Tag: <span>Hope</span>

February 7, 2021January 26, 2021

Slaves and Hirelings

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

Today, the second reading and the gospel appear to give answer to the first reading. In the first reading, Job laments about the drudgery of life. It is interesting that he does not mention any of the dramatic misfortunes that may befall one in life–indeed, that befall Job elsewhere in this book of the Bible. And yet, we can relate to his point of view. We kill ourselves every day, often in monotony, and what do we have to show for it? Like slaves or hirelings, we pitiably crave any wage or respite that we can get.

Jump to the Gospel. We see Jesus in a flurry of activity, responding to the immense demand that has come upon Him for His healing and mercy. Into the lives of the likes of Job, hope and meaning has come. Into the likes of your life, and of mine. For through the prism of omnipotent love, love which we can adopt and spread farther in our own lives, suddenly the drudgery is drudgery no longer; suddenly it all makes sense–glorious sense.

This is why, in the second reading, unlike the hireling described by Job, St. Paul is content to preach the Gospel for free, without any recompense. He is almost jealously protective of the gratuitous nature of his gift of self for the Gospel–because there is only one treasure that he desires, the treasure that is the key to meaning in his life: The omnipotent love, and the opportunity to love, that comes with Jesus Christ.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to make your daily prayer, undoubtedly fraught with innumerable involuntary distractions to the point that it sometimes seems you paid almost no attention at all–ask Him to make your daily contemplative prayer bear the inestimable fruit of love in your life. Ask Him to teach you love, to help you truly to perceive that pearl of great price for which it worth it to sell everything.

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December 13, 2020November 29, 2020

Remember the Darkness

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

Advent readings like today’s first reading go well with our external preparations for Christmas–with trimming hearth and tree, and baking Christmas cookies. There is such a warm beauty to them: “I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels.”

“He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God.”

These are the sorts of readings that get us excited again about receiving the gift of saving and sanctifying grace with the Incarnation of the Word of God at Christmas–when God breaks into our dark lives like the dawn.

Think, though, what it would be like live before Jesus’ birth, when the world was shrouded in sin and there was no option for salvation. The world had rejected God definitively, and all there was to do was to repent and try to offend him less. He still merited a life of dedication, for He was the good God, our Creator; but the door to eternal life stood shut, due to our own definitive option for sin.

From this perspective, think of how much more still these words from the first reading hold hope and beauty. We know not how it will happen, but from the prophets we know that God has a plan to burst back into our lives and rescue us…

Today, we already enjoy the ability to choose the grace of God, won for us through the Nativity and the events that followed, and we can take it for granted. It will do us well to meditate on how that was not always the case–to place our hearts in the position of those who originally hoped in a mysterious and glorious intervention of God into history.

And then, to consider that even though we live in the years after Christ’s first coming, there is no reason that we cannot hope–and ask Him–for a renewal of grace in us this Christmas so revolutionary for our sanctification, that it is almost as if we never knew Him before, by comparison.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Imagine the times before the coming of Jesus–knowing that God would do something to rescue humanity, but not knowing what. Now, think of how we likewise hope for eternal life, and Jesus’ Second Coming, even though we don’t know just what these will be like. Ask Jesus this Advent to give you the priceless gift of joy-filled, even excited, hope in Him.

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December 3, 2020November 17, 2020

Joy in the Heavenly City

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

How can our joy be complete in Heaven, when there will be many who are not saved?

When, as foreseen in the first reading, the gates are opened, and a nation that is just is let in, He simultaneously brings down the lofty city, the city of the proud and arrogant. As glory as our heavenly destiny is, how can we truly rejoice when these are lost to eternal suffering?

When contemplating the most dramatic element of the human reality, this eternal division between the just and the condemned, we must remember that the latter choose their fate. It is true that (generally speaking) they do not see Heaven and Hell set before them, and choose Hell, but they firmly choose not to undergo the radical transformation God asks of them in this life, whatever the consequences.

