Mt 12:14-21 Some Things Never Change

Saturday of the Fifteenth Week In Ordinary Time

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The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.

This morning I turned on the TV and saw a doctor explaining a certain disease.  I have to admit, I didn’t pay much attention to what he said.  Instead, my attention turned to what he was wearing.  He was wearing a very nice suit.  My attention then turned to his nationality.  His name and his looks appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin.  I then thought to myself:  He must be a secular Muslim.  I was impressed.  He looked very “western” in his fancy suit.  He looked very much as if he had accepted “western” culture. My attention then began to drift towards secularism, and I began to imagine for a moment that this ideology had the power to suppress religious wars and bring people together.

But luckily I caught myself before I fell into this delusion.  What was I thinking???  I knocked some sense back into me and reminded myself of some history.

Imperialism.  Colonialism.  Communism.  Fascism.  Nazism.  Hip hip Hooray!!! 

Yes, some of the worst fruits of secularism. 

Secularists may have suppressed religious wars, but they didn't suppress WAR.  No, not at all!  Now, instead of fighting for God, we know fight for others, for oil, money, influence and power. 

Let me play the devils advocate for a moment. 

Some say the United States was founded on the principle (tradition) of the separation of church and state.  They're proud of it.  But are they also proud of the consequences of it as well:  the reprehensible Spanish-American War; the slave-trade; the horrific Civil War; the greed that led to the Great Depression; the drafting of 18-year-olds into the military; the amazing atomic bomb; the dropping of the atomic bomb; the Vietnam War; the Korean conflict; spying and espionage; the overthrowing of governments; the Bay of Pigs; the Iraqi War; the Afghanistan War; etc… 

How is this any better than, say, the Crusades?  How is this progress? 

I don’t know of any "modern" country that has gone to war as often as we have and has as short a history as we have. 
Did I mention abortion on demand, gay “marriage," the hyper-sexualizing of our children, and the legalization of marijuana for recreational use?

But it doesn't end here.  Now, instead of getting killed for heresy, we get killed (maybe by a drone) for revealing secrets, like in "secret documents."  This is progress?  And instead of being burned at the stake for being a witch, we get burned (electrocuted) for being a spy!  How is a "spy" more real than a "witch?"  After all, what is a spy if not a label (branding) given to someone by Big Brother!  We own you!

Now the notion that every nation is as good (or bad) as the other is as ridiculous as the notion that every religion is as good (or bad) as the other.  Likewise, being "unpatriotic" must be just as sinful as being a...well... "sinner." 

I could go on and on...Maybe one more.  We are led to believe that our Constitution is somehow less of a creed than the Creed, and less dogmatic than Dogma.  All men are created equal.  Sounds nice.  Now prove it scientifically, please.

We're supposed to accept that life has somehow become better, more civilized under secularism.  Who are these people trying to fool?  Only the fools, I guess.

Again.  Let me play the devil's advocate. 

This separation of Church and State gig has been going on for a couple of centuries now in the United States and we’re supposed to think that it’s better than bringing the two together; that is, the state accepting faith in God as a blessing, not a curse. 

Today, I read an article regarding an anti-islamic tweet sent by the leader of the topless feminist group “Femen.” You may not have heard of her or them, but the women of this movement are “famous” for baring their chests in public and in protest for “female” rights.   

Femen leader, Inna Shevchenko, sent a nasty tweet slamming Ramadan and Islam in general and it apparently set off a “mini-storm of protests.”  A mini-storm?  Now that’s interesting.  When the Pope spoke at the University of Regensburg, it apparently set off a “fire storm” and was considered highly “insensitive” by our weak minded and weak willed secular media.  However, when Inna Shevchenko flippantly insults Islam and Ramadan, it only creates a “mini-storm.”  Hmmm…try that on for a double standard (Actually, in this case, there is no comparison in the two “speeches” at all).

The tweet in question, reads:  “What can be more stupid than Ramadan?  What can be more uglier than this religion?”  [These are her words].

When asked if she had an axe to grind with Muslims, Inna responded by saying:  “Femen’s position has always been the same.  We are an atheist movement, against all religions, against their principles, which compromise the rights and freedoms of women.” 

Shevchenko was granted asylum in France after receiving death threats in her native country of Ukraine for removing a cross in Kiev with a chainsaw.

I guess we're now supposed to yell:  "Heil Femen!  Heil Shevchenko!” 

Oh, the inconsistencies and incoherencies of atheists!  They feel entitled to remove a cross in Kiev with a chainsaw and spin it as the quest for freedom.  But when Christians block the entrance to an abortion mill, they label it the "intolerance of religion.”   

