FrNikola

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

by

All three readings today share one common thread: an experience of God’s majesty and power, a call to mission and conversion, and the need for God’s grace and encouragement to change and to accept the invitation. Throughout the Old Testament a basic principle was that anyone who looked upon the Lord would die. Isaiah in today’s First Reading experiences a vision of God’s glory and thinks he’s about to die, and die as a sinner. The Lord sends the angel to purify him and then invites him to be his prophet.

Paul in today’s Second Reading recalls the core of the Gospel: that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. When he recalls his own encounter with the Risen Lord on the road to Damascus he also recalls his unworthiness to be commissioned as an apostle, but by God’s grace he’s made capable of carrying out his mission. Lastly, upon seeing the miraculous catch of fish that makes him go from calling Jesus “Master” to calling him “Lord,” Peter acknowledges his sinfulness and unworthiness for what Our Lord is asking him. Our Lord gives him the grace of expressing his confidence in him, a confidence that we know later was tested, but in end, by Our Lord’s grace, merited.

Not every believer is called to be an apostle or prophet, but every believer can expect a deeper experience of Our Lord if it is sought. Many simple don’t look. It may not involve visions or great miracles or revelations, but it will be a moment of realizing that God is somebody, somebody amazing, and somebody who loves you. You may feel like a tiny speck in his presence, but he will give you the grace to be great in his eyes. Seek him out and you will find him, knowing that he is seeking you as well, just as he sought Isaiah, Peter, and Paul.

Readings: Isaiah 6:1–2a, 3–8; Psalm 138:1–5, 7–8; 1 Corinthians 15:1–11; Luke 5:1–11. See also 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday and 1st Week in Ordinary Time, Monday.

4th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

by

If you knew the Lord would grant you a wish, what would it be? Every time we pray, as today;s First Reading reminds, we are expressing a wish with the faith and hope that Our Lord will grant it. Our wishes say a lot about ourselves, what we think of others, and what we think of God. Solomon shows a great wisdom in wishing for more wisdom in order to be a good king. For him being a king was not about glory or personal accomplishment; it was about ruling well and ensuring the well being of his subjects. His wish showed selflessness and humility.

The Lord knows very well what kings usually ask for, and to reward Solomon he promises him not only wisdom, but also riches and glory. The kingdom later thrived under Solomon’s rule, and it was one of the most glorious times Israel ever experienced in its history. Solomon also became synonymous with wisdom, so much so that the books of the Old Testament categorized as Wisdom literature were believed at one point in history to have all been written by him personally.

Philosophy literally means a love for wisdom. Wisdom enables us to seek a higher vantage point in life in order to see the big picture and grow in understanding. When Our Lord shares his wisdom with us, as he does in today’s Gospel, he is sharing wisdom from the highest vantage point of all: God’s. Let’s follow Solomon’s sage advice and ask Our Lord for wisdom.

Readings: 1 Kings 3:4–13; Psalm 119:9–14; Mark 6:30–34.  See also 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B and 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday.

4th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday

by

In today’s Gospel we’re reminded that it is pointless to kill the messenger once the message has already been delivered. As Herod starts to hear about Our Lord he sees the message he’d first heard on the lips of St. John the Baptist coming back to haunt him, so much so that he thinks Jesus is John himself returned from the dead. Mark felt obliged to explain why Herod was so interested in Jesus, probably because Herod usually didn’t show must interest in anyone.

Herod’s “wife” also thought that by killing the messenger she could erase the message. As Herod himself learned, once something is said, it’s hard to ignore or retract. He made a foolish promise in front of all the powerful people who mattered to him, and Herodias trapped him and got what she wanted. John didn’t return from the dead after his martyrdom, but his message never died. In fact, it lived on, because it was the truth and the truth can never be erased. People try to forget the truth at times, but it doesn’t take long for something to arise and remind them of it.

Let’s not be shy about communicating hard truths, because we know the truth not only sets us free, but can liberate others as well.

Readings: Sirach 47:2–11; Psalm 18:31, 47, 50–51; Mark 6:14–29. See also 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, Passion of St. John the Baptist, and 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday.

4th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday

by

In today’s readings we see two examples of successors receiving their marching orders: Solomon and the Twelve. In Solomon’s case it is parting advice from his dying father. In the Twelve’s case Our Lord is preparing them to be his successors when his work on earth is finished. David was returning to his fathers; Our Lord had to eventually return to his Father, since, as David described, he had to also go “the way of all flesh.” The important difference was that David’s reign ended but, as the Lord promised him, his descendant Jesus’ reign endures forever. Our Lord is forever King.

Solomon received all the power that was his father’s. The Twelve received power and authority from Our Lord, but as participants and custodians. Just as Solomon would succeed if he observed and watched over the Law, the Twelve would accomplish their mission if they observed the Gospel entrusted to them by Jesus and lived as he lived. In the end the Twelve had much better results than Solomon, who didn’t remain completely faithful to the Law until the end.

We too have inherited the Gospel. Let’s strive to be worthy bearers of it, under the guidance of our bishops and the Holy Father, and to exercise a spiritual leadership wherever our path of life leads us.

Readings: 1 Kings 2:1–4, 10–12; 1 Chronicles 29:10–11b, 11d–12d; Mark 6:7–13. See also 14th Week In Ordinary Time, Thursday, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, and 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday.

4th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday

by

Today’s First Reading begs the question of what the big deal is if King David wants to do a census of his people. A leader would normally be within his rights to do so. However, almost immediately after the census, David realizes he has sinned and asks the Lord for forgiveness. Scholars debate here what the sin here was, but perhaps pride and vanity were involved, which is why David realized almost as soon as it was done that he’d acted wrongly. His commander Joab had tried to dissuade him, but David insisted; maybe Joab and his commanders knew that the people would take such a gesture badly, and ancient peoples also believed at the time that actions like a census made the king have a mysterious power over them and was an expression of ownership. It’s also true that a census is usually taken for taxation, allocation of resources, or to measure military strength with war in mind. It could also have been simply a way for David to flex what he thought was his absolute authority.

As David realizes and the Lord reminds him, his authority comes from the Lord and is at the service of the people. Authority bears responsibility, and when authority sins, it has an effect on the people who answer to that authority. Three possible punishments are offered, and each reflects a punishment related to a goal of the census: they would all impact the population and make the census useless, because people would die. In choosing David still tries to remain directly unaffected by what happens next: he chooses the shortest punishment, one that apparently would affect him the least, and once again realizes how horrible a decision he made when self-preservation was involved. By the time he asks the Lord to bring punishment upon himself  instead, the deed is already done and seventy thousand have died.

All our actions have consequences, and at times our pride can blind us to the long term ones. Let’s ask Our Lord to help us not abuse, out of vanity or pride, whatever gifts or duties he has entrusted to us.

Readings: 2 Samuel 24:2, 9–17; Psalm 32:1–2, 5–7; Mark 6:1–6. See also 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Monday, Thursday after Epiphany, and 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C.