Luke 10:1-9 Clearing The Way

Luke 10:1-9  Clearing The Way

(Click here for readings)

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.  He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

He was driving home from a football game.  His team had lost (like always) and he was in a bad mood.  Instead of taking the normal (safe) route home, he decided to take a different route.  It was late at night when he noticed a woman on side of the road.  She was waiting.  She was a prostitute. 

This young man, a senior in high school, lived under very strict rules at home.  Although he never complained, he was a bit resentful of his life.  As he was speaking to me, he reminded me of the eldest son in the parable of the Prodigal Son.  Yes, he was a solid Christian man.  He went to church on Sunday.  He prayed before meals.  He was respectful to his elders.  He kept his virginity.  But he wasn’t happy.  He felt like his family was keeping him from the best things in life!

He decided to turn into an abandoned lot.  He stopped the car.  She walked up to it.  He rolled down the window.  He looked at her.  She looked at him.  But when she looked at him, he felt as though she looked right through him.  She smiled at him, shook her head and said to him, “No.  You shouldn’t be here.  This is not for you.  Go home.”

He took off, ashamed of himself and crying as he had never cried before.  A prostitute had saved his soul.

Maybe she was an undercover cop.  Maybe she was a real-life prostitute.  But no matter what, this young man will never forget what happened to him that night. 

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom (cf. Psalm 145:12).  Paradoxically, morals, values and principles are black and white.  People are not.  What is right or wrong is clear.  That people are good or bad is not. 

Of course, much of who we are is connected to what we do.  But instead of focusing on what we do, the Lord focused on who we are.  This is why the Lord was so successful in converting the sinner.  He was able to look beyond the sin and see the broken heart behind every “Sinner”.  By healing the heart, he eliminated the bleeding, the sinning. 

I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last.  No matter what state of life I am in, I can give glory to God.  No matter what I have done, I can give glory to God.  No matter what work I do, I can give glory to God.  No matter what I have or where I am, I can give glory to God.  No matter how sinful I am, I can give glory to God.  For God chose the weak to make the strong look weak. 

He chose us (the weak) to carry his work along.    

So what do you work for?  Who do you work for? Who’s your boss?  Do you work for heaven and earth or just for earth?  Do you work for God and man or just for man?  When was the last time you invited someone to go to Church with you?  Never??? 

“Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.”  Leave behind your pride (money = security), your vanity (sandals = image), and your sensuality (greetings = seeking approval).

What I must do is pretty clear.  Who I am is not so clear.  Let’s make it all a lot clearer by clearing the Way of the Lord. 

Luke 11:37-41 The Things That Matter Most

Luke 11:37-41  The Things That Matter Most

(Click here for readings)

After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.  He entered and reclined at table to eat.  The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.  The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!  Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil….Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?”

God loves us just the way we are.  Although I may disagree with most people who love to say this, I have to admit I disagree with them not because of what they say but because they “know not what they are saying.”  Yes, the Lord loves us “just the way we are”.  But if this is true, then why did the Lord admonish his host?  Why not just ignore him?  If I can’t say a kind word, then I shouldn’t say anything, correct?  And besides, the poor Pharisee didn’t even express his astonishment to Jesus.  Why all the fuss? 

Yes, I agree, the Lord loves us “just the way we are”.  In fact, He loves us enough to die for us.  But that does not mean He doesn’t expect much more from us, especially after He died for us. 

Jesus loves the Pharisee enough not only to die for Him but to correct him as well.  Love is not blind to error or sin.  It does not ignore one’s faults or even one’s sins.  The Lover is allowed to correct the beloved, and leaves room to be corrected himself.    

It is not wrong for a mother and father to say to their child, “I will always love you no matter what you do.”  But it would be seriously wrong for a mom and dad to never teach their child right from wrong.

Today, applauses, ribbons, certificates and trophies are given out like assorted candy.  Everyone gets one, regardless of how well they did or how much effort they put in.  Every time we congratulate a student on their poor performance we’re not only lying to them but teaching them how to lie. 

Yes, parents and teachers should love their children and students just the way they are, but that doesn’t mean they have to lie to them.  It takes faith, not lies, to love someone.  “Faith working through love” is what matters most (cf. Gal. 5:6).

My country right or wrong.  Americans were not the first to use this slogan during the Vietnam War.  The British were, sometime in the 19^th century, and during a war.  It is not an easily understood slogan.  It can easily turn the patriot into a real traitor.  After all, if someone loves their country enough to allow it to go down the wrong path, then (sorry) he is not a patriot, he is a traitor.  I love my country very much, enough to warn it or stop it from going down the wrong path!

Not too long ago, I got into an argument with a very holy woman who happens to be a Democrat and a very good friend (at least I think so).  She was trying to convince me that the Republicans were politicizing the tragic death of our Ambassador and three other Americans in Libya.  For her, this tragic incident was becoming a political issue, and the main reason for all the conservative media’s attention. 

My perspective is very different.  I told her that this tragedy will not go away not because Republicans keep bringing it up but because terrorists keep bringing it on, especially every 9/11.  Aren’t the terrorists constantly reminding us where there is a lack of security?  Aren’t they reminding us that the war on terrorism is far from over?  The Islamic world, especially in the Middle East, does not join us in mourning the loss of life on 9/11.  Instead, they continue to pick at our wound or open up a new one every 9/11.  The war on terrorism is far from being over.  And there is fear in admitting this.  It will take at least a century for this war to end because we refuse to attack the source of the problem:  Radical Islamic preaching.

I love my country, right or wrong, but love doesn't hide the issues, it brings them out, into the light. 

Everyone who loves life, their country, their family and their neighbor must speak up about what matters most.  It takes a lot of courage to love everyone just the way they are.  It takes a great deal of faith to love them even more. 

Luke 9:18-22 What you see and don’t see…

Luke 9:18-22  What you see and don’t see…

(Click here for readings)

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 

It was bound to happen.  After spending three years with His disciples, Peter finally figured it out.  Actually, the moment had arrived for him to figure it out.  The Holy Spirit had enlightened his heart and mind to know that Jesus is God. 

Now, all the Apostles know who He is.  The Word is out.  Actually, the Word has finally materialized.  What I find remarkable is how long it took them to realize it.  Moms and dads:  Isn’t it remarkable how long it takes for your son or daughter to figure out that you truly love them???  [Sorry, I had to throw that in there!]

The point I am trying to make is the following:  Although the Apostles spent days and weeks with Jesus; although they saw him and heard him constantly, it was not enough to know Him.  It still took the Heavenly Father to reveal Him.  Faith is a grace.  And no matter how often the Apostles saw the Lord’s face, it still took the Father’s grace to reveal His Son to them. 

The same holds true today.  No matter how hard a Christian tries to convert someone to the faith, it still takes God’s grace to reveal His face to them.  We convert no one.  We simply draw them closer to the Lord.  It is the Lord, and only the Lord, that can make the blind see, the deaf hear and the dumb believe.

And just when we think we know Him, He slips away from us.  The Lord will not be controlled.  Unlike us, He will not allow His friends to distort Him, confuse Him, demean Him, twist Him or change Him.  He will not be manipulated.  He will not allow Himself to be placed in a test tube and experimented on.  Peter discovers this quickly, and is reminded ferociously to let God be God.  Let the Lord do what He must do: “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” 

Although Christ did not allow others to manipulate Him, He did allow them to define Him.  When His enemies tried to twist Him, He did not change.  When they tried to bend Him and break Him, He stood tall.  Though Judas' betrayed Him, He would not betray his people.  He accepted Peter's denial as he accepted his sorrow.  He was saddened by Thomas' doubt but never doubted His Apostles.    

What you see is what you get.  How can I understand the Lord?  Get a bigger brain!  Sorry, but it is true.  Can you fit the entire ocean into a lake?  Can you fit the entire world’s knowledge into your head?  Every day is a learning day.  Every day we are learning more and more about the world we had nothing to do with.  So how can I believe in the Lord?  Use the brain that God gave to you.  But that is not enough.  For starters, you must receive the Lord’s grace.  How does one receive grace?  By asking for it.

What you see is what you get, right?  So does that mean “What you don’t see is what you don’t get?”  For some people it is.

