28th Week, Tuesday, Oct 14; Saint Callistus I
Romans 1:16-25 / Luke 11:37-41
Paul talks about God; Creation witnesses to its creator.
The puppets are merely the vehicles by which he expresses his love for her. Paul says the same thing about creation. It is the vehicle by which God speaks to us about himself and his love for us.
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To what extent do we agree that "earth is but the frozen echo of the silent voice of God”? Samuel M. Hageman "The sky is no less blue because the blind do not see it.” Danish proverb
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What really matters for us, what makes us what we should be, is faith. “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” Faith will make us live. But for Paul too faith is not just a belief in tenets. Faith expresses itself in deeds.
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It can be rather difficult to explain why some people believe in God and yet there are also others who don't. As for those who don't believe in God, the 1st reading tries to give an explanation. It says bluntly that what can be known about God is perfectly plain since God Himself has made it plain. Ever since God created the world, His everlasting power and glory, however invisible, have been there for the mind to see in the things He has made.
The problem is that the impiety and the depravity of men keep the truth of God imprisoned in their wickedness. But that is not confined to just those who do not believe in God. Even for those who say that they believe in God, they have to be aware of this "wickedness" in them.
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As Jesus told the Pharisees in the gospel: You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness! So even people who believe in God, even religious people, can succumb to the internal wickedness as those who don't believe in God.
But for us who believe in God, it is necessary for us to clean out this wickedness in us, and there is a solution. As Jesus said in the gospel: Give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you. So, if we say we believe in God, then the proof of it is that we will give alms and serve the poor. Not only will it cleanse our hearts, but it will also deepen our faith in God who cares for the weak and the poor and helpless.
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In today’s gospel, Jesus reacts against pious Jews who stress the observance of the externals – laws, rules, customs – without inspiration and motivation from inside. Most probably the Pharisees were sincere in practicing these outward regulations, but they easily gave the ones practicing them the conviction of saving themselves through them. In fact, in today’s world too, externals count heavily. People buy things for their wrappings. Appearances are often all that matters... It is not the shining cup that matters but the contents. Indeed, the contents must be first-rate.
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Opening Prayer
Lord, our God, Jesus touched the dead and unclean lepers to raise them to life and to heal them. Let us not be afraid of dirtying our hands to help people but of soiling our tongues to tell lies and to besmear the good name of our brothers and sisters, to quarrel with them and to hurt them. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Saint Callistus I: Feast day October 14
Callistus was born in the late second century as a slave to a Christian master. His master noticed that Callistus had skill in finance and put him in charge of a bank. Some enemies of Callistus falsely accused him of embezzlement. Terrified, Callistus tried to escape from Rome. He was caught and condemned to the mines of Sardinia. After partially serving his sentence, he was released so that he might recover some of the money. He was arrested for fighting and sent back to the mines. Fortunately for him and other Christians, Marcia, the emperor’s mistress, won their release.
Pope Zephyrinus made Callistus manager of the burial grounds. Even today the land is named the cemetery of Saint Callistus. Callistus proved himself responsible and was ordained a deacon. In 217, Callistus was elected as the next pontiff. This shocked Hippolytus and his followers. In rebellion, this group elected Hippolytus as pope, later known as the first antipope.This made two men who claimed to be pope.
A schism, or split, in the Church went on for 18 years. Pope Callistus I gently tried to encourage Hippolytus to understand his error. At the same time, Callistus tried to make wise rules for the Church. He felt there should be mercy for those who had fallen away during persecution but who later repented. Callistus said the Church has the authority to forgive all sins. This angered Hippolytus, who felt that Callistus was lenient. Hippolytus wrote bitterly about the pope, who bore the insults calmly and humbly. Callistus I remained steady in his desire to bring peace to the Church. He was martyred in a riot.
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When World Literature is taught and talk about Candide, there is a section in the book where the main character finds El Dorado, a utopia, a paradise on earth. When Candide asks about their religion, the priest says that of course they have a religion – it consists of thanking God constantly for everything they have been given. And he seems confused about the question – what else could a religion be? What else would be appropriate for people to do? I can’t disagree with that. What else is appropriate for people to do? We exist for the praise of his glory.
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Let us pray: Lord our God, we stand before you with empty hands. Our good intentions, the things we do are powerless to save us. God, help us to accept this truth, for it hurts our pride. Teach us to receive gratuitously your grace, your merciful love and also the help and love of our neighbor. Save us from ourselves and from sin by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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We should sing our thanks and praise to God, with a harp or lyre, or just our voices. I used to be a music minister. I really miss singing at Mass. I really miss going to Mass. I still sing at my house when I’m watching Mass on my tv, but I still miss it. And I love the song by Dan Schutte that is based on the psalm for today, “Like Cedars they Shall Stand.” It says, “I will greet the Lord with my song, I will sing of the ways of the Lord” and goes on, “To thank him for his love at dawn his faithfulness through night.” Even before I was Catholic I sang at church in my college choir and sang mass with my friends from school, so my very beginnings in the church I chose were praising God with my song. The music was what introduced me to the church and encouraged me to stay. I still feel most connected to God and to the church when I’m singing hymns.
These days there are a lot of hard things happening, and it can seem difficult to stay positive and to be grateful, but even in the midst of hardships there are still things to be thankful for. We can continue to praise God for the good things around us, “the Lord looks down he sees all.”
