Able to Understand January 26

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops

I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade. Mark 4:32

Piety

Jesus, with you and the gifts you bestow, we are able to understand the mystery of the Kingdom of God. Help us to spread your love to the people of all races as your servants Timothy and Titus did. Give us the fortitude to accept the challenge to be your body on earth and do this Gospel mission. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/012607.shtml

Jesus wants us to understand the mystery and so He gives us the gift of parables. Today, he explains the power and universality of God’s kingdom by using stories which the crowds will understand.

The emphasis in this story is on the power of the seed to grow of itself without human intervention. Mysteriously, the seed produces blade and ear and full grain. Thus the kingdom of God initiated by Jesus in proclaiming the word develops quietly yet powerfully until it is fully established by him at the final judgment.

Such an image has strong connections to the Hebrew Bible, specifically references directly back to similar images used in Ezekiel and Daniel that would have been readily remembered by Jesus’ audience. What are you like in your greatness? The audience would have made the connection between the greatness of the Kingdom of God to references to the majestic cedars of Lebanon in these older teachings.

Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, And plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. Ezekiel 17: 22-23

Behold, a cypress (cedar) in Lebanon, beautiful of branch, lofty of stature, amid the very clouds lifted its crest. Waters made it grow, the abyss made it flourish, sending its rivers round where it was planted, turning its streams to all the trees of the field. Thus it grew taller than every other tree of the field, and longer of branch because of the abundant water. In its boughs nested all the birds of the air, under its branches all beasts of the field gave birth, in its shade dwelt numerous peoples of every race. Ezekiel 31:3-6

The large, strong tree that you saw, with its top touching the heavens, that could be seen by the whole earth, which had beautiful foliage and abundant fruit, providing food for all, under which the wild beasts lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air dwelt – you are that tree, O king, large and strong! Your majesty has become so great as to touch the heavens, and your rule extends over the whole earth. Daniel 4:17-19

These “kingdom” is not just for the Jews. It casts a protecting shade over all people. It provides refuge to all the people of every race, not just the select or few. They provide food for all to live. This, then is the greatness of the Kingdom which Jesus is planting on earth which will survive long after He is gone without any need for our intervention.

However, with the help of the members of the body, great saints like Timothy and Titus whom we celebrate today and lesser saints to be like you and I, the word will spread even further and even faster when we take up the mission Christ has on earth for us. That mission is to be his body on earth.

Action

http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-013.shtml

Carrying forth the message of the Gospel is not as easy as it sounds. The mantle carried by early bishops like Timothy and Titus has now passed to a new generation. Recently, one of them, Bishop William Skylstad, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a new statement about the war in Iraq as the nation begins to debate new proposals being put forth by political leaders. Bishop Skylstad urges Catholics to focus on the moral questions:

“Each course of action, including current policies, ought to be evaluated in light of our nation’s moral responsibility to help Iraqis to live with security and dignity in the aftermath of U.S. military action. Our nation’s military forces should remain in Iraq only as long as their presence actually contributes to a responsible transition. Our nation should seek effective ways to end their deployment at the earliest opportunity consistent with this goal.”

He went on to outline the role we should play in this debate:

As pastors and bishops we are deeply concerned for the lives and dignity of the people of Iraq who suffer so much and for the men and women in the U.S. military who serve bravely, generously and at great risk. As religious leaders and defenders of human rights, we have expressed particular alarm at the deteriorating situation of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq. Their great vulnerability demonstrates the growing dangers facing the entire population of Iraq, including Sunnis and Shiites.

At this critical juncture as our nation seeks a new way forward in Iraq, our leaders have a moral obligation to examine where things genuinely stand in pursuing justice and peace in Iraq, to assess what is actually achievable there, and to evaluate the moral and human consequences of alternative courses of action and whether they truly contribute to a responsible transition. At this difficult moment, let us pray for our nation, for the people of Iraq and for all those who bear the responsibility and burden of these difficult choices. We ask God for courage, humility and wisdom as we seek a path to a responsible transition in Iraq.

On this date, which is the 77^th birthday of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, former president of Pax Christi, we can recall the many times that Bishop Gumbleton and other church leaders reminded us that Jesus says “put away your swords.” Isaiah advises us to beat our swords in to plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks.

Encourage those around you and our political leaders to keep this moral perspective and the teachings of the Church foremost in mind when considering next steps in Iraq so peace can be a reality. Blessed are the peacemakers.