Do Not Look Away!

Grow rich in what matters to God

2010-08-01T02:56:00.000-05:00

1. Jesus told the parable about the wealthy and successful businessman who built bigger barns to hold his abundant harvest. The man was pleased that his possessions were secure and that his future was bright because he had saved sufficiently for the future. But God calls him a fool. Not because he worked hard. Not because he had a harvest. But because he stored up treasure for himself instead of growing rich in what matters to God.
2. No doubt our Lord’s teaching shocked and amazed his listeners. Most of them believed that wealth was a sign that all was right with God. And poverty was a sign that one was in sin. Even if we do not have those thoughts, it seems shocking that God would criticize so strongly someone who had saved for their household’s future. Does that mean we are fools for having retirement accounts or investments for the future? Well no. In other places, Jesus uses investment as a sign of bearing fruit with the gifts we have received. Certainly the Lord wants us to care for our families. At the same time, Jesus taught many times that wealth posed a serious danger. If we grow rich in wealth that does not last but fail to grow rich in what matters to God, we are indeed foolish.
3. But what does matter to God? The man in the parable did not thank God for the abundance he had received, nor did he recognize that God was his primary treasure and the source of all good. Neither did he consult the Lord as to how to properly use what he had gained. He decided to build bigger barns and he congratulated himself on his glorious achievement. The enjoyment of what he thought was his own possessions was his only plan.
4. Many times in Scripture, Jesus grieved over those who did not realize that they needed God and that everything they had, material or spiritual, was a gift from God. Because of this failure to honor God as the source of all things, they actually missed out on receiving even more blessings from the Lord. Their possessions became false gods who cannot create and who cannot save.
5. How do we avoid falling into the same trap and being regarded as fools by God? One thing we must do is learn to thank God. Every time that we are tempted to say “this is my money, or my house, or my phone, or my television, or even my job” we should recall that God has given it to us and that we are stewards of these gifts. A most excellent practice outlined in the Old Testament was the giving of the tithe- that is the ten percent to the Temple. (I know that we are in an economic downturn so I hesitate to mention it, but I put it before you to bring to prayer and ask God about it yourself.) God gives us everything, we return a set percentage to serve Him.
6. Tithing in the Christian sense involves more than money, it includes time and prayer. For many of us, time is even more precious that our funds. Yet God has given time to us also. The man in the parable had no idea that he would die that night. If he had, he might have done something other than think of himself alone. God needs to use your hands to do good: maybe teaching, maybe sitting on a committee and planning, maybe serving in Mass.
7. Prayer time is also a way in which we can give thanks and seek God’s direction in our lives. Lifting our hearts to the Lord helps us to put in proper perspective the other things of life which clamor for our attention. Furthermore, we priests need your prayers so that we can be wise and holy in our ministry. Sometimes it is very difficult.
8. In addition to the tithe, another practice is almsgiving. That is, to share the abundance of what we have received with those in need. The failure to give alms and care for the poor was the principal reason God sent His people Israel into exile in Babylon. Jesus has indicated that caring for the needy will be the definitive test on the day of Judgement. On the other hand, Jesus Christ shares our nature and desires to share an eternity of joy in the home of His Father. Who knows, maybe sharing with others is the reason we have been blessed.
9. And everyone can practice almsgiving. There are children who give their favorite toys to those who have none. There are teenagers who use their own money to buy food for families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Doctors who run a free clinic, businessmen and women who feed the hungry on their day off. Many of you responded to the call to help fund the Saint Vincent de Paul Society or the Food Pantry because they are in need. This sharing, even if it hurts a bit, especially if it hurts a bit, will serve as a sin offering and will build up treasure in heaven.
10. If we remember who gave us all we have, and use these gifts for the greater honor and glory of God and the service of the least ones out of love for Jesus. Then we will not be regarded as fools by God, but rather welcomed as His beloved into home of God the Father.

July things

2010-07-31T14:59:00.003-05:00

Well, a lot more time passed since the last post than I had intended it to be. Things at work got really busy and then I decided to have the gall bladder surgery. That went pretty well. I discovered that I was allergic to the adhesive on the bandages. But now I do not need any, so my skin is healing.

At the beginning of July, our parish received a new priest to be Parochial Vicar (assistant parish priest) and a seminarian. They are both doing very well. The priest is an excellent preacher and is fitting into the parish quickly.

If his teaching style and ability are any indication, the seminarian will likewise be a very good preacher. God has been good to us.

This coming week I will be taking a few days off to rest and travel. I will be back for Thursday night Mass and Confessions on 12 August. In the meantime, I will remember everyone in my prayers.

What's New

2010-06-13T21:58:00.003-05:00

Sorry folks for not updating with homilies and stuff. I have been preaching almost every Sunday. I have just been too lazy to upload the homilies to the blog. Maybe I will get back to it soon. If you want the short version of today's homily, here it is:
1] God really really loves you, more than you can imagine.
2] You cannot forgive your own sins - forgiveness is a grace received from God (see number 1)
3] Show your love back to God by loving Jesus with all your heart.
4] Do that by loving others
5] Go to confession every month- admit your sins and experience God's love
6] Do not wait until you have conquered whatever sin or weakness you have. You will not succeed (see number 2)
7] Do not worry about whether you might sin again, you probably will. (see number 1)

In other news, Father Marcus will be returning to his home diocese in Nigeria soon. It is a sad time for us. Father Marcus has given our parish many years of faithful and loving service. He is a excellent priest and has been a good friend also. May God bless him in his ministry back home. Another priest from Nigeria (Father Jacob) is being assigned as my Parochial Vicar, for which I am very grateful to both his bishop and mine. Father Marcus cannot be replaced, but I look forward to working with Father Jacob. The parish will benefit from his service.

One of the parishes near us lost their priest. As a result, I have been going there on many Sundays to celebrate their Spanish Mass. Thanks God that other priests have been taking care of the English liturgies. The people are very accomodating and friendly. But I am sure that they are hoping for their own parish priest soon. We must pray that our bishop can find someone to come and serve them.

Sometime this summer I plan to have my gall bladder removed. There has been increasing discomfort. And a loss of power on my bike. Furthermore, I have been very tired. Your prayers are deeply appreciated.

Have a blessed week.

Jesus is the Light of the World

2010-03-14T01:58:00.001-06:00

Fourth Sunday in Lent - Scrutiny (Year A)
1. I am the light of the World (John 9:5), says the Lord. Like any physical problem, people want to understand why it happened - what was the cause of this form of suffering. Sometimes, the cause of blindness was easier to determine- an accident, illness, or battle injury. But when someone was born blind, it was more difficult. In the time in which Jesus lived, many people considered blindness and other physical defects to be a sign of sin. That is, if someone or their parents did not live right before God, their sin might result in a physical affliction. For this reason, they are speculating as to the cause of the man’s blindness (which further caused him to have to beg instead of work).
2. Before we judge those people as primitive of superstitious, we have to consider that we ourselves often have the same kind of speculation. When we get ill or injured, or there is a great disaster, such as the earthquakes in Haiti or Chile, many people speculate as to why God would permit such a thing. We might even ask God what did I do to deserve this? Be honest, some people even wonder what sin God must be punishing. Some sins do result in a consequence of personal suffering. For example, if you kill someone, that other person is dead, and sooner or later you will have to grieve. If a couple uses contraceptives, they can become sterile. If you cause scandal, you can lose your good name or significant income- just ask Tiger Woods.
3. Anyway in this particular situation, Jesus responded by saying that it was not sin that caused this man’s blindness. Rather, God permitted it in order to show His glory. That is, Jesus intended to heal the man all along. Healing someone born blind was not just a great miracle for the benefit of the recipient- it was a sign of who Jesus is. Only God could restore the sight of someone born blind (without use of surgery or lasers or microscopes etc).
4. The healing is also a symbol for Baptism. In the physical world, light is necessary to see anything. But even if there is light all around us, we will only see to the extent that the light can reach inside of us. Furthermore, the light has to be focused or likewise we will not see clearly. To be able to see is to receive light- illumination within us. When we were baptized, either we or our parents and godparents received a lighted candle with this command to receive the light of Christ. That is, we received illumination from Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. At baptism, His light began to shine in us. Of course, our parents and godparents were admonished to keep the flame of faith alive- that is, to keep the light of Jesus Christ burning inside, growing stronger, shining the light of Christ to guide us on our pilgrimage through life.
5. Being able to see the world, however, is not enough- our minds must be able to interpret the images. So sight is also a metaphor for understanding. When we explain, we say do you see what I am saying? And when we understand, we say yes, I see it now. It is not unusual then, that the man born blind begins to see, not only the physical world around him, but who and what Jesus is. That is what the illumination of Baptism is for- to help us see things as God sees them.
6. Through the story of the Gospel we heard today, the man born blind grows in this understanding of Jesus. He first calls Jesus, “a man,” then “a prophet,” then “from God,” then “Lord,” and finally he bows down an worships Jesus.
7. Sin has the opposite effect, however. Those who oppose Jesus and His words cannot understand the sign of His divinity. They are blinded by their own opinions. In First Samuel, Samuel at first is sure of who should be anointed king based on the human judgement. But God teaches him to wait because God sees things differently. What is really sad is that many of those who rejected Jesus had the benefit of being able to study the Bible. They should have recognized the signs. In any event they should have turned to God in humility for help in determining what should be done. But they did not. Even some of the people who followed Jesus and listened to Him were more concerned about what they believed to be an insult than in learning the truth. That is, if we recognize our sins, our weaknesses, our ignorance, our need for God, then the Lord can and will work to heal us and give us understanding hearts. But if in our pride we will not see our need for healing, then we will stumble about in blindness.
8. If we do not want to be like those who rejected Jesus, we had better face the facts. We need Jesus- not just to heal us from sin, but for every aspect of our lives. Only by exposing our own sinfulness and letting the light of Christ shine even in the hidden recesses of our souls, can we hope to see and reflect that light in the Glory of Heaven.

Living Water

2010-03-07T08:09:00.000-06:00

Third Sunday in Lent Scrutiny (Year A) - The Woman at the Well
1. If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘you would have asked him and he would have given you living water (John 4:10). It would seem that going to the well to draw water for the day was an activity that would be best done in the cool of the morning. Such an activity would also have been a chance for social interaction with the other women of the village. So why did the woman come at noontime? Maybe there was an emergency in the house and she was delayed. Most likely she deliberately came to the well when she thought no one else would be there. Her multiple marriages and living with a man without being married to him would have met with disapproval in the community. To permit a man to treat her in such a way endangered all the women in the town, as well as the rest of society. So the woman came to draw her water in the heat of the day.
2. Little did she know that Jesus would be waiting for her. I do not think it was accidental that Jesus was waiting for her. If Jesus had gone into the town with the others, he would have missed her. Even if she had stayed in town, she would have never heard Him speak. But our Lord wanted to have an encounter with her, so that she could be healed. He did not approve of her sins, that was clear from His many teachings on the permanence of marriage and the evil of divorce. But Jesus did love her, as He loves all sinners. So in spite of the cultural custom of men not talking to women who were not their relatives and of Jews and Samaritans ignoring each other in most circumstances, Jesus asked her for a drink of water.
3. Really His plan all along was to give her the Living Water which He spoke of- the Water which would be a fountain within her always springing up to refresh her from inside. Such a fountain would have sounded very good to someone who lived in a time and place in which no one had running water. But we know that Jesus is not talking about regular water. And soon the woman would realize that also.
4. The Water which Jesus speaks of is the gift of the Holy Spirit which we receive in Holy Baptism. To receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit refreshes the individual so gifted because it is the Spirit of God who created us out of love and who has saved us from our sins. God alone can fulfill the deepest longings of the human heart. Other things, whether they are food or drink or clothes or sex or money or power or human comforts or even scientific knowledge and understanding, will not be able to fill our desires because we have been made for eternity with God. The woman at the well herself stated that they were looking forward to the Messiah who would guide them in the ways of God.
5. When the Samaritan woman expressed the desire to receive the living water, Jesus asked her to bring her husband. Jesus already knew that the woman was in an adulterous relationship, He knew everything about her. And yet He offered the gift of the Living Water. Of course, a gift is only ours to the extent that we are open to receiving it. The Holy Spirit is not going to dwell somewhere unwelcoming. Sin is incompatible with the presence of God. As Jesus has said you cannot serve two masters. You will end up hating one and loving the other. God will always love us, but He will not stay where He is not wanted. So although Jesus did not condemn her, His bringing up the problem with her life was a way of letting her know that it was time to change.
6. She brought up the differences between Jews and Samaritans- which among other things were the modes of worship. The Samaritans accepted the first five books of the Bible and they too were awaiting the Messiah. And Jesus told her that He is the one. He used the phrase I am he... That is, Jesus used the Divine Name to identify Himself as not only the Messiah, but God Himself.
7. Because of her encounter with Jesus, the woman’s heart was changed. She lost her fear of the other townspeople, proclaimed what He did for her, and invited them to meet Jesus aslo. They would have never listened if she had not changed her life. But they could see that she had been transformed and left sin behind.
8. This event in Jesus’ life is meant to instruct us in the reality of Baptism. In the living waters, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which is God Himself. The Spirit will transform us. It will destroy sin and enable us to live in accord with the will of God, if our hearts are committed to the Lord.
9. Someone who really encounters Jesus in this personal way in which He gives His Spirit as a gift will not be able to keep it to themselves. If God shows such love and mercy to you, you just have to tell others about it. But to bring them to the Lord also requires a radical change of heart away from sin and toward Jesus as Lord. Otherwise it will simply not convince. Of course, what really convinces is not our words, or even our actions, as holy as they may be. The convincing power is the Lord Himself. To know God, to Love God, to receive God’s Spirit within us is the way to fulfillment. And it comes from Jesus. If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘you would have asked him and he would have given you living water (John 4:10).

The Transfiguration and the Exodus of Jesus

2010-02-28T18:02:00.001-06:00

Second Sunday of Lent, Year C
1. August the 6th we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. Yet every year on the Second Sunday of Lent, we proclaim one of the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration as part of our Lenten journey towards Easter. I have often wondered why Jesus only took Peter, James and John upon the Mountain to reveal His glory. Why did not Jesus take all the Apostles, or for that matter, all of the disciples, or everyone in those crowds which were constantly following Him? Maybe if all those people would have seen Jesus transfigured in glory, they would have put their faith in Him. But then again, the whole event might have led to great confusion. That is, the salvation Jesus won for us was not obtained on Mount Tabor when His radiant glory was displayed and He spoke to Moses and Elijah. No. Jesus won salvation by ascending the Mount of Calvary and dying on the Cross.
2. The Transfiguration itself is an event filled with signs meant to draw us to faith. Even though the apostles did not know how to handle it at the time, these signs would surely not be lost on them after they had received the Holy Spirit. For example, when Moses would come down from the mountain after speaking with God, his face would be radiant with reflected glory, so much so that he had to veil his face because it would freak people out. On the other hand, Jesus’ glory was not a reflected glory- it came from within His person.
3. Then there were the words which were heard from Heaven: This is my chosen Son; listen to him (Luke 9:35) remind us of Jesus’ Baptism. They are meant to evoke our trust in Jesus as the Lord. Moses was an instrument of God to bring His law to the People. But Jesus is the Son of God who is God’s Word. That same Word, given through Moses as Law, spoken by the prophets such as Elijah, is made flesh in Jesus the Living Word. Jesus is not one prophet among others, nor is He one lawgiver among many, nor is He one son of God among many sons of God. Jesus is the Word spoken, the Law given, the Son of God who gives us the power to be the adopted sons and daughter of the Most High God.
4. But the sign which interests me today is that Moses and Elijah spoke of the exodus which Jesus was going to accomplish in Jerusalem (see Luke 9:31). Exodus might be a curious choice of words in reference to the Passion of the Lord. But it would be good if we were to meditate on it. The Exodus event was when the Lord rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Israelites could not rescue themselves, it was God who did it. The last plague, which would motivate Pharaoh to let the People go, was when all the firstborn sons of every person and animal in Egypt were killed in a single night. The sons of the Israelites, however, were preserved by the blood of the sacrificial Lambs which they put upon their door. In the Exodus event of Jesus, He, the Son of God, is sacrificed to bring freedom and life to all. Jesus becomes the sacrificial lamb whose blood gives us new life. Instead of putting to death the first born sons of the enemies of His people, God offers the life of His only Begotten Son so that even His enemies can become His children.
5. Maybe the Apostles meditated on the word Exodus. Maybe hope arose in their hearts as they approached Jerusalem in those final days before Jesus’ Crucifixion. It is certainly a word which we should ponder. What are those things which enslave us? How do we need to be liberated? What do we have that needs to be sacrificed so that we can enter the True Promised Land of Heaven? The Jews did not consider the Exodus from Egypt as an event merely of the past. It was and is an event which resonated throughout history. All the Chosen People are connected to that event as a direct and effective reality in their lives through the Passover Supper. So much more for us and the Exodus which our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished in Jerusalem through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. We are connected to this event through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the Mass. We are supposed to live Jesus’ Death and Rising, His Cross and His Glory. In fact there is no Glory without the Cross.

Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?

2010-02-07T21:58:00.000-06:00

See the readings for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
1. I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). The calling which each Baptized person receives is marked by several characteristics. Maybe the most notable of these characteristics is its personal nature. We could look at the call of Isaiah the prophet which took place within a vision he had of heaven. Although the Lord seemed to ask the question of the whole Heavenly host who should be sent, Isaiah knew upon hearing that the Lord was speaking to him personally and that he had to respond.
2. Saint Paul too was spoken to in a personal manner. Jesus asked Paul why are you persecuting me? And then instructed Paul to go to Damascus where he would be instructed what to do. Saint Paul’s experience of Jesus was intensely personal and he received the Gospel directly from the Lord.
3. In the Gospel we observe the call of Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John. Jesus spoke to them personally and invited them first to listen to His teaching, second to trust Him in casting their nets, and third to leave everything behind to follow Him. I cannot compare myself to these great prophets and apostles, but I would be lying if I did not admit that the Lord spoke to me in my heart to become a priest. Likewise throughout the seminary He confirmed my vocation- through the same voice which I heard not in my ears but in my heart. He also confirmed my calling through others whose task it was to help me on my path.
4. Although most people may not believe that God can or would speak to them in a personal manner, I believe He does just that. Of course, most of the time, Jesus uses the voices of others to speak to us. But the call to follow Him is no less personal. And if we get used to hearing His voice and not just our own, we will experience it.
5. Another characteristic of the call is that it is a call to holiness- to be like God Himself in whose image and likeness we were made. In other words, it is to be who and what we really are- the children of the Most High God. In receiving this call it is common to be made aware of our own unworthiness. Isaiah lamented his unclean lips, Saint Paul remembered that he was a persecutor of Jesus, Saint Peter fell to his knees and begged our Lord to depart for he was a sinner. The awareness of unworthiness may hit those who have discovered the one whom they should marry, I do not know. I do know that when I first accepted that the call to be a priest came from God, I was immediately filled with fear regarding my unworthiness. Time and time again the Lord had to reassure me. That is why the sacrament of Penance is so important. In any event, there was a saying in the seminary which fits all of us- God does not choose the worthy, He makes worthy those whom He has chosen.
6. God calls us not just from sin to be holy, but He also calls us from good things to better. Once Saint Paul became an apostle, his previous life as a rabbi was over. Saint Peter and his partners had to walk away from the greatest catch of fish in their career. God continues to call us to a deeper conversion and to make sacrifices. For example from the enjoyment of material goods to the giving of them for the sake of His kingdom. Or in the case of a married couple to commit to one another forsaking all others. Or in my case having to leave one parish family to love and to serve another.
7. The sacrificial part of the call might not even seem all that momentous. It might be returning a kind word instead of an insult, letting someone cut in front of us on the road, or listening to an elderly friend or relative tell a story we have heard many times before.
8. Although God’s call is intensely personal, it is not private. It is always for our good and the good of the whole Body of Christ which is the Church. When God calls, He does not force us. He did not force Isaiah, or Paul, or Simon Peter. Rather, the Lord desires the free gift of ourselves. The question we must reflect on is what we are going to do when we get it. I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8).

Committment to Christ

2010-01-31T22:02:00.002-06:00

See the Readings from the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
1. When Jesus was preaching in His home town of Nazareth, there were two reactions to His efforts. The first was amazement and admiration of His deep understanding. His ability to speak and teach was electrifying. Jesus did not just preach like no other rabbi who had spoken in their little synagogue in that little town. He spoke like no one had ever spoken before.
2. On the other hand there was contempt. It may have been that Jesus touched His hearers so profoundly that many became uncomfortable. Didn’t they know Him? When and where did He learn how to speak like that? Mabye some thought Jesus was trying to reach above His station in life. Maybe others were afraid that Jesus’ success would lead to a crackdown by King Herod (who was very jealous). So they tried to kill Him.
3. The problem of lack of faith in Jesus Christ is not one which existed only in Nazareth of old. It challenges us today. The other day, another priest remarked that often we go about the education of Catholics presuming that everyone has already committed themselves to Jesus Christ. But they have not, including some Catholics who have received all their sacraments of initiation. Without the basic commitment to Christ, the Sacraments themselves and doctrinal teaching will not have the effect which God desires.
4. Commitment to Christ in the exercise of the gift of faith opens the mind to receive understanding of the Truths of the Faith. Commitment to Christ gives us the motivation to repent of our sins and opens us to the grace of God to overcome those sins. God takes Committed Believers in Jesus Christ and makes them more like Himself.
5. In the scene in Nazareth, there were people who were asking "Isn't Jesus the son of Joseph?" (Saint Joseph did "father" Jesus in that Joseph raised Jesus.) But those people thought that they knew everything about Jesus, but in reality they did not. If we are going to commit to Christ, we must humble ourselves. If we think that we are full of knowledge, we are really empty. We must listen to His words almost as if we were ignorant, but thirsting for the knowledge and wisdom that Jesus has.
6. Commitment to Christ includes the realization that Jesus is Lord. I am not Lord. Jesus knew that some would demand to see the signs He was doing in Capernaum. But He refused because their desire for signs was not coming from faith and trust in His power, but rather from their desire to be the judges of who He was. They wanted to have control over their faith. In the present day, at times we wish to have control over our faith too. We want God to prove something to us. Or we simply select the things we like about religion and choose those and reject other things. For example, some will choose Baptism, but reject Confession; or choose Confirmation, but reject Marriage; or desire the gifts of the Spirit like tongues or healing or authority or power, but reject the gift from God which is another child. In these cases, Jesus is not Lord. For our part we must accept Jesus' rule if we are really to commit to Him.
7. Another means of committing to Christ and being like God is in our generous sharing of goods. Everything which exists, God made. And everything we possess, including existence, God gave to us to care for and use for His kingdom.
8. Like me, many of you have already received letters from the Bishop asking for your generous donation to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. If you received such a letter, please respond to it with a pledge. If not, you will get your opportunity in two weeks. I would like to encourage each and every person in our parish to make a pledge and keep it. Even if your pledge is not very big, it would be invaluable to the success of the programs of the diocese.
9. For example, the Annual Appeal pays for the education of men to the priesthood. It costs approximately $17k a year for 9 years to train a man to be a priest (it includes room and board and insurance, etc). (I only had to go for six years because of previous college degrees). Anyway, I for one did not have that kind of money. We certainly do not want to limit our candidates for the priesthood to men who can afford that kind of bill. The Appeal helps Catholic Charities assist the poor. It helps fund training for teachers of the faith. It makes marriage preparation less expensive. It pays for the marriage tribunal.
10. In 2009, our goal was $89,000, which we were able to pledge and make. Last year, 556 Saint Michael people pledged and contributed. That was pretty good, but we have around 1700 families. That makes me wonder about the other 1144 families. So my interior goal for the parish is 750 pledges this year. Therefore I hope that many new contributors will participate this year. Anyway, please pray about it and join me in supporting the Bishop's Fund.
11. Of course, even if we were to contribute to the Bishop's Annual Appeal and our parish as we should, that generosity is not really enough. Saint Paul told the Corinthians that without love, no good work would be worth anything. The love which Saint Paul speaks of is the very love of Christ, by which He hung on the Cross and poured out His blood for us- the Innocent Victim dying for the guilty. That love must be the motivating principle, the interior attitude, the object of the will, the reason, the power of our good works. In short it must be Christ Himself acting within us.
12. Of those people in the synagogue at Nazareth, some later converted and became faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Others would beg Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus. But which will we be- the committed disciple or the opponent?

We Are Many Parts

2010-01-24T20:52:00.001-06:00

See the Readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
1. The Catholic Church is made up of a variety of people. There are the young and the old. There are highly educated people and people with not much formal schooling. There are people who have common sense, and there are those who do not have much. There are athletes and couch potatoes and everything in between. There are skilled musicians, and people who cannot sing or play anything. We could go through the whole list. There are all sorts of people with all sorts of talents, skills, education, knowledge, and experiences, all of which God has distributed to us out of the mystery of His love and will.
2. Apart from these gifts, God has also bestowed the gift or the responsibility of authority. Parents for example have authority over their children. Even if the parents lack skills or knowledge, they are still responsible. Or consider priests. Not every priest is learned or even skilled in every area of pastoral ministry. I was a music teacher before, but one of my classmates was a funeral director, and another a doctor. Whatever our personal characteristics or talents, whatever our training and education, we were ordained as priests. Those of us who are pastors exercise authority and responsibility in ways which other people do not. .
3. Then there are all the different ways which we are blessed or gifted by the Holy Spirit. Some gifts appear attractive and important like Speaking in Tongues or Healing or Teaching or Administration. Others do not always attract- like the gift of tears or the fear of the Lord or piety. But every gift, every talent is important and necessary for the building up of the Church. Although it is obvious that the Church is made up of a variety of people with a variety of gifts, at least some of the Corinthians struggled because of frustration or dissatisfaction. In truth, there was jealousy over the various ministries or vocations within the Church. Not everyone had the gift that they wanted or the office of authority which they wanted.
4. Saint Paul used the human body to demonstrate his point. Every part is valuable and necessary for the good of the whole. If some part is missing, then the body might die, or it might be disfigured or made more feeble. In the same way, every gift is needed. As Paul told the Corinthians, we should not be upset or jealous if we are lacking in some gift, or if we are lacking the power to exercise the authority which we would like to at this moment. After all, what would we do if the parish was made up entirely of musicians, but no cooks? Or adults but no children? Or priests only, or no priest at all?! It would hardly be a parish at all.
5. Saint Paul’s main point is that every person is valuable to the life of the community. Every talent and gift is necessary and usable for the promotion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, we have been blessed with our differences just as we have been blessed with material goods. But there is no need to fuss over our differences, or even our weaknesses, but to see ourselves as part of the Body of Christ with Jesus as the Head.
6. God has blessed each one of us who are Baptized by adopting us into His family. It is vital to recognize this Holy Gift as well as all the blessing which He has so generously bestowed on us. To fail to recognize the blessings would be ingratitude toward the God who made us. Therefore we must reflect on what the Lord has made and what are we to do with it. And then employ these blessings in the Lord’s service.
7. To use our gifts- whether material blessings like property or money, or personal gifts like talents and skills, or even the use of time (one of the most precious things we have) is called Stewardship. We practice stewardship when we contribute money to the collection for the parish. (And I practice stewardship when I administer these funds prudently). We practice stewardship when we volunteer for a ministry or when we serve God and our parish. We practice stewardship when we get on our knees to pray, when we read the Bible or another Spiritual book, or even when we listen to another person.
8. If everyone uses their talents and gifts for the greater honor and Glory of God, the Body of Christ in our parish will be healthy and pleasing to God. But note this: our gifts, talents, skills or responsibilities are not what will get us into heaven, rather it is the grace and love of Jesus Christ who makes it possible for us to be in Paradise forever. Yet how we use our gifts will make a difference of whether we receive our eternal inheritance. Saint Therese of Liseux compared each person to a glass into which water could be poured. Not every glass is the same size or shape. Not every glass holds the same amount. But every glass can be full. And if we want to be full of the Holy Spirit, then we must empty ourselves of everything else.

Water into Wine

2010-01-17T19:56:00.001-06:00

See the Readings from the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C.
1. Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. Because Jesus is the Word of God, everything which Jesus says or does reveals something about God. At Cana, Jesus revealed His glory through the changing of the water into wine. In this miraculous sign, Jesus demonstrated that He was the Lord of Creation. Who else could have changed something into something else?
2. We can also see that when Jesus changed the water into wine, He was not cheap or miserly in His actions. He made over 150 gallons of wine for a party which had already consumed all the wine the groom could afford to buy. What an abundance of wine! And it was the good stuff! This is the way God works. He is always giving us an abundance. If you consider how blessed we are to be living on this planet at this time, even in this country. We have the sun, the air, the water, the animals, the plants. Everything that exists belongs to God in the sense that He made it and He keeps it in existence. It belongs to us in the sense that God gave it to us, or at least gave us the opportunity and talent to possess it.
3. It is not that there is enough for the people, it is that God makes more than enough for those who trust in Him. Consider the feeding of the five thousand with the five loaves of bread. The people ate until they were full, and there was still food left over. That is what we have expect from God- heaven is an abundant place.
4. Jesus’ divinity is showed to us, but also we get a glimpse of His true humanity. When Mary His mother tells Him there is no wine, He responds by asking her what that has to do with Him or her. We should not think that Jesus is being disrespectful of His mother by calling her “woman”. Jesus calls Mary “woman” when He is giving her to John for safe keeping as He hung upon the cross. No, Jesus is calling her “woman” because she is the New Eve.
5. Still, Jesus is reluctant to enter into His public ministry. Once He changes the water into wine, there is no going back to the quiet carpenter shop. This first sign puts Jesus on the path to Gethsemani, where He will beg His Father to take the cup of suffering away and on the path to Calvary, where Jesus obeyed the will of the Father and offered Himself for the Salvation of the world.
6. The wedding reveals that Mary has the position to intercede for us. Jesus knew that they had no more wine, but He chose to not do anything about it until His mother asked Him. Mary did not argue with Jesus, she simply turned to the servants and said do whatever He tells you. In spite of His reluctance, Jesus could not resist His mother. In this exchange, the power of Mary’s intercession is revealed.
7. But you know, the miraculous sign could never have happened if the servants did not obey Jesus. That revelation ought to make us think. Do we do whatever Jesus tells us? Or are we always wanting to do things our own way? For example, the Word says be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it- do we listen or not? And when we do what Jesus asks, are we doing them completely and joyfully? Or do we act fearfully? The Word says that we should forgive others if we want God to forgive us. Do we forgive or do we hold the rancor? Jesus said not to neglect the tithe and praised generous giving. Do we give generously and easily to the Church and to the poor? Or are we reluctant to share our blessings with the Church? Every drop of water the servants put in the jars were changed to wine. Every drop of water that they left out of the jar would have been one less drop of wine. God gives blessings to us, and when we return them back to Him, He makes them into even bigger and better blessings.
8. That is how God is, not just in the realm of the physical world, but in the realm of the Spirit. There is not a shortage of God’s grace. We do not need to be afraid that if we take a chance on Him that we will lose. Rather God greatly desires to pour fourth His Spirit upon us so that we can live in union with Him. But we must believe in Him and trust Him.

