The dictionary defines a creed as “any system or codification of belief or of opinion.” So a creed is simply a statement of what we believe. The Apostles’ Creed is one of the oldest such statements in Christianity (it is first found in a letter written by St. Ambrose in 390 AD) and is used across most Christian denominations. It is a simpler statement of belief than the Nicene Creed and does not address some of the more contentious theological issues which divide the different denominations of Christianity. So what does the Apostles’ Creed really tell us about our faith. Let’s take a look at the creed line by line.
The dictionary defines a creed as “any system or codification of belief or of opinion.” So a creed is simply a statement of what we believe. The Apostles’ Creed is one of the oldest such statements in Christianity (it is first found in a letter written by St. Ambrose in 390 AD) and is used across most Christian denominations. It is a simpler statement of belief than the Nicene Creed and does not address some of the more contentious theological issues which divide the different denominations of Christianity. So what does the Apostles’ Creed really tell us about our faith. Let’s take a look at the creed line by line. “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” - Mark 4:3-8 I love this parable. It is a beautiful and perfect description of how people express their faith or lack thereof. We all know people how fall into these different categories: people who have no interest in faith, people who say they believe but allow little things to turn them off from church, people who say they are Christians but don't show it by their actions, and true believers who live the Gospel every day. In choosing this metaphor to describe the people of God, Jesus struck literary gold.
Today the Church celebrates the memorials of two first century bishops and missionaries, Sts. Timothy and Titus. Both of these early Christians served as companions of St. Paul and traveled with him extensively. They also each have the honor of Paul addressing an epistle to them. Together, these two saints serve as an important bridge between Christianity as a Jewish sect and Christianity as a religion for all people, both Gentiles and Jews. St. Timothy is, perhaps, the individual most closely associated with St. Paul. The result of a "mixed-marriage" (his mother was Jewish and his father was Greek), Timothy's mother and grandmother were early converts to Christianity and, as a result, Timothy grew up in the Christian faith and became a respected member of the Church in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). When Paul arrived to minister to the community there, Timothy became one of his disciples and began accompanying Paul on his journeys. Seen as a kind of spiritual son to Paul, Timothy grew in his faith and leadership role and eventually served as an emissary for Paul, delivering epistles and messages to Corinth, Philippi and Thessalonica. As time went on and Timothy grew in ability, Paul left him to govern the church in Ephesus. It is there that tradition states he was stoned to death after trying to stop a procession honoring the Roman goddess Diana. But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” - Mark 3:33-35 Jesus poses an interesting question in today's Gospel: Who are my mother and my brothers? It should be a simple question. Clearly, Jesus knew who his mother and other relatives were (in Semitic cultures, the term "brother" can refer to more than just a biological brother; it can also include nephews, half-siblings, cousins, etc.). Jesus poses this question for the benefit of his audience. The crowds gathered around him seemed to think that Mary and Jesus' other relatives deserved a special treatment because of their relationship with Him. By responding as He did, Jesus was indicating that He considered everyone to be of equal importance to even His own family. He was reminding the crowd that they should not value one individual more than another.
