3/31/11 - Strong Men, Demons, And Christ

Luke 11:14-23

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
----

Hadn't thought about this much before, but this passage is a great reminder of the spiritual war that rages around us, how the battle goes between demons and people, and how Christ changes that.

When you have a demon and a man, the demon is the attacker who comes in and overcomes.  The demon can take away defenses and distribute the spoils.  But when Christ comes into the picture, he is the conqueror, and the demon will be slaughtered.

It's happening, all around us, every day.  We're engaged in the battle, whether we realize it or not. 

3/25/11 - May It Be Done To Me According To Your Word

Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”

Then the angel departed from her.
------
 
Mary calls herself the handmaid of the Lord.  A handmaid is a servant who literally stood waiting at the hand of the master, to do his bidding. When called upon, her job was to do whatever the master said. When she was finished, she'd return to the master's side and wait for the next order. Mary's decision to accept this role has been celebrated throughout the ages as her "Fiat," which means "let it be done" in Latin. Mary's fiat, then, is this response:

"May it be done to me according to your word."

Those are the words that changed the world forever. Mary, the Immaculate Conception (ie, full of grace), responded fully and completely to God's call. Those words make me consider how well I respond to God's call.

First -- how "full of grace" am I? How well have I been "feeding" on what Christ has offered -- the Scriptures, prayer, reconciliation, and the Eucharist? Those are the means through which I receive grace. Those are the things which allow me to be "in tune" with God, so that I can even hear His call. Am I remaining in Christ so that I can even hear what I'm asked to do? If so, how do I respond? I'd like to say my answer is always "yes," and I know it has been "yes" several times. But how many times has God called me to do something, and I either missed the call completely, or I said "No"? More than I care to admit.

God’s probably not going to ask any of us to carry His child, but he does ask us to do His work. We too can choose to be His handservants – submit to His authority, do what he says, and be still and wait for the next call. I find that when I'm prepared to do that, and give God my own little "fiat", I am blessed in ways I never would have imagined.

3/24/11 - Lazarus and the Rich Man

Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.’”
--------

There is a lot of imagery in this passage, and it prompts a lot of questions. Is this a parable or an account? Where exactly is the rich man - hell, or maybe purgatory (e.g., Scott Hahn thinks it purgatory, I think he's wrong). What is the torment like? Will we actually be able to see from one side of the chasm to another?  Will I be on one side, and someone I know and love be on the other?  Am I going to meet Abraham?

In my opinion, getting caught up in such details detracts from the clear message of the passage. We are called to obey Christ. We are called to help those in need. Christ is very clear on that in this passage, and in others. And in this passage, he gives us a glimpse of what the consequences of disobedience might be.

I don't know about you, but the imagery in this passage scares me.

When I read this I think about the times I've walked away from someone asking for money, because I just didn't want to be bothered, or I figured it was a scam, or I convinced myself that I shouldn't help because he'd just spend it on alcohol or cigarettes. Or times when I've been too busy with the things of my life to help with something else. Nope, I can't do that, I've got to get to soccer, baseball, cub scouts, dance, whatever.  Or maybe I've had a busy day or week or month, and I'm just tired.

According to Jesus, every time I've done that, I've walked away from HIM. 

One great thing about Lent in the Catholic Church is that the Church brings that message together for us, from all across the bible.  There is no hiding from it, or wiggling out of it by finding some passage somewhere that helps us justify that the way we act doesn't matter.

PS -- if you've made it this far -- tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  When we have a Solemnity on Friday during Lent, the Solemnity takes precedence.  Meditate on the annunciation, when Mary gave her "Fiat" for all of eternity.  And then ... have a steak!

3/21/11 - The Measure With Which You Measure

Luke 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
----------

This is the type of passage that if a person truly decides to live by it for the rest of his life, he could become a saint:  be merciful, don't judge, don't condemn, forgive, and give.

