Branching-Out

The Everyday Gospel: Mary Magdalene

Posted by Charles Paolino on Jun 9, 2023 6:00:00 AM

For more than 40 years, I made my living by knowing other people’s business. Since I got out of newspaper journalism, however, I have tried to know only as much as I need to know—or, perhaps more accurately, as much as people want me to know.

I was thinking about that recently while I was reading Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History by Philip C. Almond, professor emeritus of the history of religious thought at the University of Queensland, Australia.

As the title implies, Almond explores the many ways Mary has been imagined and presented over the centuries. Necessarily, this includes the idea endorsed by Pope Gregory the Great that before her encounter with Jesus Mary was a prostitute. The pope, in a sixth century homily, drew this conclusion by identifying Mary Magdalene with the “sinful” woman described in Luke’s Gospel who bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. He also took the reference to Jesus ridding Mary of seven demons to mean that she had dabbled in all seven of the deadly sins.

This practice of identifying one literary character with another is called “conflation” and, as Almond describes in detail, Pope Gregory is hardly the only person to engage in it. Speculators over time have found Mary Magdalene to be the same person as Luke’s sinner and also Mary of Bethany—the sister of Lazarus. Modern scholarship has debunked these ideas.

Traditions have thrived about where Mary Magdalene went and what she did in the years after the Resurrection, about where she died and was buried, and about where her remains have been transported by relic enthusiasts.

The notion has also been developed that Mary Magdalene and Jesus were married and that she bore him a child and that the Church has been at pains to keep this a secret. The marriage myth was famously disseminated in recent times in Dan Brown’s novel “The DaVinci Code” and the film based upon it. Besides being disrespectful, such works run the risk that gullible people will take the stories as true and that cynics will use such fiction to demean the Church and the Christian faith in general.

The fact is that all the information we have about Mary Magdalene is in the gospels. To put it another way, all the information we need about Mary is in the gospels. Luke’s Gospel informs us that Mary and two other women, Joanna and Susanna, accompanied Jesus as he traveled through Palestine and provided financial support for his ministry. All four evangelists report that Mary was the first witness and the first herald of the Resurrection. She remained faithful to Jesus to the end. She went to the tomb, she encountered the risen Christ, she proclaimed the news to the apostles.

These accounts of the preeminent role that Mary played in the gospel story are remarkable both because it was inconsistent with the cultural and religious norms of Jewish society for women to accompany a group of men not related to them, and it was out of character for writers in that time and place to assign to a woman such an important role as Mary played.

We Christians can save our curiosity for movie stars and other celebrities. Mary Magdalene, as she is presented in the gospels, is all she needs to be, an example of faithfulness and courage. In those qualities, she is a model for us to imitate. By virtue of our baptism, we are called to do what Mary did, to proclaim to the world, without embarrassment, fear, or hesitation, that Jesus Christ has risen and that he lives among us, in his word, in our hearts, and in the Eucharist. May we live up to her example.

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Topics: Mary Magdalene, RENEW International, The Everyday Gospel: Deacon Charles Paolino

Fire

Posted by Sharon Krause on Jun 5, 2023 6:00:00 AM

Years ago, my husband bought me an opal pendant. I really like the opal because it has lots of “fire” in it—-meaning there are a lot of color spots that are pleasant to look at as I turn the opal this way and that. It has occurred to me that we are like opals in some ways.

 According to books I have consulted, the opal is one of the most interesting and colorful gemstones. No other precious gem produces the array of beautiful colors that the opal does. The opal is a silicate which contains some water in its composition. The pin-fire opal I have is a type in which the main body of the stone is usually white and shows a myriad of small pinpoint colors all through the surface. The flashes of color occur when a ray of light meets a very thin film of the opal which has a different optical density from that of the light. Precious opal contains a great number of these thin films which are layers of submicroscopic spheres. The flashes of color vary as the stone is turned. Some opals are considered florescent minerals.

How can we compare ourselves to opals? First, an opal with lots of fire in it is attractive and very precious. When we have the fire of the Holy Spirit in us, we can attract others by our Christian attitude and behavior. We can draw more people to us and, hopefully, to Jesus. Every opal is different; each one of us is unique and precious in God’s eyes. Each of us has different color spots—-if you see the analogy—different ways of reflecting the Light, that is Jesus, to those around us. When we turn the opal, we see different colors; when we openly turn to the Lord and to our brothers and sisters, our different talents and gifts are released, and we can find more ways to be of service.

