Holy Desperation (30th Sunday, Year B)

  This week, as I was trying to pull something together for the weekend preaching, I looked over previous homilies. Not surprisingly, they all centered on the star of the show in today’s Scriptures, Blind Bartimaeus. In past preaching, the message was pretty straightforward: don’t listen to the voices around you, scolding you to be quiet, telling you to leave Jesus alone, he is too busy, too important for you. Be bold, don’t give up, trust! These messages are all true and I stand by all of it. But something different has jumped out at me this time around, something I hadn’t quite lingered on before so I would like to focus on that.

These last few years have been really hard. I can only speak for myself but I think many of you can relate. It’s not really one thing in particular but a whole series of battles, frustrations, hurts, and losses. After a while, they all add up. I start to wonder, is something wrong with me? Is everyone going through this level of resistance, pushback, anger, and insecurity? Is this how life looks from here on out? No matter how much I do, no matter how hard I try, so much seems to be incomplete and insufficient! I feel like Covid was the beginning of a whole culture shift not only in our society but also in the Church. After we limped out of that whole mess, we went right into All Things New. After hobbling through that, we had a brief repose and now a highly contentious election. As a priest and preacher, I feel like more and more of my life and work is a white-knuckle ride. Some days I simply pray, “Lord, just get me through this next appointment” or “help me survive this day”. In my more reflective moments, I step back and wonder: can I keep up this pace, can I continue to listen, to exercise patience and empathy, and find joy in living a life of service for 30 more years?! I am ashamed to say, some days, I just don’t know or I continue on because I don’t know if I could do anything else.

I am not sharing this to seek affirmation or pity for myself. Although the details of your struggle are different, can’t you also relate to those seasons in life where the hits keep coming? Where you can’t seem to do anything right, when everything keeps breaking, where your best efforts aren’t quite good enough, and no matter how hard you work, you feel further and further behind? I believe you know exactly how this feels because it is part of being human, with flaws, shortcomings, and limitations. Ultimately, what gets me through these moments is the hope that a solution will present itself, that tomorrow will be better, that I can fake it until I make it, and this rough patch won’t last forever. I’d love to tell you that the thing that always drives me is complete faith and hope in God. But sometimes, it is more like: I can try harder tomorrow. I still have something left in the tank. There is one more thing I can try. My personal persistence will win.

Let’s go to Bartimaeus. Until experiencing my own prolonged weariness and desolation, I don’t think I appreciated how desperate and lonely he was. Bartimaeus, blind and begging, was nothing, he had nothing, he could do nothing. For so many around him, he had become invisible, an annoyance at best, someone others wished would just disappear. For Bartimaeus, there was no “tomorrow will be better”. For him it was, tomorrow I will still be blind, I will still be asking asking people for support who wish I would just go away. Even those who helped, many did so with contempt, after dispensing preachy advice and judgement. Bartimaeus knew this degrading, dark, miserable routine was his future, until the day he died. There was no miracle cure for blindness waiting in a doctor’s office. There was absolutely nothing he could do to save or heal himself, no matter how badly he wanted it. 

We might not think of it at first but in this forsaken, terrible situation, Bartimaeus is actually more free than most of us! He knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he cannot save or heal himself. He has nothing left to lose when Jesus passes by that fateful day outside of Jericho. A person with more personal resources, someone who had a reputation to protect or worried at all about what others think would just keep their mouth shut. Not Bartimaeus!!! “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me”, he cries out! And here is the heart of what I want to share with you today/tonight. Do you think Bartimaeus said this quietly and calmly? ….. NO!!! I am confident his cry sounded more like a wounded animal than human speech. This was a sound that would give us goose bumps and make the hair on our necks stand up. How do you think it sounded for Jesus to hear someone cry out from the depths of a broken heart? It was a primal scream, complete desperation, the sound of someone who knew this was their last chance. Bartimaeus realized if Jesus wouldn’t stop and help, the rest of his life was condemned to the darkness he had been living. Tomorrow would not be better. That is why Bartimaeus didn’t listen to the voices around him, telling him to be quiet, to stop making a fool of himself, to stop bothering Jesus. The similar voices inside of Bartimaeus that said these same things had already been silenced; the opinions and judgements of others no longer had any power.

