october homilies

by edmund w. majewski

Sing to the Lord

27th Sunday of the Year-October 6

n Some Catholics today have difficulties in praying; others may have questions about what type of prayer is best for them; finally, others wonder whether it is right to express their emotions and even fears to God honestly. A proper understanding and use of the psalms can certainly transform our prayer lives. It is no accident that the psalms have played a central role in the liturgy of the Church. Jesus himself prayed the psalms. If they were important for him, they should also be important for us!

The psalms are unique in that they are a collection of 150 self-contained units which have their own individual history. The Book of Psalms is the culmination of a long process of the creative composition of prayer and song under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They represent almost every era of the history of Israel, from the period of the Exodus (c. 1280 B.C.) until the Greek period (c. 250 B.C.).

The question naturally arises regarding their author. Is King David their author? Historical evidence indicates that David was a skilled musician who sang songs of praise before the ark of the Lord. Certain psalms are attributed directly to David. However, all the psalms are marked by his influence in the sense that their composers grew up in the musical and literary tradition which David established and inspired.

Furthermore, the psalms fall into several distinct categories. We should keep this in mind when choosing a particular psalm for reading and prayer. First, there are the psalms of praise which celebrate the majesty of the Lord as revealed in the beauty of creation. God is the glorious king over all creation. Many of these psalms were used in the Temple liturgy. Secondly, there are the psalms of lament and thanksgiving which appeal to God as the Redeemer who will rescue his people from oppression and death. Thirdly, there are the royal psalms which focus upon the role of the King in Israel and look forward for the coming of the Messianic King who will fulfill the promises made to David and Israel by inaugurating a new age of peace. Fourthly, there are the wisdom psalms which contain directions and admonitions about the conduct which the Lord expects of us and about various virtues. Therefore, the psalm one selects depends upon one's particular circumstances and needs.

Many people wonder if it is right to express their fears and anxieties before the Lord. If the psalmist can express his feelings and those of the people, so should we. The psalms are marked by a spirit of simplicity and spontaneity. The psalms of lament and thanksgiving can be especially realistic. They express the difficult situation of the humble believer who because of his fidelity to God is exposed to numerous threats from various evil enemies and even temptations and yet overcomes them in his certitude that God will not abandon his faithful ones.

The psalms of lament have a six-part structure. First, there is an opening invocation of the Lord. Then, comes a description of the suffering being endured in the present or in the past. The psalmist often describes this situation in rather stark terms; he is surrounded on all sides by his enemies who seek to ruin him and put him to death. Just reading the psalm puts our own everyday problems into a proper context. The third section contains a prayer for deliverance from one's enemies and difficulties. The fourth section justifies the worthiness of one's cause. The fifth section includes a promise to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving in gratitude for God's vindication of one's cause and salvation from one's enemies. The psalm then concludes with a prayer of thanksgiving to God. When we read the psalms, we are often struck by their realism and stark quality.

The psalmist emphasizes the difficult plight of the people. On the Cross, Jesus himself prayed to the Father in the words of the psalmist. These famous words have echoed through the ages. "My God, my God why have you forsaken me!" He expresses his loneliness and sense of abandonment on the cross, his total desolation. Yet, the next lines of the psalm point to his hope of vindication and resurrection. Likewise, the psalmist often reminds God of his great acts of deliverance in salvation history. He calls to mind the great deeds of God in the past so that God might again be merciful towards his people today.

If we feel overwhelmed by life's burdens and difficulties, should we not express these anxieties before the Lord? Let the words of the psalmist become the words of your heart and soul. It is often said that God does not respond to our prayers not because we ask for too much but because we ask for too little and are not bold enough. The psalms confidently and boldly ask for God's help because the psalmist is aware of God's great deeds in the past. The psalmist will not allow us to remain in our state of desperation and despair because with God there is salvation and hope. Even beyond death there is new life and the resurrection.

The Responsorial Psalm of the Mass serves as a contemplative response to the scripture readings. Our first reading was Isaiah's beautiful song of the vineyard in which the Lord has done everything possible for his vineyard which represents his people who do not live up to his expectations. The responsorial psalm is the cry of the person who has made a shambles out of his life like the People of Israel who had been freed from bondage in Egypt only to turn from God. Because they have turned from God's designs the vineyard is now in a sad state. How often do our own lives become disordered and confusing when we turn from God's plans for us! Our lives can become as a waste just as the vineyard! However, even in the most desperate circumstances there is hope. The psalmist cries out that God come again and take care of his vineyard which is in disarray. If God comes to their aid, the people will no longer turn from his ways. The Responsorial Psalm often serves as a link between the first reading and the Gospel. Today's Gospel speaks of Israel's rejection of the Messiah and God's rejection of those who reject his Son. The message to us is clear: do not reject God's gracious offer of mercy and grace lest God reject you! The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel and we are the new Israel! Christ has come into our midst to bring mercy and salvation on one condition: that we do not reject his gift of mercy and forgiveness.

There has been a rediscovery of the psalms as a treasure of the Church. Many lay persons pray parts of the Liturgy of the Hours either alone or in groups. There are numerous superb recordings of Gregorian chant which have sold millions of copies. Why is there such a great interest in chant? Its beauty uplifts the mind and the heart towards God. We must remember that the psalms were composed as poems to be sung. We cannot fully understand them if we merely read them as written texts. The Church in her great wisdom has chanted the psalms according to her own Gregorian chant. In recent years there has been a revival of Gregorian chant in Europe and America. Listening to one of the hours of the divine office or the Liturgy of the Hours such as Evening Prayer as sung by monks may help us appreciate the beauty and prayerfulness of the psalms. Thus, they will come alive for us, whether we are at Mass or praying them as part of our own personal prayer.

Of course, listening to a cassette or CD is no substitution for praying the psalms. For that one need not have access to an expensive CD or cassette player but simply a Bible and a heart and tongue willing to sing the praises of the Lord. Thus, we will become the vineyard of the Lord which is the New Israel as it faithfully sings his praises as did David.

Suggested readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2579, 2585-2589.

Missionary zeal

28th Sunday of the Year-October 13

As soon as one mentions sects such as the Jehovah Witnesses, one thinks immediately of groups of people going out to homes to convert others to their religion. How many of us have ever answered the door bell and then encountered members of this sect at our door with their literature. They certainly can be persistent in their attempts to engage us in a conversation about their religion. About the only occasion they gave up their attempts, was when they knocked on the doors of a convent and were welcomed into the vestibule just as the sisters were walking to the chapel for evening devotions. Completely surprised, the callers bid the sisters a good evening and left to ring the bell of the next house. The Mormons also have developed a reputation for the missionary zeal. The young player in the NBA, Shawn Bradley, is famous for being the tallest player in the league. However, prior to his NBA career, he spent time abroad as a Mormon missionary.

If we are surprised by the zeal of various sects and churches in seeking converts, we should be even more surprised and shocked by the lack of a missionary spirit among so many Catholics. By no means should we adopt unacceptable methods of proselytizing others or pressure tactics. The new Catechism notes that the missionary work of the Church should enter into a respectful dialogue with those who will be evangelized. And in an ecumenical age, we must affirm that elements of the truth and grace of Christ are also present outside the Catholic Church. However, we must still ask ourselves why we have become so complacent in our duty to evangelize others. If we possess the fullness of Christ's truth and sacramental life and a rich treasure of two thousand years of theology, spirituality and liturgy as well as the wisdom and examples of holiness of innumerable saints, should we not be eager to share these riches with others? Also, we should note that the convent was not targeted again not only because sisters lived there but because these women religious were already committed to Christ and Catholic life. The sects are interested in Catholics who are not committed to their faith, the sociological and cultural Catholics. They do not waste their time trying to convert committed Catholics.

The Church and especially Pope John Paul II and a growing number of Catholics are aware of the lack of missionary zeal in the Church today. The Holy Father frequently speaks about the need for a New Evangelization. Jesuit Father and theologian Avery Dulles has spoken about the Holy Father's stress on the New Evangelism as a means of our rediscovery of the missionary dynamism of the early Church that is rooted in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Ralph Martin contrasts the zeal of many Baptists with the disinterest of many Catholics and sees a need to concentrate on the salvation Christ brings and the experience of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

When we speak about the missionary nature of the Church in the context of the New Evangelization, we avoid the temptation of thinking about the great heroic missionaries of the past such as St. Paul or St. Francis Xavier and then limiting our contribution to this great apostolate to financial contributions or prayers. Certainly, we must support missionaries in the Church. However, it seems that the Holy Father and others are calling all members of the Church to evangelize the world.

In one sense, the New Evangelism is as old as the Church. The Church's very nature is missionary. Our Lord himself gave the Church this mandate: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Just as the Father sent the Son into the world to reveal his eternal love for us, so Christ sends Christians on a mission to preach the Gospel and bring all people into communion with the true God. God desires that all men attain salvation through knowledge of the truth. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that "because she believes in God's universal plan of salvation, the Church must be missionary." The Church thus continues the mission of Christ as she walks the road Christ walked in preaching to the multitudes despite great sacrifice and even threats of persecution. Indeed, if one reads the Book of Acts which tells the story of the post-Pentecost Church, one is struck by the missionary zeal of the apostles who boldly proclaim the Gospel to the people.

Deal Hudson, a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism who now publishes Crisis, a major Catholic journal, was deeply disturbed by an experience he had one Easter morning after his conversion. "The Church was packed with people, but when the organist began playing 'Jesus Christ is Risen Today,' practically no one sang." He was most upset at the congregation's complacency and lukewarmness. How can we respond to the Holy Father's call to the New Evangelization if we are unable to share our faith with each other and worship God with our whole heart and soul? He offers some first steps: "I have some concrete suggestions for every parish that needs them: start singing, welcome friends and strangers, and make sure new parish members get more than offering envelopes." He admits that there are dangers to superficial friendliness that results from imposed programs; nevertheless, he insists that we must deal with the issue of forming the religious emotions and affections of young Catholics and rekindling the joy in older Catholics. Evangelization begins with ourselves!

In a similar manner, Dr. Susan Blum, the Vice President of the National Council for Catholic Evangelization offers six steps for effective evangelization today. First, we cannot evangelize others unless we ourselves are disciples of the Lord who know and love him. Secondly, we must be willing to reach out, befriend others, and become concerned about the spiritual needs of others in the parish and in our workplaces. Thirdly, we must be willing to share our faith and explain our Catholic beliefs and practices to others. Fourthly, we must understand what we believe and proclaim and explain it to others. Fifthly, we must invite others to conversion. Perhaps we might invite them to pray with us or to join us at Mass. Lastly, we must involve these converts in the life of our parish. Clearly, a lot is involved in each of these steps and much preparation is needed before a parish can begin such a program. However, it is important that we begin to see the importance of such a missionary attitude in our own parishes and lives.

Lay people have a real role here. Our attempts at evangelization should not be limited to the parish and parish programs. Many lay persons work in jobs alongside non-Catholics, agnostics and those marked by a hostility to Catholicism. Many of your colleagues may never enter a Catholic Church or ask to discuss religious questions with a priest. You may be the only real contact they have with Christ and his Church. Therefore, it is imperative that they see you as committed Catholics who know and love Christ. Small things mean a lot to people. For instance, the wearing of a cross or crucifix may serve as an invitation to some people to ask questions about the faith. And actions speak with more force than words. If we are genuine about our faith, people will respect that and be more willing to listen to us. However, we must become more comfortable in speaking about our religious beliefs and also our experience of God. In contrast to the Jehovah Witnesses, we need not memorize a set of religious formulas. Indeed, such efforts usually turn people off. Instead, we need to know our faith and explain it in our own words to others. Above all, we must be able to speak about how Christ has touched our lives at various moments, perhaps difficult moments, as well as in prayer and the sacraments. Many people today lead extremely empty lives and are desperately hungry for God and some experience of his love. You can become a missionary to people in the office, in the factory, in your school and in the community. Perhaps Christ will not be known in certain places, unless you bring him there.

In our first reading the prophet Isaiah predicts a banquet at the end-time when the Lord will provide a rich banquet for all the peoples of the world. The Gospel itself speaks about the Kingdom of God in terms of a banquet to which are invited people from the highways and byroads. However, he needs servants who are willing to invite people to come in and partake of these riches. He is calling upon all of us to spread the good news about the presence of God in his body the Church. Only if we are willing to evangelize others are we good and faithful servants of the King. Let us pray today that we might be transformed into servants eager to announce the presence of Christ in the world and invite others to share in his riches.

Suggested readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 849, 850, 851, 852, 853, 854, 855, 856.

Giving to God

29th Sunday of the Year-October 20

"A" Readings: Isa. 45:1. 4-6 1 Thess. 1:1-5 Matt. 22:15-21

Title: Church Support

Purpose: (1) to describe the difference between Church support in nations in which Church and State are united, and in the USA; (2) to describe the ideal of a Catholic life in regards to parish support and special collections (e.g., the principle of tithing).

Many American Catholics have had the experience of traveling through the great Catholic countries of Europe and admiring their magnificent churches and cathedrals. During my graduate studies in Rome I had many opportunities to take visiting Americans on tours of some of the great churches of Rome and other cities in Italy. Many churches are also shrines to particular saints and most contain great works of art. Inevitably questions such as these would arise: "How much did this cathedral cost? Who paid for it? Who pays for the renovation of priceless works of art which must be expensive?" In countries where there is no strict separation between church and state the state may actually own many of the churches and pay for their maintenance. This is still the case in Italy and Germany, although many of the newer churches were built by the parish and paid for by the faithful. Although the Italian state no longer pays the salaries of parish priests, most churches are still owned by the state which has established special commissions to help renovate historic churches and cathedrals.

In the United States we have a more strict separation of church and state so that all church property is owned by the churches and maintained by donations from the faithful. Unfortunately, many American Catholics have some strange notions when it comes to issues of Church property and support. Many people think the Church is wealthy simply because many parishes have a large physical plant consisting of a church, parish school and auditorium, rectory, and convent. Yet, people seldom think how much it costs to maintain and heat these buildings. If the average American family suddenly inherited a large mansion with extensive grounds from a wealthy relative, their joy would quickly turn into anxiety when they realized that there is no way their modest income could pay for the costs of maintaining such a large home. That beautiful home is simply too expensive for them!

Much of the so-called wealth of the Church consists of real estate which does not produce income but requires much maintenance so that it can be used to serve the spiritual and educational needs of the Catholic community. And of course, the Church is engaged in various corporal and spiritual works of mercy to benefit those in need. Who could even estimate how much charitable, educational, and social apostolic work takes place under Catholic auspices?

We are obligated to support our local parish and the Church as a whole, especially the diocesan Church and its apostolates. In many dioceses most social programs and high schools and spirituality programs and retreat centers are organized not by individual parishes but by the diocese for the benefit of the faithful. Therefore, most dioceses have special collections to support these diocesan programs. And the diocese often gives special support to new parishes or parishes in need. In a spirit of fraternal charity and solidarity we come to the aid of fellow Catholics.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "the faithful have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities" (2043). The Church is not some corporate institution but it is the People of God, the Body of Christ. Therefore, as members of the Body of Christ, we have an obligation to provide for the needs of the Church and enable the Church to serve the needs of the poor. And those who are blessed by God, have an even greater obligation to support the Church. In the past, wealthy families and the nobility would donate funds for the erection of a major church or shrine or hospital. Those who had the means would provide for the needs of the entire community.

Today, some parishes have rediscovered the principle of tithing or the putting aside of one tenth of one's income for religious purposes. It has biblical roots and appears to have been a common practice in the ancient Near East. In the Book of Genesis it was associated with shrines. Later, it was used to build a central Temple and to support the Jewish clergy. The various tithes which developed resemble our system of special and diocesan collections for specific purposes. Although the practice is mentioned in passing in the New Testament, Paul's instructions concerning the Jerusalem collection established the voluntary nature of Church giving. Nevertheless, the practice of tithing was legislated during the early Middle Ages and was even upheld by the Council of Trent. With the separation of church and state in the modern age, governments abolished the practice. Although tithing has not been mandated by the contemporary Church, the principle that one should support the Church according to one's means is present. Various diocesan collections should be seen as analogous to the various tithes or taxes of the Old Testament.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church situates its discussion of voluntary giving in its discussion of the eucharist and the offering of bread and wine for the celebration of the Mass. In the early Church the faithful brought with them the bread and wine to be used in the Mass. The Catechism notes that "this custom of the collection, ever appropriate, is inspired by the example of Christ who became poor to make us rich." Then, it quotes St. Justin's description of the practice of the early Church: "Those who are well off, and who are also willing, give as much as each chooses. What is gathered is given to him who presides to assist orphans and widows, those whom illness or any other cause has deprived of resources, prisoners, immigrants and, in a word, all who are in need." The ideal is that we give voluntarily and generously, according to our own abilities. Those who are blessed by God should give more than those who are not as richly blessed in material resources. What better way to do this than to set aside a certain percentage of our income.

Today's Gospel speaks about our obligations to Caesar and to God. Indeed, it is only in light of the Gospel that it is possible to speak of a real distinction and even separation of church and state. As Christians we are called to be good citizens, to pay our taxes, and love our country. However, we are also obliged to give to God what is due to God. As citizens of the heavenly city, the Church, we are also obligated to give to God his due and to support the Church which is the Body of Christ. If we give to Caesar what is necessary for the common good how much more generous should we be to support the things of God!

Suggested readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1351, 2043.

God is our Father

30th Sunday of the Year-October 27

"A" Readings: Exod. 22:2-26 1 Thess. 1:5-10 Matt. 22:34-40

Title: God the Father

Purpose: to teach (1) that Jesus used the title Father to teach God's knowledge, love and care for us; (2) that we are to be obedient, loving, trustful children of our heavenly Father.

At Mass the celebrant introduces the Our Father with the invitation, "Jesus taught us to call God our Father, and so we have the courage to say . . . ." What can be courageous, audacious and daring about calling God our Father? After all, do not most religions conceive of God as the universal Father? Even ancient pagans invoked Zeus as "the father of gods and men." And of course, Israel considered God Father because he is the transcendent creator and origin of all that exists and a loving God who cares for his children and all created things, supporting them through his divine providence. So, why do we say it is daring to call God Father?

Christians call God Father not only because he is our Creator but also because he is the intimate Father of the only begotten Son who invites us to enter into his intimate relationship with the Father. Jesus calls God Father in an unheard of sense. God is not Father in the sense of the distant and universal Father and Creator of all that is, but in the sense of the Father who is the Father of the only begotten Son from all eternity. Only Jesus as the eternal Son intimately knows the Father in this sense, because he is God from God.

Scripture scholars tell us that Jesus' relationship to the Father reveals his unique identity. The word Jesus used to address God "Abba" is one of the few Aramaic words handed down to us by the Greek New Testament. It differs from the customary Jewish addresses of God, because it is a term denoting intimate familiarity which for the normal Jew would be unseemly; it can be translated as "Papa" or perhaps "Daddy" although it is more elevated. It would have been disrespectful and inconceivable for a Jew to address the transcendent God in such a familiar manner. How could a mortal and sinful human being address the God of Majesty and Glory as he addresses his human, earthly father? There was something unheard of and even shocking to pious Jewish ears when Jesus was heard by his disciples conversing with God in this manner.

The New Testament preserves the originality of this expression because it expresses the heart of Jesus' relationship to God. Jesus enjoys a unique intimacy with God, a nearness to God which no other prophet possessed, because he is from all eternity the only begotten Son of God, he is God from God, true God from true God. He is divine and so God is his Father in a way that he can never be our Father; we are sons and children of God only by adoption; he is Son by nature from all eternity.

Nevertheless, we dare to call the distant and transcendent God Father using the word "Abba" as Jesus did, because the only Son desires to include all Christians in his own relationship to God. Since he incorporates and invites us to enter into his own attitude to God, so that united with him and in him an infinite distance no longer separates us from God; we can draw near to the Divine Glory and address God intimately just as Jesus does. Let us remember that the early disciples were Jews. Therefore, it must have been shocking that they could address God in this unheard of manner; they preserved their shock and surprise by asserting that they were daring and bold enough to pray to God as Jesus did. As Christians we too are just as daring and so we too can enter into an intimate relationship with God when we call him Father.

Of course, in our contemporary society the objection is sometimes raised that the word Father is an expression of male dominance! However, this objection cannot be maintained in light of Catholic teaching. When we affirm that God is Father we are not asserting that God is male or that God is a man. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is quite clear: "In no way is God in man's image. He is neither man nor woman. God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective 'perfections' of man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God: those of a mother and those of a father and husband." God's Fatherhood transcends all our notions of human sexuality.

Furthermore, this insight also eliminates another objection to our invocation of God as Father. Do not many people today find it difficult to call God their Father because their own human fathers do not love them, have mistreated them or even abandoned their families completely? How can one love such an inhuman father? How can one continue to call God Father? There is a great deal of truth here. One of the greatest social problems in our nation is that of the so-called fatherless family. How many children do not even know who their fathers are or cannot count on them for any real support and love. How many sociologists have written about these absentee fathers and fatherless families.

All this is true, yet the objections miss one essential truth. Although we call God Father, we must not make him into a human father. The Catechism asserts that "he transcends human fatherhood and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard: no one is father as God is Father." We do not call God our Father because he resembles our human fathers; rather, our human fathers are fathers because they only imperfectly reflect and imitate our eternal Father. God alone is the perfect Father. Contemporary society will rediscover again the proper role of the father in the family and in society only when we come to a deeper and more intimate knowledge of our eternal Father. He is Father not because he is a male or possesses male attributes but primarily because he is the fatherly origin and creator of all that exists and continues to care for his creation in a fatherly, powerful and paternal manner as the Father of the poor and the Father of orphans and widows. Prayerful reflection upon the mystery of God as Father can bring us a deeper appreciation of who God is and a deeper understanding of the role of the father in society.

If God is our Father, then we are called to be his children and trust him. One of the greatest theologians of our time, Swiss Father Hans Urs von Balthasar wrote thousands of pages about the Glory of God and the complex ways in which theology, philosophy, and literature have approached God through the ages. However, he wrote a very short, simple and beautiful book shortly before his death entitled Unless You Become Like This Child. Only Christianity whose essence is revealed to us by the eternal Child or Son of the Father keeps alive in believers the lifelong awareness of their being children. Of course, we are called to be childlike and not childish! Jesus insists that one cannot enter into the Kingdom of God unless one receives it like a child. We must transform ourselves from self-sufficient, worldly, pragmatic adults into children of the Father. Von Balthasar notes that "for the child it is natural to receive good gifts, and so docility, obedience, trust, and sweet surrender are not for him virtues to be expressly achieved but the most natural things in the world. This is so to such an extent that the child adopts the mother's giving attitude unquestioningly as the right one, and he gives spontaneously when he has something to give. He shows his little treasures without hiding any of them; he wants to share because he has experienced sharing as a form of goodness." As children of a caring Father, the Christian is called to spontaneously share the love and gift he has received and to express his gratitude to the giver of the gift, the Eternal Father. A child is naturally grateful at the deepest level of his being because he is needy and dependent upon the voluntary acts of giving by others. Von Balthasar stresses that we never outgrow this spirit of childhood. "Only the Christian religion, which in its essence is communicated by the eternal child of God, keeps alive in its believers the lifelong awareness of their being children, and therefore of having to ask and give thanks for things. Jesus does not insist on this childlike 'say please', 'say thank you', because otherwise the gifts would be refused, but in order that they may be recognized as gifts." Once they are received, they must be received in a childlike manner and shared spontaneously with others as only children do. This attitude of generosity is a childlike attitude too since children are always ready to give to those who vainly try to provide for tomorrow. Jesus does not provide us with a blueprint for a world society in which wealthy nations and poor nations are equal but rather he envisions a community in which those who have spontaneously come to the aid of those who lack and he himself is the ultimate criterion for this childlike attitude. "When I was hungry, thirsty" etc., you gave to me as would a simple child. And such charity is a matter of simplicity, underlined by a childlike attitude.

In the Gospel the Pharisees attempt to trip up Jesus with their question about which of the commandments is the greatest. With great simplicity he answers them not as an adult but as a child. All the demands of the Law and its complexities can be summed up in the commandment to love God and one's neighbor with all one's heart. Everything else is secondary. His answer is not that of a learned theologian or lawyer but that of the Son who possesses a childlike simplicity in his approach to the Father. The only possible acknowledgment of the Father's love is to return that love back to the Giver and share the gift with others. Perfect love of God and neighbor fulfills all the requirements of the Law.

Let us pray that we too may become simple children of the Eternal Father who like his Son desire nothing more than to come to a deeper knowledge of our Heavenly Father and to love him with our whole heart, our whole soul and our whole mind.

Suggested readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 238-240, 370, 2777-2780.