Luke 6:27-38 The High Road

Luke 6:27-38  The High Road

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

On a day of mourning to remember our fallen heroes of one of the most cowardly and vicious attacks on civilians, Islamists, from around the Middle East, began to surround our embassies (and consulates) and attack and kill our staff.

I have yet to hear a single cleric or religious figure of any importance in the Islamic world apologize on behalf of the Muslim people for the September 11^th, 2001 attack on innocent human life.  And yet, while ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, was being dragged (dead or alive we do not know) across the streets of Benghazi, the Administration of the United States of America was quick to apologize for a film attacking the prophet Mohammad and Islam. 

One would hope we were taking the higher road, the more “Christian” road.  But I doubt it.  I seriously doubt it.  I seriously doubt it because we have done everything humanly possible to make ourselves as much as possible a non-Christian nation.  Wake up America!  We are still strong, but for how long?  We are in debt, tremendous debt, a debt that will eventually cripple us.  Our children grow up weak, pale, alone and confused because they live in homes (families) where there is no strong foundation to keep them from sinking; no values or morals holding them up; no absolute truths to keep them grounded; no dad AND mom to building them up; no God to keep them going; no authentic and supernatural love to pick them up!     

We don’t need Muslims to tear our flag!  We’ve been doing it ourselves, and not just symbolically, but really!  We’ve been tearing our nation apart by tearing marriage, family and children apart.  We’ve been tearing God out of our nation.  Can you believe that He was actually booed, for the first time in American history, at a national political party convention?  Individual victories are becoming national defeats!  When an entire classroom cannot pray because one student does not want to pray, that's a national defeat!  When a entire football team cannot pray because one fan does not want to pray, that's a national defeat! 

We've been tearing up our nation for a long time now: “Separation between Church and state!” [RIP] “No prayer or moment of silence allowed in our schools!”  [RIP]  “No religious displays, no Christmas carols, no Christmas greetings on public property!” [RIP, RIP, RIP] 

Do you really think our government is “turning the other cheek”, or “loving” our enemies out of love for God?  Give me a break!  If religion is to play no role in our national affairs, then what drives our government leaders to apologize?  Isn't it a little obvious?  We didn’t apologize because we took the higher road, we apologized because we will do whatever it takes to accommodate our immediate interests.   This is not the world of diplomacy.  This is the world of failed diplomacy. 

Secular countries are weak countries.  Spain is a secular country and as soon as it was attacked by terrorists, it withdrew.  France is one of the most secular countries in the world.  It elected a weak man, a socialist.  And yesterday it passed a law that taxes the rich by as much as 75%!  Why so much?  Well, how else could the government continue to spend even more than it has? 

What egalitarian or parasite wouldn't elect a socialist?  Who wouldn’t elect someone who promises them everything…and for free!  But nothing is for free.  If there is a hand that feeds you, then you better raise your hand in support of that hand!  No one bites the hand that spoon-feeds them. 

The Lord did not speak these words of paradox from a position of weakness.  He spoke them from a position of strength.  When He picked up His cross; when He died on the Cross, He showed the world that He would not compromise, under any conditions or circumstances, His principles, His morals, His values, His teachings, His Father, His God, His mission, His life!

That is what we should be insisting on when we dialogue with our enemies.  We should speak from a position of strength, not of fear!  We should seek to understand while at peace and never when attacked.  We should never give our enemies the impression that violence pays.

It appears as though we deal with our national debt the same way we deal with a crisis in foreign policy:  poorly.  If we do not pay now (or pay attention now), than others will pay.  And boy will they pay! 

Carrying the Cross is paying the price and taking the high road!

Lk 6:12-19 People and Things

Lk 6:12-19  People and Things

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Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.  When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.

Right now I can’t think of a single list I ever made when I was in school.  I know I made honor roll a few times.  I made the soccer team too, but that’s only because there were so few kids that signed up for it.

It seems as though success is measured by having your name added on some kind of list.  And we’ve got plenty of lists.  Top ten artists, Fortune 500, etc… There are lists for all sorts of people.  There’s even a death row list available on the Internet.

