It wasn’t so long ago that food was scarce, and we had to be satisfied with eating what was set in front of us. These days the sheer number of choices available in the local supermarket is mind-boggling. One doesn’t just select peas; there are multiple varieties of peas, each available frozen, canned, or fresh. There is every sort of beverage in several different formats. One can buy beef, pork, chicken, or lamb, not just in every cut but even packaged separately based on how the beast lived: grass-fed, free-range, hormone-free, etc.
Accustomed to this, we are quick to complain if the exact product is not available in precisely the format we want. Our “problem” is clearly a first-world one. Sadly, there are still places in the world where there is not only a limited variety of food but a limited quantity.
Variety is a good thing in itself, displaying the genius of marketing and the efficiency and effectiveness of our economic system. The danger lies in our becoming a little too picky, or even worse, ungrateful. We become like Goldilocks; everything must be “just right.”
Every morsel of food we receive is a precious gift from God. We do well to curb our resentment and annoyance when everything isn’t “just right” and recall how grateful we should be for even the humblest of food.
Enjoy this humorous commercial, which skewers our tendency to be “fussbudgets.”
In modern bibles and in the breviary, Psalm 101 is often called the “Avowal of a Good Ruler.” In other words, it is a kind of oath a ruler takes pledging to promote virtue in the kingdom and to refute error and sin. One can imagine King David saying this himself.
While this psalm is surely a good plan for a ruler, it applies to us as well, for in fact we are rulers too. We are called to rule our very self. In addition, most of us attain to rule by becoming parents, priests, religious, or other types of leaders. Thus, Psalm 101 provides a good source for reflection for all of us.
Psalm 101 – Avowal of a Good Ruler
My song is of mercy and justice;
I sing to you, O Lord.
I will walk in the way of perfection.
O when, Lord, will you come?
I will walk with blameless heart
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
whatever is base.
I will hate the ways of the crooked;
they shall not be my friends.
The false-hearted must keep far away;
the wicked I disown.
The man who slanders his neighbor in secret
I will bring to silence.
The man of proud looks and haughty heart
I will never endure.
I look to the faithful in the land
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in the way of perfection
shall be my friend.
No man who practices deceit
shall live within my house.
No man who utters lies shall stand
before my eyes.
Morning by morning I will silence
all the wicked in the land,
uprooting from the city of the Lord
all who do evil.
There are four themes or rules that those in authority should heed:
I. Consistent Calling on the Lord– My song is of mercy and justice; I sing to you, O Lord. I will walk in the way of perfection. O when, Lord, will you come?I will walk with blameless heart within my house.
To have any authority over our own self or others, we must first call out to the One who has ultimate authority over us. The psalm bids us to seek the way of perfection and to have the theme song, the keynote of our life, be one of mercy and justice.
Justice points to the ultimate perfection that the Lord offers us, bidding us not to compromise it, dilute it, or despair of it. We must long for it in ourselves. We begin by seeking to walk with increasing blamelessness within the house of our own soul and our own family.
We must also “sing” of justice to others. Too many leaders—clerics, parents, teachers, and others—have stopped singing of justice, of the righteousness that God both offers and insists upon. Justice is more than caring for the poor and recognizing human dignity. It includes every aspect of living in a right relationship to God and the truth He reveals. It thus includes every aspect of the moral life and summons our conformity to what God reveals. The just person cares for the poor and for a just social order, but he also abhors and avoids fornication, adultery, divorce, lying, gossip, false religion, godlessness, theft, greed, and every other distortion of moral truth.
Mercy is joined to justice in the psalm because great patience is often required as we journey to the justice to which God summons us. Mercy bids us to work patiently for and proclaim the justice of God’s truth and to realize that people need time to hear and repent. Mercy is not an inordinate tolerance or a caving in to evil; it is a virtue that enables us to lament the awful state of God’s people, who are so often confused and lost in the immoral fog of this world. Out of this concern we patiently work to establish God’s truth more firmly in our hearts and in the hearts of others, especially those under our care and authority.
Thus, the psalm bids us to call on the Lord and ask that He come to us with His graces in abundance. Help us, Lord. Save us. Have mercy on us and keep us by your grace!
II. Careful Custody of the Senses– I will not set before my eyes whatever is base. I will hate the ways of the crooked.
We live in times of unprecedented exposure to evil, to what is base and coarse. Our lives are almost never quiet. Everywhere there is the noisy clamor of worldly and often sinful voices through television, the Internet, music, movies, advertising, and other media. We can get lost in the small screens of our handheld devices. The distractions, both auditory and visual, are unrelenting. Even the news often features what is controversial, ignoble, violent, strange, and prurient.
We must actively, even aggressively, work to shield our eyes and ears from the steady diet of the world and seek to immerse ourselves more fully and intentionally in what is of God, what is holy and true. To shield our eyes and ears from what is base requires discipline and a firm resolve to turn away from the sinful world and towards the beautiful, serene, lofty beauty of God and His truth.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8).
Simply turning off the television and powering down the electronic devices will not be enough. We must also substitute what is good in their place. Look to higher sources such as EWTN and the growing number of helpful Catholic programs, blogs, and websites. Edifying movies are growing in number and quality.
In keeping custody of the senses, we are demonstrating a deep respect of our minds and those of others over whom we have authority. Most people would never dream of swimming in a polluted river, yet many of these same people think little of plunging their minds into the vilest swamps bubbling with every foul thing.
Thus, the Psalm bids us to hate the ways of the crooked and not set before ourselves what is base and sinful.
III. Caution for the Company We Keep– The false-hearted must keep far away; the wicked I disown. The man of proud looks and haughty heart I will never endure. I look to the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me. He who walks in the way of perfection shall be my friend. No man who practices deceit shall live within my house.
The custody of the senses must also extend to our intentional relationships. St. Paul says,
Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor 15:33).
He adds elsewhere,
I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat (1 Cor 5:11).
These verses are not an invitation to snobbery but an honest concern to stay free of unnecessary influences. We should be protective of our soul and the souls of those whom we love and over whom we have authority. We live in a world that glamorizes sin and evil as well as those who exemplify and engage in it. We tolerate it all very well and, out of a desire to flatter the powerful or popular, or from a misplaced admiration, keep the wrong company and expose ourselves and others to danger.
Although not in personal relationships with them, we idolize famous athletes, movie stars, and sometimes politicians. We overlook or make excuses for their poor behavior. Never mind that many are false-hearted, haughty, and engage in deceitful and wrongful practices, never mind that; they’re such great actors, or they can throw a ball through a hoop so consistently, or they’re on our side politically.
The psalm bids us to look to the faithful in the land, to those who desire and seek perfection. We should intentionally seek knowledge of them and learn from their influence. Their lives may be less glamorous or popular, but they can assist us in what we most need: truth, virtue, counsel, and good example in the ways of faith.
Be very careful as to the company you keep and the people whom you admire. Do the same on behalf of your children. Do not overlook the corrupting power of bad company. Priests, parents, and other leaders must exhibit great oversight over what and who influences those in their care. They must not leave poor choices unrebuked.
IV. Correction and Culling of Sinners– The man who slanders his neighbor in secret, I will bring to silence.Morning by morning I will silence all the wicked in the land, uprooting from the city of the Lord all who do evil.
Our first action is to correct the sinner and win him over to what is right. Even with our very self, the first step is to remove sin in our life and to moderate the use of lawful pleasures. Sometimes we discover that mere moderation of a lawful pleasure is not possible. For example, wine is a gift from God, but there are some who cannot drink moderately and must therefore abstain entirely or risk grave harm to themselves and others.
Something similar can be said for our approach to fellow sinners. We first seek to admonish and correct, for all people as they come from God are good and beloved by Him. We strive to preserve union with all people of good will who desire the ways of justice and truth. We correct, as the psalm says, by silencing lies and all forms of wickedness. We silence it with the word of truth. Fraternal correction is an obligation we have to others. The psalm says that we must do it “morning by morning,” that is, consistently.
Jesus says,
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother (Matt 18:15).
St Paul says,
Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness (Gal 6:1).
St. James adds,
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20).
Thus, our first goal in the face of sin is to correct it and to win the sinner back to the Lord. However, there comes a time when, as the psalm says, there must be an uprooting from the city of God of those who persist in sin and are incorrigible.
Moses says,
You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid (Deut 21:21).
Jesus says of the incorrigible sinner,
And if he refuses to listen even to the Church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector (Matt 18:17).
St Paul says the following concerning a particular unrepentant sinner in Corinth:
Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit might be saved on the Day of the Lord (1 Cor 5:5).
There comes a time when we must establish a firm boundary between ourselves and unrepentant sinners. Exactly when is a matter of prudential judgment.
Too many Church leaders today are rarely willing to consider this option. In this way, sinners are confirmed in their ways and the faithful are disheartened—even scandalized. Parents and other leaders are often lenient to a fault, slow in rebuking and punishing wrongdoing; the evil is never uprooted from the City of God and it spreads like wildfire. The psalm makes it clear that uprooting is sometimes necessary. A good leader needs prudence and courage to undertake such a task, which is done for the good of one and all.
Here, then, are the “Avowals of a Ruler.” Four rules for good, effective leadership.
At Tuesday’s daily Mass, we read this funny story about Peter that speaks to the paradox of losing one’s life only to find it more abundantly:
Peter began to say to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first” (Mark 10:27-31).
Every priest knows well the paradox of these verses. Each of us gave up being the father of children and yet thousands call us “Father.” We gave up the bride of our dreams and yet have the most beautiful and perfect bride: the Church. She is indeed beautiful but has a long “honey do” list! As for buildings and land? We don’t have our own homes on a parcel of land, but we oversee multimillion dollar buildings, quite often occupying an entire city block or a country acre. Talk about receiving back a hundredfold! Every priest knows the richness of his life in terms of buildings and land, but above all in people—in family.
Such is the paradox of losing one’s life only to find it even more richly.
I think that God has a certain sense of humor about this as well and must have Himself a good laugh as we begin to realize the paradox.
I remember once, back when I was considering the priesthood, that it occurred to me with some relief that at least I wouldn’t have to worry about losing my job or keeping a roof over the head of my family. Hah! God must have had a good laugh at that thought of mine. I, too, had to laugh as I signed checks a few of years ago totaling more than $300,000 to replace the roof on our school. Somehow, we survived just fine financially. Next, come the boilers and other big-ticket items! I just can’t avoid a smirk and an eye roll when I think back on my once-naïve notion of the financial ease of being a priest. What was I thinking?
God has been good to me, so very good. In losing “my own family” I gained God’s family. In setting aside something lesser, I obtained something greater, far greater than I could ever have imagined. I forsook the rich blessing of marriage and family only to be astonished at the even larger family that would be mine.
Somehow for all of us the paradox rings true. When we lose our life to this world in some way, God has even greater things waiting. My mother set aside the more lucrative salary of a public-school teacher in order to teach in a Catholic school, but by her own testimony she got back more than she ever gave up. I know another woman who left a six-figure salary to be a stay-at-home mother. The beautiful and holy title of “Mom” meant so much more to her than her former executive title.
In losing our life we find it. Yes, while the full impact of this will only be seen in Heaven, many of us do learn and experience this truth even here. St. Paul expressed the rich tapestry of the paradox best of all. Looking to his own life and the lives of those who accompanied him, he could only marvel as he said,
We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything (2 Cor 6:8-10).
Yes, all is lost, but all is gained. Some is gained even right here in this world, as a kind of foretaste, but one day all will be gained beyond measure. Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matt 10:39). Yes, Lord, and we will find it in abundance! Thank you, Lord.
What is your story of losing your life to this world only to find it more abundantly in the Lord?
Marriage and family are wonderful gifts. That some are called to forsake them for the kingdom points to the depth of the sacrifice, but the return is immeasurable.
Last week in the Office of Readings we concluded the Book of Ecclesiastes. One of the more beautiful passages in the Old Testament is the 12th Chapter of Ecclesiastes. It is a melancholy but soulful meditation on old age. Its poetic imagery is masterful, as it draws from the increasingly difficult effects of old age such as hearing loss, fading eyesight, difficulty walking, digestive issues, and even gray hair.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come And the years approach of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them; Before the sun is darkened. and the light, and the moon, and the stars, while the clouds return after the rain; When the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, And the grinders are idle because they are few, and they who look through the windows grow blind; When the doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the mill is low; When one waits for the chirp of a bird, but all the daughters of song are suppressed; And one fears heights, and perils in the street; When the almond tree blooms, and the locust grows sluggish and the caper berry is without effect, Because man goes to his lasting home, and mourners go about the streets; Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, And the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the broken pulley falls into the well, And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity! (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8)
And now some commentary on each verse (my comments appear in red).
