Author Archives: Friar Musings

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About Friar Musings

Franciscan friar and Catholic priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA

Naval Blockades Considered

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Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor there was no blockade of Japan. Five months before the Pearl Harbor attack the Dutch, English, and Americans announced an embargo on the sale of oil, steel and scrap metal. An embargo is not an act of war; it is an economic and political tool, enforced primarily through laws, regulations, and diplomatic pressure. Its intent is always to solicit acceptable behavior, which in July 1941 meant for Japan to cease its war actions in Manchuria, China, and Indonesia.  All this before Pearl Harbor.

A naval blockade is an act of war. Naval blockades come in two forms: the embargo of selected items and a complete shutdown of ships with cargo of any type. World War I was enmeshed in the endless slugfest of trench warfare when Britain instituted a complete naval blockade to cut off Germany’s access to food, raw materials, and supplies. The Royal Navy blockaded the North Sea, intercepting ships heading to Germany and occupied countries in Europe. This led to severe food shortages and malnutrition among German civilians. It is estimated that 400,000–750,000 German civilian deaths were due to starvation and disease. The blockade contributed significantly to domestic unrest and the eventual German collapse in 1918. The blockade continued even after the armistice (Nov 11, 1918) until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919).

Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare in WWII was an attempt to blockade England from receiving needed supplies including food. Before the war, 70% of Britain’s food supply was imported. In 1942, as German U-boat attacks during the Battle of the Atlantic reached their peak, imports of meat, sugar, fruit, and cereals were drastically cut. This led to severe rationing. Britain successfully avoided famine through a mix of rationing, domestic production, and American aid which began to increase significantly by late 1942 as the Battle of the Atlantic began to turn in favor of the allies.

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Warnings and Admonitions

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Here in Year C readings, our gospel suddenly moves from Luke 12:49-53 (last week) to this gospel, passing over 12:54-13:21. In between, the warnings and admonitions regarding the coming judgment that began with 12:1 reach their conclusion with a sobering call for repentance. Just as the debtor on the way to court (12:59) is warned to make every effort at reconciliation, so also Jesus uses the sayings about calamity in 13:1–5 and the parable of the unproductive fig tree in 13:6–9 to make the same point: 

  • read the signs of the time and judge correctly; 
  • repent now, the time is short; and
  • be assured of the full measure of judgment.

The sayings from this gospel of Jesus follow upon the parables of the kingdom (Luke 13:18–21) and stress the same points as above, adding, that great effort is required for entrance into the kingdom (Luke 13:24) and that there is an urgency to accept the present opportunity to enter because the narrow door will not remain open indefinitely. 

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Distractions and Finishing

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In the second reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews, the author tells us “persevere in running the race that lies before us.” It is an apt sports metaphor for life. Perseverance in life – the needed persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. We know all things in life take preparation and practice. Even then things don’t always go as planned.

In the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Marathon, one of the runners from Tanzania was John Akhwari. During the race he fell, dislocated his kneecap, injured his shoulder, and was bruised and bloodied. After receiving medical attention, he continued the race. He finished more than 1 hour after the winner. By the time he finished, the medals for the Marathon had been awarded. Most people had left as darkness drew over the stadium, but people had heard there was one more competitor on the course, injured but persevering. He entered the stadium to complete the lap that would finish the race – there were still 7,000 spectators remaining. He finished, cheered on by a “great cloud of witnesses” giving him a standing ovation. Later he was asked why had not quit, why he continued, he replied, “My country did not send me 7,000 miles around the world to start the race, but to finish it.”

God did not send you into this life just to start the race, but to be able to join with St. Paul, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7)

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Sgt. John Basilone

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By early 1942, Japan had established a vast defensive perimeter across the western Pacific, including the Philippines, Dutch East Indies, and parts of New Guinea. After seizing Tulagi in the southern Solomon Islands in May 1942 the Japanese began construction of an airfield on Guadalcanal an island near the southwest end of the Solomon chain. Completion and operation of this airfield would threaten Allied supply and communication lines between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand – effectively isolating the Allies from each other and placing Australia at risk of invasion.

