• Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18. The Lord hears the cry of the oppressed. It pierces the clouds and does not rest till it reaches its goal.
• 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18. I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. I look for Christ’s appearance with eager longing. The Lord will rescue me and bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom.
• Luke 18:9-14. The parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. Despite good behavior, the proud person is not justified; the humble person returns home justified.

Thoughts for Your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

This week’s lectionary readings remind us not to be complacent. The Gospel sets the tone for this message with the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee praises his righteousness very publicly to God and all. His behavior seems to merit some good recognition but in this parable Jesus is emphasizing a preference for the humility of the sinner to the self- righteousness of the Pharisee. The tax collector recognizes his failings and in humility he looks towards God for forgiveness and mercy. The tax collector is willing to change. He recognizes his failings and he humbly requests God’s grace to be good in all sincerity. But the Pharisee has defined for himself what it means to be good and not surprisingly he meets his own requirements. A good person fasts twice a week and pays tithes. With this self defined criteria for being good the Pharisee then goes on to use that criteria to separate himself from all humanity “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity.” What a solitary declaration. The Pharisee is complacent within his own social construct of what it means to be good. Jesus tells us that this righteous complacency will not do.

In the second reading Paul is towards the end of his life and he is recounting his current situation to Timothy. But while he may have “finished the race” he does not stop running. In the passages that we skip over Paul requests that Timothy go get Mark and join him as soon as possible to “help me in the ministry.” In the verses immediately preceding this passage he warns Timothy that complacency is endangering the Gospel mission:

Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient… For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.

The first reading comes to us from the great Jewish philosopher Sirach. Here we have in scripture one of the finest formulations of the Catholic social principle “The Preferential Option for the Poor.” Sirach defines God as justice; “who knows no favorites, though not unduly partial toward the weak.” God sets the example of not being complacent toward those who suffer social injustice. He hears the “cry of the oppressed” and the marginalized widows and orphans. Curiously verse 15 is omitted in the Lectionary which reads; “Do not the tears that stream down her cheek cry out against him that causes them to fall.” This is a powerful statement. God hears the oppressed but in hearing them He recognizes the unjust person that caused those tears to fall.

Sirach tells us that social injustice will not go unanswered. God will respond. St. Paul, Timothy, Mark and Luke serve the Gospel by addressing the liberating word of God and they will not stop least complacency sets in. Jesus warns us all that we must guard against any attitude of righteousness and complacency especially when it causes us to despise other people. The Gospel parable is very specific in reminding us that the priority of our actions are not found in rituals or self imposed practices but in the desire to humbly change and grow into the one human family where we all can identify with the social responsibility we owe one another.

It is only human for us to waver and at times to seek a complacent social lifestyle. There have been many times when I have found myself craving a lifestyle that offers stability, security and relative convenience. I have desired this especially in these uncertain times. But unfortunately we as Christians are not called to this. Our mission is to continue promoting the Gospel message and to build the community of God’s love throughout the whole world. This great mission comes with great challenges as St. Paul the Apostle was discovering but even then he does not allow complacency to overtake him as he prepares the mission’s continuance even after he is gone.  While we must be patient with this endeavor and we will need to pause and periodically take our breath we cannot delude ourselves into becoming socially complacent in any way. We must always challenge ourselves to see the responsibility we own one another. We must never find ourselves despising others or judging an entire group we feel does not meet our own criteria for being good. For as Jesus says to rich young man, “there is only One who is good” (Mt. 19: 17). Let us strive this week to humble ourselves to the One who is good and to serve our true Lord by serving ALL of God’s people but especially those who are oppressed and marginalized since God is asking us to address those concerns now, without delay.

• Amos 8:4-7. Condemnations of social injustices which trample upon the needy.
• 1 Timothy 2:1-8. Prayers are requested for peace, peace with those in authority, between races and nations, among the disciples of Jesus, just as there is peace between God the Father, the mediator Jesus and the entire human family.
• Luke 16:1-13. The parable of the dishonest steward, more ingenious about worldly goods than the other-worldly, is about spiritual concerns. A number of proverbs about wealth and stewardship are added.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

Often times the three lectionary readings have a common thread that connects all of them. That way a theme is apparent from which a preacher can go ahead and compose his sermon. But in this case the theme does not seem altogether apparent.  As we consider these readings further and suggest an overall theme of economic injustice we are still caught off guard by what seems like a conflicting message between the first reading and the Gospel. The challenge that we are given with this week’s readings is this: be ingenious, prayerful (and perhaps a little crafty) when serving the Gospel message of bringing the love of God to all of His people.

