"Today" is the Day

November 14, 2010 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Listen Here!
Readings:
Malachi 3:19-20
Psalm 98:5-9
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Luke 21:5-19

---

It is the age between our Lord’s first coming and His last. We live in the new world begun by His life, death, Resurrection and Ascension, by the sending of His Spirit upon the Church. But we await the day when He will come again in glory.

“Lo, the day is coming,” Malachi warns in Sunday’s First Reading. The prophets taught Israel to look for the Day of the Lord, when He would gather the nations for judgment (see Zephaniah 3:8; Isaiah 3:9; 2 Peter 3:7).

Jesus anticipates this day in Sunday’s Gospel reading. He cautions us not to be deceived by those claiming “the time has come.” Such deception is the background also for today’s Epistle (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).
The signs Jesus gives His Apostles seem to already have come to pass in the New Testament. In Acts, the Epistles and Revelation, we read of famines and earthquakes, the Temple’s desolation. We read of persecutions - believers imprisoned and put to death, testifying to their faith with wisdom in the Spirit.

These “signs” then, show us the pattern for the Church’s life - both in the New Testament and today.

We too live in a world of nations and kingdoms at war. And we should take the Apostles as our “models,” as today’s Epistle counsels. Like them we must persevere in the face of unbelieving relatives and friends, and forces and authorities hostile to God.

As we do in Sunday’s reading and response from Psalm 98:5-9, we should

• sing His praises
• joyfully proclaim His coming as Lord and King

The Day of the Lord is always a day that has already come and a day still yet to come. It is the “today” of our Liturgy.
The Apostles prayed marana tha - “O Lord come!” (see 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20).
In the Eucharist He answers, coming again as the Lord of hosts and the Sun of Justice with its healing rays. It is a mighty sign - and a pledge of that Day to come.






Yours in Christ,

Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

November 14, 2010 (Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time C )

Reginald H. Fuller wrote a wonderful essay to prepare us for the readings.   Here is part of the essay which has been edited and footnoted by Soutenus.  Bolding and formatting is emphasis by Soutenus.

Scripture In Depth Reading I: Malachi 3:19-20a Responsorial Psalm: 98:5-6, 7-8, 9 Reading II: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 Gospel: Luke 21:5-19

Reading I: Malachi 3:19-20a This reading has a timeless quality about it—the warning that the day of the Lord is coming and that it will spell doom for all the arrogant and evildoers. But for those who fear the name of God, that day will mean vindication and salvation, beautifully described as the rising of the sun of righteousness with healing in its wings. In his well-known Christmas hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Charles Wesley applied these words to the birth of Christ: Risen with healing in his wings Light and life to all he brings, Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Thus interpreted, this reading strikes two notes.  (1) One is the last judgment, which will be dominant on the next two Sundays, and  (2) the other is the coming of Christ in his nativity, which will be developed on the latter Sundays of Advent.  The end of the old Church year dovetails with the beginning of the new. In the perspective of Malachi, however, the positive part (the rising of the sun with healing in its wings) refers to the last judgment just as much as does the negative part (the warning to the arrogant and evildoers).

Responsorial Psalm: 98:5-6, 7-8, 9 This is another of the enthronement psalms*1, which celebrate the kingship of YHWH. It has already been used earlier in this Church year. The enthronement psalms are full of exuberant joy at the saving power of YHWH. The refrain of our Responsorial Psalm is:  "The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice." The “nations” will see God's saving power and the nations actually participate in salvation.

Reading II: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 There were members in the church at Thessalonica who (perhaps misled by some early gnosticizing movement)  believed that the day of the Lord had already come. Since they thought that they were in heaven already, the curse of having to work (Genesis 3) had been removed. They could therefore eat, drink, and be merry.

Gospel: Luke 21:5-19 *2 First we must remember that the literary style of apocalyptic is a peculiar one. The authors do not conceive themselves to be predicting, in an abstract, uninvolved way, the “last things” that are to happen centuries later; they are often interpreting (a) present crisis. The predictions of persecutions are genuine warnings of Jesus, addressed to his disciples (vv. 12a, 16-19) but elaborated in the light of what actually happened to Peter, Paul, James the Just, and others during that decade (v. 12b). The promise of divine assistance to the disciples in the time of trial reflects an original promise of Jesus of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The signs of the end times that Jesus names (wars, insurrection, earthquakes, famine, plagues, etc.) describe human history as it has always been. The challenge for us as faithful followers is to face persecution with courage now, testify to Jesus’ name now, open ourselves now to the wisdom given us by Jesus. Embracing this way of living gives us hope and confidence that, no matter when end times come, our lives are secure. The end times, no matter when they come, do help us reflect on how we need to live now.

