5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

During his public ministry, Jesus made it clear that an important condition for being his follower was bearing the cross. We probably remember the passage where he says, "If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).  As his passion draws near, he emphatically reiterates this same condition in today’s gospel: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."

To be a Christian is to be where Christ is. And where is Christ? He is always pouring out his life for others on the cross, giving himself for the good of others through self-sacrificing love. And not just to an elite few but to all people. This is the lesson of the Gospels, and the Eucharist - the continuing, throughout history, of Christ's self-sacrifice on Calvary for the salvation of the whole world.

That's also where we should be: giving our lives generously for God and our neighbors. Christ's great commandment and challenge was to love others as he loved us. He taught this lesson by example on the cross, and with words during the Last Supper: "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends." St Paul learned this lesson well; he was always talking about the cross. As followers of Christ, we should expect crosses, difficulties, and even, at times, persecution.

To be a true Christian involves not just wearing a crucifix or hanging one on the wall, but bearing the sign of the cross in every aspect of our lives. All Christians bear the sign of the cross on their souls, even before they experience persecution and suffering in their life. Our souls are actually sealed and stamped, with the sign of Christ in two sacraments we all receive: baptism and confirmation. They leave an indelible mark on the person’s soul; that’s why we receive them only once in our lifetime. Even if a baptized and confirmed Christian rejects his friendship with Christ, dies without repenting, and ends up in hell, he will still bear the seals of baptism and confirmation on his soul. The demons will be able to recognize that he had been a Christian.

In ancient Rome, the soldiers of the Emperor used to receive a permanent, tattoo-like mark on their shoulder. This is the mark that Russell Crowe scraped off his arm in the movie The Gladiator. It was a sign of their special identity and mission - Roman soldiers, even after their time of service was finished, retained many privileges and responsibilities in the Empire. In addition to the tattoo, they also wore a special lead seal around their neck, which was used as a kind of passport throughout their travels.

When we were baptized, we were marked in our very soul with the sign of Christ - he became our Lord, protector, and Savior, snatching us out of Satan's grasp. When the bishop made the sign of the cross on our forehead with the sacred chrism at confirmation, we were sealed as Christ's soldiers, with all the privileges and responsibilities that entails. These sacraments will also serve as our passport at the moment of our death, helping us gain entry into heaven, so long as we have lived in a way that was pleasing to God and considerate of others.

         Whether or not we believe in Christ, we will have to bear suffering, inconveniences, and setbacks. Life in a fallen world is full of crosses, no matter what. No one is exempt when it comes to suffering and struggling in life. But as Catholics, as followers of Christ, we can find meaning in these crosses, because we don't have to carry them alone - Jesus bears them with us. By his own death on the cross, he also shows us that suffering does not have to be pointless anguish; these moments in our life can actually be redeeming and transformative. We are the lucky ones, because we know that.

But what about the people who don't realize this comforting truth? What about those who think they are alone in their struggles? One of the most important activities we can engage in during Lent is helping those in need. One thoughtful and beautiful way to do this is by helping others find meaning in their crosses.

We all know people who are suffering. They may be suffering economically, their marriage and family life stressed by financial pressures beyond their control. They may be suffering physically - their body and mind weakened or ravaged by disease, injury, or old age. They may be suffering emotionally - working through an experience of betrayal, infidelity, or loss. They may be suffering existentially - wondering why they are on the planet and where they can find a reason for living.

As Catholics, we experience those same forms of suffering, but we know what to do with them. We bring them to Christ; we hold tight to our crucifixes; we offer them back to God for the salvation of souls and the reparation of sins, and we try to let ourselves be transformed by these difficult moments of life. In the few remaining weeks of Lent, let's reach out and help lighten someone else's cross, just as Christ constantly helps lighten ours. Let's tell someone else about the one Cross that transforms all other crosses. More than likely, by sharing the good news of God's love with others, we will come to believe it more deeply ourselves.

4th Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday), Cycle B

We have reached the tipping point of our Lenten journey, which is the 4th Sunday of Lent. This Sunday has a special Latin name of Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a command to be joyful. So why is our Church telling us to be filled with joy? Two main reasons: One is that our time of waiting and fasting is approaching an end. We are more than halfway done with our acts of penance and self-denial and the somberness of this season will soon be over. The second and even more important reason is that the celebration of our redemption, our liberation from sin and death is almost here. Without the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, there is no hope, no forgiveness and no heaven. So the Church reminds us to rejoice because, in three short weeks, we will once again experience the life-giving mysteries that saved our souls and redeemed the world. Those are pretty good reasons to rejoice; this 4th Sunday of Lent is nothing but good news!

Let’s reflect for a bit on what we do when we have good news. Do we keep it to ourselves? Do we try and hide it from the people we love and trust the most? Of course not! When something good happens to us, when we discover something amazing and exciting, we can’t help but share the good news. Part of the joy is being able to bring others into our celebration. Just think about when a couple finds out they are expecting a baby and they begin to announce it to their friends and family. Or when we get a job promotion or an award in school or win some contest. Good news is definitely meant to be shared and it is unnatural to try and keep it to ourselves.

In the Gospel today, a man named Nicodemus has been listening to the Good News Jesus is preaching. He is intrigued, he likes what he hears, he wants to know how he can get in on the deal. But he is also afraid. Nicodemus is a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. He is a man of status in the Jewish community, he has some power and prestige because of his position. He doesn’t want people to see that he is learning from Jesus; he definitely doesn’t want people to think he is a follower, even if, for all intents and purposes, he is. If people find out that he is talking to Christ, he will go down a few notches, he may lose his elevated status, and he might be mocked and dismissed. Nicodemus has to make a choice; does he want to find fulfillment and meaning in human honors and social status? Or is he willing to embrace this incredible gospel of Jesus, which not only intrigues him but also resonates in his mind and heart? In the passage we just heard, Nicodemus is not ready yet; he still hides and doesn’t want anyone to know that he believes in Jesus. In a couple years, when Jesus is crucified, Nicodemus will be one of the brave souls who cares for the body of Christ and places it in the tomb. After the resurrection, he will become a martyr for Christ, unashamed to be counted as a disciple of Jesus.

Do we not sometimes resemble Nicodemus in his timid and frightened state? Many of us are intrigued by the promise and beauty of our catholic faith. But we are also afraid to be seen as a zealot, a Jesus-freak. Don’t we worry about what people might think if we were vocally christian, unapologetically Catholic? And so we sneak around spiritually like Nicodemus. We are covert Christians, non-offensive, sanitized, might we even say sterile? We pray where no one sees us. We don’t dare confront people who mock or misunderstand our Faith. We worry so much about not offending that we compromise the truth Jesus suffered and died to bring us.

Too many people today are closet Christians; fearful, like Nicodemus, to be seen following the controversial Jesus of Nazareth. Too many of us are shackled by conventions and fearful of great decisions. The opinion of the person next door was more important than that of Christ’s. If our faith is truly good news, why are we afraid to share it? Why is the gospel any different than those other joyful occasions where we tell others the happy and beautiful fortune has come our way, either in person, on the phone, or by social media?

Jesus tells Nicodemus that He has come into the world to save the world and anyone who believes in Him will not be condemned. Our faith, by its very nature, is meant to be shared with other people. If it is alive and healthy, it cannot be kept to oneself. And if we truly think that following Christ is what brings salvation as well as joy, peace, and fulfillment, how can we keep our mouths shut when it comes to talking to other people about the gospel? Doesn’t it seem selfish and cowardly if we don’t bring it to others?

I know each of you wants to follow Christ; that is why you are here in this church. I hope you also experience the joy that comes from being an unapologetic believer in God, who so loved the world that he sent his only-begotten son. I also pray you experience the transformation of Nicodemus and practice your faith with contagious love, courage, and passion. The world needs people like that! The Church needs people like that! This parish needs people like that! 

  

3rd Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

There is a funny little meme about today’s gospel. For those who don’t know what a meme is, it is defined as an activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person via the Internet. It usually takes the form of a video, picture, website, or hashtag). In this case, the meme I saw is a painting of Jesus driving out the money changers and the caption reads: “When someone asks you ‘what would Jesus do’, remember that a valid option is to make a whip and turn over tables.” This light-hearted explanation of what happens between Our Lord and the temple authorities is getting at something deeper; why is Jesus, the one who tells us to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, and practice forgiveness,— why is he acting this way? Is he off his meds, is he having a bad day, or is he showing us that we can fly off the handle if something is bothering us? The answer of course, is none of the above. The cleansing of the temple is a very special moment in the life of Christ because it teaches us how repulsive it is to God when something sacred is profaned.

Let’s start with the source of tension, the money-changers. We might wonder why these guys are in the temple in the first place. There is actually a good reason for their presence. It was the sacred obligation of each able-bodied Jewish man to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the three major feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles and offer a sacrifice in the temple for himself and his family.The journey to Jerusalem was often long and tough; bringing the animal to be slaughtered would have been difficult. The selling of animals to be sacrificed was a lucrative business and central to the temple economy. [[In addition, this was also the time when the temple priests collected the temple tax, which was supposed to atone for the donor's sins and contribute to the operation of the temple.

