Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 5:13-16
February 5, 2017

Last week, my oldest and dearest friends invited me to join them on a short trip to Cuba. The “price was right,” so I decided to escape a few days of January weather here in Michigan to enjoy some quality time in warm sunshine with my friends. It was a short vacation, but it was also a very profound experience.

The paperwork needed to enter the country offered a heads-up to the fact that life in Cuba is much more regulated and far less casual than we are used to here in the U.S. The reception at the airport was official; some might even say “severe.” Entry was serious business, devoid of any warm welcome. I found it unnerving.

During the taxi ride into Havana, we passed through a neighborhood that the otherwise silent driver described as one of the more elegant and fashionable areas of the city prior to the revolution. He then offered the comment that when Cubans “who left” return home, “they turn their heads.” He gave the impression that these words had become an idiom to express the feelings of pain people experience when they see how formerly beautiful things have severely deteriorated.

One evening, we enjoyed fine dining at its very finest. My friends splurged and took us to a restaurant that only “the 1%” of Cubans could ever hope to patronize. As one person explained to us: “What you Americans call expensive, we Cubans call impossible.” Arriving early, we were escorted to a rooftop bar. A cool ocean breeze added to the glamorous décor and the festive atmosphere. From our vantage point, we got a view of the entire capitol city. At first glance, it was magnificent. But, it suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at a city in darkness. Even the imposing capitol building, modeled after ours, was completely dark. There are almost no streetlights in Havana. Most of the homes and even the businesses are “shuttered.” What little artificial light there is comes from a partially opened door or window, or the headlights of a passing car. When the sun sets, Havana contradicts today’s Gospel. It is literally a hidden city. A city of shadows.

The next day, in the almost blinding sunlight, we toured an enormous cathedral/convent complex dating back to the Spanish colonial times. Unlike most of the buildings from that era, these were perfectly preserved and maintained; no longer a place of worship, however. After the revolution, Castro nationalized all Church property, declaring this overwhelmingly Catholic country a bastion of Soviet style atheism. Historic churches were repurposed to things like museums and concert halls. In fact, as I walked through the nave of the cathedral, an orchestra was rehearsing. The beautiful music, for me anyway, re-sanctified the church that “the revolution” tried to de-sanctify. The government tried hard to suppress Christianity. There was an attempt to put a bushel basket over the Light of Christ. But of course, The Light of Christ cannot be extinguished. The Holy Spirit cannot be driven out of a building, a nation…or the hearts of the faithful.

Only 90 miles away from the United States, and, in spite of the fact every Cuban has a cousin in Miami (an expression used to convey the financial support that native Cubans enjoy from ex-patriots living in the U.S.), very few speak English. They have been isolated from American influences, including spoken English, for almost 60 years. The younger generation has not been taught our language. Likewise, while many Cubans still bring their children to the few churches that have reopened to be Baptized, we were told that very few practice the faith. Why would they? Like English, they have not been taught our faith. They have been estranged from the Body of Christ. They have nothing to pass on to the next generation other than the memory of Christ and our Sacraments…and desire!

Finally, a word about the Cuban people. They seemed to me to be reserved or distant. Folks on the street were not unfriendly, but neither were they engaging. There was a reference in a guidebook explaining that the isolation they have suffered for decades has left them wary of Americans. The few that did share their feelings explained just how hard life is for them. Even the more privileged wrestle with concerns over “feeding the kids.” Low wages, shortages, and deprivations across the board drain the joy out of day-to-day life. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? Possibly hope! Hope can re-season even the most desperate of lives. And it seems that the average Cuban has enjoyed an infusion of hope in recent months through the visits of President Obama and Pope Francis.

The average Cuban hopes that restoring relations with the U.S. will revitalize the extremely depressed economy, even as American business interests see a lot of potential for profit in restoring Cuba to its former glory. U.S. dollars might help to light the city…but money will not bring the Light of Christ to Havana. You can’t buy the City of God. You have to build it. And the work begins by teaching the language of the Gospel. American business interests might be looking to Cuba with an eye toward fat returns on investments, but Christians should be looking to Cuba with the hope of re-sanctifying not just buildings, but a people. Disciples are called to take the bushel basket off the lamp and place it high…on a stand. Our First Reading explains just how to do that. Live Jesus! Live charity and love! Then your light shall break forth like the dawn!

Investors might well be looking to normalize relationships in order to open new markets, but Christians should be pondering ways to reunite our estranged sisters and brothers with the Body of Christ. Our corporations might very well help to put money in the average Cuban’s pockets, but Christians should be anxious for ways to restore joy in their hearts.

I had a profound experience in Cuba that left me with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for this week’s Gospel. I saw firsthand a hidden city, efforts to extinguish The Light of Christ, and lives lived without the seasoning of joy and hope. But, it isn’t necessary to travel to Cuba to have this kind of profound experience. We drive by dark, abandoned, or repurposed churches in our own cities. As we pass by, we should not turn our heads. Instead, we should look for ways to turn the lights back on.

Many of our children are baptized, but are never taught the language of the Gospel or the traditions of our faith. It’s as if they are isolated from the Christian community that’s not 90 miles away…but right across the street from them. Parents need to be more faithful to the promises they made, first in Christian marriage, and later when they presented their children for Baptism. A greater effort needs to be made to teach our kids our faith.

And as for us, we should be eager to offer a warm…inviting welcome…without formality. When people who have left, then “return,” they should encounter Christ at the door of our churches…that haven’t been closed but have certainly been diminished. We live in a culture that is as toxic to our spiritual lives as oxygen deprivation is to a candle. We need to open ourselves to the cool, refreshing breeze of the Holy Spirit so that the flame of faith grows bright…and can push back against darkness.

We attempt to season our lives with possessions and entertaining distractions of every sort, only to find them lacking. And so, we turn to addictive distractions that rob us of our freedom and our hope. We need to reawaken our appetite for Eucharist, which is the only thing that can season our otherwise bland lives with hope and joy.

After my short trip to Cuba, I came to see our Readings this week as a call to revolution… a spiritual revolution. We are called to revolt against darkness by rekindling the fire of faith. We are challenged to place the Light of Christ above everything else in our lives, so that, as we hear in our First Reading… light shall rise for us…and from us…for those around us…and the gloom shall become like midday.

We need to revolt against anyone…and anything that tries to estrange us from Christ!

And the revolution begins with you!

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 5:17-37
February 12, 2017

It’s possible that, in the near future, there will be a wall separating the U.S. and Mexico. The mere suggestion that a wall be constructed has already divided our nation. We all know the arguments…pro and con. The concern over national security has triggered the discussion. Most recently, the TV commercials during the Super Bowl Game dramatized the arguments in opposition. I don’t raise the issue to weigh in on either side. I mention it because I think it’s extremely ironic that, while the national debate rages as to whether or not “walls work,” or that bridges should be preferred to walls…our Gospel calls us to BUILD A WALL!

The Lord doesn’t use those exact words, but the people listening to Him knew that’s exactly what He was saying.

From earliest of times, Israel understood that, in order to protect their “spiritual security,” more than compliance with The Law was needed. As the generations passed, the expression build a fence around the Torah (the Law) was used to communicate an understanding that when our spiritual lives are at stake…or at risk…extreme measures are in order. Certainly, the Lord was not encouraging self-mutilation. Like the Super Bowl commercials, He was offering a dramatic explanation. His point being: we should take extreme measures to protect ourselves so that we do not wander outside of the protection of God’s Law. In other words, build a fence around the Torah and strengthen the border between good and evil…life and death!

Our First Reading offers another irony to ponder. Consider this: God’s greatest gift to us is our free will. The passage from the Book of Sirach emphasizes that our Creator is (to borrow a phrase) “pro-choice.” God is not an arrogant, iron-fisted dictator who imposes the Divine will. Rather, we are allowed to choose for ourselves how we are to live. We can choose the excitement of fire, which has the potential to harm or even destroy us. The other option is cleansing, nourishing, healing, and life-sustaining water. The choice is ours.

But, Sirach also makes it perfectly clear that “free choice” must not be confused with a license to sin. And so, in God’s infinite wisdom and kindness, God gave us The Commandments as a “boundary” or “border” that keeps us from wandering off into dangerous territory through poor choices and bad decisions. Wisely, the people wanted to reinforce the “boundary,” and so they added to The Commandments an extensive body of rules, regulations, and traditions in order to “build a fence around The Law!”

The hope is that a spiritual “firewall” will provide an even stronger barrier between the danger zone of sin and the safety and peace to be had through a life of virtue. Extreme danger calls for extreme measures. Jesus most definitely is NOT calling for self-mutilation in order to avoid sin. He is suggesting that we “reinforce our borders.”

There is another ironic situation to be found as our three Readings work together. St. Paul seems to be telling the Corinthian community that a wise person seeking to remain within the border surrounding the City of God should seek the protection of love! Love of God is a sufficient spiritual firewall, or barrier, to protect us from those things that threaten eternal life. Love of God is the perfect fence, or wall, to prevent us from wandering off into dangerous territory. Every choice that a wise person makes is motivated by love…of God…and of God’s Creation!

So, the final irony to ponder during this sixth week of Ordinary Time is that walls do work…at least spiritual walls…but not to keep people out; rather, to invite them in! When we isolate ourselves from things like fear, hatred, envy, prejudice, and selfishness by surrounding ourselves with LOVE…then our hearts and our doors are open to God and to all of God’s Creation.

It all boils down to this…and there is nothing ironic about it: If it’s safety you are looking for…it is wise to choose love!

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 5:38-48
February 19, 2017

If a youthful, mop-topped blond kid walked into my parish by himself on a Sunday morning, I would be delighted. I’d make every effort to see that he felt welcome. After all, the young are the future of our Church. It is the duty and the joy of disciples to pass on our faith to the next generation. I would be even more pleased if a young man of that description wandered into a Bible Study or a parish meeting. I would see the opportunity for evangelization, or possibly even conversion. I would hop right on it.

I suspect that 19 months ago, in Charleston, S.C., when such a young person walked through the doors of Emanuel African Methodist Church, the Christians that saw him felt the same feelings of delight and opportunity. I suspect that they were pleased…if not overjoyed…to welcome him. And welcome him they did, in spite of the fact his skin color distinguished him from the majority of the folks on hand that day for prayer and study. In fact, two days after unleashing horrific violence in this place of worship, the young man acknowledged that everyone was so nice to him that he almost abandoned the plan that he’d spent months concocting. Nine people were martyred at the hands of this youthful, mop-topped blond kid.

Having been quickly apprehended by authorities, the young man faced a judge at a bail hearing. People watching the televised proceedings must have been as shocked by his harmless appearance as they were by the violence and hatred he unleashed on innocent people at prayer. When someone commits a crime of this magnitude, we expect them to look like a monster, not the kid next door.

Even more shocking, however, were the statements made that day by family members of the nine people who died. Rising out of their grief, they tearfully confronted this unrepentant “white supremacist” with the words: I FORGIVE YOU! I FORGIVE YOU!

From the moment of his arrest until he heard the jury sentence him to death, the young man has shown no contrition…no regret…no remorse. He has persisted in his hatred, his sole defense to his heinous crime being bigotry and prejudice. And still, many of the victims remain as steadfast in their forgiveness as the young man in his hatred: I FORGIVE YOU!

What’s most shocking of all is that any Christian would be shocked by the totally Christian response to such blatant evil. Forgiveness is what Jesus calls us to. The willingness to forgive…at least try to forgive…is what distinguishes us as followers of Jesus Christ. It is our eagerness to forgive even the most grievous offense or insult that makes us images of our God, Who is slow to anger and quick to forgive.

The folks from Emanuel African Methodist Church, who have expressed forgiveness of the man who brought death into a place of spiritual life, are brilliant examples of Christian discipleship. To their great credit, certainly, but also to their great benefit. If they were to harbor hatred and the desire for revenge against him, they would be in the same position as he is today: in prison, facing death! Because that is what the desire for revenge does to us. It imprisons us in a dark cell…and sentences us to the death of joy and peace. Their willingness to forgive has preserved their freedom to live as children of God.

What brilliant images of our God they are!

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 6:24-34
February 26,2017

I haven’t seen the most recent movie directed by Martin Scorsese, “Silence.” It has been called his “masterpiece.” I haven’t wanted to see it because I am told that it is extremely violent. It offers a graphic depiction of Japanese Christians being tortured and even martyred. One film critic says of the movie: “Silence is a monumental work, and a punishing one. It puts you through hell with no promise of enlightenment, only a set of questions and proposition, sensations, and experiences. So, at least for right now, I’ll pass.

I did, however, read the book by Japanese author Shusaku Endo on which the movie is based. The story is inspired by historical fact, but relies on fictional characters. It is set in 17th century Japan during a period when the island nation isolated itself from European influences, especially Christianity. The story is about two young Jesuits who embark on a dangerous voyage from their homeland to Japan, their purpose being to locate an older Jesuit priest for whom they had enormous respect. Their mentor had risked his life by ignoring the prohibitions of the Japanese government, stealing into the country in hopes of converting the people to Catholicism. Somehow, word had gotten back to Europe that the elder priest had apostatized. It was rumored that he rejected Christ.

Their motive might well be one of the questions which lingers at story’s end. While it is inferred that they hoped to disprove the accusations and possibly rescue him, it could be argued that their purpose was confrontational. One thing is clear: During their search, they were determined to minister to those Catholic Japanese who they encountered, and they continued to evangelize as well.

The story is extremely complicated. If I ever do muster the courage to see the film, I will take this week’s Scripture passages with me. What the Church proclaims on this 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time might well help to answer lingering questions and enlighten those who are stymied by the complexity of the drama.

For example, as the story unfolds, we find one of the younger priests in desperate circumstances. His plight, as well as that of the Christian community he has grown to know, seems beyond hope. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, he is totally depleted. Unwavering in his commitment to his mission and ministry, he is unable to comprehend why God has not answered his prayers and somehow intervened. God’s apparent silence fuels within him feelings and emotions which echo the passage from Isaiah: “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.”

Even the reader/viewer can’t avoid praying that God somehow steps in to offer relief from the unimaginable suffering. The thing is, the young priest seems to have expectations as to how God should respond. And so, he fails to hear God’s assurance: I will never forget you. Our Old Testament Reading reminds us that God is constantly mindful of every detail of our lives. God NEVER forgets or abandons us. We just need to be patient…and silent, so that we can hear what God is saying.

It seems that there are many similarities between the young priest and St. Paul, who, in our Second Reading, describes himself as a servant of Christ…a steward of the mysteries of God. They differ, however, in that Paul is very conscious of the futility of judging others…or even himself. The young priest, on the other hand, is constantly judging. Certainly, he judges the Japanese authorities, finding them cruel and barbaric. He judges the culture, traditions, and even beliefs of the country, finding them in need of “saving.” He judges the strength of faith of the Christian community with which he had interacted, holding some in the highest regard, while being harshly critical of others. There comes a point in time when he stands in judgment over the priest he came to find. And, in the end, he judges himself. In a way, throughout much of the story, it seems that he is even judging God.

Unfortunately, he never sits in “silence,” listening to evidence. Some might find his judgments hasty or even questionable. Most important, however, he totally disregards St. Paul’s admonition: Therefore, do not make ANY judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.

Finally, we turn to the passage from Matthew’s Gospel. The plain meaning, obviously, is that we should not be materialistic, fretting over our worldly needs. But, if we delve deeper, don’t we find that Jesus is urging us to trust God in all things, and at all times…even those times when we think God is silent? Simply put, the lesson here appears to be: Stop worrying. God has a plan! One might well argue that the young priest placed his plan over God’s.

Next Wednesday, we begin our preparations to engage in another Story…The Passion of Jesus Christ. No part of this story is fictional, and it is truly God’s masterpiece. The story of The Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection is truly a monumental work, and a punishing one. It puts you through hell! But, at the end, we find ourselves in Paradise. And, while there are most definitely questions, propositions, sensations, and experiences to be had in this cosmic drama, unlike the story of missionary work in Japan, The Passion is filled with promise. In fact, the entire purpose of the Passion is so that we might live in hope. Still, in order for us to better understand and appreciate THIS STORY…we need to prepare.

Next Wednesday, we begin Lent 2017! The three traditional pillars of the Season are PRAYING, FASTING, and ALMSGIVING. It might be of benefit to add a fourth…SILENCE. If we allow ourselves just a few minutes each day for 40 days to sit in SILENCE, we might find that God has something to say to us. Rather than judging our spiritual progress by what we “give up” or “how much we give” or “how many prayers we say,” it might serve us well this Lent to permit ourselves the gift of SILENCE. It’s in SILENCE that we are better able to hear God speak. We might just hear something wonderful! We might hear God praising us for our willingness to listen.

First Sunday of Lent
MT 4:1-11
March 5, 2017

There is a BIG difference between “excuses” and “reasons.” For one thing, we can learn, improve, and make progress when we search for and finally discover the reason that something has happened…or hasn’t happened. Excuses usually do not carry the kind of information that leads to learning, improving, and progressing. They simply brush things away. Excuses often prevent progress.

Reasons, at least valid reasons, are based on fact. They are truth. And so, there is only one valid reason for anything. Since excuses are concocted, based on partial truths, if that, they can go on…and on…and on. Rather than searching for truth, the spinner of excuses looks for ways to avoid accountability, quite often attempting to deflect blame from oneself. When someone reaches for an excuse rather than a reason, they are thwarting the possibility of changing things for the better.

Not only are excuses inherently dishonest, but there is an element of immaturity about them. It takes maturity to choose accountability over denial and avoidance. Moreover, the childlike tendency to excuse things away means that the same mistakes will be repeated over and over and over again.

And there we have the essence of ORIGINAL SIN!

In their immaturity, BOTH of the disobedient first parents turned to excuses rather than valid reasons when responding to God. We often refer to the ORIGINAL SIN as “the fall from grace.” I wonder if things might have been different had they given mature, honest, and candid reasons for their cosmic mistake? Had they simply said: God, I was greedy, arrogant, ambitious, foolish, and weak….and I am so sorry…well, then, we might be talking about a “slip” and not a “fall.” Because of that fatal day in the Garden, all humanity suffers from the same spiritual and emotional immaturity that makes excuses seem preferable to candid reasons. As a result, we continue to fall rather than walk in righteousness before God. Fortunately, because of Jesus, after a fall, contrition, forgiveness, and grace enable us to get back up and start moving again.

With the greatest of purpose, The Holy Spirit led Jesus from the waters of Baptism directly into the desert. Faced with the same kinds of false and deceptive promises as the first parents: SATISFACTION…MATERIAL THINGS…POWER…Jesus proved, once and for all, that TRUTH always prevails. And so, on this First Sunday of Lent, we might consider refreshing ourselves at the Baptismal font of our parish church, and then walking with confidence directly into the desert to face off against those things about us that make us less than God created us to be. If we want to “give up” something truly meaningful this Lent, why not try giving up “excuses.”

In Baptism, we have been given the graces we need to overpower the effects of the original sin. While we might very well stumble, there is no need for us to “fall from grace.” But the first temptation we need to resist is the tendency to make excuses! If we are to use this Lenten Season to learn, improve, and make progress, CHOOSE TRUTH!

Second Sunday of Lent
MT 17:1-9
March 12, 2017

This past week, I was watching an “online” video about the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. At one point, the lecturer used a word that I had actually filed with other infrequently used expressions in my theological vocabulary. The word “typology” is almost self-defining. It is “the study of types.” It is a tool used in many of the sciences. For example, archaeologists will group artifacts according to certain characteristics. Anthropologists separate humankind into cultures, usually identified by race. In linguistics, languages are categorized by structural features.

However, for academics, especially Scripture scholars, the word “typology” usually brings to mind the fact that there are persons and things used by God in the Old Testament that foreshadow a person, event, or thing in the New Testament. In other words, the Old Testament frequently points forward to the New. For this reason, it is important that we read the Old in light of the New and the New in light of the Old.

The perfect example of “typology” is to be found in the Readings for this Second Sunday in Lent. The Liturgy of the Word opens with Genesis 12:1-4. God directs Abram to leave all that is familiar…home, family, land, work…and having completely separated himself from all distractions, to look into himself to enjoy an encounter with God. It took courage for Abram to follow through, but his obedience was greatly rewarded. This episode in Salvation history foreshadows Jesus separating Peter, James, and John from the other Apostles and disciples, leading them up a high mountain. And, having risen, about the demands and distractions of day-to-day living, Jesus looked inward. The Lord called forth His Divine Nature that was concealed by His human nature. Even his clothing responded to this cosmic event, becoming “white as light.”

When we read “The Old” in light of “The New,” we are able to see that the directive that the Father issued to Abram points forward in time to Jesus’s invitation to the privileged three. Placing these passages side by side helps us better understand both. By categorizing what is often referred to as “The Call of Abraham” with “The Transfiguration of the Lord,” we are better able to understand the purpose of both. Simply put, when we rise above the demands and temptations of this world and enter into prayer and reflection, we can call forth from within us some special message that God has placed there. And for our efforts, we will be changed and much blessed.

The life-changing experience of Abram and the Transfiguration of Jesus both point forward to today…to us…to this Lenten Season. These 40 days are a time when we are called, like Abram, to leave all distractions behind and to indulge ourselves with at least a little solitude, so that we can look inward and discover the wonderful things God has placed there. Lent can be a hike up a high mountain…making the journey with other followers of the Lord. If we take the Gospel with us and simply sit and listen, we will hear wonderful things, things that give us the strength and courage to walk back down to our daily lives…changed…for the better! It all comes down to what type of person do you want to be?

Third Sunday of Lent
JN 4:5-42
March 19, 2017

If you look at a map of the Middle East, it’s amazing to think that it took Israel 40 years of wandering through the Sinai Peninsula before making their way into the Promised Land. It’s a large land mass, but still…40 years? The Reading from Exodus 17 helps to give some insight. It wasn’t a matter of poor sense of direction. It was about needing to shake off the spiritual and emotional effects of being enslaved for so many generations. The time in the desert was akin to a “spiritual detox.” The experience of being enslaved dehumanized the people. They were looked upon and treated by the Egyptians as work horses. When people are denigrated for a long enough period of time, they lose their sense of self-worth and an appreciation for the value which God places upon each and every individual. In this passage, we find them still suffering from a slave mentality. When animals are hungry or thirsty, they cry out. And so, when thirst overpowered them, the people cried out, demanding satisfaction even if the cost might be their freedom. But God always hears the cry of the poor and the suffering and responded with a miracle. God called fresh water out of a dry rock.

In a way, this miraculous event in a barren desert foreshadows and points towards the Gospel passage for this 3rd Sunday in Lent. It’s likely that this was not a mere chance meeting. Jesus probably sent his traveling companions off for food because He anticipated the encounter and knew that they might try to prevent the woman from approaching, or would be scandalized by The Lord engaging a pagan woman in conversation, stepping up the intimacy by asking her for a cup of water.

Much like our Readings from last Sunday, we see that wonderful things happen when we encounter Jesus while we are alone in a deserted place. The Samaritan woman seems to have been suffering from a severe case of self-loathing. Her life was like a barren desert in which she was going round and round in circles, making the same mistakes over and over. Some theologians suggest that she was a victim of human trafficking, or she might simply have become enslaved to her own passions. Addictive behavior has the same impact as forced slavery…it robs its victims of freedom, dehumanizing them. It leaves them little better than animals.

Still, from this dry, hardened life, The Son did exactly for the people of the Samaritan town of Sychar what The Father did for the people in the desert. He struck the woman in her hardened heart, certainly not with a staff, but with loving and healing words. And then, life-giving water poured forth from her. She carried back to her village much more than buckets of water from the community well. She took back from her personal encounter with Jesus Christ the living water that Jesus offered her…and she shared it…and the people drank. This is not only a story of conversion, but also evangelization.

Fourth Sunday of Lent
JN 9:1-41
March 26, 2017

On this 4th Sunday of Lent, our Readings are filled with physical things that are brilliant communicators IF one takes the time to notice them…and listen to their message.

In the First Reading (Sam. 16), the Lord commands that David be anointed with oil. Oil was key to survival in the ancient world. It was back then, and continues to be today, extremely important in many different ways. Especially critical to the lives of our ancestors, it was an important source of nutrition, fueled lamps to provide light, was used as a medicine, and served to enhance one’s appearance. It’s remarkable how such an ordinary thing could be elevated to a place of extreme importance. How appropriate, then, for God to use oil to elevate an ordinary shepherd boy to king. Still, without water, there would be no oil.

Then, in the Gospel, John tells us how Jesus used spit…basically water…to make mud while giving sight to a man born blind. But this was no ordinary spittle. This came from the mouth of God. It was, in every way, like that which all human beings are capable of producing, except Jesus’s saliva was a transmitter of the Holy Spirit…the same Spirit that God used to call life into ordinary mud in the creation of humankind. The same Spirit that God breathed into the ordinary body of a young woman who became impregnated with The Eternal Word of God. The same Spirit that calls us to a new life in the waters of Baptism…and entitles us to share in the ministry of Christ…Priest, Prophet, and King, when we are anointed with Sacred Chrism in the Sacraments of Initiation.

As we begin the second part of our Lenten journey, we are reminded of how often in salvation history God has elevated the most ordinary of things so that they might serve as brilliant communicators of Divine Mercy and Love. But, in this passage of the Gospel, we are also reminded of how often we fail to see, understand, or appreciate what God puts right smack dab in front of us. Even the religious leaders of His time failed to recognize The Christ…because God placed Jesus before them in an ordinary human body.

Jesus’s decision to use mud made from the Living Water that came from the very mouth of God brings to mind the Creation of Adam and Eve. This healing miracle should, likewise, alert us to how our ordinary lives are elevated through our re-creation in Baptism. Through our Sacraments, God takes our extremely ordinary lives…sin and all…and elevates them so that we can be brilliant communicators of God’s abundant mercy and love.

The problem is…so few of us actually take the time to see just how extraordinarily important we are to God in the work of salvation. We have the power to nourish people with The Word of God. We are called to bring the Light of Christ into the darkest of lives. We are healers! And when we put on Christ through the Sacraments, there is nothing more that could enhance our appearance.

Fifth Sunday of Lent
JN 11:1-45
April 2, 2017

This is the third Sunday in a row that we’ve been given powerful images on which to ponder and reflect. First, there was a dramatic encounter between Jesus and a woman by a deep well. Thirst was the obvious theme. Jesus asked for a drink of water from the well. What He was truly thirsting for, however, was the woman’s salvation.

His acceptance, forgiveness, and love struck the woman in such a way that “Living Water” came pouring out of her stone cold heart. In spite of her reputation as a sinner, the people of her village listened to her and came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It would appear that the entire story unfolded next to a deep, dark well. The symbolic value should not be overlooked.

Like so many, the woman was living her life in a deep, dark pit. Escape seemed impossible to her. And then, Jesus drew her up from out of the dark pit that was her life into the light of day. Like a bucket pulled up from a well, she brought with her Living Water to share with all who suffered from thirst.

Then, last Sunday, continuing the movement from darkness to light, Jesus interacted with a man who had been born blind. The story features a number of people who suffered from spiritual blindness. Religious leaders and even Jesus’s disciples assumed that the poor man’s condition was the result of his personal sin, or that guilt inherited from his parents brought on his affliction. Here, the obvious theme seems to be a miraculous event. But hovering close under the surface is the significance of faith.

True faith brings with it the ability to imagine God for Who God is. People who should have known better imagined God as punitive and unforgiving. That spiritual blindness also cost them the opportunity to witness and understand what God is telling us through Jesus. God is a good, loving, forgiving, and compassionate Parent. The man who benefited from God’s tender mercy and loving kindness was raised up from darkness to the light of faith slowly and gently, like a bucket filled with fresh, cool water raised from a deep well.

When questioned, he first acknowledged a healing, but nothing more. He did not understand how this wonderful thing could have happened. But, as he continued to ponder and reflect on the gift of sight, his interior vision became more and more acute. Eventually, he was able to see and acknowledge Jesus as a powerful prophet sent by God. The story ends with the incredible insight that Jesus is The Messiah!

All of this brings us to today’s Gospel on this Fifth Sunday of Lent. No one can overlook the obvious image of a burial cave, a massive stone blocking the entrance to the tomb, or the binding clothes that encase the body, even covering the face. The story screams oppressive darkness and finality. But, Jesus orders the stone rolled back, and even as He called forth life from the woman at the well and from the man born blind, The Lord calls Lazarus back to the light and life that sickness had taken from him.

These three key players most likely never met. The location and surroundings of the events were different, and the beneficiaries of The Lord’s compassion and power have little in common…beginning with a public sinner, moving on to an innocent man presumed to be guilty, and concluding with a much loved friend. Jesus gifts each with the same thing…LIGHT AND LIFE!

Of the four Gospels, John’s reports the fewest miracles. But what is contained in the 4th Gospel is extremely powerful and described in great detail. These three stories that lead us into Holy Week work together to help us better understand that no matter who we are, how low we might have sunk, how deep in darkness we might find ourselves, how impossible our circumstances, He stands ready to call us into Light and Life…His Light…His Life! All we need to do is respond when He calls!

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
MT 26:14—27:66
April 9, 2017

Early in my ministry, when I still found preaching more nerve-provoking than delightful, (BTW, after over a quarter of a century, I do experience the delight, but have not shaken the nerves) I sat down to prepare my homily for Palm Sunday. It was overwhelming. How can one, in the course of a few short minutes, break open The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in a meaningful way? How can any preacher do justice to the grand finale to The Lord’s ministry and mission? For me, the most daunting prospect about preaching on Palm Sunday is the celebratory way in which it begins. How can you bridge the triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the Paschal Mystery?

Bishop Ken Untener was one preacher who seemed to always find great delight in the enormous privilege of preaching the Gospel. And he was always eager for others to enjoy the same positive experience. Moreover, he was anxious that God’s people be truly inspired by God’s Word broken open in a meaningful way. And so, he was continually passing on “preaching tips.”

So it happened that after a few days of fruitless struggling, I heard Ken’s voice in the back of my mind: step out of your comfort zone…trust in the presence of the Holy Spirit… take risks! Inspired by this pearl of wisdom that Palm Sunday morning over a quarter of a century ago, after the Reading of the Passion, I pointed to the folks on the north side of the church and simply said: Say I love you!

Now it was the people’s turn to step out of their comfort zone…especially the men. There was a lot of shifting in the pews and a low ripple of laughter. So, I repeated…Seriously folks! Humor me. On the count of three, everyone say, “I LOVE YOU!” Here we go! 1…2…3…

With that, a mixture of voices, men, women, and children (the latter being the more dominant) basically whispered: “I love you!”

I didn’t give the south side of the church much of an opportunity to think about it. I simply turned to them and said: Now, you folks say, “Crucify Him!” 1…2…3…

A roar went through the church, echoing off the walls: “CRUCIFY HIM!”

I went on to explain that even as a child, I was confounded by the people of Jerusalem. How could they have given Jesus such a loving, joyful, and triumphal welcome into their city: Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! And then, less than a week later, be screeching: “Crucify Him!”

Even to this day, it baffles me.

There is something in human nature that makes it easier for us to shout: CRUCIFY HIM! LET HIM FRY! GET THEM OUT OF HERE! LOCK HER UP!…than to whisper, I love you.

Maybe that’s the challenge.

Maybe that is the broken link between the Lord’s triumphal entry into the Holy City and the barbaric way He was driven out just a few days later.

Maybe it’s the difficulty we seem to have in bringing ourselves to whisper, I love you, and the ease with which we bellow out, Crucify Him, that is the broken link that we call divorce, bigotry, discrimination, and even war.

Maybe if we had the courage to step out of our comfort zone…trust in the presence of the Holy Spirit… take risks, and proclaim love with the same gusto as we seem to be able to so easily belt out slogans of anger and hate…well, maybe then our world would be a better, more just and peaceful place for everyone to live.

Maybe if we were less nervous about being vulnerable to “others,” we might experience the joy that is to be found in all of God’s children.

Maybe that is the lesson that is to be found in the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ…step out of our comfort zone…trust in the presence of the Holy Spirit…take risks!

The Resurrection of the Lord
JN 20:1-9
April 16, 2017

We began this Lenten Season marveling at the fullness of Jesus’s human nature as He withstood the temptations of the flesh. He showed the power of the human spirit, when fortified by The Holy Spirit, to withstand every assault by Satan.

The 2nd weekend in Lent, we moved from the desert to the mountaintop. There, like Peter, James, and John, we were privileged witnesses to a display of Jesus’s Divine nature. We were given a glimpse of the glorified Christ as Jesus was transfigured. Even His clothing was electrified…as were the three eyewitnesses. The experience was so profound that Peter didn’t want it to end. But, while in this world, even on mountaintops, we can only get a brief glimpse of God’s Glory. Jesus led His friends back down the mountain to the real world. Still, it’s amazing to think that after what they saw and heard, they still asked: What does it mean to be raised from the dead?

We’ve completed the Lenten journey, and now we are standing outside of the empty tomb. STILL…the questions, confusion, and even doubts persist. What does it mean to be raised from the dead?

As the Easter mystery unfolds, Mary Magdalene fails to recognize The Risen Lord. Peter and one other are met by an angel who is waiting for them inside the empty tomb. There seems to be an air of frantic confusion and shock. We are given the sense that the Apostles and disciples were rushing around in haste, sharing the bits and pieces of information as they were reported, wondering what might be false news and what is reality. Resurrection is like that; it is way too big for the human mind to absorb.

