A woman came home one evening from Church and encountered a thief in her house busy taking her valuables. Being a woman of faith and familiar with the Scriptures she shouted: Stop! Acts 2:38!!
For those of us who don’t know the Scriptures as well as she did, Acts 2:38 reads: “Repent and be Baptized in the name of Christ so your sins may be forgiven.” When he heard the woman shout, the thief stopped in his tracks, sat down and put his hands behind his head. The woman calmly called the police – and when they arrived, the man was still sitting there - as she explained everything that had taken place. As the police handcuffed him and began to lead him to the squad car – one officer asked him: “how did a simple Scripture verse get you to stay until we arrived - why did you not just run off.” “Scripture verse?” the thief said. “I thought she said she had— an ax and two 38s!” The woman, however, was not surprised at all. As she knew from past experience, her faith would get her through anything. Evidently, so too, did the woman in today’s Gospel. As Jesus eventually says to her: “O woman, great is your faith.” The ending of this Gospel story we can certainly agree with – but the beginning may be a bit hard for us to swallow or to understand. A poor woman asks Jesus for a favor – and he not only ignores her – but he even insults her by calling her a dog. What was going on? Was Jesus — testing her faith? Was he so preoccupied by his primary mission to the Jewish people that he could not deal with anyone else? Was Jesus just reflecting the cultural prejudices of his day against the Canannites: ancient enemies of the Isrealites. – Or was Jesus just being somewhat playful? After all, dogs were kept as pets in Jesus’ day and “dog” does not always mean something bad. Way back in my seminary days at St. Meinrad in Indiana, I had a roommate who got up, always a little bit too cheery in the morning - would look at himself in the mirror and say, “Oh you handsome dog, you!” Granted his good looks were exceeded only by his humility!! What was going on when Jesus refers to this woman as a dog? Well, let’s admit, we will never know for sure – because for instance, we don’t have the benefit of Jesus’ inflections or his tone of voice, or his facial expressions or gestures – all of which often times speak louder than the words themselves. Let’s look at the Gospel, then, from the point of view of our own reaction to it. Why are we so uncomfortable with Jesus’ treatment of this woman – or at least I should say – my discomfort with it. . . Is it because we think Jesus or God should never say NO to us? Is it because we think Jesus should answer every request that comes his way? Is it because we think God should never force us to ask for something more than once? Whether we are aware of it or not – we all have our expectations of how we think God should act. But sometimes God doesn’t fit those expectations. . . How many times have we ourselves felt like this woman – that God was ignoring us – giving us the cold shoulder – or even offensively telling us to go away? And what do we do when God says NO to us? Do we keep on asking, like this woman of faith - do we get angry and vow to never turn to God again for any of our needs? Or do we peacefully say: thy will be done? Sometimes we do just have to accept what comes our way as the will of God – but other times, Jesus encourages us not to give up praying: keep asking, keep knocking – Jesus has told us in some of his parables. Today’s Gospel is a good example of faith and perseverance in prayer. It also strikes me as a good example of praying to the saints and asking other people to pray for us. Notice that the women went to the apostles and asked them for help as even they wanted Jesus to send her away “for she keeps calling out after US.” But that must have worked, and Jesus found he could not ignore her any more. We don’t always understand the dynamic of prayer - as we don’t always know the mind of God. >> But Jesus said there is great power in united prayer. He will remind us in a couple of weeks “if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray – it will be granted to them by my heavenly Father.” My own personal opinion of what was happening in today’s Gospel – is that Jesus was simply tired and worn down. . . He recently heard of the death of his cousin, John the Baptist. And most of us know how exhausting grief can be. He had recently gone home to Nazareth and could do not do any mighty works because of their unbelief. And many of us know how rejection of any kind can zap our joy. He had battled the scribes and Pharisees multiple times in the last few chapters of Matthew’s Gospel – and last week had to deal with the lack of faith of his closest followers. I think Jesus was simply tired and worn down – How many times have you or I said or did things when we were tired, that we wish we could re-do later after a nap or a day off? But Jesus is going to keep at it – perhaps this encounter with the Canaanite woman allows him to re-focus – and recommit himself to his pastoral ministry. But just like clockwork – next week Jesus will have to deal with the lack of faith of his closest followers. Let us ask God for the grace we need – to stay awake and alert to the needs of others – even when we think we simply can’t do one more thing. . .
