These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
You are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
(Eph 2:19-22)
I remember that wonderful old hymn: How Firm a Foundation! Our firm foundation is the faith of the apostles, the faith of Peter and Paul, the faith of Thomas.
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
(Mt 9:9-13)
The Call of Matthew reminds us of the teaching of Pope Francis: the Eucharist is not the reward for saints, but is the Bread of Sinners.
God put Abraham to the test.
(Gen 22:1b-19)
The testing of Abraham is one of the great challenges of the Scriptures. Perhaps the Exultet from the Easter Vigil can help us to understand this difficult passage:
O God, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave, you gave up a Son!
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 34)
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
The Lord hears the cry of the poor . . . but the question comes, will we hear their cry? The first martyrs of the Roman church celebrates all those who died along with Peter and Paul in the first persecutions.
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
(2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18)
The martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul meant that the Church at Rome could claim the two greatest apostles in its crown of righteousness. Both apostles labored each in his own way to bring the gospel to the world. And as the Scriptures testify, both could say: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”
