January 22, 2023
3^rd Sunday – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

In September of 2019, Pope Francis announced that the 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time would be known as the Sunday of the Word of God.  Pope Francis said that it is important to hear and read the Word of God, but we also need the right environment to receive the Word of God.  It is important that we can reflect on the Word of God silently and allow the Holy Spirit to work on us so that we will be to respond in the right way to what we have read or heard.  The 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time is a good Sunday to reflect on the Word of God, as the readings for this Sunday usually find Jesus beginning his public ministry in Galilee.  We find that Jesus chose the right environment so that his message could be heard.  He also chose disciples to hear and understand his message more fully, and eventually he sent out these disciples to proclaim God’s Word to others.

So, first of all, Jesus needed the right environment to proclaim his message and begin his public ministry.  Galilee, in the northern part of Israel, was better suited for the mission of Jesus than the area where John the Baptist preached.  Galilee was the area where Jesus spent most of his first 30 years, so he was familiar with the area and the people there, as he had lived in the village of Nazareth.  Galilee was an area where there was a mixed population, with many Gentiles as well as Jewish people.  About 734 BC this area had been conquered by Assyria, and many Gentiles began to live there.  Also, the area contained some major roads and trade routes, and many of the people could speak both Aramaic (the language of Jesus and many Jews) and Greek.  The area was more open to new ideas that the area around Jerusalem.  Galilee was a considerable distance from Jerusalem and the Jewish religious and political leaders, so Jesus could speak more freely.  As Isaiah had prophesized, it was an area where the light of the Word of God could shine.  If we are to follow Jesus, it is important for us to provide the right environment to hear and understand the Word of God and the Gospel message.

Soon after Jesus began his public ministry, he began to call disciples.  He called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and James and John, sons of Zebedee.  They were fishermen, but they immediately left their nets and boats behind.  Jesus also calls us to be his disciples.  We are to leave everything behind, that is, everything that can interfere with answering the call of Jesus.  In the world of today, it may be difficult to set other things aside and focus on the Word of God.  The word “disciple” means “a learner”, and being a disciple means that we must learn more fully what the Word of God is all about.  We are also called to make a personal commitment to Jesus and not just study the Word of God.  The Word of God calls us to make a personal application of the message of Jesus to our daily life.  As we are called by Jesus, we have to discern what our vocation in life might be.  We might be called to religious life or to ordained ministry or to some lay ministry.  We might be called to marriage or to the single life in the world.  We might have some special profession, such as being a nurse or teacher or farmer or some other profession.

Lastly, the disciples will be sent out.  Jesus suggests that the background of being fishermen should be helpful in the mission they will have.  That is, they will become “fishers of men.”  In the second reading today from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul says that he was sent by Jesus to preach the Gospel, to bring the Good News to everyone.  The apostles continue the mission of Jesus, and that is true for the Church today.  So, it is important that we understand the message and example of Jesus and that we share this by word and example.

So, today we give thanks that Jesus came into the world to bring us salvation from sin.  We give thanks that Jesus found the right environment to begin his public ministry and that he found disciples who would continue his mission.  Today we are also to be thankful for the Word of God and our own call to be disciples of Jesus.  We pray that Jesus will help to find the right environment to hear his message and that the Holy Spirit will help us to response to the Word of God in the right way in our everyday life.  May we be able to live as disciples of Jesus and someday share the fullness of his kingdom.
 

January 19, 2020
2^nd Sunday – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

On Saturday, December 31, 2022, the last day of 2022, Pope Benedict XVI died in Rome.  His funeral was the next week on Thursday, January 5, 2023.  I seem to sense someone objecting, “Wait a minute!  Isn’t Pope Francis the pope?”  Yes, Pope Francis is the pope, but for almost ten years, we have had a retired pope, namely, Pope Benedict XVI.  Usually, a pope dies in office.  It is highly unusual to have a retired pope in addition to the reigning pope.  The last time we had both a reigning pope and a retired pope at the same time was in the 15^th century, about 600 years ago.  Yet, since Pope Benedict XVI had been retired for about ten years, we probably got used to it, and we did not consider it unusual.  One event in the Gospel accounts that is rather unusual is the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordon by John the Baptist.  All four Gospels refer to the Baptism of Jesus, but the Baptism of John was a baptism of repentance.  People would confess their sins, and they would be baptized.  Yet, Jesus is the Son of God, and he did not have any sins.  So, why would Jesus be baptized?

