His mother replied: "He will be called John." But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name." Lk I:59
What's in a name? In the ancient world, everything. Names were given to children by their fathers to honor his ancestors and elders. Mothers had no role in this ritual, but Elizabeth does. Only when Zechariah writes the name John on a tablet is his "mouth opened and his tongue freed." Clearly, Elizabeth's child John would play an important role in salvation history. John, whose name means God is gracious, would usher in a new order and a new way of being in the world.
Unlike so many, John would have no doubts about his role. He knew he was not the Messiah, despite the desire of so many who accepted his baptism. Rather, his entire life would consist in pointing to Jesus, and announcing the coming of the Messiah. Admitting that he was not worthy to untie Jesus' sandal strap and that he needed to decrease and Christ increase, John becomes a symbol for every Christian.
Our task as believers is not to posture or pretend that we are important, but to be grateful for the name Christian, and recognize Christ in every person and prepare others to receive his Good News. Accepting that we are God's children gives every Christian an identity that is empowering forever. We need not have any fear about who we are or what we are to do. Like John, we are to point to Christ as Redeemer and hope for all humankind.
Today, help someone find Christ.
What are the biggest obstacles we face in announcing the Good News?
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Mammon
"You cannot serve God and mammon." Mt 6:25
The gospel today is difficult. Though Jesus does not say you cannot have wealth, he does say you can't serve it, and therein lies the challenge. It is always a test of our values and wills when we have many possessions not to obsess over them or want to gain even more. We tell ourselves that we have worked hard and we deserve what we've gained, or that we need everything we have. That others work hard and still lack a steady job and sufficient income to live simple lives is something we try not to think about.
Jesus is almost always talking to and on behalf of the poor. It was the powerless and voiceless who were drawn to him because he was promising them a different future, not a life of plenty, but a life of hope, and it was this glimmer of light in a very dark world that brought them consolation.
It is no different for us. Only when we learn to serve God above all do we begin to live more simply and honestly. The acquisition of money and power over others for its own sake seems empty and fruitless. Only our relationships in faith with God and God's people (and we are all God's people!), fill us with a fullness that cannot be measured in visible ways.
Today, serve God by praying quietly for five minutes.
What are the greatest temptations for contemporary believers?
The gospel today is difficult. Though Jesus does not say you cannot have wealth, he does say you can't serve it, and therein lies the challenge. It is always a test of our values and wills when we have many possessions not to obsess over them or want to gain even more. We tell ourselves that we have worked hard and we deserve what we've gained, or that we need everything we have. That others work hard and still lack a steady job and sufficient income to live simple lives is something we try not to think about.
Jesus is almost always talking to and on behalf of the poor. It was the powerless and voiceless who were drawn to him because he was promising them a different future, not a life of plenty, but a life of hope, and it was this glimmer of light in a very dark world that brought them consolation.
It is no different for us. Only when we learn to serve God above all do we begin to live more simply and honestly. The acquisition of money and power over others for its own sake seems empty and fruitless. Only our relationships in faith with God and God's people (and we are all God's people!), fill us with a fullness that cannot be measured in visible ways.
Today, serve God by praying quietly for five minutes.
What are the greatest temptations for contemporary believers?
Friday, June 22, 2012
St. Thomas More
"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." Mt 6:20
Often, we read the lives of the saints written by others. Although these books tell us something, it is far more compelling when we can read their own words. Although St. Thomas More lived in the sixteenth century, we have some of his letters, the most famous of which was written to his daughter Margaret while he was in prison awaiting his execution.
In a remarkable testimony of faith, Thomas writes,"And, therefore, my own good daughter, do not let your mind be troubled over anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best."
Every year as I read this letter I am moved. Knowing he would soon die, Thomas' faith demanded that he understand everything that happened to him through God's eyes. The same is true for us. When we can let go of our need to control life and allow God to work in us, everything is different. Though we might not understand how God is working, we accept that God has a plan, and that it will advance God's reign. Surely, this is true for St. Thomas More. How powerful his letter is even today. Thomas trusted God unto death and remains an icon of hope for us.
Today, let God run the world.
When do you find it most difficult to accept God's direction?
Often, we read the lives of the saints written by others. Although these books tell us something, it is far more compelling when we can read their own words. Although St. Thomas More lived in the sixteenth century, we have some of his letters, the most famous of which was written to his daughter Margaret while he was in prison awaiting his execution.
In a remarkable testimony of faith, Thomas writes,"And, therefore, my own good daughter, do not let your mind be troubled over anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best."
Every year as I read this letter I am moved. Knowing he would soon die, Thomas' faith demanded that he understand everything that happened to him through God's eyes. The same is true for us. When we can let go of our need to control life and allow God to work in us, everything is different. Though we might not understand how God is working, we accept that God has a plan, and that it will advance God's reign. Surely, this is true for St. Thomas More. How powerful his letter is even today. Thomas trusted God unto death and remains an icon of hope for us.
Today, let God run the world.
When do you find it most difficult to accept God's direction?
St Aloysius Gonzaga
Forgive me. Somehow I forgot to post this reflection yesterday.
"Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace." Sir 48:1
Saints are not only a reflection of God's immense love, they also reflect their own culture. St. Aloysius Gonzaga is a ready example of this. Though bright and talented, and born into wealth and power, Aloysius rejected all of it, struggling with his parents and advisors who wanted him to use his family's influence to advance his status in the society.
Moved as a child to love God more deeply, and excited about stories of Jesuit missionaries to India, Aloysius resisted the lures of Renaissance life, and joined the Jesuits in his teens. Given to severe penances and long prayer, the Jesuits tried to moderate his spiritual life with little success, and when the plague struck Rome where he was living, Aloysius contracted the disease and died at twenty three.
None us us has to take on radical forms of penance and prayer, but all of us have to discern how it is God would have us live in a society that too often discards the poor, the weak and elderly as nuisances and unnecessary burdens. Jesus' command to feed the hungry, cloth that naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned must find a place and a form in every society if the Gospel is to endure as a life and a lifestyle.
Today, ask God for guidance about how to live the gospel in your particular circumstances.
What are your biggest obstacles to live the Gospel with simplicity and integrity?
"Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace." Sir 48:1
Saints are not only a reflection of God's immense love, they also reflect their own culture. St. Aloysius Gonzaga is a ready example of this. Though bright and talented, and born into wealth and power, Aloysius rejected all of it, struggling with his parents and advisors who wanted him to use his family's influence to advance his status in the society.
Moved as a child to love God more deeply, and excited about stories of Jesuit missionaries to India, Aloysius resisted the lures of Renaissance life, and joined the Jesuits in his teens. Given to severe penances and long prayer, the Jesuits tried to moderate his spiritual life with little success, and when the plague struck Rome where he was living, Aloysius contracted the disease and died at twenty three.
None us us has to take on radical forms of penance and prayer, but all of us have to discern how it is God would have us live in a society that too often discards the poor, the weak and elderly as nuisances and unnecessary burdens. Jesus' command to feed the hungry, cloth that naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned must find a place and a form in every society if the Gospel is to endure as a life and a lifestyle.
Today, ask God for guidance about how to live the gospel in your particular circumstances.
What are your biggest obstacles to live the Gospel with simplicity and integrity?
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