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The feast of St. Martha 

Scripture:

Jeremiah 26:1-9
John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42

Reflection:

Frequently in scripture we give Peter or Paul, or even James and John a lot of credit in their apostolic zeal.   Yet in my reading it is Jeremiah who continually stands out as a man of conviction, driven to be true to God’s word even if it means being unpopular, disrespected, and even hated.

Recall early in the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah God speaks directly to Jeremiah saying, “I have dedicated you to be a prophet to the nations.  I appointed you.”    The Lord continues in verse 9, I place my words in your mouth!”  And it is clear that Jeremiah’s purpose in life is to be the voice of the Lord, to speak on behalf of God.   This is an awesome responsibility and one which will lead to some very unpopular speeches by the prophet.  His words will be challenging, even threatening. And the prophet will be treated with hostility, brutality, to the point he will be hunted down.  And Jeremiah will continue to speak these powerful orations even if it means his life.

Surprisingly, in John’s gospel it is a woman who is the prophetic voice.  It is Martha, not Peter in John’s Gospel that acknowledges the messiahship of Jesus.  And similar to Jeremiah, her acknowledgment and praise of Jesus isn’t done in the context of the most wonderful day in her life.   It is done on one of the saddest days when Lazarus, whom she loves so deeply, has died.

Both of these readings  the prophetic voice finds ways to give praise to God in amidst gloom and even doom.  And neither of them are merely Band-Aids which say, “Well lets be optimistic and look on the brighter side.”   They both enter deeply into the suffering and hopelessness and reinterpret who God is and what God can do in these situations.

Today, on the feast of St. Martha, I think we can draw courage from this woman who personally knew the redemption of Christ.  Jesus challenges her to put her hope, not in some future event, but in him in the present moment.    I think this is important.  For frequently I find people who believe God did mighty and creative things in the past and can believe God will have mighty acts in the future, but really struggle to see God in the today.  And if God does act today, they tend to see God in those things that they deem to be “worthy”:  a blooming flower, a smiling child.  Martha’s challenge to us is to see and trust in the here and now, even when we are having a bad day.  Even in the midst of sadness and sorrow, can we discover a redeeming messiah?  Jeremiah re-affirms this message, asking us to find some way to give praise to God even in hours of darkness.   So perhaps we are left with two questions:  Where do you see God today?  And how in your own way do you give praise to this Divine one?

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13
Matthew 13:10-17

Reflection:

God is not a happy Camper, as we hear today in the scriptures.  He finds so much that displeases Him in the Hebrew people.  It is incredible that He confines Himself to verbal expressions of displeasure with this people when so many other options for dealing with them are available to Him.

But perhaps we can see a conformity between God’s mode of action with the Jews and the fairly recent modes of behavior that parents have adopted in dealing with their misbehaving children.  For just a generation or two ago, parents were not slow to use the rod or some version of it to administer corrections to their wayward children.  Often it was the father of the family who became the enforcer of the law of the household, and the use of the paddle or belt or bare hand was the standard way of his correcting misbehavior.  But, no more.  Apparently, in the last analysis, it was no more effective in correcting a wayward child’s behavior than other forms of correction, such as confinement to the child’s room for a period of time, or denial of fun time with neighborhood kids or some distasteful house chore like washing the dishes.  Or deprival of electronic equipment.

So today we hear God resorting to a kind of tongue-lashing against the wayward Jews.  He does this by shaming them through comparing their current misbehavior with their former ways of loving and obedient behavior.   This comparison was bent on embarassing them for falling away from their better days.  And it shows them how self-defeating their current conduct is hurting no one but themselves, illustrated by the example of water, a precious commodity formerly more available to them, in abundance, than now in a period of scarce supply.

And God’s use of comparison of the present situation—an unhappy one based on the crowd’s inabillty to understand the parables He is using to explain to them what God is about in their lives—with Jesus’ disciples who, as Jesus acknowledges, understand the “mysteries of the kingdom of God” embedded in these parables.  The clear implication is a variation on what a parent might tell a wayward child complaining of his/her punishment: it’s your own fault.

So we have a vivid reminder today that we are engaged in directing our own course in life, and have no one to blame for the mishaps befalling us, except ourselves.  Among the various kinds of unwelcome consequences we suffer for our misbehavior, this is one of the hardest to bear:  to have to admit it’s our own fault.  It’s not a question of a cruel God inflicting punishment on us, but of a wayward self bringing mishaps upon ourselves.

Hopefully the outcome will be not only an improvement in our conduct, but a much enhanced appreciation of Who God is for us—moving us ever further away from perceiving Him as a punitive Person and ever closer to realizing that He is a loving parent waiting for us to awaken to the realization that the problem is ourselves.

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. 

