Dear Parishioners and Friends,
‘Tis the season to be … sniffly? … achy? … sleepy? Whatever word best describes my current situation, it isn’t “jolly.” As I write my weekly message, I am feeling the effects of another cold, probably brought on by the sub-freezing temperatures we experienced last weekend. I have tested my twice for Covid, and the results have been negative. However, the battery in my car died last Saturday, and after getting a jump courtesy of AAA, I went immediately to get a new battery. I might have made the mistake of standing outside with the man from AutoZone who very kindly installed it for me as the temperature hovered around 6 degrees.
Needless to say, I feel very frustrated because I have appointments and other engagements on my calendar which I need to postpone. In the era of Covid, we can no longer take a simple cough or scratchy throat for granted. Is the common cold still just a common cold? As things seem to stand now, with the proper immunizations, even if one tests positive, most of the time Covid is not nearly as arduous as it was at the start of the pandemic. But I’m not taking any chances, and I sympathize with those who continue to struggle with it in one way or another.
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which unfolds over three entire chapters (5-7) of Matthew’s Gospel, is a bundle of teachings that left his listeners astonished (if not exhausted)! At the end of Chapter 7, Matthew tells us that “when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at this teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” Unfortunately, we won’t make it out of Chapter 5 because the Lent-Easter season will interrupt the flow of the Gospel. When we return to Ordinary Time in June, we will have jumped ahead to Chapter 9. Nevertheless, there are some very challenging teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, and today’s Gospel passage addresses several areas of human life that many people have difficulty with, especially in the area of relationships.
Jesus sets the bar much higher for his disciples (which include you and me). The work raqa generally is thought to be of Hebrew origin coming from a root that means “empty.” In this context, the word used as an insult would indicate that someone is empty-headed or foolish. The second insult, moros, is of Greek origin and also means “foolish.” Neither of these terms is a compliment, certainly; I can think of a few modern-day equivalents, but I will leave those to your own imagination! However, Jesus wishes to stress that these are serious offenses against the dignity of a person, and the consequences for using such epithets against someone would be very severe.
The point here is that how we speak to, or about, one another can be very hurtful. I am reminded of an episode from my go-to theological resource, Everybody Loves Raymond, titled “Be Nice.” Both Ray and his wife Debra decide to try to be nice to each other after realizing that they had gotten too free with the name-calling (e.g., Debra calling Ray “idiot” or Ray’s lack of appreciation for Debra’s cooking and other efforts). Let’s just say that both Ray and Debra found it very hard to remain nice to each other for very long.
I have said this several times, that in today’s secular society, insults and other forms of slander have become the norm, especially on the internet. Public speech has grown grossly insulting towards others, as our political arena has demonstrated. Today’s Gospel teaching is a lesson for all of us, as we deal with disagreements and interpersonal conflict. I may be over-simplifying things, but let’s just try to “be nice” to each other instead of flinging insults and other volatile words.
I hope you have been able to cope with the parking lot issues, especially as we have transitioned to the new entry and exit gates. Also, the huge traffic jams around the neighborhood on weekends have not helped! Hopefully, in another few weeks, things will quiet down somewhat as the college basketball season comes to a close. Thank you for your patience and perseverance throughout all the confusion. Please remember to request a key card if you are a registered parishioner; it will make life much simpler!
One final note: as our tabernacle saga continues, I’ve decided to place a small amount of consecrated hosts in the main tabernacle so that there will be a Eucharistic presence in the church. We will continue to use the smaller tabernacle in the chapel as a receptacle for the ciboria used during the weekend Masses. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it will be less stressful for our Eucharistic ministers because the lock on the large tabernacle has been so temperamental lately.
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.Pastor