First Sunday of Advent

Catechism Links[1]

CCC 668-677, 769: the final tribulation and Christ’s return in glory

CCC 451, 671, 1130, 1403, 2817: “Come, Lord Jesus!”

CCC 2729-2733: humble vigilance of heart

“Advent and Triumph of Christ” by Hans Memling, 1480

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent [2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]

Readings and Commentary:[4]

As this Advent season begins we offer this passage from “The Spirit of Advent” by Mark Searle:[5]

“Human beings cannot live without hope.  Unlike the animals, we are blessed -or cursed- with the ability to think about the future and to fear our actions to shaping it.  So essential is this to human life, that human beings cannot live without hope, without something to live for, without something to look forward to.  To be without hope, to have nothing to live for, is to surrender to death in despair.  But we can find all sorts of things to live for and we can hope for almost anything: for some measure of success or security, or for the realization of some more or less modest ambition, for our children, that they might be saved from our mistakes and sufferings and find a better life than we have known; for a better world, throwing ourselves into politics or medicine or technology so that future generations might be better off.  Not all these forms of hope are selfish; indeed, they have given dignity and purpose to the lives of countless generations.

But one of the reasons why we read the Old Testament during Advent is to learn what to hope for.  The peoples of the Old Testament had the courage to hope for big things: that the desert would be turned into fertile land; that their scattered and divided people would eventually be gathered again; that the blind would see, the deaf hear, the lame walk; that not only their own people but all peoples of the earth, would be united in the blessings of everlasting peace.  Clearly, their hopes were no different from ours or from any human being’s; lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, an end to suffering, pain and misery.

Thus we hope for the same things as the Old Testament people for their hopes are not yet realized.  But we differ from them in two ways.  First, the coming of Jesus in history, as a partial fulfillment of God’s promise, immeasurably confirms and strengthens our hope.  Secondly, we differ from the Old Testament people because Jesus has revealed to us that God is not afar off, but is already in our midst.  Hence the importance in the Advent liturgy of John the Baptist and Mary; because they recognized the new situation, they serve as models for the Church in discerning the presence of our Savior in the world.”

Reading 1: Isaiah 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,

saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come,

the mountain of the Lord’s house

shall be established as the highest mountain

and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it;

many peoples shall come and say:

“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may instruct us in his ways,

and we may walk in his paths.”

For from Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

and impose terms on many peoples.

They shall beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks;

one nation shall not raise the sword against another,

nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,

let us walk in the light of the Lord!

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Commentary on Is 2:1-5

This selection presents Isaiah’s vision of a time of unity, the great messianic destiny. He sees a time when all peoples will recognize God as the one true God and flock to his call. (Isaiah uses the “highest mountain” metaphor in the Hebrew context. High places were places closest to God. Mountain tops frequently were places where altars were built. “Highest” would then be above all others.) The “highest mountain” means that all other beliefs become subservient to the One God. He sees the unity of all the nations under one God and one Messiah.

The prophet sees the Law of the Lord governing all peoples and a time of great peace as a result of the universal unity of people in faithfulness to God. “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” Isaiah implores the faithful of the house of Jacob (the Israelites) to fulfill his vision quickly.

CCC: Is 2:2-5 762; Is 2:2-4 64; Is 2:4 2317

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,

“We will go up to the house of the Lord.”

And now we have set foot

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city

with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

In it are set up judgment seats,

seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May those who love you prosper!

May peace be within your walls,

prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my brothers and friends

I will say, “Peace be within you!”

Because of the house of the Lord, our God,

I will pray for your good.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

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Commentary on Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Psalm 122 is a song of praise that anticipates the great procession into God’s house. While the Hebrews would have used this as a literal processional song, we see it as anticipating our entry into the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. It supports Isaiah’s vision of the messianic kingdom (Isaiah 2:1-5); it also points to Jerusalem as the center and source of the Law and David as the dynasty of this unified kingdom with the Lord our God providing the source of peace.

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Reading II: Romans 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters:

You know the time;

it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.

For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;

the night is advanced, the day is at hand.

Let us then throw off the works of darkness

and put on the armor of light;

let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,

not in orgies and drunkenness,

not in promiscuity and lust,

not in rivalry and jealousy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,

and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

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Commentary on Rom 13:11-14

St. Paul calls the Romans to repentance, reminding them that the time of salvation, the day of the Lord’s return, is closer than it was when they first heard the word of God. He calls them to act as children of the light, and to throw off sinfulness. He tells them to put on Christ and become spiritually focused. These verses provide the motivation for the love that he encourages in Romans 13:8-10.

