Homily: Wednesday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Dn 5:1-28; Dn 3; Luke 21.12-19

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If the gospel message is good news, then why do so many oppose it with hostility and even violence? Jesus warns us that we’ll be confronted with persecution, evil, false teaching, and temptation. And how does Jesus tell us to respond to all this? With love, with truth, with forgiveness.

Only God’s love can defeat bigotry, hatred and envy, and all that would divide and tear us apart. Only God’s truth can overcome the lies and confusion in the world; for that’s what the Gospel is, God's word of truth and salvation. Jesus, then, tells his disciples to proclaim the gospel throughout the whole world, even in the midst of opposition and persecution.

If they persevere to the end they will gain their lives – they will see God's salvation.

Such endurance isn’t a product of human effort. It’s a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift strengthened by the hope that we’ll see God face to face and inherit His promises. Jesus, of course, is our model: He who endured the Cross for our sake and salvation; Jesus who calls us to love, to die to ourselves.

You know, the Greek root of the word martyr means witness? True martyrs live and die as witnesses to the Gospel, to Jesus. The Book of Revelations calls Jesus “the faithful witness ...who freed us from our sins by his blood." And Tertullian, a second century lawyer converted when he saw Christians singing as they went out to die at the hands of their persecutors. He compared the blood of the martyrs to “seed,” the seed of new Christians, the seed of the Church. St. Augustine spoke of this too: "The martyrs were bound, jailed, scourged, racked, burned, rent, butchered – and they multiplied!"

Christians multiplied because the martyrs witnessed to the truth, to the joy and freedom of the Gospel; and they did so through the testimony of their lives. They witness the truth: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”

 “God so loved the world…” He doesn’t love just part of it. No, He loves it all. He loves each one of us. It can’t be otherwise because He created each human being in an individual act of love. We must remember that Jesus died on the Cross for Jews and Gentiles, for Christians and Muslims, for Hindus and Buddhists, for agnostics and atheists.

By our witness as Christians, others will recognize Christ’s victory on the Cross, his power to overcome sin, fear, hatred, even death itself. When the world looks at us, it has the right to find in us a reflection of the glory of the Trinity. The world has a right to discover in our faith, hope, and love a testimony to the Holy Spirit’s presence.

The problems that have arisen in Christ’s Church over the centuries, and exist even now, are not caused by the Holy Spirit; they’re caused by the mediocrity of Christians, by our lukewarmness. As the great G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”

What brings others to Jesus Christ and His Church is seeing Christians loving their enemies; seeing us joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, forgiving of injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. 

This, brothers and sisters, is our calling.

Homily: Feast, St. Luke, Evangelist

I didn't actually preach this homily today, since the celebrant decided to preach, which is certainly fine with me. But since I had prepared a homily for St. Luke's feast day, I thought I might as well post it here.

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Readings: 2 Tim 4:10-17b; Psalm 145; Luke 10:1-9  

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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Luke, evangelist and companion of Paul – author of the Gospel that bears his name and also the author of Acts of the Apostles. Of all those early Christians, those we read about in the Gospels and in Acts, Luke is the one I’d most enjoy meeting and spending some time with.

He was a physician – “beloved physician” Paul calls him – and therefore like Paul an educated man – something that’s evident by the quality of his writing. Most scholars believe he was a Greek and a Gentile, but whatever his background, it’s apparent Luke was in the first wave of Gentile converts to the Faith. 

His Gospel was aimed at the Gentiles, those unfamiliar with Jewish Law and custom. In other words, he wrote for folks like you and me, so his approach is quite different from the other Synoptic gospels. For one thing, he rarely quotes the Old Testament, and never refers to Jesus with the Hebrew title of Rabbi, but always with the Greek title of Master. Unlike Matthew, Luke doesn’t trace Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham (the founder of the Jewish race) but from Adam (the ‘founder’ of the human race). 

Luke gives women a more prominent place in his Gospel. The nativity and infancy story, much more extensive in Luke’s Gospel, is told from Mary's point of view. And it’s through Luke that we know about Elizabeth, Anna, the widow of Naim, and the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet.

Luke also gives us some of the most beautiful parables, for example, the Prodigal Son; and only Luke relates the parable about the non-Jew, the Good Samaritan. Without Luke we wouldn’t have the road to Emmaus or those three great canticles -- Mary’s Magnificat, Zechariah’s Benedictus, and Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis – canticles we pray every day in the Liturgy of the Hours. But what I like most about Luke’s Gospel is the emphasis he places on prayer and praise, and the mercy and goodness of God. He describes Jesus praying at all key moments of his life.

What sort of man was Luke? Well, in today’s first reading we get a glimpse of the real Luke. Writing to Timothy, Paul describes how he’s been abandoned by co-workers and friends except for two key companions.

Onesiphores, had traveled far and found Paul, seemingly without help from the Christians in Rome. And Luke who had remained with Paul, endured the imprisonment with him and cared for him. It would seem Luke’s friendship was important to Paul. Cut off from his own community, perhaps unappreciated by the Roman Christians, Paul faced certain execution, and was unable to move about and preach the Good News. We sense his loneliness. 

