September 19, 2021
25^th Sunday – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

Several years ago, there were a series of books called Chicken Soup for the Soul.  These books had many inspirational stories.  One story concerned a rather poor neighborhood in Baltimore.  Sociologists noticed that many black men from this neighborhood were successful in life, more than one would think.  One sociologist interviewed these men and found that they all had the same first-grade teacher.  The sociologist managed to locate the teacher, who by that time had retired.  He asked her what her secret of success was.  She replied, “I loved those boys.”  One theme in our readings for this Sunday is the theme of leadership.  What makes for a successful Christian leader?  Jesus says, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall the last of all and the servant of all.”  Jesus explains what this servant leadership involves, and he is the model to follow.  We also need the help of divine grace to be a servant leader.

In the Gospel reading from last week, the apostles began to realize that Jesus was “the Christ,” that is, “the anointed one,” the one that the Jewish people called “the Messiah.”  Yet the apostles had trouble understanding what this meant.  Jesus told them that he would have to suffer greatly, and be rejected by the Jewish religious leaders and be killed, though he would rise on the third day. Peter rebuked him for saying this, but Jesus in turn rebuked him.  Jesus told Peter that he was thinking as human beings do, not as God does.  Jesus went on to say that those who wished to follow him would have to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him.  In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus tells the apostles for the second time that he would be handed over to men, and they would kill him, though he would rise on the third day.  The Gospel of Mark tells us that the apostles did not understand what Jesus was saying, and this manifests itself in the discussion they had among themselves as they traveled from the northern part of Galilee to Capernaum.  They had been discussing which one was the greatest.  They seemed to think that Jesus in his role as the promised Messiah would lead the Jewish people to a military and political victory, and they wanted a leading role in that kingdom.  Jesus corrects their way of thinking by saying, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all, and the servant of all.”  Jesus came to save us from our sins and to enable us to live in a new way.  His kingdom would be a spiritual kingdom.  In this kingdom, the leaders must be humble and serve the rest. 

Jesus is model for our becoming servant leaders.  Our first reading today is from the Book of Wisdom, a book that was probably written in the first century before the birth of Jesus.  This book portrays the wicked planning to kill the just one, as he is opposed to their transgressions of the Jewish Law.  Jesus came to serve, not to be served.  He realized that he would face opposition from Jewish religious leaders and that he would suffer and die to accomplish his mission.  Yet he was willing to do this for our sake.  He did rise from the dead and was able to establish his kingdom.  This tells us that we are to follow his example and to be willing to suffer to accomplish our role in his kingdom.  We are to serve others and to be willing to be last.  Many great political leaders had to undergo difficulty, and several were killed by opponents.  Many popes and saints had to become martyrs in their efforts to lead people to a holy way of life.  We who live today may have to suffer in different ways as we seek to follow Jesus and to do the will of God each day?

Lastly, the role that Jesus gives us is a difficult one and something beyond our natural abilities.  We need divine help.  In our second reading today from the Letter of James, we are told that wisdom from above is, “pure, peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits.”  We are to follow God’s wisdom rather than human wisdom.  The Beatitudes reveal to us that we are to be merciful to others, to be pure of heart, and to be peacemakers, even though it may be difficult to do so.  St. James tells us if follow human wisdom, that is, our passions, this will lead to conflicts.  We will not ask God for what we need in the right way and thus not receive what we ask for.  To live according to God’s wisdom involves seeking his help through prayer and the Sacraments.  God’s wisdom is revealed to us in Scripture and in the teaching of the Church. Let us pray that we will follow God’s will and be willing to seek the good of others instead of seeking are own self-interest.

In our Eucharist today, let us be thankful that Jesus came to save us from our sins and that he was willing to suffer and die to bring this about.  Let us rejoice in his resurrection and in the new life he shares with us.  We ask for the grace needed to follow him and to be servant leaders in his kingdom.  May the Lord Jesus help us to follow his example and to serve others.  May we someday enjoy the fullness of his kingdom. 
 

September 12, 2021
24^th Sunday – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

Saturday, September 11 was the 20^th anniversary of an attack on the United States by Islamic terrorists who hijacked four American planes.  One plane crashed into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, and two others crashed into the two World Trade buildings in New York City.  Almost 3,000 people were killed, most in them in New York City.  The people who died in New York City included people working in the buildings and those who sought to rescue them.  Many of the rescuers were from the New York City Fire Department.  The chaplain for the City Fire Department, Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan priest, was one of the first of the rescuers to be killed.  One firefighter who survived the rescue effort was Tom Colucci.  Tom had been with the fire department for 15 years.  He was single and active in his Catholic faith.  Some priests had suggested to Tom that he should go to the seminary and become a priest.  Tom had become a firefighter instead.  However, after the events of September 11, 2001, Tom attended several funerals and prayer services for the New York City firefighters who had been killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center buildings.  As a result, Tom became more active in his Catholic faith, and he joined a Benedictine monastery in New York State for several years.  He finally decided to answer the call from God to go to a seminary and become a priest.  He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 2015, and he has been involved in parish ministry ever since.  God’s ways differ from our human ways of thinking, and this is a theme in our liturgy today.  Peter and the apostles had to change their way of thinking about Jesus and about their own role as disciples of Jesus.  We are challenged to change our way of thinking as well.

Today’s Gospel reading is a major turning point in the Gospel of Saint Mark.  Jesus and his disciples had gone to Caesarea Philippi in northern Galilee.  There Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”  The apostles give some different answers, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”   Jesus then asks them, “But who you say that I am?”  Peter, speaking for the group, answers, “You are the Christ.”  Peter realizes that Jesus is “the Christ,” the Anointed One, that is, the Messiah that many of the Jewish people were expecting.  Jesus went on to say that he would have to suffer greatly, be rejected by the Jewish religious leaders, and be killed and rise after three days.  This was something that Peter did not wish to hear, for he assumed that the promised Messiah would lead the Jewish people to victory and free them from Roman rule.  Peter began to rebuke Jesus.  Jesus rebuked Peter by saying, “Get behind me, Satan.  You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”  Jesus is saying that in God’s plan the promised Messiah would have to suffer and die.  This was stressed especially in the four passages about the Suffering Servant in the second part of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.  Today’s first reading is part of the third Suffering Servant passage, and it speaks about the suffering that the servant would undergo.  In God’s plan of salvation, Jesus, the Christ, would come to save us from our sins, not to bring military victories. 

Jesus challenges his disciples to think differently about him but also about their own role.  Jesus tells them and the crowd that those who wish to follow him must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him.  Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”  To follow Jesus means that we will have to change our way of thinking in different ways.  We may have to make sacrifices in order to do God’s will in our life and may have to suffer in various ways.  To think as God does can make some practical changes in our lives.  The second reading today from the Letter of James calls us to change our approach to people in need.  It is not enough to give them words of encouragement.  We have an obligation to give them some material assistance.  As St. James says, faith without works is dead.  If we have been blessed with material goods, we should share what we have with others.

In our Eucharist today we are called to give thanks once again that Jesus came to save us from our sins and that he was willing to suffer and die on our behalf.  We pray that Jesus will help us to thin as God does and to change our human way of thinking when this is necessary.  We pray for the ability to make sacrifices for others and to answer the call that God gives us.  We ask that we may live as true disciples of Jesus and someday live in his heavenly kingdom forever.
 

September 5, 2021
23^rd Sunday – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

I was born in Devils Lake, North Dakota, in the northeastern part of the state.  The North Dakota School for the Deaf is located in Devils Lake.  When I was growing up, I would occasionally see students from the North Dakota School for the Deaf in Devils Lake, sometimes at the movie theater.  There are techniques to help the deaf to read lips and to speak to others.  The deaf also have a sign language that they often use.  Some medical surgeries can even restore hearing to some people.  Today’s Gospel reading tells of Jesus healing a man who was deaf and unable to speak plainly.  The healing took place in the Decapolis, that is, the area of the Ten Cities.  This area was east of the Sea of Galilee and seemed to be mainly a Gentile area.  Therefore, it is probable that the man that Jesus healed was a Gentile.  In some ways, this miracle is symbolic of what would happen later when the Church would include Gentiles as well as Jewish converts.  That is, the Gentiles would be aided by faith to hear the Word of God and to proclaim it plainly.  The liturgy today reminds us that Jesus can heal us so that we can hear the Word of God and speak it plainly to others.  In addition, we are called to help others so that they can hear the Word of God and speak it plainly.  However, it is important that we stay humble in this whole process and give the glory to God.

First, Jesus can heal us and help us to hear the Word of God and speak it plainly.  Sometimes, there are physical cures for some people so that they are no longer deaf or unable to speak.  The first reading today from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah foretold that in a time of salvation God would bring it about that the deaf would hear and that the mute would speak.  This would be a sign that the promised Messiah or Savior had come.  The various miracles that Jesus worked were signs that he was that promised Messiah or Savior.  The apostles and other leaders in the Church worked physical miracles at times.  Yet the spiritual miracles that came about through Jesus and the Church were even greater.  Through faith in Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is possible for us to read and hear the Word of God in a special way.  We become aware of God’s revelation and God’s plan of salvation.  In the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 10, we hear of the apostle Peter going to the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius.  When Peter began to preach to Cornelius and to his household, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues.  Peter realized that they had received the gift of faith, so he baptized them and made them members of the Church.  Cornelius and the members of his household were Gentiles, but they could now hear the Word of God and proclaim it to others.  Hearing the Word of God can make us more sensitive to God’s will.  In the second reading today from the Letter of James, we are warned not to discriminate against the poor in favor of the rich.  The rich are more important in secular society, but the poor have an equal role in the Church.  Indeed, the poor may be rich in faith and spiritually ahead of the rich.

Secondly, through faith in Jesus and the help of the Holy Spirit, we may be able to help others to hear the Word of God and proclaim it more clearly.  Jesus made many disciples, and they went forth after his resurrection and ascension and proclaimed the Gospel to others.  The converts were able to share their faith with others.  The apostle Paul was at first a zealous Jew who persecuted the Church, but he was converted through divine intervention at Damascus and through Christian believers.  Paul then spent time studying the Christian faith and eventually became an outstanding apostle who helped many people receive the Catholic faith.  If we are to help people to hear the Word of God and to proclaim it clearly to others, then we need to study our faith and grow in our faith through prayer and the help of the Sacraments and through our union with the Church.  The people who witnessed Jesus healing the deaf man began to proclaim the power of Jesus to others, even though Jesus had ordered them not to do this.

As we seek to hear the Word of God in a better way and proclaim it to others, it is important to stay humble and to give the glory to God.  If people are helped by us to hear the Word of God in a better way, it is through the power of God’s grace that this comes about.  Therefore, we need to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus and call upon his help each day so that we can be effective disciples and help others to become effective disciples.  If we rely on ourselves, we will fail.

In our Eucharist today, we give thanks that Jesus came to be our Savior and that he has revealed God’s will to us more fully.  We give thanks that Jesus worked many miracles and helped people to hear the Word of God and proclaim it more clearly.  We pray that Jesus will continue to heal us so that we may hear God’s Word in a better way and apply it to our lives.  We pray that we may be able to help others to hear the Word of God and to proclaim it more clearly.  We pray that we will be effective disciples of Jesus and someday enjoy the fullness of his kingdom in heaven.
 

August 29, 202
22^nd Sunday – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB

I attended a wedding this past Saturday (August 28).  A grandniece of mine was married in an outdoor ceremony, with a Protestant minister officiating, so it was not a Catholic ceremony.   I must admit that I do not attend many weddings, but this wedding had a ceremony or ritual that I had never seen before.  It was a ceremony that involved the bride and groom washing each other’s hands.  Apparently the ceremony was to symbolize that the bride and groom were washing away the past and that they were making a new start in life.  We all have some ceremonies or traditions that we observe.  Today’s liturgy deals with traditions had by the Jewish people at the time of Jesus.  Our Gospel reading today from the Gospel of Mark tells of Jesus criticizing some of the traditions of the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were experts in the Jewish law, but they added many laws and traditions of their own.  The traditions of the Pharisees were human traditions, not commandments of God.  Yet the Pharisees criticized the disciples of Jesus because they did observe some of these traditions.  Jesus defends his disciples.  The first reading today from the Book of Deuteronomy is concerned with Moses giving the laws of God to the Israelites.  Moses has a principle or guideline that helps to explain what Jesus is saying, and the principle or guideline that he gives is still valid today.  Moses tells the people that they should not add to what he commands nor subtract from it.  Also, Jesus reminds us that we need divine help in order to carry out the commands of God.

According to Scripture scholars, there were 613 laws in the Old Testament.  The Pharisees added thousands of laws and tradition to these basic commandments.  The Pharisees were apparently trying to clarify and apply these basic laws to everyday life, but in the process, they added burdens to people.  One example is given in the Gospel reading today, a handwashing ritual.  The Pharisees washed their hands before meals.  It should be mentioned that this ritual had little or nothing to do with personal hygiene.  The handwashing was a ritual that had to be performed in a certain way, or it was considered to be invalid.  The Pharisees also had other ritual washings, such as the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.  Orthodox Jews today still follow many of these rituals.  As Christians, we can add to the commands of God rules and traditions of our own.  Some of these may come from Church law or from our local community.  Sometimes, these added laws may be puzzling or burdensome.  There are some Christian groups that are opposed to the drinking of alcohol, to dancing, to playing cards, to gambling, and to other things as well.  As monks we have certain customs or traditions that seem to be mandatory to us, even they may need to be changed or adapted.  Whatever our background may be, it is important to be aware of the basic laws of God and put these into practice. 

In our first reading today from the Book of Deuteronomy Moses also tells the people that they are not to subtract from he commands them to do.  Perhaps this is a bigger danger today that adding other commandments that are simply human traditions.  In our second reading today from the Letter of Saint James, we get some idea of what we should do.  St. James tells us that we should be doers of the word and not hearers only.  We often have a fairly good idea of what we should do or should not do, but we do not always act accordingly.  This can do harm to ourselves and to others.  For example, St. James tells us that “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  Orphans and widows at the time of Jesus were usually poor and without any means of support.  Almsgiving and charity from others were often needed to take care of orphans and widows.  In a more general sense, we have an obligation to show charity to the poor, according to our resources and the situation we are in.  To neglect the poor is to subtract from the law of God.  Also, if we are stained by the world, there is the danger that we will follow worldly ways instead of the law of God.  For example, we may be guilty of practicing injustice or showing disrespect for some people.

Toward the end of today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that evil comes from within us, not from things that come from outside of us.  Evil thoughts and desires come from within, and they can lead us into sin.  At the same time, it can be difficult to overcome these evil thoughts and desires.  It is not always easy to resist temptation.  Jesus came to save us from our sins and to give us the power to live a holy life.  We need the grace of God to keep God’s commandments.  Through Baptism we share in the life of the Blessed Trinity and receive the power to obey God’s commands.  We can grow in grace and in the love of God and neighbor, especially through the Sacraments and our private and public prayer.  With the help of God’s grace, we can develop virtues and to what is right on a regular basis.  Saints provide good role models to follow.

In our Eucharist today, we give thanks that the laws of God have been revealed to us through Scripture and the teaching of the Church.  Let us pray for the ability to avoid adding human traditions to the laws of God.  Let us also pray that we do not subtract from the laws of God and neglect to do things that are commanded of us.  Let us pray that we will be faithful disciples of Jesus and someday enjoy the fullness of God’s kingdom.