29th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Responding to the Signs of the Times

 

Earlier this month we celebrated the feast day of Pope St. John XXIII, good Pope John, who, much to the surprise of the Cardinals and Bishops and the rest of the world, convoked an ecumenical council—the Second Vatican Council.

The Holy Father detected great changes in society such as rapid technological development, the development of the working class, changes in women’s role in society, and the gradual disappearance of colonialism. In the Papal Bull calling the Council, Pope John wrote about the Church’s need to pay attention to the “signs of the times”. He wrote, “We renew our confidence in our Savior who has not left the world he redeemed. Instead we make our own the recommendation that one should know how to distinguish the signs of the times (Mt 16:4) and we seem to see now in the midst of so much darkness a few indications that argue well for the fate of the Church and humanity (sec. 3).”

After the death of Pope John, the new Pope, Paul VI, also continued this idea, that the Church needed to pay attention to the signs of the times in order to effectively speak to the world in the midst of all of these changes and challenges. 

In the Gospel today, the Lord Jesus remarks that his contemporaries are adept at forecasting the weather by reading the signs, but they were missing something more important than weather, which was happening in their midst. Signs of God’s presence were all around them: loaves being multiplied, the lame walking, hardened sinners repenting, and the good news spreading. But with all these signs many refused to believe.

Similarly today, even amidst all the political chaos, natural disaster, war, and sickness in the world, God is present. There are miracles and healings, restored relationships, souls trapped in cycles of destructive behavior being freed through faith in Christ, Catholics pouring out their lives in teaching the young, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, so much evidence—if we take time to look and listen—of the presence of God. 

And yet, there are dark clouds on the cultural horizon, that the Church also needs to read and respond to. The rise of artificial intelligence, sexual immorality and gender confusion being imposed on young people, war mongering, unnecessarily risked national security, the threat of the use of nuclear arms, rampant, rampant corruption on every level of politics, the negligence of the media, the rise in the popularity of communism and atheism and witchcraft and the occult, the scientific community being compromised by financial and political interests. 

The Church has the duty to point to God, but she also has a duty to call souls to turn away from evil, and to call men of good will to work against the tides of evil. In fact, one could argue that the Church is being faithful to her mission when she is actively and publicly combatting evil, for the Lord said, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. 

The darker the world becomes, the more worldly evils provide reasons for unbelief, the brighter the Church need to shine, the clearer the Church needs to teach, and manifest God’s goodness through works of charity, providing hungry souls with reasons for belief for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For those who have fallen into error, for Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, for those who have left the Church, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may will turn away from the evils of our culture in order to pursue the goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

29th Week in OT 2019 - Friday - Reading the signs

On Wednesday, I was taking my regular walk along the old canal in Independence when I spotted a woolly bear caterpillar crossing our path. Folklore has it that the brown and black pattern of the woolly bear predicts the intensity of the upcoming winter: if the color brown is dominant the winter will be mild, if black is dominant, the winter will be severe. Surprisingly, this woolly bear was mostly brown, so perhaps we have that going for us. A scientific study from a few decades ago largely debunked woolly bears as reliable weathermen, so we won’t be basing our winter salt purchases on an insect I saw on a Wednesday afternoon.

In the Gospel today, Jesus is making his way toward Jerusalem when he comes across a group of non-believers. He points out how easily they forecast the weather by observing the signs—clouds and winds. But they were missing something more important than weather, what was happening in their midst. The signs of the kingdom of God where all around them: loaves being multiplied, the lame walking, hardened sinners repenting, and the good news spreading. But with all these signs many refused to believe.

Similarly today: our technological advancement is unparalleled. My phone has more computing power than the computers which put men on the moon. And yet, with all the technological advancement, large swaths of humanity close their senses, and their minds and hearts, to the message of God. Sports and entertainment, political power, excessive wealth, sexual license—the pursuit of the earthly-- take priority over the cultivation of the soul and the pursuit of righteousness that leads to eternal life.

Jesus urges the crowd to judge that the kingdom of God is at hand, that it is the time for repentance, and turning away from the seductive and ultimately empty, promises of the world. And in this present age, Christians are called to be the signs of the kingdom.

Through our lives, through our care for the poor, through the fruits of the spirit cultivated and blossoming in our lives, through our devout worship, through our penances, we are to be the signs that the kingdom of God is at head and the time for repentance is now, before it’s too late. For winter is coming, the end draws nigh, the day is now far spent, it’s later than we think.

May the signs of God’s kingdom manifest in our lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That Christians may be faithful to evangelization, especially in the face of opposition, and for Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October, “that the breath of the Holy Spirit may engender a new missionary ‘spring’ in the Church.

For those who have fallen into error, for Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, for those who have left the Church, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

29th Week in OT 2018 - Friday - Pointing out signs of God

When St. John XXIII convoked the Second Vatican Council the modern world was in cultural chaos. Western Europe since the eighteenth century Enlightenment had been growing more secular. The world was changing in dramatic ways: technologically, politically, economically, and ideologically. Good Pope John discerned the need for the Church to be able to address these changes, and to do so, he said that the Church had to take in account the “signs of the times” in order to show where God was at work and where human society was leaving God behind.

Jesus in the Gospel today spoke of “signs”…the signs of his time. He pointed out that his contemporaries were very good at discerning some signs, but they seemed oblivious to others. His contemporaries could easily forecast the weather by reading the signs, but they were missing something more important than weather which was happening in their midst. The signs of the time were all around them: loaves being multiplied, the lame walking, hardened sinners repenting, and the good news spreading. Signs were pointing to God-in-their-midst, and yet they hardened their hearts to Him, they looked away from Him.

Similarly today, even amidst all the tragedy, natural disaster, political turmoil, and sickness in the world, we see miracles, healings, restored relationships, Christian joy, fellowship, all which come through Christ. Catholics pouring out their lives in teaching the young, feeding the hungry in soup kitchens, clothing the naked, so much evidence if we take time to look and listen for the work of God. 

Some of our contemporaries do turn a blind eye to the signs of God. Yet, some are waiting for us to point God out for them—to take them by the hand and very patiently, as if to a young child—point out how God is working all around them.

Each of us has someone in our lives who God wants us to take by the hand, with all gentleness and humility, and with patience as St. Paul says in our first reading. If Christians cannot be gentle and humble with unbelievers there is something wrong with us.

As. St. John XXIII called us to be attentive to God’s presence in the changing, chaotic modern world, may we help to lead unbelievers to the true, good, and beautiful signs of God’s unchanging Word for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our Church leaders may be instilled with genuine Faith, Hope, and Charity and help all people of the world to grow in those virtues.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

Friday - 29th Week of OT 2017 - Signs of the Times

One of the very strong features of our Catholic faith is that we take signs and symbols seriously. Liturgically: art, music, gesture, beauty lift our minds to the worship of God, and help to express religious truths which cannot be expressed in words. In his 1999 “Letter to artists” Pope St. John Paul wrote, “In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art. Art must make perceptible, and as far as possible attractive, the world of the spirit, of the invisible, of God”

This is really the Sacramental Principle at work, so permeating Catholic Christianity: the visible sacrament communicates the invisible, the physical can communicate something of the spiritual.
In the Gospel today, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem when he must have come across a crowd of unbelievers, for he rebukes their unbelief. He points out how they so easily and forecast the weather by reading the signs, but they were missing something more important than weather, which was happening in their midst. The signs of the time were all around them: loaves being multiplied, the lame walking, hardened sinners repenting, and the good news spreading. But with all these signs many refused to believe.

Similarly today, even amidst all the tragedy, natural disaster, war, and sickness in the world, we see miracles, healings, restored relationships, Christian joy, fellowship, all which come through Christ. Catholics pouring out their lives in teaching the young, feeding the hungry in soup kitchens, clothing the naked, so much evidence if we take time to look and listen for the work of God.  The darker the world becomes, the more reasons for unbelief, the brighter we need to shine, with reasons for belief.

The more things change, the more things stay the same, for Christians, meaning, as the world changes, the Christian message, and the vocation of the Church remains the same. We are called to be proof of God’s love to the world. And that is done in very physical ways: gathering for prayer, gathering for works of charity, gathering for teaching, and manifesting the spiritual gifts God has given us for the upbuilding of the Church.

To go back to the idea of art, there is nothing more beautiful, no masterwork of art greater than a soul which has surrendered herself to God. We are called to be the works of art, through which the invisible hand of God, the artist, is made visible, in which His beauty, His truth, and His goodness are made manifest, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our Church leaders may be instilled with genuine Faith, Hope, and Charity and help all people of the world to grow in those virtues.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.