Lk 8:4-15 Got Doubts?

Lk 8:4-15 Got Doubts?
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This is the meaning of the parable…for
the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

Yesterday, I received a bright light from the Holy Spirit, and it came from the most unlikely of places: a public restroom! I know…far too often, men find words etched in the back door of the toilets that could only be published in a bathroom. I guess if they had to be written, that would be the most appropriate place to do it, next to the toilet. But this time, I made a quick stop to wash my hands. It was a beautiful facility. The bathrooms were absolutely clean and pristine. But there were no paper towels, only a hand blower. I looked above the hand blower and read what the motivation behind this decision was. It read, “Go paperless! This device saves space in our landfills.”

As the years progress, I have become more and more of a skeptic in everything except religion. I’m no longer drinking the Kool aid. I no longer buy things because I think it will make me look better or feel better or be better. No! I buy whatever is the cheapest and settle for inevitable: that I will have to purchase it again. All products are for profit. Nothing is out of love.

So when I read this statement in the restroom I experienced an epiphany. I said to myself, “Oh, the hypocrisy of it all! How foolish is man (and woman…I assume the same statement was written in the female restroom as well)! Why do we believe these statements? Do they make us feel less guilty? Do they make us feel as though we are doing our part to save the planet? We went from paper bags to plastic bags and nothing more was heard of it. Now, the idea is to go from paper towels to hand blowers and how much space are we saving? Really! How much space in the gigantic landfill are we saving? Is it 1%? Is it less than 1%?

So I put the question to my young audience in a cynical manner and with a smerk on my face. I asked them personally, “What do you think? Is it really worth it to go paperless if you are only saving 1% of space in a land fill?” I was not suprised at all when they nodded their heads in agreement and looked at me with disbelief. They thought I was being too cynical. One brave soul said, “Yes, Father, it is.” “Very good”, I said to myself, this was exactly what I had expected to hear. So then I asked, “Is it still worthwhile going paperless if we are saving less than 1%?” Again, they all agreed. I loved it! Then I revealed to them my epiphany. I told them, “Then it must be worthwhile to go to Mass every Sunday even if you get very little out of it, less than 1%, right?” My point was simple, Its worth having faith even if you have less than 1% of it. Give it to the Lord, and he will help make it grow!

Oh, the hypocrisy of modern thought! It is bizarre how we are willing to live with doubts about ourselves, about our neighbor and about our society but not about God? We are willing to go along with organized government, but not with organized religion! How often do you hear the ridiculous comment, “I don’t believe in organized religion!”? Oh, the fallacy of hypocritical thought! I am more than willing to go blindly along with organized government that does some good but also crushes me, as well as my children, with the weight of debt, irresponsibility, nepotism and ineptitude; but I am not willing to submit to an organized religion that does a lot of good but occasionally falls into sin! Oh, the double standard of the hypocrite! The ingenuousness of the critic!

Take for example, divorce or contraception. The hypocrite will argue that it has brought some good to society. It has helped helpless women get out of hopeless situations! Yes, it can be argued that it has done “some good” by preventing further abuse from taking place. But, it must also be argued that it has done a lot of damage to the family and that it has been used by men/women to further their sexual portfolio or hide their sexual adventures!

So the hypocrite defends divorce and contraception because, although it has done a lot of damage, it still brings “some good” to the individual. Whereas when it comes to the Catholic Church, he will reluctantly admit that although it has done some good, it has done too much damage and therefore should not supported!

Oh, the irony of it all! If he were an honest man, he would say that it has done a lot of good for centuries and that it has always been plagued with evil men and women because it works with the human race. If he were truly honest and was truly interested in being a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem, he should boldly submit his resignation from the human race! After all, it is not the Church that causes scandals or betrayals or abuse…it is the human race that causes scandals, betrayals and abuse. If he truly were interested in eliminating evil, then he should consider eliminating himself!

Evil actions are always a crime within the Church; they are not always a crime in society! In fact, they are occasionally promoted!

"Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance."

Lk 8:1-3 A Noble Prize

Lk 8:1-3 A Noble Prize

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“Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.”

As I get older, I am starting to become more radical in my thoughts and in just about everything around me. When I visit a family and they have the television on, I can only watch it for a few minutes and I am disgusted by what I see. But it’s not just the typical disgusting things that disgust me; it is the simpleminded, hypocritical, nonsensical, propagandistic things that disgust me!

