Mt 5:17-19 Teach me, O God!

I had an interesting experience with a man recently who assured me that I didn't need to follow what the Church teaches or understand fully who we receive in the Blessed Eucharist, as long as I believe in Jesus: that trough His Divine Mercy I shall be saved.    He apparently has been telling others who have no religious affiliation this same message and encouraging them to come to mass and receive the Eucharist.  It made me unsure of myself and wonder if the Church had changed part of what it teaches.  What to do in a situation like this?  I sought a priest.  It is what we ought to do in situations like this unless we are sure of ourselves. 

Today's readings, both the first reading, which is about Elijah showing the people that God is Lord of all; that the pagan god Baal was nothing; and the blessing of the stones representing  the people of the twelve tribes whom he called Israel as part of his altar in order to reconsecrate them to God, and the Gospel reading, we visualize very clearly how God choses particular anointed ones to speak to and lead the people to Truth. In the first reading it was Elijah, and in the Gospel it is Jesus.  We are not all prophets, and when we speak, we ought to be careful if we are instructing. 

Jesus said, "I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law..."  We must be careful when we teach and know what it is our Church teaches.  Our priests study so long to be good servants of God so they can serve us in this regard.  Our Deacon and catechists likewise are trained and continue their own educations in our shared faith order to teach it. 

It is good for all of us to read about our faith, to discern it, and share it.  Together we are the Body of Christ.  Together we teach each other and keep each other faithful.  May we always have the courage to seek out those who have been appointed when we have questions about our faith so that we may continue to grow and be challenged in it, growing ever closer to our Father.  Amen.

Luke 7:11-17 God has visited his people

In so many ways Jesus performed the same miracles as Elijah, so much so that at times, the people thought he was God and other times Elijah returned to his people.    Restoring life to the man who was dead is in line with all of the Gospel that Jesus preached.  He is the Good Shepherd and through him we enter into the Kingdom where he will give us new life.  It is echoed through Jesus' miracles of healing and bringing people back to life. 

In this particular Gospel reading Jesus tells this poor mother and widow not to weep.  He is uniting himself with her in her suffering.  He does that with each of us whether we have lost a loved one, are desperate for our children who may have addictions, are misguided, won't listen, etc.  He is with us in our suffering when we find out that we have an increased chance of Alzheimer's or been told we have cancer or diabetes.  The Lord knows our suffering.  His compassion and love are so great.  "Do not weep." He told the mother.  He is carrying her load with her, just as he carries it with us.  We go through the greatest trials in life, and yet make it through.  It is not because we are great and can do anything.  No, it is because we know that our God is amongst us, visiting us with his love and mercy. 

Luke 9:28b-36 The Transfiguration

Luke gives us the impression of the Lord glorified so much so that the Apostles are awed.  Remember that Luke was a doctor writing to Gentile readers about Christ and how to be good disciples.  He is also interested in examining things.  This reading as Jesus and some of the Apostles are on the mountain praying it is hard not to think about the other garden that Jesus would so famously pray in at Gethsemane.  In this is the Transfiguration, a pledge of Jesus Christ’s full glory revealed. In the other garden, he would be taken to suffer through the Passion that led to the Cross. 

           

Jesus is not alone as he prays.  Moses and Elijah are with him.  They were conversing about Jesus’ death and everything that would happen in Jerusalem.  One of our early Church Fathers, Tertullian, wrote that Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets.  They appear dwelling within the Lord High God.  Peter recognizes them and wants almost to capture them knowing that truly this must mean that Jesus is the Messiah.  Peter in the passage before today’s reading as confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, but like then, he is commanded by God the Father to be silent and to listen to what the Word, that is Jesus the Christ, His only Son, has to say.  Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and as prophet, speaks for God.  At the same time Jesus came to make a new covenant with his people through his love, mercy and grace upon the Cross for the salvation of mankind. 

Luke 4:21-30 Rejected at home

In today's Gospel we hear of how Jesus reads the scroll from Isiah, then as soon as the people of Nazareth realize what he said, they turn on him with derision.  He is merely the son of the carpenter, Joseph, what makes him better than they?  They are trying to put him into a stereotype of sorts.  Don't we try to do that too?  When we meet people or get an impression of who they are, don't we tend to expect them to act a certain way?  That is what they are doing with God.  They can't accept that Jesus is the Christ, and may actually start to believe that he is blaspheming.  This is punishable by death.  He reminds them that even Elijah and Elias both showed God's salvation to those who sought it whether they were Jewish or Samaritan, or something else.  God is not bound by human laws or thoughts.  Jesus was challenging how they believed.  It was dangerous.  Look at our own history in the United States to civil rights leaders and presidents who challenged the way people have thought:  Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy.  Perhaps these correlations will help make sense a little more of today's reading.  It is also striking too that Jesus never returned to Nazareth after this.  Their hearts were too closed for him to fill it.