Tag: J.M. Pallas

I have heard people say things like, “I believe Jesus was a good teacher, but not the Son of God.” It certainly sounds diplomatic from the non-believer’s perspective; it’s like saying, “even though I don’t believe in your faith, I acknowledge that it has some good points.” I don’t doubt the person usually means well when saying something like this. Yet, when someone describes Jesus as only a good teacher, the person must set aside much of the Scriptures and Jesus’s teachings, including today’s readings.

Our First Reading is the introduction to the Letter to the Romans. Most of us would probably start a letter to the Romans with something like “Dear Romans” and then get to the point of the letter. Paul, however, takes several verses to expound upon who Jesus is and who we are in relation to Him.

In the Gospel, Jesus Himself discusses how He is greater than prophets and wise men in the past. Further, He calls out those of us who would excuse ourselves from examining our lives in light of His teachings. After all, nonbelievers in the past changed the course of their lives for less.

As the Psalm says, God has made His salvation known. It is not ambiguous, or some kind of secret. To dismiss Jesus as simply a Good Teacher (and nothing more) requires us to ignore a good deal of His teachings. As C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, 

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell.

Lord, open our hearts to accept Your message of salvation, and help our unbelief!

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In our readings today, we have something that doesn’t happen every day: there is a clear theme running through all three readings and the Psalm. Each reading, in its own way, shows how God is close to the physically and spiritually afflicted.

Too often in the midst of our physical and spiritual afflictions, we may feel anything but close to God. We might feel like God is punishing us. Despite numerous Scripture passages to the contrary (e.g. the entire book of Job), people may even tell us we are afflicted because our faith is not strong enough.

In fact, God chooses the poor and afflicted precisely because they are poor and afflicted. They know they cannot rely on their own strength, and they need God to heal them and lift them up. Those who live comfortable lives may start to think they “earned” their status through their own merits and see no need to turn to God and let Him work in their lives.

On a personal note, as I await the birth of my second child any day now, I have been reflecting a lot on my painful journey with primary, then secondary infertility. Looking back, I can see how God was close to me in that affliction, using that time of waiting and disappointment to help me grow as a mother and a person. Through this journey, God made my children not just blessings, but miracles, and He gave me a heart to never take that for granted.

So my prayer today is that those poor and afflicted in any way in this world will open their hearts and allow God to heal them, turning the desert of their life into a spring of life-giving water.

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When I read daily Mass readings, I don’t usually think of a Second Reading that would have fit nicely, I just reflect on those readings. Today, though, I was reminded of James 2:14-26 and its discussion of how faith is manifested through works, and faith without works is dead.

Each of the readings today emphasizes that, for better or for worse, our actions speak louder than our words. We don’t necessarily need to talk about our faith if our actions shout it out. As Jesus said in John 13:35, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is shown in actions, not in words. In the Psalm, much of the description of praising God is in actions like singing and dancing. Of course we are called to use words, too, but not solely.

The Gospel, on the other hand, focuses on the inverse. That when our words are holy but our actions are not, we inflict pain on God, our neighbors, and ourselves. We might think we are doing God’s will when we “talk a good game” without actually acting out our faith in service to God and others with Joy and Charity, but we are only bringing sadness and woe to everyone involved, in the long run.

In these readings, I see a call to two things: first, to show my faith in acts of service for the love of God and neighbor, done not grudgingly, but with generosity and joy. Second, to examine my conscience to see if my words and public deeds are matching my private deeds and what is in my heart. If we do these two things, I can’t help but think that the Lord will delight in us and our efforts.

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