Epiphany

2010-01-03T21:27:00.002-06:00

1. The word Epiphany means manifestation, which is defined as being made evident to the senses or made obvious to the understanding. Usually when we think of Epiphany, we remember the Three Kings or Magi who brought gifts to Jesus. This feast, however, is really not about the three Magi. It is about Jesus and His manifestation. But what about Jesus is being manifested, made evident to our senses or made obvious?
2. The key of course is found in the Holy Scriptures. In the ancient tradition of the Church, there are actually three Gospel readings associated with the feast of Epiphany. One of them of course is the visit of the Magi. The others, which we will hear the next two Sundays, are the Baptism of the Lord and the Wedding Feast at Cana. All of these Gospels indicate something about Jesus being made evident to the senses.
3. In the Wedding Feast at Cana, Jesus reveals His power over creation in the changing of the water into the wine. In the Baptism of the Lord, the Spirit rushes upon Jesus, the heavens open and the voice is heard identifying Jesus as the Beloved Son of God. In the Story of the Magi, a star arises which reveals Jesus as the newborn King of Israel. To the majority of the onlookers, Jesus was just another baby born in Bethlehem. Having been born in a stable and given a feedbox for His bed, Jesus did not appear very special. Yet to those who were paying attention- the shepherds who saw the angelic host in the heavens and the Magi who observed the star at its rising, they learned that Jesus was indeed something more. In fact, after they had seen what they saw, they could not unsee it.
4. The manifestation that the Feast Epiphany celebrates is that Jesus was revealed as the Son of God, the rightful King of Israel, the Savior of the World. Before the people of Israel begged God for a human king, God alone was their king. In spite of the greatness of both King David and King Solomon, all the kings without exception failed in holiness. Many of those kings whom human history might regard as successful, the Bible dismisses with the words they did evil in the sight of the Lord (too many places to list). Now in Jesus the kingship is put right again- a human king in the line of David, but one who is Mighty God, and Ruler of the Universe, whom even the stars must honor.
5. In the Feast of Epiphany we recall that Jesus is revealed as King and Lord not just of the Chosen People of Israel, but for the whole world. We listened to the words of Saint Paul to the Ephesians the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:6). When Simeon held Jesus in his arms he exclaimed to God: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel (Luke 2:30-32). Why else would the Magi have been given a sign, except that God wanted them to know the truth about our Lord? It is not just so that the prophecy will be fulfilled that the caravans would come bearing gifts. It is that the whole world would sing the praises of the Lord.
6. Note that God used the means by which the Magi would see and understand in revealing Himself and the salvation which Christ would bring. There is a saying that in every culture is the seed of the Gospel. For the Magi, God used the star; for the indigenous people of Mexico, the Lord sent the Blessed Mother and the image on the Tilma. To each person who searches for the truth, God will send His message that Jesus is Lord and God and that He alone is the Savior of the world.
7. Such a revelation of God’s desire to save all people- well not a revelation only of God’s will but of the actual fact that God is saving us and has appeared to save us should fill us with gratitude and joy, just as it did the Magi who followed the star. The same Lord who manifested Himself to them is revealed to us.
8. Even though this feast is about what God has done for all of us through His Son Jesus, we cannot help noticing that not everyone received the message. The star which the Magi followed was visible to everyone. But not everyone followed it. The scribes who advised King Herod had ready knowledge that the Messianic King would be born in Bethlehem, but they missed meeting the actual Jesus. Herod was jealous and intended to do all in his power to kill Jesus without even bothering to know Him. Not everyone gets it. In the sacraments, God makes readily available to our senses the presence of Christ, such as in the Eucharist. But not all receive the message or recognize Jesus in the breaking of the Bread. It requires faith, which is also a gift from God, albeit one which we must exercise. It requires pure hearts, hearts intent on finding the Truth and following it.

Holy Family

2009-12-27T21:21:00.001-06:00

1. When God sent His Son to be born of woman and become a human being, He was sent to live and grow in a human family. Although Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit and it was through Mary alone that Jesus received the physical attributes of His humanity, He could not advance in wisdom, and age, and favor (Luke 2:52) without growing up in a family. That is, Jesus lived and grew in a family with a mother and a father who were committed to one another for each others’ good and the good of the child.
2. There are those who might argue that the presence of Saint Joseph was largely unnecessary except for cultural reasons. A servant or slave could have just as easily protected Mary and Jesus from the dangers on the road to Egypt. They might muse that Mary could have been the successful carpenter/housebuilder breadwinner head of household for Jesus if it had not been the oppressive times of the past. I am not an expert in history but I suspect that there were women raising their sons all alone even back then. A husband might have been a soldier or sea merchant, or he might have died. Saint Joseph himself was going to divorce Mary quietly and let her be alone until the angel intervened in his dream and told him to accept and care for Mary and raise her child Jesus as his own son. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were a family because the Son of God needed both mother and father to grow into his full manhood. There is a wealth of proof that each person needs a mother and a father- not just in the biological sense, but to be mothered by a woman and fathered by a man. When someone grows up with one of those absent, they do not receive have everything which they need. Furthermore, Mary and Joseph needed Jesus to be the holy woman and man that God had chosen them to be. After all, Jesus is the Savior.
3. The Church promotes this Feast of the Holy Family to remind us of the importance of the family and to help us counteract those forces or circumstances which can harm the family. It is important to reiterate that each person needs both mother and father active and interested and concerned and teaching them in their lives, and many of our present problems are the result of the failure of fathers and mothers giving their children what they need, and the failure of children to receive it. Of course, parents desire what is good and best for their children. Often times, the failure to give all they should is a consequence of not having received it themselves. Thanks be to God it is never too late to receive the blessing of a father and mother, even if those roles have to be completed by another man or woman.
4. The Holy Scriptures present to us the qualities of a good family life. It seems that first of all there should be committment to the others in mutual and lasting fidelity for their ultimate good. This committment begins with the husband and wife and from them flows to the children. Selfishness has no place, and causes the selfish person to lose far more than they gain by self-promotion.
5. Saint Paul exhorted the Colossians to put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another (Colossians 3:12-13a). This meekness and humility does not mean that there is no authority or discipline in the family. Jesus humbly obeyed Mary and Joseph, while Mary and Joseph in turn had to guide Jesus as He grew. Forgiveness is a key to faithfulness. Even among people who want to love another there are misunderstandings. Mary and Joseph did not understand why Jesus was in the Temple talking to the experts in the Law. But through compassion and bearing with one another, the Holy Family was the place that made Jesus the Man that He was and gave Mary and Joseph the Holiness to be what God has called them for us- Mother of Christians and Patron of the Church.
6. Over all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14). The love which the Holy Family put on was the love through which Jesus offered Himself on the Cross for our sins. Really if I was going to describe the behavior/ attitude of any family working for holiness that is what it is: being Christ to one another, seeing Christ in one another. Being Christ is not being a weakling or afraid. Rather, being Christ is standing up for the truth but loving others in spite of their weaknesses or sins. Being Christ is humbly accepting the role that God has given us but serving Him with a joyful heart and a face shining with confidence. Jesus did not accept the Cross as a man condemned. Rather He stretched out His own arms to offer the sacrifice of His body to save us.
7. There is another aspect of the Holy Family to which we ought to pay attention. Scripture does not contain any more stories about Jesus’ youth and education. It is silent. It would be foolish for us to think that nothing worthwhile happened. But what does the silence tell us? For one thing, it tells us that it was in the ordinariness of the life of the Holy Family that Jesus grew in age and grace. It is the same ordinariness that we all can share. The family is rightly called “the Domestic Church” because it is in the family that we learn how to love God and love one another.
8. For another thing, silence is essential to develop a listening heart. It is true that the Holy Family benefitted in having God Himself for the child. But if Mary and Joseph had not spent time with Jesus and spent time reflecting on the meaning of Jesus in their lives, it would have all been a waste for them. Believe it or not, Jesus is already in your family. He has promised to be wherever two or three gathered in His name. His Spirit is present in those Baptized into His Body the Church. But we have to get still to recognize Him. And we all need quiet to hear His voice.

Christmas

2009-12-25T21:16:00.002-06:00

1. The grace of God has appeared, saving all (Titus 2:11). A common theme among Christians at this time of year is to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Due to our fallen natures, we sometimes get swept up in the material-gift giving aspect of the season. (Do not get me wrong: Material gift giving is good. To give others presents is part of our being made in the image and likeness of God. God has created all things out of love and given us existence and the bounty of creation to live in. Giving of material gifts is a manner of being like God in His generosity and love). Of course, if the focus of our Christmas is the giving and receiving of material things without raising our hearts and minds to the reason we do so, then we miss the mark. If an alien from another planet was to come to the earth at this time of year, it may come to the conclusion that we are celebrating snow, or ribbons, or trees, rather than the birth of Jesus Christ.
2. At the same time, we must contend with those who are not merely forgetful of Jesus through stress but those who would like to wipe Jesus out completely. There are a few who object to the phrase “Merry Christmas” simply because they do not want to hear the name of Christ. And their intolerance for Christians and anything resembling a Christian culture impels them to attempt to forbid Christmas. They have no problem with the gift giving, since that might stimulate business. But they would like to keep the spiritual side of others quiet so as not to disturb the comforts of their thoughts. And many times we are all too ready to keep quiet so as not to appear rude or pushy.
3. One of the popular Christmastime movies is “It’s a Wonderful Life” - a story about a man who got to see what the world would be like if he never existed. It has made me think, what would the world be like if Jesus had never been born? That is, what if there really were no “Christ” in Christmas?
4. Well for one, we would not be reading the story of Jesus’ birth. Mary and Joseph would have traveled to Bethlehem and stayed in a barn because the hotel was full. But they would have been like many other poor couples. No one would know who they were or cared, even if they were holy. The Magi would not have seen the star and travelled to meet the new king. They would not have presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. On a positive note, Herod would not have killed all those children, at least not until some time later for some other reason. But we would not know it.
5. John the Baptist would have preached in vain trying to prepare the people for the Messiah. Peter and Andrew and James and John would have remained fishermen, Matthew would have collected taxes, the blind man would have died blind, Lazarus would have never been raised. Those with illnesses would have continued to suffer. The five thousand would have not eaten the miraculous lunch. Barabbas would have been executed. Paul would have lived out his days as a Rabbi in relative obscurity arguing the minutiae of the Law with others.
6. The Germanic peoples would have continued to worship trees, Egyptians worship the Nile river and the Aztecs would have continued to sacrifice humans to the sun god. There would have been no Saint Nicholas, that is no Santa Clause. There would be no beautiful Churches, no Christian art or music. There would have been no monasteries to preserve the learning of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
7. There would be no Christmas cards or Christmas music. To be honest, we would not be here together, people from every nation worshiping God as one family. There would be no priests, no deacons. No one would have eaten the Eucharist. No one would have had their sins forgiven neither in the waters of Baptism or in the Sacrament of Penance. There would have been no Resurrection, no Ascension, no Sending of the Holy Spirit. The power of death would not have been conquered and we would not have the promise of everlasting life.
8. But as it is, there is a Christ in Christmas. In our weakness, we might forget Him. Or others in their ignorance or jealousy might reject Him or try to get rid of Him. But the Word of God indeed was conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and became Man. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Savior of the World. God did humble Himself to come and be one of us- not just to see what it would be like to be human but to give us a share in His divine nature.
9. That is the joy of Christmas: that God loves the world, that God loves us. God has revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus the Christ, and has saved us from sin and death in the mystery of His Passion, death and Resurrection. It is therefore right that we celebrate His birth. It is reasonable that we make merry and feast and give gifts and reach out to the needy in our joy. The grace of God has appeared, saving all... And we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11&13). Merry Christmas!

Be Joyful!

2009-12-13T23:29:00.002-06:00

1. Your kindness should be known to all (Philippians 4:5). Traditionally, this Sunday is known as Gaudate Sunday, that is Rejoice Sunday, because Advent is halfway over and Christmas is almost here. To remind ourselves to rejoice, we light the pink candle and the priests wear rose colored vestments. For those who do not know Christ, or for those who might know of Him but do not know His Body the Church, we Catholics are often accused of being a dour and depressed bunch of people. I believe it is largely because we advocate fasting and going to Confession and doing penances and carrying our Cross. Of course on the other hand we are also often accused of partying too much with our general approval of dancing and permitting people to drink responsibly etc…
2. Anyway, even sometimes Catholics themselves look upon our relationship with God as something which is somber or scary or depressing or at least not filled with joy. Maybe it is our fear or misunderstanding of the Sacrament of Penance (that is Confession). We often fear Confession as if it is a moment of condemnation. When in reality it is a moment of liberation and forgiveness. Even the Bible speaks of these somber feelings. In the book of Job, Job begged God to leave Him alone. There are times when people are afraid to pray hoping that God will forget about them and leave them alone.
3. I never had that feeling, but a long time ago I convinced myself that the only way to do God’s will was to accept disasters in my life (which is true in a way). But I became unable to pray for anything good to happen. And worse, I began to expect the worst all the time, as if that was the only way God would treat me. I had to learn that I was God’s son. All of us are His beloved Children. To be God’s child is not to get everything that we want. Our desires are not always what is best for us, or best for the plan of salvation. Still, the Lord desires us to be filled with joy.
4. In John's Gospel, we read: As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete (John 15:9-11). That is what we believe as Catholics- Jesus greatly desires our joy to be complete. But it will not be complete until we know and love Him the way He loves us.
5. The joy of remaining in the love of Christ is expressed in imitating His love. Saint Paul said Your kindness should be known to all. That is, to express our joy in the Lord through kindness to others. This manner of rejoicing is actually natural to us in areas that we would not necessarily define as “religion.” Many people mark the engagement to marry of themselves or their children with gift giving or the renewal of family relationships so that others could share their joy. Or when you get your first job and in your joy look for ways that you can be generous to those who supported you in school. For some, when their team wins a game, they are joyful and generous as well.
6. Those are but a few examples. John the Baptist gives others. For example, treating people fairly, sharing your goods with those in need, or simply being satisfied with your pay. These actions are expressions of contentment and trust. If we really believe that God is the creator of all things, and that He has the power to provide for everyone, and that the Lord is a loving God, then why shouldn’t we be content? If we know that God has prepared a place in His home for us, why shouldn’t we trust? If we claim that God is kind and merciful, what should stop us from sharing that kindness and mercy to others? If Jesus is the One whom we love above all other people and things, we have every reason to be joyful, for His birthday is almost here.

Time Out For Rest and Recreation

2009-09-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

This week, I will be taking a few more days off. I will go visit family out of town. If things go right, I will be riding in the Valero MS Bike to the River. When I return, I will have a report of that.

In the meantime, I have been experiencing some internal pains that have been identified with the gall bladder. Various tests have indicated that the organ is not always working at its best and removal of the gall bladder has been advised. So now I am considering when the best time to do it. Presently, the discomfort is very low, so I do not want to take care of it next week during vacation time.

In the meantime, I have learned that a half cup of black coffee in the morning helps keep the pain down to be almost, but not quite imperceptible. It is a great relief.

So I ask for prayers, for myself, and for others who suffer from this malady. Thanks! And I pray for you too.

Prophetic Witness

2009-09-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

Lectionary Readings are from the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.
Saturday night, we celebrated the Parish Feast Day of Saint Michael the Archangel (normally 29 September), but we used the Sunday readings. On Sunday the whole Mass will be the regular Sunday Mass for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

1. Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! (Numbers 11:29). These words spoken by Moses to Joshua, have been fulfilled in the sacrament of Baptism. At least in terms of through Baptism, God has bestowed the gift of His Spirit upon each one of us and chosen us to be part of His prophetic people. All of us, young or old, regardless of our situation are entrusted with the mission to be a prophet of the Most High God.
2. But what is a prophet? Some would define a prophet as someone who is able to announce future events before they happen. Certainly this could be part of a prophetic utterance. But in the ancient world people went to the Oracle at Delphi for that kind of prophecy, so telling is not really the main task of a prophet in the Judeo Christian tradition. A prophet is one who announces God’s word to others. But prophecy is not a matter of simply proclaiming out loud the words of the Bible- although that too is part of it. For example, if someone was to record themselves reading the whole Bible out loud so as to distribute it to others, that fact alone would not mean that they were a prophet. Anyone can read words on a page.
3. The other day, I heard someone define a prophet as someone who speaks the Truth. That is a very good definition, as long as we understand that Truth is objectively real. Truth is not a matter of majority opinion, nor is truth something that seems true to me, but could be different for you. For something to be true, it must always be true for everyone in every situation, and does not depend on others believing it to have the power of the truth. To speak the Truth means to speak the word of God, not only in proclaiming the Bible, but in applying God’s word to the particular circumstances of life.
4. Observe the second reading from the Letter of James. He is being a prophetic witness in rebuking those who would build up treasure on earth and neglect the treasure in heaven. He reproves those who have obtained these goods at the expense of those who are poor and weak. Their stored up worldly wealth will serve to condemn those who trust in anything other than God. James continues by stating You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance (James 5:6). That is, these sins against charity have been violence against Jesus Christ Himself, who has aligned Himself with the poorest of the poor.
5. In the Gospel, Jesus likewise warns those who would lead children or other “little ones” into sin. It would be better to be drowned than to cause others to sin. The sayings about cutting one’s foot or hand off or one’s eyes, the Church does not interpret as Jesus asking us to mutilate ourselves. Rather, Jesus is warning us that Hell is a real possibility and that nothing is worth losing the kingdom of heaven.
6. Being a prophetic witness is not all about saying things that sound negative, for the Truth of God’s Word is freeing. In the Gospel, Jesus likewise says that Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. How easy it is to gain a reward: simply to serve others out of love for Christ. Just before this Gospel passage, Jesus told His disciples that welcoming a child was the same as welcoming Him. These truths that we can live and proclaim are also part of being a prophet.
7. So when we stand up for the rights of the downtrodden- such as the elderly, the sick, the children, the unborn, the persecuted; when we write letters to convince public officials to do the right thing, when we vote according to a well formed Christian conscience, when we teach our children service instead of selfishness, that is being a prophet.
8. This evening as part of our parish feast we are going to honor and bless those who serve us as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical workers. These people have a unique opportunity for public witness of the Truth of God’s love and the reality that we are all created in the Image and Likeness of God. And sometimes, these men and women give their own lives in service of others. To imitate the Living Word of God Jesus Christ in self sacrifice for the good of others is a profound prophetic act.
9. That is most crucial to being a prophet- it is not all about words, but it is about deeds. Jesus did not merely talk about loving our neighbor and forgiving them and obeying the Father. He lived in even unto His own death on the Cross. He did so not only to save those who knew they were poor and weak, but even to save those who shouted for Him to be crucified. At the end of Mass, we will be sent forth in the peace of Christ to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!

2009-09-20T00:08:00.000-05:00

1. “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise” (Mark 9:31). Considering this theme that Jesus began after He asked the disciples who did they say He was, one has to wonder what His disciples were up to. Jesus is speaking about His passion, death, and resurrection. And they start talking about who is the greatest disciple.
2. I believe the reason they did this is because what Jesus said was just too terrible for them to comprehend at the time. They certainly did not understand it. And the Gospel indicates that they were afraid to ask. We cannot really blame them for their fear. It was not usual for a Rabbi or any other leader to be so open about the likelihood of their getting rejected and killed, especially considering the fact that Jesus was so intent on doing the will of God. In their way of thinking, if you did God’s will, He would protect you and you would be successful. If Jesus was indeed the Christ- the Anointed One of God- then how could He possibly get rejected? It would seem more appropriate that God would install Him as a great and powerful king, reestablishing the glory of Israel. Worldly failure and a brutal death did not seem much like how God did things.
3. Another thing to consider is that in those days, if the leader of a group got killed, then his followers pretty much were treated the same way, unless they could run and hide. Thus, the prediction of Jesus’ death meant that they had to be ready for the same. Considering Jesus’ show of power and authority, they could not fathom it. They had no idea what “resurrection from the dead” meant. But they knew that you had to die first to have it happen.
4. And so instead of meditating on Jesus’ words, they chose instead to engage in worldly squabbles over who was the best disciple. In other words, who would be at Jesus’ right hand when He became the King? Just like in many offices, organizations, or families of today, the disciples were struggling to determine who would have the power of the kingdom, or the attention of Jesus.
5. Although some ambition can motivate a person to improve themselves or strive for greatness, sometimes this ambition becomes selfish and even destructive. For example, children might pound any brother or sister who dares enter their room. Or an office worker might strive to get the most underlings or a bigger office so that they appear to be more important. Or maybe someone stops cooperating with a coworker because they feel threatened by their presence. There are those who must always get their way or others will suffer the heat of their anger. There are those who lie or spread rumors or present others in a bad light so as to make themselves look better.
6. Saint James aptly describes such sins and their consequences. That is, selfish ambition usually leads to the doom of those who practice it, although they may enjoy brief success. Those who are ruled by their passions are in fact slaves. And a slave does not inherit anything.
7. To remedy such selfishness, Jesus prescribes humility. That is, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Jesus did not denounce their desire for greatness. Rather, He instructed them as to how to achieve it in truth. Jesus’ prescription of humility and self emptying service was not merely a suggestion, nor was it a order that He gave only to others. Humble service is at the heart of the Incarnation of the Word of God as Man. The all powerful God, Creator of the Universe, all knowing, all good, without defect or weakness emptied Himself to become one of us. Jesus submitted to the weaknesses of infancy and human growth. Jesus submitted to the rule of Mary and Joseph in the home, though He was their Lord and God. Jesus walked when He could flown or just appeared places. He permitted Himself to be hungry and thirsty and tired, and rejected and condemned and crucified- all so that we could be saved. Did the human race deserve salvation? No. God did it out of love. And to accomplish it, Jesus emptied Himself.
8. So when Jesus calls us to the same humility and service of others, even those who are vulnerable and cannot do anything for us, He is asking us to be just like Him.

Who is Jesus?

2009-09-13T00:05:00.001-05:00

Readings from the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
1. “But who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29). This question of Jesus and Simon Peter’s answer are located at the center of Saint Mark’s Gospel. That is, there is as much after it as before it. (The position of this passage is most likely not coincidental, Saint Matthew puts the same event at the center of his Gospel too.) Anyway, Jesus began by asking what other people were saying about Him. These were the crowds or others who may have simply heard about Jesus, or seen or heard Him a couple of times. The answers seem rather strange- He is Elijah, or John the Baptist, or one of the prophets.
2. The Jesus asked Simon Peter the same question “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter and the other disciples have spent a lot of time with Jesus. Their knowledge of Him was more intimate and personal. Simon Peter responded “You are the Christ.”
3. We should not underestimate the importance of this question which Jesus asks. It is not as if our answer determines who Jesus is in reality. He is Lord and Christ whether anyone believes it or not. The importance is in whether we actually know who Jesus really is. In the present age, as in the ages past, there are many opinions of who Jesus actually is. And not all these opinions are equal.
4. For example, various groups claim that they believe in Jesus. Certainly they believe that Jesus was a real person and that Mary is His mother. Furthermore they view Him as a great prophet and important person. But they do not believe that Jesus is Lord and God.
5. Other people view Jesus as a human being who became god. (John says the the Word became flesh (John 1:14) NOT the "flesh became Word." Some say that God pretended to be a human in Jesus. Some will say that Jesus was a nice guy who was just misunderstood. Others consider Him a great moral teacher or even a political radical burning with the desire for justice and intent of casting down the Romans as well as the religious leaders of His day. There are some who only know Jesus as a curse word. And others who basically see Him as a vending machine- you go to Him when you need something, but you avoid Him otherwise.
6. But these views of Jesus are either incomplete, or completely wrong. Just like our knowledge of any other person, in order to get the clearest picture of the truth we must have both intellectual knowledge and personal knowledge of Jesus.
7. Intellectual knowledge is gained through study. Human beings are intellectual creatures, and so we must study or our minds become starved. Study is a combination of humble acceptance and reception of the Tradition and critical thought, even questioning in order to arrive at a better understanding of the truth. In order to feed our intellectual needs, we must study the Bible and the teachings of the Church. When we were in the seminary, our seminary rector told us “study hard and learn the truth. If you do not know your faith or how to answer, the people will go down the street and find someone else who does.” The next year the priest professor of Scripture said "study or you will go to Hell." The need for study and intellectual development of our faith applies to all of us. We are all witnesses of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Faith. Therefore we owe it to ourselves and those whom Jesus has called us to evangelize to continue to learn. We must confront the mystery of Jesus Christ, True God and True Man and strive to gain an intellectual understanding of the Person of the Son of God who became One of us.
8. Knowledge of Jesus, however, is not merely knowing about Jesus. We must know Jesus as a Person. The only way to obtain that is through pray and the sacraments. In prayer, we can enter into a conversation with our Lord that is personal and intimate. It is true that our Lord already knows us through and through, but He is also waiting to reveal Himself more deeply to us in prayer.
9. In the sacraments, our Lord comes to us mysteriously through signs that carry real power. Even if our intellect is not the greatest, even if our prayer life is dry, we can encounter our Lord in the Sacraments and get to know Him there.
10. In the task of knowing who Jesus is, humility is key. We cannot just be satisfied with our own understanding of who He is. Peter tried to stick to His understanding of God and Jesus called him a “Satan” that is, an adversary. How can we avoid such a charge? We must accept Jesus on the Cross. We must know Him on the cross. We must be united with Him on the Cross. Then we will know the real Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.

He Has Done All Things Well!

2009-09-06T22:35:00.000-05:00

See Mark 7:31-37
1. He has done all things well, He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak! We can only imagine the stir which Jesus caused in the region of the Decapolis with His healing power. Those who previously had been unable to hear or speak were now given the power to communicate clearly with others. Those who were blind could see, those who were lame could now walk. Certainly if Jesus came here and did these same things in our midst we would be astounded too. Although we are used to the marvels of modern medicine, there are some things which pills and surgery simply cannot heal. And even if they could, the monetary cost or even just the rehab time can cause us some fear. So if someone had the gift of making all that suffering go away, we would probably be right there.
2. We should note that even in those days, God gave the gift of healing to various people. So it was not completely unknown that someone might exercise healing power. In that small respect Jesus was not completely unique. And yet scripture says that the people were completely astounded by His actions. Something about the life and behavior of Jesus was astonishing and separated Him from all the others who might have been in the public view.
3. We know and believe that Jesus is the Living Word of God- God Himself made manifest to the world. But people in those days did not yet have the benefit of this faith. When they saw Jesus, He appeared in every way to be human, which indeed Jesus is, as well as being the all powerful God. The miracles (or signs as they should be more properly called) were meant not only to draw people’s attention to our Lord, but also to help them remember the words of the prophets which intended to prepare them for the Messiah. In Isaiah we heard: Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.
4. The healings which Jesus performed began to fulfill the words of the prophets. They also began to reveal who Jesus is. When our Lord rose from the dead and the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples, then they were able to remember what had happened and their faith was strengthened. And as they went forth in the world to proclaim the good news of salvation, the words of the prophet “Fear not!” resonated with the words of Jesus to “be not afraid” as they encountered those who did not want to believe and who instead wanted to persecute those who follow Jesus.
5. In the present time, Jesus continues to pour out His healing power upon the Church. There are in fact, many who have been blessed with the grace of healing power. And it is perfectly okay for us to seek and beg God’s mercy to be bestowed upon us in the way of healing. At the same time, we ought to remember that these acts of our Lord were signs of something much more profound. The physical healings that our Lord performed were all temporary. Yet the Salvation from sin that He obtained for us is something that truly lasts. If we think about it, healing from sin is far more astonishing. Whenever I go to confession and admit my sins, I am truly humbled that God in His mercy always forgives and takes me back. In my ministry of Confession, I get to observe many people returning to the Lord. The healing and strengthening of God is clearly present. And sin is permanently destroyed in this sacrament.
6. An interesting aspect of Jesus’ ministry is that when He healed people, He often times instructed them to tell no one. Of course they did not listen to Him, but it makes you think? Why did Jesus do that? Wouldn’t He want to attract this kind of attention? Maybe its because here people are declaring he has done all things well!!! Jesus knew that it would not be long before the crowds would shout Crucify Him! and even His friends would leave Him. But in those moments of loneliness and suffering, our Lord’s love is at its deepest and His power over sin actually reaches its greatest magnitude. Until we know the Jesus who emptied Himself on the cross for our sake, we will never know Him as the Healer who does all things well.

Vacation

2009-09-02T22:38:00.001-05:00

For the last few weeks, I have been on vacation. I visited Denver, Colorado and Wichita Falls, Texas. My eldest sister lives in Denver with her husband. And I rode in the "Hotter'n Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls. On another day I may go into detail about my bicycle ride. But the basic information is that I completed the Century for the second time in two tries.

My on the bike average was 16.1 mph, which was lower than my goal but acceptable. I am not sure that I desire to reveal my total time. It is sufficient to say that I needed lots of rest stops to complete the ride. But I felt very good afterward and have had no cramping or soreness. My goals for any ride are 1) Survival and 2) Finishing. This ride I also had the goals of: 3) Maintain a cadence of 90rpm, and 4) maintain an average speed of 17mph. My cyclocomputer malfunctioned quite a bit and so I could not use the cadence feature. (It is really odd in that it did not malfunction at all in Colorado and has not messed up since I have returned from Wichita Falls.) Although I did not reach my goal of average speed, I am still satisfied. Mile 63 to mile 71 was a little rough, fitness-wise, until I caught my second wind. Since I achieved my first two goals, the whole time was a success.

Anyway, that is all about the ride for now. Maybe later I will go into more detail. It was a great ride and the many people from the parish who went with me or who rode there will attest that it was a lot of fun. Maybe most especially because it was not very hot at all- I do not believe it was even above 90 degrees the whole time, mostly much cooler.

The Living Bread Come Down From Heaven

2009-08-09T01:00:00.000-05:00

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6:51). When Elijah laid down beneath the broom tree and prayed for death, he had been on the run. You see, Elijah had just put to death 400 prophets of the false god Baal following a tremendous sign. (It is in chapter 18 of the First Book of Kings if you want to read about it). In spite of the great sign of God’s presence among Israel and the powerful words spoken by the prophet, few people were convinced. They preferred to follow the false gods who were nothing rather than follow the true God, who could actually make a demand upon them to change. Elijah was sick of his failure and wanted to die. But God had other plans, and so the Lord bade Elijah to get up and eat, so as to have the strength necessary to continue speaking the Truth.
2. Today as in those ancient days, there seems to be a great number of those who prefer falsehood to truth. We must admit that the truth about ourselves can be frightening. Many Catholics do not make use of the Sacrament of Penance because they fear the what might be revealed in the examination of conscience. Often we are afraid to speak the truth to others either because we are afraid of what they will do, or because we have had the experience of suffering on account of saying what is right.
3. Even though we might not be guilty of this sin, many people’s view of Jesus Himself has little basis in reality. That is, Jesus is often considered to be a revolutionary whose words are really too hot to handle, or a nice guy who really did not say anything demanding all. Even though all Christians admit the stark reality of the Cross, most would prefer to think of the Cross as something in the past that should have no real bearing on how we live. After all, God does not really want us to be crucified, does He?
4. The truth about God, however, is true no matter how many or how few people believe it. When Jesus began His Bread of Life discourse as reported in John’s Gospel, He had healed many people, expelled many demons, fed thousands with just a few loaves of bread and had walked on the water. And yet, there were many who simply would not believe in Him. They preferred the comfort of their own thoughts that did not require any form of change on their part. “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:42). They did not really know Him. They refused the evidence of truth placed before their very eyes and shut their hearts to Jesus’ words.
5. Unlike Elijah, Jesus was not dismayed. Rather He told them that faith comes as a gift from God. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him (John 6:44). Their preference for unbelief did not keep Jesus from announcing the truth about Himself- He is the Bread of Life come down from heaven. It is a theme which is common throughout the Gospels- that Jesus alone is Life. There is no other way to heaven, there is no other god, and if we want to truly live Jesus must be the center of our existence.
6. Elijah had to choose to serve God, whether or not he was “successful” in the world. It was either be faithful to God, or adhere to lies. In the Gospel Jesus is telling the truth about Himself and we must make a choice as well. Either we follow Jesus or we turn away from the truth.
7. The way in which Jesus makes His demand for our discipleship is not an easy path in the world. For example, when Jesus said we must eat the Bread come down from heaven to live, it appeared to the people that Jesus said they had to become cannibals. (Many of our Christian brothers and sisters reject the Eucharist on this very basis). Cannibalism is not what Jesus is really demanding. He will provide the means by which we can eat His body and drink His blood in an unbloody manner. But the commitment and trust that Jesus was demanding from His listeners in the Gospel was absolute, and it continues today. Will we follow?
8. Of course, the Lord is not going to leave us to our own power any more than the He left Elijah to die under the broom tree. He fed Elijah, and the Lord will feed us. But we have to trust in Him, commit ourselves to Him even when the world opposes us with all its might.

