Year II

32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II

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If you’ve ever heard the expression “cafeteria Catholics” (Catholics who pick and choose what teachings they like), there’s always the danger of heading right out of the back door of the cafeteria and no longer being Catholics at all. In today’s First Reading John doesn’t bring any new teaching, just a reminder of an old teaching and a warning. We know from all of John’s writings that charity has a central place in the teaching he received from the Lord, and just as he heard from the lips of Our Lord in the Last Supper discourse (see John 13:34–35; 14:15,23–24), he reminds us of the connection between love and obedience. Our Lord doesn’t just command us; he teaches us how we truly love. We show our love by having faith in his teaching.

Part of that love is being faithful to John’s teaching about Our Lord; someone is contradicting the teaching of Our Lord to such a degree that he or she is denying the Incarnation (“those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh”). When John describes this as deceitful and the antichrist he is teaching that those who teach contrary to the true teaching regarding Christ become anti-witnesses, so to speak. With this loss of faith and contradictory testimony they lose God too.

Ask Our Lord today to help you not stray into the cafeteria and stay “all in” regarding his teaching.

Readings: 2 John 4–9; Psalm 119:1–2, 10–11, 17–18; Luke 17:26–37. See also 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday.

32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, Year II

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Imagine if an employee of yours stole your property and skipped town, and the police brought him back with a letter from the Pope, personally addressed to you, saying that your employee had converted to Christianity in prison and encouraging you to welcome him into the family as a brother or son? That brings us a little closer to understanding the First Reading today. Paul met Onesimus, an escaped slave, in prison and helped him become Christian, then sent him back to his Christian owner with a letter of recommendation and an appeal for his freedom.

Paul already knew Onesimus’s owner, Philemon, and wanted Philemon to welcome Onesimus back not just as a free brother in Christ, but a freed brother. At the same time, Paul didn’t want to order him to do it; he wanted him to freely welcome back his slave as a member of the family. In Paul’s time slaves were the property of their owners, who had the power of life or death over them. The Romans were very harsh on escaped slaves. We’re not sure how this letter was received, but in Paul’s Letter to the Colossians (4:9) he mentions Onesimus once again as a “faithful and beloved brother” to them, an encouraging sign that Philemon did the right thing in the end.

When someone wrongs us we can be very exacting in terms of expecting them to make amends for what they’ve done. We can “chain” them in our expectations of how they should treat us after mistreating us. Yet, for a Christian, the first question should not be, “how will you repay me,” but, rather, “are you sorry for what you have done?” If someone is truly sorry they’ll make restitution as best as they can, and, like Philemon, let’s not be a taskmaster about it, but a brother in Christ.

Readings: Philemon 7–20; Psalm 146:7–10; Luke 17:20–25. See also 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday.

 

32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading Paul gives Titus advice for whom we’d call today the laity, with the exception of children, and from the virtues they should practice it should remind us that everyone in the Church is called to contribute, not only to the Church, but to society. Titus is encouraged to edify the faithful them by his example, but when our pastors are struggling they should be edified and encouraged by the example of the laity as well, especially those entrusted to them.

Paul reminds us that every member of the Church should focus on three things: temperance, justice, and devotion. Temperance is self-control in various areas of our life: in food and drink, in chastity, in patience. Justice is treating everyone fairly, not just in matters of money, but in family obligations and in respecting their dignity as human persons. Devotion is honoring not only God, but everyone we love, and making time for prayer and a sacramental life in order to help us live temperately and justly, bolstered by grace.

Let’s ask Our Lord today to help us take stock today of our relationships and our virtue in order to not only be good Christians, but a source of edification for everyone we meet.

Readings: Titus 2:1–8, 11–14; Psalm 37:3–4, 18, 23, 27, 29; Luke 17:7–10. See also 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C and 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday.

32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Monday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading Paul gives his protege Titus a laundry list of qualities that a good bishop should have in order to be a good steward of his people. A steward knows that he has been entrusted with something that does not belong to him; he’ll be held accountable for how he cares for his charge. When that charge is a portion of the People of God, he needs to be “blameless”: without fault.

This entails a great responsibility not only for the people the bishop serves, but for bishop himself: Our Lord in today’s Gospel warns of the dire consequences of leading another to sin. He also encourages a constant willingness to forgive, provided the sinner asks for forgiveness. Many bishops today face difficult circumstances in their flocks, but, as Our Lord reminds us today, with just a little faith they’ll be able to accomplish great things in the Lord’s service.

Let’s pray for our bishops today to be blameless, forgiving, and steadfast in their ministry.

Readings: Titus 1:1–9; Psalm 24:1b–4b, 5–6; Luke 17:1–6.

31st Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading Paul’s gratitude toward the Philippians shows the difference between material poverty, a situation, and spiritual poverty, a virtue. Paul acknowledges that he has experienced moments of plenty and moments of want, and those moments have not driven him to consider himself important or to consider himself victimized; what he has at his disposal is what he has. We can easily fall into the pitfall of not being content with the home, vehicle, or gadgets that we have, even if they were the latest model six months ago. We can also fall into an attitude of resentment when we’re struggling just to pay the bills and provide for those we love, or grow up in poverty when it seems that others always live in luxury. Both attitudes can spread to more spiritual goods, such as our relationships, if we let them. We can get attached to our things or the things of others and lose sight of the fact that everything we have has been given to us.

Paul shows the secret to facing prosperity or poverty: to see that Our Lord can work with both, if we work with him. Paul praises the Philippians as his benefactors because of the fruits of evangelization he has been able to reap through their material support. It not only helps them live spiritual poverty, but it helps advance the cause of the Gospel as well. If we seek to help and serve others, whether poor or rich, we are growing in spiritual poverty and seeking higher goods.

Take stock of what you have today and ask Our Lord to help you see what you truly need and what you can use to help and serve others.

Readings: Philippians 4:10–19; Psalm 112:1b–2, 5–6, 8a, 9; Luke 16:9–15. See also 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C and 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.