 Color, or fire, in opals is caused by the collision with light; our fire is caused by our collision or meeting with the Holy Spirit who can fill us with zeal and power. Fire is refining and purifying in its power. Not long ago, we celebrated Pentecost. The Holy Spirit brought power to the disciples as tongues of fire rested upon their heads. After that, the disciples were filled with zeal and the fire of God’s message of love.

 The ancient superstition about opals restoring keenness of vision brings to mind that with the light of Jesus Christ, our vision of his kingdom can be brought to greater clarity. We see things of this world differently when we look through Spirit-filled eyes of faith and joy.

 How can we keep our fire burning? In order to keep any fire burning, three things are needed: something combustible, a source of heat, and oxygen. To keep our fires burning, we need to be ready and willing to surrender to the Lord who is our source of heat and light, and who gives us the breath of life. We must fan our fires, stay very close to our Source through prayer and sacraments, and humbly strive to adore him who colors our humble lives!

 P.S. Potch is opal that does not show the play of color, or, as miners say, is not alive. Let’s be sure we treasure and nurture our fire, so no one can say we are potch!

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Topics: Sharon Krause, The Holy Spirit accompanies us, open to the Holy Spirit

"Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres: Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

Posted by Bill Ayres on Jun 3, 2023 6:00:00 AM

A reading from the Book of Exodus

(Chapter 34:4b-6, 8, 9)

“Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets. Having come down in a cloud, the Lord stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, ‘Lord.’ Thus the Lord passed before him and cried out, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.’ Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.”

This is one of the critical moments in the history of Israel, Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God and pleading with God, “O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins and receive us as your own.”

The false gods that Moses knew of at that time did not have the wonderful qualities that Moses attributes to the one true God: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, full of kindness and fidelity. That is the God that we believe in today.

Responsorial Psalm

(Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56)

“Glory and praise forever.” Yes, especially today, amid the horrors that we face in our society and in our world: warfare, millions of refugees, intractable poverty, climate change, and senseless deaths by gunfire. In these times, it may be harder for some to believe in this one true God, but it is ever more important.

A reading from St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians

(Chapter 13:11-13)

Here is a beautiful blessing from Paul to a people in crisis and great danger. “Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the love of God and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”

Here we have a trinitarian blessing has been used from the beginning of Christianity.

I remember being taught as a child in Catholic school that we are all created “in the image and likeness of God” and that God was not an isolated being but a community of personsFather, Son, and Holy Spirit. That being true, then we are all communal beings, starting with our families and moving out from there to friendships, various community groups, and the community of our Church. Of course, each of us is an individual, and we can and should pray to God in solitude, but praying in community is also something in our very nature. We don’t attend Mass only because it is an “obligation,” but because we want to worship in the assembly, the Body of Christ.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

(Chapter 3:16-18)

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

Many people think of God as “up there” or “out there somewhere,” but God, the Father, shared his life with us in his Son, Jesus, whose body and blood we receive in the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit of God lives within every one of us. God is not “there” or “there.” God is here, now, and we can experience his presence as the Holy Trinity in the privacy of our prayer and in the celebration of the Paschal Mystery with the assembled church.

 ✝️

 

Photograph by Sharon Sentima on Unsplash.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

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Topics: Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Invitations

Posted by Sharon Krause on May 29, 2023 6:00:00 AM

Recently my daughter received an invitation to the wedding of her friend. It seemed strange to me that she got the written invitation now, because the wedding is not until December 31, and it will take place at the bride’s home and not a public venue that would have had to be reserved far in advance. I don’t know the details, but it did get me thinking about invitations.

We read in the gospel passage in today’s liturgy that, at Jesus’ dying request, John, Jesus’ beloved disciple, cared for Jesus’ mother, Mary, in his own home. Yesterday, the feast of Pentecost, we invited the Holy Spirit to come to us as we read the sequence, Veni, Sancte Spiritus. We invite the Holy Spirit to shine within us, give us rest in our labor, console us in sad times, fill our inmost being, heal our wounds, free us from guilt, help us to overcome stubbornness, and bring us the Spirit’s sevenfold gifts. We invite the Spirit to set us on fire with love.

So, what if the Holy Spirit comes with all that we invite the Spirit to bring and we are not really there or prepared? If someone comes to us with relief and numerous gifts, shouldn’t we receive everything with open minds and hearts? Invitations imply readiness and preparation. The gifts that are brought in love should be, in turn, used.

 Our God is a generous and forgiving God. Knowing that, we can repent of our sins and resolve to clear the way for the Spirit’s gifts. Being open to the Holy Spirit makes us ready to speak in the language of love to those around us. Even a daily short prayer to the Spirit can put us into the right frame of mind.