Fear runs high within the community. They remain behind the locked doors of the Upper Room. The Easter Story even contains a very definite note of doubt, and doubt is contagious, especially when confined to a closed-in space. So, over the next weeks, The Risen Christ lovingly and gently exposes His followers to just exactly what it means to be raised from the dead.

The centuries have passed and the question persists: What we do know with certainty is that Resurrection, like Transfiguration, is not part of the material world. The beautiful post-Resurrection stories we will be hearing during the Easter Season could not go on and on. The Risen Christ could not remain in this world indefinitely. He had to leave the prison of time and return to Eternity. And, like the Apostles and disciples, we have to move out of the Easter Season into Ordinary Time and the ordinary world. But, the Lent and Easter lessons should have fortified our spirits so that as we cross “the barren desert,” we are not tempted to relegate Resurrection to indulgence of our appetites, wealth, and riches, or power and control.

What does it mean to be raised from the dead? All we can say with complete certainty is that it is the passage from sin and death to Eternal Life in Christ. For believers, the end to the story is Christ, Who IS Resurrection and Life. That is all we really need to know. Alleluia!

Second Sunday of Easter
JN 20:19-31
April 23, 2017

A fair number of years ago, when I was much younger, healthier, and more fit, I was in a convenience store fairly late in the evening. As I was making my way through the aisles, I saw a very unkempt man. His chest-length beard and shoulder-length hair were filthy. The mismatched layers of clothes hanging from him were little better than dirty rags and were completely unsuited to the warm summer night. His shoes were so worn out they barely covered his feet. To complete the image, he was staggering around and mumbling to himself. I confess that I quickly distanced myself from this person. Before I did, however, I managed to get a glimpse of his face. The identifying characteristic was a deep depression and scar on his forehead. Clearly, sometime in the past, the poor man had suffered an obviously severe head trauma.

Having paid for the few items that I was there to buy, I stepped out of the brightly lit store into the dark parking lot. It was then that this man jumped out at me from the shadows, blocking my path to my car. I couldn’t see his face but I certainly heard him speak. He said: You are gonna see Jesus!

Quite honestly, I do not ever recall having been so panicked in my entire life. I was certain that there was a gun, a knife, or a tire iron in his hand. In that moment, although my life did not pass before me, I truly believed that I had come to the hour of my death. I was frozen. Even though I was in far better physical condition than today, it didn’t even occur to me to flee or to somehow defend myself. I just stood there, electrified.

And then the man went on: …and someday, so will I, and Jesus is gonna touch my head and fix me and I’ll be like everybody else…and everything will be OK!

In an instant, the panic and terror left me, replaced by shame, compassion, and an overwhelming feeling of…yes! LOVE. While it was my arm that was extended, my hand that rested on his shoulder, and my voice that spoke, I am absolutely certain that the gesture and the words were motivated by Someone else. I heard myself say: Yes…someday, you will see Jesus and Jesus will touch your head, and He is going to say “I am so sorry you were hurt! But I don’t want you to be like everybody else…I love you just the way you are!” And everything will be OK!

When I think back to that most terrifying moment of my life, I also see it as a great blessing. I have recalled and reflected on that encounter over and over since that hot, dark summer night, especially at Easter time, when Resurrection is very much a part of our Readings, our thoughts, our hopes, and our prayers. That experience is especially meaningful and powerful for me on this Divine Mercy Sunday.

No one can be certain of what it means to share in the Glory of the Risen Christ. Many, like Thomas, have doubt. But many more can never bring themselves to believe.

Others, like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and the disciple who Jesus loved are slow to recognize…slow to enter into the fullness of the mystery of eternal life. Some, like the Emmaus couple, are privileged in a special way and come to understand Eternal Life through the Word and Sacraments.

Those who do “walk by faith and not by sight” try our best to imagine the thing we most hope for but cannot see, for that poor, broken soul who blocked my path on that dark summer night, Resurrection means healing…being restored…being touched by Jesus so that everything will be OK!

And there is the purpose for and lesson of Divine Mercy Sunday. Someday, each of us will stand before the all-loving and merciful judge. And Jesus is gonna touch that part of us that was injured and scarred by sin, making us less than what we were created to be. The touch of Christ will fix us and everything will be OK!

Third Sunday of Easter
LK 24:13-35
April 30, 2017

Today’s Gospel is something of a treasure map…with a few added details. Somewhat uncharacteristic of the Gospels, and offered in an almost offhanded manner, Luke motivated early Church authorities, pilgrims, archaeologists, historians, and those who were simply curious to search for a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus. Besides the name and the distance from Jerusalem, searchers were guided by other clues. For example, they were looking for ruins of an ancient town located near a Roman trade route. A water source, such as a deep well that could serve a small community, was also a key factor in the hunt. Expectations as to what was to be discovered must have been low. Many decades had passed since the events of Easter Sunday Night that immortalized the name of the village and one of its residents. As our Second Reading on this 3rd Sunday of Easter points out, the things of this world…even gold and silver…are perishable. So, barring a miracle, searchers could expect to find little more than a pile of rubble.

In fact, in at least four different locations, each about seven miles from Jerusalem, although in different directions, searchers declared that they had discovered Emmaus. Accordingly, the true location remains unresolved and the search for the “lost village” continues to this very day. Nevertheless, churches were built on several of the sites claimed to be the village where a person named Cleopas and his unnamed traveling companion entertained the Risen Christ. The faithful began to walk the walk that two dejected disciples made on that fateful Easter evening.

Centuries have passed, and still, pilgrims travel from Jerusalem to one of the “Emmauses.” As they embark on their journey, they remember how two of Jesus’s followers made the long walk home, the horror of Good Friday still fresh in their minds, the shocking reality of the Crucifixion causing the dejected pair to regard the whispers of Resurrection as false…rather than Good News!

As pilgrims draw closer to their destination, they often read and reflect on today’s Gospel. They recall how a stranger joined the pair, and how His words made their hearts burn within them. The Gospel report is sufficient to enable believers to feel The Real Presence of this Stranger and to ponder His explanation of the Good Friday tragedy foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures. The walk to Emmaus…whichever Emmaus…does that. It offers an AHHH! moment, even to those who think they already know all there is to know. The destination is not just a village, but also a new insight into The Paschal Mystery. To this very day, the seven-mile walk from Jerusalem towards…whichever Emmaus…causes the hearts of the faithful to burn within them.

Upon arrival, Cleopas and friend did not want to let this stranger go. They urged Him: Stay with us! And so He did. He entered their home and sat at their table, just long enough to Break the Bread and share The Cup. Pilgrims today, regardless of which Emmaus they journey to, very often mark their arrival by celebrating Eucharist. Hopefully, during their prayer, the hearts of the faithful burn within them, and they come to see that in the Eucharist, The Risen Christ does not disappear from our midst; rather, we become what we eat. Through the Eucharist, The Word Proclaimed, and the Body and Blood of Christ shared…we make Christ’s continued presence a reality for others.

Our Gospel for this 3rd Sunday of Easter, Luke 24:13-35, truly is a treasure map. The starting point is an empty tomb. The journey is not measured in miles, but in lifetimes. Every step of the way, there is a Companion eager to accompany those brave enough to embark on the journey. Those wise enough to listen to His Words find that their hearts burn within them. The destination is not the ruins of an ancient village over which a commemorative Church has been built. Emmaus is EVERY Church, worldwide, where we celebrate the Supper of The Lord. The Treasure is not hidden. It sits out in the open…on The Table of the Word…where The Good News is proclaimed so that all may rejoice in the truth. The Treasure is also on the Communion Table, where the imperishable Treasure of the Body and Precious Blood of Christ, ”the spotless, unblemished lamb” awaits those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

There is something miraculous to be found by those invited to these Tables. They are changed! Their faith and hope in God is strengthened so that they might continue their pilgrimage towards a final, eternal destination…The Kingdom of God!

Today’s Gospel truly is a treasure map! But what we search for is not hidden. It is right before our very eyes! And there is a Companion eager to walk beside you every step of the way.

Fourth Sunday of Easter
JN 10:1-10
May 7, 2017

Just before Holy Week, I had an extremely unnerving experience that is worth sharing as we begin this 4th week of Easter. The pastor of a rural parish in our Diocese asked if I would preside at his liturgies while he recuperated from a serious surgery that was scheduled as “urgent” if not “emergency.” I had never been to the parish before and thought it best to pay a short visit to familiarize myself with the worship space.

I asked my Smart phone for directions. Traveling the 30 odd miles to my destination, I didn’t pay all that much attention to where I was, simply following the instructions of the mechanical voice. Almost before I realized it, I was approaching my destination. It was then that my gaze moved from the road to the distant sky. I saw the bell tower of the church I was to visit, and for a brief moment, became totally disoriented. It was a very unnerving feeling. For an instant, I didn’t know where I was. I thought that I had unconsciously driven to the rural parish where I had served for nine years several years ago. A wave of panic washed over me as it occurred to me that I must be losing it!

It was then that I remembered that this church was built from the same architectural plans as the rural parish where I had spent so many wonderful years. It was understandable that my first view of this church would be disorienting. It was the identical spire that had, for so long, signaled that I was “almost home.” With the same brilliant blue sky as the backdrop, I could easily have been approaching my former parish. Entering the church, I continued to be amazed. As I walked through the building, I observed far more similarities than differences.

When I returned a few days later to lead the community in prayer, I was once again overwhelmed by the same eerie experience. This time, the cause of my uneasiness was not the place, but rather, the people. As I began the liturgy and looked out at the assembly, I kept seeing faces that I thought I recognized. Maybe it was someone’s coat, or hairstyle, or glasses, or height that caused me to think: “Oh! He is visiting here, too.” Or: “She must have family in this neighborhood.” Of course, whatever it was that seemed familiar I had never seen before. A past memory was simply awakened by a shared characteristic encountered within totally familiar circumstances. As the weeks have passed, these false sightings of old friends have stopped. Quite possibly, if someone from my past ministry were to visit this parish, I wouldn’t trust myself enough to call them by name.

Still, the entire unnerving experience has hung with me to the point that it seemed that God was telling me something I had better consider. And so, after a good deal of reflection, and with the help of this Sunday’s Readings, it occurs to me that regardless of the architecture of a church building, the faithful gathered there to worship should look alike.

Just as two church buildings constructed from the same architectural plans evoke a sense of the familiar, those who are guided to the waters of Baptism by the Good Shepherd have defining characteristics in common. Through Baptism, disciples are reborn in the Holy Spirit according to God’s eternal plan; and the plan is that we all look the same because we live the same. The defining characteristic shared by the flock we are gathered into has nothing to do with clothes, hairstyles, or height. Disciples should look alike because we should all reflect the Face of Christ to everyone we see. Our voices should strike a familiar note as we speak in a loving, forgiving, and charitable way. We should even smell the same! We should give off the aroma of holiness, because through Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit.

The sad thing is….WE SHOULD BUT WE DON’T. Although through Baptism, we are reborn in the Spirit according to God’s Eternal plan, among the defining characteristics we share is free will. We can choose to live according to God’s Eternal plan or we can pursue our own plans; often going so far as wandering away from the flock. And so, our First Reading emphasizes the need to repent those times when other’s don’t recognize us for who we are called to be… God’s People…the Flock of the Lord.

But we must also pay homage to the image of Christ that our Gospel offers us, because it is the Good News in all of this. The Lord is a Good Shepherd, Who recognizes each of us as both unique and precious in the eyes of our Creator. In spite of our similarities, He calls us by name. Although we mask our identities through poor decisions and bad choices, even going so far as to leave the flock, Christ knows exactly who we are…each and every one of us. And should that arouse an unnerving feeling within anyone, The Good News is that it is the will of the Father that the Good Shepherd not lose what has been given to Him. Even when we stray, He finds us and brings us safely back to the flock.

The Easter message as we near the midpoint of this holy season is that we are God’s People…the Flock of the Lord. And everyone we come in contact with should recognize that in all of us!

Fifth Sunday of Easter
JN 14:1-12
May 14, 2017

Once upon a time, telephones were just for talking. Then, one day, it somehow happened that phones became “smart.” They learned how to do research and answer questions, store information, pay bills, buy things from stores, and give directions.

And so, one day, I was in the sacristy after presiding at a weekday morning Mass when someone asked to see me. The lady was well known to me, so I was concerned about what was on her mind. She wasted no time in explaining that she was very bothered by a man who “is always on his cell phone during Mass.” She wanted to alert me to what she considered to be disrespect bordering on sacrilege. It was her hope that I would put a stop to this behavior.

I immediately realized that she was talking about a younger man, a daily Communicant and good and faithful disciple, who is in the habit of following the Readings of the day on his Smart phone. I told my scandalized friend that the man was not talking on the phone, but using it to pray. She was skeptical. So, I pulled out my own smart phone and clicked onto the daily email that comes from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, distributing the Scripture passages of the day. She looked at my phone, satisfied herself that what was on the small screen in writing was what she had just heard proclaimed during Mass, and then passed the phone back to me and said: “I don’t care! This just isn’t right.”

Maybe it’s not this way with young people, but I think that most members of AARP appreciate a written bank statement delivered to the mailbox, a printed receipt for a major purchase, a pamphlet with assembly instructions, and, in spite of the fact that even senior citizens have learned to use GPS, we feel a sense of security knowing that there is a road map in our glove box. Many people simply do not feel comfortable without seeing things written down…ON PAPER.

Maybe that is why God saw fit to give Moses The Law engraved on tablets of stone. God knew that the written law would provide the people a sense of certainty and security. It simplified their lives having things written down. The people felt that if they observed what is written “in stone,” they would be pleasing to God.

But then, God did something so revolutionary that it can never be repeated. God spoke the Eternal Word into the Blessed Mother. And with Mary’s cooperation, God’s Word took flesh to walk among us. With Jesus, God didn’t send more stone tablets or written rules and laws, but A Divine Person. Jesus, fully human (just like us in all things but sin) and at the same time, fully Divine, is God’s most beautiful, complete and unrepeatable way of showing the Divine Self to us. Jesus is the summation of God’s will and God’s ways. That is to say, if we know Jesus, then we know “The Law,” not written on stone, but on The Lord’s Sacred Heart, on fire with love for us. Jesus is God’s most perfect way of communicating and communing with us. Without stone tablets, scrolls, books, laws…with only One Living Word…Jesus…God shows us the plan for us. Jesus IS who we could have been, but for the original sin. Jesus IS who we should strive to be more like as we walk through this life. Jesus IS who those that strive to follow HIS WAY will become when they leave time to dwell in eternity.

In spite of all of this, many simply respond: “I don’t care! This just isn’t right.” They go off a different way, listening to other voices, following bad directions, influenced by false messages and directed into darkness. They become lost.

Those who follow The Way of the Lord, however, walk in the Light of Christ. Through Jesus, God has simplified our lives here in this life, and assured those who follow “The Way” a destination of eternal peace and joy!

Sixth Sunday of Easter
JN 14:15-21
May 21, 2017

In the First Letter of St. Peter, our Second Reading (3:15-18), we are told to “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” From the earliest days of the Church, God blessed us with followers of Jesus Christ who brilliantly explained the faith. It was through the convincing witness of these early Christian apologists that The Faith spread throughout the ancient world. We are blessed today with multiple resources in multiple media that help us do just that. Theologians and other Christian writers have flooded the marketplace with books that can be classified as “apologetics,” the religious discipline of speaking in defense of what we hold to be true. Besides written publications, there are videos, CDs, and tapes, podcasts, several lecture series available on the Internet, and even movies that offer us ways of explaining why all of our hope rests in Jesus Christ. And this is a good thing.

Recently, a motion picture based on the book called “The Shack” was showing in the theaters. It offered an image of the most significant reason for Christian hope: THE BLESSED TRINITY. But how, if asked, do we even begin to explain that Three is One? “The Shack” does a beautiful job of showing the “threeness” of God. The boundless love and mercy of The Creator is depicted in a very pleasant looking, warm, and sensitive older black woman. Later in the story, the wisdom of the Father takes on the appearance of an elderly Native American man. The person experiencing The Trinity in the movie (as well as the readers and viewers) somehow understand that both are images of the First Person.

God the Son is depicted as a strong, young Jewish carpenter, dressed in a plaid flannel shirt, blue jeans, and sandals. We see Jesus as the kind of fun loving but encouraging person who you really want to be friends with. It’s hard to resist following Him. Finally, a petite wisp of an extraordinarily beautiful young Asian woman tackles the very challenging role of the Holy Spirit. She is so light and airy in appearance and demeanor that it seems you can gaze right through her.

“The Shack” is a profound story, and the movie adaptation does the book justice. However, I have my doubts as to whether someone who has no faith would find either to be a convincing explanation of why our hope rests in Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We need to do better than weaving charming stories around the Divine Life if we are going to capture the attention of the growing numbers of pagans in our world.