Yesterday, I read in the newspaper that for the first time in almost fifteen years - and the third time ever- a Christian artist, TobyMac, made it to the top of the mainstream music list.  Wow!  What took so long?  Maybe the question should really be, “Why aren’t inspirational songs the “mainstream”, the norm?  Why isn’t the Good News more appealing than all the depressing bad news? 

TobyMac’s success really rests in his unrelenting determination to be the best Christian witness he can be.  He attributes his success more to his prayer life and faith in God, rather than in the sudden acceptance of the Good News or good taste.

The reason why Christian music is not as popular as it should be lies more in the lyrics than in the music, and in our general and childish attitude towards people and things. 

Little girls used to tell their father’s that they wanted to marry them.  Little boys used to tell their mom’s that they wanted to marry them.  Now, we have little boys and little girls telling their parents that they want to marry their dog.  Thus the beginning of the fall of the next taboo!  [Just kidding…I hope!].      

We honestly think we should have people like we have things:  as our possession and at our disposal. 

There’s a song that I really enjoyed listening to called Pay Phone.  I liked it for the same reason so many young people like it:  for the rhythm.  But then I read the lyrics.  They’re as explicit as they’re desperate, the typical symptoms of childish hysteria.  You see, when we think we can have people like we have things and can’t have people like we have our things, we become explicit towards them as well as desperate; Oh how we become desperate for their attention!  We write countless e-mails, send countless texts, leave gifts and notes all the time; we look for them, we wait for them, etc…

The group (Maroon) must have recorded two separate versions of it:  one for the radio and one for the iPod.  But both versions transmit a sense of despair in the lack luster response of people.

Now, what is even more interesting than theory is actual human behavior.  I’m sure that in their oversold concerts they do not resort to the toned down version of their song, but rather use the explicit one.  I am also sure that when the song approaches the explicit part, the young crowd bursts in, louder than at any other moment of the song. 

Why?  Because we are the most spoiled children E-V-E-R!  We live in a nation where we have so much and yet, we have the audacity to think that life rots!  Only a child who thought they could have it all, without working hard at all, would believe "that fairytales are full of sh*t".  Only a child who thought they could buy it all, consume it all, inhale it all, would get "f’ing sick by another love song!"  [N.B.  These are not my words].    

These pitiful and superficial sentiments of anger and disgust with people and the world are simply the resurgence of a childish act of a spontaneous outburst from a spoiled rotten childhood whose delusional dream of having it all, including a world that revolved around them, led to a feeling of nausea. Just like what happens when a merry-go-round goes a bit too fast.

Most love songs and fairy-tales are as honest as life.  That Cinderella has a deadline is no different than many of us who live by deadlines! Fairy-tales remind us that there are limits in life and with people; but if we do things well, from the very beginning, we might just finish well at the very end.  But we have to do things right, which is almost never my way of doing things.

Judas was living a fairy-tale-come-true.  Judas was immersed in love.  But if love doesn’t change you and a fairy tale doesn’t inspire you, then boy are you going to be in trouble!  And when we find ourselves in trouble, in a broken relationship, we can become very explicit and desperate.

Fairy tales and loves songs are not full of it.  We are.

Mk 7:31-37 Be Open!

Mk  7:31-37  Be Open! 

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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. 

Mt 25:14-30 Good and Faithful Servants

Mt 25:14-30  Good and Faithful Servants

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

What does it take to get on Christ’s good side?  Trying.

Master, you gave me five talents.  See, I have made five more.  Originally, the word “talent” referred to money.  Today, it has been used to represent a gift or an ability given to us by God.    This is what the Lord wanted to convey to his disciples.  They had received the gift of faith.  Now, they were to go out and give it away; give it to all who would accept it.  Are you trying?  Are you really trying?  Do sweat or tears (and occasionally blood) come forth from your effort?  We often assume that if the Lord gave us a talent, then it must be for our own benefit.  But knowing the Lord, and all that he said and all that he did, I don’t buy it.  Rather, I would say that if the Lord gave us a “talent”, it was to teach others a better way of doing things.  The talent was meant to be shared.

