June 1, 2008

John 6:51-58

9th Sunday of Ordinary Time

June 15, 2008

Mathew 9:36-10:8

10^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

When we say that Scripture is the Word of God, we mean that God communicates with us through the Scriptures, revealing something of Himself to us. When we sat that God’s Word is active and alive, and that it pierces the heart, we mean that God speaks to us in the here and now. He reveals Himself to us in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, communicating His love, grace, presence, consolation, forgiveness, and perhaps even His challenge – but always, His truth.

At every Mass and prayer service, when the Word is proclaimed, God is speaking to us. Ordinarily His Word is delivered to us in a central theme, found in the Gospel and reinforced in the other readings. At any given time, God’s Word may speak a different message to each of us. At any given moment, different messages may touch our hearts with different understanding, but always communicating His truth.

Today, in the Scripture passages proclaimed, God speaks several truths for us. In a universal occurrence, there is no one central theme tying the readings together. There are several themes, each speaking God’s truth with a message and the possibility of touching us with new and meaningful understandings. Thus, we might be touched with a call into a ministry in the Church – “The harvest is great, laborers are few”…, or we might see in a new light the humanness of Jesus – “Jesus was moved with pity for the crowd”; or we might be led into a reflection on Jesus the Good Shepherd and our need for Him in our lives – “like sheep without a shepherd” – and “we are his people, the sheep of his flock.” God’s Word today might remind us that we all share a common calling – the priesthood of the laity – “you shall be to me a kingdom of priests”; - or that our salvation does not depend on our achievements and efforts – we cannot earn heaven – salvation is ours through God’s achievement and grace – “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In our own reflections during this past week on the Word proclaimed for this day, we have been touched by an image of God revealed in the Exodus reading. “You have seen for yourself how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.”

The verse speaks about the saving power of God and God’s protective love. Yahweh God is likened to an eagle. As a strong and majestic creature, the eagle is known for its swiftness and its strength. In the Scriptures we find such eagle – like descriptions of God. From Jeremiah, “Behold like and eagle he soars, and spreads his wings over Moab.” From Deuteronomy, “As an eagle incites its nestling forth by hovering over its brood, so he spreads his wings to catch them.” Said to be monogamous, the eagle is faithful to one mate for life. He returns to the same nest each year to raise a new brood. The eagle possesses keen eyesight and can spot food or foe from long distances. Eagles are known to build their nests in inaccessible places as a safeguard and security for their young. Should a predator come near, parent eagles will defend and protect their young even at the cost of their own lives. Such characteristics of the eagle, keen eyesight, faithfulness swiftness, strength, protectiveness, helped the Israelites in their understanding of God. Their portrayal of God as an eagle resulted. Even the psalmist uses the eagle image to sing about God’s love and protection. We find that imagery at its finest in Psalm 91. Our reflection carries us in prayer through the experience.

June 22, 2008

Matthew 10:26-33

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God calls each of us into the role of prophet. In whatever life circumstance we find ourselves and whether we respond in a positive way or not, we are all called to witness to the truth. To speak out God’s word as we hear it in our hearts and to share God’s love with those who have not heard and do not know. We may not all be called to the pulpit, but we are all called to spread the Good News of His love in the world in which we live and to those around us. It is no small task. To some, it may be burdensome; to others, a welcomed privilege. Some of us ignore and refuse to hear the call; others accept and say, “Your will be done.” Whatever our life circumstance, as believers and people of faith, we are called by God to witness, share and spread the Good News. The call remains our challenge.

It is a challenge, because inheritance in the call to be prophet is the meeting of opposition and the pain of rejection. Jesus said, “No prophet is without honor, except in His own hometown, among His own kindred, and in His own house.” Even He experienced rejection by those closest to Him. His family thought He was out of His mind. Peter denied Him three times. His closest disciples abandoned Him on the cross. Not too many people accepted Him or His message. So it is and will always be with us to know rejection and its many forms. When a significant other in our lives doesn’t acknowledge our efforts or honor our work with an affirming word, that is rejection. When those for whom we offer our service fail to recognize our work, when our motives are misunderstood and our contributions refused, that is rejection. When our efforts in whatever prophetic role we find ourselves, as catechists, teachers, liturgy planners, decorators, or ministers to the sick are criticized, undermined or unwelcome that is rejection.

Today’s Jeremiah reading and the Gospel passage raise the issue of the opposition and rejection experienced by those of us who strive to follow Jesus and carry out our commitment to God. In the case of Jeremiah the prophet, his experience with God might well mirror our own. As a young man called by God to be a prophet, Jeremiah resisted, “I don’t know how to speak. I am too young!” God consoled him, “Do not be afraid, I will be with you!” The prophet soon found his life turned upside down. He complained to God, “Why is my pain continuous, refusing to be healed?” God comforted him, “I am with you, to deliver you and rescue you.” It was a real struggle for Jeremiah, as he met rejection and opposition even from his own family. “They all curse me. I am an object of laughter. Everyone mocks me!” God reassured him, “I am with you.” The prophet tried to ignore the call. “I say to myself, I will not mention him; I will speak his name no longer!” But his love for God was so great he could not help himself. “But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart; I grow weary holding it in. I cannot endure it!” Throughout his life and even in his death, Jeremiah knew that God was with him. “The Lord answered me: I will make you toward the people a solid wall of brass; though they fight against you, they will not prevail.” In the midst of all his anguish and rejection, he drew strength from his confidence and faith in God. “The Lord is with me, like a mighty champion!” Jeremiah knew and experienced within himself that God was with him to deliver him. God was faithful to His promises, and Jeremiah trusted his God. With that same trust and confidence, this prophet offers us words of consolation and encouragement in our ministry as prophet, whatever that may be. Simply put, his message to us is, “Be not afraid. God is with you. God will deliver you!”

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body …”“Do not be afraid of anything!”

With that triple admonition in today’s Gospel, Jesus affirms the message of Jeremiah, and he counsels us against fear in our call to speak God’s Word and spread the Good News. “What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light.” Jesus warns us that we too will meet with rejection and opposition, but He also consoles us by reminding us of how precious we are to God the Father. “Every hair on your head has been counted.” He reassures us of the daily, continual, and personal care that the Father has for each of us. Our God, who loves and cares for the birds of the air, even the lowly sparrow, loves and cares much more for us. Therein is our hope, consolation, our encouragement. To live in the awareness of the love that God has for us is ultimately to conquer all our fears about rejection and opposition. Jesus, too, has a message for us today.

“Be not afraid, I go before you always;

Come, follow me, and I will give you rest …

Know that I am with you … Know that the Father loves you and cares for you…”

Rev. Mr. Carlos Cannatella

Opelousas, LA

June 29, 2008

Matthew 16, 13-19

Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul

Today’s third reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew. It continues the narrative section of Book IV, “The Kingdom Become Church.” It constitutes the second “Peter-tradition” story of Matthew’s Gospel. The passage records Peter’s sublime profession of faith and his subsequent commission by Jesus as the leader of the new faith community.

     It happens at Caesarea Philippi, the city of may gods, birthplace of the mighty Pan, the god of nature, city of fourteen Baal worship temples, of the great white marble temple built tot he godhead of Caesar. In such dramatic surrounding, Jesus poses the fundamental question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” It is a solemn, momentous question! The disciples “play back” to Jesus the spectrum of popular opinion. Jesus rejects those inadequate answers and demands that his disciples speak for themselves. “But you- who do you say that I am?”     

               Peter answers as spokesman for the disciples. He has been gifted with understanding by the Father and blessed by Jesus for his gift. He confesses solemnly his unflinching act of faith; “You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God!” He is the transcendent Son of the Living God who alone has life in Him and creates life in others.              

     Peter, having recognized the true Christ, now has his own true nature revealed with the conferral of a new name by Jesus. The name reveals his true roles within the community. Jesus calls Peter the “Rock,” conferring on him a new title that will become a second name. Up to that time in ancient Palestine, “Peter” had not been used as anyone’s personal name, and so it should not be thought of as a personal name with a secondary meaning. It was simply a word (petros in Greek, kepha in Aramaic) that meant “rock,” nothing more. Jesus was not changing one first name to another. He was simply conferring on Simon a new title, the “Rock”.          

     The incident recalls the Old Testament tradition of Yahweh conferring new names on some important figures of salvation history, notably the case of Abraham. Conferral of a new name indicates new power and direction, a break with; a former way of life, to undertake the Lord’s work. The significance of “rock” is that it is firm and supplies a solid foundation for building. Abraham was considered to be the rock from which the people of Israel were carved, the rock from which God built the world. Now Peter will become the “Rock”, the human patriarch and the foundation stone of the new people of God,

               “On this Rock I will build my Church”, Jesus says. Matthew becomes the only evangelist to use the term Church (and he uses it only twice in his Gospel). This Church, the Assembly of God’s people, this people that Jesus will save from their sins, will find a firm foundation in Peter.        

               Peter’s role as foundation rock brings with it new authority. Peter is given the power of the keys. Pulled from Isaiah, Peter is the new Eliahim with the power to bind and loose. He has the authority to decide which actions are permissible or not according to the teaching of Jesus. He has the authority to admit or exclude people from the community.

               With the keys, Peter controls as head and ruler. He is able to give men access to God’s Kingdom. With the keys, Peter has the power to make decisions for the universal Church. God Himself will ratify his decisions as ruler of the Church!          

               Few passages in the New Testament have been as exhaustively studied as the testimony to the primacy of Peter given by Matthew. Not all Christians agree on the interpretation and value of this key passage in this Gospel. That notwithstanding, the passage remains basic to understanding the concept of authority that grew in the early Church.