Psalm 34 says, “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted.” Jesus cannot ignore Bartimaeus or anyone who has exhausted all their options and now realizes only Jesus can help them. As I reflect on the holy, heartbreaking desperation of Bartimaeus, I realize I still put far too much stock in my abilities, my reputation, my efforts, my accomplishments, and my resources. Even in my darkest moments, I have not yet cried out to Jesus as though he is my last and only hope. I still let the voices in and around me shush me to silence instead of crying out even louder, with all my might, until my voice cracks, my lungs burn, and nothing is held back.

What about you? Are you also under the illusion that you are self-sufficient and able to save yourself? Are you embarrassed and shy, willing to be invisible as Jesus passes by because of what you might lose by screaming for Jesus to save you, to heal you, to open your eyes?!

Jesus, give us the holy desperation of Bartimaeus! Jesus, help us to see that only you can save us, only you can heal us, without you, we are utterly poor! Jesus, we want to see. Jesus, Son of David, Son of God, have mercy on us!!

When In Doubt, Choose Service! (29th Sunday, Year, B)

  There are lots of perks to being a priest! You get to meet incredible people, you never have to worry about finding a seat in church, and the majority of my daily work is meaningful and directly tied to people’s lives. One of the secondary benefits of being a priest, especially serving as pastor, is that you learn lots of interesting, random things you probably wouldn’t otherwise know. As a naturally curious person, I find this wonderful! One of the things I’ve learned a lot about is boilers and my education is usually renewed around this time of year when we turn them on for the first time. Inevitably, what happens is that a room or two will be blazing hot because the thermostat controlling the radiator in that space loses its mind. I asked the repair tech why it always seems the failure causes an overheated room rather than having no heat at all. His response was that it is by design! Whenever there is a problem, whenever something isn’t quite right, the system is designed to fail OPEN, to error on the side of sending heat. I asked why this was. He replied that it is much cheaper and easier to open a window to cool down a hot room than to clean up a flood from a frozen pipe in a room that got too cold. I never would have thought about that but this failsafe made total sense. When in doubt, send heat!

A similar sort of failsafe is proposed in today’s gospel. Jesus had become incredibly popular at this point of his ministry, working miracles, attracting huge crowds, and some are even trying to make him king. James and John can sense the authority and power Jesus has and they want some of it for themselves. James and John ask Jesus for places of honor, one at his right and one at his left. But they want it for the wrong reasons. They want this power so they can be in charge and enjoy the worldly perks of prestige and rank. Jesus patiently reminds them that his followers must use any power and authority they receive as leverage to serve others. The failsafe for Christians is this: when in doubt, choose to serve rather than to be served. True greatness is using ourselves and our gifts to help others. 

Leadership, of course, is essential. Power is necessary. Power makes decisions and gets things done. But all power eventually corrupts unless it is grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ. And leaders include not just the high and mighty CEOs, but us: parents, principles, managers, teachers, board members, policemen, scoutmasters, pastors, doctors —- anyone who has authority or leads the lives of others. In the Christian life all such leaders, including you and me, are servants who are there “not to be served but to serve and to give their lives as a ransom for many.” That radical teaching - and it is outrageously radical if you think about it - is a deep spirituality to live by, a necessary and humble default a Christian must embrace. The more power I have, the more service I must render, the more aware of others I must be.

You and I are called to be servant-leaders of whatever power or authority has been given to us. What are some practical ways we can know if we are imitating Christ’s example? First, servant leaders pay attention to the rank-and-file people around them. No person, no matter what their education, influence, or occupation, is dismissed or looked down on. How about us? How do we treat the people who work the cash register, prepare our meal, repair our homes and vehicles, or pick up the trash? Are we kind, polite, and aware of them as individuals? Do we remember their name, learn about their lives and families, and sincerely ask how they are doing? When they answer, do we listen? Secondly, servant leaders learn to think communally, not selfishly. What goes into our decision-making? Is it only about profit, sales, career, getting ahead, or what benefits me? Are there considerations to the long-range impact on the family, the community, or the environment? Finally, servant leaders strive for that humility which enables them to ask if they're part of the problem. They’re not afraid to be accountable to others and accept constructive criticism, knowing they’re far from perfect. Are we someone people feel they can challenge and correct or are we unapproachable? I think this is the most difficult of the three to adopt and embrace. Very rarely does correction come from someone who is blameless or flawless. And sometimes 90% of what they are saying doesn’t apply. But with an open heart, we can grow from the 10% that does. We should never forget that without challenging feedback, any one of us can become a tyrant. 

