A Good Reputation Counts (Mk 8:27-35; Lk 9:18-22; Mt 16:13-15)

 

Reputation is an important feature of our lives.  Our reputation is the perception others have of us, rather than how we see ourselves.  It follows that our reputation depends on, and is determined by, what we say and do.  It serves as a kind of social currency used in many different contexts (Milinski, 2015).  Our reputation 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 about his own reputation.  His first question—Who do people say that I am—is easy enough to answer.  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 challenged the cruel hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  By now, the disciples had witnessed Jesus heal many people, forgive their sins, walk on water, drive out demons, and raise the dead to life.  So, why would Jesus ask a question the disciples could answer with ease? 

The question is easy to answer because it does not require the disciples to reveal anything about what they personally feel and believe about Jesus.  Nor does this question call for a commitment on their part to Jesus or to his way of life.  The question simply requires the disciples to repeat what others have said about Jesus, and not much else.  Their answer is much like reporting the results of a survey or political poll.   

In a sense, this first question serves as prelude to the next question that will be harder to answer because it calls for something more substantial.  The second question—who do YOU say that I am—compels a choice.  The question itself creates a decisive moment beyond which the disciples can no longer remain aloof.  They must decide right then and there what they personally think and believe about Jesus.  In other words, the question calls for a commitment. 

For that reason, how the disciples answer will determine both their future relationship with Jesus, and who they are in relation to him.  Jesus knows that his time with the disciples is nearing an end.  For that reason, they must decide once and for all who they believe Jesus is and how they will relate to him.  They must decide what Jesus means to them.

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.  With these two questions, 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 solid faith in him, and in each other, to overcome the violence and threats to life and limb that are about to unfold.

Jesus asks the same two questions of us for the same reasons.  The answer to the first question may be easy enough for us to answer as it was for those first disciples.  Our answer to the second question, however, is as challenging and 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 formalize our answer.

Jesus indicates his expectations regarding our answer when he teaches his disciples the Lord’s Prayer.  With this prayer, Jesus provides a framework for how we are to conduct ourselves in our relationship with him, with God, and with each other.  To say “Our Father” is to acknowledge and proclaim first and foremost that we are all children of God.  We all belong to the same spiritual family in and through Jesus Christ, with an equal relationship to one another.  We are all equally loved by God, the apple of his eye, without exception and without exclusion (Zech 2:12; Ps 17:8). 

In turn, Jesus expects us to live out this spiritual unity by loving God and loving others with trust and faith.  There is no better way to answer the second question, who do you say that I am, than by expressing our belief in this divine unity of love.  No other answer will give us a better reputation.

God or Mammon? The Choice is Ours (Lk 16:1-13)

 

Jesus teaches us through parables.  The beauty of the parables is that they are timeless, and for that reason, can help us in our troubled times today and in our personal lives.  Through his parables, Jesus wants us to keep our eyes on him.  To that end, he allows us to connect the dots and tease out the hidden meaning in his parables.  He provides clues along the way, for sure, but the motive of the main characters is often key in discovering the real point of the story.  The parable about the dishonest steward follows this pattern.

The story provides a detailed description of how the disreputable steward saves his own skin through clever manipulation and exploitation of his master’s wealth.  That much is obvious.  Then, Jesus surprises us with an unexpected conclusion to the story.   When the master finds out what the steward has done, he praises the steward’s unscrupulous behavior. 

Equally surprising is the lesson Jesus claims the parable offers.  Rather than warning against imitating the dishonest behavior of the steward, Jesus encourages the children of the light to be as clever with dishonest wealth.  He claims that doing so is a means of proving themselves trustworthy with true wealth!  All of which leads to the unexpected conclusion that we cannot serve two masters, God and mammon.  Jesus leaves the choice to us. 

With this parable, Jesus shows how the commandments and the whole Mosaic Law can be interpreted and applied in ways that go beyond the obvious.  The underlying reference point for this story, for example, is the first of the Ten Commandments: “There shall be no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god” (Ps 81: 10-11).  During the time of Jesus, there were many Roman and Greek gods available for the ancient Hebrews to serve.  Thus, on one level, the point of the story is obvious: “No one can serve two gods…You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Lk 16:13).

