tenderness
Posted on

Family: A School Of Love And Tenderness

Pope Francis has just released his Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, or “The Joy of Love” An apostolic exhortation is a type of letter a pope uses to explain conclusions reached following a Synod of Bishops. While this particular exhortation is far too long to discuss in whole here, we can find a few sections to consider.

Pope Francis reminds us that the family is the “domestic church,” the first place we learn the faith, and where God’s presence is always felt.

A family’s living space could turn into a domestic church, a setting for the Eucharist, the presence of Christ seated at its table. We can never forget the image found in the Book of Revelation, where the Lord says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20). Here we see a home filled with the presence of God, common prayer and every blessing. This is the meaning of the conclusion of Psalm 128, which we cited above: “Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion!” (Ps 128:4-5) Para. 15

The Holy Father gives societies and cultures an important admonition: children are not property. While they are under the charge of their parents, children have their own “lives to lead,” and parents are charged with helping their children find that path. In today’s world, we must remember we are not “owed” children nor should children be bought and sold (either through such things as surrogacy or in the more horrible means of human trafficking.)

The pope is under no illusion that families are idyllic. However, we do have a standard we must hold ourselves to as Christians. Pope Francis speaks to this quite clearly:

Against this backdrop of love so central to the Christian experience of marriage and the family, another virtue stands out, one often overlooked in our world of frenetic and superficial relationships. It is tenderness. Let us consider the moving words of Psalm 131. As in other biblical texts (e.g., Ex 4:22; Is 49:15; Ps 27:10), the union between the Lord and his faithful ones is expressed in terms of parental love. Here we see a delicate and tender intimacy between mother and child: the image is that of a babe sleeping in his mother’s arms after being nursed. As the Hebrew word gamûl suggests, the infant is now fed and clings to his mother, who takes him to her bosom. There is a closeness that is conscious and not simply biological… Para. 29

No matter our faith or beliefs, the pope’s words ring true: our world needs tenderness. We need it most especially in our homes, our refuges from a world that can be chaotic, mean-spirited, ruthless and dispiriting. The tenderness of Mary holding the infant Jesus, the tenderness of Joseph as he taught the Child Jesus a trade, the tenderness of Christ as He cared for His earthly parents: all of these should be our icons, our examples, our prayers-in-action within the walls of our own homes.

We will contemplate more of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation this week, but for today, let tenderness be our prayer and our manner of being.

 

Jesuits
Posted on

For the Greater Glory of God: The Jesuits

475 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola became the leader of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. Their motto, Ad majorem Dei gloriam, translates to For the greater glory of God.  Over the centuries, the Jesuits have become known for their scholarship and their bold evangelization. (Pope Francis is a Jesuit priest.)

This boldness is no surprise, given their founder. Ignatius of Loyola was a soldier who brought the fervor of battle into his spiritual life. He developed a series of exercises to help the men he led develop in their relationship with God, just as a commander might help those who serve under him to become stronger soldiers. The Spiritual Exercises continue to help Jesuits form their priestly lives. One writer describes this spirituality as practical:

Ignatian spirituality is adaptable. It is an outlook, not a program; a set of attitudes and insights, not rules or a scheme. Ignatius’s first advice to spiritual directors was to adapt the Spiritual Exercises to the needs of the person entering the retreat. At the heart of Ignatian spirituality is a profound humanism. It respects people’s lived experience and honors the vast diversity of God’s work in the world. The Latin phrase cura personalis is often heard in Ignatian circles. It means ‘care of the person’—attention to people’s individual needs and respect for their unique circumstances and concerns.

The Jesuits’ strong desire to evangelize has sent them all over the globe. Many have been martyred in their desire to “set the world ablaze” with Christ, as their founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, enjoined them. Fr. Walther Ciszek, S.J., an American, joined the Jesuits in the early 20th century. He volunteered to go to Russia, even as the Soviet regime was taking control. It was not an easy time for the young priest.

He didn’t mind the hard work and harsh conditions of that camp in the Ural Mountains. But he was frustrated and disillusioned to find no outlets for his priestly ministry. It was “almost a non-apostolate,” he said, for even the Catholic workers feared Communist informers and refused to speak or hear of God. And so, as Ciszek and a fellow Jesuit said their furtive Masses in the forest, he wondered: “Have all my work and sacrifices been for nothing? Should I give up?”

He needn’t have worried. Ciszek was soon arrested as a spy, and sentenced to the infamous Siberian Gulag for 15 years. It was here that Ciszek found his mission field.

[I]n this nightmare realm, Fr. Ciszek knew the joy of bringing Christ to his fellow prisoners. In secret, he baptized, heard confessions, tended the sick and dying, gave homilies and retreats, said Mass, and distributed Communion. With quiet heroism, he built “a thriving parish,” though it cost him. He was punished with assignments to the dirtiest work. He shoveled coal for fifteen hours straight, hauled logs out of a frozen river, crawled through dangerous mine tunnels, and dug sewer trenches with a pickaxe in subzero temperatures.

“How did you survive?” people asked him later. “God’s providence,” he always replied. And abandoning himself to this providence — to God’s will, as revealed in each day’s situations — was his priority.

Many people, including lay persons, have over the centuries found Ignatian spirituality helpful in their own lives. The many brave Jesuit priests stand as awesome examples of awareness of Christ in the world and a strong desire to serve others.

 

purpose of life
Posted on

‘What Is the Purpose of Life?’

Narayan Krishnan, the man featured in the video below, was chosen by CNN in 2010 for the CNN Heroes Award. Krishnan is a Brahmin, the highest of the castes in the Indian caste system. Although technically outlawed, the caste system in India is still widely practiced, and the men and women Krishnan serves belong to the lowest caste, considered to be the “Untouchables.” Krishnan gives his answer to the timeless human question, “What is the purpose of life?”

Annunciation
Posted on

Feast of the Annunciation: An Answer That Changed Everything

The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25. However, in 2016, that date fell on Good Friday. The Bishops of the United States have declared that the celebration of this feast be moved to Monday, April 4. (By the way, this particular occurrence won’t happen again until 2157!)

The story is a familiar one to most of us:

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. – Lk. 1:26-38

It is hard to imagine how frightening this scene is. First, while we like to portray angels as chubby babies with wings floating in mid-air, angels are actually awesome creatures. Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft gives us a clear idea of what angels are:

  • They really exist. Not just in our minds, or our myths, or our symbols, or our culture. They are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity.
  • They’re present, right here, right now, right next to you, reading these words with you.
  • They’re not cute, cuddly, comfortable, chummy, or “cool”. They are fearsome and formidable. They are huge. They are warriors.
  • They are the real “extra-terrestrials”, the real “Super-men”, the ultimate aliens. Their powers are far beyond those of all fictional creatures.
  • They are more brilliant minds than Einstein.
  • They can literally move the heavens and the earth if God permits them.
  • There are also evil angels, fallen angels, demons, or devils. These too are not myths. Demon possessions, and exorcisms, are real.
  • Angels are aware of you, even though you can’t usually see or hear them. But you can communicate with them. You can talk to them without even speaking.
  • You really do have your very own “guardian angel”. Everybody does.
  • Angels often come disguised. “Do not neglect hospitality, for some have entertained angels unawares”—that’s a warning from life’s oldest and best instruction manual.
  • We are on a protected part of a great battlefield between angels and devils, extending to eternity.
  • Angels are sentinels standing at the crossroads where life meets death. They work especially at moments of crisis, at the brink of disaster—for bodies, for souls, and for nations.

Imagine a young girl who is suddenly faced with one of these “fearsome” creatures. And this “warrior” tells her she is to become the Mother of God. She has the presence of mind to ask a sensible question and give her undivided “yes” (in Latin, her fiat: “let it be done”) to this request.

It was a request. Mary did not have to answer “yes” to God. She, like all of us, had free will. (She did not have the burden of original sin, however. That is why the angel greets her as “full of grace” or “favored one.”) It is said that God is a gentleman; He never imposes his will on anyone, but waits until we tell him “yes” to His will.

Mary could not see into the future. She could not know the full weight of her answer. She did know that she wished to do God’s will, always and only. She knew she wanted to welcome Christ, the Messiah, the Savior. She said, “Yes.” Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry writes:

We also see through Mary that faith is freedom. In this moment where she says she is the Lord’s handmaid, she is perfectly free. As free as anybody except Christ on the Cross. As said, Mary understood that her choice of the fiat would have negative consequences for her, although she probably did not understand the full ramifications. She could have said no. We have to believe this. She could have said no. She could have said no, and it would have been the total end of salvation history, with no Cross, no Resurrection, no life to come. Creation would have continued galloping into absurdity towards, probably, ultimate dissolution. This is why Mary rightly receives the most esteemed title of Mother of God. Her fiat had to cost Mary, and she could have said no. But if she had said no, it would have been out of fear. Fear of social opprobrium (and who among us has none?), fear of tribulation, fear of the unknown, the totally Unknown, blasting into her life like a torrent and changing everything. Who would not have that fear! We shouldn’t romanticize the Annunciation, we shouldn’t believe that it was easy-peasy; Mary may have been Immaculate, but Jesus sweated blood at Gethsemane. When Luke tells us that she was “greatly troubled”, we have to see it for the tactful understatement that it is. And yet at that moment, Mary is perfectly free, and her perfect freedom caused the salvation of all humanity.

On this Feast of the Annunciation, let us ponder this scene. A young girl, an angel, a question, and how it changed the world.

saint
Posted on

Who, Me? A Saint?

Perhaps you grew up with a saint statue on your dresser. When you were confirmed, you likely mulled over which saint you which choose for your patron in that sacrament. Put to the test, you could probably list quite a few saints.

But do you know YOU are supposed to be a saint?

While Catholics worship God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – alone, we rely on the holiness of others as examples of the Christian life. While the Church declares some “saints,” she acknowledges that not all those who live on eternally in the presence of God will be officially recognized as saints. Regardless, we are called to live in communion with the saints:

In the communion of saints, ‘a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.’In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin. – Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1475

We “pilgrims on earth” frankly need all the help we can get, and our brothers and sisters in Christ who have preceded us in faith to Heaven are some of the best friends we can have.

But we need to go further than this; we need to recognize that we are ALL called to be saints. Yes, you. And me. And that lady that sits behind you every week in church, singing off-key. Your teenage son, who seems to have lost the give of speech and merely grunts at you. Your boss. Your uncle who still refers to your by your childhood nickname no matter how many times you’ve asked him not to.

Saints, all of us.

You may protest, “I can’t be a saint. I’m not holy enough. I swear at other drivers. I get mad at my kids. I can’t concentrate on Father’s homily most of the time.” Yeah, well, you’re still called to be a saint.

Oh, we may not get official recognition from the Church; most saints don’t. It may be hard for us to achieve holiness; it is for most saints. Saints are real people, though, not plaster statues or figurines pinned to our car’s visors. They are not softly colored and angelic faces staring at us flatly from a holy card. They are men and women who faced real challenges: hatred from their family for converting, crippling illness, doubts in their faith, criticism from those around them.

What makes a person a saint is that they try to be holy. They recognize their sinfulness, and they repent … and repent … and repent. They learn to tame their temper, their tongue, their pride. They rely on Christ, His Church, the Sacraments, in order to gain grace that no person can gain on their own. They are not perfect. They are, however, holy – not by their own efforts, but by the grace of God.

It is your calling to be a saint. Don’t say you can’t (which is really saying, “I won’t.”) Instead, get to know the saints. Learn how they did it. Ask Mary, the Mother of God, for help. Seek to do good works in your family, in your place of work, in your community, in your parish. Sainthood is not out of reach. In fact, God is handing it to you as a gift, and all you need to do is live out that gift.

rejoice
Posted on

Called To Rejoice In A Sorrowful World

Easter is a joyful time of year for Christians; it is the culmination of the entire liturgical year. After the serious and often grim days of Lent, the Church bursts forth into song; our parishes are filled with flowers and “Alleluias” resound. However, we all know that our lives are not always celebratory. We mourn. Sickness often consumes our lives. And it’s not just us personally; the entire world grieved during Holy Week as terrorists attacked in Brussels. We live in a sorrowful world.

Pope Francis knows this. On Easter, he gave the papal address, Urbi et Orbi (City and World). He acknowledged that our lives must be rooted in faith:

Before the spiritual and moral abysses of mankind, before the chasms that open up in hearts and provoke hatred and death, only an infinite mercy can bring us salvation.  Only God can fill those chasms with his love, prevent us from falling into them and help us to continue our journey together towards the land of freedom and life.

While our lives here on Earth can often seem overwhelmed by evil, the Holy Father reminds all of us that Christ’s Resurrection “offers us the comforting assurance that the abyss of death has been bridged and, with it, all mourning, lamentation and pain.”

The message of Easter is not one for Christians alone. It is meant for all humanity. We must see to it that those without hope come to know hope in Christ. It is only in Christ that all things can be made new, as it says in the book of Revelation. In a world torn by war, hatred, terrorism and personal strife, Pope Francis spoke clearly to our hearts:

With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death.  His son Jesus is the door of mercy wide open to all …  May efforts be made everywhere to promote the culture of counter, justice and reciprocal respect, which alone can guarantee the spiritual and material welfare of all people.

The joy of Easter can sometimes be very hard to sustain. Yet, as Christians, we must always carry the hope of Christ and His triumph over death in our minds and in our hearts. In a hurting world, we must exemplify faith, hope and love to those who have lost faith, abandoned hope and do not know love. On our lips should ever be the joyful refrain of the Psalmist: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”

Celebrating Easter
Posted on

8 Ways To Keep Celebrating Easter

While the stores have slashed prices on jelly beans, and removed Easter bunny decorations in favor of Mother’s Day, the Catholic Church keeps right on celebrating Easter.

  1. Make an “Alleluia” banner as a family, and hang it prominently in your home. It’s a great reminder that we are in a season of joy.
  2. If you didn’t get around to decorating eggs over the holiday weekend, do it now! Less stress, no hurry, and Easter eggs are a great way to have a discussion with kids about death and resurrection.
  3. Take time to re-visit your Lenten penance. What did you learn from it? How did it help your prayer life, your spiritual life? If it’s something you still struggle with, consider continuing it, even once a week.
  4. Another great family activity (perfect for spring) is to plant a Marian garden. It’s a beautiful and very visible way to put your faith “front and center” at your home.
  5. What about creating a prayer space in your home? It need not be elaborate, but having a quiet corner with a candle, some prayer books, a statue can help you and your family find some space to make prayer a part of your home life every day.
  6. One of the great parts of Easter is sharing a meal with family and friends. The feast – even though it is in our homes – truly is an extension of the celebration of Mass. The Body of Christ is sent forth from Mass to take our faith into the world. Look around: is there someone in your life who could use a little feasting? A homemade meal? Even just a visit? Now is the time!
  7. Many cultures include bread-making as part of the Easter tradition. Have some fun with the family and  make fresh bread.
  8. Do you have a crucifix displayed prominently in your home? If not, pick one out online or at a Catholic book store, and then ask your priest to bless it after Mass (it only takes a minute.) Then, as a family, choose where you will display it.

One of the great things about being Catholic is that we have so many celebrations of different aspects of our faith. Enjoy the 50 days of Easter!

Easter
Posted on

Easter 2016: Death, Sorrow, Resurrection

The Easter of 2016 will likely be remembered for the usual things: beautiful liturgies, family get-togethers, sharing of food – both spiritual and traditional. The Easter of 2016 will also be remembered for death, sorrow and resurrection, but perhaps not in the usual way.

Of course, the Church celebrates the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil) as a way to enter into Christ’s Passion and Death. Then, on Easter, we joyously sing out “Alleluias,” joining the whole world in proclaiming the Resurrection of Our Lord.

This year, there were other deaths that were noteworthy and both, in their own way, give us insight into the Easter miracle.

First, Mother Angelica, the Poor Clare nun who was the founder of the Catholic media outlet EWTN, passed away at the age of 92 on Easter Sunday. Mother Angelica seemed an unlikely candidate for religious life, let alone becoming the founder of a Catholic TV station. She grew up poor and rather tough, raised by a single mother in Canton, OH. Her faith was nominal, perfunctory, until she was healed of a stomach ailment. In 1944, she entered the convent.

Despite the fact that Mother Angelica was a cloistered nun (see an example of cloistered life here), she was a highly requested speaker. By 1978, she believed God was calling her to start a Catholic television studio, where she could reach out to thousands of people. It was, by all accounts, an outrageous idea. First of all, as a Poor Clare, she had taken a vow of poverty. When she told others of her plan, they tried to dissuade her, thinking no one would want to watch a nun talking on tv. However, she trusted God, and in her rather folksy way, reminded others to do the same: “These are the kinds of things, honey, that prove God’s Providence. We never know where the next penny’s coming from. That’s what I’m trying to get through people’s heads: This is an act of God.”

What began as a tiny tv studio became EWTN, carried by more than 220 cable systems and viewed in more than 2 million homes worldwide, and includes a radio and social media presence. Mother Angelica’s own show, “Mother Angelica Live” was a viewer favorite for years. Mother Angelica never spoke in lofty theological terms, but she understood theology. Her manner was almost quaint, but right to the point. She once said, “I’m not afraid to fail … I’m scared to death of dying and having the Lord say to me, ‘Angelica, this is what you might have done had you trusted more.”

The other death that comes to mind reportedly occurred on Good Friday. Fr. Thomas Uzhunnalil, a Salesian priest was exectued by ISIS. Fr. Uzhannalil had been kidnapped during a raid in Yemen at a nursing home run by the Sisters of Charity. Four of the sisters were killed then, along with 16 other workers, and the priest was taken captive. Efforts to obtain his release failed, and the priest was apparently crucified on Good Friday.

In some ways, these two deaths could not be more different. One an elderly nun, surrounded in love by the sisters with whom she shared her life. The other, an Indian priest, alone and afraid, murdered by terrorists. One cloistered, one serving in the world. One an unlikely media mogul, one a simple priest.

Despite the differences, we can learn something from both these deaths that occurred over the Easter holiday. Both Mother Angelica and Fr. Uzhannalil wholly devoted their lives to God. Yes, they served in completely different ways, but both of them were willing to abandon the world in order to serve Jesus Christ. Both are outstanding witnesses to us that God sometimes asks us to do things the world judges as, well, crazy. Both knew that they had to set aside their own wills and desires to follow Christ. And both stand as witness to what it means to be holy, and that holiness can take on such different faces.

Good Friday is all about sorrow and death. Fr. Uzhannalil died a martyr’s death with only his faith to accompany him. Easter is a day of joy and resurrection, new life and triumph over death. Mother Angelica spent her life spreading the joy of the Gospel. Yes, the Easter of 2016 will be remembered for the death of these two. Many mourn them, but we also must trust completely in the Easter message. St. John Paul II, quoting St. Augustine, liked to say,  “We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!” Life is not all gladness and light; we know sorrow as well. But as Catholics, we must never forget the joy of Easter morning, the empty tomb, the triumph over sin and death. Mother Angelica and Fr. Uzhannalil knew this and lived this.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they, and all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

[Update: While the Associated Press and the Washington Times have reported the priest’s crucifixion, Catholic News Service is saying they have indications he is still alive. We continue to pray.]

Way of the Cross Mary
Posted on

Walking The Way Of The Cross With Mary

The Stations of the Cross are a Catholic staple. Most of us have spent more than a few Friday nights during Lent praying the way of the cross. Sometimes, though, it’s good to get another perspective on a tradition. And that’s where the Way of the Cross with Mary comes in.

There are many variations on this, but the focus is to try and see Jesus’ suffering through the eyes of His Mother, the eyes of a parent. Mary can only stand as witness to her Child’s pain:

I can’t describe his face, with the blood and the sweat, and the bruises and swelling from the beatings. As a mother, I can hardly tell you that there was even spit on his face. It was the face of solidarity with all who have ever experienced abuse and violence.

Creighton University’s Online Ministries has a wonderful Marian Stations of the Cross. (They have other really great Lenten prayer resources as well.)

Perhaps a new perspective on this tradition is just what you need during Holy Week.

holy thursday
Posted on

Holy Thursday: Night of Sacrifice And Service

With Holy Thursday, Lent ends and the Church enters into the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. This is the holiest time of the year for Christians. We enter into the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ, celebrate the Last Supper, walk with Him through the Passion and anticipate the Resurrection.

Holy Thursday is the most complex and profound of all religious observances, saving only the Easter Vigil. It celebrates both the institution by Christ himself of the Eucharist and of the institution of the sacerdotal priesthood (as distinct from the ‘priesthood of all believers’) for in this, His last supper with the disciples, a celebration of Passover, He is the self-offered Passover Victim, and every ordained priest to this day presents this same sacrifice, by Christ’s authority and command, in exactly the same way. The Last Supper was also Christ’s farewell to His assembled disciples, some of whom would betray, desert or deny Him before the sun rose again.

The Holy Thursday liturgy is one of sacrifice and service. The Gospel (from the Gospel of John) tells of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples in an act of service. He then instructs them to do the same. This Gospel then comes to life: the priest washes the feet of 12 people from the church congregation. It is an act of humble service, an example of the Christian life.

The liturgy moves then to the Lord’s Supper. Jesus and his Apostles were celebrating the Jewish Passover, a night that recalls the angel of death passing over the Jews in Egyptian captivity as they prepare to flee to freedom. The unleavened bread was necessary; there was no time to wait for bread to rise with yeast. Jesus takes this covenant, the promise between God and the Jews, and transforms it into the New Covenant, the promise of salvation and the triumph over death for all who eat and drink His Body, His Blood, in faith.

The end of the Holy Thursday liturgy is sober. After Communion, the Eucharist (which usually is held in repose in the Tabernacle) is moved and the Tabernacle stands empty. By now, Christ has been betrayed by Judas and is under arrest. The empty Tabernacle reminds us that Christ has been taken away. (The faithful then spend time in Eucharistic adoration; the Eucharist is typically moved to a temporary chapel.) In this way, the faithful “keep watch” with Jesus through the night.

The altar is stripped. The church takes on an empty, somber tone. Some churches follow the tradition of covering the crucifix and statues with a purple cloth. In essence, we anticipate our Lord’s Passion and the suffering of Good Friday.

Our faith offers us such rich, bountiful liturgical celebrations in the Triduum. Catholics and non-Catholics often refer to the “smells and bells” – incense, bells, music, and there is truth to that. Catholics worship with our whole bodies. Our senses are fed; we bow and kneel. We sing and process. We eat and drink. It is not a mere cerebral experience. We are not a quiet and polite audience to a theological discourse. No: God created us body and soul, and we return that gift by worshiping Him with our whole being.

The Holy Thursday liturgy abounds with symbols, examples of sacrifice and service, and yes, “smells and bells.” It is an opportunity to worship in a manner given to us only once a year. By all means, take advantage of this time to grow closer to Christ, our Lord and Savior.

betrayal
Posted on

Betrayal, Despair And Salvation

Surely, it is not I, Lord?

Christ begins the Passover celebration with the Apostles by telling them that one of them will betray Him, their Lord and Master. There is denial and consternation among them: Surely, it is not I, Lord?

The Gospels clearly record Judas’ betrayal – selling out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. We know, too, that Peter betrays Christ by denying he even knows Him, three times. Because the other ten Apostles were human, we know they betrayed Christ in some way. We betray Christ.

Sin is an ugly thing. It always damages relationships. Sometimes the slights are small: we are brusque with a co-worker or raise our voice to a small child. Other times, the sins are quite damaging: an abortion, an affair, theft from an employer. We betray God, each other and we betray the person God created us to be.

Despite his betrayal, Peter was chosen by Christ to lead the Apostles and the first Christians. How can that be? It is the mystery of salvation: Christ took those sins, and ours, with Him to the Cross and won for us our salvation. Peter knew He needed Christ and the salvation He offered.

What of Judas? Was his sin of betrayal so much greater? Some believe Judas’ fault lies elsewhere:

Perhaps Judas’ greatest sin was not in betraying Jesus; rather, it was in allowing himself to be consumed by a prideful despair after the betrayal. Unlike Peter and the rest of the apostles, Judas failed to repent; he failed to find hope. Like us at times, Judas could not see past his owns sins and his feelings of unworthiness. Instead of turning outward toward the Lord with a repentant heart that could have been filled with hope, Judas regrettably looked inward and saw only his own despair. Lacking the courage to begin his life anew, Judas ends his life by hanging himself.

Poor Judas despaired. He thought his sin was far too great to be forgiven. He lost hope; he failed to accept the salvation Christ offered.

There is not one of us who can stand and say, “I have no sin.” And no one of us can judge another. We even stumble when we judge ourselves, as Judas did. The Church has wisely given us the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so that a priest (acting in persona Christi) can counsel us and give us absolution. Otherwise, we could despair as well. Pope Benedict, speaking of this, said, “Let us remember two things. The first: Jesus respects our freedom. The second: Jesus waits for us to have the disposition to repent and to be converted; he is rich in mercy and forgiveness.”

This Tuesday of Holy Week, as we prepare to celebrate the Triduum, let us ponder our own need to repent, and the abundance of God’s mercy and forgiveness.