Cycle C

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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At first glance it may seem that in today’s Gospel Jesus is asking his disciples to burn his bridges, but if we look a little more closely we can see he’s inviting us to “do the math.” It seems so illogical that he would ask us to abandon our family, our health, our security, and our comfort to follow him – he tells us to follow him bearing our Cross. In the second part of the Gospel he invites us to do the math: to think about what we’re trying to build in our life, like the tower builder, and what battle we’re ready to wage against the challenges that come in life, like the king

When we read the words of the First Reading, we see the math just breaks down. When we try to find the answers to the big questions – life, death, love, our calling in this life, we see that the cut and dry business or scientific approach doesn’t work. The big questions escape our categories, experience, and observation, and with such big mysteries looming over our heads, mysteries that seem to decide our fate, our hearts yearn for freedom. Christ in today’s Gospel is offering us those answers and that freedom. He asks us to have faith and trust in Him

Onesimus, the slave whom Paul mentions in the Second Reading, sought that escape to freedom from his master, Philemon, to whom Paul was writing, but he found a far greater freedom. In the time of ancient Rome, slaves were a big percentage of the population: due to debts or being on the wrong end of a war, and such a need to Roman society that they were a social class of their own. Rome took escapees very seriously, and Onesimus got caught, but Christ let him get caught so he could experience a true freedom, with the help of St. Paul, whom he met in prison. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with the letter we read a part of the second reading to be Christ’s instrument of liberation: a liberation of love. Paul urges Philemon to see Onesimus now as more than a servant, more than a piece of property, to see him as Christ wants him to be seen: as a brother. We can hope that Philemon accepted Onesimus back as a brother.

When we follow Christ, he will do the same thing through us. Our families, our sufferings, our very selves will experience this liberation of love, and when we follow Christ, those we love will seek him as well as the answer to the big questions of life that go byond their math as well. However, we must put Christ first in our lives. That can hurt us and our family a lot, but when we put our calculations aside, when we face the unknown trusting in Christ, we show him we are following him.

Let’s ask Our Lord for the grace to put him first:  to put him first by receiving him frequently in the Eucharist, by telling him we’re sorry in Confession, by helping the spiritually or materially poor around us, and by loving our family as Christ taught us and showed us.

Readings: Wisdom 9:13–18b; Psalm 90:3–6, 12–14, 17; Philemon 9–10, 12–17; Luke 14:25–33. See also 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday and 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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The most obvious question that crosses anyone’s mind when hearing this Gospel, a parable about Heaven, is, “what spot am I going to get?” That question shows flawed logic. Our Lord teaches us today that the invitees don’t decide their own spot in his banquet. We don’t decide any spots in our life on our own. The quest for honorable positions, according to worldly logic—power, wealth, etc., is almost a guarantee of failure, because so often we seek the spot that we don’t deserve. We see this in so many areas of our life: school, sports, work, and family. Despite this, we keep seeking them and then suffer the shame of returning to a spot that may even be less to the one we would have had if we’d been humble as the First Reading today encourages us to do.

Our Lord puts us on guard against this tendency today. If we seek the most humble spot we will see that he will take us to a place beyond our expectations. We live this in every celebration of the Eucharist, which reminds us of the only place that matters: our place in Heaven at the end of our life. Today’s Second Reading, addressed to Christians who were tired and discouraged, reminds us that the distance between God and us has been eliminated. The Lord no longer hides in fire and smoke; every Sunday we are at table with him, and he shows us our place in his heart through the gift of his life.

A place in the Lord’s heart in the most honorable place we have, which is why Our Lord invites us to have a place in our heart not just for those we know and love, but for everyone. We’ve all been invited to the Heavenly banquet without earning it or deserving it. We’re poor (lacking the only currency of worth—love for our neighbor), crippled and lame (by not living our Christian life often as we should), and blind (not seeing our own flaws and limitations). Despite all this misery, the Lord invites us and gives us a place of honor.

Let’s thank Our Lord today for having saved us a place in his Heavenly banquet through his blood on the Cross. Let’s assure him that he’ll always be in first place in our hearts, and strive to give this love to others.

