2020/04/16 — 3rd Sunday of Easter — Year A

We are still celebrating the resurrection of Jesus with its consequences for us.

The first reading — Acts 2:14a, 22-33 — gives an excerpt from Peter’s address to the people on Pentecost. After reminding the crowd of the death of Jesus, Peter goes on to proclaim his resurrection, using Psalm 16, with its promise of deliverance from death, to support his testimony. Since David, believed to be the author of the psalm, has died, the promise must be a prophecy about his promised descendant, the Messiah; and it is fulfilled in Jesus. At the conclusion of Peter’s speech, as later verses tell us, his testimony with its scriptural support proves persuasive, and 3,000 people were baptized.

The responsorial psalm quotes some of the same verses we heard in the first reading. The congregation’s refrain, “Lord, you will show us the path to life,” accepts the prophecy of overcoming death as applying to believers as well as to Jesus himself.

The second reading — 1 Peter 1:17-21 — speaks of the “futile conduct” (another translation has “futile way of life”) handed on by the hearers’ ancestors. I see two senses for this phrase. It can be understood as referring to the entire way of life of the Gentiles before their conversion. Rather than continuing in that way of life, sinful in a number of ways, those redeemed by the precious blood of Christ are to live virtuous lives, “with reverence.” In another sense, the futile conduct can be considered the pagan sacrifices and rituals invoking nonexistent deities. By contrast, Jesus’ sacrifice is offered to the true God and thus can truly save us from sin, so that we have faith and hope in God, who raised Jesus from the dead — implying that we look forward to a like resurrection.

The account in today’s gospel of the disciples’ encounter with the risen Jesus — Luke 24:13-35 — can readily be understood as a primitive witness to the general form of the Mass. The “congregation” gathers, and Jesus is with them. The scriptures are explained. We have readings and a homily. After that comes the breaking of bread: bread and wine are prepared and blessed, with Jesus’ words being central to that blessing. Then the body and blood of Jesus are distributed to the people. The disciples’ zeal to share the good news about Jesus should also be reflected in our desire to share that good news.

As I was looking over this gospel passage, one word struck me in a way it never had before: “all.” Jesus rebukes the disciples for being “slow … to believe all that the prophets spoke.” This suggests that they believed some of what the prophets spoke. They had hoped he would be “the one to redeem Israel,” that is, the Messiah. But in this hope, they believed the elements of the Messianic prophecies which fit the commonplace expectations about the Messiah, which they (and the apostles) shared — namely, that he would be a great military leader and ruler, like David, and would drive out the Romans and restore Israel to the glory it had under David. This image failed to include other prophecies of the meekness, suffering, and death of God’s servant. So Jesus had to explain all the passages that referred to him. No doubt we see this explanation reflected in Peter’s speech on Pentecost, as well as in all the other references to scripture found in the New Testament and in the writings of the Church Fathers.

Now, we need to be careful not to let our belief become partial. We should not let ourselves become so focused on one part of doctrine, worship and devotion, or right conduct, that we ignore other elements of Christian faith and life. Care for the poor and sexual morality and right to life. Mass and sacraments and private prayer. Scripture and tradition and responding to the “signs of the times.”

2020/04/19 — 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) — Year A

I wrote extensively about this Sunday in 2016. I began with an introduction to the Sunday, and you can read that at the link. The gospel reading  is the same every year. Here is what I wrote then:

The gospel — John 20:19-31 — tells of two appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. The first takes place on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, and the second a week later, which would be this Sunday. Thomas’ absence on the first occasion, his doubting of what he was told, his subsequent presence and vision of the Lord, with his enthusiastic proclamation of Jesus as not only his Lord but also God, serve as an encouragement to hearers of the gospel to believe. Beyond that, it is an instance of God’s mercy. When Thomas doubts, God does not condemn him or dismiss him from the company of the apostles. He mercifully calls Thomas to faith, just as he mercifully forgives Peter for his denials. So it is with us: God mercifully calls us to repentance and forgiveness — a forgiveness which the conferral of the Holy Spirit on the apostles enables the Church to extend on God’s own authority.

It is also worth noting that Jesus gives his disciples the power to forgive (or retain) sins. Clearly, this is not something they have in their own right. Jesus' sacrifice is what obtains forgiveness, and he has the power to extend that forgiveness. Now he indicates that he will exercise that power through them, sacramentally. We believe that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Penance or Confession) this power is exercised. Of course God can forgive sins at any time apart from this sacrament, but we have the promise that he does so when the sacrament is received.

One other point worth noting is that the other apostles are no better than Thomas. Like him, they came to believe when they saw Jesus, a week earlier than Thomas. But it is Thomas who acknowledges Jesus as God.

I had intended to write a little something about the first two readings for April 19 — Acts 2:42-47 and 1 Peter 1:3-9 — but rather than delay this any further, I'll just post this about the gospel. You're always free to look up the other readings and see what they say to you.

Is Coronavirus God's Punishment?

Spoiler Alert. (No. What used to be understood as punishment from God is, at most, the result of the choices we have made. It is difficult to see what choices have been made worldwide that might have made us susceptible to a pandemic. But even if there are things we as the global community have been doing that have enabled the spread of the virus, there is certainly no personal guilt which causes some people to become sick or die while others escape infection or only become mildly ill.)

The Old Testament is replete with stories of punishment of individuals and the whole people of Israel for their sins. The most common sin being punished was worshipping false gods. Other sins such as adultery were also punished. The prophets were forceful in denouncing sins of oppression of the poor, widows, orphans, and aliens; and they threatened the people with punishment for these sins.

At the time of Jesus it was commonly believed that when bad things happened to people, it was a punishment for sin. On the other hand, Jesus never explicitly said that something bad was a punishment for sin, and on occasion said that a particular misfortune was not a punishment.

It is still possible to believe that certain events are punishments for individual or collective sins. In various appearances in different times and places, the Virgin Mary is reported to have called people to prayer and repentance, with God's punishment as the consequence for failure to repent.* Far be it from me to say that the Mother of Jesus does not speak the truth. But, as with the biblical accounts, we may ask how we are to understand the reported words.

God speaks in ways that can be understood by the people receiving his Word. It makes sense to suppose that Mary would do the same. It seems to me that words telling of punishment may well be adapted to the mindset of those to whom they were originally addressed, and may not need to be taken literally/

Today, we understand that God loves all people, "bad and good, just and unjust," (see Matthew 5:46) and does not seek to harm even those who fail to love him. On the other hand, it is obvious that people's actions have consequences. Our faith tells us that when we do not act in ways that God, in his love, knows are best for us, the result is to make the world less the kind of place God wants it to be. For example, promiscuity enables the transmission of certain diseases , whereas chastity keeps one much safer. If one gets an STD, it is not a direct punishment from God, but it is a consequence of one's behavior.

The question, then, would be what are the sinful ways of life which lead to the pandemic. One can point to the sexual revolution, the consumer culture and the greed which drives it, the widespread acceptance of abortion and other forms of disrespect for the sacredness of life the forgetting of God seen in the de-Christianization of Europe and North America. What I don't see, however, is how the spread of the coronavirus pandemic is the consequence of these evils of contemporary society.†

I always welcome comments, and I'd especially welcome comments showing a connection between widespread evil and the pandemic. Until I hear some, I'm of the opinion that the pandemic is just a particularly serious example of the difficulties that occur in nature.

Edited to add:
* I should make it clear, for readers who are not Catholic, that Catholics are not required to believe that any of the reported apparitions were genuine, or that Mary actually said any of the things attributed to her by those who said they saw her. These are matters of "private revelation," not part of the faith delivered to the apostles or even church tradition. The Church examines the reported sayings, and if there is no heresy in them, it says it's okay to believe them.

I included the reference to the apparitions so Catholic readers could see how it is possible to believe them and still not think God is punishing the world.

† While I'm at it, I should also mention that, if God is not punishing the world, even less is he punishing the individual victims. I don't thnk anybody can point to some common factor in the lives of the victims which makes them more guilty and therefore more deserving of punishment than everybody else.

2020/04/12 — Easter Sunday

The readings for Mass on Easter Sunday are the same every year, and I gave a synopsis of them in 2016. Perhaps you'd like to review that post. Now, I just want to consider a couple of points which struck me as I listened to them today.

In the first reading, Peter tells Cornelius and his household that after the resurrection Jesus was "visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead." None of Peter's hearers ask, "Why not to all?" but some people could, with the thought that appearing to all the people would be a stronger proof of the resurrection. But even that would not sway those who wouldn't believe. In the first place, who are "all the people?" Doubters could say it's just a double. They'd demand miracles, even though miracles hadn't persuaded everyone before Jesus' death. And once Jesus' Ascension took place, we'd basically be exactly where we are now. Faith is never a matter of compelled belief; it is a gift from God which one is open to accept.

The reading from Colossians, which is the one I heard today, reminds us to "seek what is above," and "think of what is above, not of what is on earth." Clearly, we can't simply ignore our earthly life and surroundings. so that can't be what it means. We have the physical necessities of life to which we must attend. We have our families and communities in which we are called to live lovingly as Jesus' followers. And now we have the coronavirus disrupting our lives in various ways, some small, some large, and in some cases tragic. I think St. Paul is telling us is that if we make this present life our focus, we'll rob ourselves of the hope which the resurrection of Jesus gives us: the promise of our own resurrection and everlasting joy.

So, like Peter and John in today's gospel, we may not completely understand every question that theologians ponder. But we can still believe that Jesus is risen from the dead, the Savior of the world.

2020/04/05 — Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) — Year A

Gospel of the Entry into Jerusalem — Matthew 21:1-11
First Reading — Isaiah 50:4-7
Second Reading — Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel — Matthew 26:14-27:66

I blogged about the Mass readings for this Sunday three years ago. Certainly there is more that could be said about them, and many speakers and writers have done so. But I'd like to base this post on the gospel passage about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which is read at the blessing of palms at the beginning of Mass. One preliminary note: as the citations show, this passage is from the beginning of Chapter 21 of Matthew's Gospel. There are five chapters between it and the passion narrative. In other words, a lot took place in the meantime. There was the cleansing of the temple, followed by many parables and other teaching, and the anointing of Jesus at Bethany. You might want to check it out between now and Holy Thursday.

When the crowds acclaim Jesus as "Son of David," they are recognizing him as the Messiah, since the belief in a Messiah rested on the Old Testament promises that a descendant of David would rule over Israel forever. Te crowds were right that Jesus is the Messiah, but they probably held the general belief that the Messiah would be a political-military ruler who would end the Roman occupation and restore the independence of the Jewish people. As we know, Messiahship did not include military or political rule.

Many preachers lament what they see as the fickleness of the crowd: on Palm Sunday we hear, "Hosanna in the highest," and on Good Friday the shout is "Crucify him!" But when we pay close attention to the closing lines of this passage we hear, "The whole city was shaken and asked, 'Who is this?' And the crowds replied, 'This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.'" Neither the Palm Sunday crowd nor the Good Friday crowd was the whole population of Jerusalem. It is possible that some of the former were part of the latter, but we have no reason to believe that all (or even many) of those who shouted "Hosanna" were there in front of Pontius Pilate.

Still, it is worthwhile for us to be reminded that our faith should be constant and steady. It is certainly not wrong to have moments of great enthusiasm for the Lord in our joy at being saved by his merciful grace. But that enthusiasm should continue into our daily lives as a steady commitment to living according to his call. God's grace should strengthen us to resist the temptation to go along with the crowds who would deny Jesus or depart from the way of love which he teaches.