Year II

29th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, Year II

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Paul in today’s First Reading kneels before God the Father in order to thank him not only for the communion of saints, a communion shared by believers on Heaven and on Earth, but a communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that makes every participant a member of the family of God. Our fellow believers are our brothers and sisters, and we have them here and in eternity, cheering us on, encouraging us and interceding for us, filled with the hope that some day, by the grace of God, we’ll all be together in Heaven.

The Holy Trinity wishes to pour life and love into our hearts, and this is the fire that Our Lord wants to kindle in today’s Gospel. If divisions occur, even among those we love, it is because on one side or the other the love is not strong enough for both sides to “catch fire.” We have to be on fire for love of Our Lord and hope that our blood relations also “catch fire” and become part of the family of faith as well. Our Lord died on the cross to make that flame of love burn bright, so we should not be afraid of laying down our lives, spiritually or otherwise, in order to help others catch fire.

As believers the way we should treat our family and others is simple: with the love of a family. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to keep the fire of that love kindled in us and to prepare the hearts of others to catch fire as well.

Readings: Ephesians 3:14–21; Psalm 33:1–2, 4–5, 11–12, 18–19; Luke 12:49–53. See also 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Sunday, Cycle C, 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday, Year II, 29th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, and 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday.

29th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Year II

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At the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome there is a statue of St. Paul in the courtyard with the inscription in Latin that, translated, means “teacher to the nations.” Paul in today’s First Reading is marveling at how much bigger his mission is than he would have imagined when he was a zealous Jew persecuting “heretical” Christians who’d corrupted the Jewish faith. It’s ironic that after being so dedicated to the Jewish faith and consumed with zeal to punish and imprison Jewish “heretics” the Lord would reveal to him that his mission was among the non-Jewish nations and he would spend much of his mission refuting those who tried to Judaize Christianity.

Throughout salvation history the Lord revealed his saving plan gradually. In one moment it seemed the people of Israel were to be the only ones blessed and chosen by God, but even in their time the Lord hinted at their conversion being part of something much bigger. In the end the people of Israel were just one stage of the preparation to save all the nations, and the apostles, especially Paul, saw that the truth of the Gospel went beyond the Jews to the whole world.

Paul was one of the faithful servants to which Our Lord alludes in today’s Gospel. He had received the grace of a special and important mission in the early Church and beyond. Yet he didn’t see it as a burden; he saw it as a gift. Ask Our Lord today to help you see what gift he wants you to receive for the benefit of others. There are still many people who’d be shocked to hear that the Lord wants to bless and choose them too. Be the bearer of that good news in their lives.

Readings: Ephesians 3:2–12; Isaiah 12:2–3; Luke 12:39–48. See also 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Sunday, Cycle C, 29th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday, and 21st Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday.

29th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading Paul describes the spiritually dead as following the “ruler of the power of the air.” How many ways can we interpret that expression today? Power over the air can be understood as having power over nothing, or something ethereal. The airwaves today are full of unsubstantial noise as the media seeks to entertain and allure for ratings and profit, and the virtual “airwaves” are often not better. In one corner of the world, sometimes one corner of society, people follow superficial pursuits, while in the other people are living tragedy, just trying to make ends meet and eke out their existence. If St. John Paul II spoke of solidarity, the power of the air could be branded unsolidarity as each pursues their desires indifferently to or at the expense of their neighbor. The Gospel reminds us today that all the things we strive for in this world, if we just seek a cozy and comfortable retirement, will vanish into thin air when we die.

Yet Paul reminds us that thanks to faith and grace we have been promised a share in the Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord. Believing in him, we become one with him and, just as he did, we will suffer, but we will also be restored to new life and one day take our place in the heavenly Father’s presence. Through Christ we have gone from being children of wrath to being children of God. Through our good works we work for something of substance, not just for ourselves, but for others. The power of the air is just that: hot air. The power of Christ is eternal.

What life do you want? A life of hot air, or a life in Christ?

Readings: Ephesians 2:1–10; Psalm 100:1b–5; Luke 12:13–21. See also 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Sunday, Cycle C and 29th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday.

 

28th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading Paul praises the faith and charity of the Ephesians and encourages them to grow in theological hope. Faith and charity help us to see things as Our Lord sees them and as he wills them. They help us see things from his perspective, and that perspective helps us to know him better. However, this is not just a rational process; Our Lord reveals himself to us, and if he hadn’t chosen to do so we’d never have really known him well. It is not just information; it’s also grace.

The more we know Our Lord, the more we trust in him and in what our Heavenly Father has done in him and through him, giving us cause for theological hope. That “first installment” we spoke about yesterday is solid and a harbinger of good things to come for those who trust in God. Our Lord’s Resurrection and Ascension, attested to by many witnesses in the faith, is the reason for our hope. All things are submitted to him, as Paul teaches, so we only have cause for hope, not fear.

Faith, hope, and charity are meant to grow throughout our earthly lives and work together to achieve that end. Let’s put our faith, trust, and love in Our Lord and he will reveal to us the glorious things yet to come.

Readings: Ephesians 1:15–23; Psalm 8:2–3b, 4–7; Luke 12:8–12. See also 14th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II, 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, and 14th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.

28th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II

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In yesterday‘s First Reading Paul, addressing the Ephesians, reminded us that we’ve been chosen to be holy and blameless in God’s sight since before the foundation of the world. Today he expounds on how we are chosen in Christ and for what we are chosen: we exist in order to praise God, and Our Lord helps us to do that. Praising God may not seem all that exciting a vocation, but how many people do we applaud when they simply entertain us, and how much more has God done for us to merit praise?

The Lord doesn’t expect praise in a vacuum, just as we normally applaud someone who has accomplished something, whether noble or entertaining. We praise the Lord here on earth because we’ve already received the “first installment,” as Paul describes it, of our redemption. When we believe and are baptized our redemption begins, right here, right now, and Jesus was a hero to make it happen. That merits our praise now, and we can only imagine how much more we’ll want to praise God in eternity when our redemption is complete, free from sin, death, and fear.

Let’s meditate on the “first installment” we’ve received in our life today and give Our Lord a round of applause.

Readings: Ephesians 1:11–14; Psalm 33:1–2, 4–5, 12–13; Luke 12:1–7. See also 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday and 14th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.