Author: admin

***

Gospel: Matthew 21: 23-27

When Jesus had come into the temple area,
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things? 
And who gave you this authority?” 
Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. 
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” 
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.” 
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” 
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

“We do not know” can be a valid answer to certain questions of faith. 

None of us knows when the world will end; how many people will be saved; what the resurrection will be like in its entirety; the extent of divine judgment; what heaven is like; or what the face of God the Father is like. 

While we may have inklings of knowledge, at times “we do not know” is a fair answer.

But not always.

Sometimes we must decide. 

***

For example, before a child is baptized, the parents and godparents are asked questions which demand an answer. 

“Are you ready and able to raise this child in the Catholic faith?”

“Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?”

“Do you believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church?”

“We do not know” is not a sufficient answer.

Either “I do” or “I don’t.” … “I am,” or “I’m not.”

***

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks the high priests and religious elders a question that demands a clear answer: “Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”

It’s a catch-22, because Jesus has implicitly linked himself with John. If they say that John’s baptism was of divine origin, then they are also acknowledging Christ’s divine mission. But if they deny it, then they’ll lose the support of the crowds.

So, they retreat into the non-committal area of, “We do not know.” 

Such a public embarrassment only fuels their urgent need to rid themselves of Christ. In less than 72-hours, they’ll have him arrested and paraded before Pontius Pilate.

Then Pilate and the rest of the crowds will have to answer the same question: “Who is this man, Jesus? Is he of human or divine origin?”

***

In the end, it’s a question we all must answer. “We do not know” is insufficient. Yet words are not really necessary, either.

Who do we say Jesus is?

May our decisions reflect that answer today.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Solo Practice University (2) Christ and the Pharisees, Ernst Zimmerman (3) Graciousquotes.com

***

Gospel: Luke 3: 10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none. 
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them, 
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion, 
do not falsely accuse anyone, 
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation, 
and all were asking in their hearts 
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying, 
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn, 
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways, 
he preached good news to the people.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

I became a third-grade teacher in Newark immediately after graduating from college. Every week, I’d give my students a spelling test… and they hated them. Sometimes, I’d throw out a strange word for them to spell like bedlam.

B-E-D-L-A-M. 

For extra credit, they would not only have to spell the word correctly, but also define it.

Bedlam, “a noisy scene of uproar and confusion.”

Much like Mr. Kilgore’s third-grade classroom on a hot Friday afternoon.

***

The word bedlam is derived from the centuries-old mental institution, Saint Mary’s of Bethlehem in London.

It was once a highly a regarded asylum, a safe haven for the troubled, affectionately known as Bethlehem.

However, after years of neglect, the facility deteriorated into a shell of what it once was. It then became referred to, in the gargled language of its residents, as Bedlam.

For lack of proper care, Bethlehem had become Bedlam.

***

In today’s Gospel, people are lining up to be baptized by John the Baptist in the desert. 

Imagine each of them standing idly, shuffling their feet, acknowledging by their mere presence that some part of their life had gone from, “Bethlehem to bedlam,” from order to disorder.

That’s what sin does by its very nature. It saps our joy; looks good today, but turns bad tomorrow; it separates; tarnishes; ruins the good within.

Gazing upon the vulnerable, wayward crowd, John first baptizes them in his fire-and-brimstone style preaching: “You brood of vipers,” he says, “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

John’s warning them that his baptism is not magic. If they are dunked in the Jordan River, but return to their old way of life, then they’ll be no different than a venomous group of snakes fleeing a grass fire. The poison of sin would still be brewing within them. 

In order to get rid of it, they must also be inwardly changed.

***

This prompts their question to John in today’s Gospel: “What should we do?”

So, he gives them practical advice based upon each person’s profession. 

If you’re a tax collector, then stop stealing from the poor, charging more than what’s required. If you’re a soldier, then do not abuse your office, lording your authority over others. If you have two cloaks, then give one away.

Take the grace from this day and go home.

Go home to your family, to your neighbors, to your colleagues at work and amend your life. The crowds were not being asked to move to the desert; this was a moment of grace. 

What John – and ultimately God – wanted from them was to return to the ordinariness of their lives changed.

Imagine the lump in the throats of those tax collectors the next time they knocked on their neighbor’s door. How humbly soldiers would’ve put on their uniforms. Or the turn in the stomachs of the wealthy the next time they passed by the poor. 

These were the areas in their own lives where Bethlehem had become bedlam.

***

What changes might I need to make this Advent? Where has Bethlehem become bedlam in my own life?

***

John concludes his sermon in the desert by telling the crowds that the Messiah will come and baptize them, not with water, but with fire and the Holy Spirit.

That fire would forever burn away all of the “chaff” – the bedlam – in their lives, allowing them to become freer, more joyful people. 

On this Gaudete Sunday, we rejoice that our Savior is on his way. He is coming to bring us salvation, turning bedlam into Bethlehem.

Sin into grace.

Despair into hope.

Death into life. 

***

***

Image credits: (1) Mother of God Church (2) The New York Times (3) Pinterest

***

Gospel: Matthew 11: 16-19

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation? 
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ 
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’ 
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

This is one of the more obscure passages in Matthew’s Gospel, making it difficult for us to find its immediate relevance to our lives today.

But a deeper dive may reveal a pearl of wisdom.

***

Two of the most significant moments in community life are weddings and funerals – this is no less true today than it was in ancient Palestine. Weddings are moments of great joy, while funerals usher in sorrow. 

Members of any community are expected to participate in these events when invited. As Saint Paul says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” 

Not doing so could be considered rude, hurtful, even offensive.

***

In today’s Gospel, the Lord likens his ministry to a joyful wedding. All are invited to participate! Yet, for some reason, the crowds are not interested in celebrating; rather, they accuse him of being a glutton and a drunkard.

On the other hand, John the Baptist’s fire-and-brimstone style preaching stoked fear and repentance, much like a veil of grief descending upon a funeral. That didn’t please the crowds, either; they accused him of being possessed by a demon. 

You can imagine the Lord throwing his hands up in frustration. Neither approach seemed to satisfy. But the truth can only be told in so many ways.

***

We can feel that same sense of frustration when trying to share our faith with family members or friends today.

Whether we take the joyful approach of Christ, or the stern style of John, either path leads to the same end – an encounter with the Divine.

Still, faith can never be forced. We can only present the Gospel to those we love. After planting the seed, we water it with hope and prayer, leaving the rest up to God, and them.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Life in Deep Ellum (2) Firebrand Magazine (3) 4Given