Tempted by Trivial Treatment

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to live in the tension between our need to define according to our reference points and the invitation to new life through new understanding of our situation.

Taking Time for Life

The Reading from the Second Letter of Timothy presents Thanksgiving for The Gifts Timothy Has Received.

* [1:1–2] For the formula of address and greeting, see note on Rom 1:1–7.

* [1:1] The promise of life in Christ Jesus: that God grants through union with Christ in faith and love; cf. Col 3:4; 1 Tm 4:8.

* [1:3] As my ancestors did: this emphasizes the continuity of Judaism and Christianity; for a similar view, see Rom 9:3–5; Phil 3:4–6.

* [1:6] The gift of God: the grace resulting from the conferral of an ecclesiastical office. The imposition of my hands: see note on 1 Tm 4:14.

* [1:8] Do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord: i.e., of preaching and suffering for the sake of the gospel.

* [1:9–10] Redemption from sin and the call to holiness of life are not won by personal deeds but are freely and graciously bestowed according to God’s eternal plan; cf. Eph 1:4.

* [1:11] Teacher: the overwhelming majority of manuscripts and Fathers read “teacher of the nations,” undoubtedly a harmonization with 1 Tm 2:7.

* [1:12] He is able to guard…until that day: the intervening words can also be translated “what I have entrusted to him” (i.e., the fruit of his ministry) as well as “what has been entrusted to me” (i.e., the faith). The same difficult term occurs in 2 Tm 1:14, where it is modified by the adjective “rich” and used without a possessive. (2 Timothy, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 123 proclaims exemplary confidence in God.

* [Psalm 123] A lament that begins as a prayer of an individual (Ps 123:1), who expresses by a touching comparison exemplary confidence in God (Ps 123:2). The Psalm ends in prayer that God relieve the people’s humiliation at the hands of the arrogant (Ps 123:3–4). (Psalms, PSALM 123 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus addresses the Question about the Resurrection.

* [12:18–27] See note on Mt 22:23–33. (Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [22:23–33] Here Jesus’ opponents are the Sadducees, members of the powerful priestly party of his time; see note on Mt 3:7. Denying the resurrection of the dead, a teaching of relatively late origin in Judaism (cf. Dn 12:2), they appeal to a law of the Pentateuch (Dt 25:5–10) and present a case based on it that would make resurrection from the dead ridiculous (Mt 22:24–28). Jesus chides them for knowing neither the scriptures nor the power of God (Mt 22:29). His argument in respect to God’s power contradicts the notion, held even by many proponents as well as by opponents of the teaching, that the life of those raised from the dead would be essentially a continuation of the type of life they had had before death (Mt 22:30). His argument based on the scriptures (Mt 22:31–32) is of a sort that was accepted as valid among Jews of the time.

* [22:23] Saying that there is no resurrection: in the Marcan parallel (Mk 22:18) the Sadducees are correctly defined as those “who say there is no resurrection”; see also Lk 20:27. Matthew’s rewording of Mark can mean that these particular Sadducees deny the resurrection, which would imply that he was not aware that the denial was characteristic of the party. For some scholars this is an indication of his being a Gentile Christian; see note on Mt 21:4–5.

* [22:24] ‘If a man dies…his brother’: this is known as the “law of the levirate,” from the Latin levir, “brother-in-law.” Its purpose was to continue the family line of the deceased brother (Dt 25:6).

* [22:29] The sexual relationships of this world will be transcended; the risen body will be the work of the creative power of God.

* [22:31–32] Cf. Ex 3:6. In the Pentateuch, which the Sadducees accepted as normative for Jewish belief and practice, God speaks even now (to you) of himself as the God of the patriarchs who died centuries ago. He identifies himself in relation to them, and because of their relation to him, the living God, they too are alive. This might appear no argument for the resurrection, but simply for life after death as conceived in Wis 3:1–3. But the general thought of early first-century Judaism was not influenced by that conception; for it human immortality was connected with the existence of the body. (Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that, inspired by the words of Jesus and Saint Charles Lwanga’s legacy, we, too, must ask: where are we misled? Too often, we find ourselves focusing on trivial things, trapped in the narrow confines of flawed human reasoning, and limiting God’s promises to what fits our understanding.

