Yesterday’s first reading is taken from the book of Leviticus (19:1-2, 11-18).  This third book of the Torah has the reputation of being very dry and uninteresting to the modern reader.  It is true that it can be a tough go, what with all its arcane laws and lists.  But, anyone opening the Bible to this book will certainly appreciate certain sections of the work, like the passage in question.

It starts out as if we are to get a reiteration of the Ten Commandments from the previous book of Exodus (20:1-17).  But then we find that we get more commands, or at least more specific ways on how to live the Ten Commandments.  Per the title of this post, note how it starts and ends.  We are reminded of Jesus’ response to the scholar of the law who tested Him:

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. (Mt 22:37-40)

See how this encompasses all other divine commandments not only in the structure of this Leviticus passage but also theologically?  Be holy as God is holy (which we can approach only by total devotion to Him) and in so doing we, by extension, love our neighbor as ourselves.  How do we do this?  We are given important reminders: do not steal or lie or speak falsely or defraud or judge dishonestly or show partiality or slander or hate.  It makes for an excellent examination of conscience.

If we truly honor God and remember to see Christ in every person (Mt 25:40) it will make doing the right thing for our fellow men that much easier.  And the reward is heavenly.

Today’s passage from the Hebrew Scriptures has us again consider Moses speaking to the people (Dt 26:4-10).  Here he reminds them of what God did for them, leading them out of a land of oppression (Egypt) to the cusp of the Promised Land (Canaan).  This land is “flowing with milk and honey,” (v. 9) meaning that it is rich in natural resources, an exquisite place to finally call their own after two generations of wandering.

We in the United States have been blessed to live in a land of abundance as well.  What should follow from our acknowledgment of this?  The last line of today’s first reading says: “Then you shall declare in the presence of the LORD, your God…’Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And having set them before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.”  So we should give back the best to the Lord (after all, we are only returning a small portion of what He gave us) and thank Him and worship Him for what He has provided.

It is easy to forget the blessings poured upon us in our own land of plenty.  But we must remember to give back a share to the Lord.  Commonly, the biblical concept of tithing (actually discussed in the verses immediately following this reading [vv.12-15] and elsewhere) is generally implemented today by donating ten percent of one’s income (of course, more if one is able) to church and other charitable causes.  While this can be a challenge to the economically disadvantaged, one should make an effort to donate at least something to worthy causes.  This can be in the form of money (treasure), but it can also be done in the forms of time and talent.

In terms of treasure, except in the most dire circumstances, surely we can cut out some luxury or extravagance, or even something dear but not absolutely necessary, and offer it to God.  Time is precious, but eternity is more so; we must consider (additional) ways we can serve God and neighbor.  A special talent worth sharing can often be done at home, especially in our increasingly interconnected world.

May we never become so caught up in our own daily lives that we forget the abundant blessings that are ours due to the country in which Providence has placed us.  May we ever be cognizant of the corporal works of mercy demanded of us by our faith and share abundantly and unhesitatingly our bounty with those in need.

Today’s first reading is a continuation of yesterday’s Old Testament passage from Isaiah (58:9b-14).  He continues with the theme of mercy toward others but then switches to the proper way to honor the Sabbath.  Per the headline, it is not a day set aside to follow selfish pursuits but rather to honor God and our fellow man.

In today’s world, it is very tempting to set aside Sunday for all sorts of activity that we did not get to during the week.  And there might be some necessity for that depending on one’s schedule.  But this reading should offer some time for reflection about this.  What really needs to be done on Sunday?  Could shopping not be taken care of on a weeknight evening or early Saturday before the crowds come?  Does that backlog of mail/e-mail have to be addressed on the Lord’s Day?  Is this the best day to start that project on which you have been procrastinating?

Sunday should be a day of rest and relaxation.  God set it aside not because He needed it but because we need it.  Coming to the end of the day exhausted and stressed with a new work week just on the other side of the alarm clock is no way to honor the Lord, ourselves, or others.

So be sure to take the time to relax and engage in pursuits that refresh the body and soul.  Mass, without question.  Add some Scripture and spiritual reading.  Watch a religious or wholesome film with the family.  Say a few extra prayers.  Visit a lonely neighbor.  Do fun stuff with your loved ones.  Take a long, leisurely walk while listening to some relaxing and uplifting music.

Sunday is the Day of Creation and the Day of Resurrection.  It is when light first came into time and space and it is when Light marked its victory over darkness.  Let us take the time to bask in that radiance and be a conduit of it toward others.

When time is taken for God, He repays it by allowing you to get more done, rather than less, the remaining 144 hours of the week.  Take Him up on the challenge starting today.

This closing line in today’s first reading from Isaiah (58:1-9a) is predicated on performing corporal works of mercy.  All but one of the traditional corporal works of mercy are laid out in the judgment of the nations in Matthew’s Gospel (25:35-36).  But Isaiah anticipates the value of some of these good deeds here in discussing what the Lord God really desires from His followers.  The people focus on their fasting and penitential practices in their cry to Yahweh, but He only sees their worldliness and mistreatment of others.  If they have to choose, God would much prefer them to pursue

releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own. (vv. 6-7)

The result of doing this?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. (v. 8)

The word “light” here is interesting.  Our light is Christ (see Jn 8:12, 1:9; 2 Cor 4:6; Eph 5:8-9) .  When this light “breaks forth” from us, it is effective because it is the light of Christ.  He makes our good works meritorious.  In doing works of mercy we become the face of Christ, the Face of Mercy (see Misericordiae Vultus), to others.  Others will see Jesus in us and experience Him through us.

All that said, Scripture does not oppose fasting and good works.  Jesus Himself says, “When you fast” (Mt 6:16).  This is not an optional practice.  Even in today’s Gospel passage Jesus says, “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast” (Mt 9:15).  Finally, remember these words of our Lord, in some ancient manuscripts, speaking of demonic influence: “this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting” (Mt 17:21).

So, we are to practice fasting.  Fasting as we await Christ’s return in glory.  Fasting as we work to counter the influence of the Evil One in our culture and in our world.  Fasting to learn detachment from worldly goods so that we can truly approach being “poor in spirit” (Mt 5:3).  A good practice is to make every Friday throughout the year a Lenten Friday (no meat).  Better yet is to make a “Good Friday” every week — no meat and “one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal” (USCCB).  It is not uncommon to extend this same practice to Wednesdays as well.

In a world that more and more is being given over to the culture of death, may we bring the light of Christ, who is the Life (Jn 14:6), through our fasting, penance, and works of mercy.

Today’s Old Testament reading is taken from the fifth book of the Bible, Deuteronomy (30:15-20).  Here, Moses once again is found instructing the people anticipating their entry into the Promised Land.  He has laid down blessings and curses that will be theirs depending on their behavior.  He urges them to choose wisely between life (attained by obedience to God) and death (inflicted by disobedience, turning to other gods).

Life comes “by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him” (v. 20).  “Choose Life” (v. 19) has become a popular slogan for pro-life advocates in recent years.  In those two words are wrapped up the message to love God, listen to God, and hold fast to God.  A culture of death inevitably occurs when we as a people don’t do any of those things.  As God more and more rapidly is being eliminated from our midst, how can we love, listen, or hold fast to Him, if He is unknown and unwanted?  Is it any surprise that respect for life wanes when respect for the Author of life wanes?  The Lord allows us to use the gift of free will as we choose.  But that doesn’t mean we can avoid the consequences.  Yahweh, through Moses, says, that if the people turn away “you will not have a long life…I call heaven and earth today to witness against you” (vv. 18-19).  This should send chills through us.  If heaven and earth witness against us then the long life we should desire more than anything, that is eternal beatitude in the presence of the Blessed Trinity in heaven, will be lost.  The author of death, Satan who started this all in the Garden of Eden, will have won that battle.

Let us always choose life on earth for ourselves and let us be uncompromising advocates for the most vulnerable in our world so that we will all enjoy the blessings of life here and in the world to come.  Amen.