So what does this mean for us today. The most obvious insight to take away from this reading is that we should treat everyone equally. We should not look down on any person because of who they are or where they come from. Instead, we should try to make everyone feel as welcome as a member of our own families. This is harder than it seems. It means not avoiding that person at work who is always asking us questions or annoying us. It means being kind to the person at the store who cuts us off with their shopping cart. It means acknowledging the dignity of the homeless person on the side of the road rather than pretending not to see him. Living as Jesus taught us is challenging. It requires us to step out of our comfort zone and change how we behave. Always remember St. Paul's words to the Romans: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." If we do this and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can remake the world and transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. - Mark 3:13-19 Today's Gospel reading depicts the appointment of the Twelve Apostles by Jesus. In it, Jesus is described as sending them forth preach and giving them the authority to drive out demons. The reading then lists their names. These Apostles became the foundation of the early church and are the forerunners of today's bishops. They had authority to teach and, in other places, are given the authority to forgiven sins. In many respects, these twelve men could be considered Jesus' closest confidants and followers. So why do we still read about the appointment of the Apostles today. The Apostles are meant to serve as an example for all of us about how to follow Christ and be his disciples. Just as they were tasked with going forth and preaching the Good News, so to we must preach the Good News in our world today. We may not have the ability to drive out demons or work miraculous cures, but we do have the ability to serve others and witness to Jesus through that service. This is how we must live out our discipleship today. As St. Francis said: "Always remember to preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words." "Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, [Melchizedek] remains a priest forever." (Hebrews 7:3) The first readings for this week come from the Letter to the Hebrews. One aspect of this letter is a focus on the Old Testament figure of Melchizedek. So who is Melchizedek? In the Book of Genesis, Melchizedek is the King of Salem (the ancient name for Jerusalem). He is briefly mentioned as having an encounter with Abraham as he is returning from rescuing his nephew, Lot. Melchizedek is mentioned as being not only a king but a "priest of God Most High" (Genesis 14:18). As a priest, he blessed Abraham and, in return, Abraham gave him a tithe, or a tenth, of his possessions. This is the only mention of Melchizedek in the Old Testament. For a brief period he takes center stage, interacts with Abraham, and then disappears. Why then does such a seemingly minor figure take such a prominent role in the Letter to the Hebrews. The author of Hebrews, who was once believed to be St. Paul but is now considered to be unknown, references Melchizedek as being a forerunner of Christ precisely because he lived before the Jewish priesthood was founded in the person of Aaron and his descendants. Many believe Hebrews was written to prevent Jewish Christians from abandoning Christianity and returning to their Jewish faith. Thus, by referencing Melchizedek, the author would have been emphasizing Christ's establishment of a new tradition. A couple weeks ago, Fr. Mike talked about the new film The Theory of Everything in his homily. This film follows the life of famous physicist Stephen Hawking. In the video below, Fr. Robert Barron discusses the film and how, even in the life story of an avowed atheist, we can find God present. In the end, despite what Hawking might say, Barron concludes that the Theory of Everything Hawking is searching for is in fact God. Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. - Mark 2:27 Today’s Gospel presents a story that, in our modern times, might seem odd. Jesus and his disciples are walking through a field on the Sabbath and, as they walk, are picking grains of wheat and chewing on them. According to Jewish law, this would be considered work and, therefore, forbidden on the Sabbath. When the Pharisees call Jesus out on this, he reminds them of the time when King David also broke the Jewish laws. He then says the above quote as a way to rebuke the Pharisees.
So what does that quote really mean? One way it could be read is that we should not be beholden to the Sabbath because it was made for us and, therefore, we can celebrate it in any manner we choose. This interpretation would be completely false. The point Jesus is trying to make with this statement is that the Sabbath was given to us by God to remind us of the importance of setting aside time to honor God and rest from our labors. As a result, we are to “Keep holy the Sabbath” by attending Mass and taking time out of our busy lives to reflect on the blessings God has given us. So, while the Sabbath was made for man, that does not mean that man can do whatever he wants with it. Instead, it is a gift from God to be used in His service and to honor Him. The other important point that this quote makes is that we should not allow ourselves to get bogged down in the minutiae of keeping track of every single law and restriction placed upon us. Rather, we must keep in mind that the overall goal is to live a holy life in service to God and others. Sometimes this means we may break a minor rule or regulation in order to bring about the greater good. However, while such actions may sometimes be necessary, we must always bear in mind that we should strive to observe these laws first and foremost and only break them when there is no other way to achieve our stated goal. In the end, it is best to ask “What would Jesus do?” as a way to ensure that our actions are in line with preaching the Good News. In 1998 as part of a restoration program, Westminster Abbey in London, England, unveiled ten new statues which occupied niches above the Great West Door of the Abbey. These statues depicted ten Christian martyrs from the 20th century, each representing different continents and denominations. They were designed to acknowledge the many martyrs of the 20th century, considered by many to have been the most violent century in human history and to have seen the creation of the most Christian martyrs.
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” - 1 Samuel 3:7-10 In this Sunday’s first reading, we listen to the call of Samuel. Samuel holds an important place in biblical history. He is considered the last of the judges and the first of the major prophets. Under his watch, Israel became a kingdom, and it was Samuel who anointed the first two kings of ancient Israel: Saul and David. But at the time of today’s reading, Samuel has not yet achieved this important role and is still training with the high priest Eli. At first, Samuel does not understand who is calling him. He believes it is Eli calling to him for help. Eventually, Eli realizes it is God calling to Samuel and tells him, if he hears someone calling again, to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Samuel does as Eli instructs and the rest, as they say, is history. |
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