Monday, January 19, 2015

Homily: Monday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time - Fasting and Wedding Feasting

Although Jewish law required fasting only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the Pharisees practiced fasting twice a week as a mark of devotion.  As a sign of repentance for their sins even John the Baptist and his disciples kept these fast days as well.  But when Jesus and his disciples are seen breaking these weekly fast days, especially by feasting with sinners, he is criticized by the Pharisees. 

Jesus replies by evoking a very powerful Scriptural image.  In the Hebrew Scriptures, God revealed his love for his chosen people as a spousal love—the love a bridegroom has for his bride.  Yet, Israel, over and over behaves like an adulterous wife.  God speaks through Jeremiah the prophet saying: Like a woman faithless to her love, even so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel.” 

The Jews believed that the Messiah would one day come and fully restore and realize the nuptial bond between God and his people.  We hear this beautiful promise in the prophet Hosea who says: “I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord.”

Jesus uses the criticism of the Pharisees to reveal something amazing about his identity: he is the bridegroom.  In a veiled way, Jesus is identifying himself as the God who desires to wed his people, and His presence, walking among the villages of Galilee, was a signal that Israel’s infidelities were about to be washed away and the wedding covenant renewed once and for all. 

One does not fast at a wedding feast.  So his disciples don’t fast.  But Jesus also hints forebodingly when the bridegroom would be taken away. 

We of course live in this period.  The Church has rightly resumed the practice of fasting, particularly during the season of Lent.  Though every time we come to Mass, the wedding feast, there is a little fast of one hour before receiving holy communion.

But our fasting is very different than the fasting of the Pharisees, whose fasting had devolved into empty custom.  Our fasting is to be done to heighten and intensify our prayer, as a way of preparing for the joy of the wedding banquet.

The fasting during the season of Lent prepares for the celebration of the marriage of Jesus and the Church which occurs at Easter, and we fast before receiving Holy Communion to prepare for the beautiful marriage of Jesus and our individual souls. 

In fasting, and in all of the practices of our spiritual life, we seek not mere external observance but interior transformation, that our souls may be opened to the great gifts God desires for us. 
As our nation observes the civil holiday of Martin Luther King Jr, let us seek the transformation of our hearts, that we can work for authentic justice and peace between all people through the faithful preaching and living of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.


Petitions:

For leaders around world, that they might find ways to bring an end to war and violence, and promote peace and development for all nations, we pray to the Lord. . . .

For those who serve in elected office, and for all the people of the United States, that we may be united in building a society in which all people are treated with dignity, and God’s laws may be practiced in freedom.

For the Church, that we may be a witness to Christ's love by practicing charity and promoting justice and peace throughout the world.

For Catholics throughout our nation, that the values of our faith may guide us as we exercise our civic responsibilities

For the safety of all those traveling to our nation’s capital this week for the March for Life, for the success of their witness, for the unborn, for an end to abortion and the Right to Life, that all people might come to a deeper respect for human life from conception to natural death.

For all the needs of the sick and suffering…

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead…



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