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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 which God does not want to force upon us - but one that we freely embrace and nurture. 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. That’s why, as St. Paul tells us, there was a covenant, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; why there were patriarchs, and from them, the ultimate expression of God’s love: the sending of Christ to dwell among us. God loves us. And God wants to be in a relationship with us - and just like in our earthly relationships - so to with our relationship with the divine - there needs to be communication - in order for the relationship to be nurtured and to grow. Sometimes God communicates with us in a way that is powerful and unmistakable– like Peter, James and John experienced in the Transfiguration of Jesus last weekend. Or the communication may not be in thunder and earthquakes as often happened in the Old Testament - although if we can stand in awe before the wonders of nature - we certainly can hear God communicating to us. God may speak to us through a special healing or a prayer answered that we never thought possible - as some of you, I know, have recently had happen to you. These moments are worth treasuring. They are important to hold onto and remember when it seems God is quiet – for one of God’s favored ways of communicating with us is in — silence. Like the prophet Elijah, we often need to quiet our lives so we can discover God in the depth of our own hearts. And when we are able to let the Lord take us by our hand and lead and guide us - our eyes are usually a bit more open - and then we are able to see and hear God all over the place - communicating love, care, and concern, and forgiveness, and acceptance – to us. When I was preparing my homily this week, I came across a reflection on today’s readings by a Chicago priest: Fr. Dominic Grassi – who is not only a pastor but also the author of several books: a couple are – Still called by name: why I like being a priest // and// Living the Mass: how one hour a week can change your life. Fr. Dominic writes in a homily: one of the most popular nicknames for our city of Chicago is the “windy city”. Most people think the name comes from the sometimes very strong winds that blow into the city from Lake Michigan. But, he said, Chicago was dubbed the “windy city” because of its history of long-winded politicians who would promise voters everything during a campaign – and give them very little after elected. Now I don’t want to doubt Fr. Dominic’s words – but they do lead me to ask the question - why, then, isn’t every city in the nation referred to as the windy city?? Anyway, Fr. Dominic then applied this “windy city approach” to the Church. Currently, he thinks, people have deep concerns about the church – why not women priests? Why is their little accountability for bishops, priests, and others - especially when they mess things up. . . How are we going to continue to sustain the buildings that have been built over the centuries - with fewer numbers of Catholics to fill them? What happened to all the religious women that used to staff our schools? Or the question on many minds of parents: how can I get my adult children to go to Mass? Many people, including myself from time to time - are self-appointed experts on just about every problem in the Church and have a solution for every problem. . . We wouldn’t have these problems if people would just listen to us – or do things our way. But sometimes all our talking and problem solving, especially if we dwell only on the negatives – can get in the way of living out the Gospel of Jesus in our lives. Perhaps the readings for today are telling us not to be so “windy”. After all, Elijah finds God not in the strong wind, or the earthquake – but in a tiny whisper. The wind scares the apostles to the point where Peter almost drowns and needs Jesus to save him. And so Jesus calms the winds. God loves us. God wants to be in a relationship with us – and so God communicates with us: sometimes in a strong and heavy wind. Sometimes in the crushing of rocks or in earthquakes or in fire – however those things come crashing into our lives. But most times - God comes in the silence. Fr. Dominic concluded his reflections by saying: maybe if we talked less and listened more – it would be better for us and for the Church. So following that advice - let’s take a few moments to quiet ourselves – and to listen – and let God speak to us. Fr. Terrence enjoyed being here last weekend - and is at St. Therese parish this weekend. He told me you were kind to him and I would expect nothing else – so I hope you were generous to his appeal to help the Basilians in their mission work.
I enjoyed being home with my sister and her family – and we got more of my mother’s house cleaned out – and played lots of card games. . . A lady wrote this story about a childhood experience she had – She recalled that when she was a child, her wealthy parents would take an extended vacation to Europe every summer and they would leave her in care of a sitter. When she was eleven, the regular sitter quit right before her parents left - and they had to hire a last-minute replacement, who they knew only by her references. Before their departure, the girl came upon her mother wrapping up all the family silverware and other valuables, hiding them away in a locked closet. The girl - having never seen her mother do this before – asked her mother what she was doing — so her mother explained since she did not know the new sitter - she could not trust her around the family’s treasures. . . You can imagine how the girl interpreted the remark – the parents could trust the new sitter with HER – but not with anything that had material value. Wasn’t she more important than silver knives and forks??? I’m sure the parents - if questioned - would of course say they valued their daughter more than any of their possessions – but for the girl – their actions spoke louder than their words. The woman concluded the story that with a bit of counseling over the years, she had gotten over the shock of not feeling valued – and considers herself a somewhat adjusted adult. How many times do we allow our actions to speak louder than our words?? In these two parables today - Jesus is making the point that the kingdom of heaven and living in God’s grace should be of the utmost value to us – certainly worth sacrificing for. Going to Mass, taking time for prayer, following the Commandments, reading the Scriptures, loving God and our neighbor – is not just some form of insurance to make sure that we live later in the eternal kingdom of heaven -- It is supposed to be something that we enjoy, and help bring about in our lives right now – And that’s where are actions may speak louder than our words. . . we say we believe in the kingdom of heaven - and want to live in the eternal kingdom someday – but do we follow up those words by making an investment in the kingdom with our time, talent, and treasure?? Singing “how great thou art” is one thing – but living it is something completely different! The person who found the treasure in the field was extremely lucky – but the treasure was not in their possession until they sold all that they had in order to make it their own. Again, the person who found the pearl of great price was lucky – but the pearl did not belong to the merchant until everything was sold and the pearl was in their hand. Both of these people were willing to sacrifice everything they had – in order to obtain the treasure! Likewise, the kingdom of heaven does not come to us automatically. Yes, it is freely offered to us – it’s a gift – but we have to invest in it to really posses it – or rather I should say - to have it posses us. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. So the most important thing we have to invest is our time – how to spend it, or more importantly - how do we waste it – day after day. Do we invest any of our time in making the kingdom more a part of our lives – by praying, by reading Scripture, by serving others? The kingdom of heaven requires an investment of our WILL – we have to deliberately choose to guide our lives by Christ’s teachings rather than making up our own rules about what’s good or bad - what we should do or should not do. And the kingdom of heaven takes an investment of our treasure - our finances - for if we truly value our faith – and this parish community which helps to nurture our faith – and our school which helps to form our children in the faith — then we will adequately support them. When our lives are over, we will have to leave behind every material possessions we have accumulated here on earth – U-Hauls simply do not follow a hearse to the cemetery. But we will take with us the treasure we have stored up in the kingdom of heaven: our good works and our love for God and others – these will be our joy for all eternity. A life of holiness and goodness is a treasure that will not fail. The kingdom of heaven is worth our sacrifice and our investment – for - Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. And so we pray that the Lord may purify our hearts – making holiness and goodness our utmost desires – so that we will be set apart, ready to do God’s will. And as my friend Fr. Phil Eagan would say: can I get an AMEN?? We live in a society that likes instant results and instant gratification.
For those of us who still go to the grocery: we buy instant meals and then try to get in the shortest line on the way out - or go to the self-check out to hurry things along. The internet provides us with instant information and we find instant replays essential when it comes to our sports. Now I will be the first to admit - I don’t like wasting time - so I do head for the self-check out lines – and am still searching for the quickest way to get south of the river these days . . . But we can’t deny the reality that some things just take time. People who are highly successful in life did not get where they are at without patience and effort - whether that’s in the arts, sports, business or academic field. Children do not grow up instantly - no matter how quickly we want the adolescent years to pass - and nobody gets to retire before putting in years of work. I think what Jesus is telling us in today’s gospel is our spiritual growth – our being transformed more and more into the image and likeness of Christ – is one of those things that takes time, patience, and perseverance. These days, computers on tractors and planters make the sowing of seeds very precise – there is very little waste. . . But even in Jesus’ day - an ordinary farmer would have sowed sparingly - only seeding good ground. But in the parable – the farmer is far from ordinary. Because the farmer stands for God – and when God scatters seed – it goes everywhere. In other words, God’s call and God’s grace and God’s mercy – are offered to everyone – indiscriminately and unconditionally. For in the parable - the seed is the word of God that Jesus preached. Like: Come to me all you labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Or - whoever does not take up their cross and follow after me - is not worthy of me. . . So, not everyone was receptive to Jesus’ message. Some people listened to his teachings, liked his stories – then quickly forgot what they were intended to teach. Some people got very enthusiastic about what they heard, then other things quickly drew their attention and overtook the core of their being. Some were even hostile to Jesus. But there were some - who did listen to Jesus’ message and allowed the seed to take root in them, to grow, and overtake their hearts – so that the word of God was at their core. One of the most detrimental things, I think, to our spiritual journey – is discouragement– discouragement that we are not growing fast enough - or someone else seems to be more holy than we are, or we think we will never become the people we want to be. . . I think we all want God’s grace and God’s love to lift us up, to spur us on, to fill us with joy each and every day – and some days it does. But other days we let discouragement get the better us. The wonderful things we think our faith should do for us don’t seem to be there. And so we give up on our faith and our progress in our becoming more and more like Christ – much too quickly, and God’s grace and love becomes in us that seed which withers and dies. And that’s not what God wants for us - and not really what we want for ourselves. The most important thing this parable can teach us – is – perseverance – the need to stick to our spiritual journey no matter what. Sure our prayers are not always wonderful, our lives are certainly not always sinless, and our charity is not always perfect. Let’s be honest and admit we do have a lot of imperfections – and the more we grow spiritually, the more we become aware of them. But THE most important thing is to keep on trying. To persevere. To not give up on ourselves or one another – because when we give up – we backslide - and our hearts become hardened rather than becoming softened. The great inventor Thomas Edison once said: “I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident – they came from work.” And so does our growth in faith. Another time he said: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” And that’s a four letter word many of us dislike. A Russian Orthodox proverb tells us to: “Pray to God, but keep rowing to the shore.” The great salesman and author, Coleman Cox, states: “Even the woodpecker owes its success to the fact that it uses its head and keeps pecking away until it finishes the job.” And Saint Mother Theresa is just as profound for saying: “To keep a lamp burning, you have to keep putting oil in it.” Are we putting oil in the lamps of our faith wo we can be the light of the world which Jesus calls us to – or are we forgetting the oil all together much like the foolish virgins we will hear about in mid-November? God’s word and God’s grace and God’s mercy and love – are like seeds - they need to be nurtured and cared for with prayer, the sacraments, and good works. God is an indiscriminate and unconditional, and a rather sloppy farmer: for God offers grace freely – but we can’t ignore it, can’t sit on it, can’t let it be choked out by distractions or laziness, or taken from us by the world’s temptations. We have to nurture it – which does mean some effort and care and work on our part – and that’s why we gather at this table today. . . You may have heard, because the word has been out for awhile – that in November 2021, the American Bishops kicked off what they are calling a three year Euchristic Revival: which is to culminate with a national Eucharistic Congress to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 17-21, 2024 - the first such event since 1976.
