voting is an important moral responsibility. I try to outline how Catholics must exercise this responsibility in my latest In Depth Analysis: The Dangers of Voting Your Heart: An Intrinsically Moral Guide.

I’m also happy to report that Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, made the same point in his recent teaching that repudiation of intrinsic moral evils must be the voter’s first priority: Bishop Paprocki: voting for candidate who supports intrinsic evils jeopardizes one’s salvation.

At the same time, Catholics must realize that in democratic societies, the fundamental moral problems of politics are always widespread spiritual and cultural problems before they are political. Thus they require spiritual and cultural solutions. So I raise another key question this week: How Much Does Politics Matter?

Seventeenth Sunday In Ordinary Time – Year B

Feeding the multitudes by Bernardo Strozzi, early 17th century.

 * “When he had given thanks” is a translation of eucharistein, which was commonly used as distinct from eulogein, to bless, the verb used by the synoptic Gospels here; the first verb is characteristic of the Greek milieu, whereas the second comes directly from the milieu of Hebrew culture. If we take into account the language in use at the time of writing of the Gospels, then we cannot say that there are any significant differences of content between the expressions, even though John’s expression is, for us who are used to the Christian liturgical language, a much more direct reminder of the eucharistic sacrament. This is so true that the fourth Evangelist uses the same verb also in 11: 41, where we find some reminders of the sacrament.

“Lectio divina is an authentic source of Christian spirituality recommended by our Rule. We therefore practice it every day, so that we may develop a deep and genuine love for it, and so that we may grow in the surpassing knowledge of Christ. In this way we shall put into practice the Apostle Paul’s commandment, which is mentioned in our Rule: “Let the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, live abundantly in your mouth and in your hearts; and whatever you must do, do it in the name of the Lord.”

 Carmelite Constitutions (No. 82)

“Lectio Divina”,a Latin term, means “divine reading” and describes a way of reading the Scriptures whereby we gradually let go of our own agenda and open ourselves to what God wants to say to us. In the 12th century, a Carthusian monk called Guigo, described the stages which he saw as essential to the practice of Lectio Divina. There are various ways of practicing Lectio Divina either individually or in groups but Guigo’s description remains fundamental.

He said that the first stage is lectio (reading) where we read the Word of God, slowly and reflectively so that it sinks into us. Any passage of Scripture can be used for this way of prayer but the passage should not be too long.

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This Sunday’s liturgy interrupts the reading of St Mark’s Gospel to start reading chapter 6 of St John’s Gospel which contains the multiplication of the bread and fishes and the “Bread of Life” discourse that will accompany us for the next six weeks.

By continuously interweaving signs and illusions, St John highlights the significance of Christ’s presence which is a guarantee of salvation.  The gift of bread is an unsurpassable sign of Christ’s own presence and of the compassion that the Lord feels for the crowd that remained alone like a “sheep without a shepherd” (XVI Sunday O.T).  It is Christ’s compassion that generates the bread, the gift that Jesus makes of Himself for the life of the world. 

God so loved man that He had the audacity to become man Himself in order to realise His plan of salvation.  “Where can we buy bread?”  Jesus’ question to Philip isn’t posed as a practical question (to find bread to eat), but tries to arouse all the trust that the Apostle can and must have towards His Lord.

“Where” indicates the origin of things, their nature, where things come from.  It is just like Nicodemus who doesn’t know where the wind blows (Jn3:8), or the Samaritan woman who doesn’t know where the water comes from (4:11) or the head waiter who doesn’t know where the good wine came from (2:9).

Philip and the others really need very little – it is enough to have a profound look towards the man who is looking at the crowd whilst they in turn look to Him.  It would be enough to say “only you can give them something to eat to satiate their hunger!”

Philip is preoccupied with the disproportional calculation to resolve the problem in that instant.  It distracts him from that extraordinary Presence – the only response possible:  Jesus.  Distraction is a sin that takes away God’s power to solve all our difficulties.  It is enough to recognise that it is Christ who will enable us to understand “where to find the bread.”

How often does this sin reoccur before the Eucharist?  The boy’s offering seems inadequate although it is a significant biblical call (Elisha’s barley loaves  (2Kings 4:42-44); the sum of the 5 loaves and 2 fish is the number of the days of creation….).  The offering is apparently not enough.  Man always requires more.  However, God’s heart is generous enough to accept the little that we offer in order to give us superabundance.  This is Providence!

“When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”  Jesus command itself contains a reminder of the preciousness of the bread that has fed the crowd.  The gathering of the left over fragments of bread is an operation that requires great care and especially the recognition of the value of the food.  These fragments are the bodily image of the fact that every grace granted by the Lord isn’t commensurate with man’s ability but rather it immeasurably exceeds it. 

Those 12 baskets of left over bread become the sign of the great abundance that comes from Divine Grace, the work of God in our lives.

“O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundations, nothing is holy.” (Collect)  May Our Lady, Virgin of heaven, in whose womb every abundance has been poured out make this certainty surface on our lips and on our heart! 

More

Homily 28

1. The commemoration of each of the saints on the appointed feast day is an occasion for town and country, citizens and their rulers to share in rejoicing, and brings great benefit to all who celebrate. “The memory of the just is praised”, says the wise Solomon (Prov. 10:7 Lxx), “When the righteous is praised the people will rejoice” (cf. Prov. 29:2 Lxx). If a lamp is lit at night, its light shines for the service and enjoyment of everyone present. Similarly, through such commemorations, each saint’s God-pleasing course, his blessed end, and the grace bestowed on him by God, because of the purity of his life, bring spiritual joy and benefit to the whole congregation, like a bright flaming torch set in our midst. When the land bears a good harvest everyone rejoices, not just the farmers (for we all benefit from the earth’s produce); so the fruits which the saints bring forth for God through their virtue delight not only the Husbandman of souls, but all of us, being set before us for the common good and pleasure of our souls. During their earthly lives, all the saints are an incentive to virtue for those who hear and see them with understanding, for they are human icons of excellence, animated pillars of goodness, and living books, which teach us the way to better things. Afterwards, when they depart this life, the benefit we gain from them is kept alive for ever through the remembrance of their virtues. By commemorating their noble deeds, we offer them that praise which, on the one hand, we owe them for the good they did our ancestors, but which, on the other, is also fitting for us at the present time, on account of the help they give us now.

2. When we call to mind what they accomplished we add nothing to their good deeds. How could we, given that we are not even competent to depict their virtue as it really is. For the sake of the sublime rewards promised by God, they strove honourably to the limit of human nature and showed us a way of life that was equally sublime. We certainly do not augment their treasures by praising them. Not at all! But we do increase their bounty to us by looking up towards them as lanterns aglow with divine light, and by understanding better and welcoming the beautifying power which comes from them.

