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Straining out Gnats and Swallowing Camels as seen on T.V.

020813The video below is a good example of how we sometimes follow smaller rules and overlook bigger ones in the process.

The Lord Jesus often had to endure scorn from the people of his day that he overlooked certain precise matters of the law, often Sabbath observances. But those who rebuked him for this were guilty of far greater violations. For example,

1. [Jesus] went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus (Mk 3:1-6)

2. Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. (Luke 11:42)

3. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” (Lk 13:14-16)

4. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. (Matt 23:24-25).

Yes, straining gnats and swallowing camels, a kind of maximizing the minimum and minimizing the maximum. Note that in the first example, they are actually planning to kill Jesus for healing on the Sabbath!

But perhaps my favorite, all time illustration of this awful human tendency is in the Gospel of John:

Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out… (John 18:28-29)

Notice, they are plotting to kill a just an innocent man, indeed, they are plotting to kill God, they are acting in wickedness, envy, jealousy, hatred and murderous anger, but their main concern is to avoid ritual uncleanness! Yes, straining gnats and swallowing camels.

Now we who are pious and observant need to be careful with this tendency. For it sometimes happens that, congratulating ourselves over lesser matters, we can either offend or neglect in weightier ones. Perhaps I get to Mass each Sunday (which is a grave obligation), perhaps I pray the rosary (a highly commendable practice), perhaps I tithe, also commendable. And these are things that ought to be done (one is commanded, one is commended, and one is a precept). But what if, at the same time I am hateful toward certain people at work, unforgiving to a family member, and insensitive to the poor?

But the danger could be that, in effect, I let my observance of certain things all me to, in effect “check off the God box” and figure, “I’ve got the righteousness thing down” since I went to Mass, gave an offering and even prayed the rosary this week. Now these are good things, and should not be neglected, but they are not the only thing. And too often, very significant and serious things like love, mercy, forgiveness and charity can be set aside or neglected as I go on congratulating myself over other, sometimes lesser things.

This can happen in the other direct too wherein someone may congratulate themselves that they have advocated for the poor, spent the day working at a soup kitchen etc., and thus think they have no need to look at the fact that they are living say, unchastely, all shacked up, or not getting to Mass.

But we cannot buy God off like this, doing certain things (usually things we like) in way that seeks to paper over other things we’d rather not observe or look at. In the end, the whole counsel of God is important.

We must avoid the sinful tendency to a sort of substitutionalism, or swapping, maybe even a trading on the holy, thinking we can observe a few things and overlook others.

Culturally too we see a lot of strange examples of this. We obsess nationally over whether or not people smoke because it might be bad for their health and then ignore the national health consequences of promiscuous behavior which spreads AIDS, and countless venereal diseases and leads to abortion. We save the baby seals and shred the baby humans by the millions. We deplore (rightfully) the death of several thousand each year by gun murder, and call the murder of over fifty million babies a constitutional right. The school nurse requires permission to dispense aspirin but none to deploy the dangerous abortifacient morning after pill. We talk about the dignity of women and yet pornography flourishes. We worry endlessly about our weight and physical appearance of our bodies that will die, and care little for our souls that will live. We decry carbon footprints and fly on jets to the global warming conference at the sprawling luxury convention center complex. We use compact bulbs to help save the planet, but fill them with poisonous mercury. etc….

Straining gnats and swallowing camels. To be sure, as the Lord says above, we ought not neglect smaller things wholly. But simply observing lesser things doesn’t give us the right to ignore greater things.

Salus animarum suprema lex (The salvation of souls is the highest Law). And thus, while little things mean a lot, we must always remember not to allow them to wholly eclipse greater things.

The ideal for which to aim is an integrated state where in the lesser serves the greater and is subsumed into it. St. Augustine rightly observed:

Quod Minimum, minimum est, Sed in minimo fidelem esse, magnum est.
St. Augustine – De Doctrina Christiana, IV,35

(What is a little thing, is (just) a little thing. But to be faithful in a little thing is a great thing).

Thus, notice, the lesser things are in service of the greater thing, in this case fidelity. And thus we rightly ask who some of the lesser things we do are really in service of the greater things like, just, love, mercy, fidelity, kindness, generosity and such. Otherwise we run the risk of straining gnats and swallowing camels.

Enjoy this video which illustrates how the one rule (silence in the library) is observed but to the total neglect of every other virtue.

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Exorcism or Deliverance? Some Pastoral Reflections on Assisting the Faithful who are Tormented by Demons

020713There is wide interest today in the topic of exorcism. The publication a couple of years of the The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio, and the subsequent movie and interviews with Fr. Gary Thomas have sparked some of this interest. Prior to this other books such as An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabriel Amorth and other such books had paved the way for the renewed interest.

But frankly, another reason is that, as our world becomes more secular, families disintegrate and the outright celebration of sinful practices spreads, bondage to sinful drives, psychological trauma, and openness to demonic influence is also on the increase.

Sadly a whole generation of priests were often taught to distrust traditional understandings of trauma and dysfunction that gave significant weight to spiritual causes. These priests were often trained to see most such things as merely psychological in nature and, thus the only recommended course was psychotherapy. Parishioners were sent, often without even a prayer being said.

Gratefully the tide is turning back to a more balanced approach and Catholics are right asking for spiritual help, along with other helpful approaches such as psychotherapy and the use of psychtropic medicines.

But with the renewed emphasis on exorcism in the news and other sources, it must be said that some of the increased requests for the formal Rite of Exorcism, often manifests and misunderstanding of that rite, and also a lack of information on other avenues for healing.

For the truth is, outright demonic possession is rare, and that is what the formal Rite of Exorcism is meant to address. Most people who present themselves, or someone they love, to the Church are not possessed by the devil or demons. There may be lesser forms of trouble such as obsession, oppression or torment at work, along with psychological trauma, and other more natural sources of struggle.

For such people, who are not possessed, what is needed is deliverance, not exorcism.

What is deliverance? Deliverance is prayer and on-going ministry that uses numerous approaches to bring healing and wholeness to those who, in some way after baptism, have come to struggle significantly with bondage to sin, the influence of demons, sinful drives, or the effects of significant psychological and/or spiritual trauma.

Deliverance involves taking hold of the full freedom that God is given us, of helping the faithful who struggle to lay hold of the glorious freedom of the children of God (cf Rom 8:21). St. Paul says, that the Father has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins (Colossians 1:13 – 14).

There is also a magnificent passage in the Acts of the Apostles where St. Paul is told of his mission to the Gentiles by the Lord: I am sending you to [the Gentiles] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Acts 26:17–18.

This fundamentally is a description of the ongoing work of deliverance that the whole Church must accomplish for God’s chosen people. Deliverance seeks to take people out from under Satan’s power and place them under the Authority and Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is to bring people to, or restore them to, their true identity as sons and daughters of God.

For, even after baptism, it is possible that we open doors to Satan, and he is able to gain some degree of access to our hearts and minds. When this is the case, a Christian, working with others, clergy and fellow believers alike, must take a stand against the schemes of the devil by repenting of sin, and renouncing any form of agreement with the deceptions of the enemy.

Deliverance involves coming to an understanding of the tactics of the evil one and also the flawed thinking which often infects our minds. It involves coming to know and name these tactics of the evil one, and these deep drives of sin within us. It involves repenting of them, and steadily renouncing their influence so that we come to greater serenity, peace, and healing; in other words, to deliverance.

This deliverance is effected in many ways: by the Word of God proclaimed and devoutly read, through the frequent reception of sacraments of Holy Communion and confession, through spiritual direction, through the experience of the Sacred Liturgy, praise and worship, through authentic and close fellowship with other believers, through personal prayer, through psychotherapy where necessary, and through what might be called a deliverance ministry that often involves both clergy and lay people praying together with those who struggle, and offering support, and encouragement.

Here is therefore, the description of a wider ministry of deliverance that looks past exorcism, alone, (and which only applies rather rare circumstances of possession). Deliverance ministry seeks to broaden healing to the large number of people, (to some extent all of us a certain times) who need healing and deliverance.

Who needs deliverance? While everyone can benefit from such a ministry in a general sort of a way, there are more particularly those among us who go through intense crises and need special and focused ministry. This ministry may occasionally involve formal exorcism, but it usually involves a more general need that we would call a need for deliverance. And this deliverance should be a multidisciplinary approach as described just above.

My own experience with the need for deliverance ministry, is quite personal. For I myself, at a critical point in my life, needed deliverance. The specific area where I needed deliverance concerned grave, and increasingly debilitating bouts with severe anxiety.

This significant torment had begun for me, at an early age. As early as age 10, I began to experience long periods of sleeplessness due to extreme worry. At the time in my family there were many crises underway, related to my sister’s severe mental illness and my parents’ struggle with alcohol. These bouts of extreme anxiety I began to endure, usually lasting for months at a time, were sporadic at first, coming in going somewhat mysteriously.

Through my teenage years these episodes of extreme anxiety became more frequent, and troublesome enough that my parents placed me in outpatient psychotherapeutic counseling and I was prescribed psychotropic medicines. Some benefits were attained hereby, and my college and seminary years were largely serene.

But for me a major crisis ensued in my 33rd year, when, as a young priest, I was asked to take a very challenging assignment. While I initially agreed to the assignment, I was soon assailed by extreme anxiety, sleeplessness, frequent panic attacks, almost non-stop rumination and depression. I was certain that I was losing my mind. This led to brief hospitalization, and the need to step back from the assignment.

But my crisis only deepened into post traumatic stress syndrome and into deeper and darker depression. I also began to experience a demonic presence. Even on sunny days my peripheral vision was shrouded in a palpable darkness and I experienced demonic presence in my bedroom, a brooding dark presence, which tormented me throughout the night. I found it necessary to sleep in my outer room with the door open for fear of this presence.

Knowing and seeing my declining condition, a brother priest prayed with me and insisted that I seek help. It was clear that I was in need of deliverance that I was not living the normal and promised Christian life. I was tormented by fear and locked in depression, and self-loathing. My accuser, the evil one, had shown his face and largely robbed me of the glorious freedom of the children of God. Deliverance was needed, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Eighteen years later, I want to tell you I have been delivered, Thank you Jesus! I rarely worry about anything now.

But I also want to say that deliverance takes time, and involves a multidisciplinary approach. Unfortunately most people just seek relief, but God is in the healing business, and healing takes time, courage, lots of prayer, patience and waiting on the Lord.

The elements of my deliverance and healing included daily Mass, daily prayer and the reading of Scripture, spiritual direction, psychotherapy, group therapy, weekly Alanon meetings, weekly confession, deliverance prayers, and walking in fellowship with the people of God. Slowly, through all these means, the dark moments grew briefer the light grew brighter. My priestly ministry also grew richer and I became more compassionate and more able to help others in their struggles

One of the things I had to discover was that my deliverance was linked to uncovering and naming sinful drives, and distorted thinking, which provided doorways for the devil to rob me of my freedom.

The primary sinful drive with which I struggled was that of control, which is a form of pride. Growing up in an often troubled home, one of my strategies had been to carve out small areas in my life that I could strictly control. For example I kept my room very clean, and often kept it locked when I was away from the house. There were many other such things that I did, and the little areas of life I could control gave me some sense of safety.

But as I grew older and my responsibilities increased, I took this attitude of control into those areas and often insisted unreasonably in being in control of things that cannot reasonably be controlled. Finally, I was given a challenging assignment, and realizing I could never possibly keep everything under control, I went into great crisis.

Ultimately I needed to repent of my strong drive to control and see it for the pride that it was. I needed to learn to rely on God more. But striving to rely on someone other than myself, even God, was frankly terrifying. It took lots of repentance, growing self-knowledge, and learning the moves of pride and control, as well as developing better and more reasonable strrategies that accepted the fact that there are many things I cannot control.

And through it all, there were great battles with Satan who did not want to easily relax his grip. Thanks be to God I had many helpers, many counselors and people who were praying for me. Deliverance did come. It came slowly at first, but with increasing speed.

This is deliverance ministry. And yes it takes time, and many helpers from many disciplines. Sacraments are essential and fundamental, as is prayer, and the Word of God. But deliverance, in most cases also requires psycho-therapeutic and medical interventions as well. This was my journey to deliverance.

In my years as a priest I have had also had to walk with others, slowly helping them to find serenity and to appreciate that there is a big difference between relief and healing. Little by little, building trust and striving to increase the “healing team” I have seen many make progress similar to my own. But, frankly, it takes time. It is a journey and God proceeds very delicately in these matters, often waiting till we are ready. For, healing takes courage, and God often waits till we are ready.

So, while recent interest in exorcism is encouraging, it is also necessary to have care that we not focus too much on what is rare, even exotic, and thereby overlook what is often more necessary and applicable to most cases: deliverance prayer and ministry.

A few resources to recommend to you.