In our First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear how Philip went down to Samaria to proclaim Christ. He captured the attention of a crowd, both by his words as well as by his deeds. They were convinced and they were converted. What made the first witnesses to Christ so successful in their efforts to bring people to accept the Word of God? (Remember…Jesus IS the Eternal Word of God!) The answer might well rest in today’s Gospel, and easily summarized in one word…LOVE! Philip, Peter, John, and all of the others who walked with Jesus absorbed and reflected the perfect love that radiates from the Son of God…The Second Person of the Trinity. The love that came into the world with Jesus, a love with which His Apostles and disciples were saturated, “went viral.” And having returned to heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit into the world to seal the love of Christ within the hearts of all who believe.

How, then, do we prepare to give an explanation to anyone who asks for the reason for our hope? By loving God with our entire being…and…by loving one another even as we love ourselves.

Love is a more powerful explanation of our faith than any book, any movie, any podcast. Love is the perfect and most convincing explanation of our hope in the goodness and mercy of God…FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT.

The Ascension of the Lord
MT 28:16-20
May 28, 2017

Featured speakers at the White House correspondence dinner this year were Woodward and Bernstein. Both gave short talks…more like reflections…on how they perceived the role of the press/journalism, especially as it functions in a democratic society. Both stressed that journalists and reporters have an absolute obligation to offer to the public “the best attainable version of the truth.”

In order to achieve this, they explained that “sustained inquiry is essential.” Their thoughts were especially poignant in a day and age when we are constantly assaulted with so much untrustworthy information and prevented from hearing the real truth by “cover-ups.” As I listened to them caution about the extreme danger of any effort, by anyone, to suppress the access of journalists to “the best attainable version of the truth,” I couldn’t help but shift my focus from the political arena to the spiritual life.

“The best attainable version of the truth” is Jesus Christ. Jesus IS THE TRUTH, and The Source of The Truth (Jesus Christ) is God.

The Lord came to broadcast to all of humankind the Good News that eternal life comes to those who know the only true God, and the One Whom God sent, Jesus Christ. So that all might come to believe in this truth…the Good News…Jesus suffered a very public death, after which He revealed The Source of His Truth to the Apostles and disciples in the most dramatic of ways. Jesus rose from the dead and remained present to them until it was time for Him to return to the Source of all life and all love.

Knowing it is the way of this world to “cover up” the truth, drown out “The Good News” with false news, and persecute and silence those who give witness to the Risen Christ, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to enlighten and strengthen those first chosen to continue the work that God began through Jesus. As we bring this Easter Season to a close, it is critical that we remember that the sacred duty and absolute obligation to continue the work of the first witnesses now rests on our shoulders. In many ways, the challenge is even greater than ever before, because the means and methods of suppressing truth and broadcasting false news are many, varied, hi-tech, and comes at us from the most unexpected places. But we have the Holy Spirit…the same Spirit that poured down on the Apostles and disciples on Pentecost, to inform, embolden, and energize us as we go about our duty as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Still, “sustained inquiry is essential.” We must continue to read, learn, listen carefully, and pray. And, of course, we must continue to gather together to celebrate Eucharist where “the best attainable version of the truth“ is made available to us through the power of the Holy Spirit in the Word proclaimed and the Bread broken and shared.

Welcome the Holy Spirit of Pentecost!

Pentecost Sunday
JN 20:19-23
June 4, 2017

This past Sunday, I was standing near the doors of the church after Mass, greeting people as they made their way to their cars. A young family approached and a little blonde kid came up to me, looked up with a grin, and said: “I only come for the juice!” This parish offers coffee and juice following the liturgy (no donuts though–I checked).

I wanted to reply: “Me, too! I come for the juice as well.”

I refrained. Instead, I asked him: “Did you get some?”

His grin broadened and he said: “I took two!”

To which I replied: “Good! When something’s free…there for the taking…you should take as much as you want.”

Had the little guy been a bit older, and if there were less commotion around us, that exchange would have been a perfect teaching moment. As it was, it offered a reminder to me of why I come to the Table of the Word and the Communion Table for Eucharist. Being the Sunday before Pentecost, the timing for this little “faith refresher” could not have been better.

We hear in Isaiah 11:2-3 that the Spirit of God offers us seven priceless gifts. These gifts are “free for the taking,” and we are encouraged to take as many as we want. When we use these gifts for the purposes they were intended, we show the world what it means to live as one anointed in the Spirit of the Lord. Paul tells us that these 7 Gifts are “manifestations of the Spirit” (1Cor. 12:7-11). And so, if we walk out of church clothed in these 7 Gifts: WIDSOM, UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT JUDGMENT, COURAGE, KNOWLEDGE, REVERENCE, WONDER, AND AWE…it’s as if we have put on Jesus Christ.

On top of these 7 Gifts, there is also “juice!”

At Galatians 5:22-23, Paul gives us a recipe for a “sacred mixture” of 7 of the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit. What is particularly special about this “Holy Smoothie” that is offered free of charge…available in unlimited quantity…there for the taking…is that this “juice” is blended specially for each person who is thirsting. Every individual is given a special blend of these Fruits that will revitalize what was given them at Baptism and sealed in Confirmation.

Just as we can easily research the benefits of ingredients, loading our blenders with what our bodies require to improve our physical well-being, so, too, The Holy Spirit knows just exactly what we need to improve our spiritual lives and adjusts the recipe to each individual’s needs. Look up the spiritual health benefits for yourself and see what you might be lacking. Here is the basic recipe, but order according to your personal taste and needs.

LOVE: 1 Cor 13

JOY: Luke 1:39-45

PEACE: Luke 7:1-10

PATIENCE: Romans 8:31-37

KINDNESS: John 21:15-17

GOODNESS: Mark 12:41-44

FAITHFULNESS: Mark 6:7-10

GENTLENESS: John 18:19-38

SELF CONTROL: Romans 6:12-14

Come for the juice! And even before you get here…consider what would best improve your spiritual health and well-being…and put in your order.

Trinity Sunday
JN 3:16-18
June 11, 2017

One of the first things that American elementary school students learn about our government is that there is a system of checks and balances firmly in place. This concept of government is traced back to ancient Greece. Found primarily in constitutional governments in which the people enjoy a voice by way of elected representatives, checks and balances prevent one branch of government from usurping power and control beyond what is given to that office by law.

Every elementary student learns that the United States Constitution provides for a “tripartite governance,” entrusting specific responsibilities to three separate branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. If one of the three steps out of its job description, it is both the right as well as the duty of the other two to “check” that effort to claim powers that are reserved to one of the other two branches; thus, restoring proper balance. Simply put, the concept of checks and balances is about controlling power to prevent the abuse of power.

Trinity Sunday invites us to ponder the impenetrable mystery of Three Divine Persons in one God. Theologians and philosophers have struggled for centuries to understand, explain, and defend this truth, which, in the end, is actually impossible for the finite human mind to grasp. In fact, in trying to tackle this Divine mystery with ill-equipped human intelligence, many have gotten it wrong. It’s a hard truth for our minds to absorb. And yet, each time we profess our Faith through The Creed, we speak of the consubstantial nature of the Three.

For many, that word, consubstantial, simply passes across the lips without penetrating the mind. Fortunately, God does not always message us through our minds. Very often, God speaks directly to our hearts. In other words, as we read the Gospels, it is not unusual for something to simply pass through our minds like words we speak without totally understanding them. But, when we listen to the Gospel with “open hearts,” the full message is transmitted and received with a special kind of clarity that approaches a personal experience of what we are being told.

It was Jesus Christ Who revealed the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity. Throughout His teaching and preaching, at different times and in different ways, The Lord explained that with The Father and The Holy Spirit, He is God…Three in One, One in Three, each co-eternal (no beginning and no ending), uncreated (always was and always will be), unchanging (eternally perfect), and co-equal (each all-powerful – omnipotent)…more words that risk passing through our minds without enlightening us.

So then, on this Trinity Sunday, let’s open our hearts!

Long before ancient Greece, the infinite Mystery of God was expressed in “tripartite governance.” But there was no need for a system of “checks and balances,” because there was no possibility of abuse of power. The Three Divine Persons we call consubstantial are pure Love. Love is the complete opposite of selfish ambition. Because Each of the Three is One in Being…Each pure Love, it is impossible for The Trinity to suffer any kind of imbalance.

Moreover, Love cannot resist being expressed.

And so, The Creator expressed this Eternal Love by calling the universe into being and holding it in existence through the power of infinite, never-ending Love. The Son revealed this Eternal Love by becoming one like us…in all things but sin, so that He could walk among us, healing, forgiving, teaching, preaching, feeding, suffering, dying, and rising…all the time telling us: “I Love you!” Then the Holy Spirit poured out over all creation, sealing the message in our very hearts….YOU ARE LOVED!

Our words are inadequate and sometimes even misleading or just plain wrong. Our minds are incapable of fully understanding what it all means. But, our hearts are up to the challenge. It is within our hearts that we meet the Blessed Trinity…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And it is within our hearts that we come to believe that if we do our best to love God and others, then someday, we will be part of this Holy, Eternal Union we call God…but what our hearts know as Perfect Love!

Body and Blood of Christ
JN 6:51-58
June 18, 2017

A friend recently told me about a chance encounter at Sunday Mass with a mutual friend of ours. She said: “I love that just sitting by someone through Mass is just as nice as spending an hour talking with them.” As an afterthought, she added with enthusiasm: “Maybe better!”

I totally got what she was saying, and her musings took me back many years, to when I had first gone “away to school.” Whenever possible, I would make the hour drive on a Sunday morning and sneak into the pew my family gravitated to each week. Usually just a few steps ahead of the entrance procession, there would be no time for anything but smiles and nods. And most often, I had to rush right back to Ann Arbor for one thing or another. But, the hour spent sitting shoulder to shoulder, praying with my family, was “just as nice as spending an hour talking with them… maybe better!” At least for that hour, our family was complete and enjoying a brief retreat from all of the cares and concerns and burdens that each of us carried. If only for an hour…together…we would bask in the kind of peace that can be found in the Eucharist…The Peace of Christ!

The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi Sunday) is the final step of the three special Sundays which bridge the Easter Season with Ordinary Time. It is rich in meaning and very focused on The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. But it is also fitting and proper to turn from the Altar to the pews in order to better understand why this Sunday so special.

Consider for a moment how our Second Reading concludes. Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Clearly “the loaf” that St. Paul is speaking about is The Bread of Life…Holy Communion. And when we gather around the Communion Table to share The Body of Christ and drink from the Cup of our Salvation, we experience a special unity or communion with The Lord as well as with one another. And so we are able to say: “…just sitting by someone through Mass is just as nice as spending an hour talking with them. Maybe better!”

So then, as we move into Ordinary Time, it is a good thing to recall that when we are “shoulder to shoulder” with one another…family, friend, neighbor, or even stranger…basking in the Peace of Christ…there is nothing ordinary about our time together. We become what we celebrate. We become what we eat. We become the Body of Christ, and grace and peace flow through our body giving us life…life in Christ.

That is why “…just sitting by someone through Mass is just as nice as spending an hour talking with them,” because we are sitting next to the Body of Christ! The Body and Blood of Christ is on the Altar…and through us…sitting in the pews! What could possibly be better?

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 10:26-33
June 25, 2017

On Wednesday, June 14, 2017, we woke to the shocking news that over 20 U.S. Congressmen, staff members, and lobbyists were attacked by a gunman during their early morning practice on a neighborhood ball diamond in Alexandria, Virginia. Even as the story was unfolding, there was more breaking news. A shooter in San Francisco claimed five victims. It was hard not to be overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness and fear.

The “UPS” story got pushed to the background as our nation’s leaders rushed to the microphone to express their horror over the assault on our government. Each expressed deep regret that we have somehow become so steeped in “vitriolic rhetoric” (a number of speakers used the word “vitriolic,” meaning “filled with bitter criticism or malice”) that unstable people are moved to acts of extreme violence.

Our nation’s leaders faced the cameras, issued press releases, or “tweeted” assurances to the American people that this tragedy could become an opportunity to recapture the spirit of unity that has held our nation together, and a glimmer of hope returned. Under the circumstances, the words of these politicians seemed genuine and sincere. Most people listening certainly wanted these commitments to dialogue, cooperation, compromise, unity, and peace to be true.

Our hope was strengthened as we learned that the opposition team, practicing on a ball diamond in a neighborhood on the other side of our nation’s capital, having been alerted to the shooting, gathered in prayer for the victims. Then came news that it was agreed by both parties that the charity ballgame would still be played the following evening. Our spirits began to rally. As the day came to a close, the suggestion began to circulate that rather continuing the century-long tradition of the Red Team playing the Blue Team, the teams be mingled as a sign that all of the speeches and statements and “tweets” of the day were genuine. How great would that have been!

But it didn’t happen.

The Red Team played the Blue Team. More speeches were made during the game. The trophy was awarded to the Congressman still in critical condition. And the next day, returning to their offices on Capitol Hill, the words of Jeremiah the Prophet once again began to echo throughout the Chambers. Denounce! Watch for any misstep! Perhaps he will be trapped, then we can prevail! In other words: Business as usual!

The immediate return to “vitriolic rhetoric” should come as no surprise. St. Paul explains in our Second Reading (Romans 5:12-15) that bitterness and malice…sin and death…entered the world through the first parents and have infected all humankind from that day forward. Talk about hopelessness!

But, Paul goes on to offer us much more than a ray of light or glimmer of hope. Through God’s gracious gift of Jesus Christ, the possibility of perfect dialogue, cooperation, compromise, unity, true and lasting peace, and unconditional love becomes reality. We know that the fullness of the Good News awaits Christ’s return in glory and the establishment of the eternal Reign of God. But, in the meantime, we are called to push back against darkness, hopelessness, and fear by giving witness to the Gospel.

Today, we resume Ordinary Time. Hopefully, having spent the past months pondering the depth and meaning of Jesus’s passion, death, and resurrection, we return to this liturgical season truly changed. If not, we might not be up to the task of this Sunday’s Gospel.

In Matthew’s 10:26-33, The Lord challenges us to acknowledge our faith. But, the acknowledgement we are called to demands more than a TV interview, a press release, or a “tweet.” Acknowledging that a tragedy has occurred because of our failure to live as God created us and suggesting that things should change is simply not enough.

The acknowledgement Jesus speaks of comes from the heart, which inspires the mind. Only then can the lips speak with sincerity. It is easy to frame words that are pleasing to the ear. But they have no real meaning or lasting value unless they are sincere and genuine. Words that do not originate in the heart are little more than noise.

Later in Romans, St. Paul tells us: For one believes with one’s heart and so is justified, and one confesses with one’s lips and so is saved. But to have the power to save…to change…to bring about dialogue, cooperation, compromise, unity, and peace in our nation, our world, our families, our Church…our acknowledgement must originate in our hearts where The Holy Spirit dwells.

As we make our way through the coming months of Ordinary Time, may the Lord be always on your mind, and on your lips…and in your heart – always in your heart!

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 10:37-42
July 2, 2017

Early on, students in composition classes learn about a literary technique called “the back story.” The concept isn’t new. Aristotle explained to his students in ancient Greece that when telling a story, it is good to include the significant facts and details that lead up to the main story. “The back story” helps to make the main story more credible. Recently, this tool of storytellers seems to have been borrowed by journalists who promise a convincing “back story” that will remove any suspicion that their main story is fake news.

The Good News for this 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Independence Day Weekend) seems to beg for “the back story.” The opening line leaves us asking ourselves: WHAT?

It certainly isn’t as if we don’t already know the “back story” to this Gospel. Every time we profess our faith through the Creed, we state a significant fact….a critical detail…that enables a deeper understanding of the “main story” of salvation…the Gospel. We say:

I believe in God….Creator of heaven and earth.

While creatures ourselves, humankind is unique within the created realm because we alone are able to know and love God. This is possible because God, The Source of all life and love, called us into existence as both earthly as well as spiritual beings. The problem is that, many times, we are so rooted in our earthly selves through relationships with others, attachment to material goods, pride in our accomplishments, and ambition for even more…and more and more…that the main story becomes all about the things of this world, and the back story of who we truly are and what we were created to be becomes more and more distant. As we lose touch with our spiritual side, we also lose touch with God. That might well be what Jesus is telling us when He says: Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Jesus is calling us to restore God to the Creator’s rightful place in our lives. Essentially, what we have here is a challenge to move God from the back and place Him first in all things. Moreover, The Lord offers assurance of great rewards for those who declare their independence from the earthly attachments which can enslave us, and pledge our total dependence on our Creator, Whose will it is that we live for all eternity in the freedom of The Holy Spirit.

The American theologian, Monika Hellwig, when commenting on these Readings, concluded with this thought: When we think what is asked of us is sheer death, we may find that it is a breakthrough to new life!

There is nothing fake about this news…It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 11:25-30
July 9, 2017

The experts tell us that: Every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees. So a person who is 10 pounds overweight has 40 pounds of extra pressure on the knees; if a person is 100 pounds overweight, that is 400 pounds of extra pressure on the knees. It’s a whole lot of work carrying around an additional 40 pounds everywhere you go. It amounts to slave labor, taking a major toll on every part of the body, when one is forced to move 400 pounds throughout the day.