A few nights ago, I was watching the Miami Dolphins play against the New England Patriots on ESPN. At a certain point in the game, the announcer, while making a point, said a cuss word in the middle of his sentence. At first, I wasn’t sure I heard what I thought I heard. I looked around and everyone with me didn’t seem to have noticed. I thought I was losing it. But about an hour later, the announcer, without any preparation, simply apologized on TV for using an improper word. At that moment, I was much happier that I was right than that he apologized!

I was right! I did hear what I thought I heard! By the way, his apology was as interesting as it was fitting. He apologized one hour later…why? Because the lines went off the hook, that’s why! He had been caught. People were upset. Children were watching the game. One hour later, after a consultation with the higher ups, and after having replayed it over and over again, like a questionable touchdown, the company, after further review, couldn’t let the play stand. He needed to apologize.

Everything in our nation is for either personal gain or for company profits! Everything! Even our family members have this corporate fatal attraction. Someone must be pouring pheromones into the family orange juice pitcher. Divorce in the United States is running at around 70%. People in our nation are getting divorced not for safety reasons but for personal gain. And the losers are almost always the wife, the mother of four, which happens to be today’s largest group living in poverty. How sad, after twenty or thirty years of marriage, a man can easily leave his wife to hook up with a woman half his age. Divorce was supposed to be liberating for women, like contraceptives. Instead, it has become decimating to women and children, like contraceptives. Can we finally admit it? Can we finally say that we were all scammed by these false prophets and false “anointed ones” that promised heaven on earth! But the greatest tragedy is that we still allow ourselves to be scammed!

Johann Hari, a disgraced journalist and ferocious critic of the Catholic Church, released an apology yesterday. If you don’t know who he is, he is a English journalist that got caught in the cell phone hacking scandal in England and beyond. His fantastic scoops or his “first to report” articles were the result of criminal activity. He is in jail now. But in his apology he wrote, “Offering words of apology is not enough. If you don’t want to sound like the Pope, who apologizes for everything and for nothing, then your apology should cost you something.” So what did the disgraced and criminal journalist do? He returned his George Orwell Prize. Big deal! Instead of apologizing to his victims for considering himself holier than anything-else-out-there, he gives us a piece of rubbish! Instead of apologizing to the Catholic Church for calling them a broad of criminals, he should have asked a priest to personally lock the bars in his cage. Of course, the priest would have declined, saying, He who is without sin should step forward. I think he should have met with the victims of his crime as the Holy Father did for his priests. That would have been a noble prize, and not some Orwellian prize.

The Lord traveled from town to town. Accompanying him were women and men who lost everything and gained everything. What they lost were their sins. What they gained back was their dignity.

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.”

Lk 2:33-35 A Pierced Heart

Lk 2:33-35 A Pierced Heart

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Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Why must Mary’s heart be pierced too? Why not just the Apostles?

Mary’s role in the plan of salvation is obvious. She gave her yes to God in a way that no other creature on earth had given; she gave her unconditional yes to be the Mother of our Savior. She gave her heart to love this child above her love, Joseph, and above all human eyes, dirty looks and whispers. She gave her life to protect her child, escaping to Egypt and living years of hardship for his good. She followed Christ through the best of times and through the worst of times. What else could she do? She set an enduring example of love for all to follow.

Mary's heart was pierced out of love for God. When we accept love, we exclude all other loves. This is why others pierce our heart. And this is why it will always be worthwhile!

I made my first religious profession on September 15^th, 1995. I, along with twenty other brothers, had no idea what this profession of poverty, chastity and obedience would mean down the road, but we made a promise to keep our vows. Too often, we want to know it all before we commit to any of it. The angel asked Mary if she would be the Son’s Mother, period. The Lord asked the Apostles if they would follow Him; he gave very few details in what that meant. Of course doubts arise, but faith and courage vanquishes all doubts. To live by the Word means to die by the sword, which is what Scripture calls, “The Word.”

Those who wish to follow the Lord in a very intimate and chosen way will also experience the sword in a very intimate and chosen way. God knows why. We, on the other hand, can only assume. But for those who repeatedly say “Yes” to God and to others, we know it is an undeserved honor. It is an honor to serve our country. It is a greater honor to serve the Lord. It is in his name that we serve Him. Therefore, it is just that we serve Him as he served us: with his passion.

Many enjoy getting piercings today. They pierce their eyes, tongue, ears, nose and belly. It's all for show, for they will not allow the one organ that should be pierced to be pierced. It's not because the sword can't get there! It's because they won't allow others to enter there! Mary's piercing is not for show and tell. It is for love and retelling.

John 3:13-17 Embrace Your Cross!

John 3:13-17 Embrace Your Cross!

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Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

If the Lord had made it a little easier, how many disciples would he have had? The answer is...none! Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Many protestant denominations are dying a very slow and, in some cases, painful death. It surprises me how some Catholics continue to call for women priestesses, married priests, communion for the remarried, etc… If you want to see what the Church would look like if we did any of the above, take a look at the mainstream protestant denominations and weep. They are going, going, and soon to be insignificantly gone!

Is this what they want? Is this what they are striving for? Take a close look at our closest neighbor: the Episcopal Church. This denomination has gone the way of most denominations and non-denominations. It makes room for actively gay clergy; it seeks tolerance at all cost - even at the expense of the Gospel truth. The good news is that it has no shortage of priests or priestesses. The bad news is it keeps losing more and more followers.

The Episcopal Church claims to have 6,825 parishes across the United States. Over 2,000 of these parishes have a demographic with a majority at age 60 plus. In addition, more than 2,200 parishes (around one third) have an average Sunday attendance of 40 people or less. Another 2,300 parishes have between 41 and 100 people. It is clear to everyone that one third of all the parishes face immediate foreclosure.

The Catholic Church continues to grow in the United States, thanks in part to conversions and immigration. God willing, there will be an Anglican Ordinariate established in the United States this year. Hundreds of faithful, young and devout Anglo-Catholics and priests will be coming into the Church, continuing the trend of what author John Allen calls, the emergence of Catholic Evangelicals; that is, young, orthodox, vibrant, knowledgeable, and eager Catholics.

We need them! And they are coming. This year alone, 2011, many dioceses across the country have reported record number of young men entering their seminaries. Ten years ago there was talk of closing down Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas. Today, it is bursting at the seams. It has 70 young men studying for the priesthood. Last year, there were 56.

Why? It’s clear. The Vatican visited all the major seminaries and made recommendations. Dioceses cleaned up their act. Potential candidates are evaluated in a way better than before. But what is really happening is that the Church is being purified, renewed and reformed. It is becoming more authentic; more Christ-like. It is not making excuses for itself but giving its unconditional allegiance to the Holy Father and Church teaching. We have learned our lesson, finally!

This is the lesson: Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This cross is the weight of fidelity. It weighs a lot! But when we sin; that is, when we seek to override the Lord or to eliminate the Lord, we quickly find that sin weighs even more and yields no benefits!

Allow the Cross to be exulted! Allow the Lord to be exulted! Allow the Way, the Truth and the Life be exulted. No more excuses! No more “we know better”. May the Lord bless our schools that they may be faithful in teaching and preaching the faith to Catholics and non-Catholics. May the Lord inspire us to proclaim his name at gatherings and at prayer services. May the Lord continue to give us protestors! Yes, protestors! For the day the Church no longer has protestors will mean the Church has become irrelevant and insignificant. May we never allow ourselves to be treated better than Christ! May we learn to pick up our cross, carry it faithfully and lovingly, and be nailed to it without fear or cowardice.

May God continue to bless what he sacrificed himself for: his Church, his bride, his people, his love, his Truth.

It's true, no one likes to carry their cross. It's also true that we love those who do it for us! “Do not forget the works of the Lord!” (Ps. 78:7b)

Lk 7:11-17 Fear And Glory

Lk 7:11-17 Fear And Glory

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A man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. When the Lord saw her, he said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst.”

For me, this week has been (for lack of a better word), “Funeral Week.” I, along with my brother priest, have celebrated one funeral after another after another. It has been a rough week. But during this entire time, it has given me an opportunity to reflect on death and the meaning of life. So much fruit has come out of this week that I would like to share with you my thoughts.

I have noticed that when a loved one dies, their family and friends always honor them with memories that could not be purchased or bought. They remember the deceased warmth, affection, time, love, compassion, laughter, joyfulness, honesty, fidelity and integrity with great gratitude and admiration. They remember the sacrifices their dearly beloved made for them! It is a reminder of what we should all be living and striving for. Nothing else really matters.