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come And the years approach of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
We are advised to give thanks to God for the vigor of youth because “evil” days will come. Here evil does not mean sinfully evil. Rather, it refers to days that are difficult, days that bring challenge and pain.
We might want to be thankful for living in modern times because the burdens of old age are far less than they were long ago. Consider all the things that make aging less difficult today: pain medication alleviates arthritis; calcium supplements help with osteoporosis; blood pressure medication aids in preventing strokes; motorized scooters increase mobility; eyeglasses and hearing aids improve the ability to interact. In the ancient world, age brought such increasing and cumulative burdens that our author said, regarding these days, “I have no pleasure in them.”
Before the sun is darkened. and the light, and the moon, and the stars, while the clouds return after the rain;
This is a poignantly poetic description of failing eyesight. The light darkens, the moon and stars are less visible (perhaps they are blurry), and the clouds of cataracts begin to hamper vision.
When the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, And the grinders are idle because they are few, and they who look through the windows grow blind;
The “guardians of the house” are the arms. They begin to tremble with the tremors common to old age, even without Parkinson’s disease.
The “strong men” are the legs. They are bent, less able to carry the weight of the body. Bent also describes the legs when we are seated, unable to walk.
The “grinders” are the teeth and they are few! We have far better dental care available to us today. In ancient times, it was common for the elderly to have lost many if not most of their teeth. This made it difficult to eat and required food to be mashed.
The image of an elderly person sitting by a window looking out, but able to see less and less, is surely sad, but also vivid. I remember my grandmother in her last years. She could no longer read much because her eyesight was so poor, and her mind could not concentrate on the text; and so she sat for hours and just looked out the window.
When the doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the mill is low; When one waits for the chirp of a bird, but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
The “doors to the street” are the tightly compressed lips common to the very elderly, especially when teeth are missing. It also depicts how many of the elderly stop talking much. Their mouths seem shut tight.
The sound of the mill may be another reference to chewing. Many of the elderly lose their appetite. One the psalms says, regarding the elderly, “I moan like a dove and forget to eat my bread” (Psalm 102:4).
Waiting for the chirp of the birds may be a reference to the silence of the elderly, but it may also be a reference to deafness, as many can no longer hear the singing and chirping, something the young often take for granted.
And one fears heights, and perils in the street; When the almond tree blooms, and the locust grows sluggish and the caper berry is without effect,
Walking is difficult, sometimes treacherous, and requires great effort for many of the elderly. Whereas the young may not think twice about climbing a flight of stairs, the elderly may see them as an insurmountable obstacle.
Perils in the street like loose or upturned stones cause fear because falls for the elderly can be catastrophic. They may also not be able to get up if they fall.
The blooming almond tree, with its white blossoms, is a symbol for gray hair.
The caper berry had several uses in the ancient world. It was an appetite stimulant, an aphrodisiac, and was also used to treat rheumatism! In old age, however, it would seem that its desired effects were hard to come by.
Because man goes to his lasting home, and mourners go about the streets; Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, And the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the broken pulley falls into the well, And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
Finally, death comes, as symbolized by the mourners in the street. The silver cord and the golden bowl—symbols of life—are now snapped and broken.
The broken pitcher symbolizes that the body no longer contains the soul.
The pulley, a device used to lift, is now broken, indicating that the body will no longer rise from its place but rather fall into the well of the grave.
Then we return to the dust and the soul goes to God.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!
In the end, all things pass. Nothing remains. Because all things are to pass, they are vain (empty). The physical world is less real than the spiritual world, because the physical passes while the spiritual remains. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at God’s right hand (Col 1:3).
This chapter from Ecclesiastes is a sad but powerfully beautiful description of old age. I have often shared it with the very elderly and those who are suffering from the ill effects of old age. I remember reading it slowly to my father as he lay dying in his hospital room. He could no longer talk much, but as I read it to him I saw him nod and raise his hands as if to say “Amen!” It was almost as if he meant to say, “Somebody understands; God understands.” Perhaps you also know an elderly person who could benefit from this passage. I know that it is sad and that not everyone is in a condition that they can hear such a stark and sad description, but some are in a frame of mind such that they can derive peace from it, as God, through His word, tells them that He understands exactly what they are going through.
The Gospel from Thursday’s daily Mass featured one of Jesus’ lesser-known teachings:
Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another (Mark 9:49-50).
Let’s begin with a few observations about salt in those times.
Salt was valuable. Some people were even paid with salt (which is where we get the word “salary”).
Salt was connected with healing and purity. Saltwater was applied to infections and wounds (it helps heal afflictions of the skin). Newborn babies were washed with saltwater.
Salt was connected with preservation. In the years before refrigeration, salt was one of the most common ways of preserving meat and fish.
Salt was connected with flavor. Salt adds spice to life; it brings out the flavor in food.
Salt was an image for wisdom. Gregory the Great said, “Now by salt is denoted the word of wisdom. Let him therefore who strives to speak wisely, fear greatly” (Pastoral Rule 4.12).
Salt was connected with worship and covenant. Scripture says, Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings (Lev 2:13). So, the use of salt was ordered first for the meal offerings, and afterwards for “all” offerings, including the “burnt offering.”
Scripture speaks elsewhere of a “covenant of salt.” For example, Don’t you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? (2 Chron 13:5) The covenant of salt refers to the imperishable and irrevocable quality of the engagement made between the two parties to the covenant.
The use of salt to signify and ratify what was sacred was widespread. There is a Latin saying attributed to Pliny the Elder (and Virgil, too), Nulla sacra conficiuntur sine mola salsa (Sacred things are not made without salted meal).
To apply the image of salt to the Christian life, we should see that the Christian is charged with purifying, sanctifying, and preserving this wounded and decaying world by being salt to it. The Christian is called to bring flavor to life in a world that is so often filled with despair and meaninglessness.
With that background, let’s turn to an analysis of Jesus’ words from the Gospel of Mark.
1. Everyone will be salted with fire. Two images of salt and fire come together here, but the result is the same: purification. We have already seen how salt purifies. Fire does the same thing through the refining process. Precious metals come from the ground admixed with iron and many other metals. Subjecting them to fire purifies the gold or silver, separating it from the iron and other metals.
Both salt and fire purify by burning, each in its own way. Hence the Lord marvelously brings those two images together, telling us that we will all be “salted with fire.”
Indeed, it must be so. We must all be purified. Scripture says of Heaven, nothing impure will ever enter it (Rev 21:27). St. Paul speaks of purgatorial fire as effecting whatever purification has not taken place here on earth:
If anyone builds on this foundation [of Christ] using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—yet as one escaping through the flames (1 Cor 3:15-15).
The Book of Malachi also reminds us of our need to be purified, to be “salted with fire.”
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver (Mal 3:2-3).
Yes, we must all be salted with fire. We must be purified, both here, and if necessary (as it likely will be), in Purgatory.
2. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?In other words, we must let the salt of God’s grace have its effect or else we, who are to be salt for others, become flat, tasteless, and good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot (cf Matt 5:13).
If the salt will not be salt, there is no substitute for it. Jesus asks rhetorically, if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? There is no substitute for Christians. If we will not be light, then the world will be in darkness. If we will not be salt, then the world will not be purified, preserved, or have anything good or tasty about it at all. The decay of Western culture has happened on our watch, when we collectively decided to stop being salt and light.
3. Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.In other words, allow the salt, the purification, to have its effect. Only if we do this will we have peace with one another.
Our divisions and lack of peace are caused by our sins. Thus, to accept the purification of being salted with fire is our only true hope for peace. When the Lord burns away my envy, I no longer resent your gifts; I rejoice in them and come to appreciate that I need you to complete me. In this way there is peace. When the Lord burns away my jealousy and greed and helps me to be grateful for what I have, I no longer desire to take what is rightly yours nor do I resent you for having it. In this way there is peace. When the Lord burns away my bitter memories of past hurts and gives me the grace to forgive, an enormous amount of poison goes out of my soul and I am equipped to love and to be kind, generous, and patient. In this way there is peace.
Yes, allowing ourselves to be salted with fire is a source of peace for us. And while we may resist the pain of fire and salt, just as with any stinging medicine we must learn that although it is painful it is good for us. Yes, it brings peace; it ushers in shalom.
Memorial Day for many means the beginning of summer. To others, it is a day off to go shopping. But as I am sure you know, Memorial Day is really a day to honor those who have died in the service of this country. Here are some thoughts based on two words that arise on a day like this: “memorial” and “monument.”
The word “memorial” comes from the Latin memorare, an imperative that means “Remember!” Therefore, Memorial Day is “Remember!” Day. To remember something is to allow it to be present to our mind and heart so that we are grateful, sober, aware, and different because of it.
This is a day to remember that there are men and women who died so that you and I are able to live with greater security, justice, and peace. May these fallen soldiers rest in peace. We owe them both a debt of gratitude and our prayers.
In a secondary sense, we can also honor today those who currently serve in the military because they also place their lives on the line for our security and peace. On Veterans Day we will have a second opportunity to thank those in the military who are still living.
God bless them all and may the dead rest in peace. We must remember that freedom is not really free—others paid the price for our freedom.
The second word is “monument,”which comes from the Latin words monere (to warn, remind, or advise) and mens (mind). Hence a monument exists to admonish or advise us to remember the dead and/or what they have done. Not only do we owe a debt of gratitude to our fallen soldiers, but we must also hold in our memories all they have done for us.
There are many memorials and some monuments as well honoring our fallen soldiers. Here in Washington, D.C. and in most cities, there are memorials to the soldiers who died during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the War in Vietnam. Soon enough there will be monuments to the fallen from the Gulf War and to those who gave their lives in other wars. The Tomb of the Unknowns is a poignant monument to the many fallen who remain unknown to us. And who can forget the deep impression that the rows of white crosses in a military cemetery make?
Love of one’s country, patriotism, is related to the fourth commandment. The Catechism teaches,
It is the duty of citizens to contribute to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom. The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity (CCC # 2239).
The Lord Himself makes it plain: No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).
We must never forget the price that others have paid for our freedom. Pray for our fallen soldiers from every generation and for their families.
Here is the text of the song “Mansions of the Lord”:
To fallen soldiers let us sing,
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord
No more weeping,
No more fight,
No prayers pleading through the night,
Just Divine embrace,
Eternal light,
In the Mansions of the Lord
Where no mothers cry
And no children weep,
We shall stand and guard
Though the angels sleep,
Oh, through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord
Perhaps you might use the following video as a way to meditate on the sacrifices they have made:
There is an old spiritual that says, “My God is so high you can’t get over Him. He’s so low you can’t get under Him. He’s so wide you can’t get around Him. You must come in, by and through the Lamb.”
It’s not a bad way of saying that God is “other.” He is beyond what human words can describe, beyond what human thoughts can conjure. On the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity we do well to remember that we are pondering a mystery that cannot fit in our minds.
A mystery, though, is not something wholly unknown. In the Christian tradition, the word “mystery” refers to (among other things) something that is partially revealed, something much more of which remains hidden. As we ponder the Trinity, consider that although there are some things we can know by revelation, much more is beyond our understanding.
Let’s ponder the Trinity by exploring it, seeing how it is exhibited in Scripture, and observing how we, who are made in God’s image, experience it.
I. The Teaching on the Trinity Explored –
Perhaps we do best to begin by quoting the Catechism, which says, The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons: [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] … The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God, whole and entire (Catechism, 253).
There is one God and each of the three persons of the Trinity possesses the one divine nature fully. The Father is God; He is not one-third of God. Likewise, the Son, Jesus, is God; He is not one-third of God. And the Holy Spirit is God, not merely one-third of God.
It is our human experience that if there is only one of something, and someone possesses it fully, then there is nothing left for anyone else. Yet mysteriously, each of the three persons of the Trinity fully possesses the one and only divine nature while remaining a distinct person.
One of the great masterpieces of the Latin Liturgy is the preface for Trinity Sunday. It compactly and clearly sets forth the Christian teaching on the Trinity. The following translation of the Latin is my own:
It is truly fitting and just, right and helpful unto salvation that we should always and everywhere give thanks to you O Holy Lord, Father almighty and eternal God: who, with your only begotten Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, one Lord: not in the oneness of a single person, but in a Trinity of one substance. For that which we believe from your revelation concerning your glory, we acknowledge of your Son and the Holy Spirit without difference or distinction. Thus, in the confession of the true and eternal Godhead there is adored a distinctness of persons, a oneness in essence, and an equality in majesty, whom the angels and archangels, the Cherubim also and the Seraphim, do not cease to daily cry out with one voice saying, Holy, Holy, Holy …
Wow! It’s a careful and clear masterpiece, but one that baffles the mind. So deep is this mystery that we had to “invent” a paradoxical word to summarize it: Triune (or Trinity). Triune literally means “three-one” (tri + unus), and “Trinity” is a conflation of “Tri-unity,” meaning the “three-oneness” of God.
If all of this baffles you, good! If you were to say that you fully understood all this, I would have to say you were likely a heretic. The teaching on the Trinity, while not contrary to reason per se, does transcend it and it is surely beyond human understanding.
Here is a final image before we leave our exploration stage. The picture at the upper right is from an experiment I remember doing when I was in high school. We took three projectors, each of which projected a circle: one red, one green, and one blue (the three primary colors). At the intersection of the three circles the color white appeared. Mysteriously, the three primary colors are present in the color white, but only one shows forth. The analogy is not perfect (no analogy is or it wouldn’t be an analogy) for Father, Son, and Spirit do not “blend” to make God, but it does manifest a mysterious “three-oneness” of the color white. Somehow in the one, three are present. (By the way, this experiment only works with light; don’t try it with paint!)
II. The Teaching on the Trinity Exhibited– Scripture also presents images of the Trinity. Interestingly enough, most of the ones I want to present here are from the Old Testament.
As a disclaimer, I’d like to point out that Scripture scholars debate the meaning of these texts; that’s what they get paid the big bucks to do. I am reading these texts as a New Testament Christian and seeing in them a doctrine that later became clear. I am not getting into a time machine and trying to understand them as a Jew from the 8th century B.C. might have. Why should I? That’s not what I am. I am reading these texts as a Christian in the light of the New Testament, as I have a perfect right to do. You, of course, are free to decide whether you think these texts really are images or hints of the Trinity. Here they are:
1. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …” (Gen 1:26)
God speaks of himself in the plural: “Let us … our …” Some claim that this is just an instance of the “royal we” being used. Perhaps, but I see an image of the Trinity. There is one (“God said”) but there is also a plural (us, our). Right at the very beginning in Genesis there is already a hint that God is not all by himself, but rather is in a communion of love.
2. Elohim
In the passage above, the word used for God is אֱלֹהִ֔ים (Elohim). It is interesting to note that this word is in the plural form. From a grammatical standpoint, Elohim actually means “Gods,” but the Jewish people understood the sense of the word to be singular. This is a much debated point, however. You can read more about it from a Jewish perspective here: Elohim as Plural yet Singular.
(We have certain words like this in English, words that are plural in form but singular in meaning such as news, mathematics, and acoustics.) My point here is not to try to understand it as a Jew from the 8th century B.C. or even as a present day Jew. Rather, I am observing with interest that one of the main words for God in the Old Testament is plural yet singular, singular yet plural. God is one yet three. I say this as a Christian observing this about one of the main titles of God, and I see an image of the Trinity.
3. And the LORD appeared to [Abram] by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, “My Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said” (Gen 18:1-5).
From a purely grammatical standpoint this is a very difficult passage because it switches back and forth between singular and plural references. The Lord (singular) appears to Abram, yet Abram sees three men (some have said that this is just God and two angels, but I think it is the Trinity). Then when Abram addresses “them” he says, “My Lord” (singular). The tortured grammar continues as Abram suggests that the Lord (singular) rest “yourselves” (plural) under the tree. The same thing happens in the next sentence, in which Abram wants to fetch bread so that you may refresh “yourselves” (plural). In the end, the Lord (singular) answers, but it is rendered as “So they said.” Plural, singular … which is it? Both. God is one and God is three. For me as a Christian, this is a picture of the Trinity. Because the reality of God cannot be reduced to mere words, this is a grammatically difficult passage, but I can “see” what is going on: God is one and God is three; He is singular and He is plural.
4. Having come down in a cloud, the Lord stood with Moses there and proclaimed his Name, “Lord.” Thus the Lord passed before him and cried out, “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity” (Exodus 34:5).
When God announces His name, He does so in a threefold way: Lord! … The Lord, the Lord. There is implicit a threefold introduction or announcement of God. Is it a coincidence or is it significant? You decide.
5. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the Seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Is 6:1-3).
God is Holy, Holy, and yet again, Holy. Some say that this is just a Jewish way of saying “very Holy,” but as Christian I see more. I see a reference to each of the three persons of the Trinity. Perfect praise here requires three “holys.” Why? Omni Trinum Perfectum (all things are perfect in threes). But why? As a Christian, I see the angels praising each of the three persons of the Trinity. God is three (Holy, holy, holy …) and yet God is one (holy is the Lord …). There are three declarations of the word “Holy.” Is it a coincidence or is it significant? You decide.
6. Here are three (of many) references to the Trinity in the New Testament:
Jesus says, The Father and I are one (Jn 10:30).
Jesus also says, To have seen me is to have seen the Father (Jn 14:9).
Have you ever noticed that in the baptismal formula, Jesus uses “bad” grammar? He says, Baptize them in the name (not names (plural)) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). God is one (name) and God is three (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
Thus Scripture exhibits the teaching of the Trinity, going back even to the beginning.
III. The Teaching of the Trinity Experienced– We who are made in the image and likeness of God ought to experience something of the mystery of the Trinity within us, and sure enough, we do.
It is clear that we are all distinct individuals. I am not you; you are not I. Yet it is also true that we are made for communion. We humans cannot exist apart from one another. Obviously we depend on our parents, through whom God made us, but even beyond that we need one another for completion.
Despite what the Paul Simon song says, no man is a rock or an island. There is no such thing as a self-made man. Even the private business owner needs customers, suppliers, shippers, and other middlemen. He uses roads he did not build, has electricity supplied to him over lines he did not string, and speaks a language to his customers that he did not create. Further, the product he makes was likely the result of technologies and processes he did not invent. The list could go on and on.
We are individual, but we are social. We are one, but we are linked to many. Clearly we do not possess the kind of unity that God does, but the “three-oneness” of God echoes in us. We are one, yet we are many.
We have entered into perilous times where our interdependence and communal influence are under-appreciated. The attitude that prevails today is a rather extreme individualism: “I can do as I please.” There is a reduced sense of how our individual choices affect the community, Church, or nation. That I am an individual is true, but it is also true that I live in communion with others and must respect that dimension of who I am. I exist not only for me, but for others. What I do affects others, for good or ill.
The attitude that it’s none of my business what others do needs some attention. Privacy and discretion have important places in our life, but so does concern for what others think and do, the choices they make, and the effects that such things have on others. A common moral and religious vision is an important thing to cultivate. It is ultimately quite important what others think and do. We should care about fundamental things like respect for life, love, care for the poor, education, marriage, and family. Indeed, marriage and family are fundamental to community, nation, and the Church. I am one, but I am also in communion with others and they with me.
Finally, there is a rather remarkable conclusion that some have drawn: the best image of God in us is not a man alone or a woman alone, but rather a man and a woman together in the lasting and fruitful relationship we call marriage. When God said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26), the text goes on to say, “Male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). God then says to them, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). So the image of God (as He sets it forth most perfectly) is the married and fruitful couple.
We must be careful to understand that what humans manifest sexually, God manifests spiritually, for God is neither male nor female in His essence. We may say that the First Person loves the Second Person and the Second Person loves the First Person. So real is that love that it bears fruit in the Third Person. In this way the married couple images God, for the husband and wife love each other and their love bears fruit in their children (See, USCCB, “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan”).
So today, as we extol the great mystery of the Trinity, we look not merely outward and upward so as to understand, but also inward to discover that mystery at work in us, who are made in the image and likeness of God.
The commercial below should make us ponder what we might need to let go of. In it, a man is so attached to his prized video arcade game that he’s willing to risk his life to keep it.
As this commercial shows, we often hang on to things even when we can see how they burden us and endanger our ability to thrive. It’s so easy to get attached to things that end up holding us back!
What is holding you back? What is distracting you so that you don’t focus on more important things? What do you need to let go of?
It wasn’t so long ago that food was scarce, and we had to be satisfied with eating what was set in front of us. These days the sheer number of choices available in the local supermarket is mind-boggling. One doesn’t just select peas; there are multiple varieties of peas, each available frozen, canned, or fresh. There is every sort of beverage in several different formats. One can buy beef, pork, chicken, or lamb, not just in every cut but even packaged separately based on how the beast lived: grass-fed, free-range, hormone-free, etc.