Where most of us mess up is the execution.  I'm convinced that there are two major reasons for this:

1.  We don't fully believe and accept that this is necessary, and therefore we don't commit to living like He lived.  

2.  We don't TRULY believe that it's actually possible that we can follow His teaching.

Over the last two years I've finally bought in to #1.  For years and years, I tried to take other passages of Scripture and use them to convince myself that I didn't have to actually live like Christ said. All I needed to do was "believe."  But then I woke up and realized that there's no way to legitimately say that I "believe in Christ" without actually BELIEVING WHAT HE SAID.    So if I believe the passage above, there are things I need to DO.

That leads us to #2.  I used to give myself an excuse by saying that nobody can actually live Christ's way.  Maybe a little bit, or in some ways, but not all the way.  Then I started reading about Saints -- the people that the Church has concluded are in heaven, without a doubt.  I've read both biographies, autobiographies, and their own writings.  Once I started doing this, I realized that there are indeed people out there who have walked this path.  

The remaining hurdle is not believing that I personally can live like Christ asked.  The key here, I think, is understanding that I can't do it alone.  However, if I put my trust completely in Him, I really can surprise myself.  On the occasions where I have completely trusted in Christ, I can testify (ie, state from my own experience), that I have a higher capacity to forgive, and a higher desire to give.  I am less judgemental and condemning.  And the best part ... I don't worry.

The path ahead, then, is to keep that thought fully in my consciousness.  I've had moments like this, but they are disconnected.  I need to become fully aware that He is the key with everything.  With Him, all is possible. 

So don't leave His side.

3/16/11 - Jonah, the Queen of the South, and Us

Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
--------

The Ninevites believed Jonah.  The Queen of the South came to see the wisdom of Solomon. The Jews had the best sign they could possibly have, right in front of them, and didn't believe.

Here's a good meditation to make during lent.

How many times is that me?  How many times do I not fully believe Christ, even though He is right in front of me?  How many times do I disobey Him, even though He is right here, inside of me?  How many times do I refuse to follow Him, even though He is right in front of me, offering to lead me? 

12/29/10 - Mary's Sorrows

Luke 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
-------
This passage is interesting because different aspects of it have been memorialized in two rosaries.  Probably everyone reading knows that the Presentation is one of the joyful mysteries of the Dominican Rosary (ie, the rosary most commonly said).  It also contains the first of Mary's sorrows -- the prophecy of Simeon that Mary's heart would be pierced by a sword "so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

I hadn't spent much time thinking about Mary's sorrows until earlier this year.  However, when my mother passed away, I found a rosary with seven groups of seven beads each, and each group of beads separated by a medal with a picture from Mary's life.  Somehow I recognized this as a Seven Sorrows Rosary, but I didn't know anything about it.  I never even knew my mom had it, or how long it had been since she prayed it.  But there it was.

I researched its history. I read meditations of saints and one Doctor of the Church (St. Alphonsus Liguori) on it.  I learned that in the Church-approved Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Rwanda, the Blessed Mother re-introduced this rosary to the visionary, and asked her to say it.  I learned how to say it, and gave it a try.

It causes me to think about the events in Christ's life from Mary's perspective -- that of a loving parent caring for a child.  As I meditate on the mysteries, I imagine my own children in the role of Christ.  I imagine knowing from the very start that even though my children would ultimately bring joy to the world, that it would come along with sorrowful and excruciating moments for me.  I imagine the flight to Egypt, going into a completely unknown land to protect my own child from MURDER.  I imagine what it would be like to lose a child for three days.  And so on, through watching my children be nailed to a cross and crucified, receiving and caring for their bodies, and putting them in a tomb.

Since it came into my hands, I've been saying it on a fairly regular basis. I can tell you that for me at least, my rosary is more fruitful and my meditations are more memorable and vivid when I say this Rosary.  I find it to be a great "tool" for meditating upon Christ's life, and it also puts the role of the Virgin Mary in a new light for me.  And in the end, I believe this is why I received this Rosary.  It's pretty clear to me that God/Jesus/Mary gave me this rosary so I could learn this devotion. 

And he also wanted me to have a parent, I think.  My mother had been sick with Alzheimer's, and had been really "gone" for more than four years years before she died.  My father had died almost twenty years before.  Christ offered his own mother to ME, to guide me as I finally grow out of spiritual infancy. 

12/22/10 - The Magnificat

Luke 1:46-56

 

Mary said:

 

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
------------
Yesterday we saw Elizabeth's greeting to Mary.  Mary responds with a humility that is pretty much unknown in today's world. She directs praise and glory to the Father, she calls herself a servant, and she sings a song of praise to the Lord in a style and beauty equal to the greatest of the ancient Psalms.

What is it like to see a person whose soul proclaims (some translations say "magnifies") the greatness of the Lord? A person whose spirit rejoices in God? What is that person like?

I'm still working on that answer.

Up until the summer of 2008, I hadn't pursued any kind of relationship with the Blessed Virgin. I even hit a point in my life where I thought I didn't need her. The bible says that there is one mediator between God and man, so why should I need the Blessed Mother? I can go directly to the Father, just as Christ said.

What a mistake. Of epic proportions. A classic case of picking and choosing from Scripture, rather than considering the entirety of the Word of God. 

Fortunately she didn't give up on me. After spending some time with my CRHP brothers, I began to see that she really makes a difference in people's lives. I didn't understand how, but I could definitely see the results in the people around me. I asked for help from them, so I could get some of what they had. One of my brothers gave me a Rosary. I started to say it, and to prayerfully ask the Lord to show me the Blessed Virgin. The relationship began to grow.

As I said yesterday, in Mary we see what an intimate relationship with Christ is like.  I took a feeble stab at it yesterday.  Pope John Paul II said it a little better in his 2002 Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae: 

"10. The contemplation of Christ has an incomparable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving from her a human resemblance which points to an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary. The eyes of her heart already turned to him at the Annunciation, when she conceived him by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the months that followed she began to sense his presence and to picture his features. When at last she gave birth to him in Bethlehem, her eyes were able to gaze tenderly on the face of her Son, as she “wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger” (Lk2:7).

Thereafter Mary's gaze, ever filled with adoration and wonder, would never leave him. At times it would be a questioning look, as in the episode of the finding in the Temple: “Son, why have you treated us so?” (Lk 2:48); it would always be a penetrating gaze, one capable of deeply understanding Jesus, even to the point of perceiving his hidden feelings and anticipating his decisions, as at Cana (cf. Jn 2:5). At other times it would be a look of sorrow, especially beneath the Cross, where her vision would still be that of a mother giving birth, for Mary not only shared the passion and death of her Son, she also received the new son given to her in the beloved disciple (cf. Jn 19:26-27). On the morning of Easter hers would be a gaze radiant with the joy of the Resurrection, and finally, on the day of Pentecost, a gaze afire with the outpouring of the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14).

11. Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: “She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19; cf. 2:51). The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her, leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her Son's side. In a way those memories were to be the “rosary” which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life."

Link:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html

12/21/10 - The Visitation

Luke 1:39-45

 

Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
----

 

Has there ever been a more "personal relationship with Jesus" than this -- the Blessed Mary, carrying the Christ in her womb?  His blood mixed with hers.  Every morsel she ate fed Him.  She could feel every move he made.  She cared for every need of his, both in the womb and through the first several years of life. In my opinion, there is no personal relationship more intimate than between mother and child. 

 

What's awesome is that she can share that intimacy with us.  She can show us how to wait on Him.  How to be His handmaiden.  How to ponder His truths in our hearts.  How to submit entirely to His will.  How to bear trials with grace and faith.  How to stand firm to the end, when everyone else had run away.

 

If I want intimacy with Christ -- which is the true definition of a "personal relationship" -- then I'd do well to learn from her.  That's why Catholics hold her in such high regard. 

