2020년 8월 9일 연중 제19주일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
열왕기 상. 19,9ㄱ.11-13ㄱ
그 무렵 엘리야가 하느님의 산 호렙에 9 있는 동굴에 이르러
그곳에서 밤을 지내는데, 주님의 말씀이 그에게 내렸다.
주님께서 11 말씀하셨다.
“나와서 산 위, 주님 앞에 서라.”
바로 그때에 주님께서 지나가시는데,
크고 강한 바람이 산을 할퀴고 주님 앞에 있는 바위를 부수었다.
그러나 주님께서는 바람 가운데에 계시지 않았다.
바람이 지나간 뒤에 지진이 일어났다.
그러나 주님께서는 지진 가운데에도 계시지 않았다.
12 지진이 지나간 뒤에 불이 일어났다.
그러나 주님께서는 불 속에도 계시지 않았다.
불이 지나간 뒤에 조용하고 부드러운 소리가 들려왔다.
13 엘리야는 그 소리를 듣고 겉옷 자락으로 얼굴을 가린 채,
동굴 어귀로 나와 섰다.
제2독서
로마서. 9,1-5
형제 여러분, 1 나는 그리스도 안에서 진실을 말하고 거짓말을 하지 않습니다.
나의 양심도 성령 안에서 증언해 줍니다.
2 그것은 커다란 슬픔과 끊임없는 아픔이 내 마음속에 자리 잡고 있다는 것입니다.
3 사실 육으로는 내 혈족인 동포들을 위해서라면,
나 자신이 저주를 받아
그리스도에게서 떨어져 나가기라도 했으면 하는 심정입니다.
4 그들은 이스라엘 사람입니다. 하느님의 자녀가 되는 자격, 영광,
여러 계약, 율법, 예배, 여러 약속이 그들에게 주어졌습니다.
5 그들은 저 조상들의 후손이며,
그리스도께서도 육으로는 바로 그들에게서 태어나셨습니다.
그분은 만물 위에 계시는 하느님으로서 영원히 찬미받으실 분이십니다. 아멘
복음
마태오. 14,22-33
군중이 배불리 먹은 다음, 22 예수님께서는 곧 제자들을 재촉하시어
배를 타고 건너편으로 먼저 가게 하시고,
그동안에 당신께서는 군중을 돌려보내셨다.
23 군중을 돌려보내신 뒤, 예수님께서는 따로 기도하시려고 산에 오르셨다.
그리고 저녁때가 되었는데도 혼자 거기에 계셨다.
24 배는 이미 뭍에서 여러 스타디온 떨어져 있었는데,
마침 맞바람이 불어 파도에 시달리고 있었다.
25 예수님께서는 새벽에 호수 위를 걸으시어 그들 쪽으로 가셨다.
26 제자들은 예수님께서 호수 위를 걸으시는 것을 보고
겁에 질려 “유령이다!” 하며 두려워 소리를 질러 댔다.
27 예수님께서는 곧 그들에게 말씀하셨다.
“용기를 내어라. 나다. 두려워하지 마라.”
28 그러자 베드로가 말하였다.
“주님, 주님이시거든 저더러 물 위를 걸어오라고 명령하십시오.”
29 예수님께서 “오너라.” 하시자,
베드로가 배에서 내려 물 위를 걸어 예수님께 갔다.
30 그러나 거센 바람을 보고서는 그만 두려워졌다.
그래서 물에 빠져 들기 시작하자,
“주님, 저를 구해 주십시오.” 하고 소리를 질렀다.
31 예수님께서 곧 손을 내밀어 그를 붙잡으시고,
“이 믿음이 약한 자야, 왜 의심하였느냐?” 하고 말씀하셨다.
32 그러고 나서 그들이 배에 오르자 바람이 그쳤다.
33 그러자 배 안에 있던 사람들이 그분께 엎드려 절하며,
“스승님은 참으로 하느님의 아드님이십니다.” 하고 말하였다.
August 9, 2020
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by.”
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (8)
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are Israelites;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Gospel
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
In the early months of a deepening relationship I was experiencing with a woman many years ago, we found ourselves bumping along the interstate in a UHaul in the Mojave Desert with a load of items we were transporting from her childhood home to where we were living in San Francisco. The air in the truck’s cabin was thick with radical honesty about the relationship, our histories, and where we saw things going between us. In the midst of the dialogue, I found myself slowly getting overwhelmed by what I perceived to be the disruption this level of relationship was going to have on my cozy, independent, “single” life (the one where I thought I was in total control). My chest began to tighten, the steering wheel felt like butter in my hands, and I found it difficult to breathe. I quickly pulled the UHaul onto the shoulder of the freeway, jumped out, and began walking in the opposite direction of this discomfort. As I looked at the ground, tears blurring my vision, I saw broken pieces of glass, blown out car tires, and trash blowing about. “This is how I feel inside,” I thought as I staggered along. Totally topsy-turvy and turned around.
