29th Week, Monday, Oct 23
Romans 4: 20-25; Luke 12: 13-21
Abraham believed in God's promises; He never doubted.
Malcolm Muggeridge, the British journalist and television
celebrity, entered the Catholic Church in 1982. In an interview in the U.S.
Catholic, Muggeridge describes one of the milestones in his long journey to
faith. He says: "It was while in the Holy Land for the purpose of making
three BBC television programs on the New Testament that a curious, almost
magical certainty seized me about Jesus' birth, ministry, and
crucifixion."
Like Abraham, once Muggeridge accepted the gift of faith, he
never doubted. He was certain he was home.
***
How strong is our own faith? How do we handle questions when
they arise? "It is never a question of faith or no faith; the question is
always, 'In what or in whom do we put our faith?' Author unknown
***
Abraham was
saved because he believed God and trusted him. Likewise, we will be saved
because we believe, and the core of our faith is that Jesus was handed over to
death because of our sins and was raised from the dead for our justification or
salvation.
When Jesus
speaks out against the rich, he does not intend to condemn them but to liberate
them. What he denounces is not the fact that they have material goods, but
their own attachment to them and the use they make of their riches: for
hoarding, for selfish enjoyment, or – as some rich countries do – stockpiling
wheat in silos or using oil for economic and political pressure. The value of
possessions is relative to the goods of the kingdom, to justice and love. What
counts is to be rich and wise before God.
***
It is necessary, even crucial, to have a faith-vision,
because a faith-vision will help us to look beyond the present situation and to
put our faith in God who is master of the future. Just like Abraham continued
to believe and to trust in God even when things did not look good at that
moment, nor was it looking good for the future. There is this story of two
altar-boys. One was born in 1892 in Eastern Europe and the other, three years
later in a small town of Illinois in the US. Although they lived thousands of
miles apart, they had an almost identical experience as altar servers. Both had
an accident with the wine while serving Mass. They spilled some of it on the
floor during the offertory. That's where the similarity in their story ended. The
altar-boy in Eastern Europe was harshly reprimanded for being so clumsy and was
told to stop serving Mass. That boy grew up to become an atheist and a
communist. His name is Josip Tito, who was dictator of the former
Yugoslavia for 37 years. The altar-boy in Illinois was consoled with these
words from the priest: It is alright my boy. You will do better next time. You
may even serve God as a priest. That boy was the famous Bishop Fulton Sheen. Many
reflections can be made out of these two stories. But looking at it from the
aspect of the faith of Abraham, then it is about having a faith-vision of a
hope for the future. Both altar-boys had a similar unfortunate experience of
making a mistake, though one was punished and the other was not. But one lost
his faith-vision and took control of his future, which turned out to be a tragic
one, while the other was given a faith-vision and put his future into the hands
of God. So it is a question of where our future lies. If it lies in the
self-made security of our riches and wealth, we may have to re-think our
future. If it lies in the hands of God, then despite the trials and turmoils of
the present, we will still have hope for the future. Because we know that God
is in control of our future.
***
Let us
pray: Good and
merciful God, we often seek safety and security in things to possess and to
hold on to. Do not allow things to possess and control us. When our riches mean
poverty for others, when our life means death for others, teach us the joy of
sharing and give us the courage to seek first the riches of your kingdom through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
***
Saint John of Capistrano
It has been said the Christian saints are the world’s
greatest optimists. Not blind to the existence and consequences of evil, they
base their confidence on the power of Christ’s redemption. The power of
conversion through Christ extends not only to sinful people but also to
calamitous events.
Imagine being born in the 14th century. One-third of the
population and nearly 40 percent of the clergy were wiped out by the bubonic
plague. The Western Schism split the Church with two or three claimants to the
Holy See at one time. England and France were at war. The city-states of Italy
were constantly in conflict. No wonder that gloom dominated the spirit of the
culture and the times.
John Capistrano was born in 1386. His education was
thorough. His talents and success were great. When he was 26 he was made
governor of Perugia. Imprisoned after a battle against the Malatestas, he
resolved to change his way of life completely. At the age of 30 he entered the
Franciscan novitiate and was ordained a priest four years later.
John’s preaching attracted great throngs at a time of
religious apathy and confusion. He and 12 Franciscan brethren were received in
the countries of central Europe as angels of God. They were instrumental in
reviving a dying faith and devotion.
The Franciscan Order itself was in turmoil over the
interpretation and observance of the Rule of St. Francis. Through John’s
tireless efforts and his expertise in law, the heretical Fraticelli were
suppressed and the “Spirituals” were freed from interference in their stricter
observance.
John of Capistrano helped bring about a brief reunion with
the Greek and Armenian Churches.
When the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453, John was commissioned to preach a crusade for the defense of Europe. Gaining little response in Bavaria and Austria, he decided to concentrate his efforts in Hungary. He led the army to Belgrade. Under the great General John Hunyadi, they gained an overwhelming victory, and the siege of Belgrade was lifted. Worn out by his superhuman efforts, Capistrano was an easy prey to an infection after the battle. He died on October 23, 1456.
