Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-05-06, Memorial, St. John Neumann, bishop

Reading I
1 Jn 3:11-21

Beloved:
This is the message you have heard from the beginning:
we should love one another,
unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One
and slaughtered his brother.
Why did he slaughter him?
Because his own works were evil,
and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
The LORD is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Gospel
Jn 1:43-51

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip.
And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

From: 1 John 3:11-21

Loving One Another

[11] For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another, [12] and not be like Cain who was of
the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him?
Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. [13] Do
not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you. [14] We know that we
have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He
who does not love remains in death. [15] Any one who hates his brother
is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding
in him. [16] By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us;
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [17] But if any
one has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his
heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? [18] Little
children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.

[19] By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our
hearts before him [20] whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is
greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. [21] Beloved, if our
hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.

Commentary:

11-22. St John begins this important passage on the subject of
brotherly love with the same elevated tone as in 1:5. As usual with
his style, it is difficult to discern any rigid arrangement of
concepts, but there is a clear connection of ideas, expressed in
paradoxes and contrasts. 1) Statement of the central theme--the
commandment of love (v. 11). 2) Its counterpoint is the sin of Cain
(v. 12); those who do not practise brotherly love are as much
murderers as he was (vv. 13-15). 3) Our model (a new contrast) is
Christ, who gave his life for us (v. 16); brotherly love, following
our Lord’s example, must go beyond mere talk; it must show itself in
deed and in truth (vv. 17-18). 4) The consequence of brotherly love is
total confidence in God, who knows everything (vv. 19-22).

This passage of St John has led to many beautiful, touching
commentaries by the Fathers of the Church. “I believe this is the
pearl the merchant in the Gospel was looking for, which when he found
it led him to sell everything he had and buy it (Mt 13:46). This is
the precious pearl--Charity; unless you have it, everything else you
have is of no use to you; and if you have it alone, you need nothing
else. Now you see with faith; later on you will see with intuitive
vision; if we love now, when we do not see, what degree of love shall
we not attain when we do see! And, meanwhile, what should we be doing?
We should be loving the brethren. You may be able to say, I have not
seen God; but can you say, I have not seen man? Love your brother. If
you love your brother whom you see, you will also see God, because you
will see charity, and God dwells within it” (St Augustine, "In Epist.
Ioann. Ad Parthos", 5,7).

11. The new commandment of brotherly love, which Jesus expressly
taught at the Last Supper (cf. Jn 13:34-35 and note) is the “message”
which Christians have learned from the beginning (cf. 1 Jn 2:7). There
is no more sublime commandment, and all the commandments are summed up
in it. As St Augustine explains, “Everyone can make the sign of the
cross of Christ; everyone can answer, Amen; everyone can sing
Alleluia; everyone can have himself baptized, can enter churches, can
build the walls of basilicas. But charity is the only thing by which
the children of God can be told from the children of the devil. Those
who practise charity are born of God; those who do not practise it are
not born of God. An important mark, an essential difference! You may
have whatever you like, but if you lack this, just this, everything
else is of no use whatsoever; and if you lack everything and have
nothing but this, you have done fulfilled the law!” ("In Epist. Ioann.
Ad Parthos", 5,7).

12. Cain is the prototype of those who belong to the devil; not only
because he took his brother’s life by violence, but because the hatred
nestling in his heart prevented him from recognizing his brother’s
goodness. The same reaction can happen today: “Because you don’t know,
or don’t want to know, how to imitate that man’s upright manner of
acting, your secret envy makes you seek to ridicule him” ([St] J.
Escrivá, "Furrow", 911).

13. In this verse, an aside breaking the flow of the argument, St John
seeks to encourage all Christians, particularly his immediate readers
who were probably experiencing persecution (perhaps that ordered by
the emperor Domitian). Jesus clearly predicted that his disciples
would be persecuted as he was (cf. Jn 15:18-22).

