• Isaiah 55:10-11. God’s word comes mysteriously and gently from above, yet powerfully achieves its effect with us.
• Romans 8: 18-23. The earth groans in travail, awaiting the revelation of the Son of God, the glory hidden within it, which the Spirit brings to fruition.
• Matthew 13:1-23. The parable of the sower and several explanations.

Thoughts for your Consideration, By John Gonzalez

Socrates is known to have said a phrase “I know that I know nothing.” The idea behind this statement and the Socratic Method is that true knowledge comes from our ability to be open to the hidden wisdom of possibilities when we question certain certitudes. If we investigate our assumptions it may unnerve us to find out that our dogmatic beliefs may not be so obvious and clear but if we stay on track what we will discover is the universal truth that our dogmatic statements attempt to convey imperfectly. In the letters of St. Paul he refers to this when he makes his distinction between living under the law versus living in the Spirit. The mystical truths are in some ways beyond human comprehension. But nevertheless it is God’s desire that we share in His eternal word and wisdom and the readings for this week instruct us on how we are to receive his divine word. The caution of course is to not be fooled into thinking that we actually fully understand this divine wisdom by ardently and unreflectively defending some dogmatic statements or beliefs. This will only result in a false sense of knowledge and a limited appreciation of that which is mystical.

The readings for this weekend follow from last week’s lesson about the wisdom of God being accessible to the ignorant while being hidden from those who are socially considered wise or clever. This week the three writers describe the mystical access and effect of God’s divine word. Jesus’ famous parable of the sower seems to borrow directly from the first reading where Isaiah describes God’s great wisdom within the metaphor of a gentle precipitation which saturates the ground and is expected to produce a good harvest. In the second reading Paul offers us an image of the effect of God’s word as it rains down upon all creation. Not only humanity but indeed all creation will be glorified as it is reborn with the Spirit of God’s message. In the gospel passage Jesus offers and then explains the parable of the sower. He lets his disciples know that God’s wisdom is self evident for all to see and hear but social conditions will compromise the access to this wisdom for many.

The human condition is one that desires to pursue the truth. God does not wish to keep His great truth from us. Through the elements of revelation and reason we have had access to the self-evident truths that are revealed to us by the Spirit. We must consider two things as we contemplate this divine wisdom and the meaning that these truths have in our own lives. The first limitation that we must accept is our own subjectivity. While we may yearn for the truth at times we may find ourselves redefining the truth so that it does not challenge our social reality. Many of Jesus’ teachings on nonviolence and uncompromising charity are very much socially disturbing and we continue to have theological debates regarding how we can incorporate this wisdom within the social context. The ideas of the “common good” or the “preferential option for the poor” continue to produce massive theological discussions. We can observe, for example, how these gospel principles are accepted in the underdeveloped context of Latin America is very different from the way they are perceived in the North American context. As we listen to the challenging word of God we ought to be aware of our own subjective approach to this message and recognize the cultural and social bias that we bring to our own interpretation.

The second limitation comes from our imperfect humanity which can comprehend universal truths from narrow perception of our human experience. The reason that Jesus uses parables is because the only way we can comprehend the ineffable is through the use of metaphoric images that are based on our natural reality. To say that God’s house in a mansion with many rooms does not mean that I must literally accept that God has a large and expensive domicile and that one of those rooms has my name on the door. Instead it gives us a symbolic image that conveys the fact that there is another existence after this one and that we (in some way) are expected to partake in this existence. Our knowledge of the mystery of creation is ever evolving and as a result our knowledge of God’s creative mystery (as revealed through creation) is also evolving. In the second reading Paul asserts that creation is not a stable unit that is passively waiting for God to transform it. Instead creation is depicted as a living and active organism that is at this moment undergoing a process of transformation.

God’s word has been given to us to aid us as co-workers that are commissioned to help bring about this transformation. Let us treat this divine word gently and habitually so that each and every aspect of the divine message will grow within each and every one of us.

