I Sunday of Lent: Gospel Reading: Mathew 4:1-11

I Sunday of Lent (A) – March 9, 2014

Gospel reading: Mathew 4:1-11

 Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

          From his hospital bed, just days before his death, Fr. Philip Lamberty, OP, held court with visitors.  His bodily pain could not hold back his smile and sense of joie de vivre. His laughter gave way to a heartfelt moment as he shared his gratitude for a God-filled life: 

“I’ve been so impressed by the sincerity and authenticity of people’s prayer and I am in awe of that.  Why shouldn’t I be impressed by something that is so beautiful?  And if I’m impressed, then Jesus, whose standards are much lower than mine, would be tickled and delighted. ….”

         At first I thought, “Jesus has low standards?”  However, I didn’t take much time to correct myself as I reflected, “Thank God, how wonderful the low standards of Jesus.  For, it makes possible his reaching down below you and me and lifting us up.” As I reminisce about Fr. Philip, I’m so thankful for his humorous wisdom.  I never encountered him disconnected from the struggles of life, nor did I ever see him without joy – kind of like Jesus. 

          In today’s Gospel reading, we hear about Jesus living in connection with the struggles of life as he is tempted in the desert.  It’s a moment Pope emeritus Benedict XVI characterizes as the Lord’s “descent into the perils that beset humanity.”   A moment in which the standards of Jesus took him so low to the point of mixing it up with likes of Satan, the father of lies himself.  I’ve said it many times before, but it still makes me wonder; that the life and mission of Jesus was a continual descent into our human condition and struggle.  We can call it the “downward mobility” or low standards of Jesus. 

      We do well to remember that it not only was, but is, a continual descent into the perils and struggles that beset us.  In that, Jesus lowers his standards by lowering himself to be with us.  Yes, he lowers his standards, but he never weakens them.  Lest we forget, his standard is love. 

         Back in the season of Advent and Christmas, the keyword about Christ is Emmanuel, God with us.  At the same time, the good Lord reminds us today and always, “I’m with you.” Might our lesson this Lent be to learn just how Christ is with us.  When that happens, our standards will be raised and redeemed. 

Continue reading →

Ash Wednesday 2014

Ash Wednesday 2014 – Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

Gospel reading:  Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18

      I like to ask seminarians that I meet what are the latest books they are reading, especially concerning the study of Christ.  I quickly realize that the books on my shelf are a bit dated.  No doubt, the new ones of today will be passé tomorrow.   There is a need in the Church for our ancient Tradition to be given new dynamism.  Of course, the book on Christ has no final chapter; there is so much more to learn.

          In the letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul speaks of the “unsearchable riches of Christ.”  At the same time, in his message for this Lent, Pope Francis reminds us that “Paul also teaches that we were set free, not by Christ’s riches, but by his poverty.”

         In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul gives us the depths of the Lord’s poverty when he writes that Jesus, “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself…” to take on our human condition and “humbled himself, becoming obedient even to death, even death on a cross.”  That’s poverty ….leading to the riches of eternal life. 

        By keeping up with new books and my own reflection, I’ve come to realize that the life and mission of Christ can be appreciated as one descent after another. It started as St. Paul describes, “He emptied himself …” However, it didn’t stop there. That was only the beginning.  It didn’t end with the cross and grave, either.

       The Lord’s descent continues, so that when we feel weak and lowly, we might truly discover him, not far away, but near.  Discover him in community and individually. In the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday, Jesus invites us to go into our “inner room” to pray, especially the inner room of our heart.  He has descended there so we might get to know what he sees and loves in us. Jesus calls us to our inner room so we might realize that we are not alone.  He calls us around his table so that we might discover the true remedy for loneliness … “Through him, and with him and in him” … and for us. 

      May all your Lenten commitments and sacrifices help you to discover Jesus present in your inner room and at his altar.   Blessings to you, your families and dear ones this Lenten season.

Continue reading →

VIII Sunday, March 2, 2014 Readings: Isaiah 49: 14-15 / 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5 / Matthew 6: 24-34

VIII Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) – March 2, 2014

Readings:  Isaiah 49: 14-15 / 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5 / Matthew 6: 24-34

Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

A recent study reported findings that anxiety and worry can be contagious.  Part of the study dealt with how one person who manifests noticeable symptoms or signs of anxiety or worry demonstrably affects other nearby persons.  The investigators noted that people standing in line near a visibly anxious or nervous person reacted by manifesting similar signs and behavior.   The new story made me chuckle as I thought, “Gee, I could have told them that!” 

In today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus cautions against worry or its equivalent at least five times.  So many times; he must have noticed it was a problem for his followers … or that it is a problem!  It helps to notice the “worry” dynamic that Jesus talks about.  Most of the examples of worry are “me-oriented”: what we eat, drink or wear.

Noted Scripture scholar, Dominican sister Barbara Reid highlights how the caution Jesus makes against worry also reminds us against the sin of selfishness as she writes, “Neither obsessive anxiety about subsistence nor fixated desires on excessive accumulation have a place in the realm of God.  Both are reflective of little faith.”  Very often, worry not only reflects a weakness in faith, but also less interest in the good of others.  

Jesus calls on us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”  The idea is not to neglect the necessities of life, but to view them as means to help us to get to where God invites us, nearer to Him and in communion with those around us. 

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI points out that today’s Gospel reading is integrally related to the confident faith we are to express in the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father.  Asking God to “give us this day our daily bread,” is more than about asking with outstretched hands.  Jesus teaches us to see ourselves in relationship with God, God who provides.  The fruit of that relationship is trust, not worry. 

At the same time, the providence of God leads us to recognize the value of our efforts, not only to make the Lord’s bounty practical and usable, for those in need as well as ourselves, so that our relationship with God nourishes our relationship with others.  

Faith means working for our daily bread and knowing God as the source of our tomorrow, so that the needs of others become not a cause of worry but a reason for love.  

Continue reading →

VII Sunday- Readings: Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18 / 1 Corinthians 3: 16-23 / Matthew 5: 38-48

VII Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Readings:  Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18 / 1 Corinthians 3: 16-23 / Matthew 5: 38-48

Fr. Charles Johnson, OP

       At the podium stood noted Catholic writer, George Weigel and at the panel table sat James Douglass, a well-known Catholic peace activist and author.  Weigel spoke engagingly on the “Just War” teaching, citing the insights of Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.  For his response, Douglass simply stood up and said, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ….”

The words of Jesus that he quoted are as simple as they are difficult to fully accept and practice.  That conference, that moment was no different. 

       In a pluralistic society such as ours, many people ask, “What is so unique about Jesus?”  Well, noted New Testament scholar Fr. Donald Senior gives an insight:  “If any saying of the gospel can claim to be an unaltered saying of Jesus, it is his statement on love of enemies….. There is no parallel in any ancient text to Jesus’ radical command to love the enemy.” 

        Unique and original, just like Jesus Christ.  In Christ and through him, we are called to be brothers and sisters.  Perhaps Jesus hopes that the term, enemies, will cease to be a part of our vocabulary. 

        What is it about the enemy?  Who is our enemy, who are yours, mine?  It has a lot to do with how we view others, both familiar people and strangers.  Jesus makes it clear that he is not only referring to far-away enemies, but especially those who are close by.   I can’t help but wonder if we are often guilty of creating enemies or allowing people to become enemies for us. Recent headlines tell about how gunshots were one man’s way of silencing music that was too loud.  The music stopped, but a life was cut down.    How far is too far?  Enemies …..when and where does it end?  Perhaps it is better to ask, enemies, when and where does it begin? 

