Matthew Williams – Page 4 – Meditation on Daily Mass Readings

May 29, 2021May 29, 2021

Wisdom

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Jesus’ wisdom contains an element of sagacity when He’s dealing with those who have set themselves up as His enemies.

Throughout His public life, Jesus makes very clear in whose name He is acting and preaching, and who has sent Him: The Father.

Yet, when His enemies try to trap Him with a question about the source of His authority, He answers their question with a very similar question, which they are unable to answer, revealing the insincerity of their motives in questioning Him.

He does not attack them, insult them, or humiliate them; He merely allows their own insincerity to confuse them, and they fall by their own weight.

The Wisdom that is the gift of the Holy Spirit is not just about penetrating into the heart of things. It also enables us to handle very, very tricky situations, where evil seems to have the upper hand, in such a way that goodness comes out on top.

It is this Wisdom that the author of the first reading cherishes. Whereas the life goals of many are wealth, security, power, and pleasure, this author seeks above all else, exclusively it would seem, Wisdom. The reasoning? Undoubtedly, that if there is true wealth of heart and mind, happiness will follow.

The author reminds one of Solomon who, upon an offer from God for whatever he should wish, asks for Wisdom (cf. 1 Kings 3:1-15). God is pleased by this request, and in response He gives him Wisdom, along with many other gifts besides.

If we would like the same gift, the way to obtain it is not through years of study or analysis of reality–but rather through closeness to Him who is omniscience itself, to God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit–through constancy in prayer life.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask God boldly for the gift of Wisdom, and to lead you through this gift to make of your life what He wants.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 28, 2021May 19, 2021

Dead Tree

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Sometimes what we see in Scripture can frustrate us because its meaning for us is not immediately clear.

The narrative of Jesus cursing the fig tree can occasion such frustration. Why is Jesus being “cruel and unfair” to this tree by cursing it for not bearing fruit, when fig fruit is out of season?

Yet, instances where Scripture is unclear can be an invitation to persons of faith to delve deeper, under the surface, asking God in humble dialogue for illumination, to understand the lessons He has for us there.

As we contemplate the cursing of the fig tree, what elements should we consider as we strive to get a glimpse of what is Jesus’ heart?

A natural place to start is Jesus’ own explanation of His actions, when such is to be found. And indeed, today we have Jesus reacting by way of explanation–or at least partial explanation–to Peter noting that the fig tree has dried up.

Jesus talks about the power of prayer: That the omnipotence of the Divinity itself is at our fingertips when we ask for God’s action in humble prayer. So, we can infer that at least part of what moved Jesus to cause the withering of the fig tree was the desire to teach His disciples–and us–that God is master of nature, and that our prayer can affect nature itself.

This alone could feed a great period of meditation. What is the object of our prayer? What are we permitted to ask God to do, and expect a result? It is not limited to asking for spiritual benefits for ourselves and our neighbor, though this is important. In this passage, Jesus gives us explicit permission to pray for God to move and transform nature, implying further that if what we ask for does not come to pass, it may be because we lack faith in the power and will of God to move nature on our behalf. We should be bold and confident in our prayer–even a little “presumptuous” that God will do what we ask, even if it is somewhat spectacular, barring a significant reason for not fulfilling our request. How often do we pray with this kind of confidence–the confidence with which Jesus applied divine power to the fig tree?

But an unanswered question remains: Why did Jesus use destructive force on the tree, when it was simply unfruitful due to the season of the year?

Better for one tree to wither, than for centuries of apostles to be surprised at losing their eternal salvation because they failed to bear fruit for Jesus, regardless of excuses of seasonality and convenience.

Jesus was issuing a none-too-subtle palpable warning that, as He states elsewhere, “Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.” (Jn. 15:6)

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to show you the way to remain in Him and bear fruit; ask Him to show you His will and to help you to follow it regardless of the cost.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 27, 2021May 14, 2021

The “Who” Behind The “How”

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Science, in all its aspects, is wonderful. Human eyes have found a way penetrate into the minute subtleties of reality and discover, not only how they function, but how to combine and adjust them for healing and for technological breakthroughs.

Science has told us much about our micro-reality, and much also about our macro-reality, including the positioning of the earth in the midst of a vast solar system and a universe that is much vaster still.

It has revealed to us secrets about the code defining all life, DNA, and the processes by which the miraculous biological phenomenon/process sustains itself without external drivers.

Science tells us the “how” of nature, but it does not tell us the “who.” It is not just the existence of the material world that begs the question, “who made it.” Nor is it just the complex variability. It is the intelligibility of the universe, especially such incredibly harmonious and impossibly coordinated elements as the self-sustaining process of life, that begs the question, “who.” Far from there existing any conflict between this question and science, the very foundation of science–the wondrous intelligibility of the universe–is precisely what bids us seek out the Mastermind.

