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. 

Jn 12:24-26 Equality and Christianity

Jn 12:24-26  Equality and Christianity

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.”

Is God asking a man or woman to lose their humanity by accepting Christianity?  Is a man or woman supposed to hate who they are?  Does a man lose his masculinity by becoming a lamb?  Does a woman lose all that she has worked so hard to gain by becoming a handmaid of the Lord? 

Scripture tells us, though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to but emptied himself, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (cf. Phil 2:6-8).  “He became poor so that we could be rich” (2Cor 8:9).

Christ gave up everything, EVERYTHING…except His love.  And by keeping His love, he kept his identity. 

 Equality now!  Equality forever!  Here is the battle hymn of our new republic.  But what exactly does it mean?   Does equality mean losing one’s identity, or masculinity, or femininity?

I have always loved watching our school kids play sports, any sport:  basketball, soccer, football, softball, volleyball, etc… They know I am their biggest fan.  If I can make it to a girls or boys game, then I will be there.  If I need to adjust my schedule to be there, then I will adjust it.  I love watching our kids compete and I have been very proud of the way they conduct themselves on and off the field. 

So don't be shocked for what I am about to write. 

This year, the Olympics coincided with part of my vacation and I had the pleasure of watching some incredible matches on TV.  The latest thriller was the woman’s soccer game for gold.  I thoroughly enjoyed their victory even though I was somewhat disgusted by their performance.  Why?  Let me explain.

There has been a lot of talk about women athletes during these competitions; specifically, how they have achieved equality with men.  But was the goal of women athletes to act more like men or to have the same opportunity as men?  If it was to be more like men, then I am afraid they succeeded.  If it was to have the same opportunity as men, then they capitulated and settled for more equality and less quality.  If I were to provide an analogy, it would be similar to that of Adam giving the apple to Eve and Eve saying, “Now we are equal”.   It may be a victory in equality, but it is definitely a tragedy in quality.

Women have always been fierce competitors:  they never give up; they never give in.  They fight till the end.  They fight till they win.  They didn’t have to learn that from any man! They had it in them since the fall of man.

So while I was watching the woman’s soccer game, I wasn’t surprised or disappointed at all in the fierce competition.  I loved it!  But what surprised me and disappointed me was how certain players imitated certain male idiosyncrasies.  Let me be specific.  While I was watching the game, I saw some players spit on the field, just like men; lift their shirts up, to wipe their brow, just like men (thank God they wore a bra unlike men); and “act” injured just like men.  Then, it dawned on me how their shorts and jerseys were designed just like for men. 

I have seen girls play soccer for years.  But I was shocked to see how many female soccer players behaved just like male soccer players on the field.  In my humble opinion, they missed a great opportunity to teach men a few new tricks…like manners, sportsmanship, performance and athleticism.  During the gold medal game, I even say a few athletes shoot snot out of their nose, just like the men do.

Why do woman consider it an honor to be compared to men? Doesn't that fall right into their hands?  When will she ever be free to be herself?  Why will she consider you a friend if you tell her she played like a man, and be insulted if you told her she played like a woman?  How funny!  And we consider this to be equality?  That’s not equality; that’s surrendering!  It’s a loss of identity!  It’s a loss of uniqueness! 

Maybe the problem began when certain feminists insisted on measuring themselves against men; in what they do; in what they have; in how they live their lives.  Success for them has always been dependent on the male figure.  Because of this (and in an ironic twist), men continue to hold the key to their success. 

Women’s soccer in the Olympics is not old; it became an official Olympic sport just a few years ago.  Again, in my opinion, women athletes missed an incredible opportunity to get out from under the shadow of men.  They could have designed their own uniforms, created their own code of conduct, and recreated an incredible sport that would inspire even more young girls to join and not be concerned about losing their feminine identity and genius.  I know the same would be true for male sports and athletes.

The beauty of Christianity, unlike anything in the world, does not insist on the extermination of the individual, male or female; nor does it elevate one above the other.  What it does is purify and combine one with the other to create an image and likeness of God's heart and love. 

To be a Christian does not mean to live in paradise, it means to live in paradox.  It means making yourself great by making yourself small.  It means the rich man needs the example of the poor woman (with the two small coins), in order to make it into heaven.  It means God needed to serve man so that man could serve God and neighbor.  The Son of God came into the world not to be served but to serve:  male and female he served.  By His life and sacrifice He tipped the scale and brought balance (equality) into the world, not in pay, nor in titles, but in what matters most:  dignity and salvation. 

By making us all one (equal) in Him, the Lord does not strip us of ourselves (of our individuality, personality or even gender) but from our sins, and kept us true to our identity.

Mk 6:7-13 Making The Right Connections

Mk 6:7-13  Making The Right Connections

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Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.  He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts.  They were, however to wear sandals but not a second tunic.    

No food, no sack, no money.  Thank God the Lord allowed them to wear sandals.  How generous of him!

What in the world is the Lord thinking?  Why is He doing this?  Is He punishing them?  Does He want to make their life miserable?  What’s the point?  What’s the connection between Jesus and material poverty?  What lesson does the Lord want his Apostles to learn?  Does He want them to learn how to rely on themselves and not on Him or just the opposite?  I think the answer is pretty clear:  Our Lord wants them to trust in Him. 

Christ could have talked all day long about trust.  He could have preached about it until he was blue in the face.  But eventually, His Apostles would have to experience it, and the only way they would ever experience His security, His authority, His power is if they left behind their personal securities, authority and abilities. 

It worked.    They all came back better than ever.  They understood the connection.

We are constantly connecting ideas and people together.  Sometimes we do a good job at it; sometimes we do a very lousy job at it.

Imagine moms and dads this scenario.  You pack your kids up for school.  You drive them to school and then one of them realizes that they left their lunch money or lunch, or homework, or P.E. uniform at home.  Now imagine what would happen if you told him, “Honey, I’m sorry but I will not go back to get them.”  What would your child think of that?  What connection would they make?  Would they think, “I get it.  It finally comes out.  You hate me, don’t you?”  If they think that, they would be making one big bad connection.  The truth of the matter is totally different.  You won’t go back not because you don’t love your child, but because you need to teach your child to be more responsible.  That’s the real connection!    

Make the connection.  If we wish to have a greater connection in our life with Christ then we must trust in his commandments, his love, his pruning, his love, his authority.  Take it step by step.  Acknowledge God before others.  Live the faith faithfully.  Bear fruit.  Be blessed.  This is how I ended yesterday’s meditation.  This is where I would like to pick up on today’s meditation. 

To have a blessed life does not mean to have an easy life.  That’s a very wrong connection that far too many of us have made.  On the contrary, to be blessed means to accept an invitation to follow and imitate the life of Jesus Christ; that is, to be a participant in salvation history; to take an active role in salvation and redemption.  Will it be easy?  Ask the Lord.  Make the connection.  Did the Lord experience hardships or suffering?    Yes.  So will I be surprised or shocked if I experience the same?  I shouldn’t be, if I made the connection.   

If you pray will you be successful?  Yes, but not in the way you think.  Too often we connect success with money and power.  In fact, we often associate a rich person as “blessed (by the Lord)” and a poor person as “cursed (by the Lord)”.  That’s a very wrong connection to make.  We are not believers in the “prosperity gospel”.  Take a look and tell me which of the Twelve Apostles turned out to be a millionaire?  We need to be careful of the connections we make.  Bad connections ultimately lead to bad decisions.  Success, “Christ style”, means life after death; glory after crucifixion; recognition and praise after suffering; steadfastness and determination in the midst of confusion and aggression.  

If I die like Christ, I will rise like Him.  If I live like Christ, I will suffer like Christ.  If I love like Christ, I will be more like Christ.  Make right connections today, not only with regards to the Lord but also in regards to your marriage and family.

This morning I heard that 18% of all children in the United States are obese.  Interesting…but then the announcer said that 80% of all children in the United States are on a diet.  The conversation quickly turned to parents taking responsibility by ensuring that their children eat properly and exercise regularly.  But I didn’t get the connection between bad food and so many kids on a diet.  The problem is not with what’s in the refrigerator.  The problem is what’s in the bedroom!  If only 18% of children are medically obese but 80% of our kids are on a diet then the problem is not with what’s in the refrigerator.  The problem is what are our kids watching?  I know what they are seeing (or reading):  Seventeen Magazine, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, etc…  Our girls are “reading” magazines full of digitally modified bodies of teens!  No wonder over ten million girls have eating disorders.  Make the connection!  Get rid of the magazines!

Teenage texting is another area that needs to be addressed.  Parents pat themselves on the back because they think they solved the problem by giving their child unlimited texting.  Bad connection.  Instead, what they have done is create the illusion of unlimited time; that they have all the time in the world to waste.  50,000 texts in one month is nothing but a waste of time; which ultimately leads to a waste of a life.  That's really the right connection.   

For months there has been a debate whether or not football helmets make football players safer.  The purpose of helmets was to protect our players from head injuries.  Wrong connection!  Instead of making them safer, it made them more reckless.  It made them think they were invincible!  Maybe the same lessons learned on the football field can be applied to teenage sex.  Instead of encouraging our kids to engage in “safe sex”, we may have actually taught them to engage in reckless sex.   Good connection!

They say the truth hurts.  Bad connection!  What we really should say is the truth sets us free because Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  What really hurts is not the truth but rather our pride. 

Jesus never hurts.  Great connection!

Mt 16:13-19 Who Is Truly True?

Mt 16:13-19  Who Is Truly True?

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Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

I heard on FOXNEWS that a chocolate a day helps keep the doctor away (I’m not sure about the dentist). That’s a new twist in an already twisted medical world, and in our ever growing twist to just about everything. 

It seems as though wisdom is an annual thing.  That is, this year something is good, the next year it is bad.  Save your breath in telling me that we are constantly evolving because we are constantly learning.  I would have believed that years ago, but it seems to me the more we learn, the more we go around in a circle.

A while back I was told by my doctor that there were two types of cholesterol:  good and bad.  Now, I’ve been told that the “good” cholesterol is not really good, and the “bad” cholesterol is really bad.  That was really bad news for me because I just about drank a pint of olive oil every day!  I thought it was good for me, now I find out it was good for the doctors.

What’s truly true? 

I recently read an incredible quote from an incredible actor:  Charlie Sheen.  Yes, the madman from last summer appears to have recovered from his madness.  I was stunned at what he said.  I am so proud of what he said.  He hit the nail on the head!  I couldn’t believe.  I never even expected it.  And worse, I was envious of him of what he said because I had not said it first.  After nearly thirty years in Hollywood, he’s leaving.  He’s calling it quits.  He’ll be leaving, moving on in his life to spend more time with his kids.  The kid actor has finally grown up.  What did he say that was so remarkable and true?  He said…“I’m leaving Hollywood.  I’m sick and tired of worshiping fiction.” 

WOW!!!  Doesn’t that give you goose bumps?  I really wish I had said this first.  But I guess it took someone who had spent their childhood and adult life in it to have said it.

“I’m sick and tired of worshipping fiction.”  Yes, I’m very proud of Charlie Sheen.  He gets it.  He knows the truth.  Hollywood and all its movies, and all its actors, and props, and star-studded galas and performances, are nothing more than fiction.  And millions of people across our nation worship this fiction on a daily basis.  The teens have their recent idols.  The adults have their past idols.  The world has its false and fallen idols.

What’s truly true?  Jesus Christ!  What’s not truly true?  Everything else. 

It’s important that we learn this; otherwise, we set ourselves up for a huge let down, just like we’ve been doing in a very circular way.

What I’m about to say should not shock you.  But every person is not who they claim to be.  We all have a tendency to hide our darker side.  Every politician is not who they claim to be.  We have Republicans disguised as Democrats, and vice-versa.  And if you place your trust in a politician like you place your trust in God, you will ultimately be disappointed.  The same is true for judges.  If you think every judge judges wisely (or even fairly) in every case, then you are a fool.  If you think a judge sets aside his political ideas when deciding on a case you fool yourself.  Do you think that news reporters really cover just “the news”?  Think again, please! 

The irony of it all is that the best politicians are the least political.  The best judges are the most juridical.   The best news reporters are the eye-witnesses.    

What about the saints?  Were they really not sinners?  Yes.  And that’s what makes them saints!  Only sinners can become saints, for only sinners need a Savior.  And what makes a sinner a saint is that they are the first to acknowledge this reality.  To be a Christian means to admit a fall; an insult; to be the first to raise your hand and say, “I did it.  I’m so sorry.”    

In Christ’s world, to admit your mistake (and regret it) can actually make you great and appreciate your mistake!

Jesus is not a Saint.  Jesus is God.  And the reason why He is God is because he is truly true; the great I AM:  “I am who I am”. 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me”, says the Lord (cf. Jn 14:1).  Our faith in God removes all doubt in Him and places it back on everyone else.  It liberates me to ask an important question to myself and to my neighbor: If Jesus is Lord, then who am I…and who are you?  The answer will either be true or false. 

Every time someone asks you who you are, be honest.  Tell them the good, the bad and the ugly.  Tell them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  If you do so, you will be truly free; you will know what it means to be truly true.  Confession is a great way to do this.  It’s the place where you can be true to yourself and get to know who God truly is:  LOVE.

Mt 6:24-29 No One Can Serve Two Masters

Mt 6:24-29  The Sun and The Son

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “No one can serve two masters.  He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”

A few days ago I went walking in the Galleria here in Dallas.  I’m not about to go outside to do some exercise and I’m not about to register at L.A. Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness.  I’m too cheap for that.  The Galleria is just fine for me. 

While I was walking on the first floor, I noticed a shirt that looked just like the one someone had bought for me.  It was on display.  I must admit, out of curiosity I walked inside the store to see how much it was and I was shocked.  Wow!  I thought to myself, I should have written this family a beautiful thank you letter and hand delivered it to them.  I can honestly say the shirt is beautiful, but the price is not right!

Do not worry about your body, what you will wear.  I often tell the kids, “Boy, that shirt really looks horrible!”  Or, “I’m so glad you wear that ugly uniform!”   They don’t like it.  But I say it to teach a lesson that must be learned:  what matters most is not what you have but who you are.  Someone could be wearing the most elegant outfit, the most beautiful dress, and they could still be the ugliest person in the room.  The Grim fairy tale “Cinderella” has been warped and twisted beyond recognition.  Modern versions of this fairy tale have illustrations of two physically ugly stepsisters wearing beautiful clothing and Cinderella as physically beautiful but wearing ugly rags.  In this boring scenario, it’s just a matter of time and patience before someone notices Cinderella. 

But if it was up to me, I would have Cinderella’s stepsisters with the most perfect figures imaginable and Cinderella as a beautifully simple, yet elegant, holy, virtuous and sophisticated young lady.  This is a story that is worth telling because this is a story that is worth believing!  In fact, this is the story that truly comes true, for these are the young ladies that find a man, a prince, while the others find an animal, a barbarian.

When I worked at Kodak, I would often go out on Saturday to play golf with a young lady that worked in the office with me.  Back at work, I would often get razzed by my guy friends who would ask me, “What do you see in her?  She’s as ugly as they get!”  I told them, “She’s just a friend.  That’s all.”  But as time went by, I began to enjoy her company.  She was hilarious!  And she was beginning to grow on me.  In fact, one day, I defended her before my friends and said, “Look at her.  Do you see how she has changed?”  They looked long and hard at her .  They looked long and hard at each other .  They looked long and hard at me .  And they shook their heads and said, “No!” 

They were right.  She had not changed.  I had changed.

And that’s the point of the story.  The prince, who could have anybody he wanted, was sick and tired of the loose, flimsy, jealous, superficial and plastic young ladies surrounding his court.  He had changed and he knew he had to look elsewhere.  He did, and he found her. 

It’s time we stop looking for Cinderella or Prince Charming in the bars, at the singles-mingles hangouts, the beaches and resorts, the workout centers, the spas, the salons, the ads.  It’s time we stop worrying so much about what we wear, how we look, what we feel like.  It’s time we stop serving the lord of the body, the lord of plastic, the lord of impressions. 

In my years as a priest, I have noticed a direct correlation between knowing God and loving oneself.  Yes, the more a child knows God, the more they will love themselves.  The less a child knows God, the less they will love themselves.  Of course there are other factors, but like always, God comes first.  He is the big One!


It's time we search, first and foremost, for God.  And then the beauty that is within will radiate like the sun and Son.  This is the best way we can learn to love who we are and not be wrong.

Mt 6:19-23 Where’s The Beef?

Mt 6:19-23  Where’s The Beef?

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But store up treasure in heaven.  For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

Do you remember the little old lady in the Wendy’s commercial that shouted out “Where’s the beef?”  Well, she did more than boost sales for Wendy’s.   This catchphrase became an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event, product and even person.  “Where’s the beef?” now means more than just beef. 

Where is Christ in your Christianity?  If you are buying a hamburger, you would think that the most important ingredient in the hamburger would be the burger, not the bun, or tomatoes, or onions or the lettuce.  Of course, all these ingredients are important in a hamburger, but the essential, not accidental, item in a hamburger should be – must be – the meat! 

Christians are good people, wholesome people, nice people.  We help others.   We give.  We are generous.  We are compassionate.  We are a community that helps others regardless of who they are.   But what makes Christians different from non-Christians?  What is essential to being Christian?  The answer is obvious; it comes from our name:  Christ. 

If we give our time, talents and financial treasure but do not receive Christ's Word, Christ’s sacraments and Christ’s graces, then we will give...something, but not everything.  If we are good to people but are not good at being Christ-like, then we will do what is possible, but not what is impossible.  This is why so many of us see holes in just about everything we do; in our “social justice curriculum” and even in our homes.  We give a lot and get a lot done, but we just don't ever seem to be able to seal the deal.  As a community, we give tons of food and clothing but are we sharing our faith, hope, and love?  Are we giving what all people need now and in the end?  While we are giving our love are we also sharing our faith in Jesus Christ?

Where is Christ in my life?  We grow up with tons of goals to achieve.  We want to be this.  We want to do that.  We want to go here.  We want to see this.  We want to experience that.  And there is nothing wrong with any of it, except for the fact that some of our goals were illusions while most of them changed with time.  It’s true.  I notice it with myself.  What seemed so important in my youth, no longer interests me in my maturity.    I see it too. I notice how young people love to dress while old people love to be able to dress.  Fast cars are at the top of the list for many young men and near the bottom of the list for many young dads.  We shouldn’t feel bad for our dads.  We should actually feel proud of them.  They get it.  They’ve grown up.  Career is important, like the lower bun of a hamburger.  Money is important, like the dressings.  Family is important like the top of the bun.  But what matters most must be Christ.  He is the way, the truth and the life.  He is the reason for it all.  Where is Christ in my life?      

Where is Christ in your children?  We spend years of our life to give our children the best.  We really do.  And that’s a lot…maybe too much.  After all, what went wrong with our children?  How did they screw things up so bad?  How did they become so narcissistic, pessimistic and problematic?  Maybe, just maybe, while we were chasing our dreams our kids were having nightmares.  While we were enjoying work, they were terrified of school and ‘friends’.  Could it be that while we were building our dream home, they were already thinking about selling it?  I see the way moms and dads treat their kids.  They have only the best in mind.  They spend and spend and spend a lot of money to get a safe car and safe car seats; they spend to buy organic foods, use organic detergents and live in ‘safe’ neighborhoods.  They want their children to receive the best education possible.  They lock the doors at night and turn on the alarm to keep their children safe and sound.  So what are we doing wrong?  Why are our kids acting like bullies, criminals and delinquents?  Why are our kids wasting their youthfulness on drugs and sex?  Why are our kids cutting themselves, abusing themselves and killing themselves?  You ask, Are they starving?  I say yes!  Are they dying?  Yes!   Are you kidding?  No!  How could they possibly be starving and dying if we are giving them everything?  We are not giving them everything.  We have given them just about everything but not everything.  We have taught them just about everything except the most important things.  We have given them just about everyone except the most important One.

What’s missing in our children's lives?  Christ!  They are starving for Christ.  Our kids are dying for Christ.

There are a wide variety of people that influence our children:  mom, dad, friends, teachers, coaches, mentors, actors, actresses, musicians, performers, etc…Some people have more influence than others.  Some people think they have more influence than others.  Some people have way too much influence, period.  But there is someone who is just dying to love our child, influence our child and be the most significant other in their life:  CHRIST.  There is something our kids could use more of and, I promise you, it will never mess them up:  faith, hope and charity.

Our treasure is our faith in Jesus Christ and the fruit of our treasure is our personal holiness. 

Who would not want that for themselves, for their children and for our world? 

Mt 5:43-48 Love Who?

Mt 5:43-48  Love Who?

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “You have hard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.”

Many years ago, while I was working at Kodak, I got into a little fight with a co-worker.  It all started when I first started.  Although we were co-workers and roughly the same age, he took it upon himself to be my “mentor”; that is, to correct me when I made some mistakes.  I was in charge of product quality.  He was an Industrial Engineer in charge of procedures and processes.  My mistakes were not serious, but they were at times embarrassing.  They had nothing to do with product quality but mostly with following proper protocols.  Although our cubicles were side by side, this co-worker decided to send me e-mails to ‘help’ me.  As a young employee, I wondered why he wouldn’t just come over and talk to me.  I later found out it was because he was blind copying our boss.  Eventually, it dawned on me the reasons why I was making these types of mistakes:  we had no manuals, no protocols, and no procedures in place.  So, I wrote a friendly e-mail to my friend inviting him to do just that, “so that any future employee could learn the ropes sooner and better.”

I sent the e-mail.  Within an hour, I received a response.  But due to the pace at work picking up and a sudden surge in orders, I never got the chance to sit down in front of my computer and read his reply.  It would take me almost two weeks to do so.  All the while, we were working together, doing our jobs as a team, and having lunch together like normal. 