 Psalm 51:12-14 is a good example:

    A clean heart create for me, O God,

       and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

   Cast me not out from your presence,

       and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

   Give me back the joy of your salvation,

       and a willing spirit sustain in me.

 

One of the best gifts the Holy Spirit offers us is hope. If we try to pass on that hope, we are really inviting more peace and joy into our busy, troubled world. May we try to look for the Holy Spirit each day and be grateful for all the Spirit’s gifts. We might even be vocal about what we see so that others’ awareness grows.

    May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may

   abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit. (Romans 15;13.)

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Topics: Sharon Krause, The Holy Spirit accompanies us, open to the Holy Spirit

"Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres: Pentecost

Posted by Bill Ayres on May 27, 2023 6:00:00 AM

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

(Chapter 2:1-11)

If you wonder why there were so many people from so many countries visiting Jerusalem on the occasion St. Luke describes in this passage, it was because Pentecost was a Jewish feast when pilgrims from all over the near world would come to the Temple to worship. But Luke tells us of strange happenings: “a noise like a strong wind” and “tongues of fire” images that recall the time God established the original covenant with the Jewish people. Luke wanted his audience to understanding that this was God confirming a new covenant with a new, diverse peoplehence the people of many languages understanding the apostles from Galilee. Of course, Luke wrote this a few decades after the actual events, and he wanted people to know that this was the beginning of something new that had its roots in a previous tradition and fulfilled that tradition. Today, we say that Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, was the birthday of the Church.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34)

“Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.” Here is a common thread between Judaism and Christianity, the Spirit of God. The difference for us Christians is that we believe that the Spirit of God is not just “out there” somewhere but rather lives in each one of us. That is one of the major breakthroughs of Christianity. God is not some distant being but absolutely close to each of us, even when we might not feel that presence. We are never alone.

A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

(Chapter 12:3b-7, 12-13)

St. Paul tells us that we may each have different gifts and forms of service, but what unites us is the one Spirit. And, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”

You and I each have different gifts from the Spirit. Do you believe that? What are your spiritual gifts? How do you use them, share them? Can you appreciate the gifts of someone else, even though you might disagree with that person on one or more issues? That is particularly important today when our country and even our Church are often divided in many ways.

As we read the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul, it becomes clear that there were major differences within the early Church with so many groups coming in and out of focus, each believing that their version of the truth about Jesus was the right one. This has continued for some two thousand years and been the cause of wars and numerous unjust actions. It is only when we listen to the Spirit and act in the loving power of the Spirit that we have peace and true communion.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

(Chapter 20: 19-23)

Jesus says to the apostles, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so also I send you.” Then, “he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’”

These few sentences written at the end of the first century, long after the events described, are meant by John to validate the connection between the Church after Jesus with the powerful words of Jesus before he ascended into heaven. He conferred gifts, starting with the Holy Spirit and then the power to forgive sins. Remember, John is writing his Gospel during a time of persecution, and he wants to make sure that his readers know how blessed they are and how they are strengthened amid endless trials and dangers. The Holy Spirit is with them, just as it is with us today.

What are the special gifts that you have received in your life? How have you used them, especially the gifts of forgiveness and healing?

 ✝️

Painting: Fresco of the Pentecostal dove (representing the Holy Spirit) at the Karlskirche in Vienna, Austria.  Public Domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

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Topics: feast of pentecost, Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres

Airing Ideas

Posted by Sharon Krause on May 22, 2023 6:00:00 AM
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Topics: everyday prayer, Sharon Krause, The Holy Spirit accompanies us

"Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres: Seventh Sunday of Easter - The Ascension

Posted by Bill Ayres on May 20, 2023 6:00:00 AM

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

(Chapter 1:1-11)

Saint Luke, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, tells us here that Jesus “presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” So, is this the actual historical day when Jesus ascended to heaven? Maybe, but this same Luke writes in his Gospel, and John writes in his Gospel, that Jesus ascended on the day of the Resurrection. We do not know the exact day. What is much more important for us is that Jesus told his disciples that “John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit,” and, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you.”

With respect to his bodily presence, Jesus is leaving, but he is sending his Holy Spirit to be with the Church and with each one of us. We all have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we need to accept this most precious gift, the very presence of God in us. It is possible to turn away from the gift or even turn against the gift of the Holy Spirit. What is more likely, it is possible to simply forget about the gift of the Spirit or believe that it does not apply to us, or to give up on the Spirit when we fall into hard times and the Spirit seems absent or at least silent. Yet, the Holy Spirit of God never leaves us and becomes present to us in sometimes unexpected and amazing ways. Let this be our prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit.”

