Counsel

First Reading: Acts 15:1-6
Psalm: Ps 122:1-5
Gospel: Jn 15:1-8

Feast day of Our Lady of Fatima

Friends,

Do you remember being a child and asking your parents questions? "Why is the sky blue?" was a favorite in our house. Now that we're older, where do we go for our answers to all of our questions? The library? The internet? Someone with experience? If we disagree with someone, how do we determine who is right?

Most often, we will seek out a wise counsel. Someone who is very learned in the subject that we are interested in at the moment. For instance, scientists when discussing the sciences. If a question or dispute arises in the area where a particular scientist is very reputable, they might be asked to give their opinion of the matter. They are consulted because they have a put a lot of time and thought into the problem, studied it from a number of angles, and presumably have the best current understanding of the issue.

In the reading for today, a dispute has arisen among the Christians between those of Jewish heritage and those of the Gentiles. The Jewish Christians want to continue observing the Mosaic law, including circumcision. The others feel that this is not necessary. Only one way to settle the dispute: go back to those who are the most knowledgeable on the subject, the apostles. This would be the first of many counsels that the Church would hold to settle differences within the body of Christ, according to his word (see Matthew 18:15-17).

Notice that the apostles do not give an answer immediately. They hear discussion and debate on the subject. They are willing to weigh the merits of both arguments. However, they also add in another element, the teachings with which they are so familiar. Just as a prominent scientist weighs theories against each other, he must also take into account everything else known about the subject before he endorses one theory or another.

We should take this as a lesson for ourselves and not be quick to take sides, but learn what each side has to say. Take the time to discover why people support one belief or another. Above all, discuss with respect. Remember, each side held strongly to their side of the argument, but all of them wanted to follow the teachings of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. We pray that we might be respectful in our discussions with those who do not believe what we do. Help us to keep patience and humility in our hearts when speaking to those who disagree, and ward off anger and pride. Give us the grace to see others that differ with us as brothers and sisters in our Lord and to treat them as such, correcting where we must, loving at all times. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Love Your Enemies

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20
Psalm: Ps 117:1bc, 2
Gospel: Jn 6:52-59

Friends,

Today's gospel is very important. It is at the very heart of an age-old disagreement between Catholics and our Protestant brothers. I am not well-versed enough to elaborate on the topic. I highly recommend reflecting on its words, getting a copy of the direct Greek translation if you can, and discussing it with a spiritual adviser.

Sometimes, it is difficult for us to see how treating another in a Christian way helps the cause of Christ. In today's reading, we hear Ananias responding to God's unusual request that he assist the very man who had made it his mission to tear down the Church.

But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name."
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name." - Acts 9:13-17

In our own times, there are many people who attack our faith. Some do it openly, cursing the Church and the name of Jesus. Others seek to undermine teachings of the church and attack those who defend those teachings. In response, many Christians lash back, hurling insults and other un-Christian sentiments. They, and we, are often quick to forget that those who disagree with us and seek to attack us are the very ones that Jesus has asked us to pray for:

But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. - Luke 6:27-28

This is the very thing that is emphasized in the reading, and it shows why this command of our Lord is so important. We do not know how God plans to use each of us for His glory. We most certainly do know that He has not given up on them, that He still loves them, just as He loves us. In any case, we are not given permission to stop treating them with love and respect. God alone has the right to judge them and give them the reward that they have earned.

Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Rather, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good. - Romans 12:19-21

Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for the gift of this day. We pray for the gift of patience when dealing with people who seek to harm us, that our example might be an offering to Your glory. Help us to love as You love and leave the rest in Your hands. Jesus, we trust in you! Amen.

Seeking to Understand

First Reading: Acts 4:32-37
Psalm: Ps 93:1-2, 5
Gospel: Jn 3:7b-15

Friends,

In today's readings, we see the early Church, bringing gifts to the apostles to be distributed to the needy and in the gospel, we continue Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus.

It was today's gospel that struck me particularly. A common complaint that non-Christians have is that Jesus is not clear in His teachings. "If He meant something, why didn't He just come out and say it?" It is hard to explain sometimes, all the more because of the many different interpretations that Christians have of the same passage. The simple answer is that we would have a very difficult time understanding a word He said if He did not use visual aids.

Last night, I was reading an explanation on basic theology and it emphasized over and over again that the concepts relating to the spiritual world were difficult to grasp. To aid the explanation, they used a number of analogies to help the reader understand little bits at a time. It took an hour of reading and reflecting before I understood what was being said, but eventually I could just grasp it. However, I know that, without a knowledgeable and trusted guide, it would have been almost impossible.

Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? - John 3:11-12

Jesus is instructing Nicodemus (and all of us) in a similar fashion. Yesterday, He used the analogy of being born to try to explain the life one enters in the Holy Spirit. The change of perspective and life when one is filled with the Holy Spirit is similar to the radical change one undergoes when being physically born. Our whole world is shaken, everything we know is overturned, but it has to happen if we are to live and come to a better understanding of reality.

Likewise, when describing the Holy Spirit, Jesus likens it to the wind (in Hebrew, and in Greek, the word for wind is also the word for spirit, making a great play on words). We cannot see the Holy Spirit, but we can recognize it by how it affects other things that we can see, just as we don't see the wind, but we see the trees swaying. We do not control the comings and goings of the winds, nor can we control whom the Spirit will speak to or what gifts it might bestow on one person or another. If He were to state that the Spirit is an invisible, intangible, supernatural force that lives within us to help us communicate with God, would that have been more helpful?

Oftentimes, I have to describe a very technical problem to someone who does not have the years of training that I am blessed with. It usually takes a long time, several analogies and a great deal of patience to make them understand. Jesus must have felt that way a lot (see Mark 4:13). On the other side, imagine what it would be like listening to a quantum physicist describe the details of his latest discovery if you want to understand what it must have been like for the apostles.

Heavenly Father, we praise you for greatness. You have given us a world that is understandable and minds with which to understand it. Aid us in our quest to understand Your Will for us. Grant us patience, that in teaching we do not become discouraged and in learning that we are not disheartened. Guide our teachers to truth, that we are not led astray. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.