VII Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Today we have a recurring guest blogger:  Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, pastor of PRESENTATION OF THE B.V.M CHURCH, PORT EWEN AND SACRED HEART CHURCH, ESOPUS. For more information on this parish, check out their website at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary & Sacred Heart Churches - Port Ewen - Esopus, NY (presentationsacredheart.org) 

Article for the blog of Dcn. Thomas Tortorella by Fr. Arthur F. Rojas on the readings of the VII Sunday in Ordinary Time (c) All Rights Reserved personally by Fr. Arthur F. Rojas, February 22, 2025 (c)

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

We, your clerics, strive to preach the message of Our Lord Jesus Christ to you and as many people as we can reach.  The Greek word for message is "euanggelion" or "Gospel" in English.  A more literal translation of "euanggelion" may be found in English in the word "evangelical."  Thus, may my preaching today be "evangelical" first and foremost.  It strikes me not as coincidence but as Divine Providence that earlier on Saturday, February 22nd, our Church observed the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle, which among other things reminds us of the teaching aspect of Holy Orders, of the Pope as Bishop of Rome, and of the Church in general.

The message linking the first reading with the Gospel reading of today is one that needs repeating in today's culture of rampant entitlement and egotism, namely that just because you can do something or have the ability to have something done, does not mean that you should do it or have it done.  Out of fear for his throne, which had been given by God, and his envy of David, King Saul sought to kill David and thus frustrate God's plan to have David succeed Saul to the throne of Israel due to Saul's own sins and his infidelity to God.  But one night David was in a position to take King Saul's life.  David refrains because he remembered that while God may have plans for him, Saul was still anointed divinely.  It was not David's place to deal with Saul in that way.  Instead, David ironically demonstrates even more power over Saul by his solution as he respected Saul's anointed state.  Thus, David exercised a legitimate right of self-defense without offending God.  More importantly for David and for us, David shows that the ends do not justify the means!

The Gospel proclaimed to us in Luke 6 provides a radical extension of Psalm 103, our responsorial psalm, and a profound challenge to us to imitate God's kindness and mercy.  As St. Paul would teach us in Romans 15, the Gentiles - that is, the peoples of the Earth apart from the Jews - would glorify God for His mercy.  If we want to receive mercy from God, then He may expect that mercy to change who we are and how we live as individuals and as communities.  As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the second reading (1 Cor 15:45-49), to live not only for the Earth while on Earth but also to strive for Heaven, which is eternal union with God.  Holiness may call for radical change from us and further to live in contradiction of the ways people around us think and believe.  Again, the ends, even if good or even noble, do not justify any means to achieve them.  As Christians, let us use virtuous means to achieve virtuous ends, or at least morally neutral means to reach those ends.  How many trials and tribulations did St. Paul face for preaching and teaching what his audience needed to hear and not always what they wanted to hear?

Although numbers of attendance, collections, sacramental statistics, and at times, even ratings, do have their importance, neither we, your clerics, nor you, the Catholic faithful, communicate the message of Christ firstly for approval but for the conversion and sanctification of those who listen or read what we try to convey.  Along with instruction and exhortation, however, Psalm 103 reminds us that there are times to convey comfort and consolation.  Nonetheless, all aspects of the teaching, sanctifying, and governing by the Church, her clerics, her faithful, and instrumentalities such as New York Catholic Radio firstly should be oriented to matching the earthly image we bear as human beings to the heavenly image we put on in Christ not only sacramentally but as a way of life.  May that be reflected not only in our goals and plans of action as individuals and families but also in our communities and the decisions that are made on the issues and challenges of today.