Mt 25:31-46 Serving Is Hard To Do

Mt 25:31-46 Serving Is Hard To Do

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Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

It’s not often that it happens. But sometimes I just do not feel like making a hospital visit. I know this sounds horrible, but it is true. A few weeks ago I was so upset at my favorite Pro-Life center called Birth Choice. The receptionist had called me non-stop, three times in less than an hour, while I was on a retreat. They wanted me to visit a woman who had lost her baby. The child was premature and only survived an hour. I won’t get into the details but I basically told them to stop bothering me. After all, it’s a Saturday and didn’t they know that priests are extremely busy on Saturdays? Little did I know how holy this woman was and with her prayers and the Holy Spirit, they both managed to get me to visit her. In less than a half-hour, I left the retreat center, drove over an hour to get to Parkland and was able to see her that day.

Then, it happened again. I was doing some exercise and I received a phone call on the Emergency line. Again, all I could think was, “Tough! I need my time too!” But then I felt so guilty I called immediately and went straight to the hospital.

Serving is hard to do. But what I have realized in my life is that when it is the most difficult, then it is the most important. When I don’t feel like visiting a patient, I now know it is the patient I need to visit the most. When I don’t feel like hearing another confession, it is the confession that I most need to hear. The devil is at work, but so is the Holy Spirit!

Today, I had a minor medical procedure done. It was my first time to be on the other side, to be the lonely patient. It was routine for the doctor and nurses, but it was the first for me! Of course I thought the worst, that I would not wake up from the anesthesia or that the doctor would mess up or that I would have some sort of complication. Everything went very well, thanks be to God! While I was waiting in the pre-op room, I struck up a conversation with the nurse and I asked her to pray for me. I told her I was a Catholic priest. She told me that she was Catholic too and that she would not allow anything bad to happen to me. She said, “Don’t worry. We cannot afford to lose any priests. We need more of you guys!”

While they were wheeling me in, I saw the doctor and he was very pleasant, striking up a conversation and helping me to feel more at peace. I asked him if he knew what he was doing. He smiled. He asked me if I knew what he was about to do. I smiled and said, “I really don’t want to know. Whatever it is, do it quickly.” I always use passages from the Gospel when I’m a little nervous.

I don’t remember a thing after that. I woke up and saw a nurse and my good friend, Deacon Randy, next to me. Immediately I felt like a million dollars! I didn’t get much sleep the night before and asked the nurse if anesthesia gives you a good night sleep. He said, “Yes, but that’s what got Michael Jackson in trouble. The poor guy would fall asleep with anesthesia. Abusing it or using it too often will kill you. The doctor should have known better, much better.” The team of doctors and nurses did a fabulous job serving me and others. Unbeknown to them, they had learned this lesson from the Lord.

It seems as though the Gospel of the day always relates to my life. Serving others always means helping others overcome their fears and anxieties, regardless of what type of suffering is experienced. The medical staff did a great job. The Church does too, better than others. After all, what do you think would happen if you worked for an organization and broke every single rule they had? They would immediately fire you, ask you to never come back and impolitely invite you to not show your face around there again. Clearly, the Church is not of human origin for we welcome back the sinner; answer the call from the 30 plus years fallen away cradle Catholic; and we go out of our way to anoint and forgive the frightened heretic! It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is what the Church (Christ) did best. It is essential to who we are (the Body of Christ).

The Church started the first hospitals and universities and for good reason. Know the truth and once you know it, show compassion towards your stricken brother. That's what it is all about. Sin, like all illnesses, does not go away by just wishing it away or pretending it’s not there. Sin is real and so must compassion and mercy be real.

The Lord invites all Christians to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the ill and those in prison. The Lord invites us to do what he did for us: help those who suffer. But don’t they deserve what they get? Don’t they deserve to suffer for their lack of responsible behavior? We all know the answer, but do we understand it? The Lord reminds us that his father lets the rain fall on the good and bad.” There is plenty of grace to go around and those who have dug their grave the deepest tend to be the seeds that produce the greatest and most beautiful fruits for Christ. The Lord wants us to go and share the Good News to all, especially with our fallen brothers and sisters for they will become witnesses to us!