So, what does this mean for us today? Look at the worries that press on your heart—fear of the future, grief over loss, relationships you cling to, or dreams you insist must happen. Sometimes we try to box God in, and we attempt to contain sacred mysteries within our own understanding, but like Saint Charles Lwanga, we are called to have bold faith despite pressure and confusion. The invitation is always the same: to trust God’s word, see beyond uncertainty, and live each day with resurrection faith. That includes, forgiving when anger is easier, letting go of control for true peace, speaking truth with courage, and loving even when rejected. As we live with a resurrection faith, each “little death”—whether ego, fear, or selfishness—becomes not an ending, but the beginning of new life.

Faithful God, may we have the courage to open our hearts to the life that waits on the other side of surrender, trusting in the God who transforms everything—fear into faith, death into life, and limitation into eternity. Amen. (Amu, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “No marriage in the resurrection,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"What did the Lord say to the Sadducees? He said, 'You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. For in the resurrection they marry neither husbands nor wives; for neither do they start dying again, but they will be equal to the angels of God' (Mark 12:24-25; Matthew 22:29-30). The power of God is great. Why do they not marry husbands or wives? They will not start dying again. When one generation departs, another is required to succeed it. There will not be such liability to decay in that place. The Lord passed through the usual stages of growth, from infancy to adult manhood, because he was bearing the substance of flesh that still was mortal. After he had risen again at the age at which he was buried, are we to imagine that he is growing old in heaven? He says, 'They will be equal to the angels of God.' He eliminated the assumption of the Jews and refuted the objection of the Sadducees, because the Jews did indeed believe the dead would rise again, but they had crude, fleshly ideas about the state of humanity after resurrection. He said, 'They will be equal to the angels of God.' ... It has already been stated that we are to rise again. We have heard from the Lord that we rise again to the life of the angels. In his own resurrection, he has shown us in what specific form we are to rise again." (excerpt from SERMON 362.18-19.30) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12 comments that Pope Benedict XVI explained, our faith is “not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with . . . a person” (Deus Caritas Est, 1). It is Jesus who changes our hearts and sets us on a new path.

We can know Jesus like that, too. We can encounter him and form a relationship with him that grows throughout our lives and becomes the foundation on which we build everything else. Knowing Jesus can inspire us to proclaim the good news without shame, just as Paul did. It can enable us to bear hardship for his sake. And it can cement our trust that God is loving and taking care of us and will accomplish his plans in and through us.

So spend time with Jesus today, whether at Mass, Adoration, or your prayer time. Let him bring you to a deeper knowledge of himself so that you can proclaim with Paul, I know him in whom I have believed!

“Jesus, help me to come to know you better. I believe in you and want to build my life on you!” (Meditation on 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments, in 2 Timothy, we have to remember that the Pastoral Letters were likely written in the name of Paul because the description of the Church is much more advanced than in Paul’s time. The Church would represent suffering in the faith like Paul called to self sacrifice and boldness and share the message of Paul as apostle and preacher. Timothy is encouraged to do the same. In the Gospel of Mark, the Jewish leaders, the Sadducees, are trying to confound Jesus. They are conservative in belief and the Pentateuch does not mention angels nor the resurrection of the dead. They try to confront Jesus in the practice of the  Levirate marriage custom that seems to treat the woman as a piece of property. Jesus asserts that you do not marry and own people in heaven. In the Pentateuch, in Exodus, God revealed His name as the God of Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob. Friar Jude comments that the God of the living and not the dead can still exist as implied in the Pentateuch. 

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC team member Cassidy Hall who reflects on our impulse to ask questions of those we see as fundamentally different than us.

Even if we let go of the need to know or understand, our society still obsesses about naming, claiming, and defining. As I worked on my documentary film about Thomas Merton, I listened to audio clips of his stream-of-consciousness thoughts from his hermitage, and I especially resonated with this line: “I know in my heart that I do not need to be defined, I do not need to define myself, and yet I have this allergy of definition.”