For a Christian, difficulties should provide an opportunity to show
firmness in the faith and not be sad or discouraged (cf. Jn 16:1-4):
“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed,
because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Pet 4:14).

14-15. The Christian life involves passing from death to life, from
sin to grace. Anyone who does not practise the commandment of love
“remains in death [sin]”.

“Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.” This unambiguous
statement echoes the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:
“every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment”
(Mt 5:22). The internal sin of hatred has the same malicious root as
the external act of murder.

By speaking in this way, St John makes it crystal clear that hatred of
one’s neighbor is incompatible with the Christian faith.

16-18. From Jesus the Christian learns what love is and what demands
it makes--not only through his sublime teaching (like that about the
Good Shepherd in John 10:1ff or his discourse at the Last Supper) but
above all by his example: “he laid down his life for us”, by dying on
the cross. We “ought” to do the same; the Greek word St John uses
implies a duty. That is, the precept of brotherly love imposes an
obligation for two reasons--by the very nature of things, since all
men are brothers and children of God; and because we are indebted to
Christ and must respond to the infinite love he showed by giving his
life for us.

Using an example very like that in the Letter of St James (cf. Jas
2:15-16), he shows that true love expresses itself in actions: anyone
who “closes his heart” when he sees others in need does not truly
love. The saints have constantly reminded us of St John’s teaching:
“what the Lord desires is works. If you see a sick woman to whom you
can give some help, never be affected by the fear that your devotion
will suffer, but take pity on her: if she is in pain, you should feel
pain too; if necessary, fast so that she may have your food, not so
much for her sake as because you know it to be your Lord’s will. That
is true union with his will. Again, if you hear someone being highly
praised, be much more pleased than if they were praising you” (St
Teresa of Avila, "Interior Castle", V, 3, 11).

19-22. The Apostle reassures us; God knows everything; not only does
he know our sins and our frailties, he also knows our repentance and
our good desires, and he understands and forgives us (St Peter, on the
Lake of Tiberias, made the same confession to Jesus: “Lord, you know
everything, you know that I love you”: Jn 21:17).

St John’s teaching on divine mercy is very clear: if our conscience
tells us we have done wrong, we can seek forgiveness and strengthen
our hope in God; if our conscience does not accuse us, our confidence
in God is ardent and bold, like that of a child who has loving
experience of his Father’s tenderness. The love of God is mightier
than our sins, Pope John Paul II reminds us: “When we realize that
God’s love for us does not cease in the face of our sin or recoil
before our offences, but becomes even more attentive and generous;
when we realize that this love went so far as to cause the Passion and
Death of the Word made flesh who consented to redeem us at the price
of his own blood, then we exclaim in gratitude: ‘Yes, the Lord is rich
in mercy’, and even: ‘The Lord is mercy” ("Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 22).

This confidence in God makes for confidence in prayer: “If you abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall
be done for you" (Jn 15:7; cf. 14:13f; 16:23, 26-27).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: John 1:43-51

The Calling of the First Disciples (Continuation)

[43] The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip
and said to him, "Follow Me." [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the
city of Andrew and Peter. [45] Philip found Nathaniel, and said to
him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets
wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." [46] Nathaniel said to
him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him,
"Come and see." [47] Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to Him, and said to
him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"
[48] Nathaniel said to Him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him,
"Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw
you." [49] Nathaniel answered Him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel! [50] Jesus answered him, "Because I said
to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see
greater things than these." [51] And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I
say to you, you will see Heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending
and descending upon the Son of Man."

Commentary:

43. "Follow Me" is what Jesus usually says to all His disciples (cf. Mt
4:19; 8:22; 9:9). During Jesus' lifetime, His invitation to follow Him
implied being with Him in His public ministry, listening to His
teaching, imitating His lifestyle, etc. Once the Lord ascended into
Heaven, following Him obviously does not mean going with Him along the
roads of Palestine; it means that "a Christian should live as Christ
lived, making the affections of Christ his own, so that he can exclaim
with St Paul: "It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in
me'" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 103). In all cases our
Lord's invitation involves setting out on a journey: that is,
itrequires one to lead a life of striving always to do God's will even
if this involves generous self-sacrifice.

45-51. The Apostle Philip is so moved that he cannot but tell his
friend Nathanael (Bartholomew) about his wonderful discovery (verse
45). "Nathanael had heard from Scripture that Jesus must come from
Bethlehem, from the people of David. This belief prevailed among the
Jews and also the prophet had proclaimed it of old, saying: `But you, O
Bethlehem, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you
shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of Israel' (Micah 5:2).
Therefore, when he heard that He was from Nazareth, he was troubled and
in doubt, since he found that the announcement of Philip was not in
agreement with the words of the prophecy" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom.
on St. John", 20, 1).

A Christian may find that, in trying to communicate his faith to
others, they raise difficulties. What should he do? What Philip
did--not trust his own explanation, but invite them to approach Jesus
personally: "Come and see" (verse 46). In other words, a Christian
should bring his fellow-men, his brothers into Jesus' presence through
the means of grace which He has given them and which the Church
ministers--frequent reception of the sacraments, and devout Christian
practices.

Nathanael, a sincere person (verse 47), goes along with Philip to see
Jesus; he makes personal contact with our Lord (verse 48), and the
outcome is that he receives faith (the result of his ready reception of
grace, which reaches him through Christ's human nature: verse 49).

As far as we can deduce from the Gospels, Nathanael is the first
Apostle to make an explicit confession of faith in Jesus as Messiah and
as Son of God. Later on St. Peter, in a more formal way, will
recognize our Lord's divinity (cf. Matthew 16:16). Here (verse 51)
Jesus evokes a text from Daniel (7:13) to confirm and give deeper
meaning to the words spoken by His new disciple.

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Almighty God, you called St. John Neumann to a life of service, zeal and compassion for the guidance of your people in the new world. By his prayers help us to build up the community of the Church through our dedication to the Christian education of youth and through the witness of our brotherly love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Recipes:

» Galuschde (Krautwickel, stuffed cabbage)

Activities:

less

Prayers:

January 05, 2006

Memorial of St. John Neumann, bishop (USA)

Old Calendar: St. Telesphorus, pope and martyr

John Nepomucene Neumann was born in Bohemia. While in the seminary he felt a desire to help in the American missions. After coming to the United States he was ordained in New York in 1836. Entering the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, he worked in establishing parishes and parish schools. In 1852 he was consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia and prescribed the Forty Hours devotion.

Before the reform of the Roman Calendar in 1969, this was the commemoration of St. Telesphorus, pope and martyr. His feast day is no longer on the Universal Roman Calendar, but has been transferred to particular calendars. According to St. Irenaeus, St. Telesphorus, who governed the Church from 126 to 136 during a period of violent persecution, suffered martyrdom for the faith.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

St. John Neumann
John Nepomucene Neumann was born on March 28, 1811, the third of six children of a stocking knitter and his wife in the village of Prachatitz in Bohemia. From his mother he acquired the spirit of piety and through her encouragement entered the Seminary at Budweis.

During his seminary years, he yearned to be a foreign missionary in America. He left his native land and was ordained in June, 1836 by Bishop John Dubois in New York. He spent four years in Buffalo and the surrounding area building churches and establishing schools.

In 1840, he joined the Redemptorists. Eight years later he became a United States citizen. By order of Pope Pius IX in 1852 he was consecrated fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. His mastery of eight languages proved extremely helpful in his quest for souls. He was a pioneer promoter of the Parochial School System in America.

One of the highlights of Saint John Neumann's life was his participation, in Rome, in the Proclamation of the Dogma of our Blessed Mother's Immaculate Conception. Through his efforts, the Forty Hours Devotion was introduced in the Philadelphia Diocese. He founded the first church in America for Italian-speaking people. He also founded the Glen Riddle group of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.

At 48 years of age, completely exhausted from all his apostolic endeavors, he collapsed in the street on January 5, 1860. He is buried beneath the altar of the lower Church in St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia.

Things to Do:

Read more about the life of St. John Neumann here or an even lengthier account here.
If you live close to Philadelphia or are passing through visit the Shrine of St. John Neumann.
Learn more about the Redemptorist Order.

St. Telesphorus

St. Telesphorus was Greek, probably from Calabria. He was the seventh Roman bishop in succession from the Apostles. He celebrated Easter on Sunday but maintained fellowship with communities that did not. He started the tradition of Christmas Midnight Mass, and decided that the Gloria should be sung. Some legends say he was a hermit before his election, and that he instituted the tradition of Lent, but these are doubtful. According to St. Irenaeus, he was "an illustrious martyr". His remains are interred in the Vatican.

Symbols: Pope with a chalice over which three Hosts hover (may refer to the celebration of Christmas with 3 Masses said to represent the temporal, spiritual, and eternal birth of Christ); pope with a chalice with a nearby club (possibly an indication of his martyrdom).

“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see the sky opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

On Twelfth Night it is fitting to close the days with a long German carol; the first seven verses are the Angel's speech to the shepherds; the last seven verses are the shepherd's response to the glad tidings of great joy:

"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546

1. "From heaven above to earth I come
To bear good news to every home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing:

2. "To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;
This little child, of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all the earth.

3. "This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford;
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free.

4. "He will on you the gifts bestow
Prepared by God for all below,
That in His kingdom, bright and fair,
You may with us His glory share.

5. "These are the tokens ye shall mark:
The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;
There ye shall find the Infant laid
By whom the heavens and earth were made."

6. Now let us all with gladsome cheer
Go with the shepherds and draw near
To see the precious gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

7. Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes!
What is it in yon manger lies?
Who is this child, so young and fair?
The blessed Christ-child lieth there.

8. Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through whom the sinful world is blest!
Thou com'st to share my misery;
What thanks shall I return to Thee?

9. Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
How weak art Thou, how poor and small,
That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed
Where humble cattle lately fed!

10. Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
It yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

11. For velvets soft and silken stuff
Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,
Whereon Thou, King, so rich and great,
As 'twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.

12. And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee
To make this truth quite plain to me,
That all the world's wealth, honor, might,
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.

13. Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

14. My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep;
I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradle-song:

15. Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto us His Son hath given!
While angels sing with pious mirth
A glad new year to all the earth.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #85
Text: Luke 2: 1-18
Author: Martin Luther, 1535
Tune: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1855, alt.
1st published in: "Geistliche Lieder" Leipzig, 1539

Jn 1:43-51
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
43	On the following day, he would go forth into Galilee, and he findeth Philip. And Jesus saith to him: Follow me.	in crastinum voluit exire in Galilaeam et invenit Philippum et dicit ei Iesus sequere me
44	Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.	erat autem Philippus a Bethsaida civitate Andreae et Petri
45	Philip findeth Nathanael and saith to him: We have found him of whom Moses, in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.	invenit Philippus Nathanahel et dicit ei quem scripsit Moses in lege et prophetae invenimus Iesum filium Ioseph a Nazareth
46	And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see.	et dixit ei Nathanahel a Nazareth potest aliquid boni esse dicit ei Philippus veni et vide
47	Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.	vidit Iesus Nathanahel venientem ad se et dicit de eo ecce vere Israhelita in quo dolus non est
48	Nathanael saith to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.	dicit ei Nathanahel unde me nosti respondit Iesus et dixit ei priusquam te Philippus vocaret cum esses sub ficu vidi te
49	Nathanael answered him and said: Rabbi: Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel.	respondit ei Nathanahel et ait rabbi tu es Filius Dei tu es rex Israhel
50	Jesus answered and said to him: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, thou believest: greater things than these shalt thou see.	respondit Iesus et dixit ei quia dixi tibi vidi te sub ficu credis maius his videbis
51	And he saith to him: Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.	et dicit ei amen amen dico vobis videbitis caelum apertum et angelos Dei ascendentes et descendentes supra Filium hominis

A Voice in the Desert

January 5, 2006 Thursday Before Epiphany

Reading (1 John 3:11-21) Gospel (St. John 1:43-51)

In the first reading today, Saint John reminds us once again of the message we have heard from the beginning; and the message we have heard from the beginning, he tells us, is that we are to love one another. Then he goes on to tell us that we have to love not just in words or in speech, but in deeds. We have to act upon this love.

What exactly does it mean? Well, he tells us straight out that anyone who hates another person is guilty of murder. If we look into our own lives, we can ask ourselves, “Is there anybody that I hate?” Now there is a difference that we need to make, a very clear distinction, between hating the person and hating their actions. If people do things that are evil, we need to reject what they are doing; we need to acknowledge that their actions are wrong. However, that is different from hating the person. We cannot hate the person. Remember the old saying: “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” That is what we have to be about, and we need to keep that distinction very clear in our minds.

What does it mean to love the sinner? It means that we would desire only the good of that person, that we would want that person’s conversion, that we would want the person to be able to go to heaven. There are some people I have talked to, for instance, and when they look at someone who has hurt them terribly, they will say straight out, “I don’t want them to go to heaven. I don’t want to be with that person for the rest of eternity!” In heaven, all there is going to be is love. If we have such hatred in our hearts for somebody that we would not want them to go to heaven, then we cannot go there either. That is the problem. Remember what Our Lord told us with regard to the Our Father when He pulled the one statement out about forgiveness and said, If you do not forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will not forgive you yours. So this is not something that is optional for us. We like to try to justify ourselves and why it is okay for us to be the way we are, but there is no justification. If we are going to say that we believe in Jesus, how can we then turn around and say, “But I’m justified in hating; I’m justified in refusing to love”? We cannot.

Now love is not about happy feelings. Jesus is not saying to be gushy toward somebody you do not like. That is not what He is saying at all. He is telling us that we have to have true virtue, that the virtue of charity requires that we would treat somebody–even if we would consider them an enemy–with charity, that we would seek what is truly the best for them, that we would pray for them, that we would not be holding a grudge against them. These are not easy things that the Lord is asking of us, but remember that we profess to follow Somebody who looked at His executioners and said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. If He can do that and the martyrs have been able to do that, we too have the grace to be able to do that. Saint John makes very clear that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer. It falls under the Fifth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill. To hold a grudge, to hate, these are violations of the Fifth Commandment. And Saint John says that we know the love of God does not exist in any murderer’s heart. So if we want to be able to say that we love God yet we do not act upon it, if we walk around holding lots of hatred in our hearts, the true love of God is not there. No matter how much we want to talk about it, the reality is that we betray our own selves with our actions. And so we need to try to adjust ourselves so that our hearts are united with His, so that our hearts become like His.

Now if you look at your own self and you say, “But I look inside and see that there is indeed some hatred, that there are people whom I don’t forgive, that there are people whom I have a grudge against–what do I do?” then go to the Lord and ask Him for the grace to be able to forgive, to be able to let go, to be able to love these people that have hurt you or that you do not even like. Pray for the grace to love them. That is what Our Lord would ask of us. Pray for those people. That is the quickest way to break through any kind of hatred or anger or anything else that is in our hearts. Pray for those people. Ask God to bless them. Ask Him to bring about their conversion. Ask Him to help them grow in virtue. It is in doing that that you are doing the most loving thing for them. Eventually, what will happen is that the charity you are exercising toward them through prayer is going to wind up changing your heart so that the hatred is no longer there. You cannot do acts of true charity and continue to hate; the charity will eventually win out.

If we see that we are harboring anything that is not good then we realize, not that we do not love God at all, but that we are not loving God the way we are supposed to and we are not allowing the love of God to reign in our hearts. So we need to make the adjustments. That is what we are looking for, and that is what Saint John is telling us. We can have complete confidence in God, he tells us, if we turn to Him. Whatever our hearts condemn in us, he tells us, we need to turn to God with confidence. And so if our hearts are condemning us because we hold anger or grudges or hatred or whatever it might be, then turn to God with confidence and know that there is nothing more that He would want for us than to be able to have our hearts filled with His love. If we are willing to make the effort, we can be guaranteed that His grace will make up for whatever might be lacking in us, and that His grace will change our hearts to become like His–His heart is nothing but love; that is all–and when we are able to do that, then we are living the commandment that we have been given, the commandment, Saint John tells us, that we have from the very beginning: that we must love one another.

* This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.

The Word Among Us

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Meditation
1 John 3:11-21

Love one another. (1 John 3:11)

The call to love is at the heart of our faith. What could be a more simple or more effective way of evangelization? The close, loving relationships we form with our families and fellow Christians are meant to be the source of our ability to evangelize. No matter that such relationships are rare in the world today. No matter that they seem virtually impossible apart from God. The fact remains that peaceful, joyful, united lives are still capable of speaking volumes to the world about the power and love of God.

Many of us think of evangelization as persuasive, clear, words that inspire others about Jesus and his gospel. As accurate as this may be in theory, in many practical instances, we can have an even greater effect on people’s faith through the witness of our loving actions than by our many words. Love has the power to melt hearts and convince minds far better than an abundance of eloquent doctrine, theology, or defenses of Christianity!

Love in practical ways. Show respect to people. Look for ordinary needs that you can meet. Taking dinner to someone who is sick or who just had a baby; shoveling snow for, or alongside, a neighbor; teaching a teenager how to build a bookshelf; taking time to visit with an elderly person—all of these are ways to begin evangelizing. As John wrote, we are to love “not in word or speech, but in truth and action” as well (1 John 3:18).

Begin evangelizing today! Is there anyone in your family who has left the church or needs to be brought back to Christ? Be kind to them, and let the Lord do the work. If you are divided from that family member, ask the Lord how to build bridges, for “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Take small steps to build relationships at work or in your neighborhood with people who are searching for hope and meaning in their lives. As you do, believe that you will be giving them a dynamic witness, not just good feelings or happy thoughts. Remember Jesus’ promise: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

“Lord Jesus, give me a softer heart for those around me. Teach me to love as you have loved me that others would be drawn to you.”

Psalm 100:1-5; John 1:43-51

One Bread, One Body

<< Thursday, January 5, 2006 >>

St. John Neumann

1 John 3:11-21

Psalm 100

John 1:43-51

View Readings

CHRISTMAS, REJECTION, AND LOVE

"That we have passed from death to life we know because we love the brothers. The man who does not love is among the living dead." —1 John 3:14

The Christmas scene is a picture of utter rejection. Why is this Baby being born in a stable? Doesn't anyone care? Even if there's no room in the inn, there must be room in someone's heart. Mary was obviously pregnant and going into labor. Didn't anyone care?

From the very beginning, the Christ Child is a sign of contradiction (Lk 2:34). "To His own He came, yet His own did not accept Him" (Jn 1:11). The Christmas scene is also a picture of divine love, even for enemies. God knew beforehand He would be rejected from Bethlehem all the way to Calvary. Yet He became man out of love for those who would refuse to love Him. He became man not only for Mary and Joseph but for Herod and the innkeeper.

Christmas celebrates love, not just for the lovable and loving, but for enemies who have rejected and even hated us. Christmas is the foreshadowing of Calvary. "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15:13). "The way we came to understand love was that He laid down His life for us. We too must lay down our lives" (1 Jn 3:16). Love your enemies, even your executioners. Love impossibly, divinely, unconditionally.

Prayer: Jesus, love in me. Give me supernatural love in place of natural hate. Do the miracle of Christmas love in me.

Promise: "You shall see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." —Jn 1:51

Praise: St. John Neumann wrote: "I have labored with all my powers to fulfill the duties of my office, and with God's help, as I hope, not without fruit."

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