Sunday Meditation: Demand and Reward

On the Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time for Year A, Jesus in His ongoing Missionary Discourse stipulates some hard demands but offers some worthy rewards.  The Gospel reading can be seen as being divided into two elements, requirements for His discipleship and rewards for the care of those disciples.

Does Jesus really expect you to love Him above you parents or your children?  He must be referring for those in religious life and not for the layman, right?  Well, technically He does mean it and it’s for everyone who follows Him.  Some things to consider as you meditate on this.  Love is a complicated word.  In one sense, perhaps the simplest of senses, love is just natural affection.  In a more complicated sense, love is directed at what we worship.  We have natural affection for our parents and children, but we don’t worship them.  Worship, which I will make the claim is the highest order of love, is reserved for God. 

 

 

 

Today’s Gospel:

 

Jesus said to his apostles:

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,

and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

and whoever does not take up his cross

and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  Whoever receives you receives me,

and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet

will receive a prophet’s reward,

and whoever receives a righteous man

because he is a righteous man

will receive a righteous man’s reward.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water

to one of these little ones to drink

because the little one is a disciple—

amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

~Mt: 10:37-42

 

 

I’m going to go to another YouTube channel that provides explanations of Gospel passages to explain this hard saying, My Catholic Life.

 

My Catholic Life:

When a scribe approached Jesus and asked him which of the commandments was the greatest, he replied, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31.  Today's gospel offers a similar teaching. We must love God above all else, even more than father, mother, son, or daughter.  By contrasting love for God with love for family, Jesus is not diminishing familial affection. Rather, he is revealing that the only way to truly love others is by loving God first.  St. Thomas Aquinas teaches, "God must be loved above all things and before all others out of charity. For he is loved as the source of happiness, whereas our neighbor is loved as one who shares in that happiness along with us.  In other words, God must be loved first because he is the ultimate cause and source of beatitude, the only true happiness.  Though we are called to love our families and our neighbors, Christian charity dictates that we love them in relation to God as fellow recipients of divine happiness.

 

When Jesus speaks of loving father or mother or son or daughter more than him, he is addressing the inner conflict we sometimes experience in our emotions.  When natural affection is not transformed by spiritual charity, the love we offer another can do more harm than good. Disordered affection replaces the ultimate good, God, with the lesser good of emotional attachment and human consolation.  The real danger arises when our loved ones stray from God's will and we out of misguided affection affirm them in their error thereby confirming them in a state lacking true beatitude.  The foundation of true love is this. God alone is the source of perfect happiness for us and for our loved ones.  Our belief in God transforms the way we love others.  No longer do we merely seek their earthly comfort or emotional well-being.  Rather, we direct them to the eternal good, God himself, who alone fulfills every longing.  When we love God first, all our relationships are purified.

So our natural affections “not transformed by spiritual charity” become disordered, which become idolatry.  “When we love God first”—through worship I might add—“our relationships are purified. 

This week for the pastoral homily, speaking for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I turn to Fr. Greg Friedman OFM who combines the demand and rewards elements of the passage.

 

Fr. Greg:

Matthew seems to want the shock value to hit home.  Putting love of parents and children second. Following Jesus on the way of the cross, giving up one's life for the sake of Jesus. What are we to make of this tough language of discipleship?  But then immediately come three descriptions of simple acts of love from Jesus. Welcome a prophet, a righteous person, a little one with acts of hospitality and compassion.  I'm reminded of visiting a poor man's home in New Mexico years ago when I was a seminarian taking census on a hot, dusty afternoon. I spoke no Spanish, but the helper who interpreted for me told me that the elderly gentleman wanted to offer me a glass of water. And he's sorry, the interpreter said that he can't offer you anything else. That rich act of welcome has stayed with me for over 40 years.  But be careful of thinking that hospitality is anything but simple. When we truly carry through on real hospitality, real compassion, it means readjusting our priorities.

 

But be careful of thinking that hospitality is anything but simple. When we truly carry through on real hospitality, real compassion, it means readjusting our priorities.  When we put Christ first in the person of another who is in need, we're committing ourselves to losing our lives for the sake of Christ and walking with him on the way of the cross, the way of love.

The hospitality comes as a result of putting Christ first.  St. Matthew lumps these saysings together because there is a relationship between them.

 

 

Sunday Meditation: “Whoever receives you receives me,

and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

 

 

I love the hymn, “Lord You Have Come to the Seashore,”  here performed by Tim Lewis.  I don’t know who that is but he sings it well.

 

 

Lord you have come to the seashore, neither searching for the rich nor the wise

Desiring only that I should follow

 

REFRAIN:

Oh Lord with Your eyes set upon me, gently smiling You have spoken my name

All I longed for I have found by the water, at Your side I will seek other shores

 

Lord, see my goods my possessions, in my boat you find no power, no wealth

Will You accept then, my nets and labor?

 

REFRAIN

 

Lord, take my hands and direct them, help me spend myself in seeking the lost

Returning love for the love you gave me

 

REFRAIN

 

Lord, as I drift on the waters, be the resting place of my restless heart

My life's companion, my friend and refuge

 

REFRAIN

 

That hymn speaks to me deeply.

 

 

Sunday Meditation: Uniting the Kingdom of God

In the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time in Year A we see Jesus starting His ministry.  But wait a second.  Didn’t we see Jesus in the First Sunday, two Sunday’s ago, being baptized.  Wasn’t that the start of His ministry?  And last Sunday, didn’t we see John the Baptist declare Jesus the Lamb of God after that baptism?  Wasn’t that the start of His ministry?  Well, yes to both of those Sundays and to this one too.  The Baptism is the start by God’s anointing; the second is start by John’s declaration; and today is the start by Jesus’s activities.

Three years ago for this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year A, I embedded Dr. Prant Pitre’s explanatory breakdown of this Gospel.  One of the homilies I provide below will reference it, so it might be worthwhile to go back and watch it.  It is important to know that the significance of withdrawing to Zebulun and Naphtali was that those were the first two regions that went into exile when the northern kingdom was conquered.  So by Jesus going there, He will be reconstituting David’s kingdom, but only this time it will be a spiritual kingdom.

The Gospel passage divides into two parts.  We see Jesus in the first starting His ministry with the preaching of repentance.  And we see in the second, Jesus selecting apostles for His ministry.  In these apostles we the very turning away from ordinary life to a life in Jesus, which is exactly what Jesus is asking us to do.  We see the apostles giving up their business and their families, and we see them accepting their calling without knowing any details nor outcome.  Later in Matthew 19:27, Peter tells Jesus they have given up everything.  And Jesus responds, in  the Kingdom the twelve will be on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

 

 

Here is today’s Gospel reading.

 

 

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

 

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

~Mt: 4:12-23

 

I have explained some up above, but I haven’t explained everything.  Fr. Cajetan Cuddy O.P. will explain the significance.

So with John the Baptist’s ministry over, Jesus receives the baton and starts His ministry, proclaiming the need for repentance as John had done.  “The Kingdom of God is the overarching theme of the entire economy of salvation.”  Jesus teaches, therefore, “the union of repentance and the kingdom.”  Since Jesus is the Kingdom, your turning—repentance—is a turning to Jesus.

Fr. Terrance Chartier provides an interesting pastoral homily.  If Jesus’s mission is to unite, those that create occasions of division are working against the Kingdom of God.

“Jesus of Nazareth comes to restore light and hope and unity to his people. He comes to reunite his people under one faith. He also comes to engraft...the Gentiles…Our Lord works to bring hope and unity and healing to places torn by division and destruction.”  The significance of this unity is that, as the second reading points out, the introduction of divisions into the Kingdom of God is working against the work of Jesus.  Beware of the schismatic elements you bring to the Body of Christ.  Surely fragmentation into denominations is working against Christ’s unity.  But so is obstinate fighting against the Pope and the Bishops, as we have seen in recent years.  Cum Petro et Sub Petro  (With Peter and Under Peter).  “The work of the devil is to divide and pit God's children against each other.  And the devil continues his work to this day.” 

 

 

Sunday Meditation: “He went around all of Galilee,

teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.”