For me, death has become a clear sign of God’s existence. I know it might sound a little strange, but it is so true. Why do we have to die? Why is it that nature demands that we only have a certain amount of time to live? The natural law as we know it could have been so different, so much friendlier. I am convinced that if a blind force created us, it would have “instinctively” selected the strongest form of life; that is, the type that could not die. If we evolved to become stronger, than why did it stop there? Why not go all the way. Why not live forever!

But it seems as though nature has gone out of its way to ensure that there are plenty of ways to die. We can die from so many natural causes. There are plenty of creatures such as amoebas, viruses and bacteria that are more than willing to do the job quickly and efficiently without regret or remorse, and without any real benefits to themselves! Why on earth was it so important to give man just a brief amount of time, just a few years? If we must die, then why can’t we live as long as the trees? Why can’t I exist as long as a rock? Why is it that we have to grow physically old? That doesn’t seem so wise for survival? That seems to go against the theory of the survival of the fittest. If I am strong, why must I become weak? Why must I give my spot up? So that another can fill it? Why?

The reason, I believe, is all too clear: We are not home. This is not our home. This is not our final destination. If this were our final destination, then we would not have to die. Death serves a purpose. It is either to bring our life to an end (eternal damnation) or it is to reach the end, the goal, of our lives (eternal happiness). Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What we do on earth will determine what we do in heaven. If I loved on earth, I shall love and be loved in heaven. Earth is the nursery. This is where we grow up. And like all beautiful flowers, in their Master’s garden, we will be pulled and placed in our Master’s home.

Death is not natural. Death is supernatural. It has meaning because life has meaning. And if death is supernatural, one can only imagine how much more supernatural it is when we find those who are more than willing to lay down their lives for others. This is a mystery that is a reality. This is not an absurdity, it is a breathtaking reality. We all have a drive to live longer, but we also have the desire to give it to others. And when someone does just that, we consider them not a lunatic but a hero!

There is a type of twilight zone – a zone between fear and glory. A fear we all have, and a glory we all seek!

Lk 7:1-10 Lord, Do Not Trouble Yourself

Lk 7:1-10 Lord, Do Not Trouble Yourself

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“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.”

No wonder our Lord turned to his audience and said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

There is a lot to learn from this soldier’s prayer. Those who suffer from a lack of faith also suffer from a lack of humility. He is not just any soldier. He is an officer in charge of others. He understands the meaning of authority. He recognizes the supreme authority that the Lord carries with Him. When the Lord speaks, something happens. His yes means yes and his no means no.

How far we have come! How distant we have gotten from the Lord. And it all starts by the way we worship and pray.

Few of us pray like this centurion. Few of us are capable of recognizing first and foremost our littleness and unworthiness! We have gone from one extreme to the other. From preaching only fire and brimstone, we now preach only “fluff and stuff”. Our prayers sound more like a bill of rights. Our hymns sound more like demands for equal billing. Our Masses are more like messes. I still remember how my parish priest would do everything possible to avoid using the word “Father” in reference to God but never to himself. I guess he didn’t want to offend anyone, except of course, God. Yes, even God gets offended! If he can feel sorrow for my sins, then he can also be offended by my sins.

The 3^rd edition of the Roman Missal is a much needed and much improved translation of our prayers. The solemnity, the sacredness, the holiness and the mystery of the Mass will be greatly improved and, in some cases, restored simply because our prayers will be once again made worthy of such a high celebration! Let us hope and pray that the music will soon follow! I am very fortunate to be in a parish where the music is exquisite and of the highest caliber. But not all parishes enjoy such a blessing.

Over time, we have seen the elimination of God in our houses of worship. Many have become concert halls, Malls and theatres. This happens often in Protestant churches but it should never happen in our churches. We are not Protestants. We should not be eliminating statues from our Churches. We should not be eliminating tabernacles from our sanctuaries. We should not be eliminating religious art, candles and kneelers from our Churches. We should be protecting and not protesting these items.