Amidst destruction, disruption and disorientation, Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid...Come.” I just wasn’t listening to Jesus in that moment.
In our first reading today, Elijah had his own encounter with disruption. On the mountain, a place where many have gone to find perspective (prophets like Moses and Elijah to Jesus to the desert mothers and fathers to naturalist John Muir to poet Mary Oliver), Elijah is confronted with a holy mess of natural disaster: galeforce winds that are breaking rocks to bits, an earthquake, and an all-consuming fire. Somehow, through all of this, Elijah stays put in this discord. His patience and persistence pays off. “After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.” The Lord passed by. What follows is God’s commission of Elijah -- his being sent out on mission to fulfill God’s plan.
Amidst destruction, disruption and disorientation, Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid...Come.”
In today’s Gospel, Peter experiences a similar call amidst chaos. You know the story well. The disciples are sent by Jesus in a boat “to the other side.” For the Galileans of the day, the sea was a dangerous place containing any number of monsters and maniacal manifestations lurking in the deep. They kept to the shallows for safety. Jesus sends them into deeper waters. In the darkest hour of the night (the “fourth watch”) sometime between 3:00-6:00am, a storm swamps the disciples’ boat and they are in disarray. It is at that very point, the point when all feels lost and desperate, that Jesus appears, walking on the water. They are so disturbed by their terror that they don’t even recognize him -- they are blinded by their fear. It is at that very point, the point when dark spirits have dispelled the light, that Jesus speaks: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid...Come.” Peter is so moved by this comforting call that he springs out of the safety and stability of the boat onto the unstable and watery terrain of the sea in order to draw near to Jesus.
I imagine Elijah and Peter would have something to say to us today. Here we are, experiencing the storm of this global pandemic that has caused a deep disruption in our lives, especially those marginalized populations who are most heavily impacted by the virus. They may even have something to say to us in the United States as we more honestly face the damaging winds, shaky ground, and destructive fire that is systemic racism. Fear has set in, folks! Fear that the virus has forced us out of the world as we knew it into an unknown future. Fear that the dismantling of racist policy, systems, and structures will force many of us out of our boats of privilege and onto an unfamiliar landscape of racial equity. Fear that our country will continue to divide itself even further. But notice when God and Jesus show up and where they stand: amidst the chaos, within moments of confusion, standing in the deeper place beyond the fallacy we create that we are in control and beyond what feels comfortable (and actually, ironically, ends up confining us).
Amidst destruction, disruption and disorientation, Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid...Come.”
On the side of the road in the Mojave, I eventually looked up from the chaos on the ground to the beauty before me. A mountain range stretched out across the horizon. Immediately upon my eyes catching that new view, I heard a voice in my heart whisper, “The world needs something different.” It was the voice of God challenging me not to turn, tuck tail, and run when things get difficult or disorienting; rather, to stay in the tension and the discomfort with a “strong back and a soft front,” as resilience expert Brene Brown likes to say. I rediscovered my breath, turned, and walked on my woozy but sure legs of faith back to the truck and back to the relationship. I got in, put the UHaul in drive, and we proceeded on our way. That woman is now my wife and we are still “bumping along” in the grand adventure of covenantal love 13 years later.
My prayer is that we all can continue standing in the tension and listening for the whisper of God’s voice amidst whatever dark spirits work to disrupt or destroy us. My prayer is that we can step out of what feels comfortable, even in the face of fear, and step toward the Savior. My prayer is that we can truly listen and respond to Jesus’ command: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid...Come.”
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
HIS COMMANDS MEAN “I CAN”
“Peter spoke up and said, ‘Lord, if it is really You, tell me to come to You across the water.’ ‘Come!’ He said. So Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water, moving toward Jesus.” —Matthew 14:28-29
If you had asked Peter the day before he walked on the water: “Can you walk on water?”, Peter would have answered “No.” Peter could not walk on water unless Jesus told him to, and Peter obeyed Jesus’ command. This is a basic principle of the Christian life.