Those selling animals were providing a service to those who needed a sacrifice during Feast time. This had been approved by the Jewish leaders in the temple and was considered a great convenience to Jews traveling great distances. Since they didn’t have livestock in tow, they could buy the necessary sacrificial animals right at the temple.]]

Places to change money were also needed because the temple tax was also being collected from every Israelite man who was twenty years or older. However, one could not pay the tax with a foreign currency because those coins were engraved with the image of persons and other living things, which was forbidden in the Jewish Law. So, pilgrims arriving from many different places, had to have Jewish coins, which forced those who came from foreign parts to have their money exchanged.

People knew that the service of providing animals for sacrifice and changing currency would not be free. It was reasonable to expect a small markup on both these services in order that the people providing them could make a living. But these merchants took advantage of the pilgrims’ situation for their own profit. Knowing they had the market cornered and that people were forced to buy their animals and accept their exchange rates, the money changers and animal sellers raised their prices, charged heavy fees, and engaged in other dishonest practices to enrich themselves. Their greed polluted the temple and made it burdensome for people to fulfill their obligation towards God. Taking advantage of people trying to worship God and using religion to get rich was, and is, just about as low as you can go. This was one reason Jesus was filled with indignation and righteous anger.

The second reason for Christ’s unusual behavior involved the same two groups. In the temple, the buying and selling of animals and the exchange of currency was tolerated only in the outermost section of this sacred place. To bring this mundane business into the inner parts of the temple was to contaminate its holiness and make it profane. Some think that these merchants, over time, had encroached closer and closer to the holier parts of the temple, constantly pushing the limit and seeking an advantage. Even more offensive than their physical trespass onto holy ground was the fact that many of them now saw the temple as something to serve their desire for wealth. This was completely backwards and wrong! The temple did not exist to make them rich or successful; they were supposed to serve the Lord in the temple, caring for it and making it possible for pilgrims to easily offer their sacrifice to the God. How maddening it must have been for Jesus to see this dysfunctional reversal?! To see people using his Father’s house for their own gain?

It could be easy for us to see this whole event as an interesting history lesson and nothing more. Because the temple has been destroyed, what could this story possibly teach us? In our faith, as christians, we are now the temple of God. Each person’s body and soul becomes a dwelling of the divine where God is meant to be praised. Every human being, from the moment of conception to the moment of death, is holy ground, sacred, meant to reflect the beauty and goodness of the creator. And yet, how often, despite this lofty calling, do we use our gifts solely for our personal gain? Isn’t it true that many times we see our bodies, minds, and souls as instruments to serve our needs, wants and desires, rather than those of God? How sad that we often reduce this sacred mind, body, and soul to serving the goals of making more money, living a more comfortable life, getting more stuff, and thinking mostly about ourselves. 

Every time we pray, each time we come into church, Jesus enters into our temple. I think this is why we shy away from prayer and Mass sometime; we are afraid of what Jesus might see when he looks at us. We are afraid that he might get mad and throw a fit. But when Jesus purifies us, he doesn’t do it out of anger or disappointment. He does it out of love, knowing how potentially beautiful and holy we can be. He doesn’t want us to settle for less!Ask yourselves the following questions: When Christ enters the temple of our lives, will he find things in proper order? Will he see a heart that is trying to love him and stay holy? Will he see the right priorities, that I am trying to live a life that glorifies God and considers others? Or will he find a life that is selfish, self-centered and greedy? Is the temple of our lives a place where generous sacrifice is being offered to God on a regular basis? Or is it a place where I only look out for myself, for what benefits me, no matter the cost to others, even my own family?

If we are honest, There are parts of our lives that need to be cleansed, just like the temple. There are areas that need to be reorganized and put in their proper place. We can receive the correction of Jesus, which is often given through the sacraments, prayer, the teaching of the Church or the challenge of loving friends; letting our lives be changed. Or like the merchants in the temple, we can resist and resent this holy correction, rationalize why it doesn’t apply to us, and try to destroy the One who is challenging us. The decision is yours. What will you choose?   