The Bishops want the Church to use the time leading up to the national gathering to inspire, educate, and unite Catholics around the one thing we have that no one else has: the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We Catholic believe that when Jesus said “this is my Body, this is my Blood” – he meant it. That is, the Eucharist isn’t a symbol of his Body, it isn’t his Body only when we are gathered – but that He is really present: soul and divinity- in the bread we break and the wine we drink. What an awesome gift God gives to us each and every time we come to the Eucharist. One way Bishop Johnston wants our local Church to be inspired, educated, and united in the Eucharist – is for all the priests in our Diocese to preach on some aspect of the Eucharist on the first Sunday of every month. So welcome to month one. And since I was taught you always preach about the readings of the day – welcome to a very difficult month of preaching on the Eucharist. But I did have a whole week of retreat to think about this. . . So here goes. The words in today’s Gospel can be hard to hear – whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter more than Jesus – is not worthy of him? Isn’t Jesus all about love – how many times does he say love one another as I have loved you in the Gospels? And that’s the point – at least I think . . . it’s about priorities – not about the denial of love. . . or the love of one person, Jesus, at the expense of not loving others. . . Love one another, as I have loved you. . . so we must first get at HOW Jesus loves us – so we know how to love one another. The origin of our English word CORE – that is the part of something which is central to its existence or character – such as core values – or what are the core activities in your science class today – is the Latin word CORDA - which means – heart. So I think what Jesus is after today in the Gospel – is: what is at our core, what has captured our hearts – as a Christian?? And the answer to that has to be Jesus – or why call ourselves Christian? Now remember for the last couple of weeks I have said that the Scriptures and our faith are very clear on the fact that God loves us – and we heard a couple of weeks ago from St. Paul in his letter to the Romans – that God proves God’s love for us – in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . So God’s love for us is unconditional – it doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do – no matter what —God loves us — God will not abandon us — And this is the love that has to be at our core – at the center of our existence and character – in our hearts – For once that love is there – we can try to love others as unconditionally as God loves us. Because the truth of the matter is – so many times we love each other conditionally – that is we put limits on it – we often times cut it off if we don’t get what we want or need from others – and that’s just not the way God loves us – nor wants us to love others. I haven’t lived to be 64, nor have I heard Confessions for over 35 years – not to know the people who are supposed to be the easiest to love in our lives – like fathers, and mothers, and sisters and brothers, and best friends, and fellow Christians — are not always the easiest to love in our lives – mostly because they know exactly what buttons to push to get us going. And once the buttons are pushed – it’s easy to flip on the switch to conditional love – I’m not getting what I want or need for you – so I am going to cut you off – and that’s not the love God wants us to have for one another. That’s why we were plunged into the waters of Baptism – so we can live in newness of life – a life where and when and how – we love each other as God wants us to – unconditionally: with heartfelt compassion, in kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience – as St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians — all of which is impossible to do, unless we have the love of God at our core – in our hearts - to guide and direct us. One of the things you will probably hear me say often during these first of the month homilies on the Eucharist is – What difference does it make if the bread and wine ON the altar are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ – if those AT the altar remain the same?? The Eucharist is not just something the Church does — it’s something that we need to become – For we can venerate the Lord present in Eucharistic Adoration for hours on end. And we can participate in the Mass: fully, consciously, and actively every week – and even every day – But if our hearts remain the same – if our core does not change – becoming more and more the image and likeness of Christ who we adore and receive - then what difference does it make?? That’s the Eucharistic revival we need in the Church – to know that the Eucharist can and should have an effect on our lives. We’re not just putting in time here – we are supposed to be allowing God to love us – and allow that love to change our hearts – so that we can leave here and do better at loving father, and mother, and sister, and brother – and those who we meet and encounter each and every day. So let the revival – begin. So we can go out and make a difference in the world. The first time I went zip-lining was several years ago. My very first time was a short line - but across a very deep canyon.