Stop!  My head is spinning!

An atheist once told me that “atheists only believe that God does not exist.”  Riiiiggggghhhht!!!  As if all they do is think, and that their thoughts never turn into actions!  Remember:  You only fool the fools.  You only fool yourself!

A Dutch-Egyptian academic, Sara Salem, responded to this atheist by accusing her group of practicing “neo-colonialist” feminism by trying to impose their concept of what a woman should be on foreign cultures.    

Good for her!

Now I personally do not find a fully covered female Muslim as repulsive as a bare chested female atheist, but what I do find is that both sides are like the sides of a counterfeit coin.  Deep down, they both have false ideas of truth, beauty and dignity.

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.  They weren’t the only ones.  The Romans (the pagans) were plotting against Him as well. 

Mt 12:1-8 Field of Dreams

Friday of the Fifteenth Week In Ordinary Time

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Jesus was going through a field of grain on the Sabbath.  His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath.”

Strength through Weakness.  What makes Christ so strong?  His humility.  His poverty.  His obedience.  When I was a child, I didn’t like this Gospel passage.  It seemed to me that the Lord was poor.  I didn’t like poor people.  It seemed like he was at the mercy of others.  I didn’t like people who begged. 

Now, after having grown up (a bit), I have grown to love this Gospel passage.  It is just another of a series of paradoxes regarding life in general and the workings of God and men.

This morning I saw a video from the Huffington Post.  Watch it.  It is humorous in the sheer ignorance of their reporters when it comes to the Roman Catholic Church.  But it is also beautiful regarding how a simple and humble Pastor can make a difference in the lives of those who honestly seek the truth.

I want a poor Church.  “I would like to see a Church that is poor and is for the poor” –Pope Francis.  This is what most people can relate to, and for good reason:  this is the condition of most of the people throughout the world.  They are poor, not because contraception is unavailable; not because abortion is unavailable; not because food is unavailable; but rather because corruption is widespread; weapons are widely used; and sin is everywhere.

Opponents of the Church have been calling on the Vatican to sell all its art and give the money to the poor.  Unfortunately, the first rule of poverty is not to own something but to own nothing.  The Pope owns nothing.  He does not own the Vatican.  No Pope ever will, and so they cannot sell what does not belong to them.  However, Mark Zukerberg does own a majority of the shares of Facebook and is worth 14 billion dollars; Bill Gates is worth 72.7 billion dollars; Carlos Slim is worth 70 billion dollars; Warren Buffett is worth 60 billion dollars; David Koch is worth 43 billion dollars; Larry Ellison is worth 41 billion dollars; Alice Walton is worth 32 billion dollars; Michael Bloomberg is worth 27 billion dollars; George Soros is worth 22 billion dollars.  Of course I could go on and on and on… 

The worth of these individuals may very well be equivalent to the “worth” of some nations!

Now most of these individuals do give something in return, but if they were to give it all.  Oh my, “imagine no possessions.  Imagine all the people living life in peace.  Well, you may say that I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one.  I hope someday [they] will join us and the world will be as one.” 

I call upon all these individuals to give it all away.  Do it.  Just do it!

But if you won’t, then maybe they can start doing some simple things; like, no longer traveling in a fancy car or private plane or living in very expensive and fancy “home.”  Remember what the Pope said:  If you ever get tempted…then just think of all the poor and starving people. 

Now it is true that our opponents would like to see a poor Church; but in honesty, they would prefer to have a dead Church, like a dead Savior.  Fortunately, they won’t get either.

Pope Francis is the answer to so many prayers as well as so many votes.  He is the prince that prefers to live like a pauper!  How’s that for something new!!!  Now imagine all our Presidents, Kings, CEOs, CFOs COOs, CAOs, etc. living like paupers?  Imagine…  Well, it definitely won’t happen by imagining there is no heaven or hell.  We might as well imagine no salaries or prisons.

I often meditate on this Gospel passage.  It is a wonderful reminder of how the Creator of everything is a simple and humble God; how He naturally interacts with His creation; and how He does not frown upon man, but actually invites him to participate in His story of salvation. 

Imagine…

Mt 11:28-30 Like Jesus

Mt 11:28-30  Like Jesus

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Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.”

This is music to my ears.  It is like a lullaby.  It is a reminder of what our world would be like if it had not experienced the catastrophic calamity that left us living life on a deserted island with only a few provisions left over from the wreckage.

The Lord is calling out to us to come to Him, to follow Him and to imitate Him.

Come to me.  How exactly?  By imitation. 

Many people are scandalized by Church failings.  I am too.  But I am not surprised.  After all, the Church is both human and divine.  It consists of men and God.  When the Church fails, it is God and men who failed.  In other words, Jesus invited: “Come to me”, and man rejected Him:  “No thanks.” 

But when the Church succeeds, it is because Jesus continued to invite:  “Come to me” and man finally caved in:  “Okay.”

Yes, God fails, even though He is omnipotent.  Why does He fail?  Because He is a lover, not a drone or an IRS or NSA agent.

The Lord does not control by order.  He controls by love.  He does not convince by the argument of His power but by the power of His argument.

I am not surprised by Church failings just as much as I am not surprised by the failings of friends and family.  I am not naïve.  I know better.  There but for the grace of God go I.    

I know my peers.  I know myself.  I would like to think that I am stronger and better than they are.  But this is simply the illusion of a thirsty man on a desert island.  I am hungry.  I am thirsty.  I am starving.  I am no better than the lonely man on the street corner.  What tempts them may not tempt me but I have plenty of temptations to take care of, thank you!

When the Church goes astray, it is men and women who go astray, not the Church. St. Peter’s does not move.  St. Peter and his successors do.

When she is at her worst, the Church simply mirrors society.  But when she is at her best, she mirrors Jesus Christ.

Her stance against abortion and homosexual “marriage” mirrors her love of Christ and for sinners.  Her errors and criminal wrong doings mirror society at large. 

Someone recently wrote to me that Pope Francis was the head of the biggest pedophile organization in the world.  This individual clearly is not speaking based on the facts but rather on fiction.  The United States is considered the largest producer and distributor of child pornography in the world (Pedophilia includes the production of child pornography because it includes child abuse).  Therefore, the head of the biggest pedophile organization in the world is not by any degree the Catholic Church but rather the United States of America, and that would make the President of the United States, not Pope Francis, its head.  Now of course my claim is as ridiculous as his claim, but there is more validity in my statement than his, since the President of the United States is aware of the problem, has all the resources to tackle the problem, and has all the man power and weapons to destroy the problem.

Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.  But when the Church mirrors Christ, then she is a beauty beyond belief; a relief for sore eyes; a hope for all people.

It turns out that Pope Francis is somewhat of a fashion trendsetter.  Some world renowned fashion designers are rethinking their designs with Pope Francis in mind.

Vogue reports that the Pope “is changing the face of Italian fashions.  …His humility and sobriety have apparently wooed some of the country’s most notable designers away from the country’s ostentatious signature fashion aesthetic.”   

“It’s a whole new spirit in Rome,” said Fendi co-designer Silvia Venturini Fendi.  “This is evident when we have a new pope going back to real Christianity, which lately was far from the church.  People are looking for meaning, and the real meaning of fashion is as a tool to express yourself…Maybe there is a moment when we want to focus on other things in life and give fashion a different meaning to clothing.  Women are thinking and dressing more ethically.  This pope is what we all needed.

Amen to that.  Now onto Hollywood, and an examination of its apparent immunity from all responsibility. 

Mt 11:20-24 Little Did They Know

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week In Ordinary Time.

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Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.

Last night I spent some time with a couple that lost their daughter Taylor in a freak ski accident.  By the grace of God, they transformed this tragedy into a blessing. 

It wasn’t easy.

At first they blamed themselves for the tragedy.  Later on they blamed God.  But once they were able to see beyond the events and themselves, they began work on an all-important life giving organ donation foundation.  They named it “Taylor’s Gift.” 

They wrote a book.  They didn’t write it immediately.  How could they?  If they had done so, they would have had to rewrite it; not just add on to it.

In the light of the present, events from the past require constant reinterpretation.    

A few months ago I read their story.  And although I was a part of their story, I didn’t know half their story.  I didn’t know all the people and all their stories.  I didn’t know all the events and how they seamlessly connected.  I didn’t know all the lives that would be saved and be renewed with faith, hope and love. 

After reading this book, I realized that their story transcended their lives, their family and their hometown.  It became very apparent to me that our lives are never over, not even in death.

What will happen next?  “A certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, who conceived and bore a son.  Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months.  When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket, daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and putting the child in it, placed it among the reeds on the river bank.   His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him” (Ex 2:1-15a).

