“The lord is my salvation, my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27). The verse tells us that there’s no need to be afraid. Even when evildoers come at me, or an army of camp encamp against me. Even then, I will trust in the Lord and that I shall see the bounty of the lord in the land of the living.

Monday of Holy Week
Isaiah 42:1-7
John 12:1-11

Today's readings set the scene for the approaching suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. Isaiah reveals the Lord’s pride in his chosen one in whom he has put his spirit.

He will not cry out, nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the street.

He shall not break a bruised reed nor quench a smoldering wick. Until he establishes justice on earth. The Lord has set him as a covenant of the people. He will be a light to the nations. He will not fail or be discouraged until he has brought justice to the earth. (Isaiah 42:2-4)

The Psalm’s responsorial verse from Psalm 27 is, “The lord is my salvation, my light and my salvation.” The verses tell us that there’s no need to be afraid. Even when evildoers come at me, or an army of camp encamp against me. Even then, I will trust in the Lord and that I shall see the bounty of the lord in the land of the living.

This is what Jesus felt and did as he faced his coming passion and crucifixion.

The Gospel of John recounts Jesus’ visit with Lazarus in Bethany. In it, Martha is busy serving Jesus and the other guests. Mary, Lazarus’ sister, brings in a liter of aromatic nard. Nard is an oil from a plant that grows in the Himalayas, China, and India.

Needless to say, it’s rather expensive.

She then anoints Jesus’ feet with the oil and dries them with her hair. Judas is shocked at the waste for two reasons. It could have been sold for money, and the money given to the poor. He could have skimmed some for himself.

Jesus silences Judas and tells him that Mary anticipated anointing Jesus’ body for burial.

In the gospels, there were three other events similar to this. In Matthew, a woman goes into the house of Simon the leper while Jesus is there. She anoints Jesus here with expensive oil. The disciples thought the oil should have been sold and the money given to the poor.

In Mark, there’s a similar account to that in Matthew.

Finally, in Luke, we have a more detailed story in the house of Simon. Jesus is dining with a Pharisee. A woman of the city walks in. Weeping, she wipes Jesus’ feet with her tears. Dried them with her hair, and kissed his feet. Then she anointed his feet with expensive oil.

Simon thought that if this man were truly a prophet, he would have known the woman was a sinner. Jesus, knowing what Simon is thinking, tells Simon that when he entered the house, no water was offered to wash his feet. But she washed his feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed his feet with oil. And, she has not ceased kissing his feet. Jesus then tells the woman that her faith has saved her. And her sins are forgiven.

There’s one thing that we need to clarify at this point. Mary, Lazarus’ sister, is not the same woman as the one mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, despite the similarities of the stories.

At this time in Hebrew history, Jesus, as a guest, would be provided with water to wash his feet. In elegant settings, a servant would wash the feet of the guest. When Jesus washed the apostles’ feet, he was simply taking the job that a servant would normally do.

The stories of Matthew, Mark, and John have one key similarity. All three refer to Jesus’ burial and to the fact that they would always have the poor with them, but they would not always have him. He tells them that.

Shortly after the stories of the anointing, Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem on a donkey that had never been ridden before. This fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The king arrives triumphantly on a donkey, a colt, the foal of the donkey.

Judas was elated over the reception of Jesus, fulfilling the prophecy. The chief priest decided to try to meet with Jesus privately in order to have him killed. They knew Judas and approached him to arrange the meeting. I imagine they told Judas that they just wanted to talk to Jesus. And it would get him thirty pieces of silver for his help.

They wanted to have this meeting when there would not be a crowd. Ultimately, Judas made a personal decision to betray Jesus. Although I am not sure he fully understood the impact of his action or Caiaphas's intent.

The Passover meal was a perfect setting for the betrayal. Jesus would be with his apostles at the meal. After the meal, they would go to the Garden of Gethsemane outside of Jerusalem to pray. Only his apostles would be with him.

Judas had made a deal with the chief priest that for thirty pieces of silver, he would lead them to Jesus. And identify him with a kiss. Jesus led the soldiers to Jesus, and they arrested him. Jesus was brought to the chief priest. It’s quite possible that Judas did not suspect the chief priest wanted to find a reason to have Jesus crucified, because when Judas saw what was happening, he threw his thirty pieces of silver to the ground and announced that they had put the blood of an innocent man on his hands.

Judas went out and hanged himself out of guilt.

And so the passion begins.

There are many lessons to be taken from these readings. Most of them are obvious. Jesus’ generosity in forgiving sins is paramount. He forgave the woman of the city of her sins. He forgave Peter for denying him three times.

What is important for us to realize is that Jesus would have forgiven Judas if he had simply asked. After all, Jesus forgave the thief on the cross. The thief merely asked to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is from the first reading, the first reading, and the song we opened our talk with. Both foreshadowed Jesus’ passion and death.

In our lifetimes, we will have many great times. Will also have many difficult times. There will be deaths of loved ones, and times when we must go to war or have children who go to war. Illnesses cause much sorrow and pain. The list is too long to enumerate.

For the wonderful moments, and even the awful ones, we need to give thanks to God, for they are gifts.

In times of distress, as Isaiah stressed in the Psalm, we must have faith and trust in our Lord regardless of the severity of the difficulties. And the threats we face in our lifetime.

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We may not feel like it, but we are “made glorious in the sight of the Lord and our God is now our strength.” We are to be “a light to the nations.” How are we a light to the nations? Individually, we are not. Put enough of us together, and we will produce plenty of light.

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
Mark 5:21-43

Today’s readings are leading us toward the passion of Christ. As I read them, I found that not only do they point directly to Jesus, they also point to each one of us.

As I read Isaiah, I imagined that I was Isaiah and that the Lord was speaking to me. I am no prophet, but the content of the reading could apply to anyone. It starts by saying the Lord called me from birth. Of course he did. At conception, our body began to form through the union of my parents’ DNA. At the same moment, our Lord endowed our body with an immortal soul.

That soul is not just any soul; it is who we are. Our body and soul have certain strengths and weaknesses that are to be used in the service of the Lord. God has a plan for each one of us. It is up to us to fulfill that plan.

What is the plan for each of us? We struggle to make the best use of whatever gifts we have and overcome our weaknesses. Slowly, we begin to recognize that is the plan. There are times when we feel like we are lost and have “uselessly spent our strength, yet our reward is with the Lord… who formed us in our mother’s womb.”

We may not feel like it, but we are “made glorious in the sight of the Lord and our God is now our strength.” We are to be “a light to the nations.” How are we a light to the nations? Individually, we are not. Put enough of us together, and we will produce plenty of light.

In Isaiah, we learned that our Lord has a plan for us and that He has given us what we need to fulfill that plan. The psalm acknowledges that we will face adversity. The psalm tells us to look to the Lord and take refuge in Him. As we struggle to live His plan for us, we will run into disasters and those who wish us harm.

We need turn to the Lord in times of trouble. He will not abandon us. Remember that Jesus turned to the Father in prayer as He was about to go through His passion and death on the cross. If that is what the Son of God does in times of trouble, then we should emulate Him.

As we learned from Isaiah, Jesus came to us through His mother just as we came through our mothers. He too had a mission. He came to teach us how to live our lives as the Father in heaven wishes for us and how much He loves each one of us. He demonstrated this through His compassion with outcasts of society, healing of the sick, feeding of thousands of hungry followers with two loaves of bread and two fish, and many other signs.

In spite of all that He did, He had more than His share of adversities. In the end, He came to atone for the sin of Adam and Eve and reopen the gates of Paradise for all humanity from the beginning of time to the end of time.

The Gospel of John relates the story near the end of His mission on Earth. Towards the end of the last supper, Jesus reveals that there is one among them who will betray Him. Needless to say, that evoked a lot of chatter. John asked Jesus who the betrayer was. Jesus told him that he would dip a morsel and hand it to the one who would betray Him. Jesus then dips the morsel and hands it to Judas. Jesus tells Judas, “What you are going to do, do it quickly.”

The other apostles thought that Judas was leaving to buy what they needed for the feast or give something to the poor. After Judas left, Jesus told them that He would be leaving soon. Where He is going, they cannot follow, though they will be able to follow later. Peter tells Jesus he wants to follow Him now and declares he will lay down his life for Him. Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times before the cock crows. I think that the story of the two thieves found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke encapsulates this last part of the gospel.

When Jesus was crucified, there were two thieves crucified next to Him. One thief tells Jesus that if He is the Christ, to save Himself and them. The other thief rebukes the first thief and says that they deserve their punishment for what they have done, but Jesus is an innocent man.

He then turns to Jesus and asks Him to remember him when He comes into His Kingdom. Jesus tells the good thief that he will be in Paradise with Him this day. In this simple setting, the bad thief is a lot like Judas. He knows Jesus is the Christ yet he thinks of Jesus as a tool to use for his own gain, and cannot bring himself to ask for forgiveness.

The good thief is also like Peter of the future. He recognizes his sinfulness and his deserved punishment, yet comes to Jesus defense. He only asks to be remembered. Jesus, in His abundant mercy and love, goes beyond a simple remembrance and tells him that this day he will be in paradise.

As foretold, Peter, in fear for his life, ends up denying Jesus three times. When the cock crows, he immediately recognizes his sin and repents. Unlike Judas, he returns to Jesus and serves Him for the remainder of his life. When we are in trouble of any sort, we need to emulate the good thief and not let our pride get in the way. Look at how simple the good thief’s request of Jesus is and how richly Jesus rewarded him.

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Fortunately, we are not like the people of Judah. We are much more civilized than they were. We do not seek power, and we do not turn on those who have opposing points of view. After all, we have large screen TVs and cell phones. We would never fall into the same stupid trap as… Wait a minute… we are just like them!

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
Isaiah 40:1-11
Matthew 18:12-14

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 40:1-11 is to comfort the Jews who were released after 70 years of captivity by the Babylonians in 516 BC. Since Isaiah lived around 739 to 681 BC, it is generally accepted that an anonymous prophet wrote chapters 40 through 66. The latter part of the book is known as Deutero-Isaiah. In time, all 66 chapters were combined into one book.

Leading up to the captivity, the Jews in Judah had fallen into idolatry and were politically divided into two parties. One party supported Egypt, and the other Babylon. Egypt defeated Nebuchadnezzar in Battle. Judah took advantage of Egypt’s victory and revolted against Babylon. In response, Nebuchadnezzar pillaged Jerusalem and took the leaders of Jerusalem captive. Despite the prophet Jeremiah’s warnings, the pro-Babylonian party aligned itself with the Pharaoh of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar returned, defeated the Egyptians, and besieged Jerusalem again. In the process, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, its city wall, and the temple. Judah then became a Babylonian province called Yehud. Thus began the Babylonian captivity in 516 BC. This period of captivity lasted approximately 70 years, fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy: “This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”

In 539 BC, the Persian Empire under the leadership of Cyrus the Great, conquered Babylon. Cyrus issued a decree that allowed the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. The decree in Ezra 1:1-4 says, “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he proclaimed all his kingdom. He also put it in writing: ‘Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all His people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

This proclamation is remarkable because it acknowledges the sovereignty of the God of Israel from a pagan king. Also, it fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 45:1 long before Cyrus was born: “Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed.”

Today’s reading from Isaiah begins with consolation and comfort for those in captivity. The Lord says their guilt is expiated. Indeed, they have received double the punishment for their sins. Now they can resume their lives without guilt and begin to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.

The following three verses allude to the coming of John the Baptist and the messiah, with the first few words declaring, “A voice cries out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord.”

In verses 6-8, the Lord points out that the things of this earth will pass away. There is no need to worry about earthly things; they will wither and fade. But the word of the Lord lasts forever.

Verses 9-10 tell the people to go out and proclaim to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God”. He comes with power. Verse 11 finishes off by reminding the people that God is like a shepherd who feeds His flock and gathers the lambs in His arms.

The reading from Isaiah flows smoothly into the psalm with the responsorial verses, “The Lord our God comes with power.” The psalm flows right into the Gospel Acclamation with “The day of the Lord is near, He comes to save us.”

The gospel is no different than the other readings. Matthew recounts Jesus’ parable about the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves ninety-nine of his sheep to search for one lost sheep. He rejoices more over finding the one lost sheep than the ninety-nine that did not stray.

The people of Judah had strayed from the Lord and brought great suffering upon themselves. In time, the Lord, like the shepherd, rescues His people who had strayed away.

Fortunately, we are not like the people of Judah. We are much more civilized than they were. We do not seek power, and we do not turn on those who have opposing points of view. After all, we have large screen TVs and cell phones. We would never fall into the same stupid trap as…! Wait a minute, we are just like them. Over more than two thousand years, and we are still making the same mistakes.

When I look back at this whole story from Isaiah, the common theme is division. We need to remember that the word demon derives from the word divide, and the hatred we see is demonic. Our country is politically divided, but it is not just us. It is the whole world. What can we do?

In this country, we have leaders on both sides of our division. Somehow, I tend to forget we have only one leader, Jesus Christ, king of heaven and earth. As king, He needs soldiers. Soldiers need a weapon to fight the battle for peace, and have to be willing to use it with reckless abandon. That weapon is prayer. The Franciscan monks wear their rosary on the left side. Why? Because you wear your sword on the left side. In Catholic tradition, the rosary is considered a very effective prayer. It is a meditation on the life of Christ from conception to the reunion with His mother in heaven. Everyone has their own favorite method of prayer. Whatever it is, use it with great fervor. In addition, let us look at our commonality rather than our differences. Remember, we were all created by our Father in heaven, we are all brothers in Christ, and all temples of the Holy Spirit.

As we prepare for the coming of Jesus during Advent, let us remember that Jesus gave us peace, peace that the world cannot provide. Let us continue to pass that peace on to all around us, as in the Prayer of St Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The first reading is from the very short book of Jonah. This book is divided into four parts.

1. Jonah’s disobedience and flight.

2. Jonah’s prayer.

3. Jonah’s obedience and the Ninevites’ repentance.

4. Jonah’s anger and God’s reproof.

We don’t know whether any part of the book is based on fact, satire, or irony. Yet, there are elements of teaching, and elements that parallel events in Jesus’ life.

The first reading is limited to the second half of the book. To understand the reading, it is necessary to recall the contents of the entire book in the order in which it is written.

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On the third day, the giant fish vomits Jonah onto the shore. Again, this recalls the three days Jesus spent in the tomb. Jonah now heads to Nineveh. There is no mention in the book about Jonah bathing. Personally, I don’t think there is any amount of bathing that would totally remove the stench of fish vomit.

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Jonah 3:1-10
Luke 10:38-42

In today’s gospel, Jesus is visiting Martha and her sister Mary. Martha and Mary have a choice to make. Each one can choose to be a good hostess and serve their guests, or can sit and listen to the Lord. How do we know what He expects of us if we do not listen to Him? Martha and Mary were blessed with the opportunity to sit face-to-face with Jesus and learn from Him. Mary chose the better part.

The first reading is from the very short book of Jonah. This book is divided into four parts.

1. Jonah’s disobedience and flight.

2. Jonah’s prayer.

3. Jonah’s obedience and the Ninevites’ repentance.

4. Jonah’s anger and God’s reproof.

We don’t know if any of the book is based on fact, a form of satire, or irony. Yet, there are elements of teaching, and elements that parallel events in Jesus’ life.

The first reading is limited to the second half of the book. To understand the reading, it is necessary to recall the contents of the entire book in the order in which it is written.

It begins with the word of the Lord that came to Jonah. The Lord instructed him to go to Nineveh and tell the people that the Lord would destroy their city because of their wickedness. This seems simple enough. What is not mentioned in the book is that Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrian Empire was a mortal enemy of the Jews and had overthrown Northern Israel and devastated Jerusalem. Imagine if the Lord came to you and told you to go to the capital of China and rail against President Xi.

Well, Jonah nodded, listened to the Lord’s request, and agreed with Him. I can imagine Jonah saying, “You betcha, yes sir, I’m with you.” As soon as the Lord left, Jonah packed his bags, went to Joppa, and boarded the first ship to Tarshish to get as far away from Nineveh as possible.

Shortly after the ship departed, a strong wind blew, and the seas became fierce. The crew was frightened because the boat was in danger of sinking. Jonah was asleep below the deck. The crew went to Jonah and asked if he was somehow responsible for this storm. Jonah immediately realizes that the Lord is after him. He tells the crew to throw him overboard. The crew was reluctant to kill him. However, Jonah insisted they do it to save themselves. So, the crew heaves him over the side of the ship.

This reminds me of the time Jesus was asleep in a boat with the apostles. It also reminds me of how Jesus would give up his life for us. However, the storm continues until the crew repents of throwing Jonah overboard, and they offer a sacrifice to the Lord to atone for their sin. Their repentance pleases the Lord, and He quells the storm.

Meanwhile, Jonah is swallowed by a giant fish. Jonah feels that he will die in this fish. After betraying the Lord, he repents and decides to pray that the Lord will rescue him. It is a lovely prayer. Parts of it remind me of Psalm 22. The prayer begins with, “Out of my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me. From the womb of Sheol, I cried for help, and you heard my voice”. It ends with, “But I, with thankful voice, will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay: deliverance is from the Lord.”

On the third day, the giant fish vomits Jonah onto the shore. Again, this recalls the three days Jesus spent in the tomb. Jonah now heads to Nineveh. There is no mention in the book about Jonah bathing. Personally, I don’t think there is any amount of bathing that would totally remove the stench of fish vomit.

When he arrives at Nineveh, he begins warning the people that the Lord will destroy their city in forty days. Amazingly, the people believe him. The word spreads quickly from mouth to mouth until it finally reaches the king. The king put on sackcloth and sat in ashes. He then declares that all inhabitants should don sackcloth and cover all animals with sackcloth to atone for their wicked ways. The Lord acknowledges their repentance and their return to the Lord, and the destruction of Nineveh is withdrawn.

Jonah is furious. After all he went through, he won’t get to see Nineveh destroyed. He goes off to a distance to see if anything will eventually happen to Nineveh. The Lord provides Jonah with a gourd plant to shelter him from the blazing heat. That night, the Lord allows a worm to kill the plant. In the morning, a strong, dry wind blew over Jonah, which caused him much suffering. Now he is even more furious at the Lord. The Lord reminds Jonah that he cared more about the death of the plant than the possible slaughter of 120,000 Ninevites.

To me, this story uses Jonah as a satire of our humanity. Sometimes we are faced with things we should do, but we find numerous reasons to avoid them. One day a long time ago, Jill and I were with friends. I don’t remember exactly where we were or who we were with. We were standing around when a young woman started talking loudly about being pro-choice. My friend quickly pointed out to her that she is promoting the murder of children. I was deeply impressed by my friend. It takes a lot of courage to stand up as a Christian and speak boldly on behalf of our faith.

Then, there are times in our lives when we face difficulties. The nature of the difficulty is irrelevant. We turn to God in prayer and put our troubles in His hands. When it is all over, we frequently forget to thank God for hearing our prayers. Other times, things go badly for our enemies. There is a tendency to take pleasure in their misfortune. Instead, we should pray for them. These scenarios can go on and on.

If we reflect on our daily activities, I am confident we will find that there are things we should have done or could have done better. We are human and have weaknesses. God understands us and knows we will fail at times. He also appreciates our acknowledgment of our shortcomings and our efforts to overcome them. Remember how the Lord spared the Ninevites when they repented of their wicked ways. As today’s psalm states, “If you, O Lord, mark inequities, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness that you may be revered”.

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The readings from Judges and the Gospel are about following the call of the Lord despite seemingly impossible odds. With a bit of Divine intervention, Gideon drove out thousands of Midians with three hundred soldiers, and the apostles and a relatively small band of followers managed to spread Christianity throughout the world.

Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Judges 6:11-24a
Matthew 19:23-30

Today’s first reading comes from the book of Judges in the Old Testament. We think of people like Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor as judges. The book of Judges has nothing to do with anything like our judges. The title is a literal translation of a Hebrew word that refers to leaders.

The author of the book of Judges relates the story of the Israelites from the death of Joshua up to the kingship of Saul, roughly 1398-1050 BC. During the time of the Judges, the Israelites repeated a cycle of sin, oppression, deliverance, and relapse.

The book is divided into three principal divisions:

1. The situation in Canaan after the conquest by the Israelites. Despite Israel’s conquest of the Canaanites, there were still pockets occupied by the indigenous people.

2. Stories of the thirteen judges, the largest part of the book, covers six major judges and six minor judges. The major judges were Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. The minor judges were Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon (not Musk), and Abdon. Abimelech was the thirteenth judge whose role was deemed deplorable. Samuel, not mentioned in this book, was the fourteenth judge. As you would imagine, the major judges had much more written about them.

3. The last few chapters tell the stories of the tribes of Dan and Benjamin.

In today’s first reading, God calls Gideon, the son of Joash. During the time of Gideon, the Israelites reverted to worshipping Baal and Asherah, a wooden Canaanite fertility goddess. Because of their infidelity, God delivered them into the hands of the Midians for seven years (Jgs 6:1). The Midianites were camel nomads who would raid settled people like the Israelites. For seven years, the Midians drove the Israelites into poverty. When the Israelites would plant crops, the Midians would lay waste to the fields. The Israelites had no sheep, oxen, or donkeys. In desperation, the Israelites cried out to the Lord.

The Lord heard their cries and sent them a prophet who reminded them that the Lord delivered them out of slavery in Egypt, and gave them their Land. Despite this, they forsook all the Lord had done for them.

While Gideon was beating out grain in a wine press, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel told him, “Go with the strength you have and save the Israelites from the power of the Midianites. It is I who sends you.” Gideon asked for a sign from the Lord to confirm the task he was asked to accomplish. Gideon told the angel to stay there while he prepared an offering to the Lord.

The angel, in a tremendous display of patience, waited until Gideon returned with the meat of a kid, unleavened cakes, and broth. The angel instructed Gideon to put the cakes and meat on a rock. The angel touched the meat and cakes with the tip of his staff. Immediately, flames burst forth from the rock and consumed the meat and cakes. The angel then disappeared. Then the Lord tells Gideon, “Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die.”

Gideon built an altar to the Lord called Yahweh-shalom, which translates to the word of the Lord. He then smashed the altar to Baal and made splinters out of the wooden image of Asherah. Unhindered by oppressors, Gideon assembled an army of thousands to drive out the Midianites.

However, the Lord said Gideon’s army was too large and to send some of them home. After sending thousands home, the army was still too large, so he sent home more. This continued until there were only three hundred men left. Without going into a lot of detail, with only the three hundred men, Gideon drove the Midians out.

In the Gospel, the apostles and followers of Jesus were chosen by the Lord to accomplish an impossible task: to spread the word of God throughout the world. We hear that Jesus told His apostles it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The apostles were stunned. If this is the case, how could anyone be saved? Jesus replied that what is impossible for man is possible for God.

Both the reading from Judges and the Gospel are about following the call of the Lord despite seemingly impossible odds. With a bit of Divine intervention, Gideon drove out thousands of Midians with three hundred soldiers, and the apostles and a relatively small band of followers managed to spread Christianity throughout the world.

It’s interesting how similar we are to our predecessors from thousands of years ago. Recall the Israelites' cycle of sin, oppression, deliverance, and relapse. Doesn’t that seem familiar to us? Have we not seen some of that in the past century? In particular, I think of the rise and fall of communism in various countries. One country stands out to me — Russia.

Before the rise of communism, the Russian Orthodox Church was robust and influential. A very small group of communist men led by Lenin started the revolution. After the overthrow of the government, religion became a target. Gradually, the country went into ruin. Eventually, Putin became president. From what I read in the news, he is a thug and murderer. However, he has done wonders in restoring the economy of Russia and, especially, the Orthodox Church.

Not only are countries like the historical Israelites, so are we as individuals. We are just like Gideon and the followers of Jesus, called to perform a mission. It may not be quite as dramatic as Gideon or the early followers of Jesus, but it is still essential in God’s eyes. Whatever our station in life may be, it is for a reason.

Our short life is precisely as God intended it to be. When we keep God at the center of our lives, love our neighbors, and do our best in every endeavor, we are on the right track. It’s up to us what we do with the life we are given. Important in both readings is a steadfast devotion to God and understanding the consequences of turning away from Him.

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The Lord called [David] from birth and gave him a name in his mother’s womb. Throughout his young life, he was prepared to be a servant of the Lord. The Lord gave him a sharp tongue and made him like a polished arrow hidden in His quiver. The Lord told Isaiah that he is My servant through whom he will show His glory.

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Isaiah 49:1-6
Acts 13:22-26
Luke 1:57-66,80

Psalm 139 tells us to praise the Lord, for we are wonderfully made. It tells us He knows when we sit and when we stand, He understands our thoughts, He formed our innermost being, and He knit us in our mother’s womb. The rest of the readings tell us that there are specific reasons for our creation.

The second reading from the Acts of the Apostles reminds the reader that the Lord raised up David to be a king. The story of David, 1040-885 BC, is told in 1 Samuel 16. The Lord tells Samuel to stop grieving that He rejected Saul from being king of Israel. Samuel is sent to Jesse, a Bethlehemite, and the Lord has provided for Himself a king among his sons. Samuel is frightened because Saul will have him killed if he hears about this.

The Lord instructs Jesse to take a heifer to Bethlehem to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. When he gets there, he is to invite Jesse and his sons to participate in the sacrifice. He is then asked to select the son I name and anoint him with oil. Samuel looked at six of Jesse’s sons, but none of them were the ones selected by the Lord. So, Samuel asked Jesse if he had any other sons. Jesse responded that he had one more who was tending the sheep. Samuel told Jesse to bring him. When David arrived, Samuel anointed him because he was the one chosen by the Lord.

In the first reading, Isaiah, 680-640 BC, relates that the Lord called him from birth and gave him a name in his mother’s womb. Throughout his young life, he was prepared to be a servant of the Lord. The Lord gave him a sharp tongue and made him like a polished arrow hidden in His quiver. The Lord told Isaiah that he is My servant through whom he will show His glory.

As Isaiah grew older, he thought that he had toiled in vain, and, for nothing, uselessly spent his strength. Then the Lord spoke to him and explained that he was formed in his mother's womb to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel, but that is not enough. Later on, the Lord will make a light to the nations that His salvation will reach the ends of the earth. This is interpreted to be a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah.

The Gospel of Luke tells the story of John the Baptist’s birth. Elizabeth and Zechariah were old and childless. Through the mercy of God, Elizabeth became pregnant, and her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her. On the eighth day after the birth of the child, they all gathered for the rite of circumcision. All were convinced that the child would be named Zechariah after his father.

When they asked Elizabeth what the child would be called, she said “John.” They turned to Zechariah and asked him about the name. He wrote on a tablet that the child will be called John. Zechariah had been mute from the day Elizabeth had become pregnant. Immediately, his voice returned, and he began praising God. The story of John’s birth spread throughout Judea. The people took all this to heart and said, “What then will this child be? For surely, the hand of the Lord was with him.” From the story of John’s birth, we see the Lord chose John for a special mission. The mission is to prepare the way of the Lord.

Isaiah, David, and John were chosen for specific missions. Isaiah was to raise up the tribes of Jacob, restore the survivors of Israel, and prophesy the coming of the Messiah. David was chosen to replace Saul as king. Ultimately, the Messiah would come from the line of David. John was selected to baptize the people of Israel and prepare them for the imminent coming of the Messiah.

As we read the text from the bible, we see the word ‘chosen’ used frequently. I would like to throw a bit of a twist on this. I think that, at conception, the Lord created us with the gifts to accomplish a specific mission. They chose whether to do the Lord’s will or not. The prime example is our Blessed Mother. She was perfectly made without the stain of sin. When the angel appeared to her, she chose to do the will of God.

Isaiah knew he had special gifts, but didn’t know if he had wasted his time. David was tending sheep and playing his lyre. He had to decide to give up that life for a totally different and dangerous life. John the Baptist had to give up his comfortable life to live in the desert, where he ate locusts and honey for nourishment. I would be OK with the honey, but not so much with the locusts.

We are no different than these great men. Each of us is born with certain God given talents and weaknesses. We are tasked with choosing whether to know, love, and serve the Lord using the talents given to us or not.

I have heard a minimum of three homilies in my lifetime where the priest disparaged the song ‘I Did It My Way’. Until I heard those homilies, I never considered the error in that philosophy.

There are many things we could be doing right now. Those who meet in small faith groups, like ours, choose to be there to strengthen their faith and reflect on the Word of God. Instead of being nourished on locusts and honey, we are nourished by the sweet word of God to fulfill our mission on earth

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After the crucifixion, the apostles were in fear for their lives. It wasn’t until they finally saw Jesus after the resurrection. Thomas was dubbed the “doubting Thomas,” but none of the apostles believed, even though Mary Magdalene told them she had seen Jesus, and they had seen the empty tomb. Still, their fear persisted until the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

I want to begin by giving thanks to Margit Baksa McCarthy for her assistance in helping me put this reflection together. In this reflection, we will examine the act of Original Sin and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil from a slightly different perspective.

Paragraph 396 of the Catholic Catechism states, “ God created man in His image, and established him in His friendship. A spiritual creature, man can live in this friendship only in free submission to God.” In Genesis 2:15-18, we are told, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God ordered the man, saying, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die’. This tree sets the limits that man must freely recognize and trust. Also, in the Garden was the Tree of Life. This tree is a symbol of eternal life and immortality and represents the life mankind would have as long as they obey and trust in God, their creator.

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was located in the center of the Garden of Eden and was beautiful to behold. In time, man was seduced by the devil and disobeyed God’s command. All subsequent sins would be disobedience toward God and a lack of trust in His goodness (CCC 397).

As far as I can remember, I have always considered the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to be a unique tree with an abundance of fruit. Priests, nuns, parents, and friends have always referred to the tree as such. Artist renditions of the tree also show the tree bearing fruit in abundance.

If you walk past a typical fruit tree and pick one of its many fruits, no one would ever notice that one fruit was missing. A sentence of hard labor and death seems rather harsh for picking one fruit out of many. Therefore, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was very special and must have been different in some way from all the other trees. If it were like all the other fruit trees, it would be easy to become confused and accidentally pick its fruit. Suppose that this tree, created by the Lord, is singularly perfect. It is lush, full, and beautiful to behold. Now, suppose this perfect tree produced only one perfect fruit that is very pleasing to the eye. Then, if someone should pick that fruit, it would be obvious and very sinful in the eyes of the Lord.

Adam and Eve, seduced by the devil, picked and ate the one irreplaceable fruit of the tree. As they consumed it, they crushed the flesh of the fruit and killed it. As a result of their sin, they, along with their descendants, are banished from the Garden and subject to a difficult life and eventual death. The only one who can atone for this sin is the Lord Himself. In Genesis 3:15, the Lord, in His infinite mercy, says, ”I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head while you strike at their heel”. This passage is understood to be the first promise of a redeemer for fallen humankind. If we look forward in time, our Blessed Mother, Mary, is the woman in Genesis 3:15, and Jesus is the seed of Mary.

When the time came for the Messiah, the Lord sent an angel to Mary, a singularly perfect creation of the Lord, to announce that she had been chosen to bring the Messiah into the world. The angel addressed her as “Hail, Full of Grace.” The word Hail is significant because Hail is a form of salute. Hail is usually followed by a title. Examples are Hail Caesar or Hail to the Chief. In this case, Full of Grace is a title given to Mary by the Lord. In spite of many unanswered questions, she submits herself completely to the will of the Father and conceives a child.

She immediately leaves to assist her older cousin, Elizabeth, with her pregnancy. Elizabeth greets Mary, and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, exclaims, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb”. Jesus, the fruit of Mary’s womb, like the fruit in the Garden of Eden, would eventually be crushed for our sins and hung back on a tree. Thus, we have a perfect bookend to the first era of humankind and the beginning of a new era with the gates of Heaven now reopened.

We, like Adam and Eve, sometimes succumb to temptation even though we know the consequences of sin. We repeat their sin in various fashions. The core issue and motivations are the same – you shall be like God turns into a rebellion against goodness and joining Satan, followed by a profound sense of SHAME. Only God can remedy the horrific consequences of Man’s Fall. They covered their shame with fig leaves. The fact that the Lord covered them with “skins” already indicates blood would have to be shed to cover our shame, as here, an animal is sacrificed.

We must remember that the one tempting us is no different than the one that tempted Adam, Eve, and Jesus, and is relentless in its pursuit of souls. We must remain vigilant to shield ourselves from his evil. Will we fail at times? Yes! When we do, we have to repent. No matter the sin, Jesus loves us and will forgive us if we ask with a sincere heart. Jesus justified the tax collector in the temple for his admission of guilt. St. Dismas, the good thief crucified with Jesus, shows us that we can be forgiven up to the last moment of our lives. However, it is best that we not wait until the last second.

Also, let us not forget that, like Jesus, we are called to forgive those who have transgressed against us.

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After the crucifixion, the apostles were in fear for their lives. It wasn’t until they finally saw Jesus after the resurrection. Thomas was dubbed the “doubting Thomas,” but none of the apostles believed, even though Mary Magdalene told them she had seen Jesus, and they had seen the empty tomb. Still, their fear persisted until the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles
1Corinthians 15:1-8
John 14:6-14

Today’s gospel from John precedes the passion, death, and resurrection. It reminds us how Jesus prepared His apostles and disciples for His return to the Father and encouraged them to continue the work He had started.

In my mid-40s, I decided to go to graduate school. Classes were from 8:30 to 10 PM. Needless to say, by 10 I was ready to go home. Frequently, the instructor would ask if there were any questions. I would hold my breath and pray that there would be no questions. Unfortunately, someone would ask about something the instructor had just said. All I could do was roll my eyes and sigh.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the apostles, “If you know me, then you also know my Father. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” Phillip then asks Jesus to see the Father. I think Jesus must have felt something like I did at the end of my night class. In all fairness to Phillip, we do not necessarily know that the sentences about seeing the Father and Phillip asking to see the Father happened exactly one after the other. There may have been some discussion or time between those statements.

In the Old Testament, the Father appeared as a burning bush, a voice from a cloud, or other indirect means. Perhaps, we are not capable of seeing the Father in this life. Through Jesus, the Father has given us a person we can see and relate to. He even gave us a selfie in the form of the Shroud of Turin.

Jesus then said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and will do greater ones than these because I am going to the Father.” The followers of Jesus did not fully understand what He meant by saying He was going to the Father, and what He would commit them to do.

The question that came to my mind was what possible greater works could they do than those that Jesus had already done. After some thought, I decided it must be the ministry of Jesus. Jesus' ministry was limited to a relatively small area. The apostles and disciples would spread the gospel throughout the known world. Over 2000 years, the succession of Jesus’ followers would spread the word of God throughout the entire world. Finally, He reassures them that anything they ask in His name, He will do it. I’ll bet they remembered they could go to Him as they went to distant lands. This same assurance applies to us when we are in need.

Psalm 19 was written by King David around 1000 BC. It is about the spreading of the word of God. The refrain of the Psalm says, “Their message goes out through all the earth.” The second verse states, “Through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world, their message.” During David’s time, almost nothing was known about the extent of the world. Yet, this part of the Psalm is exactly right.

After the crucifixion, the apostles were in fear for their lives. It wasn’t until they finally saw Jesus after the resurrection. Thomas was dubbed the “doubting Thomas,” but none of the apostles believed, even though Mary Magdalene told them she had seen Jesus, and they had seen the empty tomb. Still, their fear persisted until the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

Immediately after their encounter with the Holy Spirit, their fears vanished along with their fear of death. They began to preach boldly and were understood by all.

The Sadducees and Pharisees were particularly bothered by their preaching. Gradually, they were pushed out of Jerusalem. They began preaching in new areas and spreading their message outside of their region of comfort.

The most zealous persecutor of Christians was Paul. Paul converted to Christianity and became a great preacher and writer. Today’s first reading is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In the letter, Paul tells the Corinthians to hold fast to the word he had preached. This indicates the apostles and Paul had to return to those already evangelized to encourage them not to drift away.

If you are wondering where the apostles went after they were driven out of Jerusalem, I will give you a brief list according to Christianity.com. Remember that the details are sometimes sketchy due to how records were kept.

• Peter and Paul were both in Rome and martyred around 66 AD.

• Andrew went to what is now the Soviet Union. In addition, he preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and Greece. Eventually, he is said to have been crucified in Greece.

• Thomas preached in Syria and Far East India. Legend has it that spears of four soldiers martyred him.

• Phillip preached in Carthage and North Africa, where he was eventually martyred

• Matthew ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Reports of his death are vague. However, I am sure he is dead by now.

• Bartholomew traveled to India with Thomas and back to Armenia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. Details of his martyrdom are vague.

• James was the son of Alpheus. There were three disciples named James, so there is some confusion about which one was the son of Alpheus. It is generally thought he preached in Syria. Josephus reported that James was stoned to death.

• Simon, the Zealot, ministered in Persia and was eventually martyred there.

• John ran the church in Ephesus and cared for Mary, the mother of Jesus. He is the only apostle not martyred.

The bottom line is that evangelization did not end with the apostles and disciples. It has been carried on for two thousand years. Remember that Jesus wondered if He would find faith when He returns. We are called to keep the faith going among our family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. We will not always be successful. The apostles were not always successful, but by the grace of God, they continued their mission throughout their lives. So shall we.

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Just because our opinions may vary from those of others does not mean that we should cut ourselves off from others. The most ridiculous example of this occurred in November of last year. Some people said if your family has opinions that are not in line with yours, you should not join them for Thanksgiving.

Sheesh.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Isaiah 58:9B-14
Luke 5:27-32

Today’s reflection is set up by reading the gospel acclamation taken from Ezekiel 33:11. It says. “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live.”

The gospel reading from Luke 5 begins with Jesus telling Levi to follow Him. This particular story was important since it is recounted in the gospels of Luke, Matthew, and Mark. Levi immediately leaves his tolling booth and joins Jesus. Levi then hosts a large banquet for Jesus with his fellow tax collectors and others. The Pharisees are looking for things to criticize Jesus and disrupt the banquet. They ask the disciples how dare He eat and drink with sinners. Jesus overhears this and tells them that He did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners. We face the same dilemma ourselves.

Christians are often accused of hating those who do not believe as they do. We supposedly hate those who have abortions, are LGBTQ+, unbelievers, etc. We do not. I am sure that others in this group have known and loved people in one or more of these groups. We may not agree with their life choices, but we still love them and pray for them. This gospel tells us exactly how we should love and treat all people.

Of course, this is merely one example of how we should live. There is much more for us to learn. In Psalm 86, we ask the Lord to teach us His ways that we may walk in His truth. That is our calling. We need to pray for our Lord’s guidance so that we can follow His ways. Prayer groups and discussions about our understanding of the bible further enhance our knowledge. The verses of the psalm give us three points to consider. First, we acknowledge our weaknesses. Then we ask for God’s mercy as we call on Him. Finally, we acknowledge God’s love and forgiveness and ask that He attend to our pleadings.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah provides a list of ways to walk in His truth. All of the ways Isaiah speaks of are just as valid today as when they were written.

Today’s reading from Isaiah is broken into three parts. The first two parts tell us how we should act. First, we are instructed to remove oppression, false accusations, and malicious speech from our midst. If you watch the news, you will be inundated with these things. I am always amazed to see one news station telling you a story from one point of view and another telling you the exact opposite point of view. Somewhere between one station’s proclamation and the other station’s is the truth. It seems to me that the object of media is to incite division. Remember the origin of the word demon comes from the word division.

Just because our opinions may vary from those of others does not mean that we should cut ourselves off from others. The most ridiculous example of this occurred in November of last year. Some people said if your family has opinions that are not in line with yours, you should not join them for Thanksgiving. We need to recall who Jesus was with at the banquet. If Jesus could dine with tax collectors and other sinners, we should be able to dine with our family regardless of personal opinions.

In the second part, Isaiah tells us to bestow bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted. This is not simply about feeding people. Remember when Jesus told Peter to “Feed my sheep”. Jesus’ sheep are all people, whether they are followers or not. The food to feed His sheep is love and the word of God. If you act in love, regardless of the circumstances, you will be called, “Repairer of the breach and restorer of the homestead”.

The third part of Isaiah’s reading tells us to hold back on our personal pursuits on the Sabbath. Instead, we should take delight and regard the Lord’s day as honorable. By foregoing your pursuits, you shall delight in the Lord. Again, we experience this every week. Many temptations confront us every Sunday. When I had children playing sports, there were always tournaments that began Saturday afternoon and ended Sunday afternoon.

Fortunately, we could usually find a 6 PM mass somewhere in the vicinity. Unless we are in the habit of saving Sunday as the Lord’s Day, there will always be something that will take us away from this devotion. We are creations of the Lord and we need to take the time to acknowledge His love for us. One day a week is not a lot to ask for.

As we start our journey through Lent, let us strive to love and pray for all people, to live as Christ lived, and to keep the Lord’s day holy

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Saturday after Epiphany
1 John 5_14-21
John 3_22-30

Well, since the seven deadly sins is what I got, I will reflect on that. This is the beginning of the New Year and we sometimes think about New Year’s resolutions. If you look into the seven deadly sins, you may find something to work on during the year.

John begins by saying that if we sin and it is not deadly we should pray and God will give him life. If our sin is deadly, then prayer alone may not be enough. Fortunately, all sin can be forgiven through confession.

The seven deadly sins are sins that will get us the ticket to Hell. With that in mind, it becomes apparent that we need to know what they are. Starting from the top, they are Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust. The single word does not tell you much about the nature of the sin. So, I will try to elaborate on each one.

Pride is the king of deadly sins. C. S. Lewis says that it is the root of all sin. Its theme song is “I Did I My Way”. It is the excess love of self and/or the desire to be more important and better than others. With that in mind, we can see how excessive pride can lead us to any of the other deadly sins. Humility is the virtue opposite of Pride. Humility requires us to acknowledge God’s gifts and the help He provides us on our way.

Envy is a state of one who thinks that God was unjust in distributing the goods and gifts of this creation. An envious person will always find others with more gifts or goods than himself. Admiration, on the other hand, is praising God for the blessings we have and the blessings God has given to others.

Wrath is a lesser deadly sin. Despite that, it is still a deadly sin. Striking back with a vengeance after an injury caused by another is a sign of wrath. Forgiveness should be our response. This is sometimes difficult. However, it helps to recall that Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. If Jesus can do that for those who tortured and crucified Him, then I can do it as well.

Sloth is generally understood as laziness or indifference. It is the indifference to morals and secularism. It is a sin to be neither hot nor cold. God clearly expresses his feelings toward mediocrity in the book of Revelation. I may have to get rid of my Sloth Boy recliner. Zeal is the antidote for Sloth and our way of letting our beliefs and principles be known.

Greed is an unreasonable desire for riches and/or power. A song typifying Greed is “Can’t Get No Satisfaction”. A greedy person will never be satisfied with what he has. Instead of worrying about what we don’t have, we should concentrate on what we already have. Generosity is the offset of greed. I have a closet full of clothes I haven’t worn in a long time. A good Lenten thing would be to donate the clothes I do not wear to a charity.

Gluttony is the sin of overindulgence. This can be overeating, alcoholism, or anything done in excess. Our country, in general, is overweight. I know I am. I don’t consider myself a glutton, but I know I could reduce the amount I eat. This is Asceticism or self-denial. We see the word fasting in the Bible a lot. Fasting can go from eating only bread and water for a day to passing on dessert even though we want it. When we deny ourselves physically, we strengthen ourselves spiritually.

Finally, there is Lust. It is an intense desire for something we do not have. We usually associate lust with the desire for sexual pleasure. It also includes the desire for money, power, or fame. Adam and Eve failed due to their lust to become like God. Chastity is our cure for Lust. Chastity includes purity, virtue, innocence, and modesty.

Since deadly sins can lead us to hell, we must know what they are. Although we may not commit a deadly sin, knowing them can be useful for an examination of conscience. Rather than losing sleep over the deadly sins, we should concentrate on practicing the virtues of Humility, Admiration, Forgiveness, Zeal, Generosity, Self-Denial, and Chastity.

The other night I was watching the end of the Washington Commanders versus the Atlanta Falcons game. Jayden Daniels, Washington’s quarterback drove his team to a game-winning touchdown. The reporter asked Jayden how he managed that feat. He answered by saying that first, he credits God for his abilities. Then Jayden explained the drive to the reporter. Then the reporter turned to the receiver who caught the winning touchdown pass. He said that, like Jayden, he gives credit to God and thanked Jayden for allowing him the opportunity to complete the play. The reporter then asked Jayden what he said to the losing quarterback. Jayden said the other quarterback is his friend and a man of God. I told him he is a great quarterback and that he will have an impact on the NFL. This is the perfect trifecta of living the virtues rather than fearing the deadly sins.

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The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Wisdom 3:1-9
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Romans 6:3-9
John 6:37-40

Last week the reflection included a discussion on fruit. Today the topic re-arises. The readings for today celebrate the Commemoration of All Faithful, previously known as All Souls Day. This celebration would never have been necessary except for the sin of Adam and Eve. You may recall Eve picking the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In so doing, she and Adam crushed the fruit while consuming it. When that happened, the gates of heaven closed and sin and death came into the world.

Image by congerdesign

An unknown author wrote the first reading from the Book of Wisdom about fifty years before Christ. He wrote in Greek with a Hebrew style. From the writings, it appears that the author was very knowledgeable of the earlier books of the Old Testament.

The reading from the book addresses the difficult topic of death. The verses intend to console the living over the deaths of their families and friends. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, the souls of their loved ones could not enter heaven. Instead, the Book of Wisdom consoles the living with the knowledge that the deceased loved ones are in the hands of God and that they will suffer no harm.

Those who live in this world will live with the hope of immortality. It ends with, “Those who trust in Him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide in Him in love: because grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and His care is with the elect.” Because the gates of Heaven were closed, the souls of the just would reside in Limbo until the Messiah re-opens the gate to heaven.

The responsorial from Psalm 23 complements the first reading from the Book of Wisdom. Here we see the verse, “Though I walk in the Valley of Darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.” Does this mean that I am immune from harm? I don’t think so.

As we saw earlier in the reading from the Book of Wisdom, “For if before men, they be punished, yet is their hope full of Immortality … they shall be greatly blessed because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself.” The book comforted the people of that time. It is just as reassuring to us. Christians are under attack today. We need to remember the consolation provided by the Book of Wisdom for friends and family who are deceased. It is also a consolation for our suffering.

The gospel reading from John adds to the reading from the Book of Wisdom and the Psalm. Jesus tells His followers He will not reject anyone who comes to Him. The will of the Father is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life and He will raise him on the last day. This is a major addition to that written in the Old Testament. This implies that the faithful will have eternal life and, in addition, be raised physically on the last day.

The second reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans adds more information on death and resurrection since Paul wrote it after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul tells us that just as Jesus was, “raised from death by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” Paul tells us that just as death no longer has power over Jesus, it also has no power over us.

Of course, we still have to deal with those in Heaven and Purgatory. Those in Heaven are finally home. Those in Purgatory still need to be refined like gold and be purer than Ivory Snow. Our prayers help expedite those being cleansed. This is why we pray for the dead at every mass, at funerals, and celebrate all Soul’s Day. We are also encouraged to pray for the dead on our own.

The Church and tradition tell us the souls in Purgatory cannot pray for themselves, but they can pray for us. If we pray for a friend or a loved one then their time in Purgatory can be shortened. If they are already in Heaven, then the prayer is applied to a deserving soul still in Purgatory.

If you recall the beginning of the reflection, I mentioned that our problems began when Adam and Eve picked the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and crushed it while consuming it. The result was that the gate of Heaven closed and sin and death came into the world.

In the gospels, the topic of fruit is reintroduced. We read that Mary traveled to visit Elizabeth immediately after the Annunciation. Elizabeth greets her with great joy. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth exclaims, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

In the end, Jesus, the fruit of Mary’s womb, is crushed for our sins and hung back onto a tree. In that instant, death and the original sin are defeated. The gates of heaven are reopened for all the just from the beginning of time until the end of time.

A few weeks ago, Ron Bruni brought up the subject of bookends. In a way, Jesus' passion and death on a tree is the reverse of the story in Genesis, and in a way is a bookend to Original Sin. Does that mean we are free of Original Sin? Nope! We are still born with the stain of that sin. But, through Jesus’ sacrifice and the sacrament of Baptism, we can be cleansed of that stain on our soul.

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