Let’s return to James and John who wanted the privilege, power, and position without the cross; they want his leadership without serving others. It must've been totally embarrassing when, at the end of the day, there were two lowly thieves, one at Jesus’ right and one at His left as he prepared to enter his heavenly kingdom. Not quite what they first imagined, but it made Jesus’ point.

We might wonder: did James and John and the others eventually get the message? Did they get to drink from the same chalice Jesus drank? I think so. About 12 years after Jesus' death, James was the first apostle to suffer martyrdom. Tradition adds that Andrew was tied to a cross, Bartholomew was skinned alive, Peter was crucified upside down in Rome, the other James was thrown from the Temple roof, Thomas was run through with a lance in the East Indies, Jude was pierced with arrows, Philip was hanged; only John escaped a gruesome death. Interestingly enough, he was the only apostle present during the crucifixion.  

We probably won’t have to go so far as martyrdom, but we must recognize the gospel message clearly states that worldly power and position are on the other side of servant leadership: followers of Jesus do not sit and wait to be served. They stand in solidarity with the world's most famous foot-washer and they serve everyone regardless of social status. And they do so with clear intentions of God’s love and joy because that is where true greatness is found! Our failsafe must always be to serve! In putting others first, we achieve true greatness and everlasting power that cannot be lost!

Don't Settle for Less! (28th Sunday, Year B)

Every child has heard some version of the following lines from their parents and no matter how it was said, we all disagreed with every fiber of our being. “This is for your own good”, “One day you will thank me”, “This hurts me more than it hurts you”! Perhaps we received this reply when we asked if we could have dessert instead of dinner, go over to a friend’s house instead of doing homework, get out of being grounded, or simply wanted to go to bed without brushing our teeth. Despite what we thought at the time, these experiences of tough love came from people who cared about us, who wanted the very best for us, and who refused to let us settle for less. These people were our parents, teachers, mentors, clergy and true friends. 

In my own experience, there were many instances of this. One in particular involved my spelling homework in grade school. Every week, I was expected to learn 28 new words with an exam on Friday. In preparation for this weekly test, Mom also required me to use the word in a sentence and not simply memorize the spelling. So I was supposed to write 28 sentences every week. Did my mother think I was Charles Dickens? I was lazy and hated to write so this was pure torture. At first I listed all 28 words and added the phrase, “are my spelling words” to complete a single sentence using all of them. That apparently was not acceptable. What followed was a weekly battle between me and my mom to write as few sentences as possible while using as many words at a time to form a tortured phrase of limited literary value. Here are a few: The creature ran in the evening to conceal the cheese (4). The storage of a harvest of pig hearts was in the port of a harbor (5). In the colonial days, pioneers hustled to get several level, equal, settlements (7).

My poor mother had to put up with this nonsense for years, fighting with me to accept my spelling homework and actually use the words in a way that was coherent. She could have said spelling the words correctly was good enough but she wanted more than just rote memorization for me. At the time I thought she was cruel and crazy; why did I need to understand how to spell and use so many words!! In the end I am so grateful she challenged me to do more than I was willing to settle for. In my work and ministry, I use my words all the time and I am forever grateful!

In our gospel today, we have a rich young man who is truly good. He has kept the commandments from his youth and he is wondering if there is something more he can do. He is not just trying to get by with the bare minimum like I was. It would have been easy for Jesus to look at him and say, “you are doing better than just about everyone else these days.” But God never compares us to other people; He looks at us with a love that acknowledges our goodness but also calls us to be better as we seek to follow him. Jesus desires the absolute best for each of us, whatever that is in our individual circumstance. The gospel today is about Love’s challenge, about God wanting the very best of what is possible and not allowing us to settle for less, which we are so often content to do. 

The secret to seeking this holy excellence is found in the first reading from wisdom. King Solomon reigned over the most prosperous and peaceful eras the Chosen People ever experienced. The Lord appeared to the young king and promised him anything he desired. Imagine the thoughts that must have gone through Solomon’s mind. Should he ask for unlimited power? Endless riches? Ceaseless pleasure? Perfect health? Certainly we would rank these requests high on our list. But instead of these, he begs the Lord for something much more subtle and profound. He asks for Wisdom, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and all the other gifts followed.

