Y We Share Hope By Daniel J. Finucane, PhD

Transcription

Now from Liguori Publications!
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
(All Souls’ Day) November 2, 2014
We Share Hope
By Daniel J. Finucane, PhD
Y
esterday was All Saints’ Day, when
we celebrate the saints. Today is
All Souls’ Day, the day we hope
and pray that everyone who has gone
before us is or will be with God.
Catholics do a thing that others,
including other Christians, find very
strange: We talk to “the faithful departed.”
There is a logic behind our practice.
When humans are particularly
nervous, we ask for help. Sometimes
we go directly to the person who can
SUNDAY READINGS
Wisdom 3:1–9
The author proclaims hope in the face of
death and persecution. Though we may
suffer in this world, the Lord’s mercy and
salvation are ever near and present to
the just.
Romans 5:5–11
Paul reminds us that Jesus died even for
sinners. His reconciling and justifying
acts prove his love, which remains in us
through the Holy Spirit.
John 6:37–40
Jesus declares that he came to do only
the Father’s will, which is to save all and
raise those who believe to eternal life.
help us, and sometimes we ask others
to intercede for us. Most people who
believe in God pray, so we might ask,
“Mom, I have a test tomorrow, will you
pray for me?” (You can bet she is also
praying as you drive out of town for
spring break.)
Do we know how prayer works? No.
Do we know it matters? Yes. Instead of
asking our friends to pray for us, could
we go directly to God? Of course. No
doubt we do that anyway.
So why do we look to other people?
Because we are all in this together. We
care about each other. Of course, Christ
has the central place in our prayer life. He
is our intercessor. He is also the one who
taught us to pray with and for each other.
When we pray, we have a lot of
company. Other types of Christians pray
for each other. Folks from a lot of ancient
faiths prayed for each other. So what
makes Catholics different? We talk to
people who are dead.
And here is why. We don’t think they’re
dead. They were joined with Christ
and with us when they were here. Are
they any less concerned for us now?
Of course not. So we ask them, saints
and nonsaints alike, to intercede on our
behalf with God. Christ triumphed over
death—his and ours. He is our hope. In
the body of Christ, we share hope.
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• Do I live in the hope of God’s
mercy, salvation, and eternal life?
• Do you talk to the departed?
• Do I ask the saints to intercede
with God on my behalf?
God of wisdom and truth, we
remember our loved ones who
have gone before us and who are
now with you in heaven. Though we
mourn their passing, we are comforted by the memories of their
time with us here on earth. Give us
the grace to treasure our lives, and
may we learn to live every moment
of every day until we are finally one
with you. We ask this in the name of
Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
From Let’s Begin With a Prayer,
by Sally Macke
Everyday Saints:
Vessels of Grace
By Kathleen M. Basi
S
hortly after the birth of my second
child, who was diagnosed with
Down syndrome in the delivery
room, my husband and I received a
letter. It was from a man in our parish
whom we didn’t know very well. In it, he
shared his experience as the parent of a
grown daughter with Down syndrome.
My husband and I wept as we read his
heartfelt words and the contents of the
spiritual bouquet he promised to offer
on our behalf. It was healing for us, a
touch of grace. From then until he died,
he met us at the door of the church every
Sunday with words of encouragement
and snuggles for our daughter.
In this way, his memory remains alive.
That’s the beauty of the communion of
saints. The dead can pray for us, and
we can pray for them, but it’s more than
that. We remember those who went
before us by imitating their example
of holy living. The giants, canonized
or uncanonized, are not the only
ones whose lives illuminate the path
of holiness. The everyday saints who
cross our paths often provide the most
real examples to follow in daily living
because their lives are just like ours.
They, too, have mortgages and overflowing calendars, irritating coworkers, and
children who push their buttons and
break their hearts. Yet somehow they
seem to possess a peace nothing can take
away. Remember that woman who never
let a harsh or judgmental word cross her
lips…the grandparents who recited the
WEEKDAY
READINGS
November 3–8
November 2, 2014
rosary every day without fail and used it
to pass the time on road trips…the uncle
who was never too busy to help repair a
faucet or mow the lawn?
The world is full of these “little s”
saints. In quiet, unobtrusive ways, they
inspire us by taking the circumstances
that feel overwhelming to us and use
them as stairways to heaven. To honor
them, we can imitate their example.
Plain Talk:
The Saints in My Life
By Fr. Rick Potts, CSsR
W
hen we heard that Redemptorist priest Bernard Häring
was coming to visit our
college seminary, Fr. Terry McCloskey
told us it was a rare and precious
opportunity. We were going to meet a
man who played a historic role in the
Church, who is regarded by many to be
Mon. S t. Martin de Porres:
Philippians 2:1–4 / Luke 14:12–14
Tue.
St. Charles Borromeo:
Wed.Philippians 2:12–18 / Luke 14:25–33
the most significant moral theologian of
the twentieth century and, in Fr. Terry’s
opinion, who will one day be declared a
saint. Fr. Terry pointed out, “How often
do you think you’ll meet a living ‘saint?’”
I was impressed by Fr. Häring, but
although he was moral theologian,
teacher, author, esteemed confessor to
popes, and major contributor to the Second Vatican Council, it was his humility
and simplicity that stayed with me.
Others who have personally graced
me by the example of their lives weren’t
famous, but they were equally inspiring.
When Mother Julia Jones was asked to
leave a church because she was “shouting
amen,” she went, saying she wasn’t
embarrassed to praise her Lord. Years
later, that church, St. Alphonsus Liguori
“Rock” Church in St. Louis, is known
around the world for its high-spirited
African-American worship. Redemptorist
Fr. Robert “Jesus Bob” Wirth was a holy
man who had a limitless ability to love
people in all circumstances and laugh
while he did it. Refusing to be caught up
in the gossip and pettiness of everyday
life, he lived with great zeal and joy.
Fr. Terry said it’s rare to meet a living
“saint,” but now that I think about it, I
could go on and on if space permitted.
Most of these “saints” of my life will
never have their names proclaimed in St.
Peter’s Square, but that doesn’t diminish
the power of their example. While the
Church may not proclaim them saints,
the local church has already acclaimed
them “saints.” Sure, they have their
flaws, their clay feet, the thorn in their
side—but we whose lives they’ve graced
know we’ve been blessed. We know
we’ve glimpsed God.
Thu.Philippians 3:3–8 / Luke 15:1–10
Fri.Philippians 3:17—4:1 / Luke 16:1–8
Sat.
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The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
November 9, 2014
The Lateran Basilica
By Daniel J. Finucane, PhD
L
ike other churches, the Basilica
of St. John Lateran in Rome
is built on the foundations—
physical, historical, emotional and
spiritual—of an earlier building. The
Emperor Constantine commissioned the
original church in the fourth century.
Today, this church is the pope’s
home parish. We’re used to seeing him
address the entire world from St. Peter’s.
But the Roman Pontifical Cathedral, the
pope’s home base as bishop of Rome,
SUNDAY READINGS
Ezekiel 47:1–2, 8–9, 12
The prophet describes a vision of a
great temple from which water flowed
out from many sides. An angel speaks,
asserting that “every sort of living
creature,” plant and animal, shall live by
this river.
1 Corinthians 3:9–11, 16–17
Paul names his fellow disciples temples
of God, “God’s building.” Our bodies
and persons are holy, laid upon the
foundation of Jesus Christ.
John 2:13–22
Jesus goes to the Temple and drives out
the money-changers, knocking over their
tables and calling it a marketplace. He
said, “Destroy this temple and in three
days I will raise it up.”
is St. John Lateran.
Pope Martin V is entombed in front
of the main altar. Martin was elected to
end the Great Western Schism. After a
stay of about seventy years in Avignon,
France, the papacy returned to Rome, to
what was then (generously speaking) a
backwater town. A lot of ruins.
Not everyone in the Church’s power
structure was happy with the move back.
The late fourteenth and early fifteenth
centuries saw first two, then three
men claim to be pope. The Council of
Constance resolved the dilemma and
elected Pope Martin.
St. John Lateran speaks power.
The nave is flanked by statues of the
apostles that are more than twice a
normal person’s height. The architecture
expresses strength in stone, grandeur,
and magnificent art.
I’ve taken photographs of the building.
They don’t capture the size of the place,
but I can still feel it in my bones. In the
nave I sensed the deep desire to speak of
permanence and stability. But I felt keenly,
too, the sense that stones can be pulled
down and stained glass broken. Powerful
buildings can say only so much.
And then my wife and I received
the Eucharist at the Lateran Basilica.
That reality helps me keep the place in
perspective.
• Does my care for my body and
Creation reflect their holiness?
• Where are my places of
worship, prayer, and praise?
Where are my places of
business and commerce?
Eternal Father, I offer you
the body and blood, soul
and divinity of your
dearly beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins
and for those
of the whole world.
From The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
Our Home,
Our Church
By Susan Hines-Brigger
W
hen my husband, Mark, and
I got married, we spent a
good deal of time choosing
and registering for things to fill our
new home. Fourteen years and three
kids later, many of those things that we
just had to have at the time have been
discarded, broken, or packed away. The
items that remain are ones that reflect
our family, our interests, and even our
faith.
I’m not surprised by the way our home
has taken shape. When someone walked
into our home when I was growing up,
there was no mistaking that my family
was Catholic. For example, each of my
sisters and I had small holy water fonts
fastened to the walls of our bedrooms.
On important days, such as for tests,
a candle was lit in front of the Blessed
Mother statue in our living room.
These outward expressions of faith—or
sacramentals—were as much a part of
my faith formation as my sixteen years of
Catholic education. In fact, most of what
I carried with me into adulthood are the
aspects of faith that my parents taught us
as we were growing up.
Now my husband and I are following
in my parents’ footsteps. Currently in our
living room, a palm from last year’s Palm
Sunday Mass peeks out from behind a
frame on the wall. Each of our children’s
bedrooms displays a crucifix and a statue
of Saint Francis. A plaque of the “BeeAttitudes” hangs in my oldest daughter’s
bedroom, and the Ten Commandments
WEEKDAY
READINGS
November 10–15
November 9, 2014
are prominently displayed in our hall.
Placing these sacramentals throughout
our home has made them a part of our
everyday lives. And if I’ve learned one
thing as a parent, it’s that most of what
our children learn comes from their
surroundings.
Now if anyone were to ask me what
parish I belong to, I would immediately
give the name of our local parish. But
the truth is, I also belong to a much
smaller, more intimate church whose
only other members are Mark and our
three children. That church is our home,
and it is where a lot of our family’s faith
formation takes place.
What are your everyday sacramentals,
the things your family turns to for
comfort, guidance, or inspiration? It
is important to remember that things
don’t necessarily have to be distinctly
religious to hold religious importance
for your family. For instance, on the
wall going down our staircase hang
Mon. St. Leo the Great:
Titus 1:1–9 / Luke 17:1–6
Tue. St. Martin of Tours:
Titus 2:1–8, 11–14 / Luke 17:7–10
Wed. St. Josaphat: Titus 3:1–7 / Luke 17:11–19
pictures of generations of family
members. To some, it may be just a
family photo gallery. To us, it is our very
own communion of saints.
In my family, cooking is a big
deal. Recipes are passed down from
generation to generation. My husband’s
grandmother died recently, and when the
family came back to our house after the
funeral, I served the cake that she had
made for so many family celebrations
throughout the years. One of our family’s
All Souls’ Day traditions is to cook
recipes from friends and family who
have passed away. Through food and
stories, we nourish ourselves physically
and spiritually and recall loved ones who
have passed away.