There is perhaps no more eloquent metaphor for this choice in the Gospel than today’s parable of the house built on sand. Those who build on sand make a choice. They may want the sand for its location and the associated ease, pleasures, gratifications, but they know it is not destined to last. “And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

We may rejoice wholeheartedly, because we have a God who is so merciful and so humble that He chooses to respect absolutely the freedom of His creatures, who would rather suffer in the long run than accept His challenges. It is safe to say that people are not as naïve as we think; we are not as special as we sometimes think in understanding life as a grand choice. People know this. But many simply choose the broad, easy path.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: In this Advent time, contemplate the world in its darkness ahead of Jesus’ coming at Christmas. See yourself as His hope for getting an opportunity to infuse a disproportionate amount of the grace He brings at the Incarnation into others, to help them convert to Him, and give yourself to Him for this purpose. But do so serenely, understanding that it is His will to leave the final choice up to them.

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November 28, 2020November 13, 2020

Violent Transition

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

As the liturgical year ends, Scripture once again confronts us–virtually assails us–with what the end of this annual period symbolizes, that is, the end of the world and of time.

Revelation today paints a beautiful, but also powerful and striking picture. From the throne of God flows the river of life, with the tree of life on either side, bearing fruit twelve times each year.

The image is that of Christ’s Church come to full maturity in eternity. As the passage states, “Nothing accursed will be found anymore.” This is beautiful and yet “terrible,” in the sense of awe-inspiring and fearsome–for those who cling to that which is tainted will be wiped out, in a place of torment, as preceding days’ passages from Revelation have shown.

The symbol also stretches to the Christian Church here on earth, however, as an imperfect precursor to the heavenly Church. Here too, the river of life-giving water flows from the throne of God to His people through the Church. The twelvefold-fruitful tree of life, symbolizing the Church founded firmly on the twelve apostles, provides life through its sacraments–sustenance through its fruit, and medicine through its leaves–until we come to take part in the fully transformed, heavenly Church.

The transformation process in the end times, to reach this beautiful state, will be produced through great travail, like the birth of a beautiful baby. In the Gospel passage today, Jesus says that that last days arrival will “assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.”

The earth, for all its human conflicts, lives for now in an uneasy peace with God. That will not always be the case. The current compromised state of humankind and of our broken world will come to an end, and we will be wise to be ready through a vigilant and wakeful commitment to the teachings of Jesus.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to give you the courage to live with the fragile transience of the world always in mind, without, however, ever despairing or growing impatient. Ask Him for unfailing, vibrant hope in His victory, which will bring grandeur and beauty like you have never seen. Ask Him also for the gift of trusting that He will keep you in His grace if you persistently ask Him to.

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November 25, 2020November 10, 2020

Battle-Weary but Faithful

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

We may grow weary of truths about the reality in which we live, as God sees it, and of pointing them out. Like the prophet Jeremiah, we may be tempted to say, “I will not mention him, I will no longer speak in his name.” (Jer. 20:9)

One such truth: Life on earth is a spiritual battle, pure and simple. A bloody, filthy, painful, life-and-death battle. Scripture is replete with this message on nearly every page. In today’s first reading from Revelation, John talks about those who have made it through the battle, victorious. Those who have come through even as humanity by and large has destroyed itself.

It would be so much nicer if the world could skate successfully upon the thin ice of superficial politeness and kindnesses. The truth that a profound battle is underway is an inconvenient one.

In the gospel, though, Jesus reminds us that the terrible rejections and persecutions we will endure because of our faithfulness to Him shall not destroy us. This is the beauty of His saving act: If we remain faithful to Him in the breach, victory truly shall be ours.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Meditate on the many martyrdoms that Christians have undergone since Christ’s prophecy in today’s gospel: The first 33 Popes were martyred, along with great portions of the Christian flock in ancient Rome. And the martyrdom of Christians has continued in age after age right up to our day, when many in the Middle East and Africa are killed because of their faith. Ask Jesus to help you to be strong in all circumstances, but especially in whatever difficulties today shall bring. Ask Him to help you to be faithful to Him no matter what life throws at you.

