Thursday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time

READINGS
Hebrews 10:19-25

Psalm 24

Mark 4:21-25

REFLECTION: "Jesus is the Measure"

We live today in a world with competing systems of spirituality. Each one has its own claims, its own priorities, its own distinctive aims. In that respect, Christianity is no different. 

At the same time, Christianity makes a specific claim that no other faith makes. To paraphrase Jesus' own words, Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that nobody can come to the Father except through him. 

This means that no other spiritual tradition, no matter how lovely or moving, is capable of serving as a vehicle for the atoning power of Jesus Christ. Christianity is unique.

To be sure, our faith shares some of the same practices as other belief systems. We worship. We meditate. We read sacred writings. We revere those who have gone before us. But, for the Christian, this occurs in a way that is unique, because it is all enlightened by Christ.

Through this enlightenment, Christ enlightens us, and empowers us to serve as a light for others. But sometimes, unfortunately, in the name of 'tolerance' and 'getting along', we sometimes gloss over the uniqueness of Christianity, surrender to the inter-religious narrative that 'all religions are simply seeking the same God in their own way', or allow the secular jibe that 'all religions are the same' to go unchecked.

As bearers of the Light, we are called to be extremely sensitive and caring towards each and every individual we encounter. We are called to meet the where they are. We are called to learn and understand their situation, their beliefs, their viewpoints. We are called to walk side by side with them... but we are never - NEVER - called to hide the light we have received.

No guru, no matter how convincing, can take away our guilt forever. No parapsychology practice can give us eternal peace. Even our own common religious practices will fail us if our light is burnt out or covered up. You see, light is a metaphor for the presence of the Spirit in our lives. When the Spirit is with us, our path is illumined to discern right from wrong, spiritual truths from quakish counterfeits. When we hide our light, even because we think that doing so makes us more 'kind' and 'compassionate' to people who do not share our beliefs, we do ourselves a disservice. And, frankly, we do them a disservice as well. We begin or deepen our relationships under false pretenses. We do not bear true witness to who we are and what we believe. 

Now, to be sure, this doesn't have to be in your face. I'm not speaking of that. I don't walk into every patient room, every meeting I attend, every situation in life and say, "Hi, my name is Rob. I'm a Christian, and you should be too." But I also strive to discern situations in which the light I have received should be used. How it should illumine a situation. I equally seek to determine what kinds of practices are antithetical to my Christian confession, and do my best to avoid them.

I'm not always successful. I'm certainly still a sinner, saved by grace. I still need a fresh infusion of the Spirit day-by-day. I need to be reminded constantly of the uniqueness of Christ Jesus, of his sacrifice, of his promises. I need that for my own personal relationship. I need it to be an effective preacher. I need it to secure my heart for priestly ministry. I also need it to ensure that I am balancing proper witness and respect in all aspects of my life.

Friends... you need this too. The world is filled with sincere people who are not Christians. They deserve to be treated with respect and integrity. But the world is also filled with plenty of spiritual fakes; and we must discern them and exclude them from our lives; lest they become baskets over our light. 

You see, putting a basket over a light is dangerous. 

If the basket is woven tightly enough, it may snuff out the flame from lack of oxygen.

If the basket is loosely woven, it will catch on fire, collapse atop the flame, and after a wild, fast burn, will reduce the basket and the lamp into cold, dead ashes.

This is not what Christ wants for us.

In our longing to behold God face-to-face, let us make use of every spiritual tool at our disposal to grow and develop our relationship with God in Christ Jesus; and let us rightly discern what makes for a spiritual tool, and what makes for a destructing influence in our spiritual lives.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

That the Church would always shine forth brightly
in witness to the Good News of Christ Jesus;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That Christian leaders would equip the flock
with the spiritual tools they need
to deepen their relationships with God;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That we, in our daily walk,
would find just and honorable ways
to balance a respect for others
and the integrity of our professed faith;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those who feel their lights dim,
who find gusts and breezes to be aiming at their lamp,
or whose faith has been snuffed out
by spiritual frauds
or the pain and hurt of life
may be protected,
encouraged,
and rekindled,
through our loving-presence,
and through the power of the Spirit;
let us pray to the Lord;
Lord, hear our prayer.

That the sick,
the broken,
the grieving,
and the dying
may, even in their moments of deepest darkness,
find the consoling warmth of the Spirit to be inflaming their hearts,
constantly kindling faith, hope, and love within them;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That all of our personal needs and intentions
would be received by God who reigns in everlasting light...

...and that we,
trusting in his goodness,
may see in our lives the fruit of our prayers;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

Tuesday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time

READINGS
Hebrews 10:1-10
Psalm 40
Mark 3:31-35

REFLECTION: "Show Me Some Love"

Today we commemorate Fabian of Rome, an leader of the early Church who, after taking steps to organize the Church to survive persecution, found himself at the wrong end of the executioner’s determination during the reign of the emperor Decius. Some might argue that death, and a brutal one at that, at the hands of the government isn’t any kind of love to show to a faithful servant. 

Of course, one could say the same thing about Jesus’ words concerning his family, especially his mother, in our Gospel reading today.

Recently, in one of those internet discussions (okay, Facebook, specifically) that is probably best left alone, an individual posited that Mary was not special, and didn’t deserve to be remembered with any regularity in the Church. She was Jesus’ earthly mother, nothing more. And what passage of Scripture was proof-texted to make the point… Yea, you probably already guessed it… our Gospel reading from today.

In our passage, Jesus’ family, including his mother, are outside, asking to see him. And Jesus proceeds to give the ultimate dis to his mother… putting her in her place. After all, she’s quote the upstart. He probably heard her say, “all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48b) while he was in the womb, and was just looking for the day when he could lay the smack-down on her oversized ego.

That may be the narrative that some would seek us to believe, but in doing so, we miss the entire point of the passage.

In Scripture, Christians are repeatedly called adopted children of God. We are made a part of the family. On what basis? Doing God’s will. If we follow in his pathway, we are grafted into the family… we become a part of the work he is doing in ministering his redeeming grace to the world.

When follow in faithfulness with God’s will, we should find joy in doing so. That joy comes from knowing that God draws close to us… he is the one who ultimately privileges us by allowing us to come to him tenderly, as our ‘Abba’.

This also means that God is raising us up… far from slamming Mary and his brothers, Jesus is instead showing us his desire to lift us up and exalt all who bear his name as members of his family. We have the inheritance of Mary, and of all God’s beloved, ahead of us… joy, hope, and peace forever in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes, though, being faithful involves suffering, pain, and yes, even death. But such costs do not separate us from the family… from the love that is made known in Christ’s perpetually pled sacrifice. Even today, the Eternal Son stands, pleading the one perfect sacrifice before his Heavenly Father… just as he did in the days of Fabian.

And, just as Fabian could draw confidence in that fact no matter what travail faced him, we can as well… for Jesus still reigns, to the glory of God the Father.

 
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

That Christians everywhere
may be led by faithful pastors,
instructed by caring teachers,
and loved within the community of faith,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those charged with leadership in the Church
may be strengthened in their faith,
even unto death,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That all of us would view our fellow Christians
as members of our own family,
showing love and forbearance to them in every circumstance,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those who are deeply fearful,
on account of a recent diagnosis,
uncertainty in life,
or the prospect of immanent death,
might find in us
and in others who bear the name of Christ,
ready companions on their journey,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That the needs which we bear in our minds and hearts today
would be touched by the gentle power of the Spirit,
and lifted through the mediation of the Savior
before the Father who reigns on high…
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle

READINGS
Acts 4:5-13
Psalm 23
1 Peter 5:1-4
Matthew 16:13-19

REFLECTION: "Stupid is as Stupid Does"

No less a luminary than Albert Einstein is quoted as having defined insanity as: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Tom Hanks, playing Forrest Gump in the 1994 movie of the same name expressed a similar theme with the famous words, "stupid is as stupid does".

So, shocker, in our first reading today, we encounter the apostle Peter, at a point not too long after Pentecost, already courting the very same religious leaders who sent Jesus to the cross, confronting them with the Gospel and, essentially, daring them to believe, or to take action to eradicate them.

Now, Jesus had come and spread his Gospel across the land, and, within the span of three and a half years found himself hanging on a tree. Why on earth would Peter have expected any different reception of the Gospel a mere six or so months later (if that!)? In and of itself, such an expectation is plain stupid... but taken with the absolute intransigence that the religious authorities demonstrated repeatedly insofar as Jesus was concerned, Peter's conduct borders on the insane.