And then there are the things that weigh heavy on the mind, which are, in many ways, more debilitating than obesity — things such as debt, ambition, envy, greed, anger, the desire for revenge…the list goes on and on…and can be as debilitating and destructive as 100 extra pounds of body fat. If airlines were to charge for emotional baggage, a lot of flights would be canceled. Few could afford to fly.

St. Paul to the rescue!

In our Second Reading (Romans 8:9, 11-13) we are reminded that there is a “better part of us”…our spiritual self…that can’t gain weight. When we are in touch with our true selves, all worries and concerns, even the real ones that require our attention, become lighter and much more manageable. The better part of us, that part that God created with the ability to outlast time, is not flesh, “On the contrary; we are in the Spirit if only the Spirit of God dwells in us.” When we recall that we leave all of our cares and concerns behind “in time” when the better part of us moves into eternity; then somehow, we manage to enjoy greater control over the things that burden us.

Certainly, good physical and mental health are important. After all, God has seen fit to package the better part of us “in the flesh.” We should take care to be good stewards of our minds and our bodies. But, when we give priority to the better part of us…our spiritual lives…somehow, some way…everything else seems to become lighter and easier to carry.

Supported by the First Reading, this little Gospel passage (Matt.11:25-30) should inspire us to relieve the pressure we place on our bodies and our minds by laying aside those things that have a stranglehold on us, weigh us down, and prevent our spirits from soaring! Moreover, Jesus assures us that it isn’t complicated; it’s a simple matter. It doesn’t require the expertise of a dietitian or a personal trainer or a psychologist.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has proven that even though the better part of us is packaged in flesh and bones, our earthly bodies cannot weigh down our spirits…so long as the Spirit of Christ dwells within us.

As we move deeper into Ordinary Time, exploring the Mysteries of Faith, help to take the pressure off your bones by including Eucharist in your food plan, and calm your frayed nerves by God’s Word proclaimed. Walk lighter…live lighter!

Walk in the Light of Christ. Live Jesus! It’s that simple!

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 13:1-23
July 16, 2017

Trying to write with a broken pencil is pointless!

This was one of a number of little riddles that a friend recently forwarded to me via e mail. Frankly, it’s the only one I remember…and one of the few in the lengthy litany that I really didn’t have to think too long on before I found the humor.

Actually, when I first opened the message, I was in a rush and almost hit “delete.” But, having read and “solved” the first, I moved forward…groaning at how silly some of them seemed, but challenged by a few that, at first glance, stumped me. I actually felt a bit of excitement when I solved one of the more obscure…cleverly hidden, and was encouraged to continue reading. For the most part, I smiled, giggled to myself, or laughed out loud as I made my way down through the list of little brain teasers. I was glad that I had taken the time to read through them. The exercise slowed me down, relaxed me, and lightened my mood. I actually sent on a “Thank You!” note to my friend.

Jesus often taught in parables. Matthew reports this particular farm parable, but the majority of the Gospel on this 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time is The Lord’s explanation to His disciples of why The Lord chose to address “such a large crowd” in this manner. It’s easy to imagine the scene, and even to place oneself there in the enormous and diverse crowd, observing the various reactions to His “spirit teasers.”

Some passersby, happening on the spectacle, might well have hurried away without even stopping. Being too busy to spend even a moment listening to The Word of God spoken by The Living Word of God, they suffered a tragic loss of opportunity!

Sprinkled throughout the crowd, there were probably a few scribes, Pharisees, leaders from the Temple in Jerusalem and area synagogues…maybe even a few Roman soldiers standing by to keep the peace…surrounding The Prince of Peace! These were the kinds of people the Lord described as “the wise and learned.” Can’t you just see them scoffing at the simplicity of Jesus’s teaching? Can’t you almost hear them GROAN? Their arrogance left them blind to the beauty of Jesus’s teaching and deaf to the empowering and life-changing lessons He brought. GROOOOAAAANNNNS…especially from “the wise and learned,” tend to be contagious. Influenced by this haughtiness, many who might otherwise have stayed to listen ended up elbowing their way out of the crowd to resume their day…unchanged.

In spite of their skepticism or inability to unlock the parable, some people, for whatever reason, hung in there. Their commitment was greatly rewarded with an AAAHH! moment. At some point, they got it! They understood. They were able to apply the message to their own lives. They discovered answers they were searching for. A sense of peace replaced a troubled mind. Feelings of hope pushed despair to the background. They were excited! They wanted more.

Finally, there were people in the crowd like you! You wouldn’t be reading this reflection if you weren’t the rich soil in which The Gospel is able to root deeply, be nourished in, and produce an abundant harvest. The Good News lightens your spirits, even as my friend’s email lightened my mood. People of faith find rest, refreshment, and wisdom in the Word of The Lord!

Still, these days, the GROOOOAAAANNNNS of the arrogant seem to be getting louder and more determined than ever to influence those eager to hear the Good News…anxious to see what God has ready for those who love Him. When we gather in our parish churches, we see the empty places. People are “too busy,” ”too preoccupied,” “too distracted,” ”too influenced” by people and things to commit to stopping to hear what God is saying to them through the Gospel. Things really aren’t that different than the day when Jesus used a small fishing boat as His pulpit.

There can be dangerous fallout contaminating the rich soil if we don’t resist. And so it’s especially important to unpack the Second Reading (Romans 8:18-23). While we live in the flesh, there are people and things that try to persuade us that our beliefs are “false Good News” and that our faith life is “futile!” In a very real way, our Church, The Body of Christ, is experiencing a period of great suffering. This is nothing new. Things really aren’t that different than the day when Jesus used a small fishing boat as His pulpit.

But the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. With these hopeful assurances, the First Reading becomes less of a riddle. While it might seem to us that God’s Words are being ignored, or worse, the reality is in God’s time, it will achieve the end for which God sent it. In other words, things really aren’t that different than the day when Jesus used a small fishing boat as His pulpit. God is in control.

As for you… the rich soil…continue to listen and see what God has ready for those who love the Lord. And remember, trying to live a Christian life without the Living Word of God is as pointless as trying to write with a broken pencil. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 13:24-43
July 23, 2017

If you drive past my house during the spring and summer, one glance will alert you to the fact that I am no gardener. I could easily use my knees, my back, and certainly my advanced age as an excuse for what many would call “neglect.” But the reality is that even when I was younger, pulling weeds was just not my thing. Moreover, I’m not good at it. When I try to “clean things up,” I end up killing the good stuff…and clearing space for the bad stuff to thrive.

Having driven past my house myself and noticed that my yard needs a little TLC, a good buddy sent over “the kid” that keeps my friend’s yard looking like Dow Gardens. This young man has the proverbial touch. Not only a hard worker, who keeps at it until the job is done, he also has the skill to pick out the weeds, leaving the garden plants and giving them an opportunity to grow stronger and blossom. After he leaves, I really try hard to keep things looking nice. And although my knees, my back, and certainly my advanced age prevent me from doing what “the kid” can do…he inspires me to do what I can at least try to do! God Bless my buddy and “the kid!”

It seems that I hear…or hear of…a lot of preaching these days that tends to highlight certain words from our First Reading from the Book of Wisdom. I’m talking about words like: Condemned! Might! Perfection! Rebuke! Power! Just! And while it is certainly the case that God is perfectly just…and all that goes with that…there are other words in that First Reading that we frail, weak-kneed, sometimes spineless human beings need to focus on. Care! Lenient! Clemency! Kind! Repentance! Hope!

The first and longer of the three little parables that are this Sunday’s Gospel brings my back yard, as well as my spiritual life, to mind. But when I read and reflect on it, remembering those words that so often enjoy the spotlight by demanding preachers: Condemned! Might! Perfection! Rebuke! Power! Just! I get a little nervous. Who can honestly say that they haven’t had a bad thought or feeling, or an appetite that is contrary to God’s will? Most of the time, we don’t even know where they came from. These “weeds,” like dandelions, thistles, and crabgrass, just appear and then start to take over. And once they get ahold of us, we sometimes feel so overwhelmed that we don’t know where to begin. It’s then that we start with the excuses and let the weeds grow.

Just about the time I panic over the state of my “spiritual garden,” I think about our Second Reading (Romans 8:26-2). Like “the kid,” the Holy Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness. The Holy Spirit searches our hearts and tends to them with Care! The Spirit knows how our lives could look if this or that thought or feeling could be uprooted. With a Kind and gentle hand, The Spirit begins to clear away the bad things so that goodness, charity, and love have room to thrive. And when the work is done, The Spirit “sprays” (with an ecologically-friendly product) our “spiritual garden” with Repentance – a powerful preventative that stops the bad stuff from coming back – or at least slows it down.

When “the kid” pulls into my yard and sees how bad things have once again become, he NEVER condemns or rebukes me. “The kid” is Lenient! He quietly goes to work cleaning things up again. So, too, with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit tempers God’s perfect justice with Clemency, quietly going about the work of removing what is bad and nourishing what is good; and leaving behind an enormous feeling of Hope! After this spiritual gardening, one can’t help but want to keep things looking nice. Sure, our knees are still sore, and our back is still weak, and the ever-present reality that the seeds of spiritual dandelions, crabgrass, and thistles continue to invade. But a visit from The Holy Spirit inspires us to do what we can…to try harder…until that day when The Master Gardener perfects us.

So, how does your yard look this summer? Need a little “TLC?”

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 13:44-52
July 30, 2017

The other morning, I walked into my mother’s apartment at the assisted living facility where she lives. I wasn’t surprised that the TV was blasting. She always has it on full throttle. But I was taken aback by what she was watching. Typically, if she isn’t “attending Mass” or praying the rosary with her EWTN community, she is binging on cable news (surfing all networks so that she can be truly “fair and balanced” in her read on current events.) This particular day, however, I caught her watching reality TV. It wasn’t as bad as the Kardashians. Still, I was surprised to see “Property Brothers” on the screen. If you haven’t had the pleasure, it is one of nearly 20 programs that deal with finding dilapidated homes and turning them into something worthy of “Architectural Digest.”

When I asked Mom if I could turn down the volume, she said: “Oh sure, I’ve seen this episode three other times.” Somehow, we got distracted and I never got around to asking how, when, or why she became interested in the great dilemma of whether to “Flip or Flop.” But, the next time one of those shows came on, I wasn’t so quick to reach for the remote. And while I can’t see me becoming addicted, I did find the one episode I watched very fascinating. By the end of the show, it occurred to me that it was akin to cable network’s version of a parable about the Kingdom of God.

Clearly, “Property Brothers,” like all of the other TV treasure hunters, have a well-trained eye. They see in a run-down, neglected, and even abandoned building the potential for something wonderful. They don’t just assume that there is profit to be made in turning every shack into a palace; they go on a hunt. And some properties just aren’t worth the risk. Throughout the show, it is made clear to the viewer that there is great financial risk. Not every “flip” makes money. There are, unfortunately, after the investment, of lots of time, hard work, and money, many “flops.” What motivates people to commit to this work, take great risks, and expend so much time and energy into a project? They are driven by the hope of producing something spectacular.

So, why do I see these “Fixer Upper” shows as a parable for the Kingdom of God?

Because the eye of God sees with infinite wisdom into the hearts and the lives of each and every human being that The Creator calls into existence. The devastating consequence of the first bad choice…the original sin…is that much of humanity has fallen into a state of spiritual disrepair. Many spiritual lives are simply abandoned, while others are neglected to the point that there appears to be no value left in them. They stand on the verge of collapsing in on themselves. But, God does not give up. At Romans 8:1, St. Paul tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And so, like a treasure hunter with the best trained eye, the Holy Spirit continually searches our hearts and our minds…looking for the greatest of treasures…a pearl of infinite value…Christ! And, having recognized the potential in a heart to become something wonderful once again…what God created us to be…the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And God, then, moves forward, “taking the risk,” and begins the process of renewing us, renovating and restoring us…recreating us.

Still, it must be remembered that God is perfectly just. And, in justice, finding a soul that has absolutely no value, no potential, no hope…then there is no choice but to pass that soul by. But, the work of salvation continues…the work of building the Kingdom of God, motivated by the hope that, one day, all creation will be restored to that plan that God had in the beginning!

There is one final connection that I have made between cable TV home improvement shows and the Kingdom of God. One of the more popular programs was called “Trading Places.” That is what God has done with Jesus Christ. God has sent His Son to live among us so that God can see and love in us that which God sees and loves in Jesus.

Jesus IS the treasure. Jesus is the great pearl. And when the Holy Spirit completes the healing work on our damaged spiritual lives…that’s how each of us will look. We will look like the Resurrected Christ.

So turn up the volume on the Holy Spirit and prepare for a “makeover.”

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
MT 17:1-9
August 6, 2017

Celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord midsummer on what otherwise would have been the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time enables us to revisit the mountaintop where we found ourselves on the Second Sunday of Lent. The views from mountaintops change with the seasons. Maybe the same holds true as we, once again, enjoy the spiritual vista from the lookout, where, just a few short months ago, we stood with Peter, James, and John.

Back then, they (like we) followed The Lord up a narrow, rocky, switchback path to the summit. The hike was a way of conditioning their (and our) spirits for what was to come. Jesus, like a modern day “trainer,” designed a spiritual workout for the three (and for us) to strengthen faith…bulk up hope…and exercise love in preparation for the next grueling challenge (theirs and ours): the struggle to the summit of Calvary. The hike up Transfiguration Mountain was rewarded by a vision of the glorified Lord. Witnessing Christ in all of His glory prepared them (and us) to witness His Passion and death.

But Seasons change.

And if, after Easter, they (like we do this weekend) returned to Transfiguration Mountain, the view would have been quite different. It was the season of Grace; the grace that we won through The Lord’s suffering, death, and resurrection.

If they made a return trip, the hike would have been much less challenging for them. Grace is very empowering. They would have felt invigorated…renewed…energized…strong! Their faith, hope, and love now fully developed, they would have made the journey with a deeper understanding of what they experienced on their first visit. Recalling the past events on Transfiguration Mountain, they might well have asked themselves: Who was it that was actually “transfigured” that day…Him or us?

Is it possible that Jesus wasn’t changed, but that for a brief moment, they were? Could it be that it was Peter, James, and John who were “transformed,” if only for an instant? On that day described in Matthew’s Gospel, did the three enjoy a moment of enhanced spiritual vision, so that for the first time since He called them to follow Him, they saw the fullness of Jesus Christ…not just The Lord’s human nature…but also His Divine nature?

We know this much to be true: What happened that day fortified Peter, James, and John so that they were able to endure what was to happen shortly on another mountaintop.

So, too, for us!

In the Eucharist, we are offered the same mountaintop experience and the same opportunity to see with enhanced vision the reality of life in this world and the promise of sharing in the glory of the Risen Christ in the next. Like Peter, James, and John, the Eucharist fortifies us, enabling us to continue our climb up the Holy Mountain, confident that when we reach the summit, we will be able to see forever. Enjoy the view!

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 14:22-33
August 13, 2017

Jesus’s “walking on water” is a very dramatic Gospel that is well known to people of faith and to non-believers as well. It is a story about the power of nature and the greater power of Jesus Christ. It speaks to the power fear has over human nature and the desire for self-preservation. It offers a glimpse of the superior power of faith.

Two images from the past weekend kept running through my mind as I began to reflect on Peter’s very impetuous leap from the boat.

Last Saturday evening, I attended a wedding reception. Like the other guests, I was fully focused on the head table, as the maid of honor offered a toast to her big sister and new brother-in-law. She began by explaining that it was after their very first date that she started to think that her sister had found “the one,” explaining that: “she turned red when she talked about him.” Her suspicions were confirmed when she realized the couple had seen each other 75 days in a row. When she asked her sister: “How can you stand to be around each other so much?” The reply was simple but profound: “When you love someone, you don’t want to be apart.”

Love often does that to people. With the spontaneous, almost thoughtless reaction we see in Peter, people take the leap. They simply jump, often without a second thought, from their way of life (single life) into a relationship. And we all know things can get rough really fast.

The groom’s brother was very realistic in toasting the newlyweds. The best man spoke of the inevitable challenges of marriage. When a storm hits, he encouraged the newlyweds to turn to God and to loved ones before the ship sinks. In his own way, the young man, dressed in a tuxedo and holding up a glass of champagne, offered a suitable reflection on the Readings for this 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time. God is always there to help us through whatever nature, or human nature might throw at us. God is waiting with open arms to keep us from sinking.