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20)

“Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” Where is there joy in your life now? How are you thanking God for whatever or whoever is giving you joy, even amidst sorrow and frustration?

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians

(Chapter 1:17-23)

This is a beautifully poetic description of the power of the resurrected Christ. “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe.”

Remember, Paul is speaking to a people who knew power, a fierce, often unjust and unloving power, the most powerful force in the world, the Roman Empire. They lived in constant fear and with few real rights, a poor beaten people. In the face of this, Paul talks of “the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe.” Take that, Roman emperor! We have a different kind of power that you can find only in Jesus Christ. It is an eternal power from the man you killed but who defied death, rose again, and lives forever in the presence of God and in his Mystical Body on earth, the Church, which survives your empire.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

(Chapter 28:16-20)

The author of the Gospel makes a stunning remark, that even after seeing Jesus alive, knowing that he had been crucified and buried, the eleven apostles “doubted.” Did Jesus rebuke them or reject them for their doubt. No. According to the author, Jesus told them to go out and preach the gospel to all nations, and they overcame their doubt and did as he had asked. Doubt is a nearly universal experience for Christians. Exemplars of our faith, including St. Teresa of Calcutta and Thomas Merton have experienced it. But Jesus understands our limitations, embraces us as his followers and friends, and encourages us to carry on his mission on earth. When we doubt, we must remember his promise: “I will be with you always.”

 ✝️

Painting: Part of Rembrandt van Rijn's Passion Cycle for Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (1636). Public Domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

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Topics: Ascension, Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres, Seventh Sunday of Easter

A Lesson in Christian Magic

Posted by Sharon Krause on May 15, 2023 6:00:00 AM
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Topics: love one another, greatest commandment, Sharon Krause

"Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres: Sixth Sunday of Easter

Posted by Bill Ayres on May 13, 2023 6:00:00 AM

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

(Chapter 8:5-8, 14-17)

Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a continuation of his Gospel. He wanted to show the growth and struggles of the first Christian communities. In today’s passage, we read about Phillip reaching out to the people of Samaria whom Jews considered heretics but who also looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. The Samaritans were converted because they saw signs. “For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.” So when “the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”

There seems to be some confusion in the early Church about when the gift of the Holy Spirit is givenat baptism or later, as here. Today, we believe that the Holy Spirit is given to us when we receive the sacrament of baptism and then strengthened with the sacrament of confirmation. Unfortunately, many of us were never really taught about this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit being present in us at all times, whether we realize it or not. Whatever befalls us or the world around us, let us remember that the Spirit of God is always with us.

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20)

“Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” Where is there joy in your life now? How are you thanking God for whatever or whoever is giving you joy, even amidst sorrow and frustration?

A reading from the First Letter of Peter

(Chapter 3:15-18)

The first Christians suffered greatly in several ways. Many of their Jewish brethren thought they were crazy or had lost their faith. The Roman rulers thought they were dangerous and disloyal to Rome. Peter tells the Christians, “Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is the will of God, than for doing evil.”

That is so hard, suffering for doing good, being misunderstood, losing family or friends when you should not be blamed. Don’t give up. Try to work it out. But also, do not allow it to deeply harm you. Continue to pray but also move on as best you can to the more positive dimensions of your life.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

(Chapter 14:15-21)

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask my Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come too you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And anyone who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.’”

When John wrote this, he was an old man who had decades to collect his memories and try to convey the deepest meaning that he could. Many have called this a “Love Gospel,” and so it is. As an old man, John was still enflamed with the love he experienced long ago from a man who John knew was more than that, in fact, that Jesus was the Presence of God. That is the basis of our faith in the all-loving, ever present God who lives in us and among us.

 ✝️

Painting: The Apostle St. John Evangelista (circa 1611), Peter Paul Rubens. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. Public Domain.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
 
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.

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Topics: Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres, Sixth Sunday of Easter

Human Dignity vs Dehumanization: Richard Glossip

Posted by Alice Hugh Brown on May 8, 2023 1:43:41 PM

Richard Glossip, 60, was set once again to be executed by the State of Oklahoma. He had already experienced six stays of execution from September 16, 2015, to February 16, 2023. His seventh execution date was set for May 18, 2023.

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Topics: justice, mercy, Catholic social teaching, Sr. Helen Prejean, human dignity

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