27 Sunday B

The Gospel reading of today brings before us the issue of divorce, to which Jesus responds with a “no.”  Do you remember when the divorce question first came up in Catholic life and how volatile it was?  Well, that was then.  Today it seems tame compared to the other questions connected with marriage facing the contemporary Church.   Those issues include gay marriage, the adoption of children by gay couples, the sinfulness of homosexuality and homosexual acts, transgender people, civil rights of the LGBT community, participation of gay people in Church life, spiritual guidance for gay Catholics faithful to Catholic vision of marriage, the essential roles of male and female in human life, participation of divorced and remarried people in the sacraments, etc.

We can be sure that these issues will be on the agenda of the Synod of Bishops that begins today in Rome to reflect on the sacrament of marriage.  The challenge of the Synod with the Pope will be to maintain a clear and faithful vision of Catholic marriage which will then provide light for evaluating other kinds of relationships.

What should we expect from the Synod?  There is no doubt, despite all the discussion and differing points of view today in the Church, that the Synod will restate the traditional doctrine about marriage as between one man and one woman for life and open to life.  There will probably be some change in tone and language about issues of divorced and remarried Catholics, of homosexual orientation and the acceptance of gay people, etc.  And there will likely be Catholic guidelines for how to be a welcoming Church to both straight and gay people whose relationships do not correspond to the Catholic vision of marriage and for how to think about civil rights and marriage legislation in a pluralistic society where citizens do not share the same faith perspective or convictions of the Catholic Church.

Are the discussions important?  Yes.  They touch on Biblical teaching, the Word of God, about marriage.  The discussions touch on the spiritual, moral, psychological, sexual and even physical health of human beings.  They touch on the fundamental roles of masculinity and femininity in building human society.  The discussions touch on education and human rights in a pluralistic society.  In effect, the discussions are about the “suitable partner” for Adam that Genesis speaks of in today’s liturgy and about the enduring nature and mission of that partnership proclaimed by the Gospel of Mark today.

Is there reason to be concerned about which direction the Synod will go?  I do not think so.  Our faith teaches us about how the Holy Spirit will protect the integrity of Catholic faith.  Perhaps our greatest concern will be about how well Catholics, both traditional and progressive, will come together on the Synod’s conclusions about marriage and the family. 

As we gather for the Eucharist today, the Synod is in session in Rome.  We pray for what our reading from Hebrews refers to, that we share as Catholics the same consecration with all of the challenges that will present to us as the Church in today’s society.

28 Sunday B

In today’s Gospel, we see two groups of equally rich folks. In the first group are wealthy people who have gained their riches through human strategies, like hard work, inheritance, investment, and the like.  We will name these people the “Christian rich.”  (We are not speaking, of course, of people who have gained their wealth through theft, dishonesty, corruption and the like.)

The second group of wealthy people mentioned in the Gospel are those who have gained their riches as a gift from Christ. They are disciples who have given up everything to follow the Lord. He tells them that they shall have–-even in this life–-hundreds more of brothers, sisters, houses, etc., along with persecution. We will call this group the “Consecrated rich.”

Jesus says, in the Gospel today, that no wealthy person, regardless of the source of the wealth, can easily enter the Kingdom of God. He says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom.

Bible commentators explain that the “eye of the needle” Jesus is referring to was a very small gate in the Jerusalem wall. If a merchant with his well-stocked camel wanted to enter the city through that gate, he would first need to unload the camel, get the camel to its knees to crawl through the gate and stoop himself to get through it.  How difficult it is for a camel to get through the “eye of the needle.”  But, Jesus says, it is far easier for that camel to pass through the “ eye of the needle,” than for a rich person to get into heaven.

It is interesting, isn’t it, to consider that our two groups of rich are both subject to this saying. It is as difficult for the “Christian rich” as for the “Consecrated rich” to enter the kingdom of God. Both must pass through the “eye of the needle.”  There are no exceptions.

I would like to suggest that the “eye of the needle” today is the brothers and sisters of the human family. In order for any wealthy person to enter the kingdom of God, he or she must pass through the brothers and sisters, and particularly those who are poor and in need.

The “Christian rich” who wish to enter the Kingdom will find themselves generously unloading their wealth to meet the needs of the brothers and sisters who are, in fact, their gate to heaven. This is very much in the spirit of Pope Francis. There is no question of condemnation of wealth here. It is a question of the difficult passageway to eternal life. And that passageway, the “eye of the needle,” is the brothers and sisters around us.  It is not easy to unload the camel and stoop to enter.

The “Consecrated rich” must also pass through the “eye of the needle.” They have been gifted with great wealth of all sorts as a consequence of their Gospel commitment. To enter the Kingdom, they must stand with and for the poor. This is a challenging task, both personally and because of the stress and opposition that comes from politics and cultural norms and the often-heard “Gospel of prosperity.” The passage through the “eye of the needle” for these “Consecrated rich” and their camels can be as daunting as the passage way for the “Christian rich” and their camels.  But there is no other entry except passing through the brothers and sisters in need.

Knowing just how to unload the camel and stoop to enter is a matter of wisdom. As our first reading in the liturgy today reveals, true wisdom comes through prayer. Is not simply the product education and experience. It is a divine enlightenment.

And prayer is precisely what we do at the Eucharist. It is a privileged moment when we learn how to pass through “the eye of the needle.”  It is at the Eucharist that we hear the Word, who is Wisdom, and are reminded again of the emptying of Jesus on his cross. His total dedication and love to the brothers and sisters was “eye of the needle” through which he wished to pass to enter into his glory.  The Eucharist speaks Wisdom to us. Unless we live by it, we shall not enter the Kingdom of God.