So what is this wisdom that Solomon received? It is really the combination of three traits working together in perfect unity. True wisdom is the blending of knowledge, experience, and good judgment to inform every decision a person makes. This harmony of knowledge, experience, and good judgment makes a person wise and able to see things for what they are, both good and bad. A wise person has perspective when it comes to setbacks and disappointments, he knows what to fight for and when to concede. The people who possess wisdom know the right order for living, how to make good choices, avoid evil, and most importantly, how to have the right priorities. With wisdom, we are willing to ask God, what more can I do, what needs to be let go of, to be closer to you?

A truly wise person can live with incredible wealth or complete poverty and still be happy. And whether they find themselves surrounded by friends or under siege by enemies, they still find peace. And in any other circumstance you can think of, good or bad, the wise person has all they really need because their strength and joy and comfort come first from the Lord, who never breaks his promises and who never stops protecting those who call upon him in faith. 

Our readings today require us to look inward and ask if we are truly wise. Have we asked God for his gift of knowledge, experience, and good judgement to live within us? Are we humble enough to accept the lessons that wisdom teaches us, lessons that often require letting go of something good to receive something even better? Can we believe that if we seek his wisdom then everything else that matters will be given in abundance? Or will we falter like the rich young man, whom Jesus saw and loved and invited to draw one step closer to perfection and eternal life? Will we go away sad because we cannot escape the power which worldly things have over us? Are we willing to settle for less instead of letting go and striving for the best?

To possess wisdom and live wisely is not easy, in fact on our own we won’t get there. But with the help of God’s grace, learning from him in daily prayer, he will share this wisdom freely. May we be wise enough to put the things of this world in their proper place and when Christ invites us to trust and follow him, may we joyfully answer yes, without sadness or hesitation.  

Dragons Can Be Defeated! (26th Sunday, Year B)

To listen to this homily, click here.

One of the best moments before bedtime in any childhood was the reward of hearing a story or two before drifting off to sleep. Whether that was a personal anecdote from mom or dad’s younger days, a story from the Bible, or a favorite tale from a children’s book, it’s hard to think of anything that fed the imagination more than these special moments. In addition to their entertainment value, these stories had a point, a lesson, something to reveal about the world that enabled the youngster to sleep in peace, knowing they were safe and had something to dream about until tomorrow. The Scriptures this weekend have all the elements we associate with these foundational stories: in the first reading, a mysterious, supernatural power is given to the Elders who helped Moses; even those who were away from the group received it remotely; proving that God’s gifts and power are not limited by time and space. The second reading from James is a warning for those who have trusted in the wrong things and done evil to gain what they have; a day of reckoning is coming! And finally we have the gospel with references to spiritual battle with demons, eternal fire, and the need to endure any sacrifice to win final victory. It’s tempting, when Jesus speaks this way, to believe He is just exaggerating for effect, that he doesn’t really mean what he’s saying. But I think there is more to Jesus’ words than that. He wants his words to make an impression on us, just like those bedtime stories did when we first heard them. 

Last week, Jesus invited us to become like children. So, it’s no accident that he also teaches us like children: with stories. With parables. With strong images of sacrifice, demons, and battles between the forces of good and evil. Children’s fairytales are the same! In both there is a clear line between right and wrong, even though it might be difficult to know at first where the characters stand. There is also a need for decisive, courageous action. And all of this is built on the notion that choosing the good will be rewarded while choosing evil will lead to ruin. 

The reason why fairy tales get passed on generation after generation is that they acknowledge something even kids know to be true: evil is present in our world. And they present a starting point for how to defeat it. GK Chesterton, a 20^th century British author, pointed out the real purpose of these stories. “Fairytales do not tell children dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be defeated.”