One day at lunch he asked me, “How do you do it?”  Do what? I replied.  “How can you just talk to me, work with me, sit down and eat lunch with me as if I didn’t lose my cool with you?  Aren’t you a little upset with my last e-mail to you?”  I wanted to tell him that I hadn’t read it.  Instead, I took credit where it didn’t belong and told him some lie like, “I’ve learned to turn the other cheek.”   That didn’t impress him as much as the way I treated him.  From that moment on, he considered me his ‘mentor’. 

Love your enemies.  Three words put together that, if lived, have power; the power to change lives...including my own.  

But is it possible?  Is it advisable?  Is it for me?

“Be merciful Lord, for we have sinned” (Ps. 51:3a).  I just found my answer.  Yes.  It is possible.  It is highly advisable.  And it is definitely for me.  Every time I sin, I switch sides.  When I sin, I fight for the enemy.  When I sin, I am technically at war with the Lord.  I become the enemy’s agent, not the Lord’s.  When I break my promises, I break His heart.  His voice, his hand should rise in anger but it doesn’t.  I know it doesn’t because I would be destroyed.  Instead, the Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, rich in compassion.      

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.  Isn’t this what Christ did?  Isn’t this what Christ was?  The Lord is now inviting us to do what He does best: Love those who persecute you; pray for those who hate you.  If you do this, then you will be a child of the Father, just like our Lord is the Son of the Father.  How you love may not change those around you, but it will definitely change who you are. 

Turn away your face from my sins (Ps 51).  I learned a great lesson that day at Kodak.  I learned that living by faith is more powerful than knowing the facts; that my opinions are not as meaningful as my gestures.  I learned that in order to hate, you must have a reason.  To be kind, you can be blind to reason.

Mk 12:13-17 Why So Nice?

Mk 12:13-17  Why So Nice?

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Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. 

Those who harm you the most are often those who were the kindest to you.  They tend to inflate you before they puncture you! 

I can’t exactly remember where I read it, but I do remember reading a comment from a war historian that went something like this: “A sudden burst of kindness from an antagonist is a sure sign of imminent treachery.”  

We love to fatten the calf before we slaughter it.  It tastes better that way.  The same hold true for those who back stab you.  They savor every moment, especially the last moments, before they strike and kill.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Maybe you have heard a slightly modified version of this from your kids.

“Mom, you are an amazing cook….Do you think I could…?”

“Dad, you are the best dad ever!!!  Can I…?

When asked to give his opinion regarding Détente, Ronald Regan once said: “Isn’t that what a farmer has with his turkey – until Thanksgiving?” 

The Pharisees and the Herodians came up to Jesus and said to him, “We know that you are a truthful man.”  Wow!  Thank you so much!  I never thought I would hear that from you.  I really appreciate it.  “We also know that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.”  Aw shucks.  That’s so kind of you.  “You do not regard a person’s status…”  That’s true.  I don’t.  Thanks for noticing.

This sudden and unexpected burst of kindness, cordiality and flattery from these Jews leaders did not go unnoticed.  The disciples may have thought (naively) that they were coming around. But the Lord, who knows fallen human nature, knew better.  So when the Jews suddenly began to say so many kind things about him, we knew it was a well planned trap. 

If you think about it, everything they said is true!  That’s not the problem.  The problem is what they said underneath their breath. 

“We know that you are a truthful man” [because we are not].

“We know that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion” [like we are].

“We know that you do not regard a person’s status” [like we do].

   

They said all the right things while they were standing for all the wrong things!  Their words could be considered a type of Freudian slip, for they spoke honestly but never intended to be so.  If the Lord was a fraud, did they really need to be so dishonest to prove him wrong?  If the Lord was truly the Son of God, did they really think that they could trip up God? 

Talk about being confused! 

Their minds were twisted.  Their minds were perverted.  Their minds were a mess.

Give to man what belongs to man.  Give to God what belongs to God.  What belongs to God?  Man.  What belongs to man?  God. 

God doesn’t need our cleverness.  He doesn’t need our lies, our filth or our deceptions in order to convince Him of our love for Him.  If we want to defend God in our homes and in our society then all we need to do is give to God what belongs to God; that is, give Him the naked truth of ourselves and the naked truth of His Son’s love for us.  Let us give to God and man our fidelity and love.  That’s it. 

We don’t need to be sneaky, manipulative, and dishonest.  All we need to be is true and loving.