Rockwall Rotary Ride

2009-08-07T22:13:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I will be riding a 100k in preparation for the HHHundred in Wichita Falls Texas. This week I was not very fast, but I am hoping for a good showing tomorrow. Usually when there are others, I can push myself harder.

What Sign Can You Show Us?

2009-08-02T21:55:00.000-05:00

See the Readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1. What sign can you show us? (John 6:30). The signs which they did see were done by Jesus in response to faith (trust). Jesus healed those who trusted that He could and would do it. The trust of the boy who gave Jesus the five loaves and two fish resulted in the feeding of the multitude.
2. Even though the the people had experienced sufficient signs to warrant their trust in Jesus’ words, they demanded more signs. They were not really interested in believing. They wanted to be in control. They were saying you show us a sign, and then we will decide whether or not to believe. But belief or trust is precisely not being in control. The Letter to the Hebrews says Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). Although our faith may begin by the evidence which we see or experience regarding the works of God, ultimately our faith must be able to withstand the lack of evidence that we can see and judge. (That is not to say that faith must do violence to our reason. It is just the old adage seeing is believing is not really true. Rather, it is the other way around, at least in the realm of the spirit. Faith gives illumination to the reason while reason for its part can bolster faith).
3. In spite of those skeptics demand for more signs, Jesus would not play their game. Whether they believed Him or not, Jesus would be true to the mission that God His Father sent Him on- Salvation. Like the Israelites in the wilderness needed to trust in God to lead them through the desert and so enter into the Promised Land, so do we need to trust in the Son of God, Jesus and so enter into our true home- the Home of God our Father.
4. Through faith in Jesus we have begun this journey to our true homeland. And it is not simply a journey which will occupy our minds or our hearts. Salvation is for the whole person- body, mind and spirit. Therefore we need food for the journey. And Jesus has every intention of giving us this kind of food.
5. The food that Jesus will give is Himself- the Bread of Life, the Cup of Eternal Salvation. In the wilderness, God fed the children of Abraham because He lovd them. But the Lord sent the Mannah not to satisfy the skepticism of those who constantly complained, but rather to test and eventually strengthen their faith and trust. At this point of Jesus’ ministry, it appears time for Jesus to test those who were following Him. Do we trust Him? Do we believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life and will fulfill all our hungers?

The Sign of the Loaves

2009-07-26T21:55:00.001-05:00

John 6:1-15
1. Jesus knew that they were going to carry Him off and make Him king, so He withdrew to the mountain alone. Why did Jesus do that? We call Him the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It is right and just that Jesus rules in our hearts. If the people of His day wanted to declare Him to be King, why then did Jesus run away? It was not like He was one to escape His responsibilities.
2. It can be said that the people in those days after the multiplication of the loaves rightly identified Jesus as the King. But their reasons were not correct- they were thinking about filling their own stomachs with temporary food. That is, they were intent upon using Jesus for their worldly needs. On the other hand, Jesus was wanting to give them bread for life eternal- that is Himself.
3. Although the multiplication of the loaves was a phenomenal miracle, Jesus did not do it for its own sake, but as a sign. The miracle of the loaves recalls the reading from Second Kings. God fed a hundred people with a mere twenty loaves at the time of Elisha the prophet. That miracle was intended to confirm the prophetic authority of Elisha. So too does the multiplication of the loaves serve as a sign to confirm Jesus’ message. However it’s not a hundred people who are fed, but five thousand. And there are not twenty loaves, but only five loaves and a couple of fish. And there was not just some left over, but twelve baskets of scraps after everyone had eaten as much as they could. Clearly, Jesus is far greater than Elisha or any of the prophets.
4. The multiplication also recalls the mannah from heaven which fed the Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness at the time of the Exodus. Each day, the people were to go out and collect enough to eat for that one day. They had to learn to trust God to care for them each day by giving them enough to eat. In the wilderness, God worked through His servant Moses, the Lawgiver. Because Jesus fed the multitude through His own power, Jesus is superior to Moses. It is a sign that Jesus is God. Therefore, the New Covenant given through Jesus is superior to the Covenant given through Moses.
5. The sign likewise points to the abundant generosity of God. Like the changing of the water into wine at Cana, the Lord does not simply give enough, He gives an abundance. We may take this abundance for granted when we breathe the air or drink water or bask in the warm sunshine unaware that things do not have to be like this. We have not even discovered another planet that has the same conditions as earth throughout all our explorations using telescopes and robotic probes.
6. Looking forward, the multiplication of the loaves was a sign of the sacred meal which Jesus would institute on the night before He died. When we eat the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, it does not matter how large or small we consume, it is all Jesus. Jesus can feed over a billion Catholics and Orthodox Christians every Sunday or even every day- as many as come before Him in faith.
7. The aspect of the feeding of the five thousand that always attracts my attention is the boy with the five loaves and two fish. He has what might have been enough food for himself, but which clearly is not enough for everyone. Yet only in giving up his lunch will everyone eat- a fact which he did not know until he trusted in Jesus and shared his food. So it may seem with the things we possess, whether treasures of talents, or time. They may appear to be insignificant and insufficient. And they will remain so until we give them back to Jesus.

Ride and Run

2009-07-23T23:50:00.001-05:00

Today I rode the bike 27 miles. Then I ran between half and three quarters of a mile. The running made me much more tired than the bicycling did. I will really have to work on getting my breathing/ heart rate slowed down while running. It was great weather anyway.

Sending Prophets

2009-07-12T22:27:00.003-05:00

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1. When God asks someone to be a prophet, the primary message is the need for repentance. For example, God sent Amos to prophesy to the Israelites in the Northern Kingdom. In those days the Chosen People the Israelites were divided into two kingdoms, North with its temple in Bethel and the South with the Temple of Jerusalem. Anyway, the Lord sent Amos to the Northern Kingdom to warn them to repent. The people had slipped in their worship of God. They were not being just in their business dealings. They were imitating the pagans who lived around them, eagerly committing any sort of sin instead of being holy.
2. When Amos preached, they did not want to hear what he had to say. So they told him to go to Jerusalem, where maybe someone would be interested in hearing what Amos had to say. They even accused Amos of preaching in order to gain money, which he was not. Because they refused to listen to Amos and the others God had sent, their kingdom was destroyed. The people who lived there were killed, sold into slavery, or sent into exile, although not all. God did not send Amos in order to condemn the people of the Northern Kingdom, but rather to save them.
3. Likewise, when Jesus began His public ministry, He preached The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15). It is this same message that our Lord sent His apostles out to proclaim- a call to repent and believe. Just like in the time of Amos, some of the people listened to the apostles and some did not. The stakes were higher with the apostles. To believe means everlasting life and to disbelieve means eternal punishment.
4. There was a difference in the sending of the apostles, however. Jesus shared with them His divine authority and power. They were given the authority over unclean spirits and the power to heal the sick. Although we may see the exorcism of demons as being more “powerful”, the healing of the sick implies the power to forgive sins, which in those days at least was considered the root cause of illness and disease. To put things right with health was a sign of putting things right with God.
5. Of course, to get healed of sin and its effects, or to be freed from the oppression of the demons without an interior change and desire for holiness does not solve any problem. It is hard enough to avoid sin when you want to, but without repentance, there is no freedom from the ravages of sin nor a share in Christ’s victory over the evil one.
6. Although the primary message of prophecy is repentance, it is not the only one. The other message is that God loves us and wants us to be with Him. That is reason we ought to repent. As creatures, we ought to conform ourselves to the Creator. But the Lord wants us to be more than creatures. God has destined us to be His Children. As Saint Paul told the Ephesians, God has destined us in love for adoption through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:6). God does not intend to condemn people. Neither is God interested in turning us into unthinking robots. He desires our love. Jesus said that it is enough that a disciple should become like his teacher (Matthew 10:25). In Jesus, God has chosen us to be His beloved children- to be like His Son in every respect and to be received into His presence forever in heaven.
7. Because we have been chosen since before God created the world to be in the likeness of Christ His Son, we have to do what Jesus did. Therefore, as part of our baptismal call we are also prophets, not unlike Amos or the apostles. Through the way we live and how we speak, we must announce the Good News that God wants everyone to be a member of His family. But we also have to announce the need for repentance. If we do not encourage people to turn from sin, they might miss the chance to change.
8. With the mission to prophecy comes both the prophet’s reward and the prophet’s problems. Amos was told to mind his own business and go preach elsewhere. In time, the apostles were killed or exiled in an effort to keep them quiet about Jesus Christ. There will be those who try to silence us- through unjust laws or through violence or intimidation. But if we are faithful and persevere, when we enter into our reward, all those troubles will seem as nothing compared to the Glory that God will bestow on us.

Lack of Faith

2009-07-05T16:46:00.000-05:00

1. Last week we heard of the great signs performed by Jesus in response to the faith of the woman with the hemorrhage and the synagogue official Jairus. Because they believed in Jesus and put their trust in Him, they received a great healing, as well as peace in their souls. Maybe they only sought out Jesus because they had no where else to turn, but still they relied on Him even in the face of great difficulty.
2. This week, however, the theme appears to be the lack of faith. The townspeople of Nazareth are so sure that they know everything about Jesus that they cannot put their trust in Him. They even took offense at Him because of His outstanding teaching and the reports of the miracles and signs wrought by His hands.
3. Maybe they just could not get over their own opinions and see the evidence before their eyes. When I was a music student, one of the instructors cautioned us against getting a job in our home town, at least until we had become well established. He said that people’s memory of your childhood could prevent them from listening to your words of wisdom. Maybe it was like that. In any event, the lack of faith disturbed Jesus and He eventually moved His home to Capernaum.
4. Their failure to believe in Jesus made it impossible for Him to do any mighty signs for them. He was only able to accomplish a few healings. But not the kinds of healings that really signify Jesus’ Divinity and the salvation that is imminent. In fact, their disbelief made it impossible for them to hear the Good News of Salvation. Their lack of faith blinded them from being witnesses to the fulfillment of the promises of God that they themselves had longed to see accomplished.
5. In the first reading, we hear of the call of Ezekiel by God to be a prophet. At the time, the people were not obeying the commandments, they were not being faithful to God. And so the Lord sent Ezekiel into their midst. Some heard the call to holiness, others did not. But it was not to succeed that the Lord called Ezekiel, it was to faithfulness.
6. It seems a little strange that the All Powerful God who holds all of creation in being would send prophets who would fail. You might think that God could make sure that they did not. And when He sent His only begotten Son, you’d think that God would make sure that He was a success also. At least His hometown should have been behind Him. But they were not. It is really not a lack of power on the part of God. The failure of people to believe is in their exercise of free will. God has given us this gift of freedom and He will not take it back. I have heard people say that God made a mistake giving human beings free will. But He is God and I am not going to second guess Him. I will just have to trust that His way is the best way.
7. Even though the theme might appear to be lack of faith, in truth, faithfulness is the most important quality emphasized by today’s readings. For although Ezekiel may or may not have been successful, as the world counts success, he was faithful to his calling as a prophet. And Jesus did not give up when those whom He loved rejected Him, whether in His hometown or when He hung upon the cross. Jesus was faithful to God the Father. And He is faithful to us also.
8. The call to fidelity is not the call to great power, or to resounding success in this world. The call to fidelity is just that- the call to be faithful to God no matter what. There will be those who like us because of it. There will be others who do not like us. They might listen, or maybe they won’t.
9. The battle with faithfulness and trust may even be waged inside of ourselves more than outside. Consider Saint Paul and his nameless temptation. This great saint struggled mightily within himself to be faithful. And he had to learn that his own weakness could lead him to experience the true power of God. God is calling each of us. But are we going to be faithful?

The Problem of Death

2009-06-28T20:06:00.004-05:00

1. God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living (Wisdom 1:13).
2. The problem of evil, suffering and death imposes itself on each one of us eventually. For some people in the modern world, the reality of suffering is enough to convince them that God does not exist. They might say "if there was a God, He would certainly not let this thing happen"... whatever it is. Such a statement does not really disprove the existence of a Supreme Being. Maybe those who deny God’s existence see suffering as proof that the universe is irrational and meaningless. Of course, how then could one reason to that conclusion? But not to get sidetracked.... Maybe those who deny God are just treating Him like they would any other relative or acquaintance who they perceive is offensive- they simply ignore Him.
3. The biblical view of suffering and death however is that God did not create it. (The book of Wisdom (1:13-15; 2:23-24) reiterates the book of Genesis (first two chapters) in reminding us that creation is essentially good because it has being. God created all things and declared them good. Death, however, is the result of sin (the envy of the devil and the disobedience of Adam and Eve)- that is the failure to do God’s will. Saint Augustine would say that evil then was the lack of some aspect of goodness which God had created and intended. For example, illness is the lack of health. Hunger is the lack of nutrition. Sorrow is the lack of joy. Death is the lack of life. Since God made all human beings in His image and likeness, to have being, to exist, to live is God’s most basic intention for us. Only through failure to live in God’s image and likeness can death intrude.
4. The book of Wisdom continues by saying they who belong to his (the devil's) company experience death (Wisdom 2:24). This is not to say that since everyone is dying that we are all in the company of the devil. But rather It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death, considered it a friend, and pined for it, and made a covenant with it (Wisdom 1:16). Those who follow the devil will experience the second death of being permanently alienated from their true destiny which is union with God.
5. God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the death of the living. Rather, our Lord confronted suffering and death in His earthly life. He healed the sick and raised the dead back to life. On the one hand, these miracles were signs of who Jesus is- that is the all powerful God- and signs of the salvation He won for us- namely the ultimate freedom from these evils which His death and resurrection obtained for us. These signs are evidence to us that God does not rejoice in our destruction. Our Lord permits us to suffer because it is the result of free will. But at the same time, our Lord opposed death and still opposes it.
6. Our Lord has a healing will, but not everyone who saw Him or touched Him was healed. In Mark 5, The disciples noticed that many touched Jesus, but only one was healed of her illness. Likewise, many people in those days had one of their children die. But not all did Jesus bring back to this life. What was the difference? Did Jesus freely decide to heal that one and let another suffer and die? That is not how the Bible portrays His ministry. The difference is in those who turned to Him in need. The woman with the hemorrhage believed and trusted that Jesus had the power to heal her. Even though circumstances looked bad, the synagogue official trusted that Jesus could heal his daughter. Their trust was more powerful than their sorrow and suffering. And as a result of their faith, they received the healing which they ardently desired.
7. The lesson which Saint Mark is trying to teach is that we must believe and trust in Jesus, putting fear aside, if we want to experience His power in our lives. Others may ridicule us- no matter. Others may appear to be doing exactly what we are, but with no effect- we cannot let that stop us from trusting.
8. Of course, many of us may have prayed sincerely and trustingly for a healing which we have not obtained. Does that mean we just do not have enough faith? We might not, but the failure to receive the miracle is not an indication of our lack of faith. (We ought to remember that Abraham and Sarah had to wait 24 years for God’s promise of a son.) Jesus’ conquered death, but He did more. He changed its meaning. Our suffering makes us like Him (that is, suffering and death can make us more like Jesus Christ). By changing death, Jesus made death different not just for those who would believe in Him later, but even for all those who lived before His time. All have the offer of union with Christ the Lord. Only those who reject Jesus and His passion, death and resurrection truly experience death in all its horror and emptiness.
9. In the Sacrament of the Sick, many times people are healed of their illness. But much more often they are healed spiritually or morally. And this kind of healing is far more important than physical healing because it can last forever. But we have to trust, for God will not force His love upon us. Nor will Jesus make us live in the home of His Father if we do not want it. No, we must put ourselves into His hands. Do not be afraid; just have faith! (Mark 5:36).

Corpus Christi

2009-06-14T21:50:00.000-05:00

1. We believe that the Bread and Wine offered on the altar, through the Invocation of the Holy Spirit, through the Words of Jesus Christ, through the ministry of the priest become the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. We did not invent this teaching, rather it was handed on to us from the Apostles themselves, who not only were present at the Last Supper when Jesus instituted this sacrificial meal, but also came to recognize Jesus in what they called at the time “the Breaking of the Bread.”
2. Jesus Himself, on the night He was betrayed, took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to His disciples saying “Take it; this is my body (Mark 14:22). And taking the cup Jesus said This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many (Mark 14:24). If we believe that Jesus is God, we cannot doubt His words. And it is not as if the Lord had not prepared His people for this moment. In the covenant the Lord made with the people when He rescued them from Pharaoh in Egypt, the people had to eat the flesh of the lamb of sacrifice, or they would have no part in His people. In the peace sacrifice of bulls made by Moses, the people were sprinkled with the blood of the sacrificed animal in order to participate in the sacrifice. In like manner, we the People of the New Covenant, must partake of the sacrifice by which the covenant was established. But it is not with blood of bulls or goats or sheep, but with the Blood of Jesus.
3. In His power as God, Jesus has made it possible for everyone to share in His sacrificial offering of Himself for the sake of redeeming us from our sins. And we need this sacrificial offering of Jesus’ Body and Blood. Jesus said Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life (John 6:53). The body needs material food and the intellect is fed by thinking or study. But the life of Christ living within us, can only be nourished by Jesus Christ Himself. Without Christ nourishing us, we cannot live and grow as Christians. And since Jesus Christ is concerned about saving the whole person, our food cannot be simply spiritual but bodily as well.
4. We might ask: how is it possible that Jesus can give us His body and blood to eat and drink? How is it possible for us to believe in this sacrament? Where’s the proof? Ultimately the Eucharist is a Mystery of God- a miraculous feeding- a mysterious meal and sacrifice. But there are ways for us to grasp the mystery. One such way is the theological term transubstantiation. Now a substance in this explanation means that which makes a thing what it is- its true being. An accident is a quality that is accidental to the being of a thing, like color or shape or taste or location. We say that in the Eucharist, the substance or true being of the bread and wine are transformed into the substance of Jesus Christ. But the accidental qualities remain. By using this concept, our hearts and minds can know in truth and believe that which our eyes cannot see.
5. And through believing with all our strength, eventually the eyes of our understanding will see the Truth and we too will come to know Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread. And by eating His Body and drinking His Blood, we will gain life everlasting if only we keep His commands.

Holy Trinity One God

2009-06-07T22:02:00.000-05:00

1. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. About 20 years ago, someone loaned me a book containing letters which Mozart the musician wrote. It was interesting to me, because the letters were written in the same style as his music. They revealed the personality of the famous music Composer just like his music even though they were not poetic or musical in any way. In fact, they revealed Mozart in a new way which I was not used to experiencing. As Catholics we believe that God reveals Himself through His creation. Everything which we learn about the universe can tell us something about God, if we pay attention. For example, we can know that God exists through the use of our natural powers of intellect. A person generally does not have to be taught that God exists. The other day I heard that there are about 30 arguments for the existence of God (for example, things do not just pop into existence and there certainly seems to be some order to the universe). But there is only one argument for the non-existence of God (that is the problem of why evil exists).
2. Although the existence of God and certain aspects of the moral life are things which we can figure out on our own with our God given brains, other facets of our Christian faith must be revealed to us. The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is an example. Another example is the Holy Trinity. We believe that there is one God, in Three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is revealed to us, we did not arrive at it using basic human intelligence.
3. The Holy Trinity is explicitly mentioned in the Bible in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus said Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). But how do we explain it? It is one thing to know that God is Trinity, and another matter to understand it. To be truthful, it is a mysterious fact. In the seminary we took a class for a whole semester studying the Trinity, and at the end, it was still mysterious. But there are various ways of explaining it. For example, Saint Augustine wrote that since God is love, one could say that God the Father is the Lover, and God the Son is the Beloved, and God the Holy Spirit is the Love which exists between them. After all, the Perfect Lover must have someone to love (otherwise it is just self-love, which is not perfect). And love must be reciprocal in order to truly exist (if love is not shared and returned, it is also imperfect). Perfect love between two persons becomes so powerful it is another person. Look at human love, imperfect as it is. When shared completely and returned completely, it can result in another human being.
4. Even if this explanation is unconvincing or lacks something, God is still a Trinity Persons in a Unity of Divinity. Pope John Paul II has said that in His essence, God is a community. And that communion which is interior to God is part of the image and likeness which we as humans were made to be. We are connected to others even though we may not feel like it. We are not islands or solitary beings. We are called to relate to others in the human race. In fact it is a command of Jesus Christ. He said Love one another as I have loved you... Live on in my love.
5. Although God is perfect for all ages upon ages, in His love He created us. Part of God’s plan is to make us His children- that is to unite each of us with Himself so profoundly that we begin to share His divine nature. It does not mean that we each will become the supreme being. It means that we are destined for life without end in the Home of our Father in heaven.
6. A professor told us that our homilies should include something that each listener should do. Maybe what we ought to do then is strive to live this week as if we were part of the Holy Trinity- to love others with the Love that exists between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Or maybe we can recall frequently that God the Father has chosen us to be His beloved children. That recollection may go a long way to strengthening us against envy or jealousy or an inordinate attachment to the things of the world. After all, we will be in the home of the Father for a lot longer than we will be here.

Pentecost

2009-05-31T00:05:00.000-05:00

1. The Church came to exist when Jesus Christ called the disciples and began to form them in the Good News of Salvation. But Pentecost is rightly considered the birthday of the Church. What was largely hidden from the eyes of the world now burst forth upon the scene, with rushing wind, tongues of flame, and powerful and effective preaching (Acts 2:1-11).
2. The word Pentecost comes from Greek, meaning 50 days. It was originally a word used by the Greek speaking Jews to indicate the end of the 50 days of harvest after the feast of Passover (see this in the Jewish Encyclopedia). Harvest would begin with the barley and end with the wheat, because wheat took longer to ripen. The feast would include a day of rest as well as the sacrifices of the first fruits of the harvest. It was believed that Moses deliberately arranged it to fall on Sunday, so that everyone would have two days of rest in a row (Saturday being their Sabbath). In some places it was customary to read the Book of Ruth, because the harvest figures into her story, but also because she became a convert to Judaism.
3. The Christian feast of Pentecost is the fulfillment of the ancient feast. Our Pentecost is celebrated always on a Sunday. It is 50 days after Easter, which is referred to during the Easter Vigil as our passover feast. Note in the Passover, the Lambs are sacrificed and their blood is sprinkled on the doorposts so that the sons of the Israelites would be saved from the angel of death. In the mystery of Jesus Christ, it is He the Son of God, the True Lamb, who is sacrificed so that all people may be saved from the power of death. In the Last Supper, we are invited to share mysteriously in this same sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
4. In the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the first fruits of the harvest are brought before the Lord in thanksgiving. At the feast of Pentecost, the first fruits of the harvest of souls is brought before the Lord by the preaching of the apostles. Remember the many parables of Jesus which compared the evangelization of the world to the sowing of the seed of truth and the harvest of believers brought to faith and baptism ( for example: Matthew 9:37-38, Matthew 13:24-30).
5. The gift of the Holy Spirit, which the disciples received on Pentecost empowered them to fulfill the mission given to them by the Redeemer Jesus Christ. In spite of being with Jesus for about three years and receiving His teaching and observing His many signs, the disciples were still missing something. They were afraid. They were still thinking in a worldly manner. Yet all that changed with the infusion of the Holy Spirit. Those who had hidden themselves out of fear for what people might think or say or do became fearless in their proclamations regarding the Risen Christ. Those who had longed for a worldly kingdom and worldly power now yearned for a heavenly kingdom. Those who may have been regarded as ignorant were now able to demonstrate through scripture and argument that Jesus is indeed the Lord, the Son of God. Furthermore, many of those who previously might have shouted Crucify Him! now listened intently and received the gift of faith. These converts could be said to be in some sense the “first fruits” of those who would come into the Body of Christ which is the Church. In any event, the disciples and those who were added to the Lord that day received Courage, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Right Judgement, Piety and Fear of the Lord- all the gifts of the Spirit.
6. The Church has also received one other gift through the Holy Spirit- that is the gift of indefectability. That is, the Holy Spirit guides and protects the Church from falling away from Jesus. It is true that individual Christians, whether they be lay people or even deacons, priests, or bishops can sin or make mistakes. But Jesus promised that Hell would not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18). And it is through the Holy Spirit that God keeps His promise to us.
7. Like the Disciples at Pentecost, we have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are given to us so that we may accomplish our part in the mission to bring Jesus Christ to every creature. But there is one thing to consider. If after the Spirit descended on the disciples they would have remained in the upper room, if they had failed to make an appearance in the Temple precincts to begin preaching the truth out loud and without fear, where would we be now? Likewise, we cannot be afraid. We need to stand up for the truth. We need to share with others our faith in Jesus Christ the Risen Savior. Come Holy Spirit!

The Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven

2009-05-24T21:46:00.000-05:00

1. In His Ascension to Heaven, Jesus took His place at the right hand of the Father. It is important to remember that Jesus did not leave His human body behind, as if it were a machine or a mere container or even some form of prison. Rather, Jesus ascended in the totality of His humanity (together with His divinity), a totality which included His whole person, body and soul. That is what happened in the Ascension of our Lord, but what does it mean?
2. Saint Paul refers to Jesus as the new Adam- that is the new Man (human) (1 Corinthians 15:45). Whatever happens to Him is destined to happen to us (1 Corinthians 15:48). To be fully human, we must be like the New Man who is Jesus the Christ. In His resurrection, Jesus has conquered the power of death for every human being. We still die, but death will not have power over us. In the Ascension, we discover that the whole human person is the subject of redemption and salvation and glory, not merely the spirit or the mind. Just as all of Resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, so will the full completeness of our resurrected selves go to heaven on the last day (if we are in union with Jesus the Christ). As wonderful and glorious as Jesus’ resurrection was, that was not all He came to accomplish. Human beings are not destined for this life and this existence alone. God has made us for much more.
3. Jesus told His disciples that there were many dwelling places in His Father’s house and that He was going to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3). That is our true destiny- life in the house of the Father forever- without sorrow, without suffering, without want.
4. But there is a catch. In the Acts of the Apostles, as the disciples stood looking up into heaven after Jesus ascended, the angel of the Lord told them that Jesus indeed was going to return at a time of God’s choosing (See Acts 1:1-11). However, those who are His followers have a job to do. In the Gospel, Jesus told them Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). In Acts, He said you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). We may be destined for eternal life in Heaven, but in the meantime we must obey the will of the Father and the instructions of the Son.
5. The mission of proclaiming the Gospel to every creature belongs to every Christian regardless of age, status, or position. In fact whether we like it or not, we are witnesses of Jesus Christ. We might be bad witnesses and tell lies about Him, or we might be good witnesses and tell the truth. But whatever we say, do, or think will not be without effect. The ultimate goal of this mission of course, is the salvation of the whole world. This task is serious business, too. Jesus said Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).
6. It is serious for us, because the Lord wants us to have salvation, therefore we must believe and be baptized (not just be baptized). That does not mean that our belief must be fully formed. Certainly the apostles are ample proof of that. Jesus chose them and they had to grow in knowledge and wisdom. But we must believe.
7. The act of belief has two aspects. The first aspect is consent to hold the Good News of Salvation in our minds and hearts. To make this kind of assent, we must grow in knowledge. Because if the faith does not grow, it will wither. The Christian is obligated to learn more about the truths of our faith. Some people describe to me what they interpret to be a period of doubt in their lives. And it is not doubt- it is the desire to know and understand more. God is permitting it so that we will be motivated to learn.
8. Another aspect of faith is trust. This aspect is probably more important than gaining intellectual knowledge. Trust is an acknowledgment that we do not have all the answers, that we cannot save ourselves, that we are not in control, and yet, we will follow Jesus anyway. Faith as Trust is plunging into the dark cloud of unknowing, placing ourselves at the disposal of God for His Glory and our good. Trust is Mary saying be it done to me according to thy word (Luke 1:38) and Peter saying to whom shall we go Master, you have the words of eternal life (John 6:68).
9. The Ascension also means hope for us. The angel told us that Jesus would come back again in glory. Jesus Himself works through the Church with through the sacraments and the teaching capacity of the bishops, as well as through miracles and signs. Jesus said He would not leave us orphans (John 14:18), and He has not. In truth, at the right hand of the Father, Jesus is more present to His Church than He was walking the earth.

Good Shepherd

2009-05-03T21:39:00.000-05:00

Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He identifies various qualities that a good shepherd has. Namely, that He cares for the sheep personally as if each one is important to Him. He does not have the attitude of someone shepherding as a job with no real concern for those being cared for. His commitment to the sheep is such that He will even lay down His own life to protect them.

Of course Jesus is not talking about real sheep, He is talking about shepherding us. Jesus does indeed care for each one of us. His concern is unlike a hired hand because He is the Creator- we belong to Him. When Jesus says that He will lay down His life for His sheep, He is not just speaking empty words. He has really done it.

With the knowledge of what the Lord has done for us, our confidence in God should be very high. Of course, some people may object to being compared to sheep. But it is an apt comparison. We are dependent upon our Lord for everything. We like to think that we are in charge, or that we have within ourselves the capacity to save the world by our own actions. Others may object to having anyone other than themselves as their shepherd. But Scripture says that those who trust in their material wealth and human power are seeking folly. They will have death as their shepherd (see Psalm 49:15).

It was just a little rainy, that's all.

2009-05-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

Well the 2009 Sam's MS 150 from Frisco to Fort Worth was last weekend. It did not turn out as anybody had really planned. Between the fears concerning the Swine Flu (H1N1), and the weather, the planners and the participants had to be very flexible.

I was able to obtain sufficient priests to substitute for me over the weekend, so that I did not have to strive to get back in town to celebrate any of the Masses. My training went okay, and I was confident that I could finish the whole ride.

Anyway, the first wrench in the works was the H1N1 virus. Or I should say the fear of the virus. Out of concern for public safety, the finish line at Sundance Square in Fort Worth was cancelled. But it was decided that the second day would be a loop starting and ending at the Texas Motor Speedway.

I almost did not even go Saturday morning. Friday night, I drove to Frisco and checked out the parking and starting area. The weather that day was so cloudy and gloomy that it was hard to get excited about anything. The internet weather sites were predicting a 40% chance of rain on Saturday and a higher chance on Sunday. I was decided that I was not going to ride in the rain, if at all possible. Sunday was probably not going to happen for me. Still, I packed up my tent and sleeping bag and everything that I would need to spend the night. As of Friday, because of the rain earlier in the week, it was decided not to have camping at the Motor Speedway. This decision was very wise.

When I returned home on Friday night, the chance of rain for Saturday had increased to 50%. I was hoping that it would either just start to rain, or miraculously clear up, so I would not have to worry about it one way or another. At 4am Saturday morning, the chance of rain had been increased to 60%. I sat around for an hour trying to decide what to do. Finally, I concluded that I would ride until I could ride no more and left the house. It was easy getting to the parking area and leaving my bags on the bag truck. The sky was dark grey, but I had made up my mind. To be prepared, I brought a lightweight rain jacket, suitable for backpacking. It was a little too bulky for the rear pocket of my jersey, so I opted for the hydration pack. I put the jacket, the matching rain pants, and a vest in the pack. I don't generally prefer to ride on the road with a hydration pack, but I was not going to be caught in the rain suffering.