For example, we must love our enemies (Lk 6:27, 35) and forgive them 70 x 7 times (Mt 18:22). But we cannot do these things. However, because Jesus has commanded us to do them, we can and must do them. When Jesus commands a paralyzed man to walk, only then can he walk (see Mk 2:11-12). Jesus has already commanded us to “make disciples of all the nations” (Mt 28:19) and to become holy in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15). Of course, we cannot do these things. But because Jesus has commanded us, we can. Life in Christ is the exciting privilege of living far beyond our human limitations because of Jesus’ commands and our obedience.
Unless Jesus returns first, we will conclude our Christian life on this earth by dying. Then Jesus will give us one more command: “Rise from the dead” (see Jn 5:28-29). We cannot rise from the dead. Yet because Jesus will command us to rise, we can rise. Obey Jesus; do the impossible; prepare to rise from the dead.
Prayer: Father, may I take every opportunity Jesus gives me to rise above my human limitations.
Promise: “After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.” —1 Kgs 19:12-13
Praise: “He died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who for their sakes died and was raised up” (2 Cor 5:15). Praise You, Jesus!
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Does the Lord Jesus seem distant when trials or adversity come your way? It was at Jesus' initiative that the disciples sailed across the lake, only to find themselves in a life-threatening storm. Although they were experienced fishermen, they feared for their lives. While Jesus was not with them in the boat, he, nonetheless watched for them in prayer. When he perceived their trouble he came to them on the sea and startled them with his sudden appearance. Do you look for the Lord's presence when you encounter difficulty or challenges?
Fight fear with faith
This dramatic incident on the sea of Galilee revealed Peter's character more fully than others. Here we see Peter's impulsiveness - his tendency to act without thinking of what he was doing. He often failed and came to grief as a result of his impulsiveness. In contrast, Jesus always bade his disciples to see how difficult it was to follow him before they set out on the way he taught them. A great deal of failure in the Christian life is due to acting on impulse and emotional fervor without counting the cost. Peter, fortunately in the moment of his failure clutched at Jesus and held him firmly. Every time Peter fell, he rose again. His failures only made him love the Lord more deeply and trust him more intently.
The Lord keeps watch over us at all times, and especially in our moments of temptation and difficulty. Do you rely on the Lord for his strength and help? Jesus assures us that we have no need of fear if we trust in Him and in his great love for us. When calamities or trials threaten to overwhelm you, how do you respond? With faith and hope in God's love, care and presence with you?
Lord Jesus, help me to trust you always and to never doubt your presence and your power to help me. In my moments of doubt and weakness, may I cling to you as Peter did. Strengthen my faith that I may walk straight in the path you set before me, neither veering to the left nor to the right.
Psalm 85:8-13
8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9.Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Welcoming the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and humility, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"While human praise does not tempt the Lord, people are often ruffled and nearly entranced by human praise and honors in the church. Peter was afraid on the sea, terrified by the great force of the storm. Indeed, who does not fear that voice: 'Those who say you are happy place you in error and disturb the path of your feet' (Isaiah 3:12 Vulgate translation)? And since the soul struggles against the desire for human praise, it is good for it to turn to prayer and petition amid such danger, lest one who is charmed by praise be overcome by criticism and reproach. Let Peter, about to sink in the waves, cry out and say, 'Lord, save me!' The Lord reached out his hand. He chided Peter, saying, 'O man of little faith, why did you doubt?' - that is, why did you not, gazing straight at the Lord as you approached, pride yourself only in him? Nevertheless he snatched Peter from the waves and did not allow him who was declaring his weakness and asking the Lord for help to perish." (excerpt from SERMON 75:10)
Homily from Father James Gilhooley
19 Ordinary Time
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Cycle - Matthew 14:22-27
A teacher shared today's Gospel of Christ calming the storm with her nursery class in England. School was finished. There was a blizzard outside. The teacher tried to get the youngsters to their homes. As she struggled through the snow, she heard a boy say to his buddy, "We could use that chap Jesus right now." (William Barclay)
Jesus has just fed 15,000 with WONDER bread and rainbow trout. They want to make Him president and insure free daily catered meals. This retired priest advises it beats standing over a stove. He turns thumbs down on the job offer.
Jesus nixed the proposal to move into the Jewish Oval Office. Yet, the apostles thought it sensible. The problem with revolutionaries is not that they want to burn palaces. Rather, they want to move into them. (Wilfrid Sheed) They wanted Christ to become Top Man. They would ride with Him in stretch limousines and have cell phones. There would be no more sleeping on the hard ground but in five star hotel beds with Swedish mattresses. They would cease eating junk food and take their meals in gourmet restaurants. Their Dom Perignon champagne days would have begun and not a day too soon.