As it happens, given that we have a personal God who in various ways has reached out to us, the investigation of this “who” is not itself properly speaking a scientific one. Rather, we have the luxury of its being a relational investigation: a “getting to know you,” so to speak.

The author of today’s first reading has enjoyed some form of this interpersonal connection. He speaks of God in the most personal tones, as he praises the work of His hands. In all of the daunting complexity and splendor of nature, he recognizes the craft of this Person.

In today’s gospel, this encounter becomes much more intimate, as Bartimaeus receives from the hands of Jesus the healing of his blindness. He who formed the very concept of the eyeball and its function of apprehending nature so marvelously restores, person to person, the sight of this blind man.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: In today’s meditation, consider for a moment that you have the opportunity to meet and interact personally with the Creator of the universe. Pick an element of creation that particularly inspires awe for you, and think, that the One who came up with the very idea for that awe-inspiring creation–and the way to make it a reality–wants to engage in friendship with you. Praise Him for His work.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 26, 2021May 13, 2021

No Picnic

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Every day on earth is a miracle, and we should take stock of this from time to time: My life, as a free and thinking being, is like a universe unto itself; and that universe combines with a squishy pile of matter, subject to all the harsh physical laws to which every rock on our planet is subject. And, that squishy pile of matter is useful for our driving spirit, to transport it in time and space and to manipulate the physical world surrounding it. It is a marvelous reality, one that would be completely unexpected to an external observer of the cold, inanimate broader universe in which human life is found.

But as marvelous as it is, human life is fraught with sufferings, miseries, and humiliations, as depicted in the first reading and the psalm. We pray to God to come to our aid in the midst of our sufferings and difficulties, hopeful that He will lift us up, hopeful that He loves us and is willing to use His power on our behalf.

The gospel of today presents a curious segue from a description of suffering to a request for glory. Jesus describes to his disciples in some detail the trials and sufferings to which He will be subjected, but from which He will emerge in glory. Seemingly rather callously, James and John request a place of privilege in Jesus’ glory, ignoring the part about scourging, mocking, and execution. We may scoff at these men for their lack of compassion with their Master.

But aren’t we the same at times? We want what we want. Like the author of the first reading, we want divine aid, we want to be saved from our miseries. Like James and John, we quest after tangible glory.

In the end, though, as marvelous as this beautiful life is that God has created for us, we cannot expect a reality different from that with which Jesus confronts James and John. Here on earth we are living in a “valley of tears,” in which we are called to drink of the same chalice from which Jesus is called to drink. Here on earth, our peace and glorious destiny are not fully consummated. We are called to accept the sufferings of our life together with Jesus, and offer them as an aid to Him in His great mission of saving human beings.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you understand His message to James and John, and that you too are willing to drink the chalice of which He drank. Ask Him to give you the strength to hope in eternity for the consummation of your desires for greatness and glory, and to accept fully your mission here on earth, with all its grave challenges.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 25, 2021May 11, 2021

Hundredfold

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

If we strive to live the Christian life sincerely, with all our hearts, without compromises, we align our lives to the teachings of the first reading. It tells us to give freely to God, without holding back; to make sacrifices to Him out of the full generosity of our hearts. This can mean restraining the impulses within us that could lead us to sin, or fasting at appropriate times, or striving to give cheerfully to our neighbor when we least feel like it.

It is a good way to live, but it can be exhausting. Sometimes, in the midst of the beatings this world deals out to us, it can seem that we just don’t have anything left to give.

It is thus well to remember that this isn’t the whole story: Giving to God freely, out of gratitude for all we have been given. The other part of the story comes to us in today’s gospel, which offers us a great promise: That those of us who give everything for the Gospel will receive back thirty, fifty, a hundredfold in this life, and eternal life as well.

We don’t yet understand what the eternal portion of this promise will be like, for, as St. Paul tells us, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9)

But the hundredfold on earth: This comes from God’s providential curation of every moment of our lives. God would love to curate everyone’s life this way, but when people recede from Him, He respects their freedom. He still gives them good things, “for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” But He does not take up the management of their path in the same way that He does for those that fully, freely, and completely give their paths to Him. And His management of one’s path, and all that befalls one, brings the utmost of fulfillment and joy.

While He allows suffering to impact these beloved disciples of His, He uses that suffering, along with countless tender acts of the most personal and attentive love, to build their overall peace and happiness. Indeed, a hundredfold in a sense is an understatement, for no fraction of the interior happiness that God concedes to the heart given over to Him is attainable to those who withhold from Him.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that your whole heart is His, and that you want with all your heart only the happiness that He can give. Tell Him that you trust Him, that if He leads you through the dark valley, He does so to bring that much more happiness, to you yourself as well as those you love.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 24, 2021May 11, 2021

Only a Mother Can Love That Face

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Today’s readings are chosen for the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church.

