Do Not Worry About Tomorrow! – the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time –Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

     The lessons of today’s Scriptures speak of God’s great love and care for his children; they also challenge his followers to trust God will always provide for their needs, and will never abandon them.  The faithful are told “not to worry about tomorrow.”

     In the first reading, Isaiah compared God’s love to the great love a mother would have for her child, and he said it was even greater than that. He therefore proclaimed God would never forget his own. Isaiah’s words were meant to give comfort and consolation to people in distress, and were focused on themes of God’s love, forgiveness of sins, and liberation. Of course, these ideas were very powerful when later reinterpreted by followers of Jesus. This is why I believe they serve to frame well today’s Gospel admonitions emphasizing the need for complete trust in an ever-caring God. And this is precisely why Jesus instructed his disciples “not to worry about their lives, to trust God would provide for their basic needs, to seek the kingdom of God and righteousness, and not to worry about tomorrow” (cf. Matthew 6:24-34). These Scriptures revealed a God who loved and cared for his children more than they could have ever possibly imagined! And they challenged them to respond accordingly.

     But what about reality?  While we may long to hear the message of today’s Scriptures, I’m sure all of us can think of affairs and events in our lives that have “brought us down with worries.”  Who among us hasn’t had a difficult moment, a hard day, a challenging situation, a frightening health issue, a draining financial setback, a conflicting relationship, and/or a prolonged drudgery of one sort or another?  Regarding such things, and the worries they’ve caused, most of us can probably remember feeling “at our wits’ end” as we tried to figure out “what to do next” in order to resolve these various kinds of problems and struggles.  That’s certainly been my experience!  And so we may ask: “How can I reconcile these Scriptural teachings with my actual lived experience in this world?”  I suppose this is exactly why the lessons of today’s Scriptures are so pertinent, and why they are worth our careful consideration and attention.

     Isaiah’s words were meant to bring consolation to people otherwise on the brink of losing hope.  “Zion,” the “Chosen People,” had been exiled to a foreign land, and because they had been held captive and had suffered so much, they were tempted to believe God no longer loved them, and had completely abandoned them.  They feared they would be forever punished and never permitted to return home.  It was from this perspective that “Zion” had cried out “the Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me” (see Isaiah 49:14).

     In response to “Zion’s” lament, and with full confidence in God’s never-ending love and desire to protect his own, Isaiah posed an obvious rhetorical question when he asked: “Can a mother forget her infant, or be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” (see verse 15).  Anyone contemplating this question certainly would have known healthy and loving mothers would never abandon their children; such would have been unthinkable because a mother’s love was thought to be perfect and all consuming!  And so by comparison, the people of Zion were encouraged to believe God’s love for them was even greater than love mothers have for their own children.  In other words, God’s love was a type of almost inexplicable “love beyond love.”  And so Isaiah’s words “even should she forget, I will never forget you” were understood to be purely superlative, and were very demonstrative of God’s limitless love for his people.

     Jesus offered nearly the same message when he said “Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?”  Jesus didn’t tell his followers they wouldn’t have to live responsible lives, or that they wouldn’t need to labor to better their own lives, and the lives of others.  After all, this was the same Jesus who said “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (see Matthew 24:16).  He made it clear “discipleship” would often come at a great cost, and it would indeed involve difficulties and challenges along the way.  But Jesus also promised his followers final victory over any affairs and/or events that might have “brought them down” at any one moment or another.  He wanted his disciples to trust God would never abandon them.   And this is exactly the same reason Isaiah had proclaimed “even if a mother could forget her child, God would never forget his faithful ones.”

     And so my friends, let’s trust this same God will also love and care for us more than we can ever possibly imagine!  And let’s respond accordingly by the manner in which we live our lives.  And really, let’s not worry about tomorrow; with God’s help, let’s truly believe tomorrow will take care of itself.

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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When Our Enemies Go Low, Let’s Always Go High! – the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time –Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

     In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us “to love our enemies, and to pray for those who persecute us” (see Matthew 5:44).  We should be honest and confess this lesson is difficult to understand and/or to completely accept.  How can we love our enemies, and harbor no hatred in our hearts toward any other person, especially those who’ve harmed us?  Many thoughts may go through our minds as we contemplate this admonition, and it may actually make us feel very “conflicted.”

 
     After all, our world is filled with all kinds of “enemies” who may jeopardize us in one way or another.  Some threaten us on a global scale (those who cause wars, terrorism, genocide, economic oppression, and environmental abuse, would certainly fit into these categories); others may pose menacing threats to peace and justice within our society and nation (those responsible for religious and political intolerance, corporate greed, racism and bigotry, are examples that come to my mind); still others simply may be the immediate “enemies” we might face in our ordinary, everyday lives (threatening and marauding strangers, “toxic” people we know, abrasive community members, abusive employers, unfriendly neighbors, difficult family members, and the list goes on).  And so, as we contemplate the many different types of “enemies” out there, it may be difficult to endure any thought of replacing hatred for them with any kind of “love.”

     We might wonder if Jesus’ teachings about “love” and “hate” really apply to us, and so we may have the following types of thoughts: “Although I want to be faithful to Jesus in my life, actually I do want to hate my enemies; I want to hold on to my resentments toward them, and I find some kind of satisfaction when I allow myself dwell on the hurts of the past, and it’s delightful for me to calculate my revenge against those who’ve wronged me and others.  I rationalize all these feelings and thoughts because I’ve convinced myself I have the right to seek justice, and therefore the logical conclusion is that true justice involves punishing, or least ostracizing, those who’ve caused me and others any harm.  I’ve therefore assured myself my never-ending-rage is automatically absolved, because the gross iniquities committed against me and others were so ‘ungodly’ and were so undeserving of ‘love.’  The lesson of today’s Scriptures obviously doesn’t apply to me . . . or does it?”

     As we try to make sense of all of these feelings, it might be helpful to recall the words of the author of Leviticus found in today’s first reading.  He wrote: “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart . . . though you may have to reprove your fellow citizens, do not incur sin because of them . . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (see Leviticus 19:17).  In other words, it will at times be necessary “to take to task” and “to admonish” others who might threaten, endanger, or menace us.  I’m sure this is what he meant when he said we may have “to reprove” them.  Clearly, this means sometimes we will justly need to assert “moral superiority” over others who have failed in one way or another, great or small.  But Leviticus also makes it very clear that we “must not incur sin” because of the ways in which we “reprove” them.  I believe this is where the part about “loving neighbor as yourself” is most poignantly tested and demonstrated.  And for sure, faithfulness to such counsel certainly isn’t easy!

     With all of this in mind, I suggest the following idea may help us resolve any “conflicts” about loving our enemies: Because we are “Godly people,” the “toxicity” of the “morally inferior” must never define who we are and what we’re called to be.  Therefore it’s always essential for us “to take the high road,” and never “to lower ourselves” to “hateful” and malicious ways of doing things, and/or to the cruel behaviors of our “enemies.”  This means Christians are actually called to be compassionate, forgiving, generous, honest, joyful, loving, patient, peaceful, self-controlled, tolerant and wise (among other things).  These “Godly” traits ought to define and empower our “moral superiority.”  And if so, they should actually render us incapable of “hating our enemies.”  Possibly, and if we do these things well, then our “enemies” may even change their ways and become more like us.

     There are complicated threats to our call to love others, and these might challenge us on so many levels–from those far-reaching to those affecting our personal and daily lives.  These threats may indeed cause us to feel very “conflicted” in so many ways!  But my friends let it not be so.  Instead, while dealing with our “enemies,” let’s always maintain the “moral superiority” that’s steeped within the Christian calling.  This is who we are, and so with this in mind, and as we’ve heard it said: “When our enemies go low, let’s always go high!” 

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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The Thoughts, Words, and Actions of the Righteous – the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time –Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

Today, we continue our reflection on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (see Matthew 5:17-37).  As we contemplate the passage before us today, I believe we should recall Jesus often challenged his listeners to put aside their “old ways of thinking and of doing things.”  Let’s remember his radical message of change and renewal had enabled his followers to escape the tyranny of obsolete and legalistic “religious rituals and practices.”  It had empowered them to accept the fullness of the “Good News” and to be “born-again” to the new way of life he had come to offer them.  And I believe this new way of life had much to do with the way they were called to demonstrate their genuine love and concern for others.  But unfortunately, the Scribes and the Pharisees, religious leaders who should have been most receptive to his message, were those who were most often opposed to what he taught.  In fact, the message of Jesus threatened their prestige and power, and was the principal reason they constantly sought to condemn him.  This is what eventually led them to put Jesus to death on the cross.  Certainly, this never-ending conflict between the radical and new message of Jesus and the “old ways” of those religious leaders is what set the stage for today’s lesson from the “Sermon on the Mount.”

Jesus said: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (see verse twenty).  In order to illustrate such “righteousness,” Jesus cited specific Old Testament teachings having to do with the prohibitions against killing others, against committing adultery, and against the taking of false oaths.  I believe these were merely examples from among many others he might have used.  But these three things clearly illustrated the essence of all of Jesus’ teachings.  Simply put, the thoughts, the words, and the actions of the “the righteous” would always show respect and affirm the true worth and dignity of other people.  And so, for example, they would avoid even the slightest forms of anger, they would refrain from the merest of disrespectful and/or lustful thoughts, and they would always and sincerely say “yes” when they meant to say “yes,” and “no” when they meant to say “no.”  This is essentially how they would demonstrably show their love and concern for others.

I believe these teachings of Jesus were clearly an indictment of those Scribes and Pharisees.  It was precisely because of their obstinacy they were unable to adapt “new ways of thinking and of doing things.”  Instead, they were hopelessly stuck in their old ways.  And in fact, their anger against Jesus would lead them to kill him; it was their disrespectful treatment of Jesus and his followers, and their own “lust” for power and control that predisposed them to treat other human beings like “objects”; it was their inability to attest to the truth, even under the pretexts of oaths, that made them completely untrustworthy, and unable to adapt to the “Good News” and new way of Jesus.  Jesus warned his followers not to be like them in any way!

Even in our own time I believe our faith sometimes challenges us to put aside “old ways of thinking and of doing things.”  As we continue to reflect on the teaching of Jesus in the “Sermon on the Mount,” let’s ask ourselves if we too might be tempted to be like those unregenerate Scribes and Pharisees of old.  Are we resistant to Jesus’ radical message of change and renewal when these things are necessary in our own lives?  As we live our lives today with all of its modern complexities (and with respect for our traditions), do we truly accept every aspect of the “Good News” of Jesus, and are we willing to be “born-again” to the new ways of thinking and living he might offer to us?  As such, are we always willing to show love and respect for others, and to affirm their true worth and dignity?  My friends, may all of our thoughts, our words and our actions, truly reflect our love and concern for others, and may these things attest to genuine faith residing in our hearts!

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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Untying the Thongs of the Yoke, the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time--Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

Today, I believe there’s a clear connection between the lessons contained in the First Reading and the Gospel.  The mandate placed upon God’s people and spoken by the Prophet Isaiah required definitive action on behalf of victims of oppression.  In the verse just preceding those we heard today, he spoke of “releasing those bound unjustly,” and “untying the thongs of the yoke” (see Isaiah 58:6, and then verses 7-10).  Jesus told his followers they were “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”; he told them they were “to shine before others” and “to make their good deeds known” (Matthew 5:13-16).  To me, it seems both the actions described by Isaiah, and the visibility of good deeds called for by Jesus, involved similar obligations.  They placed upon all Godly people the responsibility of service and advocacy on behalf of others, especially for those who were afflicted and most in need.

Isaiah’s audience would have understood his agricultural imagery framing the mandate he gave; they knew some unscrupulous owners of livestock would brutally overburden and abuse their animals.  Such owners would place harsh and lumbering yokes over the shoulders of camels, donkeys, horses, and/or oxen and they would brutally force them to pull impossibly heavy loads.  Under such strain, the animals would then be deprived of nutrition and hydration, and would be denied sufficient relief from their great weariness; all the while, they would be brutally beaten with whips and cursed by their owners, as they were forced to labor to the point of exhaustion, barbarous treatment that sometimes even caused death.  Isaiah’s audience knew such “beasts of burden” endured lives of complete misery, and so when he compared such animals to those human beings who had been victimized through the oppressive and malicious actions of others, they “got it.”

As we reflect on these words of Isaiah, I believe it’s a good idea to contemplate the types of victimization and oppression that some people during his time may have endured.  There were those who suffered amidst the brutality of wars and insurrections, there were refugees who had come from distant lands who were not welcome and who were put down because they were “strangers,” there were people subjugated under the thumbs of ruthless land owners and who were treated as slaves, many were deprived of economic advantages controlled by and benefitting only the “privileged classes,” there were those who endured persecutions and discrimination because of their cultural and religious identities, many were marginalized because they were “different,” or because they were inflicted with various types of diseases and/or disabilities (such as leprosy, blindness, and other noticeable handicaps), many widows and orphans were left to fend for themselves and often lived in squalor as beggars and paupers.  Some people judged to be “undesirables” and/or as “sinners,” were completely ostracized, or they were cruelly put to death simply because of who they were.  And no doubt, there were many other types of men and women subjected to all kinds of abuse, maltreatment, condemnations, and verbal assaults by the unscrupulous and “the powerful.”  Such people were victimized and oppressed, and if they were lucky enough, were completely dependent on the mercy of the righteous and the good-hearted simply to survive.  These same types of injustices also existed in Jesus’ time.  And unfortunately, isn’t it true many of these same types of victimizations and oppressions are the scourge of our own time as well?

I believe the mandate spoken by the Prophet Isaiah is clearly connected to the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel.  He said:  “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds.”  This is what we are called to do, and it has everything to do with Isaiah’s image of “releasing those bound unjustly,” and of “untying the thongs of the yoke.”   As God’s people, we are called to definitive action on behalf of those of our own time who are victims of injustice and oppression (and we don’t have to look too far to find such people).  This doesn’t simply mean giving “kind handouts” to “the needy”; it’s far more profound than that!  Let’s therefore “remove from our midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; let’s bestow our bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted.”   My friends, this is exactly how we will “glorify our heavenly Father,” and for Christians, I believe “this is what it’s all about.”

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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