 

It's so sad that she has been rejected by so many in this world.

12/15/10 - Tell What You've Seen and Heard

Luke 7:18b-23

 

At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
-------

 

At mass this morning the priest asked us to consider what our answer would be if we were in the place of John's disciples.  What would our response be, if we were challenged to "Go tell what you have seen and heard"? 

 

I found this though provoking.  What would I say?  How willing am I to publicly answer that question?  Would my answer be convincing to another -- convincing enough to make another person believe?  Convincing enough for a court to convict me of having a true relationship with Christ?   

 

God is likely present in all of our lives enough for each of us to give some kind of an answer.  But ... are we aware enough of Christ's doings in our lives and in the world around us to give one?  If not, why not?  Because he's not doing anything, or because we don't see it?  I think that's a pretty good question to ask myself on a daily basis.  

 

12/9/10 - Mary's Fiat

Luke 1:26-38 - Wednesday's Gospel - Mary's Fiat

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.

28 And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."

29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34 But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"

35 And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

37 for nothing will be impossible for God."

38 Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

-----------------

Mary calls herself a handmaid twice in Luke 1. She says it here, and also to Elizabeth at the visitation. A handmaid is a servant who literally stood waiting at the hand of the master, to do his bidding. When called upon, her job was to do whatever the master said. When she was finished, she'd return to the master's side and wait for the next order. Mary's decision to accept this role has been celebrated throughout the ages as her "Fiat," which means "let it be done" in Latin. Mary's fiat, then, is this response:

"May it be done to me according to your word."

Those are the words that changed the world forever. Mary, the Immaculate Conception (ie, full of grace), responded fully and completely to God's call. Those words make me consider how well I respond to God's call.

First -- how "full of grace" am I? How well have I been "feeding" on what Christ has offered -- the Scriptures, prayer, reconciliation, and the Eucharist? Those are the means through which I receive grace. Those are the things which allow me to be "in tune" with God, so that I can even hear His call. Am I remaining in Christ so that I can even hear what I'm asked to do? If so, how do I respond? I'd like to say my answer is always "yes," and I know it has been "yes" several times. But how many times has God called me to do something, and I either missed the call completely, or I said "No"? More than I care to admit.

God’s probably not going to ask any of us to carry His child, but he does ask us to do His work. We too can choose to be His handservants – submit to His authority, do what he says, and be still and wait for the next call. I find that when I'm prepared to do that, and give God my own little "fiat", I am blessed in ways I never would have imagined.

12/6/10 - Rise, Get Up, And Walk

Luke 5:17-26

One day as Jesus was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the law,
who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem,
were sitting there,
and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.

And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed;
they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof
and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles
into the middle in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said,
“As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves,
“Who is this who speaks blasphemies?
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply,
“What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he said to the one who was paralyzed,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He stood up immediately before them,
picked up what he had been lying on,
and went home, glorifying God.
Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God,
and, struck with awe, they said,
“We have seen incredible things today.”
----

My reflection is disconnected this morning and I don't have time to weave it together. :)

• This is the first account in Luke's gospel of Jesus forgiving sins. The religious leaders see Christ's forgiveness of sins as blasphemous. Christ responds to that with a miracle to demonstrate his deity.
•  "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." There was a time in my life where these words really spoke to me about the need to cooperate with God as we ask for his help. It was a time where I was fighting off depression, and really didn't have the will to do much of anything. I went to mass and heard Mark's account of this episode, and I realized that for the paralytic to be healed, he needed to rise and walk himself. If he'd just lain there, nothing would have happened, He had to believe he was healed, and then get up and put one foot in front of the other. It's the same way with us. 
• Christ identified himself as the "Son of Man". See the short article below. This is a small taste of the study of "Christology", which in my opinion is very much worth the time. (copied and pasted from: http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/christ.htm )

"Son of Man" is one of the more interesting and enigmatic titles of Jesus. It used 81 times in the Gospels, and always by Jesus himself. No other character in the Gospel narratives nor any other biblical writer uses the term. Various explanations have been offered as to why Jesus employed the term and others did not. It may have been a term Jesus could use early in his ministry without inciting much hostility, because of its various meanings, but that would later encompass his messianic claims. The early Christian writers may have been reluctant to use it because the Greek phrase is somewhat ambiguous (Jesus would have used the simpler Aramaic term).

To determine what Jesus meant by the phrase, Biblical scholars turn to its use in the Old Testament. There the term "Son of Man" is used in three main contexts: 

• an address to the prophet Ezekiel (e.g. Ezekiel 2:1);
• to refer to humanity in general, especially its lowliness when compared to God and the angels (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 8:14); and
• to refer to an eschatological figure whose coming signals the end of history (Daniel 7:13-14). 

Jesus appears to use the phrase especially in the third sense. He uses the phrase "Son of Man" when speaking of his roles of saving and judging (e.g. Mk 10:45; Mt 25:31) and of the future coming of an exalted, heavenly figure (e.g. Mt 13:41, 24:30; Mk 14:62; Lk 18:8).

(NOTE : in our passage today, Christ identifies himself as the Son of Man and claims the authority to forgive sins, so it is consistent with this third sense described above)

Daily - 11/18/10 - Weeping over Jerusalem

Yesterday we saw Luke's version of the parable of the talents (Luke 19:19-28) . Today's gospel (Luke 19:41-44). To take this in context, it helps to look at the passages in between.


Luke 19:28-40

28 After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

29 As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples.

30 He said, "Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

31 And if anyone should ask you, 'Why are you untying it?' you will answer, 'The Master has need of it.'"

32 So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them.

33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying this colt?"

34 They answered, "The Master has need of it."

35 So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount.

36 As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;

37 and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen.


38 They proclaimed: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."

40 He said in reply, "I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

Today's gospel -- Luke 19:41-44
41 As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it,

42 saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.


43 For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.

44 They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

---------
Before this morning, I'd never spent much time thinking about Christ's weeping over Jerusalem, or the timing of it.

Christ comes to the Mount of Olives. Then he stops and weeps over Jerusalem. He's not just tearing up. He's openly weeping. Our savior, the King of Kings, is bawling. The kind of stuff we do when we encounter tragedy.

The amazing thing to me is that Jesus isn't weeping about the fact that he knows the people are going to turn on Him. He's not weeping about the pain that he is going to endure. He's weeping because this city -- HIS city -- is going to see the wrath of God. The days that he foresees here comes in 70 AD when Jerusalem in sacked and the temple is destroyed.

He's weeping because these people, who he knows are about to kill him, are going to be punished by the Father. He's weeping for the pain and suffering THEY will feel. Not the suffering that HE will feel at their hands.

That's amazing to me.

Daily - 11/17/10

Luke 19:11-28

11 While they were listening to him speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God would appear there immediately.

12 So he said, "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.

13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'

14 His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, 'We do not want this man to be our king.'

15 But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading.

16 The first came forward and said, 'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'

17 He replied, 'Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.'

18 Then the second came and reported, 'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'

19 And to this servant too he said, 'You, take charge of five cities.'


20 Then the other servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,

21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.'

22 He said to him, 'With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant;

23 why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'

24 And to those standing by he said, 'Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.'


25 But they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'

26 'I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

27 Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.'"

28 After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
----------

This is Luke's version of the parable of the talents. There is a parallel passage at Matthew 25:14-30. There's a good video reflection on this passage at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Website ( http://www.usccb.org/video/reflections.shtml )

Whether we are aware of it or not, God gives us everything that we have, and it is up to us to make what we will of those gifts. We can squander and spend what we have on "the world". We can invest and build heavenly treasures. For most of us, life is a combination of both. Over time, hopefully we start to get it, and spend effort on the former, and more on the latter.

God starts us out small, with small gifts and small tasks. If we prove that we are worthy of his trust, we are given more and more (ie, to those who have, more is given).

We need to pay close attention to what happens to the man who took his coin close and hid it. This might seem to be prudent. But note that the man is hiding the gift out of fear of what will happen to him if the master sees him waste it. Also note that this is in direct disobedience to the Master, who told him to use the coin to engage in trade.

God did not put us here to be fearful of spiritual things, or even to be passive. He also did not put us here to have our faith be simply between us and Him. Our faith is to be used to grow and build the riches of the kingdom. If we do that, we will be given more.

On a personal level, this makes me look at what I'm doing with what I have been given. I have been given a handful of coins. I WILL have to answer to the Lord Almighty for what I do with them.

Daily - 11/16/10

Luke 19:1-10


1 He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.

2 Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,

3 was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.

5 When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."

6 And he came down quickly and received him with joy.

7 When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."


9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

----------
I wish I knew more back story about Zacchaeus. He's got success in the world, but he's unsatisfied. He's seen enough of what the world has to offer. He knows that his life is missing something. He wants more.

He's being CALLED.

This had to have been building in him for a long time, because when he hears the Lord is coming, he goes for it. He does what he needs to do to make sure He encounters the Lord, despite his own shortcomings. He runs ahead of the others. He climbs the tree so that he can see the Lord. Jesus walks by, and is EXPECTING him. Hurry down, he says, I'm staying with you tonight.

Jesus calls. A man responds. Christ comes to the man, and meets him right where he is in his own life. The man's life is changed forever. How many conversion stories have you heard that have this element in them?

Compare Zacchaeus with the rich young leader in Mark 10. When the rich young leader came to Christ, he told Christ about the holy thing he'd done in his life, and asked him what more to do, Christ told him to give everything away. The man walks away sad. When Zacchaeus comes to Christ, he repents from his ways, and tells Christ's he's going to give half of his possessions away. Christ responds by offering salvation to his house.

Why does he tell the rich young leader to give everything, but he rejoices when Zacchaeus gives half?

I think it's the difference between pride and humility.

The rich young leader came to Christ to show Him (and probably everyone else around) how "good" he really was. Zacchaeus comes from a life of sin to repent. The rich young leader came with pride. Zacchaeus came with humility. The rich young leader went away sad. Zaccheus rejoiced.

Daily - 11/15/10

Luke 18:35-43


35 Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,

36 and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.

37 They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

38 He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"

39 The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

40 Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him,


41 "What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, please let me see."


42 Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."

43 He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
-------------

The blind man teaches us a great lesson. He hears that Jesus is nearby, and asks for his pity. People tell him to shut up, but he won't stop. He NEEDS Christ. He won't ever get to where he wants to be without Him. He doesn't fall into the worldly trap of thinking that everything is under his own control. He doesn't spend his time before Christ trying to justify why Christ should give him what he wants. He doesn't even try to list the good things he's done, and promise Christ that he'll do more if he's given the gift of sight.

He just asks for Christ's pity. Christ responds. The best part, though, is what happens next.

He followed Christ. I've got to believe that this means more than just walking around with Jesus. I believe that this man became a disciple. I believe that he put his faith completely in Christ, and committed his life to obeying Christ's words. And when people saw him, they praised God.

Like the blind man, I need to understand that I NEED Christ on a daily basis, and call out to Him for His mercy.

Daily - 11/8/10

Luke 17:1-6

1 He said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur.

2 It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

4 And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him."

5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

6 The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

----------

As a father, verses 1-6 give me a lot to think about. How well am I acting as the spiritual leader of my family? How many sins do my children commit that I just let go, because I don't want to take the time to correct the behavior, or because I want to let my wife handle it?

How long do I allow them to remain in sin? Do I take them to confession or wait until the CCD class goes? Do I even know when that is going to be?

What about missing mass? Do I allow that to happen? The church teaches that missing mass -- ie, a violation of the third commandment (Make holy the Lord's Day) -- is a grave matter, and willingly missing a mass constitutes mortal sin. No exceptions for soccer games, football games, basketball games, dance recitals, or sleepovers.

Do I allow that to happen? If yes -- do I take the family to confession?

According to Christ's teaching, if I lead my children into sin, I would be better off if I put on a pair of cement shoes and jumped into a river. Something to think about.

Daily - 10/13/10

Luke 11:47-54

47 Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.

48 So you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,'

50 that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,

51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be required of this generation.

52 Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things,

54 lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say.

-------------
How does this dialogue fit with your image of Christ? When Christ comes again, he will not be coming to save -- he will be coming for judgement. He's telling the Pharisees and experts in the Law exactly how it's going to work out for them. Not good.

Here's some ancient commentary on this passage from the Dust -- St. Cyril (5th century, Doctor of the Church), the venerable St. Bede (7th - 8th century, Doctor of the Church), and St. Theophylact (8th century).



CYRIL (5th century); A reproof which exalts the meek is generally hateful to the proud man. When therefore our Savior was blaming the Pharisees for transgressing from the right path, the body of Lawyers were struck with consternation. Hence it is said, Then answered one of the lawyers, and said to him, Master, thus saying you reproach us also.

BEDE (7th - 8th century); In what a grievous state is that conscience, which hearing the word of God thinks it a reproach against itself, and in the account of the punishment of the wicked perceives its own condemnation.

THEOPHYLACT (8th century). Now the Lawyers were different from the Pharisees. For the Pharisees being separated from the rest had the appearance of a religious sect; but those skilled in the Law were the Scribes and Doctors who solved legal questions.

CYRIL; But Christ brings a severe charge against the Lawyers, and subdues their foolish pride, as it follows, And he said, Woe to you also, you Lawyers, for you lade men, &c. He brings forward an obvious example for their direction. The Law was burdensome to the Jews as the disciples of Christ confess, but these Lawyers binding together legal burdens which could not be borne, placed them upon those under them, taking care themselves to have no toil whatever.

THEOPHYLACT. As often also as the teacher does what he teaches, he lightens the load, offering himself for an example. But when he does none of the things which he teaches others, the loads appear heavy to those who learn his teaching, as being what even their teacher is not able to bear.

Daily - 10/12/10

Luke 11:37-46 - these are the gospel readings for today and tomorrow. Today is 37-41, tomorrow is 42-46.

-----

37 After he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat.

38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.

39 The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.

40 You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?

41 But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.

42 Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others.

43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.

44 Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk."

45 Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, "Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too."

46 And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.
----------

The harshest dialogue that is recorded from Christ is reserved for the religious leaders of the time -- the Scribes, Pharisees, and teachers of the law. Over time, they had become so obsessed with the Law (ie, the old covenant Law laid out in Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy), that they had no sight of what is truly important. It had become more important to look pious and act pious than to actually be pious.

I think it's worth noting that many folks out there have this very complaint about Catholics. They say that we are good about following rules, but miss the boat when it comes to truly having a relationship with Christ. We have great tradition, we have the sacraments, we have ancient rituals with much meaning behind them, but at times we can appear like we've put the cart before the horse.

I try to think from that perspective as I consider this passage. I'm not a Scribe or Pharisee, so I'm not one of the people that Christ is speaking directly to here. That said, it is more important that I actually have a true devotion to to Christ than to look like I have one. It is more important that I address the inside of my cup -- the part that only Christ and I can see --- than the outside of my cup that everyone else can see.

I have found that the more I allow God to transform the inside of my cup, the more Christ's light can shine through me.

Daily - 10/11/10

Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
-------

So what does Jonah and the Queen of the South have to do with what Christ is trying to say? This is a good passage to refer to "the dust." For those new here - when I say "the dust", I'm referring to the Church Fathers, Doctors of the Church, and Saints. The following is from the "Catena Aurea" (aka "Golden Chain"), which St. Thomas Aquinas compiled in the 13th century. It is a collection of scriptural commentaries from some of the greatest teachers of the first millenium of the Church.

BEDE (7th-8th Century); Our Lord had been assailed with two kinds of questions, for some accused Him of casting out devils through Beelzebub, to whom up to this point His answer was addressed; and others tempting Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven, and these He now proceeds to answer. As it follows, And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation, &c.

BASIL (4th Century); A sign is a thing brought openly to view, containing in itself the manifestation of something hidden, as the sign of Jonas represents the descent to hell, the ascension of Christ, and His resurrection from the dead. Hence it is added, For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. He gives them a sign, not from heaven, because they were unworthy to see it, but from the lowest depths of hell; a sign, namely, of His incarnation, not of His divinity; of His passion, not of His glorification.

AMBROSE (4th Century); Now as the sign of Jonas is a type of our Lord's passion, so also is it a testimony of the grievous sins which the Jews have committed. We may remark at once both the mighty voice of warning, and the declaration of mercy. For by the example of the Ninevites both a punishment is denounced, and a remedy promised. Hence even the Jews ought not to despair of pardon, if they will but practice repentance.

BEDE; The queen of the South came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, greater than Solomon is here. Here in this place is not the pronoun, but the adverb of place, that is, "there is one present among you who is incomparably superior to Solomon." He said not, "I am greater than Solomon," that he might teach us to be humble, though fruitful in spiritual graces. As if he said, "The barbarian woman hastened to hear Solomon, taking so long a journey to be instructed in the knowledge of visible living creatures, and the virtues of herbs. But you when you stand by and hear Wisdom herself teaching you invisible and heavenly things, and confirming her words with signs and wonders, are strangers to the word, and senselessly disregard the miracles."

BEDE; But if the queen of the South, who doubtless is of the elect, shall rise up in judgment together with the wicked, we have a proof of the one resurrection of all men, good as well as bad, and that not according to Jewish fables to happen a thousand years before the judgment, but at the judgment itself.

AMBROSE; Herein also while condemning the Jewish people, He strongly expresses the mystery of the Church, which in the queen of the South, through the desire of obtaining wisdom is gathered together from the uttermost parts of the whole earth, to hear the words of the Peacemaking Solomon; a queen plainly whose kingdom is undivided rising up from different and distant nations into one body.

CHRYSOSTOM (4th-5th Century). The judgment of condemnation comes from men like or unlike to those who are condemned. From like, for instance, as in the parable of the ten virgins, but from unlike, when the Ninevites condemn those who lived at the time of Christ, that so their condemnation might be the more remarkable. For the Ninevites indeed were barbarians, but these Jews. The one enjoying the prophetic teaching, the other having never received the divine word. To the former came a servant, to the latter the Master, of whom the one foretold destruction, the other preached the kingdom of heaven. To all men then was it known that the Jews ought rather to have believed, but the contrary happened; therefore he adds, For they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

AMBROSE; Now in a mystery, the Church consists of two things, either ignorance of sin, which has reference mainly to the queen of the South, or ceasing to sin, which relates indeed to the repentant Ninevites. For repentance blots out the offense, wisdom guards against it.

Daily - 9/27/10

Luke 9:46-50

46 An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest.

47 Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side

48 and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest."

49 Then John said in reply, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company."

50 Jesus said to him, "Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."
------

I can think of at least three times in scripture where we're told of Christ's disciples are arguing about who among them is the greatest. In all three cases, Christ responded that whomever is least among the disciples is the greatest.

It's that simple. That's why humility is such an important virtue, and worthy of our time to develop.

The funny thing about humility is that it is the opposite of pride -- Satan's sin, the sin that caused the fall of man. Pride is ingrained in our earthly nature. THE ONLY WAY to develop humility is to surrender completely to God and submit to the transformation from life in the flesh to life in the spirit.

There is no other way.