On Ash Wednesday, we started this season of Lent with a question and then a statement.
In case you have forgotten, the question was: do you want to change. And then the statement was: then be disturbed. Do you want to change? To properly answer this question we need to know that we do, indeed, need to change. That we have all strayed from the ways of God in some way. We need to remember who we are and who we are called to be. We have to have the courage and the grace to then ‘fess up to the fact that we have fallen short of who God calls us to be. OR - in our smugness and self-assurance - we can just stay the way we are. . . This question was followed by the statement: then be disturbed. As we considered in last week’s Gospel: when faced with his own death, Jesus was troubled – and the Greek meaning for the word troubled is: to experience inward turmoil, to be stirred up, disturbed, unsettled, thrown into confusion. To want to change. To want to want to turn from our sins. To want to be more like Jesus – then we have to be troubled or disturbed enough to admit that we NEED to change. That we need to shed some old ways in order to take up some new ways. To turn our hearts over to God – so that as we have sung many times during Lent: Come O God and take us – move and shake us. Come now, and make us anew, that we might live justly like you. Why bother? Why should we put in the effort to change? Because as the disciples answered those who questioned them about untying and leading the colt away in our first Gospel reading: the master has need of us. Jesus needs us - to be compassionate and forgiving. Jesus needs us - to be generous and giving. Jesus needs us - to be kind and gracious. Jesus needs us - to be merciful and accepting. Jesus needs us: so he can continue to build the Kingdom of God on this earth - through us. So if we haven’t dealt with the question or the statement yet: now is the time - it’s never too late. Do you want to change? Then be disturbed.
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Today’s Gospel is taken from the 12th Chapter of St. John, verses 20 to 30.
If we looked at verse 1 of this chapter, John tells us it was six days before Passover and Jesus had just arrived in Bethany, a little town located on the Mount of Olives just across the Kidron valley from Jerusalem. Jesus was going to the holy city to celebrate the Passover that year, just as thousands of other Jews were doing. That year, the Passover began on Friday evening, so six days before meant Jesus arrived in Bethany, sometime on Saturday. Some of his friends, including Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, prepared a dinner for him. It would have been a pretty big dinner - for remember Jesus had 12 apostles with him. Lazarus, some time before as you know - had been raised from the dead by Jesus, an event that led many Jews to believe in him as the Messiah. And led many of the Pharisees to want to kill Lazarus because on account of him, many Jews were now following after Jesus, and NOT them. While at this dinner, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive oil at which Judas lodged a complaint that the gesture was wasteful and the perfume should have been sold to help the poor. NOT because he had a real interest in the poor - but because Judas was in charge of the money bag - which he used for his own good as well as for that of the apostolic band. But Jesus says to Judas: “leave her alone. She is doing this in preparation for my burial.” And indeed, Jesus will be buried by the end of the week. John tells us that the next day, which would have been the first day of the week – news got around that Jesus was going to Jerusalem just across the valley. When a crowd heard he was going into the city – they met him with palm branches raising their Hosannas – at which the Pharisees say: “ The whole world has come out to see him.” Although we won’t commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem until next week on Palm or Passion Sunday – it’s important to keep all that’s going on in this chapter in mind – because the anointing in Bethany and Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem – BOTH – come right before today’s Gospel reading – and are connected to Jesus’ death. After the Pharisees say the whole world has turned out to see Jesus – we pick up today with the fact that it is true – even Greeks have shown up wanting to see Jesus. . . Another twist: most scripture scholars think that it was after Jesus entered Jerusalem that he drove the merchants and money-changers out of the Temple – because that’s where the Synoptic writers: Matthew, Mark, and Luke, place the cleansing of the Temple in their gospels. BUT John had already told us about that incident way earlier in his Gospel, in Chapter 2 – as we heard on the 3rd Sunday of Lent. So when the Greeks sought to see Jesus - Jesus sees this as a sign that his hour had come. HOUR is a key word in John’s Gospel. It described the time Jesus would complete his mission here on earth. It was the time when he would be put to death for faithfully fulfilling his work of teaching, healing, forgiving, and loving. It was the time when Jesus would be raised up - much like the serpent in the desert we heard about last week – Jesus will be raised up both on the cross and in the resurrection - a healing remedy for our sins which gains for us eternal life. Most of today’s Gospel is Jesus’ own reflection on his death. Being human - it’s not something he wants to go through: “I am troubled now,” he says. The Greek word for troubled means: to experience inward turmoil, to be stirred up, disturbed, unsettled, thrown into confusion. Jesus wonders aloud if he should say: “Father, save me from this hour.” If he escapes death or simply just runs away – he would abandon all that he had done and all he came to do and his good works would soon be forgotten. Jesus had to face this hour so that he could be glorified and God would be glorified in him - like a seed falling to the ground so it produces much fruit. Are we willing to join Jesus in being troubled? Are we willing to experience inward turmoil, be stirred up, disturbed, unsettled, thrown into confusion - so that we can produce much fruit in his name? In short, are we willing to lose our lives in this world so as to enjoy life eternal? For whoever serves Jesus must follow Jesus - and where Jesus is: in the garden, under guard, ridiculed, beaten, hanging on the cross – there his servants will be. . . Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; and having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly to venture on wilder seas where storms will show us your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. Disturb us Lord, to stand with you - as suffering and death on the cross draws ever closer. Change our hearts this time, your word says it can be.