I am afraid of heights. So my fear kept me from enjoying the view I was being offered -- mostly because I had my eyes closed and I was hanging on for dear life. After a few more attempts at this past time -- I learned how to relax - knowing I was perfectly safe in my harness. And it was only after I felt comfortable - that I truly enjoyed the experience. I learned to enjoy zip-lining -- by doing it. One of the things I feared the most about becoming a priest -- was speaking in public. I'm an introvert. I seek out quiet corners at gatherings. I totally dislike being the center of attention. It was only by doing this -- over and over again -- that I became comfortable doing it - and now enjoy it quite a bit - even though I still get intimated from time to time depending on who I am speaking to. To become good at public speaking - to get over the fear that most people fear more than death itself -- you just have to do it. And it certainly helps to be convinced that you have something worthwhile to say and share with people. Jesus said: "Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." This certainly builds on the idea that we heard last week: that all of us are called to evangelize. That all of us, not just me --- but all of us -- are called to be the light of Christ -- and to draw others into the light of Christ. And we get used to doing it -- by actually doing it! And it should help that we do have something worthwhile to say: we are proclaiming the Kingdom of God – a way of being and of doing here on earth, so that we enjoy life in heaven for all eternity. Oh I know - we don't like doing it. We are afraid people will think we are some kind of Jesus freak. And we are also probably fearful of rejection and of failure. Which puts us right there in the pit with Jeremiah who experienced terror on every side when he tried to prophecy on behalf of the Lord. Or like St. Paul who was writing his letter to the Romans as he was on the way to that city to be put on trial -- for boldly preaching the kingdom of God to Gentiles! So if we are a little afraid of responding to our call to be evangelist -- those spreading the good news of the kingdom -- we are in good company. Name the saint - and chances are they had a rough time too. BUT IT DID NOT KEEP THEM FROM DOING WHAT GOD WAS CALLING THEM TO DO! And I think that's because they remembered at least two things -- that we would benefit from remembering also. First - most often they let their actions speak louder than their words. As St. Anthony of Padua, no stranger to misunderstanding as he spent several years in a treehouse to get away from his detractors -- once stated: " Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak." Or as St. Mary Mackillop stated: "we must teach more by example than by word." So if people don't want to listen, and if they out-right reject us -- we just keep doing what we are supposed to do - living the calling God has given us – being the light in our dark world and leading others to the light of Christ --- because we never know who is paying attention and WILL grow closer to God because of us. The second thing we should remember -- is what Jeremiah tells us today: that no matter what: "the lord is with us, like a mighty champion and our persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph and in their failure they will be put to shame." Which is just a re-enforcement of what we heard last week: when we are actually failing, or think we are a failure -- that's when God swoops under us -- and lifts us up as on Eagle's Wings -- and allows us to try to soar once again. My sisters and brothers - the Scriptures and our faith are very clear on this: God loves us. And God wants to get that message across to as many people as possible. And so God sends us --to carry that Good News to others. And so we need to heed what Jesus tells us four times in the Gospel today: do not be afraid. Just as God takes care of the sparrows -- God will take care of us -- because we are worth more than sparrows. And then also listen to this advice of Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta: “If you want to bring God to all the world – first go home and love your family.” So we are out of the Easter season. We retained white as our liturgical color for the special celebrations of the Holy Trinity and The Body and Blood of Christ — and now we are back to the GREEN of ordinary time – when we resume our count of the Sundays using ordinal numbers – today being the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
We will only count up to the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time – have a peek of white as we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th – then resume counting the 19th through the 33rd Sunday. Celebrate the Feast of Christ the King – then start a new liturgical year with the 1st Sunday of Advent. The time is going to fly by – so we might as well have fun – and maybe learn a few things along the way so that we can be more like Christ. So, there was a little girl on her way to her Catholic school, dressed in her school uniform. Thinking she was going to be late – she began running to get to school on time. Being the good Catholic she was – She began praying as she ran: “Dear Lord, don’t let me be late!” And all of a sudden – she tripped and fell, getting a little dirty and banging up her knee. Not being discouraged, she got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. This time praying: “Dear Lord, don’t let me be late. But please don’t shove me again to get me to move faster!” I don’t think God shoves us when we’re doing our best at something – but I do think God shoves us when we need to get moving – or at least when we need to get moving in the right direction. In today’s first reading we had an image of God in which most people find comfort. God said to his people: “I bore you up on eagles’ wings and brought you here to myself.” This is the scripture passage Michael Joncas used for the song we will use at Communion: And he will raise you up on eagles’ wings. Bear you on the breath of dawn. Make you to shine like the sun. And hold you in the palm of his hand. Michael wrote this song for a couple of his friends for their wedding – but we use it alot at funerals: because it gives us an image of God’s protection and a sense