Luke 14:12-14 Feeding Your Faith

Luke 14:12-14  Feeding Your Faith

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On a Sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.  He said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends… or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they invite you back and you have repayment.  Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.”

Reading books on prayer is not the same as praying.  Knowledge of God is not enough to fall in love with God.  We must experience God.  How?  It’s simple, extraordinarily simple. 

If I want to increase my faith, then I must take a leap of faith.  The best part about believing is the surprises that come from faith.   

Every morning I reflect on God’s Word:  His Son and Scripture.  I translate the Lord’s words into my words and the Lord’s actions into my actions.  This is my Morning Prayer and daily bread, and this is what I will give to my parishioners and students.  This is how I increase my faith.  This is how I take a leap of faith.

Recently, at a high school retreat, while the kids where in adoration, a student came up to me and asked for some advice regarding a friend.  I told her that she should go back to adoration, look for her friend and surprise her friend by giving her a hug.  She wasn't sure about my advice.  Well, as soon as she left I left. 

The next day, she came up to me and told me what happened.  As soon as she went back to adoration, her friend came up to her and gave her a hug.  She couldn't believe it.  She couldn't believe that the Lord had told her friend what I had told her. 

Her faith grew that day.  It became alive for the first time in a long time.  

When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.  The Lord loves to keep us on our toes, our tippy-toes.  He loves to keep us in suspense.  He loves to throw curve balls at us.  Just when we think we are getting the hang of this Christian stuff, the Lord encourages us, to go one step further, by challenging us.  He loves to challenge our pre-conceived notions by turning our world upside down.  He loves to challenge our love out of love for us.  He does so because, like He told Martha, He wants us to experience the better part; the part about trusting God above all our fears and tribulations and finding the surprise at the bottom of it.   

When was the last time you were surprised by your faith?  If it has been a while, then it means you’re going through the motions:  you're going to Church out of a debt to pay.  It means you're just praying out of an obligation or habit.  And if you're praying out of habit, then you're praying with your mind only and not with your whole body:  mind, heart and soul. 

The commandments are not so much an obligation as they are a prescription.

In today's Gospel, the Lord is not offering us a quick tip to holiness or some “techniques” to rise in stature and in respect.  He is encouraging us to make the most out of life; to learn from the blind, the poor and the crippled.  There is so much to learn outside of school.  There are so many friends to be made outside of my circle of friends.  There is so much more to this world than the places and things I can see, or walk to or buy.  There is so much more to love than my carnal desires. 

There are so many better things in my life than in whom or what I like.

Because of our lack of faith, we have this undesirable tendency to work with the undesirable to make ourselves more desirable.  In other words, we have a tendency to do things for ourselves even when we are doing things for others. 

The Lord is telling us that that is not Christian.

Kids struggle with their faith because they never get a chance to experiment with their faith.  Parents can help their children by encouraging their children to take a leap of faith.   For example, if your child wants to have a birthday party, then encourage him/her to not only invite their friends, but also to invite some people who would never imagine being invited by him/her.   See what happens next.  Try it.  Take a chance. 

If you think about it, the problem with most of our parents and kids today is that they resort to sinning rather than believing.  They are more than willing to take a chance at breaking the commandments (and getting what they want) than take a chance and living by the commandments (and get what God wants).  So they never really get a chance to experience God in their lives or know Him by heart or above all things because they are constantly placing themselves and their fears in His place.

If you want your children to experience God in their lives, then you must show them the Way.  It’s not enough to just teach them "the faith".  Rather, you have to inspire them to His words and actions by your decisions, inspirations, suggestions, mercy, compassion, understanding and unconditional love.  To achieve this, you must continue reflecting on your faith and feeding your faith on God’s word and God’s body.

Luke 14:1,7-11 Real Humility

Luke 14:1,7-11 Real Humility

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At the home of one of the leading Pharisees, Jesus told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table…When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor.  A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man’, and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

I was worried this Halloween.  I was worried that I would run out of candy.  So on Wednesday afternoon, I went to Albertsons to buy a few more bags of candies just to be safe.  While I was driving, I was thinking to myself, “Let’s see…there are approximately four thousand parishioners here.  We have nearly nine hundred kids in our school…They all know me…I’m gonna need a lot of candy.” 

I bought nearly one hundred dollars worth of candy.  I bought the good stuff:  Kitkats, Reeses, Hersey bars, Hersey kisses, etc…  

I ripped open a few bags and put the chocolates in a large container.  I sat down and waited for the storm to hit. 

6:00 pm:  All quiet.  I thought to myself, “Well, it’s still early.  The kids are having dinner.”  7:00 pm:  Nothing.  I reasoned with myself, “They must be getting ready.”  8:00 pm:  Not a living soul.  I questioned myself, “What is going on?”  I checked the outdoor lights.  9:00 pm:  What the…!!!

Not a single kid showed up at my door.  This coming Monday, I will throw all my candy at them!

I thought I was popular.  I thought I was the only one.  I thought I would get inundated with little hands.  I thought there would be a line at my door.  Instead, I got nothing, no one, not a soul, not even an emergency call!

The Lord said, “When you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’  Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.’”

What a practical tip.  What a helpful hint.  But is it really that?  Is the Lord writing a self-help book full of “techniques” to help his followers to “appear” more humble?  Theoretically (or theatrically) , is it not possible that a very arrogant man could intentionally sit in the back only to be told to come up to the front?  Isn’t seeking attention part of the problem with humility?

The Lord is not offering us some practical tips or helpful hints to be more humble.  The Lord is offering us a humble way of life.  Humility is based on the truth.  And the truth is:  We are nothing without the Lord.

Doesn’t St. Paul sound a bit arrogant in his letters?  In one of them, he writes: “Be imitators of ME for I imitate Christ” (Eph 5:1).  Wow!  Is it humility to equate oneself to Christ?  It is!  But only if you are a saint; that is, if Christ lives and breathes and works through you.  In today’s reading, St. Paul writes:  “That I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.”  Wow!  Imagine for a moment if I went to your house and told you, “You should feel blessed to have me in your presence!”

Any sane person would throw me out the door.

The secret to humility is not found in any self-improvement book.  Rather, it is found in the person of Jesus Christ. 

The secret to humility is found in TOTAL obedience to God’s Will. 

When a humble man acts on a good decision and it doesn’t work out, he will not resort to breaking all the commandments to get what he wants.  Instead, he will trust that the Lord has an alternate plan for him.  He knows (and accepts) that God’s plan is always the better plan.

It’s not so much what we say or do, but how we live.  That’s what made Saul, Paul and Paul St. Paul.

Luke 13:22-30 Strive

Luke 13:22-30  Strive

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Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”

How would you answer this question?  What would you say?  I still remember what a nun said one day in Faith Formation (CCD).  She said, “Everyone goes to heaven.”  Now that I look back at it, I think that was the moment I stopped believing in God.  Although I was a child, I could still think for myself.  And I kept thinking to myself, “If everyone goes to heaven, then why be good?”

Now, if you were taught (other than on Halloween night) about “fire and brimstone”, and that only a few souls go to heaven, then at least you were taught by someone who was a bit more knowledgeable of Scripture. 

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching.  I do not teach or preach fire and brimstone (at least I don’t think I do).  What I try to teach or preach is what Christ taught and preached:  “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

I have met a lot of people throughout my life.  Most of them are still my friends.  They come from different parts of the world; they speak in various languages; they are poor; they are rich; they are married; they are single; they are men; they are women.  Some are dead, most are alive.  But what unites us all together is what we share in common:  suffering.

Life is difficult.  It is really difficult!  It is difficult for me and for you.  Why try to fool yourself?  Actually, why are we trying to fool our children?  Why do we hide from them our failures, faults, weaknesses, difficulties, trials and tribulations?  Why are we stunting their maturity, their growth?

Yesterday, a young mother passed away, leaving her young kids behind.  A week ago, a child was playing a game outside and hit her head against the cement sidewalk.  Today, she still struggles with walking.  A few days ago, a man lost his job and his wife was diagnosed with a rare disease.  They have two grown children in college.  All these things have brought very strong men to their knees.  I know.  I have seen it for myself.

Many will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.  We are not as strong as we think we are.  We really aren’t.  We are not as secure as we think we are, and 9/11 should be a constant reminder for all of us.  We are not as powerful as we think we are, and Sandy is just one of many kinds of storms we will run away from or die from in our lives. 

The problem isn’t that we are not strong or secure or powerful enough.  The problem is…we think we are.