On a deeper level, however, Jesus uses the word mammon to take the parable a step further.  Mammon has a comprehensive, worldly meaning as valid today as it was back then.  Mammon includes more than just money.  It includes the many things of this world that produce a sense of security—not only our material wealth, but also our status, our power, our control.  Thus, on a deeper level, the implication of the parable is that, if we take our eyes off Jesus, we risk turning anything into a god.  This is why he urges us to be clever with dishonest wealth.  We must be on guard not only with our money, but with all the things of this world. 

The question for us today, then, is how to use the things of this world in a spiritually wise manner?  Which master do we serve?  This is a question each of us must answer.  Whichever one we choose, Jesus shows us through his life and mission that our calling is to serve the God of love, mercy, and justice (Lk 6:36).  To that end, the prophet Isaiah urges us not to turn our backs on those in need (Is 58:7-10). 

There is a passage in the first letter of Timothy that makes this point in a very clear and powerful manner.  Timothy says in his letter: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”  For Timothy, this is how we prepare ourselves to take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Tim 6:17-19).  Timothy encourages us to grow rich with good deeds done, if for no other reason, than as a show of gratitude for what God has done for each of us. 

Timothy’s advice reminds us that Jesus called the people of his day—as much as he calls us—to follow the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of the world (1 Cor 2:4-6).  Doing so is a matter of living in a vibrant, dynamic, trusting relationship with God.  Such a way of life gives mercy and compassion priority over ritual and custom as a guide for the right road.  The stories of Jesus always point to the God of Love as the master to serve. 

And, because Jesus loves us, he allows us to choose our own response, hoping we will choose wisely. 

 

 

Which is the Right Road? (Lk 6:39-42)

 

The blind leading the blind is a catchphrase that we learn early on because it applies in so many areas of life.  It actually comes from the New Testament (cf. Lk 6:39; Mt 15:14).  Jesus himself used this idiom to warn about the dangers of being led astray by incompetent spiritual leaders.  Jesus warned against those who do not know which is the right spiritual road.  Thus they go down the wrong path and take many others with them.  The only way to avoid that spiritual pitfall, according to Jesus, is to know for ourselves which is the right road.  As Jesus puts it, “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye” (Lk 6:42).

This raises what can be a difficult question of how to know when we are on the right spiritual road; how do we remove the log from our own eye?  The difficulty is apparent in light of the way our culture places high value on the pursuit of self-interest, at times even at the expense of our neighbor.  Adding to the difficulty is the idea that we always pursue that which we value most as a matter of individual choice.  In that case, we can tell whether we are on the right spiritual road by first acknowledging the end that we pursue.  Then, a consideration of the end that we ought to pursue will provide the answer we seek (1 Jn 4:1).  As Jesus would say, “where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:21). 

The answer that emerges from our comparison will show that not just any road will do.  Not all roads are right roads (Prov 14:12).  Jesus himself warns us that “False messiahs and false prophets” operate in the world so as to deceive even the devout (Mt 24:24).  The right spiritual road for the most part depends on the beliefs and hopes that we hold dear.  In other words, it depends on what we love.  This is why Jesus points out that our love for God goes hand in hand with love for our neighbor, including our enemies. 

We cannot hate our neighbor and love God.  In fact, our faith and hope compel us to express our love for God with love for our neighbor (1 Jn 4:20-21).  Although like the good Samaritan, we each determine how and when to love our neighbor, such love is what we take with us when we pass from this life to the next (1 Cor 13:13).  The love that we keep and nurture in our hearts for God, for our neighbor, and ourselves is the gift that we keep and take with us to the other side (1 Cor 13:13; Mt 10:13).  This is the mystery of love.