The only time Jesus met with politicians, His hands were tied and His back clotted with blood. (Philip Yancey) The Nazarene picked off their naked greed and wanted to scotch it and not with Chivas Regal. He ordered His people to break camp and go to the other side of the lake. He would disperse the 15,000 and spend the night in prayer in the mountains. He needed to touch base with His Father. He enjoyed solitude. But how little He found! How He must have longed for the laid back days of Nazareth. But the last year of His life had begun. It would be all downhill. It was time to get His house in order.
The twelve balked. They were too close to winning the Lotto. Jesus had to twist their arms to make them leave. But they still delayed at the shore. They were hoping He would change His mind and accept the presidency. They could envision Peter as vice-president, Judas as treasury secretary, young John as secretary of state, etc.
Finally they pushed their large boat into the waters. They set sail for the western shore, which was 7.5 miles away. Hurricane winds came out of the north from the Golan Heights. Fishermen today will tell you with alarm they still do. What should have been a tranquil journey became a roller coaster ride. They were terrified. Instead of eating lobster, they would be eaten by lobsters. They were saying with that Brit boy but more intemperately, "We could be using that chap Jesus right now."
Up on the mountain, Jesus saw that His followers were about to become unwilling guests in Davy Jones locker. He forgot His problems. To His Father, He said, "Excuse me, Abba. This is action time." This Gospel catches the very essence of Jesus. Human needs surpass all other claims, even prayer, every time out. He has responded to the wishes of people for twenty-one centuries through His followers. He has no intention of stopping today unless of course we have.
As He walked across the wild waters, He spoke the spine-chilling line, "Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid." Our Leader told us an astounding seventeen times in the Gospels not to be afraid. Notice today it is not advice. It is a command.
Jesus came on board. We know how the story ends. The apostles were in sheer shock. Job (8:9) had taught them, "Only God walks on water." Had there been a trauma unit about, the apostles would be patients. The day had been saved by the Master once again.
Despite Christ's command, many are troubled by conditions in the Church. Scandals afflict us. We hear of pedophilia among priests. The faith of our Christian company plummets like the stock market on a bearish day.
But this Gospel reminds us the Church has found itself in hurricane seas from day one. When we find ourselves breaking into a cold sweat over the latest scandal, we should remember those lyrical words of our Lord, "Courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." He will come to us walking on the waters. All we have to do is allow Him into our boat.
It is an historical fact, proved by countless thousands in every generation that when Christ comes, the storm becomes a calm, the tumult becomes a peace, and we pass the breaking point and we do not break. (Unknown)
Incidentally, next time you feel perfect, try walking on water.
Homily from Father Joseph Pellegrino
Frjoeshomilies.net
19 Ordinary Time
Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time: He Calls Us to Walk with Him on the Water.
I want to start this week at the beginning: “In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” Now that is really the beginning. We learn from Genesis that on the first day God created the heavens and earth and then created light to overcome the darkness. On the second day, we learn that the earth was covered in water. God created land and separated the seas from the land. He conquered the seas.
To the ancient people, the seas represented chaos. Fishermen and sailors, then, as well as now, know all too well the sudden turmoil caused by rough waters. If you ever saw the movie, The Perfect Storm, you would understand why the water is associated with chaos. Think back to the horrible Asian tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands. I experienced a terrifying blizzard when I was in Boston at the beginning of my priesthood. Since the Boston area is on the water, tremendous damaged was caused by the sea. I used to show people homes in the Revere and Winthrop area that had their second story windows destroyed by waves.
The sea hits us in the front, the back, the left and the right. There is no escaping it when we are in the middle of it. That is chaos.
But God conquered the seas. And Jesus walked on the water. He continues to walk on water. He walks on the chaos of our lives.
That is one of the messages of today’s Gospel reading. No matter what chaos there is in the world and in our lives, Jesus walks on it. He conquers the chaos.
Jesus conquers the chaos that is caused by things that our beyond our control. Life itself is chaotic. Just when all is seems to be calm, a loved one suddenly dies. All of us have experienced this. We did not cause the chaos, but we do suffer from it.
Jesus conquers the chaos, even that chaos which we ourselves cause in our lives. Many of us have made bad choices. Many of us have sinned. Many of us suffer the results of our sins or the sins of others. For example, a person finally recognizes that he has gotten into a relationship which is destroying his family and destroying himself. He returns to his family, but the damage has been done. He and his family suffer the results of his sins.