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev 19:18)

Serving is hard to do, and allowing others to serve you might be just as hard. Are you confident that you can do it? The Lord is. And it is important that we try. After all, he commands us to “Be holy, for I, your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:1). This is not only a command from the Lord; it is a guarantee that we can do it.

The only way to experience this is to allow it to happen. This has been my experience and this is the season for experimenting.

Behold, this is a very acceptable time.

Mt 4:1-11 Temptations

Mt 4:1-11 Temptations

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What are temptations? They are invitations or choices that we can make in our lives. They are what they do not appear to be. They are hand delivered invitations to walk in a wasteland towards the garden of Eden. That is, to follow a mirage in the desert.

Where do temptations come from? They come from the devil, our world and from our fallen nature. They do not come from God but are permitted by Him. And if they are allowed by our Lord, then they are for good reason. We can then turn to Him when we are tempted.

Temptations allow us to know ourselves better, what we truly love, what we are most attracted to. Temptations will never seduce me to do things I hate, like eat spinach! No, they know us better than that and know exactly when to hit, where to hit and how to hit!

So why does God allow temptations in the first place? Again, it’s so that we can truly know ourselves. The Lord can use temptations to get the best out of us. It is a very strong reminder of his words, “Without me, you can do nothing.”

The Saints that endured horrific trials and persecution are living reminders of God’s fidelity to those who seek him. If they can persevere, so can I. If they can remain faithful in times of trial, so can I. Temptations can actually make us stronger. Every time I destroy a temptation, step on it, crush its head, I become stronger! It is a mystery. Why does suffering bring out the best in us? Why do we grow light years in maturity when we have to undergo hardship? It is a truth, a reality but a mystery. Temptations provide us with opportunities for growth because character develops with choice. Humility and humiliation help us to grow “into” Christ. And when we grow into another Christ, we can begin to save.

How does the devil do it? He does it the same way over and over again. His way of dealing and wheeling started with Eve; his arrogance tempted Christ, and being unsuccessful with the Lord, he became very successful with us. First, he identifies the desire in us. He gets us to doubt (about sin), “Does God really care?” Then, he deceives us for he is the father of lies. He tries to get us to be like him: disobedient. As Peter Kreeft comments, the devil goes for the legs, our lower faculties: emotions, desires, lusts. Christ goes for the heart and brain, the higher faculties: the intellect and the will. The devil shoots for the 60 yard dash, immediate gratification. On the other hand, Christ participates in the Marathon - the end of life, the goal, Heaven.

How do we destroy temptations? There are many ways, but the most important way begins with the right attitude. I must want, desire to eliminate temptations from my life. Sometimes we like to play with them, like with a killer whale, but temptations have no love affair with us. It is all business for them: seek and destroy.

Prayer unites us with God. Vigilance means staying alert, knowing the enemy well. Prudence means learn from your mistakes. Be honest with yourself. Know what you can and cannot do. Run, there is always a way out. Refocus – recommit yourself on a daily basis. Confess your sins immediately. Trust in the Lord. God is the great “I AM WHO AM”. The devil is the great “I AM WHO AM NOT.” Progress might mean baby steps. But don’t ever forget, little by little means more and more.

Finally, never give up.

Luke 5:27-32 Calling All Sinners

Luke 5:27-32 Calling All Sinners

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I have said it before. If Christ’s antagonists got anything right, it was this: He is the friend of sinners. Thank God! Thank God is God and I am not him. I know I could never be so merciful, so compassionate, so understanding as the Lord is to those who oppose him. His love endures forever.

People often complain about themselves when they commit the same sins over and over again. They complain even more in private, saying that they are always confessing the same things month after month. I remind them of what the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, said in a general audience with children. When a child asked the Holy Father why he should go to confession, “after all, I always end up doing the same sins over and over again”, the Pope responded child-like: We know how easily our room can get messy. And although it is the same mess over and over again, you still clean your room because it will look nice. The same thing is true with confession. We go to confession so that our inner room may be clean and beautiful.