Or does it...

Contending for the truth is never insane, at least not in the conventional sense. Insanity implies a lack of rationality. Of course, there are those who would mock Christians for abandoning rationality and exchanging an evolved sense of logic for 'fairy tales'. Next time you hear someone speaking sarcastically about the 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' or asking in that kind of serious/mocking tone (you know what I mean) about your relationship with 'Our Lord and Savior Cthulhu', you can pretty much figure that you've met someone who would take a similar position, at least intellectually, to your beliefs as the religious leaders did to the faith of the Apostles.

So what makes Peter's situation, and by extension ours, any different from those who abandon rationality, and who believe that we are all the offspring of aliens, or that all vaccines are a government conspiracy, or that Barack Obama isn't really an American citizen and, thus, isn't qualified to be president? 

The difference is faith. In specific, it is the summary of faith that Peter confessed in the presence of Jesus under girds, or at least should under gird, every aspect of our lives. Our every work and witness should confess, with Peter that Jesusis the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. No matter how significant the act, or how insignificant the word, whatever we do must have, at its core, a Christian identity and perspective. True, at times we are going to fall short of that ideal, our faith at times waxes and wanes... we become fearful or we withdraw at times. Peter knew all about this. And yet, no matter the strength of our faith, no matter how we may, at times, try to avoid it, Jesus is always there and ready to forgive and renew us, just as he did with Peter after his resurrection.

There is another difference... one that is found rooted in the Spirit. We are given the grace to approach life with boldness, knowing that what we believe is true. We believe it because of the witness of Scripture, the witness of blood in the martyrs of the Church - including Peter, and in the witness of the countless lives changed over nearly two-thousand years of Christian history. Yes, the Jewish religious authorities and Roman civil government could kill a man, but the Spirit raised him to new life, and enflamed with that new life those marked by the name of the Risen One. 

And with every new life formed in the waters of baptism, and through the sealing of the Spirit, there once again echoes out the cry of Peter... "Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God".

This is the faith that makes Peter rock. And, when we profess it, it makes us rock as well. This is the faith of the Church. It is a sold, dependable faith. It is rock. And, as we hear in our Gospel, the Gates of Hades will not conquer it. To put it plainly, this faith will never die.

And that's just as it should be, because - worldly rationality aside - we serve a Savior who will never die again... one who assures us that our death is simply the birth into a new life, if we are found solid on rock.

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

That the leaders of the Church may serve,
not out of a sense of self-entitlement,
or with a desire for personal recognition,
but with the truth in their hearts
and the needs of the people foremost in their minds,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That the people of God may cling to the solid rock of faith,
forever professing Jesus as Messiah,
and reaping the strength that comes from their profession,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those who oppose the the faith
based on false information,
or who ridicule believers for fun,
may have their hearts touched by the gentle presence of the Spirit,
and moved to understand more deeply the mystery of faith,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That the young and the old,
the educated and the simple-minded,
may with one heart profess the faith that saves with earnestness,
in spite of every obstacle presented by religious leaders,
civil governments,
or those who would terrorize them and demand that they give up their faith,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

For the needs and concerns of our hearts...
that, as people of faith,
we may be confident that the Messiah is interceding for us
even now before the Eternal Throne,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle

Today, the Primitive Catholic Community celebrates the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter.

In our readings today, we recall how the Apostle Peter was led by God's grace to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:13-20), and we join with Peter, and with all Christians everywhere, in hailing Jesus as our Lord, God, and Savior.

Anthony

Today the Primitive Catholic Community commemorates Anthony of Egypt, accounted by many as the founder of Christian monasticism.

Born in 251 in upper Egypt, Anthony died in 356. He gave away his possessions and sought the austere life and solitude of the desert at an early age. He attracted disciples who formed communities of hermits. The account of his life by Athanasius was extremely influential in the development and spread of monasticism. Yet Anthony remained involved in the theological controversies of his day, defending the divinity of Christ. He is remembered as the father of Christian monasticism.

Friday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time

READINGS
Hebrews 8:6-13
Psalm 85
Mark 3:13-19

REFLECTION: "A Very Difficult Conversation with a Big and Dirty Theological Word!"

Today, as we read from the Letter to the Hebrews, we are presented with a very difficult passage; one that requires some really particular exegesis to understand when held in context with the totality of Scripture. But first a quick history lesson.

As the title of the Letter implies, it was written to the Hebrews; in other words, to Jews. But that only tells half of the story. This wasn't some tract written to be distributed to people in Synagogues that were still teaching Torah. This letter was aimed at Jewish Christians who, one one side, felt pressured to return to Torah-obedience as a means of salvation, and, on other side, who felt that their liberation from the Law opened up a new pathway that was exposing them to, and tantalizing them with, the practices of pagan Gentiles. Thus, the author is deeply concerned about the fidelity of the convert-audience, going so far as to urge those hearing or reading the words to "...hold firmly to what we believe." (Hebrews 4:14)

Now, let's concentrate on a difficult point found in our reading today, which can be summarized in the very final verse of our first reading:

"When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear." (Hebrews 8:13)

It is deeply unfortunate that a concept known as Supersessionism has been used over the centuries as an excuse (and I consciously choose the term excuse!) for people with anti-Semitic attitudes and beliefs to twist the New Testament into a rallying cry against the Jewish people in general, and individual Jews in particular. It is unfortunate because, today, the doctrine of Supersessionism is in massive decline among Christians, and I think that such a decline is directly connected with an institutional memory among Christians of the actions of their fore-bearers throughout Europe who marginalized, harassed, and excluded Jews from civil life, and deprived them of their liberty, their religious freedoms, and yes, at times, of their lives.

Supersessionism, however, is a clear teaching of the Letter to the Hebrews, and of the particular passage we have read today. The Old Covenant between God and the People of Israel is, "obsolete... out of date" and, "will soon disappear". Why is this so? Because the Old Covenant is was fulfilled in the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus himself stated: "Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose." (Matthew 5:17). The New Covenant, its rites and hits promises, has superseded the old.

Notice, however, that neither the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, nor Jesus himself ever makes a blanket exclusion of the Jewish people from the 'rolls of the chosen'. In the Letter to the Romans, Paul explicitly describes, through the Olive Tree analogy, how the fulfillment of the Old Covenant and the institution of the New actually interact.

In the Olive Tree analogy, “Israel” and “Church” are essentially the same thing - they are viewed as alternate designations for the chosen people of God who abide in a right relationship with Yahweh. “Israel” or "Church" is likened to an olive tree, from which some branches were cut off (unbelieving Jews) and other branches were grafted in (believing Gentiles). Note what was cut away - unbelievers. Note what was grafted in - believers. Believers, Jew and Gentile, remain grafted to the tree. Unbelievers, Jew and Gentile, are cut off. Of course, as long as the cutting is alive, it can be grafted back on... but that's another homily in and of itself!

Jesus's words are in keeping with what we heard yesterday in our reading from Hebrews, about the things of the Law being types and shadows of a greater reality. The Law pointed to Jesus, in which it has its fulfillment. At the cross, the Covenant established in the wilderness is completely fulfilled. Jesus meets the terms of the Covenant to the letter, and in doing so empowers the transformation of that Covenant, for those who believe, into a new relationship with God... a New Covenant sealed in his blood. It is this New Covenant of which we speak at the Table of the Lord, each time we lift the cup of salvation and call upon his name.

Such a belief is not, remotely, anti-Semitic... nor should it ever be used as an excuse for any kind of violence of hatred. God knows we have more than enough of that in the world now! In fact, the concept of Supersessionism is not intrinsicly anti-Semitic. Now, you might expect such a profession from me, as a Christian, but actually, this belief is far more eloquently spoken of by David Novak, a prominent Jewish rabbi and theologian, who, in 2007, when writing on Edith Stein, a Jewish woman who converted to Catholicism, stated, "Christian supersessionism need not denigrate Judaism." In his writing, he went on to explain why. Suffice it to say, in this context, that it is ironic that a Jewish rabbi recognizes this fact, but many Christians fail to do so, precisely because of a fear of being labeled anti-Semite.

Friends, the Old Covenant remains an eternal signpost, and it is eternally fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. The rules, structures, and worship of that Covenant are no longer necessary for a right relationship with God. The Old Covenant remains important, because, remaining as it does in the collective memory of Jew and Gentile alike, it still, to this day, points the way to its fulfillment, who has opened up the way that the Old Covenant is a type and symbol of.

In Galatians 6:16, Saint Paul refers to the people of the New Covenant as the Israel of God. The name Israel means "the one who prevails with God". Those who 'prevail with God' do so, not because of their genetic lineage, but because they have placed their full faith and confidence in God. Paul summarizes this concept beautifully and so poetically earlier in Galatians when he writes:

"For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you." Galatians 3:26-29

Supersessionism does not mean that the Jews bear collective responsibility for Jesus' death...

Supersessionism does not mean that the Jews are damned to eternal fire for rejecting Jesus...

Supersessionism simply means that the Old Covenant, its forms and symbols and practices, has been superseded by a New Covenant, for the Old has been perfectly fulfilled... 

...and that perfectly fulfilled Covenant stands, to this day, as evidence of the love of God, made manifest in Christ Jesus.

It is in that love that all people have access to the Creator, now, and for all eternity.

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

That Christians everywhere would denounce violence in all its forms,
most especially in the religious strife
that leads to tension, bigotry, and hatred between people of various faiths;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That world leaders would be sensitive to the beliefs of the peoples who live in their nations,
granting them protection from persecution
and encouraging dialogue among peoples of many convictions
to the end that human rights and individual freedoms may be preserved and strengthened;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That we would, in our daily lives, stand firm in our faith,
boldly confessing the truth we have received,
while, at the same time, being respectful
and demonstrating love to those whose faith differs from our own;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That all those who devoutly ponder the Law and the Prophets
would find, in Christ Jesus,
the fulfillment of God's promises to his set-apart people;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That we,
the people of the New Covenant,
may be strengthened in faith,
confident that the Lord hears us
when we bring our prayers and petitions to him...

let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Thursday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time

READINGS
Hebrews 7:22-8:6
Psalm 40
Mark 3:7-12

REFLECTION: "We Participate in His Sacrifice"

Let's step back for a moment to our first reading, from the seventh and eighth chapter of Hebrews. In chapter eight, verse three, we read these words:

...since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. 

Now, my gut instinct tells me that most of us here can identify the offering that Jesus makes as High Priest. If, in your thoughts, your assumption is that the offering is his suffering and death upon the cross, you're wrong. Or, perhaps to put it a bit more circumspectly, you're only half right. 

Do you notice the parallelism that dominates the reading? The concept that the earthly temple, established in the Old Testament law, a temple that the recipients of this letter would have been quite flamiliar with, is a shadow, an image, of the heavenly? 

Now, Christ's sacrifice, made once for all upon the cross, is full and complete; yes! But, when we leave it at that, we miss out on something very important.

You see, when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies, which is the Temple's shadow of the immediate presence of God, the priest did not bring in a live animal and slay it there. No. He slayed the animal outside, and brought the blood into that most holy space. There he pled the blood... offering it to cover his sins, and the sins of the people.

Jesus, therefore, when he enters into the Holy of Holies, the true Holy of Holies, is not going up to be re-sacrificed, but to plead his sacrifice, to offer it, as what the Bible describes as a propitiation, or perfect offering, for our sins.

In turn, when we gather to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as we await his return, he is pleading his eternally efficacious sacrifice for us! And, through the Sacraments, the power of that sacrifice comes to us, washing us, strengthening us, and renewing us in faith, for service, and in a depth of refreshment that goes beyond anything we can understand.

So, as we stand here, in this humble earthly sanctuary... what we are doing is empowered, not by mere words, not by timeless religious ritual, but by the eternal sacrifice of Christ Jesus, which even now, and for all eternity, is being presented, pleaded, offered before the Throne. And we, the people redeemed by him, are covered by that pleading, for that sacrifice comes to us here, in this room; not simply in some heaven light years away.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

That the people of God may recognize in their lives
the power and effect of Jesus' eternal sacrifice;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those who are lost
in pain, anguish, and loneliness
may be given the courage to approach Christ with their burdens,
seeking his peace,
and the consolation of the Spirit;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those whose lives are mired in sin,
and who believe there is no hope for redemption,
may see in Christ Jesus an eternal redeemer,
readily present,
and personally concerned with their spiritual state;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

That those with few to care for them
will know the over-whelming love of God
in a powerful, life-giving way;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.

For the needs and concerns of this congregation...
and for the needs and concerns of our hearts that are known to God alone;
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.