• Zechariah 9:9-10. Your king comes, a just savior, to proclaim peace to all nations.
• Romans 8:9, 11-13. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us to bring our mortal bodies to new life.
• Matthew 11:25-30. Jesus offers thanksgiving, praising the Father for what has been revealed to merest children but hidden
  from the learned and the clever. If we take Jesus’ burden upon us, we will find rest.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

In the Gospel passage for this week Jesus is offering an unusual prayer of thanksgiving to God his Father. It is an ecstatic prayer that professes a mystical union with God but it takes place after he encounters some unrepentant towns that are not quite receptive to his message or great works. Jesus is taking some criticism from the established religious and social leaders and in an earlier verse (16-19) he offers an interesting comment about the criticism that he and John the Baptist received from the leaders of his day even though their styles were very different. John shunned the world and all its social trappings preaching from the wilderness and thus having people come to him. Jesus immersed himself in the world and accepted the hospitality that he received as he went about preaching and ministering throughout all of Judea. Ironically they both received their criticisms amidst the fact that they had completely different styles, John was deemed possessed while Jesus was labeled a sinner.

This is the context from which Jesus offers this prayer where me makes a strong statement about the social impact of God’s wisdom. The point of Jesus’ prayer is to place God’s wisdom apart from human wisdom. In this prayer Jesus suggest that it is the ignorant and simple who will have a greater chance of understanding the idea that God does indeed love them and cares for them in a way that those who are caught theologizing within a particular social context (in support of the Temple authority and their
collaboration with the Roman Empire) cannot fully appreciate. Gustavo Gutierrez tells us in his discussion of this passage that the “little children” or “babes” are the poor, the suffering and the sick, the people who have been marginalized by their society. In this passage Gutierrez comments over the odd sense of gratitude that Jesus expresses at having the revealed truth hidden from the learned and the clever.

The fact that God hides “these things” from the wise and reveals them to the simple is the concrete occasion for grasping what is behind this behavior and gives it meaning – namely, the free and unmerited love of God for every human being and especially  for the poor and forgotten. … This predilection, which does not imply exclusivity, is underscored by the hiding of revelation from the wise and important. An entire social and religious order is hereby turned upside down. [1]

The poor and marginalized are the ones who stand on the periphery and because of that they are not corrupted by social commitments. This liberated perspective will help them comprehend a meek and humble messiah who preaches an altruistic message of peace that will not be compromised by social conventions.  This is the messianic image that Zechariah attests to in the first reading and in the second half of the Gospel passage Jesus invites the poor and marginalized to again find their hope within this countercultural image of the messiah.

Paul guides us along this same lesson but we must be careful not to interpret his dichotomy between the Spirit and the flesh as an attack or condemnation of the natural world which we theologically accept as good. Instead Paul dichotomy refers to motivation. Will our disposition and actions be determined by our social conventions and values whose self interest will be contrary to the Will of God? Or will we be motivated by the Spirit of God that chooses to serve all life within a pledge of peace (verse 6)? If our preaching and actions serves a specific political or economic interest then it should be held suspect. But if our ministry and analysis considers and addresses the actual plight of those who are poor and marginalized than “the Spirit of God dwells in you.”

Our Catholic Church struggles to offer the prophetic and pastoral positions of our faith on a number of social issues that by moral
right must be addressed. This is a responsibility that our Church has and we (the faithful) are obliged to engage in this responsibility as we are all part of the “Body of Christ”. It is fair to critique the angle and positions offered however especially if the social and economic burden continues to fall on those who are poor and marginalized. The Gospel message we hear this weekend  gives us a clear orientation to serve those who are most burdened by our social and economic policies. May we continue to serve God by relieving the burden from those who our society has weight down.

• Acts 1: 1-11. Between Easter and Ascension Jesus instructed the apostles and advised them to “wait… [for] you will be baptized
  with the Holy Spirit.” Eventually Jesus will return gloriously, the same way by which he ascended from their midst.
• Ephesians 1: 17-23. Christ’s “fullness fills the universe” and so the Lord distributes “the wealth of his glorious heritage” and
  “the immeasurable scope of his power in us who believe.”
• Matthew 28: 16-20. Stresses the Lord’s universal authority and the commission of the apostles to “make disciples of all nations.” It was spoken by Jesus in Galilee.

Thoughts for Your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

As I consider the lectionary readings for this weekend I cannot help but place the interaction between Jesus and his disciples within the context of the rapture which was suppose to take place a couple of weeks ago and which is now being slated for October. The disciples, like so many of us, were also looking for quick and definitive answers. As Jesus prepared to ascend into heaven they eagerly asked him if now was the moment for final culmination of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Jesus offers the sobering response “It is not for you to know the times or seasons.” Instead of passively dwelling with the “end of the world” phenomenon Jesus offers his disciples a call to action to be agents of God’s great love for the entire world. Comically, as Jesus ascends, the disciples simply stand there naively waiting for God to yet intervene so that even angels are commissioned to shoo them away and get them moving on to their appointed task.

The fact is that it is easier for us to sit back and let God do all the work than for us to take responsibility and be an active part of God’s plan for the redemption of the world. The disciples in the first reading and St. Paul in the second reading confront the divine kingship that belongs to Christ but they are reminded that this divine citizenship does not allow them to sit back and judge the world under the false pretense that they are the chosen ones. Instead they are instructed to be actively involved in transforming the world in the vision of justice and peace.

The Gospel passage is very instructive with regards to the challenge of our faith. As with the first reading Jesus again is commissioning the apostles to “make disciples of all nations” and even though he is ascending Jesus assures them of the Holy Spirit and reminds them that he will be with them always. What impresses me is just how human the apostles are in this one passage “When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.” The promise of eternal life and the belief that God’s vision of justice and peace will prevail are articles of faith. Jesus promises to be with us always, this too is an article of faith. We are asked to believe in the promises of our revealed religion even though there is no tangible proof that these promises will come to pass. There are moments where we struggle to believe in the midst of our doubts and disillusions. If the apostles who witnessed the resurrection and the ascension doubted in the presence of Christ how much more difficult is it for us who struggle to believe 2000 years after the fact?

Many times we strive to do what is right on a personal level or to promote what is just and fair on a social level and many times we wonder “what’s the point?” This past week I have been undergoing my own spiritual dryness and I went out to the ocean where I was able to witness God in the power of His own creation. I was able to witness God but I could not feel His presence. And then, as I began to contemplate the universe beyond the sea, the words of the psalmist came to me:

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” (Ps. 8:3-4)

At that moment I was reminded that in many ways I am nothing more than a cosmic germ. Just like a bacteria evolves within my body so too am I like a bacteria in the cosmos, physically insignificant yet empowered to shape the evolution of creation in ways I cannot imagine. We are part of something grand, on the surface it may not seem so, but in the depths of our soul we know that there is purpose and meaning in what we do and in all that happens. So it is that the psalmist could continue with the following verse:

“Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:5)

• Acts 6: 1-7. The early church grows with many converts including Jewish Priest. The Deaconate is developed to help serve the needs of the poor.
• 1 Peter 2:4-9. Peter continues with this early baptismal liturgy by commissioning the disciples as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood.”
•  John 14:1-12. Jesus describes the intimate relationship that he shares with God the Father and assures those of us who follow him a place in the Kingdom of God.

Thoughts for your consideration:

During this Easter season it is appropriate for us to reflect on the development of the early Church and to consider the various issues that they had to address as they strove to build on the foundation that Jesus left them. The first reading attests to one of these early social issues that they faced. The evangelical mission of the Apostles was neglecting the basic needs of some of their poorer members. In what appears to be a creative and open process the Apostles deliberated with the community of followers and gave them the resources to organize another layer of church structure that would address this most pressing social need. It has always impressed me how the early church took the “option for the poor” with such a priority. The poor widows were being neglected and the Church recognized this as an immediate priority. The Apostles wrestled with their desire to continue promoting their evangelical mission but they would not allow this noble duty to become a legitimate excuse for neglecting the poor. Instead they sought a creative solution and empowered the larger community to design this solution. So impressed is the Jewish community to this model of service and participation that even the elite members of the Jewish priesthood begin to join.

In the second reading Peter continues to offer the baptismal liturgy that we have been reading for the past couple of weeks. In this section however we hear Peter calling the followers of Christ ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood.’ Consistent with the first reading Peter is again empowering us all to take part in the mission of building the Kingdom of God. Peter invites us all to share in the intimate union with God and one another. An invitation which flowed from the mystical union that Jesus had with the Father and which he shares with the Apostles in the Gospel passage. This union invites us to consider the great dignity that we have through God but it also forces us to see and respect that same dignity in all others.

One can see in the Gospel passage how Jesus really wanted to convey this intimate union that he shared with God. Poor Thomas and Philip tried to understand this relationship from a human experience but Christ had to challenge them to see the radical nature of this union which he wanted them to share in. Jesus invites them to engage in a relationship of solidarity with God and one another where they can truly see their own purpose and interest vested in each other.  

Going back to the first reading we see the earliest development of the Church’s “preferential option for the poor.” By this principle the Church evaluates the state of the Body of Christ based on how the poorest members of their community are faring. The option for the poor serves as a common denominator that forces us to reevaluate our community obligations based on the neglect of those who are most in need. To preach of God’s love requires us to be agents of justice and peace to one another.  Jesus tells the apostles that his intimate relationship with God the Father can be acknowledged through the works that he does. “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.”

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group

• Thomas’ question is one that we continue to hear today. “How can we know the way?” Indeed how can people know the way if so many Christians offer any number of options and perspectives for following Christ? How will our works help people believe in the Gospel message of justice and peace?
• The “preferential option for the poor” is a wonderful theological concept that occupies many scholarly works. But how can this principle be applied within the concrete context of the parish or faith community? Who is being “neglected in the daily distribution?”

• Acts 2:14, 36-41. Peter, on Pentecost, preaches that “the whole house of Israel should know… that God has made both Lord and Messiah this Jesus whom you crucified.” The people must reform and be baptized.
• 1 Peter 2:20-25. Peter continues his baptismal instruction that the newly baptized follow in the suffering footsteps of Jesus, who brought our sins to the cross. By his wounds we are healed.
• John 10:1-10. The opening section of John’s well known “Good Shepherd” discourse. Jesus is the shepherd whose sheep go in and out for pasture.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

The first reading and the gospel passage firmly affirm that Jesus Christ is Lord. Calling Jesus Lord may not sound surprising to us and in fact it may sound a bit cliché. However, when Peter made this pronouncement in first century Jerusalem it would have jarred many and angered many others. To call Jesus Messiah or anointed one would not have been a shock as other have already been deemed anointed ones of God and others would come afterwards. But Lord was a title reserved to God, for the apostles to be able to declare that Jesus is Lord means that they were aware of an amazing truth that they were willing to make such a dangerous and socially unsettling statement. It is said that if you wanted to examine amazing miracles in scripture the greatest for one to investigate is how a rag tag band of Galileans could have mobilized one of the most powerful religious movements ever seen based on an almost insane report  that an executed criminal was in fact God.

In the first reading we see the beginnings of this miraculous movement and we are told that after Peter makes this irrational declaration “about three thousand persons were added that day.” It is the ongoing pursuit of the theological community to consider “how could this have happened”? “How did they experience the resurrected Christ and furthermore how were they able to convey this in such a way as to convince others to believe in this bizarre message? One clue that we are given is in the passage that immediately follows the first reading and which we read about a couple of weeks ago. This pronouncement was visually depicted in a new communal style of living that was consistent with the healing and hospitality ministry of Christ. This week’s gospel passage tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord and Jesus attempt to describe this based on the relational and compassionate image of the good shepherd. But let us not forget that Jesus also tells us that “not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mt. 7:21)

The second reading helps us to make a link between the declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord and our responsibility in becoming living agents of this declaration. Through the example of Jesus we are called to be wounded healers to a world that is immersed in suffering and injustice. Peter gives us the challenge to take on the suffering of the world and to be ministers who heal by sharing in the suffering of those we encounter. Our hope in suffering springs from Jesus since it was “by his wounds [that we] have been healed.” Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that this call bears a social responsibility to be present and responsive to all who suffer in our society:

The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and for society. A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through “com-passion” is a cruel and inhuman society. – Spe Salvi #38

Fr. Henri Nouwen wrote a wonderful little book called “The Wounded Healer.” This book offers us some insights into how we can be ministers of suffering especially in these times where many suffer specifically from the isolation that comes from our individualistic culture or the condition that he calls “nuclear man.” In order to accompany others in their suffering Fr. Nouwen instructs us to journey through our own sufferings and isolation so that through our own wounds we too can offer a sincere healing. We heal by relating at a very deep level to the suffering of those we encounter. We speak of social issues like poverty, immigration or criminal justice but until we can integrate through our own experience the isolated feelings of marginalization (which at some level we all experience in different forms) then we are not addressing these issues at a Christian level.

Christ healed us through his wounds. Christ heals us because he undertook our journey of isolation and injustice and through him we can enjoy the hope that comes through His redemptive suffering. This hope becomes our wellspring through which our own suffering can offer others a vision of redemption. The reason Peter’s words brought him converts rather than ridicule was because his message of redemption through Christ was not empty words but a living reality that people could also see within the communal experience of a people whose wounds and weaknesses were healed by the living God who shared in their suffering. To fully comprehend how people could have responded to what they heard in Acts 2:36-41 it helps to also understand what they saw in Acts 2:42-47.

• Acts 10:34, 37-43. The apostles are personal witnesses that Jesus rose from the dead, for they “ate and drank with him.” They are commissioned to preach Jesus, to whom the prophets testify and through whom there is forgiveness of sin.
• Colossians 3:1-4. “Your life is hidden now with Christ in God.”
• 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (alternate second reading) The risen Christ is the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth by which we rise from the dead.
• John 20:1-9. (Morning Mass) Mary Magdalene, Peter and John all arrive at the tomb, one with wonder, thre others at first with perplexity, all eventually with faith that Jesus is risen.
• Luke 24:13-35. (Evening Mass) On Easter the two disciples on their way to Emmaus recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread.

Thoughts for your consideration: By Fr. Phil Paxton, CP

Happy Easter! Jesus is risen, just as He said!

Perhaps we need to keep the hope of Easter in mind as we look around at the world in which we live. Over the past few weeks we have observed the anniversaries of the beginning of the U.S. Civil War, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the start of the BP oil spill in the Gulf. We can look at our own times, and see conflicts in various countries in the Middle East and in Africa. We can see the political divides in the U.S., as the debate over the federal budget continues. Conflict and suffering are still with us. But we do not despair. The reality of Easter brings us hope! In His Cross and Resurrection Jesus has freed us from the power of sin and the fear of death!

In both the Gospel reading for the Easter Vigil (Matthew 28:1-10), and for Easter morning (John 20:1-9), Mary Magdalene finds that Jesus’ tomb is empty. In Matthew’s account, an angel says to her and another Mary: “Do not be afraid! I know you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said.”

As we reflect on what the angel says to the women, and on what is going on in our world, perhaps we get a better idea of to what this day really calls us. For just as Jesus is not in the tomb, He is not in fear, or resentment, or hatred or injustice. Down through the years, people have sought to justify their actions by trying to put Jesus in these things, but He is not in them.

And when we look at all the ways we are told will get us what we are looking for (or hold on to what we have), such as violence, or intimidation, or exploitation or discrimination or greed, we find that they are as empty as the tomb. We will not find peace and joy by accumulating things, or using others, or keeping others down. No, Easter calls us not to emptiness, but to fullness of life! Jesus’ Resurrection shows us the promise for those who choose to love and serve others. He shows us that blessed indeed are those who make peace and work for justice!

As St. Paul says in one of the options for readings on Easter morning (1Corinthians 5:6b-8): “Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” As Jesus has given us hope in His Resurrection, so we are to share our hope with the world. Who would have thought that there would be protests for freedom in so many parts of the world? Look at the courage of the people trying to repair the damage to the nuclear reactors in Japan, or the perseverance of those working to rebuild in Japan and in Haiti and in so many other places. There are signs of hope, even now.

And although we cannot see the fulfillment of the kingdom of God, we can recognize those attitudes and practices which are empty, and spend our time in helping lift others up – out of poverty, oppression and despair. We can live in the hope of Easter, sharing the love of God in the Risen Christ!

May God continue to bless us all, and may we truly be Easter people.

• Matthew 21:1-11. (Gospel for the Procession) This account of Palm Sunday emphasizes the divinity of Jesus, the fulfillment of prophecy, the messianic acclamation: “he who comes.”
• Isaiah 50: 4-7. Within this prophecy of Isaiah, the third song of the Suffering Servant quietly establishes the strength and dignity of a disgraced but righteous person.
• Philippians 2: 5-11. Jesus emptied himself of his divine dignity to be incarnated in our midst and suffer the humiliation of the cross as a way to glory.
• Matthew 26:14 – 27:66. The Passion according to Matthew more than Mark’s or Luke’s gospel, dramatizes the narrative, i.e., by ending with an earthquake, by providing more details from popular tradition, as the anecdote about Judas and Pilate’s wife and by meeting the catechetical needs through biblical citations.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

This Sunday celebrates the beginning of Holy Week with Passion (Palm) Sunday. Along with the readings and Passion narrative for this Sunday let us also consider this excerpt from the philosopher Plato in his book “The Republic” which reflects on the social response to the Just Man:

They will tell you that the just man who is thought unjust will be scourged, racked, bound – will have his eyes burned out; and finally, after every extremity of suffering, he will be crucified: Then he will understand that he ought to seem only, and not to be, just. (2: 362)

One of our earliest Christian apologist Justin Martyr was so taken by the wisdom of the philosophers like Plato that he would go on to develop the notion of the “pre-Christian” in which he identifies the divine wisdom of the logos in the writings of certain philosophers and prophets who lived before Christ. In this passage by Plato the “Just Man” is the one who lives a life that fully embodies justice rather than merely appearing to be just. This Just Man is such a challenge to conventional society that the inevitable response is to eliminate him in such a way as to deter others from actually living the virtue of justice.

This week we bear witness to the prophesy of Isaiah and the philosophy of Plato as Christ, the Just Man and Suffering Servant, is placed within the midst of the social forces of his time. The procession reminds us of the triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where Jesus, the itinerant preacher and healer of Galilee, already disturbs the social peace of this city which is the center of power for the Temple and Roman authorities.

And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?” And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

No sooner do we celebrate this enthusiastic public response to Jesus’ presence that we are confronted with the readings from Isaiah and Paul where Jesus, the Suffering Servant, is described within the paradox of his Divine mission. Jesus shares equality with God and he is given the skills and wisdom to preach the Word but this awesome dignity and prophetic mission will earn him reproach, torture and a horrific death. The dignity that Christ recognizes is that in sharing equality with God Christ also shares the deep love that God has for all creation. This all encompassing love becomes the motive for true justice. That is why the Suffering Servant in Isaiah can bear all the injustice and not suffer personal disgrace. By finding strength in God the Suffering Servant sees his preaching ministry firmly rooted in the desire to bring the people back to God and if this is to be done by bearing their injustice with love then so be it.

In Matthew’s passion narrative we are confronted with the kairos moment that is used in chapter 26:18.  What we read as the “appointed time” is originally written with the Greek word kairos which refers to one’s destiny or a decisive moment in history. The stage is set for God to break into human history through the Paschal Mystery. In this decisive moment Jesus will commit himself to the final sacrifice that will testify to God’s great love for us. The Kingdom of God will bear upon our human experience with those who first witnessed the Resurrection.  Jesus, the Suffering Servant and Just Man, lives with us and in us through the Kingdom of God that is slowly emerging, bringing forth the redemption of all creation from the power of sin and injustice.

We are invited to share in the paradox of this dignity. No longer can we content with the mere appearance of being just. Justice in truth becomes the standard for us as we follow Christ, the Just Man, in bringing forth the fullness of God’s justice through an all encompassing love that we are to have for one another. God continues to break into our human experience through our own witness of this shared dignity. The challenge of this Christian paradox was described by another Christian apologist who anonymously writes the 2nds century letter to Diognetus.

Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory.             

• Ezekiel 37:12-14. God will raise his people from the grave, place his spirit within them and settle them upon their land.
• Romans 8:8-11. The Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us and will bring our mortal bodies to new life.
• John 11:1-45. For God’s glory and for the sake of greater faith among his disciples, Jesus calls Lazarus back to life.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

There are many points of reflection in this week’s long Gospel passage. What was the special friendship between Jesus and Lazarus? What role did Martha and Mary’s faith have? Why did Jesus weep? Why was he perturbed and deeply troubled? How can we relate Thomas and the pessimistic realism of the disciples? These are only a few points of interest that we can contemplate as we consider this passage. But the focus of this passage and the three readings for this weekend is the centrality of the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of Lazarus foreshadows the cosmic resurrection that begins with Christ and becomes the basis of our Christian hope. As Paul tells us in another epistle, “if there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith” (1 Cor. 13-14). It is not important for us to know how the resurrection will take place or what it will look like. What is fundamental for our faith is to know the promise that God made Ezekiel, the promise that God has placed his Spirit in us so that we may have eternal life.       

Theologian João Batista Libânio reminds us that “Humans are utopian beings.”  Many political and economic ideologies promise a form of utopian social vision. João treats the resurrection and Christian eschatology within this framework of a utopian vision. Christianity does indeed offer a promise of hope and we understand the resurrection of Christ as the “firstfruits” of that promise. Christian eschatology has us living in a transitional phase where that promise is being fulfilled starting with the resurrection of Christ but eventually culminating in the final establishment of the Kingdom of God where the power of sin and death are finally defeated by the love of God. The social injustice that placed Christ on the cross is defeated through the intervention of God’s great love. For João this divine intervention is what separates the enduring Christian promise of hope from the fleeting social utopian visions. Whereas utopian visions offer a pretense of hope based on a particular social structure the resurrection demonstrates God’s promise to intervene within our social experience and to validate the social aspirations and hope of all who struggle for justice and dignity. “Through the resurrection of the dead, which is God’s fundamental act of love, the eschatological significance of God’s preference for the poor appears more clearly.”[i]        

Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his second encyclical to the central teaching of Christian hope. In it he refers to the incarnation that Christ shares with all who suffer and the deeply related promise that he offers through the promise of the resurrection. The general promise that God makes to Ezekiel in the first reading is offered to us directly in our own struggles and suffering which Christ shares with us.

“God now reveals his true face in the figure of the sufferer who shares man’s God-forsaken condition by taking it upon himself. This innocent sufferer has attained the certitude of hope: there is a God, and God can create justice in a way that we cannot conceive, yet we can begin to grasp it through faith. Yes, there is a resurrection of the flesh. There is justice.” (#43)

Paul describes this incarnational experience to the Roman community in the second reading when he reminds them that the “Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.”  Not only has Christ shared in the struggle of humanity but he also imparts on us the Spirit of eternal life that we witnessed in the resurrection of Lazarus and in his own resurrection. This Spirit promises to validate all our struggles in bringing the love of God into a suffering world and pursuing justice for all who are marginalized and persecuted. Sin and death will not have the final word, God has intervened in Christ, he continues to intervene through us and His Kingdom will be victorious in the end.    

• 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13. God judges not by external appearances but by what he sees in the heart. David, young, spontaneous and innocent is preferred to his older and stronger brothers. After his anointing the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him.
• Ephesians 5:8-14. Live as children of “light [which] produces every kind of goodness and justice and truth.”
• John 9:1-41. On the Sabbath Jesus mixed spittle with dirt, and with the mud he restored sight to a man blind from birth. This man was later rejected from the synagogue for confessing Jesus as Messiah.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

The internet age has revolutionized global communications and information sharing. With the situations in Africa and Asia the impact of barrier free communications is already making a tremendous social impact. Former state secrets and Government manipulation of information are now subjected to a form of technological transparency never before experienced.  This social reality offers an interesting context for the admonition by St. Paul in the second reading for this week:

Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.

The motives and political intents that have directed national policies are being exposed. The opinions of the people however are also finding a vast market of exposure through these same communication technologies. With the advent of wikis, blogs and social networks people are able to publically express their own opinion on every topic under the sun. Religious blogs are out there in droves and they offer a faith perspective from every viewpoint imaginable. The internet may reveal national motives and intents but it is still difficult to identify the motives and intent of individual bloggers. The question that we must ask ourselves is how can we discern the consistent Gospel message in light of this new form of evangelization?

In the Gospel passage Jesus had to confront the dark motive and intents of the Pharisees. His action was plain and simple, he healed the blind man. Jesus’ ministry of healing was very much part of this divine mission of bringing sight to the blind both spiritually and physically. The Pharisees choked on literal interpretations and rituals in an attempt to dismiss the Good News of God’s healing hope for all people. They also claimed authority through the name of Moses in order to create division and tension by trying to suggest that any disciple of Christ has abandoned the teachings of Moses and our thus thrown out of the synagogues. Jesus embraces the humble blind man who accepts the simple goodness of God’s work and rebukes the Pharisees who are blinded by their own self righteousness.

In the first reading God reminds the prophet Samuel that He does not perceive nor evaluates us the way we humans do. While we judge by external qualities God “looks into the heart.” The young David may not have the leadership stature that Eliab has but God obviously sees a great potential within this humble and innocent youth. The quality of leadership is not measured in how they rule but in how they serve. David does not look to rule but to serve the people of Israel. Similarly Paul tells us in another letter that the mission of Christ was not to be served but to serve:

“Though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave… he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)            

So it is that are faith calls us to serve the suffering human community through a message of charity, healing and unity. Through the forms of social communication many people including myself have undertaken the ministry of new evangelization to promote the Good News of Christ. But again the motive must be seen as consistent with the Gospel message. Messages based on division, fear and judgment are antithetical to the Gospel message of inclusion, hope and forgiveness.

Pope Benedict XVI has carried on the tradition of offering an annual message in observance of World Communication Day. His recent messages have offered guidance on the use of the new media technology to promote the ministry of new evangelization that is consistent with the Gospel tradition. In the 2009 message  Pope Benedict XVI offers the following admonition which offers a good guidance for discerning the Good News within this new social media.  

 I would encourage all people of good will who are active in the emerging environment of digital communication to commit themselves to promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship. Those who are active in the production and dissemination of new media content, therefore, should strive to respect the dignity and worth of the human person. If the new technologies are to serve the good of individuals and of society, all users will avoid the sharing of words and images that are degrading of human beings, that promote hatred and intolerance, that debase the goodness and intimacy of human sexuality or that exploit the weak and vulnerable.

• Exodus 17:3-7. When the Israelites grumbled about their difficult times in the desert the Lord instructed Moses to strike a rock that water flow from it for the people to drink.
• Romans 5:1-2, 5-8. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us . This hope will not disappoint us.
• John 4:5-42. Jesus converses with the Samaritan woman at the well, declaring that people will worship the Father neither at Jerusalem nor at Mt. Gerizim, but “in Spirit and Truth.”

Thoughts for your Consideration:

In the first reading and in the gospel passage water becomes the catalyst for the teachable moment that God has with the people. Water is a very sacred symbol within our faith tradition. Water is a basic necessity of life and in both readings the physical importance of water is raised. As a sacrament water is used as our initiation into our faith community. Water is a powerful symbol for us. We have recently seen the devastating power of water with the tsunami in Japan and we can recall the equally devastating tsunami in Indonesia and the impacts of hurricanes on our own nation. And yet water is also a life-giving resource for us. In a recent study on the development of liturgical space I was excited to learn about the prominent resurgence of the baptismal font as a central symbol of our liturgical experience. As a symbol of our life journey the baptismal font are now being placed at the entrance of the Church and facing the Altar. It is also suggested that the fonts offer a sense of flowing water that again is aimed towards the Altar where the Eucharist is celebrated. In this way water will have the effect of reminding us of our life journey initiated with baptism, processing to Christ, and ending with a promise of eternal life.     

It is not surprising that God uses water as the context to provide an amazing lesson on justice and discipleship. In the first reading God is dealing with a disgruntled and ungrateful liberated community. They curse their new found freedom and threaten Moses for having brought them into the desert. God responds patiently to their need and uses the opportunity to demonstrate that he indeed is the source of life. God’s action in this event is reversed in the Gospel passage where a thirsty Jesus confronts some difficult social challenges.  

In the gospel Jesus confronts the ugliness of human prejudice with the indignant response of the Samaritan woman at the well who is ethnically horrified at being asked to serve “a Jew.” Notice the difference between how God responds to his ungratefully liberated people with compassion and mercy and compare that to the indignation of the Samaritan woman who responds with sarcasm to Jesus’ request for water. But instead of offering a human response by putting her in her place as a non-Jew Jesus takes this opportunity to break down the walls of religious discrimination and teaches her about the unifying truth of faith. The lesson here is that neither Jerusalem nor the Samaritan holy place of Mount Gerizim has a monopoly on faith. When religious institutions are narrowly defined so as to discriminate against others then that religious institution has become an idol that detracts from the true center of worship. “True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth.”

The lesson continues when Jesus’ disciples arrive. This time it’s a lesson on discipleship. Being a product of their own Jewish culture they seem surprised and perhaps confused by the interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. While the Samaritan woman is sharing her amazing experience with her local community Jesus offers the disciples a lesson on the patient endurance of ministry. Discipleship may not seem very socially rewarding. We preach the just word through our actions as well as our words and sometimes we may feel that our accomplishments are insignificant. But Christ reminds us that this is a long haul ministry and we all build on each other’s contributions.  

“’One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”

In the second reading Paul reminds us that this radical and just love that Christ exemplified “has been poured out into our hearts.” In reminding us the radical nature of God’s love he reminds us that Christ did not just die for good people but for all of us “while we were still sinners”. As disciples we are not allowed to place artificial boundaries on God’s love through our own social constructs. Following the example of Jesus we are called touch each and every person we encounter with the same expression of love, respect and patience that God showed the Israelites and Jesus exhibited on the Samaritan woman. We must persevere in this challenge with the gentle reminder that Paul give the Roman community, “hope does not disappoint.”