Yesterday, I watched on Sci TV a documentary on the Apollo missions.  When the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to earth, after having landed on the moon for the very first time, they took a tour around the world.  They were shocked at how people, from the various countries, would come up to them and say, “We did it!!!”  It was this “we” that first shocked them, but also helped them to put things in a very new and much needed perspective.  It wasn’t the United States that did it.  It wasn’t Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin that did it.  It was mankind that did it.  It was their mothers and fathers that did it.  It was their ancestors that did it.  It was the engineers that did it.  It was the world that did it.  It was God that did it and made it all possible.

Master, I went off and buried your talent in the ground.  Here it is back.  Who is the wicked and lazy servant?  The one who doesn’t even try.  What does it take to get on Christ’s bad side?  Stop trying or don’t even try. 

Go ahead and blame as many people as possible for the state of life you are in.  See if that makes things better!  Make every single possible excuse for your miserable existence.  Create your own pitiful story.  Now, I have no sympathy for British Royalty, but let’s see... Prince Harry didn’t have enough, so he had to go looking for what was missing.  And so in a single day he ruined the family name he inherited.   Queen Elizabeth didn’t have that privilege.  When she was a child, she didn’t have time to party.  She was too busy working as an emergency worker during World War II.  But here comes Prince Charles and then Prince Harry, who received just as much as grand-ma-ma, but considered themselves superior enough to ruin the family name they had nothing at all in doing in building up.  Oh, the price of privilege! 

In today's parable, the servant was scared at his master because he knew his master was a demanding man.  So we are now suppose to believe that it was all the master’s fault. 

How convenient...It’s no longer the student’s fault; it’s the demanding teacher’s fault.  It’s no longer the child’s fault.  It’s the school’s fault.  It’s no longer the parent’s fault, or the husband’s fault or the wife’s fault.  It’s everybody else’s fault!  It’s not that we are spending more than we are taking in; it’s that we aren’t paying our fair share of taxes that got us into the huge deficit we are in.  I get it!!!  Bury your head in the sand and blame everyone for not getting you out. 

I hate to ask this, but what is “fair”?  And why is it not fair today but it was yesterday?

Ugh!!!

The Lord does not appear to be too preferential towards the poor today:  “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”   To me, it sounds like the Lord is saying, “Where much is given, much is expected.  And where much is lost, an account as to what happened will be demanded. 

If this is true, then anyone can be a wicked and lazy servant, regardless of their social standing.  And anyone can be a good and faithful servant, regardless of their social standing. 

Mt 23: 1-12 Heavy Burdens To Carry

Mt 23: 1-12  Heavy Burdens To Carry

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Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.  Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.  For they preach but they do not practice.  They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry…”

Do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.   Some months ago, the Italian media began publishing hundreds of personal memos and letters by high ranking prelates working in the Vatican.  This scandal, known as “Vati-leaks”, is the stuff of soap operas.  It paints a horrible picture of some the personalities working closely with the Holy Father.  Not a few of these Cardinals and Bishops appear to be solely interested in advancing their careers.  Of course, these individuals (and documents) have become a source embarrassment and distraction for the Church, the Holy Father and the entire people of God.  Recently, the Holy Father called the entire Roman Curia together to blast them for their selfish ambitions and personal desires for personal gain.  In a nutshell, the Pope told them:  When you were invited to work at the Vatican, you were not invited to be served by others, but to serve others.  You are not here because you earned it.  You are here because you were called.  Get to work!

We really shouldn’t be scandalized by what is very human.  It’s very human to blame others for my failures.  It’s very human to point the finger at others.  It’s perfectly normal to make excuses for one’s incompetence. What’s remarkable - rather stunning - is that the Lord did not tell his disciples that the Pharisees were evil men; or that they preached evil things.  In fact, He told them that they preached what they were supposed to teach (the truth).  But they didn’t practice what they preached; or better yet, they didn’t preach what they practiced.  There’s a novelty for you! 

And by not doing so, they added extra burdens on sinners!  They isolated the open sinners from the hidden sinners.

They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry.  I have noticed that kids always love it when I tell them personal stories about myself, especially of my past mistakes.  They love it because they never ever expected it.  Actually, they love it because they can relate to it.  My hope and prayer for doing so is that they can relate to it in confession!  That is one of my goals during a retreat:  to get to confession and to get others to go to confession as well.

I don’t know about you, but I have noticed how the lines for communion are always much longer than the lines for confession.  I think it’s because we are far more inclined to let others see our good side than our bad side.  And this is the problem.  It’s not always a good thing.  According to today’s Gospel, the Lord’s problem with the Pharisees is not that they not perfect, it’s that they cannot relate to sinners, even though they are sinners themselves.  They tie up heavy burdens hard for others to carry because they tie their burdens upon the shoulders of others.  In other words, what makes it harder for me to carry my burden is if I think I am the only one carrying any burden at all!  If I pick up at how everyone around me is receiving communion, chances are I WILL TOO!  If I notice someone crossing their arms and receiving a blessing, I will be more inclined to do the same.

We can make ourselves more accessible (and more relatable) by making ourselves more transparent.  It’s not easy.  It’s no fun.  It’s not without its risks.  But it will end up being a bit relaxing for others.  What happens when someone opens up their heart to another?  The others follow.  And even more will eventually follow.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Mt 17:14-20 Fire and Water

Mt 17:14-20  Fire and Water

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A man came up to Jesus and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water.”

A lunatic.  What better way to describe a sinner.  A sinner is not someone who has fallen from God’s grace; the sinner is someone who has elevated his reason to the height of disgrace.  Like the lunatic, he believes way too much in himself. 

Recently, we have seen plenty of cases of reasonable “lunatics” in the news.  About a month ago we saw one in Colorado.  Less than two weeks ago, we saw another in Wisconsin.  But there are many more lunatics out there that we dare not speak of, for their lunacy has become a part of our society.  For example: The abortionists; who care so much for the women, that they cannot care at all for their children, and in a single day can end the life of a dozen young souls.  The animalists: who elevate the dignity of every-single-conceivable-living being except the human being.  The pacifists:  who will excuse the terrorist but not the soldier. The liberal politicians: who believe human rights come from the government and not from God or nature.  In fact, they never define human rights because they are too busy redefining human rights. 

I could go on and on, and I will.

The music/Hollywood artists:  who inspire millions to “go for it” but only end up “falling for it”.   [Most kids would be shocked if they only knew that David Bowe, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Janet Jackson did what they did not because they believed in it but because they could make a living out of it].  The fashion designers: who take no responsibility for teen abuse but alone have inspired millions of children to be immodest with their bodies and starve their bodies.  Not only do their clothes cost a fortune, but the therapy required to heal their victims is outrageous!  The atheists:  who seek the benefits of a Godless society while ignoring the results of a Godless society.  They ignore their handiwork just like they ignore God’s handiwork.   

Often he falls into fire, and often into water.    Lunatics are caring and careless; hot and cold.  You may even say the lunatic is constantly in hot water!  Like the lunatic, the sinner knows what he is doing.  He may be sick, but he’s not sick enough.  He may throw himself into the fire but he always ends up in the water.  Yes, the lunatic loves to play with sin because it is interesting; it sparks curiosity.  Sin, like fire, is sensational, thrilling and exciting.  When the sinner gets too close to the fire and burns himself, then he can always jump into the lake of saving grace. 

O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?  Why do we have the problems we have today?  Why do we continue with as many problems as before, but with a much more expensive twist to them?  The Lord’s answer holds true today:  Because of our little faith. 

Christianity is the remedy for all the world’s problems because Christ is the answer to all our problems.  The Lord is the antidote for the lunatic.  May the Lord grant us the strength and courage to profess our faith as radically as those who undercut it! 

Fire is quenched with water; sin is released by grace; hatred is destroyed with love; pride is baffled by humility; prisoners are freed by forgiveness; lunatics are healed with faith.

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed…then nothing will be impossible for you.”

Mt 13:47-53 Good and Bad Fish

Mt 13:47-53  Good and Bad Fish

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Jesus said to the disciples:  “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.  What is bad they throw away.  Thus it will be at the end of the age.” 

I don’t think anyone would disagree with me if I said that there are all kinds of people in the world.  But what if I were to say that there were good and bad people in the world?  Would you still agree with me?  And, to make things a little more complicated, what if I were to tell you that quite a few bad people think they are actually good and very few good people who think they are bad (These people are generally dead and known to us as canonized Saints)? 

Now, in order for any of this to make sense, we have to define what it means to be bad.  So, who is up to the task?  Who would like to do it?  Should we submit ourselves to God and His Word or should we act like our ancestors and decide for ourselves?  Will we submit or will we vote?

Is the President of Chic-fil-A a bad person (or citizen) or is he a good person when he said, “I THINK we are opening up God’s judgment on our nation”?  Is the President of the United States a very bad person or a very good person when he voted, as a Senator, in favor of partial birth abortions?  Do we still need to figure this out or has God already decided?  Can we know what God thinks or is it still an uncracked (and very convenient) mystery? 

We are all sinners; there’s no doubt about that….I think.  Actually, there is…if you speak to an atheist.  Since they deny the existence of heaven and hell then it means they deny the existence of sin and grace.  You can’t have hell if you cannot sin.  You can’t have heaven if you can’t receive grace.  Although they deny the existence of sin, they don’t deny the existence of criminals.  Although they deny the existence of hell, they don’t deny the prisoner in solitary confinement.  Although they, along with Nietzsche, have moved beyond good and evil [N.B.  That’s the title of a book written by Nietzsche], society has not.  That’s good.  Even if we write about going beyond good and evil, we still seem to be able to give concrete examples of good and evil.  Funny!

As for Christians, I think I can safely speak for everyone when I say that we are all sinners.  But although it may be safe to say we are all sinners, it is not very safe to point it out to anyone.  And so, in a very silent way, we inadvertently perpetuate sinners to continue to sin and to be blind to sin. Yesterday, I watched on OWN a program regarding the work that nuns do in the United States.  One order works very hard at taking good care of male and transgender prostitutes.  They feed them, cloth them and make sure they get proper health care.  But, I didn’t notice any of the good sisters speaking to them about how bad it was for them.  Maybe, I just missed that part, but I thought for sure I saw the entire program.  

We have come up with our own Commandments and we respect them much more than we do God’s Commandments.  For example, the first and greatest “Civil” Commandment is this:  Don’t ever talk about religion.  We are very, very good at that.  Unfortunately, only Christians are very good at that.  While we say nothing, others are saying something and making a difference in the world.  The fastest growing religion in the United States is Islam.  It has grown by 66% in the past ten years.  America isn’t less religious; America is less Christian.

I’ve only seen small portions of the Olympics.  I watched the opening games that presented a very concise and elaborate history of England.  It seemed like they got everything except the important part; that is, the Christian part; the tremendous influence that Christianity had on its survival and history.

Yesterday, NBC (CNBC, MSNBC, etc…) did their very best at hiding one athlete’s faith.  They presented a short documentary on the life of gymnast John Orozco.  I have to admit, they did an awesome job at keeping this young man’s faith a secret.  Throughout the entire interview, John was wearing a rosary around his neck.  NBC went to great lengths at never showing the rosary cross in front of his chest.  How deceitful they were in their camera angles and image lengths to keep the cross hidden from viewers.  You would almost think it wasn’t there.  But it was, and what it did was convince me more than ever at how hard this news station works at giving the impression of how unimportant faith in America is. 

When did a rosary or a cross become a bad thing?  When did abortion, gay marriage and euthanasia become a good thing?  Answer:  Roughly the same time.

Have we gone beyond good and bad?  No.  We’ve just done a much better job at handling the bad and hiding the good.  But yesterday, there were tons of cars in the drive-thru windows of a Christian restaurant.  And all the politicians and all their bullies, could not stop the good Christian families nor drive them away. 

Mt 20:20-28 Ignoring The Past

Mt 20:20-28  Ignoring The Past

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The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and asked Him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit at your right and the other at your left.”

Though it may not be uncommon for a mom to seek the best for her children, it is uncommon for her to seek or accept what needs to take place for it to happen.

We can all agree on what’s wrong with society.  It’s another matter to agree on what it will take to fix it. 

“Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”    If we are looking forward to the “future”, it would be wise to take a look at the past.  If we are planning for the future, we should bring along with us some lessons learned from the past.  We all have a tendency to say that the future is the brightest. And the reason why we say it is not necessarily because we believe.  I think it is because we want to believe it!  And the best way to believe it is to turn our backs on our past mistakes.

There’s nothing wrong with moving forward, but to do so, without ever correcting past mistakes, is a big mistake.  Maybe that’s why we find ourselves repeating history every seventy years, or in a lifetime.

I am amazed at how intelligent Marcel and DC comics are.  I mean, you would never think that Marvel or DC comics would have something more to offer mankind than just plan entertainment.  I am stunned at what I am about to say.  I think these two organizations would win an award for advancing the slowing down of science!  If you have seen any of their movies (Avengers, Captain America, Batman, Spider Man, etc…), you will find a common thread that runs through all of them:  The threat of unmitigated scientific research. 

Science can be a very dangerous thing to mankind. 

In DC comics latest hit, “The Dark Knight Rises”, Bruce Wayne unilaterally decides not to commercialize one of his greatest inventions:  a fusion machine; a machine that simulates how the sun shines and that would guarantee clean and reliable energy on earth forever.  Talk about current event issues!  Talk about not being politically correct!  Imagine for a moment a machine like that!  Think of its potentials!  How all wars over fossil fuels would come to an end; how natural resources could be preserved and conserved.  Think about what it would do to the Green Movement (and its political wing).  It would turn red with envy and with all sincerity!  It would finally show its true radical and communist colors! 

Now why in the world would Bruce Wayne hide this machine to the world?  In the movie, he makes his decision very clear.  He says, “If this machine ever got into the hands of the wrong people, it could destroy the world.  I won’t release it until society is ready for it.”   I won’t release it until society is ready for it?  Wow!  Amazing!  DC and Marvel understand history and human nature better than anyone else.  They understand that powerful toys in the hands of irreligious and unethical men could be a very dangerous thing.  It seems as though they understand how bright the future could be:  either as bright as the Son or as bright as an atomic explosion!

While I was a student at RIT, I remember a group of pacifists (nuns included) marching on campus and calling for an end to NATO and the CIA.  They were convinced that the end of Communism, the cold war, and Berlin Wall should mean the end of national security.  I would have loved to have seen their faces on September 11^th, 2001. 

“A bright future” will always make for great propaganda, especially for those who tend to ignore past lessons and mistakes, like December 7^th, 1941.  Never letting our guard down is one concrete lesson learned from our past that would help secure a bright future.

If you wish to bask in the sun, then be prepared to be baked in the sun.  That’s a hard taught lesson from our past.  Sacrifice, dedication and perseverance will always be necessary ingredients for greater glory.  The mother of the sons of Zebedee learned that lesson well, if she lived long enough to see it happen to her two boys. 

There is no Christ without a Cross.  There is no resurrection without a crucifixion.    

Why do we read Scripture?  To learn from the past and hope for a brighter future. 

If we keep ignoring God in our families, in our schools, in our entertainment and in our conversations, then how in this world will we have a brighter future?  Talk about creating high expectations for our kids with the idea of heaven on earth and leading them to a hell on earth!

One reason why we keep failing in our quest for a brighter future is because we keep ignoring the brighter moments of our past. 

There are two ways for an archer to hit his intended target:  either by shooting an arrow through it or by changing his mind.  The only reason why we keep thinking we are doing better is because we keep redefining what “success”, “life”, “marriage” and “family” mean.    But beware!  If we can play this game, than others can too, and with words like "freedom" and "liberty". 

Let's put an end to wishful thinking not by putting an end to happy endings but by putting to rest the mistakes of our past.

Mt 10:24-33 Acknowledging God Before Others

Mt 10:24-33  Acknowledging God Before Others

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Jesus said to his Apostles:  “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.”

I remember a conversation I had with a nutritionist.  He told me that he no longer drinks milk.  I asked him why?  He told me he was lactate intolerant.  I told him, “Excuse me for my ignorance, but isn’t there lactate-free milk in the supermarkets?”  “Yes”, he said, “but it's ‘unnatural’ for people to drink cow’s milk.” 

Unnatural???  How is drinking cow's milk unnatural?  Is it ‘unnatural’ to eat a tree’s apple?  I don't get the connection between this poor man's lactate sensitivity and the 'unnaturalness' of cow’s milk.  Isn’t lactate intolerance due to a lack of an enzyme?

Too often we make the wrong connections.  How often do we think we can push someone away from God by being too religious?  I know what you are thinking.  I know…I know.  I have heard it over and over again.  Many people have told me that their daughter or son no longer practice the faith because they felt forced into it.  But that’s simply not true.  It’s not!  The problem was not that they were forced to go to Mass.  Was it ever a problem that you forced them to take a bath?  Did they tell you they would never bathe again?  Of course not! 

Too much of Christ is not a bad thing.  Too little of him has proven to be a horrible thing.  Too much fresh air is never a bad thing.  Too little is a deadly thing.  Our problem is not Christ or Christianity.  Our problem is with us!  If I do not live my faith faithfully, then I will turn others off.  That’s the bottom line.  If I am mean and judgmental, constantly preaching and lecturing, and going off on others by insulting them, and then force my children or grandchildren to go to Church every Sunday and tell them they will go to hell if they don’t, do you think I may very well turn them off to God (or turn them into a raging lunatic)?  I admit there are a few exceptions to every rule.  But the connection between the love of God and the love of one’s parents is a strong connection.  The Lord did it himself.  Examine your conscience and let me know. 

Offending or offering.  “I don’t want religion to get in the way of my friendships.”  “I don’t want to offend anyone because of my God.”  “I don’t want to impose my faith on others.  I don’t want to cause a stir in the family.”   I’ve heard it all.  Do we offend others by offering our hope or do we offend others by offering no hope?As the number of Christian baptisms and marriages slowly but surely declines, it’s easy to think it’s because of our secular world.  It's not.  Of course the secular world doesn’t help…or does it? 

Does a candle not shine brighter in the dark?    Is the bully not conceived from a secular womb?  Does the raging lunatic not lack faith, hope and love? 

Yesterday, I was shaking my head hysterically at the absurdity of how dumbfounded a news reporter was at how rational Peter Keller was.  If you do not know, Peter Keller of Washington State murdered his wife and daughter and planned to hide in a bunker out in the wild that took him months to build.  It was an elaborate, well thought out and executed plan.  He even made a video of himself explaining himself.  The news reporter couldn’t believe it.  She kept repeating over and over again, “He sounds so rational!”  Duh!!!  Of course he does!  What did she think?  Why are people so stupid to think that lunatics have lost their reason?  That’s the only thing they never lose.  The problem with lunatics is that they don’t think outside the box – that is, they don’t think outside of their tiny brain!  They leave no room for faith, hope or love.  That’s what drives the murderer to murder!  That’s what drives the bully to strike...behind the scenes.  They think they know it all.  They have no need for faith, hope and love.

Do you really think that someone who claims to be “tolerant” of all religions will end up being “intolerant” because of your authentic love for Jesus Christ?  No.  On the contrary, they will examine your faith and see if it hold up to pressure. 

Don’t make the wrong connections, please.  Don’t blame God for being "socially unacceptable", or "out of touch with reality".  Don’t blame God for creating wars.  Don’t connect all religions with war, otherwise, you will exclude the biggest, costliest and deadliest ones of all time.  But if you do, then be fair and connect Christianity with St. Francis, Blessed Kateri, Mother Teresa, John Paul II, and the millions of other saints that have lived the Gospel faithfully.  Be fair and connect Christianity with the humble, not with the prideful!

In today’s Alleluia proclamation, we read “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you.”  So…have you been recently insulted for the name of Christ?  If so, then, according to St. Peter, “you are blessed”. Why?  Make the connection!  If Christ was blessed yet insulted, humiliated and rejected by others, then I to will be blessed if I am insulted, humiliated and rejected for the name of Christ. 

Make the connection.  Take it step by step.  Acknowledge God before others.  Live the faith faithfully.  Bear fruit.  Be blessed. 

