Matthew Williams – Page 5 – Meditation on Daily Mass Readings

May 19, 2021May 6, 2021

Goodbye

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

Today’s readings present us with two imminent departures, partings of beloved friends, who will never again see each other on this earth.

One departure is that of Jesus, who is about to be crucified; the other, Jesus’ disciple Paul, leader of the Christian community, who leaves for other shores and predicts his inability ever to return. In both departures, there is deep melancholy on the part of those being left. Jesus’ disciples are filled with “sheer sorrow” (cf. Lk. 22:45), and Paul’s hearers were “deeply distressed.”

Jesus and Paul are very similarly aware that the target of their mission is not earthly togetherness, but eternal togetherness: The salvation and sanctification of their friends, whom they love.

Often, we mistake relative earthly goods as having absolute value, which only eternal goods have. Anything that is subject to passing, to decay, to loss, has no absolute value, and so it is with our earthly lives and earthly goods, as exalted as these may be.

The only way to achieve as noble and complete a detachment from earthly goods as that which Jesus and Paul display is to live constantly, habitually with the goods of this world as though we were already in the process of losing them–which we are. It is an uncomfortable, even in a sense unsettling way to live, but it also brings great peace and the deepest of joys.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to prevent that your heart become fixated on passing earthly goods, as wonderful and noble as these can be, but to realize almost by second nature that they are in the process of passing, and ultimately only have lasting value to the degree that they are leveraged to help you and others attain to eternal goods.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 18, 2021May 6, 2021

Scent of Glory

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

Following Jesus’ example in today’s gospel, do you ever pray to the Father, “Glorify me, Father?” Might seem selfish. Might seem strange. But Jesus shows us that it is neither.

Desiring glory for oneself is not a vice, but a virtue. That is, it is a virtue when we look for glory in the right place. Jesus’ request has a note of intimacy in it; His glory derives from the relationship of love between Him and His Father, not from individual achievement or conquest. Still, there is achievement involved. The achievement is that of saying “yes” to the will of the Father in all things, even though for Jesus–and for us–this involves a battle against some of our most fundamental instincts. And the glory is not self-aggrandizement, but rather it is a gratuitous, loving gift from the Father.

We catch a scent of this glory on St. Paul in the first reading (along with the musky, earthy smell of one who travels all over the known world in ancient times). Paul’s glory likewise is a gift from God–from the Holy Spirit. Paul stands tall in his confidence that he understands God’s will for him and is dead set on fulfilling it. Like Jesus in the Gospel, he is full of love and solicitude for those entrusted to him, and he fully, freely embraces the destiny God has placed before him. This gives him incomparable stature–glorious stature.

We may well ask God, as ardently as we wish, “Glorify me.” He will answer our prayer by leading us to a loving and complete surrender to His will, which–no matter what our temperament, our talents, or even our insecurities–will bring with it, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, a state of admirable and enviable glory and greatness.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to inspire in you a Napoleonic passion for glory, but for the glory that He sought–the glory that only God can bequeath. Ask Him to make of you nothing less than what His Father has designed you, and He has redeemed and exalted you, to be.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 17, 2021May 6, 2021

Fruits of the Spirit

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

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of peace, and the Spirit of courage. It is not that there is no such thing as mere human peace, or mere human courage. But the Holy Spirit’s peace and courage are as far above mere human peace and courage as God is above the creature.

In today’s gospel, one would think Jesus would take heart and draw encouragement from a group of disciples who seem to finally get it–they finally understand His message, and they want Him to know it.

But Jesus sees far beyond the momentary satisfaction such a confession can bring, and speaks out of concern, not for Himself, but for them. He lets them know that in spite of their current certainty, they will scatter when He is captured; but when that time comes, instead of wilting in shame, He wants them to take heart. He wants them to be at peace, because although they suffer turmoil while here below, He in the end has the victory: “I have conquered the world.”

The Holy Spirit dwelling in us keeps our spirits steady and at peace, even when our emotions are overwrought in turmoil, with this knowledge of Jesus’ final victory.