Footnotes:
*1 - The magnificent enthronement psalms (Psalms 93, 96-100) visibly express (according to scholarly theory) in the enthronement of the king at the new-year festival.
*2  MUCH more detail in the original essay!

SOURCES:  
1) Working With the Word, by Joyce Ann Zimmerman, CPPS; Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN;
and Christopher W. Conlon, SM

2) Scripture in Depth, by Reginald H. Fuller 

Focusing the Gospel (Sunday, November 7, 2010)

In Preparing for this Sunday's readings, see also: To Rise Again

Link to this Sunday's Gospel reading:  Luke 20:27-38 or 20:27, 34-38

 

LISTEN for these key words and phrases:

1. deny  
2. resurrection  
3. the dead will rise  
4. God of the living

REMEMBER these points: 

1. The Sadducees in this gospel suggest a preposterous example to ridicule belief in the resurrection. With supreme confidence Jesus counters that God “is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 
2. We do, indeed, live forever. Like the brothers in the first reading, like Jesus himself, we believe in God’s promise of the resurrection. 
3. It is the bedrock of our hope and the inspiration for our fidelity to the living God. 

CONNECTING THE GOSPEL to the end of the liturgical year:

1. As we approach the end of the church year, the Lectionary always directs our attention to Jesus’ second coming and the promise of the resurrection. 
2. This focus is reinforced by the cluster of festivals (All Saints, All Souls, Christ the King) we celebrate at this time.

CONNECTING THE GOSPEL  to our experience:

1. The death of a loved one is an occasion when our thoughts consciously turn to the hope of life after death. 
2. The readings this Sunday reassure us that this hope in new life after death is well founded. 

CLARIFYING:

1. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection because they believed only what was revealed in the written Torah. They totally rejected the oral Torah, or traditions held by the Pharisees. Since Sadducees claim that there is no reference to resurrection in the written Torah, they didn’t believe in it.
2. The word "Torah" can mean:

a) The Pentateuch - The first 5 books of the Bible (aka: The Five Books of Moses. The Sadducees accepted this as authority)
b) The Tanakh - The whole of the Old Testament  beyond the first 5 books - including the Prophets and the Writings (Hebrew Scripture - The Tanakh) *1

c) The Talmud *2  (Oral Tradition, also)

SOURCES: 
Historical Cultural Context by John J. Pilch of Georgetown University (1997)
Working with The Word by Joyce Ann Zimmerman, CPPS; Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN; and Christopher W. Conlon, SM

*1 The Tanakh (Hebrew: תַּנַ"ךְ‎, pronounced [taˈnaχ] or [təˈnax]; also Tenakh, Tenak) is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions.
TaNaKh =
The Torah ("Teaching" -also known as the Five Books of Moses)
Nevi'im ("Prophets")
Ketuvim ("Writings")


*2 Talmud (tăl`məd)  in Judaism, vast compilation of the Oral Law with rabbinical elucidations, elaborations, and commentaries, in contradistinction to the Scriptures or Written Laws. The Talmud is the accepted authority for Orthodox Jews everywhere.

November 7, 2010 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

To Rise Again    Listen Here!

Readings:
2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
Psalm 17:1,5-6,8,15
2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5
Luke 20:27-38

---

With their riddle about seven brothers and a childless widow, the Sadducees in today’s Gospel mock the faith for which seven brothers and their mother die in the First Reading.

*1The Maccabean martyrs chose death - tortured limb by limb, burned alive - rather than betray God’s Law. Their story is given to us in these last weeks of the Church year to strengthen us for endurance - that our feet not falter but remain steadfast on His paths.
The Maccabeans died hoping that the “King of the World” would raise them to live again forever (see 2 Maccabees 14:46).

The Sadducees don’t believe in the Resurrection because they can’t find it literally taught in the Scriptures. To ridicule this belief they fix on a law that requires a woman to marry her husband’s brother if he should die without leaving an heir (see Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5).

But God’s Law wasn’t given to ensure the raising up of descendants to earthly fathers. The Law was given, as Jesus explains, to make us worthy to be “children of God” - sons and daughters born of His Resurrection.

“God our Father,” today’s Epistle tells us, has given us “everlasting encouragement” in the Resurrection of Christ. Through His grace, we can now direct our hearts to the love of God.