Like most of us, I’ve spent a large chunk of my life figuring out, naming, and identifying the things around me…. But when we reach to trap anything in definition, we also trap ourselves. A desire to define or know does not give me permission to ask questions simply to satisfy my own curiosity. Rather, the desire to name, define, or identify is a different invitation altogether. It’s an invitation for me to examine and hold openhanded my own definition, my own name, and my own identity, over and over again….

We are ever evolving, ever becoming, and ever unfolding. Identity is an ever-moving target, and any conviction that the self is singular or fixed is limiting and often even harmful. Instead, we can hold what we think we know about ourselves with open hands. We can allow ourselves to become, which offers us room to breathe and blossom…. Contemplative life beckons us to the same: encouraging us to loosen our grip on ourselves, those around us, and the Divine. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ask the Spirit to guide our exploration of life and love in the Way that refutes judgement based on our limited knowledge, personal privilege or prejudice.

References

Amu, V. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-3-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22? 

Meditation on 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/03/1584503/ 

Psalms, PSALM 123 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/123? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Resisting Definition. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/resisting-definition/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Know Neither the Scriptures nor the Power of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Timothy, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/1? 

Help in Harvest

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the challenges in teaching Jesus Way and reassure us of His continuing support of our mission as fishers of people. 

The Keystone of Life

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes Peter’s Witness before the Sanhedrin.

* [4:1] The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees: the priests performed the temple liturgy; the temple guard was composed of Levites, whose captain ranked next after the high priest. The Sadducees, a party within Judaism at this time, rejected those doctrines, including bodily resurrection, which they believed alien to the ancient Mosaic religion. The Sadducees were drawn from priestly families and from the lay aristocracy.

* [4:11] Early Christianity applied this citation from Ps 118:22 to Jesus; cf. Mk 12:10; 1 Pt 2:7.

* [4:12] In the Roman world of Luke’s day, salvation was often attributed to the emperor who was hailed as “savior” and “god.” Luke, in the words of Peter, denies that deliverance comes through anyone other than Jesus. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 118 is a thanksgiving liturgy.

* [Psalm 118] A thanksgiving liturgy accompanying a procession of the king and the people into the Temple precincts. After an invocation in the form of a litany (Ps 118:1–4), the psalmist (very likely speaking in the name of the community) describes how the people confidently implored God’s help (Ps 118:5–9) when hostile peoples threatened its life (Ps 118:10–14); vividly God’s rescue is recounted (Ps 118:15–18). Then follows a possible dialogue at the Temple gates between the priests and the psalmist as the latter enters to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice (Ps 118:19–25). Finally, the priests impart their blessing (Ps 118:26–27), and the psalmist sings in gratitude (Ps 118:28–29).

* [118:22] The stone the builders rejected: a proverb: what is insignificant to human beings has become great through divine election. The “stone” may originally have meant the foundation stone or capstone of the Temple. The New Testament interpreted the verse as referring to the death and resurrection of Christ (Mt 21:42; Acts 4:11; cf. Is 28:16 and Rom 9:33; 1 Pt 2:7). (Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John proclaims Jesus' appearance to the Seven Disciples.

* [21:1–23] There are many non-Johannine peculiarities in this chapter, some suggesting Lucan Greek style; yet this passage is closer to John than Jn 7:53–8:11. There are many Johannine features as well. Its closest parallels in the synoptic gospels are found in Lk 5:1–11 and Mt 14:28–31. Perhaps the tradition was ultimately derived from John but preserved by some disciple other than the writer of the rest of the gospel. The appearances narrated seem to be independent of those in Jn 20. Even if a later addition, the chapter was added before publication of the gospel, for it appears in all manuscripts.

* [21:2] Zebedee’s sons: the only reference to James and John in this gospel (but see note on Jn 1:37). Perhaps the phrase was originally a gloss to identify, among the five, the two others of his disciples. The anonymity of the latter phrase is more Johannine (Jn 1:35). The total of seven may suggest the community of the disciples in its fullness.

* [21:3–6] This may be a variant of Luke’s account of the catch of fish; see note on Lk 5:1–11.

* [21:9, 12–13] It is strange that Jesus already has fish since none have yet been brought ashore. This meal may have had eucharistic significance for early Christians since Jn 21:13 recalls Jn 6:11 which uses the vocabulary of Jesus’ action at the Last Supper; but see also note on Mt 14:19.

