remember this, you who never think of God

Amos 2:6-16; psalm 50; Matthew 8:18-22

"Remember this, you who never think of God."

This is the response to the psalm of the mass today.  IT is repeated while psalm 50 is being proclaimed, "Remember this, you who never think of God."

There are many who never think of God in our world.  There are many who never have a cause to think of God.   So, what are they to remember? 

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church.  These were the faithful Christians killed along side of Sts. Peter and Paul during the persecution under Nero around 64 AD.

St. Clement, the 3rd bishop of Rome after Peter, writes about the martyrdom of these Holy men and women, "to these men, Peter and Paul, who lived such holy lives there was joined a great multitude of the elect who by reason of rivalry were the victims of many outrages and tortures and who became outstanding examples among us."

By their fidelity and willingness to cling to Christ, to follow Him wherever he went, they gave the world something to remember, they gave the world something to think about.

One not must think of God in order to experience him, one must simply think of those who think to follow Him to encounter the living presence of God.  This is the memory that enlightens the shrouded minds of those who refuse to think of God. 

Mother Teresa relates this story,  "A man, a follower of the Hindu religion, came to our Home for Dying in Kalighat at a time when I was busy curing the wounds of a sick person.  He watched me for a while in silence.  Then he said, "since it gives you strength to do what you do, I have no doubt that your religion has to be true."

By her faith lived she gave this man something to remember, a memory of light that drove away the darkness. 

"Remember this, you who never think of God."

May we make memories of light to help scatter the darkness of doubt to enlighten those who never think of God, and by our life they too might see.  Let those who never think of God at least think of us who do, and thus light is sent forth and darkness is scattered.

 

theotokos

What a word 'theotokos' is .  It simply means God-bearer. 

A simple definition that means a whole lot in the life of a Christian.  It is so important that the 3rd general council in the Church , Council of Ephesus, was called by the emperor, to once and for all settle this divisive reality in the church. 

St. Cyril of Alexandria, the great patriarch of Alexandria, was at the helm. 

His role was to help the archbishop of Constantinople, Nestorius, understand why he was wrong.

Sometimes the most charitable thing we can do is help people understand why they are wrong in their beliefs.   St. Cyril was a master in this reality.  He understood that belief is not an opinion but rather that it has to do with what God reveals in its entirety. 

He certainly did not lack the courage to think a thought through. Heresy is a serious matter; to be in error of thinking and believing leads to an error in living correctly the standard of God. 

Right belief was in need to be upheld so that right living could flow forth.

St. Cyril tried to convince Nestorius that Mary was the mother of God, she was the God-bearer.  In her womb she carried Jesus, fully man and fully God.  This is essential.  If Jesus is to be the masterpiece and centerpiece of all of God's creation, that source of redemption, salvation, and glorification of humanity then Mary, must be the God-bearer, the one who gives birth to Jesus, one person, fully God and fully human.  

It is for this matter that we can hold firm to the reality that the womb of the blessed mother, was one in which there was no darkness, for it contained the source of light it self.  Through her womb was born the way, the truth, the life; her womb contained the light that came into the world to scatter darkness. 

Theotokos, God-bearer, belongs by God's plan as a title of the Blessed Virgin Mother, Mary. 

Today, may we also seek to be God-bearers, in a world that longs for light to scatter the darkness heretical opinion that have cast a shadow on true belief.

humility: another look

2 Kings 24:8-17; Mt 7:21-29

St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians chapter 2 speaks to the humilty of Jesus.  He invites us to have the mind of Christ, 

"but in humility count others to be better than yourself...have the mind of Christ, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God,  thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

The humility of Christ is by the mere fact of the incarnation, that is he chose to become one of us.  God in every way, chose to take on our flesh and bone and blood; he decided to bear the weight of our humanity, with all its frailty and drag it all the way to the cross.

This meditation is sufficient for a life time of pondering the depth of humility.

Yet, there is another aspect of the humility of christ that is often over looked.  

