Luke 13:18-21 Young and Humble

Luke 13:18-21  Young and Humble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interested? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mt 25:1-13 Ridi, Pagliaccio!

Mt 25:1-13  Ridi, Pagliaccio! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay awake!  Stay tuned!

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

Mk 6:17-29 Marriage And Murder

Mk 6:17-29  Marriage And Murder

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Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.  John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”  Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.

Today, kings and queens and swords and empires seem to be the thing of fairy-tales.  It’s hard for us to understand how one man could wield so much power; judge so swiftly; and engulf an entire people into chaos so easily.  It’s hard to relate to centuries old occurrences.    

But if we closely examine today’s gospel, and sift our way through the archaic names, ancient dances and dungeons and fantastic promises made by a king to his step-daughter, we can begin to see a glance of what binds our world to theirs; and what lies in store for us.

That is, we begin to see what we will suffer to save the institution of marriage. 

Is God’s word relevant in our world?  You bet!  And more than ever before! 

Just recently, an activist and volunteer worker for an LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) organization stormed into the Washington based pro-family and pro-marriage Family Research Council (FRC) with over fifty rounds of ammunition and 15 Chic-Fil-A sandwiches in his backpack.  He shot the security guard, who not only survived but miraculously stripped the assailant of his gun and detained him until the police arrived. 

The security guard, a devout Christian, could have killed the man who wanted to kill him, but he chose not to, even though he had every legal right to do so.  By all accounts, the would-be-murderer had ever intent of killing every single employee in that building. 

A few days before the shooting, a well known gay-rights organization labeled the FRC a “hate-group”, a label typically reserved for Nazis and racists.  They also called the founder of the FRC, Tony Perkins, a racist, a bigot, a homophobe and a hate-monger.   After the shooting, only forty-four LGBT groups condemned the attack.  The general media has pretty much ignored this story; in no way has it received the same media attention that Trayvon Martin’s case continues to receive today.

And while we all think that the security guard did not deserve to be shot, I am sure that some good people - loving and very tolerant people - will attempt to justify, in one way or another, the actions of the LGBT volunteer.  After all, he truly cares about extending the rights of marriage to all individuals.

How in the world did we ever get to the point of calling an organization that defends the dignity and sanctity of marriage and family a hate-group?  Is this the stuff of some fairy-tale gone bad?  Is this the stuff of some ancient, bizarre, and insane emperor who went wild on his very own people?

Not only have we crossed great distances in time, but we have gone where no man has ever gone before.  We have gone where no man has ever gone before because we have sinned like no man ever sinned. 

Sure, over time, names may change…a dungeon easily becomes a correctional facility; my spouse, my “mate” or my “partner”; an infidelity is considered a slip; sin is a lack of judgment; etc…  But what doesn’t seem to change is how intolerant are the so-called tolerant and to what extent the non-believer will go to silence his opponent.  This is the advantage of being a non-believer.  There are no rules, no qualms, no conscience, no commandments and no beatitudes to abide to; especially when it comes to getting what one wants. 

There is nothing holding them back.      

St. John the Baptist, pray for us!

Jn 6:60-69 Turning the World Upright

Jn 6:60-69  Turning the World Upright

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Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” 

An atheist believes the world is what it is.  A Christian, on the other hand, knows the world isn’t what it is; it’s upside down.  I think this helps explain why the world finds Christ’s sayings so hard to accept.  After all, when you are upside down, it’s hard to follow someone so upright!

You would think it would be easier to believe someone who loves you than someone who wants to love you.  Think again.  Most parents of teenagers know just how hard it is for their teens to believe them.  Although teens may have a hard time listening to and obeying their parents, they don’t seem to have a hard time listening to their friends, especially their boyfriend or girlfriend.  When a high school boy tells a high school girl that he loves her and wants her, she has a tendency to believe him.  But when her mother tells her that this boy’s hormones are out of control and that he is a smooth talker, well, she has a tendency to dismiss her mother.  You would think by now this lesson would have been learned.  Think again.