As the Maccabeans suffered for the Old Law, we will have to suffer for our faith in the New Covenant. Yet He will guard us in the shadow of His wing, keep us as the apple of His eye, as we sing in today’s Psalm.

The Maccabeans’ persecutors marveled at their courage. We too can glorify the Lord in our sufferings and in the daily sacrifices we make.

And we have even greater cause than they for hope. One who has risen from the dead has given us His word - that He is the God of the living, that when we awake from the sleep of death we will behold His face, be content in His presence (see Psalm 76:6; Daniel 12:2).
__________________________________________________________________________________


*1 The Seven Holy Maccabean Martyrs are seven Jewish brothers who were tortured and killed by the order of Antiochus Epiphanes in 166 BC for refusing to participate in idolatrous worship and eat illicit food in violation of God’s laws. Their teacher, Eleazar the scribe was also martyred at that time. Their mother was forced to watch her sons being cruelly put to death, and then she died. The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates her as St. Solomonia. In 2 Maccabees, the account of Eleazar’s martyrdom is followed by the story of the seven brothers who submitted to martyrdom rather than transgress God’s law.  One after another, they stated their willingness to be tortured and die based on a firm hope that God would raise them from the dead.
The episode can be found in 2 Maccabees 6:18-31 and 7:1-42. 

These 7 brothers refused to worship pagan gods and to break the kosher dietary laws; once they accepted the reality of who God was there was no turning away from Him, even at the threat of death. Therefore, the presence of the Jewish Martyrs on the Christian liturgical calendar signify recognition of the righteousness of many before the birth of Christ who are justly recognized as saints for the incredible faith. As they are models for the Jews they also are models for Catholics and Orthodox to live the faith with vigor. It's rather significant that Saint Ambrose of Milan spoke of the Maccabean martyrs in his work, On Jacob and the blessed life.

Here is the 7 Holy Maccabee Martyrs story in short.

The seven holy Maccabee martyrs were:
Abim
Antonius
Gurias
Eleazar
Eusebonus
Alimus and
Marcellus
These 7 brothers and their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar also suffered in the year 166 before Christ under the impious Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

King Antiochus Epiphanes was a foolish ruler who loved pagan and Hellenistic customs, and held Jewish customs in contempt. He did everything possible to turn people from the Law of Moses and from their covenant with God. He desecrated the Temple of the Lord, placed a statue of the pagan god Zeus there, and forced the Jews to worship it. Many people abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but there were also those who continued to believe that the Savior would come.

A ninety-year-old elder, the scribe and teacher Eleazar, was brought to trial for his faithfulness to the Mosaic Law. He suffered tortures and died at Jerusalem.

The disciples of St Eleazar, the seven Maccabee brothers and their mother Solomonia, also displayed great courage. They were brought to trial in Antioch by King Antiochus Epiphanes. They fearlessly acknowledged themselves as followers of the True God, and refused to eat pig's flesh, which was forbidden by the Law.

The eldest brother acted as spokesmen for the rest, saying that they preferred to die rather than break the Law. He was subjected to fierce tortures in sight of his brothers and their mother. His tongue was cut out, he was scalped, and his hands and feet were cut off. Then a cauldron and a large frying pan were heated, and the first brother was thrown into the frying pan, and he died.

The next five brothers were tortured one after the other. The seventh and youngest brother was the last one left alive. Antiochus suggested to St Solomonia to persuade the boy to obey him, so that her last son at least would be spared. Instead, the brave mother told him to imitate the courage of his brothers.

The child upbraided the king and was tortured even more cruelly than his brothers had been. After all her seven children had died, St Solomonia, stood over their bodies, raised up her hands in prayer to God and died.

The martyric death of the Maccabee brothers inspired Judas Maccabeus, and he led a revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes. With God's help, he gained the victory, and then purified the Temple at Jerusalem. He also threw down the altars which the pagans had set up in the streets. All these events are related in the Second Book of Maccabees (Ch. 8-10).

EARLY CHURCH FATHERS  REFERENCE!!  ~~~> Various Fathers of the Church preached sermons on the seven Maccabees, including St Cyprian of Carthage, St Ambrose of Milan, St Gregory Nazianzus and St John Chrysostom.

SOURCE: 
Scott Hahn 
The Orthodox Church in America (online: www.oca.org)  
Communio
ART:   Ciseri,_Antonio_-_Das_Martyrium_der_sieben_Makkabäer_-_1863.jpg‎
Wojciech Stattler's "Machabeusze" ("The Maccabees"), 1844

Zacchaeus

A number of people today have a lot in common with Zacchaeus (Luke 19), i.e. the self-employed and business owners.  Zacchaeus was a tax-collector who collected tolls on a road and sent those tolls to Rome once a year because Palestine was ruled by Rome at the time of Jesus. 

~~> But there is an obvious practical and definitive difference between Zacchaeus and business owners and the self-employed now. <~~

Our incomes are checked later and then we pay more tax if we had not paid enough or we get a refund if we paid too much. But what tax-collectors like Zacchaeus paid was never checked by Rome to know if they paid the just amount or not. So most people in Palestine were convinced that these tax-collectors paid only a fraction of the taxes to Rome that they had collected from others. In other words, most people suspected that the tolls they paid to the tax-collectors were far more than what Rome requested from the tax-collector. No wonder people had an attitude to the tax-collectors at the time of Jesus. No wonder that tax-collectors at the time of Jesus were regarded as sinners. (For more on tax-collectors see excerpt of Enjoying the Bible 1)

The people of Jericho were very annoyed with Jesus when he visited Zacchaeus in his own home, “They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said.” (Luke 19:7) But the attitudes of others never prevented Jesus from welcoming sinners. So no matter what people think of you, remember Jesus is always waiting for you to turn to him. He is full of mercy and compassion and never refuses anyone, no matter what their past. At the end of the Gospel passage today Jesus said, “The Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10) On another occasion Jesus said he did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Jesus spent so much time with sinners during his ministry that a rhyme was made up about him,

“Behold a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax-collectors and sinners.” (Luke 7:34)

The leaders of the Jewish religion, the scribes and Pharisees complained about Jesus because of his ministry to sinners so he told parables about God’s mercy, the parable of the shepherd searching for the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7), the parable of the woman sweeping the house to find the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10), and the parable of the prodigal son being welcomed back by his father (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus said there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous who have no need of repentance (Luke 15:7). Our first reading today also talks of God’s mercy, “You are merciful to all, because you can do all things and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent. Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence.” (Wis 11:23-24) Our Psalm also assured us of God’s mercy, “The Lord is kind and full of compassion.” (Ps 145:8)

Jesus assured a holy nun, St Faustina in Poland, of his mercy. Jesus said to her the greater the sinner the greater the mercy. 

“Summon all those to confidence in the incomprehensible depth of my mercy for I desire to save all. The well of mercy was opened wide with a lance on the cross for all souls. I do not exclude anyone.” 

 Jesus said, “Tell ailing mankind to draw close to my merciful heart and I will fill them with peace. Mankind will not find consolation until it turns with confidence to my mercy and love.” Jesus also said, “I desire the confidence of my people. Let not even the weak and very sinful fear to approach me, even if their sins be as numerous as all the sand of the earth all will be forgiven in the fathomless pit of my mercy.” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (Mass market version): Divine Mercy in My Soul)

 This is what Jesus said to St. Faustina about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, 

“There the greatest miracles take place and are incessantly repeated. It suffices to come with faith to the feet of my representative and to reveal to him one’s misery and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. When you go to confession, know this, that I myself am waiting for you in the confessional; I am only hidden by the priest, but myself act in the soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great there is no limit to my generosity.” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (Mass market version): Divine Mercy in My Soul) 

 It is no wonder that in the reported apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje she asks us to go to confession once a month.

Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. Will you, like Zacchaeus, open the door and welcome Jesus in? There is a most beautiful verse in Rev 3. Jesus says,  

“Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share a meal at that person’s side.” (Rev 3:20) 

Note from Soutenus: Our family has begun to pray this verse at mealtime as we ask God to bless our food. It seems a perfect time to also remember to ask Jesus to join us at our table. Don't you think it is an invitation that should be honored and constantly in our thoughts? 

Me, too.

It is up to you to open the door to Jesus, he will not force his way in. Zacchaeus was anxious to see Jesus so he climbed a tree (Luke 19:4). 

• If you open the door of your heart to Jesus it will be worth it.

• When you meet Jesus you will not remain the same afterwards. You will want to give up sin and live a new life of grace. That is why Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and do not sin again.” (John 8:11) 

• If you really meet Jesus you will be different. That is what happened to Zacchaeus. He would no longer cheat in the taxes. He promised, “I am going to give half my property to the poor and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8) 

• When we receive the forgiveness of Jesus we are transformed. 

Let us turn to the mercy of Jesus and be healed of our sins and renewed and transformed.