It makes no difference whether we caused the chaos or whether we suffer from the chaos caused by others. Jesus still walks on the water. He conquers the chaos. Then, do you know what he does? He calls us to walk out onto the chaos and walk towards him. “Come Peter.” Peter walked on the water. At least for a bit.
That is what Jesus does for us all. He walks on the chaos of our lives, and then calls us to come and join him. He gives us the strength to walk on water.
And what if we fail? What if we blink, and sink like Peter did? “Don’t be afraid,” the Lord says. He is there to reach down and lift us out of the water, out of the chaos, just as he lifted Peter out of the water, out of the chaos of his life.
The Lord knows that we are not saints, not yet anyway. He knows that we are weak. He accepted Peter, that loud lout, that well-meaning coward, and turned him into the Rock of the Church. He takes us as we are and walks with us on the water. He only asks us to have the courage to put our faith in Him. He gives us the strength to join Him in conquering the chaos.
Where is the chaos in your lives, in my life? Is it sickness or death? Is it chemical dependence? Is it some other addiction? Is it turmoil in your marriage or your family? Where have the seas raised up to chaotic dimensions? Wherever that chaos is, please remember, that there is nothing, no chaos that is too great for Jesus to conquer. And there is nothing too devastating for us to conquer with Him.
He walked on the waters, and He calls us to walk with Him.
Homily from Father Phil Bloom
Stmaryvalleybloom.org
* Available in Spanish - see Spanish Homilies
19 Ordinary Time
Not Color Blind but Color Blessed
(August 9, 2020)
Bottom line: We stand in awe of what God did in forming the Jewish people and we rejoice that in Christ we can become grafted on to that race. And that race is color blessed.
Today St. Paul refers to "my own people, my kindred according to the flesh." He is referring, of course to the Jewish people. Before talking about what the Jewish race means to us, I'd like to say a word about the issue of race today.
Pastor Rick Warren wrote: "Some people say, 'When I look at people, I don't see race. I don't see their color.'" Pastor Warren responds, "There's a word for that: liar! Nobody is colorblind when it comes to race. And God doesn't want you to be colorblind. He wants you to be color blessed."
That struck a cord with me. When I went to Stanwood High, we weren't exactly white. More a pale pink. I am happy our society has become color blessed. One of the great things about Hispanic ministry is the mixture of races and colors. Here at St. Mary of the Valley, we are color blessed.
At the same time - and this is going to surprise many people - the Bible does not identify people by skin color. I've read the Bible through several times and I can think of only two places where it makes a reference to a person's skin color. The Bible really is color blind!
The Bible identifies people by their culture. We see Ethiopians, Babylonians, Greeks and so on. The Jewish people interacted with them not as people with different skin color, but as different cultures or "nations".
The story of the Bible is about God forming a people of his own - the Jews or Israelites. St. Paul says this about the Jewish race: "They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever."
Wow! Wow! Some think it's unfair God showed so much favoritism to the Jews. Well, along with great blessings came great suffering. In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye complaints to God: "I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can't You choose someone else?"
The Jewish people have a unique place in human history. But you know something? The amazing thing is that you and I can become joined to the Jewish race. St. Paul says that we Gentiles, we non-Jews, are like "wild olive branches" who have become grafted on to that Jewish trunk. We take our nourishment from those Jewish roots.
Next Sunday we will get a little preview when Jesus encounters a non-Jewish woman, a Caananite to be exact. It's pretty interesting so don't miss it.
For today we stand in awe of what God did in forming the Jewish people and we rejoice that in Christ we can become grafted on to that race. And that race is color blessed. It includes you and me - and people from every tribe and nation. Amen.
Homily from Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pa
Saint Vincent Archabbey
19 Ordinary Time
Homily from Father Alex McAllister SDS
Alexmcallister.co.uk
19 Ordinary Time
Today we consider a text that is crucial to the Church’s understanding of itself. The words of Jesus addressed to Peter, ‘You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.’ I suppose this is one of the most famous puns in the whole of history, Peter meaning rock. But that aside, the claims that the Church has made based on those few words are very great indeed. And they have provoked a good deal of criticism and have been an obstacle to many.
The claims are these: that Jesus gives authority to Peter and his successors to lead the Church, that the Holy Spirit will keep the successors of Peter free from error in matters concerning faith and morals, and that being in communion with the successors of Peter (i.e. the Popes) is essential to being a member of the one true Church of God.
