Ten Commandments

                                    3rd Sunday of Lent***

                                    

The Ten Commandments are the subject of today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus. Although we think of these commandments as relevant to all people at all times, they were given particularly to the Jewish people on their wandering in the desert after they had escaped from slavery in Egypt. We might want to think of the Commandments not as a spiritual guide but as a practical guide to survival during their journey.

How could this people, made up of different families and tribes, survive during this time of adversity? It is clear that the first step would be to remember that they were all united in the service and worship of one God. Unlike the Egyptians and the other pagan peoples encountered on their journey, they would not have many gods, especially those obviously false gods made of wood or stone.

Moreover, they would have to behave in a certain way to each other in order to survive. On their journey, they would have to set aside one day for rest, a rest that would be shared by all. No one, even their slaves and animals, could be required to work on the Sabbath. This is good practical advice which we would be well advised to follow today.

They would have to remember their obligation to their own parents. How can you have a working, well-functioning society if children don’t respect and honor their parents, or grown children do not care for their infirm parents? If this elemental bond is broken, what other bonds can remain? Moreover, they will have to respect their other tribesman. They must work together. How will they survive if they kill each other, fail to respect their marriage bonds, bring false charges against their fellow travelers, or desire what does not belong to them?

We know that many of them did not keep the commandments. Even their leaders often failed. King David coveted another man’s wife and connived to have her husband killed in battle. King Ahab coveted another man’s property and his wife, the notorious Queen Jezebel, showed him the way to get rid of the poor farmer.

In the time of Jesus it was much the same. Today’s gospel account of the cleansing of the Temple illustrates the anger of Jesus at their failure to follow the commandments. He drove those who sold animals for sacrifice out of the Temple area because they had made the house of God into a marketplace.  The buying and selling of animals had become like the worship of idols.

The most significant part of this passage comes at the end. The evangelist tells us that many had come to believe in Jesus because of the signs he had worked but that Jesus knew they did not understand his message.

But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all,And did not need anyone to testify about human nature.He himself understood it well.

Sadly, he understood human nature. He knew that his contemporaries as well as the Jews from the time of Moses had often failed to live by the Commandments, and that human nature would make us all today likely to stumble and fall. In his letter to the new Christian community at Corinth, St. Paul had noticed that even these recent converts had trouble living in harmony with one another.

Paul told them to concentrate on Jesus who died to redeem our fallen nature. Just like the Jews of old, we too demand signs or miraculous deeds. Just like the Greek philosophers of old, we look for wisdom or human reason to solve all our problems. Modern culture regards much of what Christians believe and do as superstitious, irrational, or unreasonable.

Jesus expanded on the Commandments. He applied them not just to one tribe but to all people. He told us not just to love our neighbor but to share our love with strangers. He told us that not only was killing forbidden but that anger was just as bad as killing. He told us not only to avoid adultery but to not even think about it. The idols of the Greeks and Romans were nothing compared to the idols we have created. We worship athletes, entertainers, and celebrities. We even have a popular show called American Idol.

Paul’s words to the Corinthians are as valid today as they were 2000 years ago.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,And the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

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Reading 1. Exodus 20: 1-17

Reading II. 1 Corinthians 1: 22-25.

Gospel. John 2: 13-25 (cleansing the temple)

***For the third Sunday in Lent the readings of the B cycle our A cycle may be used at Mass. The above is based on the readings for the B cycle. Sorry for the lateness of this post.

Lent and Transfiguration

                                    2nd Sunday of Lent

                                    

Transfiguration
Stained Glass Window
Assumption Church
Fairfield, CT*

At one point in the gospels our Lord refers to someone, I believe it was Nicodemus, as a "true son of Abraham." It was probably the highest compliment our Lord ever gave to anyone for Abraham was the father of Israel, the people of God.

Later in the story, however, the Lord asks Abraham as a sign of faith to sacrifice his only son in much the same way as he had previously offered animals. Abraham obeyed but  just as his knife was set to strike, the Lord intervened and stopped him. Thank goodness! What would we think of a God who could allow a man to kill his own son?

Instead, we see in today's gospel that the Lord is going to sacrifice His own Son so that our sons and daughters might live. In todays’s gospel St. Mark gives us his account of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Just as the Temptation in the Desert has always been the subject of the first Sunday in Lent, the Transfiguration of our Lord has always been the subject of the second Sunday in Lent.

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Jesus is far along in His mission when the Transfiguration occurs. He has given the Sermon on the Mount, healed the sick, driven out devils, and raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. In Mark’s previous chapter Jesus had fed the multitude with five loaves and two fishes. After this incredible miracle, He asks the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answers, "Thou art the Christ," after which our Lord reveals the mission of the Christ:

            The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief

            priests and Scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again."

After this startling announcement Mark records the Jesus led Peter, James and John up a high mountainoff by themselves. He was transfigured before them.

And his garments became shining, exceedingly white as snow, as no fuller on earth can whiten. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

Elias and Moses were two of the greatest figures in Jewish history.

                

Our reading says that Jesus was speaking with them of his "exodus" that He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The word "exodus" is full of meaning. Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the promised land--Jesus was about to do the same for us. Older translations say that Jesus was speaking of "his death, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem." 

Finally, a cloud envelops them and they hear a voice just as they did at the Baptism of the Lord  saying, "This is my beloved Son; hear Him." The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus are linked to the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham and his spiritual descendants. We are the true sons and daughters of Abraham when we hear the Word of the Lord and believe.