Change our minds, this time, your life can be make us free. We are your people your call set a-part. Lord this time, change our hearts. Like Noah and his family after the waters of the flood – through the life-giving waters of Baptism God sets us apart through a call to be God’s people. God makes a covenant with us - God will always be there for us and God expects us to live our lives in gratitude for all the blessings showered down upon us. As St. Peter reminds those in Galatia, Cappadocia, and Asia as he sends them a letter - Baptism – is not a removal of dirt from the body – but an appeal to God for a clear conscience. However clean our conscience may be after Baptism, they usually don’t stay that way. We get so bombarded by contrasting values to the Gospel –which pull us in may different directions and so we easily get lost and confused. We get tempted to follow the ways of the world rather than remaining faithful to God and kingdom values. But God can change our hearts - long after the waters of Baptism have touched our heads. God can change our minds. The grace God gives us can make us free from all the things in the world that are trying to pull us down. This time – this Lent - can be a time of renewal, refocus, and readjustment – through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. A time to be healed – a time of fulfillment - assuming we want it to be. Because like that man we heard about on Ash Wednesday who was ill for 38 years – sitting by the pool of Bethesda, never getting into the water – we can grow so comfortable with our lives and our faith and want to just stay the way we are – and so we don’t see the need or have the desire to change. We can become so complacent, that we don’t even see our sins or our need for Jesus to heal us. So we need God to take us, move and shake us – we need to be disturbed - so God can make us anew. The desert is a great place to go to get disturbed – It’s quiet – which might scare a lot of us – because we’re not used to it. . . We’re used to our lives being constantly filled with noise - from the television, from our phones, from the street, from the dogs barking and sirens blaring. But we need the quiet of the desert to think and pray. The desert is also a place of solitude, a place where we are alone - which, again, scares many of us. We like being in the thick of things, constantly on the go, surrounded by people and things. But we need the solitude of the desert to think and to pray. But: think and pray about what?? About what is holding us back from God. About what distracts us from embracing Gospel values. About what needs to change in us in order for us to be more Christ-like. Pope Francis in his Lenten message for 2024, states that “through the desert, God leads us to freedom.” He continues, “the desert is a place where our freedom can mature in a personal decision NOT to fall back into all the things that enslave us and keep us from being the people God is calling us to be.” Today’s Gospel from St. Mark presents us with a short version of the Temptation of Jesus in the desert. Both St. Matthew and St. Luke in their Gospels give many more details about the temptations Jesus faced. But Mark simply states the fact that Jesus was driven into the desert by the Spirit, where he was tempted by satan. Jesus was driven into the desert by the Spirit — which meant God wanted him to be there. And after Jesus faced down his temptations - he was stronger in Spirit, more assured of who he was and what he stood for – and began his ministry by announcing the kingdom of God was at hand. The same thing can happen to us – God wants us to go to the desert from time to time - to b e strengthen and renewed. Which may mean we simply go to our room, close the door, and sit in quiet. It may mean that at the end of the day, before going to sleep, we review our day and thank God for the good things that happened, and ask God’s help for the things that did not go so well or still need to be resolved. It may mean that we retreat from the busyness of our daily lives and go out for a long walk in a park or in a woods – any place where we can clear our minds and open our hearts to listen to God speak to us. Ant there in the desert – can we allow God’s voice to disturb us enough to identify our temptations – to name them, claim them, deal with them and overcome them – so we can be stronger in Spirit, more assured of who we are and what we stand for – and then go out and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel?? We go to the desert to get disturbed – shaken from our complaceny - awakened to the awareness that the clear conscience we had after our Baptism needs to be renewed and refreshed by asking: What is the greatest temptation in our lives? Perhaps we struggle with a habit or sin that we fail at time and time again. Perhaps it’s a temptation of the flesh: eating, drinking, smoking, or viewing inappropriate materials – way too much. Perhaps we struggle with anger, self-righteousness, dishonesty, greed, lust, gossip, or negativity. Whatever our temptation may be, we need to name it, claim it, deal with it and over come it – knowing we have all we need to do this– because of the grace given to us through our Baptism, strengthened by our Confirmation, and fed on a regular basis by our participation in the Eucharist. God can change our hearts and minds. The grace God gives us can make us free from all the things in the world that are trying to pull us down and keeping us from being the best version of ourselves – the person God is calling us to be. If we spend time in the desert God can disturb us and lead us to freedom. SO Change our hearts this time, your word says it can be. Change our minds, this time, your life can make us free. We are your people your call set a-part. Lord this time, change our hearts. Every once in awhile, the pool of water near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, known as the pool of Bethesda, would be disturbed. The waters would bubble and swirl and when that happened - the people thought an angel of God was troubling those waters - and the first person, and only the first person - into the pool as the water was swirling - would receive the touch of God and they would be healed.
