These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The tragedy of the Passion of John the Baptist has been portrayed in music, dance and art. But in the gospels, the Passion of John the Baptist points to the Passion of the Lord Jesus. So, when the cost of discipleship goes up, it’s always good to remember that God never forgets. The Beatitudes are the promise that being a disciple, following in the footsteps of Jesus, is what it’s all about: Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
We proclaim Christ crucified . . . Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Cor 1:22-25)
Paul reminds us in his preaching that the Cross reveals the power and wisdom of God. Later Christians treasured their preachers who could proclaim God’s unconditional love in ways that brought the Scriptures alive. Besides his many other writings, we are really blessed to have more than 400 homilies of Saint Augustine. As he would preach to his people at the Eucharist: “Become what you celebrate!” Today is the anniversary of my mom’s death. As Saint Monica said to her son, Saint Augustine, as she was dying, “Son, remember me always at the Altar of the Lord,” it is my privilege to remember my mom always at the Altar of the Lord, +Norma Torp Boyd, 22 February 1927-28 August 1996. “Eternal rest grant unto +Norma, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. And may her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 1:4-7)
Today is the feast of Saint Monica which is joined with tomorrow’s feast of Saint Augustine, her son. Theirs is a mother-son story that touches every heart. At the end of her life, they were in Ostia, Italy, the seaport for the City of Rome, waiting for the ship that would take them home to Africa. Monica was gravely ill and Augustine was very anxious because the ship was delayed in arriving. Monica told him, “Son, don’t worry about my body, bury me wherever I die. But remember me always at the Altar of the Lord.” And that is the privilege we all enjoy . . . we can remember our departed loved ones always at the Altar of the Lord.
This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s. This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. (2 Thes 3:17-18)
Paul didn’t want to have more problems with fake letters allegedly from him . . . so after the scribe who had been furiously trying to write down everything that the apostle dictated, Paul signs the letter in his own hand. I wonder how much that autograph would be worth today?
We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way. (2 Thes 2:1-3)
Poor Saint Paul . . . he had to put up with all sorts of troubles: persecutions, beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks . . . and even worse, other Christians writing fake letters in his name. And for what purpose? To scare people about the end of the world! Well, that kind of silliness still goes on today, two thousand years later. And what does Saint Paul tell us? The same advice he gave to the little community at Thessaloniki: “Hold fast to the traditions that you were taught.”
