Saturday, August 31, 2024
Prayer: Augustine
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Unspoken Faith: The Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024
Unspoken Faith:
www.johnpredmoresj.compredmoresj@yahoo.comThe Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024
September 1, 2024
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Deuteronomy 4:1-8; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-23
Moses is putting before the people the choice between actual faith and idolatry. For a Jew, the Law gives life and makes the people into wise and intelligent people. He points out that what is important is our actions. Actions are the proof of faith. Words that profess belief are meaningless unless they are followed up by actions. The Psalm punctuates this thought; Those who do justice are proof of one’s faith. This is the point of the Gospel passage when Jesus teaches the scribes and the Pharisees about faith.
The Pharisees and religious leaders turned the Jewish faith into a practice rather than an expression of one’s dependence upon God. It became identity politics in which one’s attire and actions spoke about one’s beliefs. Their religion has turned into idolatry an ideology, and we have the same practices today when we tend to focus upon religious clothing or devotional practices. Jesus scolds the religious leaders and reminds them they have moved away from the faith in the name of religion. They have religion but not faith.
Jesus wants the faithful to focus on their attitudes and thoughts rather than their outward practices. One’s attitudes determines one’s worldview. A person of faith does not harbor ill will or terrible thoughts about one’s neighbor. Evil comes from our thoughts, which then form our attitudes, and our attitudes propel us to act. A person of faith is a just person who suspends and puts aside quick attitudes and rash judgments. This person seeks to learn from God how to be in right relations with others. Justice, wisdom, and intelligence is the mark of the faithful one. The person of faith is slow to speak because she does not want to make incorrect or hasty judgments.
Some theologians claim that we are in a crisis within organized religion. Some see it as a crisis of faith, and we have to look at that statement more clearly. It might be rightly said that there is a crisis in faith in the church, but can we accurately say that people have lost faith in God? That is a hard statement to make. It is certain that people’s relationship with the church has changed and that many people consider themselves spiritual but not religious. For many, the church is no longer relevant. It might be a place to worship every once in a while, but overall, the church does not meet their needs. If the church does not seem welcoming, meaningful, or just, why would someone want to attend? If the church does not seem response to the needs of the laity or can read the signs of the times, why would anyone bother to attend? If society is moving forward and some of the priests want to bring the church back to the less-than-ideal 1950s, what reason would a maturing, thinking, reflective person want to step back into a past ideology?
We cannot say that the people do not have faith in God. We see their goodness and holiness through their actions. People of goodwill are working hard to make the world a better place. Their actions are just, wise, and intelligent, and their hearts are filled with the desire for goodness, beauty, and truth. Jesus would point out these people as people of faith. You just might not find them in a synagogue, mosque, or church. Faith helps a person transcend religion. Faith is the mingling of God’s presence into the heart of a good person.
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (1 Corinthians 2) I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling.
Tuesday: (1 Corinthians 2) The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. Among men, who knows what pertains to the man except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
Wednesday: (1 Corinthians 3) I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, for you are still of the flesh.
Thursday: (1 Corinthians 3) If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.
Friday (1 Corinthians 4) Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal.
Saturday (1 Corinthians 4) Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written, so that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over against another.
Gospel:
Monday: (Luke 4) He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
Tuesday: (Luke 4) Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Wednesday (Luke 4) After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
Thursday (Luke 5) While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Friday (Luke 5) “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
Saturday (Luke 6) Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry?
Saints of the Week
September 3: Gregory the Great (540-604) was the chief magistrate in Rome and resigned to become a monk. He was the papal ambassador to Constantinople, abbot, and pope. His charity and fair justice won the hearts of many. He protected Jews and synthesized Christian wisdom. He described the duties of bishops and promoted beautiful liturgies that often incorporated chants the bear his name.
September 7: Stephen Pongracz (priest), Melchior Grodziecki (priest), and Mark Krizevcanin (canon) of the Society of Jesus were matyred in 1619 when they would not deny their faith in Slovakia. They were chaplains to Hungarian Catholic troops, which raised the ire of Calvinists who opposed the Emperor. They were brutally murdered through a lengthy process that most Calvinists and Protestants opposed.
This Week in Jesuit History
- September 1, 1907. The Buffalo Mission was dissolved, and its members were sent to the New York and Missouri Provinces and the California Mission.
- September 2, 1792. In Paris, ten ex-Jesuits were massacred for refusing to take the Constitutional oath. Also in Paris seven other fathers were put to death by the Republicans, among them Frs. Peter and Robert Guerin du Rocher.
- September 3, 1566. Queen Elizabeth visited Oxford and heard the 26-year-old Edmund Campion speak. He was to meet her again as a prisoner, brought to hear her offer of honors or death.
- September 4, 1760. At Para, Brazil, 150 men of the Society were shipped as prisoners, reaching Lisbon on December 2. They were at once exiled to Italy and landed at Civita Vecchia on January 17, 1761.
- September 5, 1758. The French Parliament issued a decree condemning Fr. Busembaum's Medulla Theologiae Moralis.