of security. But there are other aspects of the image of eagles’ wings to consider. One is – when the baby eagles are old enough to fly, the mother eagle will nudge the little ones out of the nest in order to get them in the air so they can start to fly: the old sink or swim methodology – or in this case fly or crash. But even eagles are capable of compassion: if a young eagle starts falling and does look as if it is going to crash – that’s when the adult eagles come to the rescue. The adult bird, either the father or the mother: will soar down under the falling fledgling and support them and lift them up so they can try again. God wants to keep us from crashing for sure – but God is not in the business of providing free rides so we can get through life without much work or effort. God is in the business of getting us to mature, to grow up, to use the gifts and talents and energy God has given us. We’ve all had times when we feel as if God has dumped us and we have to make it on our own. The truth is, God is watching out for us, but God is not going to do our job for us. We’re not getting into the kingdom of God without effort on our part. And part of that effort is to hear God’s voice and keep God’s covenant as God told the people of Israel in the first reading. And doing that is not always easy. If eagles’ wings symbolize God’s watchful care, God’s watchful care is also expressed by another image in today’s gospel – that of a shepherd. St. Matthew tells us how Jesus’ heart went out to people of his day who were like sheep without a shepherd, lost and abandoned. Jesus wants to reach out and help all of them but he knows he can’t so he chooses people to help him. They receive the name “apostles” which means those who are sent out. Today, Jesus still sends people out. Some of them have the same role the apostles had: to be spiritual leaders of the community: like Pope Francis, and Bishop Johnston, and the three deacons we are blessed to have in this parish. But there are religious men and women, teachers, those who take Communion to the sick and home bound, those who work in homeless shelters and in food pantries – and parents who do their best to raise their children to be good, and hopefully - holy - people. We all have our part to be a witness to the risen Lord and to guide and direct other people to him. Just think if everyone here brought just one person with them to Mass next weekend – how tremendous that would be. Jesus said to pray that the master of the harvest send out laborers for his harvest. God wants to share profound love for all people – but someone needs to let people know that. That someone is NOT just me – but also you. We could certainly be blessed with more priests. That’s something we need to pray about. Bishop Johnston will soon announce more parishes that will be closing in our Diocese because of the lack of priests. In my home diocese of Indianapolis – when the new assignments of priest came out – I noticed out of the 21 assignments – 11 were just adding another parish to the one the priest already had – as if priests have an unlimited amount of time and energy. . . especially as we continue to age. . . So yes, pray for priests. But also pray for a renewed sense of how all of us are called to evangelization – how all of us are called to be first of all the light in the very dark world we live in – but also called to lead others to the light of Christ. We share with our friends a good story or a good movie we’ve seen or that great restaurant we just ate at the other night – are we also sharing our faith with them??? God’s love flows from every reading today. Can we absorb that love – soak it up while we are here – and then share it with others throughout the week? That’s our calling: With one voice to pass the word along. With one voice, to bring justice to the world. To spread the goodness of God. I think you stand a better chance of getting it right this time— than you did several weeks ago – when I ask the question again: what do all of these statements have in common:
-He’s just a kid. We should not let one action ruin his whole life - he deserves a second chance. -I accept your apology and forgive you - and let’s do our best to put it behind us. -Just because she was like that once - doesn’t mean she is that way now: people CAN change. . . -Or how about this one: I’m not perfect - so how can I expect anyone else to be? Did you get it this time? They are things we almost NEVER hear people say. Again, perhaps more accurate to say that I seldom hear these things said - but something tells me that it’s probably the same with you. Instead, we hear things like: -I hope that guy gets what’s coming to him. -I’m never going to forgive her because of what she said to me. -People never change – if he was like that before, he’s still like that. -Or, why can’t people just be perfect like me?? One definition of MERCY is the “compassionate treatment of those in distress, especially when it is within one’s power to punish or harm them.” That’s why Pope Francis says “a little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” We seldom here words that extend mercy to others - because is seems as if mercy is kind of in short supply. And maybe this is nothing new– maybe it’s always been this way - and maybe that’s because mercy might be one of the most difficult things we can do - and so we seldom practice it and so seldom hear about it. Because unlike other positive attributes like generosity, honesty, or compassion – mercy is hard to fake - because it has to be soooo intentional. In fact many people see us as kind of weak or soft if we show mercy to others - and few of us want to come off looking this way. Maybe you disagree – and that’s okay. I’m just saying from my perspective, specifically the vengeful things I sometimes hear people say – mercy is not meted out in abundance. . . And so it is hard for us to want to extend mercy to others, hard for us to be kind, and loving, and forgiving – when our knee-jerk reaction is to act otherwise. Of course we seldom want someone else’s knee-jerk reaction directed at us – when it comes to OUR faults, failing, and imperfections - we certainly want others to be merciful to us – but to extend that mercy to others– it’s mt so easy and so not so fast. And that’s unfortunate – because Pope