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Walking in the footsteps:Choosing Christ

San Stefano Rotondo dates from the 5th century, may be the oldest round Roman Church. It originally held the relics of St. Stephen, the first Martyr , whose relics had been discovered in the Holy Land. Because of this connection, the Church was modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The frescoes on the walls, depicting twenty-four scenes of martyrdom, depicting how saints suffered for the Faith are a constant reminder of the importance our Faith should have in our lives and they are quite memorable. The relics of St. Stephen are unfortunately not kept here anymore, so the Church was later rededicated to St. Stefan, King of Hungary.

Proclaiming the truth

Being in the Church originally dedicated to St. Stephen, it is fitting that the readings today speak of persecution and of an attempted stoning of Jesus. Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming the truth about Christ, that he was the Son of God. In the Gospel, that is what the crowd takes issue with, that Jesus says he is the Son of God. But that is true. As he asks them, “can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” We are called to witness to the truth, despite who may find it difficult to accept, because the truth does not depend on people’s perception of it.  They tried to stone Jesus for it, but he escaped from their power.

Choosing Christ and the Gospel

Today’s station church, which has stood from the 4th Century, with its wonderful frescoes, stands as a testament to those who gave their lives for Christ. It bears witness to the extreme worth of their choice to cling on to Christ and the Gospel, that now millennia later we can stand here now as believers. For through the sacrifice of these martyrs, we can see that they bore witness to the truth, just as in the end of today’s Gospel people came to believe because they saw that Jesus bore the truth. “everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.” That is still our mission in the world. That others may believe in Christ, because they see we bear witness to the Truth.

Written by: Mario Majano
Photos by: Fr Justin Huber

 

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Time to Think

When he published a work about St. Joan of Arc, the French Catholic poet Charles Peguy intentionally left the first pages blank. He did this, he explained, to give the reader time to think.

Perhaps giving people the time to think was Jesus’ motivation in today’s gospel. As we heard, hostile men had confronted him about what to do with a woman who had been caught in adultery.

But Jesus didn’t respond right away. Instead, he sat quietly on the ground, tracing his finger in the dirt. It was only after the angry mob continued to press him for an answer that Jesus finally spoke. “Let the man among you who has no sin,” he said, “be the first to cast a stone.”

But why did Jesus take so long to speak? Why the hesitation? Was Jesus stalling for time so he could find something appropriate to say? I don’t think so.

Maybe Jesus was trying to teach us that we need to take the time to think before we impulsively cast a stone at another. Time for our emotions to cool. Time to consider all the variables and circumstances involved. Time to recall our own sins. And time to think of God’s mercy, not only to others, but especially to us.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/041511.shtml

Photo credit: Bidrohi via Creative Commons

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Walking in the Footsteps: In Search of Truth

Honoring Christ’s Victory over Death

The church (San Marcello) we walked to today dates back to the late fourth century. Walking through the normally busy streets of Rome in the quiet morning helps us to meditate on what it might have been like for Saint Marcellus as he was taken prisoner shortly after he was named pope. In 308, during the Diocletian Persecution, he was arrested and taken to the imperial stables where he was forced to work until he died soon afterwards. Less then 100 years later, a church was built on this very sight in honor of the holy pope who gave his life rather than reject Christ. Today’s church is therefore a great reminder of Christ’s victory over evil.

Encountering the Cross

In today’s readings at Mass we also encounter young men who were willing to give their lives rather than reject their faith in the true God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to worship a false god. Yet Jesus tells us in the Gospel that “the truth will set you free.” Though bound and thrown into the fire, the young men were saved by God and set free. God’s truth is greater than human wickedness. And this truth is encountered in the cross of Jesus Christ. By taking our sinfulness upon himself and nailing it to the cross, Jesus has destroyed sin and death. The truth is that through our baptism, we too have died with Christ and now live with him. God has set us free from our slavery to sin and death and has given us new life in Christ. Let us truly receive this gift He has given to us in our baptism so that as we approach Holy Week, we may let this new life affect every aspect of our lives.

Written by Chris Seith

Photos by Fr. Justin Huber

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Freedom for What?

“I’m free, to do what I want, any old time!” insisted the Rolling Stones. Their song reflects how many people today understand freedom: It’s about doing whatever we want, whenever we want to.

Jesus, on the other hand, spoke in today’s gospel of a freedom not to do as we please, but the freedom to do what is pleasing to God; a freedom that involves not just the right to make choices, but the freedom to choose what is right; a freedom not from discipline but dependent on discipline; a freedom that doesn’t give us a license to sin, but a freedom that liberates us from sin; a freedom not just to “be you and me,” but a freedom to become all we were meant to be.

This freedom is rooted in a knowledge of the truth- a truth that is not just a body of knowledge, but a truth who is a person, Jesus Christ our Lord. What Jesus is saying to us today, then, is that if we follow him and live as he taught, we will truly be free- free from sin, free from unhappiness, free to love, free from fear, free to be his brothers and sisters, free to be sons and daughters of God.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/041311.shtml

Photo Credit: tim geers via Creative Commons

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Lifted Up; Arms Open Wide

Kevin and Chrissie were two individuals I became acquainted with during my seminary days. Chrissie was Kevin’s mother. At one time, Chrissie had been a nurse and Kevin an aspiring football player. But then Chrissie became an alcoholic, and Kevin soon followed suit. They became homeless, and when not in jail, they would roam the streets, shouting obscenities, getting into fights, and passing out on the sidewalk.

While praying one night, I shook my fist at God, demanding to know why he allowed something so terrible to have happened. But as I shouted, God answered by powerfully impressing upon my mind a vivid image of the cross. I felt chastised but peaceful, because this experience reminded me of an essential truth: To know God, we need to know the cross; without the cross, we can’t really understand God.

Jesus says as much in today’s gospel. People had asked, “Who are you?” To which Jesus replied, “You will know that I AM- you will know that I am God- when I have been lifted up” – lifted up on the cross.

To see Jesus on the cross is the key to understanding who Jesus really is. On the cross, we see humility, obedience, suffering, mercy, forgiveness, glory, kingship, sacrifice, priesthood, death, and victory over death. But most importantly, what we see on the cross is love. Because when Jesus was lifted up, he stretched out his arms, as if to welcome us into the eternal embrace of his love. Truly, to know the cross is to know Jesus. And to know Jesus is to experience his love.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/041211.shtml

Photo Credit: iom_mark via Creative Commons

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Walking in the Footsteps: Fidelity

The Witness of Martyrdom

Today’s pilgrimage brings us to the Basilica of San Crisogono in Trastevere.  Situated on the site that is believed to have once been occupied by the oldest Church, built as such, in Rome.  The church honors the memory of Saint Chrysogonus, a Roman military officer who was martyred under Diocletian at the Northern Italian town of Aquileia in 304. His veneration in Rome dates back to at least the Roman Synod of 499, which mentions the church as the “Titulus Chrysogoni.” The church even has a Washington connection: it is administered by the Trinitarian Order, the same order that runs DeMatha high school. Saint Chrysogonus has the added distinction of being venerated by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Our Call to Fidelity

The theme of martyrdom ties in closely with the readings for the day, which recall two women accused of adultery: Susana, who is aided by the prophet Daniel and the unnamed woman, who is added by Jesus. One is innocent, the other guilty, but both find themselves attacked by those acting out of a lust for power and pleasure.  Their example provides us with lessons to consider as we make our way as pilgrims through the world. First, in the face of guilt, we must renew ourselves by acknowledging our guilt and asking for God’s forgiveness. Second, in the face to unjust attacks on faith and on the Church, we must continue to strive for holiness in witness to the Gospel of Christ, which infuses our lives with purpose and finality.  And finally, in the face of the uncertainties and challenges of life, we must stand undaunted, living with the hope that God’s grace will ultimately overcome and transform them.

Blog and Photos by Fr. Justin Huber

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Beware the Halo Effect!

Are you familiar with the “halo effect?” It refers to our tendency to judge a person based on only one characteristic  that we find attractive or impressive. It’s as if we place a halo over their heads; they can do no wrong. We do this especially with those we think are physically attractive. We think: They’re good-looking, so surely they’re also intelligent and talented. The opposite of the halo effect is the “devil effect.” We dislike one thing about a person, or find something about them unappealing, and we write them off entirely.

I think that some of this was going on in today’s Scripture readings. In the story from Daniel, we heard of a terrible rush to judgment. The crowds were absolutely convinced that the two elders were telling the truth, because they were seen as respected and wise religious figures. And that almost got Susanna killed!

Then, in our gospel, certain Pharisees were absolutely sure that Jesus wasn’t who he claimed to be- because he didn’t fit into their pre-conceived notions. And that ultimately did get Jesus killed.

Now, the judgments you and I make don’t generally have life-and-death ramifications. However, the judgments we make do have the potential to deeply hurt others, when we judge them wrongly.

Our Lord challenges us to be aware of this, and proceed with caution. So we don’t rush to judgment; so we don’t just judge by appearances. Jesus said to his Pharisee critics: I do not judge, but when I do judge, my judgment is right, because my Father is with me.

We would do well to follow Jesus’ example- to suspend judgment, until we’re able to judge like him.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/041111.shtml

Photo credit: Ha-Wee via Creative Commons

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Walking in the footsteps: Giving Testimony

 

Witness to faith

Saturday morning, pilgrims walked along the Tiber River and crossed it to reach the church of San Nicola in Carcere.  This church stands over the remains of three ancient temples that stood at the edge of the Forum Holitorium, the vegetable market of the ancient city.  Perhaps at some point, part of this temple complex was used as a detention site because the church built over it commemorates St. Nicholas in chains.  St. Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, was brought to Rome under the persecutions of Diocletian only to be released after the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., which granted Christianity legal status.

Today’s station church corresponds well to our Gospel in which we hear the chief priests and Pharisees ridicule some guards tasked with arresting Jesus.  The guards’ defense is that Jesus spoke with authority – “never before has anyone spoken like this man.”  Yet their reply is met only with ridicule from the authorities, who dismiss the guards and the crowd as naive.

In the face of ridicule

In some ways this passage holds true today.  In the eyes of the broader society and culture some aspects of our faith are ridiculed especially in areas of morality.  Like the guards in the passage we may feel chastised by a society that views our values as antiquated or quaint.  However, through the gift of faith we hold strong to our convictions despite ridicule and, in some parts of the world, even open hostility.  We strive to remain firm in our beliefs because we know their source of origin lies not only in the Church, but ultimately through her in Christ – the one who speaks with authority.  He established the Church to safeguard and pass on his teachings and to expound them as necessary to face the challenges of each new generation.

This Lenten season is marked by practices aimed at converting our hearts so we may deepen our relationship with Christ.  In doing so, may his teaching take deeper root in us too!  May our conviction in Christ and his teachings be enriched so that we might give bold witness to our faith in this age, just as St. Nicholas was willing to bear imprisonment for this faith in his own.

Written by: Francisco Aguirre

Photo by: Fr. Justin Huber