CCC: Rom 12-15 1454, 1971

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Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As it was in the days of Noah,

so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

In those days before the flood,

they were eating and drinking,

marrying and giving in marriage,

up to the day that Noah entered the ark.

They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.

So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.

Two men will be out in the field;

one will be taken, and one will be left.

Two women will be grinding at the mill;

one will be taken, and one will be left.

Therefore, stay awake!

For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.

Be sure of this: if the master of the house

had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,

he would have stayed awake

and not let his house be broken into.

So too, you also must be prepared,

for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

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Commentary on Mt 24:37-44

St. Matthew, speaking to a predominantly Jewish audience who call themselves “Sons of Abraham,” produces the genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham. The critical purpose is to show that Jesus was of the line of King David. This was an important demonstration that Jesus was the Messiah as predicted in the prophetic scriptures of the Old Testament (the “Prophets” as they were known and referenced by the Jewish audience).

"By associating the terrible events surrounding his parousia to the great Flood in the days of Noah, Jesus is evoking the purifying, transformative goal God has in mind when intervening so violently in human history: '. . . when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you' (1 Peter 3:20). Despite their terrifying aspects, both the Flood at the beginning of history and the parousia at its end are to be read as baptismal events, radically transforming the world so that it becomes holier and more acceptable to God." [6]

In the final verse of this reading we see the significance of Hebrew numerology as the numbers of generations are counted. Recalling that the most perfect number in this symbolic system is seven (7), we see the product of two sevens in the generations from Abraham and David, two more between King David and the Babylonian exile, and two more from the exile to the Messiah. Three (the formula for the most, e.g. holy, holy, holy equivalent to holy, holier, holiest) times the product of two sevens is six (6) sevens, one short of the perfection to be achieved when Christ will come again.

CCC: Mt 1:16 437

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Reflection:

Happy New Year!  Indeed, this is what we celebrate today as the old liturgical year ends and we begin once more the march through the seasons of Christ’s life. We will be walking with him from those first infant steps in Bethlehem and Nazareth to his agonizing trail from Gethsemane to Golgotha.  Like the New Year celebration that marks the end of our calendar year, we begin this new liturgical year with hopes and promises.   The enormity of what takes place is beautifully captured in our Catechism of the Catholic Church:

522 The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the "First Covenant".195 He announces him through the mouths of the prophets who succeeded one another in Israel. Moreover, he awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming.

This eternal announcement is epitomized in the statement found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: “…the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it.” From far back in our memory, as a people of God, constituted as Christ's living body on earth, we celebrate this season with acts of piety centered on three major efforts:

1.  To prepare ourselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love.

2.  Thus to make our souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer, coming in Holy Communion, and through grace.

3. Thereby to make ourselves ready for his final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.[7]

Once again the more modern expression of our Advent mission comes from the Catechism of Catholic Church:

524 When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.²⁰⁰ By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease."201

With luck in the United States, the orgy of the commercialization of the season known as “Black Friday” has blunted our focus on the secularization of the season, and we can now focus on what is truly important, our spiritual growth toward becoming a vessel fitting for the Holy Spirit, and a resting place of Christ himself.  Our celebration of this festival day surely marks the beginning of our new pledge of fidelity, and our hopes for the year to come.  Yet, hopes and faith alone will not accomplish what the Lord wants from us.  We must search our hearts and our actions of the past year, and select from among our many sinful actions those which, in this year of grace, we will correct.  Like a pot used over many years, the stains of use are upon us.  We must choose which of those stains to scour clean.

Today, on this solemn feast, let us rejoice with the ancient song “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”  Our Advent season has begun and our time of introspection is at hand as we await the glorious coming of our Savior and Lord.

Pax

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.

[2] The picture used today is “Advent and Triumph of Christ” by Hans Memling, 1480.

[3] S.S. Commemoratio

[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[5] Searle, Mark, “The Spirit of Advent,” Assembly V. 7-1, © Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, Notre Dame, IN.

[6] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word, Volume III, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012 p. 735.

195  Hebrews 9:15.

[7] Mershman, Francis. "Advent." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 27 Nov. 2010 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01165a.htm>.

²⁰⁰  Cf. Revelation 22:17.

201 John 3:30.

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

“St Andrew” by Jusepe de Ribera, 1616-18

Biographical Information about St. Andrew

Readings for the Feast of Saint Andrew [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Readings and Commentary: [3]

Reading 1: Romans 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

you will be saved.

For one believes with the heart and so is justified,

and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

The Scripture says,

No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;

the same Lord is Lord of all,

enriching all who call upon him.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone to preach?

And how can people preach unless they are sent?

As it is written,

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!

But not everyone has heeded the good news;

for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?

Thus faith comes from what is heard,

and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, did they not hear?

Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.

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Commentary on Rom 10:9-18

As part of his dialogue regarding why the Jews had failed in their mission, St. Paul calls upon the Roman Christians to profess their belief that Jesus is the Son of God, divine in his own person.  The Jewish converts could not say the name of God but referred instead to Yahweh as “Lord.”  By asking the Christians to “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord,“ they professed their belief in his divinity and what flowed from that profession was justification (to be made just as if one had not sinned).  In justification is salvation since the physical act of confessing with the lips must come from an interior faith from the heart.

The evangelist continues his call to faith explaining that this path to salvation is open to all peoples (“There is no distinction between Jew and Greek”).  This invitation does not have any prerequisites (i.e. one does not have to have come to belief through Judaism) to be unified in Christ, paraphrasing Isaiah 28:16.

In the next section (v. 14-21) St. Paul poses questions as to why the Jewish people forfeited their status as favorites in the eyes of God.  Perhaps there were reasons which he rhetorically proposes and then rejects: did they not hear; did they not understand?  To the question, have they not heard?  St. Paul responds quoting Psalm 19:5, which concludes this passage.

CCC: Rom 10:9 343, 186, 449; Rom 10:12-13 2739; Rom 10:13 2666; Rom 10:14-15 875; Rom 10:17 875

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul;

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The command of the LORD is clear,

enlightening the eye.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever;

The ordinances of the LORD are true,

all of them just.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

They are more precious than gold,

than a heap of purest gold;

Sweeter also than syrup

or honey from the comb.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

or:

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage, we give praise for God’s gift of the Law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn also extols the virtues of obedience and steadfastness to the Law and its precepts. The passage also reflects the idea that following God’s statutes leads to peace and prosperity.

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Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,

Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,

casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

He said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father

and followed him.

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Commentary on Mt 4:18-22

This passage is the account in St. Matthew’s Gospel of the call of the first disciples. The important principle provided in this episode is the fact that the four disciples called by Jesus, the first four, followed the Lord immediately.  It is recorded that they left their entire livelihood and all their possessions behind and followed Jesus. (A similar abruptness is found also in the call of Levi, Matthew 9:9.)

Ironically the notes on this section point out that three of the four called, Peter, James, and John, are distinguished by a particular closeness to Jesus. The reason that Matthew’s account indicates the disciples left work and family immediately, without any explanation, may be due in part to Andrew’s earlier encounter with Jesus as a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:40)

CCC: Mt 4:19 878; Mt 4:21 878

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Reflection:

What would the world be like if St. Andrew had not become a disciple of St. John the Baptist?  We don’t know what called him to follow the Voice, to become a member of that close circle of devout followers.  But we do know that if the Apostle had not, he would never have been sent, as tradition holds, with his companion to ask Jesus if he was the one to come or if they should expect someone else.

And what if he had not done as St. John had suggested and heard those words: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Luke 7:22)?  Those words had meaning beyond the obvious.  While indeed the blind, the lame, and deaf were healed, those events were a direct reference to the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1).

[Note: there are two different versions about the call of Andrew and his brother, Simon (St. Peter).  In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus calls them while they are fishing with their father (Mark 1:16; Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11), although we notice in Luke, Andrew is not mentioned.  However, in the Gospel of St. John, hear the following: "Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed)." (John 1:35-41) The reflection above sort of cross-references the two versions of the call.]

And what did St. Andrew do?  He returned to the Baptist and then, perhaps taking St. John’s own mission to the next level went immediately to his brother (John 1:37-40).  The words he spoke to him echo through the thousands of years that have passed.  They are graven in the heart of every Christian who has ever come to faith, "We have found the Messiah."

From that point forward the profession of faith made by and to the brother of Peter, who would be given the Keys to the Kingdom, would shape the whole world.  To those first four disciples would be added eight more, including the one who betrayed him.  From them, the Gospel of the Lord would travel to every part of the world.  It began with a simple statement of faith - "We have found the Messiah."

Today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Andrew, we thank God for the gift of faith, the faith he gave St. Andrew and all the apostles and the faith he gives us.  We ask on this day that St. Andrew will intercede for us, and the one he found will bless us with an abundance of faith, so that we in our turn may announce it to the world - "We have found the Messiah."

Pax

In other years: Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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[1] The picture is “St Andrew” by Jusepe de Ribera, 1616-18.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Vision of Daniel” (detail) by  Willem Drost, 1650

Readings for Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time[1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible[2]

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Daniel 7:2-14

In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,

the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,

from which emerged four immense beasts,

each different from the others.

The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.

While I watched, the wings were plucked;

it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet

like a man, and given a human mind.

The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,

and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.

It was given the order, “Up, devour much flesh.”

After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;

on its back were four wings like those of a bird,

and it had four heads.

To this beast dominion was given.

After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,

different from all the others,

terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;

it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,

and what was left it trampled with its feet.

I was considering the ten horns it had,

when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,

and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.

This horn had eyes like a man,

and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.

As I watched,

Thrones were set up

and the Ancient One took his throne.

His clothing was snow bright,

and the hair on his head as white as wool;

His throne was flames of fire,

with wheels of burning fire.

A surging stream of fire

flowed out from where he sat;

Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,

and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.

I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words

which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain

and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.

The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,

were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.

As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,

on the clouds of heaven;

When he reached the Ancient One

and was presented before him,

He received dominion, glory, and kingship;

nations and peoples of every language serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not be taken away,

his kingship shall not be destroyed.

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Commentary on Dn 7:2-14

This selection from the Book of Daniel, called "Daniel’s dream," is the first of four apocalyptic visions presented. Scripture scholars agree that the vision of the four beasts represents four successive pagan empires: the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, and the Greeks. These kingdoms are represented by different metals (see Daniel 2) and the numeric value of the horns represents the numbers of rulers in the various kingdoms.

The last horn of the fourth beast, the final ruler (a little horn, sprang out of their midst) is considered to be Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the final Greek ruler who persecuted the Hebrews before that kingdom collapsed (see 1 Maccabees 1:41-64). The vision of the heavenly court that follows describes how two of the beasts (the Medes and the Persians, now greatly diminished) are allowed to survive for a period. The Messianic King (“One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven”) comes from above, whereas the four beasts come from below. This kingdom is established for all eternity: “his kingship shall not be destroyed.”

CCC: Dn 7:10 678; Dn 7:13 440; Dn 7:14 664

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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“You springs, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

“All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!

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Commentary on Dn 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

The selection from Daniel used as a psalm response is once more take from the chant by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego still singing from the furnace. This long hymn of praise (from verse 24 to verse 90)  is broken into three litanies. This selection begins the second.  It praises God's creation of the earth and the life that flourishes by his will.  Subsequent sections praise humankind in its various categories.

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Gospel: Luke 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.

“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.

When their buds burst open,

you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;

in the same way, when you see these things happening,

know that the Kingdom of God is near.

Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away

until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will not pass away.”

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Commentary on Lk 21:29-33

As part of his discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem, St. Luke’s Gospel gives us the parable of the fig tree (see also Mark 13:28-32 and Matthew 24:32-35). In Palestine, nothing looks as dead in the winter as a fig tree. However, in the spring, fig trees bloom to new life (see also Joel 2:22). This imagery is seen at two levels. First, the Lord himself must undergo his passion before taking his place at the right hand of the Father. Second, more prophetically, the Christian community must also undergo trials before coming to its own spring-time of rebirth, alluding to the persecutions to come.

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Reflection:

One of the greatest barriers to manned interplanetary travel is the fact that when exposed to weightlessness, the human body loses bone mass at an alarming rate.  Astronauts who serve six months at the international space station expect to lose ten percent of their bone density in that time.  When they come back, they must go through rigorous rehabilitation to recover from these effects in spite of the fact that they work out every day when they are off-world.

Why is this?  It is because gravity is absent.  The lack of gravity tells the body it does not need all that structural support, so it erodes, as do the muscles that drive them. In the Gospel, the Parable of the Fig Tree does not speak to this phenomenon, but it does prove the same point.  When we as Christians are not challenged, when we simply take for granted that our faith is unopposed, it erodes just like bone density in an astronaut.

The worst part of the erosion of our faith is we may not notice it until we really need strength of faith.  When we reach out for those reserves of strength that flow from faith and find that they have been depleted we may find ourselves in real trouble.  It is for this reason that we should rejoice when we are persecuted and thank those who challenge our beliefs.  We recently took a fairly hard shot at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  Given that they challenge Christians in a society that is at least nominally pro-Christian, they provide a valuable service.  They make sure we do not become complacent and find our faith weakened to a point of non-existence. (Given recent developments such as the Supreme Court decision to redefine marriage and the persecution of the Church by LGBT supporters it looks like we may be in for some serious muscle-building.)

As we think about all of the visions we are given in scripture of the trials and persecutions the Church and its Hebrew ancestors underwent, let us thank God for that resistance. Those times of testing gave us strength.  As we recall the lives of martyrs, we give thanks to God because they showed us how to endure the trials that may come.  The Lord tells us in parable that a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die if it is to have new life.  Let us accept the trials that come our way, welcoming them as a chance to exercise our faith and grow stronger in it.

Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Vision of Daniel” (detail) by  Willem Drost, 1650.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.