October 10, 2010
Grace frees us. We have a difficult time knowing how to respond to Christ's saving grace when we encounter it. In 2nd Kings, we hear the story of Naaman, a commander of the Aramean army, who seeks out the prophet Elisha to heal his leprosy at the urging of his wife's servant girl who was an Israelite. He is told to wash seven times in the Jordan River. A proud man, he initially balks and decides to return home until his counsel urges him to bathe in the river. When he is cured, he returns humbly and thanks Elisha with offers of lavish gifts. In the Gospel, ten lepers seek Jesus. While they are still afflicted, he sends them to the priests who will readmit them into the community. On their journey, their leprosy is healed and one of the ten, a foreigner with different religious viewpoints from the Jesus, returns to thank him and to praise his God. Jesus tells the man his faith has saved him.
As we examine the differing responses of the two men, we see that both are foreigners to Israel, they seek out mighty prophets, and they loudly praise the God of Israel because they are transformed - both outwardly and inwardly. Because of his position, Naaman has great resources to offer Elisha in gratitude. Elisha repeatedly refuses. After protesting Elisha's firm rejection of a gift, Naaman asks to take two mule-loads of dirt back to his native country as a way of staying in touch with the merciful God who took pity on him. The foreigner in the Gospel likewise wants to offer something meaningful to Jesus in response to the healing. We know that he is a changed man interiorly because he is the only one who returns to Jesus. He is sent home as an ambassador of God's redeeming grace that heals and saves the man at the same time.
How do we respond to Christ when we notice a miracle or receive the saving grace he extends to us? If we are attuned to God's actions, we can witness this offer of grace each day. When we encounter such goodness, we want to affirm it as Naaman and the nameless leper did. Many of us may feel impelled to offer gifts to God or to a priest or a good Samaritan. We like to show our gratitude in meaningful ways. We are stuck with not knowing how to appropriately offer our gratitude those who do not need or want gifts because they know that grace is freely given without any thought of reward. We feel we lack resources when we offer something back to Christ because we think there is little that we can concretely offer him. From our readings, it seems that Christ likes us to praise God whose grace causes us to reform our lives. We decide to live differently on account of the good we have received. Let's ask Christ if he wants a gift from us and if so, what he would like. He is very good at responding, but don't be surprised if he just wants to share in your delight. It is always more enjoyable to praise God with others. So tell your story to him, even if he already knows it, and let him share his joy in hearing your personal account. This alone is quite a gift.
Quote for the Week
A Prayer from a Third Century Manuscript:
Of the light of dawn let none be silent nor let the bright stars be wanting in praise: let all the foundations of the rivers lift up their songs to the Father, Son, and Spirit.
So let all powers on earth cry aloud: Amen, Amen. Might and honor, glory and praise to God, only giver of all that is good. Amen.
Themes for this Week’s Masses
First Reading: In Galatians, Paul uses an allegory to tell the new believers that they are descendants of people made free by God's promise. They are not bound by the law any longer, but they have to resist the draw of the law that submits them to slavery. Only faith working through love will help them live by the Spirit. They will know they are enjoying the fruits of the Spirit when they see: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In Ephesians, Paul outlines God's noble vision for the world. All believers are destined in accord with God's purpose. Paul prays for the people of Ephesus while extolling Christ as the one who is above all.
Gospel: Jesus chastises the people because they seek a sign that proves the nature and identity of Jesus. He calls to mind Jonah who was a sign to the Ninevites. The people repented at his teachings; Jesus tells them something greater than Johan is in their midst. Visiting a Pharisee for dinner, Jesus is scolded for not observing the ritual cleansing before a meal. Jesus scolds the Pharisees for their hypocrisy; he reprimands the insulted scholars for making life more difficult for the people to fulfill their religious obligations. Naturally, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him. They decided to catch him at something he might say. Jesus ups the ante by telling crowds of people to beware of the Pharisees. He urges to people to hold onto his words and to not fear their power. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Anyone who acknowledges Jesus before others will be acknowledged before the angels and God. The Spirit will teach a person how to speak in times of adversity.
Saints of the Week
Thursday: Callistus I, pope and martyr, was originally a slave of a Christian owner who put him in charge of a bank that failed. After being released from slavery and from imprisonment, he became a deacon. He counseled Pope Zephyrinus. He was elected Pope in 217 and brought about many reforms that helped common people in their daily plight.
Friday: Teresa of Jesus, doctor, from Avila was a Carmelite sister who brought about reforms in the lax life of the convent. She began a strict rule after consultation with John of the Cross. She founded the reformed Discalced Order of nuns and friars. She is known as a mystic and wrote the books "The Interior Castle" and "The Way of Perfection."
Saturday: Hedwig, religious, at age 12 married Henry, a prince who would become king of Silesia. As a monarch, they built a Cistercian monastery for women. They soon built many other religious houses and hospitals. She chose to live in austere poverty to be in solidarity with the poor.
Margaret Mary Alocoque entered the Visitation Order at Paray-le-Monial in 1671. She received visions of Christ's love and told her Jesuit spiritual director, Claude la Colombiere, who asked her to write about her experiences. They developed the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her community resisted her promotion of the devotion at first, but later came to see the power of the prayers.
This Week in Jesuit History
• October 10, 1806: The first novitiate of the Maryland Mission opened as ten novices began their Long Retreat under the direction of Fr. Francis Neale (himself a novice who had entered the Jesuits that day.)
• October 11, 1688: King Louis XIV forbade all correspondence and interchange between the French Jesuits and Fr. Thyrsus Gonzalez, the Spanish General Superior of the Society.
• October 12, 1976: The murder in rural Brazil of Joao Bosco Burnier, SJ, who was shot and killed by soldiers for protesting the torture of two poor women.
• October 13, 1537: At Venice the Papal Nuncio published his written verdict declaring that Ignatius Loyola was innocent of all charges which had been leveled against him by his detractors.
• October 14, 1774: A French Jesuit in China wrote an epitaph to the Jesuit mission in China after the suppression of the Society. It concludes: "Go, traveler, continue on your way. Felicitate the dead; weep for the living; pray for all. Wonder, and be silent."
• October 15, 1582: St Teresa of Avila died on this day -- the first day of the new Gregorian calendar. She always wished to have a Jesuit as a confessor.
• October 16, 1873: About two weeks after Victor Emmanuel's visit to Berlin, where he had long conferences with Bismark, rumors reached the Society in Rome that all of their houses in Rome were threatened.
Columbus Day
Five hundred and eighteen years ago, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a new trade route to India. Columbus, an explorer from Genoa, Italy, unexpectedly changed the map of the world and opened a new frontier to European explorers.
Columbus landed in the Caribbean and was convinced of the vast potential this new world offered to the people of Europe. His expeditions foreshadowed the journey across the seas for millions of courageous immigrants who sought fame, fortune, or a new life of opportunity free from oppression and persecution.
As they settled, they joined indigenous communities with thriving cultures - with varying degrees of success. While we celebrate the achievement of Columbus, we reflect upon the many valuable contribution of indigenous communities to the Americas. We remember the tremendous suffering they also faced by the colonizers. We recognize the challenging work that remains in front of us as we try to build a unified world that respects all peoples. We pray that we can come together to build a new world that has many new frontiers.
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