3. If, as we have said, we commemorate each of the saints with hymns and appropriate songs of praise, how much more should we celebrate the memory of Peter and Paul, the supreme Leaders of the pre-eminent company of the Apostles? They are the fathers and guides of all Christians: Apostles, martyrs, holy ascetics, priests, hierarchs, pastors and teachers. As chief shepherds and master builders of our common godliness and virtue, they tend and teach us all, like lights in the world, holding forth the word of life (Phil. 2:15-16). Their brightness excels that of the other radiantly pious and virtuous saints as the sun outshines the stars, or as the heavens, which declare the sublime glory of God (cf. Ps. 19:1), transcend the skies. In their order and strength they are greater than the heavens, more beautiful than the stars, and swifter than both, and as regards what lies beyond the realm of the senses, it is they who reveal things which surpass the very heavens themselves and indeed the whole universe, and who make them bright with the light “in which there is no variableness neither shadow of turning” (cf. Jas. 1:17). Not only do they bring people out of darkness into this wonderful light, but by enlightening them they make them light, the offspring of the perfect light, that each of them may shine like the sun (Matt. 13:43), when the Author of light, the God-man and Word, appears in glory.

4. The appearance to us this day of both these luminaries together brightens the Church, for their meeting produces a wealth of light, not an eclipse. It is not the case that one has a higher orbit and is placed above, while the other is lower down and passes under his shadow. Nor does one rule the day, the other the night, such that one would overshadow the other if they appeared opposite each other. Light is not produced by one and received by the other in such a way that the latter?s radiance would vary sometimes depending on the distance between them. Rather, both share equally in Christ, the everlasting Source of eternal light, and have attained to the same height, glory and radiance. That is why the coming together of these lights signifies their solidarity and support for one another and illuminates the souls of the faithful twice over.

5. The first traitor, who incited the first man to desert God, saw Him Who had earlier made Adam, the father of the human race, later re-creating Peter as the father of all true worshippers. He not only saw, but also heard the Creator saying to Peter: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). Once the prince of evil found this out, being the epitome of wicked envy, he tempted Peter, the first leader of God’s faithful people, as he had previously tempted Adam, the founder of the race of men. Realizing that Peter was endowed with intelligence and afire with love for Christ, he did not dare make a direct attack. Instead he came upon him from the right flank, cunningly deceiving him into being excessively eager. At the time of the saving Passion, when the Lord told His disciples, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night” (Matt. 26:31), Peter disobediently contradicted Him. He also exalted himself above the others, saying that even if everyone else were offended, he would not be (Matt. 26:33). Because he had been beguiled into arrogance, he fell further than the rest, so that by humbling himself more than them he might eventually appear more radiant. Unlike Adam who was tempted, vanquished and completely brought down, Peter, having been tempted and led astray a little, overcame the tempter. How? Through his immediate condemnation of himself, his intense sorrow and repentance, and the medicine which brings forgiveness, tears. “A broken and contrite heart”, it says, “O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps. 51:17), and “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of” (2 Cor. 7:10), and “They that sow their supplications in tears shall joyfully reap forgiveness” (cf. Ps. 126:5).

6. Anyone who looks at Peter will see that through repentance and painful grief he not only adequately healed the denial into which he had been drawn, but he also completely rooted out of his soul that passion which had made him fall behind the others. Wishing to demonstrate this to everyone, the Lord, after His Passion in the flesh for our sake and His rising on the third day, used those words to Peter which we read in today’s Gospel, asking him, “Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me more than these” (John 21:15), meaning, “more than these disciples of mine”. But see how much humbler he has become. Whereas before, even without being asked, he set himself above the rest and said that even if all forsook the Lord, he would not; now, on being asked whether he loves Him more than the others do, he affirms that he loves Him, but leaves out the word “more”, saying “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee” (John 21:15, 16, cf. 17).

7. What does the Lord do? Since Peter has shown that he has not lost his love for Him and has now acquired humility as well, He openly fulfils the promise made long before and tells him, “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15). When He was referring to the company of believers as a building, He promised to make Peter the foundation stone, saying, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). On the other hand, when He was talking in terms of fishing, He made him a fisher of men with the words, “From henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5:10). But when He speaks of His disciples as sheep, He sets Peter over them as a shepherd, saying, “Feed my lambs, feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). It is clear from this that the Lord’s desire for us to be saved is so great, that He asks of those who love Him only one thing: to lead us to the pasture and fold of salvation.

8. Let us long to be saved, and obey those who lead us in that direction through their words and deeds. As long as each of us wishes to take the road leading to salvation, the teacher, prepared by our common Saviour, is at hand, together with the Giver of salvation, Who, in His overwhelming love for mankind, is more than ready without being called or beseeched. Christ asks Peter three times so that three times he can reply affirming his faith, thus healing his threefold denial with his threefold confession. Thrice Christ appoints him over His sheep and lambs, placing under him the three categories of those being saved: slaves, hirelings and sons, or, alternatively, virgins, chaste widows and those honourably married. But when Peter was asked again and again if he loved Christ, the Scripture tells us he was grieved by the repeated questioning (John 21:17), supposing that the Lord did not believe him. Knowing that he loved Christ, aware that his questioner knew him better than he knew himself, and feeling under pressure, Peter not only confessed that he loved Him, but also proclaimed that the Lord he loved was “God over all” (Rom. 9:5), by saying, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee”, because only “God Who is over all” is all-knowing.

9. Once Peter had made this heartfelt confession, the Lord ordained him Shepherd and Chief Pastor of His whole Church, and also promised to encompass him with such strength, that he who previously was unable even to stand being spoken to and questioned by a young girl (John 18:17), would endure unto death, even death on a cross. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast younger”, both physically and spiritually, “thou girdest thyself”, meaning, you used your own strength, “and walkest whither thou wouldest”, doing what you liked and living according to your natural inclinations. “But when thou shalt be old”, having reached the peak of your physical and spiritual age, “thou shalt stretch forth thy hands”. With these words, Christ indicates that Peter will die on a cross, and bears witness that his crucifixion will not be involuntary. “Thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee”, meaning strengthen, “and carry thee whither thou wouldest not”, that is to say, out of this life (cf. John 21:18). Our nature is unwilling to be dissolved in death, and Peter’s superhuman martyrdom also demonstrates our attitude as human beings to life. “Strengthened by Me”, Christ tells him, “you will willingly endure all these things for my sake and bear witness to me; for the desire to do so is not natural but supernatural to human nature”.

10. Peter was the sort of man who can be described in a few words. As for Paul, on the other hand, what tongue, or how many and what sort of tongues, can depict even to a limited extent his endurance unto death for Christ’s sake? He was put to death every day, or rather he was always dead, no longer alive himself, as he tells us, but having Christ living in him (Gal. 2:20). For love of Christ he not only counted everything in the present world as dung (Phil. 3:8), but even put things to come in second place compared to the Lord. “For I am persuaded”, he says, “that neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (cf. Rom. 8:38-39). He had zeal for God, and was jealous over us with divine jealousy (2 Cor. 11:2). The only one to equal him in this was Peter, but hear how humble he is when he says of himself, “I am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be called an Apostle” (1 Cor. 15:9).

