Monsignor Owen F. Campion

  • We are in the hands of God

    18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    Lk 12:13-21
    The first reading this weekend is from the Book of Ecclesiastes. The first verse states that the book is the work of Qoheleth, a son of King David, although no proper name is used. The book’s origins, despite this tradition, are puzzling.

    The name of this book comes from the Greek, and then the Latin. Furthermore, this book seems to show a Greek influence, and Greek culture did not influence the Jews until centuries after Solomon. However, its Hebrew is of a style used long after Solomon’s time.

    Many scholars today believe Ecclesiastes dates from only two or three centuries before Christ.

    A virtual trademark of this book is its condemnation of human vanity. This scorn of vanity is in this weekend’s reading.

    Vanity of course affronts God, the almighty and the perfect. It also displays the ignorance and illogic of humans, who see in human thought the greatest wisdom. This tendency leads them to regard material wealth as such a value. It also causes them to spurn, or to discount, God.

    For its second reading, the Church presents a passage from the Epistle to the Colossians. Continuing the general message of the first reading, this selection from Colossians calls upon Christians to focus on the things that truly matter, namely the things of God, counseling believers to rise upon temptations of this world, and it sees sin as in essence idolatry. 

    St. Luke’s Gospel furnishes the last reading. Jesus appears in this reading as a mediator, asked by “someone in the crowd” to resolve a dispute about inheritance. Readers of the Gospel are accustomed to such questions being put to the Lord. Did this person in the crowd, unnamed and unidentified in the Gospel, intend to trick Jesus? To put Jesus in an awkward position? To put Jesus in the middle of an argument?

    Of course, it is possible that the questioner’s intentions were not pure. However, to invite anyone to mediate a dispute was a compliment. Such questioning presupposed that the person being questioned, in fact, possessed knowledge. Furthermore, it presupposed that all sides would respect the integrity and wisdom of the mediator. Not surprisingly, outright strangers, whose credentials were unknown, were never invited to mediate between arguing parties. So, Jesus was in the midst of persons familiar with him, as a person and as a teacher.

    As would have been the etiquette of the time, Jesus hesitates before proceeding.

    Under Jewish custom, surviving children did not have to seek a clear division of a deceased parent’s belongings. So there must have been a problem. Rather than plunging into the argument, the Lord’s advised avoiding greed, insisting that material wealth has no true worth.

    The Lord then tells the parable, or story, of the landowner who had great good fortune. His harvest was great. He plans to store the harvest so as to provide for his easy living in years to come. Such reasoning is foolhardy, Jesus says. No human can truly control his or her future. It would be better to distribute the abundance among the needy.

    Reflection
    From the earliest times in the history of Revelation, the holy have dealt with the human tendency to measure all things, even life itself, in material terms. It was a tendency that with which the author of Ecclesiastes dealt. The Lord Jesus dealt with it.
    These readings do not call us to reckless waste and abandonment of good sense and responsibility. Rather, they remind us that we are in the hands of God. We ultimately control nothing about our future, save by our voluntary decision to be one with God in Christ. In this decision, we assure ourselves a place at heaven’s eternal banquet.

    This lesson is that we should put first things first.       

    Posted on July 27, 2010, to:

  • Nothing is impossible for God 

    16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    Lk 10:38-42
    The Book of Genesis, unfortunately, bears the burden of being remembered, and usually discussed, only in terms of its Creation Narratives. While the creation of all things and beings in existence by Almighty God is a major revelation, Genesis has much more to say than just about how long it took God to create, from nothingness, the world.

    This weekend’s first reading is an example of the power of Genesis in its revelation of a circumstance far removed from the story of creation.

    It is in the telling the story of Abraham. For the ancient Hebrews, Abraham, who actually lived according to scholars, and who was no mythical or imaginary figure, was the great model of faith. He is no less worthy as a model for Christians.

    In this weekend’s reading, God comes into the presence of Abraham. Three men stand before Abraham, and Abraham receives them hospitably. Abraham offers them drink and food as well as shelter from the hot sun. He tells Sarah, his wife, to prepare the best of foods.

    Then, one of the men tells Abraham that within the year Sarah will give birth to a child. In the ancient Hebrew culture, nothing was more important that the arrival of new life. A child continued the life of its parents. 

    For its second reading, the Church gives us a passage from the Epistle to the Colossians. This epistle was written when Paul was facing one of the hardships he often endured in the process of being an Apostle and of preaching the Gospel. Paul is imprisoned. Yet, he still called the Christians of Colossae to fidelity.

    He still was functioning as an apostle and as a believer, insisting that he was “commissioned” by God to preach the Gospel. Paul himself exemplified faith as much as he wrote about it.

    St. Luke’s Gospel furnishes the last reading. It is a very familiar story. Jesus is in the home of Mary and Martha. He is their guest. Mary wants only to listen to Jesus. Martha is concerned about the details of being the Lord’s hostess.

    Jesus counsels Martha not to worry about these details, but instead to listen — with Mary — to the words of salvation.

    Reflection
    Often Martha is seen either as too preoccupied with herself, forgetting the important things, opposite Mary, a true disciple. Actually Martha was of great faith. In another reading, she rushed to Jesus after the death of Lazarus to express her faith in the Lord as the source of life. This weekend’s story simply shows that Martha was human, confined by human concerns and limitations.

    These three readings altogether teach us that humans have problems, maybe legitimate problems. Sarah was unable to conceive when sterility, especially for a woman of her time, was a great source of scorn and of the personal sense of failure.

    Paul was held in captivity by, at best, ignorant authorities, at worst, the enemies of God and true justice. Martha just was caught up in normal everyday demands of life.

    Yet, despite all these problems, none of these figures lost faith. God entered their lives. Nothing is impossible for God. He is supreme over the constraints of nature and the power of the proud Roman Empire.

    Son of God, Jesus ignored human conventions if salvation was at stake. He went to Martha and Mary, to voice the Good News, when the hard and fast rule was that no single man should never enter the home of a woman or women, and absolutely never take a meal with a woman.

    These readings tell us about our need for God, and on the other hand about God’s power to satisfy us despite our needs. We simply must welcome him, as did Abraham, Martha and Mary.   
     

    Posted on July 13, 2010, to:

  • We find God in Jesus 

    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    Lk 10:1-2, 17-20
    This Sunday, July 4, 1776, is the greatest of American holidays, recalling the day in Philadelphia when the founders declared the independence from Britain of what was to be the United States of America. It is more than a memorial about the structure of government. It celebrates personal freedom, and beyond, that human dignity.
    As was the case with Father’s Day, the Liturgy of the Word was prepared for the Universal Church, although few parishes this weekend will ignore Independence Day.
    Nevertheless, in the liturgy, the first reading is from the third section of Isaiah. The three sections of this book, so favored over the years by pious Jews as well as devout Christians, saw a great sweep of Hebrew history, from before the Babylonian conquest, through the exile of many Jews to Babylon, the imperial capital, and finally to the Jews’ return to their ancestral home.

    The return was bittersweet. Poverty and despair stalked the land. Cynicism, at best, must have been everywhere. Where was God in all this? The prophet majestically reassured the people that if they are faithful, God will sustain them. 

    The Epistle to the Galatians provides the next reading. In it proclaims Jesus to be the Lord and the Christ. (Christ is not a name but a title. It means the select of God, chosen to be the Redeemer.)

    Also, the epistle makes the strong point that God’s love is for all.

    St. Luke’s Gospel supplies the last reading. Already Jesus is making plans to announce the Good News far and wide. The crucifixion and Resurrection have not yet occurred, but the Lord even now is arranging for all people to be reconciled with God and to find God’s peace and life. Jesus sends 72 disciples, in pairs, to distant places. All is in God’s plan. All are in God’s love.

    Jesus instructs the disciples to carry no provisions. God will provide for them. They must focus their intentions upon their holy mission of representing Jesus, not upon their earthly needs.

    The Lord also warns that many will not accept these delegates from God. Those who rebuke God cannot be coerced to do otherwise. This is their freedom, but also their ignorance. Nevertheless, those who turn away from God and spurn God’s redemption bring doom upon themselves, not as divine revenge, but as simple consequence.

    Reflection
    Signing the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, has come to represent the great statement in this society that human freedom is essential for, and integral to, every person. However, human freedom does not mean license. Indeed, our system, evolved from the events of July 4, 1776, cherish laws to protect rights as well as liberties.

    Putting all this in balance means respect one for another. It also assumes that each person has reason and potentially strength.

    This is fully within the historic Catholic concept of human nature and of the identity of each person. No world tradition eclipses the Catholic respect for the individual person. No theology the Catholic belief in the worth, and potential, of each person.

    Respecting another, and realizing personal potential, in the moral sense, is the chore. Original sin has made us all nearsighted and insecure. We are limited, nearsighted and afraid, in spiritual matters as well as other considerations.

    As a spiritual consideration, God has not abandoned us to our plight. He enters our lives and our world. How? He gave us Jesus, so wonderfully extolled by Paul.
    In a word, we need God. We find God in Jesus. If we set our sights on God, as persons or as a nation, we will overcome our nearsightedness and fear and truly reach our potential, of building a society worthy of humans, and of finding eternal life ourselves. 

    Posted on June 29, 2010, to:

  • Our eternal Father forgives and provides

    12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    Lk 9:18-24
    This is Father’s Day in the United States, first envisioned by a woman attending services at an Episcopalian church in 1909 in Spokane, Wash., on Mother’s Day. She thought similar recognition was due for fathers, so eventually this day came to be.

    Rare would be the parish liturgy that failed to note Father’s Day, but the Liturgy of the Word was composed for the entire world and for many people who do not observe American holidays. So, the readings are not strictly for Father’s Day, but they coincidentally have a theme not far removed from what we venerate in good fatherhood.

    The first reading is from the Book of Zechariah, who was of the priestly caste, born in Babylon during the captivity in the sixth century B.C. He began to prophesy as a young man.

    Zechariah called the people of his time to faithfulness and to obedience to God’s law. Also, he reminded the people of God’s love and goodness. 

    This reading refers to an unnamed victim of the destruction of Jerusalem. This victim will be greatly mourned. The victim was uncompromisingly true to God.

    Pious Christians have seen in the reading a reflection Jesus, the Son of God and Redeemer, loyal to God to the end.

    Next, the Church presents a lesson from the epistle to the Galatians. It states that each person is a child of God, because each person, through the Incarnation, is a human brother or sister of Jesus. Each believer has been “clothed” with Christ, intimately and indelibly bonded with God, in Christ.

    St. Luke’s Gospel is the source of the last reading. In this passage, Jesus asks how the Apostles view him. Peter replies that Jesus is the “Messiah of God.” Peter’s confession on faith in Jesus reveals two important catechetical points.

    The first is that Peter spoke for the Twelve. The Gospel recorded Peter’s statement. Secondly, Peter was inspired and wise enough to recognize Jesus. Go no farther than the four Gospels to find evidence of Peter’s importance in the unfolding of salvation in Jesus.

    The Lord then declares that true discipleship is more than a warm feeling of somehow vaguely being connected with Jesus or admiring Him. Instead, it is a wholehearted identification with the Lord, verified by literally walking with Christ through the difficulties of life. Each true disciple must also carry the cross as Jesus carried the cross.

    Reflection
    This weekend in the United States we celebrate Father’s Day. The readings provide an idea of the goodness to us of God, the eternal Father.

    The first reading was from Zechariah. Born when Jews were held in captivity in a foreign, hostile environment, Zechariah benefited from being in the generation that was released from this captivity and was able to return to the Jewish homeland. He, and his contemporaries, never saw this release as the result of mere luck or coincidence. Rather, in their minds, God rescued them.

    Galatians obliquely refers to God’s love. God sent Jesus to humanity. In Jesus, humans can become nothing less than heirs to eternal peace. In Jesus, humans become brothers and sisters of the Son of God, with God their Father in a most special sense.

    St. Luke’s Gospel further describes Jesus as God’s gift. As said by Peter, the Lord is the messiah. He frees us from our sin.

    God loves us as a perfect, loving, forgiving and providing Father. However, God’s love does not drag us away from ourselves. We must turn to God with true conviction. We must even carry the cross on occasion.

    Carrying the cross is a struggle. Nevertheless, our loving Father assists us with the divine help of Jesus, and our loving Father awaits us with everlasting life at the end of our earthly struggle. 

    Posted on June 15, 2010, to:

  • Christ lives in us

    11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    Lk 7:36-8:3
    The first reading for this weekend’s liturgy is from the Second Book of Samuel. Scholars refer to First and Second Samuel as historical books. Historical books in the Bible do not exactly fit the description of history books today, not because they are untrustworthy or make-believe, but because the point of the book is to tell a religious story.

    For the authors of these ancient works, as well as for the prophets, nothing was more important in life than being true to God.

    In this reading, Nathan, the prophet, confronts David, the king of Israel, with his relationship with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite leader. Since Bathsheba was married, the relationship was adulterous. Ancient Hebrews detested adultery, and only one thing was worse, namely adultery with a pagan. Such unions weakened the commitment of Israel to the one, true God.

    Nevertheless, when David admits the error of his ways, even in these grave circumstances, Nathan assures him that God forgives him.

    The Epistle to the Galatians furnishes the second reading. This passage splendidly reveals what genuine Christian living is. “I live now not I, but Christ lives in me.” This one statement, so familiar to, and beloved among, Christians, captures the intimacy of the bond between the Lord and true disciples. It is a bond created in uncompromising faith. It is a bond that brings salvation to the disciple.

    St. Luke’s Gospel provides the third reading. It too is familiar to Christians. It is the story of a “sinful” woman. The text does not describe this woman as a prostitute, but over the centuries Christians usually have assumed that she was a prostitute.

    Assuming that the woman was a prostitute only underscores the depth of God’s love, shown in Christ’s forgiving the woman. This aspect of the story, namely God’s forgiveness, is the point of this passage.

    Whether the woman was a prostitute is not the point. She was gravely sinful. All, very much including Jesus, saw her as such. In the Jewish culture at the time of Jesus, the greatest sins that a woman could commit were prostitution and adultery. She may also have been a prostitute.

    Her gesture of washing the Lord’s feet and perfuming them, was a great act of deference and humility.

    God’s forgiveness, given in Christ’s mercy, is so great and unquestioning that the Pharisee, the specialist in theology, cannot fully comprehend what was occurring. Jesus had to explain God’s love in a parable.     

    Reflection
    First of all, the place of women in the New Testament intrigues many people. As so often said in the Gospels, the Apostles were in the Lord’s company. They were Christ’s special students and followers. Also in the Lord’s company were several women, including Mary of Magdala, from whom seven demons had been expelled.

    The presence of the Apostles verifies their future role in the development of Christianity. The presence of the women shows the outreach of Jesus. Women, while not Apostles, hardly would have been admitted to the company of male figures so important to the unfolding of salvation had they been regarded as inferior.

    Second, these readings teach that the mercy of God is unquestioningly given those who humbly and sincerely ask for God’s forgiveness of their sins.

    The Gospel does not give us the exact details of the sin of the woman who met Jesus. However, the sin committed by David in his liaison with the wife of Urriah, the Hittite, is clear. Together, the picture is vivid. The women, as well as David, were guilty of grave sin.

    Yet, mercifully, God forgave them. The key for us is to give ourselves to Christ, so that we “live not ourselves, but Christ lives in us.”

    Posted on June 8, 2010, to: