Luke 12:13-21 Beware!

Luke 12:13-21  Beware!

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Jesus said to the crowd:  “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

 

One of the toughest challenges a priest faces is to talk about someone they did not know.  Funeral Masses can be very challenging.  Family members can find it hard to express their loved one’s life.  Friends seem to remember only the most frivolous or superficial (as well as embarrassing) things about the deceased.  The “natural” tendency we have is to turn a eulogy into a stand-up comedy.  Those who do so think they are helping the living out by breaking through a moment of seriousness and sadness with a joke.  Well, it may work, but do we have to break our sadness by just cracking jokes?  Could we not do better? 

Often I need to sit down with family members and friends to ask them to describe the deceased’s life.  Even with that, I don’t get much to work on.  I get more statistics than substance; more stories than significance; more means than ends; more accomplishments than goals.

For example:  A person’s goal in life should never be that he/she remained sober most of their life.  That’s not a goal; it’s a means to an end.   A person remains sober because they want to be a better husband or wife; a more relevant mother or father; a more loving brother or sister; a holy person.  That's the goal. 

I think it would be great if everyone wrote their own obituary.  I think it would be wonderful to let loved ones know, in your own words, what you thought of them.  Do not leave it to others to do it for you.  Why?  Because they don’t know you as well as you know yourself.  They don’t know what is important to you.  And you never know who will end up writing it for you.

A long time ago, I was specifically requested to celebrate a funeral Mass for a man I did not know.  I was honored yet surprised to learn that the family had asked me.  So I asked the family to help me give this man the recognition he deserved.  I asked them to write something down for me.  His ex-wife did it.  I won’t go into the details but it was not helpful.  I did not want his farewell to be his last confession!

Sometimes people consider it important to highlight their loved one’s economic success story; or their hobbies; or what they loved to collect (like beer cans and match boxes or lighters).  They neglect to mention what mattered the most because they don't know what matters most.  But when they do know, it makes all the difference in the world.  

Recently, I performed a funeral for a man who loved to collect things.  In fact, he collected many things.  That was interesting, but was that really important to him?  Did that really describe his life?  Finally, someone mentioned that he cherished his friends.  He never lost a friend.” 

That was it!  That’s what I needed to hear.  Yes, he collected many things in his life, but his greatest collection was his friendships.  He collected friends throughout his entire life and never lost a single one.  He cherished everything and everyone in his life.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishments?  In your life, who influenced you the most?  What did your family mean to you?  Who did you listen to the most?  Who should you have listened to?  What did you consider to be important?  If there was anything you could have changed, what would it have been? What advice would you like to give to your loved ones; to others? 

In today’s Gospel, the Lord tells his listeners a parable regarding a man who stored up treasure on earth but forgot about the things that mattered most.   One night he passed away, unexpectedly. God said to the man, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?  Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God. 

We do not know the hour or the day in which our journey on earth will end.  It’s good to start thinking about what matters most and to write it all down.  Believe me, this is not just practical advice for the elderly, the sick or the dying.  This is something that we should all be doing, and periodically updating.  Even kids should be doing this.  They could do it in religion class.  It will help them to focus more on what matters the most (God, family and friends) and less on what matters the least:  themselves and being popular.    

Luke 9:1-6 Abandonment vs. Loneliness

Luke 9:1-6  Abandonment vs. Loneliness

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Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority… and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.”

While I was working at Kodak, I enjoyed the benefits of a salary and excellent health insurance.  When I left the business world and entered the seminary, I lost both, my salary and health insurance.  So, for nearly twenty years, I never earned a salary and never had health insurance.  At first this was a huge concern to me, but I gradually began to trust in God and my concerns nearly vanished. I can honestly say I never got seriously ill while I was a religious.  Then, in 2010, I began the process of incardination in the Diocese of Dallas.  I immediately received health insurance.  And within a year, I was admitted into the emergency room at least three times!  Wow!

Interesting…

What is the moral of the story?  There might be a few.  (1) The Lord provides everything we need when we need it.  (2) The more we have, the more we worry.  [I find this one to be more in tune with my personality.]

Take nothing for the journey.  Of course the Lord wants his Apostles to take something with them.  But what is it?  What is the essential item?  What does He want us to take with us whenever we go somewhere or whenever we do something?  What are we supposed to never neglect, never abandon and never leave behind?  What are we supposed to keep in mind before we make an important decision? 

One word answer:  Himself.  The Lord wants us to take Him along our journey of life. 

Take me with you in what you do and where you go! 

The Lord sent His Apostles, two by two, and with less and less, to learn the meaning of divine abandonment:  to place their trust, their lives, their mission, their joy, their security and peace, and sanity and health in His hands. 

Of course it was not easy, but it was the best thing He could ever do.  The earlier we learn from this, the more successful (and peaceful) we will be.  Take a look and see for yourself. 

Have you ever noticed how pretty people worry a lot about their appearance?  And how all their worrying takes away nearly all their peace?  Teenagers are scared out of their minds if they don’t have this or don’t have that.  They weigh themselves incessantly; look at themselves far more often than occasionally; manicure and whiten just about everything.  Has this increased their sense of dignity and morality?  Has it made them more virtuous and less stressed?  Where has all their security gone?  I tell you it has gone out the window along with their smile and happiness.

Have you noticed how ‘ugly’ people do not worry about their appearances?  They live with what they got.  And they actually appreciate what they have received.  In fact, they focus on other things…and for the better. 

I never worried much about my appearance.  I knew where I stood.  And that allowed me to focus on other things, far more important things.  I learned to give my attention rather than to receive attention, and that has made a happy difference in my life.

Hold on to that which is eternal; let all that is temporal slip through your fingers.  It's okay.  It's actually a good thing.

The life of Christ (of his Apostles and disciples, martyrs and saints) was a life defined by divine abandonment and human simplicity.  He and his companions learned not to fret over what they did not have.  They learned to seek no more than they needed.  They neither lived in a mansion nor drove a Ferrari.  They dressed reasonably, not fashionably.  In fact, none of us exactly know what any of them looked like.  They did not have their portraits taken or a bust made in their image.  But with all their human limitations and empires fighting against them, they still managed to turn the other cheek, conquer the Roman Empire and turn it into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. 

Now that’s the power of Divine abandonment...and the difference between loneliness. 

Mt 9:9-13 Something’s Not Right Here!

Mt 9:9-13  Something’s Not Right Here! 

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As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.  He said to him, “Follow me.”  And he got up and followed him.  While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.  The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 

I said it yesterday and I will say it again today.  The Lord did not spend his entire life performing amazing miracles.  He spent most of his time talking to the brokenhearted.  His mission is our mission.  His advice should be taken seriously:  “They will know you belong to me by the way you love.”   

This morning I celebrated Mass for our Middle School kids.  I told them a story that I have been using (and modifying) for a while now.  I’ve changed some of the names to make it more relatable.  But the story is true in its essence. 

A few weeks ago, I went to breakfast with a couple of moms.  They asked me all sorts of questions about the faith, the Church and about Catholic schools.  They asked me what I thought about one particular Catholic school.  I told them the truth.  I told them that the school encouraged the kids to be the best that they could be; that it offered excellent academics and programs.  But then one mom asked me point blank:  “What do you think is not so good about the school?”  I thought long and hard about it, and I told them:  “Well, they are not as diverse as some of the other schools.”  Of course they were a little shocked to hear that.  But I clarified my point by saying, “They don’t have very many mean kids like the other schools do.”   

I wish you could have seen the look on their face!

Anyone who knows me or has heard me speak knows that I love to grab my audience’s attention by throwing some bait out there, have them nibble on it, then hook them good, reel them in nice and slow, and pound them over the head!  That’s how one religion teacher described my homilies to students.  I’m not sure if that is true, but I do try!

What makes Christ so amazing?  What makes Christ so loveable?  What makes Christ so relatable?  Is it the comfortable lie that he accepts us just the way we are?  No.  Is it the bull that he loves diversity?  No.  Then what is it?  It is the fact that He wants to love me and change me. 

The Lord called Matthew not because He deserved it or because He was worthy of it or because He needed some diversity among the Twelve.  He called Matthew because He wanted to change this young man’s life.  And He was willing to do whatever it took to do so.  He was not about to take no for an answer.  And by the looks of it, Matthew was more than ready to follow the Lord.

Something is not right with today’s Gospel.  The Lord came into the custom’s post.  He saw Matthew.  He pointed at Matthew.  He said to Matthew:  “Follow me.”  And Matthew got up, left everything and never turned back. 

Give me a break!  How unrealistic.  How could this happen!  This never happens!  Unless…unless… Matthew was not happy with his life.  Yes...this could never have happened unless Matthew was more than ready for a change in his life. 

But how could he not be happy?  Didn’t he have all the money?  Didn’t he have the people shaking at their knees?  Yes.  He had power.  He had money.  So what was missing?  Nothing…except one thing; the most important thing:  the Lord.  And that’s why Matthew got up and left it all behind.  He was sick and tired of it all and was finally ready to give the Lord his life.

When will I learn?  When will I finally figure it out?  When will I realize that the Lord must be the cornerstone, the foundation, the columns, the roots and depth of my life?  If not, then I will continue to chase after wild dreams and succumb to horrible nightmares.

Today, if you know a mean person in your life, then call them and invite them to follow you so that you can lead them to Christ.  We need to know more mean people in our lives so that we never forget who we do not want to be, and never forget what we are supposed to do:  love the unlovable and convert the despicable.

“Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Mk 8:27-35 Crucifixes and Christians

Mk 8:27-35 Crucifixes and Christians

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Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”  They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”  And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ.”  Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him…He summoned the crowd and with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

A lesson learned is a lesson well taught.  If we have not learned our lessons well, then it’s because we have not been taught well. 

In the past three days, I’ve been meditating and reflecting on the cross.  As I mentioned before, the cross is only half a symbol of Christianity, for it is missing a very key component of Christianity:  Christ. 

It should be obvious to all that Christ is not the cross, for Christ was nailed to the Cross.  Rather, the cross is a symbol of the sinner; that is, it is a symbol of me.  Therefore, the real symbol of Christianity is not the cross; it is the crucifix.  This is the true symbol of Christianity for it is the fullness of Christ’s ministry.  Christ nailed himself to us, and He refuses to be separated from us.  He is forever near to me, next to me, nailed to me.  And that is very, very reassuring.  Christ will never depart from me.  He’s got my back FOREVER!

But with the loss in the meaning of the Cross, comes the loss in the meaning of the Christian.  Let us never forget what the Christian does best:  He follows the Lord, everywhere.  Where He goes I must go.  Where He leads I must lead.  “If you wish to follow me, then pick up your cross and follow me.”  Christ did not die for us so that we would have nothing to do for Him.  He died for us so that we could die like Him, for our neighbor.

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  …So also faith of itself, it is does not have works, is dead.  Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.”  Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.”  (James 2:14-18)

Many Christians have not learned their catechism well!  They think that an easy life is a blessed life.  If you are one of the many who think that, then I invite you to think again.  After all, there is no denying that the Lord lived a blessed life and a very difficult life almost all his life. 

Is being a millionaire a sign of being blessed?  Think again.  I do not know of a single Saint that became a millionaire.  I do, however, know of many Saints who were millionaires and gave their millions to enter a convent or a seminary.  So, why do we think that in order to be blessed, we have to be filled with cash? Or, in order to be blessed we have to have a lot of free time.

If I have nothing to do, then chances are I will do nothing in my life.  But if I have a ton of things to do, then chances are I will accomplish something in my life. 

Take a good look at your life.  Take a look at the decisions you’ve made.  Now, take a good look at Christ’s life.  Take a look at the decisions He made and the words He said.  Analyze Him alongside yourself.  Do you notice any differences in focus, interests, discipline, direction and decisions?  If so, then bridge the gap!  Bring yourself closer to Christ.  If you do so, I guarantee you an immediate improvement in the quality of your life. 

