Cultivate Peace

February 21, 2012

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. James 3:13, 17-18

But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith." Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!" Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!" Mark 9:22b-25

Piety

Father, help us in our unbelief. How often do we experience the dissonance of proclaiming our faith but pursuing what is earthly rather than what is the wisdom from above. Give us all we need to cultivate peace in our lives. Amen.

Study

After all the significance of the Transfiguration, Jesus retreats down from the mountain to continue his efforts to build the kingdom of God, person by person until his mission is completed with the Passion, Death and Resurrection. The people still do not know what was revealed to Peter, James and John.

However, they are also acting like they do not know what has tied together the miracles, healings and signs that have been documented in the Good News up until this point. Jesus once again reminds them that they need faith and prayer in order to be able to perform good works in His name.

Action

The lack of faith in the crowd today reminds us that the approaching Lenten season presents an ideal time to strengthen our faith through our piety, study and action. It also reminds us that there is coming a Year of the Faith in which we can continue that effort.

The following are excerpts from Fr. Richard McBrien's "Preparing for the Year of Faith column about the announcement in his Essays in Theology column from MCR (http://ncronline.org/blogs/essays-theology/preparing-year-faith):

Pope Benedict XVI recently announced that he would launch a Year of Faith to help Catholics appreciate the gift of faith, to deepen their relationship with God and to strengthen their commitment to sharing faith with others.

The Year of Faith will begin Oct. 11, 2012, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and will end Nov. 24, 2013, the feast of Christ the King.

The pope explained his intention in Porta Fidei ("The Door of Faith"), an apostolic letter released Oct. 17. The complete text of the letter is available in Origins, Oct. 27, 2011, vol. 41, no. 21.

Pope Benedict XVI observed, "It often happens that Christians are more concerned for the social, cultural and political consequences of their commitment, continuing to think of the faith as a self-evident presupposition for life in society."

he concluded his apostolic letter on a very high note. He made it clear, in typically Catholic fashion, that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-18). He also cited Matthew 25:40: "As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

"What the world is in particular need of today," Benedict XVI wrote, "is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end" (n. 14).