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
Matthew 12:1-8

Reflection:
“Laws are made to be broken.” A statement we have all heard. Some might accept it as a universal truth, others would have serious reservations, and still others would reject it outright. Where did Jesus stand in this regard? We know that Jesus spoke in favor of the law: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law… I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (Mt. 5:17). Regarding tax laws Jesus said: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar…” While accepting the importance of laws, Jesus also saw the need to redefine the laws. In several chapters of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells us, “You have heard it said…but I say to you.” Jesus invited the people listening to him to look deeper at the real meaning of a law. The law of love was not restricted to one’s neighbor and friends, but also was to include enemies.

In our gospel story today, the issue for the Pharisees is not that the disciples were taking grain from someone else’s land, but that they were “working” on the Sabbath, therefore breaking the law. Jesus turns the discussion from behavior on the Sabbath to the behavior of the Pharisees on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were being judgmental and malicious, sins not only against the Sabbath but against every day of the week. “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

Human need is greater than the law. In this case, hunger is greater. Jesus healed on the Sabbath because there was a greater need than strict observance of the Sabbath. Love is greater than the law.

The Lord of the Sabbath invites us to be understanding rather than judgmental, compassionate rather than harsh, merciful rather than spiteful. Love your enemy, forgive the one who has hurt you, feed the hungry, protect the weak, etc. Do this even on the Sabbath, even when it breaks the law.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P., is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness and resides in Chicago.

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 7:1-9
Matthew 11:20-24

Reflection:

Wondrous deeds have been done by the Lord to us and in front of us. What else will it take for us to be strong in our faith and open ourselves up to a spiritual transformation?

In the readings for today, we see the Lord speaking to various cities and communities, and not in the most approving of ways. In both the first reading and the Gospel, the Lord has reproach for these cities which have seen the goodness of the Lord. Whether through action, scripture, preaching, or miracles they experienced God’s grace and yet did not repent. Today, our faith is countercultural drawing us away from our faith rather than towards God. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm! Is 7:9.  If we start to view the trends of today as truth, what will come of us? If we dread, fear, or hate, what is inconvenient how we will ever become closer to God? We cannot expect something so glorious to be easily attainable, but have faith through the sufferings we incur along the way. It is through these sufferings that we are able to experience true peace and the love of God here on earth.

Do not be disturbed by the passing trials you are going through, since you must know that similar trials will come often. Our divine Savior visits those servants who are dear to him and purifies them with trials to develop their fidelity. – St. Paul of the Cross.

God graces us with His presence in our daily lives in order to transform us by His love and mercy into what He has planned for us. God places on our hearts his Word and Will for our lives. When we open ourselves up to this possibility and begin to live in faith, we realize that it is the only possibility and wish to be transformed. Why would we want to do anything else? We have free will and can make the active choice to open our lives to the will of God, or to turn down the wide and easy path. In what way will you choose to seek His Will today?

I seek nothing else, I long for nothing else…save in all things to be transformed by love in the divine will… – St. Paul of the Cross

 

Kim Valdez is a formet Pastoral Associate at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 30:10-14
Colossians 1:15-20
Luke 10:25-37

Reflection:

The parable of the Good Samaritan is so familiar to us that it may no longer surprise us as parables are meant to do.  Two modern-day stories may give us an idea of the shock of inconvenient faith Jesus conveyed to the lawyer who asked “who is my neighbor?”

One

Henri Nouwen tells the story of a conversation he had with an older experienced professor at the University of Notre Dame, who remarked: “You know…my whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted – until I discovered that my interruptions were my work.”

Two

On June 1, 1998, the Los Angeles Times ran a story about a 50-year-old man who suffered a heart attack while taking the grueling state bar exam. Two other students immediately stopped to help the man by administering CPR until the paramedics arrived, then they resumed taking their exam. Citing policy, the test supervisor refused to allow the two students additional time to make up for the 40 minutes they spent helping the victim. The state bar’s senior executive for admissions backed the decision stating, “If these two want to be lawyers, they should learn a lesson about priorities.”

Just so.  Our work of compassion requires us to interrupt what we are doing at the time and pay attention to what is really important.  In today’s gospel, Jesus taught the lawyer a lesson about priories.  Interrupt your state bar exam, he told him, and be neighbor to the man suffering a heart attack.

What Jesus said to the lawyer, he says to us: “Go and do likewise.”

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Hosea 14:2-10
Matthew 10:16-23

Reflection:

The backdrop of today’s gospel is Jesus choosing and sending forth his disciples to preach, teach and heal in the towns and villages of Galilee.  In commissioning the disciples, Jesus warns them about persecutions they will face.  And he counsels them on how they are to respond: “so be as shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”

In the Greek, shrewd means to be wise, to be with insight, to comprehend a situation and to respond prudently.  And simple means to be unmixed.  It once referred to things like pure gold or unmixed wine.  And so it means to have purity of motive.