2nd Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

There are few stories more intriguing, more confusing, or downright disturbing as the story we heard in our first reading today. This account of Abraham and Isaac walking up  Mount Moriah is enough to make us wonder what sort of God this is, who would ask a father to sacrifice his own son. This is especially true, if we understand a little more about how special Isaac was to Abraham. For the longest time, Abraham and his wife Sarah were unable to have children. But then, when all hope seemed lost, when both Abraham and Sarah were quite old, God blessed them with a child of their own. God displayed his goodness and power by enabling Sarah to give birth to a healthy son, even though scripture tells us she was 90 years old!! This child grew up and was sacred to Abraham and Sarah; he was the embodiment of God's promise to them. He was the one who would carry on Abraham's lineage to the next generation. Few fathers loved their sons as much as Abraham loved Isaac. And fewer still realized what a gift and blessing they had in their sons.

            Which brings us to our reading today. The Scriptures tell us that God puts Abraham to the test in order to see the depth of his faith. The Lord does this in a way that seems unthinkable; he asks Abraham to prove his faith, love, and devotion by sacrificing Isaac, his only, beloved son. Now, if you are like me, at this point you might be thinking: "who does that?" Parents, could you imagine hearing this from God? Can you imagine the turmoil and struggle? This is certainly a no-win situation for Abraham; satisfy God by sacrificing your son or keep your son and fail God's test. In any case, Abraham chooses to follow God's command and takes Isaac to the land of Moriah to be sacrificed. We can only imagine how heavy Abraham's heart must have been as he led Isaac up that hill. I can only imagine the fear, the trembling, and the sadness that must have washed over him as he raised the knife to slaughter his son. And that's when God steps in and says, "wait!!" Now I see how devoted you are to me. Because of your faith, because of your willingness to give everything to me, even your only son…. I will bless you." And how does God bless Abraham? He blesses him abundantly, beyond all measure, beyond his wildest dreams. The Lord tells Abraham, an old man with only one son, that he will multiply his descendants until they become as numerous as the sands of the sea and as countless as the stars in the sky. And those descendents will be blessed with victory over their enemies and many other good things all because Abraham had faith in God and was not afraid to give up the one thing that was most important to him, the one person who was nearest and dearest to his heart.

            Even though I have heard this story many times, it never loses its power. That is the beauty of the Word of God; it speaks to us meaningfully, even after all these years. And while I am confident none of us will ever be asked to sacrifice a child to the Lord, (even though some of you might have entertained the thought at certain times), this story of Abraham's testing has something profound to teach us. First of all, doesn't it help us to appreciate Abraham's faith? Here was a man, willing to entrust the life of his only son to the will of God. Abraham was able to look beyond the very logical and reasonable fears that would have said "no" to God's test and somehow trust that God would make things right. And God did. Abraham is our father in faith and he serves as a beautiful example of what we should strive for in our own relationship with God, even when the Lord's commands seem too much, too hard, or simply don't make sense.

            Haven't we all been in that same sort of situation before? That place where God asks us to give him something or someone that is near and dear to our hearts. In each of our lives, God has, God is, and God will call us to make sacrifices that will often involve the things most precious to us. He does this to test our faith; he does this to test our love; he does this so that he can bless us abundantly, beyond our wildest dreams. This Lenten season is a time for sacrifice, a time of testing. What is God asking you to offer back to him? Could it be that he is asking you to trust him in taking a different job? Perhaps this sacrifice might be seen in God nudging you to commit a more significant amount of time, talent, and money to those who are less fortunate. Is it possible that he is asking to let go of the gadgets and the busyness that so often keep us from deepening our faith and relationship with God? Could it be that God is even calling some of you here to leave everything behind and follow him as a priest or consecrated religious?

            Or maybe God is asking you to offer someone back to him, just like he did with Abraham. Is it a good friend or a beloved family member that Christ is asking you to share with others or offer up in prayer? Is there someone whom we are putting before God right now? Is there a person we can't let go of, even though we know it is the right thing for us and for them? Is there someone dear to us who needs to be challenged or brought closer to God? These examples are just some of the ways that God might be testing our faith, asking us to give back to him our greatest blessing so that he can bless us even more.

            Perhaps this all seems too good to be true. Indeed it might have been, if God hadn't done it himself. You see, God so loved the world; God so loved us, that he gave us his only-begotten Son, to suffer and die on the cross so that we might be reunited to him and enjoy the eternal life that was part of his plan from the beginning. God has shown us how to give up what is most precious to us and he demonstrates the blessings that come from such a complete sacrifice. The story of Abraham and Isaac should give us courage in our own journey of faith, especially during this Lenten season. God is asking us to make sacrifices, to offer our greatest blessings back to him so that he can bless us even further with a generosity that defies our imaginations and expectations. Let us not be afraid to let go and offer whatever that might be so we can share in the glory that God has prepared for us. We have nothing to lose; we have everything to gain.