of the disciples beyond reporting the known facts, much like reporting the results of a political poll.  The answer thus requires the disciples to reveal nothing about what they themselves believe about Jesus.  Nor does this question call for a commitment on their part to Jesus or to his way of life.  The second question, however, requires something much more substantial. 

The second question—who do YOU say that I am—poses a serious challenge to the disciples because it compels a choice on their part.  From this moment on, the disciples can no longer remain aloof.  They must decide right then and there what they personally believe about Jesus.  The question calls for a commitment to Jesus.  Thus, how the disciples answer will determine their future relationship with him.  Their answer will establish who they are in relation to Jesus.  Jesus knows that his time with the disciples is nearing an end, and for that reason, they must decide then and there who they believe Jesus is and how they will relate to him.

When Jesus asks them, Who do you say that I AM, the disciples surely recalled the many times Jesus made statements that point to his divinity—I am the bread of life; I am the resurrection and the life; and other such claims.  No wonder Peter says in answer to the second question, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16).  With this response, Peter affirms that Jesus is in relationship with God, and that this relationship is the essence of who Jesus is, the essence of his being.  It follows that, if Jesus is in relationship with God, and the disciples are in relationship with Jesus, then they too share his relationship with God.  In a literal sense, they are the brothers of Jesus, the Son of God.

Jesus affirms this mutual relationship when he teaches the disciples to begin their prayer with the words, “Our Father.”  This greeting shows the disciples that they are in relationship with the Father and with each other in one spiritual family, just as Jesus is one with the Father and they with him. 

Jesus asks the disciples these two questions while times are good to prepare them for the bad times ahead.  Later, the disciples will have no time for reflection about such questions.  In this sense, Jesus tries to convey the urgency of Isaiah’s warning, “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near” (Is 55:6).  Jesus knows that his disciples will need to rely on more than what others say about Him.  The disciples will need a personal commitment to Jesus and faith in him and in each other to overcome the challenges and threats that are about to unfold.

Jesus asks the same two questions of us for the same reason.  The answer to the first question may be easy enough for us as it was for those first disciples.  Our answer to the second question, however, is as challenging and as revealing for us as it was for the early disciples.  It is not enough for us to repeat what others say about Jesus.  Our answer to the second question reveals who we believe Jesus is and who we believe we are in relation to him and to each other.  It is a question that we cannot avoid answering, no matter how or when we choose to answer.

Jesus indicates his expectations in that regard when he teaches the disciples how to pray.  The Lord’s Prayer provides a summary of how we are to conduct ourselves in relationship with him, and in turn, in our relationship with God and with each other.  To say “Our Father” is to proclaim and acknowledge first and foremost that we are all children of God.  This prayer unites all of us in the same spiritual family with the same relationship to one another in God, equally loved by God without exception and without exclusion.  There is simply no other way to answer the second question, and no other answer will give us a better reputation. 

 

 

Golden mouthed (9-13-24 Feast of St. John Chrysostom; Lk 6:39-42)

 

Chrysostom is not the surname of St. John, whose feast we celebrate on the 13th.  Chrysostom is his nickname meaning "golden-mouthed."  St. John earned that moniker because of his eloquent preaching style, his moral teaching, and intimate knowledge and explanation of Scripture.  He is better known in the Orthodox Churches than in the West.  That is probably because he was born in Antioch and lived his entire life in that region.  Eventually, he became Archbishop of Constantinople and at times gave sermons that lasted as long as two hours. 

Pope John XXIII proclaimed Chrysostom patron of the Second Vatican Council.  He is also the patron of preachers, the patron of Constantinople, and a Doctor of the Church.  The church designates certain saints as doctor to highlight the enduring spiritual benefit of their theology and understanding of Scripture.  In fact, the doctors of the church are known for their contribution to the formulation of Christian teaching on various subjects.

So, a Doctor of the Church is a great teacher of the Catholic faith.  There are 37 Doctors of the Church, four of whom are women:  St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. Hildegard of Bingen.  The one deacon among the 37 is St. Ephrem.  These men and women are known for their contribution to theology or doctrine.  As for St. John Chrysostom, the Church owes its theology of priesthood in large measure to his teaching on the character and function of a priest.

The Church’s preferential option for the poor also has its roots in his teaching.  In his role as Bishop of Constantinople, St. John denounced the contrast that existed in that city between the wasteful extravagance of the rich and the indigence of the poor.  He was quick to suggest to the well-off that they ought to gather the homeless into their own homes.  He saw Christ in the poor, and invited his listeners to do the same and act accordingly.  His persistent defense of the poor and criticism of those with excessive wealth led many of the rich and powerful to reject his message and treat him with hostility.

Their hostile treatment did not deter him from following the inspiration of St. Paul in upholding the primacy of the individual person, especially the poor.  John viewed all as having equal rights because all are equal in the eyes of God. This emphasis on our innate personal worth inspired his view of Christianity as the proclamation of joy.  For him, this joy stems from our new beginning inaugurated by Christ.

Thus, as Christians in the world, St. John believed that we are called to reveal the meaning of this great joy.  One experiences this joy primarily through the Eucharistic celebration.  In turn, the Eucharistic celebration enables and empowers our ministry to bring the love of Christ to everyone in our daily lives.  In this sense, Mass is a sending out into the world.  In other words, our Sunday morning gathering is just as important as our Monday morning daily routine.

John's faith in the mystery of love that binds believers to Christ and to one another led him to a profound veneration of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  For this reason, one of the richest forms of the Eastern Liturgy bears his name: "The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom".  John understood that the Divine Liturgy of the Eucharist connects earthly life with the heavenly realities promised by our Lord.  This understanding motivated his firm conviction that ecclesial unity is founded on Christ and continues through the Eucharist.  Because the Eucharistic bread is the Body of Christ, we become one with Christ through the Eucharist.

Because of his love and devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, his insightful expositions of Scripture and moral teaching, as well as his lively concern for the spiritual and temporal needs of the poor, St. John Chrysostom is truly a saint that we can imitate today with confidence.