So, instead of living more modestly and relying more on family, we think we can live in debt and that our friends or government will always come to our rescue.  Instead of acknowledging the strength and power that comes from religion, we think we can ignore it and solve every single international conflict with high-tech weapons and consumer goods.  We will not.  Our enemies have proven their courage to fight, and their willingness to die.   

We can be much stronger.  We really can, but only if we begin to strengthen our foundations, our “unions”; that is, our marriages, children, families and faith.  If we do, then we will rebuild The Union.

Out of all the lies people have created, and actually believed in, the biggest and longest on-going lie has been this one: Security through possession. 

This security through possession is known by various names:  career, infrastructures, friends, money, savings, investments, eating-right, etc… These are the supposed “lifelines” or means to success, happiness, love and fulfillment. 

Now I know that those who believe it will deny it.  But they actually live by it.  They even say it:  My career is my life.  My friends are my real family.  My dogs are my children.  My money is my guarantee.  My soap opera is my religion.  My savings are my insurance.  Eating healthy and right will keep me healthy and alive.

I think the good news is that if someone can believe in all these lies, then it won’t be difficult for them to believe in the truth; that is, in God.  Reality is on our side.  Reality slaps us back to the truth. 

Strive through the narrow gate.  How about we try something different, something that works, something new but actually old?  Something that costs very little yet produces great results. 

It is not unheard of that a little lock opened the door to a great mansion.  It’s not uncommon to find cheap solutions to complex problems.  Not everything in life has to be expensive.  Instead of our schools investing in therapists and counselors, police officers and in metal detectors, why not create a little bit of time for prayer?  It doesn’t cost a thing!  It’s natural.

If we outlawed prayer in a school just because of one student, wouldn’t it be worth it if it helped just one student?

Faith is not a crutch.  It is a lifesaver!  It does not help us to fall asleep at night; it helps us to get through the day when our days are dark. 

Life is not easy…for anyone. 

Strive.  What?  Strive.  Do something?  Yes, the Lord invites us to strive to pass through the narrow gate.  We are supposed to work for it.  We are supposed to do something.  Strive sounds a lot like try, and the words may actually be related. 

How can we do it if we are not strong enough?  Through Him, with Him and in Him.

What is the narrow gate?  It is a person.  Jesus Christ.   Strive to live your life through Him, with Him and in Him.  And you will find yourself…on His side.

Luke 13:18-21 Young and Humble

Luke 13:18-21  Young and Humble

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Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?  To what can I compare it?  IT is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.  When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Yesterday, I received a card from a couple who have been trying hard and praying hard to have a baby for some time now.  It finally happened.  The card read:  “It’s a baby!”  At first it struck me as odd that it didn’t read “It’s a girl” or “It’s a boy.”  But after a while, I finally got it.  They could care less what sex their child was.  They were just happy to have a baby.

Babies are cute.  People love to be around them.  It doesn’t matter what they do in front of us or to us.  They can burp in our face.  They can poop in our arms.  They can throw up all over our shirt.  It doesn’t matter what they do.  Nothing they say or do could ever wipe away the joy in our heart or the smile from our face. 

But when babies grow up, they’re not so cute.  Why is that?  Why do kids become so ugly?  It has nothing to do with their physical size or physical appearance.  it has everything to do with their selfishness. 

When the Lord describes the Kingdom of God as being the size of a mustard seed, what he is describing is not so much its physical dimensions but rather its spiritual conditions.  The reason why the Kingdom of God is so small and so great is because God makes himself small so as to be great.  It is the reason why the Lord said:  If you wish to be great, you must make yourself small. 

Babies get everything they need and want and even more.  Why?  Because they ask for nothing.   I keep telling our school kids that if they want to get more from their parents they need to stop asking for more.

I know some parents who are very "concerned" about their kids because they never ask for anything.  So what do they do?  They keep giving them more and more.  Their kids know the secret.  One student never asked for a car and got a car.  One student never demanded more freedom and got more freedom. 

Interested? 

The rule is simple:  If you want to be loved, then start loving.  If you want to be great, then start serving.   If you want to receive, then stop asking and start giving.

If you think about it, the Lord does not demand much from us, except to love Him and to love our neighbor.  Oh, I forgot.  He also asks us to give Him our sins so that He can give us His love.

Be subordinate.  In his letter to the Ephesians (Eph 5:21-33), St. Paul challenges Church leaders to be “subordinate to Christ”.  He goes one step further and challenges members of the Church to be “subordinate to one another”.  He then demands wives take a leap of faith by being “subordinate to their husbands in everything.”  But like everything St. Paul writes, he demands that we do what we do just like Christ did for us.  It is not enough to love.  We need to love as Christ loves us.

The Church is a “sacrament” of the Body of Christ.  Christians are a “sacrament” of Christ’s continual presence in the world.  Husbands are a sacrament of Christ’s unconditional love and sacrifice for His bride (the Church). 

There is no demanding in any of these relationships, only giving of oneself and dying to self.  These are the conditions that make all relationships possible, powerful, beautiful, amazing and ever young and new… like a new born baby.

Like a child, the Kingdom of God will grow from a small mustard seed to a burning bush, but only if it remains forever young and humble of heart.

Luke 13:10-17 A time and place For Faith

Luke 13:10-17 A time and place For Faith

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Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath.  And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.  When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity”.  …But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done.  Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath.”

I really enjoy watching our students compete in the various competitions throughout the school year, especially the sporting events.  I really do!  And I try to make it to as many of them as possible.  Right now we are nearing the end of the volleyball and football season.  Due to the fact that our volleyball games are on Saturday and our football games are on Sunday, you can understand that, as a priest, it’s not always possible to attend.  In fact, it takes a great deal of sacrifice.  After all, I too enjoy a little break – some quiet time or alone time – as well.

So it took me by surprise, a few Saturday’s ago, that as I was walking towards the gym to watch a volleyball game, a parent kindly came up to me to tell me that this one particular coach didn’t appreciate my presence at “her” games.  As you can imagine, I was shocked.  I asked why?  I was told that I was a distraction to the kids.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  I know the kids want me at their games because they always ask me to be there.  I told the parent, “But I think I’m actually helping them!”  Well, I walked in and made my presence known and felt by cheering and stomping on the bleachers (only at the appropriate times).  The kids loved it and, I guess, “most importantly”, they won.

As a priest, I have attended a lot of catholic school games: basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, even lacrosse!  I have to admit though, this was not the first time in twenty years that a coach did not welcome my presence or cheering; but it was the first time that it came from my own school!

You see, the parents and coaches of the opposing teams consider my presence as "an unfair advantage".  And often, they come up to me afterwards and say something like:  “It was nice to see you at the game, Father.  I wish our priest could do the same thing for our kids.” 

There are some people in this world that simply don’t get it.  They think so much about the “now” that they forget the “later”.  What will our kids remember most?  They won’t remember the victories as much as they remember the support, the love, the sacrifices, and the commitment that was made for them.  Yes, they will never forget the faith we had in them.

The Lord cured the sick on the Sabbath.  He healed those who were scared and suffering.  He made sure that wherever He went His presence would be felt - regardless of whether or not He was in the synagogue or in the market squares. 

There are some people in this world that would love to limit our love, our cheer, our presence, and, of course, our faith.  The Lord made it clear:  every moment of every day is a God-given moment.  We are called to make the most of it. 

“Blessed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent…He is like a tree…that yields fruit in due season” (Psalm 1). 

The love of God and of our faith is a fruit that is never out of season.  Every day and every place is a time and place for faith and love.

Luke 12:54-59 You Should Know By Now

Luke 12:54-59  You Should Know By Now

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Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain – and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot – and so it is.  You hypocrites!  You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

Discovery Channel has a program known as Animal Planet.  How fitting.  But what is even more fitting is its subtitle:  surprisingly human.

In today’s first readings, St. Paul urges us “to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received” (Eph 4:1).  You would think by now we would be getting closer to the Kingdom of God.  Instead, it seems like we’re moving ever closer to the Animal Kingdom.

This phenomenon might be due to the fact that we’ve gotten bad at predicting the weather.  That’s the only explanation I have in how bad we’ve become in predicting human behavior.

When you go outside in Texas, and there’s a strong cold wind that greets you, you know it’s coming from the North.  When you feel a blazing heat, you know it’s coming from the South. 