Then, on Sunday morning, I had the great pleasure of baptizing an 8-month-old baby boy. Every single time I have the joy of co-operating with the Holy Spirit in awakening the Life of Christ in a little child, I “squint my spiritual vision” and try to get a glimpse of what the future holds for the child. And I pray! In fact, I feel a much more urgent and intense need to pray while standing at the Baptismal Font than when I am at the deathbed of an elder of our Church. It’s much easier to forecast what is to come when a Christian who has tried to live a Gospel-filled life is about to leap out of the boat into the dark, turbulent sea of death. Christ is there to calm the fearsome storm and to grab us into an eternal embrace of perfect peace, love, and joy.

But for the young child?

Maybe it boils down to this: Will a newborn in Christ take the leap and walk through life on the waters of Baptism…or will they sink into the dark depths of this world?

But there is no need to conclude on such a somber note. Our Readings, each in their own way, assure us that God is to be found in the eye of the storm. When the wind howls, thunder booms, lightning strikes…listen to that calming voice of Jesus…Do not be afraid! And keep on walking. The waters of Baptism will support you!

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 15:21-28
August 20, 2017

A 20-year-old man from Maumee, Ohio, has added his name to the growing list of hate mongers. Last Saturday, motivated by racial prejudice, he committed a heinous crime against humanity. Responding to the call of like-minded white supremacists, he traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia, to join in a “white nationalist rally.” The fringe group was inflamed by the decision of local government to remove the statue of Confederate Civil War General Robert E. Lee from a city park. Using an automobile as an instrument of terror, the young man intentionally drove into a crowd of counter-protestors, gathered to resist the evil that had descended upon their community. So far, he is accused of causing one death. He injured at least 19 other people. There is only one thing that could motivate this young person from northwestern Ohio to do such a thing. Hatred!

Even before the act of vehicular terrorism, the tone of the protest was shocking to the conscience. It took enormous courage on the part of the women and men to stand in opposition to the malignancy that invaded their city. They must have known that there would be trouble, but they took the risk to stand up for a just cause.

Likewise, it took enormous courage for a Canaanite woman to muscle her way through a crowd in order to get close enough to Jesus to call out: Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David.

Referring to Him as “Son of David” might have been intended as her acknowledgment, or admission, that The Lord was different than she. The un-named woman was a foreigner, a pagan who did not belong in, or could not have expected to be warmly welcomed by this Jewish crowd. In fact, she exposed herself to both ridicule as well as the possibility of bodily harm just by being there.

What was her motivation? Love!

A mother’s love for her child emboldened the woman to mingle with a crowd that might well have turned their prejudice, mistrust, and dislike of someone “different” into violence. Mother’s love gave her courage but did not earn her a place in the Gospels. It was her faith that caused her name to be added to the long list of Gospel heroes.

When she first approached Him, Jesus responded to her as the “supremacists” in the crowd would have expected. It’s next to impossible to imagine Jesus using a harsh voice, but His words, nevertheless, must have stung. Reading the minds of the people who thought themselves better than her, The Lord echoed their bigotry and contempt. He called her a dog! And the people who overheard most likely nodded their heads in agreement and cheered Him on….just like the people who inspired and encouraged the young man from Maumee, Ohio. Vicious crowds tend to be like that. Those who hate encourage others to join in their hate.

But her need was great, her love for her daughter all-consuming, and her faith unshakable. And so, at great risk to her personal safety, she persisted. It was then that Jesus took the risk.

It was a risk for Him to recognize her and “elevate” her status. It was an even greater risk for Him to compliment her faith. “Supremacists” tend to be completely intolerant. The Lord’s acceptance of this woman was enough to drive many would-be followers away. Jesus’s admiration of the woman’s faith could well have triggered…on the spot…violence against Him. As it was, the memory of this encounter with a pagan foreigner lingered and festered in dark minds and could well have been included in the Good Friday false testimony against Him. But the memory of the incident has quite the opposite effect on people of good will. The interaction between Jesus and the pagan woman is a lesson in tolerance and acceptance, as well as the need to be persistent in seeking what is good.

Once He had everyone’s attention, The Lord took the opportunity to teach about the absolute supremacy of faith. His lesson is totally consistent with The Old Testament. In our First Reading, Isaiah explains that those who live in just faith, regardless of their origin, will be rewarded. This lesson is not unique to Isaiah, but is consistent with the teachings of all of the Prophets and in harmony with our Second Reading.

St. Paul, himself, was once a “nationalist” who actively persecuted Christians. But then he encountered The Risen Christ and embraced the Gospel! He came to understand that God does not take sides. God does not label us the way we label one another. God does not afford a privileged status to one group over another, but reaches out to all people in love and with infinite mercy and kindness.

And that is exactly how Jesus responded to this foreign woman so filled with faith. He looked at her with love and mercy.

I think maybe the status of these three Readings needs to be elevated. I think it’s especially important that we take today’s lesson we are offered on this 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time from the page and plant it firmly in our minds and our hearts. We are living through times where hate, prejudice, discrimination, and violence are becoming almost routine. People possessed by demons…not thinking clearly…are doing horrific things. It is the duty of Christians to resist all of this growing darkness, even if it means taking risks.

For the love of Christ and the Gospel, it is incumbent upon disciples to courageously persist in speaking out against all things contrary to God’s supreme law of love. And there is no better prayer than the words of the heroic risk-taker from today’s Gospel: Have pity on us Lord, Son of David.

Be persistent in praying those powerful words and our faith will drive the demons from our midst.

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 16:13-20
August 27, 2017

A few months ago, I helped a close friend, one of the senior priests of the Diocese, (even more senior than myself) “car shop.” It’s not that I have any particular skill in the “art of the deal,” but I am blessed to have yet another close friend who owns a car dealership. I explained to my “priest friend” that he could rely on my “car friend” not to steer him in the wrong direction. Eventually, a selection was made and off he drove. But it didn’t go as smoothly as you might think. Because of advanced age, limited finances, and the trauma any major change brings with it, my “priest friend” was a reluctant buyer. Even that intoxicating new car smell didn’t seem to calm his nerves about this major transaction.

Several weeks later, he happened to drop by my house while I was in the midst of a fevered hunt for my own car keys, which somehow go missing at least once a week. My frustration was obvious to him. Even after we sat down for a little visit, he could tell I was distracted. My eyes kept wandering around the room in hopes of finding those darn keys! Finally, he rolled his eyes, and in a tone of obvious delight, he said: “Well, if you would come out of the dark ages and get yourself a new car like mine, you wouldn’t even need keys. Car keys are a thing of the past!”

After he left, I finally tracked down my keys, and as I looked at them with obvious relief, I also felt a bit of nostalgia. I remembered the feelings of maturity, pride, and even freedom I felt the first time my dad handed me the keys to his car so that I could go somewhere on my own. I thought about the deep gratitude that welled up in me on the day I graduated from college and my parents handed me the keys to a brand new, shiny, red VW Beetle. Over the years, I’ve been handed the keys to a number of new cars, new homes, and even new parishes. And each time keys pass from someone else’s hand to mine, they bring with them a mixture of complicated emotions, foremost being a sense of responsibility.

Call me old fashioned, but I think we might be losing something important by replacing keys with things like codes, face and voice recognition, and microchips. I can foresee the day when a child touring the Vatican will ask: “What is St. Peter holding in his hands, Mommy?” And when she replies, “That’s a key, honey,” the child will ask another question: “What’s a key?”

If all of this seems a bit silly, then consider for a moment how so many younger people these days seem to have forgotten, if they ever knew in the first place, the significance of Baptism. For some reason, many younger folks tend to regard this first of the three Sacraments of Initiation as “old fashioned.” Others seem to be like the proverbial reluctant buyer. Age often explains spiritual reluctance: “I’m not there yet in my life. When I get older and have more time…then maybe.”

All too frequently, new parents are saying: “We’re not going to make the decision for the baby. When he gets old enough, he can choose for himself.”

There are also financial reasons why younger folks hesitate to take the plunge into the Living Waters. They might not be aware of the benefits of Baptism, but somehow, they understand the cost. And they feel it’s a little too steep for them to sign on the dotted line.

It’s not a matter of dollars and cents. The cost of discipleship involves the commitment of time and energy. Many suffer from sticker shock when they learn that being part of the Body of Christ involves more than participating in the Sacramental life of the Church. Christianity carries with it the responsibility for others as well. Following Christ means continuing His mission and ministry. The Baptized are called to heal, to feed the hungry, to forgive sinners, to speak out against injustice, to protect the vulnerable (including the environment), to bring comfort and peace to the suffering, and to share the Good News!

Finally, by its very nature, discipleship is a group activity. It’s more than friends helping friends. It is the way of Christians to embrace all people as sisters and brothers. This involves a dramatic change from the way of the world which places the needs and wants of the individual above all else. That kind of change can be traumatic, especially for the self-centered.

It all boils down to this:

It wasn’t just St. Peter who was handed “the keys.” In a way, each person who is called to new life in the Spirit through Baptism is given “the keys” to the Kingdom. And every time we pass the font, we should remember what that means. Every time we dip our hands in the Living Water and bless ourselves, we should be overwhelmed with a wide range of complicated emotions…a sense of spiritual maturity…a sense of liberation, having been freed from sin and death…a sense of pride that we have been chosen to walk with Christ…and a sense of profound gratitude for this priceless gift, the gift of keys which will gain us entry into eternal life. The intoxicating smell of Chrism should never fade but continue to remind us of who we are and what is expected of us.

Baptism is the key that enables us to come out of the dark ages so that we might live in the Light of Christ. Christ is The Key!

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 16:21-27
September 3, 2017

Early last winter, I was contacted by a priest friend asking if I could preside at the Sunday Masses at his parish, both Memorial Day as well as Labor Day weekends. As I entered both dates in my calendar, I recall thinking to myself: That guy really plans ahead! But before I knew it, I was calling his community to prayer.

Before the final blessing, I told the folks that I hoped they would have a great summer and that I would be back to pray with them Labor Day weekend. And then I got a laugh when I asked the extremely talented Music Minister if she happened to know the song by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons that was popular in my youth: “See you in September.” She did! And much to all of our delight, she sang the refrain. (If you are under 50, check it out on YouTube.)

Maybe it was the song, or the warm sunny day, or the picnic I was heading to…or a combination of all three, but as I was walking to my car after Mass that Memorial Day weekend, I was especially aware of the fact that I had THE WHOLE SUMMER AHEAD OF ME!

Well, here we are on Labor Day weekend, and I have joined the chorus of voices asking: What happened to summer?

This was the year I was going to spend two UNINTERRUPTED weeks at my family’s cottage. (I haven’t spent one single night there.) This was the summer I was going to plant an herb garden in my yard. (I didn’t even bother to buy geraniums in pots.) This was the summer I was going to get all kinds of projects done around the house. (I still haven’t cleaned last fall’s leaves out of the garage.) So what did I do with my time? I can’t really say, but a new season is about to begin and our Readings all seem to speak to how we can use time wisely.

Jesus Himself had a very short “season” in this world and a whole lot to accomplish. As far as Peter and the rest of the Apostles and disciples were concerned, it was an “endless summer.” It was exciting following Jesus as He taught and preached, healed and fed, forgave and rehabilitated. They felt like the Season of Jesus would never end. But the Lord had one primary mission to accomplish, and He understood that it could not be delayed or postponed. Those other things that made the Apostles and disciples proud to be part of the Lord’s work were profoundly important. Nevertheless, miracle-making was not what The Father sent the Son to do. And there was nothing that Peter, or anyone else, could say or do to keep Jesus from fulfilling His mission. He was entirely focused on God’s plan for Him…offering His Body as a living sacrifice…the perfect and unrepeatable Sacrifice…Holy and pleasing in God’s sight.

So we end this summer with the all-important question: How will the season of my earthly life end? Will I leave behind a long list of: “I was going to!” “I always intended to!” “Gosh, I wish I had!” And we begin this new season with a fresh opportunity to transform ourselves. We enter into the autumn of 2017 equipped with the wisdom of these Readings, urging us to discern what God is asking of us and then striving to fulfill that mission.

There is always going to be that little voice within us…or that friend, trying to persuade us to use our time in a different way. But the wise person will turn a deaf ear on every effort to distract and continue to focus on what God is asking. It really is important to plan ahead…way, way ahead…looking not just to the end of a season…but to the end of our lives.

So…sing along with me: See you in eternity…or lose you…to a summer love!

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 18:15-20
September 10, 2017

The Gospel passage for this 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time is a little like the Grand Canyon; there is so much to take in that you don’t know where to look. At the moment, however, headline news together with the first two Readings seems to direct our attention towards the themes of WARNINGS and POWER!

The growing nuclear arsenal of North Korea and the four hurricanes are major topics of concern these days. All of the threats and warnings from other nations seem to have done nothing to quiet the ambitions of this rogue nation to become a nuclear power. Many residents in coastal areas have the same feeling. In spite of the tragic experiences from hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, there were Texans who stubbornly ignored the warnings, preferring to stay in their homes and face the power of nature. There are always some who ignore warnings and even mandatory orders to evacuate, insisting on weathering the storm.

All three of our Readings, in one way or another, are WARNINGS!

The prophet is charged with the duty to warn against behavior that is offensive to God. Appeasement is not an option. The spiritual life is no place for negotiations. Turning a blind eye to offenses against God’s Law seems more of a risk than that taken by the offender.

This seems unfair, doesn’t it? Warning someone to change their ways also seems as impossible as trying to negotiate an end to nuclear escalation…or to talk a hurricane into changing directions and heading back to sea.

Consider how our Church has been the target of a great deal of criticism for the warnings we continue to voice about the sanctity of human life. Pope Francis was challenged for the warnings he has set out in his encyclical Laudato Si, urging greater care for our planet. The American Bishops have been in the crosshairs of public opinion when they send out messages of warning on social justice issues such as our country’s immigration policies, labor laws, and universal health care. How many parents have tried to warn their children about some spiritual transgression, only to be rebuffed, ridiculed, or even shut out of their children’s lives?

It really is an inconvenient truth that efforts to exercise the absolute obligation to WARN are risky business, very often futile, and the cause of great suffering. But we must consider ourselves warned…warned not to remain silent.

In our Gospel, Jesus lays out an approach to this sort of thing. He encourages persistence. If one fails in the first effort, try something different. If that doesn’t work, take another approach. Should that prove unsuccessful, escalate efforts.

It is impossible to convince a hurricane to change course, and sometimes it is impossible to call someone to conversion. When that is the reality, then Jesus counsels not to risk being drawn deeper into the storm; but “to evacuate.” There are times when there simply is no choice but to leave things behind and to move on to a place of safety and shelter.

That’s the warning part of our Readings. There is also the matter of POWER!

In the Second Reading, St. Paul explains what motivates someone to raise a prophetic voice, warning against things that are in opposition to God’s will and God’s way. It is all about love…love of God and love of neighbor. Love is the reason for the obligation, the power that drives our efforts, the reward when our efforts are successful, and the balm that heals our wounds when it looks like our best efforts have failed.

I warned you that this week is the “Grand Canyon” of Readings. Where do you begin? Possibly by focusing on just one area in your life where your voice…your word of warning, spoken in love…might make a difference. Take a risk. Be persistent. Don’t give up if your first efforts seem to have been futile. Look for a different approach. And if you reach the point that you honestly believe that there can be no resolution, take shelter in God’s love.

And never lose sight of the fact that you are more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction, or any force of nature when you speak and act out of love. Love is God and God is love. There is no greater power! And that power is at your complete disposal. Take a risk and use it.

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 18:21-35
September 17, 2017

There are a great many references in Sacred Scripture to the extremely important human relationship we almost casually refer to as “friendship.” There are reminders, such as the passage above, to the blessings of a good and faithful friend. On the other hand, there are also warnings about the dangers to be had from false friendships. It’s easy to see what inspired St. Thomas Aquinas to write: There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.

I remember the day when the above passage from Sirach was included in Morning Prayer. It touched me in an unusual way. Rather than rejoicing in the enormous treasury of good and faithful friends with which I am blessed, I began to examine my conscience and reflect on the times that I have been undeserving of all the goodness and joy these “true friends” bring into my life.

If one is honest with oneself, it doesn’t take long to remember times when we have done or failed to do something for a “good and faithful friend.” When my reflection was complete, as a self-imposed penance, I forwarded the Sirach passage to a number of folks who are, indeed, my “true friends.” I didn’t add any thought or explanation or greeting, just the Bible passage.

To my great surprise, almost everyone responded in kind. Not with another Scripture passage, but with an expression of gratitude, followed by something akin to an apology for not living up to the accolade. Those replies made me even more confident that these people are…TRUE FRIENDS!

The fact of the matter is, no one is a perfect friend. I can say this with certainty, because we all suffer from the vestiges of original sin. Our inherited guilt leaves us too self-centered to be totally selfless. And so, to one degree or another, we are always letting others down and putting our own interests first, easily excusing or justifying our transgressions. But, at the same time, and because of our inherent “self-centeredness,” we set the bar very high for others.