11. Given that Paul made the same confession of faith as Peter, and had the same zeal, humility and love, surely they received the same rewards from Him Who measures everything with completely just scales, yardstick and plumbline. Anything else would be unreasonable. That is why the Lord told Peter, “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18), whereas He said to Ananias of Paul, “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings” (Acts 9:15). Which name? Clearly the name we have been given, the name of Christ’s Church, which rests on the foundation stone of Peter. Notice that Peter and Paul are equal in prominence and glory, and both hold up the Church. Consequently the Church now bestows one and the same honour on both, and celebrates them together with equal esteem. As we consider the outcome of their lives, let us imitate how they lived, or at least how they were restored through humility and repentance, even if we cannot attain to their other great and exalted achievements, which are appropriate to great men and fitting for great men to emulate. In fact, some aspects of their lives are probably impossible for anyone to imitate. Amendment through repentance, however, is more appropriate for us than for the great, since we all sin many times every day, and unless we lay hold of salvation through continuous repentance, we have no hope of it from any other source.

12. Repentance is preceded by awareness of our sins, which is a strong incentive to mercy. “Have mercy upon me”, said the Psalmist and Prophet to God, “for I acknowledge my transgressions” (Ps. 5 1:1, 3). Through his recognition of sin he attracted God’s compassion, and through his confession and self-condemnation he obtained complete forgiveness. “I said”, the Psalmist tells us, “I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my heart” (cf. Ps. 32:5), because acknowledgment of our sins is followed by condemnation of ourselves, which in turn is followed by that sorrow for our sins which Paul calls “godly sorrow” (2 Cor. 7:10). After godly sorrow confession and prayer to God with a contrite heart come naturally (Ps. 51:17), as does the promise to keep away from evil from now on. This is repentance.

13. This is how Manasseh escaped being punished for his sins, even though he had fallen into many great and serious transgressions, and wallowed in them for years on end (2 Chr. 33:1-20). As for David, the Lord set aside his sin because of his repentance, nor did he deprive him of his Prophetic gift. When Peter resorted to repentance, he not only recovered from his fall and obtained forgiveness, but was also appointed to protect Christ’s Church. As you see, Paul too was rewarded with this role after his conversion, once he had made progress and become more closely God’s own than the others. Repentance which is true and truly from the heart persuades the penitent not to sin any more, not to mix with corrupt people, and not to gape in curiosity at evil pleasures, but to despise things present, cling to things to come, struggle against passions, seek after virtues, be self-controlled in every respect, keep vigil with prayers to God, and shun dishonest gain. It convinces him to be merciful to those who wrong him, gracious to those who ask something of him, ready with all his heart to bend down and help in any way he can, whether by words, actions or money, all who seek his assistance, that through kindness to his fellow-man he might gain God’s love in return for loving his neighbour, draw the divine favour to himself, and attain to eternal mercy and God’s everlasting blessing and grace.

14. May we all attain to this by the grace of the only-begotten Son of God, to Whom belong all glory, might, honour and worship, together with His Father without beginning and the all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

From The Homilies of Saint Gregory Palamas, Volume Two, translated by Christopher Veniamin (St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 2004).

“Peter and Paul much as they differ from one another in human terms and notwithstanding the conflicts that arose in their relationship, illustrate a new way of being brothers, lived according to the Gospel, an authentic way made possible by the grace of Christ’s Gospel working within them”. “Only by following Jesus does one arrive at this new brotherhood”; this according to Pope Benedict XVI is the fundamental message of the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul
The Pope’s focus on communion and brotherhood took on particular emphasis this year, given the presence of a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Westminster Abbey schola cantorum. Their plain chants – together with the Sistine Chapel choir – enriched the liturgy which took place within the cool marble vaults of St Peter’s basilica. A liturgy which also saw the Pope bestow the pallium upon 40 Metropolitan Archbishops.
In his homily the Holy Father drew attention to the two giant statues of Peter and Paul that hold vigil over St Peter’s square. He said : “Christian tradition has always considered Saint Peter and Saint Paul to be inseparable: indeed, together, they represent the whole Gospel of Christ. In Rome, their bond as brothers in the faith came to acquire a particular significance”.
“Only by following Jesus does one arrive at this new brotherhood this is the first and fundamental message that today’s solemnity presents to each one of us, the importance of which is mirrored in the pursuit of full communion, so earnestly desired by the ecumenical Patriarch and the Bishop of Rome, as indeed by all Christians. ”
Drawing from the Gospel of the day (Matthew 16: 13-19), Pope Benedict went on to reflect on the drama of Peter (and the papacy) ” the acknowledgment of Jesus’ identity” not “through flesh and blood”, that is, through his human capacities, but through a particular revelation from God the Father”.
Pope Benedict said :”Here we see the tension that exists between the gift that comes from the Lord and human capacities; and in this scene between Jesus and Simon Peter we see anticipated in some sense the drama of the history of the papacy itself, characterized by the joint presence of these two elements: on the one hand, because of the light and the strength that come from on high, the papacy constitutes the foundation of the Church during its pilgrimage through history; on the other hand, across the centuries, human weakness is also evident, which can only be transformed through openness to God’s action.”
Finally, Pope Benedict spoke of “power of the keys” – symbol of the Petrine Ministry a key issue in the current phase of ecumenical dialogue – to “bind and loose”: “The two images – that of the keys and that of binding and loosing – express similar meanings which reinforce one another. The expression “binding and loosing” forms part of rabbinical language and refers on the one hand to doctrinal decisions, and on the other hand to disciplinary power, that is, the faculty to impose and to lift excommunication. The parallelism “on earth … in the heavens” guarantees that Peter’s decisions in the exercise of this ecclesial function are valid in the eyes of God”.
Below is the official English tranlation of the Holy Father’s Homily during Mass on the Feast of Saint’s Peter and Paul. During the celebration the Pope conferred the Pallium on new Metropolitan Archbishops.

Homily on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
Saint Peter’s Basilica, 29 June 2012

Your Eminences,Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are gathered around the altar for our solemn celebration of Saints Peter and Paul, the principal Patrons of the Church of Rome. Present with us today are the Metropolitan Archbishops appointed during the past year, who have just received the Pallium, and to them I extend a particular and affectionate greeting. Also present is an eminent Delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, sent by His Holiness Bartholomaios I, and I welcome them with fraternal and heartfelt gratitude. In an ecumenical spirit, I am also pleased to greet and to thank the Choir of Westminster Abbey, who are providing the music for this liturgy alongside the Cappella Sistina. I also greet the Ambassadors and civil Authorities present. I am grateful to all of you for your presence and your prayers.
In front of Saint Peter’s Basilica, as is well known, there are two imposing statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, easily recognizable by their respective attributes: the keys in the hand of Peter and the sword held by Paul. Likewise, at the main entrance to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, there are depictions of scenes from the life and the martyrdom of these two pillars of the Church. Christian tradition has always considered Saint Peter and Saint Paul to be inseparable: indeed, together, they represent the whole Gospel of Christ. In Rome, their bond as brothers in the faith came to acquire a particular significance. Indeed, the Christian community of this City considered them a kind of counterbalance to the mythical Romulus and Remus, the two brothers held to be the founders of Rome. A further parallel comes to mind, still on the theme of brothers: whereas the first biblical pair of brothers demonstrate the effects of sin, as Cain kills Abel, yet Peter and Paul, much as they differ from one another in human terms and notwithstanding the conflicts that arose in their relationship, illustrate a new way of being brothers, lived according to the Gospel, an authentic way made possible by the grace of Christ’s Gospel working within them. Only by following Jesus does one arrive at this new brotherhood: this is the first and fundamental message that today’s solemnity presents to each one of us, the importance of which is mirrored in the pursuit of full communion, so earnestly desired by the ecumenical Patriarch and the Bishop of Rome, as indeed by all Christians.
In the passage from Saint Matthew’s Gospel that we have just heard, Peter makes his own confession of faith in Jesus, acknowledging him as Messiah and Son of God. He does so in the name of the other Apostles too. In reply, the Lord reveals to him the mission that he intends to assign to him, that of being the “rock”, the visible foundation on which the entire spiritual edifice of the Church is built (cf. Mt 16:16-19). But in what sense is Peter the rock? How is he to exercise this prerogative, which naturally he did not receive for his own sake? The account given by the evangelist Matthew tells us first of all that the acknowledgment of Jesus’ identity made by Simon in the name of the Twelve did not come “through flesh and blood”, that is, through his human capacities, but through a particular revelation from God the Father. By contrast, immediately afterwards, as Jesus foretells his passion, death and resurrection, Simon Peter reacts on the basis of “flesh and blood”: he “began to rebuke him, saying, this shall never happen to you” (16:22). And Jesus in turn replied: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me …” (16:23). The disciple who, through God’s gift, was able to become a solid rock, here shows himself for what he is in his human weakness: a stone along the path, a stone on which men can stumble – in Greek, skandalon. Here we see the tension that exists between the gift that comes from the Lord and human capacities; and in this scene between Jesus and Simon Peter we see anticipated in some sense the drama of the history of the papacy itself, characterized by the joint presence of these two elements: on the one hand, because of the light and the strength that come from on high, the papacy constitutes the foundation of the Church during its pilgrimage through history; on the other hand, across the centuries, human weakness is also evident, which can only be transformed through openness to God’s action.
And in today’s Gospel there emerges powerfully the clear promise made by Jesus: “the gates of the underworld”, that is, the forces of evil, will not prevail, “non praevalebunt”. One is reminded of the account of the call of the prophet Jeremiah, to whom the Lord said, when entrusting him with his mission: “Behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you!” (Jer 1:18-19). In truth, the promise that Jesus makes to Peter is even greater than those made to the prophets of old: they, indeed, were threatened only by human enemies, whereas Peter will have to be defended from the “gates of the underworld”, from the destructive power of evil. Jeremiah receives a promise that affects him as a person and his prophetic ministry; Peter receives assurances concerning the future of the Church, the new community founded by Jesus Christ, which extends to all of history, far beyond the personal existence of Peter himself.
Let us move on now to the symbol of the keys, which we heard about in the Gospel. It echoes the oracle of the prophet Isaiah concerning the steward Eliakim, of whom it was said: “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (Is 22:22). The key represents authority over the house of David. And in the Gospel there is another saying of Jesus addressed to the scribes and the Pharisees, whom the Lord reproaches for shutting off the kingdom of heaven from people (cf. Mt 23:13). This saying also helps us to understand the promise made to Peter: to him, inasmuch as he is the faithful steward of Christ’s message, it belongs to open the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to judge whether to admit or to refuse (cf. Rev 3:7). Hence the two images – that of the keys and that of binding and loosing – express similar meanings which reinforce one another. The expression “binding and loosing” forms part of rabbinical language and refers on the one hand to doctrinal decisions, and on the other hand to disciplinary power, that is, the faculty to impose and to lift excommunication. The parallelism “on earth … in the heavens” guarantees that Peter’s decisions in the exercise of this ecclesial function are valid in the eyes of God.
In Chapter 18 of Matthew’s Gospel, dedicated to the life of the ecclesial community, we find another saying of Jesus addressed to the disciples: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 18:18). Saint John, in his account of the appearance of the risen Christ in the midst of the Apostles on Easter evening, recounts these words of the Lord: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven: if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:22-23). In the light of these parallels, it appears clearly that the authority of loosing and binding consists in the power to remit sins. And this grace, which defuses the powers of chaos and evil, is at the heart of the Church’s ministry. The Church is not a community of the perfect, but a community of sinners, obliged to recognize their need for God’s love, their need to be purified through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ sayings concerning the authority of Peter and the Apostles make it clear that God’s power is love, the love that shines forth from Calvary. Hence we can also understand why, in the Gospel account, Peter’s confession of faith is immediately followed by the first prediction of the Passion: through his death, Jesus conquered the powers of the underworld, with his blood he poured out over the world an immense flood of mercy, which cleanses the whole of humanity in its healing waters.
Dear brothers and sisters, as I mentioned at the beginning, the iconographic tradition represents Saint Paul with a sword, and we know that this was the instrument with which he was killed. Yet as we read the writings of the Apostle of the Gentiles, we discover that the image of the sword refers to his entire mission of evangelization. For example, when he felt death approaching, he wrote to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight” (2 Tim 4:7). This was certainly not the battle of a military commander but that of a herald of the Word of God, faithful to Christ and to his Church, to which he gave himself completely. And that is why the Lord gave him the crown of glory and placed him, together with Peter, as a pillar in the spiritual edifice of the Church.
Dear Metropolitan Archbishops, the Pallium that I have conferred on you will always remind you that you have been constituted in and for the great mystery of communion that is the Church, the spiritual edifice built upon Christ as the cornerstone, while in its earthly and historical dimension, it is built on the rock of Peter. Inspired by this conviction, we know that together we are all cooperators of the truth, which as we know is one and “symphonic”, and requires from each of us and from our communities a constant commitment to conversion to the one Lord in the grace of the one Spirit. May the Holy Mother of God guide and accompany us always along the path of faith and charity. Queen of Apostles, pray for us!
Amen.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops launched a text messaging campaign June 21 to provide a new way for people to join the national campaign for religious freedom.

Catholics and supporters of religious freedom from all other faiths around the nation now can send the text message “Freedom” to 377377 to join the movement. Texters can then receive information regularly on how to help protect religious freedom worldwide.

“Across America, our right to live out our faith is being threatened — from Washington’s forcing Catholic institutions to provide services that contradict their beliefs, to state governments’ prohibiting religious charities from serving the most vulnerable,” said Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, the chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. “We encourage all supporters around the country to text the simple, meaningful word ‘Freedom’ (for English) or ‘Libertad’ (for Spanish) to 377377 to join the movement.”

The U.S. bishops have issued a call to action to defend religious liberty and urged laity to work to protect the First Freedom of the Bill of Rights. In one major initiative, the Fortnight for Freedom, from June 21 to Independence Day, July 4, dioceses and parishes will commemorate this special two-week period of prayer, study and public action to emphasize both the Christian and American heritage of liberty.

The U.S. bishops plan to communicate with supporters by SMS (short message service) about twice a month. Standard text message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt-out. Reply HELP or contact FREEDOM@USCCB.ORG for help. Bulletin inserts about the texting campaign can be found at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/upload/fortnight-for-freedom-bulletin-insert.pdf (English) or http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/upload/fortnight-for-freedom-bulletin-insert-spanish.pdf (Spanish). Visit www.Fortnight4Freedom.org. . . for more details.

US bishops’ ‘Fortnight for Freedom’ begins June 21 (CWN, 6/21)

St. Paul’s experience of contemplation and the power of prayer, as recounted in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, provided the central theme of Benedict XVI’s catechesis, during his general audience held this morning in the Paul VI Hall.

Paul did not respond to the voices questioning the legitimacy of his apostolate by enumerating the communities he had founded, nor did he limit himself to recounting the difficulties he had had to face in announcing the Gospel. Rather, the Pope explained, “he pointed to his relationship with the Lord, … which was so intense as to be marked by moments of ecstasy and profound contemplation”. Indeed, the Apostle says: “I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me”.

Thus the Apostle of the Gentiles helps us to understand “that all the difficulties we meet in following Christ and bearing witness to His Gospel can be overcome by opening ourselves trustingly to the action of the Lord. … St. Paul clearly understood how to face and experience each event in his life, especially those involving suffering, difficulty and persecution: at the moment we feel our own weakness the power of God becomes manifest, a power which does not abandon or leave us alone but becomes our support and our strength”.

“As our union with the Lord grows and our prayer becomes more intense, we too come to focus on the essential and to understand that it is not the power of our own means that creates the Kingdom of God, but God Who works miracles through our very weakness”, the Pope said.

The intense contemplation of God which St. Paul experienced was, like that of the disciples on Mount Tabor, “enthralling and tremendous”. Contemplating the Lord is “enthralling because He draws us to Himself, seizing our hearts and carrying them aloft to His heights were we experience the peace and beauty of His love. It is tremendous because it exposes our human frailty and inadequacy, the fatigue of defeating the Evil One who ensnares our lives”.

“In a world in which we risk relying only on the power of human means, we are called to rediscover and bear witness to the power of prayer, through which we grow day by day as our lives are conformed to that of Christ”, said the Holy Father. He then went on to recall the Nobel Prize-winner and Protestant theologian Albert Schweitzer who said that “‘Paul is a mystic and nothing more than a mystic’, a man truly enamoured of Christ and so united to Him as to able to say: Christ lives in me. St. Paul’s mysticism was not founded only on the exceptional events of his life, but also on his intense daily relationship with the Lord, Who always supported him with His Grace.

“In our own life of prayer we too may experience moments of particular intensity in which we feel the Lord’s presence more keenly”, Benedict XVI added. “But it is important to remain constant and faithful in our relationship with God, especially in moments of aridity, difficulty and suffering. Only if we are seized by the love of Christ will we be able to face adversity, as Paul did, in the conviction that we can do all things through Him Who gives us strength”.

The Holy Father went on: “The more space we give to prayer, the more we will see our lives transformed and animated by the real power of God’s love. This is what happened, for example, to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta who, in contemplating Jesus, discovered the ultimate reason and incredible strength to recognise Him in the poor and abandoned, despite her fragile figure.

“The contemplation of Christ in our life does not distance us from reality”, the Pope concluded. “It makes us even more involved in human affairs, because the Lord, drawing us to Himself in prayer, enables us to remain close to all our brothers and sisters in His love”.

 

FIRST READING: Acts 9:26-31.

When Saul had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists; but they were seeking to kill him. And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.

Saul, who later changed his name to Paul, was born of Jewish parents in Tarsus in Cicilia. He came to Jerusalem as a youth to study the Law (of Moses) and become a rabbi. He had qualified as a rabbi about the year that Jesus was crucified. He took a firm stand against the young Christian Church, looking on it as an heretical sect which had to be crushed. Having harassed the Christians in Jerusalem, he set out for Damascus to arrest and bring to Jerusalem any Christians he found there. On the road to Damascus he was converted by a vision of the Risen Christ. Having spent some time in Damascus preaching to the Jews of the city that Jesus was the Son of God, he paid his first visit to Jerusalem, This visit is the subject of today’s reading.

join the disciples: Saul wanted to join with the Christians of Jerusalem at their prayers and meetings, but, remembering too well his past conduct in the city, they did not trust him, for they thought he had not become a disciple of Christ, but was there to spy on them.

Barnabas…apostles: Barnabas, a man of standing in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 4:32-37). was convinced that Saul had become a sincere Christian. He, therefore, introduced him to the Apostles, telling them about Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus when “the Lord spoke to him,” and about his great work for the spread of the Christian faith in Damascus. Barnabas could have had contacts with Damascus and heard of the conversion and work of Saul there, and could even have had confirmation of this from Saul himself.

went…them: The result of Barnabas’ intervention was that Saul was fully accepted by the Christians in Jerusalem.

against the Hellenists: Jerusalem had many Jews who had been born outside of Palestine and spoke only Greek. These were called Hellenists. Paul was a native speaker of Greek, and was well qualified to argue about Christ with them, which he did.

seeking…him: Not all of these Hellenists were willing to accept Christ. Some, unable to answer his arguments, were planning to put him to death. They probably knew his past history and looked on him as a traitor, and traitors, they thought, deserved death. The other Apostles had not been Pharisees or rabbis, and so were not as guilty, in their eyes, as Saul.

Caesarea…Tarsus: To save him from death by stoning, the death Stephen suffered a few years previously (Acts 6 and 7), the Christians of Jerusalem saw him safely to the port of Caesarea in Palestine, from whence he went by ship to Tarsus, his native town.

church…built up: The open persecution of the Christians during the first years seems to have ceased. The leaders of the Jews may have grown tired of arrests and trials, or perhaps they had paid heed to the wise words of one of their members, Gamaliel, who said at one of their trial sessions: “If this enterprise (Christianity) is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them (the Christians) but you might find yourself fighting against God” (Acts 5:39). Whatever the reason, the Christians in Jerusalem were allowed to live in peace. Their numbers increased daily, not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee, that is, in all of Palestine.

walking…Lord: This is living the full Christian life, giving offense to neither God nor man.

comfort…Spirit: The visible effects of the descent of the Holy Spirit in baptism on the converted were there to strengthen and encourage the Christians and to attract other converts. Hence the great growth of the Church.
Although the verses of today’s reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, begin with Saul and his first visit to Jerusalem, the point of interest for us is the growth and marvelous spread of the Christian faith among the Jews of Palestine. “The Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up.” If we were dealing with human achievement and human endeavor only, we would have an incredible story in those few words. During his public life of over two years Christ had traveled around Palestine. He had worked many miracles, but evidently these were soon forgotten. He had stated that he was the promised Messiah, but very few, if any, believed him. On many occasions he had referred to his sonship with the Father, but even his disciples did not grasp that. The leaders of the Jews were against him from the very beginning, and the people followed their leaders. Like their leaders, the Jews of that day were looking not for a spiritual kingdom after death, but a prosperous, wealthy kingdom here on earth in their own lifetime. So, with the few exceptions, all his calls to repentance and to love of God and neighbor fell on deaf ears. His death at the hands of his enemies was the last straw—that proved the absurdity of his claims to be the Messiah and the Son of God.

Yet what do we find a few years later, after the apparent failure of Calvary? Thousands of those same Jews who ignored or derided Jesus while he was amongst them were becoming his fervent followers and ardent admirers. They were spreading his teaching among their neighbors. There is no natural explanation for such a change of attitude in a whole people. There is, of course, a supernatural explanation for this change of mind: the Resurrection. This fact alone explains the change of outlook on the part of thousands of Jews: this alone explains the fearless courage of the Apostles—the one-time timid group who huddled in an upper room behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews.” Now they were confronting the very Sanhedrin in their stronghold, preaching the Risen Christ in the streets of Jerusalem and throughout the land of Palestine. Their power of working miracles, and the visible assistance of the Holy Spirit was moving not only the ordinary laity but many of the priests and leaders in Jerusalem itself to accept Christ and Christianity (see Acts 6:7).

This fact, the resurrection of Christ, is the very foundation stone of our Christian religion. If it had not happened, no Jew would have been converted in Palestine, no Apostle would have the foolhardiness to preach of one who had failed. The Church which Christ promised would have been stillborn and would never have survived. But it did exist and it spread. It is still in existence and will be, as long as men are on earth who must be directed to heaven.

The resurrection of Christ is not only the solid basis of our faith, it is also the guarantee for us that we too shall rise, in glorified bodies like his, one day. That day will be our real birthday, the day we are born to unending life. Let us thank God for his love and mercy; he could have ignored us and left us to our fate, but his infinite love did not let him do so. His goodness moved him to share his eternal happiness. That we shall do, if we do what is asked of us while we are here below. When the crosses of life come our way (and who can avoid them?), let us grasp them firmly. We want, and we hope, to be like the Risen Christ hereafter; we shall if we, like him, carry our cross cheerfully whenever he asks us to do so.

Second ReadingSECOND READING: 1 John 3:18-24.

Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as be has commanded us. All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he had given us.

See Second Sunday of Easter for an explanation of the First Epistle of John. In today’s seven verses, the Beloved Disciple is urging his readers, and all Christians, to believe firmly in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and to love their neighbor with a practical love, a love which will help him in his corporal and spiritual needs.

not…in deed: Our love of God and neighbor must prove itself by good deeds. Actions, not declarations, are needed.

we…truth: Our charity—love of God and neighbor—alone will prove to us that we have the true faith of Christ, that we are children of God.

reassure our hearts: “hearts” stands for conscience here. If a Christian has doubts about the sincerity of his faith, his practice of true charity should reassure him. He may have some defects but:

God…hearts: God’s mercy and love are infinite; where one has true charity, his smaller offenses will be generously forgiven—”charity covers a multitude of sins.”

he knows everything: Because of his infinite knowledge God is certainly better able to examine our consciences than we ourselves are.

confidence before God: The Christian whose conscience tells him that he is living in true faith and charity can feel assured that God will answer all his lawful requests for divine grace and help.

keep his commandments: To keep God’s commandments is to please God, and when God is pleased with us he will, like a kind Father, help us on our way to heaven.

believe…name: This means to accept Jesus for what he is, not the Messiah only, but the true Son of God himself. This has been the foundation-stone of the Christian religion from its very beginning.

love one another: Fraternal charity for all our fellow men was the command of Christ and the proof of the sincerity of Christians: “By this will all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another” (Jn. 13:35).

abide in him: All who keep Christ’s commandments are assured of continued communion with God.

by the Spirit: The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed Trinity, dwells in the Christian who is loyal and true to God. The effects of the presence of the Holy Spirit were especially noticeable in the early Church. Wherever the Holy Spirit is, there also are the Father and the Son.

The sincere, active faith and charity which St. John demanded of the first and second generation of Christians in Asia Minor is still demanded of all of us today. Nineteen centuries have elapsed since John wrote that letter, but the essence of the Christian faith has not changed in all those years. If anything, the need today for a living faith, that is, a faith lived daily, and an active charity, is greater than it was in the first century after Christ. The opponents of the Christian faith (the unbelievers, the Agnostics and the humanists) are more numerous in our world today than they were then in Asia Minor. What these opponents of our faith need is not rhetoric or apologetics or logical argument but the living example of sincere Christians. There is far too much counterfeit Christianity—a nominal adherence to Christ—while he and everything he taught are denied in practice. Perhaps, therefore, unbelievers and others have some excuse today for despising the Christian religion.

But what they are despising is the counterfeit, the false currency, which is being passed around as Christianity. Some of them, it is true, may not accept the real faith if it is put before them in the lives of true Christians, but many will, and we have, therefore, a grave obligation to put it before them. Instead of denouncing atheistic communism, humanism, and all the other substitutes for the truth which men have invented, let us show them the truth by living it to the full. Let us convince them that the future life which God has planned for us, and made available to us through his divine Son Jesus, is a fact of which we are certain and for which we are ready to sacrifice every earthly power, pleasure and gain. If we are true Christians we must desire and hope that all our fellow men will become obedient to God, for this is God’s desire. That is why his divine Son became man. But, as St. John tells us today, it is not enough to desire and hope for this blessing for all our neighbors, we must show our true desire “in deed and in truth.”

This we shall do if we ourselves live up to the teaching of our Christian faith. There are many historical explanations for the loss of the true faith in many of the once Christian nations of the Western world, but the basic cause is the lack of a living, active faith and charity in those who by their position, education and influence were the leaders of the people. The “isms” of today, the substitutes for true religion, would never take root in a truly Christian soil; they took root and they spread where Christianity was but a name, or worse still a veneer which covered injustice and corruption.

We Christians owe a debt of reparation to all lapsed Christians. We have a grave obligation to bring our brothers who have been led astray by lax and false Christians back on the true road to heaven. Let us begin today to put our own house in order. Let us see to it that our conscience is right with God and resolve to keep it so. Then we can hope to exercise a quiet but effective influence on our neighbors who have wandered off the highway. Christ told his followers to let their light (of faith and good works) shine before men. If we have not been doing so let us begin today. There are millions groping in the darkness of spiritual despair; we can light their way to God. In God’s name let us do so!
GOSPEL: John 15:1-8.

Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”

Today’s excerpt from St. John’s Gospel is part of the long discourse Our Lord delivered to the Apostles at the Last Supper. It was in the form of a farewell address delivered on the eve of his death. Its purpose was to console and strengthen them to face the ordeals of the coming days. He told them not to be troubled, but to trust in God. Where he was going they would follow him later. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is in the Father and the Father is in him, “if you knew me you would know the Father too.” His death will not be the end; he will still live, and they too shall live. His life is not being taken from him, he is laying it down in obedience to his Father. Keeping his commandments will be the proof that they love him: “and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father” (Jn. 14).

Christ goes on (in chapter 15) to describe the intimate union that must exist between him and his followers, under the image of a vine and its branches. His Father is the vinedresser who will encourage the good and cut off the useless branches. The fruit produced by the vine and branches, by Christ and his followers, will be to God’s eternal glory.

I am…vine: The image of a vine or a vineyard to represent the Chosen People of God was often used in the Old Testament (Is. 5:1-7; Jer. 2:21; Ez. 15; Ps. 80:9-16). Here Christ says that he and his followers will form the new Chosen People. He is the true vine, the vine that will bear fruit; the Old Testament was only a shadow, a type of what was to come.

Father…vinedresser: Christ frequently stresses that he is only the instrument used by his Father. His success as a vine depends on his Father who planted the good vine and cares for it.

takes away: Useless branches are lopped off, the fruit-bearing branches are pruned so that they will produce more fruit.

clean…spoken: The revelation of God, which he has already given to them, has pruned them, that is, cleansed them from useless growths.

abide in me: As branches, they will wither and die unless they remain attached, that is, united with, the vine.

apart…nothing: No purely human act can have any salutary value, any value for eternal life, but if it is done under the influence of grace, then it can and is effective. Christ, by his Incarnation, death and resurrection, opened the channels of divine grace for man. Because of the foreseen merits of Christ, the effects of the Incarnation were retroactive and grace was obtainable before he came.

cast…withers: If they persevere in this sinful attitude Christ’s followers who fail in their duty will be cut off from the life-giving vine and must of necessity wither and die (spiritually).

ask…will: The follower of Christ, who is in intimate union with him, will have every request he makes in prayer granted. Such a Christian’s prayer will always be according to the will of God.

my Father is glorified: The followers of Christ will add to God’s external glory by the good works they do and the fruit they produce. They will produce such fruits only because they are united to the vine who is Christ. They are his true disciples. Through him they glorify the Father.

The words of consolation and encouragement which Our Lord spoke to his Apostles on Holy Thursday night were intended to console and encourage all his followers for all time. They encourage and console us today, and we need encouragement to persevere on the road to heaven. Living a truly Christian life is never easy. We have always the attraction of the world, and the temptations by the agents of evil, to make that life less easy still. But in our own day these difficulties have increased a hundredfold. The attractions of this world have been multiplied by the increased comforts, pleasures and means of self indulgence which science and technology have put within our reach. Human nature, always inclined to choose the easiest way out, has been given so many means of escape from the strain of self-control that even for a fervent Christian it is frequently very difficult to avoid these worldly allurements.

Having the ordinary comforts of life and the possession of some of this world’s goods is not wrong or anti-Christian, but the natural temptation is to get more and more of these comforts and riches, and the point is soon reached where this becomes the only purpose in life. When this sad stage is arrived at God and our future life are forgotten; this world becomes our idol and our prison. The temptations which the agents of evil put in Christ’s way are also multiplied today. The communications media are now very technically improved and perfected and can be, and sometimes are, a means for good. Unfortunately more frequently they are the channels of bad example. The evil deeds of men have more “news value” than their good deeds. And it is so much easier to follow the bad example! Permissiveness, rejection of authority, glorification of unlawful sexual indulgence, drug addiction, and other such crimes are placed before the minds and the eyes of the youth of today, and are unfortunately copied by far too many.

It is indeed hard to swim against the current; it is so much more pleasant to allow oneself to be carried along without effort by the rushing tide. But when there are rocks and shoals ahead, the thoughtless and ease-seeking swimmer will end in grief. Our Lord has warned us today, as he warned his first followers, to abide in him, to remain closely united with him, as is the branch to the vine, if we hope to bear fruit worthy of heaven. He promises us that if we remain closely united to him, that is, if we strive daily to keep his commandments, he will be ever ready to answer our requests, and to heed all our prayers. The sincere prayer today of every man who is trying to lead a Christian life is for the grace to overcome the allurements of the world, the flesh and the devil. Let us take courage, then. Christ has promised to remain beside us during life if only we stay close to him. While we remain healthy branches of the vine, Christ, we will be on the road to heaven. Our daily tasks, our work as well as our prayer, our recreations as well as our rest, our joys as well as our sorrows, will give glory to God and prove that we are worthy to be called disciples of Christ.-b189
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Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B

Citations of
Ac 9,26-31: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9bdsyni.htm
1Io 3,18-24: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9a3mn2c.htm
Io 15,1-8: www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/en/9abtnio.htm

The readings we hear today penetrate us and draw us more closely into the new reality inaugurated by the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ.

“I am the true vine” (Jn 15: 1-8). By describing Himself with the biblical image of the vine, Jesus recalls the true identity of Israel as the people chosen and elected by God from among the nations. He is also describing the relationship between Himself and the disciples. Like the branches of the vine, so the disciples belong to Christ in an almost ‘organic’ way, as Pope Benedict said in Berlin in 2011. This belonging expresses our dependence on the Lord and His emotional identification with us. The vine is one with each of its branches, and each branch extends the presence of the vine in the world.

Why is Christ the ‘true vine’ and why are we his ‘branches’? It is because God is waiting on humanity to bear fruit, even though our sin means we are unable to offer anything other than inedible stones. The Son of God, however, was made flesh to present to the Father the fruit long awaited – the good wine of love and obedience, and to include each of us in that true love.

The words of Jesus in the readings suggest another reflection. In order to “bear much fruit” and to obtain whatever we ask him, the Lord makes a condition: He asks that we remain in Him and that “my words remain in you”. What does it mean to remain in the Lord? In what sense can His words remain in us?

St John answers the first question in the second reading. “Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us,” (1 Jn 3:24) We can dwell in God, abiding in Christ, because Christ has already included us in His relationship with the Father. This link does not depend on us, but is a gift freely given once and for all in Baptism and deepened in the Eucharist. “We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.” Encouraged by this relationship with Christ, we are able to keep the commandments, not as the price we must pay in order to be loved, but as the fruit, which because He loves us, we are now able to offer.

In what sense must his words remain in us? It certainly isn’t in an intellectual sense. It is not enough that His words remain in us as simply a series of concepts. The words of Christ are not reducible to concepts nor are they simple words written down so that they may be memorised.

Christ’s words are much more than this. They are reality! They are what Jesus, risen and living, communicates to us daily in the Church, in those sometimes unexpected encounters in which he makes the truth and beauty of His presence noticeable. These are the words through which He reaches us and indicates to us the way forward. These words become companions to us on our journey and witness to our belonging to Christ because we have been called by Him and loved by Him.

It is this understanding of Christ’s words which St Paul encountered when He met the Risen Lord on the road to Damascus. He encountered them also with Ananias and in his Baptism, and in his friendship with Barnabas, who spoke for him and calmed the fears of the Christian community towards him. Paul encountered them ultimately in the love of the same community, which in the face of the attacks by the Greek-speaking Jews sent him to safety in Tarsus.

In each of these experiences of the words of Christ, we hear again Jesus’s love for us and we are strengthened in this love. Let us ask Mary who recalled all these things and who pondered them in her heart that we might be granted the gift of remembering, because every word of the Lord can change us into what He wants us to be, so that He can present us to the Father at the end of time as “holy and blameless before Him in love” (Eph. 1.4). Amen!

“Religious perspectives on the current financial crisis: vision for a just economic order” was the theme of the eleventh meeting of the Bilateral Commission of the Delegations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with Jews, which was held in Rome from 27 to 29 March. The event was presided by Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, and by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

In an English-language joint statement issued at the end of the meeting, the two sides highlight that, “while many factors contributed to the financial crisis, at its roots lies a crisis of moral values in which the importance of having, reflected in a culture of greed, eclipsed the importance of being; and where the value of truth reflected in honesty and transparency was sorely lacking in economic activity”.

“At the heart of Jewish and Catholic visions for a just economic order is the affirmation of the sovereignty and providence of the Creator of the world with Whom all wealth originates and which is given to humankind as a gift for the common good”, the text adds. Therefore “the purpose of an economic order is to serve the well being of society, affirming the human dignity of all people, each created in the divine image”. This concept “is antithetical to egocentricity. Rather, it requires the promotion of the well being of the individual in relation to community and society”. It also “posits the obligation to guarantee certain basic human needs, such as the protection of life, sustenance, clothing, housing, health, education and employment”. The commission also identifies certain particularly vulnerable categories of people, among them migrant and foreign workers “whose condition serves as a measure of the moral health of society”.

Jews and Catholics: The Economic Crisis is a Crisis of Moral Values (VIS)

The statement recalls the obligation on countries with developed economies “to recognise their responsibilities and duties towards countries and societies in need, especially in this era of globalisation”. In this context the participants in the meeting recall “the universal destination of the goods of the earth; a culture of “enough” that implies a degree of self-limitation and modesty; responsible stewardship; an ethical system of allocation of resources and priorities”. They likewise mention the “partial remission of debts on national and international levels”, highlighting the need “to extend this to families and individuals”.

The members of the bilateral commission underscore the role that faith communities must play in contributing to a responsible economic order, and the importance of their engagement by government, educational institutions, and the media. Finally they note how “the crisis has revealed the profound lack of an ethical component in economic thinking. Hence, it is imperative that institutes and academies of economic studies and policy formation include ethical training in their curricula, similar to that which has developed in recent years in the field of medical ethics”.

I vehemently regret the unforfunate statements recently made by SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson, who criticized Pope Benedict for “enabling journalists to jump to the conclusion that the Jews must no longer be held responsible for deicide.”

The Roman Catechism (Catechism of the Council of Trent), issued in 1566, teaches that

sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured …We must regard as guilty all those who continue to relapse into their sins. Since our sins made the Lord Christ suffer the torment of the cross, those who plunge themselves into disorders and crimes crucify the Son of God anew in their hearts (for he is in them) and hold him up to contempt.

And it can be seen that our crime in this case is greater in us than in the Jews. As for them, according to the witness of the Apostle, “None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” We, however, profess to know him. And when we deny him by our deeds, we in some way seem to lay violent hands on him.

 

See also:

The SSPX, Jews, and Authority: A new outcry against negotiations with the Society of Saint Pius X leads me to reflect on what is, and is not, wrong with those whose sense of religious freedom leads them to try to be more Catholic than the Pope.

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and ungird the loins of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I gird you, though you do not know me, that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

ISAIAH 45

The Cyrus cylinder, a contemporary cuneiform script proclaiming Cyrus as legitimate king of Babylon.

In scope and extent his achievements ranked far above that of the Macedonian king,
Alexander who was to demolish the empire in the 320s but fail to provide
any stable alternative.

—Charles Freeman in ‘The Greek Achievement”

The achievements of Cyrus the Great throughout antiquity is well reflected in the way he is remembered today. His own nation, the Iranians, have regarded him as “The Father”, the very title that had been used during the time of Cyrus himself, by the many nations that he conquered, as according to Xenophon:^[75]

The Babylonians regarded him as “The Liberator”.^[76] After his conquest of Babylon, followed Cyrus’s help for the return of Jews; for this, Cyrus is addressed in the Jewish Tanakh as the “Lord’s Messiah”. Glorified by Ezra, and by Isaiah, Cyrus is the one to whom “Yahweh, the God of heaven” has given “all the Kingdoms of the earth”.^[20]

Paul, Silva’nus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalo’nians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you; for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

1 THESSALONIANS 1

29TH SUNDAY 2011

RENDER TO GOD

Assyria and Babylon, the two monsters of Israel’s nightmares; the two-headed beast of their defeat and failure; the end of God’s promise that the line of David would last forever: Assyria and Babylon have fallen. The Persian king, Cyrus the Great, has conquered. The entire Middle East is under the sway of this man.

Before Xerxes approaches Sparta, before Alexander the Great rides to the Black Sea, the world is that of Cyrus. Even God calls him his ‘anointed’, his Messiah. For this is the word by the God’s prophet, Isaiah: ‘he has taken by his right hand to subdue nations before him and strip the loins of kings, to force gateways before him and their gates be closed no more’ (Isaiah 45.1). And the gates are not closed. They can be run through.

So, the history of the Middle East, as indeed with every human civilisation, is that of conquest: from Assyria and Babylon to Persia, Macedonia, Rome, Byzantium to the dar al Islam and the Turkey of today. Empires that rise and fall, empower and subdue… and tax. The empire in charge of Jerusalem and the Jews of the first century, Rome, levied a tax that went overseas. The conquerors get paid for their oppression. In a nation that has lost its land, this is the last insult, but in Roman Palestine they must reckon with the Jewish religion. The battle against Roman oppression is ideological.

Regardless of the complicit paying of tax, in the Jewish religious sphere of the law of tradition that governs life, there is no demand to be met. It is simply another part of the injustice the Jews suffer as long as they are without their land, and so, impermissible. In this encounter, against Jesus are not just the Pharisees who present the ideological objection, which, as we know is a volatile foundation for opposition. But also against him in this trap are the Herodians, who support the Romans and so receive riches, power and favours. Any answer Jesus gives will be dangerous: supporter of fundamentalists or betrayer of the Jewish law? It’s a question of genius and the Pharisees know it. The triumph is already palpable. Their repetition of Jesus’s ‘honesty’ is like Mark Anthony’s eulogy of Caesar in Shakespeare’s play. ‘Their speech is softer than butter… their tongue a naked sword’ (Psalm 55.22).

But this is the real question that is thrown back. What belongs to Caesar? What belonged to Cyrus 500 years ago that was then Alexander’s, then Caesar’s? What does Cyrus ‘the anointed’ have now? Nothing belongs to Caesar… anymore than anything belongs to those who barter with the very coins under dispute. This encounter is another example of how the point of God’s revelation and love has been missed by us, the people he has chosen. To be God’s people, to become a child of God is to be called towards the promised land of sharing God’s life, not struggles of territory and taxes. ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father…God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth’ (John 4.21, 24).

Because everything belongs to God. Which leaves us with a greater problem than that posed by the Pharisees. ‘Who knows the mind of the Lord? Whoever gave him anything that he had to pay it back?’ (Rom. 11.34-35). Giving what is God’s back to God…? That can only be our entire self, to be remade and reformed to be perfect in the love of our Father. Can we give ourselves, all that is ours without holding back anything? No, not without the love of God, but then, we could never do anything without him, could we? For, even Cyrus the Great needed God. ‘Though you do not know me, I arm you that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that, apart from me, all is nothing. I am the Lord, and there is no other’ (Isaiah 45.5b-7).

Bruno Clifton O.P

• Isaiah 45:1,4-6
• 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
• Matthew 22:15-21

Cyrus the Great liberated the Hebrew exiles to resettle and rebuild Jerusalem, earning him an honored place in Judaism.