Readings: Sirach 3:17–18, 20, 28–29; Psalm 68:4–7, 10–11; Hebrews 12:18–19, 22–24a; Luke 14:1, 7–14. See also 30th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord warns that salvation is like a narrow door where not everyone is admitted. This is because salvation requires going to distance, determination in the face of difficulty, virtue, and grace. In today’s First Reading the Lord describes knowledge of him spreading to the ends of the earth, even where no one has heard of it before. If that implies going far and wide it also implies a long distance between the Lord and those who want to journey toward him. People have to come from far and wide too, and a long journey is not an easy journey. It implies taking a direction in life and to keep moving in that direction.

It will not just be a long road, but a difficult and tiring one that requires discipline and determination. In today’s Second Reading the Lord is described as a Father coaching his children to train themselves well and to keep pushing and striving. A life of virtue is a life of discipline and effort; it can be tiring, but the long term effects make it all worthwhile. Our life may be a battle on this earth, but when we are saved, it will all have been worthwhile.

Lastly, and most importantly, salvation requires grace. The First Reading described news of the Lord spreading everywhere in order to enable people to come to him. The evildoer’s in the description of today’s Gospel come from a place unknown to the Master: if there is somewhere where the Gospel is not found, it is where evil and sin are found. Being in grace means being in communion with God; it means being part of his family and recognized as such, and God takes the initiative to offer it to us and make it grow in our lives.

Don’t be discouraged by the distance and difficulty that still lies ahead. Our Lord has sent you the Gospel to get your bearings, your fellow Christians to coach and encourage you, and his grace to be welcomed in the Father’s house. You’ll make it.

Readings: Isaiah 66:18–21; Psalm 117:1, 2; Hebrews 12:5–7, 11–13; Luke 13:22–30.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2)

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Today we celebrate Mary being taken up, body and soul, into Heaven at the end of her life here on earth. She reminds us today that life is not truly taken away; it simply changes and, for those who have persevered in the faith like Mary, it blossoms into an eternal and glorified life: in the Eastern Churches this solemnity is known as the Feast of the Dormition, commemorating when Mary simply went to sleep.

Mary’s Assumption consoles us with the confidence that those who face the end of the earthly phase of their life have nothing to fear if they have lived it well. Even if they haven’t lived it well, when the end of life here below comes all they have to do is entrust themselves to the Lord’s mercy and they’ll have nothing to fear. Christian faith and hope in the Resurrection and eternal life help us and our loved ones to face the end of life here below with serenity, no matter how tragic the circumstances.

Our Blessed Mother has simply moved, and, as so many apparitions attest, she is still very active in making sure all her children will join her one day, body and soul, in Heaven. Through Mary’s intercession let’s pray for the grace of a good life and for the grace of a Christian hope that doesn’t fear death.

Readings: Revelation 11:19a, 12:1–6a, 10ab; Psalm 45:10–12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:20–27; Luke 1:39–56. See also Visitation of Mary, 4th Sunday of Advent, Cycle C, Advent, December 22nd, Advent, December 21st, and Assumption, Cycle B.

20th Week in Ordinary Time, Sunday, Cycle C

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Today’s First and Second Readings show the two extremes in which a believer be found in serving Our Lord by sharing his message: alone and abandoned in the mud at the mercy of evil and injustice, or spurred on by the example and help of a “cloud of witnesses” who show that the path of belief is the right one. We all experience moments in the mud and moments enthused by our faith and that of our fellow believers.

Jeremiah in today’s First Reading was the victim of the very division that Our Lord would later forewarn his disciples, yet Jeremiah in the end was rescued through the intercession of just men. When we face division and strife over transmitting the Gospel we should not become discouraged, because Our Lord suffered such things first, as well as many believers who came before us. In moments of enthusiasm we mustn’t forget that there will be moments of the Cross, but in moments of the Cross we should be bolstered by memories of our moments of enthusiasm.

In all circumstances we need Our Lord’s help, just not in the same way. Let’s ask him to help us in fair weather or foul.

Readings: Jeremiah 38:4–6, 8–10; Psalm 40:2–4, 18; Hebrews 12:1–4; Luke 12:49–53. See also 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday, Year II, 29th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, and 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday.