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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

Much ado about nothing or, is there something to it?

Readings: Acts 19:1-8 Psalm 68:2-7 John 16:29-33

Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” [Acts 19:1-3]

Depending on one’s sacramental theology and pastoral practice, this text has been variously interpreted. For example, those who work with the RCIA (catecheumenate) hold that the sacrament of Confirmation should be administered with Baptism as it was in the early Church. It is one of the sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. The Eastern Rite of the Roman Catholic Church has retained the tradition of administering all three at Baptism. Yes, the infant receives a small piece of the Eucharist bread. And so in the Eastern Rite, there is no formal celebration of First Holy Communion at the age of reason or Confirmation by the bishop at whatever age the local diocese has determined the age of maturity appropriate for Confirmation. All three sacraments are administered shortly after birth.

Others feel that the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation at a later age ensures the participation of youngsters in parish religious education programs – at least until Confirmation. In this case, many Catholics view Confirmation as the completion of or graduation from religious studies.

In recent years I have become convinced that the RCIA folks and the Eastern Rite Catholics have it right. All three sacraments of initiation should be administered together. First Holy Communion and Confirmation have become more social than spiritual. I do not mean to suggest that there is no connection or that there should be no celebration after sacramental ceremonies but for many, the accent is on the wrong syllable.

The path from Baptism to Christian maturity is life-long and the benchmarks for progress are not easily measured by grouping children by age or grade level for a period of preparation that is largely academic.

This is not to suggest that religious education is optional. Faith development is unique to each person within the context first of family and then of parish. Religious education / formation is intended to provide insight into faith development at an age-appropriate level.

Catholicism has become ‘child-centered’ the result of which, we have an adult population whose religious and spiritual development stopped at Confirmation.

The celebration of Eucharist is the primary setting for faith formation. Religious education is a necessary component but detached from Eucharist, it remain just another subject to master.

Of course this all assumes that the parish celebration of the Eucharist is truly inclusive and meaningful rather than just an empty ritual. The parish at worship should be a rendition of a community of faith that strives to live its faith ‘in the town square’ as I mentioned in Sunday’s homily.

Notwithstanding my commitment to religious dialogue, I do believe that effective dialogue is based on the assumption that although both parties are knowledgeable about the topic. Though they may have different perspectives, they are not based on ignorance of the subject.

Second Sunday of Lent 'A'

Saturday February 19, 2005

We Are Called to Bless!

If we didn’t know the origin of the readings, we might be tempted to attribute them to C. S. Lewis or J.R. Tolkien. There is a touch of fantasy throughout. The experience of Abraham surely must have seemed surreal to him and Matthew’s description of the transfiguration comes close to reverie.

The call of Abraham is not a newspaper report nor an historical account like that about an early American hero. But it isn’t just an historical novel either. It’s a faith story; a sacred story; the story of the faith-journey of a man called by God to husband a people, many people; and to father a nation, many nations.

I can relate to this experience, can’t you? We have all grappled with our call—life career or vocation. Do you remember your adolescent years, when you took your first step out of familiar surroundings? I do. It was both scary and exciting at the same time. I wanted to keep one foot in the safety and security of familiar surroundings but I also felt the drive to break out. How about when you grappled with your career or when you decided to marry or not to marry? We’ve all been there and done that in one way or another. Fear and risk; exhilaration and excitement were all mixed together.

Abraham started out, not knowing where he was going, but God blessed him and considered his faith an act of goodness and justice. Abraham did indeed become the father of many nations and a blessing to many peoples. Abraham is the father of the Jews and of the Moslems.

Abraham is our father in the faith too! His story is the proto-type of our story, our faith journey. We are called as individuals, as a community, as a church to respond to the invitation of God to a journey of faith, to journey in faith; not to father a nation or a people but to be the fulfillment of the promise of God to Abraham; to be a people of blessing not for ourselves, but for our world.

Are you a blessing for others? to your family? to your co-workers? Do people say “Here comes Jim! What a blessing!” We all must know someone like that. My grandmother was such a person. What a blessing she was! When she came into the room, we knew everything would be alright. She made us feel accepted, safe and secure.

It is interesting that the story of Abraham’s call follows the story of Babel.
Despite the lesson of Babel, we fall easily in to the trap of futile attempts to build our own city—new towers of Babel and so we need to be reminded that our call is not to be gods but to be God-like; to cooperate and collaborate with God in the work of restoring the earth and renewing its people.

Humanity hasn’t done it all that well. We are slow learners indeed.

Jesus was sent to renew the promise and to restore the blessing.
He called a group of ordinary people, disciples who knew little about theology and who were not particularly knowledgeable about spirituality either. He said to them, “Come, follow me…” and, like Abraham, their father in faith, they went with him and discovered that there was more to life than fishing, selling tents, and making money. They received the gift of faith which enabled them to see beyond their human destiny. They discovered another world within themselves which became a source of blessing and which empowered them to bless others, moving far beyond their human limitations. This is what it means to father a people.

But their life was not free of pain nor was their faith unmixed with doubt.
Pride often got in the way and fear made them fall more than once. The story of the transfiguration, like the account of Abraham’s call, is not the description of a scientific phenomenon but the narration of an faith encounter which the disciples experienced through their exposure to Jesus. If you hang around Jesus long enough, it’s only a matter of time when you will experience his transfiguration and be transformed in the process. Guaranteed!

But fear got the best of them and Jesus had to call them back to the mountain to the place where God and humanity touch each other to reassure them that the promise would still be fulfilled and the blessing would not be withdrawn but it would not be given without the price of love—the sacrifice of worldliness and selfish interest.

Jesus was the example and the exemplar and although they did not completely understand after the trip to the mountain of transfiguration or even after the mount of Calvary, they did come around when the Spirit came to them at Pentecost. This is why the feast of Pentecost is so important for us.

These readings are offered in Lent to enable our catechumens and candidates for full communion in the Church to ponder their call which was confirmed publicly last week in this sanctuary by you and me. They have been reflecting on the promise given to Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus. They have come to appreciate the blessing that comes from the power of living in God’s grace and are now prepared to accept the promise and the blessing fully.

These reading are also chosen for us who use this Lenten season to renew our own faithfulness to our call. In his letter to Timothy, Paul reminds the Christian community and us that faith is a gift that must be accepted and exercised generously. Our call is renewed every day even though we do not know what that day will bring. And even when we fail or fall, we are still invited to the mountain to be reassured that the promise will be fulfilled and all will be well. Guaranteed!

Bless you, and may you be a blessing for others too!