The Commemoration of
All the Faithful Departed
November 2, 2014

Reflection on Lectoring

“He descended into hell.  On the third day he rose again.”

God longs for us.  Where did Jesus go immediately after he died on the cross?  He first went to find his children who were waiting for their Savior in darkness.

“He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep.  Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve.” These words, taken from an ancient homily on Holy Saturday, tell us why Jesus died on the cross.  He came to save his children.

When we die we are not transported to some alternative universe where we exist as reincarnated spirits indifferent to God.  Rather, as St. Paul says, when we die our world is radically changed, for we see our heavenly Father directly, “At present we see indistinctly as in a mirror, but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).  When we die, we shall clearly see how much God loves and longs for us.   

All of today’s readings are about trusting that our Father loves us and that he wills “that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life” (John 6:40).  We believe Jesus has overcome death and will bring us to a new life where we will experience directly the Father’s presence.  That is the comfort and reassurance offered by today’s liturgy.

As the ancient homily quoted above says, when we depart from this world we shall be met by a God who says, “Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven.  I who am life itself am now one with you.”

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First Reading  -  Wisdom 3:1-9
Confidence on the Day of Judgement

The verse: “Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love” found from today’s first reading might easily be taken as a forerunner of the promise found in Chapter Four of 1 John: “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.  In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we may have confidence on the day of judgment” (vv.16-17).

Most scholars believe that the Book of Wisdom was written about 50 years before the birth of Jesus, when there was much uncertainty about the afterlife.  Verse 4 of today’s reading marks the very first time the Greek expression “immortality” appears in the Old Testament.  Living a just and honorable life here and now, and not focusing on the promise of immortality, was the primary concern for the Jews.

Jesus brought a new and more glorious dimension to life after death.  He brought the promise of a direct experience of the presence of God.  When Jesus tells the apostles at the Last Supper “you are in me and I in you,” he was describing an intimate union with God that was unknown to Old Testament Jews.

The Old Testament takes us on a journey through the wilderness.  The New Testament tells us where we and our loved ones are going.

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In the United States there are options for the second reading.  Two options are considered below.

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Second Reading  -  Romans 5:5-11

The Reason for Hope

“Hope does not disappoint.”

How can Paul’s declaration about hope be true?  People are frequently disappointed no matter how much they might hope.  Nevertheless, lectors are being asked to tell people at Mass that “hope does not disappoint.”

Lectors have a responsibility to think about what they are saying.  You can’t change the words, but you can’t say them as if they have no real meaning.

It is important to recognize that hope is different from desire.  A person can desire something that may not be possible or even probable - like winning the lottery.  Genuine hope requires a goal that is possible - like salvation.  Especially since Jesus Christ came to earth in order that we might be saved.

In his encyclical letter, Spe Salvi Pope Benedict XVI quotes Romans 8:24, “For in hope we were saved.”  He describes it as is an essential hope when he writes, “Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey.”

God does not disappoint.  That is why he sent his Son.  That is why his Son died on the cross.  That is why we can have hope.

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Second Reading  -  Romans 6:3-9

Our Hope Becomes Reality

Death is the ultimate loss of control.

No matter how hard we try, no matter how much money we might spend, no matter how much planning we do, we cannot avoid death.  The best and most important thing we can do is surrender our lives to God when he calls.

Death is the point when hope is fulfilled.  At death, hope for salvation becomes the experienced reality of salvation.  In today’s second reading Paul says, “If then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.”  When we die, there will no longer be a need to believe.  We shall know.

Perhaps, Jesus lived and died here on earth so that during our own time on earth hoping and believing would not be so hard.  Jesus became for us the very reason that hope is possible.

We know, however, that Jesus did not take away the pain, or the fear, or the uncertainty.  These things remain part of living.  But as Paul also says, “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.”

© George Fournier, 2014

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 26, 2014

Reflection on Lectoring

“You are in me and I in you” (John 14:20).

When you tell people you are a teacher, an accountant, a taxi driver or a parent, you are using terms that have a fairly clear meaning.  When you tell people you are a Catholic, the meaning may sometimes be less clear to them.  When you tell yourself you are a Catholic, what identity are you claiming for yourself?

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave his apostles an important understanding of their identity.  He said that they were in him and he was in them. From the day they became his disciples, their identity was forever shaped by their individual relationship with their Savior.

However, the apostles also recognized they needed a group identity.  They needed to be members of a group in order to share their common beliefs.  Conversely, they needed a set of beliefs in order to maintain the strength and purpose of their group.

There are all kinds of groups, ranging from the occasional to the indispensable.   Some groups go bowling or read books together.  Other groups have a shared, professional identity such as teacher or accountant.  Other groups share a cultural identity.  And still other groups share a vital interdependence.  “For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another” (Romans 12:4-5).

Helping others understand the importance of their Catholic identity is part of the job of every lector.  When you read the Scriptures to gain a personal understanding of who you are, you also help others gain an understanding of who they are.  Perhaps most importantly, in the act of proclamation, you create an opportunity for everyone at Mass to gain a deeper understanding of who they are as members of Christ’s Mystical Body.

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First Reading  -  Exodus 22:20-26
Brothers and Aliens

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Today’s Old Testament reading from Exodus does a remarkable job of anticipating the above words of Jesus taken from the Gospel of Matthew.  Together, they provide a revealing insight into the idea of identity.

In Matthew, Jesus says the poor are his brothers.  They are part of his family.  They are also part of our family.  In today’s first reading, the Hebrew people are reminded of their common identity with all the other people who have experienced living as aliens in a foreign land, “For you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.” 

The first reading is taken from an extended section of Exodus dealing with numerous laws that govern how the Hebrews should interact with God and with others.  This longer section begins with the Ten Commandments, and creates for the Hebrews a divine covenant and common set of principles by which to live.

Today’s Gospel from Chapter 22 of Matthew describes this common way of life in simple and direct terms by saying we must love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves.   Identity is a complex and multi-faceted concept.  Nevertheless, the Scriptures offer a powerful starting point for understanding who we are and the kind of people God wants us to be.

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Second Reading  -  Thessalonians 1:5c-10
Preaching by Example

Paul began his religious crusade as a fanatical persecutor of Jesus’ disciples. “Saul, meanwhile was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3), Compulsion and coercion were his preferred method for enforcing appropriate religious observance.

Then something happened.  On the road to Damascus, Christ showed Paul a different way.  Throughout his life, Jesus invited many people to follow him, but never forced or compelled anyone.  For the rest of Paul’s life, preaching rather than persecution became his approach.

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians clearly demonstrates this approach when he says, “Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.  With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us” (2:7-8).

In Thessalonica, Paul’s invitation became imitation, and in imitating Paul, the Thessalonians became models for many others.  As Paul says in today’s second reading, “And you became imitators of us and the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”

As a lector you also invite.  As you proclaim this second reading, you are fulfilling an essential role by becoming “a model for all the believers.”

© George Fournier, 2014

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 19, 2014

Reflection on Lectoring

The introduction to The Right of Christian Initiation of Adults says the RCIA is “designed for adults who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God” (RCIA No.1).  Perhaps, as they proclaim the “mystery of Christ” at Mass, lectors can find in the words of the RCIA a more clear understanding of the importance of their ministry.

Regardless of their level of faith commitment, Christians buy into a mystery - the kind of mystery no one can completely understand.  No one can completely understand our infinite and transcendent God who exists outside of time and space.  No one can completely understand how an infinite God could become a human person, “becoming obedient to death, even to death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).  No one can completely understand how, when we die, we shall exist in a place we cannot now imagine.  It’s all a mystery.

The mysteries of our faith are not mysteries to overcome or figure out, but to embrace.  They are mysteries that instill a sense of wonder.  They are mysteries that take us beyond ourselves, opening up the possibility of something greater than the things experienced by our senses.   They are mysteries to which we can make our deepest commitment.

When someone becomes initiated into the Catholic faith, he or she takes on a new identity.  It is not an identity solely defined by rules and rubrics.  But by a sense of wonder and joy.  Intellect and reason can contribute to our understanding.  But by themselves, they cannot unlock the mystery.  Only the heart can complete the picture and reveal the wonder.

When they perform their ministry, lectors do more than present the names, places and facts found in the Scriptures.  They proclaim the wonder, joy and love that give life to their faith.

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First Reading  -  Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
There is No Other

In Chapter 19 of John’s Gospel, Jesus makes it clear to Pilate who is ultimately in charge, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above” (v.11).  In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus allows for a division of authority when he says, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (v.21).  In today’s first reading from Isaiah, that division of authority is made both clear and complex.

The year is 538 BC and the Israelites are again in captivity, this time in Babylon.  But King Cyrus of Persia defeats the Babylonians and issues the Edict of Cyrus saying that the Israelites are free to go home.  He also says he will help them rebuild their temple.  As told by Isaiah this is good news, but why did God have to call Cyrus “his anointed”?  How can a pagan also be a messiah?

King Cyrus’ 30-year reign was a watershed event in history.  He created the largest empire the world had seen.  Perhaps God decided he needed someone with real power like Cyrus to accomplish his purpose, even though he was a pagan. 

However, a careful reading of all of Chapter 45 makes it clear who is really in charge.  The phrase, “I am the Lord, there is no other,” appears four times in the chapter.  Lectors might do well to read the entire chapter so that when they proclaim the final verse of today’s reading, they can more fully express how God works.

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Second Reading  -  1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b

The Earliest Christian Writing

Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians has the distinction of being the oldest preserved Christian writing, predating all the other 26 books of the New Testament, including the Gospels.  When he could not be physically present in the Christian communities he founded, Paul wrote letters that were cherished and preserved by those who received them.  That is why we still have them today.

Today’s second reading includes the first half of the first chapter.  The second half will be proclaimed next weekend.  And, as with nearly all his letters, Paul begins with a thanksgiving, thanking God for the faith, love and hope demonstrated by his new converts.  In the thoroughly pagan surroundings in which the Thessalonians lived, all three of these theological virtues were vital assets.

The last verse of today’s reading identifies another essential asset for every Christian community: “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.”  Perhaps Paul understood what every lector should know.  As the final verse says, every proclamation of the word must have the support of the Holy Spirit if it is to be proclaimed with conviction and achieve its purpose.

© George Fournier, 2014

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 12, 2014

Reflection on Lectoring

What personal beliefs offer us reassurance that some things are reliably true?  What beliefs offer us comfort when we are challenged by difficult questions?  What beliefs can we count on to be as valid today as they were yesterday? 

Many people believe that we are born with an innate inclination to believe as true what we hear and see.  Without it, we would all be skeptics, unable to trust anyone or anything.  As we grow older, however, that desire to believe is tempered by experiences that teach us not to accept everything at face value.  The question then becomes what beliefs stand the test of time?

All three of today’s readings are about beliefs.  The kind of beliefs we can rely on when things become difficult or confusing.  The kind of beliefs that help us understand our relationship to God.  The kind of beliefs that stand the test of time and circumstance.

Perhaps, almost paradoxically, these basic beliefs must be affirmed with a degree of humility.  Perhaps it is best to avoid pride and not claim total understanding.  Just as we cannot claim to understand our totally infinite God.

How does the question of belief affect the way lectors perform their ministry as they proclaim today’s readings?  Consider how you would reassure someone in doubt that there really is a loving God.  Consider how you would console someone in the midst of suffering with the thought that God wants what is best for us.  And, just as important, how should we acknowledge, as did Paul, that while on earth our understanding is limited and, “we see in a mirror dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Lectors must have a sensitivity for how to combine hope, confidence and humility in their proclamations.  Today’s readings are a good example of why that is important.

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First Reading  -  Isaiah 5:6-10a
He Will Destroy Death Forever

If you want to understand today’s first reading from chapter 25 of Isaiah, try reading chapter 24 first.  Try reading it aloud, particularly verse 19 where it says, “The earth will burst asunder; the earth will be shaken apart, the earth will be convulsed.” 

When real horrors abound, like those described in chapter 24, we desperately need to hear the words: “the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face.”

All of the verses of today’s first reading are built on a belief that there is a loving and just God.  They are best understood when read aloud.  They need a real, caring voice so they can make available to others the reassurance they contain.

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Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Something to Believe In

“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.  Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.”  What powerfully revealing sentences.  Paul says that God is enough for him.  God stands by him in hard times and in good times.

Nevertheless, in a heartfelt way, Paul also says he needs his friends.

Paul is in prison, facing the prospect of death.  Three Sundays ago, in chapter one of Philippians we heard Paul say he was not sure whether he would prefer to go on “living in the flesh” or “depart this life and be with Christ.”  Either way, however, he is firm in his belief that God wants what is best for him.  He also knows for certain that the purpose of his life was intimately bound up with the lives of all the people he met on his missionary travels.

Paul also knows this much about his belief in a loving God: “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face.”  He fervently believes that when he reaches the mountain of the Lord, the veil that obscured his vision will be destroyed.

© George Fournier, 2014