24 Sunday B

We live in an age where many, many people seem indifferent, even hostile to religion, rejecting God and his Word.  Many people think that Christianity is something people made up and that if someone wants to practice it, they should keep it to themselves.  The values of Jesus like the sanctity of life from womb to tomb, compassion for the poor, traditional marriage, non-violence, care for the environment are personal matters and should never be brought into the public forum.  Religion private and personal and people should keep quiet about what they believe and how they see right and wrong.  People have no right to be public about those things.

I remember a time when it was not that way.  While people may have disagreed about what exactly God’s Will was, still there was a God, there was right and wrong for everyone and God would hold us accountable for our behavior.  It’s not that way anymore.

In the Gospel today, Jesus reprimands Peter.  Jesus had just predicted his mistreatment by the Jewish authorities and the sentence of death he would soon receive from them.  At the same time, he told them he would rise from the dead.  But Peter had other ideas about what should happen to the Messiah.  As a Jew, Peter believed the Messiah would be the invincible King of the whole world, beginning with Jerusalem.  He would be protected by God and rule with complete success.  But Peter was thinking like a human being.  God thinks differently.  So Jesus scolded him and said, “If you want to follow me, you have to change your thinking and you have to be prepared to suffer what I will suffer.”  No one like to hear that.

But we are having an experience today of how difficult it is to follow Jesus.  We believe in Jesus and the truth he spoke.  We know that we cannot keep silent about God’s way for our human family and the world.  But we see more than ever that when we speak, we get in trouble immediately.  People don’t want to hear that there is a God who has spoken the truth to us in Jesus and that God will judge each of us one day about how we have lived our lives.   People don’t just close their ears to the message.  They try to block Christians from the public profession of their life and even try to eliminate them.

When Jesus said that we need to renounce ourselves, he is saying that we must put the truth first and accept the negative consequences that will come to us.  If we want to protect ourselves from criticism and persecution, we cannot be his disciples.  As he gave himself out of love even to death, so we must be ready to do the same for others.  Of course, we are afraid of losing our comfortable life.  But if we do not act on our faith publicly, then, in the end, we shall lose everything, including eternal life.  This is not easy for us.  It was not easy for Jesus and for Christians down through the centuries.  It will not be easy for believers in the future.  The situation will only change when Jesus returns again.  Until then, we are called to take up our cross and follow him.

When we come together for Mass, we are coming from our daily lives, where we experience not only the joy of being in Christ, but also the conflicts and tension that being a believer bring with it.  At the Sunday Eucharist, we gather to remember again the death and resurrection of Jesus and be fed with the Bread of Heaven.  The Eucharist is a moment of encouragement for us, encouragement from God as we listen to his Word, encouragement from the brothers and sisters who are suffering the same things that we suffer for being Christians.  All of us are invited at Mass check our thinking, to make sure that we are thinking like God.  We are invited to make our commitment again, to leave the church and walk back out into a world that is not kind to us and would just as soon see us disappear.  But we know that what we bring to the world is good and right and that our message will bring peace and joy to all.  Professing and living our faith will give our children, our friends, the whole world the chance for a more abundant life.  We cannot and will not remain silent because, if we do, everybody loses.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Is 35:4-7a; Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; Jas 2:1-5; Mk 7:31-37

The word of God this Sunday focuses us on healing. It reveals a whole theology of healing.

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, we see that God heals comprehensively. He heals persons in difficulty: people who are frightened, the deaf, the lame, the mute. We see that God also heals creation in the references to water flowing into burning sands and onto thirsty ground. In our second reading from the book of James, we see that God heals community, correcting discriminating behavior between rich and poor.

How does God accomplish the healing? In our Gospel reading today, Christ gives us the "how to." First of all, the work of God's healing requires that the healer not make a spectacle of him or herself. Jesus knows who does the healing through him. For that reason he "looked up to heaven" as he healed. And he orders the crowd "not to tell anyone" to keep his ministry free from inappropriate interpretation of his purpose and role.

Secondly, Jesus establishes relationship to do the healing. He welcomes and companions. He took the deaf mute "off by himself away from the crowd." Jesus is not mechanical or clinical in his approach.

Finally, Jesus keeps it really personal. What could be more intimate than putting his finger in the deaf-mute's ear or touching his tongue. Jesus also spits, perhaps to show his contempt for the evil that has caused the deaf mute's suffering, perhaps to underline the mid-eastern belief that human saliva has medicinal effect. And Jesus groans, revealing deep personal feelings. All very personal.

According to the prophet Isaiah today, to heal is God's way of taking revenge on the devil, the spirit of evil. The Word says God comes with vindication, with divine recompense. Healing  is God's way of getting evil with dark forces that cause human suffering.

And so is revealed our own mission of healing as Christians in the world. With God's power on us, we, too, take vengeance on evil. We are not victims who are impotent in the face of suffering. In the midst of suffering humanity, every one of us can calm the fright of others. We can touch ears to hear and tongues to speak in many ways. We can empower people who are under the burden of whatever handicap. Each of us is in a unique position to heal the persons around us, the creation which is our home and the communities in which we live.

We can heal in the spirit of Christ, not making spectacles of ourselves, establishing relationships and keeping it personal. Through healing, we can exercise God's power of vengeance over evil. We can change the world for the better.

Healing professions always require residency. Our Sunday Eucharist can be seen as an experience of residency, associating us with the Healer par excellence, helping us to learn the art of healing and empowering us to do the service. The Word supervises us and we ourselves are healed.  At Eucharist, we mentor one another. We learn the dynamics of "Ephaphtha!"to open up others to a more abundant life.