In the communities of evangelists Matthew and Mark, it was dangerous to be Christian.  Nero and the Roman Empire like wolves were persecuting them.  But for us today, how do we balance being both serpent and dove among wolves while proclaiming the gospel?  What does this look like?

On the eve of World War II, the Nazis, like wolves, were persecuting Jews.  One individual, Sir Nicholas Winton, like a shrewd serpent, saw where this danger was leading.  He quickly organized a rescue operation that saved the lives of 669 Czechoslovakian children from Nazi death camps.  He brought them to the safety of Great Britain.  After the war, like a simple dove, Winton drew no attention to his heroic humanitarian effort.  Indeed, it went unnoticed for more than 50 years.  But in 1988, while his wife was cleaning their attic, she discovered the records, the children’s names and their parents, and those who harbored them.  At a surprise event to honor Winton, there sat many of the now grown children whose lives he saved.  They stood to thank him.  Dove-like, Winton said nothing.  He simply wiped away tears.

What does Jesus’ commissioning mean for us disciples today?  After all, we are threatened neither by Nero nor Nazi.  To be sure, we face hostility.  To live and express our faith in our culture is to incite ridicule and accusations of intolerance and hate. Our temptation to behave like frightened sheep.

In such times, we are to heed Jesus’ counsel.  We must discern the sign of the times; act prudently, proclaiming the gospel in the midst of growling wolves.  And we are to live out our faith boldly and selflessly.  In the Thomistic definition of Christian love, we are to will the good of the other – like serpent and dove.

 

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Hosea 10:1-3
Matthew 10: 1-7

Reflection:

This passage of Matthew deals with the calling of the Twelve.  The significance of the “Twelve” is not missed on Matthew’s audience.  There were twelve patriarchs, as well as, twelve tribes in Israel.  The calling of the Twelve is a reconstitution of Israel, as the People of God.  Other than Peter we know very little about the other eleven disciples.  One thing we do know is that there was great diversity within this group.  Matthew is a tax collector, which meant he had to have been a collaborator with the Romans, who were the occupying force of Israel.  At the other end of the spectrum there is Simon, the Zealot, a member of the political party that wanted to overthrow the Roman government.  The genius of Jesus is that He could weld these diverse men together into a community of service and love.

In this call passage is the only time Matthew refers to the Twelve as “apostles.”  First they are “called.”  In the Bible, to be called has the power of a “summons.” It is an invitation one can not refuse.  It is something of a court order for jury duty, or a draft in the army.  In other words, we are free, but we won’t want to refuse even if the opportunity to do so presented itself.  Remember the “calls” of Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Judith, Ester, Jael, and Mary to name a few.  Second, to be an “apostle” means to be “sent.”  In Matthew one is only “sent” after one spends time with Jesus, knows the Father’s Will, ministers to the lost sheep, preaches the Word, heals the sick, and casts out demons.  God calls whoever God wants.  Through baptism we are all called and are being sent.  We have been summoned.

Fr. Ken O’Malley, C.P., is the formation director and local superior at Holy Name Passionist Community in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

2 Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36
Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Reflection:

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.  This is the Law and the Prophets.”

With this very familiar and utterly simple imperative, Matthew the Evangelist continues the Sermon on the Mount that begins in Chapter 5 and runs through Chapter 7.  Unlike the Gospel of John where we find dense theological teachings and images, like the Bread of Life discourse, here in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus is guiding us on how to not only be hearers of the Word, but doers of the Word.

In these three chapters, we hear what it means to live as sons and daughters of God.  We begin with a set of attitudes and values in the Beatitudes and move through lessons on a wide range of topics that touch on right living.  The topics are practical and real.  They touch on money and marriage, almsgiving and fasting, and on praying.

Living as disciples of Christ is a day-to-day adventure made up of putting one foot in front of the other, one decision after another.  That narrow gate we read about in today’s Gospel can make many of us cringe.  It seems to contrast with an image of God as all-welcoming.  But perhaps it’s not about who gets in and who does not.  Rather, it’s about focus.  Keeping our hearts and minds focused on where we want to go will determine what we choose do each and every day.  The whole of the Sermon on the Mount is a collection of teachings that help form a pattern of thought and behavior that will lead us to that door that opens to life with God.

I have a vivid memory of sitting on the landing of the front stairs learning how to tie my shoes.  Over and over again with intense focus, I practiced getting those laces tied right.  Today, I don’t think about how to tie my shoes.  I just do it.  But the piano is a whole other story.  Years of lessons coupled with putting off practice has given me an appreciation for the piano but no skill at playing.  I thought I wanted to play – and wish now I had then the focus to practice – but I didn’t integrate practice into my life.  So I can’t play.

It’s not our words or good intentions that the Lord wants to review with us.  It’s what our faith and our love of God leads us to do each day with the gifts we have been given.  A good place to begin might be to ask when on the highway, at the store, or at work, “Am I doing to others today what I would want them to do to me?”

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and is the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.