Good morning everyone.
Finally was able to summarize my homily.
It's hard.
These readings are all over the place.
So before I forget it, because I just like literally one minute ago, okay?
So the objective here is am I trying to look good or am I trying to be good?
That is the question.
In order to be good, it means that we have to deepen our roots in love.
Deepen our roots in love.
And if we do that, we'll get the most out of our life.
Okay, that's it.
And now for the homily.
It's amazing how a priest has to put this all together, right?
Not too long ago, I went to a restaurant, Chinese restaurant, and I got a little fortune cookie.
Of course, it said someone has a crush on you, right?
But the first time I read it, I thought it says someone wants to crush you.
Then I had to look at it again.
Oh, and why did I read it like that?
Why did I say someone wants to crush you?
Well, because that's the way I was brought up.
My father used to say, remember Alfonso, you have no friends, only interests.
You have no friends, only interests.
And of course, being a teenager, like, no, I got plenty of friends.
I got plenty of friends.
People love me.
I'm funny.
I go smoking with them.
I'm the class clown.
And of course, as a teenager, you pretty much do the opposite of what your parents tell you, right?
But you know, my dad was right, in a way. 99% of the people that you associate with, you associate with them because they have an interest in you.
But once in a while, you find a great friend.
In the first reading today, so the first question, remember, what I do, am I doing it out of love?
Or am I doing it out of interest?
Am I being good to look good?
Am I doing good to do good?
Or am I good?
That is the goal.
I want to be good.
Why?
Because of the first reading.
As the test of what the powder molds is in the furnace, you know, if you want to see the good quality of a powder, if it gets through the furnace, it's good.
If you buy, excuse me, if you buy something that's ceramic, you know it went through fire, and it's good, it's solid.
Are you going to be good when you get tested?
Are you going to do good when you get tested?
The first reading today is all about integrity.
Be the same person you are regardless of the circumstance.
Why do we love Jesus Christ?
Because he was authentic.
Well, how do you know he was authentic?
Because he was the same person he was regardless of the circumstance.
When everybody was saying, you know, oh hail the King, Hosanna in the highest, with the palm branches that soon enough we'll be getting there, right?
And then the very next day they all hate him.
Jesus like a rock.
When the adulterous woman came up to him and he says, I forgive you.
Oh, look at that.
Look how good I am.
But then when he's on the crucifix, when he's being crucified, Father forgive them, right?
You see authenticity.
Someone who is so solid that regardless of the circumstances they are the same person.
They never change.
Do I eat the same way when I'm alone or when I'm in public?
When you have a meal, do you eat the same way if you're by yourself?
As if with your girlfriend or your boyfriend or in public?
You know, is it like, no napkin.
And when I eat in public I'm like, it's like, go in the refrigerator, open up the milk.
Look, first I look around, are the other priests here?
And it's called integrity.
Do I have integrity?
Am I the same person I am when I'm alone as I am when I'm with others?
That is very hard.
But that is the challenge.
That is what God is asking us.
Take root.
Take root.
Am I doing what I'm doing out of love or am I doing it to look good?
Be careful with your words.
Praise no one before he speaks for it is then that people are tested.
The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had.
So too does one speech to close the bent of one's mind.
When you're into a heated argument, do you lose it?
Do you lose all control?
I do.
I'm a passionate person.
I'm not the type of person that sits back and really, I don't have that DNA.
I have to work on it.
I have to work at it.
Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Why?
Why?
Because God always gives us the benefit of the doubt.
When you go to confession and you confess your sins, you receive absolution.
Why?
Because the priest gives you the benefit of the doubt.
Because Jesus always gives you the benefit.
What does he say?
What do you say every time you go to confession?
And I firmly resolve with the help of your grace to sin no more.
Okay, see you next week.
Okay, father.
Yeah, see you next week.
Because people don't change overnight.
Nobody changes overnight.
If anybody says to you they're a new person the next morning or the next day, I don't know.
I don't know.
Very rarely does anyone change their habits like that.
It takes time.
But God always gives us the benefit of the doubt.
So as Christians, your love has to take root.
Give people the benefit of the doubt.
I'll never forget when I, one day, I was getting to my car and I saw a man going through the trash can.
You know, I said, okay, that's not good.
So I went over and said, here sir, here's $5.
Go get yourself something.
And the man was like, father, I lost something in the trash.
I was looking.
Give me back those $5.
Okay, it's okay.
You make a mistake.
You know how, don't judge anyone.
No, no, no, judge.
But always judge like this.
How can I help you?
And if you're wrong, okay, don't worry about it.
A funny joke.
Oh, really?
Material for my homily.
Okay.
Many years ago, there was a lady that came to me and she said, father, I can't afford my prescription.
And I said, well, how much is it?
Well, $30.
And I said to her, can I see the, can I see the prescription?
She said, I don't have it.
I said, okay, I'm gonna give you the $30.
I want you to come back with the receipt.
Weeks passed, and then maybe two, three weeks later, I saw her, and I came up from behind.
I saw her sitting down at a table, writing something.
And I looked from behind, and she's writing a receipt.
She's writing by hand a receipt.
And I said to her, what are you doing?
You never came back with the receipt.
Oh, no, no, I'm writing one.
I said, that's not, that's not a real receipt.
And then she said, okay, let me go get it.
And she never came back.
That's unfortunate that she never came back.
Because there's more that can be done to help this person other than giving her $30.
There's more.
Your love has to take root.
This is, now, this is the tough one.
Give people the benefit of the doubt.
Welcome people who misunderstand.
Welcome people you think have the best intentions.
Welcome people who make mistakes.
Welcome people who we think, think the best of people, not the worst.
Allow people to make you look like a fool.
Allow people to make you look like a fool.
Why?
So that you can really help them.
Everything I'm telling you is easy to say.
It's not easy to do.
But if you want to be a Christian, all of you, RCIA, right?
The RCIA.
This is the challenge.
To be like Christ.
To look like a fool.
But then you help people.
Because your love isn't show-and-tell.
Your love is who you are.
Remember what I said last week?
Your love has power.
Your love has power.
And of course the devil, the devil mocks God.
Always mocks God.
Your hatred has power.
Your anger has power.
And then what does the devil say?
Which one is more powerful?
Your love or your hatred?
And that's, that's the battle.
That's the battle.
Remember the old story, the children's story?
Once upon a time there were two wolves.
Two wolves.
And they were constantly fighting.
And one wolf was honesty, integrity, love, loyalty.
And the other one was division, hatred, bitterness, resentment, envy.
And they were constantly fighting.
Which one won?
Which wolf won?
Do you remember?
I have one of my students here.
I see her.
Let me see.
Do you remember?
Were you at school?
Do you remember that story?
Do you remember which one won?
Huh?
The love, the wolf with love?
Which one won?
The one you feed.
The one you feed.
So which one am I going to feed more?
Am I going to hold on to resentment, anger, bitterness?
Or am I going to hold on to love?
Open yourself to misunderstanding.
Don't worry about it.
Because the goal is to help.
The goal is to be good.
Not to be right.
To be good.
And that's what it's all about.
Because otherwise, in the second reading from St.
Paul, he says, what are you living your life for?
To look good?
I mean, you're really gonna, you really want to end your life by just looking good?
Or doing something good?
I mean, look at what he says.
He says, when this which is corruptible closed itself with incorruptibility, and this which is mortal closed itself with immortality.
In other words, are you all about appearances?
Or are you all about the Spirit?
Are you gonna live your life so that you can enjoy it and relax?
Or are you gonna live your life where you challenge yourself?
Are you gonna live your life for just surviving?
Or are you gonna live your life to thrive forever?
And then he says, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord.
Knowing that the Lord, that knowing that in the Lord your labor is never in vain.
Never in vain.
Never.
And now that we begin Lent, and we begin our Ash Wednesday, oh my goodness, what better way?
What's my goal?
I want to be good.
And I have to take deep roots in order to achieve that.
Which means, I have to be open to helping people out of love.
My love has power.
More power than my resentment or anger.
Can a blind person guide a blind person?
What does this mean?
Look for the real needs that people have in their life.
Look for what the people really need.
Look for how can I really, when you judge someone, how can I help you?
That should always be the conclusion.
What can I do for you?
No disciples appeared to the teacher.
Great teachers were great students.
Learn from great people.
Learn from the Saints.
Learn from great people.
Learn from your grandparents, from your parents.
Learn from people who have experience.
Your love has power.
Now let's grow some deep roots.
Amen.
Thank you.