The first reading comes to us from the fiery prophet Amos. Amos and Micah are my two favorite prophets of the Old Testament. They are tactless, uncompromising and bold. The Prophet Amos employs an amazing form of rhetoric. And they both preach truth to power with an unswerving allegiance to justice for the poor. Amos offers a clear description of economic injustice. He is addressing the dishonest and unjust people of Judah who look for every opportunity to cheat the poor and lowly. Their great lament is that they are not given more natural time to cheat these people (new moon, Sabbath). This is a grave sin and God will not forget these acts of economic self-interest nor will the earth itself which will naturally react from such oppression.

Now let us consider the Gospel. Here again we are faced with economic dishonesty, but this time Jesus seems to be rewarding such an act. How can this be? The beauty of this is that we are forced to reflect on an apparent challenge. Our first instinct of course would be to say that either Jesus or Amos is wrong, but we know that is not possible since they preach the same Word. To comprehend this we need to unmask the context for Jesus’ parable. Amos is prophesying to the public so he is speaking with uncompromising clarity. In the Gospel Jesus turns to a different audience. Having just spoken to the Pharisees and scribes about the value of the repentant sinner Jesus now turns to his disciples to offer practical instruction. It is amazing how pragmatic Jesus can be. To the broader public he may seem idealistic and utopian in his parables like the one we just heard this past weekend about the prodigal son. But when he directs his attention to his disciples he demonstrates how much he is aware of “what makes the world go round.”

When it comes to finance and worldly goods people are almost naturally shrewd and ingenious. Jesus offers his disciples a lesson on being shrewd in worldly manners as an image for being equally shrewd in promoting the Kingdom of God. What is important to know (and what is not evident on the parable) is the actual victim of this act of dishonesty. The victim is the steward himself. If he was dishonest with his master’s property he would have incurred a harsh punishment but instead he eliminates his own “cut” of the debt and we can assume that he probably employed a no interest policy that is part of the Law of Moses. The Steward eliminates his own short term financial gain to the benefit of his master’s debtors in return for their long term gratitude and friendship. Jesus reminds his disciples of their allegiance to God over money. Money is a means to an end and never an end in itself. The disciples are allowed to be financially shrewd so long they eliminate their own financial self-interest for the benefit of bringing people into the Kingdom of God. At minimum Amos reminds us that we are never allowed to cheat or exploit others for our own self interest. Jesus goes further and challenges us as disciples to sacrifice even our own financial interest for the benefit of developing powerful and lasting relationships for the sake of creating a just and peaceful society which St. Paul describes for us in his second reading.

This is a great and daunting challenge indeed. St. Paul envisions a society where “we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.” He is offering a formula for building a society that is at peace, enjoying freedom and employing the common good. We cannot do this alone and so Paul comes in and reminds us of the power of prayer. The sacrifices that we do are not for own benefit. It is not simply for a one way ticket to paradise. The kingdom of God is a community; it is a family of creation. We sacrifice for others because our own dignity is reflected in the dignity of others. We do what we can through our own actions and our own sacrifice but we pray that God can touch the heart of all creation but most especially we pray for those who have been given secular or political authority. God “wills everyone to be saved.” At the center of our faith is “One God” and “one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus.” As disciples we are called to the service of all. Our prayers and actions must reflect our Christian hope and aspiration that we share with God and Christ; to bring all people together under the banner of God’s love. We must be a witness to all by sacrificing our own financial self interest as a people and as a society for the good of others. But along with this witness we also must pray that through our own actions and through God’s grace the hearts of all people may be moved towards the building of a just and peaceful society that observes the dignity of all creation.

September 21 is the International Day of Peace that is observed throughout the world. Let us join in unity with our human family and follow the request that St. Paul makes on us to pray for all our leaders in promoting this Christian vision for a peaceful and just global society.

• Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14. The people revolt and worship a golden calf. God threatens to destroy them and raise up a new people through Moses. At Moses’ entreaty, the Lord relented.
• 1 Timothy 1:12-17. God forgives Paul, the former persecutor of the church, to show that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and to display patience.
• Luke 12-1-32. Jesus tells three parables about God’s joy in forgiving sinners: the man with the lost sheep; the woman with the lost silver pieces; the parent with the lost prodigal child.

Thoughts for your consideration: by John Gonzalez

With the three readings that we hear about this weekend we are given some powerful examples of the great value of finding that which is lost. With the first reading we witness an amazing interaction between God and Moses. The context for this discussion is that the chosen people have established an idol in place of God. God is obviously frustrated by this transgression but what if the object of God’s concern is not so much the people of Israel but Moses himself? After all, the fact that the people will ebb and flow from their relationship with God should come as no surprise, they have done it before and they will do it again. But perhaps God is concerned about whether they have a leader who can guide them towards the daunting task ahead. This first reading can be seen as the temptation of Moses. When considering the destruction of the chosen people God makes a tempting offer, “Then I will make of you a great nation.”  What an amazing temptation, to be the father of a great nation. Moses must have given this some thought. But instead he responds with amazing compassion for a sinful people. He implores God to exhibit the same patience and compassion that he himself has for them and God relents. Could it be that God really changed his mind because of the persuasive genius of Moses? Or was God intent on seeing that Moses, as a leader, would have the patience and compassion that is required to lead the Israelite community? Moses demonstrates a great lesson for any pastoral leader. The human community is prone to sin and will push the envelope of transgressions. Those of us who are called to become leaders of this community must have an unending supply of patience and compassion to bring people back to the fold.

In the second reading Paul identifies himself as an example for us all. Here we have someone who previously not only disagreed with the Christian message but who actively persecuted the church. Paul identifies himself as the worst of all sinners and yet he tells the early Christian community: “for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.”

The three parables that Jesus shares in this week’s gospel reading offer us three images of God’s great mercy, patience and compassion. The repentance of the lost sinner has an incomprehensible value to God. Jesus almost cannot seem to push this point enough in the first two parables, so he creates the third and more elaborate parable to capture our human imaginations. How many of us are not troubled by the response of the father as he takes in the prodigal son? How many of us cannot in some way share in the frustration of the eldest son? It seems naïve and unfair of the father to display what appears to be a preferential treatment for sinners. And yet this is the image that Jesus wants to convey to us, the image of the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd does not disvalue the other 99 sheep just as the father does not disvalue the eldest son. Their value is equal to all who share a God-given dignity. But the value of the lost one appears disproportionate because we feel that our own value is somehow lessened by the joy the discovery has brought to our heavenly father. We do not share the patience and compassion that God has for all creation.

The parable of the lost coin makes the point for me. Assuming the value of the coin is the same as the other coins in the purse, finding that lost coin does not give the coin any real greater value then all the others, but it does make the purse that much richer. If we have lost a 5 dollar bill and on another day we look in our pants pocket and find it do we not suddenly feel rich? It is still only a 5 dollar bill and its worth has not been altered at all but the fact is that we are now $5 richer then we were before.

The fact of the matter is that one way or another we are all lost. If we feel disvalued by another then we too suffer from some loss of our own personal value and juxtapose our own value system to accommodate this loss. God evaluates Moses’ own value to fulfill the divine mandate through Moses’ response to the corporate sin of the Israelites. Moses was able to see the corporate value of all the people and because of this he was able to have the patience and compassion necessary for pastoral leadership.   This week’s readings challenge us to reassess the value of all humanity no matter what our judgment of any member of the human community is. Our harsh judgment of others demonstrates our own loss of dignity. God places great value on the redemption of the lost human community. The work of the pastoral leader is to bring us all back to the fold through patience and compassion. We must be directed by our pastoral leaders to exemplify mercy and compassion to all of God’s creation, no matter what our opinions of them might be.

This week our thoughts turn to the national tragedy of 9-11. There can be no doubt that this tragic event will continue to affect the conscience of Americans because of the violence that we suffered from a group that continues to demonstrate great hate for us. Our Christian challenge is to be able to still see the dignity of those who are lost within their own hate of America, and to respond to them with the dignity that arises from desiring their reconciliation with God and the human community. That is one reason why any act of social violence that destroys a human life becomes an ethical and moral problem for us Christians. It’s one thing when we have a lost soul or a lost community that is wandering and wayward because of their own ideological idols, but to deprive those souls from their hope of redemption is a moral problem. The Shepherd could have prioritized the good of the 99 sheep and left the one to die but that is not the way of the Good Shepherd.

• Wisdom 9:13-18. If we can scarcely guess about earthly things, how can we ever know heavenly secrets? God sends the Holy Spirit to make known our paths on earth.
• Philemon 9-10, 12-17. In returning the runaway slave Onesimus to his owner Philemon, Paul asks the latter to receive the slave as a beloved brother.
• Luke 14: 25-33. We are to renounce all our possessions to be a disciple of Christ, even our father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes our very self.

Thoughts for Your Reflection: by John Gonzalez

This week Scripture challenges us to rethink our relationships. The Gospel passage is one of the most challenging verses we hear from Jesus. If we take them literally then we are forced to turn against the very fabric of our social nature. What culture has not accepted the primacy of the family unit? And yet here we have Jesus debasing that very unit as he offers his steep terms for discipleship.

This passage is not meant to be taken literally. In other passages Jesus defends the commandment to honor father and mother [Mark 7:10-13] and if we are expected to apply his great commandment to love one another then the act of hating father, mother, wife and children would severely compromise this principal mandate. What Jesus does here though is to give us a powerful impression of the great cost and sacrifice that is discipleship and the effects this will have on all our relationships. The object of our hate is not our family or any other member of the human community. Instead it is our own pride, our own passions and desires; our own self-interest becomes the object of our contempt. We are called to carry the Cross and to sacrifice our own will towards a Divine Will that will redefine us completely. This was the path of “mystical death” that was prescribed by St. Paul of the Cross, The Passionist founder. Our journey is to embrace the death of our will and passions and to accept a “divine rebirth” into a holy life whereby all that we do and all that we are to one another is redefined for a great and common good that is not our own. 

For St. Paul of the Cross this mystical process was a journey of a lifetime. We slowly shed a layer of our own will and passions one at a time and become reborn through phases. Jesus is also suggesting that this radical call to discipleship is one that should not happen in an instant. In the Gospel Jesus offers to examples of how the call to discipleship ought to be done with deliberative assessment, using the image of deliberate planning that goes into constructing a tower or conducting a military operation. Thus the first reading reminds us of the place of Wisdom within this spiritual process. We are reminded again about the virtue of humility as we accept a greater Wisdom that again is not our own.

The author of the book of Wisdom reminds us that we are limited and corrupted through our humanity so if we are to seek the things that are in heaven we must give ourselves over the Creator through whom authentic wisdom is granted. We are called to be contemplative. We have access to this Wisdom but we do not always discern it well since our self-interest and desires can get in the way. So we must constantly discern the true wisdom that is different from the “wisdom of the world.”

In discerning the Wisdom of God Paul sees his own human relationships in a different light. Since we are all children of God then we must begin to see each other with the sacred dignity that we all share. Paul urges Philemon to reevaluate his relationship with the slave Onesimus and to see him “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but more so to you, as a man and in the Lord.” In social matters such as with the institution of slavery Paul is telling Philemon that some social relationships are unacceptable because they contradict the essence of relationship that comes from true Wisdom. But Paul also knows that he cannot impose this on Philemon since he also respects the dignity and freedom that Philemon enjoys. So he requests that Philemon reevaluate his relationship with Onesimus not by giving him a command but by urging him to freely alter this relationship. “I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.” Following the Wisdom of the most high will alter all our social relationships and institutions but if we, like St. Paul, are encouraged to bring people towards this new form of relationship freely then we must be patient with this process. Forcing people to change will not bring an authentic conversion.   

Wisdom, humility and patience are three virtues that are impressed on us this weekend. As we review the political rhetoric regarding the social issues we face we need to see how they reflect a Wisdom that captures the vision for the common good, a humility of not promoting a self-interested agenda, and a patience for gently bringing the community towards this vision. Here are the steps for an authentic process for just and lasting change.

1. Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29.  A humble person finds favor with God and will be endowed with wisdom and the love of loyal friends.
2. Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24. You have drawn near the heavenly Jerusalem, to the assembly of the firstborn, to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
3. Luke 14:1, 7-14. By means of a parable about seats of honor at a banquet Jesus shows that those who exalt themselves shall be humbled and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.

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

In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus observes people choosing where they would sit at a banquet, and uses the opportunity to teach them about humility: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” I believe that if we looked at our own lives, we could testify to the truth of Jesus’ statement from our own experience.

And our own experience tells us that it is God who does the exalting, and it is God who does the humbling. Sometimes we try to be in charge of the process. There are times when we may calculate that if we humble ourselves we will be exalted. But if we try to do that, we are still trying to exalt ourselves. Sometimes there are others who want to do the humbling, but that is usually done out of malice or envy, and it does not work, either.

What can help us come to an attitude of true humility? Turning to Jesus. Jesus says to the host who invited Him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” If we were to consider these words in terms of the heavenly banquet, or in the context of the Mass, could we not see that Jesus practices what He preaches? Has not Jesus invited us, even when we have been poor, or crippled by anxiety or fear, or made lame by grief and sorrow, or even blinded by resentment or selfishness? Has not Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, without any expectation, or even possibility, of repayment? Does not Jesus constantly call us, even when we are in sin, to Himself?

When we reflect on how Jesus humbled Himself out of love for us, our only response can be humility. There can be no pretending to be better than or more important than someone else. We are all in need of God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ! As we are humble before the love of God, so are we to be humble with each other. An attitude of humility doesn’t allow for prejudice or discrimination. No person or group of persons can set themselves up as being superior or more deserving of life’s benefits than others. We cannot withhold opportunities from others based simply on the fact that they are different from us!

What if we were to take Jesus’ statement to His host into all aspects of our life, not just as individuals, but as a society? What if “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” were invited to the table where decisions were made? I remember seeing a special on LBJ’s “Great Society” programs of the late sixties. One intriguing aspect of the War on Poverty was the principle of “maximum possible participation of the poor.” Even when we are committed to working for social justice, we can be patronizing if we do not listen to the people for whom we’re trying to advocate. Being humble often leads us into different ways of doing things and relating to others!    I have found that humility is one of the best antidotes to prejudice. If I am humble enough to recognize that I can learn from those who are different, whatever might have been the basis for my prejudice falls away.

May God continue to bless us all, and may we be humble before Him.

• Isaiah 66:18-21. Distant foreigners will not only be converted to the Lord but they will even be chosen as priests and levites.
• Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13. God disciplines us by trials, at first a source of grief, later of joy. Parents discipline the children they love.
• Luke 13:22-30. Enter by narrow gate. People will come from distant corners of the earth to feast at the kingdom of God. The last will be first, the first will be last.

Thoughts for your Reflection: By John Gonzalez

This Sunday’s lectionary readings give us two related challenges. The first challenge is to our attitude of self-righteousness. Many of us, including this author, can identify many moments where we are so sure of our own moral positions and religious tenets that we consciously or unconsciously form judgments on the moral and religious perspectives of others. Our Christian scripture warns us consistently against the sins of self-righteousness and the resulting sin of casting judgment. It is a message that bears repetition because our human condition, regardless of creed, will move us to be inclined to control our religious perspective with a false sense of understanding. The second challenge tells us that foreigners and outsiders will not only share in the Kingdom of God but they will often times show us the correct path especially when we are blinded by our own false sense of righteousness and social complacency.

There is a fine line that is being walked throughout scripture and we must continuously struggle with this. Scripture offers us a spiritual reality centered on a divine relationship. Based on this metaphysics scripture also gathers a moral teaching to guide us in developing this divine relationship which we humans share not only with God but also with each other. Jesus is a teacher of the law and he follows the prophetic tradition of those like Isaiah. But Jesus and Isaiah are teaching about divine mysteries. Our limited human understanding cannot hope to fully comprehend the divine mysteries so Jesus reverts to teaching in the form of parables so that we learn by way of analogy what we cannot hope to fully comprehend by reason alone. The fine line is that Jesus and the prophets teach about a spiritual reality accompanied by a moral framework, but they also warn us against self-righteousness and uncharitable judgment since we must also be open to the universal mystery that is beyond our human experience and understanding.  

In the Gospel reading Jesus is tackling the self-righteous by repeating the mantra “some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” People will be waiting by the narrow gate assuming that they will be privileged to enter because they “ate and drank in your company and you taught in our street.” But Jesus will tell them “I do not know where you are from.” This challenges us not to be complacent. Just because we are part of a Christian community and we attend Mass and Church services does not give us an automatic green light to pass through “the narrow door.” A share in the divine union is not gained because of who we are but because of what we do. It is when we are humble and at the service of one another that we gain access towards a fuller and more meaningful life.

In the second reading Paul identifies our suffering as a path towards redemption.  It is part of the human condition that when we are comfortable and at peace that we tend to have a false sense of control and security. We no longer become appreciative of our blessings but instead we begin to think that we alone are responsible for our fortune.  It is when we lose everything however and when we feel at our lowest that we again are reminded of the blessings that come from outside of us. That is why Jesus and Isaiah refer to the foreigners and outsiders in this week’s reading as heralds of the divine vision. Through their marginal perspective and painful experience we will be able to humbly appreciate the struggles and blessings that we take for granted and the social programs that serve us all.

Isaiah and Jesus celebrate foreigners and outsiders in their participation with the Kingdom of God. The second challenge that we are offered is to look towards them and their valuable perspective regarding how we should discern the divine vision, independent of our own social status or dominance. The social program that many of us in the United States take for granted came through a righteous struggle that many of our immigrant descendants fought for. This includes social security, education, unions and a variety of labor laws. But now many of us take it for granted and we look down upon the new immigrants whom we feel do not deserve these same rights and benefits. The social program that had been put into place in the 30’s through the 70’s were hard fought victories of a social vision that was based on Christian values and developed after a difficult period of national suffering during the early half of the 20^th century.

We have forgotten this period of national pain and now these same social programs have lost any value to us. We ought to listen to the value and perspective of the foreigner and outsider in our midst with regard to a renewed national agenda in light of the contemporary suffering that we are facing, but instead we further marginalize them and create conspiracy theories regarding the new immigrant population and their “anchor” or “terror” babies. We have become so self-righteous with our own Judeo-Christian and national identities that we are even willing to change the fundamental laws of our nation to enhance our own position and dominance while further marginalizing foreigners and outsiders. As we hear the Gospel reading this week let us keep in mind and reflect on who Jesus say will be “reclining at the table of the kingdom of God”?

• Isaiah 66: 10-14. God is portrayed as the new Jerusalem, a mother suckling her infant and receiving the wealth of the nations.
• Galatians 6:14-18. Paul boasts only of the cross of Jesus and bears the brand marks of Jesus in his body. Each one is to be created anew.
• Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20. Jesus sends forth the 72 disciples to announce that the reign of God is at hand. Upon their return, they are told to rejoice that their names are inscribed in heaven.

Thoughts for Your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

According to St. Paul the apostle, whose feast we celebrate this week, Christian ministry and evangelization is not an easy job. In this week’s reading St. Paul tells the Galatians that his apostolic boast is the pain and suffering that he now shares with Christ. In the preceding verses St. Paul critiques other Christian missionaries who compromise the Spirit of the Christian message by imposing the Hebrew ritual of circumcision which, according to Paul, is in no way essential for one to adopt the Christian way of life. He suggests that these other missionaries are compromising the message in order to not rock the social boat too much. They lightly promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that does not challenge society by imposing conventional rituals rather then a vigorous application of the Christian message. This is a compromise that St. Paul cannot accept. The Gospel message is a social challenge: it challenges society to adopt a message of peace and mercy, it challenges society to practice a social and economic equality based on our divine union with God and Christ, and it challenges society to practice the common good that serves us all.

The divine wisdom of the Gospel stands above the social wisdom of the world. If the message starts looking like a social or political agenda than chances are it is being compromised. The Gospel message is not a political platform; it is a journey towards personal and social conversion. Jesus sends out the seventy-two disciples to go into every town and preach the good news to all the people in their homes. They are not organizing a political base but they are winning hearts and minds towards a vision and relationship that surpasses all social hopes and dreams. The disciples return from this ministry with a positive experience which Jesus shares with them. Christian social justice is not built through a political platform that a group negotiates through an established political process. It is built through individuals becoming spiritually formed towards a communal vision of equality, mercy and peace.  

The Gospel of Luke seems to indicate that at the time that Jesus sends out the seventy-two His ministry is experiencing a positive and peaceful development. However, by Chapter 22, Jesus has His disciples recall this exciting and positive moment and now warns them to be vigilant and careful as they will now experience persecution. This of course will be foreshadowed by His own imminent passion and death.  By the time Paul is writing to the Galatians he finds himself in the midst of this persecution and he considers this suffering a badge of honor which demonstrates that he is doing the right thing.

At a recent Passionist Assembly author and Vatican correspondent John Allen presents to us on the ten trends that are changing the Catholic Church. In describing the rise of the Southern Catholic community, specifically in Asia and Africa John tells us that their emerging Catholic identity transcends the political ideologies that have divided our own Western Christian positions. He qualifies them as “Morally conservative, Politically liberal.” On issues of personal and especially sexual morality this emerging Catholic community is quite conservative. The issue of homosexuality and abortion is for them not an issue. Polygamy ends up becoming a thornier moral issue instead. But on the issue of economic and political matters they tend to look more liberal. They are skeptical on globalization and free market; they are generally anti-war and pro-environment.    

This report was quite a shock to many of us. I have tried to keep faith and spirituality independent of the American political agenda but when you live and breathe American politics it becomes an unconscious integration. The Passionists who sat in that conference room where from all over the political spectrum and many of us where challenged on this type of Catholic agenda that completely transcends the American political reality. This report reminded me of the following passage from C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity on what the Christian society would look like:

If there were such a society in existence and you or I visited it, I think we should come away with a curious impression. We should feel that its economic life was very socialistic and, in that sense, “advanced,” but that its family life and its code of manners were rather old-fashioned-perhaps even ceremonious and aristocratic. Each of us would like some bits of it, but I am afraid very few of us would like the whole thing.

If I were to push for an agenda that held a progressive social and economic platform along with a conservative sexual and family ethic I wonder how many people would follow this agenda. It seems like a very challenging platform and not a very popular one.  As C.S. Lewis put it I like some bits of this message but the entire package is quite daunting. And yet the goal we pursue in promoting the Gospel message is an ethic based on principles that would lead us towards this agenda. God bless St. Paul for being a true disciple of Christ in preaching the uncensored Gospel message with all its challenges and hopes. I only hope that I can have an ounce of St. Paul’s courage.

• 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21. The Lord directs Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor. Elisha is permitted to say farewell to his parents and to provide a sacred banquet for all the people.
• Galatians 5:1, 13-18. Christ has freed us from slavery to the cravings of the flesh. Love your neighbor as yourself.
• Luke 9:51-62. Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, to his cross and resurrection. ?The expectations of discipleship are stated in startling, heroic proportions.

Thoughts for Your Consideration: by Fr. Phil Paxton, CP

In the second reading for Sunday (Galatians 5:1, 13-18), St. Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Here, St. Paul is talking about slavery to the Law. But later on, Paul writes, “For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.”