Luke, trying to complete his texts, found himself attending to Paul who was probably held in some sort of house confinement or possibly even imprisoned. We can only imagine what this friendship might have cost Luke personally. He probably wondered whether he’d also be caught up in Rome’s campaign to destroy the Christian message. But his loving care remained authentic, and he stayed beside his friend.

True friendship is a uniquely human experience and is often most clearly shown by the small acts of care and attention one person shows for his or her friend. It’s also a simple thing, something in which even a child can participate. And yet it has a divine element as well. Listen, again, to these words from today’s psalm: 

“Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom” [Ps 145:12].

Yes, the compassion and love that are the signs of friendship are also signs of the Kingdom of God, signs of God’s grace. Knowledge of the Kingdom is made possible by experiencing the quality of love that a friend bestows.

The Gospel, too, invites this insight. Friendship brings a Spirit of Peace with it; and where the Spirit of Peace is found, one discovers true hospitality. It is, then, in the heart of true friendship that the lost, the lonely, the abandoned, the imprisoned, the hurting, and the broken find encouragement and are made whole and healthy and strong again.

Saint Luke is the patron of physicians, not just because he was one himself, but because he was a healer of the both the heart and the soul. He was a true friend to Paul, who no doubt was in great need of consolation. 

But St. Luke is also recognized as a friend of the poor and the outcast, because he recorded how Jesus took pains to care for the least, the most rejected, the impoverished. At the Last Supper, Jesus set the example for all of us saying, “I call you friends,” because a friend will lay down his life for the other.

Luke, recognizing the divine character of this most human of relationships, followed the Lord’s example. Perhaps, then, we should honor St. Luke as the patron saint of friendship.

The Reality of COVID-19

We’re well into our second year of coping with the COVID-19 virus and yet so many people are still overcome by fear. We have a collection of vaccines that offer real protection. Does it protect everybody? No, some vaccinated people have also contracted the virus, but in most instances these cases tend to be rather mild. And many others, who have survived the virus, have enhanced immunity, far greater than that provided by the vaccines. 

But perhaps the most telling statistics relate to deaths as a result of COVID. As of October 6, there have been 700,952 deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID virus — this out of a total U.S. population of 334 million. Over 76% of these deaths were among those aged 65 or over. But how many of these seniors had other underlying health issues that likely contributed to their deaths, or were actually the primary cause of death? Over the past 18 months I have conducted or assisted at dozens of funerals and committal services. Quite a few of those who died had tested positive for COVID, but many of these also had terminal illnesses and were not expected to survive. As one doctor told me, “Follow the money.” Apparently hospitals benefit from COVID cases.

Very few young or middle-aged adults have succumbed to the virus. Those between the ages 18 and 49 account for a little less than 6% of all COVID deaths, or 41,783 of 700,952 deaths. Those Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 account for 17.5% of the COVID deaths, or 122,500 of the 700,952 total deaths. Perhaps most surprisingly, though, is the fact that less than one-tenth of 1% of those who died of COVID were below the age of 18 — a total of 499 deaths out of 700,952. In fact, far more children died from other individual illnesses, accidents, and other causes than from COVID. It appears children, if they contract the virus, tend to have only mild or asymptomatic cases and also do not spread it to others easily. In previous years, for example, influenza killed far more children each year than COVID since it hit our shores in late 2019. Masking children in our schools, then, would seem to be designed not to protect them or their teachers, but to exert control. And always remember, governments like to exert control.

You can view a graph of these statistics here: COVID-19 Deaths as of 6 October 2021.

I include the above to remind those who are fearful that the chances of reasonably healthy people of any age dying of COVID is quite small. I’m currently 77 but am not worried about getting COVID. Of course I believe in exercising prudence and so both Diane and I got the vaccination earlier this year, and will likely get the booster, especially if we decide to travel north to visit family this fall. But fear? No, I have no fear, and neither should you. But my lack of fear doesn’t stem from statistics. 

First of all, if, as a Christian, you allow fear to consume you, your faith is weak. As I so often remind others, perhaps too often, the opposite of faith is not despair; rather, it is fear. Jesus often reminds us of this. Remember that wonderful Gospel passage [Mk 4:35-41] when, crossing the Sea of Galilee, a storm arose causing the disciples to waken a sleeping Jesus and ask Him: “Do you not care if we perish?” Of course, Jesus immediately calmed the sea and storm, but He then asked the disciples that double-barreled question, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” And He asks you and me that same question today.

I get all kinds of questions about COVID. Some people have asked me, “Is God punishing us by inflicting us with this disease?” I usually answer by saying, “Darned if I know, but I don’t think so. We seem entirely too capable of punishing ourselves without God’s help.” Of course, It all started back in Eden, didn’t it? Our first parents, who had been created “very good” by God [Gen 1:31] decided that wasn’t good enough and ignored God’s warning. They disobeyed and brought death into the perfect, deathless paradise God had created. That sin, that original sin, brought death and all kinds of other bad stuff into the world, and among that bad stuff is COVID. God doesn’t will death and disease, but His permissive will allows it. You see, I don’t believe in coincidence when it comes to God. After struggling through these 77 years I’ve come to the realization that everything that happens in my life has a purpose, and if I remain faithful, it will always lead to good. 

The very core of the Gospel may be found in those wonderful words from John: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” [Jn 3:16]. Eternal life, folks. That’s what it’s all about. So, why would any of us who believe the Gospel, who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and who live our faith — why would any of us be fearful?

If you’re still plagued by fear, I suggest you spend some time every day in prayer, preferably before the Blessed Sacrament, asking Our Lord to deepen your faith and dissolve your fears. There’s nothing to fear, brothers and sisters, because we’ve been shown the path to eternal life. 

A Christian Society?

So often we hear people, particularly religious people, speak of our nation as a "Christian Society." Of course, I've never heard one of these folks actually define what that means. To be fair, I suppose it's not a particularly easy thing to define. 

For example, is a Christian society simply a society in which a majority of its citizens call themselves Christians? In the United States this was certainly the case for most of its history, although I'm not sure it remains so today. Anyway, just because a citizenry calls itself Christian, doesn't mean it believes and lives the Christian faith. Such contradictions are apparent with individuals, so why not with nations as well?

Or perhaps a Christian society means the nation is governed by what we consider to be Christian principles; that is, principles based on the Gospel, the teachings of Jesus Christ. Well, if we actually examine the policies and laws of our current government at local, state, and federal levels, the presence of Gospel values seems to be rather rare. Not only are the Ten Commandments increasingly ignored, but the Beatitudes? Well...they're considered irrelevant, certainly nothing on which to base legislation.

These thoughts popped into my aging brain the other day as I re-read the Gospel according to Mark for an upcoming Bible Study session. Mark, who likely wrote the Gospel while in Rome, must have experienced first-hand the persecutions instituted by Emperor Nero. He and the Christians in Rome, who lived under the Empire's totalitarianism and the personal tyranny of Nero, suffered from a level of persecution probably not seen again until the 20th century. I suspect many of these early Roman Christians hoped for a day when the empire might actually be motivated by Christianity. 

Today we have a world in which Christianity is by far the most persecuted religion in the world, By some estimates Christians are actively persecuted in over 160 countries. And I expect this doesn't count the more subtle denigration, social exclusion, and media attacks of Christians increasingly common in the countries like our own.

True Christianity, of course, cannot abide any form of totalitarianism, an ideology  which demands complete control of all aspects of human life by the state. Here in the good ol' USA, a nation populated by those who have historically prided themselves on their love of freedom from all forms of tyranny, we are witnessing a movement toward a form of authoritarianism wielded by those who have forgotten that "we the people" are sovereign. Constitutional rights -- rights endowed by our Creator -- are considered expendable when national crises arise and push those who represent the people to the limits of their authority and capability. And so, they try to exceed both and assume essentially unlimited powers. Although freedom, once lost, is hard to regain, far too many citizens today don't seem to care. 

Some wise sage, I can't recall who, once said that when we give up our freedom we soon forget its value. Even those who regain it often find freedom too much of a challenge and let it slip away once again bit by bit. And those whom we empower? Although they publicly express a loathing of totalitarianism, they privately admit much admiration for its supposed efficiency. I guess it's just the way of the world, really nothing new, simply a symptom of a fallen, sinful people.

Last evening I turned to a volume I hadn't read in a dozen years and was struck by the wisdom of the author. The book was published in the UK in 1940. This was a  time when Great Britain was at war with Hitler's Germany and yet was also aware of the threat posed by another totalitarian state, the Soviet Union. What follows are a few pertinent passages I think worthy of sharing.

"To speak of ourselves as a Christian Society, in contrast to that of Germany and Russia, is an abuse of terms. We mean only that we have a society in which no one is penalized for the formal profession Christianity; but we conceal from ourselves the unpleasant knowledge of the real values by which we live."

Today, sadly, many in both the UK and the USA, are "penalized" for their profession of faith, especially by the technocrats who run social media, which has become perhaps our primary means of interpersonal communication. 

The author went on to write: 

"...a society has ceased to be Christian when religious practices have been abandoned, when behavior ceases to be regulated by reference to Christian principle, and when in effect prosperity in this world for the individual or for the group has become the sole conscious aim."

The author, speaking of the UK of 1940, asks if his society is still Christian simply because it had not yet become something else. He seems to believe that, yes it is, because it wasn't completely pagan. I suppose 80 years ago he was correct. Although I would disagree with his use of the word "pagan" when really we are faced with something quite different from traditional paganism. The growing tendency, at least today in the United States, is to become a-religious, which is certainly not a pagan trait. I suppose this, though, is just a matter of semantics.

The author then turns to one of my heroes, Christopher Dawson, who wrote that non-dictatorial states stand not for traditional liberalism but rather for democracy. Dawson continues "to foretell the advent in these States of a kind of totalitarian democracy." To many this would seem a contradiction, but it's not. Democracy, unchecked by constitutional limitations, inevitably becomes a dictatorship of the majority, often an emerging majority, in which minorities -- for example, Christians -- suffer persecution. 

We then read the following, which should give us pause today as we witness the rapid deterioration of our constitutional rights:

"By destroying traditional social habits of the people, by dissolving their natural collective consciousness into individual constituents, by licensing the opinions of the most foolish, by substituting instruction for education, by encouraging cleverness rather than wisdom, the upstart rather than the qualified, by fostering a notion of getting on to which the alternative is hopeless apathy, Liberalism can prepare the way for that which is its own negation: the artificial, mechanized or brutalized control which is a desperate remedy for its chaos."

As all of this happens, as Liberalism brings about its own destruction, we still "insist upon the preserves of 'private life' in which each man may obey his own convictions of follow his own whim: while imperceptibly this domain of 'private life' becomes smaller and smaller, and may eventually disappear altogether."

Where does this most easily happen? According to the author materialism is both a symptom and a cause.

"The more highly industrialized the country, the more easily a materialistic philosophy will flourish in it, and the more deadly that philosophy will be...And the tendency of unlimited industrialization is to create bodies of men and women -- of all classes -- detached from tradition, alienated from religion, and susceptible to mass suggestion: in other words, a mob. And a mob will be no less a mob if it is well fed, well clothed, well housed, and well disciplined"

And so, today many of the institutions that define our society have left neutrality behind and become openly anti-Christian. Should this trend continue, and I can think of no strictly human effort that will stop it or slow it down, eventually Christianity and Christians will be considered and treated as enemies of the state. In our author's words, the course for the Christian then becomes "very much harder, but it is simpler."

As you can see, even from the few passages I have quoted, the author was prescient in his understanding of where Western society was headed 80 years ago, and where it is today. The essay, written by the poet, T. S. Eliot, is included in the book, "Christianity and Culture." It's one of those books I turn to every decade or so just to remind me that God is in charge and that, without His guidance, humanity will make a mess of pretty much everything. I addressed only a few of Eliot's thoughts, those that set the stage for his major thesis. Read the book. You'll enjoy it. 

Signs of the Times

Watching or reading the news these days can certainly be disheartening, but if we ignore what’s happening in our world we run the risk of allowing evil to overwhelm the good, at least temporarily. And, believe me, there is much evil in this world. Let me share a few — ten to be exact — reports I’ve stumbled across recently. In most instances the headlines say enough, but I’ll add a link to each so you can read the entire story should you want to dig more deeply into one or more of these reports.

Some of these articles report on palpable demonstrations of real evil, while others depict the weakness of those afraid to counter its more subtle manifestations. In all of them, however, we encounter a betrayal of Judeo-Christian values and a rejection of the Gospel. Behind many of these stories is a hatred of the Church, which Marxists have always believed to be its most “dangerous” enemy.

European Union Parliament Declares Abortion a Human Right

Nellis Air Force Base Hosts First-Ever Drag Queen Show: “Essential to the Morale, Readiness”

Religion Professors Argue Evangelical Christians Are White Racists Who “may end up killing us all”

Paris Archbishop Laments Attacks on Catholics Honoring City’s Martyrs

In the Safe Spaces on the Berkeley Campus, No Jews Allowed

Catholic Senator Tim Kaine Compares Catholic Teaching on Abortion to “Sharia Law”

Catholics in the Big-Tech Crosshairs: De Facto Online Censorship Raises Concerns

Satanists Buy Billboard Promoting Abortion as Religious Ritual, Citing “Abortions Save Lives”

In an Affront to its Namesake, the Tolkien Society Goes “Woke”

Congressman Ted Lieu Promotes Abortion, Tells Bishops “I dare you to deny me Communion”

…that’s it for now, but enough to show how evil has infiltrated so much of our society, indeed, our entire world. 

Because I’m a deacon some people seem to think I have all the answers, or at least some of them. Of course, I don’t, and like the rest of the faithful struggle to find my way to salvation. As St. Paul instructed the Philippians, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” [Phil 2:12]. And that’s exactly where I am — just a servant overcome with awe, with fear of the Lord, and trembling over my own sinfulness. But still, I’m asked questions: 

As a Christian, how should I respond to the growing evil and hatred I see around me? 

Should I be politically active? 

What does God want us to do? 

What does He want me to do?

These, and similar questions, are asked by faithful Christians who want only to do what is right but are troubled by the conflicting words they hear and the signs they see emanating from politicians, clergy, academics, media people, and others, all competing for their attention, their allegiance…or their vote. My response? Turn to the Word of God and listen to what St. Paul told the Ephesians while he was imprisoned, “an ambassador in chains.”

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done it all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak [Eph 6:10-20].

