At the recent meeting of US Bishops in Baltimore, Bishop Robert Barron offered some alarming statistics about the US Catholic Church today. For every I person who joins 6 leave, and these are often young people. As early as 13 young people give up believing in the church and what it teaches. Barron urged the bishops to take action and they agreed we need to take action.
What will the action be and who will take it? Barron advocates a stronger presence in the social media, which makes sense. But who will bring the word, who will we send? If we look at the past, God usually sends someone young, like the prophet Jeremiah, who initially say they can’t do it.
Today, June 21, is the Feast of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, who belonged to a powerful Italian aristocratic family. They were shocked when the young man announced, after hearing stories of Jesuit missionaries in China, that he was entering the Jesuits. His family did everything to stop him, but the young man wouldn’t listen.
He entered the Jesuits and when, in 1591, a fierce plague broke out in Rome where he was studying, Aloysius took care of the victims, despite his own bad health. He died from the plague, convinced that God called him to this dangerous ministry. Today he’s celebrated as a patron of those who care for victims of AIDS.
Whom shall we send? Look around for the young. That’s what God does.
We may think morning prayer is a few mumbled words or the Sign of the Cross quickly made, but morning prayer is meant to be an important part of our experience as we wake from darkness and sleep.
“Let there be light and there was light; and God said it was good.” (Genesis 1, 3-4) Light was the first thing God made. True Light, which enlightens everyone, came into our world, John’s gospel says. ( John 1, 9)
I sit on the porch for a few minutes in the early morning and watch the sun come through the tall trees lining our garden to the east. In winter it takes awhile. In summer, the sparrows and the doves and sometimes a pair of cardinals gather at the bird feeder to begin the day. Before I do a thing, the world gradually is bathed in light and comes awake.
Before I do a thing.
Morning prayer is a Genesis Prayer, an assurance we shouldn’t miss. Light comes to our world today, True Light, as it was from the beginning. Darkness is a sign of the world that’s chaotic. The psalms and hymns of morning prayer say light comes, and we pray our eyes be open to see.
The images in morning prayer are important. In the beginning God created a garden, a symbol of the world ordered and in harmony, beautiful and fruitful. God is the great Gardener, a king enthroned over creation, and all is God’s garden, the morning psalms say.
“Shout to the Lord all the earth, ring out your joy…Let the sea and all within it thunder praise, the world and all its peoples. Let the rivers clap their hands, and the hills ring out their joy. Rejoice at the presence of the Lord, for he comes to rule the earth.” (Psalm 98, Wednesday Morning 111)
The world, however chaotic it seems, is cared for by the One who made it.
Sometimes God is a Shepherd, a Great Shepherd bestriding the world: “Here comes with power the Lord God…Like a shepherd he feeds his flock, in his arms he gathers his lambs, carrying them in his bosom and leading the ewes with care.” (Isaiah 40, Thursday Morning 111)
Sometimes we’re asked to see the world as a city, God’s holy city. “On the holy mountain is his city, cherished by the Lord…a holy city.” (Psalm 87 Thursday Morning III) We’re asked to see our world as holy, yet still to be built.
“Sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth; sing to the Lord and bless his name.” we’re told as we begin the day. (Psalm 96. Monday Morning, 111)
“Serve the Lord with gladness, come into his presence singing for joy.”
June 17 Mon Weekday
2 Cor 6:1-10/Mt 5:38-42
18 Tue Weekday
2 Cor 8:1-9/Mt 5:43-48
19 Wed Weekday [Saint Romuald, Abbot]
2 Cor 9:6-11/Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
20 Thu Weekday
2 Cor 11:1-11/Mt 6:7-15
21 Fri Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious Memorial
2 Cor 11:18, 21-30/Mt 6:19-23
22 Sat Weekday[Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop; Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs;] 2 Cor 12:1-10/Mt 6:24-34
23 SUN THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (Corpus Christi) Solemnity
Gn 14:18-20/1 Cor 11:23-26/Lk 9:11b-17
Our gospel readings, from Matthew’s gospel, the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5, 1-7,29) are meant for all of us, ordinary or extraordinary saints. They also indicate how Jesus lived his life and ministry. He lives what he teaches.
The readings from the letters to the Corinthians offer a picture of church life then and now.
The saints this week come from different times, Romuald, 11th century Italy, Paulinus of Nola, 5th century Italy, Aloysius Gonzaga, 16th century Italy, Thomas More and John Fisher, 16th century England. Holiness is found in every age and social condition.
The Church of England also honors Thomas More and John Fisher for their holiness.
For this week’s homily please play the video below.
If there were a Catholic version of Jeopardy there might be some questions we could ask about the Feast of St. Barnabas today, June 11. Did he die on this day? No. Were his relics brought to some church on this day? No. We celebrate his feast today because he’s a key figure in the Post Pentecostal church. He tells us something about the leadership of that church, especially, and also about church leaders today.
Leaders can disagree.
Barnabas and Paul were missionaries together, but a sharp disagreement occurred between them and they went their separate ways. (Acts 15, 36-41) Will disagreement always occur among Christian leaders?
Today the US Catholic bishops meet in Baltimore to deal with the crisis of sex abuse in our church. They agree the issue has to be strongly addressed, but they seem divided about how to address it. There are strong personalities involved; men holding on to positions they’re committed to.
We might like it to be different, but it was that way from the beginning. The Spirit leads the church, not human beings. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13, 1-3)
From the beginning the Spirit brought human beings to lead who are different and will disagree.
Why? So that no one can boast?
The Spirit is our guide. Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.
How about political leaders? Another story, or the same?
My guess is it’s the same. Beware of the one who knows it all.
JUNE 10 Mon The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (Tenth Week in Ordinary Time) Memorial
Gn 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1:12-14/Jn 19:25-34
11 Tue Saint Barnabas, Apostle, Memorial
Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3 (580)/Mt 5:13-16
12 Wed Weekday
2 Cor 3:4-11/Mt 5:17-19
13 Thu Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church Memorial 2 Cor 3:15—4:1, 3-6/Mt 5:20-26
14 Fri Weekday
2 Cor 4:7-15/Mt 5:27-32
15 Sat Weekday
2 Cor 5:14-21/Mt 5:33-37
16 SUN THE MOST HOLY TRINITY Solemnity
Prv 8:22-31/Rom 5:1-5/Jn 16:12-15
Mary, the Mother of the Church (Monday after Pentecost) is a new feast added to the calendar in 2018. The feast is inspired by the conviction of the participants of the Second Vatican Council that Mary is the Mother of the Church. It’s celebrated the Monday after Pentecost as the days of ordinary time, the season of the Holy Spirit, begin.
Mary stood by the Cross as her Son gave birth to the church. She’s a tender mother and caring guide standing with the people he redeemed, as they live the mystery of redemption day by day.
We’ll be reading from Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Corinthians for the next two weeks at Mass. A good way to go into Ordinary Time. The Corinthian church, diverse and contentious, is a favorite for historians seeking to know the early church. It’s a good way for us to understand our own church too.
“I sing of arms and a man” , words the Latin poet Virgil used to describe Aeneas, a founder of Rome. His fate was to take up arms and after much struggle found a great city. The words could also describe our generation. For most of the last hundred years, we have taken up the arms of war to achieve our various purposes.
Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of one of the great battles of all time–the sea born invasion of Normandy by175,000 Allied troops, which led to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. The Second World War, which began in 1939 and ended in 1945 was followed by the Korean War (1950-51}, the War in Vietnam (1965-73) and the War in Iraq (2003-present). Other wars besides these have raged world wide.
Will the day come to lay down our arms? Not soon, it seems, and the arms in our hands become still deadlier. We don’t live in a peaceful world.
War over the years, with all its consequences, affects us in many ways. I’m wondering about the way it affects our theological imagination. Has it weakened our sense of hope in life and in God? Have the long years of war brought doubt about human life flourishing here on earth? Is personal flourishing now the only way to go? So let’s survive the best we can on our own, in a house or country surrounded by walls.
We take up arms to control land and resources. Has chronic war also affected the way we see our planet? Should we abandon our fragile and unsteady earth, and make heaven our goal? Or maybe survive the best we can on our own, here and now, without a thought of it?
The Feast of the Ascension points to heaven and tells us that’s our goal. But what about the world God created? Doesn’t it yearn for something new and needs our care? The Feast of the Ascension is linked to Pentecost and the promise of the Spirit who teaches us all things.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and renew the face of the earth.
I was on the F train coming in from Penn Stations late yesterday morning. The cars were moderately crowded, empty seats here and there. The usual mix of quiet mid-day travelers going or coming. Where? Always hard to tell, you can only guess.
Then suddenly at 5th Avenue two classes of chattering kids got on. City kids, for sure; not wide-eyed strangers to the underground world. They grabbed the empty seats and kept chattering away, filling the car with children’s voices. Some adventure in the city had stirred their sense of wonder. Their voices were bubbling over with excitement. I judged they were 5th or 6th graders, maybe 40 of them.
I noticed one of their teachers standing near me, a young woman. One, two or three kids turned to her like a magnet for some quick exchange. She had that pleased look that comes when something’s well done. She had just led these kids to unknown worlds by subway.
The first stop in Queens the door opened and they quickly flowed out, still chattering, kids, chaperones, teachers, in well attended lines, going back to school, then home.
Revelations happen in the subway too.
The Victor's Place 