Jn 15:1-8 Remain In Me

Jn 15:1-8  Remain In Me

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Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower…Remain in me, as I remain in you.”

Saul had a big problem.  He was way too confident in himself and in his persecution of Christians.  However, after his conversion, he became less confident in himself and more confident in Jesus Christ.  He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord (cf. Acts 9:26-31).

Where is the best place for me to be?  Where is the safest place for me to be?  Could it be anywhere other than where Jesus is? 

It would be exhilarating to sit at the right hand of the Lord.  It would be a privilege to be seated next to Him at the last supper.  But it should also be an honor to be crucified next to him on Calvary.  Wherever the Lord is, there I want to be.  Come what may, this will always be the safest and surest way to eternal joy.

Muslims are taught that prayer is a show; a show of reverence and obedience to God.  It is not to ask for favors or even to be heard.  In fact, there are no guarantees that God even hears prayers.  This makes perfect sense if you believe that God does not have a personal relationship with people.

But for Christians, prayer is a time to be rooted in their Father, the Son, the Love of their life.  Christians believe that God is not only heavenly but knows and cares for us personally.  In many ways, we believe the unbelievable.  When it comes to prayer, we are the most radical of all.  We believe the incredible assertion made by Jesus, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it” (Jn 14:14).  Prayer is a time to be in his name.  And the truth of the matter is simple:  it is hardly what you would expect a fake Messiah to promise his people.  If the Lord was not the Lord, he would have been a lot more cautious to not appear so fictitious. 

“Without me you can do nothing…Remain in me, as I remain in you.”  Wow!  That is bold!  “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”  Wow!  That’s even bolder!  Why must I remain in him?  Why must I be part of His vine?  It is obvious!  So I may bear the same type of fruit as the Lord did; not a mutation, but fruit that will endure forever.  Bold fruit!

Bold is what we are.  Look around and try to find someone fierce yet gentle enough to hand in their own arrest warrant or write their own death certificate.  That’s what Fr. Damien did.  That’s what Fr. Maximilian Kolbe did.  That’s what Fr. Miguel Pro did.  That’s what Rita of Caccia did.  This is what hundreds of thousands have done since the dawn of Christ.  These are not some fictional characters.  These are not some movie stars.  These are men and women of God.

Be brave!  Follow the commadments of the Lord.  Live like the Lord!  You will be twisted and turned to break away from the vine.  Don't let it happen.  Friends will try to twist you off of Him.  Enemies will try to break you.  Selfishness will cut you off.  Ah yes, the fruit once fallen has become the preferred choice for many.  What prevents me from being tossed or thrown, grinded and obliterated?  “I am the vine, you are the branches.”   Vines are known to be thick.  Christians are known to be thick headed.  We don't budge.

A few years ago, a high school student came into my office and explained to me the trouble he was in.  Over the weekend, he had gone out to the mall with some friends to shop.  They entered one store and he liked a particular shirt.  He held it close to his chest but did not have the money to buy it.  One friend suggested that he steal it.  “Go ahead”, he said.  “No one is watching.” At that moment, this young man received a call from his mother.  “I’ve been waiting for you for ten minutes in the parking lot.  Drop whatever you have in your hands and get out of there now.” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  But he didn’t listen.  He took his friend’s advice and walked out of the store with the shirt.  As soon as he stepped out of the store, he felt a hand fall upon his shoulder.  It was the security guard.  The Police were called and he was told he could never come back to that store again.  His friend had abandoned him.  His parents were ashamed of him. 

We all need to be grounded or rooted, attached or connected.  Everything in life is connected to something.  A flower roots itself to the earth.  The wind is connected to the sky.  What can I connect myself to?  Myself?  Can I hold onto myself for dear life?  Can a bee hive connect itself to itself?  No.  I know I am strong.  I know I can plan.  I know I can react and solve problems.  But I am not all-knowing, all-powerful, and all there.  I am strong but not that strong.  I cannot live life alone. 

Can I connect myself to others?  My parents? My friends?  I guess.  But do they not go through the same doubts and insecurities that I go through?  There is little stability in that. 

Then what can I connect or attach myself to?  My career?  Please!  Isn't eight hours a day for sixty five years enough?  I don't want to spend an extra hour of my life on my career. 

There is only one that I can attach myself to:  Jesus Christ. 

Let's be honest.  It has never hurt anyone to pray.  It has never hurt anyone to trust in the Lord.  It has never hurt anyone except the Lord himself.  For the Lord is willing to stay with me; through thick and thin; through abuse and neglect; through everything I can throw at him.  All I must do is trust in His Will, His Mission, His promises.  Everyone and everything comes and goes...except the Lord. He rises. 

The Lord invites his people:  Stay with me on the top of the mountain.  Stay with me through the valley of tears.  Stay with me on the cross!  Stay with me in the resurrection. Stay with me in the Church.  So many leave and yet Christ was crucified for the sins of His People.

Should we trust in the Lord?  You bet.  Should we put Him first?  Yes.  Why?  Because He will put us first.  “Do not be afraid”, says the Lord, “I will be with you till the end of time."

John 14:7-14 Doing Great Things

John 14:7-14  Doing Great Things

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Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.  And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be gloried in the Son.  If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. 

Just recently, I told you about my vacation and how SPIRIT airline’s delays became my problem.  They refused to help me get home to Dallas in a timely manner.  Little did I know (or expect) that in a few days they would find themselves in the center of a firestorm!  As you probably all know, the CEO of SPIRIT airlines, Ben Baldanza, not only openly rejected but openly humiliated a dying man’s request for a ticket refund after his doctor told him he could not fly.   This poor man was asking for $197.00 back from a company that profited 23 million dollars in the first quarter of this year.  But regardless of what Ben Baldanza thought, people will not support a mean-spirited and ruthless CEO or company regardless of how much they can save.  Our country still cheers for the underdog.

As I write this meditation, I just found out that SPIRIT airlines will refund this man’s ticket.  It seems as though Ben is right about one thing:  it’s all about money.  And the company was losing millions of dollars in stocks because of this fiasco. 

Do you see the power of boycotts?  Do you see the potential power of 70 million Catholics if we would only agree?  I heard from somewhere that it takes 50 million people to elect a president.  Well, gentleman and ladies, let’s do something great!

The AARP found their niche with the elderly.  The Wounded Warriors found their niche with veterans.  Now it is time for Catholics and all Christians to find their niche with God.  We must!

I never told you what I did when it appeared as though I would lose my flight.  I told you how I bought another ticket for over $500.00.  I told you how that plane had a mechanical problem.  I even told you that I felt like crying when they told us to get off the plane.  But what I did not tell you is what I did back at the terminal.  I prayed.  I prayed a mystery of the Rosary.  And as soon as I finished praying the mystery, the mechanical problem that had grounded us had been resolved!  There was a mechanic of sorts sitting next to me, dumbfounded by the news that we could board.  He was convinced that the plane could not be repaired, especially from a small airport like the one we were in.  He told me, “I can’t believe we are boarding again!”  I said, “You know what happened?”  He said, “No.”  I said, “I fixed the problem.”  And I smiled.  He didn’t understand a thing I was telling him.  I knew it was God.  Ask anything in my name, I will do it.  Yes, it could have been a coincidence.  But I would prefer to be considered a fool and make it home on time than to be considered a practical man and stranded!

I learned a great lesson that day.  You can plan everything out (I will fly out on Friday).  But all it takes is for someone or for something to screw it all up (Spirit Airlines).  You can find a solution (By a new ticket with American Airlines).  You can think you beat destiny (I'll be home tonight).  But then destiny gets a stronger grip on you (mechanical problems).  Finally, you realize that you need to turn to God; that the only one that can help you now, that can make this work, is God.

On May 1^st, I read an article in the ultra-liberal newspaper National Catholic Reporter.  It turns out that the Pope gave $250,000 dollars to the Anglican Ordinariate.  By the sound of the article and by some of the comments, you would think that the Ordinariate is not worth that much.  After all, there have only been around three thousand converts to the faith and around one hundred Anglican priests that have converted to the Catholic priesthood.  I commentator wrote:

“Somehow I suspect that the money didn’t come out of the pope’s personal bank account…few Anglican conservatives have actually chosen to follow once they looked a little more closely at the whole package – not only no women priests but papal infallibility, birth control ban, mandatory celibacy for new priests and so most decided to stay put.”

Another wrote: 

“Rome really screwed up badly from day one… the 250K gift from Pope Benedict is to pump life into this dying dragon.”

I wrote back: 

“Or maybe, just maybe, this is how all great things happen:  small, like the number twelve.  All of your comments could be said of Jesus Christ:  Only twelve men…after all your sacrifices?  Yes, chastity, obedience and poverty have never been a big selling point.  Leave your possessions, your homes, your families, your nets and come follow me!  It’s a tough sell.  But as we all know, people love a challenge.  The Ordinariate will fly HIGH!” 

I don’t think the Pope took any money from his personal bank account.  I believe but I’m not sure of it, but I believe the Holy Father makes no money from being Pope.  After all, there will be no time to relax and retire.  The Pope will die in Rome.  He will die in the Vatican.  He will die working.  He will do great things because He is man who believes in God.  And with God, nothing is impossible.

John 14:1-6 What a Show!

John 14:1-6  What a Show!

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Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

About twenty years ago, a young mother told me, “Father, I’m going to give my daughter what my parents never gave me.”  I asked her exactly what that was.  After all, she was a great lady.  She said, “My parents, especially my dad, were very strict with me.   We weren’t allowed to wear any nice [fashionable] clothes.  I wasn’t allowed to go to any sleepovers in middle school.  I could never paint my nails when I was a little girl.  I couldn’t wear make-up and I couldn’t have a boyfriend until I was in College.  And I wasn’t allowed to watch TV during the week.”   “Well”, I told her, “you turned out pretty normal.”   Twenty years later, her little girl did grow up with things her mom never grew up with: an eating disorder, alcoholism, drug addiction and two babies out of wedlock. 

How can we feel at peace?  Our country is a mess.  Our families are a mess.  Our finances are a mess.  Our schools are a mess.  I hate to sound so negative, but our country, since the 1960’s, has for the most part ceased to be any type of positive role model throughout the world.  People who immigrate to the United States are far more successful than people who have lived here all their life!  Why?  Because they arrive here better educated and better disciplined.  They come here with a strong work ethic, no sense of entitlement, high morals and great family ties.   Immigrants still come to the United States because our country is still living off of the fruits and hard work of those who came before us.  We are living off of their coattails.  It will not last much longer. 

The Mass media in the United States is a mess!   Television programs have been far more successful at social engineering than the pioneers of genetic engineering.  Ask any of the thousands of therapists out there treating our children.  They will tell you.  The marketing gurus have stolen our tots and turned them into “prostitots”.  You can never be too young to be concerned about your weight or appearing sexy. And parents seem to gobble it all up!  And those who do not are not willing to take the radical steps to protect their children, like cancelling cable TV, demanding greater responsibility, higher morals and standards and yes, instilling some fear.  Kids do not fear their parents.  Instead, they fear their peers, and what they think about them.  They do not fear being a failure in life.  They fear being rejected and not liked. As if it was some teacher’s punishment they will write “I will die” a thousand times a year if this or that happens or doesn’t happen before the all-important age of fifteen.  The problem with so many kids is they spend too much time wanting to be understood rather than understand.    

An idiot for Rolling Stone magazine recently informed parents that they can better understand their kid’s feelings by what they listen to and watch.  What he failed to mention are the adult social engineers behind the cameras and gigantic screens that write the scripts, plaster the make-up, generate the fashions and televise it all on TV.  Teens don’t write scripts.  Adults do. Teens don’t create fashions.  Adults do.  Teens are not behind the cameras.  Adults are.  Adults take their child-like manikins and dress them up, put words into their mouth and move them into place.  They take the worst of the worst and put it in front of the camera for millions to see.  The lure of money and fame ensure a constant flow of disposable child actors and actresses.   

Casts and crew have done more for evolution than Charles Darwin could ever imagine.  They have quickened the pace of evolution.  Overnight, they can create hysteria over a pair of shoes; a bracelet into an essential appendage; a virtue into extinction.  In just a few hours, they can to turn tots into teens and mutate adults into teenagers.  The social engineers are experts at recycling.  For example, they can take a child and turn him/her into a star.  And when the star has fallen, they can take their pathetic little lives and lies and turn it all into an autobiography.  Even when they are dead and buried, like a fossil fuel, they can generate revenue.  How environmental they are! 

TV programs legally hijack our kids, brainwash them for hours and leave them brain dead for years.  They hold at gunpoint parents and have kids in a head lock.  They command more attention and more influence than parents and Church.  In fact, they have managed to turn parents into enemies and the Church into fanatics.  Amazing!  Simply Amazing!

What to do?  Recognize the obvious! 

Without a foundation, a house cannot stand - not a glass house, not a steal house, not even a house on top of a mountain.  Without virtues and morals, a life doesn’t stand a chance - not even with millions of dollars.  Without authentic love, life has no meaning - not even with a million fans.  Without personal sacrifice, a marriage cannot endure – not even a royal prince’s marriage.  Without parent’s love, responsibility and discipline, a child will never be able to stand straight.  Without Jesus Christ, a soul will never get home.  Without Jesus Christ, I will never find my way, the truth or my life.

It’s so obvious.   It’s time we attack the problems!  It’s time that we defend the obvious! 

John 14:6-14 Together Forever!

John 14:6-14 Together Forever!

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Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

I have known this woman for some time now; almost as long as I’ve been here in Dallas.  But I never knew why her family had left Mexico and had come to America.  This is what she told me.

“One day my father witnessed a woman being assaulted.  Although all of this was happening in front of people and in broad daylight, no one did anything about it.  He knew he had to do something and he did. He ran over to the scene, grabbed a stick and started beating the man until he finally took off and ran away.    Shortly after the police arrived, the man was arrested.  My father had to appear in court and testify against this man.  As he was walking towards the court house a man came up to him and whispered in his ear:  “What happened to this lady is happening to your daughter right now.”  Without hesitation, my father turned around and ran towards our home.  He hit the door open, ran up the stairs and saw my mom cooking in the kitchen.  As he scanned around the kitchen, looking from side to side, he asked her, ‘Where is she?  Where is Natalia?’ Scared out of her mind, my mom told him, ‘She’s resting in her room.  What’s hap…?’   He went straight to my room and opened the door.  He found me there, lying on my bed, asleep.  But before my dad could catch his breath, he found a note next to me.  It read, ‘Leave now!  I came here to harm your daughter but I couldn’t do it.  As soon as I saw her I saw the face of an angel.  Leave your home now!!!’  I was ten years old when we left everything and moved to America.  Only years later, did my dad tell me why we moved.”

There are two ways the Lord helps me:  either he leads me or he chases after me.  There are many ways to heaven, but Jesus is The Way.  He knows the way.  He goes before me.  He clears the way.  He sets the pace.  He does not lead me where I want to go.  He leads me where I need to go.  He knows the future.  He knows my neighbors.  He knows the kind of day I will have.  I do not.  I can see miles and miles in front of me, but only the Lord can see generations and generations in front of me.  I see only what eyes can see.  God does not have eyes.  God has providence, destiny.  He is not limited by eyes.  He is only limited by me.

I can follow.  He can chase.  I can play cat and mouse with the Lord all day long.  But through it all, there is a goal, an end, a mission to be accomplished.  Here lies something that is greater than me.  Here lies the struggle that occurs inside of me.  Will I serve or will I rebel? Will I live a life full of doubts or will I live a life full of grace?  Will I continue to carry my cross or will I continually look for a place to put it down?

Jesus said to Philip, “I have been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me?”  Philip is not having a hard time recognizing who Jesus is.  Philip is having a hard time acknowledging who Jesus is.  I do too.  I have a hard time too.  It’s hard to let go.  It’s hard to conceive that Christ has been with me for the longest amount of time; from the day I was conceived; from the day I was called; till the day I die.  This is no time to play cat and mouse.  This is the time to team up!

There’s nothing to show; just tons to do.

John 12:44-50 Let’s not blow it

John 12:44-50 Let’s not blow it

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Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.”

The readings chosen during the Easter season allow us to reflect and meditate on the life of Jesus Christ.  We are doing what the Apostles did.  We are re-examining and reflecting on what the Lord said and did.  We are examining the evidence for Christ.  We are going through it with a fine-tooth comb. 

Whoever believes in me believes in the one who sent me.  The Father gave His authority to His Son.  The Son gave His authority to His Apostles.  The Apostles gave their authority to their disciples forever. 

Throughout my life as a priest I have run into people who have questioned my authority to preach in the Lord’s name.  They don’t ever question my authority to forgive in His name.  Nor do they ever question my authority to consecrate the Eucharist in His name.  But just the other day a priest-friend of mine told me about an unfortunate conversation he had with an elderly woman.  To make a long story short, she didn’t like his message; namely, that IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) was morally wrong.  The issue came up and this priest spoke about it to his flock because there is a Catholic School teacher that is suing the Church for having fired her after having personally undergone this procedure.  Here is the irony.  I don’t think anyone would protest if she was fired due to an extramarital affair.  For some reason, that’s a more acceptable reason than IVF.  Again, I don’t think anyone would question the Church’s authority to get rid of her if she began to deny the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  I don’t anyone would come to her defense if she admitted to being a priestess in some Catholic sect.  So, what exactly is the criterion for the Church speaking in Christ’s name?  Is it that I must agree with her???

The woman told my friend, “How dare you tell us that we cannot do this?  My grand-daughter recently gave birth to two beautiful baby boys using IVF and now you are saying that they are evil?  When will the Church catch up to science?  Science takes precedence over whatever the Church says.” 

I told my friend, “You should have told her, ‘No, God takes precedence over whatever science says.  God is the giver of life, not scientists.  It is an abomination to take ten human embryos [unique individuals] and destroy eight of them so that you can have two babies!  How sick can you get?  How selfish can you be?  Individuals are not spare parts.  Individuals do not exist to serve my wants.  Individuals are subjects.  Never should they be turned into objects.  Individuals can never be used as a means to an end.’”

“How old is she?” I asked my friend.  He replied, “Around seventy”.  I then calculated that if she was seventy-five years old, then it would mean she was in her twenties in the 1960’s.  HIPPY MOVEMENT!  Free love movement!  Free sex movement!  Free-for-all movement!!!  Well, no one back then liked authority.  Authority was “evil”.  But come to think of it, we have always had a problem with authority, starting with Adam and Eve.

Christ wants us to imitate him.  He imitates the Father and now the Son wants us to imitate Him in obedience and love.  To be another Christ should be our ultimate end.  We should desire to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.  Now the pressing question is this:  When others see you, who do they see?  Do they see the Father of mercies?  Do they see the God of love, the God of Truth?  Do they see the Son of God?  Do they see the one who sent you?  Created you?  The One who loves you to death?  Do they see light breaking darkness?  Is this not how others will know that you belong to Him?

Christ’s authority does not come from His Words.  Nor do they come from our acceptance.  Christ’s authority ultimate comes from His Father.  “The word that I spoke, it will condemn on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.  So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”      

If a priest is to be criticized, then he should be criticized for making a mockery of his vows or for not defending the teachings of the Church.  If I go to Church, then I should expect the priest to tell me exactly what Jesus would tell me, what His Bride would tell me and what the Bible tells me; not what I want to hear. 

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.”  Let’s not blow it out!

John 10:22-30 We’re All Waiting

John 10:22-30  We’re All Waiting

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The Jews gathered around Jesus and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense?  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Who are you?  I’m not asking what your name is.  I am asking, “Who are you?”  The question is much deeper than your name, your gender, your race, or your nationality.  It seeks your essence. 

Christians, unlike superheroes, do not wear masks, or hoods or costumes to readily identify themselves. 
We may wear a cross, but we cannot wear faith, hope or love on our sleeves. Love for God must be lived.  And we show our love for our Lord Jesus Christ just like our Lord showed his love for us and for Thomas; by the marks on our hands and on our feet; in our words and in our actions. 

The Jews asked Jesus, Who are you?  Stop leaving us in suspense?  Tell us.  Did they really need to ask Jesus who He was?  Couldn’t they figure it out through Scripture, through the prophets, through his words of compassion and forgiveness; by his miracles and sacrifices?  Does someone need to ask you if you are a Christian?  They shouldn’t.  It should be obvious by the way you life your life.  Have you made yourself obvious or are you still waiting to come out at the right moment?  Well, the moment has arrived.

Imagine receiving a gift that is enclosed in a box and wrapped in beautiful paper.  Imagine telling the person that gave it to you, “Thank you so much for this beautiful box.”  How ridiculous would that be?  How ridiculous would it be to put that box in your room and never open it?  Are you a gift that is still waiting to be opened?  If so, it’s time to come out of your box.  It’s time to end the mystery of who you are.  Life can be lived like a shell.  But there is something better in the inside that is waiting to come out.   

Who are you?  I can’t think of a better answer than this simple one:  I am a beautiful gift from God to the world.   Yes you are.  You are a gift that was meant to be unwrapped; a gift that was meant to be revealed for the glory of God.  You are not small.  You are gigantic, and you are gigantic because you were meant to be another Christ.

It seems to me that in order for an institution to survive, it needs to have an enemy.  Well, we have plenty of institutions that would love to be our enemy.  And let’s not fool ourselves.  It was God that allowed the early Christians to be persecuted.  Yes, God allowed Christians to be hunted down and savagely beaten and tortured.  Like lambs they were led to the slaughter.  Like ground beef they were fed to the Lions.  And I know why.  How else would the Christian communities get out of their box?  How else would they scatter like seed in the wind and fall in a thousand different places.  Persecution is an ideal way for the Church to continue to come out of its box; to reveal the difference between being born from above and being born from below.     

When Dan Savage savagely spoke out against Christians in his recent childish fit-throwing tantrum, he forced the Christians in the audience to do something.  He forced them to come out of their box.  Around one hundred students walked out on their foul mouthed speaker.  By walking out in silence they made a thousand statements that were loud and clear:  Christians do not use vulgarities.  Christians do not wish harm to those who hate them.  We love everyone even if we do not agree with everyone.  We are not ashamed of God or that God is above men.  

Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.  The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.  Yes they do.  Do your works testify to the Lord?

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.     Do you listen to Christ?  Do you follow Him wherever He goes?  Do you go up the mountain with Him?  Do you follow Him inside the boat?  Will you stand by Him while He is crucified?

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.  The Father and I are one.  Are you one with the Lord?

We are all waiting in suspense to find out!

John 10:1-10 Opening or Jumping

John 10:1-10  Opening or Jumping

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Jesus said, “I am the gate.  Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” 

We don't often think of religious vows as being something practical.  But they are.  Think about it. What stops someone from speaking their mind or standing up for someone or something they strongly believe in?  What stops them from being totally honest with another?   Unfortunately, it is the fact that we all have to make a living.  We all need a job, and we fear losing it if we speak out.  We all need money.  We all have needs.

I could be wrong in my assessment, but far too often I ask people, “Well, why don’t you say something about this?” or “Why don’t you do something about it?” And the answer keeps coming back, “Father, I need my job” or “I need money to feed my family” or “I need a good grade in this class.” This problem causes the 'thief' (the bad guy) in today's parable  to come at night, jump over the gate and steal, slaughter and destroy.

The more and more I run into this issue, the more and more I begin to understand the profound wisdom of the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  They are not at all easy, but Christ demanded this from his Apostles and for very good reasons. 

Religious sisters and priests (and those influenced by Christian principles) have always been at the forefront of controversial yet peaceful movements.  They have always been there because they had nothing to lose, except their lives.  And of course it was always their lives that they risked losing because there was no other way for their enemies to stop them.  Who can stop the excitement and depth that Christian principles, Christian ideals, Christian figures bring to the world? Nothing!  When Christians speak, they speak to the human heart and overwhelm it with beauty.  So how can they be stopped?  Would death threats against their children do it?  No.  Oh, the wisdom of chastity!  Would the loss of a promotion do it?  What is there to look forward to when you take a vow of obedience?  Would it be the loss of a job?  There is tremendous job security in the priesthood.  No wonder why they are feared. John Paul II led the freedom call in Poland.  He took on the entire Communist establishment.  His enemies knew perfectly well what it would take to stop him.  His murder.  They failed.  And mankind won.      

Those that do not live the Christian life will always have a hard time speaking up or standing out from the crowd.  Why?  Because in order to live, you need to make a living.  But for a Christian, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

Today, so many movements are filled with young people who are short sighted and short tempered.  The G8 protest movements, the environmental movements, the Occupy Wall Street movements are fueled by half truths, demands, class warfare, terror, revenge and/or anger.  Why?  Because they are short of ideas, and when you are short of ideas you take short cuts.  Threats are a shortcut to speeches.  Vandalism is justified as a shortcut to peace. Demands are a shortcut to dialogue. Revenge is a short cut to conflict resolution.  Destruction is a short cut to construction.  “If we can scare you long enough, then maybe we can get what we want.”  They think that the knife speaks louder than words. But the protestor’s mask reveals his/her lack of commitment.  Show your face, like real believers do!  Reveal your true identity and live and die for your beliefs.    Stop trying to jump the fence and steal, slaughter and destroy.

The Lord came.  He came into our lives.  The only thing He destroyed was sin and death.  He emptied both of their meaning.  How did he do it?  He revealed himself.  He went through the front gate.  He called out to us.  We killed him.  Christ revealed his true identity in the Resurrection.  We revealed our true identity in His crucifixion.   This is a good start.  At least we know where we stand for better or for worse.