Francis has also said that “mercy is the very face of God.” The God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – whom we gather to celebrate today on this feast of the Holy Trinity. This feast teaches us that at the very heart of God - at the very core of God – is the a “relationship.” And not just any kind of relationship – but a loving relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit. Love is at the core of who God is – and it is love that is not hoarded and not clung to by God – not kept in a tight embrace – BUT POURED OUT FOR US. And poured out not just once in awhile – but continuously. A love that is merciful, just, overwhelming, abundant, all accepting and all forgiving. This is who we believe that God is: God the Father – the one who created all things out of love and saw that all of it was good. Which includes you and me – we are good - and God the Father holds all creation in the palm of his hand – gently sustaining us and every other created thing. This is also God the Son: the one who became like us in order to save us, redeem us, and show us what true love looks like. And this is God the Spirit: our God who is not watching us from a distance, but who is alive and well and at work in every human heart. At the heart of God - and God’s very core is a relationship. A relationship of love which includes abundant mercy: “for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” So if this is our God, and we are called to be like God – why do we have such a hard time embracing the very core of who God is? The answer is not a simple one – and each of us has our own reasons as to why we fall short of being the person God wants us to be. But when we look at the life of Jesus, it becomes abundantly clear that: God is NOT looking for reasons to punish us. God is NOT looking for an opportunity to “give us what we deserve.” God is NOT looking for a way to “teach us a hard lesson” or “make sure we know who is in charge” or cause us to worry unnecessarily or fear God’s wrath every second of every day. NO, our God is constantly looking for opportunities to show us mercy, opportunities to forgive us, opportunities to be generous, opportunities to simply love us. That’s our incredible and awesome God. That’s who God is. And that should make us wonder: who are we? Or more importantly: who do we want to be? Let’s always look to the Trinity to answer those questions. My mother was a writer. Now notice I did not say she was an author: she did not write any books. . . but she was a passionate letter writer.
I left home for college when I was 18 and my mother died when I was 58. . . and in those intervening 40 years – like clockwork – my mother – faithfully wrote me a letter twice a month. Letters that were filled with information about what was going on in my family, in the parish, on the farm, and in the neighborhood. What was going on with my dad, my siblings, my aunts, uncles, and cousins, my nieces and nephews. What meetings or social gatherings she had gone to - and one of her favorite things to write about - detailed lists of the food served at these events. All of these letters were handwritten with a neat penmanship, which unfortunately none of her children inherited. When I am really missing my mom, as still happens from time to time – I will get one box of many out of the closet - and sit and read a letter or two my mother wrote me 10 - 20 - or 40 years ago. Dr. Alan Wolfelt, a nationally known speaker on bereavement – calls those letters of mine a “linking object” I have with my mother. Something I can pick up and read which immediately connects me with my mother. Linking objects come in all shapes and sizes. That’s why I kept a cooking pot of my mother’s, several tools of my father’s, a jigsaw puzzle of my sister’s — along with pictures, and other sentimental items: from grandparents, friends, and others I have lost through the years. When we miss those we love – there is a need to foster a connection with them in some way - to ease the pain, lessen the hurt, and heal the heart. “When Jesus had said these things while the disciples were looking on – he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.” The disciples then went through what we all go through when we loose someone we love - they grieved. And then they had to begin looking for ways to continue fostering a connection to Jesus: some way to ease the pain, lessen the hurt, and heal the heart: because of his physical absence. What did they do? We heard about some of the things they did as we read the Acts of the Apostles during this Easter season – things they did to keep the spirit of Jesus alive and well among them. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers. They praised God and enjoyed favor with all people. [2 Easter] They repented of their sins and were Baptized. They followed the example of Christ and walked in his footsteps. [4 Easter] To keep the spirit of Jesus alive and well among them - they devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. They continued to spread the word of God so that the numbers of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly. They formed themselves into a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God’s own: and announced their praises of God. [5 Easter] They gave an explanation to anyone who asked them for a reason for their hope. And they suffered for doing good - if that was the will of God. [6 Easter] And most fortunate for us – as the early followers of Jesus began to be martyred and die off – they began writing the stories of Jesus down instead of just telling them to one another, and they preserved the letters written by St. Paul and others to the early Chrsitian communities — giving us what would become the New Testament. So that just like those letters my mom wrote – we modern-day Chrstians would have a linking object to Jesus and to the early Church communities. All so we would know how to keep the spirit of Jesus alive and well among us – by devoting ourselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers – and all the many other things they did. And like those in the early Church - we now await the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that we might become sharers of Christ’s divinity. And so our prayer these next few days should be: Come Holy Ghost, creator blest - And in our hearts take up they rest. So that we can go out to the world - and preach the cross where Christ renews life’s worth. And seeking God’s presence in each time and space. AMEN! So let me start by asking you what all of these statements have in common:
The world sure is a nice place. Our country, and our Church, have their best days ahead. There is more peace in the world now than ever before in history. Things in our parish are just great! People are kinder to each other than in the past. So what do they have in common? Think about it – and in case you can’t come up with something – let me tell you: They are things we almost NEVER hear people say. Well, I guess it’s more correct to say that they are things I rarely hear. But something tells me that it’s probably the same for you. Now the OPPOSITE of these statements I hear all the time. I’ll ask someone how they are doing or what’s new or what’s on their minds – and they will come back with something along the lines of: -The world is going to hell in a handbasket. -The future of our country, and our Church, sure looks bleak. -People are never going to stop fighting one another? -Let me tell you what’s wrong with our parish. -How much meaner can people get with one another? NOW you might be asking - what’s wrong with saying things like that? I feel the same way all the time. And you would not be alone. These concerns are on the minds of many people these days. But are these just concerns. . . or is something more going on?? When I hear people talk this way – I have two reactions. First – it makes me sad. I feel really bad for people who carry this kind of negativity around with them everywhere they go. Don’t they get tired of being weighed down with all of that negative energy – that they then try to inflict on me? The second thing that happens when I hear people talk this way is that I immediately wonder where faith fits into all of it – I wonder if faith is still foundational for most of us – wonder if faith is still the lens through which we view the world. OR has faith’s power gotten buried somewhere – no longer molding and shaping our attitudes, and viewpoints and our way of thinking about things. It gets me thinking about the hearts and minds and lives of people – and even my own heart, and mind and life. Jesus said: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” This is one of many Scripture passages which should have the power to move us toward a more positive outlook on things. We heard how Jesus has prepared a place for us, and how we can come to know God by knowing Christ – and how Jesus wants us to do the same sorts of things that he did - all good and life-giving stuff. All meant to inspire us and give us hope. But the one statement of Jesus that anchors all the others is: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” In a very real sense – Jesus is telling us that we need to put him at the center of our lives. And by listening to him and following him and in imitating him – we will be safe – we won’t get lost – and we will be with God for all eternity. That should be very comforting to us – a pledge from Jesus that assures us that our faith in him is our salvation – our hope – and our life. And yet faith in Jesus has to be MORE than just saying, “Yes, God, I’d like to go to heaven someday.” Rather, true faith, authentic faith is so much more than that. Being faithful to the teaching of Jesus and placing him at the center of our lives also means: We believe in the value and potential of every human being - the possibility for every person to be loving, and kind, and compassionate. We believe that God’s presence is in every place, situation and person – and that no matter how dark things look at times – the light of Christ will always overcome the darkness. We believe that each of us can help make this world an even better place - and have the responsibility to do so: we are to help build the kingdom of God here and now. We believe that the world is not falling apart or going to hell in a handbasket – but rather the world is how it’s always been since the Fall of Human Nature – back there in the Garden of Eden – the world is imperfect, wounded, broken, and in continual need of healing. We believe that humanity’s best days aren’t behind us – but with the help of God’s grace – are ahead of us – since God is constantly offering us the gift of new life – which means every single person can be changed for the better. We believe that no problem we face has more power than God’s love. And we believe that what Jesus has done for us – suffered, died, and was raised - has changed absolutely everything – and consequently must shape the way we see the world and one another. In other words – as followers of Jesus – as believers in the power of the resurrection – it is our responsibility to NOT feed negativity and cynicism and hopelessness. We can’t be people who constantly speak of “doom and gloom”. Can we really say that we have faith, that we say we believe what we say we believe – if we constantly speak to the contrary?? And I don’t mean to suggest that we are supposed to ignore the problems of our world or pretend they don’t exist – but I am saying that being a true Christian means that we must be people of HOPE. And JOY. And COMPASSION. And PEACE. Otherwise we are not living up to the full of potential of who Christ is calling us to be And if people don’t see those qualities in us - then our faith has lost its power, lost its ability to make a real and lasting difference in our lives – the kind of difference that changes hearts and ultimately changes the world. We need to be precisely those kinds of people– the kind who embody the deep hope that comes with letting the Lord Jesus lead the way. If that is what we truly believe – then it will certainly dominate what we say, how we see, and what we believe is possible. And that’s a much different reality, a much different world from the one we often speak so poorly of. So let’s stop being so negative – and through the gift of our faith – open our eyes to start seeing as God sees. Open our ears to start hearing as God hears. Open our hearts to start loving the way God loves. . . or have we really lost our senses??? I live within you. Rest now in me. |
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