This is where forgiveness comes into play. Forgiveness is not a matter of mathematics. It should be a state of awareness, wherein we are continually coming to terms with human frailties…our own, and those with whom we are in a relationship, whatever the nature of the relationship might be. At Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus is clearly encouraging us to overpower our selfish nature with the superior power of forgiveness. The teaching is supported by a parable that reinforces the reality that there are often severe repercussions in withholding forgiveness of a TRUE FRIEND. And, in those cases where a relationship is not “true, nor a sturdy shelter, draining rather than a treasure, life-threatening rather than a spiritual and emotional medicine,” our First Reading is especially helpful. Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hangs on to them. Remember your last days…hate not your neighbor. To quote an expression that has become most popular: Let it go! Let the relationship go as well as the anger, resentment, and desire for revenge. Forgive and forget!

The Good News in all of this is that, in spite of our own failures, we have the truest and most loving of friends. Our relationship with the Lord was described in a poem written in 1855 by Joseph M. Scriven, an Irish immigrant to Canada. Set to music at a later date, it still has the power to soften the hardest of hearts.

If you happen to have trouble “forgiving”…“Take it to the Lord in prayer!”

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 20:1-16A
September 24, 2017

One doesn’t have to search too far in the Old Testament in order to find a conflict between what Israel considered in its “national best interest” and what God was asking of the Chosen People. Over and over again, we see how human thoughts do not always track God’s thoughts or ways. And each and every time Israel moved away from God’s plan, pursuing what seemed at the time to be the most advantageous direction for their interests, there was a stiff price to pay. Thankfully, each and every time they repented, God proved to be most generous in forgiving.

The remarkable thing is that they never seemed to learn from their mistakes. And each and every time, the culprit that motived the national misstep seemed to be a sense of entitlement. In other words, they found themselves in deep trouble when, in a selfish or self-serving manner, they claimed a vested interest in something that, in God’s way of thinking, should be a universal interest. Theologian Monika Hellwig put it this way: Our notions of justice are petty and self-serving when compared with Divine justice.

The Readings for this 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time would be a perfect lens to send to Washington D.C. as our nation’s leaders struggle with a wide range of social justice issues, searching for what is in our “national best interest,” immigration and border security at the top of the list.

Granted, the barbaric terrorist attacks have caused most western nations to close in on themselves. With every new report of a bombing or shooting, the terrorist alert is elevated. It certainly seems that it is in the “national best interest” to secure the borders and track down and deport anyone who is already in residence who poses a realistic threat to homeland security.

In this country, the hot topic of debate these days is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This law has become a political ping pong ball…that our leaders keep bouncing back and forth with no reasonable solution in sight. So-called “dreamers,” thought to number about 800,000, are those who entered this country illegally as minors. While there are undoubtedly some bad guys among them, the vast majority of these young people aspire only to “the American dream” of a decent standard of living.

Those who oppose more lenient immigration laws certainly raise solid arguments about what is in the “national best interest.” Still, one must wonder whether an underlying reason to resist an open door policy for “properly vetted” folks seeking nothing more than a better way of life is motivated by something other than concern over terrorism. Just possibly, the dreams of “the dreamers” appear to challenge the dreams of those who came first. When we claim vested interest in anything, arguing that it is unjust to threaten what rightfully belongs to us…we are thinking like human beings and not like God. When we claim exclusive right to anything that God intended for universal good…in other words, for everyone…we are in danger.

With His parable about the workers in the vineyard and the surprisingly generous landowner, Jesus is not attempting to frame an immigration policy. What this story lesson does underscore, however, is God’s message delivered by Isaiah the Prophet.

God’s ways are not our ways…and our ways get us into trouble as a nation, a Church, a family…when a sense of “vested interest” or “entitlement” or “superiority” or “worthiness” clouds our thinking and prevents us from seeing that our BEST INTEREST is when our thoughts and actions track with God’s plan for what is fair and just…even when it seems to threaten our thoughts and dreams of how things should be.

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 21:28-32
October 1, 2017

It probably would have been a good idea for me to take this weekend off.

I say that because a preacher should practice what they preach. On this 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, I confess, I find that hard to do…practice what I am about to preach. You see, I am “a grumbler.”

Like many firstborn, I was the first to be enlisted to do household chores. Take care of your little sister! Come and dry the dishes, please! The lawn needs mowing!

Now, I’m not quite certain just when it was that the “grumbling” began, but most likely about the time that I realized that my siblings had reached the age when they were equally as capable as myself, but I was always the one to be called upon. I suspect as well that the “grumbling” intensified as the younger ones learned how to “excuse themselves” from either pitching in or for failing to do what they agreed to do. I know for a fact that the “grumbling” reached a feverish pitch when it became clear to me that they always got away with it…and I ended up doing what they said they would do.

So, I’m probably not the best person to preach on this set of Readings because personal experience has left me defensive of the kid that spent his whole day in the vineyard while his brother went his merry way. And my feelings are definitely not unique. Any confessor will tell you that at the top of the list of most frequently confessed sins is the frustration and resentment that responsible children feel over the way siblings seem to “get away with it.” Equally annoying is how parents seem to accept the excuses and pass on the work to the one they can count on. Why wouldn’t we grumble?

Had He asked for your opinion, how would you have answered the Lord? What do you think? Which of the two did his father’s will?

If we’re being honest, we “grumblers” would probably say: “neither!” We know the dark feelings that erupt into “grumbling”…as we trudge off to the vineyard to get the job done. Deep in our hearts, we know that our labors are somehow tainted by our bad attitudes. As for the kid who says: Sure, Dad…I’ll go spend the day in the vineyard, only to blow it off…how can that be doing his father’s will?

Which of the two did his father’s will? Isn’t the correct answer: “neither?” Or is the correct answer to Jesus’s question: It’s not for me to say.

That certainly seems to be the correct answer if we carry forward the lesson from last Sunday. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts…and God’s ways are not our ways! Moreover, last week seemed to be a cautionary lesson against judging others…and even about the futility in grumbling and complaining.

In our First Reading this week, God echoes back to us the complaint we so often raise: This isn’t fair! Read on and you’ll hear Ezekiel warn about that kind of attitude, encouraging change. The Gospel itself concludes with a call to change. And the change we are encouraged to consider is laid out plainly in the Second Reading.

Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus!

If, then, I have to practice what I preach…I need to change my attitude, forego the grumbling, and get the job done, without looking over my shoulder to see what the other guy is doing. How about you?

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 21:33-43
October 8, 2017

Last week, another high-ranking government official lost his prestigious and powerful White House position because he apparently chartered expensive private jets to transport him around the country at taxpayers’ expense. The House Oversight Committee is said to be looking into other officials who might have violated the public trust in the same fashion.

Shocking? It shouldn’t be!

In fact, the folks most taken aback by the investigations are probably those being investigated. With power comes privilege…RIGHT? So what is the issue here? These guys are doing important work for the country. Why should they have to fly the friendly skies in the unfriendly seats that most taxpayers sit in?

Dial this down a little. Why shouldn’t I use the company car to run my personal errands? What’s the harm in picking up the check for my buddies and turning it in as a business expense? No one is going to miss this…a new supply just came in, and we’re running low at home. It really is pretty easy to justify our actions, whether we are pocketing paper clips or jetting around like rock stars. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be…at least until Christ returns to set things right. Power and prestige seeks privilege without concern to what is right and just.

The religious leaders who listened on as Jesus told the parable about the murderous tenants knew He was talking about them because they were guilty of violating their master’s trust. Of course, they took offense to the parable, adding this to the growing list of indictable offenses against the Lord.

It seems that the Apostles and disciples didn’t recognize this story as the foretelling of His own death and the tragic end to life as they knew it. However, it’s a historic fact, however, that about 30 years after The Crucifixion, Roman legions descended upon The Holy City, destroying the Temple, reducing a proud nation to a refugee people, and leaving Jerusalem in ruin. In short, their abuse of power and the abuse of trust that God placed in them cost the Scribes and Pharisees and the High Priest himself their jobs.

Think of it this way:

In the beginning, God gave humankind enormous power and prestige. Not only were we created in the image and likeness of God, but God entrusted to us, for our use and enjoyment, all the rest of creation. God imposed few restrictions or conditions on our “tenancy.” Certainly, we are called to remember that all good things come from and continue to belong to God. That knowledge, in and of itself, should motivate feelings of gratitude and an eagerness to use what has been entrusted to us in a way that is pleasing to The Creator.

However, power and prestige somehow leave us susceptible to a spiritual amnesia! As we get more comfortable with privileges…large and small…we begin to take them for granted. This leaves us in danger of forgetting that we are only tenants living off the largess of a kind and loving Owner.

Losing sight of who we are, we quickly forget about the conditions and restrictions on our use and enjoyment of those things that rightly belong to God. Compliance with our lease becomes more and more difficult and excuses and defenses easier and easier to dream up. Few move from paper clips to chartered jets, but, at one time or another, most fail to give God what is due and owing. No matter how big or small the violation, it is still detrimental to our spiritual lives to lose sight of the truth that all good things come from and belong to God.

On God’s part, there is the expectation that we use what has been lent to us in a way that benefits all creation. Those are the terms of the lease!

So the question of the week is: “How good a tenant am I?”

You certainly do not want to be served with a spiritual eviction notice!

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 22:1-14
October 15, 2017

The Readings on this 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, take me back several years to the early and tragic death of a celebrity.

St. Paul’s self-description in our Second Reading (Phil 2:12-14, 19-20) tells us that he knew “how to live in humble circumstances.” But, Paul goes on to say that he also knew “how to live with abundance.” The celebrity came from humble circumstances but went on to accumulate a significant fortune. That’s where the similarity breaks down.

Paul explains: I can do all things in Him Who strengthens me.The celebrity’s extremely public life, leads one to assume that she looked other places for strength, than to Christ. Destructive things like alcohol and drugs seemed to have been where she turned at times when she was feeling fragile, weak, or vulnerable. Rather than enabling her to do great things like St. Paul, her source of strength brought about her untimely death.

The celebrity’s flamboyant life, lived out very much in the public eye caused her death to be highly newsworthy. The Christian funeral service attracted the full force of the press and excerpts were widely broadcast on television. There was a circus atmosphere to the service, which only added to the sadness. Possibly the thing that was most distressful about the entire thing, at least for Catholic Christians, was the pall that was draped over the casket. It was shiny, pink satin with pink “feather boas” hanging down the sides.

Whoever planned this celebrity funeral must have been present at, and taken notice of, the rich symbols we use during a Mass of Christian Burial. But they could not possibly have understood the meaning behind the symbols; at least not the meaning of the pall. Maybe it was intended to conceal the harsh reality of a casket with something “glitzy.” Possibly the pink satin and the feathers worked well with the over all color scheme of the funeral. Or, more likely the color and fabrics were among the celebrity’s favorite things…speaking to who she was and what she was all about. If however, this stylized pall was intended to be a “Christian symbol”, it missed the mark.

The pall is placed over the lifeless earthly body at the beginning of the Funeral Mass. When possible this is done at, or near the Baptismal Font, where the body is blessed with the Living Waters. The white pall, speaks to something that occurred in the past. It brings to mind the white garment that babies are dressed in at infant baptism, or the clothing change of adults emerging from the font at the Easter Vigil (they are encouraged to enter dressed in black and after Baptism change into white). The funeral pall speaks to the reality that in Baptism, we “put on Christ.”

At the same time, the pall directs our attention to the ultimate and endless future. It evokes the hope for all Christians who have tried to live their lives in a way befitting of someone “clothed in Christ Jesus.” When we leave time and enter into eternity, the pall…which some might consider to be a funeral garment…in a real sense, is a “wedding garment. It speaks to the truth that the “required dress” for the heavenly banquet is Christ.

It’s hard to imagine that the choreographer of the celebrity’s funeral had even the slightest comprehension of the meaning of the funeral pall, or the spiritual reality that this garment represents. Is there any time in our lives when we need more strength, then when we breathe our last breath? Our strength to step out of time and into Eternal Peace comes from Christ…definitely not the things that pink satin and feather boas represent.

Think of it this way. Even a stranger can identify the bride at a wedding reception. On that day when you stand at the entry to eternity, will you be easily recognized as “an invited guest?”

A more sobering, but critically important question for self reflection is this: Which is most fitting to me…pink satin and feathers…or the pure, white funeral pall?

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 22:15-21
October 22, 2017

In order to get a sense of what is going on in today’s Gospel, think about what’s going on in our country today.

For example, when it was announced that Andrew Jackson’s portrait would no longer appear on the face of the $20 bill and would be replaced with a picture of Harriet Tubman, the news was celebrated as a social victory by some Americans. Others were infuriated, declaring that they would not use the bill once minted. People’s reactions were motivated by a number of varied beliefs and opinions which fueled emotions. The point is that the image on the $20 bill became one of the battles in the multi-front cultural war that is raging in and dividing our nation today.

The sociopolitical climate of Judea during Jesus’s time was very similar. There were many factions within the Jewish people as they were struggling to maintain a national identity while occupied by Rome, which had forcibly incorporated the Promised Land and the Holy City of Jerusalem into the Empire. In today’s Gospel, it’s almost surprising that two factions that would be expected to be on opposite sides of an issue appear to have joined together in a conspiracy against Jesus. This is telling of how Jesus was in the eye of the cultural and political storm.

Apparently, neither the religious Pharisees nor the royal Herodians had the nerve to do the job themselves. They primed in advance underlings who, today, we would call “pundits,” sent to engage The Lord in a discussion when they were not truly interested in discovering what was right and true and good. What they were looking for was hard evidence to use against Jesus. Taxation being a hot button issue, they chose to put Him on the spot, asking whether a faithful Jew should give financial support to Rome.

It’s key to an understanding of this passage, however, to know that more offensive to religious Jews than the obligation to pay taxes was the only acceptable means of doing so. The tax bill could only be paid with Roman coinage. An image of Caesar, who was considered a god by the Romans, was on one side of the coin, and the image of another pagan god was on the flipside. For a religious Jew, there were not two sides to the same coin. Both sides contained a pagan image which was contrary to the Hebraic Law. So then, just as some Americans would prefer to forego including $20 bills in their folding money if the currency had a picture of Harriet Tubman, Jewish people felt that it would be sinful for them to touch these pagan images…which they would have to do in order to pay the tax. This was not just a matter of politics; this was about blasphemy.

So, the well-trained pundits felt that they had Jesus painted into a corner with their question about taxes. If He were to suggest that it was unlawful to pay taxes with the offensive coinage, He would be in trouble with Rome. Had He suggested that taxes are an obligation citizens cannot avoid, He would have been encouraging people to break religious law by using the pagan coin, leaving Him open to charges of blasphemy.

Ironically, the hard evidence of blasphemy was in the pockets of the people looking to accuse Jesus. The Lord asked THEM to produce the coin…and THEY DID. The accusers were guilty of the very offense they were trying to accuse Jesus of.

Of course, we know something they were ignorant about. These “pundits” and the people who sent them were so blinded by the cultural storm that was raging in their country that they did not recognize The Messiah. A far more grievous offense against God than possession of the forbidden, two-faced coin was the two faces with which they stood before the Son of God. Of course, Jesus saw right through the false sincerity with which they asked the trick question.

The most obvious lesson to be learned from this encounter is the reality that people of faith need to live in this world and deal with things such as taxes, civil laws and authorities, politics, and cultural conflicts. God understands this.

But at the same time, Christians are called to strive to live ABOVE the material world. Even as we deal with the issues of our day and age, our focus should always be to the future when the Kingdom of God has arrived in its fullness.

That is the point of the second part of Jesus’s masterful response to the trick question. And so, we turn to our Second Reading where St. Paul tells us just what it is that is due and owing to God…work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So how does a good Christian enter into the multi-front cultural war that is raging in our nation today? We must stay faithful to God’s will and God’s way set forth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our motivation for all we say and do must be love…not victory…but love. And, no matter how desperate things become, we should never lose hope that, at the appointed time, Jesus will return in all of His glory…and the cultural wars of the ages will come to an end…and ALL WILL BE ALL!

In other words, far more important than the image on our coins is the face we show to the world. When people see faith, hope, and love on our faces…they see Christ…and only in Christ will there be peace!

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 22:34-40
October 29, 2017

Our First Reading from the Book of Exodus is easily compared and contrasted with our Gospel. To start, both are about God’s Law.

However, Exodus is detailed and explicit. It even carries with it a penalty clause for disobedience. By contrast, Matthew’s report of yet another challenging encounter with religious leaders shows Jesus radically simplifying things. The Lord reduces the Commandments to two base requirements: Love God and love neighbor. The only real “detail” that The Lord inserts is that “the second is like the first.” In other words, the expectation is that we should see The Divine image in all of humanity and respond to every other human being as we should respond to our Creator, with respect and with love.

How much more simple can it get?

Think of it this way. For centuries, people in English-speaking countries enjoyed what is called a “participation dance.” Certainly, my generation learned it in early elementary school, when, on rainy days, the desks would be pushed to the walls and we would gather in a circle in the middle of the classroom. If memory serves, The Hokey Pokey was as much fun as touch football or dodgeball on the playground.