So what is the point of this reflection on fairytales? It is to remind us that we too live in the midst of a battle between good and evil. No matter how old we are, the lessons we first learned through these stories apply to our life and our world right now. But the fight is easy to ignore because it is primarily spiritual, not physical. As St. Paul put it, “our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with principalities, with powers, with the rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”

The Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, became man and entered human history in order to show us the same thing. That while there are dragons here and now, while they do prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls, they can be defeated and destroyed. It is Christ, who tells us, “I tell you this so that you may have peace in me: In the world you will find trouble, but take courage. I have conquered the world.” It is Christ who allowed the forces of evil in this world to unleash their fury upon him in his passion and death, only to rise victorious on the third day. Christ has shown us in reality what fairy tales have only whispered in myth: Good triumphs over evil. God defeats Satan. Jesus rises victorious over sin and death. 

For Christians, the Scriptures give us what fairy tales cannot. They provide the secret to defeating evil in all its forms in every circumstance. They show us our role in the battle and how we are to act in times that can be confusing, overwhelming, and sometimes, seemingly hopeless. 

So what is the destructive dragon of our time? What is the instrument of evil that must be fought and defeated? In a few short weeks, voters in Missouri will be asked to change the state constitution through Amendment 3. This proposal masquerades as keeping the government out of anything that pertains to so-called “reproductive freedom”. To the casual reader, the amendment seems to simply let people make their own decisions about deeply personal matters. What it actually does is create a lawless bubble around anything that could be classified as reproductive freedom. This amendment contains the legal framework to eliminate parental notification and consent for minors around anything that could be labelled reproductive freedom. It would shield negligent healthcare professionals from malpractice for any actions while treating “reproductive health”. It would also open the door for abortions funded by tax dollars and carried out at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason, even when the unborn child can feel pain. In subsections 3 and 6 of this amendment, buried in language about anti-discrimination, gender transition procedures are equated to pregnancy care and could not be blocked even by a minor’s parent or guardian. 

The passage of amendment 3 will allow evil to thrive. It is a poison apple offered to women who are afraid and desperate. It will hurt women and children the most and this is who Satan always targets in his battle with God. You and I have a role to play in this battle. We are not just spectators, powerless to do anything. In fact, we must not sit on the sidelines or be non-committal. To fail to vote ‘no’ on amendment 3 is to be complicit in what it brings about. There is no moral justification for a Christian to vote ‘yes’ on Amendment 3 and most people oppose the effects it will unleash once the amendment is explained.

So what is our role as Catholics and followers of Christ? I know you are good people who want to fight evil and help others. So the obvious thing, for those of us old enough to vote, is to vote no on amendment 3. But that’s not all. Sometimes we can be tempted to think the victory is up to us, that we can do enough to defeat evil ourselves, if we just do the right things. But Jesus is the one who wins the victory, not us. And we will not be victorious primarily through arguments, pamphlets, or ads. These are good but they are not enough. First, we must pray for the defeat of this amendment and all things that contribute to the culture of death. We should pray for the conversion of hearts; first our own and then also all those who see Amendment 3 as a good thing. We should pray for all men and women who find themselves in desperate circumstances and feel alone. For those who think abortion is their only way out. We must also pray for every person who has been wounded by these lies and the culture of death. We should ask God to show them his mercy and offer ourselves as ambassadors of his healing love. Finally, we should be fasting and making sacrifices that good triumphs over evil. This practice of offering something up is ancient and effective and no sacrifice you offer is insignificant because God magnifies it with his grace. 

More than anything, we cannot be silent or indifferent about this evil. It is either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. We each have a part to play in the battle between good and evil. In baptism we were enlisted in God’s army and given a role in the story of salvation. Our witness, our vote, our prayers, no matter how small or simple, will let the world know that there are dragons out there and they can be defeated. We place ourselves and our cause under the protection of Mary, who herself battled the evil one, as together we say, “Hail Mary…”

 

Comfort or Conversion? (25th Sunday of OT, Year B)

Have you ever gone out of your way to do a good deed from someone, only to have it blow up in your face? Has there been a time when you did something that was good, right, difficult --- yet found that you were being criticized for your kindness or your intentions were questioned? When this does happen, we find ourselves asking a very basic question: Why are some people so cruel? Why are some so willing to assume the worst in others rather than presuming the good? Sadly, these are questions even young children ask. One of the most difficult experiences of raising a child is helping the youngster cope with classmates or teammates who are mean and cruel. This type of behavior exists in every stage of life. The basic plot of many novels and movies revolves around people who are downright mean and cruel. We would like to think that it is those “other people” who embody this dark side of human nature. But if we are reflective, we realize it doesn’t take much for us to cross the line and begin to treat people badly. 