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth” (Ps 86:11ab). There are very few evil people in the world. In all my life I have never met a truly evil person. I will not say that they do not exist. I know they do. But in my seventeen years as a priest I have not met someone who wished to harm another for no reason. Of course, I may be wrong, but so far I have not had that experience. The Lord had to deal with many people who wished him ill, and they all had their reasons. One of them was his love for sinners.

Imagine for a moment if someone asked you to stop what you were doing because it was bothersome. Most of us would do so. But for Jesus, it was impossible. There was no stopping the Lord in calling all sinners for this was his mission: “I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” But the tremendous irony of the whole thing is that it was not tax collectors or prostitutes or sinners that nailed the Lord to the Cross. It was the so-called “righteous.”

Who are the righteous? Are they not those who considered themselves more than they are? Those who are above the law and above God? Now it makes perfect sense when the Lord says, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” In the end it is the prideful, the vain and the luxurious who put the Lord to death. Of course the Lord was put to death because of sinners – even the tax collectors and prostitutes – this is the reason he had to come from Heaven to earth, to call them to repentance. But the shame that once held the sinners in fear has now been placed on the righteous that chained the Lord in fear.

What a mess!

Like Levi, let us leave everything behind and follow the Lord. Let us have the courage and the strength to clean our inner room: to throw away what is wrong and useless, to put back what is beautiful and good and to give away what is helpful to others.

Only then will we have enough space to throw a big party in celebration.

Mt 9:14-15 Mourning vs. Morning

Mt 9:14-15 Mourning vs. Morning

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To mourn is to realize a loss. What is there to mourn about if it is not that close relationship, love affair, I once had with God? Somewhere, somehow the flame of faith that once burned bright has been extinguished in my heart. I have allowed the world, with all its glitter and glamour, to consume my thoughts and actions in a way I once let the Lord do for me.

This is what material possessions and earthly thoughts have done to me. They have made me dull. Lent is a time to sharpen the sword, to not let the Word of God die in vain.

The prophets of old were essential in reigniting the faith of God’s chosen people. They opened old wounds so that they would be properly healed. They gave a God-given explanation for the woes they were enduring. The prophets of old communicated God’s words to their brothers and sisters and in turn, the prophets communicated to God the broken hearts of His people.

Why is it so hard for me? Why is it so difficult for me to communicate with the Lord? It wasn’t always this way. Yes. And it was never meant to be this way. If I reflect for a moment, I can honestly say that the Lord has never walked away from me. I did it to him and for this reason I can feel so lonely at times.

It wasn’t like this before... The walks in the cool evening that our ancestor Adam enjoyed with the Lord and his beloved wife have been lost to all. So too, the peace and unity that only God could give and only man could lose was sold so cheap. And we cannot forget our conversations, once so easy, face to face, heart to heart are known today as prayer and are a constant battle for all of us.

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?”

No. They cannot. They have it good, very good.

Where there was once unity, there is so much division. Where peace once reined, now only strife and confusion is within me and surrounding me. Can the guest mourn with the Lord at their side? No! There is too much love in the air, too much wonder that fill the Apostles day. There is so much peace and happiness in getting questions answered. How I would love to be in their sandals! How I wish I could walk in their midst. The world finally has a hot spot and that spot is where Christ is. How best to explain this unity, this coming together of all creatures, than to call it a wedding, a feast, a love affair! Is it not the closest unity, intimacy that can be achieved by man on earth?

The Lord allows his disciples to enjoy his company but it will all end one day and all too soon. That day is soon approaching for me too. Forget about 2012.

“I will be with you till the end of time.” Lent is the time of year to go back to where I went wrong; when I blew out the flame of faith or when I went my separate way. Now is the time to return home where the Lord prepares a room in His Father’s house. Prayer, reflection and meditation are the perfect means to enter my inner room and see the Lord face to Face, heart to Heart, spouse with Groom, love with Love. The sun is rising. Darkness is ending.