- September 6, 1666. The Great Fire of London broke out on this date. There is not much the Jesuits have not been blamed for, and this was no exception. It was said to be the work of Papists and Jesuits. King Charles II banished all the fathers from England.
- September 7, 1773. King Louis XV wrote to Clement XIV, expressing his heartfelt joy at the suppression of the Society.
Fe tácita: El Vigésimo Segundo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024
Fe tácita:
El Vigésimo Segundo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024
1 de septiembre de 2024
Deuteronomio 4:1-8; Salmo 15; Santiago 1:17-27; Marcos 7:1-23
Moisés está planteando al pueblo la elección entre la fe real y la idolatría. Para un judío, la Ley da vida y convierte al pueblo en gente sabia e inteligente. Señala que lo importante son nuestras acciones. Las acciones son la prueba de la fe. Las palabras que profesan creencia no tienen sentido a menos que vayan seguidas de acciones. El Salmo acentúa este pensamiento; Quienes hacen justicia son prueba de la fe. Este es el punto del pasaje del Evangelio cuando Jesús enseña a los escribas y fariseos acerca de la fe.
Los fariseos y los líderes religiosos convirtieron la fe judía en una práctica más que en una expresión de la dependencia de Dios. Se convirtió en una política de identidad en la que la vestimenta y las acciones de cada uno hablaban de sus creencias. Su religión se ha convertido en idolatría en una ideología, y hoy tenemos las mismas prácticas cuando tendemos a centrarnos en la vestimenta religiosa o las prácticas devocionales. Jesús regaña a los líderes religiosos y les recuerda que se han alejado de la fe en nombre de la religión. Tienen religión pero no fe.
Jesús quiere que los fieles se centren en sus actitudes y pensamientos en lugar de en sus prácticas externas. Las actitudes de cada uno determinan su visión del mundo. Una persona de fe no alberga mala voluntad ni pensamientos terribles sobre el prójimo. El mal proviene de nuestros pensamientos, que luego forman nuestras actitudes, y nuestras actitudes nos impulsan a actuar. Una persona de fe es una persona justa que suspende y deja de lado actitudes precipitadas y juicios precipitados. Esta persona busca aprender de Dios cómo tener buenas relaciones con los demás. Justicia, sabiduría e inteligencia es la marca del fiel. La persona de fe tarda en hablar porque no quiere emitir juicios incorrectos o apresurados.
Algunos teólogos afirman que estamos en una crisis dentro de la religión organizada. Algunos lo ven como una crisis de fe y tenemos que mirar esa afirmación con más claridad. Podría decirse con razón que hay una crisis de fe en la iglesia, pero ¿podemos decir con precisión que la gente ha perdido la fe en Dios? Esa es una afirmación difícil de hacer. Es cierto que la relación de la gente con la iglesia ha cambiado y que muchas personas se consideran espirituales pero no religiosas. Para muchos, la iglesia ya no es relevante. Puede que sea un lugar para adorar de vez en cuando , pero en general, la iglesia no satisface sus necesidades. Si la iglesia no parece acogedora, significativa o justa, ¿por qué alguien querría asistir? Si la iglesia no parece responder a las necesidades de los laicos o no puede leer los signos de los tiempos, ¿por qué alguien se molestaría en asistir? Si la sociedad está avanzando y algunos de los sacerdotes quieren que la iglesia regrese a la década de 1950, que no era tan ideal, ¿por qué una persona madura, pensante y reflexiva querría retroceder a una ideología del pasado?
No podemos decir que el pueblo no tiene fe en Dios. Vemos su bondad y santidad a través de sus acciones. Las personas de buena voluntad están trabajando arduamente para hacer del mundo un lugar mejor. Sus acciones son justas, sabias e inteligentes, y sus corazones están llenos del deseo de bondad, belleza y verdad. Jesús señalaría a estas personas como personas de fe. Es posible que no los encuentre en una sinagoga, mezquita o iglesia. La fe ayuda a una persona a trascender la religión. La fe es la mezcla de la presencia de Dios en el corazón de una buena persona.
Escritura para la misa diaria
Lunes: (1 Corintios 2 ) No vine con sublimidad de palabras ni de sabiduría. Porque mientras estuve con vosotros me propuse no saber nada más que a Jesucristo, y a éste crucificado.
Vine a vosotros con debilidad, miedo y mucho temblor .
Martes: (1 Corintios 2 ) El Espíritu lo escudriña todo, incluso las profundidades de Dios. Entre los hombres, ¿quién sabe lo que pertenece al hombre excepto su espíritu que está dentro?
De manera similar, nadie sabe lo que pertenece a Dios excepto el Espíritu de Dios.
Miércoles: (1 Corintios 3 ) No pude hablaros como a personas espirituales, sino como a personas carnales, como a niños en Cristo. Te di leche, no comida sólida, porque no podías tomarla. De hecho, ni siquiera ahora podéis, porque todavía sois de la carne.
Jueves: (1 Corintios 3 ) Si alguno entre vosotros se considera sabio en este siglo, hágase necio para llegar a ser sabio. Porque la sabiduría de este mundo es necedad a los ojos de Dios.