Little did she know that her brother would become one of the most important figures in Jewish history:  Moses.  Little did she know that he would liberate their people.  Little did she know that he would lead them to the Promised Land.  Little did she know that her brother would become the “image and likeness” of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the true liberator of all people and the one who would lead his people from the slavery of sin to the real Promised Land, Heaven.

Little did she know.  Little did he know.  But most importantly, little of it did they see happen. 

The Jewish people lived by faith and trust in God.  They didn’t need to see it all.  They believed in it all, and because they believed, then the promise turned into reality, just like the Word became flesh. 

Little did the towns know who they were rejecting.  Little faith did they have.

Let’s not repeat the errors of history.  Let's not jump to conclusion in the face of tragedy.  Let’s embrace our Divine Savior and hope in good things to come.

 

Mt 10:34-11:1 A Sword That Heals

Monday of the Fifteenth Week In Ordinary Time

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Jesus said to his Apostles:  “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.  I have come to bring not peace but the sword.  …Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Peace and a Sword?    Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.  I have come to bring not peace but the sword.  I think we all know what Christ meant by the word “peace.”  But do we all know what He meant by the word “sword?”   Probably not.

The sword is the word of God.  St. Paul uses the sword beautifully in his letter to the Ephesians where he writes: 

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”  (Eph 3:11-17).

The Christian is, in essence, another Christ.  He is, like Christ, a soldier who fights not against man but for man.  His enemy is not man but all that entraps and engulfs the human heart.  His defense (breastplate) are his virtues.  His shield is his faith, hope and love.  His sword is simply the Word of God, the truth.  The sword, like the truth has the capability of dividing and uniting, of surrendering or resisting.  We can see that in the Zimmerman case where some people refuse to accept the forensic evidence (scientific data), eye-witness testimonies (subjective data) and the historical facts (reality).

In life, not everything can be “proven” beyond a doubt.  And yet, there are protestors outside today who are willing to say that Zimmerman is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt!  These same people are willing to sentence a man to prison for the same reason Zimmerman shot a man to death:  out of pure ignorance.

Yes, the sword, like the truth, has the ability to divide families and anger men.  But it also has the potential of opening wounds to heal them.  When the angel Gabriel spoke of a sword piercing the heart of Mary, did he mean it literally?  No.  The word of God would come into her heart, pierce her heart and relieve her heart.  

No wonder why Mary kept “all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19).  We should too.

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Luke 10:25-37 My Neighbor

Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

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There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus said to him “What is written in the law?  How do you read it?”

What must I do?  What is written in the law?  A woman I know recently witnessed a horrible accident.  It occurred in a pretty famous water park parking lot.  Two crewmen were preparing to tow a car.  One guy was driving the tow truck.  The other was directing him.  Something went seriously wrong and the tow truck began to push the disabled car into another car; the man directing the entire thing was nearly crushed by the two cars.

The woman who witnessed it went over to the water park employee and said to him, “Maybe you should let the owner of the damaged car know what happened.  Maybe you could announce the license plate over the PA system.”  The young man said, “I’m sorry ma’am but we’re not allowed to do that.”  The woman couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  “Why?” she asked.   The young man said, “Well, we don’t want to give anyone the impression that we are responsible for what happens in the parking lot.”

I’m not breaking any laws.  I’m doing what I’m told to do.  I’m good.

First comes personal honor, then duty.  And when one conflicts with the other, honor must take precedence over duty. 

First comes God’s Laws, then man’s laws.  And when one conflicts with the other, then God’s laws must take precedence over man’s laws. 

The young man working at the water park is a slave to his employer.  He fears for his job.  He fears losing his job more than he fears losing his conscience.  I can say this because I can relate to him.  We have all experienced his fears!

Love God above all things.  Live by this Commandment and you will never fear anyone or anything again.  For the only time we ever experience fear is when we place someone or something (certain things or certain men) above God.  This is the reason why Love of God is required before Love of neighbor, for how else will I know if I am truly helping my neighbor? 

There are those who claim that Christians avoid bad things out of fear of God.  First of all, I disagree.  Christians avoid bad things for love of God.  But even if it were true, then I would say that it is better to avoid evil out of fear of God than to do evil out of fear of men!  Better to fear the Lord than to fear my boss!  Better to fear losing heaven than to fear losing my life, my job, my income or my home.

Who is my neighbor?  In today’s parable, the Lord tells the story of a man who fell victim to robbers and was left half-dead.  Who is this man?  Is he a Jew?  A pagan?  No one knows.  The Lord doesn’t say…and for good reason.  This man represents humanity.  He represents you and me.   