Lent, like life, is a personal invitation from the Lord to a different type of mourning; the morning of a new day.

Luke 9:22-25 Christ’s Crazy Conditions

Luke 9:22-25 Christ’s Crazy Conditions

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Are you crazy? That would have been my response a few years back if someone had told me that I would be poor, unmarried and servile. This is not what life is all about. After all, I was meant to live it high and mighty.

Moses proposes to God’s people: Today I set before you life and prosperity, death and doom (Dt 30:15). Christ proposes to his disciples: Today I set before you death or life, the Cross or the World.

Choose well.

The conditions of discipleship are set. No one will ever change them, not the Pope and not even the people of God. These conditions come from God himself. God is easily pleased but not easily satisfied. He demands it all or “go back to where you came from.” No one can serve two masters, not even the Master. It’s all or nothing.

Christians can be “like Christ” if they are both human and divine. But they cannot be both worldly and Godly. It must be one or the other, and to be with Christ means to be with the One who won.

Why such a radical life? This is best explained by the response to Christ’s life by the Elders, the Chief priest and the Pharisees: He must die. Christ shakes up their worldly power, worldly authority and worldly life. He shakes up the world! There isn’t enough space on earth for the two. All involved are perfectly aware that this is a battle of life and death. What Christ’s adversaries do not realize is that they are digging their own grave. The world will never again here of Pharisees or Scribes, High priests or even Elders. The paradox is that Christ’s death brought about their death. “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

We know what Moses meant when he offered his people life and prosperity; he offered them the Commandments. Live by the Commandments. They are the perfect prescription for life and health. They do not limit our freedoms; they protect them. They enrich life, not bore it to death with the same horrible consequences that occur every single time we break them! They add salt to the world; not on the wound.

But not even the Commandments are good enough. To live the Commandments (and our vows) without Christ would be like a Cross without Christ: UNBEARABLE!

Blessed the man who follows the counsel of the Lord, he is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers (Psalm 1). Christ is our water. He brings all good things to life. To live life without him would be like a tree planted in the desert: Useless, purposeless, meaningless…UNBEARABLE!

Lord, may everything we do begin with your inspiration, continue with your help, and reach perfection under your guidance. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Mt 6:1-18 Ashes

Mt 6:1-18 Ashes

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Today we begin the Lenten season which recalls the final days and hours in the life of Christ. It is an opportunity to re-examine one's life. How I need to do so! How I need to take some time to stop, examine my conscience, and change course. In other words, it is an opportunity for renewal, growth and deeper devotion to our Christian mission here on earth.

How do we begin it all? We begin with a moving event; we begin with ashes. What are ashes? Simple: “Non-living dust.” To me this is a perfect and eloquent reminder of what sin is. Sin is a waste of a life - this marvelous, incredible gift that God has given to all of us. I AM ALIVE! Do we fully understand the marvel of being! I am alive! I was pushed through this incomprehensible wall of not-being to being. For this reason alone, sin is the deadliest of all of my life’s enemies. It kills all that is living. Sin brings death to life. It turns something beautiful into something ugly, a smudge mark. Sin makes us filthy, dirty, dusty, ashy looking.

Can we be positive for a moment? Ok, I guess we can say that sin leaves me empty. It is not even a momentary rush! It is an eternal illusion, a never ending vicious cycle between who I am and who I ought to be. Sin leaves skid marks for life!

Why must I recall to mind my sins? I will never appreciate what the Lord has done for me if I do not fully comprehend what I have done to the Lord!

“What is wrong with the world?”

G.K. Chesterton was once asked to write an essay on “What is wrong with the world?” His essay was the shortest: two words. He wrote, “I am.” His answer is the best! What is wrong with the world today? Is it teenagers or terrorism (they may appear to be the same thing but there are some slight differences). Does the problem start with “us”, “them”, or “people”? No. The answer is “I”. I am what is wrong with the world today! I am responsible for bringing so many tears into the world! I am the cause of another’s pain and suffering. I confess that I have sinned, in my thoughts and in my words; in what I have done and in what I have failed to do. I am what wipes a smile from another’s face. I am what some people dread!

Sin begins with me. It enters the world through me. And it spreads throughout the world because of me. The devil would have no power in this world if I denied it my hands or my feet, my eyes or my tongue. The devil would have no stage to dance if it were not through me! I know for certain that my sins have caused the tears of many. Have your sins damaged a soul, caused a scandal in the family or allowed another to suffer?

Lent is a reminder that money, power and fame are not the cure to sadness. Sin will never satisfy a dying man’s thirst for love or fill his heart with joy. We may be shocked with this truth. We might even rebel at the sound of it. But how is it possible that a famous group (that made a ton of money, could have any drug they chose, and any woman they could hold) would write a song entitled, “I can’t get no satisfaction?” They could do so only once they discovered the truth.

Christ is the Truth! Christ is what satisfies the human heart. Christ is all that I need.

“Remember, man, you are dust and dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19).

"Now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2Cor 6:2). Today is an acceptable day to come back to the Lord with all your hearts; leave the past in ashes and turn to God with tears and fasting, for he is slow to anger and ready to forgive. (Joel 2:13)

Mk 12:13-17 Paying Up

Mk 12:13-17 Paying Up

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Pay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

Doesn’t everything belong to God? Shouldn’t everything go to the Lord? Yes. All that is good, holy, right, and sacred belongs to the Lord for he created it. And all that is bad, evil, empty, wicked and disordered belongs Caesar.

The Jews, on various occasions and for various reasons, would offer up burnt offerings, a sacrifice, to God. The best offerings were to be given – the finest fruits of man’s labor and the finest animals from God’s generosity. If not, then the offerings were worthless. Jesus is telling us to give to Him what belongs to Him, the best. Give God what he truly deserves. When we hold back, we deny the Lord what is rightfully his.

What does the Lord ask from us? Love me above all things. Love me with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, mind and will. You can take the rest. Thank you.

Yes, I know; the “rest” is worthless, maybe even useless. So we rebel and complain against God’s rights. With our heads lifted up to heaven and our voices raised, we demand better treatment, equality and insist upon our so-called rights, the rights of man. We have seen it over and over again, throughout history, on the international level, national level and even at the hometown level.

Just recently an Iowa high school wrestler cited his Christian beliefs in forfeiting a match against a girl in a state tournament. The author of one article insisted that the issue really was another skirmish between religious tradition and modernity. I would think that it was more of an issue between modesty and modernity. But let us take up his argument and dissect it for a moment. Is it really modernity? Is wresting something modern? Of course not! Is man-handling a woman, touching her (groping her) wherever and justifying it by calling it a sporting event modern? Yes, most definitely.

This young man preferred his principles over a golden prize. There were many who congratulated him, including the young girl’s parents. They said they respected his decision, putting his principles over the chance to compete for the top prize in a state famed for churning out some of the best wrestlers in the country. I’m not sure about that, but it sounds like it definitely is turning or churning out some great young men. But as many congratulated him, so too many were disappointed. After all, we are a modern society.

And even this I doubt. I’m not sure we are even a modern society. Does a modern society mean less morals, values and principles and more disorders, dysfunctions, and diseases? If we held on to more religious traditions I know we would have less modern novelties, such as eating disorders.

Yesterday, the results of a large federal government study on eating disorders among teens were published. Conclusion: half million U.S. teens have eating disorders! We all know that eating disorders have little or nothing to do with how they see food. The problem is the way these teens see themselves and their bodies. Do they not know that there body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? That their bodies are sacred? Do parents not educate their children to see that no man should ever touch them? Not even in a sporting event?

Let us lift up our hearts to the Lord and shout for joy. Let us give thanks to the Lord for his infinite love, his enduring friendship, and his everlasting forgiveness. These are the so-called rights of man: to expect a God that loves, forgives and gives and, at the same time, demands the same from us too.

Maybe this is the way we will become modern: when we begin to respect God and neighbor.