Did you happen to notice the warfare and military metaphors St. Paul used? They’re hard to miss. He knew the Church will always be engaged in battle against the powers of darkness, not a physical battle, at least not often, but a spiritual battle. 

In the beginning, though, the Risen Jesus didn’t send those first disciples into the fray unprepared: 

“...He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, ‘you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit’” [Acts 1:4-5]. 

Here Jesus acknowledged that their mission would not be an easy one, that the disciples must be well-armed for the battle, armed with spiritual weapons only the Holy Spirit can provide. Only then can we "stand against the wiles of the devil...and boldly...proclaim the mystery of the gospel." 

We must realize, though, to engage in this battle does not mean responding to hatred with hatred. St. John Paul II certainly recognized this. In his encyclical,  Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), he showed he understood our struggles, reminding us that unlike the “culture of death,” Christianity is a love story. And St. Paul offers us even more specifics on how we should approach the fight:

"Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you" [Phil 2:14-17].

Is this easy? Not at all. Do you and I really "shine like lights in the world" or do we sometimes try to hide from the powers of darkness? Just like the Apostles, we can't do it on our own. We, too, need the gifts of the Holy Spirit as we struggle to carry out God's will in our lives.

Cardinal Raymond Burke on Satan’s Influence

Here’s a link to a homily delivered by one of my heroes, Cardinal Raymond Burke, on January 24. In his remarks His Eminence doesn’t hesitate to take on the Biden administration for joining with Satan in his killing work to destroy the lives of millions of unborn children. He encourages us to come together in prayer and fidelity, asking our Blessed Mother to intercede for our troubled nation and world, and consecrating our lives to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He centers his homily on the first words of Jesus, at the start of his public ministry: 

“This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” [Mk 1:15].

God bless this wonderful Prince of the Church. 

This link connects to a YouTube video of his homily:

https://youtu.be/OLAz0cPbZPk

 

 

Persecution, Truth, and Freedom

On a pedestrian bridge in the very heart of Oslo, Norway there is an illuminated sign that sums up perfectly what has happened to Europe, a collection of nations that once formed the very heart of Western Civilization, the heart of Christendom. The sign reads: "Truth Is Flexible."

Recently I read several articles, interviews really, with four very different people: a woman philosopher, a male Hollywood actor, a well-known Evangelical preacher, and a Catholic Cardinal. And yet, despite their differences in occupation and background, each stressed the importance of speaking the truth during our largely untruthful times.

Jennifer Frey is a professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina. At the time of her interview (read the entire interview here), she was quarantined because she had contracted COVID-19. Married and the mother of six, she was, of course, separated from her family. And yet, although a victim of the pandemic, she disagrees strongly with the closing of schools, political decisions that tell us how non-essential education is to many of those we've elected to represent us. In her words:

"So it seems like somehow we've decided that education comes last, or that teachers cannot in any way take on risks. My personal preference is for what my own university has done: they have enabled those who are in a high-risk category to completely teach online. Face to face instruction is strictly voluntary. I volunteered, and I don't regret my decision. And I have Covid!"

Dr. Frey describes her earlier self as one of the "new atheists" who had gone to college to study English, but found most of the teaching focused on identity politics rather than literature. Remarkably. an undergraduate philosophy course changed her, introduced her to Augustine and Aquinas, and ultimately led her to Catholicism. It also led her to the truth that although human history changes, human nature remains the same. Her initial exposure and later study of humanity's great written works changed her deeply:

“It’s always both. Joy and terror! To me the real value of great books, the reason why I will fight for them with my dying breath, is that they help you transcend your time and place. They make you see that this thing of being a human, you’re experiencing it in a certain limited way, but it’s so much bigger than you.”

The entire interview is fascinating, but her comments on the "temptation" to place personal and ideological considerations, or "any practical goal," above the truth are worth mentioning here:

"One thing that is a constant temptation...is to let your ambitions get to be more important than the truth. And tying your pursuit of the truth to your ambitions and your political ends, so that what you are willing to think about and write about is determined by your ambitions within the academy. That's something that I've had to fight my entire life. If I wanted to have a fancy job I wouldn't be writing about the things I care about. So, you have to ask yourself, 'Why am I even doing this?'"

If you would like to know more about Dr. Frey and her thought, you can access her podcast and her blog:

Apple Podcast: Sacred and Profane Love

Blog: The Virtue Blog

Jim Caviesel is an actor, perhaps most famous for his unforgettable portrayal of Jesus in the 2004 movie, "The Passion of the Christ." He is a remarkable man, a Catholic working in the midst of Hollywood. The interview may be found on LifeSite, a wonderful pro-life website that YouTube has suspended because LifeSite speaks the truth about abortion and other life issues. Like most of the mega-companies that control social media, the folks at YouTube (a Google subsidiary) can't stand the truth when it conflicts with their leftist ideology. They actually call Christian teaching, the teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, "hate speech," and of course try to suppress it. 

