Articles for Lent
Have you ever considered what Israel’s vocation was? They are God’s chosen people, and God called them, through Abraham, to be a people with a mission. That mission, outlined in our first reading from Deuteronomy, was to show their “wisdom and intelligence to the nations…for what great nation is there that has gods so…
Do you pay attention to the Our Father? You have probably prayed it many, many times. Sometimes, we forget to pay attention and understand what we say because we become so used to reciting it. One line of the Our Father stands out as particularly important, yet we skim right over it, “forgive us…
Have you ever heard the modern parable of the man asking to be saved from an oncoming flood? He prays to God, “save me!” Each time a set of rescuers come—a fireman, a boat, a helicopter—the man says, “no, God is going to save me.” The man dies from the flood and asks God,…
The first reading from Exodus and the Gospel from John speak of thirsting for water from two very different perspectives. After setting out from Egypt, Israel began complaining they had too little water. Traveling with such a large group, think thousands, and with their livestock, they would have required much water. It is a…
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” In another place the scribes and Pharisees will ask, “Who but God can forgive sins” (Mark 2:7)? Indeed, forgiveness of sins is what reveals Jesus’ divinity. It was absolute blasphemy for this man to do what was possible for God alone. Fr. Francis Carvajal comments: The…
Why does Jesus say that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the Jewish leaders and given to others? Israel was not just made God’s Chosen People but that designation also had a vocation. Their calling as the smallest but most blessed nation was to be a Light to the Nations. They…
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s religious order, the Missionaries of Charity, specializes in its foundation house on one thing. They find people on the streets of Calcutta who are dying in abject poverty. They bring them to their hostel, wash them, give them a clean bed, and treat them with the dignity of a…
Why is Lent forty days? Why do we celebrate Lent every year? Because it takes a lifetime to be conformed to Christ. Perseverance and constancy are hard. Those who become martyrs were frequently not last-minute zealous disciples. Rather, their choice each day to place the Father’s will first allow them to make the ultimate…
The comedian and actor Adam Sandler once had a standup bit where he said that when his family asked about whatever happened to an ex-girlfriend, he would just say: “She’s dead, Grandma.” The point was that it was too tedious to get into why the relationship went south or to have to admit failure.…
One of the strains of Jewish theology found in the first part of the Old Testament is known as the Deuteronomic Principle. The basic notion is that if an individual or the people as a whole are faithful to the ordinances of the Lord, one or corporately they will receive blessings corresponding to obedience.…
A Diptych is a hinged, two-panel painting. Although both panels may make up a single scene, they are often separate images that are nonetheless connected thematically. Typically, one panel only finds its meaning when compared to the next. An example is the Wilton Diptych (c. 1395-1399). It was a kind of portable altar…
On Ash Wednesday, at the distribution of ashes, we hear “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Today we hear the call of Levi, the tax collector. He heard Jesus’ invitation: follow me. The gospel tells us, “leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.” This makes it all so very simple. He stood…
Today we hear more about fasting. On Ash Wednesday, the gospel cautioned us about the way we fast. Fasting is not to be noticed by others but by God. Fasting is not an external, observable practice, performed for others to see, but rather a discipline that helps to direct us towards God. Today in…
In the Holy Rule, St. Benedict says this about Lent. “For the monk, his entire life should be one continuous Lent.” At first, hearing that is not a pleasant thought, at least for me. St. Benedict goes further: “Since not all have the strength for this, let the brothers increase their austerity beyond the…
Today we begin the season of Lent, the Paschal Season of the Church year. For the next 40 days, we prepare once again for our annual celebration of the feasts of our Redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. As we begin the season of Lent, we really have…
We have all probably heard the encouragement, “God will not give you anything you can’t handle.” The truth, however, is far from this. Examine your life; is it true? No, we receive suffering, in all forms, far beyond our strength. God allows or gives us suffering far beyond what we can handle, and that…
Today we commemorate the gift of Christ dying on the cross on our behalf. Here Christ offers himself as a sacrifice for the world’s sins, healing the rift between humanity and God. In this gift, we can reenter the gift of God’s presence and enter into heaven, the New Eden, once again. We must…
Holy Thursday is an extraordinary time. Next to Easter, Holy Thursday is one of the most important days of the Church’s liturgical calendar. Holy Thursday commemorates two significant events; the first is the institution of the Eucharist, and the second is the institution of the ministerial priesthood. The Eucharist, the Holy Sacrifice of the…
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” These are tough words to hear. They speak of the betrayal of a close friend, the betrayal of God. We have become very familiar with the story of Judas and his actions, affirming for ourselves that, “no, I would never do that, Lord,…
“The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.” Our names matter. They tell us we are someone, that we are unique, known, and often cared for. When someone calls out your name, you turn and listen. We frequently receive our name at birth from our parents, but…
“You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” Jesus affirms that the poor have a special place in the heart of the Church. Consider another Gospel, Matthew 25. Here, Jesus says to those who were faithful stewards, “you gave me food when hungry, clothing when naked, a drink…
One of the most gut-wrenching phrases uttered in the scriptures is spoken today in our responsorial psalm, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me.” From the Cross, Jesus cries out these words, expressing his great anguish and pain. Hanging on the cross between two criminals, enduring torment by Roman soldiers, the…
Today we are on the threshold of the holiest days of the liturgical year. The stage is being set for the events of the Paschal Triduum. At the entrance, we hear Jesus’ prayer as the religious leaders devise their plot to kill him: “O Lord, do not stay afar off; my strength, make haste…
Holy Week draws near. In the entrance antiphon of today’s liturgy, we glimpse the darkness of the coming days: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in distress. Deliver me from the hands of my enemies and those who pursue me. O Lord, let me never be put to shame, for I…
At the beginning of today’s liturgy, the entrance antiphon speaks directly to the heart of the first reading from Genesis 17. “Christ is mediator of a New Covenant, so that by means of his death, those who are called may receive the promise of an eternal inheritance” (Heb 9:15). Christ is the fulfillment of…
“My deliverer from angry nations, you set me above my assailants; you saved me from the violent man, O Lord” (Cf. Ps 17: 48-49) This opening acclamation of confidence in God’s saving action echoes the prayer of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego that we hear in the first reading from Daniel 3. The three young…
The liturgy begins today with the words, “Wait for the Lord; be strong; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!” (Ps 26:14). These could well be the words of Moses spoken to the Israelites who have lost heart during their desert trek and are complaining about the wretched food that they must eat. They…
The liturgy today opens with the profound prayer of one who implores God for help: “Have mercy on me, O God, for people assail me; they fight me all day long and oppress me” (Cf. Ps 55: 2). It could be a prayer that is on the lips of Susanna who is falsely charged…
The tone of the entire fifth week of Lent is set in the entrance antiphon of this Sunday’s liturgy. “Give me justice, O God, and plead my cause against a nation that is faithless. From the deceitful and cunning, rescue me, for you, O God, are my strength” (Cf. Ps 42: 1-2). In…
You, O LORD of hosts, O just judge, searcher of mind and heart… One of the mysterious aspects of God’s search for us is his knowledge of our sinfulness. Our sins are a mysterious part of our lives. We think we know why we do this or avoid that. Yet there remains a mystery…
… they knew not the hidden counsels of God; We can easily become dull against the hidden purposes of God. Of course, one can ask, ‘Who can know the hidden purposes of God?’ But the Scriptures, in what they say next, point to what is meant: neither did they count on a recompense of…
A theme in our readings today is stubbornness, obstinacy, a troubling resistance. In the first reading, it is Moses who faces it in the people; in the Gospel, it is Jesus who faces it in the Jewish leaders. The evangelist sees it in this statement: you do not have his word remaining in you,…
“Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also.” Jesus has come so that we can believe in the One who sent him! He sent him for this purpose so that we…
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” (v. 6) It is a question put to us as we enter the Eucharist. ‘Do you want to be well?’ Christ asks us: Do you consider it…
“Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’” Jesus is exasperated over the unbelief he experiences. This exasperation arises from his perception that his hearers are unwilling to grow up and take responsibility for their desires. It is wanting signs and wonders which has to do with wanting…
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The welcome which appears in today’s Gospel of the Prodigal Son is the grace of repentance. We received it in our baptism into Christ. There we were welcomed into the unfolding mystery of God at work in us. The word, “synergy” is helpful to describe…
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a powerful parable about two individuals. One is called a Pharisee; the other a tax collector. What kind of persons are they? The Pharisees are presented in the Gospels as very self-assured. They brag about being better than others. This particular one proudly proclaims that he is “not…
In today’s Gospel, the angel promised two things to Mary. Gabriel said, firstly: “You will be with child”— that is, you will conceive and become pregnant. And secondly, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called…
In this Gospel, Jesus drives out a demon from someone who couldn’t speak. Jesus is immediately accused of being in league with Satan. Some people from the crowd said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Jesus’ response is wonderful in its directness: “Every kingdom divided against itself…
Today, the Book of Deuteronomy describes Moses as the great teacher of the Chosen People. The Book is made up of three very long speeches in which Moses explains to the people how much God loves them. God entered into a special relationship with Israel. God would be their God. They would be God’s…