The Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

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February 10, 2019

Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

The theme of holiness was introduced last week and is continued in today’s readings when Isaiah hears the angels singing about God’s holiness, a quality of being separate and above all created realities. Humans and other objects becoming holy through contact with God whose presence transforms the person or object into something sacred, but we do not like to think of ourselves as holy because we know better about ourselves.

In the Gospel, Jesus calls Peter to discipleship, but Peter, knowing the sort of man that he is, tells Jesus to get away from him. He presumes Jesus called the wrong man and he is not holy enough to be in his company. Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t listen to Peter. The funny thing is that when we encounter someone who is holy, we feel unworthy and vulnerable. I want to raise you up to equal dignity with that person so that you can accept yourself as holy.

The Jesuits have a term that we use in community called ‘positive regard.’ Sometimes we misunderstand one another or we do not quite comprehend the motives or behavior. Instead of judging the person negatively, we grant the positive regard. Instead of getting annoyed or defensive, we say, “Perhaps you chose a word that doesn’t fit this situation. Did you mean to use another word that is more accurate?” We give room for the person to declare his good intentions rather than silently taking things the wrong way. This allows us to see each other as well-intentioned men who fundamentally care about each other. It preserves the sacred bond of our friendship.

I’d like to suggest that you accept your own holiness as fact. I would also like for you to downplay your sinfulness. Peter said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” but what Peter needed was Jesus to show him the capabilities of his holiness. We pray in our mass, “Do not look upon our sins, but look upon the faith of your church.’ We need to do the same. Let’s look at our holiness and not our sinfulness. For too long, the church’s worldview has been that the People of God are sinful and need to be forgiven or to work out penance or to be authoritatively taught where they have gone wrong. Those days are at an end. You have to see your goodness, your saintliness, your sacredness. I see it. As I look out into the church, all I see are saints.

Partly, we need to redefine our sense of sinfulness. We need to update our views and develop an understanding of sin that is always maturing and evolving. The far majority people have a view of sin taught to them at their confirmation, but we are no longer children. A mature definition of sin would be something like this: sin is failing to not even to try to love another person’s chaos. It is a failure to bother to love. And if we really want to know our sinfulness, it is best that we ask the Lord to reveal our sins to us. I guarantee you that the sins you might bring up are not the ones he sees. I would suspect his are more relational. I am always surprised when I ask him to reveal my sins to me. He doesn’t see those things that we hold onto as sin at all. He doesn’t even see our sins.

The curious thing is that we can be holy and prone to sin at the same time. It is called being human. It is what makes you lovable. Sin does not define us. We are so much more than that. When I hear a person’s confessions, I walk away in awe that the person is striving so much to be reconciled to God. Nothing that a person says will ever make me think less of the person. On the contrary, there is nothing that you can say about yourself that will make me love you less. That’s impossible. Your striving and your revealing your humanity will only bring about greater love and respect. I will walk away from our encounter knowing that I just met a holy person.

What can I say to you to help you believe in your essential goodness and holiness? You don’t need to do anything to prove it to me, but how can you believe it? Raise up your view of yourself. See your awesome dignity. As Jesus calls you into deeper friendship, just as he did with Peter, can you let him look deeply into your soul? He never pays attention to your sin. His love of you makes you perfect – just as you are. His love perfects you. You are holy indeed. You are modern day saints. You are people of great dignity and worth. Please. Believe in yourself.

Scripture for Daily Mass

First Reading: 

Monday: (Genesis 1) In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Tuesday: (Genesis 1) God said, "Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky," and so it happened.

Wednesday: (Genesis 2) At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens -- while as yet there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil.

Thursday: (Genesis 2) The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” So the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

Friday (Genesis 3) Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”

Saturday (Genesis 3) The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?”

Gospel: 

Monday: (Mark 6) After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.

Tuesday: (Mark 7) When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.

Wednesday (Mark 7) Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 

Thursday (Mark 7) Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

Friday (Mark 7) Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. 

Saturday (Mark 8) In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.

Saints of the Week

February 10: Scholastica (480-543) was the twin sister of Benedict, founder of Western monasticism. She is the patroness of Benedictine nuns. She was buried in her brother's tomb; they died relatively close to one another.

February 11: Our Lady of Lourdes is remembered because between February 11 and July 16, 1858, Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in a cave near Lourdes, France eighteen times. The site remains one of the largest pilgrim destinations. Many find healing in the waters of the grotto during the spring.

February 14: Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop (Ninth Century), were brothers who were born in Thessalonica, Greece. They became missionaries after they ended careers in teaching and government work. They moved to Ukraine and Moravia, a place between the Byzantium and Germanic peoples. Cyril (Constantine) created Slavonic alphabet so the liturgy and scriptures could be available to them. Cyril died during a visit to Rome and Methodius became a bishop and returned to Moravia.

February 15: Claude La Colombiere, S.J., religious (1641-1682), was a Jesuit missionary, ascetical writer, and confessor to Margaret Mary Alocoque at the Visitation Convent at Paray La Monial. As a Jesuit, he vowed to live strictly according to the Jesuit Constitutions to achieve utmost perfection. Together, they began a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Feb 10, 1773. The rector of Florence informed the general, Fr. Ricci, that a copy of the proposed Brief of Suppression had been sent to the Emperor of Austria. The general refused to believe that the Society would be suppressed.

·      Feb 11, 1563. At the Council of Trent, Fr. James Laynez, the Pope's theologian, made such an impression on the cardinal president by his learning and eloquence, that cardinal decided at once to open a Jesuit College in Mantua, his Episcopal see.

·      Feb 12, 1564. Francis Borgia was appointed assistant for Spain and Portugal.

·      Feb 13, 1787. In Milan, Fr. Rudjer Boskovic, an illustrious mathematician, scientist, and astronomer, died. At Paris he was appointed "Directeur de la Marine."

·      Feb 14, 1769. At Cadiz, 241 Jesuits from Chile were put on board a Swedish vessel to be deported to Italy as exiles.

·      Feb 15, 1732. Fr. Chamillard SJ, who had been reported by the Jansenists as having died a Jansenist and working miracles, suddenly appeared alive and well!

·      Feb 16, 1776. At Rome, the Jesuit prisoners in Castel S Angelo were restored to liberty. Fr. Romberg, the German assistant, aged 80, expressed a wish to remain in prison.