The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

December 15, 2019 – Third Sunday of Advent - Matthew 11:2-12

Before Jesus there was John the Baptist. Reading between the lines of today’s gospel we can surmise that those who made their way to the Jordan River for John’s baptism were many. And their baptism was not just a “pass through and move on” experience. They joined John as his followers. And further, they must have been organized enough to make their way into Matthew’s gospel by simply being referred to as “the disciples of John.”

We should add then when Jesus eventually begins his public life, he did not enter an empty stage. There were many organized religious groups in Israel. Some were called zealots who were organized almost as para-military units preparing for the final “battle” between the forces of good and the forces of evil. While not mentioned in the New Testament, we have learned through archaeological research of a sizable monastic group called the Essenes. They were the ones who created the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. And there were the followers of John the Baptist. All these groups had their members and most important here, their leaders. John was one of them.

Religious leadership can easily bring forth questions about its value and authenticity. So, it would not be surprising that John the Baptist, who was well-known in religious circles, caused some to wonder about whether he was the Messiah. His prophetic message of repentance and renewal fit well into the expectations of some who hoped and prayed that God would send (“messiah” means “one sent”) one who would restore Israel and Judaism to its earlier greatness.

As when Jesus entered the religious world of that time, it should be of no surprise that the opinion of John the Baptist would be sought about this new fellow who also brought a message thought by some to be from God. Is Jesus to be listened to? Are you and Jesus some kind of religious team? John’s response is clear. He is of less importance than Jesus. Jesus alone is the one you should listen to. So John, as we say today, stepped aside.

What is the truth we should listen to? It’s simple and complicated at the same time. Jesus is to be first in our lives. His teachings and example are primary. If there are other religious leaders, their views must be in line with those of Jesus. Their interpretations of God’s truth must always be measured against those of Jesus. This was true in the time of John the Baptist and remain so today. That’s why we are called Christians.

©David M. Thomas, PhD

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

December 8, 2019 – Second Sunday of Advent - Matthew 3:1-12

There are two major actors in the gospels. One, of course, is Jesus. And the other one is John the Baptist. One points more to the present and the future. That would be Jesus. The other, John the Baptist, calls attention to the past. Both are important in God’s Plan. Both help us to understand ourselves.

John’s message was one of repentance. His basic message was that we are all sinners. (No need to go into detail here. We each know the ways that we have failed to do what was right.) And we need to express sorrow for our past failings, especially to God who created us to do what is good. We might call what John was about Act One.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

December 1, 2019 – First Sunday of Advent - Matthew 24:36-44

When I was a youngster, I was beset with two giant fears. One related to what I had learned in my religion class. It was about “the end of the world.” Jesus as judge would come atop the clouds and pronounce a judgment on each one of us. Including me! That was scary enough for this eight-year-older. Second, like many others, I feared an attack by our primary enemy of that time, Communist Russia. I had even set up a small bomb shelter in the basement of our family home. These two possible events lived deep within me and if I thought about them, I was one scared little boy.

Today's gospel reminds me of those early fears, although I now see things differently. As I hear about the coming of “the Son of Man” – a reference originally to the coming of the Messiah – I know that the Messiah has already come and remains with us to this day. As the gospel puts it in another place, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” It has already begun with the coming of Christ. To use current language, “It’s now operational.” So, in hearing that important message in the gospel for today, we are to “stay awake” to the presence of God in our lives right now. No matter how busy we are, God is there, right next to us or within us, as our creator, support and friend.

But to be aware of this miracle is far from easy. There are so many other things to think about than the presence of God’s Spirit among us. It’s hard to remain aware that all the good that we do, however small, contributes our share to the New Creation.

After all, there’s all that’s happening these days in the world of politics and economics. There’s our favorite sports teams to follow. Christmas is coming. We need to “shop ‘til we drop.” And all those decorations waiting our attention. And not least, there are often serious health concerns involving both ourselves, and those we love. And there never seems enough money. We can easily be filled with many worries and concerns. And fears.

In other words, we are perfect candidates who should listen to today’s gospel invitation, “Stay awake.” Be aware that we are in God’s hands and under God’s care. We are loved no matter what. If we stray from God’s path, God’s mercy will bring us back on track. We are invited to trust God more than Wall Street or Pennsylvania Avenue. We are called to be persons or peace rather than harried shoppers filled with the worries of the season. It’s called “the Advent season” which means that the God who loves each of us very much not only promised to come and be with us but has already done so. What’s needed is our awareness and gratitude for God’s faithful promise to be with us.

©David M. Thomas, PhD

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

November 24, 2019 – Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - Luke 23:35-43

It is the last Sunday of the Church Year. To grasp the importance of this Sunday, imagine yourself standing at the side of the road, watching a long parade pass by. There are decorated floats, marching bands and if you are watching the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, large inflated figures sail by above you in the wind. Strong ropes held by muscular men keep Snoopy and his friends from straying away from the parade route. The parade culminates with the arrival of Santa Claus on perhaps the most decorated float of all. Small children wonder, “Is that the real Santa?”

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

November 17, 2019 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 21:5-19

When our children were younger, the most common question I heard as we made our way home, or to the playground, or to their grandparents’ place was, “Are we there yet?” The ability to ask this question is issued almost as soon as a child is able to speak. Children can be impatient. And if we are honest, so can adults. Think of this as you hear the followers of Jesus asking him if “the End” is near. Today’s gospel, which comes near the end of the church’s year, is timely.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

November 10, 2019 – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 20:27-38

As each of us ages, we might not only call forth memories from our past, but also look to our futures in this life -- and in what follows. From today’s gospel we learn that there was not agreement among the Jews at the time of Jesus about what awaits us after we die. Jesus, however, said that our lives will not end. He responded to their inquiries not by offering any details except the provocative words that for God “all are alive.” That includes you and me. Now and forever.

There is no mention of pearly gates, angels strumming on celestial harps or streets paved with gold. But we can bank on one extremely important idea: we will be with God!

And added from our belief in the Communion of Saints, we can also conclude that we will also be with each other. And when you think about that, this is enough of a picture to give us not only hope for the future, but we can imaginatively forecast a bit of what it will be like. Our biggest clue for this comes from the Resurrection of Jesus.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home 

November 3, 2019 – 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 19:1-10

Imagine what it’s like to walk down the street and know that everyone you pass casts a hateful glance in your direction. They might even utter a few chosen bad words your way. That was the fate of Zacchaeus whom we meet in today’s gospel. The reason for his bad reputation had to do with his occupation. He was the chief tax collector for the Romans, hated occupiers of Jericho, a town that stood near the Jordan River, a little east of Jerusalem. No good Jew liked Zacchaeus.

As the reputation spread of Jesus being a very special person of God, crowds gathered to watch him as he passed through various towns and villages. Zacchaeus wanted to see him, so he stood hiding in the shadows by the roadside, which ended up being less than a good idea because he was short. Short people see better when standing in the front, not in the back.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 

October 27th 2013 – 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 18:9-14 

Today we are invited to peer into the hearts of two people who are praying to God. The content of their prayer says something about who they really are. Genuine prayer reveals our honest self. After all, who’s kidding whom? God sees right into the center of our hearts. And how we pray reveals to God and to ourselves exactly who we are. Today’s gospel shines the light on two pray-ers. One is proudly occupying the first pew in the local house of worship. He feels he’s in exactly the right place. Right up front. Meanwhile, the second kneels just inside the back door. His basic feeling is unworthiness before God.

To those who know the mind of Jesus, we immediately understand who “the worthy one” in this story really is. The puffed-up fellow in front is filled with himself. Or, as we sometimes say today, he is ego-centered. He may seem very religious, but inside there’s not much substance. The prayerful one in the back is a tax collector. He hopes that God is listening to someone like himself. He’s not sure. He is less filled with himself.

Now notice their prayers. Mr. Front Row uses prayer to build up his ego while he puts others down. The humble man in the shadows offers God his sincere thoughts and feelings. He asks for forgiveness. The first focuses on his accomplishments, which he attributes mostly to himself. The other was emptied of ego, which left plenty of room for God to enter his being. He asked for help because he knew that he deeply depends on God for forgiveness and survival. Sounds a bit like Pope Francis, doesn’t he?

Somewhat foolishly, our culture and society tend to praise those who accomplish great feats, especially if they do it alone. We teach our kids to be independent. We praise them for everything, from their first steps to getting high grades and eventually to securing great jobs. Congratulations, we say. You did it all by yourself. Really? Is that the way it is? Or do we always need God’s help.

One of the blessings of family life is that we often have to depend on each other. When we ask for help, we do so without apology. We gladly help each other – well, most of the time. We are truly members of God’s family. And guess what?” God wants to help us.

©David Thomas, PhD (dmtii@aol.com)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method of Review of Life.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home

October 20th 2019 – 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 18:1-8 

For those who take every word of Jesus literally, they will find what Jesus says in today’s gospel what might seem an impossible command. Jesus invites us to “pray always.” Always is never easy. How can we be praying always with our busy and often distracting lives?

“Impossible,” responds the mother of three children who are all under six years old. “It can’t be done,” says her friend who has a full-time job and is caring for her ailing mom. “Great idea, but not practical,” she adds. “Not today,” says the teen whose life is filled with school, sports and friends. “Besides, I have homework to do.”

So how can we even approach the ideal of praying always? First, it’s important to notice that Jesus did not request that we “say prayers” all the time. He simply said to pray. Maybe we can be helped by recalling a traditional description of prayer which is “the lifting of the mind and heart to God.”

Here are some images that may assist us in thinking of how to “pray always.” Imagine prayer as background music while you work. Imagine prayer as the star-filled night sky as you journey to the grocery store for milk and bread. Think of it as the smell of pine as you walk along a forest trail. Think of it as the hum of your motor as you drive. In other words, it’s possible to be conscious of more than one thing at a time.

Remember that Jesus was not a hermit or a recluse. In fact, he was a very busy man, a man often “on the road.” He traveled widely, interacted with and helped both friends and strangers. Yet he remained aware of God’s presence “in the background.” Occasionally, he would focus only on God. The gospels mention this.

While we can be very busy, it’s sometimes helpful to stop for a moment, catch our breath and just be present to ourselves (even that is a challenge) and to God‘s presence. God likes that kind of prayer. Like teens calling home to let parents know that they are okay, that’s often enough contact. Parents ask their children to “stay in touch.” It’s like prayer, which is simply staying in touch with God while all the rest of life happens.

©David Thomas, PhD (dmtii@aol.com)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method of Review of Life.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home

October 13th 2019 – 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 17:11-19 

When traveling from Galilee to Judea (north to south), one could travel through safe territory (generally recommended) or one could take the scenic route through mountainous Samaria. Most good Jews took the safer route. Especially because Samaritans were considered “fallen away” Jews. But Jesus occasionally preferred the unconventional. So on one occasion he took the more adventuresome way through Samaria. You can almost overhear the disciples grumbling. “I wished he’d go another way. That place gives me the creeps. You never know who or what you’re going to meet there.”

In Luke’s gospel Jesus actively sought out outsiders and outcasts. He had a reputation for seeking those whom others avoided. Samaria was filled with people that “good” Jews avoided. His apostles continued to murmur. “They don’t even have the right kind of priests here. Their worship is fraudulent. ” As usual, Jesus was leading them to think in new ways.

Now the story. They came upon some lepers. Back then leprosy was considered the number one contagious disease. Jesus walked straight into their midst. Horrors! Ten he approached and ten he healed. They were told to undergo the traditional ritual of cleansing. Later, one (just one!) returned. Lepers can’t run. Their sores are too painful. He ran right up to Jesus who embraced him. “Thank you, thank you, and thank you. A thousand times, thank you.” His tears darkened the dry dirt they stood on.

A smile spread across the weathered face of Jesus. “I welcome your gratitude. That’s what God truly wants. That’s what most of us want. Good for you. Good for me. Good for all of us.”

Gratitude is one of the most powerful of human responses. We all need reminders of this. So if you are a parent, thank your children. Maybe just for being yours. Be generous in giving thanks to all you meet. Being alive, being healed, redeemed and forgiven by God deserves our constant gratitude. So above all else, express gratitude, proclaim and celebrate Eucharistic (grateful) moments. Polite children learn to say “thank you.” Learn from them. Remember that this and the next moment of your life is a gift from God.

©David Thomas, PhD (dmtii@aol.com)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method of Review of Life.