SOURCE CREDIT: 

A homily for the Thirty-First Sunday of Year C  by Fr. Tommy Lane.  Edited by Soutenus.

Bolding and formatting (both quote boxes and bullets) are my emphasis. 

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (10-24-10)

O God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner.  (Luke 18:13)

First Reading: Sir 35:12-14, 16-18    The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds!

Responsorial Response: Ps 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23   The Lord hears the cry of the poor

Second Reading: 2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18    The apostle recognizes his death through martyrdom to be imminent. He regards it as an act of worship in which his blood will be poured out in sacrifice.

Gospel Reading: Lk 18:9-14  The Pharisee and the tax collector.  Every one that exalts himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbles himself, shall be exalted. 

October 24 2010 – (10/24/2010) – Readings   You can LISTEN to the readings here. 

An illuminating excerpt from The Word Engaged by John Kavanaugh, S. J. of Saint Louis University:

The holy souls, all those who know need, all those who know they are lost if they rely on their own powers, all those who know they cannot count on their own righteousness, are all we might aspire to be. Saints or sinners, no one of us is a self-made man or woman. To think so is a delusion. To want it is a false and dangerous dream.

The great and mighty Apostle Paul must have tasted this truth. What an achiever, what a worker he was. How great his triumphs. As we read in the Second Letter to Timothy, he “fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith.” But the righteousness reserved for him was ultimately given by his rescuer, his savior.  He did not achieve it himself.

The race run is also mentioned in the letter to the Philippians. Paul entered that race only after he realized that all his accomplishments were so much rubbish and that he could no longer aspire to perfection by his own effort. A faultless Pharisee, having given up the pretense of being a self-made man, Paul learned the freedom of the poor soul who one day, in the back of the temple, could only mutter, “Lord, have mercy.”

Memory Verse:  Every one that exalts himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbles himself, shall be exalted.  Luke 18:14

Gospel Reflection from Sadlier

How should we approach God in prayer? Jesus tells a wonderful parable today contrasting two ways of appearing before God. 

• The Pharisee is proud and pleased with himself. He has "outdone" himself in abiding by religious laws. He looks down on others "less holy" than himself, and he believes that this alone will bring him salvation. 
• But the tax collector really looks at himself. He admits that he is a sinner and begs God to have mercy on him. Because he humbles himself, the tax collector is raised high by God. 

The Pharisee, who does not really know God as he should, is limited in his prayer.

About the sinner who beats his breast and doesn’t dare raise his eyes to God, St. Augustine says:

"He makes himself his own judge and God pleads his cause; he accuses himself and God defends him."

Rather than exalting himself like the Pharisee, the tax collector’s sin is “ever before” him, as in Psalm 51, the Miserere. He does not brag to God about his own narrow view of holiness, as the Pharisee does, but provides the words of contrition that form the simple Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, Savior, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Listen to a commentary on the readings by Mark Hart here  Here is an edited excerpt:

"God does not judge us by our exterior appearance. . . . . when it comes to judgment, God is going to judge our heart.

[Although, keep in mind that] our exterior appearance is either going to reflect God or reflect the world.  That is why we talk about things like, 'Do we dress modestly; do we act humbly? Do we do things and act in a way that points people back to God?'

Our exterior appearance is a reflection of our heart . . . the way that we carry ourselves & talk about ourselves and the way we point people or do not point people back to God.

Remember, we cannot presume to know someone else's heart or where they are in their faith walk. Everybody has their own cross to carry.  Everyday is an opportunity to share your cross with another and to share your cross with Christ and to point others back to Him and His love.

Be mindful! Do not presume you are better off than you are and do not presume you're better than others. Just presume that God loves you no matter what.  Rest and act in that love."

Doesn't this commentary just sing to us to remember Micah 6:8 !?

LOVE TENDERLY

ACT JUSTLY&

WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD

Before I close this post I want to let you know about another wonderful podcast commentary (w/ suggested contemporary music for this week's Mass) @ Spirit and Song

SOURCES:

Prepare for the Mass
TheWorkofGod.org
The Center for Liturgy at St Louis University
The Word Engaged; Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time  (Liturgical Year C, Cycle II )
St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church – www.scborromeo.org
LifeTeen
Catholic Doors Homilies
Loyola Press Sunday Connection
Catholic Culture
Catholic Calendar Page 
Sadlier - We Believe
Mark Hart - podcast on readings
SpiritandSong.com

Micah 6:8

LOVE TENDERLY

ACT JUSTLY&

WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD

September 26, 2010 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Listen Here!

