Dear Believers in the Living Christ,

I usually focus on the gospel in this column. However, the first scripture text, Wisdom 6:12-16 catches my attention first. “Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her.” Wisdom is key to our earthy seeking of Jesus, to our way of life and our mission of the Church.

Let’s start with wisdom. Wisdom is difficult to come by in our age of technology. Bantering, unedited posts and arguments fill cyberspace and wind up in our inbox every day. Wisdom, both on the individual level and in public discourse, is not easy. Sound bites are not wisdom, no matter on television or on Twitter.

Wisdom is worth our focus in these last days of our Liturgical Year. Wisdom outlines a pattern of life that is from God and toward God. Wisdom cultivates a home within us if we are open to deep reflection, prayerful reading of the scriptures, dialogue even among those with whom we disagree, and discernment about situations and patterns in our life. Wisdom is a friend for the long run. Wisdom is a result of living a rather humble and beautiful life.

Recently, I heard that one of the results of our mobile society is that we now tend to move to cities with more likeminded people. Given technology, so many people can work from any city in the country. One of the negative aspects of such moves is that we are no longer living and working with people who have varying opinions from ours. This leads to living more rigid lives. Wisdom, true wisdom, is more difficult to discover when other people, or even the gospel itself, does not challenge us.

Wisdom is relevant for the long term. We live between Christ’s Resurrection and his Second Coming. This is the real place for wisdom, not just for individual morality, but also for our common discourse of social issues, political discussions and the moral consequences of our actions as a people. Wisdom takes time, courage and a moral life. Wisdom befriends those who believe in something more than themselves.

Today’s second reading, Thessalonians 4:13-18, also captures my attention. This reading is usually proclaimed during the Easter Vigil. This gives us hope in the interim between Jesus’ Resurrection and his return. We shall live with God all the days of our life and we should console one another with this message of compassion and hope. This is wisdom, that death gives way to new life. This is in fact what we base our lives upon; the wisdom of Jesus that his life is our salvation. Anything that disturbs this message within our hearts is not wisdom. We have life and hope to share with people. This is the message of faith that we should be sharing with one another. Wisdom is love manifest within us when we turn first to the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Blessings to you wise ones,

Fr. Ron

On the Margins

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

LISTEN NOW: CLICK HERE

Gospel MT 25:1-13

Dear Believers in the Christ,

These November days close out another Liturgical Year. The Sacred Liturgy also invites us into deep reflection on the end of time. In fact, this past week, we celebrated All Saints and All Souls. The act of prayerful reflection about our own death is part of our heritage as Christians. We do so because we believe that death is the doorway into God’s Kingdom even for the least among us.

Today’s gospel, Matthew 23:1-12, invites us into reflection about how to live on this earth in the meantime. We are called to live lives of profound integrity. If any person is to be great here on earth, then each of us is called to humility. A bloated ego gets us nowhere in faith. A life of self-importance is a life not based on the humility of the gospel. A life centered on blowing our own trumpet of power, control and egoism, is not a life that will move us into the heavenly realm.

It is never easy to practice what we preach. Take it from me, a preacher of over 35 years. I still am learning and God is patient with me. The gospel challenges us to place on other’s shoulders not burdens, but the love God has for us. We are to live what we preach by offering other people mercy and hope. This is the mission of the Church. This integration of prayer and service changes us all into humble servants of the gospel.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” What does this mean for us? Humility means belonging to the earth. The word, humus, and humility are related. This does not mean self-deprecation or putting ourselves down. Humility means that our ultimate authority comes from God. Our voice, our actions, our thoughts are centered in learning about our true selves in God. It is very interesting that humility, being grounded in our real selves on earth, means that we find our true meaning in heaven. Humility comes from admitting that we do not have the all the answers or even know all the correct questions to ask.

We are servants of the Master. We find our lives in God alone. Humility also means that we keep learning from God. There is always something to work through, to find, to search for, to discover, to enter into, to find in our hearts when it comes to our relationship with God. We are not yet finished until God takes our breath away.

Here are some questions to consider about your own humble approach to God:

1. How do you feel when you don’t get your way in life? Where do you turn?

2. How would you define humility?

3. How does humility form your concept of death and eternal life?

Blessings,

Fr. Ron

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 5, 2017

LISTEN NOW: CLICK HERE

Gospel  MT 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC November 1, 2017

Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6