Yesterday I got into a debate with an atheist.  I published one of his comments and responded to it.  But then I refused to publish anymore because the atheist turned into a Ranter [A Ranter is someone who spews out his thoughts without thinking.]  In his recent comment (which I did not publish), he wrote:  "People are animals.  Read a biology book for a change."  Ahh yes, quick to judge…If he only knew how many science books I had to read in my life, especially while I was earning my Master of Science degree at RIT!  But maybe his advice to me reveals his limitations.  Maybe that’s his problem, that he never read anything other than a biology book.  And of course, if that is all you know about being human, then you might begin to believe that that’s all there is to being a man or a woman.  What you read is what you know, right?  But if he ever picked up a book of poetry, then he would begin to see some human beings as more than animals.  He would see them as poets.  And if he picked up some music and played it, then he would see some human beings as more than flesh and bones,  he would see them as musicians. And if he ever picked up the Bible and read it, then maybe he would see Christianity as different from other religions; and God as different from “god”; and Christians as evolved human beings who love their enemies and forgive them seven times seventy-times.  If he did any of these things, then he might very well begin to see humans as aliens more than as animals.  And he would be right!

What you see is what you get.  What you don’t see is what you don’t get! 

For the longest time, the Apostles only saw a man, Jesus, standing next to them.  What they couldn’t get is how He could love them so much.  Eventually they did, and were blinded by the light.

Luke 7:31-35 Catholics and Politics!

Luke 7:31-35  Catholics and Politics!

(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to the crowds:  “To what shall I compare the people of this generation?  What are they like?  They are like children…For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’  The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of sinners.’  But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Everyone is an expert today.  Everyone.  There are very few professions that we still respect.  And by respect, I mean those whom I trust may know more than I do with regards to a specific discipline. 

Now, I still believe in experts.  And I believe in them because I know I can’t be an expert in everything.  I simply don’t have enough time to read up on everything.    

Early this morning I came up with two professions that I thought we still respected: doctors and lawyers.  But as I sit here writing this meditation, I believe I am wrong with regards to doctors.  I think we go to the doctors only as a last resort.  Why?  Because we think we know better.  So, we Google our symptoms; we self-diagnosis; we self-prescribe and then we finally go in to see the doctor.  When the doctor gives us our medication, we end up not following the instructions.  Why?  Because we think we know better. 

The same holds true for God and the Church.  We are like children.  And just like children, we tend to put as much trust in God and the Church as a child puts in the wisdom and experience of his/her parents.  Not much.

So who do we trust?  Superstars!  All kinds of them too:  music stars, actors and actresses, billionaires and their wives, politicians and their children.

I know this is old news but I was taken aback a little by Clint Eastwood’s off the cuff “one-liner” talk (?) or maybe discourse (?) or even "mime" a few weeks ago at the Republican National Convention.  I say “one-liner” discourse because it basically consisted of a bunch of “one-liners”, or more appropriately, aphorisms.  Some of which were incoherent; others which were deliberate; others that missed their point entirely; while others seemed to lead to trivialness and awkwardness.  We forgave him because he was an actor without a script. 

But why was he there?  Was it because he's a famous actor?  That’s it?  So, when did he become an expert in anything other than acting?

John F. Kennedy was the first pope that American Catholics respected and listened to.  When he spoke, it was infallible and ex cathedra!    He could do no wrong!  And when he did, we all turned the other cheek.  While he was running for President, he declared to his worshipers that he would not mix his faith with his politics.  The people listened, cried and then cheered!  He had just declared his first dogma of faith for American liberal-Catholicism. 

And the dogma stuck… up until his daughter’s day at the Democratic National Convention.

Leave it to his daughter, who continues to ride on her father’s coat-tails, to take her very own father’s dogma, of separating faith from politics, and mixing them back together again, but with a different political twist. 

She was there to win the “Catholic” vote.  She was there as a means to an end;  to use her "Catholic" to get us to believe her "politic".  Her mission was to convince Catholics that they too could be a good Catholic, like her, and also pro-choice, pro gay-marriage, pro everything-that-is-contrary-to-the-faith-handed-down-through-the-centuries.  She tried to erase all doubts by letting the congregation know that this would be pleasing to the "Holy Father"…her father. 

Well, the pope’s daughter spoke and everyone in Rome - I mean South Carolina - listened. 