As we have been reading the 2nd book of kings this week in the mass.  We encounter another side of the humility of Christ.

The historical count of the kings is not very pleasant to read.  Most of the accounts begin with the name of the king, the name of their mother, and then a description of what kind of king they were.  

Most of the descriptions are summed up in one little phrase, "and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."    The kings  rebelled against the plan of God and time and time again, led the people astray. 

They did what was evil in the sight of the lord.  

What is most humiliating about this lineage of Kings is that this is the lineage that comes up in the ancestry genealogy of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew and Luke.  

Jesus, not only chose to be human, but he chose to enter into a ancestry line that time and time again did evil in the sight of the Lord. 

What humility for our Lord to embrace so that we might be exalted. 

From evil he chooses to bring good.  From the long line of those who did evil in the sight of the Lord, a long line of infidelity, we now have the Eucharist, the one good memory of fidelity.

This is what humility offers to each of us! 

conscience

2 kings 22:8-23:3; Mt 7:15-20

In today's readings we encounter the story of the Kings of Israel. 

The book of Kings is a fascinating read and fascinating to meditate on.  The book consist of little snippets of what and how each King ruled the kingdom.  Some were better than others.  Most of them were self-centered and neglected the covenant and led the kingdom astray.

In today's reading we encounter a king that was good.  King Josiah is considered the one king that was "pleasing to the Lord."  one can hardly think of a better compliment or statement of true character than this. 

King Josiah undertook the task of renovating the temple.  It had been desecrated by previous kings with pagan rite and pagan idols.  King Josiah was cleaning house literally.  In the midst of renovating the temple, the high priest, Hilkiah, discovered a book of the law and brought it to the King's attention.  

King Josiah was terrified upon reading the book because he discovered just how unfaithful the people had become.  They were no longer abiding by the standard of God but were doing their own thing. 

He took the book to the prophetess and she told him that the kingdom would suffer because of their sins.  Thus, the king had a choice.  He could hide the book and forget it was discovered and let the people live in their sin, and be punished.  Or, he could seek a renewal for the land and people, have them renew their loyalty to God in seeking to live out the covenant, and still be punished.

The king decides that regardless of the outcome, following God's will was more important; living out the covenant was the only way to truly encounter peace. 

The King reveals to us that following God, and doing the right thing, has little to do with whether or not we benefit but it always has to do with letting God be the standard in our life.

Pope Benedict reminds us that "to truly have a good conscience one must not simply ask 'what can we do', but must always ask 'what should we do'".  He points out that only in this line of questioning does a man truly embrace his dignity.  Seeking to do what one should do is what having a well formed conscience is all about.

"Conscience is not identical to personal wishes and taste.  It can not be reduced to social advantage, to a group consensus, or to demands of political and social power.  It is about opening what self up to the voice and demands of truth.  Truth is not a standard set by man himself but revealed by God to man".  

King Josiah lived out a well formed conscience because he lived out the standard of God for the sake of God.  He refused to be his own standard and humbled himself to the standard of another and thus reveals to us the great dignity of man.

john the baptist

Luke 1:57-80

"What then will this child be?"

This is the question posed by those who heard the rumblings of the events associated with the birth of John the Baptist. 

"What then will this child be?"

The answer to the question provides us a reason as to why we celebrate the birthday of John the Baptist. 

In the Church we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Mother, the birthday of Jesus Christ, and John the Baptist.  

Why is John held with such esteem?

John reveals to us what a true prophet is in history.  Prophecy is often misunderstood.  We often equate prophecy with the future, what will come tomorrow and how to prepare appropriately.   This is not what prophecy is. 

Biblical prophecy concerns itself with tomorrow only in so far as it is concerns itself with today. That is, its sole purpose is to reveal God's standard and God's expectation for the way we are to live, and thus in living it today we move forward in tomorrow. 

John, does this.  His whole life is geared toward one moment.  As he stands on the banks of the Jordan river, and see Jesus, he proclaims, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

John recognizes the face of God in the face of Christ, thus, making known the standard of God in the present.  This is what true prophecy does.

"What then will this child be?"

He will be the one who points out the face of God to all. And if he points out the face of God in Christ, what then.

We like John the baptist, are baptized prophets.  If we are to live out our role as prophets, we too must be like John the baptist, and point out the face of God in the world, that the present generation might then have the opportunity to follow. 

We also  must allow the face of God to be seen in us.  The more we follow Christ, the more our face will have the complexion of godliness.  

Prophecy is still alive in us, for we follow in the footsteps of John the baptist in making known the face of God in the world.  

live with the other in mind

2 Kings 17:5-18; Mt 7:1-5

Today in the first reading, God is bit upset with the Israelites.  So much so that he allows them to be deported to a foreign land, Assyria.   The historian tells us that "this came about because the children of israel sinned against the Lord, their God, who had brought them up from Egypt." 

What was their sin?  They venerated other gods, that is, they failed to keep the commandments.  In fact, the Lord warned them by the prophets to "give up their evil ways and keep my commandments."

We forget sometimes what the commandments really are.  We often think that they are a bunch of thou shall not statements hindering us from doing what we want.  But truth be told, the commandments are actually guiding us to what we should really want. 

They are guidelines that are life lines. 

The commandments are an invitation for us to be as generous as God is to us.  They encourage us to live a life of generosity with always the other in mind.  The commandments helps us measure correctly and give boldly. 

In the gospel, Jesus tells us "stop judging, that yo may not be judged.  For as you judge so shall you be judged, and the measure you give will be measured back to you.  Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye but not perceive the wood beam in your own eye.  Remove the wooden beam in your own eye then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." 

Does Jesus really mean this?  

Just like the commandments are an invitation to a life of generosity.  So to the words of Christ are an invitation to a life of generosity, a deeper reality that always has its source of strength in His mercy.   

Jesus is not asking us to stop judging completely.  We must judge, we must make value statements all along the journey.  What He is asking is that we no longer judge according to our standard but we allow the measure of Christ to direct us and guide us.  It is his standard by which we judge. 

What is that standard, "while we were sinners He died for us."  

Jesus is the measureless giver, the one who sets the standard of generosity.  We must let his measure determine the measure by which we judge and measure back.  Only then do we truly begin to live godly lives of great generosity rooted in greater mercy.

We participate in that generosity every time we say 'amen' and receive the body and blood of Christ. 

Let christ measure you then you will begin to see clearly and live boldly a life of generous giving that will transform the world.  

Live with the other in mind, measure with the mercy of Christ.

judgment value

Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33

St. Paul in the second reading about the Trespass of Adam.  Why is it called the trespass of Adam?

We all know the story of how in the garden with Adam and Eve, where Eve spied the fruit, took the fruit, ate the fruit, and gave the fruit.  

We all know it was eve's doing, but it turned out to be Adam's undoing.

Why is Adam to blame.  Because he knew better.  He heard God pass judgement about the fruit on the garden, how all should be eaten but the fruit of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.  

So when Eve offered the fruit, Adam in that moment valued her judgment to greater than the judgment of God.  

Adam valued his judgment to be greater than the judgment of God. 

This is the heart of all sin.  We sin, when we value our judgment to be greater than the judgment of God.  

Jesus, as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world seeks to correct this anomaly in our life.  He comes to take away sin, an din doing so, he takes away our dependence on our own judgement.  

Jesus gives us a judgement that is reliable.  By his words and action he passes judgment on what is to be valued, in doing so he reveals to us what our true value is; we are truly worth more than these, as the gospel relates.

So, as the gospel poses, how do we acknowledge Jesus before others, so that he will acknowledge us before his father.

We simply have to trust His judgment and the judgment of His Church. 

We can value our judgement to be greater than Christ and his church and thus deny him or we can let Christ and His church reveal to us what is of true value, then follow where He leads, then all will know that we acknowledge him as Lord.