Because of my early morning waffling, I was near the tail end of the starters. If I was not in the last group starting, it was next to last. But as they say, it is not a race. It is also said that whenever there are two or more bicyclists, there is always a race. It may or may not have been wise, but I started to go almost as fast as I could. I was not sprinting, but trying to move up in the mass of people and find a group going my speed. Riding in a large group of cyclists is great in that you can go much faster with the same energy than you can riding alone.

I stopped briefly at the first rest stop and skipped the second one entirely. The group was already stretched out and I was trying to stay with people who were riding about my speed. For about the first 40 miles, that was about 18.5mph. At one point we were on a road that went along the south end of Lake Ray Roberts. The roadway was high up from the lakeshore, like a bridge. At that point, it began to mist a bit. Halfway across the bridge, the temperature suddenly dropped about 10 degrees it seemed. I was very grateful when we finished crossing and the trees provided somewhat of a wind break. (I say we, but in truth, by this time I was riding alone.) I still felt strong, and my legs were nice and warm, but the upper body began to be a little uncomfortable.

Lunch was in Sanger at mile 48. I put on my vest before I ate. We had turkey sandwiches which were very tasty. But I could not sit down. The wind was so bad that the seating area was too cold. I huddled with some like minded people on the leeward side of the concession stand where the food was being served. Along the way I met a parishioner who was a Ride Marshall. At lunch, his wife approached me to give me encouragement and to express hope that her husband would start coming to church more often.

After lunch, I put my raincoat on and opened up the pit zips. Riding with rainwear is a challenge. Most of the time, you sweat so much that you are just as wet as if the rain is on you. But at least its warm. My jacket is fairly breathable, and the pit zips helped. Still, I had to open and close the zippers to adjust the temperature the rest of the ride. I got hot and at a later stop took off the vest. That was a mistake, because it got soaked by the rain as it was in my hydration pack.

Around mile 60, my legs began to refuse to function like before. I was no longer able to keep the 87-95 cadence. My saddle began to feel uncomfortable also. Occasionally I would eat a package of energy gel, which helped my legs. Maybe I was lacking in salt, I do not know.

The last rest stop was at mile 71. My plan was to rest there about 15 minutes, then finish the ride, which had 15 miles left. I can always do 15 miles, so I knew I had it. But then at the rest stop there in Ponder, the authorities announced that due to severe weather, the rest of the ride was cancelled. We were to lay our bikes down on the grass and board vans to be transported to the Texas Motor Speedway. They would send a crew to bring our bikes. I was able to enter the third van. As soon as I got in an situated (uncomfortably) the skies opened up and the rain began to pour.

When we arrived at the TMS, the other passengers on the van begged the driver to let us out at the bike storage lot. It was raining very hard and there were these two little booths under which many people were crowded. I went there to put on the rain pants and assess my situation. The nearest bathrooms were at least a half mile away, so there was nothing to do but walk. Thank God for the rain suit!

Halfway across the parking lot, the water was already about 2 inches deep and too wide to jump. So I had to slosh through and get wet feet. The luggage crew had the bags underneath plastic sheeting. I reclaimed my bags and walked across a homemade boardwalk across the grass toward the dining tent. Most of the tent had 3 inches of water on the ground, but I found a "dry" spot. It was tempting just to stay in the portable toilet out of the rain, but I went back to the dining tent and proceeded to check the contents of my bags. For some reason, the clothes were still dry. I put another long sleeve shirt over what I had and changed jackets to another rain coat with more coverage.

My sister was coming to pick me up to take me back to Frisco. She was waiting at the gate next to the bike storage lot. As I walked back, there was much more water. The homemade boardwalk had floated away or sunk, so there was about 4 inches of water to wade through. The volunteer in charge of the bike lot had no idea when the bikes would be delivered, since not all the riders were accounted for as of yet.

It had mostly stopped raining, so there was a little less standing water to trudge through in the parking lot. I walked out and across the road and got into my sisters car. We waited about an hour for the trucks with the bikes to arrive. I was impressed that those who had reclaimed our bikes had wrapped each one up in heavy duty brown paper, so that the bikes would not get damaged. I helped unload and store the bikes until mine came off the second truck.

Later in the day, it was announced that the second day was cancelled. It was disappointing not to be able to finish the full distance, but it was a memorable ride. The volunteers were well organized, helpful and friendly. The rest stops were well stocked with goodies to eat and drink. My average speed for the 71 miles was 16.6mph. There is room for improvement, but I am fairly satisfied. I am glad that I rode.

Another MS 150 Beckons

2009-04-29T10:20:00.003-05:00

This weekend, I will be riding in the Sam's MS150 ride from Frisco Texas to Fort Worth Texas. The ride will be Saturday and Sunday, thus I will be posting remarks on the Sunday readings late. There will also be a post about my ride experience. The weather forecast is unpleasant. And if it is raining I am going to wait to begin until it stops. Hiking in the rain is okay with the correct clothes, but being wet and possibly cold is not my idea of fun. Besides, I do not really want to be on a slick road with skinny tires and 3000 other cyclists sporting the same. And my bike already has the 28's, which is the largest that it will accept.

But if it is just cloudy, or cool, or foggy, or hot or humid or whatever else, then I will ride and I will finish. Then there will be a post.

Saturday night I plan on camping out at the Texas Motor Speedway. I hope that the camping area has good drainage.

Maybe I will see some of you all there.

Preach Repentance in His Name

2009-04-26T21:53:00.005-05:00

1. If we looked at the content of the Gospels we would notice that they contain much of Jesus’ teaching, and many of His miracles. But their focus is on His Passion, Death and Resurrection. When we read about the preaching of the early Church, we also observe that the primary content of the Good News is that Jesus the Crucified One has Risen from the dead. The proclamation of the Resurrection of Jesus the Lord was not merely the idea of those who had been His followers and had been witnesses of the new kind of life which Jesus possesses. Rather, this truth is announced as the of His command to tell everyone in the whole world.
2. Some people in the days of Jesus have proposed that the disciples made the resurrection up. For example, the Chief Priests and elders bribed the soldiers guarding the tomb of Jesus to say that the disciples stole the body while they were asleep (Matthew 28:11-15). Even today there are those that say the disciples invented the resurrection to explain their “experiences.” The documents of faith, that is the Scriptures, however, indicate that nothing of the sort happen. In the ancient world, people who wanted to learn would go in search of a teacher whom they liked. But the disciples were chosen by Jesus, they did not choose Him (see John 15:16). When Jesus was preaching, they were not quick to understand what He was teaching. They held the common opinion that the Messiah would be a great king leading Israel to political greatness. In spite of what Jesus told them, they persisted in this error right up until the time He was arrested. When He spoke to them about His resurrection, they would not even ask Him what He meant (Mark 9:32). When Jesus was arrested, they ran away. When He was crucified, they hid. And even when He rose again in glory, at first they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:37). Jesus had to eat a piece of fish to convince them that He was indeed alive. (Luke 24:42-43). The disciples did not have the wherewithal to invent the resurrection. Nor does it make sense that they would persist in proclaiming a fiction that cost them their lives. Jesus resurrection is real, though we have to believe on the basis of others’ testimony.
3. Practically every year, I hear someone say that all religions are basically the same. Sometimes it is said by a parent trying to be okay with the fact that their children have left the Catholic faith. Others who hardly know God will say such a thing either out of ignorance or out of wishful thinking. In those cases, it is uttered by someone who rejects religion as stifling or restrictive. Its much easier to dismiss religion if you can lump them all together. In any case, it is simply untrue. (A quick study of religions will reveal marked differences). No other religious founder was crucified or rose from the dead. No other religious founder claimed to be God. Jesus is unique among all people who have ever existed. His resurrection is the single greatest moment in human history.
4. The Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord is the central teaching of our Christian faith. It is the heart and soul of our belief. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are participating in this same Mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And this celebration constitutes us as Catholics. Saint Paul will tell the Corinthians that without the resurrection of Jesus, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). But Jesus is Risen. He sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us.
5. When the disciples began to proclaim the good news of Jesus, we should note they did not simply announce the truth of the resurrection. Saint Peter did not say “You know that fellow Jesus whom you crucified about six weeks ago? Well, he’s okay now. He is alive.” And those who heard Saint Peter did not say “well that’s good, crucifixion is terrible, we are glad that everything worked out for him.” No, the people said what are we to do? (Acts 2:37). To which Saint Peter replied Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Jesus’ resurrection carries with it power and to believe has consequences. Knowledge of the truth obligates a person to conform themselves to the truth. Belief in the Risen Lord demands repentance and change. (That is why those who give themselves over to sin eventually lose their faith.)
6. And so the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection leads us to a crossroads- a place in which we must make decisions. Either we will believe and follow Jesus with our whole hearts, or we will part company with Him and go our own way. We may desire to put off conversion for awhile. That is a bad idea, since we do not know how much time we have. Or we may try to satisfy ourselves with being lukewarm in our Christianity. For example thinking that if we go to Mass, Jesus might not pay very close attention to how we actually live. That is foolish also. God is always present at every moment. If we really want to know the Risen Lord, then we must repent and seek out His mercy and forgiveness. And when we begin to know Him as He really is, a merciful and loving God, we will be eager to share our faith with others.

Divine Mercy

2009-04-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

1. Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (John 20:22-23). With these words, Jesus gave the authority to forgive sins to the Church. As Catholics, we believe to this authority is exercised through the ministry of priests in the Sacrament of Penance. Many people fear this sacrament, mainly because of not wanting to admit their sins to another person. On the other hand, many others have found that humbly revealing their sins in Confession and receiving absolution a source of great healing and even joy.
2. Certainly when Jesus breathed on the disciples and gave them the Gift of the Holy Spirit to forgive sins, He was not intending to terrorize the world. Rather our Lord desired to pour His Divine Mercy on the world. God’s mercy motivated the Father to send His only Son into the world to save it. His Divine Mercy is what motivated Jesus to heal the sick, feed the hungry and associate with sinners. Mercifully our Lord sent out His apostles to anoint and heal the sick and expell demons. In His mercy for sinners, Jesus the Son of God offered Himself on the cross, dying to destroy our death, and rising to restore our life. In His mercy, Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection and said Peace be with you, and filled them with joy (John 20:19-20).
3. The Risen Jesus sent His apostles into the world to teach and baptize all nations so that all people might be able to experience God’s mercy and forgiveness in their lives. It is then that same mercy that is operative in the Sacrament of Penance through which the sins of those who are already baptized are forgiven and we are returned to the purity with which God graced us on the day we were born again by water and the Holy Spirit (see John 3:5).
4. As a penitent, I have experienced God’s mercy so many times. In spite of my sins, the Lord has not just accepted me, not just forgiven me, but taken the sins away so that I am no longer guilty. That does not mean that I am not tempted or that there is no possibility of doing the same thing again. It means that I am no longer burdened by the past and I can start fresh. And as long as we are truly sorry for our sins, God will always forgive us and absolves us of our sins.
5. As a priest, I have witnessed God’s mercy and love in the confessional too. People humbly present throw themselves at the mercy of God, and receive it. Even when I do not know what to say, God helps me as a confessor with words of comfort and advice. But most importantly with the authority to take the guilt away so that the sin no longer oppresses a person.
6. Today is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. God’s mercy endures forever (Psalm 136, often translated mercy in place of love) and it is available always. But today is a special day to recall the quality and the quantity of God’s mercy. To confidently call upon our Lord for His mercy for ourselves and others who most need it. When our Lord appeared to Saint Faustina, He commanded her to paint a picture of Himself with red and white rays coming forth from His Sacred Heart. At the bottom were to be the words Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus asks that those who meditate on this image to reflect on Jesus’ Mercy and to trust in His mercy. In spite of all the sorrows that we endure as the result of sin, others and our own, God wants to share with us His mercy. And He has given that mercy as a gift to the Church to share with others.

Jesus is Risen!

2009-04-12T00:05:00.000-05:00

Here are some links to the Scriptures for the Easter Vigil:
Holy Saturday Vigil Gospel
Easter Sunday Readings
1. Jesus has been raised. He is not here (Mark 16:6). Every year, Father Marcus and I bury many people. You yourselves may have also buried an acquaintance or loved one. People of different cultures have different manners of celebrating funerals, but there is one constant. That is, when the person dies, that is what they are- dead. And when they are buried with whatever rituals in Church or in our families, they are buried. When we return according to our customs to visit the grave, we do not expect to see it torn open and the body missing. If we did, it would cause us great stress. And if we returned to the tomb to find it empty and a young man dressed in the whitest of clothes we have ever seen telling us our loved one was risen, that He was not here, we would go in shock I suppose.
2. Imagine the disciples’ shock. Already they were dealing with the grief of Jesus’ brutally violent death. And now the tomb is empty and they are told that He is risen. Jesus had told them that He would rise from the dead, but they had no idea what that really meant. No one had ever risen before, not like this. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, maybe that experience prepared them somewhat.
3. Several years ago I was in Mexico taking Spanish lessons. One of my classmates was a young woman from Japan. She had heard of Jesus’ name, but knew nothing about Him. As I was telling her His story, when I got to the part that Jesus rose from the dead to a new kind of life, her eyes glazed over and she went into a kind of shock. It was then that I realized how incredibly amazing Jesus’ Resurrection really was. All my life long I have professed His resurrection. But now I had to think about it. Jesus was indeed dead. And now He is indeed alive. I do not know what the young woman thought about what I said. To be honest, I became somewhat engrossed in my own reflection on the Mystery of the Resurrection. Did she believe me? Who knows? But what is important is that it is the Truth. Jesus has Risen. Yes He has truly Risen!
4. Hundreds of His disciples were witnesses to His new kind of life. As Saint Peter said in the book of Acts, they ate and drank with Jesus after the Resurrection. They did not imagine it. They did not plot to all agree to say it. They were all just as shocked as everyone. But you do not eat and drink with a ghost or figment of your imagination. The disciples were afraid at first, but as time progressed, they did not waver in their proclamation of Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen. Their faith became more and more sure, their knowledge became more profound, their trust became unshakeable to the point that they would willingly die rather than deny the truth they knew that Jesus had risen.
5. The resurrection of Our Lord is His greatest miracle. It is the conclusive proof of His Divinity. But the resurrection is more than that. The resurrection is the conquering of death. All funeral practices have sorrow attached, even a certain degree of despair that we will never see our loved ones again. But the Resurrection of Jesus is a glimmer of hope. And the more we believe and trust, the more hopeful we become. Death has been defeated. And if Jesus has risen from the dead, there is hope for every one of us too.
6. Gone is the thought of going down into the shades, where death is the master. We know that Jesus is the Master and death must obey Him. Death is the ultimate consequence of sin, but with the resurrection, the hope of eternal reconciliation with one another and being right with God abounds.
7. Saint Peter proclaimed to all who could hear him that Jesus had chosen the disciples to be witness of Jesus Christ to the whole world. As Christians, we have inherited this mission - to go into the whole world and proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ (Matthew 29:19-20). It is not a mission only for the priest or deacon or member of a religious order. It is not a mission only for adults. Everyone who is baptized in His death and resurrection is called to share the Gospel.
8. The question is, how do we proclaim the Truth we know in our hearts? It is very simple really. Everything we have and everything we do for the love of Jesus. If our hearts are focused on the Crucified and Risen Savior, then even simply making the sign of the Cross before we say grace at meals will become a witness to the power of the Resurrection. Our prayer life will become rich. We will eagerly look for opportunities to share our faith in Jesus Christ with others. Even if others do not accept us or do wrong to us, forgiveness will become easy.
9. The tomb is empty, Jesus is not there. The Sorrow of Losing Him on the Cross has been replaced with the Joy of celebrating His Resurrection. As Christians we already share in the New Life that Jesus Christ established on the day of Easter. Jesus Christ is Risen!

Special Prayers needed

2009-04-11T14:46:00.002-05:00

Please pray for me. I have laryngitis and find it very difficult to talk, much less sing. Thanks for your help.

Good Friday

2009-04-10T23:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the day in which we commemorate the death of Jesus on the Cross. All throughout the Church, there are people who are participating in the reading of the Passion, the Stations of the Cross or the Veneration of the Cross. As we use these various means of coming to terms with Our Lord's death, one can begin to ask Just who is to blame?

Certainly it is foolish to blame the Jews. After all, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Peter, James, John, Martha, Lazarus, et alia were all Jewish. It is difficult to blame the Pharisees or another of Judaism's theological parties for Jesus' death either. It is true that Jesus argued with them, but likewise they invited Him into their homes. Certainly some Jewish elders and high priests are demonstrated as at least partly culpable. But even some of them eventually became Christians. We cannot really blame any present Jewish person for Jesus' death anymore than we ought to blame those who live in Dallas now for the death of President John F. Kennedy.

I have heard others trying to make the Romans culpable for the death of Jesus. This idea makes not much more sense. It is true that the Jews at that time could not have legally crucified Jesus, the Romans had to be involved. But not all the Romans were enemies of Jesus. We have only to think of the Centurion whose faith amazed even Jesus. Although he did not have the political courage to do it, Pilate at least at first wanted to let Jesus go. It would be unfair to blame all "the Romans" for Jesus' death, even if some had to be materially involved in His crucifixion.

There have even circulated opinions that Jesus hated life and manipulated Judas to betray Him, all so Jesus could be arrested and killed. There is no scriptural evidence that Jesus was suicidal in His thoughts or behavior. Besides, if He hated life, why would Jesus have chosen the most difficult and painful death and even refuse what little anesthesia that was offered in those days? Most of those who despise life and want to die have that attitude because they want the pain to cease, not to increase to the limits of human capacity.

If we want an answer to the question who is to blame for the death of Jesus we must first remember that Jesus did not have his life taken away from Him against His will. Neither was His death a suicide. Jesus' death was a sacrifice. He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin in obedience to God the Father. That is not to say that others did not act freely to betray Him or demand that He be crucified. The Gospels have several examples of people wanting to kill Jesus, from the people in Nazareth, to scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem. But they were unable to do anything until Jesus Himself permitted it. Even the attempt to gain false testimony did not work. It was not until Jesus spoke the truth that He truly was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One, that they had the evidence which the elders and the Chief priests thought was necessary to condemn Him. Jesus Himself stated No one takes it (life) from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again (John 10:18).
That all being said, if Jesus is a sacrifice for the salvation of sinners, then who is to blame for the death of Jesus? It is us, of every nation, every race, every culture, every religion, every language. Every one of us has sinned and fallen short of God's will for us (except for the Blessed Virgin Mary, and she still needed to be saved by Jesus). Every human being who ever lived needs the salvation gained through the death of Jesus. Therefore, if we ask the question "who is to blame" with the idea of condemning someone, then we have missed the point of Jesus' death. If we ask the question in order to understand the Lord's motivation for this act of love, then we might begin to understand.

Anyway, Christ died for us sinners, so that we could be saved. Thanks be to God!

Holy Thursday

2009-04-09T22:56:00.000-05:00

1. Do this in memory of me. In this one command, Jesus instituted two sacraments of the Church- Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders. These two sacraments are intertwined in such a way that if there is not one, then there is not the other. Unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, we have no life within us (see John 5:53). But without the Holy Priesthood, we cannot celebrate the Eucharist.
2. As Catholics, we believe that Jesus Christ is present in the Most Holy Eucharist. His presence is not merely recalled, but is actual. Since the Eucharist is indeed Christ, we recognize that the Eucharist is source of all grace in the Christian life. We depend on the Eucharist not just because we recognize Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread, but because we need Him for our food. For us to achieve the glory marked out for us, Jesus Christ must live in us. God is not content with feeding our minds and hearts with His words, but He has generously provided to feed our bodies with His Word- Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that our whole selves may be prepared for the Glory of the Resurrection.
3. The Eucharist is more than the source of all grace. Likewise it is the summit of our Christian worship. Jesus Christ is our True High Priest who has offered Once for All, the sacrifice of Himself on the Wood of the Cross. Yet in the celebration of the Eucharist, we are present for and participate in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. By the Eucharist, Jesus has made it possible for us to be witnesses of His Passion Death and Resurrection. In an Unbloody manner, the Eucharist connects us to the greatest event in the History of the World- the Paschal Mystery of our Lord. Since Jesus is truly the One offering and the One offered, we rightly say that the Eucharist is the highest form of praise, adoration, and worship. Other devotions and practices are beneficial and commendable, but nothing equals the power and majesty of the Holy Mass because it is the prayer of Jesus Himself.
4. In order to continue our participation in this Divine Mystery, Jesus instituted the ministry which we call the Holy Priesthood, or the Presbyterate. As Jesus chose Apostles from the midst of His disciples, the Lord also chooses men to be priests to exercise authority and power in the celebration of the Sacraments. Let us not be amazed that God chooses to work in such a manner. Jesus uses Bread and Wine to become His Precious Body and Blood. Our Lord has chosen to use human agency for the procreation and population of the world. As Saint Teresa of Avila said Christ has no body now on earth but yours. God chooses men as the sacrament of His presence. These men are chosen to offer the sacrifice of the Mass and the other sacraments in persona Christi capitis- that is, in the person of Christ the Head. As priests, we do not celebrate sacraments on our own but rather we are instruments of Jesus for the benefit of the Body of Christ the Church.
5. Although the Ministerial Priesthood is a true share in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, it does not exist for itself nor to lift its members on high above other Christians. The priesthood is for service to Jesus and service to His Church. When I say the words This is my body which will be given up for you, Christ is speaking through me. The words refer to the Consecration of the Gift of Bread. But I think they also refer to the priest. I mean that we too must offer up ourselves for others in union with Christ.
6. These days, most people view the priesthood, and in fact the whole of Christian faith from the point of view of lack. That is, many think "priesthood is not getting married," "marriage is not being free to go with anyone," "obedience keeps one from doing what they want to do," or "holiness is not having fun." In truth, doing God’s will is freeing. Freedom to commit one’s whole life, free to be what we are supposed to be.
7. This freedom is only possible because of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is made present each time we celebrate the Eucharist. And to think that the Eucharist and the Priesthood are pure gifts from God. All we have to do to receive is open our hands and our hearts.

2009-03-22T18:00:00.002-05:00

1. There is a saying there is no one so blind as the one who will not see. Such is the case of those who opposed both the man born blind and Jesus. They simply would not see that Jesus was from God. All they could see was that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, which in their opinion was a violation. They could not consider that someone regained their sight on the day when we are supposed to put all our trust in God to care for us. Furthermore, although they did not even know the blind man (recall that they had to call the parents to ask them is this your son, who you say was born blind? (John 9:19), they presumed that he was full of sin since his birth, all because he had been born blind. As the events unfolded, they became more blind to the truth.
2. Saint Augustine reminded us that sins blinds the sinner. All sin, large or small, dulls the senses. If we go keep sinning, eventually we become blind to our faults and cannot see things the way they really are. That is why those who go to frequent confession are able to confess more accurately what they are doing than those whose confession is infrequent. Unfortunately, sin in one area of life, be it pride, willfulness, lies, unkind speech, theft, unforgiveness, or the multitude of means of impurity, these sins affect the whole of one’s life. Unrepented, unconfessed, unchecked, unforgiven sin in any area of life will not only weaken weaken the whole person, but it can lead to the loss of faith in Jesus Himself.
3. Be warned! Do not think that this loss of holiness or faith could not happen to you. The pharisees who opposed Jesus studied the Bible every day, yet they did not recognize Him or turn to Him for help. One of the sorrows that grieved Jesus the most in the Gospel was the refusal of people to realize that they needed God’s forgiveness. All of us do. Even consider those pharisees who were following Jesus. Some of them were more concerned about being insulted than in receiving what Jesus was offering - the true light to see things as they really are. And so Jesus had to say to them - “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains (John 9:41). If we do not see the need for God’s mercy and forgiveness given to us through Jesus, then we are in darkness.
4. On the other hand, there is an opposite movement on the part of the man born blind. Jesus smeared mud on his eyes and instructed him to wash in the pool of Siloam (which is a prefigurement of Baptism). There, he regained his sight, or in other words, he was illuminated- the light was able to enter into him and he could see. But the man received more than the gift of sight, he received faith. With his eyes, he was able to see Jesus was a man. But with the gift of faith, the man was able to see much more. He could see Jesus as Lord and God- which is how things really are. At first, he gives the witness - the man called Jesus made clay (John 9:11). Later he was asked, what do you have to say about Him, since He opened your eyes? (John 9:17), the man was able to say he is a prophet (John 9:17). The third time, the man argues with the pharisees and insists that Jesus comes from God and does God's will- Jesus is Holy (John 9:30-33). Finally, he says to Jesus I do believe Lord (John 9:38) and worships Jesus.
5. Of course, the question that this event raises is: who do I say Jesus is? Can I see Him for what and who He really is, or is something blocking my vision of the truth?
6. Everyone acknowledges that Jesus was man. Some people even believe that Jesus was a great man. Many people also recognize that Jesus was a prophet- that is, sent by God. But that kind of faith is not enough to be considered a Christian. The truth is that Jesus is Lord and God. The primary act of belief for a Christian is not to believe in a list of things (as important as those things are), but to believe in a person- Jesus- and adore Him as our only Lord.
7. That being said, Saint Paul says You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8). We did not simply receive Light. We are light. Jesus said that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). And one does not light a lamp and put it under a basket (Matthew 5:15). We are called by God and given the light of faith to illumine the world. And so we cannot permit sin to have a place in our lives any more. We must live as if faith in Jesus makes us different from the world of darkness. And when we fall, we must turn back to Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance to remove the darkness and restore us to the Splendor of Light.

The Sacrifice of Abraham, Our Father in Faith

2009-03-08T19:38:00.005-05:00

1. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31b). These words of Saint Paul to the Romans give us great comfort. But I often wonder about Abraham our father in faith. In what did he take comfort in? Especially when God asked him to sacrifice his only son (Genesis 22:1-18). Maybe it was not all that surprising a request. After all, many peoples throughout history have practiced human sacrifice. The prophets even condemned the Israelites themselves for sacrificing their children to the demon god Moloch. In this hemisphere, the Aztecs and others also practiced human sacrifice. And today, many people are willing to kill the unborn and the elderly for the sake of money or comfort or medical experimentation.
2. Anyway, what did Abraham think? God had promised him a son, and descendants as numerous as the sand at the seashore and the stars in the sky. Isaac was not even born until Abraham was 99 years old. Now Abraham is 111 and God asks him to sacrifice his son. Well, we do not know what he was thinking. We only know what he did. And that is, when God called him, Abraham answered, Here I am. And he stood ready to do God’s will, however hard it might have been.
3. But note that God did not require Abraham to go through with it. So many false gods have demanded the death of the innocent, but the True God did not require such a thing. But even though his hand was stayed, Abraham did sacrifice his son Isaac to the living and true God, because he would not withhold anything from God. Because of Abraham’s fidelity and trust, God swore that He would bless Abraham abundantly. And not just Abraham, but all of his descendants. But not just those either. God promised to bless the whole world, just because Abraham trusted in His word.
4. We need to think about that for a moment. Abraham obeyed God in one instance, and every person who ever lived afterward received a blessing. How often we consider that if we just got our way, everything would be okay. Or maybe we act out of fear, not wanting to obey God’s commands out of fear of not having enough money or enough property or enough friends. Many people who otherwise desire to live the Gospel think it is totally insane to be fruitful and have more than two children, even if it means surgery or taking powerful drugs.
5. But it’s not just that. Students cheat because they are afraid of the hard work that studying requires. People lie because they are afraid of what will happen if the truth is told. Some refuse to forgive because they are afraid of being hurt again if they let things go. Some people are afraid to go to confession because they are afraid to admit their sins out loud. Whether he was afraid or not, I cannot say (I'm, sure that he was), but when God called, Abraham said Here I am, and trusted God, and so everyone of us has been blessed.
6. The story of Abraham’s sacrifice is amazing enough by itself. Abraham had no idea of the resurrection, or anything about Jesus. When we consider his sacrifice in the light of Jesus Christ, it becomes even more amazing. For these events of long ago pre-figured the salvation won for us by the Son of God on the wood of the Cross. Isaac carried the wood up the mountain, Jesus would carry the wood of the cross up the hill of Calvary. The ram caught in the bramble was sacrificed in Isaac's place, we call Jesus The Lamb of God. There would come a time when God would offer His own Son in sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus would beg His Father if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39). On the day of the crucifixion, on the hill of Calvary, there would be no word from above to stop the nails from being driven into Jesus’ hands. There would be no command to prevent the crown of thorns from being pushed onto His head, no suggestion even that Jesus should not be scourged, or that the lance ought not to be thrust into his side.
7. It was not the son of a creature but the Only Begotten Son of the Creator who was sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins. And if Abraham’s obedience to God resulted in blessing for the entire world, how much more powerful is the obedience of the Son of God who offered Himself for our sake? And if God loves us so much as to offer His Son for our redemption, what do we have to fear? What is preventing us from repenting of our sins and turning to the Lord for forgiveness? How could we possibly doubt His love? What keeps us from obeying His word and instead preferring our own will?
8. Saint Paul said: Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). It is time to admit that we have sinned. It is time to ask God for forgiveness. It is time to go to Confession, to receive the Mercy which God desires to bestow on us. It is time to start anew doing good, so when God calls our name, we might say Here I am. And the whole world will be blessed if we do.

My First 5k Race

2009-03-02T10:00:00.001-06:00

Saturday, I ran my first 5k in a competition. It was bitterly cold, and there were 3000+ participants. I am not much of a runner. Generally I do not like to run, preferring to ride a bicycle or walk. But it seemed a 5k would be a good test of fitness and give me a goal at which to aim. Only twice or three times before in my whole life have I run 3 miles without stopping. Usually I cannot wait to quit. Other runners talk about the runner's high, but I have never experienced any such thing.

Anyway, although my training is spotty and my abilities weak, I showed up at 7:30am with thousands of other hopefuls to sign up for and run in the 5k associated with the Cowtown Marathon. I had just enough time to affix my number to the front of my jacket and place the chip tab onto my shoe, as they were already calling the participants to line up at the start. The ambient temperature was about 34°F, but the wind chill was about 26°F. At the starting line I maneuvered myself into the thick of the crowd so as to get protection from the wind. I jumped up and down to stay warm.

After what seemed like a couple of false starts, we were on our way. At first, I could walk as fast as everyone around me was running. Eventually, the group began to spread out a bit and I could run ahead. I was looking for others to get behind, both to protect me from the headwind, and to give me a pace to follow. Unfortunately, one can hardly ever find someone running exactly the same speed.

I was wearing thin socks, liners really, with my shoes and was therefore regretting it early on. But as time wore on, my feet warmed up and were comfortable. My head got a little warm, but I was afraid to take my hat off or adjust it. The wind was cold and I did not want to lose my body heat. Near the end, I unzipped the pit zips in my jacket.

There was only one watering station along the way, around mile 2. That was the only time I slowed to a walk. But I did not stop and as soon as my water was finished, I was running again. I was contemplating whether I should walk, but hoped that we would see the finish line soon. Then I saw it and I knew that I could run all the way. For the last 150 yards, I tried to speed up. After I crossed the finish line, I was hoping for a cup of sports drink, but all I could find was water. (Later, I came across a beer distributor giving out free beer, but since I was driving, I did not imbibe.)

The clock time for my run was 36+ minutes, but my chip time was 34 minutes exactly. It was a pleasing experience. I ran all the way, without fighting a great urge to walk. My 10:54 mile pace was reasonable in my estimation. All in all it was a success. Another good thing is that Sunday I was not sore or cramped in the least. In fact, I felt much better than the other day, when I ran only 2 miles, and my pace was not any different. Although I cannot say that I am addicted to running, I will be thinking about doing this more often.

Deep Cleansing

2009-03-01T18:11:00.002-06:00

1. Part of our Lenten meditation is over the meaning of the sacrament of Baptism. The word “baptism” means “to plunge” and in Baptism, we have been plunged in the water and the Holy Spirit. In Baptism, we received the gift of new life from God, we have been chosen to be His beloved sons and daughters.Saint Peter compares Baptism to the flood which Noah and his family weathered in the ark. Just as the flood destroyed the evil in the world so that there could be a new beginning, Baptism washes away Original Sin, so that we might receive live as a new Creation. In truth, Baptism is much more powerful than the flood was. For after the flood, it was only a matter of a generation, and the world was filled with sin once more. But Baptism permanently changes those who enter into the new Covenant of the Blood of Jesus. At the flood, the world got wet, but in Baptism we were plunged in the Holy Spirit.
2. Saint Peter reminds us that Baptism is not just about getting wet. If that were all it was, we would be no better off than the world after the Flood- having the promise of God, but with no essential change. Saint Peter tells us that Baptism is not the removal of dirt from the body, but an appeal to God for a clear conscience. In other words, Baptism does not simply wash us on the outside, its cleansing power goes to our core. In Baptism, sin is truly washed away and we become new. It is true that we continue to have our inclination to sin. And after Baptism it is indeed possible that we might sin and even sin very seriously. At the same time, Baptism is our First Reconciliation with God, when the power of God Himself destroys the power of sin operative in us. That is, God makes us righteous, He changes us. We still have our human freedom which we can misuse, but we are not depraved, we are not worthless, we are not contemptible because in Baptism we have been made anew.
3. Still, our human freedom remains. Many of us would have to admit that we have not lived according to the life of holiness required by Baptism. Therefore, we must hear once again the words that Jesus announced as He began His preaching. The kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe in the Gospel! Each day we enter the battle with temptation and sin. We fall prey to the darkness of doubt. And so each day we must come to repentance. No matter how far along we are on our spiritual journey, we have need of a deeper conversion. We must acknowledge our personal sins, and God’s goodness. We must depend upon our Lord for the grace to be holy. And the Lord can make us holy.

Bike Crash

2009-02-23T18:45:00.007-06:00

Ten days ago, I crashed on my road bike in the local park. I was going down a staightaway, moving fast, and came up to a hard right turn with a bridge that dips down. I started braking a little too late and so I laid it on the brakes. There must have been some loose dirt on the cement path because the rear wheel locked up and I started to skid. It was just a matter of time before I went down on the ground. As I fell, I landed on my right side. Four square inches of skin on my lower leg was scraped off, my favorite bike shorts were torn and my hip felt bruised (no bruise has ever appeared since the crash). The worst part is that the brunt of the fall was on my right arm and shoulder, which has already hurt for about a year.
Eventually, I was able to see the doctor, who said that the effects of the crash would go away after a few weeks. He advised an MRI, however, since the shoulder has been hurting for a year. I am hoping that there will be no surgery involved. But I must admit that the arm and shoulder hurts badly and I am ready for some relief. Maybe he will give me me exercises or advise therapy that will improve things. We shall see.
There is a silver lining, however. Last week I was riding at the lake (it does not hurt to bicycle, just to stand, sit, or lie down). It was a warm day, but windy. It was a wonderful day to ride. Let me say that it is very nice to pass someone while sporting a large area of road rash.

Tearing the Roof Apart

2009-02-22T22:35:00.001-06:00

1. It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses; your sins I remember no more (Isaiah 43:25). A sin is an offense against God, a disobedience of His commands. Sin harms our relationship with God, and our relationship with other people. Sin can even be so deadly as to cause us to lose our destiny in heaven. (In other words go to hell). One might imagine that God could just let all those things go and let people do whatever they wanted to with no consequences. (God loves us after all, how could He bear to punish us with Hell?) But really, even if those with deadly sin entered into glory, they would be miserable being surrounded on every side by the love of God and in the presence of those who do all in their power to serve the Lord. Those who prefer darkness shrink from the light.
2. What the Lord is talking about in the prophet Isaiah is not simply to acquit us of crimes of which we are truly guilty, to pretend that we have done nothing wrong or say it simply does not matter. Rather if the Lord forgets something, then it does not exist. By forgetting our sins, the Lord does not simply declare us to be innocent, but He makes us innocent. Observe the paralytic in the Gospel of Mark: Jesus did not simply declare the man’s sins forgiven, He took away his paralysis which was a consequence of those sins. Jesus made him whole. And as a result of this great sign, all those present glorified God.
3. A notable feature of this healing miracle is that the paralyzed man could not come to Jesus on his own. But his friends desired his healing so much that they tore open the roof and let him down in front of Jesus. And Jesus did not heal the paralytic simply because of the paralytic’s faith. Rather, it was the faith of his friends that motivated Jesus to heal. Jesus saw their faith. We are called to imitate these wonderful friends. Sometimes others are simply unable to come to Jesus on their own. Maybe they are afraid, maybe they believe they are not worthy, maybe sin has paralyzed them. In that case, we must place them before Jesus in faith, begging Him to heal the sins that paralyze them. We must never give up. If the friends of the paralytic did not have an active faith, he would have remained not only paralyzed, but oppressed by his sins. In the same way, there are many areas of our lives which we must bind together to be effective. We need our family, we need our friends, we need our parish, we need our diocese, we need the whole Church.

Lepers

2009-02-15T19:10:00.003-06:00

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (link to the Bible readings)
The Law of Moses stipulated that certain kinds of skin conditions were to be considered leprous. Those who suffered from these conditions were ritually unclean. Furthermore, they had to separate themselves from the general community. Probably not all of these had the illness now known as Hansen’s disease, but there was sufficient fear in the community that separation seemed right. We may look at such behavior as barbarous but we really have to understand that anti-biotics and other such treatments are relatively recent in the history of the world, in fact less than 100 years ago. Even in our own country there were leper colonies. There was one in Louisiana and the most famous one was on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. From the point of view of the community, separation of the lepers was a means to protect the community from the spread of the disease. The advanced forms were terrible to behold.

Although the treatments available for Hansen’s disease has made leper colonies a thing of the past, there may be other diseases or problems which are met with the same fear. When I was about to begin training in a hospital chaplaincy program, I had the Tuberculosis test as part of the general course. My skin test came back positive and immediately the manner in which I was treated by the hospital staff changed. They were terrified of me and in fact treated me rudely. (A chest x-ray revealed that I did not have the disease).

In the ancient world, leprosy was the kind of disease which people knew that only God could cure. If someone did in fact become well, they were instructed to present themselves to the priests who would declare them clean. Then they were to offer a special sacrifice to God in thanksgiving.

The general attitude of the People of God was that all diseases or illnesses or physical malfunctions or even problems were the result of sin. Indeed this belief is not foreign to us as Christians. The Original Sin of Adam and Eve brought corruption to the whole universe. Yet we know that not every problem is the result of a particular sin. Because leprosy was visibly corrupting the skin, and because of fear of contagion, leprosy was a sign of sin. The separation of the lepers from the community and the requirement that they shout Unclean, unclean and go about in torn clothes further added to sorrow. Only God could heal it, only God could really integrate someone back into the community.

The leper approached Jesus to ask for healing (Mark 1:40) because he believed that Jesus had the power to heal this dread disease. All that was lacking was the will of Jesus to accomplish it. And Jesus responded I do will it, be made clean (Mark 1:41). It is a sign of Jesus’ divine nature. He not only heals the man of a terrible ailment, but He provides for his reintegration into the community.

Note that Jesus does not simply accept the leper as a leper. I mean, Jesus did accept him and did not reject his entreaties. Jesus loved him. But in His love, Jesus did not leave him a leper. Nor did Jesus force the priests of the temple to accept the leper as clean when he was in fact, unclean. Rather, Jesus healed the man. Jesus made him clean. Such is the power of God.

Leprosy is a pretty good sign for sin (Although to suffer from leprosy itself is not sinful). When a person disobeys God, it just does not affect them alone, it affects the whole community. Lies and theft destroy trust. Murder destroys not only human lives, but often evokes the desire for revenge. Adultery and other sins of the flesh turns others into objects and is a sin against the family. Of course the worship of false gods puts a person’s whole life in disorder. There are sins which are so grave that they prevent a Christian from receiving Holy Communion. We do not require them to shout Unclean, but certainly that is how many people feel.

Although some sins make it inadvisable to receive communion, there is no sin for which we cannot receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. All we have to do is repent and ask God’s help. As well they should. We ought to return to him for the forgiveness of sins and the healing of our souls. Jesus indeed has the power to heal us. And just like He said to the leper I do will it, be made clean, Jesus has a healing will for our sins.

And the forgiveness we receive can be a great sign for others. When the leper told everyone what Jesus did for him, many others were convinced to come to Jesus to experience His mercy. So too, when others see and hear what Jesus has done for us, they will want to experience the healing of their souls too.

*A great book to read is the biography of Saint Damien, called "Damien the Leper" by John Farrow.

The Meaning of Suffering

2009-02-08T20:34:00.003-06:00

Readings for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B.
1. Job was an upright man whom the Lord permitted to be tested through personal disaster, the death of his children, and through grave illness. Although Job strove to remain righteous by recognizing everything that he had was a gift from God, he nevertheless arrived at the point which we hear about in the first reading. The days were going by fast, the nights slowly. We may have the benefit of all kinds of technology, but Job’s experience is a universal human experience of suffering. We too may have had times in which the seconds seem to drag by, but the days pass all too quickly and there is no rest from our troubles.
2. The problem of suffering of whatever kind is the subject matter of the book of Job. The friends of Job try to convince him that he is guilty of some sin. Shall you say: "My teaching is pure, and I am clean in your sight"? But oh, that God would speak, and open his lips against you, And tell you that the secrets of wisdom are twice as effective: So you might learn that God will make you answer for your guilt (Job 11:4-6) But Job cannot identify any such sin. When Job breaks down and asks God to explain why things are the way they are, God does not answer his question. Instead God asks Job to explain the universe, which of course Job cannot. In the end of the Book, God restores Job to his previous happiness. The philosophical conclusion of the book is that suffering is a mystery not fully comprehensible.
3. At the time of Jesus most people held that illness and other disastrous problems were a direct result of sin, much like the friends of Job tried to convince him. Jesus does not denounce all of this kind of thinking, but neither does He go with it. (To the Paralyzed man, Jesus said your sins are forgiven (Mark 2:5); but regarding the man born blind Jesus said Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him (John 9:3) As Catholics, we believe that in the big picture, suffering entered the world through sin. Nevertheless not all suffering is the result of a particular sin. As human beings however, we must admit that we often try to explain our suffering in that regard. We ask God “Why me? What did I do to deserve this...?” And there is not always an answer. It is true that God permits the suffering. Nothing continues to exist without at least God’s silent permission. But He does not cause it. Scripture says Because God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living (Wisdom 1:13).
4. With the advent of Jesus, however, suffering undergoes a change. When Jesus confronts suffering or illness, He heals the person. Regardless of what is the cause, sin or a natural problem, He heals it, such as He did for Simon Peter’s mother in law and all the others who came to the house (see Mark 1:29-34). Jesus’ mercy went out to those who were oppressed or possessed by evil spirits. It only took a word from Him and the demons left people alone.
5. When we read of these miraculous healings we might be amazed. In our modern, scientific manner we might be convinced that there are perfectly natural explanations to all these miracles. But miracles still happen. I saw someone on her deathbed with cancer. Her organs were failing, her skin color was bright orange, and she burning up with the fever that often precedes death. I anointed her and left fully expecting to never see her alive again. But two weeks later she was back in Church completely well and no trace of cancer in her body.
6. Likewise I knew someone so oppressed by evil that even saying the prayer Come Holy Spirit caused him great distress, and being sprinkled with Holy Water made him become as stiff as a board. Yet later, through the power of Jesus he was freed from the oppression and able to praise God freely.
7. The change that overtook suffering when Jesus appeared is not simply that He exercised authority and power to free people from their pain and sorrow and shared that power with others. Rather Jesus , in His own Passion and Death Jesus gave suffering a new meaning. Previously, suffering was for the most part a sign of sin, a result of the Fall of Adam and Eve. But now, it has become a means of being united with God. It does not indicate that suffering is never the result of sin, it means that Jesus has taken the curse and turned it into a blessing because in our crosses, we become like Jesus Himself.
8. Our world is in great need of the transformation of suffering. The suffering of the innocent often leads to people rejecting God, whereas in Christ we can turn to God for healing. And despair over suffering has lead many people to embrace such sins as suicide and euthanasia. I am not speaking only in terms of their interior acceptance, but in practice. For example in some places, it is possible for a doctor to administer poisons to an elderly or sick person. Such attitudes and behavior have severe consequences for our society. Could a doctor remain committed to health if he or she regularly administered death? Would not the insurance industry be tempted to require the death of certain types of patients in order to avoid costly treatment? (It has not happened, but what if it did?) And what would happen to us, if we as Christians rejected the Cross or refused our share in the cross of Christ? (Make no mistake that is what it would be. ) Would our sufferings truly be over because we avoided them in this world? Are we to become so short sighted that we would fail to see the big picture of eternity? We are not made only for this life, but forever.
9. On the other hand, those who unite themselves to Christ, even if they suffer have hope, for there is nothing which can separate from God’s love in Jesus Christ. There is hope that the Lord can cure us, and He can. But there is still hope if the Lord chooses to delay our healing until the resurrection on the Last Day, when every tear will be wiped away. Suffering is indeed a mystery, but it is not without meaning and grace. The cross is the instrument of our salvation and it is the means of our union with the entire Jesus Christ. Through Christ, through His passion and death, suffering has been transformed into power and thus been overcome.

A Prophet To Whom We Shall Listen

2009-02-01T00:01:00.002-06:00

1. A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen (Deuteronomy 18:15). We understand and believe that this statement is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-23). God had sent the prophets to the Israelites to announce His Word to them. After the Lord had rescued the people from slavery in Egypt, He was intending to speak to each of them and all of them. But they begged God not to speak to them because they were afraid that they would die if He did.
2. All these prophets whom the Lord sent to His people, however, were types of the prophet to come. Even John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest man born of woman, was a precursor to Jesus. Whereas the other prophets announced the word of the Lord, Jesus is the Living Word of God- God Himself. Jesus is the One who knows the Father from all eternity. As the Son of God, Jesus has received everything from the Father (see John 12:49-50). For this reason, Saint Mark tells us that Jesus spoke with authority (Mark 1:21-28). He had no need to quote the opinions of others about the meaning of the Scriptures. He spoke on His own behalf as God.
3. And Jesus’ words have power. Just previously to this scene in Mark, Jesus called Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John. They left their fishing boats on the shore and followed him. Matthew and the others would also leave their occupations to follow just because He asked. In the Gospel this morning, we hear about Jesus power over the unclean spirits. Just one word from our Lord is sufficient to cause the demon to leave the man alone. This display of authority and power certainly attracted the attention of the people in Jesus’ day. He obviously is one to whom we should pay attention.
4. As Christians, however, we are called to do more than simply pay attention. Certainly we must begin with that. But God is calling us to do much more. Once, Moses told Joshua Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all! (Numbers 11:29). In baptism this is exactly what has happened. The Lord has bestowed His Spirit on us. It is His intention and will that we be prophets in the world. The basic characteristic of a prophet is to speak the word of God. In the Old Testament, the prophets prepared God’s people for the coming of the Messiah. Now Jesus has fulfilled all these expectations and prophecies. Jesus alone is the Holy One who leads us to the Father (John 14:6). So we do not have to prepare people for the coming Messiah (although in a sense we do, since He is coming again).
5. But the Prophets of Old also corrected others in their faults. And that task is never going to go away. Every one of us is in constant need of deeper conversion to Christ. And our world desperately needs prophetic witness with regard to the Law of God especially the Living Law which is Jesus. Prophecy however, is not about standing apart, pointing fingers, and condemning. It is a service given for the good of others and the community. It requires involvement so that the prophet is not simple saying what is wrong, but participating in the solution. For example, Nathan the prophet rebuked David the King when David committed adultery and then had Uriah killed (2 Samuel 12:7-12). But Nathan was an advisor to the King and continued to serve him. Similarly, when we correct others it cannot flow from our arrogance, but from our desire that others be holy. Of course, the prophetic person has to humble himself or herself and accept correction also. We all need to repent of our particular sins. If we proclaim the desire for mercy, or justice, if we seek to benefit from the generosity of others, we must strive to be merciful, just, and generous ourselves. As prophets of the Lord, we cannot forget that it is Christ whom we proclaim. And Jesus Christ our Lord is merciful, is just, is generous and loving and all good.
6. It seems a little unusual then, if it is Jesus Christ whom we are called to proclaim that Jesus would command the unclean spirit to be silent (see Mark 1:25 etc). He would not let the demon tell others who He was. Why? Possibly because demons have a tendency to tell lies. Or maybe another reason. Jesus’ exercise of authority and power got many people to follow Him around. But Jesus was not there merely to preach with authority or to cast out the evil spirits or heal the sick. He was there to save us from our sins by dying on the Cross. Unless we accept the Cross, we are not accepting the whole Christ. Unless we proclaim that, we are not proclaiming the whole Christ.

Prophetic Witnesses Needed

2009-01-25T15:30:00.003-06:00

1. So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD'S bidding. There really is a lot more to what happened than that simple sentence. When God called Jonah to go to Ninevah, Jonah did not want to go. Ninevah was a foreign city. They were not his people and Jonah did not like them. He did not want to warn them of the impending disaster resulting from their sins. So he ran away and got on a boat to go as far away as he could. It was then that the Lord caused the great sea storm and Jonah was thrown overboard where he spent time in the belly of the giant fish, who then deposited Jonah close to the city of Ninevah. Only then did Jonah make ready to do God’s will and preach to the city.
2. Jonah did not even ask them to repent, he simply announced forty days more and Ninevah shall be destroyed. One can imagine that people questioned him about where he got that information. But in any event, the people of Ninevah when confronted with their impending doom, repented of their sins in the hope that God would have mercy upon them. And God did have mercy upon them and did not destroy them.
3. What is strange is that God’s mercy angered Jonah. Jonah wanted to see the destruction of the Ninevites. He even told God that was the reason all along that he, Jonah, did not want to preach, because he knew that God would end up being merciful if the Ninevites repented.
4. Of all the prophets in the Old Testament, there were none so successful as Jonah. In the history of Christianity, however, there have been many examples of successful preaching. Saint Juan Diego was instrumental in the conversion of around a million native peoples of Mexico. Saint Francis Xavier baptized thousands and thousands, and even preached in tongues. We have the same baptismal call to be prophetic as they did. We may not believe that we have very much to say or do that would be effective. We might even be like Jonah and not want to preach. But it does not matter: we have the call anyway.
5. For most of us, we are not called to foreign lands but to speak out right here and now in this place. Nevertheless our response to the call of God is no less important. If Jonah had not been a sign to the Ninevites, they might have all died in their sins. And if we are not prophetic too, others may die in their sins.
6. In these days, there are many causes for which we could stand up for: stewardship of the environment, economic responsibility and fairness, improvement of the schools among others. There is one issue, however, that we are being called to stand up for that is basic to all these other issues. That is the issue of life. It is very true that many people become uncomfortable when this area is spoken about in church. I mean, if I were to say that God has created each and every human being in His image and likeness and that God loves each person no matter how weak, vulnerable, or apparently unvaluable, everyone would be okay with that. But if I start to say that we must stop the brutal killing of the innocent in the sin of abortion, then the discomfort begins. But being uncomfortable is exactly how we should be. In fact, we should be angry- the innocent are being killed. Who will be next? The elderly? You? Me? Our discomfort, our anger should lead us to confront this grave sin and oppose with all our might.
7. Our response is not something which we should put off. Just yesterday, it was reported that on Friday President Obama, in keeping with his campaign promises, decided to permit Federal funds to be used to promote abortions in other countries. I heard that the FDA was going to permit embryonic stem cell research which would be using human beings for medical experimentation and in its course, destroying them.
7. Anyway, since 1989, there have been people who have been trying to pass the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, or FOCA. This proposed Act of Congress would be very harmful to our country. Contrary to its name, it would remove many freedoms which we now enjoy. For example: a doctor or nurse or hospital could not conscientiously refuse to do an abortion. That means if your son or daughter became a OBGYN, they would be required to perform abortions even if they were opposed on moral or medical grounds. Under FOCA, our tax dollars would be used to fund abortions even if we were opposed. The FOCA would eliminate parental rights with regard to their children having an abortion, including the right to know what happens. Finally, all limits to partial birth abortions would be removed.
8. FOCA itself may become law, or the harmful policies it represents may become law one step at a time. In either case, we must oppose FOCA and all it stands for. Today we have an opportunity to sign and send postcards to our U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators. The message on the cards urges our federal elected officials to oppose FOCA and to retain existing laws against government funding and promotion of abortion. If each of us takes just a few moments to sign the postcards, together we can send an important message to our nation’s Capitol to uphold the sanctity of human life. A man told me this morning that he regularly contacts the representatives. They will personally read the card if there is a handwritten message. So if you can, add a short personal message to increase its effectiveness.
9. Probably, most of the people of our country would not even consider an abortion. And many people feel that it is merely a private matter which should never be discussed in public, especially in church. But what will happen to us if we say nothing? Will we be better Christians? Will our silence make for an improved, hopeful America? When we meet the fifty million children who lives were lost since 1973, will we be able to look them in eye without regret?
10. It may seem as if what we do is not significant, but with God’s help our witness can make a difference not only for the unborn, but for our whole society. God needed Jonah's prophetic preaching in order to save the people of Ninevah. The Lord needs us to act for the good of our country. I believe it was Francis Bacon who said “evil continues when good people say nothing"
12. Don’t be afraid. When I was a teacher in another state, their education association heavily supported planned parenthood, so I refused to join. We received a pay raise and one of the other teachers said that I should not get it, since I refused to pay dues. So I said take it back, I will not accept $3000 if it means the killing of the innocent, so they backed down. Thank you and may God bless you.

Week Off

2009-01-24T15:27:00.000-06:00

Last weekend the Deacon preached and I took a little break. But this week I am back again. Sunday had the option of different readings, due to the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. Since this year is dedicated to Saint Paul, we could use some of the readings from the Feast, if we chose. Because of the message I was delivering, I opted to use the first reading from the book of Jonah, which corresponds to the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Baptism of the Lord

2009-01-11T00:14:00.002-06:00

1. At the Baptism of Jesus, the voice of the Father was heard this is my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased (Mark 1:11). Those who heard the voice of the Lord say this probably did not know what to think. In fact, most of them would not have been able to know for sure that they had heard anything at all. Even those who were listening, such as John the Baptist, were most likely not sure what the words meant. Later, when John was in prison, he sent word to Jesus asking our Lord if He indeed was the One whom God had sent. Jesus appeared to all as just an ordinary person.
2. Yet Jesus has been revealed to us as the Word made flesh, the Son of the Living God, God Himself who has become a human being like us in all things but sin. Because we have the benefit of this revelation regarding who Jesus is, His Baptism may seem more perplexing to us than it did to those who witnessed it firsthand. They would have thought, here is another person admitting their faults and preparing himself for the Messiah, if indeed the Messiah is near. We know Jesus did not sin. He had no need of repentance. He was perfect in every way, completely conformed to the will of the Father. Why then did Jesus get baptized? And why did the Holy Spirit descend upon Him? If He is God, then He was already one with the Holy Spirit. He certainly did not need it, it would seem anyway.
3. The question has disturbed many people. It seems almost scandalous that Jesus would get baptized. But there it is, He did. Throughout Christianity there have been various reasons as to why Jesus accepted such a thing. One reason is to give us an example to follow. Indeed, we should follow Jesus in every way.
4. Another reason is that Jesus as the new Adam, is remaking the human race in His image. Yes Jesus does not need repentance and Baptism, but we do. By humbly placing Himself in the water, Jesus put us there too. The same could be said for the Holy Spirit. He did not need it, He was already in union with the Spirit, but the Spirit descended upon Jesus in His humanity. In that sense, it is a first sending of the Spirit upon us. Whatever happens to Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, can happen to us. He is rightly called the Beloved Son of God, because that is what He is. But through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in our Baptism, we become the beloved sons and daughters of God the Father by adoption.
5. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus is considered an anointing from above. In the action of the Holy Spirit, Jesus becomes the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One of God. We recall that when David was anointed, the Spirit rushed upon him. Although Jesus is One with the Spirit as God, when the Spirit rushes upon Him, He is anointed for His mission as our Redeemer.
6. We can liken that in some way to the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit rushed upon the Church and gave the disciples great courage. Or we can compare it to our Confirmation, when we received the fullness of the Spirit in order to complete the mission that we have been entrusted with- that of serving our Lord in all our actions, thoughts and words, and by sharing our faith with others, as the holy apostles did on Pentecost.
7. It has also been proposed that Jesus submitted to Baptism in order to sanctify the waters. It was not He that was cleansed from sin, but rather the water itself that was changed when it was poured over its very Creator. A few years ago, I visited Greece. One of the places we visited was the stream in which Lydia, the dealer in purple goods, and her whole family was baptized. I sat there by the water and imagined that in that very river (or creek really), someone came to receive God’s grace so long ago. And I collected two bottles of the water, one to give to my niece, and another to a parishioner, both of whom were named Lydia. Of course, that water had long since flowed. Not many of the molecules were the same as had baptized the saint. But you never know. In the same vein, some of the very molecules of water which touched our Lord at His baptism may be in our holy water founts. Or it might be in our drinks today. Our bodies are mostly water, so some of it may even be in us. Really all of creation is affected by Incarnation of Jesus.
8. Traditionally, the Baptism of the Lord is associated with the Feast of Epiphany. In other words, God has manifested or revealed His Son Jesus to us in the flesh. God also reveals something about our salvation which Jesus is going to gain. Redemption is not going to come about in the manner which human beings always think it will. The people of Jesus’ day were awaiting a powerful warrior who would destroy their enemies. Jesus did destroy the power of sin and death. But not by violence, but through humility. Not by crushing His human enemies, but by allowing Himself to be crushed, so that those held captive by sin could be saved.

The Epiphany of Our Lord

2009-01-04T00:00:00.002-06:00

1. Two weeks ago, I learned that we store our camels and wise men under the altar all year long. Now we have them out and at our Nativity scene, we depict the visit of the Magi to Jesus. The image of the three Magi, also called Wise men or Kings is the most common image we have for Epiphany. There are many families who will exchange gifts on Epiphany rather than Christmas, both to focus on the birth of Jesus on Christmas and to recall their gift giving on Epiphany. But although the visit of the Magi is the most common image that Epiphany brings to mind, it is not the only image historically. In the ancient tradition, there are three Gospel readings associated with today’s feast.
2. There is the visit of the Magi as we have heard today. There is the Baptism of Our Lord, which we will celebrate next Sunday. And there is the Wedding at Cana in Galilee (John 2:1-11). In the Liturgy of the Hours, however, antiphons will be prayed that bring all these three traditional readings to mind. These Gospels seem very different from one another, so we might have the question why are they traditional readings Epiphany? What does Jesus’ Baptism and the Wedding at Cana have to do with the Three Kings? The common thread of these three Gospels is the word Epiphany itself. Epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning Manifestation. The feast revolves around the Manifestation of Jesus as the Universal Messiah.
3. At Jesus’ Baptism, as we will hear next Sunday, God the Father reveals Jesus as His Beloved Son. And He sends the Holy Spirit upon Him. Thus Jesus is Manifested as both Christ and Lord. In the Wedding at Cana, Jesus turns water into wine and reveals His divine power. John calls this miracle a sign. That is a sign of who Jesus is (Lord) and what God’s kingdom is about- it is about abundance.
4. In the first reading, Isaiah prophesies that the Light will come to Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord will shine. This divine Light is not for Jerusalem only, or for the Jews only. Rather, it is a light by which all nations on the earth will walk. Everyone will bring their children into this light. In the action of the Magi, we can observe the symbolic fulfillment of this prophecy. They came from afar to worship the Newborn King of the Jews, Jesus and to bring costly presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But the Epiphany is that the Lord sent His Light into the world to draw these gentiles to worship Christ. It was God who Manifested Himself and called the nations to him.
5. As part of the Sacrament of Baptism, the parents and godparents are entrusted with a lighted candle, to represent the Light of Christ which has gone into the world to illumine our hearts. The priest prays that the newly baptized will always walk as a child of the light. The Magi can be said to have walked in the Light of Christ. They observed His star and journeyed to meet Him. Even when they left to return home, they obeyed the will of God and went another way. This going another way does not simply describe their taking a different route home, one that avoided King Herod. It could also describe that they went home changed men. Having followed the star, having presented gifts, having seen the Christ Child, could they go back home the same men they were when they had left? No! They would have to be different because they light shone within them to guide them home. So too does that same light shine in us, as long as we do not walk in the darkness of sin.
6. Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, speaks of the great grace of the Feast of Epiphany: that it is revealed that the Gentiles are coheirs with the Jews. We are members of the same body, that is Christ’s Body, with the same eternal inheritance. Our parish gives witness to the truth of universality of the promises of God. We have people from many different countries, many different cultures, many different languages and customs. Some of us may be of Jewish ancestry, but most of us are not. Yet we are all one Body in Christ. We are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. We all have the same inheritance awaiting us in the glory of Heaven with God our Father, Jesus our Brother as well as the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother along with Saint Joseph and Saint Michael and all the saints.
7. The three Gospels not only speak of God manifesting Jesus as the Son of God, the Universal King, the Messiah and Savior of the world. They also manifest each in their own way how Jesus will save us. In His Baptism, Jesus humbled Himself to be Baptized by someone who was not his superior. In His passion, Jesus would submit to the judgement of the unjust for our sake. At the wedding at Cana, Jesus embarked on His public ministry in obedience to His mother. His ministry would entail complete obedience to the Father including the manner of His death.
8. The visit of the Magi also reveal something about how Jesus is the Christ. For example, King Herod pretends to want to honor Jesus, when in reality he desires to kill him out of jealousy. And Herod is willing to kill many children to achieve this goal (Matthew 2:16-18). The gifts of the Magi also tell us something. Although gold, frankincense and myrrh are all costly items, they may not all be the kind of gifts that one would expect for one’s baby. Myrrh was used as an embalming ointment. Not exactly what one might give at a baby shower. But it foreshadows Jesus’ passion and death. In revealing Jesus as the Son of God and Savior, God wants us to understand Him fully. Jesus is Messiah through suffering. We cannot forget the cost of our salvation if we want to enter into the full glory that is our inheritance.

Mary is the Mother of God

2009-01-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

One of the differences between Catholics and many other Christian groups is that many others do not want to call Mary "The Mother of God." But such a title is proper to Mary and in fact necessary for us to maintain an orthodox faith in Jesus Christ.

In the early part of the fifth century, the Bishop Nestorius made the statement that "you could not call a three month old baby God." He was adamant that although Mary was the Mother of the Christ (the Anointed One), it was not proper to call the infant Jesus "God." So to Nestorius, Mary was not the Mother of God. Nestorius proposed that Jesus the Man became God. Such a view is opposed to Holy Scripture. John's Gospel clearly states that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14) and not that the flesh became Word sometime after he was born.

The Pope and the other Bishops reacted against Nestorius. He was ordered to recant his position, or be removed as a bishop. In order to clarify the issue, the Council of Ephesus was called in the year 431. At the council Nestorius was able to clarify his position, which was condemned by the bishops. Presently the pope's legates arrived with the letter. Nestorius failed to change his ways and that is his problem. But an upshot of the Council was that Mary received the title of Theotokos or God-Bearer, which is generally translated Mother of God because Mary simply did not carry God around in her arms, but it was from her that God was born as a human being. That Mary should be called the Mother of God fits with Scripture. When Mary visited her kinswoman Elizabeth, the latter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said: who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1:43). Even if Elizabeth did not know what she was saying (and that really does not matter anyway), the angel who announced to the shepherds about the birth of Jesus told them that a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord (Luke 1:11). There were not two births, or two mothers, or two beings, it was one birth, one mother and one savior who was born. Both the angel and Elizabeth were referring to God when they said Lord.

