Thoughts on justice

God is just; God is merciful.

 

The Gospel for the 5^th Sunday of Lent takes place in Jerusalem, in the temple where Jesus had been teaching. In front of the eager crowds listening to Jesus, his enemies bring forward a woman caught in adultery, the penalty for which was death by stoning.  These opponents want to use the occasion to embarrass Jesus, since he had the well-deserved reputation of proclaiming God’s mercy toward sinners. The trap is clear.  If Jesus takes the side of the adulterous woman, he is open to the charge of ignoring God’s law and God’s justice.  If he insists on following the Law exactly, his reputation as a prophet of God’s mercy becomes questionable.

 

In response, Jesus, wise and merciful, devises a way to get the woman out of the situation, saving her life and letting her begin over again.  In doing so, he emphasizes the mercy of God, but he also upholds the justice of God. He does not reject the biblical commandment against adultery. We don’t know what Jesus was writing on the ground, but we do know that Jesus gives an unexpected answer to his enemies, and that response suggests a totally different way of looking at the situation.  He delivers a sharp challenge, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  His words have the effect of turning the accusers’ attention back on themselves, making them realize that they too are sinners. In his parting words to the woman, Jesus again manifests both mercy and justice.  He first says to her, “Neither do I condemn you,” upholding the mercy of God.  Then he adds, “From now on do not sin anymore.”

 

Jesus knows what sin is, and he does not shrink from calling certain actions “sins.”  He recognizes that some actions are inappropriate and offensive both to the justice of God and to the betterment of human beings.  He forgives the sinner but does not excuse or explain away the sin.  Thus, Jesus upholds the justice of God.

 

At this point in Lent, we may need to recognize and experience both God’s justice and God’s mercy.  By confessing our sinfulness and determining to avoid sin, we bear witness to the justice of God.  By accepting the forgiveness of our sins and by determining to forgive those who have offended us, we bear witness to God’s mercy.

Fr. Frank Reale, S.J.

Thoughts on the Beatitudes

 

Jesus' Self-Portrait

“Blessed are the poor,” he said. Jesus is poor, not in control, but marginal in his society. What good can come from Nazareth? “Blessed are the gentle,” he said. Jesus does not break the bruised reed. He always cares for the little ones. “Blessed are those who mourn,” he said. Jesus does not hide his grief, but lets his tears flow when his friend dies and when he foresees the destruction of his beloved Jerusalem. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice,” he said. Jesus doesn't hesitate to criticize injustice and to defend the hungry, the dying, and the lepers. “Blessed are the merciful,” he said. Jesus doesn't always call for revenge but heals always and everywhere. “Blessed are the pure in heart,” he said. Jesus remains focused only on what is necessary and does not allow his attention to be divided by many distractions. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he said. Jesus does not stress differences, but reconciles people as brothers and sisters in one family. “Blessed are those who are persecuted,” he said. Jesus does not expect success and popularity, but knows that rejections and abandonment will make him suffer. The Beatitudes give us Jesus' self-portrait. It is the portrait of a powerless God.

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.”   - Matthew 5: 1, 2

Thoughts on spiritual healing

 

John 5:1–16

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man who was physically ill for thirty-eight years. I want to make an observation about another manifestation of Christ’s power: his spiritual healing. The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus’ healing encounters with those whose spiritual energies are unable to flow. Much of Jesus’ ministry consisted in teaching people how to see (the kingdom of God), how to hear (the voice of the Spirit), how to walk (thereby overcoming the paralysis of the heart), how to be free of themselves so as to discover God. It is interesting that Jesus was referred to in the early Church as the Savior (soter in Greek and salvator in Latin). Both terms speak of the one who brings healing. The “soul” is that still point at the heart of every person, that deepest center, that point of encounter with the transcendent yet incarnate mystery of God. When the soul is healthy, it is in a living relationship with God; it is firmly rooted in the soil of meaning and is the deepest center of the person. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on healing and faith

 

John 4:43–54

Friends, our Gospel today tells of Jesus healing a royal official’s son. The official asks him to heal his son, who is near death. Jesus says to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” But the royal official persists, and Jesus tells him his son will live. The man believes Jesus, and his son recovers. Theologian Paul Tillich said that “faith” is the most misunderstood word in the religious vocabulary. And this is a tragedy, for faith stands at the very heart of the program; it is the sine qua non of the Christian thing. What is it? The opening line of Hebrews 11 has the right definition: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is a straining ahead toward those things that are, at best, dimly glimpsed. But notice, please, that it is not a craven, hand-wringing, unsure business. It is confident and full of conviction. Think of the great figures of faith, from Abraham to John Paul II: they are anything but shaky, indefinite, questioning people. Like the royal official, they are clear, focused, assured. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on fear

 

A Whole New Way of Being

Is it possible in the midst of this fear-provoking world to live in the house of love and listen to the questions raised by the Lord of love? Or are we so accustomed to living in fear that we have become deaf to the voice that says: “Do not be afraid”? This reassuring voice, which repeats over and over again: “Do not be afraid, have no fear” is the voice we most need to hear….. “Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid.” The voice uttering these words sounds all through history as the voice of God's holy messengers, be they angels or saints. It is the voice that announces a whole new way of being, a being in the house of love, the house of the Lord.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”   - Deuteronomy 31: 6

Thoughts on the Annunciation

 

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Luke 1:26–38

Friends, in today’s Gospel, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces that she will conceive the Messiah. Mary, understandably surprised, asks, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” to which the angel replies, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”  The virginity of the mother of Christ is fitting for a number of reasons. First, it indicates, as clearly as possible, that God is involved in the coming to be of Jesus. Though human cooperation, at both the physical and moral level, is required, the Incarnation would not have happened without a gracious divine initiative.  Further, it signals that the Incarnation involves not simply a revolution in the moral and spiritual order but an entirely new creation. Just as Adam, on the biblical telling, is made through the direct causality of God, so the New Adam is made de novo, and not in the ordinary course.  Finally, the virginity of Mary is a sign of the purity and completeness of her devotion to God, making her a fit vessel for the divine Messiah. She becomes mother in the physical order, though she is given utterly over to God; she is, as classical Christian piety would have it, spouse of the Holy Spirit. All of this, one might argue, is summed up in the greeting that the angel gives Mary at the Annunciation, the most sublime offered to any human being in the biblical tradition: kecharitomene, “full of grace.” Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on Spiritual Fruit

 

Luke 13:1–9

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree that the owner cursed because it bore no fruit. On a deeper level, we may understand it to mean that the Lord expects us to bear spiritual fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is the universal, all-embracing consequence of the Spirit’s presence in us. All people who live in the Spirit should manifest these qualities. The word “fruit” is especially good in this context.  In Psalm 1 we find this comparison: “They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.” The Spirit is this stream; when we are planted near it, we blossom. Well, what are these fruits of the Holy Spirit? In the fifth chapter of Galatians, Paul enumerates them: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” When discerning whether the Spirit is living in you, in determining whether you are walking the right path, these are wonderful criteria. Bishop Robert Barron