Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 11: 47-54

The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets 
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Woe to you hypocrites,” Jesus says.

The word hypocrite originally referred to an “actor,” someone wearing a mask on a stage.

Although the scribes and Pharisees appear to be religious, their hearts are far from the Lord.

They make several mistakes, some of which Christians can still make today.

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We’ve all heard that old saying, “Practice what you preach.” 

That was not only a challenge for the people of Jesus’ day, but for all of us – certainly for me, who is tasked with preaching to God’s people day after day.

It’s one thing to preach fidelity, kindness, and forgiveness. It’s another thing to live it out minute by minute.

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The religious authorities were also cunning.

They imposed heavy burdens on God’s people, but were experts in making loopholes for themselves. In a word, they lacked accountability.

For example, it’s one thing for me to encourage you to fast, tithe, and pray. It’s another thing for me to do it myself when no one is looking.

Remember, God is always watching us – not with a judgmental eye, but with an interest in fairness and accountability. As Jesus says elsewhere, “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.”

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So, what might this Gospel mean to us?

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We can boil it down into two sayings:

Actions speak louder than words.

And practice what you preach.  

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2 Timothy 4: 10-17

Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

The Word of the Lord.

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Our first reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to Timothy captures the story of three Christians with very different experiences of faith. Each provides a lesson for us today.

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The first was Demas.

Demas was once a believer; Paul wrote about him in his earlier letters. But sadly, Demas became, “enamored with the world,” and lost his faith.

He provides a cautionary tale for us all. Faith is a life-long journey, riddled with temptations along the way. Beware of your attachment to material things and fleeting pleasures, in particular; they can choke your faith.

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Then there’s Saint Mark.

Mark and Paul once ministered together, but Mark abandoned Paul on one of their early missionary journeys, perhaps out of fear of persecution.

Paul calls upon Mark from his prison cell in Rome, where the two are eventually reconciled and later martyred for the Gospel.

Mark and Paul’s story reminds us of the importance of reconciliation. We should seek it with one another while it can still be found.

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Finally, there’s Saint Luke, whose feast day we celebrate today.

Paul says that in his travels, Luke was, “the only one with me.” Luke was faithful, never giving up – neither on his companion, nor on his faith.

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Three Christians with three different stories, each providing a lesson for us today.

Do not cling to the material things of this world; they distract us from what really matters. Seek reconciliation while it can still be found. And, above all, remain faithful to the Gospel you have received.

Saint Luke, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Church Investment Fund (2) Saint Luke, Franciscan Media (3) Christian Mom at Work

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Gospel: Luke 11: 37-41

After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Saint Ignatius, whose feast we celebrate today, was part of the second generation of Christians. He was the bishop of Antioch, located in modern-day Turkey, and might have known the Apostle John personally.

Little is known about Ignatius, aside from his pastoral letters which he wrote to several Christian communities on his way to Rome, where he was martyred. We can still read the text of his letters today.

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One of the great insights Ignatius offers us is the early Christian belief in the Eucharist.

In his Letter to the Romans, he writes, “I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ… and for drink, I desire his blood.”

Elsewhere, in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans, he writes, “The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.”

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Ignatius offered his life for this belief. Because of his witness, and other Christians like him, the sacrifice of the Mass has been handed on to Christians for two-thousand years, even to us today.

May Ignatius intercede on our behalf that we, too, would see Christ fully present in the Eucharist, profess our faith publicly, and find ways to hand on our faith to the next generation.

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Image credits: (1) The History Channel: Christianity, Dogma, Definition, and Beliefs (2) Who Was Ignatius of Antioch? Christianity (3) Seton Shrine