Thus, calling Mary the Mother of God is essential to our correct understanding of Jesus the Christ. For in Jesus the Word became flesh. That is, Jesus is the Son of God. He is completely divine. There is no lack of God-ness in Jesus. Thus Jesus is completely Holy, Completely Loving, Completely Perfect, Completely Good, All Powerful, All Knowing, and so forth. In every way that God the Father is God, so is Jesus His Son, except the Son is not the Father. In the Creed we say Jesus is God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father...

Yet from the first moment in which the Holy Spirit overshadowed the Virgin Mary and she conceived Jesus in her womb, at that moment the Son of God became a human being. There was never a moment in Mary's womb in which Jesus was not God. Nor was there any moment in which He was not human. Jesus' humanity is complete and total. He is like us in all ways (except for sin). Jesus possessed every need to grow and develop. He possessed every characteristic of a human being and every weakness (except He never sinned) and strength.

The person Jesus whom Mary bore in her womb was and is completely both human and divine. in other words, in Jesus, God has joined His divine nature with our human nature. And such a union has consequences. For in joining our nature to His, Jesus has transformed what it means to be human. That is why He is called the New Adam (see 1 Corinthians 15:45).

In the ancient world in which the early Church existed, there were certain public practices against which the Church fought. One of these was the exposing of children. For example in the city of Alexandria, if a family did not want a child, they would just leave the child outside the gate next to a wall in the evening. During the night, wild animals would take the child away. So in the morning, there was no unwanted child. Furthermore, there was the practice condemned in the Bible as sorcery (see Revelations 21:8). The word translated sorcery is rendered in Greek pharmakea, from which we get pharmacy. This was a description of those who would, among other things, make potions to cause a baby to disappear, that is abortafacient drugs.

But if the Lord God humbled Himself to become a weak and vulnerable human being, even allowing Himself to go through the stages of gestation in the womb, it changes everything. We cannot look at others the same way. There is no such thing now as a throw away human. In Genesis, it states that we are made in the image and likeness of God. But in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, human beings have been elevated. Paul wrote to the Galatians that God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law... so that we might receive adoption as the children of God (see Galatians 4:4-7). It is God's intention to share everything of His divine nature with us, as He has shared everything of our human nature. John said Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). Sharing in God's nature is the true destiny of every human being. Not to become "gods" controlling planets or some such, but to become one with God as His adopted children.

Another consequence is that we are obligated to share this good news with every other person in the world. God wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth (1 Timothy 2:4) Woe are we if someone does not receive the Gospel because we were silent.

Several years ago someone questioned me about calling Mary the Mother of God and said that they could not do such a thing. So I asked, are you saying that Jesus is not God? My friend said no. So I asked him, are you denying that Jesus is human? He said no, not that either. So I said do you doubt that Mary is His mother? Again he said of course not! THEN WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Holy Family

2008-12-28T19:51:00.003-06:00

1. The family is the way of the Church. (John Paul II) It is the common experience of everyone of every vocation. It is the basic unit of society. The family, as intended by God, consists of mother, father, and child or children, and cannot really be replaced by other associations or groups that would like to be considered families. The family is the ordinary means by which God intended to increase the human race, to protect and nurture the weak, and develop each person into maturity. Those whose family is incomplete or not functioning properly, and those who have no family experience pain and loss because of their lack.
2. The family so important that God used it as the means of bringing salvation to the world. For the Son of God became part of the human family. Jesus did not just take flesh of the Blessed Virgin Mary and became Man, but He entered into the experience of the family with a Mother and a Father. Although it is true that Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father, he exercised the authority and care of Jesus as his son, in accord with God’s plan Even Holy Scripture calls Joseph the father of Jesus for this reason.
3. The home life of the Holy Family was necessary for Jesus to become who He really was- not only the Son of God from all eternity, but the Son of Man. When Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, at that moment. He became fully human in every way, just like us. But as a human being Jesus had to grow and be nurtured (see Luke 2:40). It was in His family that Jesus learned how to talk, how to read, how to work, how to pray, probably even how to teach. In the family Jesus learned to put on, as Saint Paul says, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another (Colossians 3:12-13). It might seem to us that they had it easy. Jesus and Mary had no sin, and Joseph was a righteous man. But their relatives and neighbors were not preserved from sin. And even despite the help of God they still had to go through the difficulties of life- illness, teething, teenage years. Furthermore, they had to escape to Egypt for a few years because Herod was trying to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13-14).
4. Though we do not hear much about Saint Joseph in the Bible, it was from him that Jesus learned how to be a man. As Blessed as Mary is, there are things that one must get from one’s father. It is said that a father is the one to teach his children how to say “no.” Such as no I will not give into the temptation to turn the stones into bread (see Matthew 4:3-4) or no, I will not call down fire to destroy the Samaritan city (see Luke 9:54-55) or no, I will not let one of my followers be arrested with me, it is not their time (see John 18:8-9).
5. Most of the life of the Holy Family remains hidden from our view (from the point of view of Scripture). But there are stories about the Holy Family's activities that give us a glimpse of what was important to them.
6. Saint Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph completed all the prescriptions of the Law with regard to Jesus (Luke 2:39). That means on the eight day after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had Jesus circumcised. In doing so, they ensured that Jesus the man was part of the covenant family that God had established with Abraham. At the same time, they were renewing their commitment to the Lord in having their child brought into the covenant. Had they failed to do so, they would have cut themselves off from God. Furthermore, in accordance with the Law, they offered the sacrifice of two turtle doves (see Luke 2:22-40). This redemption was an acknowledgment that God had rescued them from slavery in Egypt and from the death of their firstborn sons in the final plague. Their son was to be consecrated to God entirely.
7. Joseph and Mary took their responsibility for the spiritual growth of Jesus as a member of the chosen people seriously. Joseph not only cared for the material needs of the family, but saw to it that they took the time to practice their religion, he did not dump that job off on Mary- and they fulfilled their religion, not merely out of a sense of obligation, but because they loved God. How else do you explain Mary and Joseph’s submission to the will of God although it was highly inconvenient for them? It was inconvenient for Mary to conceive a child before she was married. It was inconvenient for Joseph to marry a woman who had a child which was not his own. Yet they obeyed God out of love.
8. A family in which God is in the center, in which prayer, worship and the practice of religion is most important, that family is going to mirror the Holiness of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. On the other hand, the family for whom the worship of God is something you do occasionally, or when there is nothing better to do- those families are going to struggle with holiness- not only because their priorities are misplaced, but because they withhold from themselves God’s help. They are like children who refuse to come to the dinner table to eat, but who constantly complain of being hungry.
9. Of course in the New Covenant, the rituals are different. We do not circumcise, but we baptize to enter the Covenant Family of God. That is why we baptize infants. Who should wait to be part of God’s family? The sacrifice which we offer is the one commanded by Jesus when He said do this in memory of me (see Luke 22:19) - that is, the Eucharist. It is the sacrifice of Jesus Himself which establishes the New Covenant and consecrates us to God the Father.
10. The family life of Jesus with Mary and Joseph was crucial to the plan of salvation. Sin came into the world through disobedience. Jesus conquered sin through humbling Himself. Jesus’ obedience is not only the model that we must follow, but it is the source of the grace that makes it possible for us to be Holy.
11. Family is what being Catholic is all about. In our baptism we entered the family covenant with God. We received Mary for our mother and Saint Joseph for our foster father. As Joseph was given authority over the household of God in order to care for Jesus and Mary, so does he continue to care for the family of God the Church. And in the sacraments that spiritual family is increased, fed, strengthened, reconciled, and perfected. But although we are given the faith by the free gift of God, it is in and through the natural family that we really receive the faith. I could baptize many people, but if their families do not keep their promises, the children could be lost. The family is the way of the Church. And the success of our human families is dependent on how they reflect the holiness of the Holy Family.
12. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph pray for us.

Joy for All the People

2008-12-25T10:00:00.001-06:00

1. The angels appeared to the shepherds and announced to them the joy that would be for all peoples. Throughout history, even to the present day, there have been plenty of promises of joy for everyone. But in every case, whether it has been the promise of a person or a program, a philosophy or an investment or a lifestyle choice, these promises have always come up empty except for this one. That is the promise of Jesus Christ.
2. The other promises fail for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is because part of the plan is to crush or destroy someone. Not only does that not result in joy for everyone, but eventually the victims want to do the same. It’s true, Jesus did plan to destroy something: He destroyed the power of sin and death. But the lowly and the meek He lifts up. And those who are beset by sin, whether they appear mighty in the world, or lacking in power, He offers freedom from eternal death.
3. Other promises fail because they presume that happiness can be achieved through material possessions or pleasures of the body. It does not take long to learn that happiness does not come from those things. They fall apart, they break, they do not last. No matter how much you have, you want more. At the end, we cannot take them with us when we die. I have attended the deaths of many people. Not one person in that circumstance cared about their pretty things, their cars and houses and big screen televisions. They wanted to see the people whom they loved and that was enough. Maybe hold the rosary in their hands one last time. And today’s pleasures have a tendency to turn into tomorrow’s troubles - disease, illness, separation, sorrow.
4. On the other hand, the newborn King Jesus offers an eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God. These treasures awaiting those who love God and obey Him cannot fall apart, they cannot break or fail. They will not make anyone sick. To possess them will not cause us grief or regret on our deathbed, but rather fill us with hope that will not go unfulfilled.
5. Still other promises fail because they require us to become something which we are not. That is to become our own god. Maybe they are Or even worse, because they are based on the notion that joy is caused by self-fulfillment. But Jesus said Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matthew 10:39).
6. Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that happiness consists entirely of the Beatific Vision- that is, seeing God face to face in the fullness of His kingdom at the end of the world. And in Jesus we see the face of God. As the angels announced to the shepherds, the good news of great joy for all the people (Luke 2:10) is the Incarnation of Jesus the Son of God as a human being. Jesus is the one who brings true joy. Not economic systems, not politicians and government, not money, not possessions, not pleasures, not anything else other than God. Those things can be useful, but they will not get the job done. Only Jesus can.
7. So today we celebrate His birth. Not really His entry into the world, for Jesus had been hidden in Mary’s womb for nine months. Even now as a child, although His birth is announced by angels, very few people paid any attention. Probably not the innkeeper, probably not the owner of the manger. To most, Jesus was just another poor child born among the millions of babies born each year. Even now, though we celebrate His birth, five out of every six people in the world do not even know who Jesus is. Some know His name only as a curse word. And yet, He came to suffer and to save not only us, but everyone else too.
8. It is appropriate, therefore, for us to be joyful. This indeed should be a special time of the year in which we take stock of what is really important, in which we exercise generosity for the sake of goodness, in which we seek to reconcile with and spend time with our families and loved ones. It is time for us to refocus our attention on the One who does not just make Christmas what it is (after all, it is Jesus’ birthday), but who makes everything that is (He is the Word through whom all things were created as well as the One who has redeemed Creation). He alone will give us the Joy which we desire. Merry Christmas and May God bless.

According to Thy Word

2008-12-21T11:08:00.000-06:00

For a few brief moments, our salvation seemed to hang in the balance. After announcing the will of God for Mary to become the Mother of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Archangel Gabriel awaited word from the young girl. How would his Queen respond? There were reasons to say no. Joseph would surely be upset. The family and the neighbors would certainly have something to say. Mary was a young girl with a good reputation and a desire for holiness. If she agreed, there could be trouble. No, there would be trouble.

And yet, the Lord had always been faithful to His people, even when they were not faithful. To turn back now when it was in her power to do God’s will would rank Mary among the ungrateful Israelites of the past. Besides, those who trusted in the Lord had never been put to shame. And God had prepared her from the first moment of her existence to say yes. Mary was and is, full of grace.

Be it done to me according to your word, Mary said. Was there any doubt that she would love God above all things?

Be Joyful!

2008-12-14T16:59:00.006-06:00

1. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This weekend we celebrate Gaudate Sunday, that is, You, Rejoice. Liturgically, the reason for rejoicing is that the Penitential Season of Advent is over half over and the feast of Christmas is nearly here. The priests wear rose-colored vestments. The Rose color is obtained more or less by mixing the penitential color of Purple with the Feast Color of White.
2. Scripturally speaking, rejoicing is a source of strength. Although through fasting and prayer, we can obtain many blessings, in truth the purpose of Christianity is not to make fasting and penance our aim. The purpose of fasting is so that we can feast better. The purpose of penance is so that we may celebrate more. The purpose of carrying our cross and accepting a share in the passion of Christ is not so that we will suffer bitterly, but so that we may rejoice in sharing His resurrection. After all, Jesus did not stay in the tomb, but He rose and ascended into heaven. When He returns, it will not be to suffer and die, but to reign gloriously forever.
3. Because we know how things are really going to end: with resurrection and with glory, we are able to rejoice always. Even in the midst of sorrow, a Christian should carry within them a joy which cannot be taken away.
4. Last Monday, one of my friends made her vows as a Missionary of Charity (that is Mother Teresa’s group). There were eight young women making their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Present at the Mass were around 50 other sisters of the same group. Some were novices, and others fully professed nuns with years of service. What was striking about all of them was their joy. They were all so happy and smiling. Maybe they were happy because their sisters in the order were fulfilling their dream of making a serious commitment of their whole lives to Jesus Christ. Possibly, being a nun just made them all that happy. I am not sure, but I know that I have never been around so many joyful women at the same time.
5. After the Mass in which they made their commitment to Jesus Christ as a religious, they retired to their convent where they received their assignments. Within the week, each newly professed sister would be leaving the convent in San Francisco to serve the poorest of the poor in another city. I was with the families downstairs. From upstairs where the sisters were, we could hear them stomping their feet and shouting for joy at receiving their new assignments. My friend came down and breathlessly announced that she was being sent to Haiti. Now Haiti is a beautiful country, but it is beset by great suffering. Sister Esther would be going into the midst of all that. Yet her face was radiant as she announced it to her family. All the other nuns who announced their assignments were similarly happy.
6. What gave them the power to be joyful instead of fearful? It was their love of Jesus. Because of their relationship with Him, they could be just as joyful being sent to Haiti as they were getting to see their family the first time in five years.
7. That same joy is available to us. Some of you may be called to religious life, but the majority of us are not. (A diocesan priest makes promises of obedience and celibate chastity, but we do not make make vows to enter religious communities, our community is the parish and the local presbyterate). Saint Paul tells us: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks. It must therefore be possible to do these, and they are connected. If every facet of our life is saturated with prayer and gratitude, then joy will be ours even in the midst of problems.
8. I once visited a man in the hospital who had a heart attack. He and his wife were saying how grateful they were that the EMT's had arrived so soon and taken such good care of him. And how they were thankful that they were able to be in a hospital that could care for him correctly. A few days later, he had another heart attack in the hospital. I visited again. And once again this couple could do nothing but rejoice and thank God that the man had his second heart attack in the hospital, nears the nurses and doctors. Their grateful and prayerful spirits exuded joy.
9. How does one pray without ceasing? It certainly does not mean praying vocal prayers the whole time, although those are necessary. The first step of praying without ceasing is to realize that God is present in every situation. We may think that there is a part of our lives that God is not in, or a part of our house that God is not present, but He is there. Even when we sin, God is right there. He does not approve, but He is present. The Lord is closer to us than we are to ourselves.
10. The second step is to absolutely believe that through our baptism we are the beloved children of God the Father. The Father might not approve of everything we do, but He loves us and sent His Son Jesus to save us.
11. The third step is to focus our hope on the resurrection at the end of the world. All these things in the world which we like to pay attention to may be beautiful, and some may even be holy. But this world will pass away.
12. If we love Jesus in every thought, word, and action. If we do that, we will pray always. And the joy of loving Jesus will fill us to overflowing and it will not end.

Here comes with power the Lord GOD! (Isaiah 40:10).

2008-12-07T12:36:00.001-06:00

1. Saint Peter prophesied that the world will be consumed by fire and all the elements will go up with a roar (see 2 Peter 3:8-14). This image is at least a little bit disturbing. Of course, his reason for telling us is so that we can be prepared for when it happens. When I was reading this earlier in the week, I began to think of how one might avoid being destroyed in a fire. One tactic in fighting outdoor fires is to start a small fire and burn out an area so there is no more fuel. Then you wrap up and hunker down. When the large fire arrives, it will have nothing to burn and skip over you.
2. In some ways this is a good tactic to imitate. Saint John the Baptist tells us that the Messiah will plunge us into the Holy Spirit, who is the fire of God’s love (Mark 1:8). (Baptize means plunge). At Pentecost, the disciples received the Holy Spirit which came upon them like tongues of fire. Furthermore, the faith spread like a fire throughout the world. It still does, there are people who are hungry for the Christian faith. God has prepared them to receive the faith. All we have to do is go spread it to others.
3. If we are consumed with the fire of the Holy Spirit, then we do not have to worry in the least about the fire which will consume the world at the end. Now, usually, when a person has a conversion experience toward God, they can practically feel the fire of God’s love inside. It might even be easy at first to experience God’s power given to us through Jesus Christ. With time, however, our fervor may begin to falter. Sometimes it is a matter of getting tired out, or falling in love with the good things of the earth. To keep the flame of faith going, we must be careful to obey the commandments, lest sin put the fire out. And if we do fall into sin, we must be quick to go to confession, so that we can regain the status that we had when we first received the faith, and even progress in our love of God and neighbor. Like the firefighter who builds a firebreak, the fire of the Holy Spirit will protect us from the fires of Hell.
4. The image of the firebreak maybe does not fit completely when we consider that the unquenchable fires of Hell are not equal in any way to the fire of God’s love. The agony awaiting those who reject God’s love in no way measures up to the joy which await those who are consumed by His love. So maybe we should apply the image in the opposite. God’s love is everlasting and all consuming. And the only sure way for someone to avoid being caught up in it is to deliberately choose the fires of perdition. To do so makes no sense! Who would willingly choose being apart from God’s love? It seems insane. But there are times when we may have wanted to be in control of our own fire so much that we have in fact prevented ourselves from being taken up into God’s love.
5. There is a time however, in which a person can in fact be doing everything in their power to keep the fire going, and yet it seems to die out. In those times, we are like the people of John the Baptist’s time- eagerly awaiting our Lord, but not seeing Him anywhere. We are led into the desert and it may seem as if God is not speaking or listening. In those moments we must be especially careful to not permit the fire to go out. For it is a moment in which God is about to do something great, although it may seem insignificant, or be so delicate that we could miss it. It is in fact a period of testing and preparation of our hearts so that we might love Jesus more deeply. Even those blessings we have received at Jesus’ hands must be offered up so that they may not interfere with our focus on the Lord.
6. Saint Peter asks us the question what sort of person ought we to be? (see 2 Peter 3:11). Not fearful, but ones whose desire for Jesus drives everything that we do.

Joyful Hope

2008-11-30T17:51:00.000-06:00

1. Those who had known Jesus when He walked on the earth, those who had ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead felt the desire to see Jesus once more, this time in Glory and Power. So in the early days of the Church, the whole Christian community strained each day looking forward to the return of Jesus, begging Jesus to come back.
2. Their feelings echoed the words of the prophets, like Isaiah, who longed for the Lord to come down and rescue His people from their sins. They looked at their lives and could see the same mistakes over and over again. Although Chosen by God and constantly shown His care and mercy, they nevertheless sinned and imitated the pagan nations around them. To break out of the cycle of sin, they wanted God to intervene.
3. Through the Prophets, God taught them to hope for His coming and to prepare themselves to meet Him. Still, most of the people failed to recognize Jesus when He did arrive, in spite of the many signs which He performed for their benefit. We do not have to wait for Jesus’ first coming. But like the earliest Christians, we are awaiting His return in Glory. Jesus tells us in the Gospel to be watchful and alert, ready for His coming. But what should be our attitude, and what should we be doing, if anything, to prepare ourselves for Jesus’ glorious return.?
4. As with any question, there are various opinions on how to answer it. And not all answers are equally correct. But as I learned from Father Gallagher in the seminary, even studying erroneous opinions is useful for discovering the truth. One of these errors is to think that we must do most of the work. After all, Saint Paul says in his letter to the Phillipians work out your salvation in fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).
5. This erroneous opinion more or less states that God has given us everything we need, and with it we can lift ourselves up to heaven. And many people suffer from a form of this error, even if not completely. For example, many are tempted to put off going to confession until they have conquered their own sins. But if we were able to save ourselves, why would Jesus have come in the first place?
6. Instead, our salvation is a gift of grace given to us by the Good God. He looked with pity on us and saved us because we could not do it ourselves. Yes, God gives us everything we need, but He does not leave us on our own. We do not pull ourselves up to heaven. Rather, as Hosea the prophet said: I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks (Hosea 11:4). It is the Lord who raises us up to the heavens. It is His love that has given us Salvation, the Redemption of our Souls.
7. On the other extreme, there are those whose idea of preparation for the return of the Lord borders on fervent complacency. This kind of doing nothing is not the result of laziness, but rather the conviction that nothing we could do matters anyway, that human beings are so ruined by the Original Sin of Adam and Eve that it is impossible to do good. This particular error is very popular, and it is used to convince many Catholics to abandon their faith, although thanks God few people actually act as if it is true.
8. Those who propose that human beings are totally depraved it will sometimes quote today’s first reading all our good deeds are like polluted rags (Isaiah 64:6b) Taken by itself, one might begin to think that good deeds are useless. But the author is not speaking of actual good deeds, but on the so-called good deeds of unclean people. Although Isaiah has a longing that God would find His people doing right when He comes down to the earth, the prophet realizes that they are in fact sinners. They were like the unclean, that is, those who do not know God and do not know what pleases Him. The so called “good deeds” they valued were in fact useless before the Lord. They were selfish in their pursuit of worldly goods. They were unconcerned about the plight of those with insufficient work to support their families. They ignored the cries of abandoned or rejected children. They did not care for the widows. The virtues of the day were the piling up of wealth, the experience of pleasures, and the desire for power and control.
9. It was not because people were incapable of good deeds that the prophet wrote this, it was because they could do good, but only if they turned to God.
10. The prophet does not leave us without hope. He concludes his admission of the sinfulness of his own people by recalling that God is Father, that we are His creatures. He is the potter and we are the clay (see Isaiah 64:7). If God has made us for Himself, surely He will bestow mercy on those whom He has chosen.
11. And so it is. Jesus the Son has become the means of God’s mercy for us, if only we would cling to Him. We are the clay in His hands, and He has formed us to be the beloved children of the Father. The words of Hosea describing God as one who lifts an infant up, are not just words describing the blessings that God has bestowed on us in this life, they describe what the Lord intends to do with each one of us- to lift us up to spend an eternity with Him.
12. My brothers and sisters, we cannot save ourselves, only Jesus is our Savior. Yet we cannot stand by idly, wrongly believing that our actions are meaningless in our relationship with the Living God. If we are His people, if we are His family, then we must live as His true children. Even if we must dig down and offer ourselves in the process. We must be watchful, alert, but not afraid. Rather we must wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ (priest's prayer after the Our Father in the Mass).

Jesus Christ the King

2008-11-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

1. Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world... (Matthew 25:34). Generally when most people consider the end of the world, they tend to focus on the images contained in the book of Revelation. They observe the disasters befalling people, whether they are natural or the result of violent sin and then try to interpret them in light of the apocalyptic language of the last book of the Bible. There are others, when they read these visions, become somewhat frightened and do not wish to think about them. Still others are worried about concepts which are not found in the Bible and are not part of traditional Christianity, for example the so-called rapture and possibility of being left behind when such an event is supposed to occur.
2. Focusing on the book of Revelations, however, for clues to the end of the world is not always useful. Apocalyptic literature is highly symbolic and difficult to interpret. Besides, many of the events depicted are not in the future but have already happened. On the other hand, today’s Gospel is pretty clear about what is going to happen at the end- there will be judgement. As we say in the Profession of Faith, we believe that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.
3. The purpose of judgement is to set things right, to be fair. Although judgement can be a fearful thing, Jesus insisted that He did not come to condemn the world but to save it (see John 12:47). Note that when the Son of Man returns to judge, He says to those He deems good come blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. That is, it has always been God’s intention that we would inherit His kingdom as His beloved sons and daughters. That is the plan of God. Jesus does not say to those condemned that their place of punishment was prepared for them since the foundation of the world. That is because God did not intend to punish anyone when He created them. In truth, we are in a sense predestined for the kingdom but we are not predestined for hell. God did not make anyone to punish, but He made all of us out of the goodness of His love to share His presence forever.
4. Still, it is a judgement, and since God gave us the gift of free will, He is not going to force us to spend and eternity in the house of the Father if we really do not want to be there. As Jesus indicates the possibility for eternal life as the result of our actions, He also indicates the possibility of eternal damnation based on our actions.
5. Of course, someone may question what does judgement have to do with the Kingship of Christ? There may even be discomfort in hearing about the fires of Hell. I must admit, this reading always makes me a little nervous. But it is indeed all about the kingship of Jesus.
6. When God called Abraham and his children to faith, it was to be that God would be their king. They would not bow down to earthly power or strive to impose their own wills upon one another. Rather God was to be King. Although they failed time and time again to put the Lord first, nevertheless through the prophets there was a longing for God to be King. Isaiah expresses that longing, hoping that God Himself would come down and lead them into justice and peace. It came to pass that God Himself did come down and took upon Himself our human nature. Jesus the Christ is indeed our king. But He is not the kind of king that many people had been used to. Although He is the Lord, Jesus did not “lord” it over His disciples. It is true, that Jesus sought to conform us to the will of the Father. He wanted to spread the kingdom to everywhere (see Matthew 28:19-20). He greatly desired to destroy the enemies of sin and death. But He did so by humbling Himself and offering Himself on the cross. In His passion and death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death and in His own body conformed our nature to the will of the Father.
7. To enter into the eternal life, willed by the Father and won by Jesus Christ, it is necessary to recognize Christ as our King and to serve Him. In spite of the many beautiful things the earth has to offer, we were not made for the earth, we were made for heaven.
8. For that reason, the judgement depicted in the parable is all about our relationship with Jesus, which is expressed by our relationship with one another. Eternal happiness is the consequence of serving Christ our King in every action. Eternal damnation is the consequence of failing to serve Christ our King in every action. There really is not any middle way. Jesus takes our behavior toward each other personally. And it is completely practical. If we contribute to feeding the hungry (such as in our food pantry or in another way), we are feeding Jesus. If we neglect hungry, then we neglect Jesus (and He does not like it). If we protect the vulnerable from attack, we protect Jesus. That is why the Church does not condemn membership in the military, for many have sacrificed to protect others. On the other hand, if we attack the vulnerable, or even if we simply neglect them, we do the same to Jesus. (If we neglect the elderly or the sick, or the unborn child for our own political or economic benefit, then we do so at the peril of our souls). But whatever we do for them we can be assured by the words of Jesus that He accepts our kindness as personal.
9. This reading might fill us with fear and trepidation. But although fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, fear is not going to be sufficient to motivate us to do right. There is a story of Mother Theresa who was comforting a dying man on the streets of Calcutta India. The man was very sick, very thin, covered with sores and dirt. And he had the smell of death. Some businessmen passed by and one of them remarked, "I would not do that for a million dollars." Mother Theresa looked up at him and said "Neither would I." Why did she do it? Was it fear? No. It was love of Jesus. If we love Jesus, if He is truly our King, then we can truly serve Him with all our hearts. Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...

Come, share your Master’s joy.

2008-11-16T12:00:00.001-06:00

1. A familiar characteristic of the scripture readings at this time of year is that they focus on the end of the world. Every week, the Gospel presents us another instance of Jesus telling His followers what to expect and what is important. For example, we can expect to be judged based on our actions. In the parable Jesus proposes today, God is like a Master wishing to settle His accounts with His servants (that is, with us). Those who have been fruitful in their labors will enter into the joy of the Master. Those who have not, will be cast out into the darkness.
2. Light and darkness are common threads that run through these stories. The wise virgins who had extra oil will go into the wedding feast. And the foolish one who did not will stay outside in the dark (see Matthew 25:1-12). The wedding guests who are properly dressed will enjoy the feast, while those who are not will be cast into the dark (see Matthew 22:2-14). The ones who obey the will of the Father will enter the fullness of the kingdom and those who do not will be left out in the darkness to wail and gnash their teeth (see for example Matthew 7:21).
3. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Saint Paul reminds us that we are children of the light, children of the day (see 1 Thessalonians 5:5). We do not belong to the darkness of sin, but rather we have been illuminated by Christ to live in His light forever.
4. Another commonality of these readings we will notice is that Jesus is asking us to be prepared. Saint Paul reiterates this warning, saying : let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober (1 Thess 5:6). We do not know when the end will come. Maybe today, maybe a thousand years from now. (But whenever we die, that will be it for us with regard to our actions in this life.)
5. The best way of dealing with the end of the world is to always be prepared. If you do not want to get caught lying, never lie. If you do not want to get caught cheating, never cheat. If you want to make sure that you tell your parents or someone that you love before they die, then do it every day and you will have nothing to fear. If you are always ready, then you cannot be caught off guard.
6. What may be notable in this parable is the talents given to each servant to invest and use. In the ancient world, a talent was a monetary amount that was very valuable. A talent of silver was worth about $11k. A talent of gold was worth about $800k. That is a lot of money to be given. Generally, the word “talent” has changed from a sum of money to mean a skill or gift that someone is born with or comes by easily.
7. Why was more money given to one than another? That is a mystery. Just like it is a mystery that some of us have certain talents and others do not. I can speak in public and I do not get afraid. But I am not good at any sports. I enjoy them. I play hard, but I do not have much talent in that area. Each of you has some kind of talent or skill. Maybe you can cook, maybe you are fast. Maybe you can sing of play and instrument. Maybe you are good at science, or languages, or telling jokes, or drawing pictures. It is considered part of our Christian vocation to discover what God has given us in the way of talent. And it is not bragging or prideful to admit what you have been given. In fact, to fail to acknowledge what you have received is impolite and ungrateful.
8. What is not a mystery is that in addition to giving the talent, the Master expects it to be developed. It is not simply ours to use as we want, but rather we are the stewards of something given to us. The wicked servant knew that he had received a gift, and that the Master would expect something. Indeed, the Master’s expectations were not unusually high. Even if the servant had invested the talents in a minimal way, it would have been acceptable. But as it was, he buried them out of fear. Instead of being welcomed into the Master’s joy, he was cast out into the darkness.
9. So it is with us. Although we have to be prepared for judgement, it is not like the Lord has left us to our own devices. He has provided the means for our success. And not in any miserly way, but generously. The judgement that will come upon is not intended to be an opportunity for condemnation, rather, the Father desires that it be a moment of joy. What will ruin it for us is fear, or rather, lack of trust. The wicked lazy servant did not trust in the Master, or in the gift so generously shared. Instead he judged the Master and made no attempt to fulfill the Master’s will. He did not even beg for mercy, he just handed back unused the talent which he had received. Therefore the condemnation he experienced came from within himself.
10. What did God entrust to you? What is your talent? What blessings have you received? They might be very grand. Or they might appear very small. But our assessment of their size is not important. What we do with them is important. We have received everything from the hands of the generous and loving God. Everything in turn ought to be used for His greater honor and glory and to produce fruit for the kingdom.

Feast of Saint John Lateran

2008-11-09T15:35:00.000-06:00

1. Today we celebrate the dedication of the Cathedral of Saint John Lateran in Rome. It is the cathedral for the diocese of Rome (Saint Peter’s Basilica is the church in the Vatican and the location of the tomb of Saint Peter). The Church of Saint John is built on the Lateran Hill. It is reputed to be on the site of the house of the family of Saint Clement, the third pope. His family was wealthy and in those days of persecution used their home as the church. Later, the property was donated for the building of a proper church sometime after the legalization of Christianity in 313AD.
2. If you have ever been to a dedication of a church it is a wonderful ceremony in which to participate. The building is anointed with holy oils, most especially the altar. And the fragrance from the Sacred Chrism used to anoint the altar and walls lasts for a long time. It is the same oil used at the ordination of a priest to anoint his hands for sacrifice. It is the same oil used to seal those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is also used at Baptism to recall that we are all anointed to be a priestly people of God, offering our whole selves in His service. Whenever I smell the Sacred Chrism, it brings me back to my ordination and the intense desire I had on that day to offer myself as a sacrifice in the person of Jesus Christ.
3. As I said, today we celebrate the dedication of a building. But not really. The Church of Saint John Lateran is beautiful, I am sure (although I have never been there). The Church building, however beautiful, is not really the thing that we are celebrating today. For the Church is not a building in the material sense of the word. As Saint Paul reminds us, you are God’s building. We, that is, all of us, you, me, the bishop, the Pope, everyone, we are the Church. It is true that the building stands a reminder to us of God’s presence. The beauty of the church building can draw our minds and hearts to God. The church can be a place of refuge from the storms of life. But the Catholic Church existed and flourished for more than three hundred years before they ever built Saint John’s. Just as the Catholic church existed before we ever built Saint Michael’s. And if something terrible happened and the Cathedral of Saint John Lateran were to burn down or fall apart, the Catholic Church would still stand. For the Body of Christ is not a collection of stone and steel, wood and marble. It is the family of God, redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, united in the Eucharist: One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
4. That is what we are really celebrating today. In the first reading, Ezekial had a vision of the Temple of God, in which water flowed from the Sanctuary and became a great flood. This water is symbolic of Baptism. The Temple is Jesus. And as it goes forth, the gift of Baptism spreads through the whole world. And so it has happened. Look around. We have people of many different countries and cultures in our parish. And in fact, there are Catholics in almost every part of the world. We celebrate the same Mass. We hear the same scripture readings. We say the same rosary. We receive the same Precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Although Jesus commanded His disciples to go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the success of that work is due to the power of God. God has generously given us the gift of faith, and has made us one in Jesus Christ.
5. The Gospel reading, however, does present some difficulties. How do we interpret it in the light of today’s feast? Certainly we are not used to seeing Jesus get angry and push people around. Most of the time we might be tempted to think of Jesus as being a sort of soft quiet man- maybe even a pushover. Or maybe like a statue of Buddha- smiling but silent. But Jesus was probably powerfully built- carpenters had to be muscular. He was an electrifying preacher. He exuded authority in His teaching and healing. And today He got angry and drove the money changers out of the Temple. This action was a symbolic act meant to teach His disciples something about the Temple.
6. For one thing, the money changers were there because you could not use just any money to pay your Temple tax or buy an animal for sacrifice. They did not want any pagan coins being used for that purpose. And the animals were for sale because not everyone could raise the kinds of animals necessary for the sacrifice. Surely corruption had entered into the situation and one reason that Jesus drove them out was because they were not acting in a Holy Manner, befitting the Temple of God. In a like manner, our behavior in Church ought to be of a holy manner- and not focused on worldly things.
7. But another reason this reading is included today is that in knocking over the money changers, Jesus is also in a way knocking over that which separated the peoples of the world. All the gold belongs to Him. Any coin, regardless of whose image is on it, can be used to do good in the sight of God (just like any coin or talent can be used to do evil). In other words, all people are welcome in the Temple of God.
8. At the same time, Holiness is paramount. The welcome that Jesus gives is somewhat extreme. I read this week that Jesus does what He does with us because He loves us. His love is a consuming fire, it is passionate, it is intense, it demands response. He loves us the way we are but He is not content that we should turn away from Him and look for happiness anywhere else.
9. Today’s feast recalls that Jesus’ love is for all, and that in fact it has spread all over the world. And for our part, we rejoice and we look to one another to build each other up as the building of God.

Day of the Dead

2008-11-02T12:00:00.001-06:00

This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day (John 6:40). We have been wonderfully and gloriously made to live life eternally. Death, although it is part of the universal human experience, was really not part of the divine plan for the human race. Rather death entered through sin- through alienation from God who is Life and who gives Life. And it is through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus that we have received the eternal life willed by the Father in heaven.

Today we remember those who have died to this world. Most of them we do not know their names. Others are very close to us and their passing has caused us a lot of sorrow. It is true, we say that these loved ones are in a better place, and that we are glad that they are no longer suffering (which all may be true). But often times we say these things as we fight back the tears and try to come to terms with the pain of our loss. Once at a funeral of an older fellow his granddaughter wanted to sing All is well with my soul, which she did, while weeping copiously the whole time- all was not well with her soul- nor should it have been. But even if it causes a bit of pain, today is a day which we rightly should recall all those who have died and consider their plight in light of our Christian faith.

One of the stages of grief that everyone who has a loss goes through has been identified as denial. You know what I am talking about. When someone dies, we say I cannot believe it has really happened. Or noooooooo! (Remember how the Apostles did not want to think about the illness or death of Lazarus, because they were a afraid.) The reaction of denial is perfectly normal. It helps us to confront the reality of loss and change at a rate which we can more easily handle. Denial of death only becomes a problem when a person gets stuck in it (like when someone has the clocks in their house set at the time of death of their beloved).

Unfortunately, our world is largely stuck in a denial of the reality of death. For example, most of us will do almost anything to hide our age. Some people dye their hair, or use special wrinkle removing creams, or have treatments to appear younger. One of my friends loved to celebrate his birthday, but he was always deaf when someone asked his age (he lived to be 101). We use slang to avoid saying the word “death” : kick the bucket, buy the farm, shuffle off, cross the river, punch the ticket, push up daisies, etc...

In some instances, the denial is deeply entrenched and to expose it is risky. For example, when a person begins to talk about the death of the unborn in abortion, many people immediately shut their ears and hearts. (A few weeks ago I even received some negative email, although most was supportive.) Some will say it is a political issue that should not be discussed at church. Others will say it is a moral issue that should not be discussed in the political realm. They say that because they do not want to discuss the deaths of others at all. A terrible consequence of this widespread denial is that when a person loses their child to miscarriage, or when they realize that they child they aborted was in fact their own son or daughter, they often do not know how to express their grief. If anyone responding appropriately runs the risk of ending their own denial, if they have it.

In the circumstance of almost any death, not just of a child, the mourners are interiorly conflicted. Not just because of the normal tumult of emotion, but also because of the feeling of isolation even in the midst of others. People sometimes tell others not to cry. Or the mourner wonders why they still feel sorrowful after several weeks. Grieving takes years. That does not mean that we are supposed to be incapacitated for years, but rather that we should acknowledge that the grieving process can take a long time. And we cannot go through the process until we acknowledge that death has indeed happened. Then we can go forward, even though it is into darkness and unknowing.

Remembering the dead helps us through this process. Even though we might remember things that we would like to forget, by recalling the passing of those whom we love, our fear of abandonment can be lessened. Our Christian faith is particularly helpful in these times of testing and pain. We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, completely God, suffered and died for us. Though God did not make death, He freely embraced it for our sake. The death of Jesus on the Cross gave our death and the deaths of our loved ones a new meaning. In the book of Wisdom it says: They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. Although death appears to be the end, although it seems to be alienation from the living, in fact death now is the means to entering into a new kind of life with God.

Another aspect of our remembering that can be painful is to recall the defects of the one who has passed. How did they stand before God? We do not know. But one thing that we can do is pray for them. I have heard from so many people that funerals are for the living. But I disagree. And when I die, I want all of you to pray for me. Don’t go around saying, Oh, he must be in heaven because he is a priest. No! Get on your knees and ask God to have mercy on me! That is one of the beauties of the Catholic faith. Even though someone has died, we can still pray for them, and God will listen. God’s power to convert and to heal us is not limited to this world and this life. He can do all things and He can make all things right even after our death.

If we were to read the 12th chapter of Second Maccabees, Judas Macabbeus arranged for the soldiers who had died to be remembered in prayer, that God would forgive them their sins. The author praises this action as being proof of his faith in the resurrection (see 2 Maccabees 12: 43-44). If there were no mercy available after death, why would Jesus have raised Lazarus or the son of the widow of Nain? Why would He have stayed in the tomb three days? Why would Jesus have descended to the dead as we profess in the Apostles Creed? For what purpose except to free those in the bounds of death. And if He could free them way back then, why not now?

In remembering the dead and lifting them up in prayer, we acknowledge that in God, all are alive. In meditating on the Passion of our Lord, we profess that God understands and that we are not alone. In praying for the dead, we show our faith that God’s love endures forever and His mercy is from age to age. In seeking God’s mercy for others, we expand our capacity to receive it ourselves.

All Saints

2008-11-01T11:15:00.001-05:00

Although I am a fan of baseball, I did not get to see the end of the last game of the World Series. But I know exactly what happened at the end. The winning team was jumping up and down in joy. They were opening up bottles of champagne. The fans of the winning team were likewise celebrating their victory, slapping each other on the back. In the other locker room, there was silence, possibly tears, as their season was brought to an end with a loss.

But how long will the celebration last? A week? A month? We all know that eventually a new season will arrive with all its changes. The rejoicing will be forgotten as many will ask themselves "What have you done for me lately?" That is the way of worldly glory. One will raise his arms in victory today. But on another day those same arms will be tired. The bright promises will be replaced by the daily grind which will wear away the shine. It is true whether it be sport or politics or any other thing. Worldly glory is a fading glory.

But there is a glory to be achieved that will not wear out or fade. There is a glory that everyone may obtain. It is not a victory that is won by trodding on the heads of enemies, engaging in character assassination or the spreading of rumors. It is not a championship in which there are 31 losers and only 1 winner. The ones who do not receive this glory will only be those who reject it. That is the glory of sainthood.

Every person who lives is called to be a saint. And it is possible, not because of our own skill or goodness, but because of the power of the One whose Love is everlasting- Jesus Christ our Lord.

With All Your Heart

2008-10-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

1. Last week we heard Jesus told us to Repay to God what is God’s (Matthew 22:21). And what belongs to God? Deep down we know the answer - everything belongs to God. In the Gospel of Matthew, between last week’s reading and this week’s, the Sadducees came and tested Jesus regarding the Resurrection. Like He did last week, Jesus answered authoritatively and definitively regarding the truth that there is a resurrection of the body. The resurrection will not be to the same kind of life we have now. It will be to a new and glorious life in Heaven with the Father. At the same time, it will indeed be a bodily resurrection. And everyone will rise from the dead. It is important to keep this in mind. When we stand before Christ at the end of the world to be judged, everyone who ever existed will be there also. The people we love, the people we do not love. Those whom we look forward to meeting, and those whose existence is inconvenient or whose presence may provoke us. For example, for many the unborn, the sick or the elderly are inconvenient, (just as the Jews were to the Nazis) . They will all be there, as will anyone else whose personhood was denied either by the state or by other people’s wishful thinking. But what will we do when we meet them? How will we deal with the fact that God loves each and every human being He has made?
2. Our capacity to stand at the end of the world is related to today’s question from the Pharisees. What is the greatest commandment? Jesus’ answer in this case is not all that astonishing really. A familiar prayer came from the book of Deuteronomy Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) . The second part of Jesus’ answer was not really novel either: you shall love the your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). Although many people like to quote an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Exodus 21:24) as Old Testament justice, those scribes and Pharisees who studied the scriptures should have known well that the law required the people to look out for the good of those weak and vulnerable. (Eye for an eye etc.. in fact is the the punishment for injuring a pregnant woman while at the same time causing a miscarriage). The reading heard from Exodus exhorted the people to care for the orphans and widows and also the aliens- that is, those from other countries regardless of religion. As God had cared for them, they were to care for those who abandoned or strangers in their midst. God even threatens them that if anyone mistreats these vulnerable people, that He will let the oppressors be punished severely. The Lord’s assures them that He is compassionate and hears the cry of the smallest weakest people.
3. If we were to study the history contained in the Old Testament we would learn that when the People lost their land and went into exile, it was because of their unjust behavior. In fact, they were greedy for material goods, and many practiced child sacrifice, killing and burning their sons and daughters in worship of false gods. The Pharisees knew all this history (they were trying to avoid repeating it) and they knew that loving God is revealed in love of neighbor.
4. You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ... You shall love your neighbor as yourself. These commandments are indeed the foundation of the whole law as stated in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the Living Law, Jesus Christ. In this particular case, there really should not have been any argument with the Pharisees. The big question comes later: who is my neighbor? The Gospel makes clear the answer to the question. Everyone is my neighbor. Not only those whom I like or agree with, but those who would be my enemy. And we must not forget that the Lord takes into special account those who are most in need of mercy.
5. Another question that arises is: what does it mean to love them as myself? The consideration that Jesus is asking for is not merely a warm fuzzy feeling, or a set of kind sounding words, or even for that matter a few actions. For we all know that love is not merely any of those things. It is entirely possible to say words or even do things with no charity whatsoever. For example, we can open our wallet and give someone something so that they will go away and leave us alone. But Charity requires more. We are called by Christ to treat them as if they were ourselves. To give them the same consideration and mercy that we ourselves desire. To see their good as our good, and what would harm them as harming us.
6. The answer to the question who is my neighbor and how am I to love them is clarified when Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us (see John 15:9-12). In other words, we can only obey the commandments when we love as Jesus loved. And how does Jesus love? He poured out the last drop of His blood to save us.
7. In Jesus, everyone is my neighbor. It is already true from the scientific point of view- we are all interrelated. And whatever happens to one of us, is going to affect the rest of the human race. It is especially true because of the life of Jesus. He is God who became a human being, exactly like us in every way. He did not sin, that is true. But Jesus did take upon Himself all the consequences of human sin. Saint Paul even says that For our sake He made Him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
8. Jesus did come to save those who were mighty (for who could be considered mighty in the face of the living God?). He did not come to save those who are righteous in their own eyes, (for who can make themselves holy without God?). Jesus did not even come to save those who loved Him first. No, He came to save sinners and those who are weak. In demonstrating His authority and power, Jesus strove to remove the blinders from those who listened to Him and would propose themselves as His judges. Only in realizing our weakness, our sinfulness, our need of a savior, our inability to save ourselves, our complete dependence upon our Lord both individually, and in solidarity with those who in the world are vulnerable can we begin to receive the graces that we need to live in the hope of Jesus’ promises.

What Belongs to God

2008-10-19T23:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend the letter of the Bishop to the people was read at all the Masses. It was a letter regarding the formation of conscience especially in light of our duty to vote. In the letter, the difference between matters of prudential judgement and matters which are intrinsically evil was clarified. Examples prudential judgement are the different ways to address immigration reform or the economy or the war on terror. Reasonable people can differ in their opinions and discuss how best to proceed in these areas. On the other hand, some actions are intrinsically evil, such as abortion of euthanasia. The only reasonable and sane (and holy) approach to these evils is to confront and to oppose them.

Furthermore, as important as areas of prudential judgement are, they simply do not carry the same weight as areas of intrinsic evil. If a candidate is a supporter of something intrinsically evil, one cannot simply say that his or her opinion in that area is just one thing that can be balanced with their view on something else, like the economy.

Anyway, the letter was very good. If you would like to read it, here is a link to the full text in English.

In the evening, we celebrated what can be called an "Explanation Mass." That is, a Mass with a accompanied by teachings regarding general liturgical principles and some explanation of what is going on. It is only allowed to interrupt the flow of the Mass at certain points of the liturgy. So instead of a plethora of comments after each part, the teaching is delivered in the format of a few lectures. Of course, with a subject so profound as the liturgy, not everything can be explained completely. But the experience was well received, in spite of causing the Mass to last for two hours.

Between the Letter of the Bishop, which was certainly pertinent to the Gospel reading, and the liturgical education going on, there was not a lot of time to delve into the issues raised by the Gospel.

The cooperation of the Pharisees and the Herodians brings to mind the saying "politics make strange bedfellows." Generally, these two groups were not getting along. Yet they both had their reasons for wanting Jesus to be removed from the scene. They begin their questioning of Jesus with flattery, which was all true, but their hearts were not open to the Truth. Jesus knew their malice and uttered one of the memorable sayings of Scripture Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God (Matthew 22:21). Jesus was not interested in destabilizing the Roman Empire. After all, Jesus knew that all authority comes from above. Those in authority are permitted to do so by God. With the exercise of authority comes responsibility to serve the common good of the people governed.

At the same time, Jesus is not concerned with maintaining the status quo of the government. He was not interested in politics, but rather with salvation. Jesus was and is interested that we get our lives in order with God. We have a responsibility to the common good in the public arena. But that flows from the fulfillment of our responsibility to God. Someday, the earthly part of our existence will cease, and we will be judged for how we conducted ourselves. But our relationship with God will never cease.

In some sense, repaying Caesar what belongs to Caesar will continue onward, only because the love of neighbor we are called to exercise will continue into eternity for those who love God. But giving God what is justly His to receive will never stop, because He is eternal. All things are of God's making. Everything that is, exists because God is making it exist. There is no part of anything in which the Lord is not God.

Wedding Invitation

2008-10-12T16:45:00.000-05:00

1. The kingdom of heaven is like a wedding feast. When you are at a wedding feast, there is usually plenty of food and drink. The hosts are encouraging you to eat and have a good time. There is music, maybe dancing. As a rule, people wear their best clothes, even renting them if necessary. Even people who normally would never wear a suit or a tie or a dress will dress up. At a wedding feast you will find people of all ages young and old. It is not a time for sadness, but a time of joy to celebrate the new family which has been formed. The kingdom of heaven is like a wedding feast.
1. Now how much does it cost to go to a wedding feast? Nothing. It is all paid for. When we are the guests, all we have to do is show up and enjoy. We might have been generous donors to assist the couple and their families in providing the feast, but it does not cost anything.
2. That is part of Jesus’ point in the Gospel. The kingdom of heaven is a feast in which God our Father has already done all the preparations. It simply remains for us to attend the feast. Of course if the invited guests do not go to the feast, it does not really matter how delicious the food is, or how rich the wine is, or how great the music is, or how beautiful and pleasant the other guests are. If you are not at the feast, you get nothing. As strange as it may sound, there are people who simply do not want to attend the feast of the kingdom of heaven. They have other things to do. And they will even kill the messengers who bring the invitation, so that they do not have to even listen to what they are missing.
3. In the parable, Jesus is referring to those who did not listen to the prophets of old, but preferred to remain in sin and not turn to God. Their worldly pursuits were satisfying, so they thought, and they did not want anyone to tell them what to do. It is the same way now. When people do not want to hear God’s call they try to drown it out with other things- pleasures, work, getting their own way... There are countries where children are beaten at school simply for being Christian. And where Christians live in constant fear of being kidnapped or murdered. Or where it is illegal for a priest to celebrate Mass, which is the wedding feast on earth. In our own country, there are politicians trying to pass a so-called Freedom of Choice Act- which will make abortion a civil right that must be supported with tax money. They are hoping to force people to accept their way of thinking and silence anyone who would claim that life is precious and that the innocent ought to be protected from violence.
4. In any event, if someone does not want to go to the wedding feast of the kingdom of heaven, they do not have to go. Just like if you want to skip Mass on Sunday, you can. (Now as Catholics we are obligated to go to Mass, it is a sin to miss). But we are not going out and forcing people into the doors. If you really do not want to be here, then you probably will not show up. Of course, there are consequences. If you do not share in the feast, then your punishment is that you do not get to share in the feast. Anyway, as one of our professors in the seminary put it "if you’re damned to hell its your own damned fault"- you chose it.
5. The part of this parable which has always been the most notable for me is the part where the guest who did want to come was thrown out. He was there, he responded, yet he was thrown out for not being prepared. I do not mind telling you that this part of the parable makes me very uncomfortable. Of course, we could interpret this to mean that when we come to Mass, we should be properly attired. And there is a point to that. If you were invited to eat dinner with the President of the United States, what would you wear? If you had an interview for a high-dollar job that you really wanted, how would you dress? If you were invited to be a participant in your friend’s wedding, would you wear flip flops and shorts to the feast? I don’t think so.
6. But this Gospel is more than just about clothing. The parable suggests to us that although the feast is freely given, there is some expectation of our personal commitment beyond merely showing up. Some theologians suggest that the wedding garment signifies baptism. Others have said that it represents good deeds. Still others offer that repentance is the key to understanding. It is all of these and more.
7. You see, the King giving this wedding feast is God the Father. And the groom is also God- His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The wedding garment is important because we are not just the guests- we’re the Bride.

Biking to the Beach

2008-10-11T16:52:00.001-05:00

Well, I am back from a few days of vacation. While I was gone, I accomplished some of my goals. For example I slept and ate a lot. I was able to play golf a few times and even got a glimpse of a professional golf tournament.

The big activity, however, was my bike ride 160 miles from San Antonio to Corpus Christi Texas. It was all part of the "Valero MS Bike to the Beach" to raise money for research for Multiple Sclerosis. The process of obtaining my ride number and participation packet was very easy. That was done the night before the ride began.

The day of the ride, my sister prepared a delicious breakfast and then she and her husband drove me to San Antonio to the ATT Center. I loaded my luggage on the truck that would take it to Beeville, the stop for the night. Then I got the bike out, made my pre-ride check and walked over to the starting area. Since it was not exactly a race (although everyone goes just about as fast as they can) starting order was based on fundraising. The biggest fundraisers got to go first, and all the others followed in waves. There were teams, usually based on fund raising, and individuals like me. The Valero team was large- hundreds of riders. I believe that they raised the most money.

It is interesting to see all the different jerseys of the riders. Some reveal their team affiliation, others simply the personal preference of the rider. There were police officers riding with special police jerseys, and EMT's with the EMS jerseys. Accompanying us were motorcycle escorts and police cruisers with bike racks on the back if someone were to get injured or be otherwise unable to continue on. Of course we were followed by the "Sag Wagons" which picked up those who determined that they needed a rest or were done for the day. I saw a police special event van and there were probably ambulances following us around too.

There were rest stops with food and drink and bathrooms every so many miles. I stopped at nearly every one of them to drink Powerade, eat an orange or other things, and refill my water bottles. I carried various kinds of energy foods. After the first hour, I ate a little something every ten minutes to keep my nutrition going.

I was impressed at the ride organization. Every town we passed through had law enforcement protecting us from cross traffic. The rest stops all had exit and entry lanes with traffic cones to assist our leaving and returning to the road. In some places, we had whole lanes to ourselves blocked off. There were motorcycle escorts and police cars going along next to us, lest any traffic get unruly. I did not hear any negative comments from people in cars or along the road. There was nothing but encouragement, even in Corpus Christi, where we had a whole lane to ourselves and the car traffic was backed up because of it. People stood by the side of the road and shouted encouragement and held up signs for the riders they were supporting.

The ride went down US 181. After lunch on Saturday, we began a climb toward Beeville. The climb would not have been all that bad, except for the headwind that seemed very strong to me. The ride Saturday was only 96 miles, so they had laid out an alternative 4 mile extra loop for those wanting to finish a century. I did the extra and for a bit, regretted it because the wind was so strong. One had to pedal in a low gear regardless of riding on the flatland or even going downhill. But after the turnaround, it was very nice riding with the wind for 2 miles.

After I finished, I went immediately to eat supper. I knew once that I had unrolled the sleeping gear, I would not be able to get up for anything. I was not really hungry, but in these cases, one must eat for the next day's activities. I was able to get a place to sleep in the gymnasium of Coastal Bend College in Beeville. I took my shower there and the water was cold. But I was so tired and in need of a shower that I did not care. After the shower and change of clothes, I found a plug to recharge my phone and spent an hour praying. Then I went to bed.

I guess I woke up about 5am on Sunday. I got dressed and packed and went to breakfast and then took about 30 minutes to go through Office of Readings and Morning Prayer. Then I put my bags on the truck and reclaimed my bike from the security area. The bike was wet because it had rained. But by 7am, it had quit and we saw no more of it, except for the wet streets. I had to wait in line to use a pump to top off the tires, but I got in line to start in plenty of time.

I was determined not to ride so much by myself as I had done the day before. My first strategy was to start spinning immediately and move up as far toward the front of my group that I could. I actually was able to bridge the gap to the previous group. My reason was that I knew I would get tired later. I wanted to have plenty of people behind me. When they passed me later, I would still have a respite from the wind and a chance to latch on to a pace line. It worked great the first 20 miles, then the paceline I was following took a break at a rest stop. I decided that I felt really good and would not stop until the lunch break at 32 miles. But I suffered greatly until I came upon a soldier (or ex soldier) riding solo. He let me draft on him most of the way to lunch. I led briefly, but the wind was too much for me. I cannot remember his name, but God bless him.

I ate lunch at 9:40am, which pleased me greatly. I planned to stay about 50 minutes, which I did. At about 10:30am, I left and was able to find a group going about my speed in just a few miles. They were from the San Antonio Express News. God bless you all too! I rode in that train for the next 20 miles, including two rest stops. At Gladys Porter High School, the last stop, they were waiting for more of their team to show up (it was a very large team). So I did the last 10 miles solo. But the wind was not bad at all. The concrete barriers effectively blocked the wind for the most part.

The last adventure was crossing the Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi. It is the steepest hill I have ever climbed. But I was able to pedal all the way up and did not get off an push. Of course, three people passed me like I was standing still. On the other hand, I passed several as well. I was looking forward to going very fast down the other side of the bridge. But the wind and my tired legs could not get into my highest gear. After the bridge, it was just a little jaunt over to the finish line.

My sister and her husband had arrived in time to see me on the bridge and cheer me across the finish line. It was a great ride.

Again I want to thank all the other riders I drafted on for two days. I especially want to thank my friends Bob and Angela, who talked me into the ride. They did it on a tandem, and crossed the bridge too!

Other memories that I like were that on Saturday, another rider drafted on me for about 6 to 10 miles. It was nice to be able to provide a similar service to another that I had received. Also, there were military vets there who were quite impressive. I mean the men with the prosthetic left arms attached to their handlebars, riding with one hand. And the rider with the prosthetic leg. I do not know what he rode, but his leg was painted crazy colors. And then there were the men with no legs and those with spinal injuries who hand cranked tricycles the whole way. And all that to raise money for other people who were suffering. They were inspirational.

Doing the Will of the Father

2008-09-28T13:00:00.004-05:00

Today's readings

1. Which son did the will of the Father? Really, this is what it all comes down to- doing the will of the Father. That is the way in which Jesus lived and died in His earthly life- doing the will of the Father. But what does it mean, doing the will of the Father? Scripture reveals various ways to do the will of the Father. For example: to believe in Jesus, to obey the commandments, to protect and nurture the small and the weak, and to put things aside to trust in the Lord.
2. In John’s Gospel, Jesus says For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day. (John 6:40). To believe in Jesus as the True Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, this is the will of the Father. In the Gospel we heard today, there were those who many of the religious people thought of as sinners who were entering the kingdom of heaven because they believed in Jesus on the strength of the preaching of John the Baptist. Those who did not believe in Jesus were risking their eternal souls by failing to recognize that He was the One whom God sent to save the world.
3. But belief in this context is not merely intellectual assent to a proposition of faith. Remember, Saint James told us that the demons believe that there is only One God, and they tremble (James 2:19). Rather, to believe includes turning away from sin- to repent- to change one’s life. That is why Jesus chastised the chief priests. Even if they were not sure of the message of John the Baptist, the effect it had in converting sinners should have alerted them that God was at work. As Jesus said at another time if you cannot believe in me, believe because of the works that I do...(see John 10:38). That is, believe that God is at work. And it is more than the work of God, it is God Himself entering our human condition to save us from death and sin.
4. To believe in Jesus requires the believer to change - to begin to obey the commandments, not merely to give lip service. Remember that Jesus said Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21). Unfortunately these days there are those who would promote themselves as Catholic Christians, and yet their actions and their words are false. There are even politician- public figures who recently have even misrepresented the constant teaching of the Church so that they may permit the destruction of the weak and the small. I speak of those who would continue to support abortion, euthanasia, and medical experimentation on the unborn as if the unborn were not human beings made in the image and likeness of God. Yet Jesus says that the angels of the little ones always look at the face of God the Father in heaven (see Matthew 18:10).
5. Of course, what drives many of these so called leaders into error is the same force that drives practically everyone to whatever sin we commit- and that is fear. I do not mean the “fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (see Proverbs 9:10), but rather the fear of the things that do not last. The tax collectors and the prostitutes in Jesus’ day sought security in money and the attentions of other people. The high priests and the scribes and pharisees often sought security in their religious practices. Lack of trust even caused the rich young man to turn away and leave Christ because he had many possessions. Yet those who turned to Jesus found more than enough security and joy even in the midst of suffering.
6. And so it is our task to turn to the Lord, to believe in Him, to obey Him, to trust Him- to let Him live in us. It is for just this cause that Saint Paul begs the Philippians to take on the attitude of Jesus Christ- that attitude of emptying Himself and becoming obedient to death on a Cross. For in His doing of the will of the Father perfectly unto death, Jesus has obtained for us eternal life.

Vacation Coming Up!

2008-09-26T12:08:00.004-05:00

Sunday, I am going to go take a little vacation for a few days. There will be golfing (poor golfing), running (slowly), napping (I'm very good at napping), reading (ditto), visiting friends (also good), eating (yum), sleeping late (one of my strengths), music (playing) and bicycling (which I do pretty decently).

One of my goals this vacation is to make another long ride. This time it will be the "Valero Bike to the Beach" for MS research. Although I am interested in success in the research for Multiple Sclerosis, I must admit the main reason I am doing it is so that I can go on an organized long distance ride. We will ride from San Antonio to Beeville, and the next day from Beeville to Corpus Christi- about 160 miles all together. Having finished a century already, I am feeling very confident in my abilities. But my main goal is to finish. I have only done one century, and never anything on back to back days of such magnitude.

After the ride, it will be back to napping, golfing, reading, visiting, etc for a few more days before returning to the parish. I look forward to it. And I need the vacation.

When I return, there will no doubt be one or two posts regarding my experiences on the road.

You Too Go Into My Vineyard

2008-09-19T18:13:00.003-05:00

This weekend the deacon will be preaching, but I still wanted to comment on the Scripture readings.

The behavior of the landowner is certainly strange- paying everyone the same no matter how long they worked in the vineyard. And if we were the first ones in, we would probably feel like we had been badly treated. But there are a few things to consider. First, it really is the money of the landowner and he can do whatever he wants with it. The first workers agreed to and received exactly what they had hoped for originally. Any normal day they would have gone home satisfied that they received a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. Second, in those days a daily wage for a worker was generally tied to what it actually cost to live for a day. Whether you work or not, you have to pay your rent and feed your family. The children are not going to be less hungry because dad only worked half a day. It certainly does not pay to have a pool of available workers that are desperate and hungry men. You may have to depend on them tomorrow. If they are malnourished or ill from being homeless or preoccupied because their families are in want, what good is that for anyone? It is best for the common good to provide for all the workers. And the common good benefits everyone- landowner and worker alike.
But the Gospel is really not about vineyards, although we could learn something from the behavior of the owner. The story is really about the kingdom of God. The vineyard is the kingdom and the landowner is the Lord, and we (hopefully) are the workers.

Note that the workers may be waiting around, but they depend on the landowner to hire them. It is he who seeks them. We may think that we do this or that for God and that we are wonderful workers for the Lord (and that may very well be true). But we are all dependent on the Lord. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you said Jesus to His disciples. Sometimes we forget how utterly dependent we are. God has given us existence, which no one can obtain for themselves. For many of us, God has given us the gift of faith and even the opportunity to receive it. And if we do serve the Lord, it is at His bidding. We cannot build His kingdom apart from Him.

Furthermore, we have no control over who God chooses. It is true that the Church has been given authority to decide the suitability of ministers. But that authority is God's that is given to us. It is not apart from Him. If we choose inappropriate or unsuitable ministers who do not actually have a vocation, then the whole Church suffers. In truth, we are all called in some fashion or another to serve the kingdom of God, but our happiness and true success will result from our obedience to the Lord's call and not to our own desires or to the fashions of the times.
The reward for service is not a result of the length of service, but rather fidelity to the will of God. As workers in His kingdom, we should rejoice that others have also been called and are receiving the gifts of eternal life. If we do what we are asked to do with joy, then we will receive all we hope for and even more. There is no reason to be jealous of the gifts another has obtained, especially when all of us are dependent on the Lord.

There is one aspect which is missing from this parable, maybe it is what Jesus is getting to when He chastised His hearers for failing to convert when the tax collectors and prostitutes changed their lives and repented. Even though we are workers in the vineyard, that is not our actual position. And as long as we think of ourselves as merely servants we will miss the true blessings that the Lord wishes to bestow upon us. In truth we are not merely servants, we are even more than friends, we are children. The vineyard is not merely our workplace, but our home. Our "pay" is not the amount that is necessary to survive another day in a cruel world. Rather, our remuneration is an eternal inheritance: eternal life in joy in the home of the Father.
If we understand that we are children and not slaves we can understand the generosity of the Lord. If we are His children, it is His desire to have us share in everything. And where the love of a family really exists, it is not divided by the numbers of the members, but it is multiplied by them.

Exaltation of the Cross

2008-09-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

We praise you Oh Christ and we adore you. Because by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

More than 30 years ago, when I was in college the first time, one of the others students residing in the same dormitory as I saw a crucifix in my room or the room of another Catholic student. The non-Catholic scoffed at it and remarked that his Jesus was no longer on the Cross. I did not argue with him because he was a person whose mind was generally closed. But I remember thinking two things. First that I knew Jesus was not on the cross any more- it was just an image to remind me of the cost of our salvation and the love of God. Secondly, I thought of the scripture passage where Saint Paul said we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:23-24).

It is difficult for us in this time and place to understand the horror of crucifixion. The images we see are generally much milder than the actual facts. Not only is crucifixion extremely painful, but it was a form of death meant to bring shame upon one who suffered it. In the Jewish law it said cursed be the one hung on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:23) which they interpreted to mean that being hung up to die or being left hanging from a tree after death was religiously unclean. In the law it indicates that to hang someone on a tree, or to leave him there would defile the land and make acceptable sacrifice to God impossible.

The Romans practiced crucifixion of slaves, rebels and pirates, and others whom they judged to be trying to destroy the political stability. Yet they recognized how violent crucifixion was and made it illegal to crucify a Roman citizen. (Note that Saint Paul was executed by the sword- he was a Roman citizen and had rights). The ancient views of the Cross before Christ was unanimous- avoid the Cross at all costs.

Yet as Catholic Christians, we do not avoid the Cross. We glory in it. Saint Paul even says that he wants to boast in the cross (see Galatians 6:14). We decorate our homes and churches with the cross. We wear the cross as jewelry and carry them in our pockets (such as in the Rosary). We begin and end every prayer making the sign of the Cross. No blessing is complete without the Cross being invoked.

We do not glory in the Cross because we want Jesus to be suffering. Nor are we some kind of sadists who take pleasure in the pain of others. Rather, we acknowledge the Cross as the instrument of our salvation. Without the Cross, we would still be subject to death and would have no hope for eternal life.

We venerate the Cross by itself, yet the Cross is meaningless without Christ. If Jesus had not been crucified, then the Cross would be no more glorious than a hangman’s rope. Who would decorate their home with a noose or a miniature version of an electric chair? But because of Jesus Christ, this terrible instrument of death has become the instrument of our salvation. The first antiphon from the Office of Readings for Sunday week I of the Liturgy of the hours states: See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life.

The cross is a reminder that the things that often seem to be the worst, can be transformed by the love of God. When the people Israel were in the desert and complained against God that the Manna was disgusting food, their sin resulted in their being bitten by snakes (see Numbers 21:4b-9). When they repented, the Lord God instructed them to look upon a bronze serpent mounted on a pole and they would be healed. Not because a bronze serpent held medicinal properties, but because by placing their trust in God, they would be healed from their guilt.

Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, death and suffering entered the world. And throughout history people have suffered greatly. Even today, when one of our loved ones gets sick with cancer or suffers in some other terrible manner, or even if they have died, we can sometimes wonder what we did that led God to permit these things to happen to us or to the ones whom we love.

Yet in the glory of the Cross, we can see how Jesus, Saint Paul says, although He was in the form of God ...emptied Himself (see Phillipians 2:6-8) to die obediently on the Cross. As a result, Jesus triumphed gloriously. There is no suffering that Our Lord is unfamiliar with, and there is no sorrow that He cannot overcome with His merciful love.

In the Korean War, there was a Army Chaplain- Father Emil Kapaun. He was captured by the communists along with other soldiers. In the prison camp, he led all of them to trust and hope in God. His army helmet had a cross on it. And seeing Father wear that Cross made his captors very angry. And Father’s helmet was put in the trashpile. But all the soldiers, whether they were Catholic or not, or even Christian or not, were soon visiting the trashpile to meditate in front of that cross. After awhile, Father Kapaun was taken away and died shortly thereafter. The Communists feared his leadership and holiness. But after his death, the men remaining stuck together. One of them, who was Jewish, even carved a crucifix out of wood in memory of the slain priest. The men were reported to say that the love of God reflected in the face of Fr Kapaun. No matter what happened to him, Fr Emil always exuded love.

Saint Paul said that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). The message of the Cross is that of today’s Gospel passage- that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). God did not do this because we were wonderful and deserving of His love, because we are sinners. God loves us because that is what He does. And no matter where we are, or how low we have fallen, the glorious cross reminds us to trust in the Lord, for He has conquered all things.

Amazing Saints

2008-09-09T13:55:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the Blessed Virgin Mary's birthday. I have to say that the Blessed Mother has been particularly good to me this year. Because she has been really praying for me, guess what? I ask for even more. Especially I commend to her care any who might be my spiritual children.

Today's saint is Saint Peter Claver. Saint Peter was a Jesuit priest who became a missionary to Colombia. He spent his missionary career serving the black slaves that were sent there to work on the plantations. You can read about his story online somewhere at more depth than I plan to tell. Some facts do stand out, however. Peter pledged himself to be a slave of the black slaves, to serve them above himself. He always started by taking care of their physical needs, but likewise never wavered from presenting to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, offering them instruction and the opportunity for reception of the Sacraments. As a result of his charity and patient instruction, he baptized over 300,000 individuals in his career. That's right- 300,000! What an amazing saint.

Fraternal Correction, Part Two

2008-09-07T11:15:00.002-05:00

1. Fraternal correction is an act of Christian charity. To practice it marks a believer as mature. At the same time, fraternal correction is not always easy. To take another person aside with the intent of correcting their faults is not always well received. We live in a culture in which no one really likes to be told what to do. And for many people, any form of criticism is viewed as form of hatred or even violence. Yet such a view is not really mature, even if we must contend with it.
2. To correct another person, to admonish their faults may be uncomfortable for us, but scripture indicates that it is absolutely necessary. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord has told us that those who know better, those who have authority also have the obligation to speak the truth and to warn those who may be set on the wrong path toward sin. Which parent here would stand by calmly and silently while their infant child stuck his or her hand in a light socket or into the fire on the stove? Who here would remain silent while their best friend accidentally drank deadly poison? Would we consider silence in these circumstances as good manners? Or would a word of warning be more proper? Yet in the moral life, there is much more at stake than electrocution or even painful death by poison. There is the risk of losing our eternal soul to the second death- the fires of hell.
3. With this in mind, our Lord has told us that we are all responsible in some part for one another. We cannot control the actions of another person, but we can offer them the help of admonishing them before it is too late. Jesus said to whom more is given, more will be expected. And as members of Christ’s Body and the adopted children of God, we cannot remain silent when our brothers and sisters are risking their souls in sin. If we do, God may hold us responsible for the sins of others. (I do not know about you, but I have enough problems of my own. I do not need to be responsible for someone else’s sins.)
4. Of course, one of the problems with correcting or admonishing another person is that to be an act of charity it must be the fruit of a loving heart. And it must be conducted in a loving manner. So Jesus tells us how we are to go about it. He says, first If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. Taking someone aside alone is essential to preserving their good name and preserve their dignity before others. To correct parents in front of their children or husbands in front of their wives or vice versa or a teacher in front of the students could really damage their relationship with others. Besides, many times a person does not even know that they have done something wrong. They may have never had that intention or even been trying to avoid the very thing which they are accused of doing. There may be an explanation or a circumstance which we do not know about. If we were to first bring it up in public, it might be an injustice.
5. A couple of years ago I read a book which intended to help people say whatever was on their minds to others, even in a crucial situation. The first tenet of the author was that you had to make it safe for the person to hear. If they felt unsafe for whatever reason, they would not hear what you had to say and you would have to back track. Fraternal correction is not a place to bring up old hurts, or a list of faults, or to condemn, belittle or destroy another person. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to condemn but to save, and He is the judge of the world. Correction is a time in which someone who cares genuinely seeks the good of another and calls them to holiness.
6. Some years ago, there was some crisis or other and a parishioner called me on the phone to discuss it for an hour. Although this person made several good points and reasonable criticisms, it felt like they yelled at me. At the end of the call, I was exhausted and very upset. Just then the doorbell rang and another parishioner wanted to talk about the same crisis. As it turned out, they gave me the exact same criticism. At the end of an hour, however, I knew that I had found a friend who would always speak the truth to me in charity. To this day, the latter is a valuable friend from whom I welcome criticism. The former is someone with whom I am polite, but with whom I avoid having an extended or serious conversation.
7. Jesus continues by saying that only after a personal encounter fails are we to bring in others. And they are to be witnesses to the problem we are trying to solve. Jesus does not say it, but these witnesses also need to have charity in their hearts. If the witnesses fail to convince someone to change, then it is time to bring the problem into the public eye through the ministry of the Church- that is, into the family of the children of God who will try to resolve it as ones who are loyal to one another. Only when a person has rejected the Body of Christ which is the Church can we ignore them.
8. Sometimes it is very difficult to follow this advice. It is so much easier to drag our problems out into the open immediately without trying to resolve them in a patient manner.
9. Even scripture acknowledges that correction will not always be accepted. Even though Jesus died for all people, there were a few who did not seem to want to hear His words, even though they meant eternal life. And so it will be the same with us. Not everyone will appreciate our desire for their good. There are even places where free speech is curtailed if it is in the least in disagreement with certain lifestyles and actions.
10. But there is one place in which we can control how fraternal correction is received. And that is within ourselves. Not only do we have the duty to correct, but we also have the duty to allow ourselves to be corrected. Sometimes we are the ones who have erred, and are in need of being “won over” by another. And that too is a characteristic of a mature Christian. Humility is part of true greatness.
11. The key to correction of others which is truly fraternal is the same key to being silent and praying for someone with all our strength. And that key is the love of Christ. Each day we need to put Jesus first. We need to desire His will above our own and make loving God the center or our lives. And if the love Christ dwells in us, then whether we speak or not, it will always be the right decision.

How Much Difference a Year Makes

2008-09-06T18:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I rode my bike in what was advertised as a 38 mile race/ride. It ended up being 43 miles, but not exactly for me. The good news is that my average over 42 miles was 17.5 mph. Also, I had no mechanical difficulties, nor physical ones.

The bad news is that I took a wrong turn. When I got back to the finish line, I had only gone 35 miles. At one of the crossroads, I had ridden through in the correct direction, when some riders behind me warned me I was going wrong. I stopped with some others. At that moment a race volunteer drove up and looked at the map. She instructed us to go in what ended up being the wrong direction. I rode hard and when I caught up with the riders who had first alerted me to turn the other way, they said "sorry" because it was obviously a mistake. I was so deflated that I slowed down considerably. I was not happy, but it was my own fault for not carrying my own map. If I had, I would have ignored everyone. When I got back to the start, I took a brief break, looked at the map and then went out to go over the course backwards until I met one of my friends. Then we rode in together.

Since I had no chance at the race win, I cannot be too irritated about not completing it correctly. And many others were similarly misinstructed or simply made the same mistake. I am happy that my average speed was up over last year, and I kept the cadence that was my goal. I will have to consider whether to do the same ride next year. There is no support from law enforcement whatsoever, and some of the traffic passed closer than was necessary, even with the other lane open with an approved passing zone.

After the century the other week, this ride just flew by. Last year, this ride was my big goal. This year, it has turned out to be sort of a filler. It still is fun riding in a big mass of bicycles at the beginning of the race, no matter how long it is.

Fraternal Correction, Part One

2008-09-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

To correct another person is one of the most challenging aspects of being a mature believer in God. But we must learn to speak up if we are to practice true charity. Certainly, few people would let their infants place their fingers in an electrical socket, fearing that warning the child might damage their sensitive natures. God may have chosen us to be the instruments of someone’s conversion. Of course, key to successful fraternal correction is that it be motivated by charity- the love of God- and be done in a gentle manner. Another key is that we open our hearts to receive correction as well. Humility gives more power to our words.

The Cost of Being a Christian

2008-08-31T00:01:00.006-05:00

In the 16th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Simon Peter made his confession of faith that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus remarked that Peter did not figure out on his own who Jesus is, and neither did any other person tell him. Rather, Peter received the gift of faith from God the Father. And so do we. It is true that others may tell us who Jesus is, but faith is purely a gift.

Jesus gave Simon a new name- Peter- the Rock, and proceeded to give him the keys of the kingdom. In other words, Jesus made Simon Peter the head of the Apostles and gave him authority over the Church which Jesus would establish on the foundation of the apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, Jesus promised that the gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church.

Jesus gave Peter the authority in a manner which sounded extreme- whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Sounds like Peter can do whatever he wants. Right? But hold on- in today’s Gospel Jesus tells Peter to get behind me Satan. (We might have thought that Jesus implying the Canaanite woman was a dog was extreme. But now He calls His number one apostle Satan.) The word Satan is not only the name of the Devil, but literally means the Adversary in that the Devil is the Adversary against us all. Clearly then, Saint Peter’s authority is not without bounds. Rather there is some kind of limit. The limit is that Peter, and all those following after him, have to be in accord with God.

Jesus rebukes Peter for thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.When Peter was docile to the Holy Spirit and received the gift of faith, he was okay. But once he began thinking as a human being with regard to Jesus, he became an obstacle to the Mission of our Redeemer, which was to suffer and die.

It seems a bit odd that Jesus ordered His disciples not to tell anyone He was the Christ, since now we are in fact obligated to tell. But almost everyone of Jesus’ day misunderstood what the Messiah /or Christ was going to do. The common opinion was that the Christ would re-establish Israel as a political superpower and that His ministry would be filled with success after success.
Jesus rejected this kind of thinking so strenuously that He regarded it as an obstacle. So after acknowledging the the gift that Peter had received and conferring upon him a real share in God’s authority, Jesus also began to teach them about His upcoming passion and death, so that they could understand what it was going to mean to be the Christ. You know, today there are many people who go about thinking incorrect things about Jesus. A few years ago there was that book which speculated that Jesus was married. Another book, the fake Gospel of Judas (which was never written by Judas), claimed that Jesus committed suicide. Others have claimed that Jesus was a political revolutionary, others have said He was a social engineer. There are innumerable false opinions floating around. But Jesus is not interested in our false opinions, nor does He leave us to wallow in our ignorance. Certainly if we were following someone because they were a powerful preacher and miracle worker, and we expected them to be a victorious politician, and then they began to talk about how it was necessary for them to be killed. We might have felt uncomfortable also. But Jesus is just telling us how it is. He is not the Messiah by reason of great worldly success. He is the Messiah who suffered and died, but who rose again to new life.

Still, we must not roll our eyes at Peter because he rebuked Jesus. Many times we have done the same thing, getting angry at God because something did not turn out according to our wishes. Besides, Simon Peter might have been afraid. If all those bad things would happen to Jesus, what was going to happen to them? If there is any doubt, Jesus clears that up. Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. The cross is not just for Jesus. Each and every one of us is called, is required to take up our cross daily. Carrying our cross is not optional, neither is it something that we can do when we have exhausted all means of being comfortable or in control.

Taking up our cross is a practical application of our Christian faith. And it is something we can practice daily. Each person’s cross can be different, but here are a few examples: using kind words when someone else is criticizing or insulting us; praying for someone who has really hurt us; enduring being taken for granted; being patient with others; accepting our limitations while trying to do our best; letting go of bitterness when we do not get our way; doing things for others without making deals for our benefit; offering up our physical pains for the conversion of those who do not have the gift of faith; holding our tongue when we want to criticize; speaking up for the truth even if we stand alone;— there are dozens of ways to shoulder our share of the burden.

It has been common for people to give as a reason for abandoning their responsibilities that they are in the process of "finding themselves." Jesus tells us exactly how to find ourselves: by dying for His sake. Bearing our daily cross is what it costs to be a disciple of Jesus and essential if we wish to enter into glory. And to refuse the cross is to become an obstacle to the grace of Jesus Christ in our lives. But by accepting the cross we share in the power and wisdom of God.

Feast of Saint Monica

2008-08-27T15:30:00.004-05:00

Today is the feast of Saint Monica. She has a special place in my heart. First of all, Saint Monica was the first parish I served as a priest. It was a wonderful experience for me. Not only is Saint Monica a great parish with good people, but the priests I worked with were so kind to me. My pastor was a man who practiced charity in his actions each day. He was generous with the goods God had given him, and he was solicitous in paying attention to the people whom he was called to serve. Father taught me to be available to people, especially the sick and dying, because that was a crucial time for them and their families. Many people would remember how you treated them when their loved one was dying, and that might give them the courage to turn to the Lord and to the Church. When I was moved from Saint Monica, I was sad, not only to leave a parish I had grown to love, but because I would never again be able to serve under Father's guidance in that way. (It was not just him, it was also the other priests that were there also.)

Second of all, Saint Monica is special to me because of her particular life situation. Her husband was unfaithful to her and her son was unfaithful to the Lord, seeking the Truth in bizarre ways. Yet she never gave up praying, nor did she cut them off because of how they must have hurt her. In my family, as in many others, there are those who have fallen away from the practice of their Catholic faith. They are not evil people, but sometimes it hurts that we cannot all worship together in the way we were raised. Sometimes unfortunate things are said which are hurtful or at least confusing. But when I think of Saint Monica, her story gives me courage to continue to pray and to trust and to love. I am not the Lord, Jesus is the Lord and He can heal any wound and reconcile any division in His holy passion.

Third of all, although Saint Monica prayed hard to God to convert her son Augustine, although she never shrank from telling him the truth about his actions so that he might change, her heart was really not set on this world. She correctly saw her true homeland and her true goal to be heaven. And any remembrance of her in this life, she wanted to be during the Holy Mass, when we pray for the dead.

With God's help, we will also persevere in our prayers and someday get to meet both Saint Monica and her son Saint Augustine in the joys of heaven. I hope that she prays for me and my family too (not just my immediate family, but my spiritual family as well).

My First Hundred Mile Bike Ride a Success

2008-08-24T21:19:00.004-05:00

Well, I made the whole hundred miles- my first century. It was a great experience, and I hope to do it again, even though there are some things I would do differently. In the next week or two I might go into more detail about the event, but here are some quick thoughts.
1 Thanks to Robert for giving my dad and me a ride to Wichita Falls and back. I really appreciate how Robert spent the race day with my dad and drove him around to see me as well as his own son Jack, who also completed his first century (great job, Jack!). Jack finished about 45 minutes to an hour before me.
2 Thanks to my dad for going there with me to see my first century. I have to say that in all the years that I marched in halftime shows, played in concerts, or directed high school bands, my parents and in fact my whole family has always supported me.
3 At the trade Expo that they had on Friday, it was amazing to see so many fit people. It seems like there is so much overweightness and obesity that it is almost normal to see abnormally large folk. But there it was unusual to see an overweight person.
4 I stopped at all the rest stops except the very first one. The volunteers there were awesome. Plenty to eat and drink, although I was so slow that I missed out on most of the cookies. I figured the only way I could make it was to eat and drink as much as possible. My legs never cramped, but for a while, they would not move fast at all. Since I am allergic to bananas, I think that my chemicals got out of balance.
5 My total time was about 8 hours and 15 minutes. I did not understand the timing clock at the end of the race, and I accidentally reset my bike computer about mile 45 or so, when my legs would not obey. I guess my fingers would not either. So I have no idea how much time it took me, purely from the point of "on the bike time," neither do I know my average speed for on the bike time. After resetting the computer, I had no idea where I was in reference to the end, except when I passed through what they call "Hell's Gate," which is around mile 60.
6 During the ride, I never once desired to quit or get on the sag wagon. Sometimes I did want to pull over and sit under a shade tree for awhile. But at those brief moments, there were no trees as far as I could see, so I kept pedaling.
7 My goals were three: to finish the hundred miles, to pedal at around 90 rpm the whole time, which I could not do for at least half of the race or more, and average 15mph while on the bike, which I missed too. But goal number one was accomplished, so hooray!
8 The organizers of this event did a great job and the whole thing was enjoyable. I cannot say that I like riding the bike in over 100 degree heat, but they made sure that I never had to go with an empty water bottle or be more than 5 miles from medical attention if I needed it.
9 I look forward to my next century. In the meantime, I am trying to get ready for a Triathlon (also my first) in September and an MS150 in October.

Faith in Christ is a Gift

2008-08-21T21:23:00.001-05:00

The knowledge of the identity of Jesus as the Son of the Living God is not something which we can obtain through study or effort on our part. Rather, it is a gift from God, although we can dispose ourselves to receive it. We can wait patiently, begging our Lord to reveal Himself to us in an intimate manner, and trusting that He will do so. We can make acts of faith, trusting in the Church whom the Lord has established, sharing our faith with others. Then our knowledge will truly be that of the person of Jesus Christ and not merely in words.

A Personal Note on Bicycling

2008-08-18T13:45:00.002-05:00

Today is a departure from the usual format of homilies and reflections on the Gospel. But I wanted to share that this Saturday, I will be participating in my first century, that is, a 100 mile bike ride. Depending on my experiences, you may read about it next week. I am pretty sure that I have a hundred miles in my legs. The challenge will be to eat and drink and keep the body at a reasonable temperature.

While on the subject, in September I will be in my first triathlon also. The biking distance will be considerably less, around 18 miles. But there will be a half mile swim and a 5k run to go along with it. Then in October, I will be embarking on a 150 mile bike ride over two days. Then we shall see what to do after all that.

I would appreciate any prayers for my safety and successful completion of these goals. Also pray for the safety of all the other participants, and that the parishioners also remain healthy during the short times which I will be gone to complete these rides.

Anyway, later I will upload yesterday's homily. Tomorrow will be a short reflection on the Gospel for next Sunday. God Bless and take care.

God is Really Good

2008-08-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

The homily is on the same scripture that the last post was on. (The last post was an amended version of the bulletin article that appeared the same Sunday as this homily did). Anyway, here it is:

1. Throughout the world today, Catholics of every nation, language, and culture are hearing the same Scriptures, assisting at the same Mass, receiving the same Eucharist. Just to look at our parish should be enough to convince us that God has called us from every nation to be one people. The salvation won by Jesus Christ is for all people. Although we may have many different customs, we have one faith and one Lord, Jesus Christ.
2. Knowing that the promise of Salvation is intended for all people and that we are even called by Christ to evangelize others and bring them into our faith, we might be confused by the behavior of Jesus. We are used to seeing Jesus immediately having pity and healing those who asked Him for His help. But here in the Gospel, Jesus does not seem too willing to heal the daughter of the Canaanite woman. It says that He did not answer her when she called out, even though she called Him the Son of David (a recognition of His kingship and authority). When she persisted, Jesus said It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs (Matthew 15:26). Now how would you feel if someone said that to you? It does not sound very nice, does it?
3. What was Jesus doing? We know that Jesus did not sin, but why did He answer in this rough manner. Why did Jesus ignore her? Did He think that she was crazy, or a troublemaker, or too needy to be bothered with? Or maybe Jesus knew her very well- better than she knew herself. It certainly would have been easy for Jesus to heal her daughter and send her off to leave Him alone. But instead He said that very offputting phrase: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Maybe the reason Jesus did it was to test her and to teach His apostles. What happeneed next was that the woman said Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters” And because of this response, she got that for which she had begged Jesus- the healing of her daughter. The reason for which Jesus gave was her great faith.
4. Really we ought to pay attention to what happened to this woman. The promise to open the kingdom of God for all people is fulfilled in Jesus. Relationship with God is no longer simply the result of blood relation. True, God still loves the Jewish people in a special way. Saint Paul reminds us that the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). After all, Jesus is Jewish, Mary is Jewish, Joseph is Jewish, as is Peter and Paul and all the other Apostles. Yet the most important aspect of their relationship is not blood relationship to Jesus- being a descendant of Abraham, as important as that may be. Jesus said blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it (Luke 11:28). In the first reading we heard: all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer (Isaiah 56:6b-7). It is faith, and trust, and obedience to His word that makes blessed our relationship with God.
5. Observe the Canaanite woman. She cried to the Lord, and it seemed like He was not listening. Yet she did not give up, but rather persisted in her pleas. And when rebuffed, she did not give up even then, but rather humbled herself and continued to trust in God’s goodness. She that Jesus is Lord and King, she recognized that she needed Him above all things, and she trusted in the goodness of God and His abundant mercy.
6. How abundant is the Lord in His gift giving. When it rained this week, did it rain just on the houses of Catholics only? Or only on those who had been to confession in the last month? No! It rained upon all of us. The Canaanite woman knew that God’s love was so great that it was always spilling over. It was not in short supply, neither was it really just for the chosen few. God is not like a miser who does not use his resources for fear of them running out. Instead, God is like a Father, who is always giving His children so much that the table just spills over with food.
7. This is the kind of trust that Jesus is desiring. We may have an experience where God does not seem to be answering our prayers. But like the Canaanite woman, we should press on, trusting that He is indeed hearing us. Maybe we have received “no” as an answer. But that is no reason to imagine that God is not ready to give us that which is good. Even if we have sinned and fallen far away from the family to which we have been called, the Lord stands ready to give us His mercy, if we trust in Him. When we realize that our hopes can only be fulfilled in Jesus and turn to Him in faith and trust that the Lord's goodness is overflowing, then we will experience the abundance of His loving mercy.

Trusting in the Face of Rejection

2008-08-13T17:41:00.005-05:00

In Jesus' day, it was common for many of the Jewish people to hold themselves aloof from others who were not the descendants of Abraham. They did not want to get themselves in a situation in which their religion would be compromised or in which others would think that they saw all religions as the same. They even went so far as to call the Gentiles "dogs" because they were ritually impure and could not offer sacrifices in the Temple. Yet throughout the Old Testament, it was promised that God would bless all people through the descendants of Abraham. Furthermore, God's kingdom was to be opened up for all peoples.

In the New Covenant, however, the relationship was not going to be based on bloodlines or family ties, but rather faith in Jesus. (Note that Jesus said Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it Luke 11:28). So Jesus tested the woman who desired the healing of her daughter. He said It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs (Matthew 15:26). Her response was Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters (Matthew 15:27) brought forth our Lord’s approval. One might say that she humbled herself before the Lord. After all, before the Almighty God, who is clean and worthy of anything? She might have acknowledged herself as lowly, which is pleasing to the Lord. Her statement revealed that she trusted that Jesus had the power to heal her daughter. Just like the animals can trust in the benevolence of good masters, so could anyone trust in the goodness of the Lord. His blessings and His love was always overflowing to others. Because she believed in Him and trusted in His goodness even in the face of seeming rejection, Jesus approved of her and healed her daughter.

Many times we pray for things- maybe a privilege, a healing, advice or help, and the answer does not seem to come. Or maybe it appears that the answer we get is negative and God is just not very interested in our plight. We should not give up. If we continue to cry out to God, He will help. Of course, sometimes the answer is not what we wanted, maybe it is "no." But it is always "because I love you and want to give you something better." With God we are not animals, we are His children.

Jesus seeks faith and trust.

Do Not Be Afraid

2008-08-10T14:09:00.001-05:00

1. In the ancient world, it was believed that if you saw God, you would die. What was it about God that frightened so much? Maybe it is because before the Lord, all our illusions about having power and importance are stripped away and all that remains is the truth of our utter dependence on His love and mercy.
2. Many people are afraid to meet Jesus. It is easy to say that we love Him and believe that He is Lord, but deep down we would like Him to stay a safe distance away and not get too close. I suppose that is related to the sin of Adam and Eve, and how they hid themselves in the Garden after they had sinned because they were afraid.
3. Maybe it is because we look for God in the wrong way. Many times, we only expect God to speak in the earthquake, in the hurricane, in the explosion, in the mighty wind. But as Elijah realized, God was not speaking to Him in those ways. Rather, it was in the tiny whispering sound.
4. In the silence, Elijah recognized that God was already there. It is not that God could not speak in the mighty wind and rain. It is just that most of the time, God speaks in the tiny whispering voice that we must really listen for. God’s messages usually do not come in a blast, but quietly to those who are actually listening. We have to get quiet, we have to wait in silence and really listen, and then we will hear God.
5. In the Gospel account, we learn of another theophany- that is another manifestation of God, this time in the person of Jesus Christ. Psalm 77 says The waters saw you, God; the waters saw you and lashed about, trembled even to their depths. The clouds poured down their rains; the thunderheads rumbled; your arrows flashed back and forth. ...Through the sea was your path; your way, through the mighty waters, though your footsteps were unseen. And in Job: the Lord alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea. In fulfillment of these scriptures, our Lord walked across the waters. Although the sea and wind recognized that Jesus was God, the disciples had a different interpretation. They thought He was a ghost. And so to reassure them, Jesus called out take courage, it is I, do not be afraid. These words are meant to more than reassure the disciples, they are intended to let us know what is really happening, just in case we do not understand what the water is doing. He said it is I. Another way of saying it I AM, which in Hebrew is the name of God. Jesus frames His self identification with the words Take courage... do not be afraid. Whenever the Lord gave a message through an angel or directly, He would always say this- do not be afraid. God does not desire to terrify us, but to be with us.
6. When the Lord called him, Peter was able to do what Jesus did as long as He focused on the Lord. When Peter began to fear the wind and the waves however, he began to slip. At least he had the presence of mind to call to the Lord, who was already reaching out to rescue him. But Jesus could not help asking Peter why did you doubt? Why did he doubt? Jesus was right there.
7. When Elijah encountered God in this manner, he was still afraid and he hid his face. But nevertheless, he went and stood at the entrance of the cave, so that he could hear God. And what did God say? Elijah, what are you doing here? In other words, why are you hiding- why are you afraid?
8. That is a question for us also? Why do we doubt? Why are we afraid? And we are afraid. We put off going to confession, we hold back our tithe when the collection basket goes by and give something less, we resist the call to the priesthood or religious life, we hold on to grudges, we skip chances to grow intellectually in our faith, we refuse to let God choose how many children we have, and on and on. We could practically walk on water if we focused on the Lord. Instead we sink because of our fear. The worst part is that we do not get to know the One who has chosen us to be in heaven forever. Even if we fear and doubt and sink, we should imitate Saint Peter in calling on the Lord. But really, we should not be afraid.