I think that most of us know by now that a life filled with pleasure often led to a life full of regrets and emptiness.  Whereas (and most surprising of all), a life filled with struggles, pain, difficulties, and trials often led to a more meaningful, more romantic, more grateful and more powerful and purpose-filled life. 

Tell me if you think I am wrong.  But I have seen both cases far too often to doubt it anymore.

Christ nailed to the Cross teaches us four important life lessons:  (1) there is no Christ without a Cross. (2) There is no Savior without a sinner.  (3)  There is no love without sacrifice.  (4)  There is no resurrection without crucifixion.  Therefore, let us do as the Lord would do.  Do not shrink from pain, difficulties or trials.  Face them!  Face them head on!  Nail yourself to your cross.  Or as St. Paul puts it:  “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.”    

Every time I nail my triumph with Christ, I nail my future with His glory.  Every time I nail my sin into Christ, I nail my faith, hope and love in His mercy and compassion.  Every time I give God the last word, I turn my tragedy into triumph.  Every time I die to myself, I rise with the Lord. 

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”   

John 3:13-17 Lift High The Cross

John 3:13-17  Lift High The Cross

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Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

A criticism often levied against Christians is that we are far too often focused on something far too far away.  Our desire for Heaven is often viewed as a rejection of earth.  This criticism is not without any merit.  How often have I found myself explaining my life by saying, “I’ve rejected this world for Christ” or “I’ve rejected the things of this world to follow Christ”? 

Now, I know what I mean, but I also know what this sounds like. 

We, as Christians, have to be careful.  Christ did not come into the world to reject the world.  Nor did He come into the world to condemn the world.  Rather, He came into the world to love the world.

So what should I say when it comes to this world?  I think the old saying: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, may be well adapted for Christians in the following way:  “As a Christian, do as Christ would do.”   Let us be imitators of Christ. 

The Lord did not come into the world to reject the world, and neither should I.  He did not come into the world to reject the sinner, and neither should I.  Instead, the Lord came into the world to confront sin and embrace it.  Yes, embrace it!  Suffocate it!  Intoxicate it!  And nail Himself to it!  And yes...so should I. 

Embrace it.  The Lord accepted His Cross and wrapped His arms around it.  The Cross is not just a symbol of the reality of sin; it is, more importantly, a symbol of the reality of the sinner.  It is a symbol of each and every one of us.  What the Lord does to the Cross is what He does to us:  He will not turn His back on us; He will not abandon us; He will not reject us.  Instead, He will take us upon His shoulders and carry us, all the way, till His death.  Sin will no longer give birth to further tragedy; it will give birth to an everlasting Savior! 

We do not reject this world; we change it.  We do not reject the sinner; we embrace him. 

Yesterday, I was dying.  My back was killing me!  Nothing would dull the pain.  I wanted to go see my chiropractor but I didn’t know when I would be able to see him.  He called me right between two appointments (Thank you Lord!) and so I rushed there to get my back fixed.  It worked.  Pain relieved.  Problem solved.  

As I was heading out of the building, I found myself in the elevator alone with a college student.  I cracked a little joke about the elevator “going down to hell”.  She laughed a little, but more out of politeness.  Then, out of the blue, she asked me if I was a minister (I was wearing my uniform).  I nodded.  She asked me what kind of minister I was.  I told her I was a Roman Catholic priest.  She asked me if I always had to wear my uniform.  I told her, “Yes, almost always.”  She asked me why?  I thought about it and told her, “You never know when you will be needed…when someone is looking for a priest.”  She thought long and hard at what I said.  I broke the silence by asking her what religion she was.  “Methodist”, she said, “But I stopped going to Church a long time ago”.  She surprised me when she told me she had a very strong desire to go to Confession.  I told her, “I’m ready when you are!”    She couldn’t believe it.  She was happy, but was not ready to go.  However, she did tell me that she had just gotten out of therapy and that she would love to go to Confession one day.  I gave the address to St. Monica and encouraged her to come to Church.  I hope she does.