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November 24, 2020November 10, 2020

The Grapes of Wrath

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

Video games today are characterized by photorealism. Travel is quick and relatively painless. As for smart phones: One finds pictures on the Internet of all the things that used to require their own device, and now fit on that device in your pocket: Radios and CD players, cameras, DVD players, TVs, calculators, flash lights, etc.

We may truly marvel at these things and think that humanity has really arrived.

So it was for the Jews of Jesus’ day who felt like their nation had really arrived, as they contemplated the rich, beautiful adornments of the temple. But Jesus warned them that of that temple, stone would not be left upon stone.

Such admonitions could cause us to wonder: When will the next shoe drop? Dystopian post-apocalyptic stories are popular today, partly because there is a latent fear in many of our disproportionate reliance on our ultra-sophisticated technological advances.

But Jesus assures us that while, yes, conflicts will arise and bad things will happen, we need not fear total collapse until the true end–the time appointed by God.

Today’s first reading foretells what will occur when that end comes. It talks about the son of man reaping earth’s harvest with a sharp sickle, and an angel reaping the ripe grapes from the earth. This actually sounds somewhat positive until, in the last line, we learn that these grapes are cast into the winepress of God’s fury!

It is important to work for justice on the earth, to ensure that our systems of government are not oppressive, and even to strive for technological advances that can make people’s lives easier. Imagine, for example, an invention that ensured provision of fresh water to every human on the planet.

But we need not expect the earth to turn into a utopia, a near-ideal place to live, as the result of efforts for justice. Scripture is clear that the world has rebelled against God, and its state of rebellion will endure. At the end of time, the fruits the world produces as a whole will not be pleasing to God. And so, while striving for justice on this earth, we must above all strive to help others convert to Christ for the sake of their eternal welfare, after their earthly life.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Think about where your hopes lie. Do you hope in some way for an earthly utopia? Maybe you’ll finally find paradise on your next vacation… Maybe in retirement… Ask Jesus to help you understand if your earthly hopes for happiness are unrealistic and perhaps unbalanced, and to help you place your hope in His destiny for you in eternity.

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October 18, 2020September 25, 2020

Chess Master

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

In today’s second reading from the book of Thessalonians, Paul speaks of “endurance in hope.”

Perhaps we don’t always hope as we should.

The world, shattered as it is by the original rebellion of man against God, and the ongoing chaos cause by the sins of pride and sensuality, appears to be spiraling downards.

There is something that should give us, we may say, an extra dose of hope, of which we perhaps do not often think. On the one hand, for the core of our hope, it is well to remember that this life with all its chaos is passing, we are pilgrims, and that we will find true joy in our eternal home in Heaven. But there is another beautiful reality that should also support our hope.

That reality is that God is the Lord of history, and even though humanity is sometimes ruled by evil people, God Himself is arranging all circumstances, evil ones caused by those who are evil and good ones cause by Himself and those who are good, into precisely the right order to favor the salvation of as many persons as possible. And, in precisely the best order for our lives, in which we are called to imitate His Son Jesus Christ, to love in joy and sacrifice.

Cyrus, the leader of the Persians mentioned in the first reading, was a pagan. Although he did not know God, God called upon him to free the Israelites at the time when, in His wisdom, He wanted to bring their punishment of exile in Babylon to an end.

Cyrus did not know God. But still, he formed a key part of God’s plan, and God led him.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus teaches that we must obey civil authorities, even when they are godless, as long as they do not lead us into sin–paying taxes, for example. And indeed, the Lord of history ordained the rule of Caesar in Jerusalem at the time when the brutal Romans were a needed factor for the violent sacrifice of His Son.

Think also of Constantine, the Cyrus, if you will, of the Christian era. In the early fourth century, God intervened directly with him, a pagan emperor, when He ordained that the years of Christian martyrdom and persecution in the Roman Empire were to come to an end.

Jesus Christ is Universal King, King of the Universe, King of all that happens in time. He does give full and ample space to human freedom, and allows the terrible consequences of our free choice of sin. In the end, though, it is He–the omnipotent Chess Master, we may say–who arranges history for the eternal benefit of the Church and His faithful ones.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Think of the political realities and world events that most concern you. Consider where Christians are suffering, and where evil persons or principles rule. Ask Jesus if He has these circumstances well in hand. Ask Him why He allows evil in the world, from the perspective of eternal salvation. And ask Him, the Lord of history, for mercy upon our fallen world, to guide events to a happy outcome and above all, to the eternal salvation of as many as possible.

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September 21, 2020September 7, 2020

Finger-Waggers

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

Matthew, whose feast we celebrate today, is best known for being a person sick with sin, a resented tax collector, whom Jesus came to heal. Oh and also, for writing one of the four most important texts in history: The Gospel of St. Matthew.

As so often is the case, the interplay between today’s first reading and today’s gospel is fascinating. Paul starts us off with a plea for unity, echoing Jesus’ priestly prayer in Jn. 17. Repeating a favorite theme of his, Paul talks about how people have different gifts, but all are necessary for the health and function of the one body.

If we look through history, what is the great destroyer of unity? The fundamental answer is obvious: It is the sin of the human will through pride and sensuality, and the consequent clouding of the human intellect. Sin sets us against one another, and as a result of sin, our intellects assess and understand reality differently from one another, sometimes radically so.

But let us take a closer look at the cause for disunity in the Christian Church, specifically. Why has the Church broken apart in ages past, and what strains it most today? In addition to the sins of Christians, it is our reaction to and magnification of the sins of others that performs the coup de grace on Christian unity.

Consider the Protestant Reformation. Hey Pope, you’re doing bad things. You’re living a worldly, sinful life, you are sensual and arrogant, and you are abusing the faithful through the sale of indulgences and similar misuses of power. So what am I going to do to purify the Church? Leave. I’m taking my ball and going home. Your sin trumps my loyalty to the Church that Christ founded.

We can wag our finger at Martin Luther and fellow reformers all we want, but how often do we act similarly? You, fellow Catholic, or maybe pastor of my parish, are superficial, arrogant, not spiritual, hypocritical, etc. So, I am going to criticize you bitterly, commit the grievous sin of gossip with no remorse, and even lose hope in Christ’s promise to protect His Church.

In doing all of this, even if I am a “faithful,” orthodox Catholic, a daily Mass-goer, etc., I am the one who is driving the definitive cleaver into Church unity.

What lies at the root of this sin? The root lies in a lack of the theological virtues, especially all-important Hope, without which Charity is impossible.. And the root of this lack, as of so many things, is a lack of a healthy prayer life. Even the benefit of frequent reception of the sacraments is severely truncated when we do not dedicate time to the cultivation of a vibrant life of contemplative prayer, that is, simple, daily dialogue with Jesus Christ where we seek to know His Heart. It is in the school of prayer that we learn Jesus’ view of our fellow Christians, which is not one of bitter, frustrated condemnation, but rather one of patient and loving mercy.

The apostles, even with all the flaws we may perceive in them in the Gospel, provide us with a mute but eloquent example for Christian unity. Never once do we see them questioning Jesus for inviting Matthew, a greedy and worldly tax collector, to be one of His disciples. Never do we see the thoughtful apostle St. John upbraiding the brash Peter, or questioning Jesus’ decision to choose him as prince of the apostles. Later, St. Paul, in questioning Peter on various Church matters, does so with a respect devoid of bitterness and harsh judgement.

What is the key to the unity and lack of bitterness among the apostles? It is contact with Jesus, and His treatment of the other, His love for their particular potential even in the midst of their weakness and sin. It is contact with Jesus that will build unity in today’s Church as well, and this contact for us translates into the powerful blend of contemplative prayer and sacramental life. This unconquerable blend turns our bitterness toward our fellow sinful Christians into recognition of their potential, and passionate zeal for their spiritual and temporal welfare, built upon serene, unshakable trust in the triumph of Jesus Christ.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Think of a fellow Christian with whom your struggle. Maybe it’s someone close, even your spouse; maybe it’s a more public figure. Ask Jesus how His heart contemplates that person, and what He wants for them. Ask Him to form your heart to be more like His. Maybe, like Matthew, that person will be called to turn around and make a powerful contribution to the welfare of the Church–through your love and intercession.

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