Pope Francis: a reflection on the Cross

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From the September 4, 2014 Angelus reflection by Pope Francis:

On 14 September the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some non-Christian person might ask: why “exalt” the Cross? We can respond that we do not exalt any cross whatsoever or all crosses: we exalt the Cross of Jesus, because in it God’s love for humanity was fully revealed. That’s what the Gospel of John reminds us of in today’s liturgy: “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son” (3:16). Continue reading →

Exaltation Holy Cross

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The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated every year on 14 September, recalls three events: (1) the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena, (2) the dedication of churches built by Emperor Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary, and (3) the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem in AD 629 by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, after it had fallen into the hands of the Persians in the AD 614 conquest of Jerusalem. Continue reading →

The Debt

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This coming Sunday is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

24 When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.25 Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.26 At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. Continue reading →

Unquenchable Desire

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Today is the memorial for St. John Chrysostom, a bishop and doctor of the Church. He lived in the late 4th and early 5th centuries and is counted as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs of the Byzantine Church along with Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus. John garnered the moniker Chrysostom (“golden tongue”) because of his oratory skills. John also became quite popular because of his eloquence, insights, and  passion in his public speaking at the Golden Church, Antioch’s cathedral. Especially popular was his insightful expositions of Bible passages and moral teaching. He emphasized charitable giving and was concerned with the spiritual and temporal needs of the poor. He spoke against abuse of wealth and personal property: Continue reading →

Parable of the Debtors

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This coming Sunday is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. 23 That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. The parable which makes up most of the rest of the discourse underlines the principle of unrestricted forgiveness which Jesus has just enunciated. Most of Matthew’s parables are introduced as illustrations of “the kingdom of heaven” (13:11, 24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47, 52; 20:1; 22:2; 25:1). Here that formula is especially appropriate, since the parable concerns a king and his subjects:  this then is how God rules. That application of the story will be made explicit in v. 35: the king’s action represents how “my heavenly Father” will deal with you. Continue reading →

Mature Faith

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Sometimes it is good to know the “big picture” in order to more deeply appreciate the details. Let me suggest that the “big picture” of St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians is his hopes and prayers for a maturing faith community founded on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul sets the tone in the opening chapter of the letter where the message is: this is how I am thanking God for you (1:3–8), this is how I am praying for you (1:9–23) and this is what I am doing for you (1:24–2:5). All of these things Paul is doing and continues to do so that the believers in Colossae will continue to mature in their Christian faith. We see that clearly expressed in today’s first reading where two verses neatly sum up the message of the entire letter: “So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col 2:6-7) Continue reading →

How much forgiveness?

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This coming Sunday is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. As mentioned in the previous post, we are in a part of Matthew’s gospel in which the focus is forming the community of disciples for their post-Resurrection mission to the world. Jesus has just finished speaking to the disciples about what to do if a brother sins against them. The verses leading up to our passage (vv.15-20) outline the manner in which the individual and the faith community are to deal with the incorrigible members caught in the life of sin. The focus of the teaching is about forgiveness, reconciliation, and doing what is needed to bring the brother back to the community and the fullness of the Faith. Continue reading →

The Economy of Mercy

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Today’s gospel from Luke tells of Jesus’ encounter with the scribes and Pharisees centered around what is proper action on the Sabbath. There were 913 regulations and guidelines arising from the reading of the Torah (Pentateuch). To the modern mind, it is hard to conceive how that sheer number would be a good thing for a worshiping people. But it is important to understand the intent and purpose of the Sabbath work regulations. They are rooted in the religious and spiritual significance of the Sabbath day, and while the number and nature of the regulations could be seen as restrictive, they were intended to enhance the quality of life and promote a deeper relationship with the Divine. Continue reading →

Location in Matthew’s Narrative

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This coming Sunday is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A. The gospel it taken from Mt 18:21-35. There is a large jump in our Sunday gospels as we move from the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time –Year A (Mt 16:21-27) to the 23rd and 24th Sunday – in fact, the entirety of Matthew 17 is passed over. As shown in Boring’s diagram [“The Gospel of Matthew” 117], we are in a part of Matthew’s gospel in which the focus is community. Continue reading →

The Long Walk

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It must have been some 30 years ago when I saw a film entitled “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” It was a clever comedy about a tribe that lived in the Kalahari Desert of southwest Africa. The Kalahari is a tough place in which only a community survives through its cooperation, assistance, and support of each other. The web of individual and communal relationships are a key element by which life is sustained. And so, the people work at maintaining the relationships through the cycle of seasons and over the generations. Yet the tribe also understands that the essential element for life is favor from the gods; favor that is undeserved, unearned, and all gift. These key and essential elements are what our western and Christian perspective would call a community of Grace. Continue reading →