As we sang the song and went through the gestures, everyone (even Sister) was in a good mood. It raised our spirits on dreary days. There were no winners or losers, no competition or rivalry, and no injuries. It was something we did as individuals…together. I would imagine, for younger children, the silly little song and dance was actually a learning experience. It enhanced listening and memory skills. At the same time, the weather bound kids got some exercise in a way that everyone was on an equal playing field. There is no quarterback or pitcher in the Hokey Pokey. Everyone simply lays aside inhibitions and enters into the spirit of the dance. Somehow, the “participation dance” is more than fun, it is an experience of joy. Not surprising, years later, I found myself still doing the Hokey Pokey at wedding receptions.

So, too, with God’s simplified, two-pronged Law of Love. EVERYONE as INDIVIDUALS but TOGETHER push the demands of the material world to the sidelines. Joined together in a circle of faith, we “put our right arms in,” and as a community of faith, raise our hands in prayer and worship of our God. We “put our left arms in,” and, in charity, reach out to those in need. We “put our left legs in” to carry us in the direction God calls us. We “put our heads in” and discern how we can best use our God-given gifts and talents to help make the world a better place for everyone to live.

Vibrant Christian Communities have learned that the spiritual life is very much like a “participation dance.” There are no superstars; instead, everyone exercises what God has given them as individuals but together. Each man, woman, and child drops all inhibitions and enters into the dance that is a learning experience, that leads to a deeper understanding and relationship with God and with one another. There is a great spirit that comes about through the “participation dance”… The Holy Spirit…The Spirit of Love. And, when a community reaches that point of the dance where EVERYONE puts their “whole self in,” then The Lord’s Law of Love is perfected in this circle of believers. What a cause for joy!

If this image seems too simple or silly, remember the hymn we so often sing at Eucharist…The Lord of The Dance.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all,
wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all
in the Dance, said he.

So then, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?

Isn’t it: “Do the Hokey Pokey and turn your life around”?

After all…”That’s what it’s all about.”

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 23:1-12
November 5, 2017

I was pleased to be invited to the family gathering marking the 60th wedding anniversary of former parishioners who have remained close friends long after I moved on to another assignment. But more than being happy to be included in the party, I was honored to be asked to preside at a Mass to begin the celebration.

Eucharist was the perfect way for this particular family to come together in honor of their patriarch and matriarch. All five of the adult children have raised their own families within a few miles of the homestead. Each is an active member of the parish in which their parents were married, where they were baptized, and brought their children for baptism. Many take an active role in parish life serving as lector, usher, catechist, and parish council members.

Years back, several of the grandsons were my altar servers, and for this special occasion, two now grown men with children of their own, once again, assisted me at the liturgy. It might well have been as much as 15 years ago that I personally encouraged one of the granddaughters, then a middle school student, to play a song in church during a special Thanksgiving Day mass. Eventually, she became one of the regular parish musicians. She played for the anniversary Mass, with her own daughter by her side, “helping.” Another granddaughter, prominent in the parish youth choir when I was pastor, led the singing.

The dinner that followed was a wonderful party, but for me anyway, the Mass was the highlight of the celebration. It was the perfect example of what the Church strives for whenever we do as Jesus commanded and gather around the Communion Table. There was FULL, ACTIVE, and CONSCIOUS participation.

Frankly, I would not have expected anything less from this family…because that is what their matriarch and patriarch expected of them…and modeled for them…FULL, ACTIVE, and CONSCIOUS participation in our faith.

FULL, ACTIVE, and CONSCIOUS participation in The Body of Christ.

While the entire event was joy-filled, there was one moment that lingers in my mind and heart and will for a long, long time. After the final blessing, I followed the “servers” out of the church into the narthex. I turned around, looking back into the worship space, waiting to greet the folks as they made their way out of the pews.

As the Bible says: “the last shall be first.” So it was that one of the youngest granddaughters, seated in one of the last rows with her children (2 of the 19 great-grandchildren) was leading the entire family out. She held things up for a few minutes when she stopped at the Baptismal font to instruct her children on how to bless themselves. The four generations standing behind her were leaning past one another, or looking over folks’ shoulders to see what was the delay. As they watched this young mom repeat the lesson until her kids got it right (she is a classroom teacher after all) knowing smiles filled their faces. Her approach to catechizing her children was the perfect image of St. Paul’s opening line of this Week’s Second Reading: “We were gentle among you, as a …mother cares for her children.”

That moment explained exactly why Eucharist was the ONLY way…the PERFCT way…for this family to begin the celebration of their parent’s special wedding anniversary. It’s not just blood they share, but it is also the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that makes them “family.” That moment was also telling as to why our Church continues to give witness to the power of Eucharist to bring healing and peace to our wounded world. Mothers and fathers, grandparents and aunts and uncles have continued to PARTICIPATE in the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our faith.

I would wager that Pope Francis would agree with me when I say that more important than Papal Encyclicals, rulings and directives of bishops, or even the best preached homilies by the holiest of pastors, the influence of family is critical to the faith life of a child. It follows as well that FULL, ACTIVE, and CONSCIOUS participation in our faith by Catholic families is critical to the life of our parishes and our Church. Families are the instrument that The Holy Spirit uses to “lay it to heart,” a love of God and our Church. Families are the environment in which children learn to listen to what God is saying to them. Families are the first and primary catechists…and the patriarch and matriarch lead the way.

Certainly, the Readings for this 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time should cause every preacher to reflect on whether they are living what they preach. But below the surface, there is a critical reminder of the importance of keeping Christ as the Center of family life.

My friends are not unique. There are many families like them. But we live in a day and age where there are forces…strong forces…growing stronger all the time…working to draw the next generations away from family and faith. As we bring this liturgical year to a close, it is important to remember that while we have One Father…One Teacher…our God uses helpers…and God’s most valued partners in the work of salvation are mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…FAMILIES…who come together and worship with FULL, ACTIVE, and CONSCIOUS participation.

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 25:1-13
November 12, 2017

There is an international project named “BREAKTHROUGH STARSHOT” that is making rapid advances in the development of wafer-sized space probes, which are a little thicker than a postage stamp. Known by scientists as starchips, or nanocrafts…(“nano” meaning tiny) these ultra-light vehicles are equipped with cameras and other equipment that will gather data from around the universe. The hope is that information will be transmitted back to Earth by the starchips that will enable humankind to discover potentially habitable planets.

Many scientists believe that there is a great urgency to the work of space exploration and travel because the “end times” for planet Earth are upon us. They foresee a mass “exodus” from our home planet to a “new world”, the next “promised land”… if human life is to continue. That is one thing that religion and science agree upon with certainty – Earth cannot last forever.

What does all of this have to do with our Sunday Readings?

“BREAKTHROUGH STARSHOT” is a means to travel deeper into outer space. However, we might also use the concept as a vehicle to transport us deeper into Jesus’s teaching about the coming of the Kingdom. Granted, to older folks, words like “nanocrafts” and “starchips” seem like pure fantasy and figments of overactive imaginations. But the idea of space travel and planetary migration is part of the lived reality of our younger generation which has been raised in an age of hi-tech and high speed. They carry entire libraries in their pockets. The knowledge of the ages is contained in their cell phones, so it is no surprise to them that these mini-explorers will travel 1/5th the speed of light or 134 million miles per hour. That’s about 1000 times faster than any space vehicle to date.

The young don’t ask, “How can they do that?” Instead, they ask impatiently: “How soon can they get this done?”

These vehicles will be shot into space by laser beams that provide the wind that will be captured by tiny onboard sails that are only a few atoms thick. These flying postage stamps will “sail” on light that is beaming down to Earth. That light is the sea that will carry them to their destination, which will hopefully welcome humankind to our new home.

Encouraged by science and technology, and eager for a new beginning, our kids are looking deep into the universe for a “promised land.” And someday, they might just well arrive there. But, it is critical that they carry with them not just scientific knowledge, which itself is a gift from God, but WISDOM!

Our First Reading describes the beauty and importance of WISDOM. Without WISDOM, we run the risk of becoming spiritually nearsighted; we see only what is immediately in front of us. Science and technology become larger than they truly are. Without WISDOM, which reminds us that all human accomplishments are part of the Divine plan, we run the risk of depending entirely on ourselves and not God, Who is the Source of all knowledge…and hope.

There are lots and lots of things that are happening in our world that are sucking the hope for a happy future right out of our kids. Global warming, terrorism, the threat of nuclear annihilation, and dwindling natural resources. In order to make certain that they look beyond science to God as the Source of all hope, we need to talk their talk. We need to use images that are as much a part of their lived reality as “oil lamps” were to the people listening to Jesus speak. It is our duty to pass on more than knowledge. We have to pass on WISDOM as well. And WISDOM tells us that the ultimate destination of humankind is not another solar system, not another planet on the other side of the universe…but the Kingdom of God.

So, we might say to them that the Kingdom of God is like “BREAKTHROUGH STARSHOT.” Tiny fragments of The Creator, so small that they are invisible to the most powerful of microscopes, have been placed by God into every human being called into life on Earth. But these flesh and blood bodies are like plant Earth. Our bodies are not intended to last forever. And when the earthly bodies die, the invisible part of us…that God has placed within each of us…is projected out of this reality toward a new world…a fresh beginning that will never end…a promised land of perfect and infinite peace.

The energy that these tiny God chips need to BREAK THROUGH is LOVE!

Love is like the oil that burned in the lamps that Jesus was talking about. LOVE is like that laser beam that will project starchips onto light beams that will carry them to new planets…new worlds. Love is the energy that will project the tiny piece of eternity within each of us onto the Light of Christ that will transport us to our final destination…not another planet or universe…but to another reality…the Kingdom of God.

In the opening line of our Second Reading, St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians: We do not want you to be unaware…about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest who have no hope. We don’t want our kids to be unaware about the end times. We want them to look at life and death with the WISDOM that comes from God. We want them to face the threats and challenges of this world with Christian hope. So, we use their language and their images to encourage them to love God and others above all else because love is the energy that will carry them to eternal joy in the Kingdom of God. Love is the only way to BREAK THROUGH to the other side.

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
MT 25:14-30
November 19, 2017

One of my oldest and dearest friends is celebrating her wedding anniversary today. As it happens, they planned something EXTRA special for the occasion, and it wasn’t a trip to Hawaii. They came here to Saginaw from Washington, D.C. for their anniversary weekend. Obviously, Saginaw is not a couple’s first thought when planning a romantic getaway. But my friends wanted to be part of the group that I helped organize to travel to the beatification Mass of Fr. Solanus Casey celebrated yesterday at Ford Field.

To join in the celebration of the advancement of the cause for canonization of a man who ministered right here in Michigan to people still alive today is certainly special…a “once in a lifetime” opportunity, and they took advantage of it. But marking another year of Christian marriage is also very important and deserves a party as well. So, I called my friend’s husband to put our heads together to plan a surprise for her.

As we were scheming, he said: “She is the best thing that ever happened to me.” Now, I’ve known “the bride” for close to 50 years. I see how happy she has always been in her marriage. So, without a second thought, I fired right back: “And YOU are the best thing that ever happened to HER!”

How perfect that my friends will be sitting at Mass together on this final Sunday of Ordinary Time, listening to our First Reading from Proverbs. But, while the passage speaks in great detail about how a “worthy wife” brings joy to her husband, it tells us as well about the benefit of a good husband to his wife: He entrusts his heart to her. He entrusts his love to her. He entrusts his life to her.

And so, one might say: A good wife is the best thing that ever happens to her husband. And a good husband is the best thing that ever happens to his wife. What a perfect message for an anniversary celebration. But, that message can also be applied to yesterday’s celebration of the life of Blessed Solanus Casey.

God entrusts HIS Sacred Heart to us. God entrusts His unconditional love to us. God entrusts the Divine life to us. And a few special people, Fr. Solanus being one, respond like a “worthy” spouse, committing their entire life to the service of God.

A saint is a person in whom God places enormous value because they partner with God in furthering the Divine plan for the perfection of creation. Saints, like a loving spouse, use their God-given talents and abilities unselfishly, particularly mindful of those in greatest need. Saints do not keep locked within them the deposit of life and love which God entrusted to them. Rather, the holy men and women we identify as saints invest their very lives in others, so that God’s life and God’s love will flourish.

And, for their efforts, saints are honored here on earth as Blessed Solanus was yesterday. But infinitely more important…they are recognized and honored at the gates of the heavenly city. Saints are people who are wise enough to understand that Christ is the best thing that ever happened to us.

And the good news is…if we try our best to lead worthy lives…if we use what God has entrusted to us for good and not evil…if we work at being saintly…someday, we will hear God say: You’re the best thing that ever happened to me!

And so we end this liturgical year with this thought:

Christ IS the best thing that ever happened to us…and in turn…He asks that we be the best thing that ever happened to one another. AMEN!

The Solemnity of Our Lord
MT 25:31-46
November 26, 2017

A political research group has published its findings which indicate that currently, there are 49 dictatorships in the world, and 21 of these authoritarian regimes are in Africa. Recent dramatic events in Zimbabwe have commanded international attention as 93-year-old strong man Robert Mugabe resisted efforts by the military and his own political party to bring his almost 40-year rule to an end. Once in power, dictators are reluctant to step aside. Tragically, there is a strong likelihood that his replacement will be no better…possibly worse!

There are 18 totalitarian governments in Asia. Kim Jung Un’s style of governing is a classic example of how absolute power can be abused. Amnesty International charges this oppressive regime with unlawful detentions followed by harsh prison sentences or interment in work camps without due process. There is severe restriction on freedom of expression. Torture, executions, and assassination are an everyday occurrence.

Seven despots in the Middle East rule without concern for the well-being of their people. Syria’s Bashar Assad is a reminder that absolute power is passed on to the next generation.

There are two dictatorships in the Americas, both characterized by gang-style violence and corruption.

Putin is Europe’s contribution to this list of henchmen and a sober warning that their ambition for power extends beyond the borders of their own countries.

So then, about one-quarter of the world’s 195 countries are governed by leaders who are brutal, corrupt, and guilty of countless crimes against humanity. Those numbers are sobering, but if you look at a map showing how this all plays out, the reality is terrifying. Over half of our planet lives in the darkness of tyranny.

What is most amazing, however, is that in spite of the suffering these criminals inflict, they often enjoy inexplicable popularity and support beyond what is imposed by the military, informers, and secret police. Putin’s favorability ratings are in the high 80th percentile. Kim Jung Un’s litany of honorary titles isn’t as long as his growing list of atrocities. While it is impossible to know the true feelings of the people of North Korea, he is commonly spoken of as “dear leader,” conveying the love and esteem with which his people regard him. Social scientists tell us that “dictators” are oftentimes revered most by the masses…common people hoping that a strong leader will somehow make their lives better. Tragically, their hope is misplaced when invested in the personality type that governs half our planet, which makes the Feast with which we end our liturgical year all that much more important for us to understand. Today is The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

Today is a stark reminder of the truth that our ways are not God’s ways! God’s plan is not that we turn to another human being in hopes that their strength and power will make our earthly lives better. Rather, we look to Jesus Christ to lead all humankind into an era of everlasting peace and joy.

Jesus did not rise to power by taking control of a political party or gaining the support of the military. Our First Reading from Ezekiel describes the Lord’s power base. He gathered around Himself “the lost”…those who were marginalized and excluded by the privileged. His influence wasn’t based on threats of punishment. Rather, He “bound up the injured and healed the sick.”

If worldly leaders restrict freedom and imprison their opposition, Christ is the Cosmic Liberator. He opens our minds and hearts to the truth…and then encourages us to open our lips to broadcast the Good News that, by His death and resurrection, even our graves have been opened and the dead are set free.

The Lord was not looking to establish a dynasty by ensuring that His relatives would succeed Him. Instead, He came to proclaim the Reign of God…a Kingdom in which all are much loved children of The Almighty…a Kingdom which has no borders or boundaries…a Kingdom in which all are welcome.

Jesus did not seek titles and honorarium. He quickly corrected the admiring disciple who called Him

“Good Teacher.” Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.

He humbled Himself to the point of submitting to the public execution of a political prisoner charged with the attempted overthrow of earthly authorities…religious leaders and the Roman authority alike. The Lord’s subversive message which the establishment found so threatening was simply a call to live in love…to respect the dignity of all humankind, and to provide for those in greatest need.

We conclude this liturgical year with the sobering reality that our ways are not God’s ways! As a result, half our planet lives in the darkness of dictatorship. Although the other half aspires to freedom, universal justice, and peace, no earthly government is perfect. Simply put, the condition of this world is chronic imperfection, which will persist until Christ returns in all of His glory. On that day, Christ will be accepted by all as King and…all will be all.

Until then, we wait in hope! And we are able to hope because we know the truth…that Christ IS King…now and forever! Amen.