We might say that faith in the mystery of love binds us to Christ and to one another in a unique way.  For this reason, we celebrate the great mystery of love in our Eucharistic celebration.  In turn, our celebration enables and empowers us to bring the love of Christ to others in our daily lives.  Our acts of love reveal the meaning of this great mystery.  As followers of Christ, our Eucharistic celebration is truly a sending out into the world because it connects our earthly life to the heavenly realities promised by our Lord. 

Not everyone is open to this message, however.  The spiritually blind refuse to see the truth of what Jesus proclaims.  Those who do accept his message and act on it are people of good will.  A person of good will has the mindset of serving others with an active regard for their benefit and welfare.  This is the example of service that Jesus gave us as a guidepost for finding and following the right spiritual road.  We do well in taking to heart his good counsel, for the road of loving service leads to our eternal treasure.

An Unlikely Witness (Mk 6:17-29)

 

The testimony of a witness is often an important phenomenon in our society.  A witness is one who can provide information about what he or she has seen and heard.  A convincing witness always speaks with confidence.  The testimony of a witness, therefore, always depends on personal experience and confidence, along with a commitment to the truth and to reality. 

A witness can give several kinds of testimony, including firsthand knowledge, specialized knowledge, or knowledge about the character of someone.  Sometimes, one is considered an unlikely witness, even though that person might provide convincing testimony if given the chance.  John the Baptist was thought of in this way, considered by many as an unlikely witness to Christ.

John came into the world as a prophet, sent by God to testify to the light and prepare the way of the Lord.  John is an unlikely witness for Christ, however.  He is not a religious leader, nor even part of the religious establishment.  He lives on the margins of society, alone in the desert, with no visible means of support.  No one saw John as God’s chief witness.  Yet, that is what he is, proclaiming to others what he has seen and heard about the coming of the Lord Jesus.  Ultimately, his dedicated witness to Christ led to his cruel death at the hands of Herod.

John is not the only unlikely witness, nor is he the first.  The first is Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus.  She is a young, unmarried woman with no official role in the temple or synagogue worship.  As a woman, she is not even allowed to give testimony in a court of law.  Yet, God chose her as the first witness to proclaim the coming of the Lord to her cousin Elizabeth.  She is also the first to bring Christ to others—both at his birth and at Cana where she inaugurates his mission.

There are other unlikely witnesses—the lowly shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus.  The Samaritan woman at the well is an enemy of the Jews, and yet, her testimony inspires many to follow Jesus.  The women at the tomb are the first witnesses who provide crucial testimony about the resurrection of Jesus.  Perhaps the most famous unlikely witness to Jesus is Paul himself.  His persecution of Christians prior to his own conversion is legendary, while the powerful influence of his witness to the risen Jesus is unparalleled. 

As unlikely as these witnesses are, they all share three characteristics that serve as a model and inspiration for us, who are likewise called as witnesses to Christ.  The first characteristic is that they speak from personal experience.  Because a witness can only testify to what he or she has seen and heard, testimony always depends on personal experience and a commitment to what is real.  This explains why the Apostle John claims in his letter that, “we have seen for ourselves, and we attest that the Father sent the Son to be the savior of the world” (1 Jn 4:14). 

The second characteristic is that witnesses speak the truth with confidence.  The only reference point for confident, truthful testimony is reality itself, because reality and truth are one in the same—what is real is true, and what is true is real.  Because Christ describes himself as the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6), he reveals himself to be reality itself.  Therefore, to be a witness to Christ is to be a witness to the truth.  The truth that Jesus proclaims is that God loves us and longs for our love in return.  He wants to share his eternal joy with us.  This truth inspires the confident testimony of all witnesses to Christ.

The third characteristic shared by witnesses to Christ is that they speak to inspire faith in Jesus.  The gospel writer John, for example, says he writes his account so that we may come to believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief we may have life in his name (Jn 20:31).  This is his sole purpose—to awaken faith in Jesus—and the sole purpose of any testimony about Christ.  For this reason, Christian witness is not simply repeating someone else's take on the matter at hand, or reporting events as a detached observer.  A witness to Christ speaks to awaken faith in Christ.  Their testimony, through word and deed, brings the saving presence of Christ to others.

            Like the many unlikely witnesses to Christ, we too can draw on our personal experience and speak the truth with confidence to inspire faith in Jesus.  Like the early witnesses and those throughout the ages, our words and deeds done in faith are the testimony that brings Christ to others.  Our courage to be a faithful witness derives from the promise made by Jesus when he said: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father” (Mt 10:32).  We pray for the Holy Spirit to help us make good on our calling and role as an unlikely witness to Christ.

Mary, Queen and Mother (Mt 22:34-40)

 

With his 1954 encyclical, To the Queen of Heaven, Pope Pius XII established the feast celebrating the Queenship of Mary.  In that encyclical, Pius states that, “From early times Christians have believed with good reason…that Mary received privileges of grace above all other beings created by God…and when Christians reflected upon the intimate connection between mother and son, they readily acknowledged the supreme royal dignity of the Mother of God” (Ad Caeili Reginam, 8).

Pius was convinced that Mary deserves the title Queen primarily because of the way she lived out the commandments to love God and one another as we love ourselves.  Her life demonstrates that she understood this directive as a call to live in the Spirit of Christ according to the Law of Christ.  She embraced the idea that Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17). 

Jesus offers proof with the two great commandments of love that summarize the Mosaic Law the prophets.  With this summary, Jesus means that love itself—both of God and of neighbor—is at the root and the heart of the entire Mosaic Law and the motivation behind all that the prophets uttered.  This proof inspires St. Paul to claim in his letter to the Romans that we should “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rm 13:8).

This commandment to love is more than a rule to obey.  When Jesus says to his disciples to “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34; 15:12), he means that love is the only measure of a morally good life.  This interpretation is more in keeping with the way the ancient Hebrews understood the word commandment.  For them, a commandment was a wise directive rather than an obligation.  In that sense, following the commandments of God reflected a wise choice to go on the right road in life.

We know we are on the right road, therefore, when we allow the principle of love to direct our lives, our thoughts, our goals, our actions.  To be guided by love is the only way we can live in the Spirit of Christ according to the Law of Christ.  Like Mary, our lives then become holy because our way of living reflects our acceptance of God’s invitation to be holy as he is holy (Lv 11:44; 1 Pt 1:16). 

For this reason, Mary does not leave us alone in our response to this invitation from the one true God.  Mary is the Queen of Heaven, who stands ready and willing to help us stay on the right road of love.  The Holy Spirit is likewise our eager guide and helper who yearns to transform our lives with the principle of love.  In a special way, the Holy Spirit speaks to each of us in our hearts, in our reflections, through our prayers, and through the wisdom of others to deepen and enrich our journey with Jesus.  How this encounter happens is different for each of us.  There are many gifts, but one Spirit. 

Send forth your Spirit, Oh Lord, and each of us shall be created, each of us made new, each of us transformed into persons who can lead better lives, even in the most complicated circumstances.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to love others and touch their lives as Christ loves and touches each of us.  This is the simple message of Jesus—to live in his Spirit, rooted in the commandment to love God and one another as we love ourselves.  This is the road that honors the Queenship of Mary. 

A Fork in the Road (C 20 Sun 25; Lk 12:49-53)

 

We have all come to a fork in the road in our lives, and we took it.  Whether we took the right fork is not always clear, but we made a choice.  Jesus presents his disciples with a fork in the road that reveals the decisive character of his mission.  On the one hand, he says to the disciples, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division” (Lk 12:51).  Yet, at the last supper, he says to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled” (Jn 14:27).  So, which is it?  Does Jesus bring peace or does he bring division? 

As contradictory as it sounds, he brings both.  The purpose of his mission in one sense is to expose the illusions and false values of the world.  Jesus uses fire to symbolize the emotional urgency he feels in accomplishing this goal, even at the cost of his own life.  Jesus shares this yearning with his disciples when he says that he came to set the earth on fire and longs for the day when that will be a reality.  His sense of urgency indicates the powerful transformation his message will have through the Spirit.

Jesus’ coming into the world is therefore a spiritually decisive moment.  Jesus comes with a message that will divide those who choose to follow him from those who don’t.  One either accepts his message or one rejects it.  There is no in between.  As he puts it, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Mt 12:30).  Even in our own day, we cannot stand on the sidelines, waiting for the right moment.  Withholding a decision to follow Jesus is in effect a decision not to follow him.  So much for the division brought about by his coming into the world.

Jesus also comes as the Prince of Peace with a message that seeks peace and unity guided by the eyes of love (Is 9:5).  This is why Jesus often uses the greeting “Peace be with you” throughout his earthly mission.  His greeting shows that bringing peace is his primary intention, but a different kind of peace than the peace offered by the world.  Jesus brings peace of heart.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, he says.  But, how does that happen?  What brings about unity and peace of heart?  How do we realize the peace that Jesus guarantees (see Jn 14:27)?

In a word, trust—trust in God and following his Word rather than our own devices.  Placing our trust in God underscores our vulnerability, for sure, but trust in God is the only road to unity and peace of heart.  St. Paul relies on this premise in his letter to the Philippians when he says, “Only the peace of God can guard our hearts and sustain us in times of trouble” (Phil 4:7; Col 3:15).

Although achieving peace today can be a difficult challenge, many of St. Paul’s letters offer sound advice in that regard.  In his letter to the Ephesians, for example, Paul urges us to live in a manner worthy of the calling that we have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:1-6).  This advice suggests that peace and unity are fundamentally a matter of choice.  We can choose to live in unity and peace with our neighbor, or not.

To realize that goal, Paul urges us not to grieve the Spirit of God.  He makes it plain that we can do this by removing all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling, and all malice from our thinking about things and in our manner of relating to others.  In place of these, Paul advises us to be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven us (Eph 4:30-32).  This is the heart of Christian living that comes from a choice to be friends with God and with each other. 

True friendship born of love for God and neighbor promotes peace of heart and unity on a spiritual level.  On this level, Jesus offers his friends peace and unity.  Living out this friendship with integrity yields the lasting peace of heart that Jesus longs to share with us.  Sounds simple, but trust in God who works all things for our good is the sure road that leads to peace of heart and unity among us (Rm 8:28).  The choice to follow that road or not is ours. 

Jesus calls attention to the reality of choice in his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt 5:9).  For most of us, bringing peace to countries at war is beyond our reach.  Choosing peace over conflict and discord in ordinary living, however, is not.  We do it all the time in our families, our friendships, our jobs, and our communities.  We choose to live in peace with our families, our friends, our colleagues, our neighbors. 

We have come to understand that there is no need to return insult for insult.  We know how to resist evil by not seeking revenge or harming others (1Pt 3:9).  In the words of Isaiah, we often must heal the wounds that destroy and relieve the hurt that divides (Is 1:16-17).  When we allow peace to rule our hearts in this way, we serve the God of Peace.

Living in peace with others is our call as human beings and children of God (Col 3:15).  We carry out this call by living in a manner consistent with the values of Christ.  This is the essence of a good moral life, to live with integrity as Christ lived in the world.  To live with the heart and mind of Christ is a decision to live by his principles, to work for peace, to show mercy, to seek justice, and to do good to and for others.  This is the path of love that we follow in imitation of Jesus.  On the path of love, we can be sure that the peace and unity offered by God will be ours for the asking (Heb 12:14).

Her Rightful Place (Lk 1:39-56)

 

Although the Assumption was not declared a dogma until 1950, the feast of the Assumption is really an ancient celebration of the life and destiny of our Blessed Mother.  From the early 6^th century on, this feast in essence commemorates the way Mary lived her entire life in union with Christ.  The possibility of their union begins with her own immaculate conception, free from sin, while it becomes a reality at the Annunciation with her consent to be the mother of Jesus.  Mary’s reply was more than passive acceptance of what the angel Gabriel said to her.  Her consent expressed her profound belief that the Holy Spirit would accomplish all that was revealed to her (Lk 1:30-35). 

Mary’s response in essence was to place her trust in God and devote herself to Christ even before she understood the full effects of that commitment.  She acknowledges and gives voice to her trusting surrender to God in her great Magnificat at the Visitation.  On that occasion, Mary says to Elizabeth, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.  From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.” (Lk 1:46-49). 

With these words, Mary becomes the first evangelizer, bearing in her womb the Word made flesh, bringing that Word to Elizabeth and the baby John.  On this occasion, Mary also becomes the first “tabernacle” wherein the Son of God remains invisible to human eyes, all the while radiating his divine light through the eyes and voice of his mother.  In this way, Mary’s life was a living Eucharist and her assumption the rightful culmination of the way she lived—in humble, joyful, and complete surrender to God. 

Mary’s trust in God is a fitting model for how we too can live in union with Christ.  As St. Paul reminds the Corinthians, our bodies are living tabernacles with Christ hidden in our hearts, eagerly waiting for the opportunity to express his love through us toward others (1 Cor 6:15-17).  This feast is therefore a reminder of our own destiny as well.   

Mary shows us how to live out our destiny most clearly at Cana when she said to the wine steward, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5).  In the same way, we demonstrate our own trust in Jesus when we do whatever he tells us.  Like Mary, we do so without understanding the full ramifications of what that means for our lives.  That is the nature of authentic trust.  We do not need a complete picture of how it all turns out before we commit ourselves to the journey of trust in God.  This is how Mary lived with Jesus throughout her life. 

From the beginning, Mary also understood that Jesus came for others, especially the stranger, the foreigner, the oddly dressed, the downtrodden, the sinner.  She knows that we encounter Jesus more often in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.  Perhaps for this reason she and Joseph lived very ordinary lives with Jesus in virtual obscurity for the first 30 years of his life.  At the same time, Mary understood that being in communion with Jesus meant sharing Her Son with others. 

Mary’s trust in the way of God does not mean her life was easy any more than it means that for our lives.  We know that Mary often endured deep pain and sorrow during her life, especially at the death of her beloved Jesus, just as we suffer for our loved ones.  Despite the pain and difficulties she endured, Mary remained faithful to her son.  She knew that Jesus is our ever-present, devoted companion who sheds light on our own way of life and helps us shed that light for others.  It is no wonder that the union between Mary and her Son would culminate in her assumption, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life. 

This is the spiritual legacy that we have inherited from our Blessed Mother.  Her trust in God and humble devotion to Christ is the model for our own way of life.  Mary embraced the two great commandments of love with her whole heart and soul in union with Christ.  By following Mary’s example, we can expect that same union to continue into eternity at the end our own earthly life.  May we always hold Jesus in our hearts like Mary and share his love with others as she did, especially with those who need him most.

Faith or Sight, Save or Lose (Mt 16:24-28; 10:39; Lk 9:24)

 

Jesus presents an interesting challenge for us today when he compares saving one’s life as a matter of self-interest with losing one’s life for his sake.  The point seems to be that, if I conduct my life along the lines that God expects of me like Jesus did in his life, then I can expect that whatever happens will be to my benefit.  In other words, losing my life for Jesus means imitating him by trusting God to bring about good no matter how bleak things may appear at the time.  St. Paul relies on this same idea in his letter to the Romans when he says, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called to his purpose” (Rm 8:28).

Here’s the challenge.  Putting that kind of trust in God goes against the modern focus on autonomy and self-reliance.  From an early age, we learn that God helps those who help themselves.  Accepting responsibility for our lives is a good thing, but in the process, we tend to forget about trusting God to show us the way.  We take the helm and hope that God catches up.  We pray to God for help in carrying out our will, not his.  Our faith reflects our desire to save our lives.  We just hope that God concurs.

Losing life for Jesus, on the other hand, calls for a different starting point that Proverbs describes in this way: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:5-6).  Trust in any sense is a choice.  In this case, we can choose to be guided either by belief and trust in Jesus, or by our own interests.  As St. Paul would say, we can live either by sight or by faith (2 Cor 5:7).  When we live by faith, our lives take on a different focus.

With many parables, Jesus indicates that living by faith is a power to act a certain way, something that we do.  We act with faith.  This is why he says to his followers, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father...” (Mt 7:21; Mk 3:35).  Faith is not only believing in God; it also means doing the will of our heavenly Father.  We must be doers of the Word; not just hearers (Jm 1:22).  We can trust Jesus to show us the way.

Faith on these terms is an active way of living that centers on imitating God’s love for his children and his creation.  St. Paul describes faith as putting on the mind and heart of Christ and trying to do what God wants.  For Paul, whoever is in Christ is a new creation (2Cor 5:17).  As a new creation, our faith compels us to imitate the love of Jesus in the ordinary circumstances of our lives—however we understand our situation.  This is how St. Dominic, whose feast we celebrate today, lived his life.

Today, we celebrate the way Dominic relied on faith to discover and achieve the purpose of his life.  Dominic proves that having faith and trust in God does not mean surrendering who we are or what we want.  Quite the opposite.  To live in faith means being true to ourselves as God has fashioned us to be.  The expectation is that we do this in imitation of Jesus.  His love for God motivated his love and care for others, all of whom he viewed as the beloved children of God.  Jesus calls us to do the same with our whole hearts and minds.  Imitating Jesus is faith in action, trusting God and doing our best in the circumstances at hand.

To Hear or Not to Hear (Mt 13:54-58; Mk 6:1-6)

 

The official name of the Redemptorists is the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.  They are a missionary order founded in Italy by St. Alphonsus Liguori whose feast we celebrate today.  The Redemptorists are dedicated to serving the poor and to preaching the Word.  St. Alphonsus was popular in his day due in large part to his simple preaching style. He prided himself on his sermons being effective because they were easy to understand. 

His sermons were also effective because of his devotion to proclaiming the truth.  As a result, the truth of what he proclaimed often brought about conversions to the faith, as well as the return of many who had left.  It seems appropriate, therefore, that today’s gospel is about hearing and accepting the truth, especially when it comes from unexpected sources.

After Jesus spent time in the desert, the Holy Spirit strengthened Jesus to begin his public ministry in his native town of Nazareth.  Jesus enters the synagogue there on the Sabbath and reads the now familiar passage from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.”  Jesus then says to his listeners, “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).

The people of Nazareth do not accept what Jesus says, however, because they are hard of heart. They take offense at what he says, for they are sure that a mere carpenter’s son cannot teach them anything, let alone teach with authority.  Their haughty attitude leads them to reject his teaching and force Jesus out of town.  Saddened by their lack of faith, Jesus claims that no prophet is accepted in his native place.

            Saddened but not deterred, however, Jesus next goes to the city of Capernaum where he has a very different experience.  In Capernaum, Jesus also teaches in the synagogue, but unlike the people of Nazareth, the people of Capernaum listen carefully to what Jesus says.  They accept his authoritative interpretation of scripture and the truth of what he proclaims.   They are open to the teaching of Jesus because their hearts are open to the Holy Spirit.

            The contrast between Capernaum and Nazareth has meaning for us today.  On the one hand, we often act like the people of Nazareth.  We box people in and do not let the truth of what they say reach our hearts.  We do not hear the truth because they do not fit our idea of what a genuine teacher of truth looks and acts like.  It is even easier to reject such persons when we know negative things about them.  Then, we too are sure that a mere “carpenter’s son” cannot teach with any authority.  We miss out on the truth.

            There are other times, however, when we are like the people in Capernaum.  We trust the Holy Spirit to guard our hearts and minds.  This enables us to listen with an open mind to what others have to say.  We then can accept the truth of what we hear, no matter who proclaims that truth.  When we place our hope and trust in the Holy Spirit, we open ourselves to the presence of Jesus in others.  The Holy Spirit in turn enables us to set aside our bias and preconceived ideas.  Only then can we recognize and accept the truth being proclaimed.