“Lord, do not trouble yourself” has taken on a new and twisted meaning in our society. Rather than it being a humble prayer, it has become a disrespectful prayer. It is our prayer to the Lord requesting that He be politely (politically) excused and removed. It is a prayer being said by our school officials. There is a growing movement to eliminate the Pledge of Allegiance because it states “one nation under God”. God is now being removed at military funerals at the request not of family members but of public officials. God was (un)tactfully uninvited by New York City’s mayor at the memorial service for the victims of the 9/11 attack.

Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof, but only say the word and I shall be healed. May we never forget what the Lord can do for us if we keep him alive in our hearts, churches, cities and nation.

Mt 18:21-35 Remember God’s Mercy and Love

Mt 18:21-35 Remember God’s Mercy and Love

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“You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you? Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.” So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.

The readings today, read throughout the world in every single Catholic Church, are very appropriate and providential for this day, September 11^th, 2011. Ten years have passed since we witnessed the horrific terrorist attacks that took place in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Children that are in the 5^th grade today were not old enough to witness the live drama, the horror and the shock of that day. As time passes, these children and all future generations will have to rely on old news clips, just as we did on the drama and horror of Pearl Harbor. They do not know an America without terrorism and war. But what I fear most is that they may never learn about an America that came back to life through faith in God. We must never forget that we were afraid that day. We must never forget that our Churches were full that day! What brought us out of our fears and doubts was our Christian understanding of faith, hope and love.

“Brothers and sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord.” (Rom 14:7-8)

These words, written by St. Paul during Roman persecution, are a reminder to all Christian men and women that we must follow the example of the Lord who came into the world for us, preached for us, lived for us and died for us.

If we live and die for the Lord, we shall rise with the Lord.

Recently, I drove by a local mosque and noticed what was written on their community board. It read, “Remember God in everything you do.” What a wonderful message that can easily be distorted or manipulated. It is a known fact that the terrorists on 9/11 constantly invoked God. This morning, the Holy Father’s message to Americans was not only beautiful but educational. He said:

“The tragedy of that day (9/11/01) is compounded by the perpetrator’s claim to be acting in God’s name. Once again, it must be unequivocally stated that no circumstances can ever justify acts of terrorism. Every human life is precious in God’s sight and no effort should be spared in the attempt to promote throughout the world a genuine respect for the inalienable rights and dignity of individuals and peoples everywhere."

Religion does not divide; it actually unites if God is a Father, God is Love, and God is compassionate and merciful.

With all of America’s problems – and we got plenty of problems – the tragedy of September 11^th reminded and strengthened a nation that needed to be reminded and strengthened.

We took our freedoms for granted. We mistook our national defense as strong. We under-estimated our enemies and we overestimated our national defense. We relied too heavily on our stocks and witnessed a group of killers bring Wall Street to their knees. But America was not built by investment brokers but by immigrant workers! And as long as this country continues to welcome the tired, the poor and those yearning to breathe free, it will continue to be the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Before the tragedy, we thought our young were too immature, too obese and way too lax and lazy. We were surprised and shocked even more than the terrorists to witness our nation go into action and call her young to sacrifice and honor. We were shocked and awed to see so many young and talented men and women unselfishly signing up to fight for their country. Our greatest natural resource will never be our machines but the young and brave who use them! May America always treasure and cherish its greatest natural resource: her people, her children.

Many of the victims on September 11^th were Catholics. Many of the heroes on September 11^th were Catholics. A Catholic man is known to have started and lead the rebellion in one plane (United 93). After praying the Our Father, his last words were, “Let’s roll!” This is the modern equivalent of Christ’s words in Gethsemane, “Get up! Let us be on our way!”

The vast majority of rescue workers that died that day were Catholics - either Italian or Irish Catholics. But the tragedy united a city and a nation regardless of creed or race. When Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York City, learned of the tragedy, he immediately went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, lit a candle and wept and prayed for his beloved City and her heroes.

Many of us thought that God had been banned from the public square. But after September 11^th, the United States of America immediately became a house of prayer! Like the Day Christ died on the cross, what turned out to be a tragedy may have very well become a blessing. America is not the same nation it once was. We should remember the sacrifices of the dead and the faith and resolve of the living more than replaying the terrorist's cowardly acts! May we never take revenge. May we be confident in our God. May we never seek the destruction of our enemies, but seek their conversion. May we be honest in our motives, sincere in our devotion and may we never be ashamed to be a house of prayer! May we never cease to ask God to bless America.