If we look at freedom as described by St. Paul, we get a different understanding of what freedom might mean for us. Freedom in the United States, I think, has been very much associated with independence. Freedom has often meant license to do whatever one wants, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else (This last qualifying statement usually begs questions that are not easily answered). At the same time, living in Birmingham reminds me that slavery has been a real part of our history, of which we’re still feeling the effects. Freedom has not been the same for everyone.

So what does freedom really mean for us Christians? As St. Paul says, freedom is not to be seen as an opportunity for the flesh. Okay, then what? Perhaps it might be useful to use a phrase which is admittedly overused today. So often committees in almost every area (business, government, and even the church) speak about thinking “outside the box.”

If we were to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ seriously, we could see that it is the most “outside the box” thinking there is! In our Gospel reading (Luke 9:51-62), Jesus has set His sights for Jerusalem, and on the way, He and His disciples enter into a Samaritan town. The people in the town do not welcome Him because He is heading for Jerusalem. Right there, we see an example of thinking stuck in the past. For the people in that Samaritan town, Jerusalem symbolizes the ongoing conflict between the Samaritans and the Jews. This almost sounds too familiar. But James’ and John’s response to this is no better: “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Here, we see another example of worldly thinking: Revenge and violence are the first option. What if freedom in Christ meant to be free from resorting to force and violence to achieve our ends? Again, from Galatians, we read: “But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.” We have seen the fruits of seeking vengeance in every corner of the world, and yet we are still tempted to think of it as a viable strategy. Does that not sound like slavery?

But the freedom that Christ brings does not only speak to violence and retribution. It speaks to greed and self-indulgence. This, too, is a challenge for us. Should we not be free to make as much money as we can; to grab as much as we can; to live in the amount of luxury we can afford? As a country, should we not be free to pursue our national interests, no matter what? I think the answer might be found in our experience. Does not our experience show us that much of the time, the more we get, the more we want? Is this not also a form of slavery?

Freedom in Christ, as Paul says, means being free to serve others “through love.” In these times when we are concerned about terrorism, and there is strong sentiment against immigration, we are tempted to give up some of our independence to gain more security. But what if we were to give up some of our independence in order to commit ourselves to following Jesus and to serving others? I know this sounds crazy, but what if we were willing to give up some of our notions of what it means to be independent (e.g., license to do anything, radical individualism), in order to be really free, in Christ? It is freedom in Christ that brings real peace.

• Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1. Through God’s grace of wisdom Jerusalem will remember and mourn the one “whom they have pierced” and with this great mourning Jerusalem will be redeemed.  
• Galatians 3:26-29. Our faith and baptism in Christ breaks down the barriers of division and marginalization. Through Christ we all become descendants of Abraham.
• Luke 9:18-24. Jesus is identified as “The Christ of God” by Peter. This identity is qualified with the inevitable suffering that will accompany Him and all who follow Jesus in taking up their cross daily.

Thoughts for Your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

The backdrop for this reflection is the 2010 Churches for Middle East Peace Conference. This week a number of Christian churches and organizations came together in Washington DC to explore the issues related to the violence that exist between Israel and Palestine. On Tuesday we went to Capitol Hill to advocate for peace in this conflicted region of the world. One workshop that I attended was from a Palestinian Christian clergy who presented on the plight of Palestinian Christians in the midst of this conflict. In sharing his experience Rev. Naoum mentioned how Christian and Jewish Zionist groups have utilized Sacred Scripture to marginalize the Palestinian community and to legitimize the occupation of Palestinian territory by Jewish settlers.

It was curious to me in reading the second reading for this week how St. Paul the Apostle reminds us that Christian faith is a faith that unifies rather than divides. The Christian faith breaks down barriers and walls ultimately celebrating us all as children of Abraham. How sad that in today’s day some Christians have chosen to reinterpret Scripture in order to marginalize others and to cause division in conflict in the Holy Land.     

Amazingly the first reading talks to us about a great mourning that will take place in Jerusalem. This mourning will take place as people recall the “him whom they have pierced.” For us Christians the “him” that the prophet Zechariah describes is none other than Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus who in this week’s gospel is identified as the “Christ of God:” the Christ that is called to suffer in order to bring around the messianic fulfillment of redemption. How is this redemption fulfilled? Jesus goes on to explain that the ongoing mission of redemption will continue with his followers who will continue to suffer for the sake of God’s truth and justice.

Today Jerusalem continues to suffer with the marginalization and occupation that Jesus experienced 2000 years ago. The actors and the situation have a changed but the injustice remains. The methodology of Jesus was compassion, mercy and unconditional love to all who suffered in this region. These actions were accompanied with the uncompromising prophetic/political message of a unifying social vision that transcended the divisive political realities that were part of his world. This vision challenged the power structure and authority in Jerusalem and for that Jesus and the early Christians suffered persecution and martyrdom.

The suffering that Jesus and the apostles endured has redemptive meaning. This first reading reminds us that although they pierce him and put him to death God’s grace of wisdom continues to shine through and as they begin to repent and mourn their action that will be the time that full redemption will occur. Unfortunately the human condition is very stubborn and it may take awhile before we come to an awareness of the unjust suffering we have caused.

For the Passionist community the act of remembering the passion of Christ calls us to keep in mind all who suffer the ongoing passion of social injustice in our world today. We who follow “him whom they have pierced” are called to carry the cross of being prophetic in the face of social injustice and to stand firm against oppression, marginalization and division by preaching the unifying Christian message that St. Paul shares with us in the second reading.

Our Christian faith tells us that Jerusalem will be redeemed. This issue of the Holy Land looks depressing and hopeless and so it is only by an act of faith that we are able to believe that peace is possible. Our uncompromising example of the compassion of Christ with all who continue to suffer will be the instrument of peace that will bring about the promise of redemption that was foretold by Zechariah.

• Luke 19:28-40 (Gospel for the Procession). Luke’s account of Jesus’ messianic entry into Jerusalem heightens the struggle which Jesus will face in the city and temple.
• Isaiah 50:4-7 In the prophecy of Isaiah the third Song of the Suffering Servant combines listening and abject humiliation with dignified strength.
• Philippians 2:6-11. Jesus emptied himself of his divine dignity, to be incarnated in our midst and suffer the humiliation of the cross.
• Luke 22:14-23:56. The Passion according to Luke portrays Jesus more frequently than the other gospels in prayer, in forgiveness, and in concern for others.

Thoughts for your own consideration: By John Gonzalez

I am on a train leaving Washington DC as I reflect on the lectionary readings for Palm Sunday. This past weekend a multitude gathered in the Capitol, marching and advocating for the rights of immigrants, refugees and displaced peoples. I cannot help but consider the similarity between the immigrant march and the historical moment when Jesus was triumphantly entering Jerusalem. The march brought a hundred thousand people to be in solidarity over an issue that concerns all of us. We all felt great. The success that some of us had with our representatives afterwards only fueled these powerful feelings. Likewise we read that Jesus entered Jerusalem with great fanfare. Even as the Pharisees request that the disciples tone down their message Jesus suggested to them that this excitement would continue with the stones themselves. In other words the energy was palpable, just as it was for us this past Saturday.

But even as we began to pack and head back to our respective regions many of us began to reflect on the challenging political atmosphere that is awaiting us. Our congressional representatives applauded this exciting event but they too reminded us of the pragmatic political reality that would compromise this initiative. I feel a deep sense of solidarity with Jesus who immediately after his triumphant entry wept over the city saying,   “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

During the workshops over the weekend we were reminded of a value that is at the heart of the first reading and the Gospel. The suffering servant is distinguished by his ability to listen, pray and forgive. Issues such as healthcare, abortion and immigration touch people at their core because in some real way they are affected by these issues. This past weekend we in the United States have been affected by all three issues. People react to issues in any number of ways: they can be defensive, reactionary and possibly provocative (for or against the issue) or they may be thoughtful and reasonable and yet here again they may take any number of positions with the issues. The workshops taught us to listen to the legitimate feelings and frustrations of people who will share with us their perspective on these issues with us and to reconcile their feelings and concerns with the broader principles of faith. The Church, like Jesus, is called to be prophetic and to not compromise the values of the Kingdom of God. But in fulfilling our prophetic role we must raise these values while pastorally attending to the feelings and concerns of all the people who will be either in support or against the principles of our Catholic social teachings.

Jesus laments how the greater value of peace eludes the people of Jerusalem. The peace of God flows from the principles of the common good and the preferential option for the poor, principles that we learn from Jesus’ parables and teachings. But when people are challenged by issues that affect them directly, it may be too difficult for them to envision broader community principles that seem to go against their own self-interest. Our challenge is to listen attentively to their stories and to pray with them in hopes that we can walk together in reconciling their issues with the concern of all God’s people.

However there will be times that we will hit an impasse. We may have to endure insult and betrayal. This is perhaps the most challenging role of the suffering servant, but in following the ways of Christ we will be asked to forgive. Jesus forgives Peter, the executioners and the thief. He consoles the women in the midst of his own suffering. Being completely imperfect my own reaction is to vent my own frustrations when I encounter severe and sometimes irrational disagreements on social issues. But this is the challenge we are given in following the Lamb of God. The example of Jesus is to pray and to offer up to God these social challenges. It will be from God that we will get the courage to continue being both prophetic and pastoral.