As families, we spend the majority
of our time in our homes. So it makes
sense that this is where a good deal
of our learning and formation takes
place. Sometimes, in the midst of our
busy lives, we fail to recognize the
sacred that surrounds us on a daily
basis. Sometimes, all we need to do
is appreciate what’s already going on
around us. Take some time to stop and
take in those little everyday encounters
of grace. It’s those things that truly make
a home Catholic.
Thu. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini:
Philemon 7–20 / Luke 17:20–25
Fri. 2 John 4–9 / Luke 17:26–37
Sat. St. Albert the Great:
3 John 5–8 / Luke 18:1–8
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 16, 2014
Using God’s Gifts
By Janel Esker
I
t takes courage to entrust something
precious to someone else. New
parents stall when leaving their
newborn in a babysitter’s care for the
first time. A mother repeatedly reminds
her daughter on prom night that her
grandmother’s pearl necklace needs great
care. I’ve hesitated when handing my
car keys to my husband, even though
he’s the safest driver I know. When we
entrust another with a precious gift,
there’s an unwritten covenant that the
SUNDAY READINGS
Proverbs 31:10–13, 19–20, 30–31
The author describes “a worthy wife”
as holy and just, hard-working and
generous. She shall be valued by her
husband and praised by many.
1 Thessalonians 5:1–6
Paul urges the church to “stay alert” and
prepared for the coming of the Lord, for
we do not know the day, and discipleship
should be constant.
Matthew 25:14–30
A parable: a master gives three servants
different amounts to care for in his
absence. Upon his return, he rejoices in
the first two’s stewardship, but punishes
the third’s laziness.
recipient will use the gift wisely and
responsibly.
Such was the covenant between
the master and his servants in today’s
Gospel. Jesus tells us the master
entrusted his precious possessions to the
servants. This wasn’t a random scattering
of excess monies. The master gave
particular thought to what each servant
should receive based on his abilities.
The master was thrilled at the first two
servants’ use of his gift and gravely
disappointed in the third’s refusal to use
the gift responsibly.
We know the master represents God,
the servants us, and the talents God’s
many gifts to us. But have we pondered
our unwritten covenant with God—
God’s courageous choice to entrust
to us what is precious to him and an
expectation that we’ll use these gifts to
the best of our ability?
God’s gifts aren’t randomly scattered,
but instead confidently entrusted to us
for use in serving others. Perhaps we
ought to look at our good health, ample
food and clothing, creative talents, and
compassion as keys to God’s Corvette
or the finest pearl necklace in the divine
jewelry collection. They’re to be used—
and used well—in the service of the
Lord.
• What are my gifts and talents?
• Am I justly contributing to
my family, workplace, parish,
community, country, and
church?
Lord, I am grateful
for all your blessings.
Help me to use
your gifts of love
and compassion
to rebuild people’s lives.
From Grateful Meditations
for Every Day in Ordinary Time,
by Rev. Warren J. Savage
and Mary Ann McSweeny
Arts and
Entertainment
By Kathleen M. Basi
I
don’t know about you, but I find my
nightly TV-viewing options rather
uninspiring. It seems basic cable
offers little more than crude sitcoms,
so-called reality TV, and gruesome crime
dramas. I’m a writer with aspirations
to publish fiction, so I understand how
we got to this point. As entertainment
options increase, artists try to stand out
by delivering the unexpected, something
that irresistibly draws people to the next
page or scene. The trouble is, the more
we see, the more it takes to shock us
and the more desensitized we become to
the real—but ultimately less dramatic—
presence of evil in everyday life.
Of course, there are bright spots in
modern entertainment. And we always
have the option not to view morally
offensive material. Corporate executive,
author, and syndicated radio personality
Dr. Dick Lyles has created Origin
Entertainment as a way to carve out a
place for Christianity in today’s culture.
Catholics, he says, are willing to give
money to the poor, but they don’t give
to the arts as much as they used to. That
means Catholics aren’t helping shape our
culture through the arts.
Artists of the past like Michelangelo,
Palestrina, and da Vinci are revered by
the faithful as masters, in part because
the Church and its wealthiest members
made the arts a priority. Nowadays,
people criticize the Church’s vast
collections of art. Sometimes local
WEEKDAY
READINGS
November 17–22
November 16, 2014
parishes catch flak for commissioning
artwork for new worship spaces:
Shouldn’t the Church’s wealth be used
instead to feed the poorest of the poor?
It’s a tough question, and I don’t
pretend to have answers. But it’s
worth remembering that the stakes are
high: The next generation is at risk of
becoming even more desensitized
to cultural values that stand utterly
opposed to the faith we’re responsible for
passing on.
The Redeemer, Mary,
and You
By Fr. Matthew Allman, CSsR
L
ook at the opening scenes
of Franco Zeffirelli and Baz
Luhrmann’s films of Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet and you’ll glean two
different perspectives while viewing
movies about the same subject. Zeffirelli’s
1968 production begins gently, with
Mon. St. Elizabeth of Hungary:
Revelation 1:1–4; 2:1–5 / Luke 18:35–43
Tue. The Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Rose Philippine
Duchesne: Revelation 3:1–6, 14–22 / Luke 19:1–10
Wed. Revelation 4:1–11 / Luke 19:11–28
romantic music and a disembodied voice
setting the scene while the viewer looks
at gorgeous Italian scenery. Meanwhile,
Luhrmann’s 1996 work blasts onto the
screen with loud, flashing intensity.
Shakespeare’s prologue is read by a
television news anchor surrounded by
static, crashes, and violent noise. Even as
we hear the same words in the two films,
the movies take us to different places,
courtesy of their directors’ divergent
visions.
Of course, perspectives on bringing
Shakespeare to a movie screen are not
nearly as important as perspectives on
Jesus. Our approach to him is a matter
of life and death, so it’s fitting that we
periodically check in with ourselves to ask
about our view of the Word made flesh.
Do we include in our view of Jesus
the fullness of both his humanity and
divinity? Both natures are necessary
for our salvation, but it is easy to fall
into habits or patterns that privilege
one nature over the other. This is to the
detriment of our relationship with the
Son. Mary can help us when we want to
get our balance right.
No one could know the humanity of
Jesus better than the Mother who nursed
him at the beginning of his life. And no
one could know Christ’s divinity better
than the woman who conceived him as
a virgin.
Mary’s close relationship with her Son
makes her the best director we could
ask for when we want an authentic
perspective on Christ, the one person
with two natures. So may our Mother of
Perpetual Help correct our sight if it has
grown faulty, and may she lead us to her
Son as we become new creations.
Thu. Revelation 5:1–10 / Luke 19:41–44
Fri. The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary: Revelation 10:8–11 /
Luke 19:45–48
Sat. St. Cecilia: Revelation 11:4–12 /
Luke 20:27–40
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 23, 2014
Christ the General Manager
By Janel Esker
M
y brothers and I have long
teased our mother about
her asking-for-the-manager
skills when she has an issue with
customer service. When she has a valid
complaint, she keeps asking for the
next supervisor up until she reaches
someone who deals fairly with her. She
is bold and unafraid!
When she received extremely
unprofessional service at her automotive
dealer, she kept asking for help until the
SUNDAY READINGS
Ezekiel 34:11–12, 15–17
The Lord is a shepherd who pastures his
sheep. He rescues the lost, heals the sick
and injured, and cares for all, giving them
food, drink, and rest.
1 Corinthians 15:20–26, 28
As sin and death came through man,
so must salvation and life. Though
fully human to fulfill his, and effect
our, resurrection, Jesus was also fully
divine, with authority and power above
everything always.
Matthew 25:31–46
The evangelist describes the final
judgment as a great assembly in which all
people are divided between those who
humbly serve the needs of others and
those who don’t.
general manager was involved. He gave
her his cell phone number and came to
the service floor to supervise the work
on her car. My mother sensed a very
different aura among the staff once the
general manager was involved.
Perhaps today’s first reading should
be titled “Christ the General Manager.”
Ezekiel’s prophecy reveals that God is
personally involved in the care of his
children. We hear, “I myself will search
for my sheep and examine them...I myself
will pasture my sheep; I myself will give
them rest.” There’s no middle manager
here—Christ is the one doing the work of
seeking and healing, personally involved
in our interactions with those in need.
In fact, Christ is identified with the most
vulnerable and poor. This is no distant
God-king, but one who is deeply engaged
with humanity.
There’s both comfort and challenge
here. Comfort in knowing how close
Christ is to us and how tenderly he cares
for us, challenge in realizing Christ calls
to us through the poor outside our doors
who need assistance. As we conclude one
liturgical year and look toward the next,
we can celebrate with joy our “general
manager” God who leaves the corporate
office—the heavenly throne—to live so
intimately among us.
• Do I humbly submit to
authority and obey those
charged with caring for me?
• What prevents me from seeing
the face of God in others?
Lord, I am grateful
that you are
my gentle shepherd.
Show me how to
care for your people
with the same love
and compassion
you show me.
From Grateful Meditations
for Every Day in Ordinary Time,
Plain Talk:
Let God
Out of the Box
The Redeemer, Mary,
and You
G
hether they’re creating a
Madonna and Child or a
Pietá, many painters and
sculptors depict Mary and Jesus alone,
as though the singular intimacy of the
relationship is what fascinates the artists.
They invite us to gaze at and enter into
the intimate communion between this
mother and child. Yet even as the love
and tenderness shown in these images
can touch, inspire, and warm our hearts,
often the love encountered here remains
simply that of Jesus and Mary’s—and not
our own.
Private-moment depictions of Mary
and Jesus can easily lead to a private sort
of prayer or a private sort of devotion.
This is not bad in itself, but if seeing
Mary depicted alone with Jesus so
often leads us to a “me and Jesus” kind
of spirituality, we need the Gospels to
remind us that not even Christ’s Mother
gets into the kingdom of God by dealing
with her Son alone.
The kingdom of God is home to
the entire communion of saints, and
God always invites us to enter it with
others. We’re not saved alone, so any
communion with Christ must always be
united with his body—the Church and
its members.
Her icon, Our Mother of Perpetual
Help, invites us to participate in this
communion. Mary offers us her Son and
so draws us into the circle of his love and
hers, a love that embraces all those who
seek to do the will of the Father.
By Fr. Matthew Allman, CSsR
W
By Fr. Rick Potts, CSsR
od can be no greater than the
imagination of the believer.” That
line comes from Toni Morrison’s
2008 novel, A Mercy. She goes on to
explain that shallow people believe in a
shallow God, and timid people believe
in a vengeful God. I must admit, I
was shouting “Amen!” as I read those
lines. It’s a marvelous way to phrase the
familiar concept of putting God in a box.
Tradition tells us God is beyond our
understanding, God is infinite and
eternal, God stands outside the bounds
of space and time. God is omnipotent,
omnipresent, omnibenevolent, and
omniscient. Our all-loving God fills us
with wonder and mystery. God is, as
one of my favorite Gospel songs says,
“awesome.”
And yet, we often squeeze our
infinite God into tiny boxes. I guess
it’s inevitable. It’s pretty tough to
visualize something that’s beyond our
understanding, hard to get a handle on
the infinite. And there’s nothing wrong
with contemplating God in bite-sized
portions—it’s just that we rarely avoid
the pitfall of denying everything that
doesn’t fit into our little box.
On one hand, Toni Morrison’s
statement seems preposterous. How
can I limit God? If I don’t believe God
loves me, it certainly doesn’t stop God
from actually loving me. True. But it can
greatly limit the effect God’s love has on
my life. If I deny its existence, then for
WEEKDAY
READINGS
November 24–29
November 23, 2014
Mon. all intents and purposes it doesn’t exist
in my universe.
Imagine yourself drowning in the
ocean. You’ve gone under twice; it’s dark,
and you’re scared. Someone throws you
a life preserver, but it lands behind you
and you neither see nor hear it. To you,
it doesn’t exist. So even though it’s only
a few feet away, it cannot save your life,
and you drown.
Yes, we can fall victim to the limits
of our imagination, to our inability to
immerse ourselves in the awesomeness
of our great God. When we cut others
off from the God we don’t believe they
understand, we manage to hurt only
ourselves. In our misguided attempts to
understand God by imagining that God
acts and reasons the same way we do,
we fail to see the love and mercy that
surround us.
S t. Andrew D˜ung-L˛ac and Companions:
Revelation 14:1–5 / Luke 21:1–4
Tue. St. Catherine of Alexandria:
Revelation 14:14–19 / Luke 21:5–11
Wed. Revelation 15:1–4 / Luke 21:12–19
Thu. Thanksgiving Day:
Revelation 18:1–2, 21–23; 19:1–3, 9 / Luke 21:20–28
Fri. Revelation 20:1–4, 11—21:2 /
Luke 21:29–33
Sat. Revelation 22:1–7 / Luke 21:34–36
First Sunday of Advent
November 30, 2014
Start With the Ending
By Janel Esker
M
y favorite songwriter, David
Wilcox, wrote a fantastic
song titled “Start With the
Ending.” In it, he suggests beginning
a marriage by exploring what could
end it—difficult personality traits, past
romantic travails, constant squabbling—
and dealing with those issues up front,
before they become marriage-enders. It’s
a delightful concept for a song and an
excellent way to start Advent.
SUNDAY READINGS
Isaiah 63:16–17, 19; 64:2–7
Israel begs the Lord to come down
with mighty deeds of salvation. They
confess their sinfulness and admit their
dependence on, and need for, God.
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
Paul affirms the faith of the Corinthian
church and expresses gratitude for the
grace and gifts bestowed upon them. He
assures them, “as you wait…[God] will
keep you firm to the end…”
Mark 13:33–37
As servants and stewards await the
homesteader’s return from a prolonged
trip with diligent care, so are we called
to be “watchful” and “alert” for Christ’s
return.
How do we end Advent? Often
distressed that we didn’t get our child
this year’s “in” present or frustrated
over burned cookies or dreading Uncle
George’s visit. We’re stressed out, tired
out, and caroled-out before the day even
arrives.
So what if we started this Advent
with that ending? What if we sought a
different Advent conclusion than the
usual stress and mess? Our children will
survive with fewer but more thoughtful
presents. Instead of making ten cookie
recipes, leaving our kitchens an unholy
mess, we could enjoy a cookie swap.
Decorations could be simpler, prayers
could be more numerous, and anxiety
about difficult relatives replaced with
gratitude for having family to celebrate
with.
Yet we know we’ll need God’s help
to change our usual Advent ending. In
today’s first reading, the Hebrew people
demand God’s assistance: “Oh that
you would rend the heavens and come
down,that the mountains might quake at
your presence (English Standard Version).”
As we begin this holy season we, like our
Hebrew ancestors, can passionately ask
the Lord to keep us firm to the end of
Advent, when we celebrate God’s coming
among us as Emmanuel.
• What excuses do I give for not
spending more time with God?
• How do you find patience
and faith in the face of difficult
waiting?
Lord, I have become
distracted by the things
of this world.
Guide my steps
and lead me safely
back home to you.
Help me to respond
to the needs of others.
From Joyful Meditations
for Every Day of Advent
and the 12 Days of Christmas,
It’s Never One
and Done
By Kathleen M. Basi
C
onversion in a perfect world
would be as easy as grabbing one
sublime moment of divine insight
and riding it all the way to heaven. But
we don’t live in a fairy tale. No matter
how long or how hard we try, we’ll be
confronted with blindness and weakness.
We will always be called to greater
openness, to deeper understanding,
to more gut-wrenching gifts of self. To
grow in faith and love for God requires
growth. In other words, conversion.
It’s tempting to think of conversion
as a story about becoming Catholic, a
story with a clear beginning and ending.
But it’s not as if once we receive the
sacraments, we’re done. Conversion is a
process, not a moment. Every day God
calls us to change, to jettison dearly held
opinions and philosophies that, however
pure their origins, have morphed
into idols. When we’re comfortably
ensconced in our Catholicism, we’re
more likely to rest on our laurels and
bury ourselves in ruts of our own
making. In reality, just when we think we
have this Christian-life thing figured out,
disaster strikes.
We need these soul-stretching times,
our daily struggles and conflicts, to come
face to face with the truth we learned
in the religion classrooms of our youth:
There is a supreme power, and we’re not
it. We are weak. We can’t stand on our
own strength. In times of need, we grow
in understanding, patience, and holiness.
And isn’t that what conversion really is?
WEEKDAY
READINGS
December 1–6
No matter how deep our faith, we
must keep growing and changing. Being
able to rattle off rules and teachings is
not the same as understanding them.
Such faith is immature at best and
moribund at worst. After all, what hope
do rules and regulations have of meeting
the challenges posed by a world firmly in
the grip of sin?
As we enter our yearly journey of
Advent, we can look at this season not
only as a celebration of new life but also
as an invitation to conversion.
Catholic Calendar
St. Francis Xavier (December 3)
By Mary Lee Barron, PhD, RN
rancisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was
born in 1506 to an aristocratic
family at the castle of Xavier
in Navarre, Spain. As a student at the
University of Paris, he met Ignatius of
Loyola, who was also a student. Youthful
F
Mon. Isaiah 2:1–5 / Matthew 8:5–11
Tue. Isaiah 11:1–10 / Luke 10:21–24
Wed. St. Francis Xavier:
Isaiah 25:6–10 / Matthew 15:29–37
and shallow Xavier would chide Ignatius,
not understanding Ignatius’ seriousness
about living a life for Christ. However,
the two became close friends, and Xavier
joined Ignatius in founding the Society
of Jesus.
Xavier went to Italy to be ordained to
the priesthood in 1537. Pope Paul III
requested that Ignatius send two Jesuit
missionaries to India. It took thirteen
months for Xavier to arrive in India,
where he preached, visited prisoners
and the sick, and eventually baptized
over 10,000 people. He moved on to the
Spice Islands in 1546 and to Japan in
1549. He and Br. John Fernandez found
a prince willing to take them to the
Imperial City in 1551. They presented
the daimyo of Yamaguchi with expensive
gifts and credentials, and the daimyo
agreed to give people the freedom to
become Christians if they wanted to. He
also gave the Jesuits a residence in the
city. Within six months, they had gained
500 converts.
Xavier believed China was now calling
to him. In September 1552, Xavier
landed on Sancian Island, which was
both a hideout for Chinese smugglers
and a base for Portuguese traders. Xavier
became ill and died there on December
3, 1552. As the first Jesuit missionary,
Xavier developed the missionary
methods that became a successful
blueprint for Jesuits to follow. His efforts
are significant to the missionary history
of Southeast Asia, India, and Japan.
Francis Xavier was canonized along with
Ignatius Loyola in 1622. He was named
patron of the Propagation of the Faith in
1910, and in 1927, he was named patron
of the missions.
Thu. St. John Damascene:
Isaiah 26:1–6 / Matthew 7:21, 24–27
Fri. Isaiah 29:17–24 / Matthew 9:27–31
Sat. St. Nicholas: Isaiah 30:19–21, 23–26 /
Matthew 9:35—10:1, 5–8
November 30, 2014

Y We Share Hope By Daniel J. Finucane, PhD

Transcription

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