Saint Francis Xavier – Readings NO LONGER USED
Commentary on Zephaniah 3:9-10,14-18a; Ps 85; Matt 28:16-20
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Friday of Week 4 of Lent – First Reading
Commentary on Wisdom 2:1,12-22
Today’s reading comes from early on in the Book of Wisdom, in a passage describing life as seen by the godless (the “ungodly”, see chap 1). We often feel that if we are good and virtuous and, even more, because we are good and virtuous, people should be inspired to follow and imitate our good example. However, experience tells us that many times exactly the opposite happens, and people feel somehow threatened by or resentful of our good behavior.
The description of the animosity directed against those who live good and virtuous lives is well put in today’s reading, and it applies so perfectly to how Jesus was treated—so much so that some people see in this passage a prophecy about Jesus. However, it also applies to hundreds of others down the ages whose goodness has been resented, whose behaviour is seen as a condemnation and a threat to those with different values. Such individuals, as a result, have been persecuted and even killed.
In the passage, the “ungodly”, who are speaking about a prophet (called “the righteous man”) say:
Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions.
It is because the prophet’s words are felt to be true that they create feelings of guilt in those against whom they are directed.
Again, the “ungodly” say:
He [the righteous man] reproaches us for sins against the law and accuses us of sins against our training.
The reproach is not denied, but it is strongly resented:
He professes to have knowledge of God,
and calls himself a child of the Lord.
He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;
the very sight of him is a burden to us…
Of course, “the righteous man” is the very person whom Scripture says should be respected and protected. And that claim is not denied by the “ungodly”, but such a one is seen as an obstruction to how they live.
And then there follows a good description of the “righteous man”:
…his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange.
How true of Jesus and of many of his most faithful followers!
Subsequently comes the justification for violent action to remove the source of criticism. If the prophet is really a spokesperson for God, then surely God will protect him against any violent attack.
Let us test him with insult and torture,
so that we may find out how reasonable he is
and make trial of his forbearance.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death,
for, according to what he says, he will be protected.
It is exactly what happened to Jesus at the hands of his opponents as his enemies mocked him during his trial:
Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him. (Mark 14:65)
And again, on the cross:
In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him…He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to… (Matt 27:41-44)
This has happened to many down through the centuries and it will happen in our times as well—and for exactly the same reasons. We call such dedicated followers martyrs, from the Greek word for ‘witness’. They give striking witness to the values of the Kingdom.
Those who carry out these actions can convince themselves that what they are doing is right:
Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God…
Their aim is to obliterate the source of their discomfort, but the result is often the very opposite. It is a very dangerous thing to create martyrs. We remember the early Christian saying from the writings of Tertullian:
The blood of martyrs is the seed of faith.
Jesus himself has told us not to be surprised that we too will be misunderstood and treated as he was. The following of Christ involves what is called a ‘counter-witness’ to the prevailing values in our societies. Such a counter-witness will often be deeply resented, attacked, rubbished and ridiculed, and it may invite even violence and death.
Of course, we also have to be very careful that our witness is based on truth, integrity and love; we have to be careful to avoid any taint of Pharisaism or superior elitism, which we can fall into so easily. It is God we are proclaiming, not ourselves.
As we approach Holy Week, we need to reflect on these things and see how they fit into our lives. Whose side am I on? If I had been on Calvary, with whom would I have been standing? In issues of truth and justice in my own society, where am I seen?
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Wednesday of Week 6 of Ordinary Time – First Reading
Commentary on Genesis 8:6-13,20-22
We read today of the end of the Flood, as the rain stops and the waters recede. In the meantime, every living thing on land was totally wiped out. Of course, the underwater creatures survived and perhaps even thrived in the flood conditions given there was likely so much dead carrion available! But in myth stories one does not quibble about such details. What matters is the central meaning of the story.
After the 40 days, God remembered Noah and his family, and all the living things that were with him in the ark. Then, a drying wind blew, the outlets for water in the earth and the “windows” in the vault of the heavens through which rain came were closed, and the waters began to recede. But it was not until 7 months and 17 days later that the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, in present-day Turkey, and it was only in the 10th month that the tops of the mountains began to appear.
And it was not until 40 days after that (in other words, they were in the ark for the best part of a year) that Noah sent out a raven. It flew back and forth until, eventually, the waters had dried up from the earth. Then it never came back, possibly because it feasted on dead bodies it found everywhere. The raven could represent one of the unclean animals on board the ark.
Then a dove (probably regarded a clean animal—and a vegetarian!) was sent out, but when the dove could not find any place to land, it returned to the ark. After another seven days the dove was sent out again and this time it returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak—a clear sign that the waters had receded a good deal. Olive trees do not grow at high altitudes. The dove with the olive branch has ever since become the universal sign of peace and flourishing life.
After another seven days the dove was sent out again and this time it did not return—it had found a place to live. Noah knew that he, his family, and all the animals could now safely leave the ark. He opened the entrance hatch of the ark, looked out and saw that the face of the earth was drying up again. It was only when it was completely dry that he gave the order to leave the ark.
After they had all disembarked, Noah built an altar and offered burnt offerings (a holocaust) from each of the clean animals that had been in the ark (this could be done because seven pairs of each kind of clean animal had been taken into the ark). This offering was in thanksgiving to God for their being saved. God was pleased with the “pleasing odour” of this sacrifice, and pledged never to curse the earth again because of the sins of humanity, nor would he destroy all living creatures again, although individuals might be punished. This was because:
…the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth…
The “heart” is the centre of all religious awareness and morality—the source of both virtue and sin. And the tendency to sin did not lessen after the Flood.
The reading ends with a verse which seems to have been a popular proverb or saying:
As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night
shall not cease.
In other words, as long as our world endures, the rhythm of nature and of the seasons will never be disrupted in this way again.
In fact, over the centuries this pledge has been kept, although from time to time there have been massive calamities which have brought death and destruction and often changed the face of a particular region forever. Our main concern nowadays is not from natural calamities which, ironically, can sometimes also bring benefits in the long term. Rather, we should be concerned about the disasters which may arise from our misuse and abuse of the earth’s resources and the danger of irreversible damage to the delicate balance of nature. Each one of us can play a positive role in reversing this trend.
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Wednesday of Week 1 of Lent – Gospel
Commentary on Luke 11:29-32
Today’s readings are about doing penance for our sins and they are linked by the name of Jonah.
In Mark’s Gospel, the crowds are often shown as recognising God’s presence in Jesus better than the scribes and Pharisees do. In Luke, however, they are sometimes shown as people curious to see signs and wonders, but without any real commitment to following Jesus.
So today we are told that “the crowds were increasing” and Jesus spoke to them. But what he said was not very flattering:
This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
Jesus, like Jonah, is a call to repentance and radical conversion. And Jesus implies that many of his listeners are not ready or willing to hear that call. They don’t need any more signs—Jesus has been giving them an abundance of signs through his teaching and healing work.
On the judgment day, they, the chosen people of God, will be surprised to see:
The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed, something greater than Solomon is here!
As well:
The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and indeed, something greater than Jonah is here!
Jesus is far superior to either Solomon or Jonah!
We, too, who claim to be God’s people, may be surprised to see who will be called to God’s side on judgment day because they heard and followed God’s word according to their capacity. The question is, where will we be on that day? Thomas à Kempis, writer of the famous medieval treatise The Imitation of Christ, asked that very same question. He was worried about whether he would persevere in serving Christ to the very end of his life. He said he was told in answer to his prayer:
Do now what you would like to have done then, and you will have nothing to worry about.
Where will I be on the Day of Judgement? The answer to that question can be decided by me this very day and every single day from now on.
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Tuesday of Week 28 of Ordinary Time – Gospel
Commentary on Luke 11:37-41
Jesus continues to highlight what is central to our relationship with God. We skip over a short passage which is about various aspects of light. In short, the Christian is to be a person full of light through and through—not like the kind of people Jesus now goes on to describe.
He had been invited to dinner by a Pharisee. Jesus apparently went straight into the dining area and reclined at the table prepared to eat. The Pharisee was quite shocked because Jesus had not first washed his hands before eating. Of course, we are strongly recommended to wash our hands before sitting down to eat. But here we are not dealing with a question of hygiene, but of ritual washing. Jesus had omitted to perform a religious ritual which was laid down by the stricter Jews, although not actually part of the Law. The rule probably had originally a hygienic purpose. By giving it a religious sanction, one made sure that it was carried out. Many other obligations, some of them contained in the Mosaic Law like those from Leviticus, seem to be of the same kind.
Most probably, Jesus, in the ordinary course of events, would have had no problem about performing this ritual, but it is likely that here he is deliberately making a point. It allows him to draw attention to what he sees as false religion. A person’s virtue is not to be judged by his performance or non-performance of an external rite.
As Jesus tells this man in a graphic image, the Pharisees concentrate on making sure that the outside of the cup is clean while inside it is full of all kinds of depravity and corruption (like the judgmental thoughts in this man’s mind and the sinister plotting that the Pharisees in general were directing against Jesus). God is as much, if not much more, concerned about the inside as the outside.
Instead, Jesus says:
So give as alms those things that are within and then everything will be clean for you.
When the inside is clean, there is no need to worry about the outside. Giving alms is a positive act of kindness to another person, an act of love and compassion. It neutralises the greed and rapacity of which he accuses them. It is not, like the washing of hands, a purely empty ritual which says little and is almost totally self-directed.
It is so easy to judge people, including our fellow-Catholics, by their observance or non-observance of certain Christian customs, which of themselves are of a non-moral nature. In the past, for instance, we might have criticised a woman for not wearing a hat in church, or a priest for appearing without his Roman collar. Today, some might be scandalised because a person goes to communion having had a huge meal well within the designated one hour of fasting, or for some still, eating meat on Friday, even though the ‘law’ does not require it. We need to recognize that most of the passages in the Gospels attacking the Pharisees are really directed against ‘pharisees’ in our Christian communities, not to mention the pharisee in our own hearts.
Elsewhere, Jesus has told us not to judge because it is very difficult for us to know what is going on within another person’s mind. What Jesus is really emphasising here is the inner spirit and motivation. Once that is right, everything else will be taken care of.
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Thursday of Week 14 of Ordinary Time – Gospel
Commentary on Matthew 10:7-15
We continue the apostolic discourse of Jesus to his disciples. Jesus now instructs them on what they are to say and do. They are to proclaim that:
The kingdom of heaven [God] has come near.
This, of course, is true because of the presence and work of Jesus. Jesus is himself the very embodiment of the Kingdom; he is the ultimate Kingdom person. The Kingship of God is fully present in him. But it will also be present in the Twelve who will do the same things that Jesus is doing: curing the sick, raising the dead, healing lepers, liberating people from evil spirits. Later, we will see the Apostles doing all these things in the Acts of the Apostles, and the Church continues to do these things.
Today, all of us are called to proclaim the Kingship, the Lordship of God by our words, actions and lifestyle. The Church is still called to bring healing into people’s lives. We may not raise people literally from the dead, but there are many who are virtually dead, though physically alive, and who need to be brought back to a fully human life.
Most of our societies today do not have lepers, but we have, in every society, people who are marginalised and pushed out to the fringes. They need to be reintegrated. There may be people in some places who are genuinely in the possession of evil spirits, but there are far more who are in the grip of more mundane demons such as nicotine, alcohol and other drugs, or who are caught up in the materialism, consumerism, hedonism and sexism of our time. They too need to be liberated. Yes, there is a lot of work to be done—by each one of us in our own way and in accordance with our gifts and life situation.
Jesus also tells his disciples to travel light. They are not to charge for their service. They are not to find their security in the possession of material things, especially money. To increase their freedom, they should go around with the absolute minimum. In our lives, possessions, and our concern about them, can be very controlling.
Of course, what Jesus does expect is that everyone working for the Kingdom has their needs looked after by those they serve. This is where their security lies: in being sure of a place to sleep and food to eat. In return, the missionary brings the Lord’s peace to any home that offers hospitality. This is a vision of a society which is hard to find in our own day, although it is lived in varying degrees of commitment by religious in the Catholic Church, as well as by some followers of other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.
St Teresa of Calcutta’s (Mother Teresa) Sisters come pretty close to the Gospel vision, as do the Little Sisters/Brothers of Charles de Foucauld. And that is really the meaning of the second half of today’s passage. St Teresa once said: “I do own things, but they do not own me.” That is where she differed from so many of us.
Jesus expects the missionary to find a place to stay wherever that person goes. And, once a suitable place is found, the missionary should stay there and not be moving around looking for more desirable conditions. On the other hand, Jesus has hard words for those who refuse hospitality to his messengers. Shaking the dust from one’s feet was symbolical. The dust of any gentile country was regarded as unclean. By implication, so was the dust of an inhospitable community. Jesus tells them:
…it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
In the Middle East, hospitality has always been important. Unfortunately, in our security-conscious urban Western world, it does not flourish—largely because of those unnecessary possessions which Jesus would liberate us from.
There are two things for us to reflect on today:
First, where is our security? Are we burdened down by the things we own? Are we owned by them? How free are we to live a fully Christian life as envisioned by the Gospel? How free are we to do the things that Jesus says we should be doing: bringing healing and wholeness into people’s lives?
Second, what kind of hospitality do we give to those—whoever they are—who are generously doing the Lord’s work? Or, if they are not Christians, who are doing the work of the Kingdom?
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Saturday of Week 32 of Ordinary Time – Gospel
Commentary on Luke 18:1-8
One of the attributes attributed to Luke’s Gospel is that his is a ‘Gospel of Prayer’. We see Jesus praying in this Gospel more than in the others and he gives more teaching about prayer. Urging perseverance, today:
Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.
This is very much a theme in Paul’s letters (see Rom 1:9-10; Rom 12:12; Eph 3:13; Eph 6:18; Col 1:3; 1 Thess 5:16-17; 2 Thess 1:11; 2 Thess 3:13; 2 Cor 4:1,16 and Gal 6:9).
The parable features a totally corrupt judge, who fears neither God nor man. It also features a widow, probably the most powerless, the most pitiful and least pitied of people in the society of that time. She has lost her husband, re-marriage is likely out of the question, she has lost the support of her own family and her husband’s family, and there is nothing comparable to social welfare for her to lean on.
As far as a corrupt judge is concerned, she can be ignored. She has neither power nor money (for bribing). But this widow is different—she is persistent and will not give up. Eventually, the judge, for his sheer peace of mind, settles in her favour.
If, Jesus concludes, a corrupt and ruthless judge can be moved by the perseverance of a helpless widow, what kind of response can we expect when we, his people, call out in our helplessness to our loving and compassionate God?
I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.
That is, he will give them what is rightfully due to them.
But asks Jesus, in a challenge which should make us sit up and take notice:
…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
Times of persecution are on the way—they have already begun as this Gospel is written—and some followers will give up under pressure. They will not persevere in keeping close contact with God in prayer, so as to find him and his peace in the midst of their sufferings.
It is easy to pray when things are going well. It is often in times of pressure that we, too, give up praying when we need it most, when our faith is really being put to the test. We have to pray constantly and consistently. We should not be afraid to ask for what we believe we really need.
But then, if God is such a caring person, why should we have to pray to him at all? We need to keep praying, not for his sake, but for our own. By doing so, we maintain an awareness that:
I can do nothing on my own. (John 5:30)
As well, the more we pray, the closer we come to God. And as we pray, what we ask for will gradually change. Ultimately what we want is what we need. And what we need is to bring our thinking, our dreams, our ambitions totally into line with God’s way of seeing things. The problem is, as Jesus says at the end today, how many people will really be doing that when he comes looking for us?
How often do I pray? How consistently do I ask? What do I ask for? What do I really want? Do I distinguish between what I want and what I really need? And do I really have that faith and trust in the loving providence of my God?
There is another and very different interpretation of this passage. When we read this parable about perseverance, we usually think of it in these terms: God is the judge and we are the widow. This means we should persevere in pestering God until our needs are met.
But what happens if we turn that around and say that we are the judge and God is the widow? In some ways, this interpretation makes more sense. We, like the judge, are basically unjust. Sometimes we, too, have no fear of God; that is, we do not allow God to scare us into being good.
Similarly, like the judge we persist in refusing to listen to the cries of the poor all around us. But God is the persistent widow who will not go away. God keeps badgering us, refusing to accept as final our ‘No’ to love. God will persist until we render a just judgment, that is, until we let the goodness out, until we learn to love.*
In Genesis, we are told we are made in the image and likeness of God. Perhaps our prayer could be:
Dear God, Persevering One, help us to be more like you!
_______________________________________________
*This second interpretation of the parable comes from Sister Melanie Svoboda SND, Review for Religious, Sept-Oct 1996.
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Saturday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – First Reading
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11
Paul provides two pieces of advice for the Thessalonians today. First, that while they have heeded Christ’s message of love of neighbour, they should “go on making even greater progress” within their community. Second, Paul urges that they concern themselves with their own affairs, each labouring faithfully to earn his own living and all presenting a good example to the outside world.
Having warned them about sexual abuses (‘loving’ in the wrong way), Paul now goes on to speak about true love for each other. ‘Brotherly love’ (Greek, philadelphia) was originally used to speak of siblings of the same parent. But in the New Testament it always means love of fellow-believers in Christ, all of whom have the same heavenly Father. Paul feels there is really no need to write to them about this, because they have already learnt that lesson from God. Not only that, this is the way they have been dealing with their brothers and sisters in Christ all over Macedonia (of which Thessalonica was the capital city). But again as before, he suggests there is room for improvement.
He cites a few areas:
- They should make a point of living quietly and at peace with each other.
- They should attend to their own affairs and not meddle in those of others.
- They should earn their own living, working with their hands, as Paul had taught them.
The Greeks in general thought that manual labour was degrading and fit only for slaves, but the Christians took seriously the need for earning their own living. However, some of the Thessalonians, perhaps as a result of their belief in the imminent return of Christ, were neglecting work and relying on others to support them (see 2 Thess 3:11). And these same people, with nothing to do, were perhaps urging others to join them. Paul says they should keep their ideas to themselves and not interfere with people who are trying to make a living in a normal way.
If they live as Paul suggests, the Thessalonian Christians will earn the respect of outsiders and not be dependent on others, because they are taking care of their own needs. On the other hand, Christians in need because of their idleness are not true Christians.
Trust in God is all very well, but we are also expected to use the gifts he has given us. Today’s Gospel speaks of how three people used the talents God gave them.
There is a saying, attributed to St Ignatius Loyola, which fits this:
Pray as if everything depended on God and nothing on you; and do all things as if everything depended on you and nothing on God.
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Monday of Week 29 of Ordinary Time – Gospel
Commentary on Luke 12:13-21
We move on now in Luke to more immediate concerns of the Christian life. Today’s topic is about the perennial question of money, or rather, the love of money. A man in the crowd said to Jesus:
Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.
According to Mosaic Law, the general rule was that an elder son received double that of a younger son. If there was a dispute, it was usually settled by a rabbi, which is presumably why the man approached Jesus. It was the kind of problem in which Jesus was not remotely interested, and he refused to get involved. One wonders how interested Jesus is when we make novenas to win lotteries or when we ask God to help us get our hands on the wealth of a rich and elderly aunt!!
Jesus now takes the opportunity to make some general remarks “against all kinds of greed”. A man may be wealthy, he says, but his possessions do not guarantee him life. Life comes with freedom, peace and happiness. Money cannot buy these things.
There is no evidence that rich people enjoy more freedom, peace or happiness, although many of us are inclined to think they do and envy them. Their marriages do not last any longer. They do not bring up better children. They do not necessarily enjoy better health.
At this point Jesus speaks a telling parable. A farmer who is already rich has a bumper harvest. It is so big that he has to pull down his existing barns to build larger ones. When all that is done, he smugly says to himself: “My boy, you have blessings in reserve for years to come. Relax! Put your feet up. Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself.” But Jesus tells them, that very night:
God said to him [i.e. the farmer], ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you’.
What happens now to all his piled-up wealth? Yes, it is all left behind. “You can’t take it with you.” “How much did he leave?” was asked about a billionaire who died. “Every cent,” was the reply. When the farmer met his God, what had he brought with him? Little or nothing. When St Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) died, how much do you think she brought? One feels she brought a great deal. And she certainly left behind a great deal to enrich the lives of many.
What is my attitude to money and wealth? If I were to die now, what could I bring with me to present to God? And what will I leave behind, apart from cash and possessions? All of us can be rich in God’s sight, and it does not require any money. Someone has said that the really rich are not those who have the most, but those whose needs are the least (see Luke 12:22-34, where Jesus spells out a recipe for a life free from anxiety—the life which he himself lived).
And what we need most is the ability to reach out in love, the love that builds and makes life better for others. Think of what good parents leave behind in children whose lives are dedicated to making this world a better place—or teachers who have helped young people to devote themselves to service of the community. What we need is to live in communities where people look after each other. That would be a situation where, because everyone gives, everyone gets.
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