Yesterday, I was speaking to a young student who told me that their best friend had recently become their worst enemy.  They began to share with me all the awful things this “friend” had done.  I asked this young person what they thought the problem might be.  They didn’t have a clue.  When they finished, I said: “It sounds like she’s having family problems.”  There was a look of confusion.  I asked, “Do you know her mother?”  The student replied, “Well, her mother is in rehab.”  I asked about her father.  They replied, “Her father left them.  She’s being raised by her grandparents.”

Oh, I get it.  Do you? 

Is it so hard to see?  Is it so hard to judge things?  “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” 

What are these mysteries?  Maybe we can address them with maxims: 

·         If you try smashing the commandments, you won’t succeed.  But you will end up breaking apart.

·         If you try to crucify the Lord, you'll end up crucifying yourself.

·         The further away you get from Christ, the greater the chance you’ll get lost. 

·         Major problems always start off small.

Is this so hard to see?  Is this all a mystery to you?  What about these maxims:

·         An absent father and mother leads to a child seeking affection in all the wrong ways and places.

·         The smaller the family, the more expensive the problems.

·         Immodesty is a reflection of insecurity.

·         Promiscuity leads to poor self-esteem.

·         Spoiled kids tend to manipulate their parents.

Sure, there are exceptions to every rule.  But, who wants to live with the odds always being against you? 

Even in this political year, some things should be clear:

·         When someone attacks who, it means they’ve given up on solving the problems. 

·         When someone belittles you, it means they have little confidence in their abilities.

·         When someone resorts to foul language, it means they are desperate.

The Lord asks the crowd: “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?”  

The world has been collecting a lot of data for some time now.  We have data in just about everything!  We know what works and what does not work.  So why are we still so confused?  It might be because what works doesn’t necessarily sell as well as what does not work as well.  There’s a lot of money to be made in false hopes and false ideas.  There’s a lot of pressure to keep the public as stupid as possible. 

At the last Presidential debate, Mitt Romney commented that we had “fewer ships today than in 1917”.  The President of the United States responded by saying, “Yes, and we have fewer horses as well.”  I have to admit:  I laughed very hard!  I laughed because of how cheap the President’s response was and how expensive the problem is.  I wish I could have responded.  I would have said, “Mr. President, you must have forgotten how a $150,000 Humvee is blown up by a $100 IED.  You must have forgotten that we have been forced to replace each Humvee with a $250,000 JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle).  Did you forget how the USS Cole was destroyed buy a raft?  Don’t you think we need quality as well as quantity, for we never know what the enemy will throw at us?”

You should know this by now.

Luke 12:49-53 To Light A Fire

Luke 12:49-53  To Light A Fire

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!  …Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth?  No.  I tell you, but rather division.”

People who approach the Bible for the very first time may be surprised to discover that the Church offers us only three basic guidelines for reading it:  (1) Be attentive “to the content and unity of the whole scripture; (2) Read it within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”; (3) Be attentive to the analogy of faith (keep in mind the Creed). 

Take, for example, today’s Gospel passage.  Imagine for a moment if you just read this passage and neglected all the others?  That kind of impression would you have of Jesus?  Isn’t this the problem with some brands of Protestantism?  They tend to memorize certain scriptural verses and build a church around it.  On a very positive note, Protestants devour Scripture, unlike far too many Catholics.

Set the world on fire.  It’s behind me now, but I still remember those days when I needed to make the most difficult decision of my life:  to decide whether or not to leave my family and work and follow the Lord.  Those days were truly the most difficult days of my life.  I can still remember the phone conversation I had with the vocation recruiter.  I was trying very hard to explain to him how it made much more sense to wait one more year and then enter the seminary.  I will never forget what he said:  “If you don’t enter now, you will never enter.”  In my heart, I knew he was right.  I knew I was just feeding my fears and making excuses for my lack of faith.  I was afraid.  I didn’t know what I would do if this crazy “idea of mine” didn’t work out.  I told him I needed some guarantees, a backup plan.  He told me, “Burn all your bridges and don’t look back.”

That’s what the Lord did.  That’s what He knew He would have to do:  “There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!” 

What does it mean to set the world on fire?  Does it meant to leave death and destruction wherever you go like the Nazis did in the 1940’s?  Does it mean to set your pants on fire like the Hippies did in the 1960’s?  [that is, look for every sensual pleasure known to man?].

What does it mean to set the world on fire?  It means to leave a trail of love wherever you go!  It means to set a fire, to question everything, out of love.

Question everything!  I love it (not really) when Catholic billionaires tell simple folks like us that they were “taught” to “question everything”.  They don’t know what they are talking about.  The only thing they ever questioned was what they were taught to question, and that was what their teachers were already “questioning”. 

I find it comical that “those” who question the moral teachings of the Catholic Church came to the same conclusions as those who were teaching them.

How pathetic!  That’s not questioning everything!  That’s just repeating everything!  They are not thinking.  They are just living like a puppet or a parrot! 

You want to know someone who questioned everything?  Look to the Lord.  No one questioned everything like He did.  No one!  And no one ever taught us to question everything like He did.  Remember when He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:43-48). 

Now that’s questioning everything:  everything we ever knew; everything we ever experienced; everything we were ever taught; everything that comes naturally; everything that makes sense; everything that is logical. 

It’s shocking!  No!  It’s actually explosive!  It will start a fire!

If you wish to “question everything”, then start with your own evil and selfish thoughts; start with your lifestyle. Question that.  Question the sins you are committing.  Don’t pretend to question what you have already rejected. 

That’s not questioning.  That’s fibbing. 

The Lord set the world on fire just like he created the world:  With Love.  The Big Bang is an explosion of God’s creative Love.  Forgiveness is an explosion of God’s re-creative love.  The Cross is an explosion of God’s amazing love.  The Resurrection is an explosion of God’s everlasting love.

To light a fire, start by questioning everything!  To keep it going, live by faith!  To make it larger, think logically.  To make it spread, love illogically.  These are not the thoughts of a madman or a liar.  These are the thoughts of our Lord.

Luke 12:39-48 Entrusted With So Much

Luke 12:39-48  Entrusted With So Much

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

The Lord is speaking to YOU!  He has entrusted so much to YOU!  He is counting on YOU!  He wants YOU!

St. Paul writes to his friends, “You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation” (Eph 3:2-12). 

What exactly was revealed and made known to St. Paul?  That Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior!  Why him?  For two simple reasons:  for his benefit and the benefit of others; for his salvation and for the salvation of others.  This revelation was entrusted to him so that he could share the Good News with others.   

And he did. 

He took it and ran with it.  In fact, he ran as fast as he could, as hard as he could and as far as he could.  Actually, he ran all over Europe and Asia Minor with it, even up to the steps of Rome’s White House:  Caesar’s palace. 

And Rome would never be the same again.

Has this mystery not been revealed to you?  If you are reading this, then it has!  And just to let you know:  much that has been entrusted to you will be demanded of you.  This is not a threat.  This is a timely reminder.

Make no mistake about it:  you don’t need to have money; you don’t need to have talents; you don’t even have to have a tongue!  What you do need to have is a heartbeat and faith in God. 

Every single day of your life, the Lord will give you the opportunity to share Him with others.  In one way or another, the Lord will ask you to make him known to another.  Are you up to the task?  If I am, then I can assure you that you are too.

Yesterday, someone sent me a text message with the following prayer request:  “Good morning Father, would you please pray for a woman I know.  She used to be a nun, became an atheist, and is now trying to come back.  She has asked me to walk with her through this journey as she returns to the Catholic Church.  Pray for me as well.  God bless you!”

I wrote back, “I will.  How exciting!”

“Easy for you to say”, she wrote, “I don’t even know anything about atheism, so I don’t know what to expect.  We will be meeting.  She will have many questions and many fears.”

I wrote back, “You don’t need to worry about anything.  Just be faithful.  That’s what she needs.”

Just be faithful. 

I know.  It’s the easiest thing to say but the toughest thing to do.  But I know it is the best way to live life to the full!

At the end of our life, the only thing that will matter will be what we did for God and what we did for others; that is, what we did with the blessings and love we received.

Where much is given, much is expected.  Elections are coming up; maybe the most important elections of our life time.  And when I vote, I will do so based on what is true; what is sacred; what is fundamental; what is important. 

It will not be rooted in me.  It will be rooted in Jesus Christ.

I sometimes imagine that at the end of my life I will be handed a few lists outlining all the things I complained about; all the time I wasted; all the excuses I made, and all the things I considered to be very important.  I fear that moment may be a bit embarrassing - not so much for what is on my lists - but when I compare it to God’s immense love and mercy I received throughout my life.