And He is also the Spirit of courage. When the disciples Paul encounters in the first reading finally have the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit, the change is immediate and noticeable. They immediately begin speaking in tongues and prophesying. But perhaps the greatest manifestation of the Spirit in this reading is that of Paul himself, who preaches and debates in the synagogue with zero fear, proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

If we have the Holy Spirit, we have everything. Even if poor, we are rich.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to pour out His Spirit upon you, not to protect you from the profoundly trying ups and downs of the world–like those experienced by the first disciples–but to fill you with His peace and courage to remain faithful in the midst of them. For Christ has conquered the world.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 16, 2021May 5, 2021

Good from Evil

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

The betrayal of Judas is a theme for today’s readings. But both of them address it in a positive way.

How? How is this even possible–to put a positive spin on the most heinous betrayal in human history? Such a take must be superficial, gratuitous sugarcoating. There is nothing good to say about how Judas sold the Savior of the World for thirty silver pieces and then, when overcome with self-loathing for the act, he took his own life rather than seeking redemption.

Let’s look at these positive spins. In today’s gospel, Jesus is in prayer with His Father. He is praying for His beloved apostles. He praises His Father, because none have been lost, except the one destined to be lost. Although God is not the direct cause of any evil act, the betrayal of Judas is a foreseen event that fits like a puzzle piece perfectly into the plan of the Father for the salvation of humankind.

Then, in the first reading, we contemplate the gaping hole left by Judas in the company of the twelve apostles. Jesus had called twelve. Now there are eleven. That gaping hole needs to be filled. We see the apostles give the matter careful consideration, looking only at individuals who have been in the company of Jesus from the very beginning. Then, with the casting of lots, a man’s life is gloriously transformed forever, and the Church gives us St. Matthias.

Now, let us look through the apostle John’s eyes at the moment of Judas’ betrayal. The kiss. How could he do this? We had trusted him, relied on him, laughed and joked with him, considered him a brother. And now he leads the guards to our Master? He has brought utter disaster!

As heinous as Judas’ crime was, today’s readings remind us that God had the matter well in hand. Effortlessly in hand, it would seem. He brought about the salvation of the world through Judas’ crime, and ultimately, didn’t even leave his place unfilled.

Bitter discouragement comes directly from Satan, like few other works that he can call truly his own. Why does it tempt us so sweetly, when it is so bitter? Let us reject its whisperings without hesitation, and offer the suffering they bring in union with the cross of our beloved Nazorean.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to grant you the grace always, always to place your most heartfelt sorrows and disappointments in His hands, certain that He will bring from them glorious outcomes.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 15, 2021May 4, 2021

Tidal Flows

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

Jesus has fallen in and out of favor throughout history, just as he was wildly popular at certain periods of His earthly life, utterly unknown at others, and roundly rejected at still others.

We should not be surprised to see this pattern repeat itself in human history. During the times of the Roman Empire, Christians were personae non gratae, and their numbers were in fact whittled down to a tiny number within Rome itself. When, for example, the deacon St. Lawrence was martyred, not a single living deacon was left in the city.

Then, during a period in the early Middle Ages, Christianity spread and grew as it had in the early apostolic times, the times we read about in today’s first reading. Just as in the Acts of the Apostles, new communities join Christian ranks and new apostles (such as Apollos today) seem to spring up like weeds, so during a period of the Middle Ages, Christianity spread like wildfire.

In our day, we see to our chagrin that many superficial Christians, who perhaps never embraced the fullness of the faith and its demands, are ceasing their practice of the faith and effectively renouncing Christianity in their practical lives. It is not unlike those whom Jesus fed in droves with the multiplication of the loaves, but then who left Him when He announced Himself as the Bread of Life.

It should not alarm us that Jesus falls in and out of vogue culturally in our world. It does not mean that He is losing the battle, or winning it for that matter. The battle for salvation and sanctification is only won in those souls who truly give themselves to Him, who constitute a minority in every era. As mysterious as this is, it falls entirely in line with His providential plan.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to give you faith and trust of steel, which can withstand the deepest discouragements the world can bring, in its failure to commit to Him. Ask Him to make your own commitment firm and steadfast, through any trial that may come.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 14, 2021May 4, 2021

Earthy Mysticism

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

There is something very human and beautiful about the casualness of the books of the New Testament, at times. They sometimes relate facts in an almost off-handed way, as a journalist might relay the facts of a local event. And when events are reported in two books in entirely different ways and contexts, but the essential facts line up well, there is a special flavor of authenticity and credibility surrounding those facts.

In today’s first reading, the author refers summarily, by way of context, to the betrayal of Judas, which is spelled out with more drama in the gospels. Similarly, the events associated with Jesus’s public ministry are touched upon in a cursory manner, such as the baptism of John and even the Ascension, when Jesus was “taken up from us.” The most incredible events of all human history are cited merely by way of historical context, as the apostles seek to choose a successor to Judas who has been with them throughout Jesus’ public ministry.

And then today’s gospel brings us right into the dramatic heart of the salvific events of Jesus’ life, alluded to in such a passing manner in the first reading from Acts. Jesus is at the climax of His life on Holy Thursday, and He is passing on His Commandment to His apostles–that they love one another.

Both realities are beautiful: The poetic, almost ethereal reality of Jesus’ life, whereby His mystical teachings and love exalt the hearer above the level of the mundane; and the fact that even at those moments, Jesus’s life itself was entirely mundane, entirely human, lending itself to summary in the simplest of terms.

Today we commemorate the introduction of St. Matthias into the company of the apostles. This glorious combination of mundane and transcendent becomes his reality forever with that event, and his life would never be the same.

How do we live this combination in our own lives? Is our daily contemplative prayer life so vibrant that we live with our hearts in the subtext of eternal salvation–and yet, our commitment to live our human lives responsibly so practical, that we make solid choices about even the simplest aspects of our daily duty?

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus, through the Eucharist, to transform your heart into a heart just like His: In love with God, and in love with humanity; in love with eternity, but also in love with the time within which you can help others to reach eternity.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 13, 2021April 30, 2021

Home Sweet Home

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

“God mounts His throne to shouts of joy.” When we think about the Ascension, meditating on the second glorious mystery of the rosary perhaps, we may be captivated by the physical wonders of the scene: Jesus’ feet disengaging with the earth, and His body floating slowly skyward, until hidden by the cloud. Our whole focus may be captivated by the apostles standing and looking on, agape, drooling perhaps…

These are awe-inspiring contemplations, to be sure. But the readings of today–even the passage from the Gospel, which typically narrates things in the most matter-of-fact manner–today’s readings do not stop at what the apostles see.

Rather, they go to the heart of the matter, the most important aspect of what is happening: “God mounts His throne with shouts of joy.” “…the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

After an incredibly grueling stint on earth to save us, Jesus arrives home. He arrives home, now dressed in flesh. He arrives home, to the glorious shouts of the angels’ joy. He has done it. The mission is complete. He is back, now a Man, in His eternal dominion.

Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”

Jesus is home–He has arrived home at what is now also our home. He is preparing a place for us, in His glory. Our sojourn on earth, in a way, is so simple, even though we complicate it terribly by focusing on earthly goals and measure our progress and success accordingly. Life on earth is simple: It is a clinging to Him, by dedication of time in our life to our relationship with Him, and giving Him our lives as acts of service to Him. Come what may, if we do these simple things, our lives are a success, and we will one day be home with Him.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to bring you home, by safe passage. You, and all your loved ones.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 12, 2021April 30, 2021

Not a Cure-All

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

Jesus’ promise in today’s gospel sounds so consoling: He will give us His Spirit, who in turn will fill us with the truth. Which of us would not wish to be filled with supernatural knowledge? The Church has beautifully laid out the names of the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings to us: Wisdom, Counsel, Fear of the Lord, Piety, Understanding, Knowledge, Fortitude.

We can very easily mistakenly think, however, that these gifts, these transformative and elevating gifts, provide us with a superiority that allows us to skate through life, successful at everything we attempt.

Firstly, it must be noted that (unfortunately?), these gifts do not really aid us in professional success, except indirectly, in that they make us the kind of reliable and discerning person with whom people may entrust valuable charges. So, if you are looking for the gifts of the Spirit in order to make money, you are out of luck!