In the shade of one of the porches surrounding those waters, laid a man who had been sick for 38 years - and from the details of the Gospel of John, we assume he was lame or paralyzed – because he was not able to get up and get to the waters before anyone else. And while we don’t know how long he had been lying in the courtyard, the sense we get is that he had been there for quite some time. So when Jesus comes along, he knows this man has been lying near the waters for awhile, but never getting in them – and asks the man what seems like an absurd question – do you want to be healed? I think it is strange to ask the man if he wants to get well – but maybe it’s not so strange – because if this man REALLY wanted to be healed - you think he would have found some way of getting into the waters first. . . He could have asked someone for help to get him to the waters as soon as they were stirred – he could have stayed right at the edge of the pool and just rolled himself in when the waters were troubled - he could have set up some type of numbering system where people didn’t push and shove others out of the way, but simply waited their turn. One would think there would have been some way, after all these years - to get in before anyone else did — assuming the man really wanted to be healed. Maybe he had grown comfortable with his situation. Maybe he had given up hope. Or may he just did not care anymore. Notice the man never gives Jesus an answer ot his question – but just complains about how he can never get to the water first. A friend in seminary, when we studied St. John’s Gospel, called this Jesus’ miracle of healing the whiner - because that’s what the man did. You would think he would shout out enthusiastically: yes! I want to be healed. But that’s not what he did – he just whined out his excuses. . . I am glad Jesus did heal the whiner – because at times, aren’t we all just a little bit of a whiner?? We make excuses as to why we can’t come to church more often, or how we don’t have the time to pray or read the Bible, or to be more involved in the life of the faith community. Or that money is so tight we can’t possibly help anyone but ourselves. . . But in the midst of our whining and in the midst of our complacency, the good news is that Jesus still comes along and asks: do you want to be healed? Let me ask Jesus’ question in other ways: do we want to grow in our faith? Do we want to get closer to God? Do we want to experience more of God’s power, more of God’s presence, more of God’s truth, more of God’s love? Then today is a day for us to shout enthusiastically: YES! I want to be healed! Because the season of Lent is all about growing in our faith. Lent is not just about giving up chocolate or coffee for 40 days. It’s not just about eating fish on Fridays or attending a pancake breakfast on Mardi Gras. These are meant to be only a means to an end: growing deeper in our faith. And it’s about being made well. It’s about – getting out of our paralysis and walking more faithfully with Christ. So I think today Jesus is right here asking each of us – as we ash distributors will say in a few minutes - do you want to be healed? And about us saying YES! Now there’s a difference between the man at the pool of Bethesda and us. Jesus just had to say to the man: rise, take up your mat, and walk. And it happened. For us, it will take a little more effort and a bigger commitment. For most of us, we are going to be healed and we are going to grow in our faith when we venture from the safety of the side of the pool into the stirred up waters of life. We will deepen our faith and trust when we are willing to get up out of our comfort and ease and allow our lives and our faith to be disturbed - with a little prayer, a little fasting, and a little almsgiving: to help stir the waters of our souls. Because I think way too many of us have become like the paralytic – we’ve grown so comfortable with our lives and our faith just the way they are – and we don’t even see the need or have the desire to change. I think sometimes we have become so complacent, that we don’t even see our sins– or our need for Jesus to heal us. And that’s why I am inviting you to pray as often as you can – ideally every day - the prayer that was in the bulletin this past Sunday – and is also available by the doors as you leave today. It’s a prayer attributed to Sir Francis Drake and was written in 1577. I think it is a powerful prayer – and that there is power in all of us praying this for ourselves and for the members of our faith community throughout Lent. This is the prayer: Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves – when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little - when we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life. And having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity. And in our efforts to build a new earth - we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly. To venture on wilder seas where storms will show us your mastery. Where long losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push back the future in strength, hope, and love. This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ. Pray this prayer often during Lent for yourself and for this whole faith community AND THEN: Dare to be disturbed this Lent. “If someone has on their skin a scab or blotch which appears to be the sore of leprosy, they shall be brought to Aaron the priest and declared unclean.”