You would think that if we sell diamonds for millions of dollars and cars for thousands of dollars, that no one would ever sell their body for twenty dollars or their soul for ten.  Think again… 

Of course the atheist is correct in saying this world “is what it is”, but it is not the same as saying it is what it was always meant to be. 

Sin has turned everything, especially us, upside down.  And since God is love and sin is inversely proportional to love (the more we sin, the less we love), it's no wonder we have a difficulty understanding God.  It's no wonder God’s sayings seem to be difficult sayings that are hard to accept.

I find it amazing how I can believe every word someone says to me, but I cannot believe in God’s word.  Or how I can repeatedly place all my trust in another human being, and repeatedly be disappointed, but I can’t seem to place my trust in God who unconditionally loves me. 

Wives should be subordinate to their husbands.  Today’s first reading is not easy to accept.  I happen to love it and for a shocking reason:  it's very pro-wife!  St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, tells the community, “Brother and sisters:  Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church…Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her…”  (Eph 5:21-32)

This is a hard saying…what wife can accept this?  Answer:  Only those who have been unconditionally loved (served) by their husbands. 

Men often tell me, “Father, my wife ignores me.  She never does anything for me.”  If that is your case, then maybe the problem is not so much with your wife as it is with you!  What does it take for a wife to do whatever her husband asks her to do?  St. Paul tells them:  Men, if you wish to be the head of the household, then you must be the first to love; the best in loving; and the foremost teacher in love.  Remember:  the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church.

Why would I ever do anything for Christ?  Because I know He would do anything for me.  [Actually, he already did everything for me].  I would gladly be a slave for Christ because I know he would serve me before I had the slightest chance to serve Him.

Would I ever be a slave for someone?  Only if I knew they loved me.  Only if I knew they would die for me.  Christ is the head of his bride, the Church, because He earned it.  He died for her.  Here lies the true inspiration for Romeo and Juliet.

The same holds true for Christ’s body and blood.  Why did Simon Peter believe Christ?  Because Simon Peter knew he was loved by Christ.  That’s all it took. 

I’m a simple fisherman, Lord.  I don’t understand a thing you said today.  But I do know something.  I know that you love me.  And if you love me, then that’s all I need to know.  That’s all I need to know to believe in you. 

It is Christ’s love that turns our world upright.

Mt 19:3-12 Marriage And All Things Decaying

Mt 19:3-12  Marriage And All Things Decaying

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Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” 

If you live in Dallas, you know for yourself that the roads in and around the city are a mess.  Recently, I had to drive a friend to the airport (DFW airport) and I was delayed for an hour due to all the construction (or reconstructing) surrounding it. 

While I was waiting, I had this simple reflection:  Nothing in this world stays pristine.  All things tend towards decay.  Roads…no matter how much cement and rebar we use, even our roads and bridges decay. 

I got to thinking about what I had just realized.  I couldn’t think of a single thing in this world that does not decay.  Humans decay, animals decay, plants decay, fruit decays, roads decay, even stones decay!  All things decay. 

Nothing lasts forever.  Not too long ago, I went to the home of an elderly couple.  They had been married for almost 60 years and they wanted me to bless their home of nearly 45 years.  As we went in and out of the house, I noticed something in the middle of the yard.  It was hardly recognizable and almost entirely covered over.  At first it looked like some ancient structure from centuries ago.  Before I could say anything, the elderly gentleman remarked:  “When I first moved into this house, I wanted a place outdoors where the family could eat and relax.  So my sons and I dug for days to remove all the grass, weeds and dirt in this place.  We covered it with plastic, purchased a ton of gravel and sand, and bought over four hundred bricks.  When it was all said and done, we had a beautiful outdoor patio and lush garden.  Now, as you can see, time has taken its course.   Gradually, little by little, the earth has reclaimed it and covered it.” 

The same holds true for more abstract manmade things such as nations, empires, cultures and civilizations.  All civilizations decline, so expect the same from western civilization.  All cultures decline, so expect the same from our neo-pagan culture.  Even all religions decline, so expect the same even from Christianity.  But what makes Christianity different from all other civilizations, cultures, institutions and religions is that it expects to decline, just like her founder, and to rise again, just like her founder.  This is what makes Christianity so different.

