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January 1, 2018

Monday—Mary, Mother of God

Theme: What was she thinking?

Exegesis of the First Reading, Nm 6:22–27 (18)Dr. Andrew R. Davis

Concluding a ch outlining nazirite religious obliga-tions, today’s passage contains the words of blessingused by Israel’s priests (Aaron and his sons) over thepeople (Lv 9:22). The benediction consists of threeshort statements, the first of which requests blessingand security from God. Divine blessing in the OT (Heb.barak) was not primarily spiritual but involved the be-stowal of concrete benefits, especially progeny andmaterial support. Likewise, the verb “to keep” impliesvigilance as well as physical protection.

The second and third lines feature references to theface of God: that it shine upon the people (v 25) andthat God lift it to the people (v 26). The former impliesGod’s positive disposition to his people, and the latteris a Hebrew idiom for treating someone favorably. Theface of God is an important concept in Israel’s worship.“Before the face of Yahweh” is a standard expressionfor the space in front of the ark or temple. This is likelythe space from which the priest pronounces this re-quest for God’s benevolent countenance.

In 1986 archaeologists excavating graves cut intoJerusalem’s Hinnom Valley found two silver scrollsthat had been inscribed with a version of this blessingand rolled into amulets. Dating to the seventh centuryBCE, these scrolls are some of the oldest biblical mssand also a window into biblical piety.

Exegesis of the Gospel, Lk 2:16–21 (18)Dr. Andrew R. Davis

This reading relates the shepherds’ visit to Bethlehem,where they confirm and share the good news theyreceived from the angel. In the vv before this passage,the angel announced the birth of the Lord and Messiah,whom they would find lying in a manger (vv 11–12).

This angelic appearance is the third in Luke’s infan-cy narrative (after Zechariah and Mary) and highlightsthe shepherds’ prominent role in the story. By an-nouncing the good news and by glorifying and prais-ing God, the shepherds imitate the actions of the angelsthemselves (vv 10, 13–14, 17, 20). The shepherds arealso significant for the way they echo David’s work asa shepherd (1 Sm 16:11). Finally, their humble profes-sion underscores the fact that the good news is for “all

the people” (v 10), regardless of their social, political,or religious status.

Between the shepherds’ announcement upon theirarrival and their glorification as they depart, Mary isdescribed as reflecting on the news in her heart (v 19).It is an intriguing, even tantalizing, verse because wenever learn the details of her contemplation. How didshe connect the news to the angelic message she hadreceived? We are never told, though when the baby iscircumcised according to Jewish law (Lv 12:3), hereceives the name Jesus given by Gabriel (1:31). Thename unites the good news heard by Mary and theshepherds.

Homily SuggestionLinus Mundy

Today we hear one of the most memorable lines in theNT. We recall that, at the birth of Jesus, the shepherds“went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and theinfant lying in the manger.” Lk writes that later theshepherds spread the news everywhere, amazingeveryone. Then skillfully he adds: “And Mary kept allthese things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

What do you suppose she was thinking? One of thepractical things she might have been thinking was,What can we feed all of these people?! Another thoughtmight have been, How long do we need to stay in this sta-ble? or Angels, shepherds, kings—when will all this let up?

Seriously, though, even if Mary was in many ways avery normal new mother, today’s celebration of thesolemnity of Mary, Mother of God, confirms more thanMary as a new mother. It tells us that she was an ex-traordinary person, a most holy and sacred individual.And so it is on this deeper level that we ask ourselves,“What was she thinking at this time?” What thoughtswas Mary keeping in her heart? As the mother of thelong-awaited Savior, what did the future hold for thisnew, little family? What did the future hold, indeed, forall humanity now that our Redeemer was lying there,an infant already being recognized as the son of Maryand, wonder of wonders, the Son of God?

Let us, like Mary, reflect today on these things, andkeep them in our hearts.

For more information about the feast of Mary, Mother ofGod, visit saintoftheday.org.

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January 2, 2018

Tuesday—Basil and Gregory

Theme: It helps to have good parents.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Jn 2:22–28 (205)Dr. Andrew R. Davis

This week’s first readings continue with 1 Jn, a letterwritten at the end of the 1st century CE by the samecommunity that produced the Gospel of Jn. In particu-lar, today’s passage picks up with the new sectionbegun last Saturday. There the author announced thelast hour, as indicated by the prevalence of antichrists,namely, those who had separated themselves from theJohannine community. The author of 1 Jn reassuresthose who remain that the knowledge of their anoint-ing remains valid and that the deserters are liars.

Antichrists are literally people who are opposed toChrist. In particular, they deny that Jesus is the Christ,and by denying the Son, they cut themselves off fromthe Father (vv 22–23). Thus, unlike the “pseudo-christs” (Mk 13:6, 21–22) who falsely claimed to beChrist, the antichrists are false teachers about Christ.They are liars and false prophets who deny Christ’shumanity in Jesus (4:1–3). They have misunderstoodthe Spirit as somehow superior to Jesus (Jn 16:12–15).

Repeating the verb remain in vv 24–27 echoes the keyJohannine theme of mutual abiding (Jn 15:4–10). Theaudience is told to remain in what they heard from thebeginning, namely, the promise of eternal life (v 25).Eternal life with the Father is an important theme ofthe letter, noted at its beginning (1:2) and end (5:13).

Exegesis of the Gospel, Jn 1:19–28 (205)Dr. Andrew R. Davis

This reading follows John’s Prologue (1:1–18) and isthe beginning of a major section that concludes at12:50. This section consists of a series of miraculousdeeds, which John calls signs. Thus 1:1—12:50 is oftencalled the “Book of Signs.” Before the first sign takesplace at Cana (2:1–11), however, John narrates theevents of four consecutive days, which feature John theBaptist’s testimony and Jesus’ self-revelation.

Today’s Gospel describes the first of the four days,in which the Baptist offers negative testimony abouthimself. Already the Prologue introduced the Baptistand his testimony pointing away from himself (1:6–8,15). This passage reinforces that testimony through aseries of questions and answers with Jewish authori-ties. He affirms that he is not the Messiah nor even a

precursor of the Messiah, such as Elijah or Moses.Instead, the Baptist is a witness to “the one who is com-ing” (v 27); like the other Gospels, Jn quotes Is 40:3 toexplain this testifying role.

This passage includes the first use of the phrase “theJews,” which Jn will often use to refer to Jesus’ oppo-nents. For a long time, this phrase was mistakenlyinterpreted as a wholesale rejection of all Jews, butalmost all now agree that Jn’s depiction of “the Jews”reflects hostilities from the time of the Gospel’s writ-ing, rather than events during Jesus’ lifetime. “TheJews” are a cipher for the Johannine community’sopponents.


When one of the Wright brothers was asked what thesecret to their success was, he answered: “Be born inOhio—and have good parents.” Today we celebrate thelives of two outstanding saints; neither of them wasborn in Ohio, but both were children of good parents.As a matter of fact, all four parents of these two saintsare also officially designated as saints.

It certainly helps to have good parents. And it alsohelps to have good friends. In fact, Basil the Great andGregory Nazianzen were friends of each other—and asmonks together in community, they frequently dis-cussed theology and the Church’s teachings. It is pri-marily because of his teachings on the Trinity thatGregory was named a doctor of the Church. In the year381, the Council of Constantinople confirmed Greg-ory’s teaching, and even today our creed affirms, “[Ibelieve] in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who, withthe Father and the Son is adored and glorified. . . .” Asfor Basil, he founded what most historians of religionbelieve was the first monastery in Asia Minor. Thus itis said that he is to Eastern monasticism what the greatBenedict is to Western: pivotal.

Good parents. Good friends. Let us today recognizethe importance of each and deepen our own commit-ments as children of God as well as sisters and brothersto each other.

For more information about Sts. Basil the Great and GregoryNazianzen, visit saintoftheday.org.

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January 3, 2018

Wednesday [Holy Name of Jesus]

Theme: Live like Christ.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Jn 2:2:9—3:6 (206)Dr. Andrew R. Davis

Building on yesterday’s reading in which the author of1 Jn encouraged his audience to remain in the promiseof eternal life with the Father through Jesus, today’spassage assures the audience that they are the childrenof God, and as such, they should avoid sin. The refer-ences to “children of God” suggest the adoptionmetaphor that is found in Paul’s letters (Rom 8:18, 23;9:4; Gal 4:5). Through their knowledge of the Son andlove for him, members of the Johannine communityhave become children of God and enjoy eternal life (Jn1:12; 3:16).

This knowledge explains their relationship withGod as well as their rejection by the world that lacksthis knowledge. Only when it (or “he,” i.e., Jesus) isrevealed, will the world see Jesus and the communityfor who they really are (vv 2–3).

The community’s status as adopted children hasimportant implications. If they are like Jesus in their fil-iation, they should also be like him by imitating hispurity (vv 2–3). Pure (Gr. agnos) is a rare NT word. Inthe OT it has a ritual meaning, denoting one free of thecontamination that disqualifies participation in wor-ship. The author does not elaborate on how Christ ispure, but the surrounding vv suggest some correlationto righteousness (2:29; 3:7). Because the Son was with-out sin, to be like him requires avoidance of sin.


Having denied in yesterday’s reading that he is theMessiah, John the Baptist in today’s Gospel testifiesthat Jesus is the Messiah. This passage narrates the sec-ond of this ch’s four-day structure and marks the for-mal introduction of Jesus into the Gospel narrative.However, Jesus remains inactive throughout the pas-sage, for the Baptist continues to offer the testimonypromised in the Prologue (1:6–8, 15).

This testimony includes two important Christologi-cal titles. “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of theworld” (v 29) alludes to the sacrificial offering, whichbrought about communion and reconciliation in Israel,thus identifying Jesus as the one who will achieve thispurpose. “Son of God” reiterates Jesus’ unique rela-

tionship to God the Father (1:14, 18), a central theme inJn (3:34–36; 5:19–47; 8:28 et al.). Both titles highlightJesus’ divine origin; he is “of God.” The Baptist’s iden-tification of Jesus as the preexistent one (v 30) alsolooks backward (1:1, 15) and forward (8:58).

Unlike the other Gospels, Jn omits Jesus’ baptismbut uses the Baptist’s testimony to impart its key ele-ments. His report agrees with the Synoptics’ account ofthe Spirit descending dove-like on Jesus (Mt 3:16; Mk1:10; Lk 3:22), and Jn adds that it “remained upon him”(v 32). This marks Jesus as the Spirit-bearer with thepower to baptize in the holy Spirit (v 33).


Today’s readings talk about sin—and Jesus’ part ineradicating it. I say eradicate as in erase because theScriptures clearly tell us that the Lamb of God, Jesus,not only forgives us our sins if we are repentant, but healso takes them away—as if they never happened.

Both readings direct us to live like Christ—to beunited with Christ in Baptism—and thereby live a lifein which we not only avoid sin but also go about doinggood. This “doing good” can sometimes mean makingsacrifices that require a lot of dying to oneself. Doinggood may mean, for instance, not going along with thecrowd in a political discussion. Or it may mean givingup a sense of security and prestige by taking a job thatwill never make you rich or famous, but it will serveothers. In essence, it means both living like Christ anddying like Christ—in ways large and small.

We might ask ourselves today: Who in their rightmind would sign up for such a life? But then let usquickly note that we can look around the whole worldand see there are billions of people just like us: peoplewho go by the name Christian and do their best to liveout that faith. All of us together try to avoid sin and dogood. And we know that when we try and fail, we canseek forgiveness. And even when we fail big-time, wehave the assurance from Christ that he has alreadypaid our ransom. And so we can go on, day by day,always conscious of our commitments as Christians—and always conscious of our unity with Jesus Christand each other in Baptism.

For more information about the feast of the Holy Name ofJesus, visit saintoftheday.org.

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January 4, 2018

Thursday—Elizabeth Ann Seton

Theme: We don’t do it alone.


Today’s passage expands on the moral implications ofthe Johannine community’s status as children of God.If they are like Jesus in filiation, they must be like himin righteousness. This argument is developed by con-trasting the children of God (who imitate the Son’srighteousness) and the children of the devil (sinners).

The righteous person and the sinner are presentedas an antithetical pair. The former is like the Son whowas righteous, and the latter is like the devil whoseexistence is defined by sin (Jn 8:44). The opposition ofsin and righteousness lies at the heart of Christ’s mis-sion, which is to destroy the works of the devil (v 8).The elimination of sin is a recurrent theme in 1 Jn (1:7;2:2; 4:10). At the end of the letter, a parallel to today’spassage, the author describes sin as the deadly powerof the evil one (antithetical to the eternal life promisedby God, 5:13–19).

The passage ends with a summary statement thathighlights the stark contrast between the children ofGod and the children of the devil (v 10). This v containsa startling twist on the author’s definition of sin. It isnot simply lawless action (3:4) but a failure to act withrighteousness—which the author goes on to equatewith failure to love one’s brother. More than merelyavoiding sin, righteousness consists of brotherly love.


Today’s reading depicts Jesus’ encounter with his firstdisciples. Unlike the synoptic Gospels, Jn does nothave Jesus call the disciples (Mt 4:19–22; Mk 1:17–20).Instead, it is the words of the Baptist, again callingJesus the “Lamb of God” (vv 29, 36), that compel themto leave the Baptist and follow Jesus. Consistent withJohn’s own testimony, this movement emphasizesJesus’ priority over the Baptist.

In another difference from the Synoptics, who iden-tify Simon and Andrew as the first disciples, Jn featuresAndrew and an unnamed disciple as the first two.Only later does Andrew bring his brother Simon toJesus (vv 41–42).