The U.S. victory at Midway in June 1942 represented the first time Japanese offensive power had been thwarted and opened the possibility for limited Allied offensives. Admiral Ernest King, Commander in Chief of the US Fleet, proposed an offensive in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. The Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the plan in July 1942. The first phase was the seizure of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and surrounding islands to deny Japan their strategic airfield. The Guadalcanal operation was codenamed Operation Watchtower. Military historians have suggested that it should have been called Operation Shoestring. Initially planned as a limited operation by the U.S. Marines to preempt the Japanese airfield on Guadalcanal, it evolved into a protracted campaign that lasted from August 1942 to February 1943.

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The signs of the times

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This last post moves beyond the Sunday gospel (Luke 12:48-53) to include the following verses:

54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see (a) cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain—and so it does; 55 and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? 57 “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. 59 I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” (Luke 12:54-59)

The illustration (vv.54-55) seems to point to the weather patterns in the Near East. The Mediterranean Sea was to the west and winds from that direction brought rain. The desert was to the south and winds from that direction brought heat. It is not clear whether these words were spoken on the same occasion as the preceding verses. There is no direct connection. Matthew gives a similar saying in response to a request for a sign. Still, it is interesting to note that here, while Jesus is encouraging, exhorting people to “see,” he again uses the accusatory “hypocrite.”  Jesus has only used this expression once before in Luke’s gospel: “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:42).

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The Assumption of Mary in Art

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Much of our religious consciousness is affected by art; we have inherited specific images that are more artistic than biblical.  For example, we always imagine St. Paul being knocked from a horse on the Damascus Road.  There is no mention of the horse in scripture.  Is that a bid deal? Perhaps not.  But when Caravaggio placed Paul on the horse, a sign of privilege or royalty, he removed Paul from the midst of Corinth, the hard-scrabbled sea port town, from among the drunks, slackards, ner-do-wells, and people who sorely needed salvation. Continue reading →

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare in the Pacific

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While the U.S. submarine force in the Pacific is credited with sinking one Japanese super aircraft carrier, two fleet carriers, two escort carriers, four heavy cruisers and other combatants. Their role as a naval combatant against Japanese fleet units was always going to be limited: aircraft carriers had a speed of 28-40 knots; a submerged WWII submarine could make only 3-4 running her engines on battery power. The real contribution of the submarine force was against merchant shipping.  By the end of the war, U.S. submarines had sunk approximately 50% of all Japanese merchant shipping.

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Decision

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All of the challenging words and images in the Sunday gospel (Luke 12:48-53) are with a purpose in mind: Jesus’ ministry necessarily demanded a definitive decision on the part of his would-be followers. Their yes had to be yes; their no had to be no. Christianity precludes indecision as well as compromise. Surrendering to compromise and infidelity was the error made by so many of the Old Testament communities – even when confronted by their prophets. When the prophet dared to confront them, they turned on the prophet, denounced him and often tried to kill him. Surrendering to lukewarmness in their discipleship was also the mistake made by the church in Laodicea; a community that some described as a perfect model of inoffensive Christianity. Therefore, they were told that God would spew them out as one would spew out bitter, tepid water. 

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A Barrier to Evil

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We should certainly hear an echo of the Lord’s Prayer in today’s gospel: ““Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” The mention of “forgiveness” should echo Jesus’ teaching about prayer. In the Lord’s prayer we are told to forgive others as we are forgiven: “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” (Mt 6:14-15)

OK, the principle is clear, but the practical outworking still needs to be clarified, since its open-ended demand may easily be exploited by a manipulative person; surely there must be a limit? If Mishna B. Yoma represents rabbinic teaching, three times was regarded as sufficient. So, Peter’s proposal of up to seven times is probably intended to express a new limit of generosity. Or maybe it is a reference and contrast to sevenfold vengeance in the case of Cain (as in Cain and Abel). When Cain, doomed to wander homeless, worries that “Anyone may kill me at sight” (Gen 4:14), the Lord promises “Not so! the LORD said to him. If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged seven times.” (Gen 4:15) 

And so Jesus’ reply in our reading is all the more startling: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” (Mt 18:22)

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