Today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom presents mean, cruel people. They plot against the just man. They want to destroy him. The reasons for their hatred are petty and immature. They are jealous of his goodness. They find his witness to God offensive. Worst of all, he has earned what they themselves desperately want but do not deserve: the respect of others.  Instead of humbly imitating the Just One and reforming their lives, they put their energy and resources into destroying the one who challenges them and makes them uncomfortable. 

The passage from Wisdom not only acknowledges this aspect of human nature; it is also prophetic. Even though these verses were written hundreds of years before Christ, they describe the attitude of those who put Jesus to death.  The Temple priests, the Sadducees and Pharisees attacked Jesus because He questioned their arrogance, their hypocrisy and his just lifestyle was offensive to them. They hated it when Jesus told them that they were not true to the law. Instead of changing themselves, they decided: Jesus had to die. Comfort took precedence over conversion.

This cruel situation often exists in our families, our nation, and even in our Church. A member of the family who is intent on living the faith might be mocked or hated by those who secretly wishes their faith was at the same level. In our society, the media often mocks those who are seeking to live properly. Our culture glories in pointing out the mistakes of just people. Instead of joining them in virtue, it would rather tear them down and show that good people are no different than immoral people or, if they are, it is only that they are judgmental, mean and absolutely no fun! Sadly, something similar happens in the Church. This shouldn’t surprise us because the Church is made of human beings. There are people within parishes, including clergy, who are ready to attack those whose virtue is perceived by others as greater than theirs, or whose lives make them uncomfortable. Comfort often takes precedence over conversion. 

It would be easy to stop here; to end the homily after reflecting on all those other people who can be cruel, unkind, and petty. But that would be incomplete. we must also look at ourselves and  examine the ways we fall into those same sins. In some way, we all feel threatened by the presence of the Just One in our midst. Sometimes that presence is the voice of a close friend or family member, challenging us to a more excellent way of acting or thinking. Other times it is the teaching of the Church which challenges us to stop thinking as the world does and start looking at things as Christ would. It can even be the correction of legitimate authority that offends our pride and causes us to attack whatever threatens our way of life.  

We all have areas of our lives we prefer to keep just the way they are. There are parts of our hearts and souls we prefer that God just leave alone. We want to be our own masters. And if anyone comes along to challenge us, even if it be the Just One of God, well, we will take that person out. Perhaps by attacking their reputation. Maybe by pointing out their faults. Or questioning their motives. Or mocking their old-fashioned values and rigid morals.

The truth is: not a single one of us has all of the answers! No one here in church has it all figured out or all together. And if our first reaction to correction is to go on the attack and try to lash out at the one who dares question us, well then we are the ones who have a problem. When we respond this way we close ourselves off and risk silencing the Just Ones God sends us in the form of friends, family, clergy, co-workers, classmates, and even random strangers.

Jesus was crucified because a lot of people heard the gospel but didn’t want to change or be challenged. They chose to fight to be comfortable in their sinfulness and this caused them to be cruel, to the point of killing the innocent Son of God. Will we make the same mistake? Will we accept Jesus’ challenge to be excellent, to suffer with him, to be corrected and converted and separated from our selfishness so that we can be his Just Ones to a troubled world? If we say yes to being challenged, if we say yes to being corrected and occasionally uncomfortable for the sake of the gospel, then we will forever sing the confident words of the psalmist: “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life.” 

Custom Healing (23rd Sunday, Year, B)

One of the greatest blessings of my priesthood has been the experience of being around people who possess gifts I don’t have. So often, I am put into situations where my ministry relies on others using their talents and charisms for the good of others. This dynamic used to bother me when I was first ordained, probably because of my insecurity and a sense of inadequacy. I wanted to be all things to all people and when I wasn’t, I felt I was letting them down. But over time, I’ve realized that none of us are called to be a one-stop shop for the needs of others, no matter how talented or well-intentioned we are. God gave each of us gifts for the good of others to be shared and used collaboratively. As I have accepted this version of reality, I have found joy in seeing the gifts of others at work. Here are some examples:

When I ride with the police, I marvel at how these men and women can absorb the fear and chaos around them while maintaining a sense of calm and critical thinking to provide safety and de-escalate the situation. It is a thing of beauty to watch moms and dads practice the art of parenting, naturally ministering to each of their children in creative ways that acknowledge the individual character every child is. I am edified by doctors and nurses who genuinely love and care for their patients who are also my parishioners. As I visit and anoint patients, I notice the little things these healers do to comfort the sick, the fearful, and the hurting. Their compassion, not only towards the patient, but also their loved ones in the room is inspiring and amazing to watch. I see another set of gifts at work in those who teach in our school and PSR. So often they make connections between a subject that is hard to understand and a student who is struggling to make sense of it. They pay attention to little things like making sure they encourage the student as they figure things out, constantly adjusting the ratio of challenging a child vs affirming them, knowing what each student needs as an individual and teaching to their personality and background. In all of these cases, what really stands out is how these helpers treat each person as a unique individual rather than just a problem to be dealt with. As I observe gifted practitioners around me, I learn so much and try to incorporate some of their wisdom and grace into my own ministry. More than anything, I end up being grateful that God has shared so much richness and diversity in the experience of being human and loving others in his Name.

If this is true with imperfect humans, it’s even more incredible to see Jesus being an amazing healer in the miracle described by St. Mark in the gospel; a man who was deaf and impaired in speech once again can hear and speak. Today’s healing is different than many Jesus does with a simple word or gesture. At first glance, the way Jesus performs the miracle seems undignified or even silly.

Why this show, which looks embarrassing for Jesus? Like a kindergarten teacher who kneels down so she can be at the level of her small student, Jesus helps the man understand and participate in every step of his own healing! First, Jesus lets the deaf man know he is seeking spiritual closeness with him; the Lord communicates this by placing his fingers into the deaf man’s ears and his saliva into the deaf man’s mouth. By this graphic, hands-on method, Jesus invites the deaf man to accept Jesus into his person—literally. Then, he looks up to heaven to show the deaf man the source of Jesus’ power. It doesn’t come from some magic in Jesus’ fingers or spittle. It comes from God, whose power is incarnate in Jesus. Even the groaning of Jesus makes sense if we think of it in this way. The deaf man sees Jesus open his mouth to make the inarticulate sound of groaning. This deaf man doesn’t speak, but even those unable to talk can groan. In groaning, Jesus joins the deaf man in solidarity.

Last of all, the the deaf man sees Jesus speaking an articulate word to him, to the man who cannot hear. In doing this, Jesus is inviting the deaf man to trust him, to choose to accept the miracle—to choose to hear the saving and healing word that Jesus speaks to him. 

In this beautiful story, Jesus humbles himself to share the limitations of the deaf man. He changes his method to help the person in front of him who is different than the many others he has healed. By treating this man as a unique individual, the love of the Lord heals the deaf man’s soul as well as his ears. Might this be one of the reasons St. James tells us to make no distinction between rich or poor in our churches but rather see each and every person as a unique and equally precious creation, resisting the temptation to classify others into groups and categories?

Jesus does the same for each of us. We are not problems to be solved or broken machines to be fixed; we are persons made in God’s image and likeness. While his teaching and message remain constant, Christ will reach out to every person in the way that most respects their individual needs and circumstances. His healing will always be administered in the perfect manner for us at that time. God loves all of us in a way that is unique; it never has and never will be repeated. Rejoice in that love. Celebrate the fact that we are the beneficiaries of Jesus perfect love and goodness in every part of our life. Then humbly reflect on the particular gifts and special charisms God has shared with you. Develop them, refine them, and share them with others. Celebrate and encourage others in their gifts; do not be jealous or dismissive. None of us has everything people need but all of us have been given something to share. May we receive the Lord’s personal love in our lives and then humbly share that love through our own gifts with the people placed in our care.

Are You a Rotten Potato? (22nd Sunday, year B)

Between 1845 and 1852, the Great Potato Famine ravaged Ireland and was responsible for the deaths of some 1 million people, which was more than 10% of the population of the Emerald Isle. At the time, the potato was an affordable, reliable foundation of every working family’s diet. What was especially cruel about this potato blight was that it left the vegetable looking unscathed on the outside. The affected potatoes appeared large, firm, and hearty. But when cut open, they were rotten, hollow, and rancid from the center to within a half-inch of its outer skin. What had looked promising as a meal couldn’t even produce a mouthful of nourishment. The potatoes rotted from the inside out and provided false hope until the moment the inside was revealed. 