In another LifeSite interview, Caviesel described the challenges of being openly Catholic in an industry that largely rejects the Church and its teachings:

"It's part of the cross you take up when you choose to believe in Him...we all have the desire to want to be liked...but what we should be asking God is the desire for humility."

Addressing the war in which we are currently engaged, a war both cultural and religious, Caviesel states that the persecution of Christians isn't confined to the past, to the early history of the Church,

"Barbaric Christian persecution is something that still goes on today...No one ever rode to victory on the back of fake moral platitudes. We have to speak the truth boldly."

These are words one doesn't expect to hear from a Hollywood actor. But even more surprising is his prediction that massive persecution of Christians is coming, and coming soon. Of course, Caviesel is correct: Christians are already suffering from severe persecution in other parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, East Asia, and Africa. In Europe and North America, although the persecution is more subtle, Christians are beginning to realize they are the prime targets of those who wield political power in many formerly "Christian" nations, including our own. 

Speaking of abortion, a presage of things to come, Caviesel stated that "We have murdered on a level that is unprecedented" and rightly called many of our abortion laws "Luciferian." He doesn't soften his words as he sums up what is happening in our world today:

"You'll wish that you never even knew what democracy was. This Christian way of living will soon be gone...We're talking about massive, massive persecutions."

Caviesel issues a call to action, encouraging us to not to sit on our hands:

"The goal would be to create a sense of urgency and relevance to Christians and non-Christians who should engage in this issue."

Really, Caviesel is asking us to follow the lead of St, Paul:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" [2 Tim 4:7].

Yes, indeed, we must "fight the good fight" and avoid the apathy that infects so many Christians today, those who falsely assume that remaining quiet is "the holy way to go," seemingly unaware that worldly powers are intent on destroying Christian culture and life. Rather than being strong evangelists for their faith, too many Christians seem more intent on "going along to get along." Concerned about such attitudes, Caviesel turns to Jesus in the Gospel:

"When I read the gospels, I've never seen a Jesus who would sit there and say, 'Too bad for him.' And that is not the gospel I know."

He also expresses concern about the Christian family, asking, "What happened to prayer? What happened to prayer in the family?"

Is Jim Caviesel right about what we can expect in the near future? Personally, and based on the direction our nation seems to be headed, I believe he is. And he's also very right about the need for Christians to resist, to let themselves be heard, to fight the forces of evil that surround us.

Franklin Graham, the son of the late evangelist, Billy Graham, has followed in his father's footsteps. He, too, is concerned by what he see in our society. In a recent interview with Laura Ingraham, he stated:

"I think we are in a moral freefall in this country. And the only hope for our country, I believe, is God. And for that to happen is we've got to come to Him in repentance, turning from our sins, and putting our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. And I think if we do that, then God will hear our prayers, and He will heal our country."

On Veterans Day, as he spoke to honor those who have served our nation honorably in times of war and peace, Rev. Graham stated:

"It seems our nation is under attack -- attack from within, from socialists who want to bring anarchy to our streets. The hard-won freedoms that we have enjoyed in America are very much at stake."

And in another interview, looking to the future, he added:

"I think we will see these kinds of attacks from the left against Christian businesses, Christian organizations, and that will happen. I think they will try to come after churches, attack churches, attack exempt organizations doing humanitarian work, social work throughout the country."

Rev. Graham also reminded Christians that:

"To show us the only true way to salvation and eternal life, the Bible points directly to 'the message of truth, the gospel' [Eph 1:13] and tells us that the 'truth is in Jesus' [Eph 4:21]. Jesus Himself said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me' [Jn 14:6]. That's the most important truth anyone can hear."

And just a few days ago, Graham tweeted the following passage, from Isaiah 59:1-4: 

The Holy Word of God says:

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,

That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy,

That it cannot hear.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God;

And your sins have hidden His face from you,

So that He will not hear.

For your hands are defiled with blood,

And your fingers with iniquity;

Your lips have spoken lies,

Your tongue has muttered perversity.

No one calls for justice,

Nor does any plead for truth.

They trust in empty words and speak lies;

They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.”

It's as if Isaiah is pointing to directly to us and to our times, isn't it? Well, in one sense I suppose he is. He was, after all, a prophet. And today justice and truth are forgotten or simply pushed aside by too many, including too many Christians.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, the new Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Religious Freedom, stated that the bishops of the United States are engaged in "legitimate and ongoing struggles to protect our [American] first and most precious freedom." 

But he then reminded us that we cannot stand by idly as our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world suffer horrendous persecution:

"But even our problems as towering as they can be at times and as ominous as the future might now seem, they pale in comparison, don't they, to the 'via crucis' that is currently being walked by so many of our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who are experiencing lethal persecution."

The Christian martyrs of the 20th century account for over half of the martyrs who gave their lives for Christ throughout the entire 2,000-year history of the Church. Reflecting on this, Cardinal Dolan added: 

"This 21st century, I'm afraid, doesn't seem to promise much better. This century, only two decades old, has already seen 1.25 million people killed around the world, simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ. And that threat to religious believers is growing."