But what makes her think she is an expert in anything other than being a Kennedy and a failed politician? Could it possibly be her name?  Is that it?

Now, if these individuals are the best the world has to offer me to change my mind or my positions, then I prefer to stay the course and place my trust not in the world or in a family name, but in a successor’s name:  the successor of St. Peter, the Vicar of Christ.  Don’t you find it childish how these individuals dismiss him or ignore him?  I personally find it comforting that the Vicar of Christ is not a citizen of any nation, has no allegiance to any nation, and communicates above the fray.  I find it interesting how so many people would love to convince me that he knows nothing about anything, except being wrong all the time.  I find it befitting that those who criticize him the most know the least about God, Christ, the Church, the faith, history, culture, family and poverty; but know a ton about computers, economics and politics!

In today’s first reading, St. Paul writes:  “When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.”  In other words, when he was a child he used to think and speak as if he knew it all.  St. Paul acknowledges that his childishness went well beyond his childhood years.  What ended it for him was his conversion; that is, when he allowed himself to be a follower of the Lord and governed by St. Peter; when he finally realized that the Church was not a member of him but that he was a member of her. 

Jesus said, “Wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” 

How many people listen to Pope Benedict?  Probably the same number of people who listened to Christ:  very few, when compared to the general population.  But wisdom is not vindicated by numbers; it is vindicated by her faithful children. 

Wisdom has nothing to do with money or last names.  It has everything to do with Christ and His Church.

Mk 7:31-37 Be Open!

Mk  7:31-37  Be Open! 

(Click here for readings)

People brought to [Jesus] a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.  He took him off by himself away from the crowd…He looked up to heaven and groaned, “Be open!” -- And immediately the man’s ears were opened.

The problem with the world today is that there are too many narrow-minded people!

I know what you are thinking…Now that’s an interesting statement, especially coming from a priest who writes an opinion on just about everything!  But I am not afraid to say it and, more importantly, defend it.  In fact, I will even say that I consider myself a very open-minded individual and for the best of reasons.

I have no problem conversing with “tolerant” people; even though they are the least tolerant of all the people I know.  I have no problem being in the presence of scientists, even though I am a priest.  And I have no problem making friends with the dead, even though I live well into the present.

I mention these three companions because there is much narrow-mindedness (or single-mindedness) when it comes to those who oppose science as art, dogma as honesty and our past as reoccurring.  Or, for the sake of clarity, let me say the following:  Far too many narrow-minded individuals can be found among scientists, relativists and progressivists.    

Scientists.  Now, there were many times in my life when I was “narrow-minded”.    For example, when I was an engineer I used to be very narrow-minded; that is, I would only read and breathe scientific journals.  But then one day, in fact, while I was studying the planets, I had an epiphany that has lasted to this day.  For the very first time in my life I realized that everything I was reading and studying was a human attempt at understanding all that already existed, and that we had no part in creating. What I was reading and studying was more like an art critic’s review of someone’s art, but the Artist was never mentioned.   

Now it’s easier to be a critic than it is to be an artist.  At least, that’s how it used to be.

It gradually dawned on me that most everything we do is a cheap imitation of everything He did.  Take, for example, the incredible descent of the Mars Rover, Curiosity.  Wasn’t it spectacular?  I stayed up all night watching it.  But the next morning I saw something even more amazing:  a single leaf gracefully falling to the ground.  Actually, it was zigzagging towards the ground.  What Curiosity will do on the surface of Mars does not even begin to compare with what that leaf will do on the surface of the earth.

Or let’s analyze for a brief moment a simple apple falling to the ground.  Not only will that apple land on the ground, but it will roll next to its “mother”, whose shade will ensure its chances of survival.  And like a placenta, the fruit surrounding the seed will fertilize the ground in which it lies.  Now, to think all this as less remarkable than a Rover Landing on Mars is to think narrow-mindedly.  But as a priest and engineer, I have learned to appreciate both.  That’s not narrow-mindedness.  That’s open-mindedness!

Relativists.  So many people pride themselves in being Darwinists.  But in all honesty, they have never read a single page of Charles Darwin or Ernst Haeckel.  The same goes for atheists.  Most have never read an entire book by Friedrich Nietzsche or Jean Paul Sartre.  Instead, most have pleased themselves with newspaper headlines and comical acts produced and directed by Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.  

These professors, and their adherents, are not the product of the Dark Ages.  Ironically, these morbid writers consider themselves the grandchildren of the Enlightenment.  What they really are, are the grandfathers of the Establishment. Recently, it was revealed that a vast majority of college professors will reject tenure to a colleague if they are deemed to be too conservative.  Most academics, like most colleges today, consider themselves open-minded.  But in reality, they have never been anything but very closed-minded. 

Let’s cut to the chase.  The real difference between open-minded and narrow-minded individuals should be obvious by now.  It’s the difference between intellectual honesty and ideology.  Relativists tend to study little and speak wildly.  Dogmatists tend to study a great deal and speak reservedly.  In essence, narrow-minded individuals tend to study little and only pretend to accept everything; whereas open-minded individuals tend to study greatly and only cautiously accept anything.

Progressivists.  There exists in today’s culture a very narrow-mindedness with regards to the past.  It begins with a great deal of angst with the possibility of history repeating itself.  It should not, declare the progressivists, for there is nothing good to learn from our ancestors or our past.  But when we consider what’s new in today’s subculture, we begin to see that it is actually quite old from long ago days.  For example: The three-generational home.   The only sector of housing construction that appears to be booming is the three-generational home.  Wow!  How exciting!  How avant garde!  But is this something new?  Not really.  In fact, it is something very old.  And millions of Americans are returning to it in order to save their lives, their families and their livelihood.  But you would never know it by the limited news it is receiving.  After all, it is a dramatic push back to modernity’s push towards the “New Normal” family.     Only a courageous few dare to mention this modest return to the wisdom of our ancestors.  How narrow-minded!  And once again, the reason for this negligence is not ignorance but rather ideology.  Out with the old, in with the new is an important ideological tweet in our free-market economy and culture.  But it isn’t a reliable fact in a flesh and bone humanity or a safe bet in a free-falling economy.  To think what is new is always better is not narrow-mindedness, but plain and simple foolishness. 

What is new isn’t always better.  But being better will always be something new! 

This is something worth repeating to our kids, from one generation to another.  Was the Occupy Wall Street movement something new and exciting?  Or was it a failed attempt to repeat the performance of July 14^th, 1789 (Bastille Day)?  Is the European Union something new?  Or is it a union as old as the Holy Roman Empire?  You tell me. 

I consider myself very open-minded every time I connect the past with the present, and predict the future based on the past and present.            

Conclusion:  Here are just a few of the areas of life in which I find people to be very narrow-minded.  There are many more.  But unlike space, a blogspot is very limited.  In conclusion, a narrow-minded individual tends to see the past as a thing of the past; religion as something that should be swept under the carpet; and creation as an accident rather than a God-given model.   

Let’s be what the Lord said this day to be:  “Be Open!” 

The Lord had a tremendous ability to interact with just about anyone.  But he didn’t live like everyone. 

Authentically open-minded people tend to become authentically narrow-minded people.  They are open-minded to learning, and narrow-minded in accepting only the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 

Lk 4:16-30 Cut To The Chase

Lk 4:16-30  Cut To The Chase

(Click here for readings)

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.  He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.  He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:  “The spirit of the Lord is upon me…”

So many things I take for granted.  So many things I consider coincidental.  St. Luke retells a story that must have been told a thousand times. 

Out of the four evangelists, Luke’s Greek and writing style is considered superior to the rest. It is well polished and well thought out.  He must have rehearsed it over and over again in his mind before writing it all down. 

Reading today’s Gospel passage is like looking at a series of pictures.  I see the Lord arriving in Nazareth.  The streets are deserted.  All eyes and ears and every heart, mind, body and soul are concentrated in a single place:  the local synagogue.  Then the Lord walks in.  He walks into a small and crowded synagogue.  All eyes instinctively look up; all mouths unknowingly open wide.  Immediately everyone begins to measure him up.  His cynics may have remembered him as being taller.  His fans (or fanatics) may have been shocked at how much He had grown.  Others may have hoped there would have been some halo above him.  We all look for something to point to or to hold on to; and typically, it’s not the right thing; the important thing; the most revealing thing.    

Regardless, the man of miracles, whom so much had been said, had finally arrived home and was now in their midst…and surrounded.

He stood up to read.  The service began the second He arrived.   The entire community had obviously been waiting for Him, for they wanted Him to read. The elders were the first to take a seat.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they placed a gentle hand on the leg of the up and coming rabbis to take a seat.  Today, in Nazareth, men, women and children would hear the great orator’s voice.  Would it be thunderous?  Would it be flowing? Would they detect a hint of nerves? Would the carpenter’s son be nervous?  Would the Lord crack under pressure or would He perform exceptionally – memorably - well? 

Again, instead of looking for authentic signs of wonder, they were looking for signs of blunder.

There exists little to no comment on how well the Lord read.  This is by no means an indictment on the Lord’s performance.  St. Luke, unlike the crowd, understood what was of great importance. 

We know what is important by what he tells us.  And what he tells us, is what was handed to Jesus.  A scroll.

It is a scroll of the prophet Isaiah; the prophet of the suffering servant; the prophet of the Messiah.  Unknowingly to man, but always knowingly from God; coincidental to man, but always providential from God, the chief rabbi handed a scroll to the Lord as if an angel had come down from Heaven and personally hand delivered it to Him.  In it was the following passage:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me. [Anointed = (Latin) Chrīstus (Greek) chrīstos, translation of Hebrew māshīaḥ anointed, Messiah]

In a dazzling dance, perfectly choreographed by the Holy Spirit, between God and man, the Lord, all at once, revealed, in a religious setting, and at the hands of the chief rabbi, His essence and mission to an entire village.  As the Word of God was handed to Jesus, the Word became flesh and dwelt among them.

“It can’t be!  God can’t exist. He can’t be real.”   Some people just can’t seem to cut to the chase.  They can’t seem to get to the end of the story, the meaning, the point of life.  They prefer to survive in the bureaucracy of time and space, the limited physical world, rather than thrive in the freedom and possibilities of an entirely different world.  They prefer all things considered rather than all things possible. They can’t seem to see the hand of God to save their life! 

When the Lord arrived home, he cut to the chase.  With scroll handed to Him, Divine Providence led man, woman and child to Him.  And instead, man, woman and child drove the Lord to the brow of the hill to hurl him down headlong.  When God does not allow us to define Him, it means it’s time to get rid of Him.

The greatest nuisance in life is getting trapped in red tape.  The greatest joy in life is getting through the red tape.  Of course, things can go downhill from there, but it would be foolish to blame the epiphany we had.  Instead, it would be wise to feel pity for those who live in and weave red tape. 

Mt 25:1-13 Ridi, Pagliaccio!

Mt 25:1-13  Ridi, Pagliaccio! 

(Click here for readings)

Jesus told his disciples this parable:  “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones, when taking their lamps brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.”

The wise one is the prudent one, and the prudent one is the one who learns from the past.

I am so glad I stayed awake last night to watch the Republican National Convention (RNC).  Not so much for the speeches or guest appearances and hoopla, but because I had forgotten that Cardinal Dolan would be giving the closing benediction.  I listened intently to what he had to say.  But I must admit, while he was praying, curiosity got the better part of me.  I began to wonder whether the other stations were televising this.  So, I began to flip through the channels.  To my astonishment, all the news channels were televising it, except for one:  MSNBC.    

Of course, I didn’t really expect MSNBC to break from their goal of being the nation’s premier humanistic and anti-Christian channel.  It’s hard to deny their cynical, harsh and judgmental attitude towards Christianity in the public square.  Last night, was just another example of that.  I know what you are thinking: Maybe, they were giving their viewers an alternative.  Maybe.  But an alternative to what?  To reality?  To an inconvenient truth?  That a major political party still invokes All-mighty God’s protection and help?  That the Catholic Church continues to be a major player in our God-forbidden society?  That Roman Catholic Bishops are still highly respected in America for their defense of the sacredness of life, marriage and family?

Let us see what MSNBC will do when Cardinal Dolan gives the closing benediction for the Democratic National Convention (DNC).  I have to admit, what I found even more interesting than all of this, is that soon after Cardinal Dolan accepted the RNC’s invitation to pray, he asked the DNC if they wanted him to do the same thing.  They declined the offer, and then immediately reversed their decision once they learned he had accepted the RNC’s offer.  Now that is interesting…

Ridi, Pagliaccio!    [Laugh clown, laugh!!!] 