The first disciples call Jesus Rabbi, which implies anhonored status, but the title shows that they have not

understood what the Baptist meant by “Lamb of God.”Jesus still teaches them, and the disciples come awayknowing he is the Messiah. This recognition comes ear-lier in Jn than in the Synoptics, where it occurs halfwayabout through the Gospels (Mk 8:29; Mt 16:16). Further,in the Synoptics the recognition is Simon Peter’s greatinsight, but in Jn it is Andrew who learns first and tellshis brother. The disciples recognize Jesus’ unique sig-nificance, but not his full identity as the preexistentWord, already revealed in the Prologue (1:1–2).


Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first American-born saint.She is well known for founding a religious community,and especially for laying the foundation for the entireCatholic school system in the United States. We seeclearly that St. Elizabeth accomplished much. But instudying her life, we find that many others share thecredit—as Elizabeth Seton would be the first to agree.

We know, for example, that St. Elizabeth was mar-ried and had five children. (This alone might have ledher to sainthood!) However, let’s look at who helpedher achieve so much. First, we learn that her husbanddied of tuberculosis after the family moved to Italy fora better climate. A kind Italian family there inspiredElizabeth to become a Catholic. When she moves toBaltimore, the rector of the seminary invites her toestablish a school for girls. Finally, thanks to “fourcompanions”—whose names we never hear—shefounds the Sisters of St. Joseph and a school for poorchildren. The rest is history, as they say. By her death in1821, her communities numbered 20 and could befound throughout the Americas, as well as in Italy.

In summary, we see that St. Elizabeth did not doeverything on her own. Rather, she demonstrates thatnone of us can accomplish much on our own. Nor canwe become saints on our own—and neither can others!Sometimes we help other people seeking holiness—and other times we are the ones who are helped. It’scalled the communion of saints. And we—along withSt. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and the living and deceasedwho help us—are all part of that sacred communion.

For more information about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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January 5, 2018

Friday—John Neumann

Theme: Building cathedrals.


Building on yesterday’s last v, in which the author of 1Jn equated righteousness with brotherly love, today’stext explores the oppositional relationship betweenlove/life and hate/death. The story of Cain and Abelillustrates this opposition, offering a negative examplethrough which the author insists on the commandmentto love one another. Comparison to Gn 4:1–16 shows that 1 Jn’s version

of the story has been influenced by the dualism charac-teristic of the Johannine corpus. Among the differencesare two different views of sin: Gn assumes that Caincan overcome its power (4:7), but 1 Jn sees Cain as rep-resentative of a fixed evil force in the world. In thisway, he is the epitome of the children of the devil men-tioned in the preceding vv; righteous Abel is the epito-me of the children of God.After several vv describing love through negative

examples, v 16 defines it more positively as layingdown one’s life for another. Like previous exhortationsin 1 Jn, this call to sacrificial love is rooted in the exam-ple of Christ, who laid down his life for all. The last vvof this passage are meant to reassure the communitythat whatever doubts they have about their own heartsmust be set against the backdrop of God’s omniscience.This confidence in God should help heal the communi-ty’s recent schism.


Today’s reading introduces more disciples, includingNathanael, whose questions about Jesus’ identity typi-fy the disciples’ failure to understand his full signifi-cance. Whereas the Prologue identifies Jesus as the pre-existent Word of God and the Baptist calls Jesus theLamb of God, Spirit-bearer, and Son of God, the disci-ples focus on Jesus as the fulfillment of their messianichope (1:41). Thus Philip views Jesus as the fulfillmentof Scripture but identifies him as “of Joseph” and“from Nazareth” (v 45). Yet Jn has already emphasizedthat Jesus is of and from God. Nathanael later marvels at Jesus’ insight and, like

the Baptist, recognizes Jesus as Son of God, but he alsocalls him “king of Israel“: the Messiah (v 49). The latter

is true but doesn’t capture Jesus’ full significance. Na-thanael’s limited perspective leads Jesus to address allthe disciples (the “you” in v 51 is plural), to whom hepromises a vision revealing his divine status, one basedon Jacob’s staircase (Gn 28:12). By taking the place ofthe staircase, Jesus reveals himself as the mediatorbetween heaven and earth. Jn also depicts the disciples’ shortcoming by Philip’s

fib. Jn clearly states that Jesus found Philip and toldhim to follow him (v 43), but later he, like Andrew (v41), claims that they found Jesus (v 45). It is a small liebut reiterates how much the disciples must still learn.


Why don’t they build cathedrals anymore? The reli-gious cynic answers that people used to have convic-tions; now they have opinions.St. John Neumann, a cathedral builder, had both

convictions and opinions. We celebrate his feast daytoday. An American saint, he was born in Bohemia in1811. His life was short; he died at age 48. And he wasphysically short—only 5’3”. And yet his story is writlarge. After studying in Prague, he came to New Yorkat age 25, was ordained, and did missionary work untilhe became a Redemptorist four years later. He was anenormously popular preacher among the immigrantsof Pittsburgh and Baltimore. In 1852 he was named bishop of Philadelphia, and

his “cathedral building” began in earnest. What he wasreally all about was building up God’s kingdom,accomplishing this by building some 100 churches and80 schools. (He also finished work on the city’s greatcathedral.) In addition, he wrote two German cate-chisms that were used for decades.When he died on January 5, 1860, half of Philadel-

phia attended his funeral, including all the city’s digni-taries, and his burial site has become a very popularshrine, especially after he was canonized in 1977. Whatcan we learn from his life? First: We, too, can be buil-ders of God’s kingdom. Second: Our opinions do mat-ter—but our convictions matter more. And what webuild with these convictions—things such as family,love, faith, Christianity—matter the most.

For more information about St. John Neumann, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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Published by FRANCISCAN MEDIA, 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 1-866-543-6870 • www.FranciscanMedia.orgEditor: Rev. Pat McCloskey, OFM, MA



January 6, 2018

Saturday [André Bessette]

Theme: We are connected.


These vv conclude 1 Jn powerfully by reasserting theteaching of the Johannine community over against theschismatics who had broken away from them by deny-ing that Jesus is the Christ (2:22). Against this rejectionof Christ’s humanity, the author of 1 Jn insists that thehuman Jesus is the Son of God and the victor of theworld (5:5).The subsequent vv expound on this decisive claim.

The importance of the Incarnation is apparent in thestress on water and blood (5:6), which likely refer toJesus’ baptism and passion, respectively. By accentingevents in Jesus’ lifetime, the author shows the indis-pensability of his humanity. Even the double name“Jesus Christ” reiterates this point. The author uses thedouble name, especially when he wants to emphasizethe dual identity of the Son (3:23; 4:2).

The addition of the Spirit in vv 6b–7 complicates thepicture, but the significance of the water and blood isunchanged. In Jn’s Gospel the Spirit witnesses to thesonship of Jesus (15:26–27) and is mentioned with bap-tism (1:33–34) and the passion (19:30, 34). These threeconstitute a compelling testimony (Dt 17:6) that Jesus isthe Christ. The appeal to God’s testimony in v 9 isunclear but may refer to the divine statement at Jesus’baptism (Mk 1:11), which is not featured in John’sGospel but seems to be presumed in Jn 5:32, 37.

Exegesis of the Gospel, Lk 3:23–38 (209)Dr. Andrew R. Davis

Today’s passage features Lk’s version of Jesus’ geneal-ogy. This tradition goes back to the Book of Gn, wherelists of descendants function as transitions betweenblocks of narrative texts. Between the flood story andthe tower of Babel is a genealogy linking the two sto-ries (10:1–32). Genealogies show God’s command to befruitful and multiply (Gn 1:28) fulfilled.This OT background is important for today’s read-

ing because Lk traces Jesus’ lineage back to this pri-meval history. Unlike Mt’s genealogy, which onlyextends to Abraham (Mt 1:1), Lk traces his line all theway to Adam (v 38). This difference reflects the distinctaudiences of the two Gospels. Whereas Mt is writing toa Jewish audience, whose founding ancestor is Abra-

ham, Lk writes for a gentile audience and makes hisgenealogy universal in scope. In fact, because Lk de-scribes Adam as “son of God,” the genealogy can besaid to trace Jesus all the way to God. In this way, aseemingly dry rehearsal of lineage contains an impor-tant Christological statement.Also noteworthy are the different placements of the

genealogies in the two Gospels. Whereas Mt places hisat the beginning of the Gospel, Lk puts his at the begin-ning of Jesus’ ministry (3:23). For Lk, Jesus’ divine lin-eage leads into his universal mission.


Did you ever hear someone say, “Oh, he has his grand-father’s smile”? Or “She didn’t get that intelligencefrom me!”? Heritage, ancestry, and genealogy are thefocus of today’s readings: Jesus’ makeup, if you will.In the first reading from Jn, we see the duality of

Jesus reaffirmed: He is both human and divine. Andthen in the Gospel we see Lk tracing the background ofJesus, generation after generation, all the way back toAdam. Lk feels this is necessary because he is address-ing a gentile audience, not a Jewish one. Elsewhere inthe Scriptures, Jesus is traced back to Abraham. ButGospel writer Lk makes the case that Jesus was a directdescendant of Adam, whom Lk describes as “son ofGod.” And thus Jesus’ roots begin with none otherthan God.Both Lk and Jn want to make sure we understand

that Jesus is the Christ, the real thing. And truly,because of this, we can say that we, too, are the realthing. While each of us has his or her own ancestry andgenetic makeup, we are all sons and daughters of God.If Jesus teaches us anything, he teaches us that Godsees all of us in the same light, and we are to treat eachother as equals—as God does. As different as we mayfeel that we are—or that others are—we have more incommon than we may realize. We are all flawed, yes,and we call that original sin—or just plain humanfrailty. But in addition to being flawed, we have whatAbraham Lincoln called “better angels.” And this iswhat we Christians call “grace.“

For more information about St. André Bessette, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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January 8, 2018

Monday—Baptism of the Lord

Theme: Servant, not savior.

Exegesis of the First Reading, Is 55:1–11 (21)Dr. Mary Ann Getty

Our reading forms most of the concluding ch ofDeutero-Is’ “Book of Comfort.” This is the name com-mentators assign to Is chs 40–55 because the texts’hopeful promises contrast starkly with the divinewarnings of chs 1–39, before the people were brutallyseparated from their land and taken into a 50-year cap-tivity.

Our reading reiterates and summarizes the salvationthemes in chs 40–54. The captives are invited to feast ata gratuitous banquet; instead of money, they need onlyhave a thirst for the things of God. The everlastingcovenant is extended even to people previously out-side it. Privileges of David’s kingship are spread out toall. Those who hear the prophet’s words are assured oflife. Previously, the people were invited into the tem-ple; now they find the merciful and forgiving God indaily life.

Jesus will quote Deutero-Is’ haunting words thatGod’s thoughts and ways are not ours—but so muchhigher and greater, more fruitful and powerful. God’sword is like the rain that waters and makes fertile theland. God’s word is effective and creative, achievingthe purpose for which it is spoken. Our reading is fullof promise and comfort, especially for those who hun-ger and thirst for justice in a needy world.

Exegesis of the Gospel, Mk 1:7–11 (21)Dr. Mary Ann Getty

Our Gospel is part of the Prologue of Mk in whichreaders receive inside information that no contempo-rary of Jesus seems to have known. The theme ofJohn’s preaching is announced dramatically as the firstspoken words of Jesus’ predecessor: John identifieshimself as the unworthy slave of “the Strong One”come to immerse us in the Spirit of God. Jesus’ intro-duction is even more dramatic, for Mk says that “inthose days,” Jesus immediately and strikingly appearsout of the unknown.

His baptism is simply told, focusing on its immedi-ate effects. A divine voice testifies that Jesus is God’sbeloved son upon whom divine favor rests. By the tes-timony of two sublime witnesses, John and God, Jesusis recognized as the one a weary world awaits. All

attention is fixed on Jesus. Mk uses a number of OTtexts, most importantly from Second and Third Is, todescribe Jesus. If Mk envisions the beginning ofDeutero-Is, who promises the discouraged refugees incaptivity that God will come in strength, his readersare urged to believe that God has now sent a strong oneto save them.

Mk has no dialogue between John and Jesus and noreference to eschatological judgment here. The heav-ens’ opening signifies that Jesus represents a restora-tion of communication between God and humans.Although Mk revealed to his readers that Jesus isGod’s beloved son, like the early disciples we must fol-low him to the cross to hear the first person testify tothis—upon Jesus’ death.

Homily SuggestionJo Koch

We live in a technologically oversaturated culture thatpractically demands our jumping into the online life ofsocial media. This requires us to curate a highly “like-able” public image supported by daily postings anduploaded selfies. We compete on Facebook for Follow-ers and Shares while YouTube enables us to be thesuperstars of our own self-crafted videos.

In sharp contrast to today’s hyperfocus on self-promotion and self-aggrandizement, John models forus the virtue of true humility. He readily proclaims thatthere is “One mightier” than he. He willingly embraceshis role as an unworthy servant to the Messiah. Johnhas a full understanding of his own purpose and pas-sion. He knows he is the servant, not the savior. Hismission is not to be the center of attention but to turneveryone’s undivided attention to Jesus.

We have much to learn from John the Baptist. AsChristians, we share in the same common mission asJohn. We are constantly called to direct our own atten-tion and focus—and that of others—not to ourselvesbut to Jesus. Like John, we are the pointers, guideposts,and road maps (or GPS) to the One who is ultimatelygreater and more powerful than all of us. We are allsojourners with our ultimate destination: the risenChrist. Guided by the wisdom of John, let us “preparethe way to the Lord.”

For more information about the feast of the Baptism of theLord, visit saintoftheday.org.

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January 9, 2018

Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: Expect the unexpected.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 1:9–20 (306)Dr. Mary Ann Getty

The OT presents no more excruciating condition thanthat of the barren woman, here represented byHannah. Even the priest Eli misjudges her as drunkbecause she is so distraught. Yet God hears andremembers her prayer. Her story later finds parallels inLk’s account of John’s and Jesus’ infancy narrative.Hannah represents the lowly and forgotten ones whodepend totally on God. She promises that her child willbe dedicated to God as a Nazirite, in the tradition ofSamson; the Baptist’s total commitment to God willalso follow this model.