Sometimes it appears that, as Mother of the Church, Mary is nurturing a rag-tag group of unkempt ruffians. As we look at our brothers and sisters in the faith, and even at ourselves, we can become discouraged. Shouldn’t the Church have a higher quotient of perfection? Shouldn’t each of her constituents present a more worthy image of Christ the Master to the world? This discouragement can become particularly poignant when we observe defects in those leading us within the Church.

Today, we do well to look at this rag-tag band through Mary’s eyes. Many are those who seek to follow her Son whose intellects clouded by original sin do not apprehend the fullness of His truth, and whose wills, weakened by original sin, fail at times in their quest to give Him a consistent “yes.”

Judging from her appearances to visionaries throughout the centuries, such as at Lourdes and Fatima, Our Lady can be very demanding. She wants us to pray and sacrifice for sinners, for those estranged from her Son.

But when she looks at each of her Son’s disciples, with all of our imperfections, shortcomings, and sins, her eyes are filled with compassion, as at Cana, when she took pity on the couple who had run out of wine.

As today’s readings show us, and as many saints have reflected, Mary is the “new Eve”–as mother of Jesus, the Word Incarnate, she reverses the disobedience of Eve and gives God her perfect and consistent “yes.” As such, never straying, we see her faithful in today’s gospel, standing under the cross of Jesus, when so many others have fled.

And yet, as rock-solid as her “yes” is, as the Mother given to us by Jesus Himself under the cross, she looks at us, her faltering children, only with eyes of love, understanding, and profound desire for our happiness. She sees when we are lacking spiritual resources, and rushes to aid us. And her all-powerful Son listens to her when she tells Him: “They have no wine.”

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Thank Jesus for the gift of Mary, His Mother, to be our Mother, under the cross. Ask His help to remember to have recourse to her in your need, for she constantly has His ear and thus can deliver swift and effective aid.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 23, 2021May 10, 2021

Gale and Zephyr

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Jesus tells us that the Spirit blows where He wills, like the wind (cf. Jn. 3:8).

Sometimes the wind is a storm gale; sometimes it is a warm, gentle summer zephyr.

The Holy Spirit is ungovernable; He suffers not to be constrained or bottled up.

Jesus promises us that anyone who asks will receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk. 11:13).

Yet, the Holy Spirit has demands, as a condition for His indwelling. He demands to transform us, not the other way around. He is the Spirit of truth; He is no mere force to add power behind our own opinions and preferences. In the end, He is a Spirit of humility, and He only abides with those who learn humility, patience, and obedience from Him.

For those who ask insistently for the Holy Spirit and submit to His way, He brings joy, peace, security, certainty, courage, wisdom, strength.

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to the Church at Pentecost, accessible to each one of us. If we want to possess this gift in its fullness, all we need do is ask.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus for a gift of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Tell Him that you are indifferent as to whether that gift be perceptible or imperceptible, ardent or quiet–that you long for the Spirit who will give you the ability to persevere in obedience to God’s will and facilitate the salvation and sanctification of others.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 22, 2021May 10, 2021

Happy in House Arrest

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In a sense, Paul would have every right to be frustrated with his life. He was imprisoned in Jerusalem, and wound up having to appeal his case all the way to Rome. When he was sent to Rome for the appeal, he wound up under house arrest for a full two years. This, all at the urging, not of the Romans, but of his brother Jews. His own countrymen and brothers in the Jewish faith were urging for him to be put to death. And the effect on his ministry was real: He was severely limited geographically for an extended period, with consequent drastic limitation to the reach of his message.

But the first reading presents his situation in a tone that shows that this is all just “part of the story.” It even portrays his reality in a positive light: “He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Because of the positive tones of the whole book of Acts, we can superficially think that everything was easy, exciting, productive, successful in the nascent Church. But in reality, it was setback after setback after setback. What made for the positive outlook, then? Simply this: The apostles saw everything–logical and random, helps and hindrances–everything as coming from the hand of God for the furthering of His Kingdom. In their eyes, He was the author, the protagonist, and the driver; they, merely the willing vehicles of His grace.

In today’s gospel, we see Peter curious about the fate of John the Evangelist. As Peter went out and fed Jesus’ sheep, and ultimately died for Him, what would happen to John? Jesus essentially responded that it was none of Peter’s business. But it was more than an admonition not to be overly curious about others. When He said, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?”, Jesus was also affirming that the circumstances of the mission are not what matters–but rather fulfillment of God’s will, that is, a continuous “yes” to God. God takes care of the rest.