Readings:
Amos 6:1, 4-7
Psalm 146:7-10
1 Timothy 6:11-16
Luke 16:19-31

---

A Great Chasm

The rich and powerful are visited with woe and exile in today’s Liturgy - not for their wealth but for their refusal to share it; not for their power but for their indifference to the suffering at their door.
The complacent leaders in today’s First Reading feast on fine foods and wines, reveling while the house of Joseph, the kingdom of Israel (see Amos 5:6), collapses around them.
The rich man in today’s Gospel also lives like a king - dressed in royal purple and fine linen (see 1 Maccabees 8:14).

The rich man symbolizes Israel’s failure to keep the Old Covenant, to heed the commandments of Moses and the prophets. This is the sin of the rulers in today’s First Reading. Born to the nation God favored first, they could claim Abraham as their father. But for their failure to give - their inheritance is taken away.
The rulers are exiled from their homeland. The rich man is punished with an exile far greater - eternity with a “great chasm” fixed between himself and God.

In this world, the rich and powerful make a name for themselves (see Genesis 11:4) and dine sumptuously, while the poor remain anonymous, refused an invitation to their feasts.
But notice that the Lord today knows Lazarus by name, and Joseph in his sufferings - while the leaders and the rich man have no name.

Today’s Liturgy is a call to repentance - to heed the warning of One who was raised from the dead. To lay hold of the eternal life He promises, we must pursue righteousness, keep the commandment of love, as Paul exhorts in today’s Epistle.

“The Lord loves the just,” we sing in today’s Psalm.
And in this Eucharist we have a foretaste of the love that will be ours in the next life - when He will raise the lowly to the heavenly banquet with Abraham and the prophets (see Luke 13:28), where we too will rest our heads on the bosom of our Lord (see John 13:23).

Who is the Rich Man?

Very few of us can be numbered among the rich and the powerful who have the power to exploit the poor.  So how are we to apply to our own lives the readings for the 25th and 26th Sundays in Ordinary Time (Cycle C), which are so preoccupied with questions of social justice, wealth and poverty?

These readings remind us that the law of love (see John 15:12; Romans 13:8) means that each of us in some way will be judged by the mercy we show to the poor.


As the rich man learns in the parable of Lazarus - the distance between ourselves and God in the next life may be the distance we put between ourselves and the poor in this life (see Matthew 25:31-46; James 2:8,14-17). 

But we also need to hear these readings in context of the Gospel message in recent months. Recall that among the stories we’ve heard is that of the teacher who wanted to know, “Who is my neighbor?” (see Luke 10:25-37) and of the rich fool who tried to store up earthly treasures (see Luke 12:13-21). 

We may not be “rich men” or exploiters of the poor, but each of us should take to heart the persistent message of the Liturgy - that what we have and desire to have can separate us from God and our neighbor; that our possessions can come to possess us; that true riches are to be found in sharing what we have with the poor; and that this will gain us what we truly desire - the inheritance of treasure in heaven.



Yours in Christ,



Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

Preparing for the Mass - Sunday, February 28, 2010 (Cycle C)

2nd Sunday in Lent
Readings:
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Psalm 27:1,7-9, 13-14   (The Lord is my light and my salvation)
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 9:28-36

---

Reflection on First Reading:

*1 Abram has been called and has lived awhile trusting the God who has invited him. He has left his homeland, but he has a bit of a complaint. Having land and having children are signs of God’s loving blessing. Abram has neither and this is how the drama of our First Reading opens.

The voice of God invites Abram to count the stars and then come to know that his descendants will be even more than all the visible array.

Note that it was during the day that God told this to Abram. . . . can one see the stars during the day?

Ahhhh, what a wonderful message to those paying attention to Holy Scripture. Abram know the stars are there and that he will see them later, He knows by faith.

Abram both makes a statement of faith and doubt at the same time. God has told him that he will possess a great land having many riches. Abram asks reverently about how he will know. This tension is resolved by the ritual of covenant-making.

The animals are halved and the two parties agreeing to the history of the relationship, the promises and conditions of the pact walk between the slain animals. By doing this gesture of partnership, they are saying to each other, that if the covenant is broken, the offending partner wishes that he be likewise split in half.

While Abram is in a deep mystical slumber, God passes between the animals in the form of fire and pledges a great land-deal to Abram and his many offspring.

The wonderful connection to the Gospel:

*1 God has made a covenant with us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This covenant comes to us with a history, promises and directions. The history is contained in our Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The promises are made in terms of the life to come. The direction is that we are to listen to God’s beloved Son who tells us all that we too, share his being beloved.

The 2nd Reading:  ( from http://prepareformass.wordpress.com/ )

He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that

enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.

Jeff Cavins' reflection on the Gospel:

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John on a mountain and appears in dazzling white clothing along with Moses and Elijah. This scene happens shortly after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God. God reaffirms this statement on the Mount of Transfiguration by declaring that Jesus is His Son. From this moment, Jesus sets out for Jerusalem. He now begins His road to the cross. Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah about His coming “departure for Jerusalem.” Their words to Jesus must have been reassuring to Him. We can travel in our Lenten journey with the assurance of God’s plan for our lives and with the assurance that Jesus is the Christ.

Scott Hahn's reflection on the Gospel:

In today’s Gospel, we go up to the mountain with Peter, John and James. There we see Jesus “transfigured,” speaking with Moses and Elijah about His “exodus.”
The Greek word “exodus” means “departure.” But the word is chosen deliberately here to stir our remembrance of the Israelites’ flight from Egypt.
By His death and resurrection, Jesus will lead a new Exodus - liberating not only Israel but every race and people; not from bondage to Pharaoh, but from slavery to sin and death. He will lead all mankind, not to the territory promised to Abraham in today’s First Reading, but to the heavenly commonwealth that Paul describes in today’s Epistle.
Moses, the giver of God’s law, and the great prophet Elijah, were the only Old Testament figures to hear the voice and see the glory of God atop a mountain (see Exodus 24:15-18; 1 Kings 19:8-18).
Today’s scene closely resembles God’s revelation to Moses, who also brought along three companions and whose face also shone brilliantly (see Exodus 24:1; 34:29).

But when the divine cloud departs in today’s Gospel, Moses and Elijah are gone. Only Jesus remains. He has revealed the glory of the Trinity - the voice of the Father, the glorified Son, and the Spirit in the shining cloud.

Jesus fulfills all that Moses and the prophets had come to teach and show us about God (see Luke 24:27).

• He is the “chosen One” promised by Isaiah (see Isaiah 42:1; Luke 23:35), 

• the “prophet like me” that Moses had promised (see Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22-23; 7:37). 

• Far and above that, He is the Son of God (see Psalm 2:7; Luke 3:21-23).

“Listen to Him,” the Voice tells us from the cloud. If, like Abraham, we put our faith in His words, one day we too will be delivered into “the land of the living” that we sing of in today’s Psalm. We will share in His resurrection, as Paul promises, our lowly bodies glorified like His.

Catechism 556 -

• On the threshold of the public life: the baptism; 
• on the threshold of the Passover: the Transfiguration. 

Jesus’ baptism proclaimed “the mystery of the first regeneration”, namely, our Baptism; the Transfiguration “is the sacrament of the second regeneration”: our own Resurrection.

From now on we share in the Lord’s Resurrection through the Spirit who acts in the sacraments of the Body of Christ. The Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorious coming, when he “will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” But it also recalls that “it is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God”:  

Peter did not yet understand this when he wanted to remain with Christ on the mountain. It has been reserved for you, Peter, but for after death. For now, Jesus says:

“Go down to toil on earth, to serve on earth, to be scorned and crucified on earth. Life goes down to be killed; Bread goes down to suffer hunger; the Way goes down to be exhausted on his journey; the Spring goes down to suffer thirst; and you refuse to suffer?” 

Holy Priesthood Blog: Fr. Joel's homily for Feb 28  Lent2 - Listen to Jesus (8:50) 

When you find yourself in a cloud, listen to the voice of Jesus. Like Abraham, we are in a covenant with God. Live according to that covenant by listening to Jesus.

SOURCES:
Jeff Cavins
Scott Hahn
Center for the Liturgy 
*1 Larry Gillick, S. J., of Creighton University’s Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality, writes this reflection for the Daily Reflections page on the Online Ministries web site at Creighton.
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html
Abraham graphic: My Catholic Tradition
Transfiguration Icon : The Coptic Network
Transfiguration image: Carl Bloch artist 
The CCC 
Holy Priesthood blog - Father Joel

Rich in Poverty

Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn -Read and listen to Dr. Scott Hahn's reflections on this Sunday's readings- February 14, 2010 - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Listen Here Rich in Poverty Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-8 Psalm 1:1-4, 6 1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20 Luke 6:17, 20-26 The blessings and woes we hear in today’s Gospel mark the perfection of all the wisdom of the Old Testament. That wisdom is summed up with marvelous symmetry in today’s First Reading and Psalm: Each declares that the righteous—those who hope in the Lord and delight in His Law—will prosper like a tree planted near living waters. The wicked, who put their “trust in human beings,” are cursed to wither and die. Jesus is saying the same thing in the Gospel. The “rich” and “poor” are, for Him, more than members of literal economic classes. Their material state symbolizes their spiritual state. The rich are “the insolent” of today’s Psalm, boasting of their self-sufficiency, the strength of their flesh, as Jeremiah says in the First Reading. The poor are the humble, who put all their hope and trust in the Lord. We’ve already seen today’s dramatic imagery of reversal in Mary’s “Magnificat.” There, too, the rich are cast down while the hungry are filled and the lowly exalted (see Luke 1:45-55 also 16:19-31). That’s the upside-down world of the Gospel: in poverty we gain spiritual treasure unimaginable; in suffering and even dying “on account of the Son of Man,” we find everlasting life. The promises of the Old Testament were promises of power and prosperity—in the here and now. The promise of the New Covenant is joy and true freedom even amid the misery and toil of this life. But not only that. As Paul says in today’s Epistle, we’re to be pitied if our hope is “for this life only.” The blessings of God mean that we’ll laugh with the thanksgiving of captives released from exile (see Psalm 126:1-2), feast at the heavenly table of the Lord (see Psalm 107:3-9), “leap for joy” as John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb (see Luke 6:23; 1:41,44), and rise with Christ, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Yours in Christ, Scott Hahn, Ph.D. P.S. Do you want your friends, family, and co-workers to know the treasures of the Catholic faith through the treasure of God’s Word? Then join me in praying for the work of the St. Paul Center and please make your most generous financial contribution today. You can donate now by credit card by visiting our secure, convenient website at www.salvationhistory.com

Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn - Sunday, February 7, 2010

I receive reflection because I signed up at salvationhistory.com. February 7, 2010 - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Listen Here Into the Deep Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 138:1-5, 7-8 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 Simon Peter, the fisherman, is the first to be called personally by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. His calling resembles Isaiah’s commissioning in the First Reading: Confronted with the holiness of the Lord, both Peter and Isaiah are overwhelmed by a sense of their sinfulness and inadequacy. Yet each experiences the Lord’s forgiveness and is sent to preach the good news of His mercy to the world. No one is “fit to be called an apostle,” Paul recognizes in today’s Epistle. But by “the grace of God,” even a persecutor of the Church—as Paul once was—can be lifted up for the Lord’s service. In the Old Testament, humanity was unfit for the divine—no man could stand in God’s presence and live (see Exodus 33:20). But in Jesus, we’re made able to speak with Him face-to-face, taste His Word on our tongue. Today’s scene from Isaiah is recalled in every Mass. Before reading the Gospel, the priest silently asks God to cleanse his lips that he might worthily proclaim His Word. God’s Word comes to us as it came to Peter, Paul, Isaiah, and today’s Psalmist— as a personal call to leave everything and follow Him, to surrender our weaknesses in order to be filled with His strength. Simon put out into deep waters even though, as a professional fisherman, he knew it would be foolhardy to expect to catch anything. In humbling himself before the Lord’s command, he was exalted—his nets filled to overflowing; later, as Paul tells us, he will become the first to see the risen Lord. Jesus has made us worthy to receive Him in the company of angels in God’s holy Temple. On our knees like Peter, with the humility of David in today’s Psalm, we thank Him with all our hearts and join in the unending hymn that Isaiah heard around God’s altar: “Holy, holy, holy….” (see also Revelation 4:8). Yours in Christ, Scott Hahn, Ph.D. P.S. Do you want your friends, family, and co-workers to know the treasures of the Catholic faith through the treasure of God’s Word? Then join me in praying for the work of the St. Paul Center and please make your most generous financial contribution today. You can donate now by credit card by visiting our secure, convenient website at www.salvationhistory.com

Mailing address: St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology 2228 Sunset Blvd Suite 2A Steubenville, Ohio 43952 Copyright (C) 2009 St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology All rights reserved.

Note from 


This post is fully cited for source and author. I have provided links back to the original source whenever possible. This information is for my personal, Faith Formation, Confirmation class, OCIC and homeschool referencing.
No copyright infringement intended.
I am so very grateful to the authors, website and blog owners for sharing this information, commentary, and knowledge.