Somehow the Cross has become a symbol just of Christ.  It shouldn’t be.  It should be the symbol of a relationship between Christ and the sinner; the good times and the bad; of sickness and health; of sinner and Savior.  Christ and the Cross is a reminder that He is united to us...for life.  We need him back on the Cross, not to crucify Him, but to embrace us.

As I got into my car, I was reminded of just how important it is for us to wear our faith on our sleeves, regardless of how hot it is!  You just never know when you need to let others know who you are. 

Let us all lift high the Cross, in one way or another.  Not to show off, but as a sign to let others know the love of our life!  In this way, we will do what Christ did:  bring heaven down to earth.

Luke 6:20-26 Is There Ever A Dull Moment?

Luke 6:20-26  Is There Ever A Dull Moment?

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Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours…Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 

Life is amazing!  It is full of surprises.  But we often forget that the same surprise can be both good and bad; a blessing and a curse; sweet and bitter. 

Beauty is a gift.  But it is also a curse.  Wealth brings people together.  It can also keep them apart.  Love is joyful.  But it is also painful.  Poverty can be a blessing just as much as plenty can be a curse!  Friends can keep me all together.  But they can also tear me apart.  Being much talked about can quickly turn into being much gossiped about!

Is there ever a dull moment?

Sometimes it just feels like you can’t win!  I went to a birthday party and was surprised by the reaction of a seven-year-old when his uncle handed him a five dollar bill.  The child looked at it and then turned to him and said, “But I already have one!!!”   I thought to myself, “Boy, at that age, I may not have been able to add apples together, but I definitely knew how to add money together!”

It seems like there’s no winning, ever. 

How quickly peace can elude us.  How quickly a dark thought can invade us.   

Today’s Gospel paints an even bleaker picture of life.  If you are poor, then you are blessed.  If you are rich, then beware!  What is going on?  Is there ever a peaceful moment? 

There is.  But it takes faith.  It takes realism.  It takes preparation.  It takes vision.

The world took billions of years to establish itself.  And now that it has, it is gradually dying a slow and decaying death.  It took years for us to grow up. And now that we have, we are gradually dying a slow and decaying death.

Poverty is not an illness.  Misery is an illness.  And the miserable (Les Miserable) can be anyone:  King and peasant; young and old; rich and poor; beautiful and ugly; employed and unemployed. 

But no faithful are miserable.  A faithful person may be a poor person, rich person, young person, elderly person, beautiful person, ugly person, employed person, unemployed person.  But they are not a miserable person.   In fact, they are a loving person.

The reason why poverty is with us and is here to stay is the same reason why death is with us and is here to stay.  It is a part of the plan:  part creation, part sin, part life and part human.  It is a part of our falling down and growing up.  Think about it.  Why does the world give us a sense of beauty?  To watch it fade away?  Why is strength and health a thing to marvel at?  To experience weakness and illness?  Why does man begin to walk? To crawl again?  Why climb up a mountain if tomorrow I will be crawling out of bed!  Why does my body insist on being taken care of,  while at the same time making the necessary preparations to put itself to an end?  

Our world was created with both ends tying a knot and settling a score.  We are born into this world with nothing.  We die to this world empty handed.  We are placed in a womb.  We die and are placed in a hole. 

Yes, all things pass away, but not out of tragedy; rather, for an entirely different reason.  It is not to give birth to tragedy; it is to give birth to life and love.

Why is it that “We don’t know what we have until it is gone?”  Why must this be the prelude, the necessary opening act, to living and loving?  It doesn’t have to be!   But if I do not ever give myself, then I will never find myself.  Only if I give myself, will I find myself.  Only if I give myself, will I experience love.  Only when all “things” pass, will I witness heavenly things. 

When the music stops, why do we stop singing?  When the music stops, why do we stop dancing?  The lover does not wait for the beloved to love.  He does not wait for words of love before he gives a kiss.  The lover loves before the other.  Why give so much importance to what is given when I can give what must be given?  I do not need to have money to loved or loving.  I do not need to have music in order to sing a lullaby.  I do not need to be beautiful to be wonderful.   I do not need to be loved in order to love. 