Filled with a sense of the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the early apostles were filled with joy and optimism. What difficult circumstances are you enduring right now? With that same sense of Jesus’ sovereign power, are you able to be similarly optimistic?

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to fill you with joy and optimism in the most bewildering and difficult of circumstances, certain that He is curating with tender care every aspect of your life–the life you have given to Him freely to care for.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 21, 2021May 10, 2021

Reasonable Chaps

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In the first reading, we see an interesting depiction of something we in the western world rarely encounter today: A person who has never heard of Jesus Christ, or of Christianity, with its key tenets of sacrificial redemption and selfless love.

The key figure in the reading, the Roman procurator Porcius Festus, though He had never been introduced to the grace of the one true God, seems to have been a reasonable enough chap. He thinks through St. Paul’s case logically, and even with a certain appropriate respect. He is not a demon drooling blood or spitting fire. He’s an ordinary guy in a position of government.

This brings to mind a quote from St. Thomas Aquinas that bears repeating in its entirety:

“The good that is proportionate to the common state of nature is to be found in the majority; and is wanting in the minority. The good that exceeds the common state of nature is to be found in the minority, and is wanting in the majority. Thus it is clear that the majority of men have a sufficient knowledge for the guidance of life; and those who have not this knowledge are said to be half-witted or foolish; but they who attain to a profound knowledge of things intelligible are a very small minority in respect to the rest. Since their eternal happiness, consisting in the vision of God, exceeds the common state of nature, and especially in so far as this is deprived of grace through the corruption of original sin, those who are saved are in the minority. In this especially, however, appears the mercy of God, that He has chosen some for that salvation, from which very many in accordance with the common course and tendency of nature fall short.” (Summa Theologia, I. 23. Art 7. Ad 3)

As Thomas effectively states, being a reasonable chap–enough to get along with others and make one’s way through life–is the normal state of affairs. That said, he articulates something that we may often forget: That eternal salvation is a miracle that lies high above the capacity of human nature, and despite Jesus’ infinite merits and readiness to give it, it is difficult to attain.

It is well to remember then, by an inevitable conclusion of this passage from St. Thomas (as well as numerous passages of the Gospel, e.g. Mt. 7:13-14), not all “reasonable chaps” attain salvation. It is a central part of our Christian duty to pray, sacrifice, and work that more come to know and embrace Jesus Christ.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: It is our principle task as Christians in this life to introduce others to Christ through our words, our prayers, and our sacrifices offered for them. Ask Jesus to give you a Heart like His, which yearns for the eternal welfare of each person. Ask Him to give you and show you the effective means by which you are called to aid Him in the work of salvation.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 20, 2021May 7, 2021

Division

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Today’s readings are about unity, and its lack. On the night before Jesus died, in the midst of the agony of anticipation, Jesus prayed with all his heart and soul. The intention for which He so passionately prayed was this simple one: That His disciples be one, unified. If this is what Jesus prayed for when his ardent love was at its climax, it is what we as Christians should work for.

In the first reading, the accusers of Paul demonstrate the opposite: Disunity, strife, antagonism. And Paul is able to take advantage of this, thwarting their attempt to bring him down.

What is it that causes their assembly to fall apart? It is disagreement–disagreement not on matters of opinion, but on matters of fact. Do angels exist? Either they do or they don’t; one may vehemently argue either side; but in the end, their existence or non-existence is a matter of fact, not of opinion. Same with the resurrection from the dead.

Thus, the root cause of the disunity of this assembly is an inability to ascertain reliably facts that are important. And this inability is caused by original sin. The root cause of their disunity is the clouding and darkening of the intellect caused by original sin.

Luckily, ever since Pentecost, when we received the Holy Spirit, we Christians are completely immune to this phenomenon. We are in perfect intellectual union and agreement due to the enlightening action of the Holy Spirit.

It is not quite that way, is it? The count of official Christian denominations is disputed; some estimate 33,000, others 47,000… Christianity has splintered over and over again since the Reformation. Why? Because Christians can’t agree on the facts.

What are we to do, if the mere fact of being Christian, thus with access to the Holy Spirit, does not guarantee us infallible apprehension of the facts?

The only answer: Humility. If the Spirit Himself teaches us any lesson to start, a sort of Life in the Spirit 101, it is this: We get nowhere without humility. The Holy Spirit actually will grant us the wisdom and knowledge that we long for, if we listen to Him with a wide-open heart–both when He speaks through our hearts, and when He speak through the imperfect humans around us.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to give you a heart after His own Heart, filled with the Holy Spirit, linked to the Trinity; ask Him to shape your heart to listen like His does.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams