When we Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, one of the "memorial acclamations" after the consecration of the bread and wine, proclaims: "When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again." These words are taken directly from St. Paul's words, quoted above. When we gather on Holy Thursday, we make a special effort to recall the original celebration of the Body and Blood of the Lord while living its meaning every day. Although the pandemic will prevent, in most cases, the re-enactment of the "mandatum (command)" to wash one another's feet, that command remains. The Eucharist means more than consuming the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It means becoming that Body and Blood in service to our neighbor. The Eucharist is not our private personal possession. It is shared in person through Jesus' command at the Last Supper, "Love one another as I have loved you!" [John 13:34]

Holy Thursday reminds us that our commemoration is more than reminiscence. It means "living memory" that springs from the original event as a living force along with Good Friday and Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. We celebrate not only the past but the present and future of God's providential plan. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 1, 2021, 7:35:13 AM4/1/21

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FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 GOOD FRIDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION

[Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1 - 19:42]

"Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured...." [Isaiah]

Years ago, when the movie, THE PASSION, came out, I saw it with two friends in San Antonio. The only thing I could think upon leaving the theater and for some time thereafter was, "He did that for me!" Yes, the crucifixion and resurrection, and, for that matter the entire life of Jesus, was meant to be for all human persons everywhere at all times. Jesus joined and continues to join all human suffering to his own, not to take it away but to share it. But when it touches us personally, the meaning goes deeper, and in turn moves us to compassion for others.

The focus of Holy Thursday on the Eucharist shifts sharply to a day when the Eucharist is not celebrated at all. The Good Friday service is not a Mass. Even if we may receive communion at the service, the focus is on the cross. Although some liturgists debate the matter, it is a cross and not a crucifix (cross with Jesus body on it) that we unveil and venerate (as best we can during the pandemic). It is the sharing of the cross with Jesus that binds us together but also personally in this service. In Luke 9:23, Jesus warns all disciples that following him means taking up the cross daily. The cross is not simply a symbol or a relic, it is an invitation to follow Jesus. In John 15:13. Jesus says that there is no greater human love than to lay down one's life for a friend. The cross on Good Friday is the ultimate act of self-giving on Jesus' part that invites us to compassion for others. In remembering that Jesus did this for me, I am reminded to do this for others. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 2, 2021, 7:40:13 AM4/2/21

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SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2021 HOLY SATURDAY - THE EASTER VIGIL

[Genesis 1:1-2:2: Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 55:1-11; Romans 6:3-11; Mark 16:1-7. There are other scriptures from the Old Testament, but the three I have listed are required even if the others may be omitted to shorten a long evening!]

Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. [Romans]

Two things have always stood out for me at the Easter Vigil. The first is the lighting and blessing of the Easter candle. The second is the faith and joy of those who are baptized, confirmed and receive First Communion on this occasion. I once asked a high school student who came to me for instruction to become a Catholic (before the RCIA had really developed) why he was doing this. He responded, "I'm reaching for the light!" This brings the light of the Easter candle and the faith of the candidates together in one simple sentence!

St. Paul's words from his Letter to the Romans speaks to the central meaning of what takes place at baptism (and the Easter Vigil).. We are united with Christ in his death and resurrection so that we might live according to his teachings. Seeing our brothers and sisters make this commitment on their own can be a dramatic reminder to us "cradle Catholics" of what we can easily take for granted.

Multiple candidates can make for a long ceremony. Thus, many avoid attending the Vigil. I urge my Beloved Congregation to at least read the scriptures assigned, especially the ones given above, and understand the power of God's grace that has moved the candidates to "reach for the light." AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 3, 2021, 7:53:22 AM4/3/21

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SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2021 EASTER SUNDAY - THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD

[Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9 or Luke 24:13-35]

"This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name." [Acts]

Imagine one's feelings when going to visit the grave of a loved one and finding it empty! Confusion? Anger? More grief? All of these are normal reactions and the disciples (especially the women who went first to the grave on the morning after Jesus' death) experienced them. These feelings would be replaced by fear and awe and then joy when Jesus appeared in person and ate with them! He is risen!!!

The survival of Christianity has depended on this simple fact - He is risen! And we share this experience of the Risen Lord each time we gather on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist. We proclaim it in the "Memorial Acclamation" after the consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. In this, we join the millions of witnesses over 2,000 years in eating and drinking with him after his resurrection. To simply say, "Happy Easter!" doesn't really express this. "He is risen! Alleluia!" are the words that have made possible the 2,000 years of faith.

Many new faces will join us in this experience at the Easter Vigil because they have heard the word from us and want to bear witness with us to the truth of Christ's resurrection. Can we say first, "He is risen! Alleluia!" and then say "Happy Easter?" Those last two words will disappear with the dyed eggs and chocolate bunnies, but the words, "He is risen! Alleluia!" will continue to echo as long as we are faithful witnesses. HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA! AMEN.

[To all my Beloved Congregation, I wish Easter joy and blessings and my gratitude for your faithful witness!]

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 4, 2021, 7:29:57 AM4/4/21

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MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2021 MONDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

[Acts 2:14, 22-33 and Matthew 28:8-15]

"You who are children of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it......God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses!" [Acts]

The reason we are Christians, especially Catholic Christians, is because of that last line of the quote. "God raised this Jesus, of this we are all witnesses." Peter spoke these words on Pentecost Day, which we will celebrate later liturgically, but which we celebrate by our very existence as Christians. Our children and their children and all generations of Christians after us will be Christians because we are faithfully bearing witness just as Peter and the first disciples did, often at the cost of their lives!

There was another narrative [cf. today's gospel], that the Jewish authorities of the time tried to circulate, of a body removed by followers who made up the story of the resurrection. And there are people to this very day who accept that narrative! Thanks to the witness of faithful Christians, the narrative of secular skepticism has not prevailed. Billions of faithful Christians for more than 2000 years have kept alive the message of truth: CHRIST IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!

When we gather to celebrate the Eucharist or simply when we pray alone, we owe a profound debt of gratitude to those who have gone before us in faith and have handed on the message to us. We, in turn, can give the same life-giving message to those who come after us: CHRIST IS RISEN! ALLELUIA! AMEN!

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 5, 2021, 7:49:30 AM4/5/21

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TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021 TUESDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

[Acts 2:36-41 and John 20:11-18]

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brother and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he had told her. [John]

We Dominicans (the Order of Preachers) have a special devotion to Mary Magdalen. The reason is given in the quote above from today's gospel scripture. She was the first preacher! The gospels are quite clear that Jesus first revealed himself post-resurrection to the women who followed him, and not to the Twelve! In the light of this, the subsequent relegation to women to a subordinate status in our church over the centuries is a scandal, which has only recently been addressed!! That subject is a bit too large for this space, but needs to be noted.

Mary Magdalen's experience of Jesus would soon become the experience of the disciples when Jesus appeared to them as well. He was the same, but not the same. He could eat and drink and his wounds were still there to see and touch, but he could show up in a locked room unannounced!! The amazement and confusion of the post-resurrection experiences would only be resolved with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the effects of which we see in the first scripture for today from the Acts of the Apostles. The first daily scripture for the next few days will give us samples of the early post-pentecostal preaching. It should be noted as well that it wasn't only verbal preaching but life-style preaching as well [Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35] that caught the attention of the people.

All Christians, men and women alike, are called to be preachers. The stubborn refusal of the pulpit to women in our church has to be addressed, but in the meantime, the preaching must go on in word and deed outside the walls of the church building. Can we all show some of the same excitement of the first witnesses? Can we both say it and live it? AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 6, 2021, 7:48:43 AM4/6/21

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021 WEDNESDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

[Acts 3:1-10 and Luke 24:13-35]

"And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" [Luke]

The 24th chapter of the Gospel According to Luke is a masterful piece of weaving the story of Jesus with the post-resurrection experience of the community for whom Luke was writing. It serves, too, as a bridge to the second volume, as it were, of the gospel, which we call the Acts of the Apostles. I recommend a good study bible to help with identifying all the strands that have been woven together. For me, as a member of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), the encounter between Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is a challenge to be faithful to the task of "opening the scriptures" that takes place before the breaking of the bread. All too often, and sadly, the former is poorly done and the people are left half-fed!

Jesus appears to exercise a bit of "tough love" with the two disciples: "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" No doubt that got their attention! "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures." The recognition of Jesus in the breaking of the bread rests on what he has told them of himself. Every celebration of the Eucharist is meant to repeat this experience. God's word is essential to this. St. Paul says it well: "How can they believe in one of whom they have never heard?" [Romans 10:14]. We are those disciples on the road to Emmaus. Does Jesus remain a stranger to us? AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 7, 2021, 7:45:35 AM4/7/21

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 THURSDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

[Acts 3:11-26 and Luke 24:35-48]]

"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." [Luke]

The 24th chapter of the Gospel According to Luke is a summary of the gospel and its purpose. It is also a bridge to the second volume of Luke's story, the Acts of the Apostles. The latter work is the source of the first scriptures for daily Eucharist this week and tells the story of the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem, ending in Rome, the center of the Mediterranean world at that time. In modern terms, Luke tells the story of how Christianity "went viral."

Jesus' crucifixion, death and resurrection were a terrible shock to his first disciples. His appearances post-resurrection added to the trauma in some ways. It took time for the community to digest the meaning of it all with the help of the Holy Spirit. Since the scriptures from what we would now call the Old Testament were the primary reference for God's message for them, the disciples turned to these for understanding. Luke speaks of minds being opened to understanding what the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms were saying about God's plan of salvation. This became especially important because Luke wrote not long after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem! Christianity could no longer be anchored to Jerusalem and Palestine! The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the early preaching to all nations.

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Apr 11, 2021, 7:50:58 AM4/11/21

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MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021 MONDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 4:23-31 and John 3:1-8]

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?" Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I saw to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit." [John]

When I was in Catholic grade school so many years ago, it was a common interpretation of the passage from the Gospel According to John, quoted above from today's gospel, that explicit baptism by water was necessary for salvation. Needless to say, we weren't very concerned about the billions of Jews, Moslems, Hindus and Buddhists (just to name some) who would inevitably be left out! Scripture scholars warn us that the sacramental interpretations of later Christianity cannot be inserted into the text of the scripture without nuance and understanding of how those sacramental practices developed in the first place.

In the Gospel According to John, the story of the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus (early in the gospel) is not about sacramental baptism but about faith and the role of the Holy Spirit. It is this Spirit that would be given after Jesus' resurrection. Coming to faith in Jesus in this context is the equivalent of being "born again." Water and Spirit are closely associated in this gospel as the encounter with the Samaritan Woman (living water - John 4) and the side wound of Jesus (water and blood - John 19:34-35 and 1 John 5:6-8) would show. Nor should the expression "born again Christian" be confused with these passages. The consistent message in the Gospel According to John is that Jesus is the one sent by God. Faith in Jesus, enabled by the Holy Spirit, gives eternal life. Sacramental baptism is the means by which one is formally introduced into this life, but we are not thereby granted total control of the Holy Spirit! A baptismal celebration is a wonderful occasion to celebrate "re-birth" and can be a reminder to us of our own commitment in faith. It is this faith in Jesus that enables us to "see the kingdom of God." AMEN

.

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 12, 2021, 8:17:31 AM4/12/21

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TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 TUESDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 4:32-37 and John 3:7b-15]

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. [Acts]

One of the motivating ideas behind the founding of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) may be seen in the passage from the Acts of the Apostles in today's first scripture. The Albigensian heresy that Dominic sought to counter was characterized by its austerity and communal ways. Their lifestyle preached before they said a word. Indeed, a man named Peter Seelos in Toulouse gave his house to Dominic as the first real house for the first friars!

There have been thousands of efforts historically to imitate that first community of Christians in Jerusalem. Some have succeeded for a time and others have been short-lived. Catholic religious orders like the Dominicans and Franciscans do make a "vow of poverty" in which no one actually owns anything. All material items are the property of the order. In other Christian groups like the Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites and Anabaptists, there are varying degrees of communal life.

Individualism and private property are deeply rooted in our American way of life. The lifestyle described in the Acts of the Apostles seems impractical and idealistic to many if not most in our country. Yet, it was that lifestyle which faith in Jesus inspired and which attracted many to that same faith. Perhaps there is a challenge to us to consider how individualistic and acquisitive we really are, and what does this say about our faith, especially in a society like ours where many are still without adequate shelter or food or medical care. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 13, 2021, 7:46:47 AM4/13/21

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 WEDNESDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 5:17-26 and John 3:16-21]

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. [John]

The Gospel According to John is characterized by the use of sharp contrasts: light/darkness, above/below, sight/blindness, disciple/world. The language of conflict permeates the gospel and the use of terms like judgment and condemnation appear as well. Scripture scholars believe this reflects the situation of the community for which this gospel was composed. Those who believed that Jesus is the one whom God has sent were being ejected from the synagogues. This explains in part the general use of the term, "the Jews," in the gospel - partially the religious authorities and partially the rejection by the community in general.

The use of the word, "the world," refers to those who do not accept Jesus as the one whom God has sent. It is a kind of "us versus them" way of thinking. Yet the text today speaks of God loving the world of unbelief and sending the Son precisely because of that love. The Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper will address the conflict with "the world" at some length (15:18-20; 17:6=26).

This is not merely a matter of what was happening at the time this gospel was composed. It is a matter for today as well. The "world" today is broader in terms of "secularism" as well as conflict between religious beliefs. Students here at the university community will speak of professors who reject or ridicule Christian faith and I suspect they will hear this from their peers as well. It is easy to find oneself in an "us versus them" mentality. Yet, God so loves the world that he has sent us as well to bear witness so that the world might be saved through the Beloved Son. The possibility of conflict and contrast, as the gospel warns us, will be part of the experience of discipleship. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 14, 2021, 7:48:25 AM4/14/21

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THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 5:27-33 and John 3:31-36]

The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the who who comes from heaven is above all. [John]

When I graduated from Tulane Law School (Oh so many years ago!), the Louisiana Bar Association sponsored a program called "Bridging the Gap." It was meant to introduce idealistic young law school graduates to the "real life" of the practice of law by bringing in prominent practitioners in various specialities to talk about their experiences. In a real sense it was meant to bring us "down to earth." In the Gospel According to John, one of the overall ideas is that Jesus comes "down" from heaven and returns "up" to heaven. Scholars call this the "exitus/reditus" theme. However, in contrast to the law school image, Jesus bridges the gap so that those who believe in him may be with him and have eternal life. So the emphasis is on bringing what is "below" to what is "above." This idea of Jesus as the bridge between heaven and earth would find special prominence in the DIALOGS of the great Dominican mystic, St. Catherine of Siena.

For some, the Gospel According to John seems rather abstract and too far "above" human experience. Yet, the "discourses" in the first twelve chapters of this gospel (what scripture scholars call "the Book of Signs") seem to follow on encounters between Jesus and individuals like Nicodemus, the Samaritan Woman, the Crippled Beggar, the Man Born Blind and Lazarus. It is in these encounters that what is above bridges the gap to what is below. Our own experience can tell us that if we are open to an "encounter" with Jesus, we will experience something beyond what our "earthly" expectations can provide. The encounter may be brief. The guards sent by the chief priests and Pharisees came back empty-handed in a physical sense but filled with wonder in another: "Never before has anyone spoken like this one." (John 7:46). Are we open to Jesus' invitation to "bridge the gap?" AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 15, 2021, 7:46:34 AM4/15/21

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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021 FRIDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 5:34-42 and John 6:1-15]

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him because he himself knew what he was going to do. [John]

One of the characteristics of the portrait of Jesus in the Gospel According to John is that Jesus does not react to situations as much as he directs them. He is in charge from the beginning "because he himself knew what he was going to do." The scene begins on a mountain with Jesus seated - a sign of authority. (cf. a similar detail at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel According to Matthew.) Jesus then asks a rhetorical question which the disciples misunderstand (again, a Johannine characteristic) and take literally. When Jesus takes the bread and blesses it, it is HE who distributes it, not the disciples, as in the other three gospel accounts. In short, Jesus is in charge and manages the scene. This scene will serve as the introduction to the "Bread of Life" discourse, which will be the focus of the gospel scriptures next week.

The power of the Gospel According to John, at least in my humble estimation, lies in its dramatic presentation of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. From the Prologue to the "Appendix (Chap. 21), Jesus is presented as the one whom God has sent and he is acting in accord with his relationship to his Father. The "encounters" can draw us in and challenge us to look at our own reactions. What "discourse" could we write as a result of our own encounter with Jesus? How is this impacted by the other gospel portraits or the portraits of faith in the New or Old Testament? At least in the Gospel According to John, we can be in the position of the temple guards who could only say, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man." AMEN

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Apr 19, 2021, 7:40:50 AM4/19/21

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TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 TUESDAY IN THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 7:51 - 8:1a and John 6:30-35]

The crowd said to Jesus: "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat." So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." So they said to Jesus, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." [John]

The "Bread of LIfe" discourse begins in earnest today. The first of two different levels of understanding of what "bread of life" means unfolds. This level focuses on faith in Jesus as the one whom God has sent. The second level will be more "eucharistic" in content. (I cannot help but notice how today's dialogue between Jesus and the crowd resembles his dialogue with the Samaritan woman at the well. [cf John 4:4-41]. She misunderstands the meaning of "living water" and appeals to the example of Jacob.). The crowd is focused on physical bread of the kind Jesus multiplied and they appeal to the example of Moses and the manna in the desert. Jesus' response to the crowd is one of his "Amen, amen..." and "I AM" statements. Faith in him means eternal life, as will be seen in the gospel scripture for Wednesday.

It is our faith in Jesus that is the "bread of life." This faith is what enables us to move further into our understanding of the eucharist. This faith has survived in places where the celebration of the eucharist was not possible. We have experienced this to some extent in the current pandemic when the celebration of Mass has been live-streamed only and access to communion was not possible. The act of "spiritual communion" was invoked to emphasize that the relationship in faith to Jesus is what enkindles the desire for a more physical expression in the eucharist. Both levels of faith feed us with "the Bread of Life." AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 20, 2021, 7:43:49 AM4/20/21

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 WEDNESDAY IN THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 8:1b-8 and John 6:35-40]

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day." [John]

The "Bread of Life" discourse continues in today's gospel (with more to come). The characteristic features of above/below, seeing/believing, the one-whom-God-has-sent are on display. The message is still focused on the person of Jesus and faith in him as the one whom God has sent. Two aspects of the message stand out.

The first is that Jesus will not reject anyone who comes to him in faith. He will refer to the disciples later on in the "Farewell Discourse" as "your gift to me." (John 17:24-26) We, as disciples, are both the object and subject of Jesus' mission. I think of my own ministry as a gift (object) but the people I meet with their lives, hopes and dreams and challenges are even more so (subject).

The second aspect might be framed in the question, "When does "eternal life" begin? The Gospel According to John speaks of this as beginning with faith in Jesus, but, also as a "future" thing in relation to "the last day." Death becomes "relativized" as an event in a life that becomes eternal with faith. These ideas are not presented in some systematic fashion in the Gospel According to John, but rather more in a "stream of consciousness" that continues to spiral! That spiral will, on Thursday, introduce a startling idea that we today might take for granted: Jesus as food! Stay tuned! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 21, 2021, 7:41:09 AM4/21/21

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 8:26-40 and John 6:44-51]

"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will life forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world." [John]

Time and again in the Gospel According to John, faith in Jesus is tied in with encounter with Jesus. It is the "seeing and believing" that are wound together. The believing may not happen instantaneously. The Samaritan woman at the well engages Jesus in conversation which gradually "spirals" toward belief. We may be in the position of the Man Born Blind in chapter nine who struggles to understand what his initial encounter (the washing and healing) means in the face of the questions from Jewish authorities. As he "spirals" toward full belief, he has a second encounter with Jesus: "'Do you believe in the Son of Man?' He answered and said, 'Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?' Jesus sai to him, 'You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.' He said, 'I do believe, Lord,' and he worshiped him." We could recall the encounters of Mary Magdalen and Thomas with the Risen Jesus.

The encounter that the Gospel According to John offers today is the encounter with the very Body and Blood of Christ - his flesh for the life of the world. This reality, as we will see, will create a crisis for the audience at the time and for the disciples who thought they believed in Jesus [John 6:66-69]. The crowd states the question simply, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Just as they misunderstood the loaves and fishes, they are challenged to move beyond the manna in the desert to a new manna. As a matter of faith, it is not HOW Jesus gives us his flesh to eat, but THAT he does it. If he is the one whom God has sent, he can do this.

I once received a young woman into the church. We had to do the formation privately because she was unable to attend the RCIA program. When we finished our conversations and she declared herself ready, I asked her what she had found to be the greatest challenge to her faith. She replied immediately, "The Eucharist. If you accept that, the rest is easy." Her words should challenge us "cradle Catholics" to realize the depth of encounter that is opened to us in our celebration of the Eucharist. AMEN

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Apr 28, 2021, 7:59:27 AM4/28/21

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THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021 ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA, O.P., [Doctor of the Church]

[Acts 13:13-25 and John 13:16-20. These scriptures will be different at Dominican locations. This is an important feast day for us.]

"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it." [John]

One of the greatest figures in the Dominican Hall of Fame was not a friar, nun or apostolic sister. She was a lay person who joined a Dominican-sponsored group of women who were dedicated to works of charity. They were called the "Mantellate" from the head scarves they wore. Initially they were not happy about her joining because she was very young and they were mostly widows in what would have been considered old age in the 14th century! They were afraid she would get married and leave in short order! She joined them after years of seclusion in a small cell in the family home. She had undergone a vision that told her to become active in caring for the poor. Well....the poor might have included the state of the church at that time. It definitely included those who suffered as a result of the continued outbreaks of the Black Death which decimated European population. The pope was living in "captivity" in Avignon, France. Hope for the reform of the church was sliml Yet this one woman became not only a servant of the poor, but a diplomat and a mystic. Her Dialogues is one of the spiritual classics of the Western Church. Her stubborn determination in all that she did was based on her unshakeable conviction of the call she had received, and she lived it in accord with the words from today's gospel quoted above: ,,,(N)o slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.

Catherine's efforts were not all successful! She did have an influence on the decision of the pope to return to Rome. but her diplomatic efforts to reconcile warring city-states in Italy were, at best, partially successful. These efforts capture attention (e.g. B. Tuchman's rather savage portrait of her in A DISTANT MIRROR) but leave out her care for the sick and poor and her extraordinary relationship to Christ, "the sweet truth." We Dominicans rightly celebrate her as one of our greatest preaching heroes. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 29, 2021, 7:52:05 AM4/29/21

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FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021 FRIDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER [St. Pius V, O.P.]

[Acts 13:26-33 and John 13:16-20]

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." [John]

The gospel scriptures for daily Mass for the next few days will be taken from what scripture scholars call "the Farewell Discourse" at the Last Supper. It encompasses four complete chapters and it defies efforts to systematically organize it! The evangelist seems to have used various statements from the traditions he had and has placed them all in this one discourse. The overarching purpose of the discourse is to prepare the disciples at the Last Supper (and subsequent disciples) for Jesus' "hour" in which he would be "lifted up" and "glorified." Today's passage contains two sayings that have attracted the attention of the faithful over the centuries.

The first saying is: "In my Father's house there are many mansions." If nothing else, this statement has been the source of much humor about what kind of "mansion" would be waiting for a particular person. Jesus, however, is trying to strengthen the hope of the disciples beyond present events and move them toward eternal life now and beyond the grave.

The second saying is probably more prominent, especially in some currents of "evangelical Christianity: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This statement has been unfortunately interpreted to mean that only Christians are "saved." And in some Catholic circles it means only "Catholic Christians" will be saved! This is not the teaching of the church. Indeed, the Gospel According to John reminds us that God "so loved the world that he sent his only-begotten Son." Christian faith cannot exclude from God's providence those who, by no fault of their own, do not embrace Christianity. Nevertheless, we who are Christians have the baptismal call to share our faith and invite others to be a part of the fullness of life and revelation in Jesus Christ. The eternal destiny of non-Christians is not ours to determine. Like all pilgrims, we can show what the journey means to us and invite others to join us on the "Way." AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Apr 30, 2021, 7:53:52 AM4/30/21

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SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021 SATURDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 13:44-52 and John 14:7-14]

"The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." [John]

The "Farewell Discourse" at the Last Supper in the Gospel According to John is like a smorgasbord with all kinds of wonderful foods that are put on a table in no particular order. The diner is invited to partake and enjoy but there is no systematic presentation. The broad context of the discourse is Jesus' departure from being present in an earthly sense and it's meaning for the disciples. This includes reminders of Jesus' relationship to his Father, the One who has sent him, as well as the future missionary work of the disciples with the help of the Paraclete, which will be sent when Jesus is no longer present. But these themes are interwoven in a kind of stream of consciousness and repetition that challenge the reader to continually return to the broader context to make sense of an individual statement.

In John 6:29, Jesus responds to a question from the crowd, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God." Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." This may help us to understand the words in today's passage about doing "greater" works. It is not that the disciples (or we) will raise people from the dead or restore sight to the blind, but that we will do things in "the name of Jesus" because we believe that he is the one whom God has sent. Whatever we do in faith is based on this conviction, guided by the Holy Spirit. {14:26].

The Farewell Discourse will continue to challenge us in the days ahead as we reflect on the various themes that appear and reappear. Keeping in mind the broader context that I mentioned above can assist us in this contemplative and apostolic challenge. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 1, 2021, 7:59:25 AM5/1/21

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SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2021 FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

[Acts 9:26-31; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8]

"Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." [John]

One cannot help but notice the repetition of the word "remain" in the passage from the Gospel According to John in today's gospel scripture. It is not the only place the word appears in this gospel and it is a clue to the relationship between Jesus and his Father, Jesus and the disciples, and the role of the Holy Spirit in the continuing mission. At the same time, "remain" is a mysterious term.

When we become close friends with someone, they become an abiding presence in our life, a kind of "given." They become a part of our own self-definition. We could not imagine our lives without including their presence. They "remain" in us and we "remain" in them. When Jesus says, "Without me you can do nothing," we can see the extent to which he summons us into relationship with him. This is not an "arms-length" relationship in which he is some kind of benevolent employer. It is a union of persons in a common identity even if, by definition, we don't become totally the other.

For some, this kind of relationship is intimidating. It can imply a loss of liberty or personal identity. But, as the last line of today's passage indicates, the reason for the relationship is to enable the disciple to go on mission, to "bear fruit." Without this relationship, any disciple or the whole church loses its reason for preaching the gospel. We would become simply one more humanitarian institution or individual, promoting a "be nice" agenda. Nor can Jesus just be a kind of "welcome guest" in our lives. He and we must "remain" in one another. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 2, 2021, 7:43:34 AM5/2/21

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MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 STS. PHILIP AND JAMES, apostles

[1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and John 14:6-14]

After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles....[1 Cor.]

Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?"

The choice of scriptures to be proclaimed on the feast of the apostles, Philip and James, seems based on the fact that they are mentioned in each of the two readings. Philip manages to have speaking parts in the Gospel According to John (6:5, 7 and 14:8), one of which is featured in today's gospel scripture. The James in the first scripture may or may not be the apostle! In any case, Catholic tradition refers to him as James the Lesser in contrast with the brother of John, the sons of Zebedee. The confusion is between the term, James "the brother of the Lord" who became a leader in the Jerusalem community and James, son of Alpheus, mentioned as an apostle. In any case, it is the apostle we celebrate today.

The importance of these two figures comes from their membership in the Twelve, the apostles whom Jesus chose and on whose initial preaching the foundation of the church was laid. Philip, at least, demonstrates that even an apostle could have a struggle to understand the meaning of Jesus' resurrection. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, these two men, like the other apostles, became part of the faith we profess in "one, holy, catholic and APOSTOLIC" church. The celebration of their feast day is a reminder of that truth. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 3, 2021, 7:34:40 AM5/3/21

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TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021 TUESDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 14:19-28 and John 14:27-31a]

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." [John]

These words of Jesus in the Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper should be familiar to us. We hear them just before "the Sign of Peace" at the Eucharist. The COVID19 pandemic has made the actual physical exchange of that sign a "no-no" for the time being, and some folks have never liked it. This has a way of overshadowing the gift of Jesus which is more than a polite acknowledgement of the persons around us in the pews. Jesus is trying to calm the disciples who are beginning to realize that he may be leaving them. Throughout the Gospel According to John, Jesus has been in charge of his mission and destiny. His calm confidence in his relationship with his Father is the peace that he seeks to share with the disciples - his peace. "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

Our faith in Jesus is not a denial of the challenges and trials that we face. It is a recognition that whatever those may be, we can count on God's presence to help us find a way forward. For the disciples (including us), that "presence" is the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send. This is more than sentimental piety. I have often told an overwhelmed student to put his/her faith "to work for you." The gift of Jesus' peace is that calm confidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in us and we will find a way forward. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 4, 2021, 7:54:38 AM5/4/21

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021 ST. VINCENT FERRER, O.P.

[Acts 15:1-6 and John 15:1-8. Scriptures may vary at Dominican locales.]

"Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."

Sunday's gospel scripture re-appears today. (The daily scriptures are on a different schedule.) The vine and branches relationship becomes the pivotal reality in Christian life. The repetitive use of the word "remain" always captures my attention because it speaks to the experience of friendship.

St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that the best human analogy for the relationship between God and human is friendship. A true friend desires the best for a friend and God desires the best for us. In turn we respond in love to God and live out that love with our neighbor. I know from my own experience that my closest friends "remain" in me and are part of my life to the extent that I cannot imagine their absence! It is this kind of relationship that can motivate the "bearing of fruit" in everyday faith. As with all kinds of friendship, this means an effort to keep the relationship strong and steady on an everyday basis. The farewell address at the Last Supper was meant to assure the disciples that Jesus would "remain" in them if they "remain" in him. His physical absence would continue by the presence of the Holy Spirit and by the Eucharistic celebration.

The old hymn says it well, "What a friend we have in Jesus!" Is that how we see him? AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 5, 2021, 7:40:58 AM5/5/21

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 15:7-21 and John 15:9-11]

"As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." [John]

A question that often puzzles Catholics when it is addressed to them is: "Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?" We are so accustomed to thinking in terms of "the church" and "the sacraments" that we tend to allow these realities to serve as our relationship to Jesus. For some, this relationship may be more personally expressed by participation in eucharistic adoration, but, even there, Jesus may be held at "arms' length" and too sacred to approach as one person to another. The Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper challenges each of the disciples (and us) to think about our own relationship to Jesus and how we express that relationship to others. There is no "mediating" reality such as church and sacraments in this. Those are definitely part of our faith and are addressed elsewhere in the New Testament. The Protestant Reformation tried to eliminate much of those in its individualistic interpretation of scripture. We Catholics went to the other extreme and tended to substitute the institution of the church for the person of Jesus. These are broad generalizations, but I think it explains why we Catholics are puzzled by the question I began with: "Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?"

Today's passage from the Farewell Discourse is another example of the relationship described in the word "remain." How does one "remain" in love with Jesus or anyone else? It can be instructive to consider the long term relationships in our own lives. There are friends in my life dating from my first assignment as a newly ordained Domnican friar/priest in 1971. I've known these persons 50 years!!! They have "remained" in my life as a very personal and enriching reality. In no small way they represent the love of Jesus to me, a continual presence. Jesus challenges us to love neighbor as Jesus loves his Father and us. Can we sustain that effort as we have sustained it in our long term friendships? It takes effort and a sense of humor as well. Can we bring that to our relationship with Jesus as well as with one another? AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 6, 2021, 7:48:55 AM5/6/21

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FRIDAY, MAY 7 FRIDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 15:22-31 and John 15:12-17]

"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another." [John]

In reflecting on this portion of the Farewell Discourse, we might recall what the evangelist says of Jesus as he prepared to wash the feet of the disciples: "Having loved his own in the world, he loved them to the end." [13:1] Now, Jesus challenges the disciples (and us) to love as he loves. He shares the love between himself and his Father and he expects us to share that same love with our neighbor. The enormity of this challenge is obvious to us not only in our individual daily lives but on all levels of state, national and international life. How can we profess to be disciples of Jesus when so much violence surrounds us? Some will even defend the violence as an unfortunate side effect of living in a free society!!! What will Jesus say to that at the Final Judgment?

However, I witness that "laying down one's life for one's friends" in many ways all the time. Parents sacrifice for children and vice versa when parents grow older. Friends put aside convenience to help friends. People enter military service realizing it could cost them their lives in a combat situation (just visit a national cemetery for this testimony). There are many who are indeed living out Jesus' commandment of love. If we wish to be a friend of Jesus, we must be a friend to our neighbor whether close or distant. That kind of love is ultimate and is Jesus' constant challenge to us. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 7, 2021, 7:48:28 AM5/7/21

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SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021 SATURDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 16:1-10 and John 15:18-21]

"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you......If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me." [Jesus]

What would you think of when you hear the word, "the world." We have many expressions of it in English. "I think a WORLD of that person!" "What in the WORLD?" "He/she is the WORLD champion." The Greek word "kosmos" is translated in English as "the world." And this word appears often in the Gospel According to John. John 3:16 and other places in the first half of the gospel speak of a "world" that God loves, but it is in darkness and God has sent his Son to bring light to it. There is a kind of "cosmic" struggle between the forces of darkness and the forces of light, represented now by the disciples of Jesus. The Farewell Discourse is both a warning as well as a description of contemporary circumstances in the community the gospel was addressed to initially.

In our own time, we speak of "the secular WORLD" as a force that either opposes or ignores or is indifferent to religious faith. Charles Taylor's book A SECULAR AGE is well worth the reading to obtain an understanding of this situation. God indeed has so loved the WORLD, but Jesus and his disciples (including us) can expect hostility and resistance to our faith. Our response is not to be hostile or hateful of "the World" but to consistently shine the light of Christ. Christians are not some kind of superior elite in the human race, but rather brothers and sisters who are called to love the world as God does and continue to bear witness to the One whom God has sent. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 8, 2021, 7:52:44 AM5/8/21

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SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2021 SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER [Mothers' Day USA}

[Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17]

"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

A dear friend, the Catholic mother of five wonderful kids, introduced me to a "blog" entitled, MIGHTY IS HER CALL. It is written by Catholic moms and the posts run the gamut emotionally, spiritually, and physically! The writers are not shy about sharing their experiences of motherhood. Since I have spent many a visit with the family of my friend, as well as listening in spiritual direction to other moms. I can testify to the authenticity of the accounts posted on this blog! Jesus' statement in the "Farewell Discourse" at the Last Supper, "No greater love....." finds a flesh and blood expression in those experiences. If I may add a little twist to this, a mom often has to "lay down" her life so she can ""pick up (no matter what their age)" her child! This is not mere sentimentality. The role of the mother in passing on the "wisdom of love" is crucial, and when it is missing, the results are very sad and destructive. I read that blog every day to remind myself of the love that is going on every day.

Judaeo-Christian tradition holds that "motherhood" is "hard-wired" in a woman even if she is unable to give birth or chooses not to. The denial of this reality, by choice or circumstance, has serious consequences. The expression of love as Jesus describes it, indeed was found in his own mother's love for him, He speaks of the relationship between himself and his Father but his human expression of that love found its roots in the love he received from his earthly parents, especially his mother. The consequences of that love can hardly be underestimated for all of us!

Mothers' Day is about more than sentiment, gifts and corsages. It is about a relationship born of God's creative act. In recognizing this, we pay tribute not to "motherhood" but to the flesh and blood that has been "laid down" for us. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 9, 2021, 7:46:27 AM5/9/21

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MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021 MONDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 16:11-15 and John 15:26-16:4a]

"When the Advocate comes who I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God." [John]

Jesus now introduces a new character in the Farewell Discourse, the "Advocate." Some translations use the word, "paraclete," which is an English rendering of the Greek verb, parakletos, - a person who speaks or intercedes on behalf of someone. Jesus refers to this person as "the Spirit of truth," which recalls to my mind his words to the woman at the well in Ch. 4:24, "God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." The reason is to assure the disciples that Jesus' departure is part of a bigger reality and they will not be "left as orphans." (14:18). The Spirit of truth will "guide you to all truth." [16:13].

Church history is always a good teacher. Christians fought with one another later on about how the Spirit of truth was sent. The dispute was called "the Filioque" problem. The Latin means "and the Son." Every Sunday at the Creed, we profess that the Holy Spirit, "who proceeds from the Father AND THE SON." This was decided at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. So, for nearly 300 years, there were debates about how Jesus accomplished the promise he made. This may seem like ancient debate over something that doesn't matter now, but the import of it comes home when we realize that we are accompanied by the entire truth about God in our faith. The disciples would need that accompaniment as they were being expelled from the synagogues. We need it today as we confront an indifferent and sometimes hostile secularism that pushes religious faith to the margins of life. The evangelist John would not have known about our later speculations on the Holy Trinity, but he has preserved the words of Jesus that remind us that we are not "orphans" but are beloved children of God and we can be sure of God's guidance. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 10, 2021, 7:40:02 AM5/10/21

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 TUESDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 16:22-34 and John 16:5-11]

"Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." [John]

There is a lot of "coming and going" in the Gospel According to John. Scripture scholars speak of the overarching theme in this gospel of Jesus coming from the Father and returning to the Father ("exitus/reditus"). This theme is quite strong in the Farewell Discourse since Jesus is preparing the disciples for his "hour" to be "lifted up" and his "return to the Father." Today, the theme seems to be reversed. Jesus GOES and the "Advocate" COMES.

The consistent theme of conflict and judgment also appears because the Advocate will enable the disciples to confront the "world." The idea is very broad, as I mentioned a day or so ago when the principal consideration was "the world." This struggle is "cosmic" in scope but at the time of the gospel's composition, it was very local and particular because those who accepted Jesus as the One whom God has sent were being expelled from synagogues. But the struggle goes on for hearts and minds. The temptation to view the scriptures as a kind of antique and think, "That was then, this is now" ignores just how contemporary the Gospel According to John truly is.

After his resurrection Jesus will tell the disciples, "As the Father has sent me, so also do I send you!" It is in the power of the Holy Spirit (the "Advocate") that we are enabled to bear witness individually and together in our own time and circumstances. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 11, 2021, 7:52:23 AM5/11/21

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021 WEDNESDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 17:15, 22 - 18:1 and John 16:12-15]

"You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For 'In him we live and move and have our being,' as even some of your poets have said,'For we too are his offspring,'" [Acts]

In the cowboy movies of my childhood there was always a sequence that appeared during an exciting chase scene that was labeled, "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..." For the past couple of weeks or more, the gospel scriptures from the Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper in the Gospel According to John have challenged my attention. At the same time, the first scriptures have been taken from the post-Pentecostal preaching of the early missionaries, especially Paul and Peter. The address of Paul at Athens is worthy of interrupting the Farewell Discourse. The selection in the lectionary unfortunately leaves out the description of the scene in which Paul "grew exasperated at the sight of the city full of idols.." and debated in the open forum with anyone who would talk to him. The text says it wonderfully, "Now all the Athenians as well as the foreigners residing there used their time for nothing else but telling or hearing something new!" {v.21).

I have quoted from the beginning of Paul's speech. I think it is one that we can all learn from because we too live in a society with many idols that compete with what has become an "Unknown God." The audience listened until Paul mentioned Jesus' resurrection, and then there were mixed reactions! Some scoffed at the idea. However, some were attracted and became believers. This will often be our experience as well. Some will scoff and others will be attracted. What is important is that we engage the world around us and point to the altar of the Unknown God, whom we do know and proclaim. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 12, 2021, 7:53:44 AM5/12/21

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THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER [Our Lady of Fatima]

[Acts 18:1-8 and John 16:16-20. In most of the (arch)dioceses of the USA, the feast of the Ascension is celebrated next Sunday.]

A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." So some of his disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks? We do not know what he means."

Many are the parents who have had to say, as Jesus said, "In a little while!" to an impatient child for whom "a little while" seems like an eternity. The disciples spoke from within the time/space context that all of us mortals are subjecc to. Jesus is speaking from a timeless context. The difference is between two different Greek words for time. The first is chronos, which is the time we measure with our clocks. The second is kairos which we would express by saying, "It's about time we did this!" Jesus refers to his "hour" throughout the Gospel According to John in that sense. His death and resurrection and the sending of the Spirit all occur within the time/space continuum but are not subject to it. Jesus did not assign a schedule to these events. They occurred in "God's good time." The Gospel According to John focuses on the significance of these events rather than their timing (which has led to endless debates among scripture scholars trying to square John's timing with the other three gospels' timing of events.)

Although we are liturgically focusing on the period between Jesus' death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, we have to live with the tension between those events and the Second Coming - another "little while" that the New Testament scriptures struggled with and we struggle with. God's "time" is not our "time." Jesus assures the disciples that even if he is returning to his Father, he will not "leave them orphans (John 14:18), but, like small children, they want their "When?" to be a human one. We have to learn over and over again that just because we can schedule a sacrament, we can't put God on a calendar! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 13, 2021, 7:39:26 AM5/13/21

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FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 ST. MATTHIAS, apostle

[Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 and John 15:9-17]

"Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection." So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbus, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place." Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles. [Acts]

The necessity to choose a successor to Judas Iscariot was based on the importance of the number twelve. The early church saw itself as the continuation of the original twelve tribes of Israel and it would be the "new Israel." The person to be chosen had to have been part of the original group of disciples in Galilee and probably a disciple, at first, of John the Baptist and also one of those who first learned of the resurrection of Jesus so that he could bear witness with the other Eleven. It is on this original apostolic witness that the church was founded.

After his selection, Matthias disappears into untold history. The method by which he was chosen - basically by flipping a coin or throwing dice or drawing straws - is certainly not the way in which a pope or bishop is chosen nowadays. At least I've never heard that there are dice sitting on the pope's desk! Matthias' importance rests on his continued faith in Jesus from the outset of Jesus' ministry and as a member of the Twelve whose faith and witness we continue whenever we gather to worship. AMEN

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May 17, 2021, 7:37:48 AM5/17/21

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TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2021 TUESDAY IN THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 20:17-27 and John 17:1-11a]

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. [John]

Today's gospel scripture passage begins the last of the chapters (14-17) that make up the "Farewell Discourse" at the Last Supper in the Gospel According to John. As with the previous chapters, it has the quality of a "stream of consciousness" speech but, in this final chapter, in the context of a prayer. Scripture scholars have referred to this chapter as the "High Priestly prayer" of Jesus in which he addresses his Father on his own behalf as well as that of the disciples. Even in the few lines from the beginning of the chapter some major themes of the whole gospel are evident. The first is that Jesus is the One whom God has sent. A second is that belief in Jesus IS eternal life. In other words, eternal life is not something that begins with physical death but begins with faith in Jesus, even in our messy sinful world! A third is that his "hour" has come for his being lifted up (remember the dialogue with his mother at Cana [2:4] and with Nicodemus at night [3:14-15]

The everyday life of first century Palestinian Jews that features so strongly in the portraits of Jesus in the three synoptic gospels seems to disappear in the Gospel According to John. The multitude of parables and miracles is pared down to a few dramatic encounters followed by discourses about Jesus' identity and mission. What can challenge us is the teaching that faith in Jesus is the beginning of eternal life. We have the pledge that he "remains" in us through the Holy Spirit and in his Body and Blood that we consume. The "Prologue" to this gospel beautifully expresses all this: And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth. [John 1:14] AMEN.

RB Williams, OP

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May 18, 2021, 7:44:03 AM5/18/21

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 WEDNESDAY IN THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[Acts 20:28-38 and John 17:11b-19]

"Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction......I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one....Consecrate them in the truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth." [John]

"And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated." When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. [Acts]

Farewells can be difficult, as I have witnessed often at graduation times or the many times I have moved in my life as a Dominican friar. For the past few days I have seen tears flowing (some of them mine) here at Texas Tech. The Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper in the Gospel According to John is joined today with St. Paul's farewell speech to the Elders at Miletus. It is a touching scene. Paul would be headed to Jerusalem where he would ultimately be arrested and sent to Rome for trial. Like all departing pastors, he worries about the flock he is leaving and all the efforts he made on their behalf. In the Farewell Discourse passage in today's gospel scripture, Jesus prays for those whom he has chosen as disciples that "they also may be consecrated in truth." In the Gospel According to John, truth is faith in the one whom God has sent, Jesus the only-begotten Son.

One way the Lord has made departures a bit easier for me is to see how the lives of those whom I had to say farewell to have developed over the years and how they have "kept the faith." I have celebrated their weddings and baptized their children and now their grandchildren!!!! This tells me that my prayers for them have been worthwhile. The results of Jesus' and Paul's lives have been the disciples who have carried on the faith and ministry over the centuries. We follow in their footsteps. Jesus is praying for us. I don't think we could find a better intercessor! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 19, 2021, 7:24:53 AM5/19/21

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THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER

[Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 and John 17:20-26]

"I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as ou, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." [John]

The long spiraling words of the Farewell Discourse come to an end today with Jesus praying not only for his present disciples but for his future ones! That's you and me! We believe because of the words spoken to us by disciples who came before us and have told us that Jesus is the one whom God has sent. He is the Son of God. We experience eternal life when we come to belief in him. He and his Father have given us their Spirit to guide us "to all truth." We are sent into "the world" to proclaim this. Everything else in our Catholic faith is rooted in these fundamental truths.

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May 23, 2021, 7:39:16 AM5/23/21

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MONDAY, MAY 24, 2021 THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH

[Genesis 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1:12-14 and John 19:25-34]

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." [John]

Devotion to Mary is a hallmark of Catholic faith. There are many official liturgical events devoted to her on the general liturgical calendar and hundreds of local, regional or national calendars. Most of us are familiar with the big ones which are holy days of obligation in the USA: August 15, the Assumption and December 8, the Immaculate Conception and January 1st, the Mother of God. After those, there are "lesser" ones that commemorate events we celebrate in the mysteries of the rosary or particular apparitions such as Lourdes and Fatima.

At the end of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI dedicated the whole church to the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin. Pope Francis decided that this title, Mother of the Church, should be celebrated formally by the entire church to call attention at the time of Pentecost to the additional care we receive from God through Mary's prayers and care. So, the Monday after Pentecost is dedicated to the feast of "The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church."

The scripture from Genesis which refers to Eve as "mother of all the living," was interpreted by early church fathers as foretelling Mary as the "new Eve" who became mother of the Savior and mother of his Body the Church. At the foot of the cross, Mary becomes the mother of the Beloved Disciple, who represents us all. Mary is not in competition with the Holy Spirit! She is part of the communion of saints who help us as "agents" of God's presence. We need all the help we can get! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 24, 2021, 7:40:46 AM5/24/21

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TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2021 TUESDAY IN THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[Sirach 35:1-12 and Mark 10:28-31]

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." [Mark]

The Easter season is over and Ordinary Time picks up in the lectionary where it left off just before Ash Wednesday, except a quick check shows that we were in the eighth chapter of Mark then, and now we are in the tenth! That is due to the sliding date of Ash Wednesday, which is determined by the date of Easter! So, the ninth chapter of the Gospel According to Mark disappears along with much of the tenth. I urge the Beloved Congregation at least to read the part of the tenth chapter that serves as the lead-up to today's passage. It is all about the rich man who asks Jesus what he (the rich man) must do "to inherit eternal life." Jesus tells him to go and sell all he has and give it to the poor and then follow Jesus. The man goes away sad because he had "many possessions." Jesus then astounds the disciples, who thought wealth to be a great blessing from God, by telling them that rich people have a harder time entering the kingdom of heaven. Peter chimes up with the words that begin today's passage: "We have given up everything to follow you."

It is tempting to focus on what is given up instead of the reason for giving it up! The reason is the value of what will be received (faith, community and eternal life) as well as the cost of receiving it. We are told in the Acts of the Apostles that the early Christian community in Jerusalem did indeed provide a new family and new way of living to those who "gave up everything" to follow Jesus. [Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-37]. It was not just "pie in the sky by and by," but it did mean persecution which continued sporadically until the Edict of Milan, 313 A.D..

The Lutheran pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, hanged by the Nazis near the end of World War II, wrote what has become a minor classic, THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP. In it he warns about "cheap grace." Following Jesus is not simply a matter of sacraments and devotions. It means self-sacrifice and love of neighbor as well as using resources as a way of following Jesus rather than "owning stuff." The disciples were astounded by what Jesus said. [vv.23-27] and I suspect a part of all of us in our own time reacts the way they did, as well. What does our own reflection on Jesus' words suggest to us? AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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May 25, 2021, 7:47:34 AM5/25/21

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021 ST. PHILIP NERI, C.O.

[Sirach 36:1, 4-5a. 10-17 and Mark 10:32-45]

"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the salve of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." [Mark]

I have often quoted the famous statement of Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." We don't have to look beyond our own shores to find an abundance of evidence to support Lord Acton's words, but we can be confident that it is a universal problem. It was a problem for the very men Jesus chose as his closest collaborators. James and John, in today's gospel scripture, try to lobby Jesus for places of honor (power) in Jesus' proposed "kingdom." The models around them would have shown that those who sit to the right and left of a ruler are powerful people. That imagery shows up elsewhere in scripture when Jesus is spoken of as sitting at the right hand of God! [e.g. Hebrews 10:12; 12:2]. However, Jesus spoke to the corruption of power long before Lord Acton did. (By the way, Lord Acton was writing about Pope Pius IX.)

I can only sigh when I read this particular story in the gospel. I belong to a remarkably "democratic" religious order. Most important decisions are made by the community meeting in "chapter." Nevertheless, a brother is elected to serve as the "prior" or "local superior" in all Dominican houses. Regional "chapters" elect regional superiors, called Provincials. International chapters elect our top leader, the Master of the Order. Each of these individuals is granted considerable power by canon law and by the Constitutions of the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans). I am now in that position for the fifth time in my Dominican life (four local and one regional). I could tell James and John, "Forget it, guys. unless you want, as Jesus says, "to be the slave of all." Ask any parent of a two year old who is master and who is slave!!!

It is easy to look at the political or civic arena for examples of power and its abuses or accomplishments. But it might be helpful, in prayer, to consider who the "powerful" people are in our lives. They might not be the ones who "can tell us what we have to do." They may not be "sitting at the right hand or the left, etc." We might even ask how much power we allow God to have! A handy way is to look at the preposition that follows" power WITH? Power FOR? Power OVER? Which one appeals the most? AMEN

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May 31, 2021, 7:46:59 AM5/31/21

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TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2021 ST, JUSTIN, martyr

[Tobit 2:9-14 and Mark 12:13-17]

"Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." [Mark]

This well-known encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees/Herodians challenges us on a number of levels. The setting is a trap designed to get rid of Jesus by putting him "between a rock and a hard place." If he rejects the payment of taxes to Caesar, he can be denounced to the Roman authorities. If he accepts the payment, he can lose "honor" and the support of the people, who hate the Romans. His reply is to place the question in a different perspective that essentially regards the payment of taxes as a public necessity and not as a theological dilemma. He does not endorse the idea that Caesar and God are dual rulers of separate realms, as many politicians then and now still do. Our American notions of separation of Church and State would have been foreign to Jesus' time and place. Rather, God is the supreme ruler and any public obligations are to be seen in that light. Our current disputes over communion for public figures who support policies at odds with church teaching can provide us with ample material to consider in this regard. Our secular civil religion, based on patriotism mixed with the political/philosophical theories from the Enlightenment and enshrined in a "scripture" (the U.S. Constitution) seems to create a dual kingdom that tries to force us to choose, just as the Pharisees and Herodians try to force Jesus to choose. As Jesus points out, this is a false choice. Add to this, the less than honorable intentions of those who try to force a choice on Jesus, and the drama becomes more intense.

Caesar is not on the same level with God, but God will sometimes work with Caesar to get some things done that are a matter of public necessity. But Caesar will, like all of us, have to ultimately account for what the Lord demands. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 1, 2021, 7:50:07 AM6/1/21

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 WEDNESDAY IN THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[Tobit 3:1-11a, 16-17a and Mark 12:18-27]

"Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?" [Mark]

Yesterday it was the Pharisees and the Herodians with their "trick question" about paying taxes to Caesar. Today it is the Sadducees with a trick question about the resurrection of the dead. Scripture scholars point out that this chapter in the Gospel According to Mark seems structured along the lines of a traditional rabbinic debate. There were always four questions to be debated. This custom still prevails at Jewish passover when a child is assigned to ask four questions! The overall purpose of this structure highlights the growing tension between Jesus and all Jewish authorities at the time.

The particular question this time arises from the hypocrisy of the Sadducees who did not believe in a final resurrection because they only accepted the first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah, as authoritative. They also represented the Jewish aristocracy who had developed a "live and let live" relationship with the Romans. So, the absurd question about the woman who was married to each of seven brothers is meant to pit Jesus against local authorities just as the tax question was intended. But Jesus again turns the tables against his adversaries. First of all he points out that marriage is an earthly reality, not part of the resurrection ("they are like angels in heaven"). Second, he shows that the claim of the Sadducees that there is no resurrection is disproved in the Book of Exodus when God speaks of being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as if they are still living beings! ("You are greatly misled!")

Serious theological matters are not resolved by trick or absurd examples designed to prove or disprove. On campuses around the country there is often a place where various religious traditions can set up a table and invite inquirers to stop by. Here at Texas Tech, our Catholic student organization has a "Ask a Catholic" table. Some lively conversations can occur. There are also roving preachers who show up in the same space and cause controversy. This is a regular feature of campus life. Also there is always a professor or two who like to bait students about their religious beliefs. None of these forums can substitute for serious scripture study or knowledge of Catholic tradition (with a capital T or small "t"), but they can get someone to look deeper. (cf. St. Paul in Athens Acts 17:16-34). In Jesus' case, his responses simply hardened the determination of the authorities to get rid of him. But his challenge to the Sadducees remains important to us today. How well do we know our Catholic faith? How do we handle the "trick" questions that can arise from superficial interpretation of scripture or T(t)radition? There are a lot of people who are 'greatly misled" about Catholicism. We Catholics should not be among them. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 2, 2021, 7:42:39 AM6/2/21

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THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021 ST. CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS, martyrs]

[Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a and Mark 12:28-34]

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"

Today we hear the third of the four questions I mentioned yesterday. (Scripture scholars believe the evangelist structured this material around a typical rabbinical debate that would involve four questions.) Today's question is about the relative importance of the 613 precepts of the Mosaic Law. Which one(s) should receive emphasis. Jesus responds with quotations from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 which are, of course familiar to us: Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."

The scribe compliments Jesus on the answer and makes an extraordinary comment for a scribe when he says that these two commandments are "worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Jesus returns the compliment by saying: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."

There is an important lesson in this exchange. "The Kingdom of God" does not consist in institutions or in any devotional expression that our faith may lead us to create. All of these are meant to enable the Kingdom of God to be preached. Those two commandments of love of God and neighbor are the essential elements of the Kingdom of God. Institutions can become corrupt (as the temple system had in Jesus' time and the institutional church has become at different points in history). Devotional expressions come and go. But the love we must have for God and neighbor remains the bedrock of all faith. As St. John of the Cross once wrote: "In the evening of life, we shall be judged on love alone." AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 3, 2021, 7:38:47 AM6/3/21

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FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 ST. PETER OF VERONA, O.P. [Dominican friar/priest and martyr]

[Tobit 11:5-17 and Mark 12:35-37. These scriptures may vary at Dominican locations.]

As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, "How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.' David himself calls him 'lord'; so how is he his son?" The crowd heard this with delight. [Mark]

The fourth and final question is asked by Jesus himself! It concerns his identity and his authority, which the questioners (Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees) had contested. It is also a classic example of rabbinic dispute, which could be a form of public entertainment in Jesus' day! The title, 'Son of David,' had messianic meaning and we can see this in action in the story of the Blind Man of Jericho just before Jesus entered Jerusalem [Mark 10:46-52]: "Son of David, have pity on me!" Jesus proposes a paradox in which he asks how David could call his own son, 'Lord!' The reverse would ordinarily be the case. Thus, the 'Son of David,' is actually superior to his 'father!' And this is precisely who Jesus is!

The question of Jesus' identity is clearly the big theological issue in this episode. But I want to call attention to something that is also important and is a part of the everyday life of every priest or member of a religious order that prays the Psalms together each day, as Dominicans and others do. In Jesus' day, King David was considered to have been the author of all the psalms. Jesus refers to him as being "inspired by the Holy Spirit." Since the Psalms were part of Jewish prayer, they were part of Jesus' prayer as well. The connection between Jesus and the psalms can help us to look with renewed devotion to this part of the inspired Word of God! We hear them in the "Response" to the first scripture at Eucharist but I suspect for most folks this is a kind of "interlude." I admit I do not feature them in this space, either! But they do feature in my everyday prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours is the prayer of the church from dawn to dusk. It is a great way to become more familiar with the prayer of Jesus! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 4, 2021, 7:33:14 AM6/4/21

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SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2021 ST. BONIFACE, bishop and martyr

[Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20 and Mark 12:38-44]

"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

"Amen, I say to you, this poor widows put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." [Mark]

Jesus draws a sharp contrast between the scribes and the poor widow. The scribes were educated men who, by virtue of their knowledge of the intricacies of Mosaic law and their ability to write, controlled much of civil life. However, in Jesus' time, they had begun to become corrupt and used their education as a form of power and prestige. Theirs was a form of "clericalism" of the sort that Pope Francis has consistently criticized in the clergy!

In stark contrast there is the poor widow who comes and gives all her economic resources to the temple. The receptacle for receiving monetary gifts was trumpet shaped and made of metal. The sound made by a large donation would be much louder than the two small coins put in by the widow. She may not have attracted public attention, as the scribes would do, but her gift would be louder in God's sight. Like a true disciple, she has given everything to God. She can remind us of the rich man earlier in this gospel [10:17-23] whom Jesus challenged to "sell what you have and give to the poor." He went away sad for he had many possessions.

Scripture scholars point out that Jesus' reflection on the widow's offering may be a foretelling of his own total sacrifice on the cross. However, for the moment, the contrast between the power-money-prestige:of the scribes and the vulnerability-poverty-lowliness of the poor widow gives us more than enough to consider. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 5, 2021, 7:59:03 AM6/5/21

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SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2021 CORPUS CHRISTI - THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD

[Exodus 24:3-8; Hebrews 9:11-15; Mark 14:12-16, 22-26]

While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many." [Mark]

How does one compress the meaning of the event we call "the Last Supper" into a few sentences? As soon as we say the words "eucharist" or "communion" we reveal an interpretation of Jesus' actions on that fateful evening. The celebration of the Last Supper is more specifically commemorated on Holy Thursday when the event is situated within all the actions of Holy Week. The celebration of Corpus Christi takes the consecrated bread and wine, the Body and Blood of the Lord, out of that context! Yet, each celebration of what we call "the Mass" is meant to commemorate all that happened in Holy Week, and not just the personal "communion" of the individual worshiper with the Lord.

"Sacrifice, liberation from sin, covenant" - these are all part of a larger meaning of what the Second Vatican Council calls the "source and summit" of Catholic faith. Adoration of the sacred host is not meant to make an "object" of Jesus. It is meant to recall the covenant with his disciples and the mission he entrusted to them. Jesus and the disciples didn't just go home after that meal. They went to the Garden of Gethsemane!

The traditional procession with the Blessed Sacrament on this feast day is a comforting historical Catholic devotion. And we are relieved at the gradual lifting of COVID restrictions and parking lot communions. If nothing else, this can remind us of the "liberating" significance of what Jesus asked us to do in his memory. The transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord is also meant to transform those who receive it into disciples who live out its meaning. AMEN

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Jun 9, 2021, 7:34:17 AM6/9/21

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THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[2 Corinthians 3:15-4:1, 3-6 and Matthew 5:20-26]

"Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift." [Matthew]

Reconciliation is not the same as forgiveness. Jesus challenges us to do both, but they are not the same thing. We may well forgive someone for an offense, but still remain separated from them. Reconciliation aims at restoring at least a relationship that is positive even if not as intimate as before. It also aims at justice because there may be a need to restore something that was lost as a result of the offense. Stealing may be forgiven, but the one who steals must make amends. There is some of this to be found in any move for "reparations" for a past offense, especially if it was on a regional or national level such as slavery, internment of Japanese citizens in WWII, violation of Native American rights (cr. Bosque Redondo encampment).

Jesus' challenge of reconciliation is tied to worship! Can we come to worship with "blood" on our hands? Jesus and the prophets of old consistently spoke to this. The passage from the Sermon on the Mount begins with an admonition to do better than making a pious show of religion as did the scribes and Pharisees.

Reconciliation, however, implies more than one person. The constant question arises, "What if HE/SHE/THEY don't want to be reconciled?" We are not to try to answer that question in advance. The first step is forgiveness and then the process of restoring trust and making amends begins. It is one of the toughest challenges in the teachings of Jesus. Our fidelity to those teachings must include our efforts at reconciliation. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 10, 2021, 7:53:53 AM6/10/21

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FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021 SACRED HEART OF JESUS

[Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9; Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19; John 19:34-37]

When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them inmy arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks....[Hosea]

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [Ephesians]

One could easily get the impression that the celebration of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a liturgical form of Valentine's Day! The word "heart" has so many uses and meanings, both religious and secular, that picking one or two leaves out a lot! The liturgical history of the various devotions is expressed in the framed "Sacred Heart" in a Catholic home, symbolizing the "enthronement" of Jesus' heart in the home. And the nine First Fridays devotion is still practiced by many. (You can get a good idea of it from the Wikepedia article!). I want to focus simply on the relational aspect.

A dear student friend of mine, speaking of a friend of hers, once said, "I have adopted her in my heart!" The first scripture from Hosea today seems to say the same thing - a father who sdopts and cares for a child as God did for Israel. St. Paul speaks of our becoming "adopted children of God." [Romans 8:15] The scripture from Ephesians for today speaks of "knowing the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge." It is that love that the "sacred heart" image seeks to convey. We have been "adopted in the heart" of Christ.

St. Thomas Aquinas notes that the best analogy for a human relationship with God is human friendship. It is very difficult to speak of God's love if we have not experienced human love. If we experience "adoption in the heart" of another person or adopting another person in our own heart, we can know what St. Paul means in Romans 8:39: "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not present things, nor future tings, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus becomes less sentimental and much more real when we can relate it to our own efforts to love as Christ has loved us. AMEN .

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 11, 2021, 7:45:41 AM6/11/21

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SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021 IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

[2 Corinthians 5:14-21 and Luke 2:41-51]

[Even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [2 Corinthians]

St. Paul's vision of the Christian person is based on his experience on the road to Damascus. He never met Jesus in the same way as the Twelve did. He met the Risen Christ. The consequences of this encounter between a strict observer of the Mosaic Law and the Risen Jesus echo throughout his letters, but especially in the passage we have to day from his Second Letter to the Corinthians. His point is that Christ died for all people, not just for believers, but believers are entrusted with the message of the reconciliation that Jesus' death and resurrection has brought about between God and humans. We are no longer in a state of fundamental alienation from God (as St. Augustine would later call "original sin"). However, the message requires messengers (or "ambassadors" and a corresponding faith in those who receive it. Baptism becomes the event through which the message is formally received. We become a "new creation" through full faith in Jesus.

Most of us will not have a dramatic encounter of the kind St. Paul experienced. Baptism comes to us as infants. We may witness the impact in acquaintances who go through the RCIA process of admission to full communion in the Catholic Church, but that may remain a personal experience to those folks. Our consciousness of being a "new creation" can be renewed if we pay attention to St. Paul's statement about us being "ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us!" We may react and say, "Who? Me? An ambassador for Christ?" Yes! You and me! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 12, 2021, 7:55:55 AM6/12/21

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SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2021 ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

[Ezekiel 17:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34]

"This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear." [Mark]

Jesus' parables concerning sower, seed, soil and crop resonate well out here in West Texas where agriculture is a major industry! Here at our university parish, I know students who are majoring in various aspects of agriculture! Even the airport here is next to cotton fields! I grew up in a small town in northwest Louisiana where agriculture remains a big part of the life of the rural civil parish (county). Last, but not least, I keep a garden and continually marvel at the ability of the seeds I plant to germinate despite my clumsy efforts to help them!! Jesus preached to audiences that were familiar with all these things. Many of them were subsistence farmers whose very lives depended on what they could grow. A bad crop year could mean starvation! It was a matter of life and death! It is this ultimate concern that Jesus tries to convey to potential preachers of the word!

The success of a crop depends on a lot of things: weather, soil, quality of the seed and the method of sowing. These may vary from place to place but one thing is certain. If the seed is not sown, there is no crop! I may marvel at the ability of the tiny petunia or basil seed to produce such a large and wonderful flower or herb, but unless I plant that seed, I'm not going to have either flower or herb! And I must be humble enough to recognize that the results will not always be what I want. No matter how expert the farmer may be, there is still the element of mystery and the uncontrollable (i.e. the weather). If we are baptized, we are called to be sowers of the seed of the word of God. Time and again we must sow that seed and not be discouraged if from time to time the results are disappointing. The kingdom of God, like that of the crop, is a matter of ultimate concern. No sower, no crop. No crop, famine! It is a matter of ultimate concern! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 13, 2021, 7:31:13 AM6/13/21

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MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 MONDAY IN THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[2 Corinthians 6:1-10 and Matthew 5:38-42]

"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.....[Matthew]

In a society where "honor" was and still is considered an essential component of social interaction, any slight to that "honor" would call for redress or revenge! The Mosaic Law tried to limit that to an exact measure! Jesus went further. We do not have to look far to see that his teaching is widely ignored. We don't have to look to the Middle East for examples. "Getting even" can be found inside ourselves!

Is Jesus being unrealistic? Do we dare say that to him? The Sermon on the Mount can make us squirm, and today's passage is a very good example of that impact! Does revenge lurk inside us? Are there grudges that we look for an opportunity to express? Honest self-appraisal can be a big challenge, but it is the challenge of the Sermon on the Mount. Are we listening? AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 14, 2021, 7:36:24 AM6/14/21

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TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021 TUESDAY IN THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[2 Corinthians 8:1-9 and Matthew 5:43-48]

You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his soun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." [Natthew]

The Sermon on the Mount continues to challenge us. Jesus challenges us to "love your enemy." It might be a useful spiritual exercise, in light of Jesus' command, to sit down and make a list of those whom we regard as "enemies." The list might be a lot longer than we think, to our embarrassment! The great comics character, Pogo Possum, is often quoted: "We has met the enemy and they is us!" And there is the old expression, "He/she is his/her own worst enemy!" So maybe we should put ourselves on the list to begin with. Then there are "other people." Another great comics character from PEANUTS, Linus, is quoted as saying, "I love humanity. It's people I hate!" Well....who are the people we consider enemies - not only particular individuals, but whole classes of people in whatever categories we use: race, religion, sexual orientation, political opinions, etc. etc.?

When Jesus challenges us to "be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect," he is telling us to realize that God loves those enemies of ours just as God loves us!!! We are asked to be, as St. Paul says, "Imitators of God as God's dear children." The plain fact of the matter is that Christ died for our enemies just as he died for us! Can we imitate that in some small way? Nobody ever said it would be easy. Ask the Lord on the cross! Jesus asks us to be different from the "world" around us in the way we love. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 15, 2021, 7:35:38 AM6/15/21

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2021 WEDNESDAY IN THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[2 Corinthians 9:6-11 and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18]

"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.."

One of the most difficult and distinct features of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is its emphasis on MOTIVE as well as on behavior. This element was not missing in the Mosaic Code, but by the time Jesus appeared, the Jewish authorities were emphasizing external observance without reference to motive. Jesus "calls them out" on this. We may recall a bit earlier that Jesus says: "Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." The issue here is not the external behavior but the reason for acting - a matter of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. This is a form of hypocrisy.

All of this goes to the matter of integrity. Jesus asks us to match our motives and our actions so that there is a witness of integrity. In today's gospel scripture Jesus mentions three prominent forms of religious witness: almsgiving, fasting and praying. He points a finger at those who do these good acts simply because they want public acclaim, not because the acts are good things to do.

Any preacher unaware of his or her own shortcomings in acting on what they preach is a charlatan. We all must struggle with our motives and desires for recognition and affirmation. Jesus simply challenges us to do the right thing for the right reason, but from experience we know that this can be as difficult as it is simple! Our Catholic tradition provides the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help us integrate motive and action, but that is just the beginning each time of a lifetime process. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 16, 2021, 7:25:49 AM6/16/21

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[2 Corinthians 11:1-11 and Matthew 6:7-13]

"In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: Our /father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." [Matthew]

I have printed the entire gospel passage for today because there are three very important points that are all related to one another! Jesus' first point has to do with one of the problems that many people encounter with prayer. Somehow the notion that "more is better" creeps in and "prayers" multiply. It is a bit like trying to fill any silence in a conversation with more words. In spiritual direction I challenge these folks with the fact that they are talking to God but do they ever listen?

The second point comes to us in the simple words that Jesus has given to us as a prayer. Our English language does not capture the particular verb tense that the Greek text uses, which denotes an urgency in the petitions. We say the "Lord's prayer" so often in our lives that it has become second nature and loses its "punch." We bundle it with a "Hail Mary" and "Glory Be..." to cover every devotional situation.

The third point is the link between prayer and forgiveness! If we wish to pray authentically to God for forgiveness, we must be willing to show that forgiveness to our neighbor. In this connection, I challenge retreatants with the parable that appears later on in this same gospel - the parable of the Unforgiving Servant. [Matt. 18:21-35].

In short, are we willing to stop "babbling" the Our Father and start listening to what Jesus is telling us in the very prayer he is trying to teach us? AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 17, 2021, 7:37:14 AM6/17/21

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FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 FRIDAY IN THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 and Matthew 6:19-23]

Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. [2 Corinthians]

Hmmmmm......Anybody want St. Paul's job? I was in full time itinerant preaching ministry for 10 years and I can't say I had any of his hardships! After reading the list of his experiences, the minor inconveniences that I occasionally experienced fade to embarrassing insignificance! And, after 50 years of ordained ministry, I can't really say I came even closer than a flat tire on a freeway or a piece of missing luggage from a flight!

St. Paul is responding to some preachers who were not "on message" and misrepresenting the mission of preaching the gospel. He puts his credentials on the line and dares the Corinthians to challenge them! I once saw a poster that read: "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" I don't think that would be a problem for St. Paul! Would it be one for you and me?

The gospels and the letters of the New Testament continually remind us that discipleship is not a matter of convenience and comfort. It is not the "gospel of prosperity" or "treasure" as today's gospel scripture notes: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal..." If nothing else, the pandemic has reminded us that our faith may require us to put up with masks and social distancing and live streamed liturgies with parking lot communions. For some it can mean being ostracized from family and community. The next time we feel like our faith is making inconvenient demands, maybe we can read St. Paul's list of woes and rethink our complaints! AMEN

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Jun 29, 2021, 7:47:23 AM6/29/21

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021 WEDNESDAY IN THE 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[Genesis 21:5, 8-20a and Matthew 8:28-34]

"What is the matter, Hagar? Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his. Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation." [Genesis]

The story of Hagar can get lost in the middle of the big narrative about Abraham's need for an heir and God's promise and response. Today's passage recounts the second time Hagar ran away because of Sarah's jealousy. The first time, in Genesis 16, contains the beautiful line from God's messenger, "Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" I preached a retreat once just on that line! I think Hagar could be the patron saint of all those who find themselves in what they consider impossible family situations and choose to run away! In each case, God comes to the rescue with a promise to make the son of Abraham and Hagar, Ishmael, the head of a great nation. The Ishmaelites are regarded as the ancestors of the Arabs.

I think of Hagar in counseling students trying to reconcile dreams that seem to conflict with family expectations. There can be a lot of danger both for the student and for the family. The question is a double one: Where have you come from? and "Where are you going?" Finding a way forward that respects both questions can be challenging. God tells Hagar on both occasions to go back to the family and God will take care of her and her child. Hagar's faith in God's promise is rewarded. This may not be the solution every time, but faith is needed in the process of discerning the way forward. Running away from the problem will create more problems. Juat ask Hagar! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jun 30, 2021, 7:47:29 AM6/30/21

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021 THURSDAY IN THE 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[Genesis 22:1b-19 and Matthew 9:1-8]

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven." [Matthew]

The evangelist Matthew leaves out one of the most colorful features of the story of the paralytic. In Mark and Luke, the stretcher bearers take the paralytic up on the roof of the house and lower him down through the ceiling! But, the focus of the story is not on the healing of the paralytic but on Jesus' authority to forgive sins! The closing lines of the story make this clear: "When the crowds say this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men." Their reaction is a bit premature in that Jesus had not yet given that authority (to forgive sins) to the church, but the crowd saw only another human being!

One feature of this story, however, always captures my attention. Jesus sees the faith of the stretcher bearers. Their faith is what brings that paralytic to Jesus. Sometimes it is a "community of faith" that inspires someone paralyzed by sin to come to faith and to the sacrament of reconciliation. Occasionally I find myself facing someone in that sacrament who has never experienced it because they aren't Catholic! Other times, the person had only experienced the sacrament when they made First Communion and/or Confirmation! The presence of these individuals is testimony to the faith of others who urged them and inspired them to take advantage of this form of God's mercy and forgiveness. The power of our own good example and faith should never be discounted. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jul 1, 2021, 7:44:09 AM7/1/21

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FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021 FRIDAY IN THE 13TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67 and Matthew 9:9-13]

"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." [Matthew]

The tax collector Matthew (Levi), after being called by Jesus to be an apostle, invites Jesus to dinner with other folks in professions considered by the Pharisees to be "unclean." The word, "sinner," does not necessarily mean moral failings in this context. The Pharisees are quick to criticize and Jesus replies in words that should be repeated over and over again, especially in our current polarized and politically bitter society. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

I have mentioned before that "judging others" is a common fault I hear in the sacrament of reconciliation. But I rarely hear, if ever, someone accuse themselves of being unmerciful! Our assessment of an individual or group may be accurate, but how merciful are we "going forward" with that assessment? Pope Francis has been a consistent and vocal preacher about mercy, and has been criticized by certain elements of the church who consider themselves to be "righteous!" He is not alone. Diocesan bishops and pastors know that every effort to reach out to those considered less "Catholic" in their behavior or beliefs will attract severe criticism from gavel-wielding judges whose only sentence is: EXCOMMUNICATE!

If we want to be among Jesus' disciples, we need to examine our personal notions of who is "righteous" and how merciful we are in their regard. If we're honest, we really should say to those at table with Jesus, "Can I join you?" AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jul 2, 2021, 7:45:47 AM7/2/21

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SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 ST. THOMAS, apostle

[Ephesians 2:19-22 and John 20:24-29]

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. [Ephesians]

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." [John]

Immediately after Jesus' statement to Thomas, the evangelist John sums up the whole purpose of his gospel portrait of Jesus: Now Jewsus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. The well-known post-resurrection scene of Jesus and Thomas the apostle should be read in the light of this summation. What must characterize a Christian disciple is unswerving faith that "Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God."

Not everyone will see the words of the gospel, at least not initially. What they will "see" is the example we give by our daily living out of Jesus' teachings - his command to "love one another as I have loved you." [John 13:14] "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." [John 13:35].

There will always be skeptics like Thomas the apostle. Each year, I meet students who either are skeptics or are upset by professors who are skeptics. I simply tell the students, "Live your faith. That's the best response." The "household of God" that St. Paul refers to will have a vast variety of members who share the same faith. The Gospel According to John was written so that we may be encouraged to be strong in faith, even when the skeptics of the world give us grief! AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jul 3, 2021, 7:55:25 AM7/3/21

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SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2021 14TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

[Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6]

"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kind and in his own house."

Prophets have an uneasy existence. Jesus quotes a bit of folk wisdom to describe the rejection he received in his own hometown, but the "honor" he refers to for a prophet could be fleeting. The role of a prophet was honored but sometimes those who played that role were simply saying what others wanted to hear rather than what they needed to hear. A quick look at the prophecy of Jeremiah or Amos, for example, will show that. They denounced false prophets and challenged the powers-that-be in their conduct. In turn they were persecuted. Jesus and John the Baptist both suffered for their prophetic ministry. In Jesus' case, it was all well and good that he performed miracles, but when he challenged people to repentance and justice, he got rejection in return.

What the Old Testament prophets and Jesus had in common was their challenge to entrenched power structures that were destroying "the widow and orphan" In Jesus' case, it was the combination of scribes, Pharisees, Saduccees and Herodians with the help of the Roman occupiers. Loss of power and a way of life built on convenient religio-political status can lead to a violent reaction to protect that "ststus quo." It was true in Jesus' time and it is true in our own time. The role of a prophet is to challenge a society and its members to take a long look at the gap between its cherished values and the ways in which these values are being lived out. Jesus' hometown crowd chose to close their hearts to his words..

On this 4th of July, as we celebrate the "blessings of liberty" we might also ask just how that liberty is enjoyed. Do we really believe and live the words of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." Or, do we believe as Orwell's famous work, THE ANIMAL FARM, puts it: "All the animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."? How have we treated those prophets in our midst who have called us to such an examination of conscience? In our prayers for our nation today, we can ask God to help us to be more faithful to Jesus' message and to those values we profess but fail to live out as Americans. AMEN

RB Williams, OP

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Jul 4, 2021, 7:47:31 AM7/4/21

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MONDAY, JULY 5, 2021 MONDAY IN THE 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

[Genesis 28:10-22a and Matthew 9:18-26]

"Truly, the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it!" In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!"

The patriarch Jacob exclaims these words upon waking from a dream in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. This image has been influential both in subsequent scripture [cf. John 1:51] and in the reflections of the great church fathers (Irenaus, Origen, Gregory of Nazianzen, etc.), who saw it as the journey of a soul by successive steps to God. However, Jacob does not go quite that far. He attributes the dream to the place where he slept, indeed, the stone which served as his pillow! He consecrates the stone with oil and calls it "Bethel" - the House of God.

Volumes could be written on the importance of "place" and "space" in religious experience. One might think of the common experience of awe when gazing at the stars on a clear night or standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon or other natural wonders. The construction of the great medieval and renaissance cathedrals {Chartres, Cologne, St. Peter's in Rome, etc.) was meant to evoke the sense of awe in the presence of God. It is hard to repeat our initial experience in such places, but the place itself reminds us, when we think of it or re-visit, of that initial experience. Jacob's exclamation, "How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven.." is one that we can all share, whether it is in a great cathedral built by human hands or in God's great cathedral of nature, which can be anywhere from the stars to the human body or even Jacob's stone pillow. AMEN