30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

There are a lot of things out there that promise to simplify our lives. Many of these items also claim to make us happier, more efficient, more productive members of society. Electronics are common offenders in this area. For example, the computer, supposed to add hours to the day often drains us as we try to keep up with waves of emails, Facebook friends, and word-processing. Something that was intended to help us often needs our help with frequent debugging, defragging, anti-virus updates, and spyware maintenance. The same might be said of the smartphone. Touted as a mobile office, it rarely gives us more free time as we are beholden to every text, new email, and incoming phone call. But the strangest claims of efficiency and simplicity can be found on tv, especially the shopping channel, and tend to deal with exercise and personal fitness. Perhaps you remember the treacherous thighmaster or the bizarre shakeweight?! My favorite is the ab-belt, a modern marvel of laziness and strange science. According to the commercial, this gizmo punishes the user’s abdominal muscles better than sit-ups by sending intense electrical signals throughout the stomach region. According to the commercials, you just strap this baby on and then do whatever you like, even watch a movie, as it sculpts your midsection into perfectly defined abs that would shame a bodybuilder. 

We humans desire simplicity; we crave it. We are constantly searching for that magical thing that will make our lives easier, happier, and more efficient. That’s why we fall for these products that so often promise to simplify but rarely deliver on that pledge. That’s why we so often have garages and basements that are stuffed with junk, ..... yet we are still searching. 

Today, in the gospel, Jesus does the very thing we are looking for. He simplifies the 613 laws of the Jewish faith into two basic commandments. “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.”

You and I have heard these commandments since we were very little, so we might not think they are such a big deal. But think again to what Jesus just did. He gives the key to living the good life, a happy, wholesome, fulfilling life in terms of our relationship with God and with other people, and does so in two commandments that are so simple that any young child can remember them. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. In fact, it can’t get any more simple than that. These two things are the very least we must do to be truly joyful in this life and forever happy with God in the life to come. And these two commandments are all you have to do in order to reach heaven.

It seems too good to be true, too simple to work. Why would this be any different than the million other things that claim to simplify but then end up disappointing? The answer, of course, is found in who it is that gives us these two great commandments. Jesus is completely trustworthy; he is God, he cannot lie. And he has nothing to gain from his wise words; there is no gimmick involved, simply his desire to unite us with each other and our heavenly Father. 

But I think it is important to make one clarification. Just because Christ simplifies the whole moral code doesn’t mean that it suddenly becomes easy. In fact, its simplicity makes it more demanding! You see, the more complicated something is, the greater the chance for some leeway or loophole. Just think of our nation’s tax laws, for example. But the simpler it becomes, the less wiggle room. What you see is what you get; no nuances, qualifications, or conditions. The same is true of the two great commandments that Jesus gives to you and me. He really means that we are to love God above all things with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. And he is dead serious when he says we must love our neighbor as ourself.”

So how do we apply this to ourselves? How do these simple commandments make demands on us? Consider some of the following examples which are not in any way, an exhaustive list:

When it comes to loving God above all things, do I love him enough to get my family to Mass every weekend? Even when we have 7 games or a late night or are out of town? Or is it always God who gets the short end of the stick? Do I give generously of my income to God or do I mostly give him what I have left over after I have taken care of what I want? Do I give freely of my time and talent to God? Do I take some quality time each and every day to spend in prayer or does he simply get some time here or there when I am distracted, tired, and complaining? Do I respect the Church and seek to be obedient to her teaching? Even difficult teachings about marriage, birth control, and sexuality? Or do I think I always know best? Do I do as God has commanded me and pray for my government leaders? Do I seek his wisdom in trying to decide who to vote for - or do I vote for those who encourage me to live as if my concerns are the only ones that matter?

How about loving our neighbor as ourself? Do I have true respect for others without exception? Am I kind in the way I talk about others, including those that are different than me or who drive me crazy? Am I patient with those I interact with, even when they are annoying, needy, or downright rude? Christ’s command to love did not include any exceptions, even for these types of people! Do I allow others to have their dignity, even when I don’t feel like they deserve it? Do I in fact give myself to others out of love - or offer them only a show of courtesy concealing some other agenda? Do I further the social work of the Church by caring for the poor, the neglected, the sick and the unborn? Do I pay my taxes and accept my responsibilities towards my fellow citizen or do I lie and cheat to get ahead? Do I truly love my neighbor as myself, always and everywhere, or do only do so when it is pleasant, beneficial to me, or fits into my schedule?  

The way we get to heaven is utterly simple: “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” But it is not easy. We need God’s help every step of the way, through prayer, the sacraments, and the teaching and support of His Church. May we recommit ourselves to the two great commandments and then trust that in keeping them, we will find eternal love, peace, and happiness. 

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

The prophecy we heard in the First Reading refers to King Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, who was perhaps the greatest and most influential emperor in the history of the Middle East. After conquering Babylon, the western end of his empire, he restored Jerusalem and Judea to the Jews who had been exiled 70 years earlier. He even financed the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple, though he himself was not Jewish. Cyrus was truly one of the great, influential figures in the history of the world.But all of that happened after the prophecy. And that is the point.

God is the Lord of history; nothing is outside of his plans; he is present in and through all historical happenings, great or small. This doesn't mean that Cyrus was just a robot programmed by God. Cyrus, like all of us, was a free human being with life and a unique blend of talents given by God. God respected that.

Every one of us chooses, every single day, whether we are going to use our freedom and talents in a way that is in harmony with God's plan for the human family or not. But even when we make the wrong decision, abusing our freedom and rebelling against the moral law and the teaching of Christ, God is wise and powerful enough to make that rebellion help his overall plan. He truly is the Lord of history, using all things, even pagan emperors like Cyrus, to build up the Kingdom of Christ.

The history of salvation is full of cases where God's powerful but gentle Providence changes the course of nations and empires. In the Old Testament, King David is a prime example. He was the youngest and least favored of Jesse's eight sons. Since no one in the family thought much of David, who was good looking but small, he spent most of his time in the hills around his hometown of Bethlehem, watching over the family flocks of sheep. His lonely days and nights taught him to pray, and to fend for himself. That meant taking on wild animals, like lions and bears, when they tried to steal a sheep from the flock. While he was still just a teenager, David learned to take on those beasts with his homemade slingshot.

Of course, God in his Providence knew that there would be a higher purpose for that slingshot later on. That higher purpose became evident when the small, poor nation of Israel was being oppressed by the much more powerful Philistines. At one point, the Philistine soldier Goliath defied King Saul and the entire Israelite army. He offered to settle the war by one-on-one, hand-to-hand combat with their best warrior. Goliath was a giant, and no one had the courage to face him, not even King Saul himself. When young David heard about it, he stepped forward, confident that God would give him victory over Goliath, just as he had given him victory over wolves, lions, and bears. And so it happened: the boy David defeated the giant Goliath, and the line of kings that would give the world its Messiah was founded.

 God truly is the Lord of history, he "cares for all, from the least things to the great events," and thus he guides history to its fulfillment in Christ. But the fact that God is working in our world, through the people and events of history to bring about his plan shouldn’t cause us to be complacent. This doesn't mean that to be faithful Catholics we should just sit back, relax, and let God do all the work. On the contrary, the power of God's Providence should fill us with wisdom, freedom, joy, and confidence. Because we know that God can make even our small, clumsy efforts have a big impact; we should always be making those efforts. There is not a moment in our lives, large or small, that isn’t being used by God to bring about his plan of salvation for us and for the whole world.

With this in mind then, what are some specific ways that we cooperate with God’s providence? How can we do our part to participate in the Lord’s plan for our world? Two particular ideas come to mind.

Today the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday. This Sunday we commemorate all of those men and women who have given their lives to the spread of the Gospel, especially in far-away lands. But we also use this World Mission Sunday as a time to recommit ourselves to the spread of the gospel. Most of us here will never go overseas as a missionary; rather, we will help spread the faith in our daily lives. If we are sensitive to the workings of God’s providence, we will discover that he uses little moments in our lives to show others the peace and joy that comes from being a friend of God. In this way, we contribute to the spread of the gospel and further the mission of the Church.

Yet another concrete way to cooperate with God’s providence is through voting. Voting is not only a nice idea, it’s a duty we have as citizens. We are encouraged as Catholics to vote intelligently and responsibly in our country’s elections. This is not necessarily an easy task; there are many issues at stake in every election. And there are many difficulties at this time in our nation’s history: the constant worry of a recession, rising costs of living, healthcare, taxes, and the list goes on and on. But these issues, important as they are, are secondary to issues of life, which are foundational. When we vote for political candidates and issues, we cannot pretend that the foundational issues of abortion, euthanasia, and the destruction of human embryos are on the same level as other important but secondary issues like taxes, diplomacy, and alternative energy sources.

If foundational issues are at stake in an election, we must give them first priority. Foundational issues are things that belong to God, not to Caesar, to use the image from today's Gospel, and when Caesar tries to take them over in the name of choice, research, freedom, or mercy, we who are God's children must defend those who cannot defend themselves. I can’t think of a more important way of doing this than by helping choose the leaders of our country.

The point is this: we are God's partners in Providence and we have an opportunity to help history follow his plan of salvation. The Lord can, and will use our lives, our actions to make a difference in our world. Let us do our part to help spread the gospel, a gospel of life and peace, to those we encounter, each and every day. And may we always cooperate with God, working in our lives so that all might know Him as King of heaven and earth.  

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (Worst Case Scenario Survival)

How many of you remember the tv show, Man vs. Wild? It was a unique concept at the time, where a survivalist named Bear Grylls, was dropped off in some remote, difficult terrain and he would try to last for a week on little more than his wits, ingenuity, and advanced survival skills. Amazingly, he was largely successful because of his broad knowledge base, his confident and decisive choices, and his willingness to embrace discipline. Around the same time, there were also these little books called, “Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook”. In these entertaining articles, the reader was given tips on how to make it through serious challenges like escaping a mountain lion, wading through quicksand, diffusing a bomb, or even surviving a bad date. As odd as these things were, they appealed to a desire that most of us have, even if we aren’t that good at carrying it out. We like to be prepared for as many situations as possible. We want to be able to hit whatever curveball is thrown at us. We generally don’t like surprises, but if and when they come our way, we want to be able to handle them in a healthy, decisive way.

In the second reading today, St. Paul is talking to the Philippians, a community he loved very dearly. He is writing the letter from prison, where he has been detained for spreading the gospel. In the letter he encourages and praises the believers in Philippi for the ways they have supported him and his missionary work with prayer and material resources. He even brags to other communities about the Philippians’ kindness and generosity. In today’s passage, he is giving them the secret of his success: he is telling them how to survive any scenario that life can throw at them. And Paul should know about this. He has lived through abundance and poverty, being well-fed and hungry, in need and having more than enough. He had survived shipwrecks, stoning, a severe beating and even some time at sea as a castaway. He had made it through numerous dangers from nature and other people and somehow had emerged alive: not just alive but joyful, grateful, and flourishing!

What was his secret?! Was it a special training? Was he some freak of nature, rippling with muscles or operating with a genius IQ? No, this was not the answer! How did St. Paul do all of this, becoming one of the greatest saints of all time? He says quite simply, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” and “My God will fully supply whatever you need.” St.  Paul could survive anything life threw at him because he never made any decision apart from Christ. Over the course of his life, from the moment of his conversion to the time he was martyred, he relied on the Lord to guide his thinking and form his actions.

At this point, I think we need to pause and think about this. Is the approach of St. Paul, doing all things in and through Christ, something possible for us? Is it a viable, relevant worst-case survival guide for modern-day Christians living here in Shrewsbury? The short answer is “yes”! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! His wisdom has not diminished with the ages and it never will. His power has not decreased as time wears on. His love for each and every one of his followers is just as strong as it was when St. Paul was around. Our Lord is waiting for that invitation from us to strengthen us, to supply for our every need. But he is not going to force that goodness on us; we have to ask and invite him into our lives and our decision-making.

We need to have the courage and honesty to ask ourselves these questions. First, in whose name do we make decisions in our daily life? Is it in the name of convenience or comfort or wealth? Deep down, is greed, unmoderated pleasure or pride, the force that moves us and forms our choices? Do we consider inviting the Lord to be a part of our decision-making? Are we open to his guidance and even the ways he might challenge us and change our course of action? Or do we make up our mind on something and move forward stubbornly, hoping for the best? Who do we rely on to take care of our needs and give us strength? Is it first and foremost, God? Or, do we place that entire burden on ourselves, on our own resources, talents, and cleverness? Perhaps we place our trust in another person, an institution, some other creature? 

St. Paul wanted the Philippians to know that God was incredibly present to them and ready to help in every need, no matter how large or small. That’s how humble Christ is, he lowers himself to be available to us in every circumstance. St. Paul was inseparable from Christ, like thunder and lightning, peanut butter and jelly. It was this intimate connection in everything, that enabled him to survive whatever came his way. We are called to that same resilience and we desire it deep in our hearts. Like St. Paul, we can do all things in him who strengthens us, and God will fully supply whatever we need, if,( and this is important,) if we talk to him and let him guide us. We make this a reality by getting in the habit of talking to him daily as we would a close friend, of holding nothing back from him, even those things we might be struggling with. We can also seek his input and listen for his ideas. This friendship is what made enabled Paul to be fearless and ready for every challenge. This personal relationship with the Lord is what made St. Paul undefeated, even in terrible circumstances. May we follow his lead and share the same blessings he did, able to survive any worst-case scenario that comes our way!

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Cycle A)

At first glance, the readings today might seem like an endorsement from God to take a nice fall drive to some of the wonderful wineries that are nearby. The first reading, psalm and gospel all tell us, in great detail, about vineyards: cultivated, planted, and ready for the harvest. It sounds wonderful, especially as Autumn envelopes us with its cool breeze and tapestry of vivid colors! But there is a problem in these vineyards; a big problem. These are not just any fields full of grapes; they are the vineyards of almighty God. He has taken the time and trouble to turn the earth, remove the trees, bushes, rocks, stumps, and roots from the soil. He has planted the vines in long straight rows, installed a tower for guarding, a hedge to keep out the pesky animals that would steal the fruit, and even built a winepress in anticipation of the great harvest. In the first reading, the grapes indeed come but they are wild, bitter, unusable. 

In the gospel, Jesus offers a similar parable to the chief priests and leaders of the people. It is actually the second of three judgment parables (we heard the first last week with the two sons who were asked by their father to go work in his field). In Jesus’ version, the landowner does all the hard work and then entrusts it to tenants to care for and harvest his field at the appointed time. This time, there is a great harvest but the tenants get greedy and want to keep it for themselves. When the landowner sends for his share, they beat, kill, and terrorize his servants. No matter how many he sends, they ignore him and mistreat his messengers. In a final, generous gesture, he sends his son, hoping that will cause them to be reasonable. It only makes them more irrational and they kill the son. Jesus asks what should be done to these wicked, greedy servants who have killed not only the master’s servants but also his beloved son. They answer that the evil tenants should be put to death and the vineyard given to better tenants. Jesus then turns their own judgment against them: in the same way, the kingdom of God will be taken from them and given to a people who will produce good fruit. He will do the very same thing next week and, not surprisingly, the leaders will start looking for a way to kill him.

It can be very easy for us to listen to these parables, shake our heads, roll our eyes, and think what blind fools these chief priests and leaders must have been. I mean, didn’t they see it coming? Didn’t they know that Jesus was talking about them?! But if we fall into that trap, if we fail to apply these parables to ourselves, then we are becoming the very same people and will experience the exact same result.

When you think about it, the readings are more than a little bit frightening. The readings are demanding that we bear fruit or have the Kingdom of God taken from us. This is contrary to the popular feel good concept of Divine Justice. I am referring to the attitude in life that results from reducing God to a weak, pushover who does not hold us accountable for our actions. Yes, we commend our dead to the mercy and compassion of God. And God certainly promises us mercy and forgiveness for each and every sin so long as we are sorry and seek absolution. But this does not absolve us from our present responsibility to live as the Lord told us to and to do the work of God. We have to move away from the mentality that we can get away with purposely behaving badly, acting without concern for the consequences of our actions. 

All of us are tempted to believe that God will forgive and forget, no matter how badly or how often we reject Him. It is a horrible thing to assume that God really doesn’t care about our sins. This is contrary to Scripture. This is why we teach our children from the time they can understand right and wrong about sin and responsibility along with God's love and mercy. It is not good enough to be better than the worst sinner out there. I can’t tell you how many people get defensive when confronted about a sin in their life and say something like, “well, at least I haven’t killed anybody.” Our actions are judged by themselves, not in comparison to the actions of others. Not only are we called to take responsibility for our actions, we are also called to recognize the consequences of our inaction. In the parable, the keepers of the vineyard are condemned for not producing fruit. 

We are called to lead others to God, especially within our own families. We need to ask God to help us fight against anything that is keeping us from giving our best to His people. He has planted His vineyard, His Kingdom within each of us. Each of our lives contain the rows and rows of God’s gifts, blessings, and protections. We need to produce a harvest from the field of our hearts, which has been planted by God himself. But we cannot do this alone. Nor do we have to. God is present with His Grace to help us fight off the temptations to push Him aside. We receive communion weekly for the strength to care for His vineyard and to ask pardon when we have failed. Our actions have consequences. Fortunately, this is not restricted to the negative. Good actions have good consequences. In the conclusion of the parable, those who made the best use of the talents God has given hear, "Well done, good and faithful servants, enter into the joy of your master.” May we too hear those words because of our loyal service to him!