The Gospel reading today from the Gospel of John gives us a rather unusual account of the Baptism of Jesus and what followed that event.  The Gospel of John does not even mention the Baptism of Jesus.  We find John the Baptist acting as a witness to Jesus after the Baptism of Jesus.  The other Gospels mention that Jesus was baptized, and they say that the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus in the form of a dove.  They also say that there is a voice from heaven saying about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son.”  In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist gives testimony about Jesus, saying that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  John the Baptist says also the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus (at his Baptism) and remained upon him.  This was a sign for John the Baptist that Jesus would be “the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”  John goes on to declare that Jesus is the Son of God.  Let us briefly indicate what these descriptions of Jesus might mean.

The term “Lamb of God” can refer to at least two things from the Old Testament and the Jewish faith.  In the second half of the Book of Isaiah, there are four poems or hymns that speak of “the servant of the Lord.”  We have a portion of the second poem in our first reading today.  In the fourth poem in Chapter 53, verse 7 of Isaiah, we are told that the servant of the Lord, “like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth.”  The passage seems to say that the servant of the Lord would suffer for his people.  In the Book of Exodus, Chapter 12, there is mention of slaughtering a lamb at Passover time.  Its blood would be put on the doorposts of the Hebrew people, and they would be spared from the death of the firstborn.  So, the blood of Jesus saves us from damnation and brings about salvation.  The term “The Lamb” is used several times in the Book of Revelation to refer to Jesus.

John the Baptist also mentioned that the baptism of Jesus would be more powerful than his baptism, since Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.  In Christian baptism we receive the Holy Spirit and sanctifying grace.  Our second reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians tells us that the Corinthians and us have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and are called to be holy.  So, we and other Christians are part of the Body of Christ and we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us grow in holiness.  The Second Vatican Council Decree on Ecumenism tells us that the best way for us as Catholics to work for greater unity with other Christians is what is called “spiritual ecumenism.”  That is, we are called to pray with and for other Christians, but we are also called to conversion of life and to grow in holiness so that we can set a better example for others, especially for those who are not part of the Catholic Church.  We are aware that a member of the Catholic Church commits a serious sin, the media will usually publicize the incident.  We can also work for unity by working together with non-Catholic Christians in social projects that help people in our society, such as feeding the hungry and protecting the rights of the unborn and of other people.

Lastly, John the Baptist calls Jesus “The Son of God.”  We realize that Jesus has both a divine and a human nature.  Jesus was able to offer himself on the cross for our salvation and to rise from the dead.  As the risen Lord, Jesus continues to be with us and to help us in our daily life.  Today we once again give thanks for the salvation that Jesus has won for us and for being called to be his disciples.  We pray that we can be an effective witness to Christ.  Today we pray that we and other Christians may have greater unity and that we can work together to help meet the needs of others.  We pray that someday we will experience full unity in the Kingdom of heaven.
 

January 8, 2023
Epiphany Sunday - Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

For many centuries, people have studied the stars.  For several years, the Hubble telescope in outer space sent back pictures to earth that gave scientists a better view of the universe.  In the last couple of years, The James Webb Space Telescope has sent back even better pictures of the universe.  We can now see remote parts of the universe more clearly than before, and we can see some parts of the universe that we could not see before.  Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany.   The word Epiphany means “manifestation.”  We celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, but it was necessary for his birth to be made manifest to the world.  In the Western Church, we emphasize the appearance of a star and the visit of the magi to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem as a way of making the birth of Jesus manifest to the world.  In the Eastern Church, the emphasis is on the Baptism of Jesus, when he was about thirty years old, and even on the wedding feast of Cana, as the manifestation of Jesus to the world.  Today we focus on the star and the visit of the magi.  The magi, who are sometimes called “wise men,” were people from the east who studied the stars, interpreted dreams, and even practiced magical arts.  While they studied the stars, they were involved in astrology more than in astronomy.  That is, they studied the stars to look for personal information and guidance for themselves and others.  Somehow, they observed a star that seemed to indicate a newborn king of the Jews, and they decided to find him.  Astrology is contrary to Catholic teaching, as it involves superstition, rather than scientific knowledge, but astrology was common in the ancient world, not only in the East, but also in ancient Greece and Rome and elsewhere.  We don’t know exactly where the magi came from, although the Gospel of Matthew says that they came from the east.  There were magi in areas such as Iran and Babylonia.  The magi were Gentiles, and the Gospel uses them to illustrate that Jesus came to save Gentiles as well as the Jewish people.  Even though the Magi had some incorrect information, the star led them to Jerusalem and eventually to Bethlehem, where they found Jesus.  They are an example for us in some ways.  First of all, they sought to know the truth about the world and about God, secondly, they were willing to make sacrifices and to take risks in their pursuit of the truth, and, thirdly, they offered gifts to the newborn king of the Jews.  Lastly, after they had worshipped Jesus, they changed their plans and their lives in some way.

The magi spent their lives pursuing the truth, especially through the study of the stars.  They would even become aware of new stars at times.  These “stars” may have comets or planets or other unusual celestial events as well as actual stars.  The magi sought to discover information about themselves or other human beings.  Even though astrology is incorrect in many ways, the magi were persistent in seeking the truth.  It is important for us who are disciples of Jesus to study our faith and to look for ways to apply our faith to our daily lives.  Sometimes, a religious experience of some kind may help us to be more motivated to learn more about God and our faith.  When the magi came to Jerusalem, they consulted with King Herod and with the chief priests and scribes of the Jews to learn more about this newborn king of the Jews.  King Herod wanted more information about the newborn king, but only so he could kill him.  He was not sincerely seeking the truth.  The chief priests and scribes could determine that the newborn king would be born in Bethlehem, David’s city, but they made no effort to find him.  When Jesus was involved in his public ministry, the chief priests and the scribes were opposed to Jesus and wanted him killed.  King Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, also was opposed to Jesus.  The magi were what the Jewish people called “Gentiles.”  The Gentiles were pagans who worshipped false gods.  The Jewish people did not regard them very highly.  It was forbidden for Jews to visit the homes of Gentiles or to eat meals with them.  However, Jesus came to save all people, not just the Jewish people.  While the Gospel of Matthew seems to have been written by a Jewish Christian in Palestine, mainly for Jewish Christians, the Gospel of Matthew does have an interest in the Gentiles.  The Gospel of Matthew is written in a pattern where the first part of the Gospel is related to the last part, and the second part of the Gospel is related to the second last part, and so on.  Thus, the story of the magi is in the first part of the Gospel of Matthew, and the first part is related to the last part of the Gospel of Matthew.  The closing part of the Gospel of Matthew has Jesus giving a commission to the apostles after his Resurrection and just before his Ascension into heaven.  The commission that Jesus gives is, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew, 28:18-20.)

It was a long and dangerous journey for the magi to travel from their home to Jerusalem.  They probably made many sacrifices to get there, and there were risks involved.  Yet they made the journey and led by the star, they continued their journey to Bethlehem and to the house where Jesus and his mother Mary were.  This reminds us that we may have to make many sacrifices in order to be a disciple of Jesus.  We may have to leave our job and our home.  The early Christians could lose their possessions and even their lives by confessing that they were Christians.  Faith involves risk, and we are called to make the commitment that is needed.

Thirdly, the magi came to Bethlehem, and they entered the house where Jesus and his mother Mary were.  The magi gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  The traditional interpretation of these gifts is that gold recognizes that Jesus is a king, frankincense recognizes that Jesus is divine, and myrrh recognizes that Jesus would suffer and die.  We are called to use our gifts and talents to serve Jesus and to help spread the Christian faith.  We can do that in different ways, depending on our call from God.

Lastly, one should mention that that the magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they returned to their country “by another way.”  The magi changed their plans after their encounter with Jesus.  Our worship of Jesus should cause us to change our lives accordingly.  We may have to do things differently and live differently than before.  Our worship of Jesus calls us to conversion.

In our Eucharist today, we give thanks that Jesus, the Son of God, was born at Bethlehem and that he came to be our savior.  We give thanks that Jesus manifested his glory through a star and the journey of the magi from the east.  We pray that like the magi, we will sincerely seek the truth about Jesus and the Christian faith and that we will make the sacrifices that are needed.  We pray that we will offer our gifts to the service of Jesus and to the spread of the Christian faith.  May our following of Jesus bring conversion to our life and help us to follow the right path in life.  We pray that our journey of faith may lead to the reward of eternal life in heaven.


 

December 11, 2022
3^rd Sunday of Advent – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

When I go to a clinic for a medical appointment, someone asks me for my name and for my date of birth.  It is important for people at the clinic that they have the proper identity of a patient.   In our liturgy today it is stated that when John the Baptist in prison heard about the works of Jesus, he sent messengers to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”  Our liturgy today tells us that Jesus is the one came to save his people.  Our liturgy also tells us that Jesus is also the one who will come at the end of time to judge the living and the dead.  The liturgy also reminds us that Jesus is present with us now.

The works of Jesus known to John the Baptist seem to be the one mentioned by Jesus, that is, the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.  The Gospel of Matthew mentions these miracles before John the Baptist sends his messengers.  The works mentioned by Jesus are similar to those found in the first reading today from the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah is looking for deliverance for his people, that is, return to Jerusalem from exile, and he predicts that wonderful things will happen.  These things are only fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, who delivers his people and all people from sin.  So, Jesus is fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah and of other prophets about the coming of a savior or anointed one (Messiah or Christ).  Yet John the Baptist may have been looking for something else.  John the Baptist had proclaimed that the one to come was greater than John was, and he would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  John expected that the coming Savior would reward the good and punish those who did evil.  He probably expected that the coming Savior would stress the punishment of those who did evil.  However, Jesus mainly did works of mercy, such as healing the sick and preaching the good news to the poor.  Jesus stressed love and forgiveness.  However, Jesus did talk about rewarding the good and punishing those who do evil at his second coming at the end of time.  Thus, Jesus did fulfill the expectations of John the Baptist, but he did so in a different way.

  The second reading today from the Letter of James takes up a somewhat different theme.  St. James refers not to the historical coming of Jesus, but to his coming at the end of the world, or at the end of our lives.  Are we prepared for that?  St. James tells us to be patient, just as farmers patiently await the needed rains for the crops to produce abundantly.  In addition, we are to be firm in our faith and not to complain about others.  We are to live in peace and harmony with other people.  Therefore, our faith in Jesus should lead to good works on our behalf.  The Gospel of St. Matthew stresses the need for good works on our part.  In the Sermon on the Mount, we are told that it is not enough to say, “Lord, Lord” about Jesus, but we also must do the will of our heavenly Father.  It is not enough to hear the words of Jesus, but we must also act upon them.  At the Last Judgment, we will be judged on our works, how we fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, shelter to the homeless, clothing to the naked, cured the sick, and so on.  We are called to put our faith into action.  During this Advent season, we are called to reflect on how well we are living our faith and on how well we are preparing to meet the Lord when he calls us from this life.

I saw a story recently that seems to be based on something that actually happened.  According to the story, a man was standing on a street corner in a large city, and he stepped out into the street, not paying attention to the traffic that was headed right at him.  A man on the street corner reached out and pulled this man to safely.  When the man who had been rescued realized what had happened, he turned to thank the man who saved him.  However, the man who had saved him had disappeared into the crowd and could not be found.  The man who had been saved continued on his way.  This man had planned to rob a bank that day.  The dramatic rescue did not change his mind.  The man came to a bank, and he robbed it.  However, this man was soon caught and arrested.  He was brought to court to face trial sometime later.  When this man looked at the judge, he recognized him.  The judge was the man who had saved him by pulling him to safety.  The man on trial turned to the judge and said, “You saved me once before.  Save me again!”  The judge said to him, “When I pulled you to safety, I was your savior.  Now, I am your judge!”  Jesus is now our Savior, but at the end of the world, he will be our judge.  Yet, the judgment may be better than we expect.  Jesus will reward the good, and punish the evil.  Judgment sometimes works in our favor.  Recently, there was a federal court case that ruled in favor of Catholic health care organizations and other Catholic organizations, such as the University of Mary.  The ruling stated that these Catholic organizations were not bound by a 2016 rule of the federal agency of Health and Human Services that would require them to do things that went against their conscience, such as providing abortions and gender changing surgeries. 

In our Eucharist today, we once again give thanks that Jesus Christ is the Savior promised by the prophets.  We give thanks that he was born at Bethlehem and that he accomplished our salvation by his suffering, death, and resurrection.  We give thanks that he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.  We also give thanks that the risen Lord is present in our midst today and is helping us by his grace, especially through the grace given to us in the Eucharist.  The Vatican II Constitution on the Liturgy tells us that Christ is present in many ways.  He is present in a special way in the Eucharist, under the forms of bread and wine.  He is also present in the other Sacraments, in his Word, and in the people, we meet.  We pray that we will continue to put our faith in him and be faithful to him in our daily life.  May the Lord help us now and someday welcome us into his heavenly Kingdom forever.