The Cardinal stressed that we all must become advocates:

"We want to make people aware of the great suffering of our brothers and sisters using all means at our disposal...We need the enthusiastic backing of our people, not just our leaders. If we don't have that, we're not going to get too far."

In addition to the action of public advocacy, he also calls on Catholics to storm heaven with prayers for persecuted Christians, developing a "culture of prayer" within our families, our parishes, our communities, and our nation. 

Yes, indeed, we certainly live in interesting times.

COVID-19 Reflection #12: Discipleship Revisited

This is the 12th of my COVID-19 Reflections written primarily for my Bible Study regulars who have been unable to get together since our nasty virus made its appearance. Once again, I focus on the call to discipleship. 

And if you're really a glutton for punishment and want to watch videos of me preaching these reflections, you can find these videos here on YouTube: Bible Study Reflections

Blessings and good health to all.
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About 25 years ago, my former spiritual director concluded one of our sessions by saying, “Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a full-time job.”

We had just spent most of an hour talking about how we tend to compartmentalize our lives and fail to realize that discipleship must drive every aspect of life, transcending and permeating our very being. Yes, indeed, a “full-time job.” So, let’s take a look at the Gospels and see what this job entails.

When we read the Gospels, two major themes become obvious. 

The first is the story of the Incarnation, of Emmanuel, God with us. It’s the living revelation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of humanity who became one of us. Jesus revealed the Father to us, taught us, healed us, sacrificed His life for us, rose from the dead with the promise, the hope, of eternal life, and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey. It’s quite a story, isn’t it?

But throughout the Gospels another theme becomes evident: the path to discipleship. As we follow Jesus Christ in the Gospels, we also witness men and women on their spiritual journey in response to Jesus’ call.

Some respond at once and, filled with the Holy Spirit, follow Jesus on the Way [Mk 10:46-52]. Others respond but hesitate, struggling to understand and accept the fullness of the call [Jn 3:1-21]. Some, touched by doubt and weighed down by the burdens of their earthly lives, listen to the Word and come to accept the gift of faith [Lk 17:5-6]. Despite all their doubts and struggles, many persevere, and God blesses them with the gift of the Holy Spirit who reveals all [Jn 16:13].

Sadly, though, so many turned away from Jesus unable to accept Him as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” [Jn 14:6]. Some considered Jesus a threat [Mt 2:3-4]; some were shocked by His teachings [Jn 6:60-66]; and others refused to turn away from the path they followed, from their own ways [Lk 18:18-23].

Yes, it’s all there in the Gospels – the good, the bad, and the ugly – but it’s all there to teach us and help us on our own journeys of discipleship. 

Today, as you and I make a brief visit to the Gospel, let’s try, following the lead of St. Ignatius of Loyola, to place ourselves in the person of the disciple who encounters Jesus. In other words, instead of seeing the Gospel as an encounter between Jesus and another, make it a meditative, personal encounter between you and Jesus. Share the encounter, take part in it, experience Jesus in the Gospel and realize He’s waiting there for you as well.

In the Gospels, of course, we find many wonderful encounters between Jesus and others. Our reflection, though, will focus on only one, an encounter described beautifully in the Gospel according to John [Jn 4:4-42].

I know you’re all familiar with the passage, but God’s Word never gets old. It always teaches us anew. Take a few minutes now and turn to the Holy Spirit in prayer, asking Him to let the scene come alive in your heart. Then reread the passage…Do it now!

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We find ourselves in a small village of Samaria. Because of centuries-long hostility between Jews and Samaritans, most Jews avoided Samaria and its people whenever possible. But not Jesus, who came for all, calling everyone to repentance and faith [Mk 1:15].

Interestingly, Samaritans make several appearances in the Gospels. We all know the Parable of the Good Samaritan [Lk 10:25-37], in which the despised foreigner and heretic proves to be far more charitable than either Jewish priest or Levite. Only the Samaritan fully understands the commandment -- “Love your neighbor as yourself” [Lv 19:18; Mt 19:19] – and actually lives it.

"Then he lifted him up..." [Lk 10:34]

And who can forget the ten lepers who begged Jesus for healing? Jesus healed all ten, but Luke tells us the rest of the story:

"And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, 'Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" [Lk 17:15-18]

"One of them, realizing he had been healed, returned"

Jesus, then, didn’t hesitate to highlight the faith and works of Samaritans, if only to remind the Jews that they had no monopoly on God’s love or His truth, and that He had come for the salvation of all.

With this in mind, we watch as Jesus and the apostles enter this Samaritan village and make their way toward the well.

With the sun directly overhead, the air is thick with heat, and the horizon shimmers in the distance. The village is quiet for it’s the kind of day when few dare to venture out under the mid-day sun. The village women usually go to the well in the early morning, or when dusk brings a cooling breeze. Chattering and laughing, sharing the latest gossip, their communal walks are as much social events as necessity – yes, a welcome break in a day filled with the hard work of maintaining a home.

