The First Sunday of Lent

 http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022215.cfm

When we look at all the people in the world today and all the actions that those people are capable of doing and choosing to do, it is very easy to get into a mindset of seeing things as being either black or white. That is, we tend to see people as being either totally good or totally evil based on just few of their actions. We label a person as evil because they did a bad thing, but we forget that they did some very good things in their lives as well. It can go the other way too as seemingly good people are capable of deceiving others and causing great pain. In moral theology we say all people are good in the eyes of God since He created us all. However, people are also capable of choosing what is wrong.

Objects and things in this world are often labeled as either good or evil based on the things they are used for or what they do. The truth is, objects are neither good nor bad; they simply exist, and how we use them determines whether our actions are morally good or bad. For instance, the internet is often thought of as bad because it is so often used for morally bad purposes, such as: viewing inappropriate imagery, hacking into other people’s person information and finances, and stocking people. But the internet is also capable of being a great tool for learning and passing on formation. Not only is research made much easier, we are also able to pass on news and information on various topics. Many leaders in the Church, including myself, have found the internet to be very helpful in evangelizing people who may never have otherwise entered a church building or called to ask questions.

Fire is another example of an object in this world that can be used both for good and for bad. Fire has a very obvious destructive nature about it. It can level entire cities and clear acres upon acres of land. The loss of human life as a result of fires is also substantial. We all know that fires can serve a useful purpose as well. For centuries, it was with fires that humans heated their homes and cooked. Wild fires also serve an important role in the environment: they clear out old underbrush and windfalls and allow new plants to grow without being choked out. I’ve even read that there are plants whose seeds won’t germinate unless they are first exposed to intense heat. Those plants actually depend on an occasional fire to help the species survive.

Our readings today take our same discussion and apply it to water. Much like fire, it can bring both destruction and life. A flood, like the one described in the story of Noah, can take countless lives and wipe away many buildings and structures. Hurricanes can cause storm surges and earthquakes can cause tsunamis that are often described as a wall of water the rips large rocks, trees, and even buildings from their foundations. Yet obviously we cannot live without water. It keeps our bodies going and allows us to grow our own food. Even after a flood, the mud that is left behind can be great fertilizer for crops. The benefits of water are clearly great.

The readings take things a step further and point out that not only are there physical benefits to water, as I pointed out, but spiritual as well. We start out with our first reading from Genesis. The Great Flood is over, Noah has open the arch and let out all the animals, and he and his sons have set up an altar to give thanks to God. What we heard were God’s words to Noah and his sons. You may recall that the reason for the flood in the first place was because God saw all the sin that was happening in the world and wished to end it. The flood waters washed away all the evil of the world. Now God is ready to set up a special covenant with Noah and his family. A covenant is like a contract or agreement: Noah agrees to worship God alone, and God agrees not to flood the earth again. To symbolize this covenant, God gives us the rainbow in the sky. God is showing Noah and his family, and all of us, that despite the terrible destruction of the flood, some wonderful things have come about because of it. Sin has been washed away and this clears the way for God to set up a new covenant.

The powerful image of the flood water washing away the sins of the world is a prefiguring of our own Christian baptism when the baptismal waters washed away all our sins. St. Peter talks about this in his first letter today. Christ Jesus wished to take away our sins. He accomplished this through His suffering and death on the Cross. Though His body dies, He rose again to new life: just as God raised Noah and his family from the flood and just as we are raised to new life in baptism. Death is not the end, but the beginning of new life.

And what does this new life lead us to? We see an example of that in our Gospel reading. We are told that “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert”. This is referring to the Holy Spirit. In the verses preceding that quote, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John. The first thing that the Spirit does for Jesus is He sends Him out into the desert. There He is tempted by the devil. After this, He begins His public ministry by preaching and choosing His disciples. His time in the desert is a time of preparation for His ministry. It was difficult. He is tempted by the Satan. Matthew and Luke describe in their account that Jesus fasted during these forty days. Yet we can also see in this a time of prayer in which our Savior readies Himself to start His ministry. All this begins with baptism and the Spirit driving Him out to the desert.

Our baptism does glorious things for us in our spiritual life. Our sins are washed away. Our old way of life is in a sense destroyed in the “flood waters” of baptism. We rise again, like Christ, to new life. From there the Spirit drives us to a spiritual desert, where we prepare for what God calls us to do. Lent is like a desert. Let us use this Lent to make ourselves ready to go where God wishes to lead us.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020115.cfm

All of you who are parents, or grandparents, or aunts, or uncles or anyone else who has had young children around know that kids love to ask questions. These questions can be under a great variety of topics and interests, varying from the mundane of where is my favorite toy, to the scientific of why the sky is blue, to the down right theological of who is God?” However, in my humble opinion, the hardest type of question that I have heard uttered is when a child decides complain about or challenge what a parent or responsible adult has said. This complaint often includes the infamous words: “Why do I have to…?” or “Why can't I...?” Maybe they don't want to go to bed just yet or they're not ready to stop doing whatever it is they're doing. I have been caught in such a barrage of questions like this with my two nieces. I have to admit that I have from time to time uttered the words that probably have come to many an adult: “Because I said so!” My mom once explained to me that when my sister and I were children, she tried to avoid giving such answers to our questions, even if they were annoying. She thought it was more important to actually explain why we had to do this or that or why things were the way they were. I have the greatest gratitude to my mother for being so honest with me, when I'm sure it would have been very easy for her to say “Because I said so” or “because I know what's best for you”. The truth of the matter is, the parent or guardian or adult is in charge of the safety and wellbeing of the child.

A child is expected to listen to and respect the authority of the parent or adult who is in charge of them. In much the same way we are expected to respect the authority of our bosses and government officials and others appointed to lead us, as well as policemen and others assigned to protect us. Unless we are being ordered to do something that would be against our morals or the Natural Law of God, we are expected to listen to and obey the authority of our leaders. As Jesus tells us, “Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar”.

We are also meant to listen to and obey Our Father in Heaven. Now, at first glance that might seem like a no-brainer: why wouldn't we want to listen and obey the Creator and Lord of all? Yes, we want to follow what God tells us, yes we know God knows best, and yes we know that it is best if we follow the path that God has laid out for us. However, in real life, we don't always do what we know is best. Thus, temptations come along and we fall into sin, doing what God precisely told us not to do.

To help us work on listening and heading the word of God, God gives us throughout Sacred Scripture little reminders here and there of the authority of God's word. We so rarely look at the Psalm at a Mass, but I want to take some time to look at it right now. The Psalm is from Psalm 95; the refrain is a variation of verse 8: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” The main body of the Psalm speaks about how we are to sing and worship the Lord with great joy. In the third stanza we are reminded to hear the voice of God. We are also given a stern warning: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah.” This is referring to an event that takes place in the Book of Exodus. As Moses was leading the Israelites through the desert the were having trouble finding water. They began to complain to Moses, claiming he only brought them to the desert to die of thirst. They doubt that God is taking care of them. God then tells Moses to strike a rock with his staff and water gushes out of the rock for the people. The place is given the name of Meribah which means in Hebrew, the place of quarreling. By bringing up that event, we are reminded not to fall into the same sin again.

Our First Reading and Gospel Reading take things a step further and talks about the authority of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. In the beginning of the Gospel of John, Jesus is referred to as the Word of God. If we are to listen to the voice of God, so too must we listen to the Word of God, when He speaks to us.

The Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy does not mention Jesus by name, but it does refer to Him. Again, we are talking about Moses and an event that took place in Exodus. Moses was the only one allowed to see God face to face on Mt. Horeb, also known as Mt. Sinai. The rest of the people gathered at he base of the mountain to hear what the voice of God said. God's voice was accompanied by thunder and lightening so powerful that the people feared for their lives. They were afraid they would die if they listened to God's voice directly. So they begged Moses to let them stand farther way so they could no longer hear God's voice, and then simply have Moses tell them what God said. In today's reading, Moses explains that God agrees to send a prophet who will tell the people what God want to say to them, without having to hear Him directly. This refers to all the true prophets who spoke for God. It also refers to Jesus, the Word of God, who often tells us all what God the Father has to say. Jesus is given authority to speak on behalf of God the Father, but without the fear of hearing God's voice directly.

If there is still any doubt about the authority that God has given to Jesus, we have only to look at the Gospel passage. The scene we hear from Mark's Gospel must have been an awesome sight to witness! We hear that the people in the synagogue were already impressed with the authority with which Jesus spoke, but as the old saying goes, “They ain't heard nothing yet!” Not only does He silence the demon from speaking further, but He casts it out. Remember, a demon is a fallen angel. So if He can order demons around, that means He has authority over the angels themselves! God's Words means something.

What does this mean for us. It means we must listen up and hear what God has to say to us. We can't just ignore it because we are afraid or because we don't like what God is saying. Trust in God and hear His Word. He will lead us to eternal life.