         Fr. Henri Nouwen writes that “loneliness is one of the most universal causes of human suffering today.”  He observed that while most of the advertisements and media often show a “joyful togetherness of spontaneous people,” many people live in fear of others or are burdened by mistrust and suspicion. The fear and conflict born of loneliness profoundly impacts relationships between strangers and even loved ones. Fr. Nouwen continues:  “We become increasingly aware that we are living in a world where even the most intimate relationships have become part of competition and rivalry.” 

         It doesn’t take much effort to realize that even intimate relationships can be between “enemies.”  When love and respect depart from a relationship, enemy status will quietly creep in.  Why? Enemies are never God’s will, but the work of sin and sometimes we play a part.  Not all people will be our friends, but everyone has a claim to our charity and respect. 

     Pope Francis writes, “Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me, that the light of God’s face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters.”

      In a society like ours that has become increasingly cold, harsh and violent, following the pope’s teaching might be rather unusual, even radical.  Seeing every man and woman as a blessing to us will put you and I in conflict with prevailing attitudes, but in union with Christ.  Christ is unique, but he hopes that his teaching will become common knowledge, so that his mercy is common practice. 

Continue reading →

February 2104

Dear Friends,

Back in January, before the current semester got started, I was able to visit Honduras along with 22 Tulane students as part of our Tulane Catholic Center Mission Honduras.  It was a wonderful experience that provided many opportunities to see how Christ brings together cultures when we reach out in faith and venture forth to accompany others in their countries and communities.  

Previously, before coming to Tulane, I served nearly ten years in mission to Latin America, especially the countries of Ecuador and Guatemala.  Once Latin America gets in your blood, it stays and when you experience the beauty and warmth of the land and people, you find yourself wanting to return.  At least that is my personal experience and point of view.  Why?  Perhaps it has most to do with the warmth of the people and how they are truly happy when you make the effort to share life with them and appreciate their joys and struggles. 

Even so, it is not necessary for us to leave our own communities to experience human warmth and happiness.  Maybe instead of looking for such wonderful blessings in faraway places, we should make them present by how we live and how we value human relationships in our lives, families and communities.  The friends I’ve made in Honduras and other countries are always quick to share their joy, even in the midst of difficult situations.  While their joy and happiness seem so new and refreshing, it is obvious that they hope that the blessings they share with us will remind us of own familiar places and faces.   

Peace!

Padre Charlie

Continue reading →

V Sunday Ordinary Time – A Readings: Isaiah 58: 7-10 / 1 Cor 2: 1-5 / Mt 5: 13-16

V Sunday Ordinary Time – A 

Readings: Isaiah 58: 7-10 / 1 Cor 2: 1-5 / Mt 5: 13-16

Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

           He was not the dashing and athletic Hollywood star; as a matter of fact, he often came across as a bit disheveled.  However, he was a masterful actor.  In the movie, Doubt, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character exuded a sense of self-confidence that threw off even his most circumspect and skeptical critics.   

          His tragic and untimely death is truly a sad event for our time.  As we learn the details surrounding his death and what led up to it, we might shake our heads in disbelief thinking, “How could it happen? What a loss, he had such incredible talent and creativity.”  Like a light, he burned brightly before all who watched him perform.  I recall the image of him standing before the crowds and cameras at the Oscars ceremony. 

       However, once the bright lights of fame are extinguished, what remains?  Who remains?   Fame has an enticing and seductive glow and shine, but it is not very helpful as a guide through the difficulties of life.  In other words, don’t expect it to brighten your path during times of inner struggle or doubt. True illumination has as more to do with the source of the light than it does with its shine. The society we live in seems to worship fame and fortune, two things that have very brief life-spans.  However, as is often revealed, what lies underneath is often another story. 

          Father Henri Nouwen, speaking from his own personal struggles and outreach to others, writes, “I have often been shocked to discover that men and women with obvious talents and with many rewards for their accomplishments have so many doubts about their own goodness.”  He continues, “Instead of experiencing their outward successes as a sign of their inner beauty, they live them as a cover-up for their sense of personal worthlessness.” Perhaps doubts about one’s “own goodness” have as much to do with doubts about God’s loving-kindness, or doubts about the love and concern one longs to receive from others. 

          Shakespeare might have said, “All the world’s a stage.”  However, life is a gift God has given us – to be lived authentically, not performed.  Our mission is to convince others that their lives are a blessing as well.   Jesus calls us to be “the light of the world.”  However, what he hopes will burn most brightly is our love and concern for others. Christ calls us to shine brightly so that others will not be left in darkness of despair and suffering.  So that in knowing us, they might come to know the source of our joy and our light and discover Him shining in them as well.  

Continue reading →

Presentation of the Lord (February 2, 2014) Readings: Malachi 3: 1-4 / Hebrews 2: 14-18 / Luke 2: 22-40

Presentation of the Lord (February 2, 2014)

Readings: Malachi 3: 1-4 / Hebrews 2: 14-18 / Luke 2: 22-40

Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

                  Noted Dominican theologian, Gustavo Gutierrez, who spent many years serving the poor in his native Peru, tells the story of the visit of Pope Blessed John Paul II to the poor shantytowns of Lima, the capital of that country.  Husband and wife, Victor and Irene were asked to give a greeting to the pope in the name of the community. They began by saying, “Holy Father, we are hungry.  We suffer affliction, we lack work, we are sick. Our hearts are crushed by suffering as we see our tubercular wives giving birth, our children dying, our sons and daughters growing up weak and without a future.  But, despite all of this, we believe in the God of Life.”

              The hard-hitting impact of their greeting was matched by their simplicity and honesty. Their suffering was accompanied by sincere joy and trust in God.  Pope John Paul II was moved by such unshakeable faith as he reached out to his flock, poor in material wealth and power, but rich in faith. Some might say that to say such a greeting was, perhaps, out of place.  Some of the organizers might have been caught off-guard.  It was a festive event, after all.  Were such words like “rain on the parade?” 

          Not for the pope, not for the people.  In the midst of the celebration of the papal visit to those poor settlements, there was always the recognition of the effects of sin and suffering all around them.  Still, they celebrated. Still, they trusted.  Why? Because they knew that God was with them.

           Perhaps the words of the just man Simeon and the prophetess Anna came as a surprise to Mary and Joseph as they presented their child, Jesus, in the temple. Imagine the inspiration they felt as Simeon lifted up the baby Jesus and said, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” Now imagine what they wondered when he addressed Mary, the mother of Jesus: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword will pierce ….” In the midst of a joyous moment, presenting their first-born son in the temple, an ominous prophecy was given, one that spoke of pain, suffering and conflict.  Was that an inappropriate message or one given at the wrong time and place? Well, that’s not the issue.  The words of Simeon and Anna were the truth, the truth that needed to be spoken. 

           Simeon and Anna knew who Jesus was because they knew and trusted in God’s promise.  At the same time, they recognized the reality of humanity – the reality of the possibility of rejection of God and His promise. They knew that God’s salvation and the rejection of it are contrary to each other, but that in Christ there can be reconciliation. Only in Christ can the rejection by humanity be overcome – a rejection overcome by acceptance:  God in Christ accepting and taking on our sinfulness so that, in return, we might know redemption.      

        Christ is the source of our joy and peace, but he is no stranger to rejection and suffering.  Pope emeritus Benedict XVI writes, “The Suffering Servant has the great mission to bring God’s light to the world. Yet it is in the darkness of the Cross that this mission is fulfilled.” 

      Redemption is always good and healing, but sometimes it can be uncomfortable, even painful. Christ, the Eternal Light, shines brightly because he knows the darkness. The Good News is always that, good.  If it startles us, perhaps it’s because the reality of sin has come to be accepted, even comfortable. The message of Christ is appropriate in all moments. Not just because it’s the right thing at the right time, but because it’s what we need to hear.  

Continue reading →