BIG C CATHOLICS

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH ( Click here for today’s readings ) About 30 years ago I worked at a seminary. We had a librarian named Sr. Frances. Whenever she would remind me of something I had promised to do, I would answer, “In due time.” To which she always replied with a paraphrase of Luke 16:22: “In due time the beggar died.” Most of us know the type. They ask for something. They remind us the next day. And the next, and the next... Until we do it, convenient or not, just to make it stop! Today’s story of Abraham has a brief prologue that is not included in the lectionary.   “With Abraham walking with them to see them on their way, the men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom. The LORD considered: Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, now that he is to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him? So the LORD said”—and here begins our text, “The outcry again

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) In Jesus’ place, what would you have said to Martha? What would you have said to Mary? I know what I would have said: “People are like snowflakes, no two are alike.” It is one of my favorite sayings, which I often use in talks. Sometimes, when there are people in the audience who have never seen snow, I have to show pictures of snowflakes to help them see the point. Probably Martha and Mary had seen snow. It’s mentioned often enough in the Old Testament. They certainly knew it was white, and that the melting snows in the mountains were important for the spring harvests. But the idea of snowflakes not being alike? Well, it’s a nice psychological idea. But the Gospels aren’t about psychology. Still, the image helps us to see how Martha and Mary related differently to Jesus. So the psychological point has very important spiritual consequences. Have yo

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) In reflecting on today’s gospel, I spent way too much time reading about Torti v. Van Horn. This was a California court case, in which a “Good Samaritan” was sued for injuries she allegedly caused when pulling a friend from a car after an accident. The friend later wanted to sue her, a lower court said no, but the California Supreme Court said the suit could be allowed. The decision began with these words: “Under well-established common law principles, a person has no duty to come to the aid of another.” In the light of that principle, the priest and the Levite in today’s parable did nothing wrong. In the light of Torti v. Van Horn, they actually did the sensible thing. In any case, now I know why the scholar of the law asked the questions he did. It’s what lawyers did in those days. It’s what lawyers still do today. They test each other. I

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) I have always had a problem with the portion of today’s Gospel where Jesus tells his disciples to shake or wipe from their feet the dust of the towns that do not welcome them, i.e. that did not accept the Gospel. It seems so harsh. Now this is the same Jesus who, in last Sunday’s Gospel, rebuked James and John who wanted to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans that would not let them come into their town. Is there really any difference between the two situations? In fact, there is. First   there is the urgency of the situation. Last week we saw disciples sent simply to prepare the way for Jesus. Today we see them sent to do the same things Jesus did, particularly curing the sick and preaching. They were not to be distracted by financial concerns or casual conversation. To judge by the final paragraph in today’s text, their mission was largel

Pope Francis will publish his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei (“The Light of Faith”), on Friday. Benedict XVI drafted the encyclical before his retirement and Pope Francis has reworked and completed the draft.   The encyclical will focus on the subject of faith and its publication is one of the major events of the Year of Faith, which ends on November 24. From the Catholic Herald of Britian

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH ( Click here for today’s readings ) In today’s readings we encounter two very human realities. First there is indignation. James and John are angry that the Samaritans won’t let Jesus and his followers pass through. They are experiencing the New Testament equivalent of road rage! The recent Supreme Court decision affecting marriage has met with indignation as well. One might be tempted to call down fire from heaven, but then we would just be engaging in the “Biting and devouring” that St. Paul condemns in the second reading. Then there’s procrastination, which we find in two of Jesus’ potential disciples. They want to follow him, but not just yet. They’ll get to it. St. Paul tells us to “Live by the Spirit.” We resolve that we will, honest. Some day. When everything else is in place. It’s like thinking of all the things we will do when we retire. (Imagine a disciple saying, “I will follow you

Salvation history is the active participation of God through human history in the salvation of mankind.  The culmination of salvation history is the person of Jesus Christ - His preaching, teaching, passion, death, and resurrection.  In every age, God works in concert with human beings to make the gospel message known throughout the world.  Human beings are incapable of saving ourselves.  Salvation, like eternal life, is a gift only God can give.    Let's go back to the very beginning.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived together in perfect harmony and happiness.  God and man, man and woman shared an intimacy we can only imagine.  We call this intimacy original intimacy .  Existing in perfect happiness, man's free will is preserved. If God had made us robots, loving only Him and serving only Him, we could not properly speaking be said to love.  Love by definition is a free choice. Enter the snake.  The evil one said God really didn't love Adam and Eve.  The e