We must remember the context in which these words of Jesus arise. Peter has just made an extraordinary confession of faith in response to Jesus’ question ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Peter’s reply, as we all know so well, is, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’ Jesus then declares that this extraordinary statement of faith was directly inspired by God the Father.
So clearly Peter is important, indeed vital, to the work that Jesus was to accomplish. It is clear also that leadership for the Church, for the followers of Jesus after he returned to his Father, was needed and it was the intention of Jesus that Peter should fulfil this role.
An important question arises, one that has caused problems for Orthodox and Protestant Christians for centuries, it is simply this: How is this ministry of leadership to be exercised? Among Catholics those taking a very high view of the Papacy have claimed that the Pope has immediate and overall authority in the Church. While most Protestants would reject any such claim completely out of hand, Orthodox Christians would give the Popes as the successors of Peter a primacy of honour. However, they would see his special role as something that ought to be exercised collegially in communion with all the other bishops.
Historians have noted that the Pope’s authority within the Catholic Church has actually increased over the years. While he has always had the ‘last word’ in important matters of faith he has not always exercised the same level of jurisdiction that he now possesses. For example, these days it is the Pope who appoints almost all of the Bishops wherever they might be. But this was not always the case because for many centuries Bishops were elected or appointed locally, especially in those areas where communication with Rome was difficult. Archbishops usually had to have their appointments confirmed by Rome, but this could take years or even decades because it was something that had to be done personally and involved the Archbishop going to Rome to collect the pallium.
Then there is the question of the Holy Spirit keeping the successors of St Peter free from error in matters of faith and morals. Certainly down through the centuries the Pope’s have been exactly that, the ultimate moderators in matters of doctrine. They have played a crucial role in keeping the faith of the Apostles intact despite all kinds of changing circumstances and new challenges. But again this area is not without its difficulties and our closest brothers, the Orthodox, have some problems with certain areas of what they perceive to be new articles of faith such as purgatory, the filoque clause in the Creed and most of all the 1870 definition of papal infallibility.
And within our Church there is a particular area where many people in the West have found difficulties with the teaching of the Popes and that is on the Church’s attitude towards artificial contraception. The problems associated with these areas which we can describe as authority and faith have obviously had their impact upon the other important role of the successors of Peter, their role as the touchstone of unity. It might appear as if this crucial aspect of the Petrine Ministry has been badly compromised over the centuries and for evidence of this we only have to look at the many divisions among the Christian Churches.
You might think that by now the role of the Popes is so defective that the whole enterprise is flawed and useless. But far from it! Yes, there are some difficulties, as I have pointed out. But if we reflect on what things would be like for Christianity without the Papacy then we quickly realise that it has actually provided outstanding leadership and has heroically maintained the faith of the Apostles for the last two millennia.
And some of those things which I have characterised as difficulties prove to be prophetic stances which contain an important message for the people of today. Which other authority in the world witnesses so well to the values of marriage and family life? Who else speaks up for chastity, purity and fidelity? Who speaks out against the widespread acceptance of promiscuous lifestyles? Who else has the courage to question the wisdom of the widespread reliance on artificial methods of contraception?
We see then that the role of Peter and his successors has shown itself to be a guiding light for all Christians despite the fact that at some points in history there have been movements to completely reject the Petrine ministry. In the modern world even members of those denominations furthest away from Catholicism, when they take their blinkers off, have to acknowledge that the teaching and witness of the Papacy is something that cannot be simply sidelined for it has proved to be one of the most important guides for anyone wanting to live an authentic Christian life today. We should be proud of the Papacy and recognise that it is one of Christ’s great gifts to the Church. But also we should not be surprised that there are some difficulties on this great pilgrimage of faith that the People of God is engaged in.
Christ knew the quality of the man he was choosing. That Peter deserted him after his arrest was no surprise to Jesus, but then so did almost all the other Apostles. He knew better than anyone how Peter was impetuous on the one hand and indecisive on the other. But Christ deliberately chooses the weak to confound the strong. When it comes down to it what have the Popes got? Nothing much, except faith and the promises of Christ. Their power is not based on wealth or weapons because the authority that they wield is not of the worldly kind. Their task is to simply and straightforwardly proclaim faith in Jesus Christ as the one true Saviour of the World. This is the only kind of leadership that the Church could ever want or need. So we are proud of the Papacy, glad to be Catholic, and inspired to be faithful to Christ and his Church.
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