In today's second reading from the letter to the Philippians, Paul is telling us to be true to the covenant and conduct ourselves "according to the model you have in us." He knew that in his time as well as in ours, many "conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ."

            Their end is destruction.

            Their God is their stomach;

            their glory is in their "shame."

            Their minds are occupied with earthly things.

But for those who "stand firm in the Lord," they will receive a promise similar to the one made to Abraham:

            He will change our lowly body

            to conform with His glorified body...

When Jesus spoke of  his own crucifixion, he also told his disciples and us that we must also bear our cross.

            If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross         daily, and follow me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses          his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole   world, but ruin or lose himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of      him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory..."

This is why our little sacrifices during the forty days of Lent are so meaningful. They are a reminder that it is impossible to stand firm in the Lord without sacrifice of some kind.

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Reading 1. Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Reading II. Philippians 3:17-4:1

Gospel. Luke 9: 28b-36 (Transfiguration)

*Image by Melissa DeStefano

Vacation

On Vacation

Sunday, Sunday will be on vacation for the month of February.

Thanks for reading.

Hopefully, back in March.

Frank

Speaking with Authority

                                    4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                                  

In today’s first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people that the Lord will one day bring them a Messiah, a new Prophet,

            I will raise up for them a prophet like you…

            And will put my words into his mouth;

            He shall tell them all that I command him.

In other words this new Prophet will speak with the authority of God, Himself. Sure enough in today’s gospel we see Jesus, at the outset of his public life, impressing the people in the synagogue at Capernaum as one speaking with authority. This passage in Mark’s gospel comes right after last week’s account of the calling of the first Apostles.

You may remember that last week Jesus called the brothers Andrew and Peter, and then James and John, the sons of the fisherman Zebedee. Jesus had met these fishermen on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and archaeologists have discovered ruins of an ancient synagogue at the seaside city of Capernaum.

What does it mean to speak with authority? Scholars tell us that it might refer to the methods used by the ancient scribes. Whenever they were asked for an opinion on some issue, it was their practice to search their books for the opinions of learned rabbis. Typically, there would be many opinions that had to be reconciled. Sometimes the opinions would even be contradictory. Sometimes this method could even provide loopholes that could allow any kind of behavior.

Doesn’t this sound terribly familiar to us today? Look at our cable talk shows. People literally screaming at each other-- some arguing that white is black, or black is white, or that their particular shade of gray is the only correct one.  We have come to expect “spin” from any political or social commentator. During our political campaigns didn’t we wait to hear the supporters of each candidate provide their spin immediately following each debate?

What we see in the media reflects what goes on in society. In politics it seems that corruption has become the normal way of doing business. What authority can a governor or mayor have whose been caught with hands in the cookie jar of bribery or payoffs? Only a fool would listen to their words or be guided by them. In business it’s much the same. Even in sports and entertainment we should know better than to trust the words of celebrities whose words are often belied by their private lives.

There’s an old saying that “It’s not enough to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk.” Some examples. I once heard of a business owner who developed a unique plan to save his company when it got into financial trouble. He cut his own salary and the salary of the top third of his employees by 15%. The middle third were cut 10% and the bottom third 5%. This action saved the company without anyone losing their job. This owner spoke with real authority. I knew a sales manager who would never ask his salespeople to do anything that he was reluctant to do himself. He led by example, not by words.

One of the greatest coaches of all time was John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach of UCLA when they won 4 national championships in a row. Never would you see him jumping off the bench yelling at his players as so many do. He must have realized that if his team was not prepared, it was his fault, not theirs.

In today’s gospel St. Mark says that the people were astounded at the teaching of Jesus for “he taught them as one having authority.” Nevertheless, there was someone there who questioned his authority as many do today,

            What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

            Have you come to destroy us?

In our Missal we translate the answer of Jesus as, “Quiet,” but it literally means be “muzzled.” He then cures the man as He often did to show that His teaching had authority, an authority that sprang from who He was. He would not agree with those people today who say that their private lives can be separated from their public lives. If parents neglect their children, will they care for their clients? If politicians lie to their spouses, will they tell the truth to their constituents? People speak with authority if they possess real personal integrity.

Certainly, the people of Corinth thought that St. Paul spoke with authority. Today, we have a somewhat difficult to understand excerpt from the seventh chapter of his famous letter to the Corinthians. If we read the whole chapter, we would see that he had been asked to advise them on some difficult matters of personal behavior. He admits that he can find no specific rule or commandment in most of these matters and only offers what he calls his own opinion.

In general, he urges the converts to remain in their current situation and work within to achieve the kingdom of God. It is not a question of whether you are married or unmarried, circumcised or uncircumcised, slave or free, male or female. You can do the work of God in any station in life. That’s speaking with authority. For Paul, love transcends all.

            Love is patient, love is kind.

            It is not jealous, it is not pompous,

            it is not inflated, it is not rude,

            it does not seek its own interests,

            it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

            it does not rejoice over wrongdoing

            but rejoices with the truth.

            It bears all things, believes all things,

            hopes all things, endures all things.

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Reading 1. Deuteronomy 18: 15-20

Reading II. I Corinthians 7:32-35

Gospel. Mark 1: 21-28 (teaching with authority).