Tag: God

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ATC 19 Being a Christian Today

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Hola and welcome to another edition of All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. If you have a question that you’d like me to address, send it to me. You may use the comment form on the website or by email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org. I invite you to share this podcast with everyone you know!

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about being a Christian today. I think being a Christian today, or more specifically, being a Catholic today, can be rather tricky. There are so many voices out there all vying for our attention. Some of those voices tell us frightful things like how wrong Vatican II was, or how the “signs of the times” should reshape our entire understanding of the faith and the Church’s teachings.

As an ordained clergy with a graduate degree in theology and currently working on a doctorate in ministry, I’ve got to tell you that it’s often challenging for me to determine which voices are authentic and which are not. I realize that I too am one of those voices, but, paraphrasing Horace Slughorn, myself, I always try to walk within the light of faith in Christ shining through His church on earth.

Friends, adding to the tension, are the painful things I’ve witnessed so far during this election cycle on social media. I’ve seen Catholics using social media to tell other Catholics that they’re not Catholic if they vote a particular way or if they hold to certain beliefs. I’ve even seen and heard priests say similar things, which is shocking, to say the very least.

Painful as it is to admit, I think we need to acknowledge that we live in a post-Christian world, and to my way of thinking, that changes many things (Dreher, 4, et al). First and foremost, we cannot assume the people around us are believers, nor can we believe they are tolerant of believers. We can’t even accept that the people standing beside us in the pews at mass, at an appropriate distance, of course, are true believers. But that doesn’t mean we need to adopt a defensive posture, nor does it mean that we need to insult or berate them.

No, I think the task of the Christian in the world today needs to be that of a missionary disciple. I say missionary because the task of evangelization needs to begin much closer to home. To do that, we need to get back to the fundamentals.

Ok, what does it mean to be a disciple? At a minimum, discipleship means three things: accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, deepening our relationship with Jesus through prayer and study, and sharing the Good News with other people.

First, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, that means we not only accept Jesus, but we believe in all of it: that God created this world and created us in His image and likeness; that He sent His only son born of the Virgin Mary, to suffer and to die for us; that Jesus rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father; that the Holy Spirit animates Christ’s church on earth, in the one, holy, universal church founded on Peter and the apostles; that we are forgiven, that the dead shall rise again and that the saved will have eternal life. Sound familiar? When we accept Jesus, then the Creed becomes the foundation of our lives.

Second, what does it mean to grow our relationship with Jesus through prayer and study? Well, have you ever fallen in love with someone? If you never tried to learn more about them and their life story, then you might be in for quite a surprise one day. Right? So, we try to get to know the people we love. The same is true with Jesus. We approach Him in prayer, and we try to learn more about Him through study. Between you and me, I think we overcomplicate the study part. Look, the key to understanding the Ten Commandments and the 613 Jewish commandments is this: they are not merely a list of things to do or to avoid. At their core, the commandments teach us about loving God (Hahn, 235). Once we understand that love is the key, then all the technical stuff is so much easier to understand.

What is love? Well, that’s an uber topic that we can’t possibly address today, but I know this: love has to be shared. If you don’t share love, if you never tell someone you love them, then your relationships will be stunted. That’s the third aspect of discipleship. We are called to share the love of Jesus Christ – the love that is God – with everyone around us. How do I know that? Because Jesus gave us the rubric of judgment.

Read Matthew 25:31-46. I think the sainted Mother Teresa sums it up quite nicely: At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me to eat. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”

It’s quite clear that the proof of our conversion is our willingness to dedicate ourselves in service to others. That’s what being a missionary is all about – going out and in love, serve those around us. And by our service, they will know we are Christians, and they will be drawn to the source of our joy. They will be drawn to Christ Jesus.

Being a Christian in the world today means that we need to return to the fundamentals. We need to dedicate ourselves to prayer, study, and service to others, all through the lens of love. That means that if we don’t understand the Church’s teachings, or even if we disagree with the Church’s teachings, we are called to prayer and study so that one day – perhaps years from now – we come to understand. We don’t beat up our fellow Christians on social media. We journey with them. And while we journey, we share Christ’s love in humble service to a world that desperately needs a message of hope.

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to All Things Catholic. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment – I’d love to consider what you’re thinking. If you’re on the webpage, just click the title of the podcast, then scroll to the bottom and you should be able to post a comment. Do you have a question that you’d like me to address? Please send it to me using the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. All Things Catholic will be back next month, and don’t forget to tune in for the weekend edition where we break open the Word. Peace!

References:
1. Dreher, Rod. The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation. New York, NY: Penguin Random House, 2017. Kindle.
2. Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017. Kindle.

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21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

picture of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 22:19-23
Responsorial: Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8
Second Reading: Romans 11:33-36
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082320.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

My brothers and sisters, once again, Holy Mother Church has curated for us an interesting set of readings so filled with meaning that we could easily go off in at least a dozen different directions! But today, I’d like to build on our theme from last weekend, about people who are coming to churches to pray even though they may not be interested or ready to become regulars again.

People are coming – they are coming to churches and chapels to pray, and they are participating in devotions like the rosary online or through social media. But there might be something holding them back from entering into full reconciliation. Maybe they aren’t sure how to begin. Perhaps they’re embarrassed because so much time has passed since they were last here. Or maybe they are still hurt and upset about the clergy sex abuse and cover-up scandal.

What can we do?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks the disciples who they think he is. Simon correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah, and for that, Jesus calls him “rock” and says he will build his church on Peter the rock.

That’s awesome!

In this short scene, we see the foundation of the Church, the primacy of Peter, who we consider the first pope, and the authority of the Church to bind the people through its teachings. Indeed, the Catholic line of thought is that in this passage from Matthew, we find one of the bases for the sacrament of reconciliation. Whatever Peter (and his successors) bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever he forgives will be forgiven. Period.

Unfortunately, the Gospel proclamation ends a little early. We will hear the rest of this passage next Sunday. But I want to look ahead just for a minute. In the very next part of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus explains that he must suffer. Peter pulls Jesus aside to scold him. “Don’t talk like that!” What is Jesus’ response? “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23).

I think it’s important to consider this with today’s Gospel because Peter has had a rough month! Jesus invites him to walk on water, but Peter sinks. Jesus says, “You man of little faith…” (Mt 14:31). Today, Jesus compliments Simon and calls him “Peter” or rock. Next weekend, Jesus will call him Satan! Isn’t that interesting?

What does that tell you?

It tells me that Jesus entrusted his Church to fallible and sinful people. Let’s face it – when the Church fails, she fails spectacularly. And yet, the Church persists. Why? Well, the success of the Church is not dependent on sinful humans. The Church prevails in time and space solely by the will of God! That’s important to remember.

When people come back to church, we need to remember that they might be hesitant or they might express anger, uncertainty, or frustration. Whatever the reasons why they left, it’s ok to remember that while God’s Kingdom is perfect, the Church isn’t. It’s ok to apologize for shortcomings on behalf of the Church and to invite them back in. Like Peter, our bishops – our leaders need a little help. If you stand outside the community, how can you help? Better to come home, roll up your sleeves, and help make this a better place for all of God’s people. The Church need the expertise of the laity. Our shared experiences – the good and the bad – will help our leaders guide the Church through these tumultuous times.

In an ever-changing world where nothing seems sacred, the Church stands as a public symbol of faith. The Church calls people outside themselves to something bigger than this world. The Church invites people to have an encounter with Jesus Christ. But you and I cannot minimize our role in helping the Church to reach out to those who are hurting – those who are scared – those who need a word of comfort and peace now more than ever. Are you ready?

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week:

  1. Am I ready to welcome people back to church without judgment?
  2. How can I help my pastor and my bishop?

I think doing our homework today helps clarify our mission as missionary disciples. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Artist Unknown. JPEG file. Creative Commons. Unported license.

References:
1. Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017. Kindle.
2. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010. Kindle.
3. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Grace of faith, 153
2. Christ the builder of the Church, 424
3. Christ the divine Son, 441-45
4. The Keys of the Kingdom, 551-53
5. Primacy of Peter, 552
6. Power of binding and loosing, 553, 1444
7. Peter the first Pope, 800-82
8. Foundations of unity: the college of bishops with its head, the successor of Peter, 880-87
9. Prayer of praise, 2639, 2649
10. Doxology, 2641

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082320.cfm
Lectionary: 121

Reading 1
Isaiah 22:19-23
Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”

Responsorial
Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8
R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

Reading II
Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given the Lord anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.

Alleluia Matthew 16:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.

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Coming Home

cross with sun shining behind it

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Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Responsorial: Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Second Reading: Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081620.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

While we were in Prague, we made a point to go to the Church of Our Lady Victorious to see the Infant of Jesus of Prague. The pastor, Padre Anastasio Roggero, a Discalced Carmelite friar, shared with us some of the history of his mission in Prague and his missionary work in Africa. He mentioned that since the pandemic began, he’s seen a lot more locals at church – people he has never seen in his 20+ years at the shrine. I would suggest there are many reasons for this, not least of which is worry about the pandemic, income, and all the strange events occurring this year.

One of the great blessings of the pandemic is that so many faith communities are streaming masses online as well as other devotions. There are even small faith communities that have arranged rosaries via Zoom, WhatsApp or other streaming services. It’s evangelization at its finest and I think it’s beautiful.

As people – people we don’t know and maybe have never seen before – come to the pews or through online avenues to pray, I think we all as disciples need to be sensitive to their needs. Maybe they are not ready to fully reconnect with the Church. Maybe at some level they are embarrassed or afraid, so they try to stay at the margins. We disciples of Christ Jesus need to be ready to reach out to them if only with a warm and welcoming smile. And we need to be ready to answer even their most basic of questions, like point out where the restrooms are at church.

We shouldn’t be worried or bothered or angry that strangers are showing up in our churches. Our whole mission is supposed to be about reaching out and to bring them home. As our response to today’s psalm reminds us, “O God, let all the nations praise you!” In a way, all three readings today talk about people coming to the faith.

Isaiah tells us that as long as they join themselves to the Lord, the foreigners are welcome. He outlines some very basic requirements; the point is that the doors of the Kingdom are open to everyone who is willing to accept the Lord.

Paul builds on this idea in our second reading from Romans. His mission was to go out the Gentiles and to the Jews, (see Acts 9:15, ‘Go, because this one is a chosen vessel to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and children of Israel). <1> This is a bit of an aside, but interestingly he introduces a bit of divine irony. Just as the Chosen had been punished in the Old Testament for imitating their pagan neighbors in the past, now Paul hopes they will imitate the Gentiles who have found faith in God through Christ Jesus. The point is that we must be willing to reach out and accept all those coming home who want to rekindle their faith in God through Jesus.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses rather harsh language to try to put off a Canaanite who is begging him for God’s mercy. But the power of her faith is so compelling, that Jesus grants her request. This reinforces the idea that God’s mercy and compassion are available to everyone!

Now let’s talk a little bit about this Canaanite woman – specifically about her beautiful prayer. From the Gospel, we can determine that she is not a Jew. But that doesn’t stop her from asking for God’s help through Jesus. Let’s look at how she approaches Jesus.

She comes to Jesus with faith. By calling him “Lord”, she trusts his divine authority and believes with every fiber of her being that Jesus will deliver. She persistently asks Jesus three times for help. And she is humble before the Lord even bearing the insult of being compared to a dog. She knows she has no claim to God or to Jesus, but she prostrates before Jesus and begs him for his help. <2>

She gives us a really a simple and beautiful example of prayer. I think this is important because some of the people who are coming to church may be in such a state that they do not know where to begin or even how to pray. But the Canaanite woman’s simple example is a great starting place for us in our own faith lives, and for those who need a refresher on how to talk with God.

Bottom line: be ready to help welcome people you don’t know to church. If they or someone you know needs some help praying to God, teach them the simple formula from today’s Gospel. First, approach God with faith. Second, be persistent in prayer. You may need to bring your petition to God multiple times. Finally, come in humility acknowledging that God is God, and that neither you nor I are a god.

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week:

  1. How is my prayer life? Maybe I could give the Canaanite woman’s method of prayer a try, just so I am able to share it with others?
  2. How can I be a welcoming presence in my faith community, both in-person and online?

I think doing our homework today will help us as disciples welcome the stranger. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Cross of Jesus Christ. JPEG file. Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christianity-Jesus_Christ_Died_for_your_Sin.jpg

Notes:
<1> Scott W. Hahn and Curtis Mitch, Romans, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017) chap. “God’s Mercy for All: Romans 11:1-36”, sec. “Apostleship to the Gentiles (11:11-16)”, Kindle.
<2> Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010) chap. “Healing the Canaanite Woman’s Daughter and the Crowds (15:21-31)”, sec. 198, Kindle.

References:
1. Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2017. Kindle.
2. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010. Kindle.
3. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. God’s love for Israel, 218-19
2. Jesus as Lord, 448-50
3. Kingdom first to Israel, 543-44
4. Israel’s unbelief, 591
5. Israel and the new Messiah, 674, 840
6. The catholicity of the Church, 831, 849
7. God’s mercy, 1037, 1846, 2040
8. Praying with faith, 2610

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081620.cfm
Lectionary: 118

Reading 1
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Thus says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.

The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants—
all who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
for my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.

Responsorial
Psalm 67
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

Reading 2
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,
I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous
and thus save some of them.
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.

Alleluia Matthew 4:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 15:21-28
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.