Viernes (1 Corintios 4 ) Así debemos considerarnos: como servidores de Cristo y administradores de los misterios de Dios. Ahora, por supuesto, se exige a los mayordomos que sean considerados dignos de confianza. No me importa en lo más mínimo que sea juzgado por usted o por cualquier tribunal humano.
Sábado (1 Corintios 4 ) Aprended de mí y de Apolos a no ir más allá de lo que está escrito, para que ninguno de vosotros se envanezca a favor de uno frente a otro.
Evangelio:
Lunes: (Lucas 4) Se levantó para leer y le entregaron un rollo del profeta Isaías. Desenrolló el rollo y encontró el pasaje donde estaba escrito: El Espíritu del Señor está sobre mí, porque me ha ungido para anunciar la buena nueva a los pobres.
Martes: (Lucas 4 ) Jesús descendió a Capernaum, un pueblo de Galilea. Les enseñaba en sábado, y estaban asombrados de su enseñanza, porque hablaba con autoridad . Estaba en la sinagoga un hombre que tenía un espíritu de demonio inmundo, y gritó a gran voz: "¿Qué tienes que ver con nosotros, Jesús Nazareno?
Miércoles (Lucas 4 ) Después de salir Jesús de la sinagoga, entró en casa de Simón. La suegra de Simón tenía mucha fiebre, y intercedieron ante él por ella. Él se paró junto a ella, reprendió la fiebre y ésta la abandonó.
Jueves (Lucas 5 ) Mientras la multitud apretujaba a Jesús y escuchaba la palabra de Dios, él estaba de pie junto al lago de Genesaret. Vio dos barcos junto al lago; Los pescadores habían desembarcado y estaban lavando sus redes.
Viernes (Lucas 5 ) “Los discípulos de Juan Bautista ayunan con frecuencia y ofrecen oraciones, y lo mismo hacen los discípulos de los fariseos; pero los tuyos comen y beben”. Jesús les respondió: “¿Podéis hacer ayunar a los invitados a la boda mientras el novio está con ellos?
Sábado (Lucas 6 ) Algunos fariseos dijeron: “¿Por qué hacéis lo que no está permitido en sábado?” Jesús les respondió: “¿No habéis leído lo que hizo David cuando él y los que con él estaban tuvieron hambre?
Santos de la semana
3 de septiembre: Gregorio el Grande (540-604) era el magistrado principal de Roma y renunció para convertirse en monje. Fue embajador papal en Constantinopla, abad y papa. Su caridad y justicia justa se ganaron los corazones de muchos. Protegió a los judíos y sintetizó la sabiduría cristiana. Describió los deberes de los obispos y promovió hermosas liturgias que a menudo incorporaban cánticos que llevan su nombre.
7 de septiembre: Stephen Pongracz (sacerdote), Melchior Grodziecki (sacerdote) y Mark Krizevcanin (canónigo) de la Compañía de Jesús se casaron en 1619 cuando no negaron su fe en Eslovaquia. Fueron capellanes de las tropas católicas húngaras, lo que provocó la ira de los calvinistas que se oponían al Emperador . Fueron brutalmente asesinados mediante un largo proceso al que se opusieron la mayoría de los calvinistas y protestantes.
Esta semana en la historia jesuita
- 1 de septiembre de 1907. La Misión Buffalo se disolvió y sus miembros fueron enviados a las Provincias de Nueva York y Missouri y a la Misión de California.
- 2 de septiembre de 1792. En París, diez ex jesuitas fueron masacrados por negarse a prestar el juramento constitucional. También en París otros siete padres fueron ejecutados por los republicanos, entre ellos los PP. Peter y Robert Guérin du Rocher.
- septiembre de 1566. La reina Isabel visitó Oxford y escuchó hablar a Edmund Campion, de 26 años. Iba a encontrarse con ella nuevamente como prisionero, llevado a escuchar su oferta de honores o muerte.
- 4 de septiembre de 1760. En Pará, Brasil, 150 hombres de la Sociedad fueron enviados como prisioneros, llegando a Lisboa el 2 de diciembre. Inmediatamente fueron exiliados a Italia y desembarcados en Civita Vecchia el 17 de enero de 1761.
- 5 de septiembre de 1758. El Parlamento francés emitió un decreto condenando al P. Busembaum's Teología de la médula Morales .
- 6 de septiembre de 1666. En esta fecha estalló el Gran Incendio de Londres. No hay mucho por lo que no se haya culpado a los jesuitas, y ésta no fue la excepción. Se decía que era obra de papistas y jesuitas. El rey Carlos II desterró a todos los padres de Inglaterra.
- 7 de septiembre de 1773. El rey Luis XV escribe a Clemente XIV, expresando su más sincera alegría por la supresión de la Sociedad.
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Prayer: Ignatius of Loyola
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Prayer: Ephrem the Syrian
Monday, August 26, 2024
Prayer: Minucius Felix
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Prayer: The need for divine judgment
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Poem: Fr. Joseph T. Nolan
In Christ, then, are all things
and he is everything to us.
If you have wounds to be healed, he is your physician;
if fever inflames you, he is a fountain.
Do you seek to punish evil doing? He is justice.
Do you need help? He is strength.
Do you fear death? He is life.
Do you long for heaven? He is the way.
Do you hunger? He is food.
Of that food we have all received
and give you thanks in his name.
Friday, August 23, 2024
Spirituality: The afterlife, by Toby Wilkerson
The Rise And Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkerson covers the dynasties from 3000 BC to 30 BC, who the pyramid builders were, who the tomb builders etc, the good guys from the bad guys. The concept of the afterlife which appeared during the eighth Dynasty.
“Such rigid distinctions weakened and eventually gave way as royal authority waned during the long reign of Pepy II and the strife that followed it. Ideas of a transcendent afterlife in the company of the gods spread through the population, transforming funerary practices and the wider culture. Earthly success and being well remembered after death were no longer enough. The hope of something better in the next world, of transfiguration and transformation, became paramount. Notions of what lay on the other side of death were elaborated, codified and combined in ever more inventive formulations. In the process, the ancient Egyptians devised the key concepts of original sin, an underworld rife with dangers and demons, a final judgement before the great god, and the promise of a glorious resurrection.. These concepts would echo through later civilizations and ultimately shape the Judeo-Christian tradition."
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Spirituality: October Meeting of the Synod
I am enclosing an update to the Roman Catholic Church’s Synod on Synodality. Many of you know that this has been a process unfolding over the past several years. In October 2023, once all the documents were reviewed by the working groups, selected Cardinals, bishops, priests, and laymen and women gathered for a three-week conversation in Rome. Based on the roundtable discussions, additional work was done in committees from November 2023 until September 2024. The second gathering of the same group of people will reconvene in Rome in October.
The Synod will convene in Rome on Wednesday, October 2nd and will conclude on Sunday, October 27th. Is it the end? No. The Synod is mean to become a way of life for the Church. It is meant to start again, adapt to the times, adjust itself, and continue to learn how to go forward.
What’s the point?
The whole point of the Synod is to implement a process of dialogue and listening at all levels of the church. Pope Francis has often spoken about a culture of encounter where we see the humanity in each other and find commonalities during a time of loneliness, disconnectedness, and tribalism. The church realizes that it is nearly impossible to govern a worldwide communion, where Catholicism is growing in Africa and Asia and is receding in the Western world. The goal is decentralization in order to respect the diversity and cultural practices of various regions.
The Church has been known for its ability to speak on certain dogmatic and moral issues within society. It is known less for its ability to listen meaningfully to discern the signs of the times. The Synod begins a process of walking together, learning from one another, and resolving issues locally yet in line with Scripture and church teachings.
The Church today encounters a secularity and realizes that God is operative in cultures. It is also looking at the other Christian denominations and seeing the need for a growing partnership and encounter. Ecumenism is a new frontier for the Church.
Only a change in style?
It is a big deal. The Church is adjusting its view of its place in the world and its responsibility for ecumenism, interfaith relationships, and improved relationships with nations. The Church continues to emerge from Vatican II that effectively put an end to the Church acting as a European monarchy. Today, it engages with diverse cultures as it seeks to promote expressions of worship within one’s local culture rather than imposing a culture that emerged out of its European roots.
This is what a change in style and vocabulary looks like:
Former way: command, laws, threats, coercion, monologue, ruling, exclusion, rivalry, hostility, distrust, and so on.
Current way: invitations, dialogue, cooperation, collaboration, partnership, freedom, inclusion, holiness, conscience, dignity, and so forth.
The Church is in a learning process because it is now listening to various voices, and especially to the voices that come from empty chairs. To be faithful to the Gospel, Church leaders are realizing they are not just responsible for those who sit in the pews, but also to those who do not feel welcome. The Church is getting out of its building and is learning to engage with those outside the walls of the Church.
Mostly, the Church collectively is trying to listen to the invitations of the Holy Spirit.
An end to clericalism, elitism, rigorism
A result of the Synod is to be pastorally sensitive and a Church that is known for its mercy, most especially to the poor and the marginalized. A consequence to listening, responding, and walking together is the dismantling of the structures of clericalism, elitism, and rigorism. Those ideologies can no longer exist when the Church truly listens and engages the needs of the time.
We want more. We want action.
We want results. In some ways, many will be sorely disappointed. Changing one’s style takes many years and great diligence. The Church first must learn to listen without judgment and then to encourage dialogue, which promotes compassionate understanding. It will take a long time, and we want results quicker. Well, this learning process will take decades and generations, and it is the only way forward. We are used to a Church that makes authoritative decisions and pronounced judgments. That is the way of the past and the Church realizes a new way is being created.
I get it. You want change in some areas of Church practice. You deserve to be heard, and you deserve to have the change realized. For instance, the Synod realized that it cannot simply talk about women’s roles and women’s equality, and then suggest that women wait a bit longer. This is an area of great deliberation.
Women Deacons?
A tangible easy fix for many is to ordain women to the diaconate as it can be a restored ministry within the history of the Church. Pope Francis established a commission in 2016 that ended up with the question: Were women who historically served as deacons ordained? This question is still under deliberation in this current Synod. The focus has shifted to baptized ministry. Pope Francis would like the current diaconate ministry to be focused less on liturgical functions and more on serving the poor and providing works of corporal mercy. Since there is no proof of ordination in historical precedence, Pope Francis is saying, “No,” to women as ordained deacons. This response surprises and hurts many people.
A Focus on Ministry
Pope Francis is focusing on baptism as the authority for ministry. More likely, the Synod may conclude that by virtue of baptism, laymen and laywomen may perform functions that are currently performed by male deacons. This could mean that the roles of Catechist that is present in many parts of the Church be elevated as an essential ministry. It may mean that properly trained laymen and laywomen preach at Masses, perform baptisms, funerals, and weddings, except for the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist. The Synod is trying to elevate the function and roles of ministry without dealing with the issue of holy orders. For some, this is not enough. For others, it is at least a way of looking at what ministry means and how the laity can be active ministers of the Gospel.
A Jubilee Year
At the start of the Church’s new year, December (Advent) 2024, a jubilee year will commence. The Church has a jubilee year every 25 years, and this year’s theme is Pilgrims of Hope. Jubilee years are embedded deep into the Judeo-Christian history when debts are forgiven, and prisoners are set free. This year, the Church urges nations to grant amnesty to prisoners and calls on the world’s most powerful entities to forgive the debts of poor countries.
It is also a year of ecumenism as the Church expands its friendship and cooperation with other Christian expressions of faith. The year 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, that established the Christian creed. It is designed to be a source of Christian unity, and the beginning of the path to unity with Orthodox Catholics as well.
The Church has much work ahead. Let us continue to pray to the Holy Spirit to lead us as we make our way forward so that we bring the mercy of God to our world.
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
A Time of Commitment: The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024
A Time of Commitment:
The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024
August 25, 2024
Joshua 24:1-18; Psalm 34; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69
The reading from Joshua and from the Fourth Gospel give us the same message: we have free choice to be a disciple. Joshua gathers the Twelve Tribes at Shechem to remind them they have free will. Shechem was chosen as a place for this commitment for several reasons. First, it is located just south of Mount Gerazim and is located between Galilee and Jerusalem. It is a fortified city just south of the Samaritans with whom the Israelites shared common ancestry and rivalries. It was the place where Abraham stopped and received the promises of the land by God. His great grandson, Joseph’s, bones were buried there upon return from slavery in Egypt. Before the entered Canaan by the sword and force, Joshua called the tribes together to pronounce the blessings and curses of the law. Once they had chosen to follow the Lord, the Hebrews could begin their conquest of Canaan and occupy the Promised Land. Shechem, now called Nablus, is known as the land of commitment.
The Bread of Life discourse was set in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee, not far from where Peter gave his commitment, which was needed for Jesus to build his church upon him. This was the time in the friendship where one’s commitment would be put to the test. Last week, we heard him give the hard saying, “I am the Bread of Heaven; you must eat my flesh and drink by blood,” and today, we hear the disciples saying, “This is a hard saying to accept.” At that point, many people left his way of life and returned to their own lifestyles. I often wondered what happened to those who could not yet accept his teaching. The fact is real: many left.
Jesus gives his disciples the freedom to leave as well. They stay. Some reluctantly. They do not understand what Jesus is saying to them, but they know from their experience all that has led to this point. They can’t leave. The world lacks meaning without him. Peter's acclamation concludes a journey of learning and faith. He will stay.
We, though, have our own decisions to make, and they are not easy ones. Jesus, in different ways, asks us the same question: Are you going to stay in relationship with me? Now, it might seem like an easy answer and we would say “yes, I am baptized, confirmed, and I attend church regularly,” but the question is more sophisticated than that. It asks will you continue to grow and evolve as I do in the complex reality of the world? Will you stay faithful to my commandments to love God wholly and to love your neighbor as much as you do yourself?
The question today becomes whether we love ideology more than Jesus. Do I see myself as a Christian rather than a member of a political ideology? The question is about whether I demand judgments and justice rather than mercy. The question becomes about expanding my consciousness so that I adopt radical hospitality, patience, and has a disposition of positive regard. We have lots of ways in which the way of Jesus is presented to us. Sometimes, it is a hard saying and we cannot adopt his thinking. Sometimes, it is a hard saying and we decide we have to carry on and keep calm.
At the root of it is (1.) our free will and ability to choose and (2.) our desire to stay in relationship with Jesus, the person, not the ideology. To do so means that it gets harder to act as a disciple. The stakes are greater, and the sacrifice is larger. We find that we stand empty before Jesus to say: I’m willing to go with you. You have shown us so much this far. We can only go forward. We are empty and humbled, and that shows that we are on the way of being his friend.
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (2 Thessalonians 1) We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.
Tuesday: (2 Thessalonians 2) We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way.
Wednesday: (2 Thessalonians 3) We instruct you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who walks in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. For you know how one must imitate us.
Thursday: (1 Corinthians 1) I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Friday (1 Corinthians 1) Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
Saturday (1 Corinthians 1) Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.
Gospel:
Monday: (Matthew 23) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
Tuesday: (Matthew 23) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Wednesday (Matthew 23) You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
Thursday (Mark 6) Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Friday (Matthew 25) The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Saturday (Matthew 25) A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.
Saints of the Week
August 25: Louis of France (1214-1270) became king at age 12, but did not take over leadership until ten years later. He had eleven children with his wife, Marguerite, and his kingship reigned for 44 years. His rule ushered in a longstanding peace and prosperity for the nation. He is held up as a paragon of medieval Christian kings.
August 25: Joseph Calasanz, priest (1556-1648), was a Spaniard who studied canon law and theology. He resigned his post as diocesan vicar-general to go to Rome to live as a pilgrim and serve the sick and the dying. He used his inheritance to set up free schools for poor families with children. He founded an order to administer the schools, but dissension and power struggles led to its dissolution.
August 27: Monica (332-387) was born a Christian in North Africa and was married to a non-Christian, Patricius, with whom she had three children, the most famous being Augustine. Her husband became a Christian at her urging and she prayed for Augustine's conversion as well from his newly adopted Manichaeism. Monica met Augustine in Milan where he was baptized by Bishop Ambrose. She died on the return trip as her work was complete.
August 28: Augustine, bishop and doctor (354-430), was the author of his Confessions, his spiritual autobiography, and The City of God, which described the life of faith in relation to the life of the temporal world. Many other writings, sermons, and treatises earned him the title Doctor of the church. In his formative years, he followed Mani, a Persian prophet who tried to explain the problem of evil in the world. His mother’s prayers and Ambrose’s preaching helped him convert to Christianity. Baptized in 387, Monica died a year later. He was ordained and five years later named bishop of Hippo and defended the church against three major heresies: Manichaeism, Donatism, and Pelagianism.
August 29: The Martyrdom of John the Baptist recalls the sad events of John's beheading by Herod the tetrarch when John called him out for his incestuous and adulterous marriage to Herodias, who was his niece and brother's wife. At a birthday party, Herodias' daughter Salome danced well earning the favor of Herod who told her he would give her almost anything she wanted.
This Week in Jesuit History
- August 25, 1666: At Beijing, the death of Fr. John Adam Schall. By his profound knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, he attained such fame that the Emperor entrusted to him the reform of the Chinese calendar.
- August 26, 1562: The return of Fr. Diego Laynez from France to Trent, the Fathers of the Council desiring to hear him speak on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
- August 27, 1679: The martyrdom at Usk, England, of St. David Lewis, apostle to the poor in his native Wales for three decades before he was caught and hanged.
- August 28, 1628: The martyrdom in Lancashire, England, of St. Edmund Arrowsmith.
- August 29, 1541: At Rome the death of Fr. John Codure, a Savoyard, one of the first 10 companions of St. Ignatius.
- August 30, 1556: On the banks of the St. Lawrence River, the Iroquois mortally wounded Fr. Leonard Garreau, a young missionary.
- August 31, 1581: In St. John's Chapel within the Tower of London, a religious discussion took place between St. Edmund Campion, suffering from recent torture, and some Protestant ministers.
Un tiempo de compromiso: El XXI Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024
Un tiempo de compromiso:
El XXI Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario 2024
25 de agosto de 2024
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Josué 24:1-18; Salmo 34; Efesios 5:21-32; Juan 6:60-69
La lectura de Josué y del Cuarto Evangelio nos dan el mismo mensaje: tenemos libre elección de ser discípulos. Josué reúne a las Doce Tribus en Siquem para recordarles que tienen libre albedrío. Siquem fue elegido como lugar para este compromiso por varias razones. En primer lugar, se encuentra justo al sur del monte Gerazim y se encuentra entre Galilea y Jerusalén. Es una ciudad fortificada justo al sur de los samaritanos con quienes los israelitas compartían ascendencia común y rivalidades. Fue el lugar donde Abraham se detuvo y recibió las promesas de la tierra por parte de Dios. Los huesos de su bisnieto, José, fueron enterrados allí al regresar de la esclavitud en Egipto. Antes de entrar en Canaán por la espada y la fuerza, Josué convocó a las tribus para pronunciar las bendiciones y maldiciones de la ley. Una vez que decidieron seguir al Señor, los hebreos pudieron comenzar la conquista de Canaán y ocupar la Tierra Prometida. Siquem, ahora llamada Nablus, es conocida como la tierra del compromiso.
El discurso del Pan de Vida tuvo lugar en Capernaúm, en el mar de Galilea, no lejos de donde Pedro dio su compromiso, que era necesario para que Jesús construyera su iglesia sobre él. Este era el momento de la amistad en el que el compromiso de uno se pondría a prueba. La semana pasada le escuchamos decir la difícil frase: “Yo soy el pan del cielo; debéis comer mi carne y beber mi sangre”, y hoy escuchamos a los discípulos decir: “Esta es una palabra difícil de aceptar”. En ese momento, muchas personas abandonaron su forma de vida y regresaron a sus propios estilos de vida. A menudo me preguntaba qué les pasaba a aquellos que aún no podían aceptar sus enseñanzas. El hecho es real: muchos se fueron.
Jesús da a sus discípulos la libertad de irse también. Se quedan. Algunos de mala gana. No entienden lo que Jesús les dice, pero saben por experiencia todo lo que les ha llevado a este punto. No pueden irse. El mundo carece de sentido sin él. La aclamación de Pedro concluye un camino de aprendizaje y de fe. Él se quedará.
Nosotros, sin embargo, tenemos que tomar nuestras propias decisiones y no son fáciles. Jesús, de diferentes maneras, nos hace la misma pregunta: ¿Vas a permanecer en relación conmigo? Ahora bien, podría parecer una respuesta fácil y diríamos “sí, estoy bautizado, confirmado y asisto a la iglesia con regularidad”, pero la pregunta es más sofisticada que eso. Pregunta: ¿seguirás creciendo y evolucionando como lo hago yo en la compleja realidad del mundo? ¿Permanecerás fiel a mis mandamientos de amar a Dios plenamente y de amar a tu prójimo tanto como a ti mismo?
La pregunta hoy es si amamos la ideología más que a Jesús. ¿Me veo a mí mismo como cristiano en lugar de miembro de una ideología política? La pregunta es si exijo juicios y justicia en lugar de misericordia. La cuestión es ampliar mi conciencia para adoptar una hospitalidad radical, tener paciencia y tener una disposición de consideración positiva. Tenemos muchas maneras en que se nos presenta el camino de Jesús. A veces es una palabra dura y no podemos adoptar su pensamiento. A veces es una palabra dura y decidimos que hay que seguir adelante y mantener la calma.
En la raíz de esto está (1.) nuestro libre albedrío y capacidad de elegir y (2.) nuestro deseo de permanecer en relación con Jesús, la persona, no la ideología. Hacerlo significa que se vuelve más difícil actuar como discípulo. Lo que está en juego es mayor y el sacrificio es mayor. Nos encontramos con que estamos vacíos ante Jesús para decir: Estoy dispuesto a ir contigo. Nos has mostrado mucho hasta ahora. Sólo podemos seguir adelante. Estamos vacíos y humillados, y eso demuestra que estamos en camino de ser sus amigos.
Escritura para la misa diaria
Lunes: (2 Tesalonicenses 1 ) Debemos siempre dar gracias a Dios por vosotros, hermanos y hermanas, como conviene, porque vuestra fe florece cada vez más y el amor de cada uno de vosotros es cada vez mayor.
Martes: (2 Tesalonicenses 2 ) Les pedimos, hermanos y hermanas, con respecto a la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo y a nuestra reunión con él, que no se dejen sacudir repentinamente de su mente, ni se alarmen ni por un “espíritu ”, o mediante una declaración oral, o mediante una carta supuestamente nuestra en el sentido de que el día del Señor está cerca. Que nadie os engañe de ninguna manera.
Miércoles: (2 Tesalonicenses 3 ) Os instruimos, hermanos y hermanas, en el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que rechacéis a todo hermano que ande desordenadamente y no conforme a la tradición que han recibido de nosotros. Porque ya sabes cómo hay que imitarnos.
Jueves: (1 Corintios 1 ) Doy gracias a mi Dios siempre por vuestra cuenta de la gracia de Dios que os ha sido dada en Cristo Jesús, de que en él fuisteis enriquecidos en todo, en toda palabra y en toda ciencia, como testimonio de Cristo fue confirmado entre vosotros, para que no os falte ningún don espiritual mientras esperáis la revelación de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.
Viernes (1 Corintios 1 ) Cristo no me envió a bautizar sino a predicar el Evangelio, y no con la sabiduría de la elocuencia humana, para que la cruz de Cristo no quede vacía de su significado.
Sábado (1 Corintios 1 ) Más bien, Dios escogió a los necios del mundo para avergonzar a los sabios,
y Dios escogió a los débiles del mundo para avergonzar a los fuertes, y Dios escogió a los humildes y despreciados del mundo, a los que no cuentan para nada, reducir a la nada a los que son algo, para que ningún ser humano pueda jactarse delante de Dios.
Evangelio:
Lunes: (Mateo 23) ¡Ay de vosotros, escribas y fariseos, hipócritas! Cierras el Reino de los cielos ante los hombres. No entráis vosotros mismos, ni dejáis entrar a los que intentan entrar.
Martes: (Mateo 23 ) ¡Ay de vosotros, escribas y fariseos, hipócritas! Pagas los diezmos de la menta, el eneldo y el comino y has descuidado las cosas más importantes de la ley:
el juicio, la misericordia y la fidelidad. Pero estas deberías haberlas hecho, sin descuidar las demás.
Miércoles (Mateo 23 ) Sois como sepulcros blanqueados, que por fuera parecen hermosos, pero por dentro están llenos de huesos de muertos y de toda clase de inmundicia. Aun así, por fuera parecéis justos, pero por dentro estáis llenos de hipocresía y maldad.
Jueves (Marcos 6 ) Herodes fue quien hizo arrestar y encarcelar a Juan Bautista a causa de Herodías, la esposa de su hermano Felipe, con quien se había casado. Juan le había dicho a Herodes: "No te es lícito tener la mujer de tu hermano". Herodías le guardaba rencor y quería matarlo, pero no pudo hacerlo.
Viernes (Mateo 25 ) El Reino de los cielos será como diez vírgenes que tomando sus lámparas y salieron al encuentro del novio. Cinco de ellos eran necios y cinco sabios. Las insensatas, al tomar sus lámparas, no traían aceite consigo, pero las prudentes traían alforjas de aceite con sus lámparas.
Sábado (Mateo 25 ) Un hombre que iba de viaje llamó a sus sirvientes y les confió sus bienes. A uno le dio cinco talentos; a otro, dos; a un tercero, uno, a cada uno según su capacidad. Luego se fue. Inmediatamente el que había recibido cinco talentos fue y negoció con ellos, y ganó otros cinco.
Santos de la semana
25 de agosto: Luis de Francia (1214-1270) se convierte en rey a los 12 años, pero no asumió el liderazgo hasta diez años después. Tuvo once hijos con su esposa Margarita y su reinado reinó durante 44 años. Su gobierno marcó el comienzo de una paz y prosperidad duraderas para la nación. Se le considera un modelo de reyes cristianos medievales.
25 de agosto: José Calasanz , sacerdote (1556-1648), fue un español que estudió derecho canónico y teología. Renunció a su puesto de vicario general diocesano para ir a Roma a vivir como peregrino y servir a los enfermos y moribundos. Usó su herencia para establecer escuelas gratuitas para familias pobres con niños. Fundó una orden para administrar las escuelas, pero las disensiones y las luchas de poder llevaron a su disolución.
27 de agosto : Mónica (332-387) nace cristiana en el norte de África y está casada con un no cristiano, Patricio , con quien tiene tres hijos, siendo el más famoso Agustín. Su marido se convirtió al cristianismo a instancias de ella y ella oró por la conversión de Agustín también de su recién adoptado maniqueísmo. Mónica conoció a Agustín en Milán, donde fue bautizado por el obispo Ambrosio. Murió en el viaje de regreso cuando su trabajo estaba completo.
28 de agosto: Agustín, obispo y médico (354-430), Fue autor de sus Confesiones, su autobiografía espiritual y La ciudad de Dios, que describía la vida de fe en relación con la vida del mundo temporal. Muchos otros escritos, sermones y tratados le valieron el título de Doctor de la iglesia. En sus años de formación, siguió a Mani, un profeta persa que intentó explicar el problema del mal en el mundo. Las oraciones de su madre y la predicación de Ambrosio le ayudaron a convertirse al cristianismo. Bautizada en el año 387, Mónica murió un año después. Fue ordenado y cinco años más tarde nombrado obispo de Hipona y defendió a la iglesia contra tres herejías principales: el maniqueísmo, el donatismo y el pelagianismo.
29 de agosto: El Martirio de Juan Bautista recuerda los tristes acontecimientos de la decapitación de Juan por Herodes el tetrarca cuando Juan lo reprendió por su matrimonio incestuoso y adúltero con Herodías, quien era su sobrina y esposa de su hermano. En una fiesta de cumpleaños, Salomé, la hija de Herodías, bailó bien ganándose el favor de Herodes, quien le dijo que le daría casi todo lo que quisiera.
Esta semana en la historia jesuita
- 25 de agosto de 1666: En Beijing, muere el P. John Adam Schall . Por sus profundos conocimientos de matemáticas y astronomía, alcanzó tal fama que el Emperador le encomendó la reforma del calendario chino.
- 26 de agosto de 1562: El regreso del P. Diego Laynez de Francia a Trento, deseando los Padres del Concilio oírle hablar sobre el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa.
- 27 de agosto de 1679: Martirio en Usk , Inglaterra, de San David Lewis, apóstol de los pobres en su Gales natal durante tres décadas antes de ser capturado y ahorcado.
- 28 de agosto de 1628: Martirio en Lancashire, Inglaterra, de St. Edmund Arrowsmith.
- 29 de agosto de 1541: En Roma muere el P. Juan Codure , saboyano, uno de los 10 primeros compañeros de San Ignacio.
- 30 de agosto de 1556: A orillas del río San Lorenzo, los iroqueses hirieron de muerte al P. Leonard Garreau , un joven misionero.
- agosto de 1581: En la Capilla de San Juan dentro de la Torre de Londres, tuvo lugar una discusión religiosa entre San Edmund Campion, que había sufrido torturas recientes, y algunos ministros protestantes.