The word nazir means “razor,” suggesting that thelength of hair signifies time fulfilling a vow of commit-ment to God’s will. Since these people are vowed frombirth, their dedication is total. Wine and strong drinksignify the excesses of human self-seeking such asgreed and gluttony. Samuel will be free of these. AsGod’s prophet he seeks only to do God’s will, whichwill effect a transition from the time of the priests andjudges to the time of the kings and prophets.

This new age is inaugurated by Saul, whom Samuelwill anoint as God instructs him. Samuel’s birth storyillustrates God’s word and action effecting a shift awayfrom sinful ways to the single-minded vision and pur-pose of the prophets, who are called to preach andserve God’s will.


Mk’s Gospel begins very quickly as Jesus engages inthe work of bringing about God’s kingdom that heannounced from the first word of his public ministry.Immediately after calling his first disciples as witness-es, Jesus enters the synagogue in his adopted home-town of Capernaum and begins to teach. Before andafter Mk’s brief and dramatic description of this exor-cism, he notes the people’s astonishment over Jesus’power and authority as Teacher, one of Mk’s principaltitles for Jesus.

In the very first sentence, which doubles as the titleof his Gospel, Mark identifies Jesus as the Messiah, theSon of God. Yet the whole Gospel is needed before ahuman being at the foot of the cross repeats this iden-

tification. Mk’s messianic “secret” or “mystery” con-veys at once Jesus’ obvious access to divine powerwhile also accounting for his hiddenness, his humbleorigins, and his rejection by the leaders and many peo-ple, despite the power of his words and works.Theologically, the messianic mystery prepares for theshadow of the cross—always present in Mk.

Miracles are a paradox here because they requirefaith to recognize Jesus’ true identity; faith mustprogress beyond miracles. The demon is expelledalthough he correctly identifies Jesus as the Holy Oneof God. Jesus is the mightier one, proclaiming thearrival of God’s kingdom in word and deed. People’samazement can lead to faith, which must exceed theircurious thirst for miracles.


We spend much of our lives in routine, mundane, andrequired activities. Their regularity and repetitivenessenable us to anticipate a predictable process and ex-pected outcome. Due to their consistency and pre-dictability, we often label these tasks boring; ourengagement is often limited to the minimum required.

This may have been the mindset of the Jews ofCapernaum as they headed to the synagogue to listento an inexperienced, itinerant preacher—not even anaccredited rabbi. Much to their shock and awe, Jesusengages them with unexpected authority and power.The Gospel states, “All were amazed.” Those presentrecognized “a new teaching with authority.” They sawthat “He commands . . . and [the unclean spirits] obeyhim.”

Who Jesus was then and is now challenges us to aska variety of soul-searching questions. Are we willing togive Jesus new authority and power in our lives? Arewe willing to allow him to change us in new, unexpect-ed and possibly unwelcomed ways? Are we genuinelyready to have Jesus shock and awe us? Or likeCapernaum’s Jews, have we allowed the routine andpredictability of our rituals to seduce us and reduceour lives to a godless experience?

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he shows up in unex-pected ways: doing (miracles), saying (preaching) andbeing (Savior/Messiah) the unexpected. The consisten-cy of Jesus’ unpredictability ensures us that we, too,can expect the unexpected.

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January 10, 2018

Wednesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: Self-imposed “time-out.“

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 3:1–10, 19–20(307)

Dr. Mary Ann Getty

Priests and judges preceded the monarchy and proph-ets. Now the Dt historian focuses on prophets, begin-ning with Samuel. Fulfilling her promise should sheconceive a child, Hannah has dedicated Samuel to theservice of the temple under the direction of the priestEli. His sons have sinned, and he represents the end ofan age. Quite old and nearly blind, Eli shows that the“lamp of God” is still burning in him.

The story follows the pattern of a call narrative:divine revelation, a protest, reassurance (and perhaps asign that the call is from God), and fulfillment of God’swill and word. The call is told four times, in almostcomical repetition to a sleepy but obedient child. Not atfirst understanding that a new age is dawning, Eli of-fers a protest. Finally, he realizes that God is callingSamuel, whom he instructs to answer, “Speak, Lord,for your servant is listening.” In time, Samuel willspeak only what the Lord instructs him to speak.

Our reading’s final two sentences summarize thefaithful credibility of Samuel’s service. His words willbe efficacious, and “all Israel” will recognize him asGod’s prophet. Thus we come to the age of the greatprophets and the kings, whom God will somewhatreluctantly permit the prophets to anoint.


Mk describes Jesus’ first day of ministry as a long, pro-ductive day of miracles in and around Capernaum. Forhis second of five “mighty works,” Jesus’ companionsencourage him to cure a woman. Immediately, crowdsare attracted to Jesus, expecting to witness miracles. Yetsome of these wonders are performed in an intimatesetting like the house (an image that suggests thechurch where small groups of disciples assemble);there Jesus cures Peter’s mother-in law.

This miracle is told with great simplicity. Thewoman is very ill. Jesus approaches her, touches herhand, and lifts her up. Her reaction will be the same asthe Gospel’s many women who encounter Jesus: Shegets up and ministers to Jesus and his entourage. Mk’srecord of her service suggests that she immediately

became one of Jesus’ followers. There is an allusionagain to the mystery of Jesus’ identity, known todemons whereas even Jesus’ disciples seem rather per-plexed. They pursue him and apparently delight in hisfame. But Jesus expresses a kind of urgency as heexplains that he has come to preach the gospel far andwide. Some people will believe even if they do notexperience a miracle; others will only remain confusedand look for more extravagant works.

Mk portrays Jesus as both capable of working mira-cles yet somewhat reluctant to perform them outside ofthe context of faith.


The practice of time-out has a wide variety of purposesand applications from sports to parenting. The basicprinciple requires a break, interruption, suspension, orstop in action or play. This can prove to be highly ben-eficial and advantageous.

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus taking a self-imposed time-out from the ministerial demands ofpreaching, teaching, and working miracles. In presum-ing that Jesus was attempting to “get away from it all,”we may be missing the “soul” purpose of his intention.Jesus was running away neither from his disciples andfollowers nor from his mission and ministry. Jesus wasrunning to his abba (father) as a human son desiring tobe in a place and space of belonging. No explanationabout the who, what, and why of his existence is nec-essary. There are no deeds to be done or expectations tobe met. It is a place of rest, renewal, assurance, andstrengthening.

Repeatedly, Jesus models for us the ultimate pur-pose and importance of being connected to God theFather. Like Jesus, we are on a mission from God,specifically chosen to love and serve those whom Godhas intentionally put into our lives. To serve well, weneed to strengthen our connection to the same abbawhom Jesus sought. Our power to love and servecomes not from our own resources but through, with,and in God our Father. Taking a time-out from dailydemands in order to run to the Father is the hallmarkof true servant leadership.

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January 11, 2018

Thursday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: Miracles grow.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 4:1–11 (308)Dr. Mary Ann Getty

Again we hear the wonderful storytelling genius of theDt historian, who portrays the unfolding events as con-trolled by the God of Israel. Eli and his wicked sons areheadquartered at Shiloh. It is notable that in the so-called “ark narrative” (1 Sm chs 4 through 6), Sm is notmentioned, but great attention is given to the arkwhich, because of the sins of the people and especiallytheir leaders, is captured by the Philistines. Two battlesillustrate the complete defeat of Israel.

A question answered only when David brings theark to Jerusalem hangs in the balance: Why has Godpermitted the defeat of Israel by the Philistines? Theark, symbol of God’s presence among the people, be-comes a dangerous weapon against Israel and alsoagainst the Philistines, both of whom recognize it assignifying God’s judgment. Far from being a symbol ofvictory for them, the presence of the ark causes fearamong the Philistines. They even confess that the Godof Israel defeated Israel’s enemies in the past and sure-ly will punish the Philistines for capturing the ark.

But Israelites must first learn the high cost of theirsinfulness under the priests and judges. Eli’s two sonshad hoped to be spared God’s judgment, but they werekilled along with 30,000 soldiers. When the Israelitesflee, “each man to his own tent,” their disarray andpowerlessness are complete. The ark story preparesfor the request and divine permission for a king, whois to be subject to the prophet and lead God’s people.


Once again, the miracle is succinctly told by Mk whileemphasis is on reactions to Jesus as a result of the mir-acle. The miracle story affirms that there is a majorproblem, an intervention, and a conclusion that con-firms the extent of the miracle’s success. A leper ap-proaches Jesus with great reverence, even kneelingbefore him and expressing complete faith in Jesus’ abil-ity to cure him.

Jesus’ intervention includes extending his hand andresponding “with pity” as he asserts his willingness tocure the man. Mk gives a very human portrayal ofJesus, showing him here and elsewhere as expressing

deep emotion. With a sense of urgency, Jesus orders theman to go immediately to the lawful authorities to ver-ify his cure. Surprisingly, Mk seems to imply that theman deliberately disobeys Jesus as he instead goes offto proclaim to all what has happened to him. Yet thisprospective disciple could hardly have experiencedsuch a cure and still remained silent. So after he goes tothe priests, he further verifies his cure by becoming abeliever.

Here’s another example of the mystery surroundingJesus’ identity as Messiah—known yet hidden exceptthrough faith. Jesus continues to preach the gospel inword and deed openly—yet at great personal cost aspeople flock to him without respite.


According to marketers and brandmasters, we live inan age of miracles. We have the Miracle-Ear, MiracleWhip, Miracle-Gro, and numerous miracles of modernmedicine—to name only a few. However, not one ofthese products or practices is supported by the defini-tion of a miracle: a surprising and welcome event thatis not explicable by natural or scientific laws.

As a society, we have minimized and marginalizedmiracles. We have lowered the bar. Jesus didn’t givethe deaf hearing aids or the blind contact lenses—asamazing as these are. Jesus’ miracles were real, imme-diate, and instantaneous. He changed the physiologyof people’s bodies. These miracles were witnessed assurprising and welcome events that happened rightbefore their eyes. Jesus healed; he did not simplyenhance.

Jesus’ miraculous, extreme interventions, past andpresent, were/are intended to disrupt unbelief. In lightof this, have we lowered the bar of expectations whenit comes to Jesus’ power and the possibility of miraclesin our own lives? Have we become so completely com-placent and dependent on data-driven clinical trialsand scientific studies that there is no longer room inour hearts, minds, and souls to believe that the impos-sible is still possible with God? Has the impossible be-come a cliché to us? Have we settled for a much-lessGod than what God has to offer? Or perhaps miraclescan still grow.

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January 12, 2018

Friday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: How to avoid being the biggest loser.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 8:4–7, 10–22a(309)

Dr. Mary Ann Getty

The people of the covenant, God’s people, were sup-posed to be distinguished for faithfulness to the law ofMoses. But they wanted to be just like everyone else.The prophet acts as mediator between God and thepeople. In the transition from the wandering of theExodus to the establishment of the people of the land,the people seem to have learned very little. The Dt his-torian here reveals two traditions at work by the timethis part of the story is recorded.

One tradition notes that the desire for a king camefrom the people, and the other shows a reluctance toembrace any other kingship except God’s alone. Thuswe see that God and the prophet warn the peopleabout a monarchy’s negatives: taxes, an army with allits implements of war, blood, and treasure sacrificedfor the king. As the people settled into the land, theyshowed themselves willing to support a king, especial-ly the first trio of Saul, David, and Solomon, who col-lectively represented stability, pride, and a nation’sconfident direction.

On the one hand, the people should be careful whatthey wish for. God’s blessing makes the monarchy’sbeginning seem like a golden age. Subsequent proph-ets such as Is will idealize the Davidic reign. Kingsarose from a lack of social justice; that required a high-er authority to protect especially the defenseless.


This, the fourth of the first five healings Jesus performsat the start of his ministry in Galilee, shows that Jesushas the power to forgive sins. In contrast to the positivereception of the increasing crowds, the scribes areskeptical, showing themselves ready to pounce onJesus even though all he has done is good. Unchar-acteristically, Mk is rather precise in noting that fourmen (perhaps a reference to the earliest disciples) carrythe stretcher of a paralyzed man unable to approachJesus both because of his infirmity and also because ofthe multitudes surrounding Jesus.

Apparently Jesus uses Peter’s home as his base. Mkhumorously recounts the extreme effort of the four to

get the paralyzed man to Jesus. Using outside steps,they let their friend down through a hole in the roof.Acknowledging their faith, Jesus tells the man that hissins are forgiven. The scribes describe this as blasphe-my. As evidence that he can indeed forgive sins (theapparent easier statement), Jesus instructs the man tostand up, pick up his mat, and go home. The man’sability to do this clearly shows that Jesus is a prophetwith God’s power working in him.

Mk urges us to draw our own conclusions aboutJesus’ identity as God’s Son. Mk concludes by notingthat the awestruck crowd unanimously and sponta-neously gives praise to God.


“If you look for the bad in mankind expecting to findit, you surely will.” This 19th-century quote fromAbraham Lincoln aptly describes the scribes’ ongoingantagonistic relationship with Jesus in AD 30. Theywere constantly on guard, looking for even the small-est infraction of and deviation (in word or action) fromthe Jewish law (613 mitzvot) and the cultural conductcode they were bound to uphold and enforce.

In doing so, they could not bring themselves toacknowledge—let alone appreciate—Jesus’ acts ofcompassion, mercy, and healing manifest in his preach-ing and many miracles. The scribes were willfully andintentionally blind to both his goodness and God-ness.

Likewise, how often do we treat others the sameway the scribes treated Jesus? How often do we lookfor the worst in others when their speech and actionschallenge existing authority, doctrine, or culturalnorms? Typically, we confront their controversialactions and perceived ill intentions by parsing wordsand debating terminology, all the while intending toreinforce our own rightness.

We would do well to heed this cautionary Gospel. Ifwe follow in the footsteps of the scribes, we will be thebiggest losers. We will miss the truth in what is beingsaid and done right before our very eyes. We will missthe goodness and God-ness within others. We will missthe miracles, the grace and glory in the moment; all ofthese are being offered to us by God through others.

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January 13, 2018

Saturday [Hilary of Poitiers]

Theme: Saint and sinner.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 9:1–4, 17–19;10:1a (310)

Dr. Mary Ann Getty

This account of Saul’s anointing interweaves two tradi-tions. One suggests Saul’s popularity, even superiorityamong the Israelites, an aspect that will be developedin future descriptions of him. The other traditioninsists that nothing happens without God’s permis-sion. Thus, God designates Saul as Israel’s first kingand commands Samuel to anoint him, in secret fornow. Another public anointing will follow, but here theemphasis is on God’s will and the obedience of theprophet who does only what God commands. God takes note of Israel’s need for a leader with

strong authority to promote social justice and to shelterespecially widows and orphans. Thus it is God’s gen-erous providence that answers the people’s cry for aking. It will not be God’s fault that Saul’s hubris anddisobedience bring catastrophes. God, the Lord of his-tory, is only interested in saving the people. The Dt historian, interested above all in the cove-

nant, attempts consistently to show that the failuresand the problems of humankind are a result of humansin. Saul is anointed to save. As the story unfolds, wesee that Saul does not live up to this commissionalthough—despite his own sin—David, Saul’s succes-sor, comes closer to doing so.


Mk introduces this episode with a summary sayingthat people kept coming to Jesus and he continued toteach them. Jesus takes the initiative in saying to Levisimply, “Follow me.” Levi does that. When Jesus latereats at Levi’s house, his opponents (now scribes andPharisees) complain about the company Jesus keeps;he associates with and eats with tax collectors andthose known to be sinners. In their hypocrisy, the crit-ics complain not to Jesus but to his disciples. Mk might have inserted this episode because his

own community of believers used such memories toanswer opponents who accused them of not followingall parts of the law of Moses. The Pharisees lived up totheir name as the “separated ones” by strict observanceof all the law’s prescriptions and prohibitions, especial-

ly those concerning kosher food and relationships withpeople considered unclean or sinners. Mk hints atJesus’ power to read minds when he responds that hehas come to heal sinners. In truth, the teachers know that all people are sin-

ners in the eyes of God, according to the law. But thetemptation to seek righteousness and measure itaccording to the law seems too closely linked to ourhuman tendency to conclude that we are clearly betterthan others. Jesus’ remark serves as a warning to avoidthis temptation—or we shall miss our call.


Prior to launching his ministry, Jesus did not hire amanager or consult a life coach to create a strategicplan to determine his “target market” to establish aunified fan base. No, it appears his criteria were barebones at best: Follow me; believe in me. That was it. Nohidden agenda or contractual small print. As a result,Jesus attracted both saints and sinners. Jesus obviously makes no distinction between the

two. In his willingness to engage and dine with bothgroups of people, Jesus blurs the boundaries betweenworthy and unworthy. Socially acceptable and unac-ceptable women and men are welcomed and treatedwith equal respect. Both groups are given a place at the table with the

assurance of belonging. This is indeed good news forus, considering that none of us is exclusively a saint ora sinner. We are a complex amalgamation of both. Thegood and bad coexist within us simultaneously, creat-ing a constant struggle as to which one will dominatein any life situation.Additionally, we can take great solace in Jesus’ self-

proclaimed role as a physician—not only for our bod-ies but for our hearts, minds, and souls. He has a fullunderstanding and knowledge of what ails us most:our brokenness, our undoneness and our incomplete-ness. Without reservation, Jesus willingly shares withus the same healing presence he offered Levi—if onlywe follow him.

For more information about St. Hilary of Poitiers, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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January 15, 2018

Monday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: Are rules made to be broken?

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 15:16–23 (311)Rev. Timothy P. Schehr

This reading puts us in a battle scene against an enemyof Israel. King Saul defeated the Amalekites as Godcommanded him to do, but he did not dedicate all thespoils to the Lord. Instead, Saul and his soldiers laidclaim to all that was good (1 Sm 15:9). In so doing, thevictory became a time for serving themselves ratherthan serving God. When the prophet Sm confronts Saulfor his failure to obey, Saul tries to smooth things overby explaining they were going to offer the spoils as asacrifice to God. But Sm has heard enough.

He reminds Saul that, as a divinely anointed king,he must protect the people of Israel from any enemy.God wanted the enemy completely vanquished. In thisway the people would never have to worry about in-terference in their bond with God. But Saul decided onhis own to spare the king, the source of his currenttroubles. Saul has failed, and his refusal to accept fullresponsibility for his failure has made him unfit to leadthe people of Israel any longer.

In the concluding vv of the reading, Sm summarizesthe problem in plain terms. Even the finest offeringsare no substitute for obedience to the word of God.Saul’s primary task is to carry out the command ofGod. Kingship in Israel means humble service to thetrue king of Israel, who is God. Saul has allowed hispride to get in the way. His sin amounts to idolatry inthe eyes of God. As a result, it falls upon Sm to finishthe work Saul had been commanded to do (15:32–33).

Exegesis of the Gospel, Mk 2:18–22 (311)Rev. Timothy P. Schehr

The reading begins with a criticism leveled at Jesus.People wonder why his disciples do not fast as Johnthe Baptist and his disciples do. Jesus takes this as yetanother opportunity to open their eyes so they can seehe is bringing to fulfillment all the wonderful messian-ic oracles of the prophets. Classic among the prophetswas the image of a wedding, an image especiallyprominent in the oracles of Is. He anticipated a closerbond between God and the people. On that day Godwill be the bridegroom and Israel the bride (Is 62:1–5).Jesus wants his listeners to recognize that such a dayhas come because he is in the world.

With Jesus the groom in their midst, how could thedisciples do anything except celebrate the bounty sur-rounding them? Jesus goes on to use two images ap-propriate to a wedding celebration. A wedding is atime to wear new robes. It will not do to patch up anold robe with new fabric. The new patch will tear awayas it shrinks, making the tear in the old robe evenworse. Better to don a new robe altogether and save theold for another day, for example, the day of mourningwhen the bridegroom is taken away.

The second image is taken from the vineyard, anoth-er classic in the prophetic repertoire to represent God’sabundance. Having Jesus in their midst means it istime to enjoy a new harvest from the vineyard. Andnew vintage is stored in new skins that will stretch. Inthis way the revelers can enjoy both the old wine andthe new, as at the wedding feast in Cana (Jn 2:1-11).

Homily SuggestionJay Johnston

In his book entitled Getting On, British playwright AlanBennett makes this wry observation: “We started offtrying to set up a small anarchist community, but peo-ple wouldn’t obey the rules.” This evokes the old dic-tum “Rules are made to be broken.” The true anarchist,of course, would simply say: “Always!”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is accused of fostering reli-gious anarchy because his disciples don’t follow therules—in contrast to the Pharisees and the disciples ofJohn the Baptist. Jesus neither argues that the rules arepoorly formulated nor makes excuses for his disciples.Instead, he speaks and, by extension, acts proleptically,anticipating a future time (God’s kingdom) when therewill be no need for fasting. Jesus uses wedding/bride-groom imagery to assert that the future is now and thathe embodies it. Therefore, the normal rules don’t ap-ply, or, as Edward Mally, SJ puts it, in Jesus’ case,“Messianic authority takes precedence over Mosaicobservance.”

G.K. Chesterton, no friend of anarchists, onceobserved that “there are no rules of architecture for acastle in the clouds.” The kingdom of God may nothave a castle in it, but what seems clear is that it is nota mere extension of some human, rule-governed reali-ty; rather, it is a radically new kind of existence. Theold laws won’t apply—just as they didn’t when Jesuswalked this earth.

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January 16, 2018

Tuesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: Making the sabbath holy.


As the reading begins, Sm is still distressed over Saul’sdismissal as king of Israel. It seems the prophet has yetto fully accept the ways of God. But Saul had to berejected as king because he put his own interests overthose of God and the people of Israel. A king in Israelmust serve the Lord God first. This goes for prophets,too. God calls upon Sm to put his personal feelingsaside and act on Israel’s behalf.Sm must go to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons

of Jesse as the next king. But Sm fears that Saul will killhim to protect his claim to the throne. Clearly, Saul hasnot accepted God’s rejection of him. By all appearances, Jesse’s son Eliab is the right can-

didate to replace Saul, and Sm is prepared to anointhim. But God intervenes, giving the prophet a cruciallesson in right judgment. Outward appearances can bedeceiving. God looks into the human heart, into a per-son’s true character. Thereafter, Sm awaits God’s word.But no word comes with the next six sons. Only Davidremains. But he was not even considered by the familybecause of his youth. Yet David is the one God has cho-sen. When David receives the anointing from Sm, theSpirit of the Lord rushes upon him. Thus the dramaticand extended account of David’s service to God beginson this very positive note.


The weekly sabbath is the one day for people to setaside their work and instead be mindful of all that Godis doing for them. Thus people rested on the sabbath.God, on the other hand, continues to be engaged in thework of salvation—even, and perhaps especially, onthe sabbath. For this, people should be grateful. Likehis heavenly Father, Jesus is fully engaged in the workof salvation on the sabbath (Jn 5:17). For this reasonJesus can declare, as he does at the end of this reading,he is lord even of the sabbath. Did Jesus intentionally lead his disciples through a

grain field on a sabbath? He knew his famished disci-ples would enjoy the fruits of the field as they followedhim. And that would give Jesus another opportunity toawaken his opponents to his purpose in this world.

Jesus reminds the Pharisees, who valued theScriptures, of the passage in which David went into thehouse of God, ate the bread of offering, and evenshared it with his band of followers (1 Sm 21:1–6). Thatbread was reserved for the priests alone. But it must beremembered that David was the Lord’s anointed.Would the Pharisees dare to object to what God’s ser-vant David did? Still less should they object to whatJesus and his disciples are doing—especially sinceJesus is Son of David and on a mission far more signif-icant than David’s.


The 1981 film Chariots of Fire is based on the true storyof Eric Liddell, a Scottish sprinter who disqualifiedhimself from his best event at the 1924 Olympicsbecause the race was on Sunday, the sabbath in hisview. Liddell was a clear favorite to win gold in the100-meter dash. The movie dramatizes (and, in fact, falsifies) how

Liddell learned of his dilemma by having him find outabout the race time while on the boat to France. Themovie also has the prince of Wales pressuring the 22-year-old runner to forgo his religious scruples and runanyway. In truth, Liddell knew of the schedule monthsin advance and planned accordingly, training for thelonger races of 200 and 400 meters, one of which hewon by breaking a world record. Some Christians today might find Liddell’s stance

an example of an overly fussy adherence to a strict rulethat is scarcely honored anymore. One suspects thatChristian athletes today could easily rationalize a deci-sion to run or compete on the sabbath.Is Jesus “rationalizing” the sabbath behavior of his

disciples? Is he trying to weasel out of this importantobligation—at least for observant Jews? As was thecase in yesterday’s Gospel about fasting, Jesus justifiesrule breaking on the basis of his authority as the Son ofMan.In rejecting scrupulous observance, Jesus captures

the sentiment expressed by Alice Walker, author of TheColor Purple. She once said, “Anybody can observe thesabbath, but making it holy surely takes the rest of theweek.”

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January 17, 2018

Wednesday—Anthony the Abbot

Theme: The high price of ’saving face.’

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 17:32–33, 37,40–51 (313)

Rev. Timothy P. Schehr

Saul’s weakness is clearly apparent in this reading. Be-cause he does not listen to God, he is unable to win adecisive victory against Israel’s enemies. Now Saulfaces the threat of the Philistines and especially theirhero, Goliath. Young David is confident that, withGod’s help, he can defeat Goliath. Saul insists Davidmust wear the standard armor, but it proves too muchfor a youth inexperienced in the ways of warfare. In-stead, David approaches the Philistine warrior withonly a staff and a sling, the same implements he hasrelied on to guide and protect his father’s flocks. Davidthus steps forward as the ideal shepherd of Israel.

The fierce Goliath is amused at David’s approach tochallenge him. But David is not intimidated by thePhilistine’s words of disdain and mockery; he profess-es complete confidence in God’s saving power. Theexchange between the Philistine hero and the IsraeliteDavid proves highly significant and will be reflectedon many different levels as David’s story unfolds. Aslong as David remembers that “the battle is theLord’s,” he will remain a strong, able leader of Israel.

Goliath’s mighty sword is no match for the singlesmooth stone the faithful David launches at him.David needs no sword to win the victory because hetrusts in God. But later on, a spiritually weaker Davidwho flees from Saul will claim to need the sword ofGoliath in order to defend himself (1 Sm 21:8–9).


Jesus previously told the Pharisees he was lord of thesabbath. Now he enters the synagogue (in Caper-naum?) and offers those Pharisees yet another oppor-tunity to recognize that he is Lord and that he carriesforward his Father’s saving plan, the kind of workespecially appropriate for a sabbath day.

A man there has a hand rendered useless by somephysical malady. Seeing this man might cause others tobe mindful of their own capable hands. Do they usetheir hands to do harm or to do good? The Pharisees,however, are not thinking along these lines. They areintent on seeing only whether or not Jesus will perform

a healing. If he does heal, they will have grounds forfinding him in violation of the sabbath.

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus decides to heal theman not privately but in front of the entire congrega-tion. But first he asks the Pharisees a pointed question:Do they find it lawful to do good or to do evil on thesabbath? The answer is obvious. But they refuse to givethe right answer because that will take away their op-portunity for a charge against Jesus.

Jesus is exasperated at their determination not toaccept the invitation to faith he offers them. To inspirethe Pharisees to reverse their thinking and be spiritual-ly healed, Jesus restores to health in plain view theman’s withered hand. But the Pharisees are unmoved;they even conspire to do evil on that very sabbath.


Our idiomatic phrase “cutting off your nose to spiteyour face” comes to mind in connection with today’sGospel. We have all seen examples of the defiant be-havior described. Just think of a 6-year-old, upset atnot getting what she wants, telling her mom, “I’mgoing to hold my breath until I pass out.”

This little adage warns against acting out of pique orseeking revenge in a way that will probably damagethe angry person more than the object of one’s anger.

The Pharisees in today’s Gospel are doing some seri-ous nose cutting. They’re looking for an opportunity totrip up Jesus and accuse him of something (anything?),but he turns the tables on them by asking, in front ofthe whole synagogue assembly, whether one isallowed to do good on the sabbath. The Phariseesknow perfectly well that the answer is a resoundingyes. They cannot, however, bring themselves to say it,thus hurting their own credibility and demeaningthemselves in the eyes of others—simply to find a wayto get at Jesus.

In our attempts to justify ourselves as righteous fol-lowers of Jesus, do we cling exclusively to external ob-servances (rituals, tithing, strict adherence to certainrules) and thereby miss the real heart of Jesus’ mes-sage? If so, we harm only ourselves.

For more information about St. Anthony the Abbot, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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January 18, 2018

Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: Hollywood Jesus or true compassion?

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Sm 18:6–9; 19:1–7(314)


Saul lost his claim to the throne of Israel because herefused to recognize that the only true king in Israel isthe Lord God. The distinction between Saul and Davidbecomes even more pronounced in this reading.In the lyrics of their songs, the women of Israel

praise Saul for his bravery in the field of battle. ButDavid receives 10 times more praise. The people recog-nize they are more secure with David than with Saul.We are reminded once more that David has been cho-sen by the Lord. It means nothing to Saul that God haschosen David as king, but it means a great deal to himthat the people seem to be thinking of David as a king.Thus Saul announces to his son and to his close associ-ates that he intends to kill David.Wouldn’t Saul’s son Jonathan welcome David’s

removal? After all, Jonathan could well expect to suc-ceed his father as king. But Jonathan admires Davidand even warns him of Saul’s plans to kill him.Jonathan then announces his own intention to inter-cede with his father, Saul, on David’s behalf. Jonathan speaks up for David, reminding his father

that David, a loyal servant of the king, has risked hislife to fight Saul’s enemies. Jonathan also explains thatDavid has achieved his successes only through thepower of God. For the time being, anyway, Jonathan’swisdom seems to change his father’s thinking.


As he does so often in his Gospel, Mk uses the sea asbackground for a scene involving Jesus and his disci-ples. This is appropriate because the sea is the placewhere Jesus teaches his disciples to become fishers forthe kingdom of God.Once again, Jesus is surrounded by a crowd of peo-

ple. This time Mk notes that this large crowd includespeople from many different places. The wonderfulwork of Jesus is attracting people well beyond theboundaries of Israel. Jesus cures many people. By sodoing, he invites them to recognize a deeper spiritualhealing available to them if they choose to listen to hiswords—as well as see the things he does.

The press of the crowd is so great that Jesus directshis disciples to get a boat ready so he can address thepeople a little off shore. It seems the concern of rela-tives in another passage (3:20–21) was somewhat justi-fied. They want to rescue Jesus from the crowd alto-gether. Jesus wants to remain close to them. They allmust hear his saving message.Unclean spirits recognize the superiority of Jesus.

Surprisingly, many people do not! The unclean falldown before Jesus and loudly declare his identity.Jesus sternly commands them to remain silent. Wordscoming from the lips of the unclean will distort thegood news. The gospel will be properly proclaimedonly by the Lord’s own disciples—once they have beenprepared by the risen Lord.


In his little volume What Jesus Meant, Gary Wills spec-ulates about the charisma of Jesus, wondering what itwas about him that was “graced” (the literal meaningof charismatic) and that attracted the great crowds ofpeople described in today’s Gospel. Wills dismisses theidea that it was the physical attractiveness of Jesus thatdrew people to him—despite the standard Hollywoodimage of Jesus as portrayed by handsome actors suchas Jeffrey Hunter, Max von Sydow, Robert Powell, TedNeeley, and Jim Caviezel. Rather, Wills suggests, the attraction to Jesus was

based on the sense of companionship with the afflictedthat he projected. Wills sums it up this way: “Hurt peo-ple are not drawn to the aggressively healthy, to the televangelist’s plummy voice, the fire-hose gush ofbonhomie. People are instinctively drawn to Jesus, cer-tain that he understands suffering, their particular suf-fering, that he sees it in their eyes even before theyspeak.” As we try to live the call to evangelize, so much

emphasized by Pope Francis, we have to consider whatmight attract people to follow the path of Christianity(or, in some cases, to return to a faith that they haveabandoned). Today’s Gospel seems to say that it is acompassion that identifies with suffering and vulnera-ble people.

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January 19, 2018

Friday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: Burning ego.


Saul’s reconciliation with David is over; Saul is nowhunting for David, who seems to rely less on the Lordbut gathers his servants and flees ahead of Saul.

As the reading begins, David has a chance to killSaul. At least, that is what his servants propose. WhatDavid does next seems curious at first reading. Hesilently approaches and cuts off the end of Saul’s man-tle. This may be more than simply a clever display.Years earlier, the prophet Sm said the Lord had torn thekingdom from Saul like a piece of cloth to give tosomeone better (1 Sm 15:27–28). Has David taken itupon himself to fulfill that prophetic word? David isafterward filled with remorse and confesses to his menthat he should never have done that to the Lord’sanointed.

After Saul leaves the cave, David does the same. Hedisplays the piece of cloth, announcing that he wasclose enough to kill Saul. But he did not do so becausehe respects Saul as anointed by the Lord. David goeson to say he will not claim the throne for himself. Hewill leave it to God to judge between the two of them.However, David continues, for sparing Saul’s life, hehopes God will take his side and give him justice.

Saul seems to be deeply moved by all this and evenadmits that David will one day be king over Israel. ButSaul will never accept God’s judgment.


Jesus will not allow the unclean spirits to proclaim whohe is. Only faithful disciples of the Lord will have thisprivilege. Jesus now appoints the Twelve as his specialdisciples. Their number is significant. Twelve recallsthe number of the sons of Jacob, and thus the 12 tribesof Israel. The testimony of these apostles will becomethe foundation for the Church, the renewed Israel.They share in the authority of Jesus: They preach anddrive out unclean spirits.

As the Twelve are named, Mk includes details aboutthem to reflect their journey of faith. They walked withthe Lord for some three years and received from himevery advantage to grow spiritually. The name Peter isnot attested before the time of Jesus. This name given

to Simon anticipates the solid faith this disciple willultimately display. Of course, that will be true of himonly after he has worked through the disillusion thatled him to deny the Lord.

Jesus gives the name “sons of thunder” to Zebedee’stwo sons. Before they can value the kingdom of Godabove all, they will need to let go of the temperamentthat seeks the destruction of certain Samaritans. Lastly,there is Judas Iscariot. This apostle saw the value ofearthly things, but he could never open his eyes to seethe value of the things of heaven. In the end, he be-trayed the Lord for a sum of money.


Today’s Gospel is basically a list, a simple recountingof the names of the 12 companions whom Jesus invitedto join him. The passage neither goes into much detailabout why Jesus chose these specific individuals norelaborates on their credentials. What made them wor-thy of this special calling?

Laurence G. Boldt, in his book entitled Zen Soup:Tasty Morsels of Wisdom from Great Minds East & West,begins his chapter “Selfless Service” with this observa-tion: “In any moment, any of us, moved by our nativecompassion, may respond with selfless action. Yet a lifededicated to service of our fellow beings can only arisefrom the ashes of the ego.” It is, he adds, only when werealize the futility of ego-based cravings and give upour desire to “acquire and hold” that we can achievethe ideal of selfless service out of which discipleshipmust grow.

Perhaps this explains why Jesus chose relativelypoor and largely unknown fishermen, tax collectors,and the others who were to constitute his little band.They had, in a sense, less “ego to burn” before theycould dedicate themselves completely.

As we strive to be present-day disciples of Jesus, wemight ask which elements of our ego-based existencewill need to go up in flames if we are truly to be of ser-vice to others.

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January 20, 2018

Saturday [Fabian and Sebastian]

Theme: The right kind of hunger.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Sm 1:1–4, 11–12,19, 23–27 (316)


Because Saul never recognized the Lord’s kingship, hewas not fit to rule over God’s people. When Saul diedon the battlefield, fighting the Philistines, David waswinning a victory against another enemy of Israel: theAmalekites. A messenger arrives from Mt. Gilboa withthe news that both Saul and Jonathan have died.

David is clearly distraught at the news. He noblymourns Saul’s death even though Saul spent years try-ing to kill David. David can overlook Saul’s weaknessand see instead the respect owed someone anointed bythe Lord. David also fondly remembers the loyalfriendship Jonathan showed him. David seems to findsome comfort in knowing that father and son were sep-arated, as he says, “neither in life nor in death.” Davidalso remarks on the material wealth Saul brought to hissubjects. For readers this brings to mind the spiritualwealth Saul could have bestowed on them had he beena faithful servant of God.

Three times a grieving David cries out, “How canthe warriors have fallen?” This sad exclamation clearlyexhibits his shock at learning the terrible end for Sauland his son. At the same time, anyone familiar withthis story is reminded that Saul the warrior fell becausehe refused to obey the word of the Lord.


This brief passage reveals much about the Lord andthose around him. The Lord has just selected theTwelve. All but one of this number will ultimately besent out to proclaim the gospel to all the world (16:15).There is much they must learn first. And so Jesus leadshis disciples into “the house”—perhaps that of SimonPeter in Capernaum. There he can instruct them with-out interruption or distraction by others. This ideal cir-cumstance, however, soon disappears.

As so often happens in this Gospel, crowds close inon Jesus. They want to be nourished by his words andwhat he does. They are famished for what the Lord canbring them. By contrast, the disciples seem to be pre-occupied with having time to eat. Later in the Gospel(8:17–21), Jesus will upbraid them for being concerned

about a loaf of bread instead of seeking spiritual suste-nance.

In the reading’s final v, relatives hear there is no timefor the Lord or his disciples to eat. This makes no senseto them. They think Jesus must be out of his mind. Andso they set out to take charge of the situation. Theyintend to seize the Lord and thus remove him from thedemanding crowds. But Jesus has come precisely toreach out to such crowds. And so this brief Gospel pas-sage neatly captures a major difference in viewpoint.The Lord welcomes crowds to teach them spiritualtruths. Others find the crowds an annoyance, making itimpossible for them to enjoy the things of this world.


Today’s Gospel is a mere two vv, but we find in themmuch “food for thought” (pun intended). We are toldthat despite retreating to a house, Jesus and his disci-ples find it “impossible for them to get any food what-ever.” The literal translation of this phrase is “to eatbread,” which would mean to take food of any kind—an echo of Gn 3:19, where Adam is told that only by thesweat of his brow will he “eat bread.”

The evangelist sets up a pointed parallel, for thecrowds are also “hungry,” but, in their case, they arehungry in the right way, famished for the words thatJesus speaks and the saving deeds that marked muchof his early ministry—whereas Jesus’ own disciples aresimply trying to get something edible in their mouths.This literalism regarding bread/nourishment comesback to haunt the Twelve later in this Gospel whenJesus criticizes their inability to focus on the true (spir-itual) sustenance that he provides.

The misunderstanding carries over to Jesus’ rela-tives who cannot fathom why he is ignoring the basicnecessities. They assume he is insane, which in thosedays could have implied demonic possession. Ironi-cally, it is demons, in fact, who (in our Gospel from twodays ago) recognize what Jesus is really about whenthey cry out, “You are the Son of God.”

When it comes to Jesus, are we hungry in the rightway?

For more information about Sts. Fabian and Sebastian, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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January 22, 2018

Monday—Legally Protecting the Unborn

Theme: Jesus breathes peace into us today.

Exegesis of the First Reading, Is 9:1–6 (887:1)Michael Guinan, OFM

This oracle falls into two parts, vv 1–4 and 5–6. Thefirst part envisages liberation from some kind of adver-sity, perhaps Assyrian conquests of Israelite northernterritory (described in the preceding vv). Two imagesare used: It is like passing from darkness into light,and it is like the joy at harvest time.An enemy’s yoke has been shattered by God “as on

the day of Midian” (Jgs 7:15–25). What is remarkableabout that battle and victory is that the Israelite armydid not strike a blow; the Lord gave the victory. Thusthe boots and cloaks of battle will not be needed andcan be burned up.The second part of the oracle describes the birth of a

new king of the Davidic line. The birth is probably nota literal birth. The day a prince was anointed king wasconsidered the day of his birth (Ps 2, 110; 2 Sm 7:4). Hereceives a series of “throne-names” that describe theGod he is to emulate in his rule.Two concerns should be primary: peace (shalom) and

justice (sedaqa). For us these are primarily socialvirtues, but biblically, they are terms that cover all ofour relationships: to self, others, the natural world, andultimately to God.

Exegesis of the Gospel, Jn 20:19–23 (891:4)Michael Guinan, OFM

It is evening of the day of the resurrection. The disci-ples (the Gospel does not say how many) are still “inthe dark.” They are afraid and confused, and the doorsare locked. But this is no obstacle for Jesus. He appearsin their midst and greets them, “Peace be with you.”He repeats this two vv later.While this could be a standard greeting, more is

involved here. At the Last Supper, Jesus had promisedthem the gift of peace, “Peace I leave with you; mypeace I give to you“ (14:27). We recall this gift at everyEucharist, a gift we are meant to share with others.The disciples rejoiced! This, too, recalls Jesus’ words

at the Last Supper: “Your grief will become joy. . . . Iwill see you again, and your hearts will rejoice” (16:20,22), and this joy will not be taken away.Throughout his farewell discourse, Jesus has

promised that he will send his disciples the Holy Spirit;

now he breathes the Spirit (i.e., breath) onto them. Thisis the same expression used in Gn 2:7, at the creation ofhumans; in Christ, there is a new creation.The gift of the Spirit brings with it a mission: The

disciples are sent forth to be instruments of God’s for-giveness in the world.

Homily SuggestionMary Lynne Rapien

Who is there who has not messed up and felt shame? Isuspect that all of us have. The prospect of facing theone we have offended weighs heavy. The disciples in the upper room on resurrection

night knew they had messed up. They had desertedtheir master out of fear. Because the prospect of cruci-fixion was paralyzing, they hid. So there they were,cowering when Jesus appeared through locked doors. Instead of the thrashing they expected and de-

served, Jesus offers peace, an infilling of peace. Hebreathed that peace into them. In Gn, the breath of Godbegins creation. In the upper room, Jesus breathes thenew life of the Holy Spirit into the disciples—the Spirithe promised to send at the Last Supper.Jesus continues to breathe his life into us. He recre-

ates us with his Spirit. He comes with his mercy andforgiveness at each Mass and in the Sacrament of Rec-onciliation. When you are feeling anxious or fearful, try breath-

ing in deeply as you say the name of Jesus. Imaginebeing filled with God’s peace. As you exhale, imagineletting go of all the bottled-up shame, anxiety, guilt,and fear that have robbed you of that peace. Peace in;anxiety and fear out—until you are filled with Christ’speace. Try it.

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January 23, 2018

Tuesday [Deacon Vincent and Marianne Cope]

Theme: Eucharist makes us living tabernacles.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Sm 6:12b–15, 17–19(318)

Michael Guinan, OFM

Last Saturday we left David grieving the death of Saul.Since then, the tribes have come and asked him to beking over them—an offer he could not refuse—andDavid has captured the Jebusite city of Jerusalem andrenamed it the “City of David.” But it is not yet the“holy city.” Something is lacking: the ark of God.

The ark was basically a rectangular (4’ 2” x 30” x 30”)box (Latin, arca/Hebrew, ‘aron both). Elaborate detailsare given for its construction (Ex ch 25) and when it isfinished (Ex ch 40), it is placed inside a tent (Latin, taber-naculum). Then the “glory of God” (the dark cloud)moves from Mt. Sinai and covers the tent/ark. Later,when Solomon builds the temple, the glory of the Lordwill move into the temple.

There are rings on the sides to insert poles to make itportable, but a portable what? Various suggestions havebeen offered: God’s throne? Footstool? Perhaps a por-table Mt. Sinai? At any rate, it is a visible symbol of thepresence of God in the midst of the people.

Traditional sacrifices are offered, and David dancesexuberantly (later, his wife will rebuke him for it, v 20),wearing a linen ephod. Since this is a priestly garment,David is exercising a priestly function. Jerusalem is nowa holy city.

Exegesis of the Gospel, Mk 3:31–35 (318)Michael Guinan, OFM

This Gospel is short but is nonetheless an important one.Jesus redefines the meaning of family. His mother andrelatives are, we are told, “standing outside.” A few vvearlier (v 20), we heard that his family thought that Jesuswas out of his mind (literally, “standing outside of him-self”). Now we see that his family members are standingoutside.

The crowd around Jesus understands “family” in theconventional meaning of those related by blood; Jesus’reply will give a new and unconventional meaning:“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sisterand mother.”

A key word here is does! To be a disciple, it is notenough to be with Jesus, to listen to him, and to walkwith him. All of this is important, but it is not enough.

Our faith must be put into action. It is what we do thatcounts.

Another important aspect can be noted. Obviously,the life of faith begins with our vertical relationship withGod in Christ, but to be a disciple is to enter a new fam-ily. Horizontal relationships are also important. It isnever a question of simply “me and Jesus”; it is alwaysa question of “us and Jesus.”

This familial dimension is crucial; it enables us topray “Our” Father. Do we see other Christians as ourfamily members?


For 40 years the ark of the covenant had accompaniedthe Israelites in their journey from the slavery of Egyptto the promised land. When the ark finally came to restin Jerusalem, David, the mighty king, donned the apronof the priest and danced with abandon before it. OnceSolomon built the temple, the ark was placed deepinside in a place called the “Holy of Holies.” It was sosacred that only the high priest was permitted to enter,and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Infact, a long cord was tied to the high priest’s ankle sothat others could pull him out if necessary. No one elsedared enter such a holy place.

The tabernacle in our church is our Holy of Holies.The lit candle by the tabernacle assures us that the con-secrated bread is inside. We can visit Christ in the taber-nacle any day and any time the church is open. We arenot only invited to approach the altar and tabernacle, weare invited to feast on its contents: the Eucharist. Jesussays that receiving him, body and blood, soul and divin-ity, is the way to eternal life.

In the hymn “Gift of Finest Wheat,” we proclaim,“Whom all the world cannot contain comes in our heartsto dwell.” Imagine it! Believe it! Worship him! Receivehim! This is not a ho-hum thing. It is beyond descrip-tion. Maybe we need a little more David in us as weworship Christ in our tabernacle and in us.

For more information about Sts. Vincent the Deacon andMarianne Cope, visit saintoftheday.org.

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January 24, 2018

Wednesday—Francis de Sales

Theme: Jesus fulfills the promise to David.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Sm 7:4–17 (319)Michael Guinan, OFM

David is in his house; the ark is in the tent. David feelsthat this is not right and wishes to build a house forGod. At first, the court prophet, Nathan, approves theproject, but later that night gets a new communicationfrom the Lord.

Today’s reading is one of the most famous and im-portant passages in the OT; it contains the “covenantwith David” (a poetic version can be found in Ps 89).Basic to the oracle is a clever play on words. Davidwishes to build a house (a building) for God; Godinstead will build a house (a family, dynasty) forDavid, whose son Solomon will build the house/tem-ple.

Throughout the oracle, it is clear that the Lord is incharge. The pronoun I occurs 14 times; David does notearn his kingship, it is completely a gift from God, whohas chosen David to be the human representative ofGod’s kingly rule.

Unlike the Mosaic covenant at Sinai, which can (andwill) be broken by the disobedience of the people, thiscovenant is rooted in God’s promise. The king’s behav-ior is important; punishment can follow, but thecovenant will stand. This will be the basis for the laterhope that develops when there is no king.


Except for tomorrow, the Gospel readings for the restof this week are all taken from Mk ch 4. In the style ofa wisdom teacher, Jesus teaches in parables, drawingon everyday experiences of the world around him; theimages come from farming and the processes of nature.The ch contains three seed parables, with two interrup-tions to comment on the purpose of the parables (vv10–13 and 21–25). We will focus mostly on the parablesthemselves.

The parable of the sower, the seed, and the soil is afamiliar one. It reflects the farming practices of the timewhere the seed was scattered all over, and then camethe plowing. The first hearers would have noddedtheir heads, recognizing the practice.

But this is a parable, and there is more, a deeperlevel that challenges its hearers. And those are the key

words: Hear! Listen! These words frame the parable(vv 3, 9). In the Semitic idiom, to really hear is to obey;the word enters in through the ear and then goes downto the heart, the primary organ of hearing, and we arechanged.

The seed is “the word” (of the gospel); the hearersare “seeded” with it. The shallow mind, the hard heart,preoccupations of the world, persecution—these are allobstacles to the growth of faith and can hinder ourbeing true members of Jesus’ new family.


If anyone was ever put in his place, David was. In thevv before our first reading, David decides to build ahouse for God. Through the prophet Nathan, Godreminds David who is in charge. I counted 20 I’s in ourpassage, letting David know what God had done forhis people. Then the prophecy ends with a promisethat we see fulfilled in a way that David could neverhave imagined. God promised that David’s kingdomwould “endure forever“ and that his throne would“stand firm forever.”

History shows that David’s kingdom on earth didnot last. When the tribes split after Solomon’s death,the northern kingdom, Israel, fell to the Assyrians in721 BCE. The southern kingdom, Judah, fell to theBabylonians in 587 BCE. The Jewish people continuedto look for a leader or a messianic era in which Israelwould be restored on earth. We see the fulfillment ofthe prophecy in Jesus, whose kingdom is eternal andopen to all.

God has kept his promise through Jesus, the Christ,a descendant of David, whose kingdom is eternal. Asadopted children of God, we become heirs of that king-dom, which Jesus says is already here in a limited way.Our challenge is to live as loyal subjects in that king-dom. We don’t want to be like David and tell God whathe needs from us. We need to see what work God hasfor us. If it is God’s work, he will give us the ability andthe strength to do it.

For more information about St. Francis de Sales, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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January 25, 2018

Thursday—Conversion of St. Paul

Theme: Paul’s conversion turned darkness intolight.

Exegesis of the First Reading, Acts 22:3–16 (519)Michael Guinan, OFM

The conversion of Paul was a dramatic event for the riseand spread of early Christianity. There are threeaccounts of this event in the Book of Acts, one a narra-tive (9:1–18), and two in speeches where Paul defendshimself, the first before Jews in Jerusalem (22:3–16) andthe other before King Agrippa in Caesarea (26:2–18).There are slight differences among them, but they agreeon the basic story. Today’s reading is the second of theseaccounts.

A group of Jews, hostile to Paul’s preaching at the tem-ple in Jerusalem, attack him to put him to death; the localRoman cohort commander intervenes and saves Paul. Herequests permission to address the Jews, and he does so “inHebrew” (Aramaic; the term Hebrew was still a fluid one).

Paul recalls his deeply Jewish upbringing and his zealfor the law of Moses; he even persecuted this newfangledsect called “the Way.” While traveling to Damascus, he hada truly sudden and life-changing experience.

Paul had been in darkness about Jesus; now he is daz-zled by the light of the risen Christ. His temporary blind-ness will be lifted only when he is received into the com-munity. From this time on, he will put his deep learningand great zeal at the service of “the Way” that he once per-secuted. God works in mysterious ways!


The original Gospel of Mk surely ended with 16:8. Thewomen at the tomb were commissioned to report toPeter and the other disciples that Jesus had gone beforethem to Galilee; there they would see him. They thenfled the tomb with trembling and awe.In ancient times, this ending was felt to be inade-

quate, and several other endings were added to theGospel, in some instances clearly borrowing from theother Gospels. Today’s reading is taken from the “longerending” (vv 9–18). As the Eleven are at table, Jesus appears to them and

commissions them in words similar to Mt 28:19; butwhere Mt has “to all nations,” Mk has “to every crea-ture,” thus making the spreading of the gospel morecosmic in scope. This reading is probably selected for

today’s feast in view of Paul’s title as ”Apostle to theGentiles.”Then five signs are listed that “accompany those who

believe.” Only two of them actually appear in theGospels, the first and the last, driving out demons andhealing the sick. Speaking new languages appears inActs (Pentecost) and 1 Cor chs 12–13. As for picking upserpents, perhaps Acts 28:3–6 was in mind. There a viperfastens on Paul’s hand, and he is not harmed. Signs,however, are clearly secondary to the preaching of thegospel.


Have you ever had an intervention in your family? Thatoccurs when an addict—alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.—is confronted by loved ones and is made aware of thedestructiveness of his or her behavior to oneself and oth-ers. Sometimes that takes the scales off the addict’s eyesand initiates acceptance of treatment. Changed behaviorfollows that person’s changed beliefs and thinking. St. Paul had a dramatic intervention on the road to

Damascus. He went from being physically sighted butin spiritual darkness to being physically blinded andgaining great spiritual insight.Paul acted out of his beliefs. His actions were always

100% consistent with his beliefs. When he believed thatthose who followed Jesus were blaspheming, he perse-cuted them dauntingly, according to the law of Moses.However, when he saw that his beliefs were wrong, hisactions turned 180 degrees. He never turned back.Where would we be today if it had not been for St. Pauland his mission to preach Christ to the gentiles—sincemost of us come from a gentile background? AA is full of alcoholics who daily work at their sobri-

ety because someone cared enough to confront them ina way that opened their eyes. We all have our blindspots. They are called blind spots because we are oftennot aware of them. It could be in areas such as prejudice,greed, gossip, or sexual sin. God wants to bring lightinto that darkness. He convicts but never condemns.“Lord, open my eyes,” we pray.

For more information about the feast of the Conversion of St.Paul, visit saintoftheday.org.

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January 26, 2018

Friday—Timothy and Titus

Theme: Good seed and good soil = good fruit.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Tm 1:1–8 (520)Michael Guinan, OFM

The Pastoral Letters (1 & 2 Tm and Ti) are generallyconsidered to have been written by a follower of Paul.They address Church situations later than the time ofPaul. 2 Tm reflects a very personal tone.

The letter opens in typical fashion, identifying thesender and the receiver, followed by a greeting. Be-cause the letter will later focus on Paul’s impendingdeath (4:6–8), the “promise of life” takes on a poignanttone. God promises and guarantees the gift of eternallife.

Timothy is addressed as a dear child, as is Titus also(Ti 1:4). Paul wishes them grace, mercy, and peace.

Pauline letters typically follow the greeting with anexpression of thanksgiving. Here the focus is on thefaith of Timothy and Paul’s deep desire to see himagain, a sentiment that frames the entire letter.

Timothy is designated Paul’s successor through theimposition of hands, a formal rite transmitting a gift ofGod (Greek, charisma). He shares with Paul not onlythe gift of faith and leadership but also the prospect ofsuffering for the sake of the gospel that he preaches.Strength comes from God.


Returning to the metaphor of the seed, Mk offers twocontrasting parables. The first one (vv 26–29, the grow-ing seed) is unique to Mk. The seed is sown, and thefarmer goes about his normal activities, sleeping andrising, day by day. This is juxtaposed with the rhythmsof growth: first the blade, then the ear, then the fullgrain in the ear.

