When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Jesus is entering his final days.
He’s now headed to Jerusalem, where he will be handed over by Judas and killed.
It’s a critical moment in his life and ministry. So, Saint Luke adds a descriptive detail to help paint the picture: facing Jerusalem, Jesus becomes “resolutely determined.”
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We can imagine him staring off into the distance.
Knowing what’s in store for him, he stiffens his face, draws a deep breath in, and courageously puts one foot in front of the other.
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Long before he suffers physically, Jesus feels the weight of his cross, the weight of the isolation and rejection held in store for him.
Incredibly, this doesn’t sour his spirit; nor does it prevent him from doing good to others.
Consider what happens in today’s Gospel. Jesus is rejected by the Samaritans – the sworn enemies of the Jews – which is why the disciples want to send down fire upon them. But Jesus leaves them alone, and I’d imagine, wishes them well.
He continues his humble march towards Jerusalem, healing and forgiving the sick and sinful along the way.
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What might Jesus be teaching us?
That it’s possible to be kind and to do good to others at every moment in our lives, even when we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders.
Regardless of what our circumstances may be today, may we turn our gaze upon others and love them as Jesus would. Doing so not only works for their benefit; it also edifies our own spirit.
So, what’s something I can do for the Lord and his people today?
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Image credits: (1) How God Anointed, Amazon (2) Liberty Church (3) TheRadicalLife.org, Mother Teresa
One day, when the angels of God came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “Whence do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming the earth and patrolling it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?” But Satan answered the LORD and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing? Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock are spread over the land. But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has, and surely he will blaspheme you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand upon his person.” So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
And so one day, while his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were ploughing and the asses grazing beside them, and the Sabeans carried them off in a raid. They put the herdsmen to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, another came and said, “Lightning has fallen from heaven and struck the sheep and their shepherds and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three columns, seized the camels, carried them off, and put those tending them to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, when suddenly a great wind came across the desert and smote the four corners of the house. It fell upon the young people and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair. He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said,
“Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!”
In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God.
The Word of the Lord.
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Hurricane season has begun. Floridians are bracing for impact as the second major storm makes its way up the Atlantic.
Meanwhile, millions in the Philippines are staring at scenes of widespread devastation after another storm unleashed havoc upon their islands.
Watching the scenes on the news reminds me of Job, whom we listened to in our first reading.
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We’ll be reading from the Book of Job all week.
He’s described as a righteous man who lives in abundance. But by the end of the first chapter, Job loses everything – his family, his fortune, his home.
In spite of the unimaginable loss, he utters the most difficult words spoken in times of distress, “The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job exudes a type of spiritual wisdom – and trust – that we can all learn from.
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He recognizes that all of his blessings ultimately come from God, so he praises the Lord while his life is going well. Doing so mysteriously gives him the strength to trust God, even when those blessings are taken away.
If the Lord provided once before, the logic goes, then God will provide again. This is the childlike type of faith that Jesus blesses in the Gospels.
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Hopefully none of us have known the type of loss that Job did. But when our faith is tested, when someone or something we love is taken from us, do we still turn to the Lord?
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The same God who, in the end, restores Job to good fortune will bless anyone who trusts Him in their hour of need.
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Do you remember the sitcom, Cheers?
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 30 years since the show began. I can still imagine Sam, Woody, Carla, Cliff, Norm, and Diane sitting around the bar.
The show just drew you in. There’s something incredibly comforting about sharing your troubles with buddies, perhaps over a pint or two.
It’s why the theme song was so catchy:
“Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see the troubles are all the same. You wanna go where everybody knows your name.”
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We’re trying to create that same sense of community here at St. Pius X. It’s why we’re having a series of nametag Sundays over the next few weeks. Sometimes we, too, want to go where everybody knows our name, and they’re always glad we came.
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The parable in today’s Gospel speaks of the rich man and Lazarus. Interestingly, this is the only parable in all of the Gospels where Jesus gives a character a name.
Think of the parable of the Prodigal Son. There’s just the Prodigal Son, his father, and his older brother. No one has a name.
But today Jesus names this poor man covered in sores, “Lazarus,” which means, “God will help.”
The rich man, however, is nameless, defined only by his wealth. His purple garments symbolize his identity within a royal family. He also has a gate in front of his home, where Lazarus lays desperate for help.
This gate is a sign of the rich man’s security, his privacy, and his insulation from the suffering of others. By separating himself from the poor, he separates himself from God.
As Jesus teaches us, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.”
And whatever we don’t do for them, we don’t do for Christ.
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Jesus doesn’t condemn the rich man for being rich or for doing anything wrong. He condemns him for not doing something right.
He had the opportunity to encounter Christ daily; Lazarus was literally starving just outside of his gate, eager to eat the mere scraps from his table. The rich man had to step over him just to leave his home!
But he never stops to ask, “Lazarus, are you okay? How can I help?”
After he dies, the rich man sees Lazarus resting in heaven, full and content, but he still thinks of Lazarus as being inferior to himself.
From the netherworld, he cries out, “Father Abraham, send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.”
Meaning, send Lazarus down from heaven to serveme!
It’s almost comical how blind he is to the suffering and dignity of others, despite the misery he himself now faces.
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On the surface, the Gospel application is clear. Christians should never become blind to or insulated from the physical suffering others. If someone is laying hungry at our feet, then we should help them.
But what about the mental, emotional, or spiritual state of others? How can we be alert to those suffering in silence?
Nobody walks around wearing a t-shirt saying, “Hi, I’m depressed.” Or, “I’m anxious.” Or, “I feel lost inside.”
But studies suggest that one out of every six people will experience depression at some point in their life. That statistic must be even higher emerging from this pandemic.
This is the reason why we’re starting the conversation about mental health here in our parish, to begin addressing our “invisible” needs – the need to belong, to be affirmed, and to say, if it happens, “I’m not okay.”
It’s why we’re having Brandon Marshall, an NFL veteran and mental health advocate, speak at our 10 a.m. Mass today.
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Imagine Sam, Woody, Carla, Cliff, Norm, and Diane sitting around the bar. “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name and there always glad you came.”
May we become one of those places, where people feel a deep sense of belonging, because that’s where real conversations – and real healing – begins, where everybody knows your name.
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Image credits: (1) Texas Public Radio (2) GQ, Cheers (3) Chicago Association of Realtors
