Carla will receive a copy of Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics, a $24.95 value.

As the title suggests, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics highlights what happens throughout salvation history between God and humanity. God breaks through and connects with human history, thereby establishing a relationship with humanity.

Using the Good News translation, Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics was created for young people leaving childhood and entering adolescence. Its 10 special features were created to help make the Bible easier for young people to read and understand.

They will learn about the great people of the Bible, and will see how God has been breaking through in human history and connecting with humanity for thousands of years. Most important, they will discover, in the Bible, how God's messages to key people of faith have meaning for life today.

Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics
ISBN: 978-1-59982-339-3, paper, 1,968 pages

by Joanna Dailey

This is the first time that The Servant Leader is devoting an entire Faith Focus column to one saint. But, given that this saint has been chosen by the current Pope Francis as his papal name and patron—and so highlighting the Pope’s ideals for the Church—it might be time to think about the legacy of Saint Francis and what it means for us today.

Apparently Pope Francis, a member of the Jesuit Order, thought that the Church could use an injection of Franciscan spirituality in this day and age. Here in Terre Haute, Indiana, we had our annual Youth Mass and Picnic at a local scenic park yesterday, and a Franciscan friar from a local Franciscan parish was the homilist. By way of introduction, he described Franciscans as "a little quirky." He noted that the grace God gave Saint Francis, to be distributed to the entire Church, was to look at life from a different perspective—from God’s perspective. In doing so, we may seem to others to be just a little quirky. Where God’s perspective is concerned, fitting in is overrated.

One of Saint Francis’s quirks was his insistence on radical poverty for his Franciscan community. Neither an individual brother nor the community was allowed to own anything, not even churches or buildings. This kind of poverty has been mitigated over the years, but the Franciscans, like most religious communities, observe the vow of poverty by renouncing luxuries and limiting individual ownership for the sake of the Gospel. A meditation on simplicity of life—which is related to this radical poverty—can be found in this newsletter under Make It Happen. Many Christians today are finding that living more simply is a way to follow Christ and, according to a current expression, "To live simply so that others may simply live."

In La Crosse, Wisconsin, just across the Mississippi River from our home base in Winona, Minnesota, can be found the Franciscan Spirituality Center, sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. This Center seeks to respond to the spiritual hunger of our times through programs, retreats, and spiritual direction, and has its roots in Franciscan spirituality. The Center, dedicated to supporting the search for God in contemporary life, lists on its Web site the "Core Values" that spring from their Franciscan roots:

Sacredness
We believe that in every person and all creation lives the Sacred.

Respect
Acknowledge the dignity, diversity and worth of each person as a unique image of God.

Community
Through prayer, empathy and sharing, we create a safe, peaceful place.

Hospitality
Welcome all with compassion, acceptance and celebration.

Professionalism
Commit to competence, quality, trust and personal spiritual development.

No matter where we are in life—in front of a computer, in front of students, in the midst of family and friends, in civic involvement—these core values can be signposts for us, a checklist of "How’m I doing?" (as the late Mayor Ed Koch of New York City used to ask of one and all). Perhaps, during the month of October, these can be watchwords for us as we invite the spirit of Saint Francis into our lives.

The feast of Saint Francis was celebrated by the universal Church on Saturday, October 4. We just missed it! Maybe you celebrated it in your local area. But part of the reason to celebrate a feast is to inculcate a particular saint’s values into our own lives. And we can begin today to be a little quirky.

Click here to visit the Web site of the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse. For those so inclined, they also have three hermitages available for private retreats in solitude.

Blessings in your ministry!

Peace and joy,

Joanna

In their mind’s eye, young teens investigate the closets of their own bedroom, gather their possessions, and carry those belongings through a series of narrow doors.
This guided meditation communicates the Gospel message of simple living in a way that engages the imagination and inspires the young people to actively simplify their lives.

Suggested Time
30 to 45 minutes.

Group Size
Given adequate space and a proper environment, this strategy can be done with any size group.

Click here to download the entire activity, "The Narrow Door: A Guided Meditation." This activity is an excerpt from the book Justice and Service Ideas for Ministry with Young Teens in the H.E.L.P. series. Find out more about the book by clicking here!

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 12, 2014
Matthew 22:1-14

Opening Prayer

Jesus, thank you for extending to us an invitation to the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sharing the Eucharist with our community is a glimpse of that heavenly banquet you have prepared for us. May our lives bear witness to the fact that we are your disciples, ready and eager for the feast. Amen.

Context Connection
This Sunday's Gospel is the third parable Jesus uses to answer the chief priests and elders who question his authority. Through this parable Jesus reveals something about the Kingdom of Heaven: "The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son" (22:2). The king, as was the custom of the day, sent out his servants to invite select persons to his son's wedding. These individuals would have been of the same social status as the king. When it was time for the wedding banquet, the king once again dispatched his servants, instructing them to tell the would-be guests to come. By then they would have had ample opportunity to find out who was going and who was not. If they saw that influential people were planning to attend, so would they, and if these movers and shakers were not planning to attend, they would not either, finding some polite excuse. We do not know why everyone refused to attend, but we learn some of the excuses given. It seems they had important commercial interests to look after: "They made light of it [the invitation] and went away, one to his farm, another to his business" (22:5). Others were not so polite. They seized the king's servants and killed them. The king's response to this barbarity was swift and shocking, "He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city" (22:7). Then the king surprised us again by commanding his servants to go out and invite everyone who had gathered in the town plaza: "Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet" (22:9). As a result, the wedding feast attracted "both good and bad" (22:10), that is, both the righteous and the sinful. Wow! Common, everyday people without social status responded to the king's invitation, more than likely with great enthusiasm. The king's decision to open up the banquet to the so-called lower classes amounted to social suicide; after this, the elite of society would surely have nothing to do with the king or attend his son's wedding. Class distinction was strictly enforced in the culture of Jesus' day.

Guests had to be properly attired. What people wore to such a banquet was so important that special robes would have been provided. For some reason, one of the guests chose not to wear the designated robe, and the king more or less showed him to the door. The parable ends with the statement, "For many are called, but few are chosen" (22:14). Those of us who enter the Kingdom of Heaven must also be properly attired; we must put on a very special robe known as the baptismal garment.

Tradition Connection
The Gospel message is again very clear: everyone is to be invited to the heavenly banquet; no one is to be excluded. The Eucharist foreshadows this heavenly banquet because Christ invites everyone to the table. Christian communities throughout the centuries have wrestled with this simple but profound truth. Everyone is welcome—everyone—and wearing one's baptismal garment, a symbol of ongoing conversion, is the only requirement.

Jesus invites sinners to the table of the kingdom: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."¹ He invites them to that conversion without which one cannot enter the kingdom, but shows them in word and deed his Father's boundless mercy for them and the vast "joy in heaven over one sinner who repents."² The supreme proof of his love will be the sacrifice of his own life "for the forgiveness of sins"³ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 545).

Jesus speaks about the heavenly Kingdom many times through the use of parables. In each of the parables, Jesus invites us to the Kingdom of Heaven and requires us to commit ourselves to the values of the Gospel if we truly want to enter. God is looking for a radical choice on the part of converts to show through deeds their resolve to live as children of God.

Jesus' invitation to enter his kingdom comes in the form of parables, a characteristic feature of his teaching.⁴ Through his parables he invites people to the feast of the kingdom, but he also asks for a radical choice: to gain the kingdom, one must give everything.⁵ Words are not enough; deeds are required.⁶ The parables are like mirrors for man: will he be hard soil or good earth for the word?⁷ What use has he made of the talents he has received?⁸ Jesus and the presence of the kingdom in this world are secretly at the heart of the parables. One must enter the kingdom, that is, become a disciple of Christ, in order to "know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven."⁹ For those who stay "outside," everything remains enigmatic¹⁰ (Catechism, paragraph 546).
(The word enigmatic means hard to understand or explain.)