The key to the parable is the line “He knows nothow.” Growth occurs of itself (Greek, automate). Thelaws of nature are the laws of God. We see two times incontrast: human time and God’s time; judgment comesonly when the time is ripe. The quiet growth of thekingdom is a gift from God.

This is followed by the parable of the mustard seed,which is very small but then grows into a substantialshrub (not a tree) large enough to shelter birds.

The hearer is asked to understand that great thingscan come from insignificant beginnings. The forces of

God at work go far beyond human effort.These two parables stress the growth process that

occurs over time. Both patience and perseverance arerequired to see fruition; beware of complacency duringthe time of waiting.


I recently heard of a mom who had struggled with ateenage son who was unhappy and unruly. She saidshe cried herself to sleep many nights and believed herson did, too. One night she said she pleaded with Godfor help, for some insight into dealing with her son. Inher Bible study of the Gospel of Mark the next day, sheread the kingdom parable in today’s Gospel about theseed growing on its own. She believed that her familywas part of the kingdom. She and her husband weresowers of kingdom seeds in their family.

As she reflected, it became clear that the farmer didnot tamper with the plant or its roots. He made surethat the soil was good: watered, fertilized, and in thesun. The plant grew in its time and at its pace until itreached maturity and harvest time.

The mom reflected that they had planted good seedin good soil. They had provided their children withsolid moral example, fertilized them with the sacra-ments, and bathed them in love. She realized that hertampering with the plant had been destructive. Shedecided to mirror the farmer (God), trusting that “goodseed planted in good soil would produce good fruit.”She said she had a new sense of freedom. God hadanswered her prayer through his timely word.

That was 40 years ago, and today her son is a goodhusband and father, planting his own kingdom seeds.Are there any “plants” in your life that need less tam-pering with and more love?

For more information about Sts. Timothy and Titus, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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January 27, 2018

Saturday [Angela Merici]

Theme: Speak the truth in love.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Sm 12:1–7a, 10–17(322)

Michael Guinan, OFM

In Nathan’s oracle, David had been told that if hisdescendants (or he, for that matter) sin, there will bepunishment; however, the covenant, rooted in God’spromise, will not be broken. No sooner said than done.David sins, and punishment follows. In the Lectionarythis year, we do not get the description of the sin (2 Smch 9), but it is fairly well known.

David has seen and lusted after Bathsheba, whobecomes pregnant; he then arranges for Uriah, her hus-band, to be killed, ostensibly in the line of battle. Thesame prophet, Nathan, who brought the promise ofGod, now appears to speak judgment.

Nathan confronts David with a parable (one of onlyvery few in the OT) that presents a legal case. It is one ofthe tasks of the king to hear and judge cases; Davidresponds angrily, “The man should be punished severe-ly!” He has not seen more deeply into the case; Nathanmakes it very clear: “You are the man!”

There is certain appropriateness in the punishment;just as David had effectively brought a sword againstUriah and his house, so a sword will hang over David’sown house: The child will die. David repents andgrieves. Later tradition would put Ps 51 (the Miserere)into his mouth as his prayer of penance. This psalm nowis central during the season of Lent.


When Jesus has finished trying to teach the discipleswith parables, he takes the initiative to cross over the seaby boat to the eastern side, in gentile territory. And astorm comes up. A series of contrasts emerges.

While the storm rocks the boat, Jesus sleeps peaceful-ly on a cushion, showing a complete trust in God’s sus-taining care. When the professional fishermen are terri-fied, Jesus calmly commands the winds and waves. Thedisciples move from fear to awe, but they fail to under-stand what has just happened.

The passage is rich in OT background. The sea andstorm symbolize chaos and destruction; only God haspower over them.

“You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their

waves” (Ps 65:8; also 89:9a–10 and 107:29). With thisbackground, the disciples might have come up with ananswer to their question, but they are as slow here asthey were in understanding the parables (4:13).

This episode can be seen as the first of several miraclestories that follow; it can also be seen as a conclusion towhat precedes. After teaching with words, Jesus nowbecomes himself a living “parable in action” of the mys-tery of God’s kingdom.


According to a popular saying, “When we point one fin-ger at someone in condemnation, four other fingerspoint back at us.“ We can often see clearly someoneelse’s faults, but we may be blinded to our own. We maycriticize those who take advantage of the social system,yet we see no fault in cheating our boss of time or officesupplies. Although we protest blatant im-morality, wehave our secret sins.

David in today’s first reading has a big blind spot. Heslept with another man’s wife, who became pregnant.Then David had her husband killed in battle to cover hissin. The prophet Nathan proposes a legal situation toDavid and asks for judgment. Nathan says a poor manhad one lamb who was slaughtered by a rich man withmany sheep. David saw clearly the greed and lack ofcompassion in the rich man and said he should be killed.David’s eyes were opened when Nathan said, “You arethe man.” David was struck with guilt and shame andasked God for forgiveness.

Sometimes in our lives we need a Nathan who canspeak the truth in love to us. We don’t need someone soheavy on the truth that it is condemning and shaming.However, we don’t need people so soft that they arecoddling, minimizing, or enabling. Sometimes we haveto seek out such a person—a mentor, a confessor, a lov-ing spouse. Perhaps you are that person for another. Justbe sure that, in confronting, four fingers are not pointingback in conviction.

For more information about St. Angela Merici, founder of theUrsulines, visit saintoftheday.org.

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January 29, 2018

Monday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: God alone is our security.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Sm 15:13–14, 30;16:5–13 (323)

Dr. Carol Dempsey, OP

David finds himself in a difficult situation involvinghis son Absalom, who has cast doubt as to whether hisfather is the divinely ordained king meant to succeedSaul. Many Israelites believed Absalom’s false claim.Recognizing Absalom’s influence, David decides not torespond with his own show of power. Not wanting toput the people, himself, or Jerusalem in harm’s way, hechooses to leave Jerusalem for the time being. The ref-erences to covering one’s head, going barefoot, andweeping are all gestures of mourning and penance;they also express profound humiliation.

Then David and those traveling with him encoun-ter Shimei, a man who throws stones at them and fur-ther humiliates the king and his travelers. The plotthickens when Shimei makes several accusationsagainst David and implies that he usurped the thronefrom Saul. One of David’s men, Abishai, comes toDavid’s aid and wants to kill Shimei, but David isunsure if Shimei has indeed been sent by God and ifGod has shifted his allegiance to Absalom.

Rather than make an unwise choice to have Shimeiannihilated, David simply places his own life in God’shands, trusting in God’s justice. Without any expres-sion of violence or belligerence, David quietly contin-ues on his way with several of his men by his side.Opposition does not hinder his plan.

Exegesis of the Gospel, Mk 5:1–20 (323)Dr. Carol Dempsey, OP

This story about the exorcism of the Gerasene demoni-ac is the longest, most detailed, and most vivid of theSynoptic miracle stories. Despite the narrative’s inter-nal inconsistencies, the story represents the power ofGod working through Jesus, whose mission and min-istry is to liberate people from whatever is oppressingthem. Here the one freed from the unclean spirit be-comes a herald of God’s mercy and compassion.

The unclean spirit knows Jesus’ identity, a pointcharacteristic of all the evil spirits in the Gospels. Theunclean spirit poses a candid question to Jesus andrefers to him as “Son of God Most High.” With a quickresponse, Jesus asks the unclean spirit’s name; surpris-

ingly, Jesus grants the unclean spirit’s request not to bedriven from that place but to be sent into a large herdof swine grazing nearby. They rush down a bluff, intoa lake, and drown, thereby putting an end to the swineand the unclean spirit(s).

A contemporary reading of this text will find thisaction difficult since human life is saved at the expenseof nonhuman life. The once-possessed man is nowrestored to health, given a mission, and sent back to hisfamily. He engages in Jesus’ mission and ministry tospread the good news of God’s liberating and restora-tive love that brings wholeness to the worst of situa-tions.

Homily SuggestionTim Cronin

Destructive weapons are readily available to roguenations. People are afraid. How do we respond? It ishuman to want to strike back, to get even, and to crushthose who threaten us. Must we trade hate for hate,violence for violence? Can we choose another way,both globally and locally?

The course David takes defending himself from vio-lence may bring us solace today and direct us to agospel-centered response. Individually, we may thinkthat we are small in the face of the international scene,but we can affect the give-and-take of daily life. TodayDavid models this for us in a dramatic and personalway. Rather than revenge, David chooses an unexpect-ed direction: the way of God, the way of love.

It is human to oppose those who threaten us, to fightback. But by grace we can embrace a more Christ-likeresponse by recognizing that getting back isn’t ouronly option. Like David, we are invited in such circum-stances to pause. Returning violence for violence can-not be our security. Our only security is in the mercy ofGod—and nothing else!

In Mk, we meet the frightening figure of the wildman among the tombs. Jesus does not respond to thefearsome wild man in kind. Instead, he calls upon thepower of God to tame and liberate this man and allpeople overcome with fear of him. We are remindedthat God alone is our security—not any means of vio-lence, however justified. We may not individually tamethe fury of international threats, but each one of us canrespond as it is modeled in the word of God pro-claimed today.

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January 30, 2018

Tuesday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: ’Who am I to judge?’

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Sm 18:9–10, 14b,24–25a, 30—19:3 (324)


Full of action and irony, today’s reading details the fateof Absalom and David’s excruciating pain over hisson’s death. Amid growing tensions with Absalom andthe Israelite community, David has sought shelter in aremote place far from Jerusalem’s gates. Now Absalomunexpectedly encounters David’s servants. Fatefully,Absalom hangs by his hair on a tree branch as his mulepasses under it. This enables Joab, one of David’s ser-vants, to kill Absalom, which he does. This action endsthe threats to the Davidic throne, and a Cushite deliv-ers the news of freedom and security to David.

Unaware of Absalom’s fate, David asks a simplequestion, “Is young Absalom safe?” This rhetoricalquestion sets the tone for the second half of the readingand receives a negative response. Absalom is dead.Thus, instead of being relieved of Absalom’s threat tohis life and his throne, David is deeply grieved andemotes profusely.

His response to Absalom’s death shows a father’sgreat love, despite that son’s challenge to his father’slife, authority, and status. David’s love for Absalom isnot only a testament to the king’s great compassion,but it is also a statement about David’s fidelity to hisfamily, even when his son is very undeserving of suchgreat love.


This story opens with Jairus begging Jesus to heal hislittle daughter. The phrase “little daughter” is a term ofendearment. Falling at Jesus’ feet shows respect. Thesymbolic gesture of laying one’s hands on another canhave either a negative or positive effect (Gn 37:27; Lv24:14; Neh 13:21; Lk 20:19; Acts 9:12). Jairus anticipatesa powerful and positive effect. Significant here isJairus’ trust, a virtue that comes to the fore when welearn that the little girl has died while Jesus and Jairusare en route to her. They learn this when they arrive atJairus’ home.

Jesus’ comment that the child is sleeping and notdead draws ridicule. When Jesus touches the corpse,he violates religious and cultural purity codes. The

phrase, “Talitha koum” in Aramaic literally means“Little lamb, arise.” Jesus’ power comes through histouch and his word. His request that nothing be saidfurther about the healing emphasizes Mk’s primaryGospel theme: the messianic secret.

The woman suffering from the hemorrhage is alsohealed through her faith in Jesus and the power withinhim. Both healing stories depict Jesus as the one wholiberates others from suffering and death; both storiesemphasize the roles that trust and faith play in thecourse of the process; and both stories celebrate theplace of human initiative in relation to the Divine.


Our readings describe the anguish of two fathers overthe loss of a child. King David mourns for his sonAbsalom, despite his son’s treachery against him. Inour Gospel, Mk tells one of his most detailed storiesabout the grief-stricken Jairus mourning the death ofhis daughter.

The love of a father (David) for a son (Absalom)takes precedence, despite all the evil that Absalom hascommitted against his own father. More than this, thelaw of Moses demands the harshest of penalties forAbsalom’s treason. David waives this command as afather’s love trumps Torah.

The same is true for Jesus, son of David. Althoughritual law warns that touching a corpse renders a per-son unclean, still Jesus does this. Love trumps law forlaw’s sake once again.

The unorthodox gestures of David and Jesus inchoosing compassion over the letter of the law raisemodern-day questions for us about who is considered“in” and who is considered “out” in our culture andour Church.

Should others pass a test of right thinking beforethey are acceptable to us; must they be orthodoxenough for us even to serve them? As our Holy FatherFrancis is apt to ask in the face of those who are oftenlooked down upon and considered unworthy out-siders, “Who am I to judge?”

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January 31, 2018

Wednesday—John Bosco

Theme: Not amazement but faith!

Exegesis of the First Reading, 2 Sm 24:2, 9–17(325)


The biblical writer does not explain why David’sordering of the census is a sinful act or why David him-self understands the act to be sinful. At the prophetGad’s encouragement, David repents and acknowl-edges to God that he has sinned. David seeks forgive-ness. He is given three choices for restitution. Hechooses pestilence as the means of penitential purga-tion. The innocent people of the land suffer the doubleblow of being numbered by their king and then suffer-ing by the hand of their God. This situation forcesDavid to come face-to-face with himself and to speakagain to his God from the integrity of his heart.

This narrative underscores the role of the prophet asmediator and advisor to leadership. It also offers acomplex picture of God who, on the one hand, offerschoices, extends mercy, and leaves one free to choose.On the other hand, God can inflict corporate punish-ment for sins of one person. This dualistic portrayal ofGod reflects an ancient belief in a God who rewards thejust and punishes the wicked. David’s final plea sig-nals a breakdown in the belief in corporate punish-ment. His acknowledgment of God as merciful hints atthe true nature of God as attested to by the prophets(Mi 7:18–20) and Jesus (Lk 23:34).


Mk’s narrative is set in the synagogue in Jesus’ region,most likely Nazareth. Jesus is preaching on the sab-bath. In Jesus’ time, Jewish persons often addressed acrowd gathered in a synagogue. With five rhetoricalquestions, Mk captures the people’s amazement atJesus’ teaching. They cannot comprehend how suchextraordinary teachings and healings could come fromsuch a commoner. Jesus’ response foreshadows theirrejection of him. Mk notes that their lack of faith dis-tresses Jesus and prohibits him from carrying out hisministry fully. Neither rejection nor disbelief, however,dissuades Jesus from his mission. In neighboring vil-lages he continues his work of teaching.

A central point of debate is the reference to Jesus ashaving brothers and sisters. Whether or not they were

Jesus’ biological kin is historically uncertain, and vari-ous scholarly inquiries yield different responses. Withrespect to the various faith traditions, Catholicismmaintains a doctrinal view centered on the doctrine ofthe virginal conception of Jesus and the perpetual vir-ginity of Mary. To be noted, Jesus’ “brothers” arenamed but his “sisters” remain nameless. In sum, thispassage from Mk’s Gospel situates Jesus in the pro-phetic and wisdom traditions to which his present andfuture mission and ministry attest.


Many tongues in Nazareth wagged over the incrediblefeats of Mary and Joseph’s boy, Jesus. People through-out Galilee could hardly believe the amazing storiesabout this Nazareth native. Crowds believed Jesus tobe a great magician, and maybe a prophet to boot!

In Mk, Jesus is displeased when his miracles are metwith amazement—not the response he wants. The mir-acles are not the center of the kingdom of God but arethe fruit of the faith that the kingdom requires. Still, thecrowds like the miracles above all else. They are not anend in and of themselves but are a by-product of thekingdom of God here and now and in our midst. Theypoint to the kingdom, are signs of the kingdom, butthey are not the kingdom of God!

This is the feast of St. John Bosco, a priest of Turin,Italy, in the late 19th century. From a young age, Boscowas fascinated with magic, and he begged magiciansto teach him their craft. More than magic (or miracles),he sought early on to minister to the many orphan boysthroughout Turin. Of such is the kingdom that Jesusbrings. St. John attracted hundreds of destitute andmarginal street boys with magic acts, such as pullingthree ropes into one, to represent the mystery of theTrinity. Bosco’s magic acts enabled the care of the ladsby feeding the hungry and catechizing them.

Miracles and magic may have drawn many to thegospel but are not the heart of it. What is the heart ofthe gospel? Who are the destitute and marginal in ourmidst? Who are the lonely, struggling, and sufferingpeople? In the spirit of Don Bosco, what kind ofgospel-inspired “magic” can we make in their lives?

For more information about St. John Bosco, founder of theSalesians, visit saintoftheday.org.

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February 1, 2018

Thursday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Theme: God alone.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Kgs 2:1–4, 10–12(326)


Near death, King David offers heartfelt and wise in-struction to his son Solomon, his royal successor. Davidfully accepts his own death and is most encouragingtoward his son. His two commands to Solomon echoMoses’ final exhortation to Joshua (Dt 31:23), who afterMoses’ death completes Moses’ mission: The Israelitesenter the promised land. Fidelity to God and God’sways is also the theme of Jos ch 1; here and in Dt andLv, the keeping of Torah was never meant to be an endin itself. Rather, it was a means to “the good life” for allcreation. Solomon’s fidelity to God assures the ongoingfulfillment of the Davidic lineage (2 Sm 7:12ff).

The passage closes with an editorial note that indi-cates the death of David and Solomon’s succession.The biblical writer lays David to rest with his ancestorsin Bethlehem, where his family’s ancestral tomb mayhave existed. During David’s reign, he seized Jeru-salem from the Jebusites, established it as “God’s holycity” on behalf of the Israelites, brought the ark of thecovenant to it, and made it the capital of the unitedkingdom. Solomon continues his father’s legacy bybuilding the temple in Jerusalem and helping to estab-lish Israel as a great nation among nations.

Exegesis of the Gospel Mk 6:7–13 (326)Dr. Carol Dempsey, OP

The apostolic tradition, characterized by mission andministry, begins with Jesus sending out the Twelve toparticipate in his work of preaching, healing, and cast-ing out demons. The itinerant nature of the Twelve’smission comes to the fore with Jesus’ instruction thatthey take nothing with them for the journey. This in-struction is also meant to keep the apostles single-heartedly focused on the task at hand.

The second part of the narrative describes the kindof hospitality to be extended to missionaries. In Jesus’day, local communities were expected to care for theneeds of preaching bands. The instruction to the apos-tles to stay in whatever house they found themselvesin was intended to foster a sense of gratitude amongthe apostles, safeguarding them from seeking hospital-ity only from among the more wealthy members of a

local community. The gesture of shaking the dust fromone’s feet in response to an experience of being notwelcomed is a sign of nonviolent assertiveness on theapostles’ part, aimed at stirring up further thought onthe part of local community members. It was also anact of deprecation.

Mk closes this narrative by stating the central mes-sage of the apostles’ preaching—the need to repent—and describes the success of their efforts.


Jesus sends forth the Twelve two by two in today’sGospel. The apostles take nothing with them, depend-ing on God alone. They are single-hearted.

Every time that we celebrate Mass, like the Twelve,we are commissioned or sent. At Mass this sendingoccurs especially in the concluding rites. Our commis-sion to become both word and sacrament for others(we have just consumed both so that we might becomewhat we eat!) requires single-heartedness. We are totake nothing with us for the journey—only God alone.

What does it mean to be single-hearted so that ourfocus throughout the journey of life is set on Godalone? Every one of us gathered here will die one day.We are all mortal. We will leave behind all that we haveacquired. Everything is really “on loan” anyway.

The journey of life climaxes with our surrender. Tobe single-hearted is to have our eyes on the prize allalong the way. All of life lends itself as practice towardthis end. By God’s grace our journey collectively and asindividuals requires single-heartedness.

Anxiety, stress, and depression can always keep usfrom desiring God above all things. How can any of usbe single-hearted within our go-go-go culture?

A model for us is St. John XXIII, pope between 1958and 1963. The Holy Father would toss and turn at nightuntil praying, “It’s your Church, Lord.” Then he wouldroll over and go to sleep. When told that he did nothave long to live because of his aggressive stomachcancer, John said, “My bags are always packed.” Maywe always show an equqally simple yet profoundsingle-heartedness.

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February 2, 2018

Friday—Presentation of the Lord

Theme: Receive the light of Christ!

Exegesis of the First Reading, Mal 3:1–4 (524)Dr. Carol Dempsey, OP

With graphic imagery and metaphorical language, thepoet Mal describes the coming of the Lord; his long-awaited arrival will happen unexpectedly. The Oneeagerly anticipated is coming as a refiner and as a puri-fier. These two images echo those heard in earlierprophecies (Is 1:25; Jer 6:29–30; Ez 22:17–22). The Le-vites, the priestly tribe descended from Jacob, will berefined and cleansed of all impurities.

Following the refinement and purification that is totake place, Mal makes clear that the offering of Judahand Jerusalem will then be pleasing to God as in timespast. The days of old and the former years to whichMal refers recall the period of Moses, a time oftenremembered by the prophets (Jer 2:2; Is 63:9, 11).

Looking at this passage as a whole, listeners andreaders see a relationship between those making offer-ings and the reception of such offerings by God. Inessence, God desires gifts offered from a sincere andrighteous heart. Directed toward the priests of theIsraelite community, this passage ends the abuses men-tioned in Mal chs 1–2 and focuses on right relationshipwith God and with one another as the necessary ingre-dient to any offering presented as part of worship.

Exegesis of the Gospel, Lk 2:22–40 (524)Dr. Carol Dempsey, OP

The presentation of Jesus in the temple fulfills Jewishlaw and brings great joy and hope to Simeon, a manupon whom God’s Spirit rests, who reveals to Jesus,Jesus’ parents, and others in the temple the child’s mis-sion. Lk’s story nurtures hope for both Jews and gen-tiles while calling readers today to a deeper under-standing of Jesus’ mission in light of God’s universalplan of salvation for all people and all creation.

The purification ritual that sets the stage for Lk’snarrative is first mentioned in Lv 12:1–8. This ritual isto take place 40 days after a mother has given birth.The presentation of the child in the temple fulfillsanother Jewish custom that recalls Ex 13:15. During thePassover, God spared all the firstborn sons of theIsraelites and thus, within Judaism, the firstborn sonbelonged to God. Hence, Joseph and Mary bring Jesusto Jerusalem, to the temple, to present him to God.

Simeon, whose name means “God has heard,” is aprophetic figure. Through him, Jesus’ true nature andmission are revealed. Jesus’ mission will be a propheticone that embraces the vision of the prophet Is (40:5;42:6; 46:13; 49:6; 52:9–10). This Gospel makes clear thatJesus embodies the prophetic tradition and as Mes-siah—the son of David and Holy One of God—Jesuswill usher in God’s reign and put an end to the oldorder. In Jesus all will find hope.


Today is the Presentation of the Lord or Candlemas. Itis one of the significant 40-day periods we keepthroughout the liturgical year—40 days after the birthof Our Lord. Also, February 2 is winter’s halfway mark(and let’s not forget Punxsutawney Phil!).

Candles are blessed today because Simeon calledJesus the light to the gentiles when Our Lord was pre-sented in the temple. For centuries today’s feast alsoofficially concludes the 40-day Christmas season.

At Baptism we received the light of Christ, lit fromthe great paschal candle, symbol of the risen Christ inour midst.

We are the light of Christ wherever we go and what-ever we do. How do we know that our baptismal lightis aflame and burning brightly? We should ask our-selves:

• Are we patient with those who annoy us?• Are we grateful? Do we accept that all is gift? All isgrace?

• Do we assist the most vulnerable and needy peo-ple among us?

• Are we humble?• Do we forgive as we wish to be forgiven?• Do we accept others as daughters and sons of God and sisters and brothers to us?

• Are we kind? Are we mean-spirited?• Are people in our family, school, parish, or at workbetter because we are a part of them?

• Do we lift people up?

For more information about the feast of the Presentation ofthe Lord, visit saintoftheday.org.

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February 3, 2018

Saturday [Blaise and Ansgar]

Theme: Do small things with great love.

Exegesis of the First Reading, 1 Kgs 3:4–13 (328)Dr. Carol Dempsey, OP

One of the most fascinating biblical motifs is the dreammotif. The contents of today’s reading are set in thecontext of a dream where Solomon, David’s son andwisest king of all Israel, has a heartfelt, sincere ex-change with God. This dream’s drama occurs in twoparts: Solomon’s request and God’s response.

The first part opens with God addressing Solomonand encouraging him to make a request that God in-tends to fulfill. When Solomon makes his request ofGod, he first acknowledges the goodness of his father,David. Then he admits his own feeling of inadequacyand asks for an understanding heart to govern well theIsraelites. Solomon’s reference to himself as a mereyouth may be a gesture of humility instead of an actualreference to age. His request for an understandingheart is significant. In the ancient Jewish tradition, themost important organ was the heart, otherwise knownas the “kidneys.” The heart was the seat of intelligenceand was central to being in right relationship. In thesecond part of the dream, God responds to Solomonand blesses him richly because of his selfless attitude.

In sum, this passage attests to the great humility ofSolomon, reveals the mutually intimate and faithfulrelationship that existed between Solomon and hisGod, and affirms divine revelation that can occur bymeans of dreams and dreamlike states.


Mk opens his Gospel with Jesus taking the apostles toa secluded place so they can get some rest after theirhealing, preaching, and teaching. Note the reference to“rest” and a “deserted place.” The rest Jesus encour-ages the apostles to take echoes the sabbath rest of Gn2:1–3. Jesus often retreated to a deserted place to prayafter intense engagement in ministry (1:29–39).

The reputation of Jesus and the apostles was wide-spread among the people then, and Mk makes thispoint clear by mentioning people coming from all thetowns. Striking here is Jesus’ response to the crowd: Hepities them. Instead of turning them away, he wel-comes them and starts teaching them. ThroughoutMk’s Gospel, Jesus is often moved by pity (1:41; 8:2;

9:22), and this hospitality of heart is a quality of God asdescribed in the OT (Is 54:7–8; Pss 86:15; 111:4; 112:4;145:8–9).

The reference to the crowd as being like sheep with-out a shepherd alludes to Ez 34:11ff, where the prophetdescribes God acting like a shepherd to the scatteredhouse of Israel. In veiled language, Mk seems to behinting at Jesus’ identity for both the people then andlater listeners or readers. No mention is made of theapostles ministering to the crowd. One can only pre-sume that they were with Jesus but not activelyengaged in work.


For centuries humankind has included candles in reli-gious celebrations. Candles were a practical necessityfor early morning and evening Masses, especiallythose celebrated in dark Roman catacombs.

Blessing throats on St. Blaise Day occurs during theheight of the cold and flu season. The tradition is thatBlaise was arrested and imprisoned in second-century Armenia because of his faith in Jesus. Sometraditions tell of a sympathetic woman who broughtcandles to light up his dark and dingy cell. Later, thesame woman (according to some legends) brought herchild, who suffered with an ailment of the throat, to beblessed by Blaise. The candle lady’s child was healed.

The use of candles in the blessing of throats mayrecall this generous woman who brought light to adreary cell. A tiny and seemingly insignificant kind-ness of several candles for a condemned man isremembered in 2018. The smallest gesture can make abig difference. As St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta oncesaid, “Do small things with great love.”

Here are some small actions that can make some-one’s day—or more. May they serve as an extension ofthe warmth and light of the candles of St. Blaise Day:

Offer a compliment to a stranger; donate blood; textsomeone to make sure he or she got home OK; givesomeone your undivided attention; donate your airlinemiles; babysit for free; put coins in an expired parkingmeter; bake bread for someone; shovel snow for aninfirm neighbor; look in on a shut-in; volunteer, etc.

For more information about Sts. Blaise and Ansgar, visitsaintoftheday.org.

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