The Lord came into the world to remind us of many things.  One being… that there is never a dull moment in life and love.

Mt 24:42-51 The Lord As A Thief

Mt 24:42-51  The Lord As A Thief

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Jesus said to his disciples:  Stay awake!  For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.  Be sure of this:  if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.  So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

While meditating on today’s Gospel, I discovered something that I had never noticed before.  The Lord compares himself to a thief:  “If the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake.”    Why a thief?  Why not a King?  That is: “if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the King was coming, he would have stayed awake and prepared a meal, a bed for his guest.”

There are four ways to pass a test:  You can (1) study hard and not question it; (2) cheat; or (3) hope the professor changes the grades; (4) or hope the passing grade is significantly lowered. 

Likewise, there are four ways to live life with God:  You can (1) strive for it; (2) try to slide into it; (3) hope and pray that the Lord changes the rules; (4) hope and pray that the Lord significantly widens the gates of heaven.

 Wake up Americans!  Get up my fellow Christians!

The Lord is a thief!  He is!  Little by little, He takes away the most important things in our life.  Most of the time, He follows a certain pattern.  When we are young, He takes away our grandparents, then our parents, and then, slowly but surely, He begins to work on us.  Little by little, the Lord slides the carpet out from under us.  He takes from us our wealth and our health.  And then, when we are at our weakest moment, He takes our spouse away from us.  Only in death do we part.

Why is He a thief?  Well, how else will I come to realize that He, and only He, is at the end of the tunnel; that He is the beginning and the end; the only thing that matters?  What I may not realize is that the Lord is actually blessing me.  He is actually helping me, helping me to live up to the prayers I say to Him.  For years, I have prayed the Creed.  Do I believe in Him?  He will help me to find out.  Or maybe I have never prayed the Creed.  Do I believe just in myself?  He will help me to find out! 

Every day I proclaim to the world that I love the Lord and that I believe in Him.  Now do I trust in Him?  Am I ready to place my life in His Hands?  Life is all about realizing one’s prayers of holiness. Like John the Baptist, will I not be truly blessed when I can unconditionally, unequivocally, accept God’s divine Will and live up to my own prayer: “He must increase, I must decrease”?  John prayed that his “little light” would be blown out.  Did he really mean it?  Would he go through with it?  The Lord answered his prayer for holiness, and the Baptist lived up to it and was blessed.  Now, it is time for us to do the same.

There are plenty who try to cheat their way in life and into heaven.  They are similar to those who spend beyond their means, or try to show that a sinner’s life is really the best life E-V-E-R! Like all those who have gone before them, they will write in their autobiography how they wish they could do it all over again, but without the sinning part.

Today’s extremists either insist on a wide open gate [All are welcomed!], or on a very narrow gate that excludes everyone including themselves.  They attack, without mercy, His Word; His teachers; His followers; His commandments; His laws.  They attack, without mercy, Christ and His Church.  But God’s love and mercy does not discourage “follow me” and “carry your cross”.  Can’t it all be all of the above?  After all, doesn’t it all come from above?

“Stay awake in the hour of the night!” means discover God in the darkness of the world.  “Stay awake” means open your eyes, change your mentality, stop seeking external and visible signs to reinforce your own perception of God’s Will for you.  

“We will know God to the extent that we are set free from ourselves.” (Pope Benedict XVI)

Mt 18:1-14 Broken Saints

Mt 18:1-14  Broken Saints

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The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven…If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?”

There are some commonalities in life that are a bit confusing.  For example, those who are overwhelmed with joy often share something in common with those who are overwhelmed with grief.  They both shed tears.  Another, that has intrigued me for years, is related to today’s Gospel passage.  I have seen that those who are emptied by sin often share something in common with those who are filled by grace.  They both are broken.

I have to calm myself down when people tell me that there are many commonalities among the great world religions.  For example, that Aztecs had altars, just like Roman Catholics have alters.  But appearances, like so many things in this world, are not everything.  An SS officer may have a gun just like GI Joe, but what he does with it is an entirely different story. 

Although saints and sinners may both be broken, there is a tremendous difference between the brokenness caused by emptiness and the brokenness caused by holiness. 

Today, we celebrate the martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe.  He was the only man that was sent to a Nazi concentration camp  who voluntarily gave his life up to save the life of a condemned prisoner.  He was a Roman Catholic priest. 

Sin breaks us apart.  It separates the heart from the mind; the body from the soul; the person from the community; the creature from the Creator.   The Nazis loved to separate individuals from their community and enjoyed watching them betray one another or turn against each other. 

But grace too breaks us apart; but in an entirely different way.  It releases us from our inner most fears.

It allows us to come out from under our hiding place.  Come out!  Come out!  Where ever you are!  When Maximilian Kolbe was not selected for death, he broke through the ranks of the saved and joined the list of condemned.  It was said that he came out from nowhere. 

Grace frees the “new man” from the old.  It breaks free the captive.  It liberates the restless heart from a very limited mind.  Grace allows something good to created from nothing.  From the emptiness of space came forth an explosion of love.  From the darkest corner of the planet (Auschwitz) came forth a ray of light.  Sacrifice breaks the back of despair.  It brings the dead back to life.  It is giving, rewarding, enriching.  But it leaves the human body twisted, broken and disfigured. 

On the night he was betrayed, he took the bread, broke it, gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this all of you and eat of it.  This is my body which will be given up for you…Do this in memory of me.”

The Lord allowed his body to be torn (broken) so that it could be distributed to others.  Do this in memory of me in an invitation to do what the Lord did.  Allow the Lord to take you, break you, and give you to others.  Do this in memory of me. 

A broken saint is not the same as a broken man.  The difference is one gave himself away while the other never gave himself away.

Although the man who left his sheep in search of the lost one may have appeared just as confused as his lost sheep, we must remember that appearances are not everything.  Do not be fooled.  The Savior may have looked just as dazed as the saved; just as bloodied as the condemned; just as confused as the victim; just as much of a man as the rest, but he is not.  He is God; who appeared like us in all things, except sin.

Broken bread is still bread.  A pierced heart is just a reminder of a loving heart.

Mk 9:2-10 The Goal of Transformation

Mk 9:2-10  The Goal of Transformation

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Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.

The Apostles received, in the Lord’s transfiguration, a sneak preview of who Christ is and always will be:  the Son of God.  We too can expect something similar to this when we finally are who we were always meant to be:  an image and likeness of God.

We go to great lengths and take great care of our physical well being.  But like it or not, our physical well being is well connected to our spiritual well being.  A life of sin takes a heavy toll on the human body as much as a life of grace lifts the burdens off of many.   It is time we work on both. 

Most medical doctors do not think like social engineers.   They don’t tempt us, every time we go into their office, to add two additional arms or legs.  Why not?  After all, wouldn’t four hands be better than two?  Wouldn’t four arms make us more efficient?  I think so.  Think about it mom, imagine all the things you could juggle if you had four arms and four hands!  That’s twenty fingers!!!  No, most medical doctors will not go inside the human body unless it is absolutely necessary.  They won’t break a limb to make it a stronger limb.  They won’t replace a normal limb with a bionic limb unless it is absolutely necessary.  They won’t change a thing, unless it is killing the patient.

Thank God many medical doctors do not think like social engineers.  Most medical doctors tend to agree that the original design may not be the best design, or even the most efficient design, but it is the most authentic design; the one that best identifies with who we are and what we need.

But social engineers do not think like that.  They think they can do better.  They think children living with one mother and one father is old school or “the old normal”.  Now NBC is helping to spear head a new concept through a television series entitled, “The New Normal”.  Starting this Fall, we will be told by actors and actresses, in well rehearsed scripts, of what “The New Normal” looks like, lives and feels like.  I won’t go into all the details.  But I can tell you it is absolutely fictional. 

I love how the media works overtime and in overdrive to normalize dysfunction.  We first get a glimpse of it through TV, through actors and through scripts.  Most scripts tend to idealize the sick dreams of their sick creators.  Most sick directors tend to make certain sick characters appear healthy in their life choices and styles.  This type of social engineering reminds me of the sad disadvantage most of our students face when they leave our politically correct and lame schools.  They are shocked beyond consolation when their boss (teacher) tells them for the first time in their life that their work was late (tardy); that it was trash (not “their best effort”), that their presentation was pathetic (no participation certificate given this time), and that they will no longer be with the company (that they didn’t get a free pass to the next grade). 

The New Normal may appear normal on TV, but in real life, it will have devastating consequences on children and American society.  If we thought our schools were already collapsing, our children were already suffering and our marriages were already failing…wait and see what the social engineers will give to us next.         

The Lord appeared transfigured before His men.  He did not appear better than before; he did not appear more improved than before; He appeared authentically.

Before we try something new, let’s work in a state of grace.  Before we try replacing what we broke, let’s fix what we broke.  Before we do anything new, let’s fix the problem.  The goal in life is not to be better than before, stronger than before or even more efficient than before.  The goal in life is to be authentic:  an image and likeness of our Creator.

Mt 11:28-30 Come To Me

Mt 11:28-30  Come To Me

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Jesus said:  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Come to me.  This morning, after reading the Gospel, I asked myself the question:  How does one come to the Lord?  What does “come to me” mean?  Immediately the word trust came to me.  To come to the Lord means to trust in the Lord:  Speak as I speak, live as I live, forgive as I forgive, love as I love, do as I do. 

Come to me all you who are burdened.  Why do I feel so overburdened?  Why do I feel the weight of the world upon my shoulders?  Why do I end the day totally exhausted and in fear?  Again, almost immediately, this thought came to me:  Because you are trying to play God.   Yes, that’s it! It’s true.  I’m trying to be God and I am failing miserably.  I can’t keep up.  I can’t do it all.  I can’t keep thinking about the past, what will happen in the future, and what I will do about it all.  I can’t!  I’m tired.  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” 

I must trust in the Lord.  I must imitate the Lord, not replace Him.  I understand: there is a God and I am not Him.  Be meek and humble of heart. 

I am not here to say to you that what I have written above is easy to do.  Of course not!  It’s not easy to let go and allow the Lord to take control.  We all face difficult choices to make.  But the Lord is inviting us to choose Him.  If we want to play it safe, then the Lord invites us to play it safe with Him.  If we commit an error in giving up too much to Him, then He is invites us to err on His side. 

It happens far more often than we would like to think.  It’s not easy to have a child.  I know many who were blessed with many children.  I know some who were blessed with no children.  Sometimes those with many are criticized by those with a few.  Sometimes those with a few are criticized by those with many.  What’s important to remember is that all are blessed when all trust in the Lord. 

There’s no need to fight over that!

Tragedy will always strike when we choose to play God; when I place an enormous burden and a unbearable yoke around my neck.  That’s when I will feel like I am being choked to death.

Many years ago, as a seminarian, I met a couple that had two kids.  After the birth of their second child, they decided they were done.  Not too long after that, they lost one child in a terrible - freak - accident.  [Their grandfather ran over him while backing up in the driveway].  The couple was racked with guilt and burdened with doubts.  They asked me if the Lord had done this to them because of the decision they had made.  What was I going to tell them?  Could I speak for the Lord?  Could I put words in His mouth?  Could I be absolutely sure of what I was going to say?  I don’t know how I did it, but I did not tell them what I wanted to tell them.  Instead, I told them the truth.  I said, “I don’t know.” 

Over the years these types of heartbreaking stories have repeated themselves over and over again. 

But over the years I have learned something.  I’ve learned it myself and I’ve learned it the hard way:  If I want to play God, then I must be ready to go all the way; that is, I must be prepared to raise the dead.  Go ahead, raise the dead! 

If not, then take comfort:  Don’t play God.