Mt 10:16-23 To know and To Know

Mt 10:16-23  To know and To Know

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Jesus said to his Apostles:  “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves…Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you…and you will be led before governors and kings…Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child…You will be hated by all because of my name.”

“I am sending you like sheep…”  It’s simply radical!  Amazing!  Refreshing!  The Lord’s honesty is simply out of this world.  How unique he is and in so many ways!  He is telling his men the truth and more than just the truth.  He is telling them the brutal truth and is not sugar coating it.  If He errs, he errs on the side of being too ‘negative’.  He really wants them to know what they are getting themselves into before it happens.  How refreshing!  How confident!  How trusting!

“Can you help me?  It will take five minutes.”  That’s what people say when they want your help.  I usually respond with a nod and a “surrre”.  The person asking knows perfectly well it won’t take five minutes.  Even I know it won’t take five minutes!  But my all time favorite is this one:  “Father, do you have one minute?”  That’s a very good one! 

“You will be handed over…”  Why in the world did the Apostles agree to say after hearing such dire predictions?  Why didn’t they pick up their things and leave…for good?  Simon Peter was not starving to death as a fisherman.  He would have been just fine where he was.  Paul was very intelligent.  He had a bright future!  He would have been successful in anything he put his mind into.  Luke was a medical doctor.  All doctors do well!!!

The reason is simple.  Christ is gain.  He will never be loss.  The greatest loss is to have never known the greatest Good.  To live a life devoid of Christ is like living a life without a heart.  It is impossible!  And those who try end up either ripping their heart out or ripping the heart out of others!  They live like Jack the Ripper!  Not nice.

The Apostles did not fear moving forward in their spiritual life, even if it meant persecution and great suffering.  But they did fear the thought of turning back.  Why?  Why is this so hard for us to understand?  Could it be because we have yet to test it out on ourselves?  Let’s do it!  Let’s try it out for ourselves.

I know a group of kids that just did.  They came from Ursuline Academy, Jesuit Prep, Bishop Lynch, Bishop Dunne and John Paul II High School.  They went to Honduras to do missions.  The weather was awful, the sweating was unbearable, the mosquitoes were humongous, the people were dirty, the food was disgusting, the work was nearly illegal (for children), the language was unspeakable, the timing couldn’t have been worse:  during Summer!  I warned them at the start of their mission preparation.  “Oh the beatings and scourging you will have!!!”  But I also told them about all the excitement and adventure and love they will experience.

So, how did it go?  All the kids had an amazing time!

I heard that at the University of Creighton, medical students are advised not to go on mission trips.  Why?  Because over half of the students that do go end up leaving medical school for social service careers!    Talk about shocking your parents!

Did you ever notice something about the Lord, how different He was from all the Jewish rabbis?  Most rabbis taught their pupils the faith indoors, between four walls.  Students would spend hours and hours studying sacred writings.  Not the Lord and not his Apostles.  They learned scripture on the road.  I am not saying that scripture was not important.  Of course it was.  But what I am saying is that the Lord taught them the faith in the wheat fields, on the road, in the villages, in the street corners, in his interactions with the crippled, the lepers, the criminals and the sinners. 

This is how the Lord taught His very own.  This is how we need to teach our very own. 

We all need to strive for a personal experience and relationship with the Lord, not just an intellectual relationship with the Lord.  To know Jesus Christ intellectually is a very good place to start, and it should continue for a lifetime.  But to know Jesus Christ, personally, is how we will cross the finish line.

English is not a very accommodating language.  It is somewhat limited in its verbs, especially in the verb to know.  We use only one verb to communicate to others that we know someone or something.  That’s not good.  “I know you” will never have the same depth or meaning as “I know math”.  It’s simply not the same as well as truth.  Most of the world knows this.  That’s why most romantic languages have two verbs.  In Spanish the verbs are saber and conoscer.   The Spanish speaker would say, “Te conozco” (I know you) and “se matematicas” (I know math).    They get it.  They get the difference.

To know the Lord is one thing, but to know him personally is another matter. 

Follow the Lord in all that he says and does and see what happens next.  Do it.  Try it.   And not only will you know the Lord, but you will have a very personal experience with Him.