* [21:11] The exact number 153 is probably meant to have a symbolic meaning in relation to the apostles’ universal mission; Jerome claims that Greek zoologists catalogued 153 species of fish. Or 153 is the sum of the numbers from 1 to 17. Others invoke Ez 47:10.

* [21:12] None…dared to ask him: is Jesus’ appearance strange to them? Cf. Lk 24:16; Mk 16:12; Jn 20:14. The disciples do, however, recognize Jesus before the breaking of the bread (opposed to Lk 24:35). (John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Maureen McCann Waldron comments that Jesus had come to shower Peter with love and forgiveness, and to let him know that it was Peter’s very humanity, his love and, yes, his enthusiastic bumbling at times, that made Peter – this flawed sinner – the right person to lead the group into the future.

All of us may have had times when we feel distant from Jesus.  Our flaws or our busyness have kept us from prayer and conversation with him.  Like Peter, we can be blind to Jesus’ presence in our lives.  But it’s never too late to recognize the one who loves us endlessly, the one standing before us with open arms.  We can peer out from Peter’s boat through the dark of night, and recognize that he is standing there, waiting for us – waiting to feed us.

Today in these post-Easter days, we can put down our fears and look to Jesus who wants to welcome us back to shore with kindness, warmth and breakfast.

No matter how long we have been gone. (McCann, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Resurrected Bodies,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The bodies of the righteous at the resurrection will need neither any fruit to preserve them from dying of disease or the wasting decay of old age nor any bodily nourishment to prevent hunger and thirst. For they will be endowed with such a sure and inviolable gift of immortality that they will not eat because they have to, but only if they want to. Not the power but the necessity of eating and drinking shall be taken away from them... just like our Savior after his resurrection took meat and drink with his disciples, with spiritual but still real flesh, not for the sake of nourishment, but in an exercise of his power." (excerpt from City of God 13.22) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 21:1-14 comments that the instinct to run toward Jesus develops over time through a growing relationship with him. Jesus’ magnetism had drawn Peter from the start. Then, as his relationship with Jesus deepened, he was drawn more and more deeply toward him—even as he maintained his impetuous, passionate ways!

Jesus remains just as compelling today. Deep within, we all long to jump out of our boats and run toward him. Even if there are times when you feel unworthy to be in his presence or when temptation seeks to hold you back, that longing is still there. So the next time you feel an inner tug to be near to the Lord, act on it! Drop what you’re doing (if you can) and turn your heart toward him. Every time you do, you’ll discover greater freedom and joy—just as Peter did!

“Lord, help me to hear when you call me today and to respond by running toward you!” (Meditation on John 21:1-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the arrest of Peter at the direction of the Sadducees after he proclaims the kerygma identifying Jesus as the cornerstone. The sign of the great catch of fish impells the impetuous Peter to jump into the water to reconnect with Jesus. Friar Jude notes that the vertical and horizontal aspects of our faith are joined by our missionary mandate to be fishers of people.

Brian McLaren encourages us to make Easter an expansive celebration of resurrection. He asks what might happen if every Easter we celebrated the resurrection not merely as the resuscitation of a single corpse nearly two millennia ago, but more—as the ongoing resurrection of all humanity through Christ?

Easter could be the annual affirmation of our ongoing resurrection from violence to peace, from fear to faith, from hostility to love, from a culture of consumption to a culture of stewardship and generosity … and in all these ways and more, from death to life. What if our celebration of Easter was so radical in its meaning that it tempted tyrants and dictators everywhere to make it illegal, because it represents the ultimate scandal: an annual call for creative and peaceful insurrection against all status quo based on fear, hostility, exclusion, and violence? (McLaren, n.d.)

We ponder our missionary charge to invite people to join us as we are fed by the Resurrected Jesus, the keystone of our lives, with the Spirit that brings love, compassion, forgiveness, and joy to our lives.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/4?1 

John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21?1 

McCann, M. (2025, April 25). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042525.html 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). An Ongoing Celebration. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-ongoing-celebration/ 

Meditation on John 21:1-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/25/1261879/ 

Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/118?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Revealed Himself Again to the Disciples. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr25