Luke 11:42-46 Do Not Overlook The Obvious

Luke 11:42-46  Do Not Overlook The Obvious

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The Lord said:  “Woe to you Pharisees!  You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and love for God.  These you should have done, without overlooking the others.”

I finally had the chance to see a presidential debate.  What makes debates interesting, even exciting, is the fact that the American people demand that two individuals, rivals, who do not necessarily want to speak to each other or even be in the same room with each other, have to confront each other.  That’s a good thing. 

I think the build up and anticipation prior to the debate was very exciting.  Everyone was hoping that the President would come out swinging and the Governor would be more charming.   Personally, I was hoping that there would be a fight (verbal punches and knockouts), and there were times when it seemed like it would actually happen, but as soon as tempers flared and politicians became more human, the moderator quickly threw ice upon them and forced them back to their corner, instructing the next zombie to ask his/her question.  I have to tell you that I was disgusted with the “rules” and the “audience”.  No reactions were allowed.  No emotions were to be displayed.  Everyone was supposed to appear as if they had been neutered.  No wonder the audience seemed more interested in how they asked their question rather than in the answer they got. 

Although I was pleased with my candidate's performance, the Presidential debates are nothing compared to the debates that Christ went through.  If you think last night was a “boxing match”, then imagine for a moment the on-going debates that Jesus had with the Pharisees.  Wow!  What a match up!  “Woe to you Pharisees! ...You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”

Whereas most people do not like to be in the same room with those they do not like, the Lord continually sought out the sinner and confronted him.  He would actually go out of his way and search for him.  That is remarkable! 

But what makes the Lord even more remarkable is how well he knows us…and still loves us. 

We (and not just politicians) fear being “known” because we fear not being loved.  We fear exposing our defects and sins to others and covering ourselves is a result of it.  When man first sinned, his first reaction was to cover himself up and hide.  Since then, we hide our true selves from people:  our faults, failures and weaknesses from others.  If you only knew me, you would never love me.  So, I must hide who I really am.  I must cover up my scars and wrinkles.  If I do not, then no one will ever love me. 

What makes the Lord truly remarkable, what makes Him so unique, is His ability to know us and still love us.  We know Jesus loved his enemies because He continued to confront them.  He did not run from them nor did He attempt to avoid them. 

The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves.  And yet, He still loves us and loves us enough to want to help us.  Did the Pharisees hate Jesus?  They did, because they never knew Him.  Did the Lord hate the Pharisees? He did not, because He knew them.  And the fact that He knew them and never condemned them is remarkable!  He prayed that by knowing their heart, they would get to know His Heart.  Did the Lord love them just the way they were?  Of course, but even more…since He never gave up on them!

Politicians do not try to change their opponent’s mind.  They try to change the crowd’s mind.  They are not interested in converting their opponent.  They are interested in beating their opponent.  And because of it, they don’t expose themselves to risk.  They are instructed to be political; that is, deceivingly tolerant and decisively wimpy.  They take more time thinking about how to say something rather than what to say.  They examine poll numbers more than they examine their conscience.  Woe to you Politicians! …You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.      

Was Jesus intolerant or was He tolerant?  He was both.  He was a walking contradiction, Son of God and Son of Man.  He was very intolerant when it came to sin and very tolerant when it came to the sinner.  Although He appeared to be intolerant with the righteous and tolerant with the sinners He was not.  He loved both.  He was a walking contradiction because he loved us enough follow us and loved us enough to invite us to follow Him. 

Let’s never overlook the obvious.

Lk 4:38-44 The God Touch

Lk 4:38-44  The God Touch

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After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.  Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever.  He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.  She got up immediately and waited on them.  At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him.  He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.

I will never forget what happened to me when I went to Mexico to attend the beatification ceremony of Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio, the young martyr whose life was recently featured in the movie “For Greater Glory”.   While I was in Sahuayo, Michoacan, I went to visit the local Church where this child would often serve at Mass.  As I was heading back to the bus, a young man asked me for a blessing.  I placed my hand over his head and blessed him.  Then, another man came up to me and asked for my blessing.  Again, I placed my hand over his head and prayed over him.  When I looked up, I could not believe what I was seeing.  A crowd had gathered around me.  Fifty, then sixty, then nearly one hundred people surrounded me and asked me for a blessing. 

Never before did I feel so needed and so wanted as in that moment and in that place.  Never before did I experience such personal oneness (closeness) with Christ and His priesthood.  Never before did I witness so much trust, love and devotion towards Christ.

He laid his hands on each of them.  When I saw the crowd gather, I was tempted to give one big blessing, but then I asked myself what the Lord would do.  It’s then that I remembered:  “He laid his hands on each of them…”   

The Lord gave himself; his time and attention, to every single soul that sought Him.  It is this extraordinary fact and highly inefficient tactic that made Him so loveable, memorable, personable and believable to others.  The Lord had no fears in allowing others to get close to Him; to get to know Him.  This should not be taken lightly.  After all, most celebrities keep their distances.  Stages are set well above the crowd – above our abilities to jump over it.  Cameras and microphones allow pop stars to easily communicate with millions of their adoring fans…and get away with it FROM A DISTANCE.  Do not even think for a moment that it is for their security.  Hah! It is not for their safety, it is for their sake; their image. It’s not to keep them safe and sound but to keep what is hidden from being revealed.  Our sins are what make us fearful of getting too close to anyone. 

Over time, I have convinced myself that if others only knew me…they would run away from me.   

He stood over her.  The Lord reaches out to us.  And even though He knows us, He continues to love us.  Though He was without sin, He does not shy away from us.  Instead, He over reaches to get to us so that we can’t help but touch Him, know Him and be saved by Him.  His light is what shines all over my heart, mind, body and soul.  His light dispels the darkness in my life.  Idols are incredibly insecure people.  They do not want us to know them for who they really are.  They prefer to cover their eyes with sunglasses, even during the night.

When you leave this earth, how many people will have known you intimately, personally and affectionately?  Two?  Three?  A handful?  Is this a bad thing?  Not at all!  Not at all if it was for good, and better yet if it was for worse.   

Do you realize that the Lord was known intimately by just a few people?  But boy…look at what they did with that knowledge! 

Regardless of how long we live:  ten years, thirty years, fifty years, even one hundred years, we will only be intimately and personally known by just a few.   

Some people may get to know me with blood samples; others by my size, height, width, DNA, look or feel or some weird Freudian measuring stick.  Still others may even get to know me by what I wrote, said and did.  But only a few will ever know me by heart.  And if only a few ever got to know me by heart, then I can truly imagine only One who would have known me better than I knew myself; who would have known what I was capable of before I was ever formed in my mother’s womb. (cf. Jer 1:5)

This is the God touch.

Mt 18:21-19:1 Making God Evident

Mt 18:21-19:1  Making God Evident

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Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times...”

The “absence of evidence” should not be confused as “evidence of absence”.  When someone says that God is not very evident it does not mean he is absent.  It means they should continue asking, seeking and knocking.  If I can’t see God, the reason may very well be because He stands behind me.  It doesn’t mean he is absent from me. 

If I have never had a steak, it doesn’t mean that steaks do not exist.  If I have never been married, it doesn’t mean that marriage is overrated.  If I have been stuck in a lousy marriage, it doesn’t mean that marriage is lousy.  If I rarely ever experienced the warmth of my father or the love of my mother, it does not mean that God does not exist.  If anything, it means that sin exists.

There have been far too many individuals who lacked normalcy and made up for it with atrocity.  I recently finished reading a book by Paul Johnson entitled, “Intellectuals”.  It’s an interesting little book that describes in detail (at times disgusting detail) the dysfunctional, immoral, and egocentric lives of some of the greatest “intellectuals” of recent memory.   But what is even more shocking is the tremendous influence these perverted, twisted and confused individuals had on human thought and behavior?  I personally think we point to them because we can use them in justifying our own addictive personalities, lifestyles, sexual promiscuities, etc.  After all, why love Christ who tells me I’m wrong when I can love Marx who tells me I’m right?

It is amazing just how a few individuals could cause an exuberant amount of pain, misery and confusion on the rest of humanity.  

Now if I were to surmise what drove all of them to great sadness or madness and to advocate great evil, I would have to say it was based on the following evidence:  an absence of evidence. 

Evil is the absence of good. 

In other words, since these individuals never experienced a healthy family life, a solid Christian education, love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion, then, based on the evidence (or lack of), they concluded that such things do not really exist. 

God is love.  And the problem with God being love (if there is a problem with that), is that love is evident yet mysterious.  Love is like the sun.  The sun helps us to see clearly everything around us, except the sun!  We can’t stare at it, unless it is clouded over; and then, we can’t see it clearly – as it truly is.

Forgiveness and giving is evidence of love.  If we love, then we forgive and give.  If we do not love, then it remains absent. 

The Lord told Peter, “You must forgive, always.”   The problem with intellectuals is that if there is nothing to forgive, then there is nothing to give.  This only makes the world’s problems even worse. 

 How often must I forgive?  Always.  And this will keep God evident in our world.   

This is how they will know you belong to me (cf. Jn 13:35).

Lk 1:39-56 The Assumption

Lk 1:39-56  The Assumption

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Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.” 

Often, I hear people tell me that they have a hard time relating to Mary.  I agree with them.  This morning, I was having a hard time as well.  But then I thought to myself, what exactly do I have a hard time relating to?

Just a few days ago, I went to see a couple of movies with some friends.  First, I went to see Bourne Legacy.  This movie was packed with death, murder, lies, chasing scenes, fighting scenes, personal (internal) struggles, commitment, love, betrayal, and intrigue.  The movie ended the good old fashion way:  good triumphing over evil and the hero relaxing with the woman he loves.  I liked it.

Then I went to see Total Recall.  Again, this futuristic movie was jammed pack with war, terror, death, a ton of  running, fights scenes, human (internal) tragedies, struggles, betrayal, love and intrigue.  It too concluded the good old fashion way:  with good triumphing over evil and the hero embracing the woman he loves.      

In both movies, the heroes shared something in common:  some sort of amnesia.  What is interesting is that neither hero ever forgot how to fight.  If we find it hard to relate to these types of movies, it isn’t because we don’t have struggles or difficulties in our life; rather, it’s because we’ve forgotten how to fight.

If we have a hard time relating to Mary, it’s not because she lived the perfect life; it’s not because she didn’t have any struggles or difficulties or even betrayals to overcome.  Rather, it’s because we have forgotten how to fight for someone or something that is worth dying for.  

Mary was a fighter.  She knew what it would take to overcome, overpower, and outsmart the evil plans of Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Roman Empire, the Jewish authorities.  She knew what it would take to overcome Joseph’s death, her son’s arrest, crucifixion and death.  She knows it takes her unconditional, real, sincere, hard working heart pumping prayers of love towards her Son and God to save the world.

Mary was a fighter.  Why?  Because everything mattered; everything except for prestige, titles, honors and false glories.  She was more than ready to get down on her knees before ever expecting to be lifted up.

This is our problem.  Not only have we forgotten what it takes (and therefore can’t relate) to be lifted up, but we have also forgotten what matters most:  not my glory, but God’s glory.

Not only do we get furious when we are not recognized for the little we have done, but we want it all without a struggle!       

Parents want their children to be perfect.  Teachers want the perfect children.  Blessed are the moms and dads and teachers that have the imperfect, the crazy, the totally human and defective children.  Blessed are the meek and humble of heart, for they will be exalted! 

Now, if you happen to have the “perfect” children, then I’m sure the Lord will be blessed with next door neighbors that have wild kids!  And if you happened to have the “perfect” classroom last year, then I am sure you will have the “crazy” classroom this year (or at least crazy parents to deal with)!

The struggles, the trials and difficulties you experience with your children are the best way – the perfect way - to show them how much you love them.  Tribulations are the perfect reminders that you cannot do it alone.  They are the perfect road signs that lead us to prayer and sacrifice. 

In every single apparition in which Mary appears, her message is always the same: “Come back to my son”.  Translated, this means, come back to reality; come back to what is important; come back to your senses. 

We would all like a Christ without a Cross, but let’s not forget the two go together.  Something worthy of dying for leads us all the way to glory and our final resting place.

Mt 13:44-46 The Kingdom of God and Gum

Mt  13:44-46  The Kingdom of God and Gum

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again.”

Recently, I went to see a movie with a beautiful family.  They have three girls and one little boy.  I can’t remember at this moment what movie we went to see, but that’s not the point of this meditation.  During the movie, the youngest child poked me repeatedly.  I thought he was just bothering me, but when I finally looked at him, I saw that he was offering me a piece of bubble gum.  “For me?” I inquired.  The child simply nodded his little head.  “Aw…thank you so much!”

While I watched the movie, I unwrapped the gum as quietly as possible and quickly put it in my mouth.  It didn’t take me long to realize that something was wrong with the gum; it didn’t taste right.  I chewed and chewed but there was no flavor.  In fact, it kind of tasted nasty.  It kind of tasted like it had been tasted before!  I looked over at my little friend and asked him, “Where did you get this gum?”  At that, he put his hand over his mouth and began to giggle; a giggle that reminded me of the JOKER!

I couldn’t believe it!  I was about to tell this child, “Don’t you know I can send you to hell?!!”  I didn’t.  I controlled myself.

Well, I immediately took the gum out of mouth and looked for the wrapper.  I have to admit I didn’t know where it was.  I kind of threw it somewhere in the movie theater.  With no options left, I decided to stick the gum on the front of my chair. 

I know…I know…Sorry, but I did it anyways.  I promised myself I would remove it as soon as the movie was over, I forgot.  Thank God! 

As we were saying our goodbyes and I was heading over to my car, I noticed that I couldn’t find my car keys.  I must have dropped them somewhere, but where?  I headed straight back to the theater and asked if anyone had found a set of keys.  Negative.  I went back inside the theater and to where I had sat.  But with the lights on and everyone gone, I couldn’t exactly remember where I had sat.  I went to one row, checked it, and found nothing. 

That’s when I remembered the bubble gum. 

I began to search for the bubble gum rather than for my keys.  Once I found it, I searched below my seat and found my keys.

If there is anything “unique” about my meditations; if the Lord has blessed me in a special way, then it is in taking the day to day realities of life and applying them to the Gospel truth. 

So often in my life I have considered certain “things” as useless, only to come back to them and find some hidden truth in them.  Take for example, faith.  As a child I considered faith as being meaningless, useless, and impractical only to come back to it later in life and appreciate it beyond belief!   Today, I consider my faith in God (and not in myself) as a treasure that is well worth selling everything for in order to own it.  What I once thought was tasteless, boring and unprofitable; today, I consider it to be a pearl of great price; the key to unlocking so many mysteries in my life.

Mk 6:7-13 Making The Right Connections

Mk 6:7-13  Making The Right Connections

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Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.  He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts.  They were, however to wear sandals but not a second tunic.    

No food, no sack, no money.  Thank God the Lord allowed them to wear sandals.  How generous of him!

What in the world is the Lord thinking?  Why is He doing this?  Is He punishing them?  Does He want to make their life miserable?  What’s the point?  What’s the connection between Jesus and material poverty?  What lesson does the Lord want his Apostles to learn?  Does He want them to learn how to rely on themselves and not on Him or just the opposite?  I think the answer is pretty clear:  Our Lord wants them to trust in Him. 

Christ could have talked all day long about trust.  He could have preached about it until he was blue in the face.  But eventually, His Apostles would have to experience it, and the only way they would ever experience His security, His authority, His power is if they left behind their personal securities, authority and abilities. 

It worked.    They all came back better than ever.  They understood the connection.

We are constantly connecting ideas and people together.  Sometimes we do a good job at it; sometimes we do a very lousy job at it.

Imagine moms and dads this scenario.  You pack your kids up for school.  You drive them to school and then one of them realizes that they left their lunch money or lunch, or homework, or P.E. uniform at home.  Now imagine what would happen if you told him, “Honey, I’m sorry but I will not go back to get them.”  What would your child think of that?  What connection would they make?  Would they think, “I get it.  It finally comes out.  You hate me, don’t you?”  If they think that, they would be making one big bad connection.  The truth of the matter is totally different.  You won’t go back not because you don’t love your child, but because you need to teach your child to be more responsible.  That’s the real connection!    

Make the connection.  If we wish to have a greater connection in our life with Christ then we must trust in his commandments, his love, his pruning, his love, his authority.  Take it step by step.  Acknowledge God before others.  Live the faith faithfully.  Bear fruit.  Be blessed.  This is how I ended yesterday’s meditation.  This is where I would like to pick up on today’s meditation. 

To have a blessed life does not mean to have an easy life.  That’s a very wrong connection that far too many of us have made.  On the contrary, to be blessed means to accept an invitation to follow and imitate the life of Jesus Christ; that is, to be a participant in salvation history; to take an active role in salvation and redemption.  Will it be easy?  Ask the Lord.  Make the connection.  Did the Lord experience hardships or suffering?    Yes.  So will I be surprised or shocked if I experience the same?  I shouldn’t be, if I made the connection.   

If you pray will you be successful?  Yes, but not in the way you think.  Too often we connect success with money and power.  In fact, we often associate a rich person as “blessed (by the Lord)” and a poor person as “cursed (by the Lord)”.  That’s a very wrong connection to make.  We are not believers in the “prosperity gospel”.  Take a look and tell me which of the Twelve Apostles turned out to be a millionaire?  We need to be careful of the connections we make.  Bad connections ultimately lead to bad decisions.  Success, “Christ style”, means life after death; glory after crucifixion; recognition and praise after suffering; steadfastness and determination in the midst of confusion and aggression.  

If I die like Christ, I will rise like Him.  If I live like Christ, I will suffer like Christ.  If I love like Christ, I will be more like Christ.  Make right connections today, not only with regards to the Lord but also in regards to your marriage and family.

This morning I heard that 18% of all children in the United States are obese.  Interesting…but then the announcer said that 80% of all children in the United States are on a diet.  The conversation quickly turned to parents taking responsibility by ensuring that their children eat properly and exercise regularly.  But I didn’t get the connection between bad food and so many kids on a diet.  The problem is not with what’s in the refrigerator.  The problem is what’s in the bedroom!  If only 18% of children are medically obese but 80% of our kids are on a diet then the problem is not with what’s in the refrigerator.  The problem is what are our kids watching?  I know what they are seeing (or reading):  Seventeen Magazine, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, etc…  Our girls are “reading” magazines full of digitally modified bodies of teens!  No wonder over ten million girls have eating disorders.  Make the connection!  Get rid of the magazines!

Teenage texting is another area that needs to be addressed.  Parents pat themselves on the back because they think they solved the problem by giving their child unlimited texting.  Bad connection.  Instead, what they have done is create the illusion of unlimited time; that they have all the time in the world to waste.  50,000 texts in one month is nothing but a waste of time; which ultimately leads to a waste of a life.  That's really the right connection.   

For months there has been a debate whether or not football helmets make football players safer.  The purpose of helmets was to protect our players from head injuries.  Wrong connection!  Instead of making them safer, it made them more reckless.  It made them think they were invincible!  Maybe the same lessons learned on the football field can be applied to teenage sex.  Instead of encouraging our kids to engage in “safe sex”, we may have actually taught them to engage in reckless sex.   Good connection!

They say the truth hurts.  Bad connection!  What we really should say is the truth sets us free because Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  What really hurts is not the truth but rather our pride. 

Jesus never hurts.  Great connection!

Mt 9:14-17 Why?

Mt 9:14-17  Why?

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The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?”  Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them…” 

The Lord was asked many questions.  Thank God!  Otherwise, I’m not sure we would know as much as we know.  We don’t like people asking us questions because we don’t like having our opinions questioned.  And what I have seen in the past is clear:  if I can’t defend my opinion, then I will attack the person questioning it. 

Questions have always helped me to better understand why I do what I do or believe what I believe. Those who ask me force me to be vigilant in my thoughts, words and actions.  I can honestly say that I am a better thinker today because I am a better questioner today.  But remember:  If a good question can lead to a better opinion, so can a good answer lead to a change of opinion.

The Lord was asked by the disciples of John why he didn’t fast as much as the Pharisees did.  Good question.  To understand the Lord’s answer requires that we understand the purpose of fasting.  We fast so that we can get closer to God.  That’s the goal of fasting.  Fasting is a means, not an end.  Fasting allows us to purge ourselves from sin and purify our minds, hearts, and souls from material comforts so that we can get closer to the Lord.  That’s why we fast. 

Understanding this, we can better understand the Lord’s answer.  “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?”  Why in the world would the apostles fast if they are physically close to God?  If you have been invited to the (heavenly) banquet, then why in the world would you fast?  If you are growing, then why stunt your growth?

The Pharisees fasted, prayed and diligently observed the Law.  But did they budge an inch closer to the Lord?  Did their hearts get any softer?  No.  It appears as though they were praying and fasting for the wrong things.

I know a few people who “pray” for clarity and understanding regarding abortion, contraception, euthanasia and gay-marriage.  What they don’t realize is that they are praying not for clarity but for a change in opinion; that is, God’s opinion.  Isn’t the Church’s stance on these issues clear enough?  Isn’t the origin of the Church itself clear enough? 

A few days ago someone asked me why the Catholic Church is so “structured”.  They commented, “Some say it is a sign of weakness; a way to suppress free thought?”  Good question.  I gave them my answer.  “Structure comes from hard lessons learned.  The Church is like a building constructed on solid ground.  There is a lot of order, structure and thought that goes into building a building.  The reasons for it are the fires of the past and the errors of eras gone by.  There is much structure in fire codes these days because of the fires of ages past.  The Church has been through Hell and back.  Do we have to repeat wars once fought or fires once put out?  If we do not appreciate structure, it’s because we do not know the past. 

I always wondered by confessionals were done in boxes that were sealed; that is, where the priest did not have access to the penitent.  Until the 60’s, this was commonplace.  Now, it has been made very clear to all.  This is but one example of an error repeated from a lesson lost.

The Lord loves to bring people and teachings together; brides and bridegrooms; faith and reason; kindness and truth; justice and peace; honest questions and honest answers; fasting and God; Christ and The Church.

John 20:24-29 Don’t Let The Word Go By

John 20:24-29  Don’t Let The Word Go By

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Thomas, one of the Twelve, said to the other disciples, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 

She looked like she was sixty.  She walked very slowly and with a cane.  She spoke with a raspy voice.  The poor thing slept outside all night long.  She was looking for help.  She was looking for a meal and a place to stay.  I asked her how long it had been since she went to Church.  That’s when she finally looked up at me and said, “I stopped going to Church when a priest told me that if I didn’t change my ways, I would go to Hell.” 

I told her, “He was right, wasn’t he.” 

She was just forty-two years old.  I couldn’t believe it.  But after years of drug and alcohol use, this poor lady was living life in hell.  Her pain was unceasing.  At times she felt like her body was on fire.   Instead of quitting the Church, she should have quit her sins. 

The priest had told her the truth, and so she took it out on the Church.  Though we can be the subjects of our liberty, we will always be captives of the truth.  No matter how hard we try, we will never be able to free ourselves from the truth; that is, free ourselves from God!  Blessed John Henry Newman once wrote:  “Our strength is this world is, to be the subjects of the reason, and our liberty, to be captives of the truth” (Loss and Gain)

Seeing is believing. Life can be very long and miserable, especially when it is lived in sin.  Is this so hard to believe?  Is it so hard to believe that there is a right way and a wrong way to live life? I don’t need anyone to convince me of what will lead me to heaven or to hell.  I don’t need any convincing, especially when I can see it for myself! 

So how do we go so wrong?  How do we get ourselves into a horrible mess?  My guess is that we are easily fooled by the tiniest portion of the whole truth; that is, we are fooled by “the moment”.  “The moment” is the part of truth we can see and easily believe.  It is also the part that gets us into trouble.

When we grasp “the moment”, we tend to throw ourselves at it not realizing that it can actually sink us for good.  For example, we see the glamour of evil and believe it, and are mastered by it, and only later terrorized by it. 

When children see the glamour of the stage, the fans and the young artist, rock musician, actress or model on it, they are easily mesmerized by it.   What they don’t realize is what we have all seen before; that is how the final production; the last call; the final farewell is given and received.

Believing is truly seeing…Why just limit life (or sight) to “the moment”.  Why not believe in what we cannot immediately see?  We believe a lot of things we can’t see.  Why not believe in God’s Commandments?  Why not take them to heart?  Is it so hard to believe in the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?  Is it so hard to take what we have seen in the past and project it into the future?  Haven’t we seen enough to help us believe? 

I have often heard parents tell me, “They’re just kids”.  I know that!  Don’t tell me the obvious.  But why trust in just "the moment".  Kids grow up and either they become a parent’s joy or a very serious pain in the neck.  Don’t let them mess around with sex, pornography, drugs or alcohol.  Do you need to see in order to believe?  Can you believe before you see? 

One week later…Thomas missed “the moment”.  But in reality, he “missed the point”.  While the world went by and revolved around the sun, the Word went by and the Apostles revolved around the Son.  Thomas was in hell…at least for one week.  He neither believed in what his friends had seen or in what the Lord had said.  His past experiences with the Lord meant nothing.  His past errors in judgment meant nothing.  A priest should have told Thomas, “If you don’t change your ways, you will go to Hell”.  Thomas was living in hell!  He was a doubter and his doubts had finally caught up to him.  He always had a hard time putting together the whole truth (the past, the moment and the future).  Doubts are like missing pieces of a puzzle or like time gone missing.  By now, he should have been able to fill in the blanks.  Instead, he wasted a week in his doubts.  The Lord helped him.  The Lord appeared to him. 

“Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed”.  Why?  Because they have seen the whole truth and nothing but the truth:  Jesus Christ. 

Mt 8:18-22 No Reason To Rest

Mt 8:18-22  No Reason To Rest

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When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore.  A scribe approached him and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 

When I read today’s Gospel passage, I immediately thought of how falsehoods make great resting spots.  Sure, I can be, if only for a moment, “whatever I want to be”.  I can pretend to be who I am not.  I can duck and hide in a lie.  I can take cover in an illusion.  I can plant the buck on someone else.  I can keep the façade alive and well.  Why rely on the truth when I can retell a lie?  I can continue to use my past as an excuse in order to win the ear or sympathy of the one I wish to keep close to my chest.   

 “I’m pregnant”.  That’s what an obsessed young teenage girl told her boyfriend.  It wasn’t true, but that’s what she told him.  And for a few months, she took comfort in her lie.  She got what she wanted (comfort in power) and she held on to him for as long as she could. 

“I have cancer.”  That’s what another obsessed lover told their “beloved”.    And for weeks the “beloved” felt tormented by his “insensitivity”.  It all turned out to be a hoax, but the damage was done.  The beloved nearly had a nervous breakdown from all the mind games played.

Foxes have dens, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.  There’s no place to hide in the truth.  And in some ways, there’s no resting in the truth.  Yes, the truth shall set you free, but it will not bring you rest, not on earth at least.  When you expose yourself to reality, you strip yourself of all comfort.  You lay yourself bare.  You open yourself up to ridicule and to scorn, especially from those who have not yet exposed themselves. Like a desert, the truth will subject you to a scorching hot day and a brutally cold evening.

The Son of man had nowhere to rest his head because he had nothing to hide.  I AM who I AM.  Here I am, I come to do the Father’s Will.  He is all that He claimed to be.  No secrets. No hidden agendas. No false pretenses.  He lays bare his soul and strips himself of any human assumptions such as history or culture.  He speaks to all, regardless of gender.  He cures all, regardless of profession of faith.  He loves all, regardless of race or nationality.  He dies for all:  regardless of their worthiness. 

The Lord will not lie to save his reputation.  He will not lie to save his life, his true identity.  He cannot conceal, not even for a moment, his unconditional love for the Father and for all creation.  When he reminds those he healed to keep hush his power, they immediately go off and rally the crowds and antagonize the Pharisees.  The truth seems to hurt as well as heal!

But given the right circumstances (where two or more are gathered in my name), the truth is as illuminating and as shining as the sun (or the Son) and as refreshing and clean as an evening blue sky.

In my years of as a priest, I have found that the homilies that are most effective (and most appreciated) are the ones that lay bare my soul:  the good, the bad and the ugly.  I have found that the young men and women that go on retreats and have the opportunity to share their life story (the good, the bad and the ugly of it), are hugged and appreciated the most.   I have witnessed, either as a confessor or as a recipient of confession, that the more honest the soul, the greater the grace received.

The Truth is for man.  The truth is for us.  The truth is very liberating.  There is no place to rest for those who trust in the Lord, who trusts in the truth and who trust in God’s love because there is no desire to stop and hide.     

Mt 8:5-17 Surprise Yourself and The Lord

Mt 8:5-17  Surprise Yourself and The Lord

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A centurion approached Jesus and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”  He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”  The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the words and my servant will be healed.”  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

He handed it right to me.  What I was hoping for he placed in my hands.  He gave me his credit card.

While I was up in Michigan, working as the Executive Director at an independent Catholic school, I was placed in charge of raising money for our fledgling little school.  It needed students (like most schools) and it needed money (like all schools).  We needed to raise a ton of money.  Where to begin… Well, as a young priest, I decided the best way to raise money would be to get to know each family.  I began meeting one family after another.  Without knowing it, I had scheduled a dinner with a wonderful family.  I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.  As I drove up to their home, I realized for the very first time that this family had money.  The husband had been very successful in his business and he was not reluctant to show it off.  As we ate, I mentioned our school and how we struggle in paying our bills.  As soon as I finished, he pulled out his wallet and handed me his credit card.  I couldn’t believe it.  He said to me, “Is this what you need?  Go ahead and take it.  Use it as you need.”  I was shocked and I said the stupidest thing I have ever said in my life.  I said, “No, its okay.”

As I returned to the rectory, I recounted to an older priest what had happened.  He shook his head and told me flat out, “You should have taken it.”

But I think my “stupid” response surprised me as much as it surprised the husband and wife I ate with.  And I was right.  Instead of taking the money and running, he gave me back the reason for my priesthood; and I gave him back the reason for his faith.

That evening, I realized what it meant to be a priest.    I didn’t want to go back to my room and label this family “Rich” and another family “Poor”.  I didn’t want to think this family was “a leader” family while other families were not.  I didn’t want to visit people to see if they had money or with an agenda in mind.  I wanted to be a priest, like Jesus Christ, who spoke to people regardless of who they were:  rich, poor, Romans, Tax Collectors, Pharisees, sinners.  I didn’t want to start being wishy-washy; that is, telling people what they wanted to hear for fear of not getting what I wanted.  I wanted to tell everyone what they needed to hear, regardless of lost “opportunities”. 

That evening, and without knowing it, I started a relationship, a friendship, with a man and his family that was based on faith and trust, and not on wealth, influence, position or power. 

A few years later, this man who had everything, lost just about everything...but not his faith.  As for the school, it was saved by other very generous donors of whom I had nothing to do with.  I’m so happy!    

Unfortunately, so many of us seek friendships to serve selfish purposes.

Do you try to get to know someone because you seek something from them?  Do you operate with an agenda in your relationships?  Are you trying to convert someone?  If so, then surprise that person just like the centurion surprised the Lord.  Put the agenda down and put that person in its place!  Let them be your agenda!  Let them be to you what you are to the Lord:  a soul.  Let them know they have a friend.  Do not attach any strings to it.

The Roman soldier surprised the Lord by asking him for a favor.   And the Lord surprised the Roman soldier (as well as the crowd and his disciples) when he began to listen to him, speak to him, and accept his request to heal his slave.  But the centurion's greatest surprise occurred when the Lord said to him, “I will come and cure him.”  

What?  You will come into my house?  You would do that for me?  To enter into the house of a pagan, would have meant to be labeled ‘unclean’.   The centurion could not believe it!  He had everything he could have asked for and wanted in his hands.  With that, the centurion surprised himself and the Lord when he said, “You don’t have to come to my house.  Just say it and I know it will happen.” 

Some things are more important than others.  Some things are not that important. 

This young soldier came to the Lord in good faith; actually in better faith than anyone else.  And the Lord responded in good faith; actually in better faith than anyone else.  When the Lord spoke to someone, he spoke to them as a human being; a soul.  Christ saw through the façade of façades, agendas, political and social status.  He saw through the sinner as well.  He went straight to the heart of the matter.  In everyone he came in contact with, he saw an opportunity to show the Father’s unconditional love; the most important thing of all.

Where to begin…

Begin with Christ.  Begin with faith.  Do everything out of faith.  Allow the Lord to be the one who carries the burden of providence.  Allow the Lord to be the one who directs your heart and mind.