 

 

Let’s return to John Michael Talbot for the hymn, and this lesser know but still lovely hymn, “Walk and Follow Jesus.”

“I will walk and follow Jesus.”  How about you?

 

 

Sunday Meditation: Getting Through the Narrow Gate

While on the road to Jerusalem on the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, Jesus is asked a question very much like the one He was asked five weeks ago on the Fifteenth Sunday. Then a scholar of the law asked Jesus what must he do to be saved?  Today’s Gospel may be a follow up question given how related it is.  Someone today asked Him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?"  Perhaps the sermon that Jesus provided in the intervening weeks led this person today to wonder if many can be saved since Jesus’s teaching strikes one as daunting. 

 

Jesus passed through towns and villages,

teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.

Someone asked him,

"Lord, will only a few people be saved?"

He answered them,

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate,

for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter

but will not be strong enough.

After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,

then will you stand outside knocking and saying,

'Lord, open the door for us.'

He will say to you in reply,

'I do not know where you are from.

And you will say,

'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'

Then he will say to you,

'I do not know where you are from.

Depart from me, all you evildoers!'

And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth

when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

and all the prophets in the kingdom of God

and you yourselves cast out.

And people will come from the east and the west

and from the north and the south

and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.

For behold, some are last who will be first,

and some are first who will be last." 

~Lk 13:22-30

 

Dr. Brant Pitre shows how this question was on the minds of many in Israel in Jesus’ day.

Do not be a stranger to Jesus.  Do love Jesus is to want to do His will.  Who is strong enough to enter that door?  No one.  You can only enter through God’s grace.

Now if you search the homilies, you will probably get an overwhelming majority that preaches on the dangers of being one of those who cannot enter through the narrow door.  And I had lined up any number of them to choose as the pastoral homily.  Until I came across this from Bishop Barron from three years ago.  Keep in mind that Bishop Barron has been excoriated for believing that it is possible that all will be saved.

“Hope is not based on human accomplishment.  Hope is based on what God has accomplished in Christ.”  I am sympathetic to Bishop Barron’s view.  But don’t take it for granted.  Work to enter through the narrow door.

 

 

Sunday Meditation: "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

 

 

How about this very lovely “Walk and Follow Jesus” by John Michael Talbot.

 

Oh that is so lovely.

Sunday Meditation: What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

Last week as Jesus was on a journey, He was stopped and asked a question by the Pharisees.  This week, again continuing His journey he is asked a question, this time by a rich, young man.  Last week the question was set as a trap.  This week the question is sincere, and I think is the most important question we could ever ask.  Now this event is told in all three synoptic Gospels, and what is interesting is that all three describe the man subtly different.  Mark identifies him as rich, Matthew as young, and Luke as a ruler.  So we combine all three and get the “rich, young ruler,” but only in the Gospel of Mark are we told that Jesus looked at him with love.

 

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,

knelt down before him, and asked him,

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?

No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: You shall not kill;

you shall not commit adultery;

you shall not steal;

you shall not bear false witness;

you shall not defraud;

honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him,

"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,

"You are lacking in one thing.

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

At that statement his face fell,

and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

 

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,

"How hard it is for those who have wealth

to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words.

So Jesus again said to them in reply,

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,

"Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said,

"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.

All things are possible for God."

Peter began to say to him,

"We have given up everything and followed you."

Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,

there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters

or mother or father or children or lands

for my sake and for the sake of the gospel

who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters

and mothers and children and lands,

with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

~Mk 10:17-30

 

First to explain the Biblical context of the passage, let’s let Dr. Brant Pitre explain it.

And so Jesus gives us the “eleventh commandment.”  If this is a commandment, then the implications of are great.  I’m going to let Bishop James Golka from the Diocese of Colorado Springs explain the moral implications of the passage.

 

We are never told what happens to the rich, young man.  I would like to think that the penetrating love of Christ worked in the man’s soul, and, though he may have missed the opportunity to follow Christ that day, he subsequently became a Christian and worked to bring about the Kingdom of God.

 

Sunday Meditation: “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing.  Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

John Michael Talbot’s “Walk And Follow Jesus” is most appropriate for today.