But today, as Jesus approaches the well, He spots a solitary woman making her way toward us along the path. He expects to see her, for He knows she makes her way to the well every day at noontime, and always alone. It’s the one time she knows no one else will be there. For her, there’s never any banter or gossip -- no laughter, no singing to make the path smoother, no friendly hand thrown out to steady the jar when she stumbles. 

She tells herself she doesn’t care. She tells herself it means nothing to her. Bunch of chattering fools. Who needs them? 

She pretends that this solitary walk in the midday heat is her choice.

I prefer being alone. Besides, I never have to wait -- No one’s in my way, no petty quarrels, no children underfoot. No people…No problems…No snide remarks…

Of course, it hadn't always been this way. Once, in another village, in another lifetime, she’d been a part of it all -- the laughing, the singing, the trivial chatter that said so little, but meant so much. 

Yes, once she’d taken her place among the women…as wife, neighbor, friend. But that was years ago, and many men ago. 

In a world that was rarely kind to widows and orphans and especially to the divorced, she’d learned how to make her own way. 

In a world where the weak and powerless were often tossed aside and forced to move in the shadows, she’d learned how to be strong. 

In a world that measured a woman's worth by her relationships to father, husband, brother, and son, she’d learned how to be a survivor without them. 

But that survival came at a price – and for her, one small part of that meant going to the well alone. 

“Amen,” she says aloud. So be it.

There had been five men in her life, and the current one, though not her husband, isn’t as bad as some, and better than most. 

Things could be worse, she thinks, and then laughs aloud. The well could be dry.

As she walks along the path, the heat rises in waves, scorching her feet right through her worn sandals. Sweat trickles down her back, and she tastes the dust deep in her throat. The large jug, though empty, feels especially heavy today. The trip back to her home will be a long one. 

And then, looking up, she sees Him -- a stranger -- sitting at the well.

"Give Me a Drink."

Later, much later - when everyone asked her about that day: about what He said and what He did, she would answer:

He told me about water, and about thirst…and we talked about Jerusalem and mountains and worship and eternal life. He told me about spirit and truth, about so very much besides. And He told me about myself. He told me everything, and I finally understood the difference between surviving and living.

Yes, indeed, Jesus knew all about her her past, and offered her a future in which the past didn't count. 

He knew all about her present, and yet, instead of condemning her for her sins, He loved her for her weaknesses and turned them into strengths. How did He do that?

He knew why she went to the well at noon, and yet he still trusted her to proclaim the Good News to her neighbors. 

Come and see a man who told me all that I ever did…” [Jn 4:29, 39]

Imagine the courage it took for her, of all people, to run back into the very heart of the village, to proclaim that message to her disapproving neighbors! What boldness! What faith!

They, too, knew everything she had done…or thought they did.

Come and see! She said, to anyone who would listen. Come and see! He’s waiting for you. Can this be the Christ? And, as John tells us, they came:

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” [Jn 4:39].

Was it her passion, her boldness? Or was it something else? What made them believe her? Perhaps it was the living water, the Word of the Word of God, that she shared with such unbound enthusiasm.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus also knows everything about you and me. He knows every sin and every act of kindness, every strength and every weakness.

Notice, too, how wrong we often are about ourselves, how limited our self-knowledge. What the Samaritan woman saw as a strength – her avoidance of others, her self-imposed isolation, her toughness – Jesus recognized for what it was, weakness.

It’s to that weakness that He calls her, sending her out among them, turning the sinner into a missionary.

This is what Jesus always does when He has serious work to accomplish in the world: He calls us to the task through our weaknesses. And by doing so reveals God’s greatness all the more.

Notice, too, that this Samaritan woman was given a choice. She could have filled her jug and returned home, but instead she left the jug behind and ran off to spread the word about the Word. It’s the same choice given to the Apostles as they mended their nets and heard Jesus say, “Come, follow me.” The call to discipleship always involves a choice, and always involves leaving something behind.

What about you and me? Will we fill our water jugs, turn our backs on Jesus, and go home? Will we mend our nets and let Jesus walk on by? Can we set aside the things of our lives, the jugs and nets, our willful natures, our possessions, our sinfulness, all that's keeping us from answering His call? Every life has its water jogs and its nets. Can we leave them behind and abandon ourselves to live according to God's will?

The Good News is in the promise of Jesus, given to the Apostles at the Last Supper:

"Whoever loves me will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him" [Jn 14:23].

With Christ deep within you, and seeing Christ all around you in others, your life can become a gift to the world, a visible sign of His love and His final coming.

So, you see, Christ wants to dwell within you, to make you a God-bearer like Mary, so you can carry Him to others. 

Our nameless Samaritan woman listened to Jesus and responded. She not only became a disciple, but she also became something more: before Peter, before Paul, she became a missionary for Jesus Christ, taking the Word to others.

And perhaps most revealing for you and me, she became that missionary but never left her hometown. She never left her village.