Two excellent books on deliverance have been written by Neal Lozano:

Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance
Resisting the Devil: A Catholic Perspective on Deliverance

Here are some deliverance prayers and I others in this work often prayer with the faithful and encourage them to pray with others: Deliverance prayers

Here is a minor exorcism prayer that Pope Leo XIII made available for priests to say. Please note, this is not from the prayers of formal exorcism that only an exorcist authorized by the Bishop may pray. This is a minor exorcism prayer that assists priests in vigorously denouncing the presence and incursions of demons in a general sort of way and it should not be confused with a solemn exorcism performed on an individual whom the Church has deemed likely to be possessed :

To be said by a priest: Prayer Against Satan and the Rebellious Angels For a Priest to Say

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) I am a witness.

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A Summons to Courage and a Reminder of Victory in an Old Hymn

063014There is a lesser known hymn, at least in Catholic circles, which is remarkably fit for our times since it both challenges us to soberly see the choice before us and also encourages us that the victory is already our if we choose Christ Jesus. I would like to present the verses of the hymn and supply commentary throughout. First a little background.

The hymn, Once to Every Man and Nation is a gloss on a poem written by James Russell Lowell. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1819, and his father was the pastor of the West Congregational Church in Boston for 55 years. Graduating from Harvard in 1838 he became a lawyer, poet, and editor of Atlantic Monthly. He was also an ardent champion of abolition.

In 1876, President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed him ambassador to Spain and, in 1880, to Great Britain. He was in great demand as a public speaker….

Written over 160 years ago, Once to Every Man and Nation is a poignant reminder of Who is in control of history, and Who will ultimately write the last chapter.

The Poem by Lowell’s that served as the basis for this hymn was titled, “The Present Crisis,” and spoke to the national crisis over slavery leading up to the Civil War.

Lowell was right, the darkness of slavery could not ultimately prevail of the light of truth. And thus this hymn can also serve to summon us now to courage and remind us that the increasing moral darkness of these present times cannot ultimately stand. The light of day will return. We have already won the victory in Christ Jesus.

And now the hymn, my comments are in red.

Once to every man and nation,
comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever,
’twixt that darkness and that light.

Yes, we have to decide. There are only two ways, God or the World. Tertium non datur (no third way is given). The Lord says, No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Mat 6:24). Of old Joshua warned,  But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. (Jos 24:15). And James also warns: You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

And yet, far too many want two lovers, want to serve the world and get it’s passing blessings, and also inherit God’s blessings. But there comes a moment to decide.

And now as never before we see how the path of this world is diverging steadily and inexorably away from God. Sin, evil, open rebellion, sexual confusion, secularism, atheism, shredded families, and a growing tyranny of relativism and false tolerance are poisoning our culture. And secular culture increasingly sees the light of faith as harsh and obnoxious, something to be ridiculed, marginalized and ultimately criminalized.

Our choice is ever clearer and the distinctions are ever more stark. It is time for Catholics, for the Church to stake out far more clearly our choice for God. If there ever was a time when lukewarm would do, (no such time has ever really existed), it is surely not now. And the word of the Lord is true which warns by way of rebuke to the lukewarm:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. (Rev 3:14-19)

It is going to be a lot tougher in the near future to be a Catholic, and its going to take fiery believers who are prepared to speak the truth in love, endure persecution and ridicule, and suffer loss. The Lord has been purifying and pruning his Church in recent years for just this moment. It is decision time. Once to every man and nation, Church, comes the moment to decide.

Then to side with truth is noble,
when we share her wretched crust,
Once her cause brought fame and profit,
and was prosperous to be just;
Now it is the brave man chooses
while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue
of the faith they had denied.

In a way it is glorious time to be a Catholic, to be a Christian. Perhaps in the past one could even be praised for being religious, and in the once Judeo/Christian setting, religion was gain.

Now all that is changing and there is a glory in choosing God when that choice brings only ridicule, what the song calls “wretched crust.” It’s one thing to be a Christian when it is easy, it is a far more noble and glorious thing to be so when it is hard, even dangerous.

 

 

 

The distinction between courageous and the cowards to which the song refers is once again becoming clear. It is like Gideon of old who had an army of 30,000 and faced the Midianites who had 60,000. But said to him, “Your Army is too large. Tell the cowards to go home” (Judges 7:3).  So Gideon dismissed any of the soldiers who didn’t think they were up for this battle. 20,000 left. Now with only 10,000 God said to Gideon, “Your army is still too large, lest you think you would win this battle on your own.” So God had Gideon observe the men at the stream as they drank water. Some drank leisurely and others lapped up the water like dogs! “That’s your army,” said the Lord, “300 men and I will be with you.” Gideon won that day with three hundred men whom the Lord had chosen. God thinned his ranks, and chose only a remnant as his true soldiers. (cf Judges 6 & 7).

 

 

 

Yes it is a time to stand up and be counted. It is a time for courage. It is a time to be prepared to suffer loss and endure ridicule. It is a glorious time in the valley of decision (cf Joel 3:14).

By the light of burning martyrs,
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever
with the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties,
time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward,
who would keep abreast of truth.

We walk the path of Christ who said, If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. (John 15:18-21)

If, for a brief time, the world had some tolerance for Christ, and his followers, that is going away. Frankly, we are returning to the normal state for true Christians, a state that has us despised by the world. Too many Christians spend too much time wanting to have the love and respect of this world. No can do, unless you’re willing to compromise and outright surrender the Gospel.

So, welcome to the normal Christ life.

The hymn speaks of times like these which make ancient good “uncouth.” That is, as our world heads steadily downward into unbelief and the rejection of God’s truth those of us who remain with the Lord’s vision are considered “uncouth” in other words, rude, boorish, ill-mannered, hateful bigoted, homophobic, intolerant, i.e. “uncouth.”

But it is not we who have changed, nor has God, the world has slouched toward Sodom, and “ancient good” and ancient wisdom is ridiculed as uncouth. We who would dare doubt the cultural radicals are assailed in this way.

And we ought to be sober about it. For mere name-calling soon becomes demonizing and paves the way for a persecution about which the persecutors feel self-righteous. Marginalization soon replaces ridicule, and criminalization follows marginalizing. Say hello to more assaults like the HHS mandate and so called “hate-crime” legislation directed against biblical Christians who still follow the “ancient good” now seen by the radicals as “uncouth.”

Though the cause of evil prosper,
yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold,
and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet on that scaffold sways the future,
and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
keeping watch above His own.

The truth will out. The light always conquers the darkness, the dawn always returns after every dark night.

Every now and again on this blog I received scoffing remarks from secularists and certain militant atheist who laugh and ridicule, saying that the days of the Church are over, that the world has come of age and no longer believes our “infantile myths.” Yes they scoff that our days are done and close to disappearing and will soon be gone forever.

Such remarks not only show no knowledge of God, but also no knowledge of history. The Church has perdured through the rise and fall of many civilizations, many nations, many philosophies have come and gone, risen and fallen; the Church alone remains. And for everyone who has announced the the Church’s doom, they have gone and the Church is here, the Gospel is still being preached, and the Sacraments celebrated. The Church has buried every one of Her undertakers. Where is Caesar now? Where is Napoleon now? Where is the Soviet Socialist Republic?

The darkness cannot win, it is always destined to be scattered by the Light of an upcoming day. The hymn refers to martyrs on the gallows, saying, on that scaffold sways the future. The darkness of unbelief is not natural to the human family and the light of belief will always return.

I do not know what what will ultimately become western culture, but whether it stays or goes, the Church will surely be here. Perhaps it is needful that she should be pruned for a time, or her numbers even reduced, as was Gideon’s army, but reduce though it was, Gideon’s army won the day against overwhelming odds.

The Church is indefectable, by the Lord’s promise (cf Matthew 16:18) And we carry the same promise, as did the army of Gideon, the  promise of the Lord who said,  and I will be with you (Judges 7:7; Matt 28:20). The darkness of these times cannot win, the light wins, He always wins.

Here is the hymn. The tune is “Ebeneezer” and the movie clip is from a Polish Movie on the Christian Martyrs of Rome.


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Daily Reflections on Faith

Archdiocese of Washington: Year of Faith series

Written by:

Dominican Brothers of the Province of St. Joseph

The Archdiocese of Washington, DC is hosting daily reflections on its Facebook page for the Year of Faith.  Have you missed them?  Today we are starting the next weekly series on hope.  Please visit our page and “like” us, so you can follow along with the rest of the series.  Here is the roundup of the previous week’s reflections.

Theme: Faith.

1.  What is faith?

When God comes in power and reveals Himself to us—we listen. Faith means putting our entire selves at God’s disposal, our minds and hearts. But faith isn’t an exercise of our ordinary human powers. Grace comes before faith and prompts it. Grace runs along with our minds and hearts, elevating them from within to reach up to Him. Grace makes our faith perfect. Faith is a gift. “What do you have that you have not received?” We are saved by grace through faith. Faith makes us pleasing to God.

Do you want to grow in faith? Ask for it.

2. What does it mean to have a crisis of faith?

It is common to talk about crises within the Church. One crisis that pervades our times is a crisis of faith. Faith reminds us that it takes more than our eyes to see. Faith teaches us to look for the cause, rather than the effect – the source rather than the solution. By faith we can know the Truth. By faith we can truly see.

Does your faith make you see the world differently?

3. How are faith and understanding related?

The relationship between faith and understanding reminds us that faith is neither blind nor ignorant. How does this work? Through faith, the mind is wed to God. Although faith is shrouded in darkness, God gives us real understanding in faith. The gift of understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit and helps us to know the Truth more deeply than our eyes can see. God gives us this ability to “see within.” He allows us to have an intuitive understanding.

Which divine mysteries does the Lord want you to understand more deeply?

4. How can we help those who do not have faith?

Ultimately, faith is God’s grace working in us to understand and believe things far beyond our natural abilities. We cannot simply argue someone into believing unless God works in their heart. Still, God can work through us to present the truths of the faith to others and remove confusion or misunderstandings about them. We should try our best to present the truths of the faith clearly to others, but even more we should lift up those who do not believe in our prayers, asking God to give them the grace of faith.

Take a moment and pray for someone who doesn’t have the Catholic faith.

5. How can we grow in faith?

Faith lifts us beyond our human nature to believe in supernatural truths, but it does not contradict that human nature. We see this clearly in the Virgin Mary. By faith she believed that “nothing was impossible for God” as was able to assent with her whole will to His plan. But her faith did not simply replace her reason, as we read how she “pondered all these things in her heart.” Following her example we can seek to more perfectly understand the truths of our faith and assent to them, even when it seems beyond our natural understanding.

Having trouble with something? Pray a “Hail Mary.” Ask for our Mother’s intercession.

Please don’t forget to visit our Facebook page and “like” it to follow this week’s daily reflections on the theme “hope.”

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Love Perfects and Completes All: The Conclusion of St. Paul’s Great Treatise on Love

“Rings” by Elizabeth Ashley Jerman Licensed under Wikipedia Commons BY CC SA 2.0
“Rings” by Elizabeth Ashley Jerman Licensed under Wikipedia Commons BY CC SA 2.0

In the great treatise on Love of 1 Corinthians 13, St. Paul sets forth a symphony of sorts in three movements, wherein he describes the Theological Virtue of Love. Over the past two days we looked at the first two movements:

Movement I – The PRIMACY and PREREQUISITE of Love

Movement II – The PORTRAIT and POWER of Love

today we conclude with

Movement III – The PERFECTION and PERMANENCE of Love

The text says,

Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.

For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:8-13)

The literary structure of this final movement is a “sandwich” of sorts, as I have tried to illustrate by the indentations above. The basic sandwich is this:

  1. Permanence – Verse 8
  2. Perfection – Verses 9-12
  3. Permanence  – Verse 13

Let us first consider the Perfection of Love. In English we tend to think of perfection more in terms of excellence. For example we might speak of moral excellence (being perfect), physical excellence (perfect beauty) or performative excellence (giving a perfect performance). But as is often the case in Scripture St. Paul and the Holy Spirit have in mind here more of perfection as completion.

The Greek word translated here as “perfect” is τέλειον (teleion). The Greek word téleios is and adjective derived from télos, which refers to a completed goal, something which is mature and has gone through the necessary stages to reach the end or goal. Hence τέλειος, α, ον (téleios, a, on) refers to something that is mature in all its parts, full grown or complete.

And this much is clear from what St. Paul describes here. Our ultimate destination is the completeness, the wholeness, the perfection that Love effects. And thus, things related to our Faith such as knowledge and prophecy, and what is related to Hope, namely “vision” are now incomplete, (i.e. imperfect). But Love, will perfect Faith and Hope when it comes in all its  fulness. This is because Love contains what Faith and Hope point to and long for.

God is Love and He is what and Who our Faith, through knowledge and prophesy, assures us of, and what and Who our Hope confidently expects to see.

Thus we learn how Love Himself perfects, that is completes, Faith and Hope. When we are fully swept up into the Love of God, fully united to the Love which God is, our knowledge will be no longer partial, our vision no longer experienced darkly as in a distorted mirror. We shall then “know fully” and see clearly.

Finally let us consider the Permanence of Love – St. Paul says that Love never fails. He qualifies to a great extent the outworking of Faith and Hope (for knowledge, prophecy and vision all need to be perfected). And Love also needs to be perfected in us, but is the greatest because it perfects and completes Faith and Hope, and they are subsumed in Love.

To explain this, consider how, in a sense, Faith and Hope will pass away. Let us say that I believe my book is at home on my coffee table. Thus I have faith that it is there. But when I go finally do go home and see it there on the table, I do not need faith any longer for faith is about things that are unseen (cf Heb 11:1).

Consider too how hope passes away with vision. Let us say that I not only believe my book is on my coffee table back at home but I also hope, that is I am confidently expectant that it will be there when I arrive. And sure enough, there it is! But I no longer need hope, for now I see it! And, as St. Paul says elsewhere, For who hopes for what he sees? (Romans 8:24)

And thus, in a sense Faith and Hope will go away, but Love will never fail or fall away. Perhaps it is better to say that Faith and Hope have now been fulfilled than to say they have utterly gone away. For St. Paul does say that Faith, Hope and Love, “remain.” But Faith and Hope “remain” only in the sense that they have been fulfilled by Love. Love however, is still operative as Love.

To illustrate this consider a young man on his way to the train station to meet his beloved fiance. He goes to the station with an intense love and longing to see her at last. He also goes there with faith, knowing and trusting that her train will arrive as the schedule says at 10:00 PM. He also goes there with hope, confidently expecting to see her at the appointed time. At long last she steps off the train and they embrace. Love brought him there, as did faith and hope. But now only love remains. Faith and hope are no longer necessary or operative, for their purpose is fulfilled and are swept up in love. But Love goes on, Love alone remains.

Yes, the greatest of these is Love.

And thus ends the great treatise, the great sonata, of St. Paul on Love in three movements. There a kind of Andante con moto in Movement 1 laying out the need for Love to inform and perfect every excellence. And second movement that is Allegro con brio or presto with its rapid, litany-like recital of the effects and moves of Love. And there is the Adagio con amore of the final movement, slower but rhapsodic as it points to the sky and the serene Love that waits for us in heaven, will all our longings fulfilled and complete.

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Love is as Love Does: A Meditation on the Litany of Love In St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians

In his great treatise on the Theological Virtue of Love, St. Paul sets forth a kind of symphony in three movements. In yesterday’s post we saw the first movement, wherein he teaches on the primacy and prerequisite of love to inform other virtues, lest they lack either a proper balance or proper object. Indeed, without love many of our excellencies, good though they are can become detached, disordered, and even dangerous.

Today is set forth the second movement wherein St. Paul and the Holy Spirit describe love in a litany-like manner. The litany is both memorable and vivid.

MOVEMENT II. The PORTRAIT of Love – The text says,

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, It is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor 13:4-7)

Perhaps what first occurs to us the CHALLENGE of these things. Indeed the list may overwhelm us with its sweeping and perfect contours. We may wonder how we can ever be patient at all times, never brood over injury, and so forth.

But that leads us to the CAUSE of these things- Note that Love causes these things. These things are the result of Love not the cause of it.

It is too easy for us to turn a litany like this into a moralism such that I must somehow accomplish them out of my own flesh power and, having done so, “accomplish” love, or meet the demands of love. But the reality is the opposite. Namely, as I receive love from God and experience it in my life, I begin to see these fruits which Paul lists, in my life. Love as a Theological Virtue is infused (i.e. poured into) the soul and, if we allow it, it has the effects St. Paul describes here.

St. Augustine’s oft quoted maxim comes to mind: Once for all, then, a short precept is given unto you: Love God, and do what you will: whether you hold your peace, through love hold your peace; whether you cry out, through love cry out; whether you correct, through love correct; whether you spare, through love do you spare: In all things, let the root of love be within, for of this root can nothing spring but what is good. [In epistulam Ioannis ad Parthos (Tractatus VII, 8)]

Properly understood this links our will, rightly ordered, to the Love of God. For when I love God, I want what God wants and do not want what he wants.  And I do this not as a mere human work, but as the result of a supernatural virtue, Love.

Thus what St. Paul and the Holy Spirit are about to do is to paint a kind of picture of what the human person, transformed by Grace and Love, is like. The portrait is not an exhaustive list, but uses what we might call “focal instances” which use certain traits to illustrate what is in fact a far greater reality. So, more than a prescription here, we have a description of what happens to the person indwelt by the Holy Spirit and transformed by Love.

So lets look to the description,

1. Love is Patient – The Greek word μακροθυμεῖ (makrothumei)  describes a person who has it easily in his power to avenge himself but does not do so. More literally it means to suffer long or be “long-suffering,” refusing to retaliate with anger. Our translation says love is patient. To be patient is the capacity or willingness to suffer on account of others, or on account of a situation.

Love moderates anger and increases our ability to suffer on account of others by giving us a positive disposition toward them.

Many years ago when I was High School and trying to date a girl, I was delighted when she asked me to carry some heavy books for her, (and they were very heavy). But love lightens every load and I was excited and happy to help. (By the way, I got the date).

While, properly speaking, the “love” described in this example is not the Theological virtue per se, it is like unto it and can serve to illustrate that when we love God and our neighbor, our positive disposition toward the beloved is increased and this makes whatever burdens or hardships seem light, and whatever slights or misunderstandings might arise, they will tend to be interpreted by us in a more benign light. Jesus beautifully illustrates when from the Cross he says, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”

2. Love is Kind – The Greek word here is χρηστεύομαι (chresteuomai) and while properly translated as “kind” is also rooted in the Greek word chrestos which describes the capacity to furnish what is suitable, useful, productive, well-fitting or beneficial.

Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:30) and the Greek word used is chrestos. Thus what Jesus most clearly means is that the yoke he has for us is “well fitted” to us. The Lord does not impose the cross light some cruel task-master, but rather gives a cross that is well suited to us, that fits our condition and will ultimately benefit us.

Thus, those who love have the capacity to act toward others in ways that are most helpful or beneficial. To be “kind” is not just to please, but is to act in the way most appropriate for the true needs of the other, not merely according to the wants of the other. Even if at times there must be some action the other does not prefer, love empowers us to act benevolently, and with proper gentleness and reserve. This capacity to act with clarity moderated by reserve and gentleness emerges from the serene state love creates since we experience that we are acting out of love and what is truly best, our conscience is clear and we feel no need to be stridently defensive about what we do. This brings serenity, and serenity brings a kindness and gentleness.

3. Love is not Jealous – The Greek word is ζηλοῖ (zeloi) and is better translated as envy. In fact zeloi describes a kind of boiling anger in its root meaning. Envy is sorrow or anger at the goodness or excellence of another because I take it to lessen my own excellence. In other words, seeing some goodness or excellence in someone else makes me mad or sad because I think I look bad by comparison. But rather than seeking to imitate the good I see in another or at least to rejoice in their gift or good fortune, I seek to destroy what is good in them or denigrate it somehow. St. Augustine called envy, THE diabolical sin since it seeks to destroy goodness. At least jealousy and greed seek to possess, but envy seeks to destroy.

But Love is glad of the gifts of others and seeks to imitate them where possible. When we really love others we rejoice in the gifts they have received and delight to praise them. We seek for opportunities to encourage and celebrate with people we love, we look for opportunities to build them up and encourage them. In short, we are happy when those we love are flourishing and blessed.

Again this happens as the result of the good and positive dispositions that love creates in us toward those whom we love.

4. Love is not pompous – The Greek word here is περπερεύεται (perpereuetai) which comes from the Greek word for “braggart.” It describes a “show off” who needs too much attention. But love naturally focuses more on the beloved than on one’s own self. Love is naturally directed outward at the other, and has its attention there rather than inward to the self. Love does not need to brag for it is content to rejoice in the presence and goodness of others.

5. Love is not inflated – The Greek Word φυσιοῦται (physioutai) comes from the word physa, meaning “air-bellows.” Thus the word describes a blustery person, swelled up like a bellows, full of hot air. Thus, an egotistical person blustering arrogant, puffed-up thoughts.But here again, as we see, Love is outward toward the beloved, not inward toward the self. Thus love remedies this tendency by shifting our focus away from our ego and self-aggrandizement toward others and delight in them.

6. Love is not quick tempered – Our given translation here is a bit interpretive but not incorrect. The Greek term is ἀσχημονεῖ (aschemuonei). The Greek root of this is asxḗmōn,  meaning “without proper shape or form.” Thus, by extension it means to act improperly, to lack proper form, to act or be indecent and unbecoming.  But in the presence of those we love acting rudely, and in such manner in unlikely. While we may be relaxed and not need lots of formalities, still we will not be impolite or ill-mannered. We will tend to defer to the needs of others whom we love and seek their comfort and well-being. Again, Love does this naturally, and the theological virtue does this supernaturally. We simply do not want to be rude, impolite or discourteous to those we love.

7. nor does [love] brood over injury – The Greek word translated here as “brood” is λογίζομαι (logizomai) and is actually an accounting term meaning, “to keep books”, compute, “take into account” or reckon. But love gives understanding and accepts the struggles and shortfalls of others. It tends to be forgetful of shortfalls and remember the good.

Neither does love presume the worst motives, and so does not as easily take offense in the first place.

Once again, love supplies us with a positive disposition toward the other which tends to overlook offenses or interpret them in more benign and less vivid ways. Hence we are (super)naturally less likely to brood, to keep books on the other and demand a strict accounting that says, “did this so you have to do that.” Love gives because it wants to, not because it will get something back.

8. Love rejoices over the truth rather than over wrong-doing – The Greek word translated here as “rejoice” is χαίρω (chairo), which, while it does mean rejoice also contains the notion in its root xar, of being favorably disposed, or leaning leaning towards something. Thus, we are dealing with a joy that inclines one toward something.

Now, if you really love God then you will love what and who he loves. The saints say, “If God wants it, I want it. If God doesn’t want it, I don’t want it.” Again, back in High School I dated a girl who liked Square-dancing. I had no interest in that before I met her, but I got to like it because I loved her, besides, it was a steady Saturday date! 🙂 I also began to know and love her family. Love naturally loves what the beloved loves.

Now God loves what is true and good, what is just and merciful, what is chaste and generous, and so forth. Thus, as one who loves him more and more, I too rejoice in and am inclined to these very things. Further, I am averse, increasingly to sin, injustice, greed, unchastity and so forth. Love puts me in sync with the Beloved.

This also shows why love cannot ignore wrong-doing in our relationships but summons us to honestly acknowledge what is in need of reproof and correction and to address it in charity.

9. Love bears  all things, The Greek word here στέγει (stegei) more literally means to put something under a roof. And thus one can endure or bear things because they are shielded, in this case under the Lord’s protection or covering. As was stated above, lightens every load. Love gives us a glad heart, and along with that joy and gladness is the energy, the capacity to endure, to bear with hardships. Covered as we are by the Lord’s love, we can endure.

10. Love endures all things – Here is a related concept. The Greek Word here is ὑπομένει (hypomenei) which means more literally to remain under something, remain behind, or endure, to stand one’s ground, and thus to show endurance. Here again, love supplies the zeal and interest in doing this. When we love someone or something we are will to exert effort to attain what or who we love. We are willing to endure difficulties, even gladly. Love does this willingly, naturally, or in the case of the Theological virtue, supernaturally.

11. Love believes all things. The Greek word here is rooted in the common word used in the Scriptures to faith and belief: πιστεύει (pisteuei). This word mean is derived from peíthō, meaning to “persuade, or be persuaded” and as a consequence to  believe and have confidence. Now again, when we love someone we are going to be more inclined to trust and have confidence in what they tell us. Love opens a door of relationship, and relationship roots us in trust and to communion in thoughts and vision. Thus our love for God helps to deepen our faith and trust in him.

Even at the human level our love for others deepens our faith in them. We usually are more confident, trusting and believe the best and for the best of those we love. Love stirs us to believe that the best is possible for those whom he love and we are will to take risks for them in this regard. Thus Love inspires Faith in God, and even a human faith in others.

12. Love hopes all things – The Greek word here is ἐλπίζει (elpizei) and is from the root word elpomai, meaning to anticipate or expect. Thus note that hope is more than a vague wish for some positive outcome. Hope is the confident expectation of God’s help.

Here too love inspires and causes a deepening hope, for when we love and experience love, we do not doubt God’s favorable disposition, and his will to ultimately save us from this present evil age. Love fuels confidence, and confidence fuels the vigorous expectation of God’s help that we call Hope.

All these things love does. Note again this very important point. The litany of love we have just reflected on speaks of the fruits of Love. We must not understand this litany as a “to do” list, as if to say, “Do these things and you’ll love.” No, no! “Love and you’ll do these things.” Or rather, God will do them in you. It is true that we can look to a list like this and see ways to intentionally act, and practices to foster, but in the end, if these things are going to last, they must be the work of God in us, the fruit of His love.

Tomorrow the Final of the Three Movements of this Symphony on Love.

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On the Danger of Excellence Without Love

020313Yesterday’s (Sunday of the 4th Week) reading from St. Paul (1 Cor 13) is too magnificent to overlook. I chose to preach out of the Jeremiah text on Sunday, but in the mode of “Sunday and one day” there must be offered, this second reflection on the Pauline treatise on Love.

St. Paul speaks in essentially three movements on the theological Virtue of of Love: Its primacy and prerequisite, in Movement One, and its portrait and power in Movement Two. Lets look at both, Movement One today, and Movement Two, tomorrow.

In this first movement, St. Paul and the Holy Spirit teach us, indeed, I would say warn us, that without love, even good deeds run afoul and can become not only less effective, but even dangerous. Unless the theological virtue of Love instill humanly good acts, they too easily devolve into grandiosity, pride, and a dangerous paternalism that crushes rather than elevates. Lets see what St. Paul and the Holy Spirit have to teach us in this regard.

Movement I –  The PRIMACY and PREREQUISITE of Love – St. Paul says, Brothers and sisters: Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

And thus the Holy Spirit through St. Paul says, Love is the greatest gift and the gift by which all other gifts are properly governed and moderated. Let us reiterate, Love is the gift by which all other gifts are assessed, understood, moderated and properly set forth.

Read the following litany first then look at each. If love does not infuse each of these gifts they are NOTHING. Not just something, not just imperfect, but NOTHING, nothing at all. Thus the text teaches that preaching, prophesying, powerful faith, passion for the poor, and even martyrdom are NOTHING without love. In fact, as we have reflected, they may even be dangerous. Let’s look at each and try to understand why this is so.

1. PREACHING – The text says, If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

It is possible that some preach well, but without love. Some preachers are eloquent and powerful, but are not really interested in the conversion of their hearers. They wish more to win an argument or to appear eloquent and feed their own egos.  They want to impress them and be impressive rather than save. Some are arrogant and look down upon their hearers.

All of this is worse than no preaching at all. The word of God is brought into contempt, and because it is proclaimed without love, has no effect, or an “anti-effect” by alienating the listeners who detect arrogance and feel humiliated rather than encouraged.

Truth expressed without love can seem impossible and condemning. Only with love is the door open to explore the actual wealth of the truth.

Avoid being a noisy gong or irritating and clashing cymbal. Ask for the gift to love the people you address. Comboxes and blogs need more love and less venom, more light and less heat. Love must precede preaching and correction.

2. PROPHESY – The text also warns of prophesy without love: And if I have the gift of prophecy

A danger to avoid is to pursue Scripture and its application without love. Some folks are interested in grasping all the details of scripture but they miss the main point, which is to give us the loving and merciful mind of God, in all truth.  And thus, there are endless debates over details of hermeneutics, but a forgetfulness of the focus on grace, mercy and love.

Yes, some can tell you all about the third toe on the right paw of the second beast in the Book of Revelation, and what it means, and the evil person in our times to whom it refers, but they miss the larger point of praying for conversion, loving our enemies and manifesting a confident joy in the midst of grave affliction.

To illustrate this lack of priority imagine with me two people in a train station. First there is the Station master whose focus is time schedules, trains, destinations, tracks etc. Second there is a  young woman awaiting the return of her new husband form the war. Which person really grasps the significance of the arrival?

Honestly, arrival times, track numbers and the like are good to know, but the deeper meaning of the moment is the love of reunion, the happiness of return and safety. The track number and arrival time are good, but they are in service of the beautiful and grateful young woman being reunited with her husband. The urgent points to the important and supports it.

In the same way, it is love that helps us helps us grasp the full significance of God’s word.

The biblical image at work here is that of St. John, the mystic, and the one who knew he was loved by Jesus, he got to the tomb first, he saw and believed, before St. Peter. He defers to Peter, for the Magisterium must ultimately reckon the insights of love and mysticism with the Holy Tradition, but Love grants insights and proposes what the Church must reckon.

Pure reason untempered by love can be dangerous. Love without reason is also dangerous. But here, note this, love must infuse reason and draw it beyond simple logic and human limits and the Magisterium of the Church has respected this.

3. PERCEPTION – The text says, and if I comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge.

Here is a related teaching. Knowledge without love too easily becomes arrogance. The knower gets a spirit of contempt and snobbery, prefers jargon and superiority to clarity and communion with others.

Think of the saying, “Knowledge is power,” as though the purpose of knowledge was to gain power over others, to beat others or gain mastery over them.

Love tempers such arrogance as may come with knowledge and shares knowledge with humility and respect. Without love, my knowledge is nothing.

3. POWERFUL FAITH – The text says, if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Here too, Faith without love can be a very harsh and critical thing. Believers can too easily become arrogant and impatient with the weaker faith of others. Faith is a gift and every true believer knows this. I am not better because I believe, I have only received the gift to believe, and must earnestly work for others to be open to the gift.

Frankly, the fact that I believe, and believe strongly, is a mystery to me. Why is it easier for me to believe than many others I know? I am not sure! I am only grateful and pray that I not be put to the test.

Scripture advises, We who are strong in faith must patient with the concerns of those who are weaker in faith (cf Rom 14:1) In the end love and understanding often gains more ground than anger or contempt. Here too Love tempers and informs faith.

4. PASSION FOR THE POOR – The text goes on to say, If I give away everything I own

Now social action and care for the poor is a very great thing. But even here, if Love does not inform and inspire it, it can be merely another extension of pride and ego, a mere “limousine liberalism.” Indeed, care for the poor without real love for them can be downright destructive.

And old proverb says, “Bread, given without love, is poison.” Yes, too many people give with pride in their hearts. They look down on the poor, or patronize them. Many give more to assuage their own guilt or build their own prestige than out of true love for the poor. They are those of whom the Lord said blow a horn before them as they give. In other words, they give to be seen, esteemed and applauded, and may not have the truer care of the poor in mind.

Listen to this quote from some one who loved the poor, even looked up to them, and had his care for them purified by love, not merely sentimental love, but a theologically virtuous Love rooted in esteem, justice and respect. The quote is from St. Vincent De Paul:

You will find that charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the bowl of soup and full basket. It is not enough to give soup and bread. This the rich can do. You are the servant of the poor. They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting. The more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give to them.

5. PREPARED FOR MARTYRDOM – The text says, and if I hand my body over to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Even martyrdom, without love to inform it could be a form of grandiosity. It could be possible that glorious martyrdom is the easier way. I can go out in a blaze of glory! Sometimes it is the daily martyrdom of the Christian life that is more difficult and more hidden, less glorious, less likely to land us in the martyrology.

Yes, daily duty is sometimes more difficult. It’s one thing to do the big things, but it’s the little daily things that often matter most.

Without love, doing some big dramatic thing can make me smug so that I overlook the daily duties I have. Too easily I can be grandiose, so that what I do  is about me, rather than Christ, and Him crucified.  Only love can make true the words, He must increase, I must decrease. (Jn 3:30).

Love too can save us from the trap of comparing ourselves too favorably too others if we make great sacrifices and they make “fewer.” For true and eager Love does not compare, it only loves the Beloved (the Lord) and willingly makes whatever  sacrifices love requires.

So in all these ways, St. Paul and the Holy Spirit teach us that even glorious things like preaching, prophesy, powerful faith, passion for the poor, and preparation for martyrdom, are nothing if they are not imbued with love and have love for their origin. Indeed, they can be dangerous and delusional without love. Only love (along with humility) can temper such virtues so that they do not become grandiosity.

Tomorrow we look to movement two in the Litany of Love, the portrait and power of Love.

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A”Rule of Life”for Prophets: A Homily for the 4th Sunday of the Year

020213Prophets are those who speak for God. They Love God, and they love his people, and speak the very true (and often painful) truth of God to his people. They do so not to win an argument, but because of their love and conviction that only the undiluted truth of God can save us in the end.

People-pleasing and other forms of human respect cannot supplant the reverence for God and His truth. Thus Prophets are willing to endure pain and suffering to proclaim God’s truth to an often unappreciative segment of God’s people. But out of love for God and his people, they press on to proclaim his truth, and they do so willingly, knowing that even death awaits their personal, persistent and prophetic proclamation.

Today’s readings set for us a kind of “rule for life for prophets.” And we, who are baptized into the order of prophet, do well to hear the teachings of these readings, Let us examine them in three stages.

I. The Call that is Declared – The text says: In the first reading God says to Jeremiah (and to us): The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you.

We ought to note four things about our call as prophets.

1. The Prevenient nature of our Call- The word “prevenient” refers to something which comes before; which precedes, something that is expectant or anticipatory. And thus God has not chosen us in a whimsical way, as if to say, “you’ll do.” He has considered our call before He made us and equipped, empowered and enabled us for our work.

God tells Jeremiah and us, that he has known, loved and cherished us long before He ever made us. And thus he made us in a way that prepared and equipped us of the very work of being a prophet.

How? you say. That is as variable as the person you are. There is no one who can proclaim God or announce the kingdom like you can. Perhaps too he has especially equipped you to evangelize certain individuals no one else can reach. Just know this, God has thought a long time about you and prepared for you in very specific and thoughtful ways. What ever you have needed has “come before” is “prevenient.”

2. The Purview of our Call –The text tells Jeremiah (and us) that we are appointed unto the nations. Now, Jeremiah did not himself, in his own life, journey beyond Israel. But since his life, the Word of the Lord uttered through him, has reached every nation.

Never doubt the influence you can exert by the grace of God. Even in and through reaching one person you can change the destiny of many. Stay in your lane and do your work, but remember God can accomplish through you more than you ask or imagine. Your influence by his grace can reach the nations.

3. The Preparation of our Call –The Lord tells Jeremiah (and us) to “gird our loins.” This is an ancient way of saying “roll up your sleeves.” In other words, prepare to work by assembling what you need and being ready to exert effort.

Surely for us this means daily prayer, weekly Eucharist and frequent confession. It means prayerfully reading God’s reading and the teaching of the Church and it means keeping fellowship with the Church, and with fellow believers. All of this equips, empowers and enables us for the work of being a prophet which God has called us to do.

Beyond this there may be other specific gifts God calls us to develop, be it music, learning a second language, growing in the gift of healing, preaching, or administration. What it may be, God will show you and help you to grow the gifts and talents you have received.

In all this you “roll up your sleeves” for the work God has given and is preparing you for so that you will be an evermore effective prophet.

4. The Prescription of our Call –The text says, “tell them all that I command you.” In other words, leave nothing out, proclaim the whole counsel of God. Don’t just proclaim what appeals to you or jives with you politics and worldview, don’t just say what is popular or in sync with currently worldly thinking. Tell them the whole message, in season or out of season.

II. The Courage that is Demanded – The text says Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: against Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people.

And here note three qualities of a prophet:

Strength – A prophet needs to be strong, for people are stubborn and unwilling to easily change. Indeed, we are collectively a stiff-necked people, we have a neck of iron and forehead of brass. We are thick-headed, willful and obdurate. A prophet has to be willing to endure a lot to move the ball even a few inches. If you don’t think we’re a hard case, look at the cross and see what it took to save us (you). Prophets need strength and persistence.

Support- The prophet (Jeremiah and us) is called “a pillar of iron.”  That is, we are to lend support to a crumbling nation and culture. Whether our culture likes to admit it or not, it is crumbling and collapsing, If it stands any chance at all, it is only that we are willing to be a pillar of iron calling this culture back to modesty, decency, chastity, self control, maturity, obedience to God and generosity to the poor. Otherwise, everything is destined for ruin.

Sadly the Church has often had to pick up the shattered pieces of fallen cultures, nations and eras that refused to repent. But this is what prophets must do, they must be pillars of iron when cultures go weak and soft, or crumble under the weight of pride, sin and un-repentance.

And failing that,  we must become, by God’s grace the new foundation and pillar of what rises from the ashes. All of this takes great courage.

Sanctifier – Jeremiah is told that the priests, kings and princes have all been co-opted, and corrupted, and he must speak the truth to them all and summon them to repentance.

Here is the hardest work of the prophet, to call those who most benefit from the status quo, to change and repentance. This is not only hard because they are “on top” of the current system, but it is also hard because to one degree or another, they are owed respect and obedience as lawful superiors.

Navigating the balance between respect for authority and the summons of them to repentance is not easy and only God can really pull it off. Nevertheless speaking the truth to power is the unenviable lot of the prophet.

Well, fellow prophets this means you and me. I would only urge prayer here. Bishop-bashing and the usual fare of ridiculing political leaders is not the solution. Neither is quiet acquiescence when we are clear that those in authority need to hear a call from the Lord. Lots of prayer and a general tone of respect will surely lead the way. Clarity with charity, and light with love.

III. The Conclusion that is Determined – The text says,  They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

In the end, the truth will out. The Light wins, He always wins. Every night gives way to day and the light scatters darkness. Darkness has its hour but truth has eternity. Good Friday only points to Easter Sunday, and death is cast off like a garment. In the end, every true prophet is on the winning team. While he may endure jail, laughter, ridicule. persecution, setbacks and trials, what every true prophet announces will come to pass. History bears this out and it will be definitively manifest at the Last Day. The darkness cannot prevail, it always gives place to the light.

The Conclusion for the prophet, for the Church, for the Gospel, for the Lord is total victory. It cannot be any other way, God has spoken it and He will do it.

Even if in a small way the Lord Jesus shows this in today’s Gospel. The text says,

They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.

Here is a preview of Easter, just when Satan is running his victory lap, the Lord casts off death and stands as light in the shadow of the Cross. Satan loses, Jesus wins. That is the conclusion.

So get on the winning team. Pay little heed to the current struggle, it cannot last or win. Jesus has already won.