But secondly, they do not necessarily make us “happier” in this life. The gifts of the Spirit invariably come accompanied by the great gift of Charity, the third of the theological virtues, and this virtue can cause a world of hurt. With the gift of Charity, we do not only feel our own pain and our own sorrows–we feel those of others as well. What the world calls “empathy” is lived at an entirely different level with Charity.

Nor do these gifts necessarily make us tangibly successful. Look at St. Paul in the first reading. The lives of the apostles were not only filled with persecutions, but also at times with mediocre results. Paul crafted a beautiful discourse tying the imperfect worship of the Greeks to the Good News of the Gospel. The crowd basically said “whatever” and walked away. The Holy Spirit does not override the human freedom to reject God.

But in the end, the Holy Spirit unequivocally brings fulfillment; He brings a deeper and more powerful happiness. That happiness is compatible with all sorts of woes that we may suffer: Failure, depression, exhaustion. It stems from a deep-seated knowledge that we are loved, and that our decision to love in return carries with it fruits for eternity.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you value the gift of His Spirit above all other gifts, and that you will happily take all the difficulties of life, even amplified, and ask only for this most sublime gift.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 11, 2021May 11, 2021

Clash

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

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks pointedly about the clash between, not just Christians, but the Holy Spirit Himself and the world. Jesus says elsewhere that He came not to condemn the world, but that it might be saved through Him (cf. Jn. 3:16); but here, He articulates in no uncertain terms that the Holy Spirit convicts those who obstinately refuse to believe in Christ. And the powers of this world, which sometimes shake us Christians to the core in fear or frustration, are nothing at all to the Holy Spirit–indeed, the Holy Spirit will show that “the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

As if in resounding echo to Jesus’ words in the Gospel, the first reading shows us the scene of an earthquake effectively brought about by that same Holy Spirit, as He frees the apostles from prison and brings about the conversion of the jailer and his family. The Holy Spirit enters into conflict with the powers of the world, who have been abusing His apostles–and the Holy Spirit wins the conflict.

He thus fulfills the prophetic psalm of today’s liturgy: “Your right hand saves me, O Lord.”

Those of us who seek to be faithful Christians stand at the epicenter of this cosmic conflict between the Holy Spirit and the sin-soaked world, striving to be His arms and legs in the monumental task of salvation and sanctification.

We may easily feel overwhelmed at our role–probably, because we often forget that we are not the Messiah, we are not a “power” that God needs to come to His aid. Rather, we are the blessed beneficiaries of HIS saving action, of His battle for His loved ones. Our humble yes is sufficient; with that, we need not fear being overwhelmed. He will come to our aid, in no less effective a way than when he freed the apostles with the earthquake.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to help you overcome the natural tendency to think of self as protagonist. Ask Him to help you dismiss, by His powerful grace, the overwhelming self-imposed burden of thinking of self as accountable for the triumph of good. Give Him your “yes” with the trusting love and admiration of a child.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

May 10, 2021April 23, 2021

Against the Grain

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

It would be so nice if we could follow Jesus, and also get along peacefully with the world.

And yet, He reminds us, over and over again, that this will not be the case. People will want to kill us because of Him.

Within the hour following your reading of this reflection, in fact, a Christian will be put to death because of his or her faith.

Of course, not every faithful Christian in the world is in imminent danger of death or persecution. But even in the most benign of circumstances, our faith teaches us that we must prioritize love, and this means–in one way or another–that we do not fully progress in the world as it sees progress, or benefit from everything it has to offer. Those “advantages” belong to those who set them as their first priority.

And we need to be ready for real persecution, for people to hate us viscerally for what we stand for. We cannot do else but live for eternity, rather than for peace and happiness in this world, if we want to be Jesus’ followers. He tells us as much Himself in today’s Gospel. And let us remember too, that as gloriously as the faith progresses in the first reading and indeed in all of the Acts of the Apostles, that book’s chief protagonists all died a martyr’s death at the hands of men who were too low-minded to accept the beautiful demands of the Christian faith.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Jesus doesn’t hide the trials that come with our faith. Ask Him for courage and conviction, to be willing to sacrifice all the goods of this life and this world for the goods of eternity.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams