The testimony of John the Baptist confirms the prophecies: the time has come. His identity is questioned by the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees challenge his authority to baptize. Who are you? God IS. He is the abyss of all goodness. God is everything and man is nothing. Yet God has made us to be something in Christ. Only in Him can we 'find ourselves' and realize our true end.
The testimony of St. John the Baptist fulfills the prophecies and confirms that the Messiah has come. The religious authorities want to ascertain his identity. Is he the Christ, Elias, the Prophet? He does not deny his identity or dissimulate. He is the voice crying in the wilderness. Each one of us can only know our true identity in Christ. It is only by God’s grace and favor (baptism) that we are children of God.
God become man to save souls and destroy the works of the devil. In the Gospels, Christ works many healings but only sends cleansed lepers to the priests. The Old Testament priests can’t cure or forgive, merely declare the truth of a matter. The Old Law has no grace, it can merely identify sin. Leprosy represents sin which keeps us out of the community. There are sins of malice, of weakness, of passion and of ignorance. Christ is the one who forgives sins and He gives this power to His priests. All He requires is that we have contrition and confess.
In calling ‘Son of David!” the blind man acknowledges Jesus is the Messiah. In begging for mercy, he professes Jesus is God. The crowd -symbolic of our sins– rebukes the blind man because it lacks faith. The crowd is just a noisy gong; a tactic of the devil. The blind man calls out because he has hope. His desire for the Messiah proves his charity. Jesus hears him above the tumult and works a miracle. The healed man now follows Jesus. Pray, that you too will have faith by hearing, cry for mercy above your sins, and then follow Christ in [...]
There is always a tension between mercy and justice because they are irreconcilable. Only a Divine Person can bring them into balance. The enemies of Christ laid a double trap for Our Lord by bringing before Him a woman caught in adultery. Jesus writing on the ground connects this event to the apostasy of the Golden Calf. With a wisdom greater than Solomon He administers justice and mercy perfectly. None of us can make up for even the slightest sin because our offense is against Infinite Majesty. However Jesus’ life is of infinite value so His death can satisfy divine justice. [...]
Have you ever wondered why Our Lord told a parable where a king has a wedding guest bound and cast into the exterior darkness for simply failing to have proper attire? Father explains this parable (Matthew 22:1-14), noting that the Church is signified by the wedding feast. Clearly, it is not sufficient to simply be a member of the Church. Now those who preferred worldliness –or killed the messengers– are the Jews, and their city is destroyed (70 AD). Their fall opened the Church to the Gentiles, bad and good alike. In baptism, the soul “puts on Christ,” I.e. Jesus’ mind, [...]
Our life on earth is a constant battle against evil. It begins in the heart. We see it at the root of the crises in the world and Church. The devil never ceases to attack and tempt us. We should expect this. After baptism we must pass through wilderness to be tempted until we reach our blessed home. Our Lord underwent this process; so too did God’s people under Moses. Understand spiritual warfare: satan has three basic temptations and you must be adept at resisting them all.
Our Lord praises the unjust steward’s shrewdness: he saw himself as he is and did what it took to survive. All created goods (mammon) are given to us by God to be used moderately and prudently. In this way we are “friends” to them and they help us reach God. But when we misuse them they turn to evil (iniquity). What created things are you misusing? Some common ones are technology, alcohol, debt, friends, and clothing. A basic Catholic life, with the penance of prayer and sacrifice, will help us use all created goods as God intended.
Hearing Scripture is not enough. We need to understand it. That means we need a proper interpretation; we must study the Scriptures with the mind of the Church. For example, we believe in the Communion of Saints. We know this from our Creed, liturgy, and life of devotion. Moreover, the Holy Ghost –through St. Paul– calls us to study and imitate (follow) the saints so as to arrive in Heaven. Look at the three apostles Jesus chose so as to imitate them. Peter was passionate, fervent, and always wanted to be close to the Lord. James was bold, fearless, and would [...]
Moses led the Hebrews –and Gentiles– in the wilderness. They had no water, which means certain death. God's people were ready to revolt and return to Egypt. Moses interceded, taking an impossible situation to God. But why was Moses unable to enter the Promised Land? Because he struck the rock (Christ) twice instead of obeying God. The two strikes from his wooden staff represent the two beams of a cross. This is a type of the Passion. Just as an abundance of water flowed from the Rock, so too an abundance of grace flows from Christ’s pierced side.