Yesterday’s Ash Wednesday Mass took its first reading from the prophet Joel (2:12-18).  Scholars have not come to a consensus on when this book was written.  No matter.  The message is timeless and applies to us as much today as to Joel’s immediately intended hearers.

Joel begins by relaying God’s message to His people “return to me with your whole heart” (v. 12).  This is a compelling message to begin Lent.  We are provided a wonderful opportunity over forty days to make special preparations for the Easter Triduum.  We should reflect on those ways in which we are away from Jesus, through sin and distraction, so that we can return to Him, through repentance and fasting, while awaiting His return from death.

Further on, in verse 17, the prophet says “Spare your people, LORD!”  I immediately think of the culture of depravity and death in our society and so many others in the world today.  Spare us!  Convert us!  May our hearts be rended (v. 13) so that we will be open to returning to you by reforming our lives and our culture.  But then I am reminded that this begins with me.  I need to be an exemplar of conversion and Christian living so as to draw others to the Lord.

The headline of this post gives the concluding words of this excerpt from Joel.  It is a message of hope and mercy, particularly appropriate for this jubilee year.  God longs to bring us back to Him if only we open ourselves up to His graces.  Let us not neglect to take advantage of this Lenten season to bring the Lord fully back into our lives and thus begin to bring Him back into a society that desperately needs the Light of the World (Jn 8:12).

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.  Of course, the Gospel is drawn from Luke’s infancy narrative (Lk 2:22-40) in which the Holy Family brings Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem for His consecration, as prescribed by Jewish law.  There Simeon and Anna are encountered and they have much to say about this child.

We are told that Simeon was “awaiting the consolation of Israel” (v. 25) and “that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord” (v. 26).  One can imagine how closely this old man read the Scriptures and the amount of time he spent contemplating them and meditating on them.  He would not want to have taken any chance that he would miss this promised epiphany or fail to appreciate the magnitude of its import.  Malachi’s prophecy would not have been lost on him.  In fact, I think it quite likely that this passage (especially the headline) would have jumped first to his mind when the Holy Spirit led him to the temple that glorious day.  The following line, “But who will endure the day of his coming?” (Mal 3:2), may well have influenced his words directed to Mary and Joseph: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel” (v. 34).  Some will endure, others will not.  But the time to get off the fence had now come for the Chosen People.  Simeon was hardly alone in  “awaiting the consolation of Israel” (v. 25).  But was this Child what was expected?  Would His ministry bring consolation?  Yes, to those who had ears to hear and whose hearts of stone were prepared to be transformed into hearts of flesh (cf. Ezek 11:19 and 36:26).  For the rest, who could not endure His refining fire (cf. Mal 3:2), He became an obstacle to be eliminated.  Those who thought they would rise, fell.  And those who in humility and gratitude fell on their knees in spirit, in turn, rose.

So it is a lesson and warning for us today.  We, too, await and desire consolation.  But can we endure this Refiner’s fire?  Are we ready to hear the Lord, really listen, in Scripture and in prayer, in love and in humility, to the Word that softens hearts and sets them ablaze?  And do we go to the new Temple, the church in which we find Christ, now in His Eucharistic presence, to effect this change?  We are to fall on our knees so that we can rise with Him.

The response in today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6) immediately brings to mind the prophetess and widow Anna who we learn about in the event of Jesus’ presentation to Simeon.  We learn that Anna “never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” (Lk 2: 37)  Considering that we have just entered into Advent, we are already reminded of the joy of the Christmas season.  This is a happy thought as we want to keep focus on the Lord’s manifestation to the world not only in His birth but also in His being formally presented “to the Lord.” (Lk 2:22)  Our anticipation grows.

But we should also note that the psalm in question comes immediately after Psalm 22, the one whose opening line Jesus cries out from the cross:

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (v. 2)

Thinking about the coming of Christ, and the delight we will feel at commemorating His birth, we also call to mind why the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity became incarnate.  Shortly after entering Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus anticipates His imminent death:

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.”
(Jn 12:27 emphasis added)

This should not temper our joy but rather complement it by increasing our gratitude for the gift of the only One who can save us.  There is a unity in the life of the God-Man — all that He did was always focused on His ultimate mission: to provide the possibility of eternal life in glory for every person.  It is a template for us.  All that we do should be with the intention of going to heaven and bringing as many other souls with us as possible.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention in our considerations the other two readings from today’s Mass.  First, Isaiah, whose prophecies are naturally prominent during Advent, says

“The LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” (25:6)

Then, in the Gospel from Matthew, we read of Jesus fulfilling this prophecy on the natural level by feeding the four thousand with the miraculous event happening here:

“Then he took the seven loaves […], gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied.” (15:36-37a)

One does not have to be particularly attentive to recall that Jesus uses this same formula at the Last Supper to satisfy us supernaturally and most effectively:

“Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.'” (Mt 26:26)

What a particularly rich harvest for us to cultivate in these three excerpts from the Bible!  We look forward to Christ’s birth, recall His mission (and ours), and are reminded of our primary spiritual sustenance on the journey.

What a blessing we have in the Church!

Today’s Gospel passage (Lk 12:49-53) has Jesus telling His disciples that He has come to set the world ablaze and to bring division, not peace, on earth, using breaks in the family to demonstrate the forcefulness and impact of this separation.

It should immediately strike the Christian that Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Is 9:6), is using very “incendiary” language in reference to His mission.  Not tranquility but extraordinary disturbance — even breaking the closest family ties.  Not a fireman but a fire starter.  How can this be?

It is instructive that the comparable passage in Matthew’s Gospel says this: “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (10:34)  The significance of “sword” is brought out in several New Testament passages that make it clear precisely what is going on here in Luke and Matthew.  Among them, to wit:

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12)

“From [Jesus’] mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword” (Rev 1:12)

And most striking for our discussion:

“Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Rev 2:16)

We know Jesus is the Word of God from the Prologue of the Gospel of John (Jn 1:1-14; see esp. v. 1).  We also know that Jesus is the Truth (Jn 14:6).  This sword that comes from His mouth is Divine Revelation.  This revelation contains all truth — there is no error.  It divides those who accept it from those who reject it.  We know how it can tear even families apart (maybe you have personal experience with this).  It is not that the Lord wants disunity, but the only authentic unity must be unity in the truth.  Those who don’t repent (per Rev 2 above) and accept the fullness of Divine Truth (i.e., Jesus) separate themselves.

Jesus mission was to bring the fullness of truth to the world.  He wound up dying for it.  Even Pilate could not understand this (remember “What is truth?” [Jn 18:38]?).  Jesus was willing to give up everything and everyone for the truth (see the result of the Bread of Life discourse at Jn 6:67) — no compromises.

What about us?

Today’s first reading begins our working through the Book of Exodus (1:8-14, 22).  Some time after Joseph’s death, which was recorded in the last verse of Genesis, a pharaoh comes to power who opposes the multitudes of Israelites now in Egypt.  He is concerned that some day they will side with Egypt’s enemies and turn against him.  Pharaoh puts them into forced labor and eventually into abject slavery.  Because they continued to multiply despite the oppression he ordered all Israelite boys born to be killed.

It struck me as it hasn’t before that this situation is closely analogous to early Christianity in the Roman Empire.  The faith starts out small in a foreign territory, grows rapidly, is perceived as a threat by the government, sees harsh oppression (including much killing — the firstborn into the Kingdom), yet the number of the faithful grows exponentially despite the best efforts of the leaders to suppress the people of God.

When God blesses a people and takes them under His wing, no earthly or demonic force will overcome it, rather the opposite happens (“the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” — Mt 16:18).  So, in the difficult times in which we live, when the world seems upside down, and good is called evil and evil is called good, let us remain confident in the Lord, the only one we can be sure will never let us down.

We know what Jesus asks of us.  And we know how the Book ends.  Now let’s live our lives like we believe it.