The Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

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February 24, 2019

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23, Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:17, 27-38

Today the worldwide meeting in Rome to address the sexual abuse crisis has ended. No doubt the world will be watching, and stories will be told from varied perspectives. It is a time of judgment for the church, and yet our readings warn us about making negative judgments. Instead, we are to love those who assail us and treat them as we would like to be treated. No one ever said the world would be fair, and we Christians are called to a different standard than the world follows.

It is easy to talk about the ways we are mistreated or misunderstood by those who think and believe differently from us, but we need to read the Gospels in light of our own behavior. We have a lot of work to do on a personal level, especially when news sound bites and social media define our perspectives. We are far too quick to react when what we need to do is to respond and to get more complete information. We are far too quick to tell others what we think when we need to listen more. Slow it down. Do your own work and then speak judiciously.

Some people may want to engage you about why you stay in the church in light of all the problems we are facing. Before you give an answer, find out if the person will give you sufficient space and time to be heard and understood. The chances are most people may not want to hear your reasons as much as they want to tell you why they are angry. Hear them out because they are in pain. This is the Golden Rule in action. Ease their pain. There is probably no satisfying answer that you could give, but your compassion and willingness to hold their pain will reverberate beyond your words. If pressed, I simply respond softly, “I suffer too, and I put my faith in Jesus Christ.”

Avoid giving pious platitudes because people will dismiss you. Give as real an answer as you can, like, “This crisis hurts me. I know people who are hurt by it, and I can see that this bothers you too.” We want to show others we are in solidarity with their experiences. We find the two experiences that are common to all of us: We love, and we suffer.

Others will impose their solutions to the crisis. Let them say what is one their mind. Paraphrase their sentiments by agreeing that change is needed. I understand people’s need to rush to a judgment, however, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We cannot form hasty, incomplete conclusions and then hold them as immutable. We are a people who strive to understand and to love others. We embrace the mystery of incompleteness and we seek the good even in times of darkness.

To positively judge a situation, we need to be skillful word artists. We want to describe accurately what we experience while avoiding words that evaluate and draw conclusions. If we can be articulate people who criticize and find fault, then we can use those same exact skills to build up and to encourage. We simply need to change the direction of our verbal expressions to a positive orientation and choose our words more selectively. We can always find an affirmative way to express a sentiment or we can choose to refrain from speaking. Learning valuable communication styles will help us be heard and be valued.

Why do I stay? Well, because you are here. That’s enough reason for me. Christ is with us, in all our chaos, personal and worldwide, and he is here in his Eucharist, upon which I depend. I feel sadness for our failure to care for you properly, and I know God knows and hears us. I know the forces for good, the agents of the Holy Spirit, are leading us to a better place. With you, I’ll stay, and I know God will always be found by our side.

Scripture for Daily Mass

First Reading: 

Monday: (Sirach 1) T All wisdom comes from the LORD and with him it remains forever, and is before all time The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain, the days of eternity: who can number these? Heaven's height, earth's breadth, the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?

Tuesday: (Sirach 2) when you come to serve the LORD, stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, incline your ear and receive the word of understanding, undisturbed in time of adversity. Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not.

Wednesday: (Sirach 4) Wisdom breathes life into her children and admonishes those who seek her. He who loves her loves life; those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord. He who holds her fast inherits glory.

Thursday: (Sirach 5) Rely not on your wealth; say not: "I have the power." Rely not on your strength in following the desires of your heart. Say not: "Who can prevail against me?" or, "Who will subdue me for my deeds?" for God will surely exact the punishment.

Friday (Sirach 6) A kind mouth multiplies friends and appeases enemies, and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings. Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant. When you gain a friend, first test him, and be not too ready to trust him.

Saturday (Sirach 17) God from the earth created man, and in his own image he made him. He makes man return to earth again, and endows him with a strength of his own. Limited days of life he gives him, with power over all things else on earth.

Gospel: 

Monday: (Mark 9) “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?

Tuesday: (Mark 9) He was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise." But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

Wednesday (Mark 9) "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.

Thursday (Mark 9) Jesus said to his disciples: "Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

Friday (Mark 10) "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him. He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" They replied, "Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her."

Saturday (Mark 10) People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Saints of the Week

February 23: Polycarp, bishop and martyr (69-155), was made bishop of Smyrna and was the leader of the second generation Christians. He was a disciple of the apostle John and a friend of Ignatius of Antioch. He wrote catechesis and rites for initiation into the Christian community. He was martyred in 155 and is a Father of the early church.

March 1: Katherine Drexel (1858-1955), was from a wealthy Philadelphian banking family and she and her two sisters inherited a great sum of money when her parents died. She joined the Sisters of Mercy and wanted to found her own order called the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to work among the African and Native Americans. Her inheritance funded schools and missions throughout the South and on reservations. A heart attack in 1935 sent her into retirement.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Feb 24, 1637. The death of Francis Pavone. Inflamed by his words and holy example, sixty members of a class of philosophy that he taught and the entire class of poetry embraced the religious state.

·      Feb 25, 1558. St Aloysius Gonzaga received tonsure at the Lateran basilica. Within the next month he would receive the minor orders.

·      Feb 26, 1611. The death of Antonio Possevino, sent by Pope Gregory XIII on many important embassies to Sweden, Russia, Poland, and Germany. In addition to founding colleges and seminaries in Cracow, Olmutz, Prague, Braunsberg, and Vilna, he found time to write 24 books.

·      Feb 27, 1767. Charles III banished the Society from Spain and seized its property.

·      Feb 28, 1957. The Jesuit Volunteer Corps began.

·      Mar 1, 1549. At Gandia, the opening of a college of the Society founded by St Francis Borgia.

·      Mar 2, 1606. The martyrdom in the Tower of London of St Nicholas Owen, a brother nicknamed "Little John." For 26 years he constructed hiding places for priests in homes throughout England. Despite severe torture he never revealed the location of these safe places.