The wedding robe that is spoken about in the parable refers to our baptismal garment that is a symbol of our being baptized into Jesus Christ. Just as the Easter candle is a symbol of Christ's light in the world, we each received that same light of Christ in Baptism, and so our lives must reflect that Christ-light to the world. We are Christ's light to the world. How brightly is our flame burning? "The white garment symbolizes that the person baptized has 'put on Christ,'¹¹ has risen with Christ. The candle, lit from the Easter candle, signifies that Christ has enlightened the neophyte. In him the baptized are 'the light of the world'"¹² (Catechism, paragraph 1243).

Wisdom Connection
The message of the Gospel is about invitation and response. By virtue of their Baptism, the disciples of Jesus Christ are invited into the Kingdom of Heaven. Some individuals respond by embracing the invitation and live in such a way that their baptismal garment is apparent to everyone. Others respond differently by choosing, for various reasons, not to wear their baptismal garment. True disciples of Jesus boldly respond to God's invitation by living their faith without hesitation. There is nothing tentative about their commitment.

In this Sunday's Gospel, Matthew levels his criticism at those who squander God's generosity. These are the people who turn their backs on God, who abuse their relationship with God while believing that God will never turn them away from the heavenly banquet. Matthew reminds us that the banquet is for those who truly desire it and who wear their baptismal garment for all to see. It really is about invitation and response. The Lord does his part; he continually invites us. The challenge before us is to do our part, which means keeping two things in mind. One, we must take our Baptism seriously by actually living the values of the Gospel, thereby becoming an example for others. Two, we must never deny someone a place at the table of the Lord at which all are welcome.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Mark 2:17; cf. 1 Timothy 1:15.
2. Luke 15:7; cf. 7:11-32.
3. Matthew 26:28.
4. Cf. Mark 4:33-34.
5. Cf. Matthew 13:44-45; 22:1-14.
6. Cf. Matthew 21:28-32.
7. Cf. Matthew 13:3-9.
8. Cf. Matthew 25:14-30.
9. Matthew 13:11.
10. Mark 4:11; cf. Matthew 13:10-15.
11. Galatians 3:27.
12. Matthew 5:14; cf. Philippians 2:15.

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 19, 2014
Matthew 22:15-21

Opening Prayer

Jesus, remind us to put God first in our lives. Keep our focus on loving God above all else. Other things will follow and have true value if we just put our attention on what matters most. Amen.

Context Connection
For the last three Sundays we have observed Jesus using parables to challenge the religious elite. In this Sunday's Gospel those same leaders try to set a trap for him by asking a question. Jesus finds himself in a difficult situation; the answer he gives can't please everybody. Jesus sees through their thinly veiled plan and turns it into a powerful reminder for believers of any age: pleasing God is the most important thing in life.

The Pharisees enlist the assistance of the Herodians in developing and executing their plot against Jesus. The Herodians were a group of notables who supported the puppet king Herod Antipas, whom Rome kept in power as long as he collected taxes for the emperor; their survival depended on his. The group that approaches Jesus consists of disciples of the Pharisees as well as Herodians, who surely made no secret of their sympathy toward Roman laws and taxes. They flatter Jesus with idle words, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality" (22:16). They praise Jesus for his fair and nonjudgmental treatment of all people. They further compliment Jesus by asking him to take a position on an issue relating to Jewish Law, which is rooted in the Torah. (In the narrowest sense Torah refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, and in the broadest sense it refers to the whole body of Jewish teachings.)

Remember that in chapter 21 of Matthew the religious leaders were questioning Jesus' authority to teach and heal. Now they are asking him whether, in the eyes of God, it is lawful to pay taxes to the Romans. The insincerity of this group is quite evident by the following statement: "Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" (22:17). Jesus cleverly avoids their trap by refusing to say whether paying taxes is lawful or unlawful. If Jesus had said it was lawful, he would have made enemies of those opposed to Rome, whom they saw as a foreign occupier. And if he said it was unlawful, he would have made enemies of the Romans. Keep in mind that the Romans, who alone had the power to put people to death, crucified Jesus. Jesus lets them know that he's on to them, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?" (22:18). Jesus was able to turn the tables by asking for a Roman coin. He didn't ask for common currency, which people had been using before the Roman invasion, but for Roman currency. Taxes could only be paid with Roman coins. "'Show me the coin used for the tax.' And they brought him a denarius" (22:19). The fact that the Pharisees' disciples and the Herodians present a Roman coin is somewhat shocking. No devout Jew would have carried a Roman coin because it depicted the deified Roman emperor, which made it idolatrous. Jesus asks, "'Whose head is this, and whose title?' They answered, 'The emperor's'" (22:20-21). That Roman denarius would have had on it an image of Emperor Tiberius, who ruled from AD 14 through AD 37. Its inscription would have read, "Tiberius Caesar, Augustus, son of the divine Augustus, high priest."

Jesus' final statement, though short, accomplishes much, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's" (22:21). It's simple: a coin bearing the emperor's portrait as well as his name must be his. Suddenly the confrontation ceases to be political and instead becomes spiritual. Jesus puts the focus on one's obligation to God and enjoins us to keep it there.

Tradition Connection
Government authority can be considered both necessary and good, providing it protects people's rights—all people's rights. Government is legitimate when it respects the fundamental rights of all human beings. "Every human community needs an authority to govern it.¹ The foundation of such authority lies in human nature. It is necessary for the unity of the state. Its role is to ensure as far as possible the common good of the society" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1898).

The common good that safeguards everyone's basic human dignity has to be the primary intention of law and order. The reason for obeying authority is because it has proved itself to be the vanguard of the most vulnerable in society.

Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in conscience. In such a case, "authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse"² (Catechism, paragraph 1903).

When a government acts justly and guarantees basic human rights to all of its citizens, only then can it be considered a legitimate authority that is in harmony with God's divine plan for a society in which everyone respects and cares for one another. Those who exercise authority should do so as a means of service to the common good of all. A hallmark of legitimate authority is that those who hold positions of influence practice distributive justice for the sake of harmony and peace.

Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged. The political rights attached to citizenship can and should be granted according to the requirements of the common good. They cannot be suspended by public authorities without legitimate and proportionate reasons. Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community (Catechism, paragraph 2237).

Wisdom Connection
Matthew's community must have had questions about taxes. Members no doubt wondered whether it was lawful in the eyes of God to pay taxes to the government—the government of Rome in their case. It is a legitimate question to ask even today. Some people in the United States refuse to pay taxes because they disagree with the spending priorities of the federal government. Some of these individuals do so out of religious conviction. Most of us, even if we vehemently oppose the policies of our government, take the easy way out and pay our taxes. The majority in Jesus' day did the same. They held the opinion that paying the poll tax, which was one denarius for every man, woman, and slave between the ages of 12 and 65, was less trouble than not paying the tax. Refusing to pay one's tax usually meant imprisonment or death. Life was preferable to imprisonment or death for most of Jesus' coreligionists, so they paid their taxes and attempted to coexist with the Roman occupiers.

Jesus doesn't fault their commitment to the state, which was motivated simply by the desire to stay alive, but reminds them of a deeper commitment. Loving and serving God has to be the primary commitment in the life of any Christian. The value of other commitments, including the commitment to defend one's country, flows from this one. Throughout history, nationalism has challenged Christians, indeed, all people of faith. When love of country becomes the primary and most important commitment in the life of a society, that society is in deep trouble. Such a commitment is in direct conflict with loving and serving God. Christianity asks us to constantly refocus, to love and serve God above all else. Loving and serving the state or the leader of the state first and foremost is simply unacceptable; an unthinking or noncritical patriotism is a form of idolatry. As Christians living in today's highly political and polarized world, we are advised to take these words to heart.

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Cf. Leo XIII, Immortale Dei; Diuturnum illud.
2. John XXIII, Pacem in terris 51.

Saint Cirilo Bertran was a Christian Brother who was martyred for his faith during the Spanish Civil War. Canonized on November 21, 1999, Saint Cirilo reminds us that sacrificing our lives for the faith is still possible for Christians and Catholics, even in our modern times. We might ask Saint Cirilo to pray for those in our own day who are being harassed, persecuted, exiled, and even killed for being Christians.

Read more about Saint Cirilo by clicking here.