The very same thing happens to us as humans whenever we allow hypocrisy to take root within us. This disease that rots us from the inside out, already has a head start in every person because of original sin. It is only through reliance on God’s grace, frequent reception of the sacraments, daily prayer and constant vigilance that it is kept away.  

For this reason, we are warned explicitly in today’s Scriptures: Don’t be a hypocrite! In other words, make sure what you believe and how you act line up. Don’t say one thing and do another. There is something universally reviling about hypocrites. We can't stand it when we learn that models of morality have been leading secret, immoral lives. We are upset when those whom we respect are revealed to be indecent frauds. Sadly we have seen this principle in action over and over again in our civil and religious leaders.

We agree with the Lord in his attack on the hypocrites. But then Jesus turns the focus of his teaching towards us. He doesn’t just lead us in a round of mob justice to condemn all those bad people in the world; Jesus forces each of us to ask, "Am I a hypocrite? What thoughts, words, and actions are coming out of me? What is my heart producing?" We need to be concerned with fighting against any evil that might be lurking inside us. We can easily see the wrong in others, but if we are to avoid being hypocrites ourselves, we need to control our thoughts. We need to protect ourselves against those things which turn something wrong into “it’s ok if I do it!”. We need to be wholesome. We need to be pure of heart. We need to be gentle, strong, and merciful. 

Because the human reaction to hypocrisy is so visceral, it is possible that when we see it in ourselves, when we are the hypocrites, we give in to self-hatred. But God doesn’t want us hating ourselves. We must replace self-hatred with His Divine Love. We belong to God. He is among us and, through the grace of our baptism, He is within us. His gift of grace will help us win the battle for our souls. And this is the great irony: the thing God can’t stand the most (hypocrisy) seems at first glance, very similar to the thing He loves above all else! God loves sinners so much he didn’t even spare His Son to save them. So what is the difference between a hypocrite and a sinner? One key thing. The sinner avoids becoming a hypocrite by honest reflection on his or her life. The difference is that the sinner says, “God, I am sorry. I have done wrong. I need your help. I don’t want to hurt you or anyone else anymore. I want to do good things but I am weak. I understand the sins of others because I have my own weaknesses and failures.” 

One last observation. Just because the hypocritical Pharisees misused the commandments to harden their hearts doesn’t mean God threw away the Law! Jesus does not dismiss the commandments or the notion of sin; he condemns using it to afflict, judge, or hurt others. Jesus exposes the Pharisees for honoring God with lip-service while their hearts are far from him. But the problem is with them, not the moral code. The commandments and teachings of right and wrong come from God and cannot change or be dismissed, even when its teachers lead horrible lives. Perhaps the saddest result of hypocrisy in Christians is that it makes it easier for others to dismiss the saving truths which bring life. That is the ultimate scandal of hypocrisy: the splendor of Divine truth, found in God’s laws and commandments is obscured by human pride and weakness. 

Today it would be good for each of us to pray for the grace to humbly and honestly reflect on our life and actions. Where might we be rotten potatoes?! Is what comes out of us in the form of thoughts, words, and actions consistent with what we profess and believe as followers of Christ? Is there anything we are doing or not doing that could lead someone to doubt the truth of Jesus Christ? Are we willing to look first at our own sins and weaknesses rather than brushing over them to point out the faults of others? Do we think, consciously or not, that we are better than others, which is a sure sign we need God’s help to root out hypocrisy in ourselves. 

    The Good News is that God’s love is steadfast! He will never stop loving sinners who confess their need for Him and he is not afraid of any spiritual rot that is within us! So let’s be set free from any pride or self-righteousness that might afflict us. Let’s openly admit to God that we are weak and sinful and in need of His care. Make use of the sacrament of confession which he gave us as a way of returning to him and receiving his gifts of healing and strength. Pray for all who wander in darkness and for anyone who may have been hurt by our sins and hypocrisy. In time, with God’s grace, we can become the person described by the psalmist, ‘who does justice and who will live in the presence of the Lord’!