This is just one of many rules to be followed in the Jewish Law when it comes to the disease of leprosy. Why would the writer of Leviticus and others make such a big deal of leprosy? Because leprosy WAS a big deal in Old Testament times. Not just because it was thought to be a contagious disease, but because it was also thought to be make one unfit to worship God. Because those with leprosy had to live apart, had to isolate themselves because their disease could effect others – not just physically - but spiritually as well. Leprosy was a big deal because it was a sour apple — and one sour apple can effect the whole barrel. And for these reasons, one had to keep their garments torn, their heads bare, and their beards muffled – or covered. By their dress and by their cry – lepers declared themselves unclean - and so had to live on the outskirts, in order to avoid infecting other people. Lepers were forced to live in exile, forced to live alone outside the towns and cities, away from their family and friends. They joined all the other sour apples of the day – the possessed, the paralyzed, Gentiles, Samaritans, and all other unclean folks. All living far away from the warmth and love of the community of the physically fit and the spiritually strong. It is important to understand the severity of the isolation which came with leprosy to truly appreciate the miracle of today’s Gospel. For Jesus’ miracle is not just a cure of leprosy, but Jesus also heals the wound of EXILE. This leper approached Jesus with the request to be cured. And Jesus freed him from a disease which the leper had no control over. It was a disease that deprived him of his home, his family, his job, his neighbors – and his identity as a Jew – as a member of the chosen people of God. Jesus touch of healing was NOT just a physical cure - it was also an act of liberation: one which restored the leper’s identity and his membership in the chosen people of God. Jesus’ miracle removed the barriers that kept the leper apart from his community and support systems. In healing the leper – Jesus declares that in God’s kingdom there are no outcasts, there are no exiles, there are no sour apples: ALL ARE WELCOME. It was not until the 1940s when a cure for leprosy, or Hansen’s disease as it is properly known, was found. BUT DON’T THINK THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE LEPERS AMONG US: People who are forced to live apart, to isolate themselves because their problems may become our problems – they might effect us physically or spiritually - so we better stay away from them. It seems to me that today we have two types of lepers, two types of outcasts. We have the “untouchables” and we have the “forgotten.” The untouchables are seen to be socially inferior. They carry a stigma – something that makes them stand out in the crowd. The untouchables for some are those who belong to certain ethnic or racial groups, they are our LGBTQ brothers and sisters, they are convicts and ex-cons, alcoholics, unwed mothers, the divorced and remarried. The other group of lepers, the forgotten – includes the homeless, the poor, the elderly, the widowed, the institutionalized, the lonely, the grieving. As Jesus miracle removed the barriers that kept the leper apart from his community – our compassion and understanding, our gentleness and kindness – will remove the barriers that keep us apart from the untouchables and the forgotten. What does keep us, though, from showing our modern day lepers the compassion and understanding that they need? OUR FEAR. Not our fear of physical or spiritual disease so much as our fear that in reaching out to those exiled in our society – WE will become exiles – that we will suddenly lose our status with our family and friends – because they won’t understand what we are doing. . . Our fear of being different, our fear of being dropped out of the social circles we are used to being in – keeps us from reaching out to the untouchables and the forgotten. There is no more appropriate time for us to ask – but what would Jesus do?? Jesus would tell us to get over it. To start seeing people with His eyes – without the blinders of fear or distrust, without the names and labels that limit generosity and set up boundaries around those who are in – and those who are out of the kingdom of God. The Gospel writer’s language even suggests that we should have a healing of perception. This story comes at the end of a whole serie of healing miracles. Those who have previously been healed are identified by their diseases: There was a “man with an unclean spirit.” A mother-in-law “sick with fever.” Those who were “sick or possessed by demons.” And today “a leper.” Finally at the end of all of these stories, St. Mark uses the phrase, “people kept coming to Jesus from all sides.” NOT the diseased, not the outcasts, not lepers or the broken – but people, It may be a little thing – but I think it is a big distinction. For our task today is not just to recognize that we are all somehow diseased and in need of healing – but our being diseased or broken makes no difference to our identity! We are all people, God’s people, members of God’s kingdom here on earth. And just as there is no limit to the reach of God’s acceptance and mercy and love – there must be no limit to our embrace. God’s kingdom embraces all - -not just those who are physically fit, spiritually strong, who wear the right clothes or sit in the right place. . . No one is excluded. All are welcome at this altar – for all are equally healed by God – and hopefully by us – of whatever divides us. We have all been lepers, exiles, outcasts, sour apples. But we are no longer to the extent that we do not permit others or ourselves to be branded, labeled, categorized or put into a box. If we do not deny our freedom – if we accept God’s healing – if we do everything for the glory of God-- Then we will not be afraid to reach out and touch the u ntouchables and to remember the forgotten. For no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey – all are welcome. I first came to this parish in 1994 - 30 years ago! When I came for an interview to teach in the school - I had to ask, like many others have to do - and where is St. Patrick? And was told, as we still say today - right across the street from St. Pius. . .
I was attending St. Anthony parish in the Northeast part of Kansas City, where I was living at the time - but once I started teaching, I joined St. Patrick – and worshiped in the gym like so many of you remember doing. I found St. Patrick a welcoming parish. A strong parish under the leadership of Fr. Mike Roach, and Deacon Mike Lewis – who have been friends ever since. I met some of you then who had kids in the school – the Guttermanns, the Jannings, the Gosoroskis, the Dunsings. [Sansone’s] I was fortunate to call Jim Flournoy and Mary Jo Fontana and Kay White my colleagues. St. Patrick was a real white shoe parish – where, no matter what happened, people kept walking along singing their song, because it’s all good. But, like any parish, St. Patrick encountered its rough spots. After Father Shawn Ratigan was your pastor – many people left – and did not return. But many of you stayed. Thank you for not judging all priests on the behavior of a few. Even though we may have stepped in some blueberries and our white shoes became blue – we kept on walking and singing our song – because it’s all good. After a pastor you just began to know and even love – Fr. Robert died – many people left - and did not return. But many of you stayed. Thank you for hoping in a time of darkness - when, by the way, hope is most important. And even though we may have stepped in a puddle of mud and our white shoes became brown - We kept on walking and singing our song - because it’s all good. And then covid hit and many people left – and have you noticed? Some have not returned yet. . . But many of you stayed. Thank you for believing that it is still very important that we gather together as the Body of Christ - that we see and interact and pray with each other face to face – week after week so as to support and encourage, to challenge and comfort one another. Even though we may have stepped in a pile of freshly mowed grass and our white shoes became green – we kept on walking and singing our song - because it’s all good. And as we kept walking and singing, and celebrating that all is good – we were able to achieve a remarkable thing – the reason for this story and for this homily – because we haven’t talked about — our red shoes yet. . . We stepped into a large pile of strawberries 17 years ago – and our shoes turned red – with debt. . . First a debt of $2.4 million on the remodeling of the school which included new windows and air conditioning for the first time. Second a debt of $120,000 on a house you bought for your pastors in the Green Hills neighborhood - a house, by the way, that I find very comfortable and more than adequate to live in. Look at the pillars that surround us – each of those red shamrocks equals $10,000 – so on this one pillar - that is what $120,000 looks like — And on these seven pillars – that is what $2.4 million looks like. I got tired just putting the shamrocks up – how tired you must have become using your debt envelopes every week! BUT today I am happy to announce that for the first time in 17 years – the parish of St. Patrick is free of debt — that’s the remarkable thing we have been able to achieve – throughout having our white shoes turned blue, and brown, and green. Thank you for believing that together, we can achieve so much more than we can as individuals – which is the only explanation for our ability to pay off these debts – that, and the grace of God!! Just one more thing to mention – and another pillar to talk about. When we stepped into a puddle of mud and our shoes turned brown after the death of Fr. Robert — weekly collections plummeted – probably because people were trying to figure out that if the Bishop was going to keep this parish open – why wasn’t he sending a pastor?? Because of those low collections – we were unable to keep up with our payments to the diocese which covers such things as benefits and insurance for our employees, and insurance on our buildings and property. As you can see on this pillar - that amounts to $300,000 that we still owe to the Diocese – but our finance council is not worried too much about it – because we pay no interest on it. We are obligated to pay back $25,000 a year – so we really don’t care how long it takes to pay it back. Unless we come into a windfall of money, we will just continue to chip away at that $25,000 at a time. Notice how those shamrocks are green - for the money will still owe the diocese – and they are smaller – because I don’t want us to be too worried about it. . . What does the future hold for us? Well only God knows that. . . But we are sitting in the newest building of our parish – which is approaching 30 years old. Our school is almost 70 years old. And the parish offices are over 40 years old -- And you know with your own house – that the older things get – the more problems you have – so maintenance of our facilities is certainly in our future. Which is why, if you noticed – you no longer have a debt reduction envelope every month – but a maintenance fund envelope - to help us build up a reserve to use when future problems arrive. We’ve got our white shoes back on! I still believe, as I did 30 years ago –that St. Patrick is a welcoming parish, one where no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey – you are welcome. A place where, like with Simon Peter’s mother-in-law – Christ will grasp our hands and always lift us up to bigger and better things - sometimes things we never even imagined! And where no matter what happens – we will keep walking along and singing our song – because it is all good! –Invite Finance Council up for burning ceremony. . . There is a story about a few demons who were having a conversation about the Devil’s favorite day.
One demon said, I think the devils favorite day is Halloween - because the little kids dress up like monsters, and demons, and other scary things. It just has to be the devil’s favorite day. Another demon said, no, Halloween is just one day a year. I think the devil’s favorite day is MONDAY - because who likes Mondays?? Mondays a lot of people curse just because they have to get out of bed and go to work after a couple of days off. Mondays just have to be the devil’s favorite day. . . Another demon said, I don’t think the devil has just one favorite day - I think he has two: yesterday and tomorrow. With yesterday, the devil draws people into dwelling on their past. He gets people to think of those who hurt them, causes them to have deep regret and to harbor grudges – and makes them think they have strayed so far from God - that they can never make their way back to God. With tomorrow, the devil causes people to think that all the important changes they need to make, and all the things they need to do – can wait just one more day. All the wrongs that need to be righted, all the sins that need to be forgiven, all the people that need to be helped – it can all wait – until tomorrow. This demon concluded that if the devil can get people to focus on yesterday and tomorrow, it will keep them from following Jesus – today - which is exactly what the devil wants to achieve. An appropriate story, I think, because all of our readings today have something to do with TIME – and how we use it, or don’t use it, wisely. Jonah is sent by God to announce to the Ninevites that they have a short period of time in order to repent and convert from their wickedness. St. Paul writes the Corinthians that their time is running out - thinking that the world in its present form is soon to pass away. And Jesus, in the very first words he speaks in the Gospel of Mark is about time: “this is the time of fulfillment. . . repent and believe in the Gospel.” There is a since of urgency in all these readings today. It’s not a time to dilly-dally – but a time to get busy. During the season of Ordinary Time, which we are in now for another three weeks until the beginning of Lent – and then the longer stretch of Ordinary Time from June until the beginning of Advent – the Church reflects upon how we use the ordinary moments of our day – how we are at our best when we reflect the virtues and love of Jesus in the ordinary events and circumstances and times of our lives. Bur remember, the Devil likes to tell us lies about our relationship with time. Satan likes when we are stuck in the past, focussing on our past sins and failures, wounds and hurts. He likes to keep family members and church members focused on the actions of the past - because it then keeps us from loving God TODAY. The devil urges us to keep mental lists of the ways people have hurt us. But we need to get rid of the lists! If we think we have been wronged in some way in the past by someone – then we need to have a conversation about that so the wound can be healed – so we can let go of it – and move on. . . So the devil likes to tell us lies about the past - but he also likes to tell us lies about the future. Since satan especially hates the time we give to God, one very common lie is that “you are too busy to pray.” Satan does everything possible to prevent us from praying - of continuing to form our relationship with God - he gets us to think the groceries that need to be purchased or the lunches that need to be made, or the home-improvement projects that need to be done are much more important. One of the devil’s new victories against prayer is getting people overly attached to their mobile devices. Many people do have less and less time to pray because they are too busy with social media or video games. There certainly is less time in the day when you spend an hour checking your Facebook feed or an hour playing solitaire on your computer, or checking to see what the newest You-Tube may be about . . . Another lie the Devil tells us about the future is that we have plenty of time to read the scriptures, go to Mass, repent of our sins – TOMORROW. Just recall all the readings we had at the end of the liturgical year and into Advent about being watchful and alert – for we do not know the hour or the day when Christ will come. Another lie Satan tells us about time, and this is a big one, one that keeps us locked in very selfish modes of thinking and acting – is that all our time belongs to us. Satan makes us think that it is a grievous burden when people make demands on our time, or that I have to give any of my time or use any of my talents for the benefit of others. . . I can just keep them all to myself. . . We heard St. Paul tell the Romans last week that their bodies, through Baptism, become temples of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies as Christians do not belong to us - and by extension that means our time doesn’t belong to us either. We are given time by God as a gift – to become as holy as we possibly can – to fulfill God’s will to the best of our abilities – to order our lives according to the wisdom of God’s holy will. After announcing that the time of fulfillment is at hand, and that we are to repent of our sins, what does Jesus do in the Gospel today?? He puts the apostles to work! To be a member of the Body of Christ, whether we are 13 or 93 – a priest, widow, married person, child, or single – means to use the time, and talents, we have been given for the work of the Gospel – pointing others to Christ. So our time doesn’t belong to us – we’re on the clock – we’re on the job – we are to be building the kingdom of God in our midst. And we accomplish this primarily through our good example, our uplifting words, our kind and generous actions, and hopeful and joyful disposition. We are to leave everything and follow after Jesus – and he will make us fishers of men and women. If you were here back in mid-August, on the 19th Sunday of Ordinary time, you heard me begin my homily by saying:
The reason we have the Bible, and the Eucharist, and the other Sacraments. . . The reason we have faith at all - and come here week after week to nourish our faith - is because God loves us. And God wants to be in a relationship with us. A relationship that God does not want to force us into in anyway – but one that we freely embrace and nurture. For those of us old enough to remember the Baltimore Catechism – question 6 was: Why did God create us? The answer: God made us to know him, and to serve him in this world, and to be happy with God forever in the next. God loves us. And God wants to be in a relationship with us – and so God is continually revealing to us who God is and what God’s love is like – so that we come to know God, so as to serve God by building the kingdom in our midst - and so that we will enjoy eternal life. This whole process is what we mean by REVELATION: God allow us to get to know him by revealing to us who God is and what God’s love is like. As the 2nd Vatican II document on Divine Revelation states: God wants nothing less than that we come to know God fully: to know God’s constant love for us, to understand God’s unfathomable faithfulness and to experience these things in our lives. Revelation is all that God wants to say to us, whisper to us, shout at us, sing to us, and breathe in us. The ultimate form of God’s revelation is when God sent Jesus to live among us: the one who walked the earth; who taught us how to love, forgive, and be compassionate and merciful; the one who said: come, follow me: the one who took on our flesh when he was born in Bethlehem - the one we await to come in glory. God ultimately reveals to us who God is - and how much God loves us –in the person of Jesus Christ. Which gives us a slight problem I think we need to deal with – Sometimes we are so focussed on the Jesus that came to us – the one born in Bethlehem – the one whose birth we are preparing to re-celebrate at Christmas – And sometimes we are so focussed on the Jesus who is going to come again in glory – the one who is going to separate the sheep from the goats depending on how well we met the needs of the least of our brothers and sisters – That we forget about the Jesus who is coming to us now – In our reading of scriptures, in our celebration of the Mass, in our time spent in prayer, in the wonders of nature; the one whose face we should see in our family members, our friends, those who gather with us here, or those in our neighborhoods or the needy halfway around the world — and many, many times – in the faces of complete strangers. Jesus comes to us now – God is continuing to reveal who God is and how much God loves us – through Jesus – each and everyday – and that’s why we need to be watchful and alert – for we do not know when the Lord will come to us. We don’t want to be sleeping, or distracted, or looking for meaning in what the world offers us – when we are being offered a relationship with the true and living God. And so we want to pay attention to the messengers of God’s love that come to us every day. We want to pay attention to how God might be calling us to be a messenger of God’s love to others. And how all we have to do is be able to echo Mary’s words: may it be done to me according to your word. So what I say to you, I say to all: WATCH! And may there be a longing in your heart to recognize God’s revelation – to joyful receive God’s revelation – and to generously respond to God’s revelation. Have a great Advent! It seems like everywhere these days, I see or hear about some financial advisor who wants to give advice on medicare, retirement, or buying gold with an IRA. . .
Some are well known companies with lots of branches and employees. Others are individuals who say they have some expertise who want us to trust them with our assets. Now I’m not certain that this explosion of financial advisors means that everyone has a lot of disposable income - or that the current generation is awash in money in ways previous generations weren’t. But it most likely means the days of stashing money in shoe boxes in closets and in envelopes under mattresses or – in very basic bank accounts that earn little or no interests – are all things of the past. Rather it seems that people really don’t want their money just sitting there – they want their money to earn even more money – they want their money to grow and want a greater return on their hard work and investments. So maybe I’m just imagining this is a bigger deal now than it once was – case in point – the parable we just heard Jesus tell. It’s a long one – but one that can be summed up pretty simply: 2 servants who were entrusted with their master’s money used it to make even more money - pleasing their master. The other servant, out of fear - did nothing with the money and simply returned the same amount to the master – and this left the master NOT happy at all. He wanted a return on his investment – and from the one servant he got no such thing. . . Most everyone wants good returns on their investments. Bosses want employees to be worth more to the company than the salary they are being paid. Sports teams want their draftees to not simply tread water in the minors - but to excel - eventually making a great contribution to the team. No one wants to sell a house for less than what they bought it - and people who invest hours at the gym want their bodies to show it. Yes, most of us, probably all of us – want good returns on our investments. But have we given God a good return on God’s investment in us?? That may sound crass, using that sort of expression to talk about God. It sounds beneath God. But what if we simply replaced the word investment –with blessing?? Isn’t that what a blessing is –a kind of investment in you and me?? Doesn’t God shower good things upon us NOT simply so we can exclusively enjoy the fruits of those blessings – clinging to them as if they were our own personal possessions – but so we can turn around and BE A BLESSING to others? To turn what our loving God has given us into something even greater – something more than it was before?? It’s NOT always easy to believe that God has and is investing in us – to believe that God continually provides for us in ways we really don’t deserve - in abundant ways, in extravagant ways – trusting and hoping that we will respond in faith and become those very same things for those we come into contact with. We may wonder: does God really love us this much? Believe in us this much? Trust us this much?? AND THE ANSWER IS YES! Our God forgives us, and then expects us to become even more forgiving - multiplying God’s mercy to those in need. God understands our faults and expects us to be more tolerant of the faults of others. God dries our tears and understands our pain, and expects us to be a shoulder to cry on for those who are filled with sorrow and brokenness. God picks us up when we have fallen, and expects us to do the same for others. Put simply – God loves us unconditionally, and expects us to multiply that love and spread it throughout the earth in abundant and extravagant ways – for God’s grace can never run out. And so it needs to be asked again: has God gotten a good return on God’s investment in us?? I would hate to think that I might be sort of just treading water when it comes to God’s blessings – sort of staying in the same place - barely afloat - somewhat aware of what God is doing in my life – but not doing anything about increasing those blessings to be able to touch other people’s lives with them. . . . But I am from time to time. . . And I don’t think if is out of fear, like the third servant in the story that I don’t act on those gifts. Rather, it’s most likely a kind of spiritual laziness or indifference - an “I’ll get to it tomorrow” kind of attitude. But then one day becomes two, then becomes a week, and all of a sudden God’s investment in me is buried safely in the ground. . . Is God then angry with me? Disappointed in me? Sad for me? Perhaps all three. And so maybe today is a good day for all of us to reflect on our many blessings. Especially those we like to take all the credit for. And then ask ourselves honestly – what are we doing with the good things God showers upon us? Are we hoarding them – or multiplying them? And if the answer is hoarding them and hiding them away – then we’ve got some work to do. . . Whenever I get invited to someone’s home – for a dinner or a party or just to visit – I always consider two things:
The first is the most obvious - deciding whether or not I will accept the invitation. This is based on a number of things - such as the date and whether my schedule will allow it – the distance from my house – and how many other commitments I have already had that week, especially in the evening or at night. And I must admit - covid and the shut down kind of did me in – now nothing makes me happier than to get home and know that I can just stay there - not having to go back out for anything. So saying yes to an invitation – is not automatic for me – and probably not for you either. It’s a decision we make. And if I say YES: there is another thing I have to consider. . . you see I never like to go to someone’s house empty-handed. I like to bring something - even though the host might say it’s not necessary. I bring a present, or something to snack on – if it’s a party. Or something to eat or drink, like a bottle of wine - if it’s a dinner. Part of that, besides just wanting to be a good house guest – is I don’t want the hosts to think I am taking their generosity for granted - and that I want to make the event the best it can be. Because the invitation may come from the hosts – but everyone plays a part in how the event will turn out. A party or dinner is not just something someone else puts on – it’s something that everyone who comes – participates in. . . We just heard a parable about a social gathering – a very important one – a wedding! But it may be one of those parables that might be hard to understand. It seems to be rooted in the culture of the time - so that we might not know for sure exactly how it would have been received by those who heard Jesus tell it. In this case, Jesus, knowing his audience, felt that a lot of explanation was not necessary, and so he sums it up in just a few words: Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour. So the parable has something to do with expectations, and preparation, and vigilance. The foolish virgins in the story really messed up, for reasons we might not fully understand – and in doing so, missed both the bridegroom - and the wedding feast. By seeing Jesus as the bridegroom and the wedding feast as heaven – or unity with God – or the new life won for us by Christ’s death and resurrection – the story comes more clearly into focus. What’s not always clear is WHAT it means to be prepared, what it means to be ready, what it means to be awake. . . How exactly do we make sure we are ready to meet Jesus and accompany him into the wedding feast that never ends? We want to experience the celebration – and certainly don’t want to show up empty-handed – or do we?? I think this is one time we DO want to do the opposite of what we would normally do. . . because the best way to prepare for this wedding invitation IS to show up empty-handed – to come to the party with NO attachments. To empty ourselves of everything that is getting in the way or holding us back. The truth is, the things of this world will NOT be required to get in – will NOT help us on this particular journey. In fact, they almost certainly will hinder us. And theses things we are clinging to and refusing to let go of are different for each of us – It may be possessions for one – power for someone else. Wealth for one - ego or the sense of importance for someone else. Control for one or self-sufficiency for someone else. And so we need to look deeply and honestly as to what those weights, those burdens, those useless attachments might be – and let loose of them. But there is something we do need to have filled – something that should not be empty - -something which God expects, wants, and longs for. This is the OIL the foolish virgins forgot - or neglected to prioritize in their lives. And this thing that need to be full is each of our hearts. We can’t get into the wedding feast - we can’t experience the celebration that begins in this life and continues into eternity – if we decide to show up— empty-HEARTED. Jesus, the bridegroom, wants our hearts filled with every good thing. Hearts full of kindness and mercy and understanding. Hearts full of compassion and forgiveness. Hearts open to grace – longing to be filled with the presence of our loving God who wants nothing more than to dwell within us for all eternity. And so our hands need to be empty – but our hearts need to be full. Only then will we be properly prepared to accompany Jesus into the wedding feast beyond all wedding feasts – the celebration for which we were created and for which Jesus died to make possible. We’ve been invited. And this is one party we should never say NO to. So let’s do the faithful thing, say yes, say Amen – and then do whatever we can to make our loving host happy – helping make the celebration the party— God so deeply desires for all of us. |
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