We have all been robbed of our dignity.  The media continuously robs us of our dignity.  The internet robs us of our soul.  We have all been beaten and left half-dead by our sins.  I don’t need to read this story in the newspaper.  I know this story.  This story is my very own story!  I am this man!

Who is the Good Samaritan?  Who is this half-Jew and something else?  Who is this mystery man?  It’s obvious.  He is the God-man, the half-Jew and someone else.  Only he can save us.  Only He is willing to pick us up, carry us, and pay off all our debts!  Christ is this man!

It's not easy to be a good neighbor.  It's so easy to avoid them.  Every morning I open and close the garage door from my car.  Every evening I open and close the garage door from my car.  My neighbors never see me.  

A few weeks ago I drove out to a camp.  It was almost two hours away.  I thought to myself "Who would help me if I got stranded along the way.  Who would I call?"   I began to think of all the people who always help me, the very generous ones, the ones always taking the initiative.  How unfair of me to ask them!  So then I began to think of all the people who would never expect a call from me, like Bishop Kevin or a staff member.  What would they say?  What would they do?  Would they feel obliged to help me?  That's not fair!  Finally, I thought, why not call someone who has never had a chance to help me.  Ah, that's it!  Give someone a chance to be your neighbor.     

Who is my neighbor?  Who lives close to me?  It is the Lord. 

We know what we need to do.  Moses spelled out:  "If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments...with all your heart and all your soul.  ...For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you.  ...No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out" (Dn. 30:10-14).

Let the Lord be your neighbor, and only then will you be a good neighbor to everyone else.

Mt 10:7-15 My Brother The Savior

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time

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Jesus said to his Apostles:  “As you go, make this proclamation:  ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  …Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.”

So what exactly were the Apostles to take with them on their journey?  The Lord.  How would He sustain them?  With His grace.  How would they receive it?  By means of faith, hope and love.    

I was often sent to distant and foreign lands throughout my nearly twenty years with the Legionaries of Christ. I traveled light, very light; that is, I traveled with one suitcase and no more than forty or fifty dollars in my wallet.  Today, I shake my head in disbelief!  How could I have been so naive?  How could I have been so idealistic?  Then, I shake my head in amazement at how I always made it to my destination.  How I never needed anything more than what I had.

Amazing!  How can this be?  Only by God’s grace. 

So often I would complain to my superiors, who almost always traveled with credit cards.  I thought it was so unfair and selfish.  Don’t get me wrong, it was.  But like so many curses in life, we can look back on them and consider them to be enormous blessings!

I am your brother Joseph.  From today’s first reading passage (Gen 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5), the Church invites us to reflect on Joseph’s near death experience brought about by the hands of his very own brothers.  Yes, His very own brothers! Out of jealousy they betrayed him and left him for dead.  Out of greed they sold him for some silver (sound familiar).  Out of sheer evilness they left him starving and alone. 

Now, they found themselves starving and alone.  Out of necessity, they went to Egypt looking for some help.

The Lord has abandoned me.  He has forgotten about me.  He doesn’t exist.  He doesn’t care.   Are these sentiments unfamiliar to us?  Of course not.  We have all thought these things while traversing difficult moments in our lives.  Was Joseph thinking these evil thoughts while he was in the hands of his brothers and then captors?  Probably not, for his faith was strong.  His conviction of his own righteousness was clear.  He knew he did not desire such treatment.

Again, what sustained Joseph during these dark days?  What sustained the Apostles during their darkest moments?  The Lord.  How can we receive Him?  Through faith, hope and love.

By remaining faithful, Joseph learned an incredible lesson, a lesson not only taught by God but also lived by God:    Never lose your faith, hope and love, for the Lord is actually prepping you, directing you; in fact, he is “sending you” ahead of others to save lives. 

Joseph could no longer control himself in the presence of all his attendants, so he cried out, “Have everyone withdraw from me!”  Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.  But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him, and so the news reached Pharaoh’s palace.  “I am Joseph,” he said to his brothers…His brothers could give him no answer, so dumbfounded were they at him.  “Come closer to me,” he told his brothers.  “I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.  But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.  It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”

They could not believe their ears!  Joseph could not believe what he was saying!  After so many years, he finally understood.  His curse had been a blessing! 

Lesson for today. God has the power to convert curses into blessings; sin to grace; a sinner into a Saint.  But He also has the humility and love to allow humans to pick their course (use their free will), run their course (live their lives) but then change the finish line.

Like Jesus, Joseph appeared to be the loser.  Instead, they both turned out to be their brothers Savior.