August 27, 2017: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

How marvelous it is that God chooses us to be part of the working of His great plan of salvation in all the Earth.  He seeks after the lowly and humble, like Peter to serve His purposes.  In the Gospel reading from Matthew, when Jesus asked His Apostles Who He is, Peter declared Him to be "the "Christ, the Son of the Living God."  In his homily this morning, Father Hurlbert indicated that Peter's response would be considered blasphemy, to refer to a human as God.  But Jesus commends Peter, noting how God has worked in him to inspire him to give that response.

And having given Him such inspiration, Jesus declares that the Church will be built on the rock that He declares Simon Peter to be, and the Church will triumph over all evil, because of the presence of God within it.  While those words about the gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church make it seem like Hell won't triumph over the Church, I once heard an interpretation suggest that the Church will actually smash through the gates of Hell victoriously vanquishing it.  

Jesus grants Peter a measure of authority, symbolized by the key, like is also given to Eliakim to be the servant in the palace.  We continue to see this authority lived out today through the Pope, the successor of Peter, who as the leader of the Church, continues to unify us as the body of Christ, because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in Him to proclaim the teachings of the Church.

And we, too, are given a measure of authority because God works in us so marvelously, putting His very presence in us, so that we can manifest His presence to all the world, so long as we keep ourselves fixed on the declaration of who Jesus really is, because everything is "from Him and through Him and for Him" as St. Paul writes so eloquently.  Indeed, Father Hurlbert further mentioned that Christianity is unique as a religion because there is so much focus on the identity of who Jesus Christ is, much as the conversation in the Gospel reading in Matthew focuses not on Jesus's teachings or works, but His identity.  For once we're fixed and firm in acknowledging Who Jesus is, we are able to make Him known as we live out our relationship with Him.

August 20, 2017: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What counts for us all is that God has had mercy on all people, and that we have determined faith to seek after Him above all else, no matter what.  He desires all people to come to Him, for all nations to praise Him and acknowledge Him as God.  That is the faith He draws out of the Canaanite woman, who knows that only in Jesus can she find the healing she seeks for her daughter, uttering a great comeback line following up on Jesus's statement about not giving food for children to the dogs--in fact, her words are one of my favorite lines in the Gospel.

Having faith, we trust that God truly will deliver on His promises, doing so for all people.  That's why we should keep persistent faith in our God, Who came to us in Jesus Christ, Who is the Lord Who shows mercy to all.  Let us have faith that our belief in God will heal us and deliver us in the midst of evil in the world by the power of His mercy, which He shows to all.  And let us do what is right as we join together and embrace all people as He does.

August 15, 2017: Assumption of Mary

For me, this Feast hearkens back to the Resurrection, taking it a step further as it applies to our future.

We rejoice that Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven because she, as the first disciple, experienced what we hope we will one day, too: being present, in both body and soul, in the Glory of God.

Father Hurlbert put it insightfully in his homily as he focused on the importance of the body, which matters in God's great work of redemption, because our bodies will be raised and joined with our souls--and at that time, we will magnify God Who effects so glorious a salvation through Christ, Who came in a physical body to Earth.  So we live in hope, showing love and care for another, especially for physical needs, and magnifying God through it.

August 13, 2017: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Often God is made manifest in turbulent displays of nature, like Elijah witnesses in the 1st reading: violent wind, earthquake, and fire.  Yet Elijah ends up encountering God in a soft sound.

In the midst of sailing rough waters, the disciples encounter God in Jesus, Who comes to them walking on the water.  After thinking he is a ghost, and hearing Jesus assert Himself for Who He is, Peter asks Jesus to beckon him out into the water, and when Jesus does, Peter experienced the miracle of walking on water like Jesus.

There's a lot that rages around us in life, which calls upon us to place our trust in God--and trust was a major theme Father Hurlbert spoke of so well in his homily on his first weekend back from shoulder replacement surgery, which required his giving a lot of trust to others.  It can be hard to let go of control, but we can find great assurance trusting in God, which is how we build a real, vibrant relationship with Him.  We can count on God because He came to us in Jesus Christ, born of the people of Israel, so that He is the glory of the Hebrews as Paul writes.  We can rejoice that God is with us, even in simple, humble ways.  And as we trust in Him, we truly come alive, because even as we experienced heartaches at times, we also encounter great joy in knowing His love.

August 6, 2017: Transfiguration of the Lord

The readings on this great Feast day show us glorious visions of God Almighty in full splendor, granting Glory to Jesus Christ.  We see it in the mighty cosmic vision in Daniel.

And we certainly see a dazzling picture of Christ in the reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew.  But God doesn't stop with Jesus's appearance changing into something totally awesome.  God furthermore confirms that His Glory in His Son through an announcement naming Him as His Son, and calling the three Apostles--and us--to listen to Him.  Indeed, He is the One to whom Moses and all the prophets point as the fulfillment of the Law and prophets, so that now He is the One we should listen to and follow.

The vision is one that truly pervades us: We give glory to Christ as we open ourselves to being transfigured to be like Him, so that in our interactions with this world, we reveal His presence to others, so that they join in glorifying Him.

We rejoice that God has given us so great a vision of His glory, which helps us realize that His glory is all around us, and has come to us in a special way in Jesus Christ--just like we celebrate on Nativity on the Lord and other feasts.  So we have great assurance of the glorious reality which we shall one day enter even as it is present to us now.