St. Paul writes, “Where is the wise one?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the great debater of this age?  Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?” 

You bet he has!  And how it makes us laugh at such spectacles.  Not too long ago, I was speaking to a college freshman.  He told me that he is starting to believe that the world was created by accident.  I asked them if he knew what the word accident meant.  He said, “Something that happens by accident.”  I couldn’t believe it...a college student.  I felt pity for him.  So, I helped him.  An accident is an occurrence without an intention.  In other words, it’s like creating something without conceiving it.  Do you really believe this about our world?

Then I got to thinking.  Maybe this explains how art has become an accident; how we have gone from Michelangelo to Jack the dripper! 

Long ago, scientists decided to experiment with nature so that they could control it, do violence to it, twist it and finally subdue it in order to dominate it.  Social engineers have been trying to do the same thing, but to us!  And the results have been exactly the same.  Devastating!  Instead of making our world better, we’ve actually made it worse.  Instead of making man better, we’ve actually made him a lot worse.

Of course it is all by "accident".  They just keep creating without conceiving!  Or better yet, they keep creating by twisting.  Everything they call "new" is nothing more than the old “twisted”.  For example, a homosexual marriage is nothing more than a twisted marriage.  Nasal sex (not to say something already in existence) would be nothing more than twisted sex.  The “new family” is nothing more than a twisted family.  A human clone is nothing more than a controlled man.

We think the world we live in needs improvement.  Ridi, Pagliaccio! 

Stay awake!  Stay tuned!

“The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”  (1Cor 1:25)

Mt 23:13-22 Woe to you, you hypocrites! Wow!

Mt 23:13-22  Woe to you, you hypocrites!  Wow!

(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites…You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.”

Woe to you…you hypocrites…you blind guides!  Can you believe that Jesus said this???  Wow!!!

I’ve said it before and I will say it again.  We, as Christians, tend to think that the closer we are to God - the more blessed we are - the less we will suffer. This is total nonsense!  Christ is not in heaven because he is on vacation!  He is in Heaven because He leads us.  He does not rest in heaven; he coordinates precise tactical strikes on the hearts and minds of men.   Christ is no pacifist.  He did not go AWOL.  He did not earn his purple heart long ago; He earns it every single day.  What you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me.

God is sacred; Christianity is sacred.  But it’s not just about Him.  It’s also about us!  Life is sacred; marriage is sacred; family is sacred.  All other definitions are fiction.  All other definitions are an appeasement; an affront to Christ’s sacrifice and death.  Did the Lord die in vain?  God forbid!  Did He die and shake hands and agree to disagree?  Never!  Then why do we do this to Him?  Why do we make pretend that there are far more important matters than life, marriage and family?  Are we to believe that Christ’s death was an exaggeration?  He didn’t have to go that far.

Those who attack the sacredness of life, marriage and family do not have any difficulty in ridiculing, insulting and degrading those who think differently.  Oh well, aren’t you guys suppose to forgive us?  It’s amazing how selective is their memory and knowledge of Christianity.  Yes!  We are!  But we will not roll over and play dead.  We forgive you… for you know not what you are doing.  Let us not forget that it was Christ who forgave His enemies.  Let us not forget that His enemies never asked to be forgiven.  We know that by what they did next. 

Let’s not be hypocrites or blind guides.  Where did we ever get the idea of hiding in our Churches; preaching only to the choir; of playing dead; of not speaking out; of negotiating with sin?   

Christ was not a diplomat.  He died because he would not negotiate or surrender.  The Lord was not a weak man.  He conquered death!  All of us put him to death and He rose from the dead.  When we learned of what He did, some of us switched sides; some continued along party lines.  Once upon a time, you could tell a Christian from a non-Christian by what they were willing and not willing to do.  Those who were willing to sacrifice everything but their faith, honor, principles, morals and values were the Christians.  Now, you have Christians who are willing to sacrifice their faith, honor, principles, morals and values but not their homes, careers, income and/or status. 

The Lord never told his Apostles to mingle and mix with the latest trends; to go unnoticed; to not stand out.  Not even when all appeared lost did He call for a truce, or an evolving of ideas.  On the contrary, the Lord put his enemies on notice.  He declared all out war for the salvation of souls.  He declared it in the upper room on the night he was betrayed.  He declared it as He was nailed to the Cross.  He declared it when He said, “Do not be afraid.  Go throughout the world…”

He is looking for a few good men.  As soon as he can find a special operator that is willing to fight and die for Him, He will send Him.  This is the truth.  All other ideas of the ideal Christian are simply nonsense!  Or better yet, from the devil’s headquarters.  The devil would love for us to call off the attacks on abortion.  He would love for us to retreat on marriage and family.  “Let’s have a little respect here for people’s privacy, shall we?”  “You shouldn’t be protesting in front of our clinic doors.  Where are your manners?” 

In today’s first reading, we read of how proud St. Paul is with the Christians in Thessalonica.  Their faith is flourishing; the love they have for each other keeps growing; their endurance in the face of persecution and affliction is a model for others.  He considers their suffering as evidence of the just judgment of God.

Do you still believe that your trials and tribulations are proof that God does not exist or is absent?  Give me a break!  We know the apple does not fall far from the tree.  If they persecuted me, then they will persecute you!

St. Paul traveled to the ends of the earth to make one convert.  St. Monica traveled across the sea to convert her son.  Why did they do it?  For love of God and neighbor.  How did they do it?  By imitating Jesus Christ.  And both were very successful in accomplishing their mission.  And both paid a heavy price for it.

Let’s not make the Lord’s death (or St. Paul’s and St. Monica’s) in vain.  His death was meant to inspire us all.

Mt 22:1-14 It’s My Party!

Mt 22:1-14  It’s My Party!

(Click here for readings)

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feasts, but they refused to come… The king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.  Go out…and invite to the feast whomever you find.’  …The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good, a like.  But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment…The king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, cast him into the darkness outside’…Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Knowing teens means knowing parties.  I don’t attend any of them, but I do end up hearing a lot about them.  Far too often the parties that end up bad are the parties whose guests go crazy.  When the owner of the house and patron of the party loses control of his/her guests, they end up feeling used.   I invited MY friends to MY party and they trashed MY place and MY party!

The meaning of this parable should be pretty obvious to all who read it:  The Jews are the first to be invited to the Lord’s wedding feast.  After all, they are the chosen people of God.  They are the rightful guests of the feast.  But the Pharisees, the scribes, the elders and the chief priests are doing their very best to (1) Ignore the invitation (and not attend); (2) to get others not to attend; (3) and to get others to trash the party and host as well.  So, the Lord does what anyone would do:  he extends the invitation to all.  The wedding feast will go on, regardless of who is and isn't there.

When I write a meditation, I do not base my reflections solely or strictly on the particular Gospel passage of the day.  I can’t!  I must always keep in the back of my mind the entire Gospels.  Otherwise, I will end up belonging to a different religion after every single meditation!  I find this to be a big problem with far too many Christians.  No wonder why we have over 40,000 different Christian denominations (including the denomination “Non-Denominational”) in our country. 

Wow, for a people who think they know the Bible; they seem to have a hard time knowing Christ.

Our problem with the Bible and Church may very well be the same as that of teens and parties:  We want to crash Christ’s party and make it our own just like teens wants to crash a friend’s party and make it their own!  Or better yet, we want to crash Christ’s Church and make it our own!   

How?  By barging in and creating mass hysteria by taking verses out of context; sliding passages out from under us; taking one word of His and running with it; picking His brain and assuming His thoughts; legitimizing the Lord by modernizing Him; and adding my thoughts to some of His words.

Let’s take, for example, the gospel verse:  “You must be born again…”  Obviously, someone took this in the late 1970’s and ran with it!  Suddenly, everyone was asking you:  “Are you born again?”  And then we have the “born-again” movement…that died an unceremonious death not too long ago.  You don’t hear that one too often, do you? 

Instead of crashing Christ’s Church, we end up defaulting on our own!

There are many more examples out there but let’s put it all to rest for now. 

What’s important to know is that when Christ invites us to his party, we should arrive spiritually and physically cleansed; with an open heart and mind; with proper attire; and open to thanksgiving more than to just complaining.