When man tries to save a dying institution, he redefines it.  When God tries to save a dying institution, he resurrects it.  Family is a dying institution in America.  So what do Americans do to save it?  We redefine it.  The hardworking student is a dying breed in America.  So how do we save him?  We redefine him.  Marriage is a dying institution in America.  So, what do we do to save it?  We redefine it. 

But when Christ spoke about marriage He didn’t redefine it, He resurrected it.  The Lord elevated a decaying and dying institution by bringing it back to its originality.  He chipped away all human inventions, innovations and redefinitions and brought it back to its essence and beauty.  He stressed the forgotten fact that marriage was between one man and one woman.  This went against the Jewish custom and tradition of a man having more than one wife.  Then, he moved on to declare that divorce was unacceptable (unless the marriage was unlawful; and in that case, it would not be a marriage at all).  That’s it.  Pure and simple.  Beautiful and remarkable.

Some would argue that Jesus made marriage less appealing by making it more restricting.  But I would argue that He didn’t make it less appealing; instead, the Lord made it more meaningful and beautiful.  He did not place an undue burden on spouses; he placed an overdue burden on divorce.  He gave women the equality that not a single modern day feminist ever gave them. Instead of demanding that women have the same right to divorce as men, he gave women equality with men by demanding that men not divorce their wives but be faithful to their wives; just as He is to His bride, the Church. 

Christ declared marriage what it truly is:  a symbol of the covenant between God and his people.  Marriage comes from God’s covenant, like our “father” comes from our Heavenly Father.  We did not give God his name; He gave man His name.

Some things decay simply because we allow them to.  Marriage should never decay (or require redefining) because marriage comes from God, and God is love and love never fails.  Unfortunately, we tend to take the easy way out of an institution’s problem by taking the core out of the institution.  We tend to listen more to what people have to say rather than what God has to say.

Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God. 

Mt 13:10-17 No Scapechicken!

Mt 13:10-17  No Scapechicken!

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The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”  He said to them in reply, “…This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand…Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.”

A sociology professor asked his class if anybody was a racist.  Of course all the students shook their heads in denial.  “Are you sure?” the professor asked.  A few minutes later, he tested one student by asking him, “Tell me what you think about this statement:  If you want to make the world a better place, then you have to kill all the African-Americans, all the Jewish people and all the firemen.”   The student, looking confused, responded, “Why all the firemen?” 

The professor walked away with a smile on his face, satisfied that he had made his point. 

However, I think I would have objected to such a rash conclusion.  The student was not being a racist.  He was being a student.

We know, from our history, that African-Americans have been the object of discrimination and slavery by others.  We also know, from history, that the Jews have been slaughtered by the millions by others.  But the reaction of the student, regarding firemen, would have made me wonder:  Why are firemen the object of this man's fury?

The same question can be asked regarding Christians who support (traditional) marriage:  Why are they the object (or target) of so much fury? 

If I was a supporter of "gay marriage" and asked a Southern Baptist gentleman what he thought about "gay marriage”, I would hope he would be honest with me.  Then I would hope he would agree with me.  But if he didn't, I wouldn't be surprised.  In fact, I’d like to know why he didn't agree with me and I’d like to have the opportunity to share my point of view with him.  But since I asked him the question and hoped he would be honest with me, would it be right to be furious with him?  Did I ask him the question in order to set him up to be a scapegoat?

When I walk into a restaurant, I want to be served quickly and be treated with respect, with dignity and with good food.  I don’t expect the owner of the fast food chain or the waiter or even the cashier to agree with me on any other issues, especially political or social issues.  Just like the President of the United States, I want my food to taste great and be void of all diseases. 

But now, it appears as though the gay community wants all restaurant owners, all cashiers and all waiters to agree with them when it comes to accepting “gay marriage”.  BEWARE ALL CASHIERS, ALL WAITERS, ALL OWNERS, ALL PEOPLE!  Beware if anyone asks you a question regarding “gay marriage”.  Beware if you speak your mind and defend what has never had to be defended before.  Beware if you are honest.  Beware if you do not agree with them.  Watch out!

Why in the world is the gay community (and its hysterical supporters) shocked by a practicing Christian’s belief in scripture; in marriage; and in honesty?  And, at the same time, would serve anyone, regardless of their gender specific tendencies, a good meal? 

What did they expect this man to say?  Are they upset that he was honest?  Are they upset that he is a Christian?  Will they do the same to others as well; to Muslim owners?

The Boys Scouts of America (BSA) recently received over 300,000 signatures from individuals who oppose their policy regarding homosexuals serving as leaders.  But not one of those signatures proves a thing; namely, why the BSA’s stance is wrong.  After all, when millions of Germans voted for Hitler, did it mean they were right?

This Tuesday is Chick-fil-A appreciation day.  The gay community went after the wrong man.  They thought he only cared about money; they thought he only cared about chicken.   This scapechicken may very well turn out to be a lightning rod for Christians everywhere. 

Mt 9:18-26 What The Lord Can Do In Life And Death

Mt 9:18-26  What The Lord Can Do In Life And Death

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When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, “Go away!  The girl is not dead but sleeping.”  And they ridiculed him.  When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose.  And news of this spread throughout all that land.

Her parents must have been shocked when they saw their baby girl rise from the dead.  We often think of miracles as medical cures.  We are right to think that way.  But what does the Lord think from his point of view.  What does He consider a miracle to be? 

Of course the Lord is interested in healing the body, but I would dare to say he is more interested in healing the soul. 

For Christ, a real miracle is an act of faith!

Chiara Petrillo dreamed of the day she would get married.  And when she did, she dreamed of the day she would have a child.  Chiara and Enrico conceived a baby girl.  But a few months into the pregnancy she was told that her baby would not survive.  She was severely deformed.  The medical team in Italy recommended that she terminate her pregnancy.  She refused.  She did well.  Who are we to determine who should live and who should die?  Let the medical team do their job.  Let the Lord do His.  The final decision must be His. 

Nine months later, Chiara gave birth on earth to a little treasure.  Thirty minutes later, the Creator gave birth in Heaven to a little treasure.  That’s what the couple said.  You see, throughout the entire time of her pregnancy, Chiara and Enrico’s faith in God only grew stronger and deeper.

They are a unique couple.  They were brought up going to Church every Sunday.  They are the John Paul II generation.  They are not afraid of anything!  They are the “Be not afraid!” generation. 

So, after a few months, the couple realized once again that they were pregnant.  Everything seemed to be going well.  But in the seventh month of her pregnancy, the doctors informed Chiara and Enrico that their second child, a boy, had no legs.  Near the end of the pregnancy, the doctors told the young couple that the child had developed life threatening abnormalities.  Again, the couple was encouraged to bail out.  Abort!  Abort!  They refused.  Soon after Davide was born, the child died.

One more funeral.  A few months after the loss of their second child, Chiara became pregnant. The pregnancy was going very well.  Chiara was going to give birth to a healthy baby boy.  But now, a new cross had arrived.  This time, there was something seriously wrong with Chiara.  A cancerous tumor was discovered on her tongue.  Without chemotherapy and radiation, her condition would only grow worse.  But the introduction of these strong chemicals could cause her to lose her baby.  Every Catholic knows (should know) there is no wrong in saving the life of a mother, even if it means the death of her child, since that is not her or anyone’s intention.

She does not need to go beyond the call of duty. 

But Chiara is not a soldier; she is a special ops soldier!  She is not a Christian; she is a radical Christian.  And radical Christians live (and die) like their founder:  "If you wish to follow me, then pick up your cross and follow."  Her faith is like that of St. Paul's: “Life is loss and death is gain.”   Chiara lives by a certain creed: “There is no greater love than this, to lay down your life for another.” 

She didn’t have to risk her life.  She didn’t even have to lay down her life.  But just like a Navy SEAL, she decided to use her body as a shield to save a life. 

Did she have a death wish?  Do soldiers want to die?  Of course not!  But they will not live at the expense of their buddies.

Chiara is not a soldier.  Chiara is a Saint!  And Saints are as beautiful as Jesus; as uncommon as valor; and as miraculous as faith and love!  They make believing look so easy!

P.S.  Did you notice the smile on her face?

Mt 8:28-34 When Pigs Fly!

Mt 8:28-34  When Pigs Fly!

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The demons pleaded with Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”  And he said to them, “Go, then!”  They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned…Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

Why in the world did the Gadarenes want Jesus to leave their district?  To me that’s even more bizarre than two demoniacs coming from the tombs or an entire heard rushing into the sea!

Why would they want Jesus to leave their territory?  Did the townsfolk get used to the devil?  Were they comfortable with their strange companions?

“Seek good and not evil, that you may live” (Amos 5:14).  As we get further and further away from the truth, the truth will become more bizarre, more intolerant and more uncomfortable than lies.  Lies are very comfortable and tolerable.  They flow like milk and honey. 

Yesterday, Anderson Cooper, the CNN anchor, came out of the closet.  He told well-wishers that he was thankful to God for being gay and for being able to fall in love with someone of the same sex.

I feel justified in speaking about this since Mr. Cooper made his faith in God public while making the case of his sexual orientation public. 

I agree with him on certain points.  I too can fall in love with someone of the same sex, but I don’t need to be gay to do that. 

Love comes from God, that’s true.  And the command to love one another comes from God.  We can love our dad, brothers, uncles, male friends and male cousins as much as we love our mom, sisters, aunts, female friends and female cousins.   But what’s even more commanding from God is the unique and special love between a man and a woman.  Although it is carried out in a much hidden, almost secretive way, it has never been kept in the closet or as a dark secret.  Rather, it has been made apparent and obvious in every single way: By God, by parents, by children and by biology. 

Sure, I can 'feel' loved in many different ways just like I can take a drink in the normal way, through my mouth, or in a very artificial way, through an IV.  I can speak through my mouth, which is the typical way, or I can speak through my throat in a very mechanical way.  I can breathe through my nose and mouth in a very natural and healthy way, or I can breathe through my neck by means of a tracheostomy.  I can do it all, and I can even say that it was all done in the name of love.  But I cannot say it was done in a very natural way.   

Yes, I can use my mouth in a variety of ways:  to drink, eat and speak.  But that doesn’t mean I can drink whatever I want, like poison; or eat whatever I want, like rotten food; and say whatever I want, like filthy lies.  No! In the end, the mouth, like the body, is subject to certain laws.   

In today’s Gospel, the Lord was driven out of a town.  He was politely asked to leave.  It appears as though he was making too much ruckus with all those pigs squealing and all those tombs opening!  Wherever he went, the Lord made a scene.  It was a scene that repeated itself over and over again.  Wherever he went, he turned sinners into saints.  And sometimes they screamed all about it.

Wherever we (Christians) go, we make a scene.  And just like the folks in Christ’s time, very polite (tolerant) people will ask us to shut up and leave.  But unlike the Lord, why do we ask ourselves, “What did I do wrong?”    Oh…this is the reason why Christians are not welcomed!!!  This is the reason why people hate Christians!!!  Really?  Or is it for other reasons!

My dear friends:  Get this into your head.  Once and for all!  Make no mistakes about it.  To be Christian will never mean to be popular.  It isn’t part of Christ’s story which means it isn’t going to be a part of our story! 

To be Catholic will never be a comfortable thing.  We live on the edge.  We speak the whole truth.  We stand up for the dignity and the sacredness of human life.  And anything (ANYTHING!), or anyone (ANYONE!), that tries to eliminate it, cheapen it, or distort it will not be tolerated. 

Christ’s death was not a cheap death.  Life is worth living and dying for.  Life is not cheap to us!

As our society gets further and further away from God (the Truth), we will continue to be pushed further and further into the back and darkest part of society – the gutter.  But in the meantime, the Church is where sinners are welcomed, but sin is not. 

We do not drive the Lord away.  We make pigs fly! 

Now that's Independence!

Mt 28:16-20 Most Holy Love

Mt 28:16-20  Most Holy Love

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The Eleven Disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.  When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.  Then Jesus approached and said to them, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” 

O most holy Trinity, Undivided Unity; Holy God, mighty God, God immortal, be adored.

They saw him, worshiped him, but they doubted.  They doubted???  How in the world could the Apostles have doubted if the Lord was standing right in front of them?  Were they thinking this was a mirage or that they were out of their minds?

Some people might not understand what the Apostles felt.  I do.  It’s not hard for me to believe they doubted.  And I want to give the sacred writer all the credit in the world for being honest about it.  I can understand their doubts because even though the Lord has done some incredible, amazing, and even miraculous things for me, doubt still finds a place in my heart. It's not hard for me to remember how incredibly hard it was for me to accept His call.   I thought to myself, “Is this possible?  Does the Lord really want me to do this?  I must be insane!”

Why does anyone doubt?  Why do “I” doubt?  The answer is frightening.  It’s because “I” am one…and alone. 

Yes, man is one and alone.  I have no “other” inside of me to bounce an idea off of me.  I am not a “trinity” of persons; “I am” one person.  My thoughts, my words and my actions are mine alone just as my death is one and alone.  “I” am alone, just like Adam was alone. 

The two shall become one.  For this reason, when God created man in his own image, he created man and woman.  God said (in the plural), “Let us create man in our image.”  And he did.  He created man and woman.  He created marriage.  And by doing so, he made it possible for the two to become one.  How amazing this is!  I can actually be more one when I am two than when I am alone.  Now we catch a glimpse of the mystery of the Holy Trinity that we were created from.  Now it’s not so hard to believe that God can be more One by being Three Persons than by being alone. 

But it gets even better…God said to Adam and Eve, “multiply”.  

Not only do two people become one spiritually, emotionally and psychologically, but they become really one, physically.  So much so, that you have to give it a name nine months later.  Now the “image” is completed:  three persons, one holy family.  This image is so beautiful it often gets repeated time and time again.  And then it becomes a disaster!!!  But let’s not forget what God said, “in our image.”  It’s not perfect, but it’s very close to the real thing.

Mystery.  The fact that the Holy Trinity is a mystery should not scare us; it should not even amaze us.   So let's never doubt it.  The Holy Trinity is not a mystery because it doesn’t exist.  After all, it’s not the only mystery that exists.  Don’t you realize we are surrounded by mystery? 

I surprised a lot of people the day I told them I was going to the seminary.  They were shocked, but not as shocked as I.  I think the one person I shocked most was myself.  That’s when I realized that I am a mystery to myself. 

We are a mystery to ourselves and we are a mystery to each other.

No matter how long you have been married, you will always be a mystery to your spouse and visa-versa.   Moms and dads do not be taken aback when your child comes up to you and screams, “YOU DON’T KNOW ME!!!!”  They are right.  You don’t know them.  And neither do they know you.  They do not know your deepest fears, your deepest pains, your greatest desires or your worst fears and nightmares.  They don’t know the joy you experience or the sadness you experience.  They don’t know because they can’t live what you live.  So much of who we are will remain a mystery.  We can spend an entire lifetime revealing ourselves but we will never be able to reveal it all. 

But Christ showed us the way.  He revealed how to reveal oneself:  “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  The more you love, the more you reveal who you truly are.  But the more you sin, the more you hide who you really are.

So then why does God remain a mystery?  When it comes to the mystery of God, it’s a little different.  God remains a mystery not because the Lord sins or because he does not love.  The reason why the Lord remains a mystery is because His love overwhelms us.  Yes, how He can love us so much is more than remarkable; it is incomprehensible. 

And yet, we know enough to know that God is LOVE and God continues to love us.