The Catholic Church only celebrates two human organs in the liturgy. We could try to think about what other organs could have been celebrated: “blessed are the feet of those who spread the Gospel,” we could celebrate the Holy Feet of the Apostles. In the Book of Numbers, it says that Moses, “spoke with God face to face, and that he beheld the likeness of God” so we could celebrate the Luminous Eyes of Moses. We talked about anger and its effects yesterday. Apparently the ancients believed that excessive anger would cause your liver to produce too much bile. So, since St. Francis of Assisi was so peaceful, we could celebrate the Immaculate Liver of St. Francis. What organ would you say the world values most today? I would say that most people value the brain above all. We don’t celebrate the sacred brain of Jesus though – even though His brain most certainly is Sacred.
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. What does that mean? What is the letter of the law? It is a strange expression that comes to us from the scriptures. I think there are two ways we could understand that phrase, but Paul is only talking about one of those two meanings in this part of his letter to the Corinthians. “The letter of the law” can refer to a strict literal/material interpretation of the rules – I think that’s how we generally understand the phrase today. For example, some people say that since the commandment reads, “thou shalt not kill,” it must be obeyed in all circumstances: you shouldn’t kill someone in self-defence, or when defending your family; war can never be justified if it involves killing people. Another example would be a literal interpretation of, “thou shalt not bear false witness.” Following the letter of the law, there are no circumstances in which it is okay to lie – even a lie that could save someone’s life would be wrong. For example, lying to a bully about where their victim is hiding would still be lying and would still break the commandment. On the other side of that there are the people who think the “spirit” of the law is more important that what the law literally says. They claim to know what the spirit is, so you have to either agree with them or take their word for it.
Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Paul’s meditation on Jesus can be a powerful support to our own act of faith. So long as we look at ourselves, at our own weaknesses, at how small we are and how afraid we are of difficult things, we are tempted to discouragement. We know Jesus is looking at us, saying, “Come, follow me.” And we want to, but we know our own track record: part of me wants to follow you Lord, and another part of me is afraid I’ll have to leave behind things or people I love but are too worldly. Another part of me is tired and wants to take a nap or waste time on trivial pursuits. Another part of me feels guilty for sins that I’ve committed and I’m not sure I won’t commit again. Another part of me isn’t sure I can trust you completely. In short, I say yes to you Lord, but I also say no. On good days, my yes is stronger – on bad days my no is stronger.