What does God Hate? (26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B)

One of the best parts of getting to know someone is that you start to know a whole bunch of little-known facts about them. This happens all the time in our families. We know which brother or sister likes this or that food and which vegetables they will secretly feed to the dog when no one is looking. We also know their favorite color, the music they listen to, the car of their dreams, and what they want to be when they grow up, even if that changes every three weeks. If we are lucky, we will also have a friend or two like this. We will be blessed to know their favorite food, their most embarrassing moments, and even the things that drive them crazy. The more we love someone, the more we want to know them inside and out. And the more we know someone, the better we can love them because we understand them, with their qualities and preferences that make them unique.

With this in mind, I want us to reflect on the person who is supposed to be a friend to us all. In fact, this person is meant to be our best friend, the love of our life. The person I am referring to is no ordinary person because it is God himself, the one we are called to love above all else and other persons in this life. And if God is our friend, then those same little things that we know about our family and best friends, well, we should know those about God too! For example, do we know what he loves? Or what makes him happy? And what his dreams are? We can! It’s all there in His Word to us, the Bible, if we are willing to read and listen to it! But for today, I would like us to consider something we probably don’t think about too often. It is an aspect of God that almost seems strange to us. In light of the second half of the gospel,and because he is our friend, let’s take a little time to reflect on what it is that God hates.

This is actually pretty easy. There is only one thing that God truly hates and it is sin. Everything else God loves. He loves the earth and the planets and the stars in their galaxies. He loves humans and plants and animals and bugs and everything else that is running, flying, or swimming around. In short, He loves everything that he has created, because it reflects him in some way and is good. So why does God, who is clearly defined by love, find sin so offensive? The answer lies in what sin does, both to God and to the one who sins. 

Sin is defined as any immoral act considered to be an offense against divine law. Sins can be little or large, they can take the form of thoughts, words, actions, or omissions, but they all share one thing in common: they separate us in some way from God and hurt others. Why is this? Well, sin is a deliberate choice to do or not do what God commands. And anytime, we act against what God wants, we end up hurting ourselves, even if it feels good or right at the time we do it. Sin is never in our best interests, even if it seems to be the easier or more pleasant path in the short term. God, who loves us more than we love ourselves, wants us to be happy forever with him. God hates sin because it separates us from him. And not only that, each sin takes on a life of its own, hurting other people and even causing them to sin as well. When we sin, we risk losing our happiness and peace and we drive a wedge between us and God. Now, that’s bad enough! But sin gets even worse. Our sins don’t just affect us, they also set a bad example, making it easier for others to sin as well. Some sins that we commit can even cause other people to do wrong. Sin always hurts more people than we know, even though that sin seems private. There is no such thing as a private sin!

This effect of sin, where our wrongdoing hurts other people and encourages them to sin, is called scandal. Scandal is a concept we don’t hear too much about unless we are speaking about some crazy behavior of a celebrity. But scandal is a very real consequence of sin and it is something that each and every person is obligated to avoid. God takes scandal very seriously as we hear in today’s gospel, when Jesus tells us that “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” A millstone was a large, heavy stone that was used to crush wheat grain into flour. Having one of these around your neck in the water would mean certain death with no hope of surviving. Our Lord tells us that it is better to have one of those around your neck than to be responsible for leading another person into sin. WOW!

Jesus goes on to say, in the same dramatic fashion, that whatever leads us to sin needs to be cut off, torn out, and cast away from us, no matter what the cost. Does he mean this literally? I don’t think so! Does he want us to take sin seriously? Absolutely! Does he want us to avoid even the circumstances and persons that lead us into sin? Without a doubt! Are we accountable for the ways our example might lead others into sin or weaken their faith? You bet! 

There is only one thing in the whole created world that God hates and that is sin. As his children, as the ones who love him, we are called to do everything in our power to avoid sin, even if that means incredible personal sacrifice. We are also required to think of others before we act, knowing that our example, our decisions could cause scandal and make it easier for them to do wrong. No sacrifice is too big if it protects us from hurting God and our immortal souls. Jesus commands us to stop at nothing to protect our relationship with our Heavenly Father and to suffer anything rather than to lead another person into sin. This is a tall order! In fact, we can’t do it on our own. We desperately need the sacrament of reconciliation to help us avoid sin and the near occasions of sin. And when we fall, God’s healing grace is available to us if we are sorry and ask for forgiveness in this beautiful sacrament

So let us set our minds and hearts on getting to know God better, paying attention to the things he loves and doing the things that make him happy. And let us never forget the one thing that he hates, trying always to avoid it in every possible way!

Stewardship (9/20/15)

        I want to thank Glenn and Mary Drexl for speaking about stewardship before all the Masses this weekend. It takes courage to speak about something personal in front of a big group of people, especially when those people are your friends and neighbors! So, thank you for sharing your experience of stewardship with us. I want to follow in Glenn and Mary’s wake and speak about stewardship as well.

There is a humorous story about a family coming out of Mass. The dad said to his wife, “father’s homily wasn’t very good.” The wife added, “Yeah, and the choir sang off key.” Their small son was listening to everything his parents said and he spoke up. “It seemed OK to me,” he said “especially considering it only cost us a dollar!”

That is one approach to Sunday giving that seems to be popular with many Catholics. There is a different approach, called Stewardship. It is based on the fundamental truth that we all have one and the same heavenly father. The implications of this truth are enormous. If God is our Father, then he is the source of all we have and are. It also means we are brothers and sisters and we have a responsibility for each other.

It is hard to keep that perspective today. In many ways our society is coming apart. One can easily respond by saying that I will take care of myself. Let others worry about themselves. Live and let live. Of course, I will be tolerant of others - as long as they don’t get in my way. If we all have one father, that approach will not work. Because of Christ, we are all brothers and sisters, part of one massive family.

The way we express this reality is by Stewardship, that is, dedicating the first portion of our time, talent and treasure back to God. Traditionally and biblically, this was expressed by the tithe; give 10% back to God and use the remaining 90% for our needs. There was a boy in the nineteenth century who lived by this rule. He came from a modest family. In his first job he earned $1.50 a week. He brought the money home to his mother who placed it in her lap. She said, “John, I would be very happy if you gave ten percent back to God.” That Sunday, young John placed fifteen cents in the collection. From that time, he gave to God ten percent of everything he earned. He went on to become one of the richest men in America – John David Rockefeller.

Now, you could certainly find things about Rockefeller to criticize. Still, he knew that the first part belongs to God. I am not saying that if you tithe you will become a millionaire, but I do promise you will find peace, purpose and blessing.

For many people Stewardship is frightening. They would like to do it, but don’t know how. They feel they have too many debts, too many obligations. I remember feeling this way when I started. But really there is only one way to tithe. You have to begin, perhaps small, but you have to start somewhere. Rockefeller said that if he had not tithed his first dollar, he never would have tithed his first million dollars. Stewardship requires planning and thought. If my giving to the parish consists of whatever is left in my wallet each weekend or happens simply when I remember or feel like it, it will be nearly impossible to be a good steward. Fortunately, we now have many tools and resources to help us give in planned and thoughtful ways. I would highly encourage you to take advantage of your bank’s online payment options which can send your gift to the parish automatically at no cost to you or use the online giving service which is located on our parish website. Both of these methods make it easier to budget your support of St. Michael parish in the midst of busy schedules and tight finances. On a personal note, it took me seven years to reach the goal of tithing, which for me is 5% to the parish and 5% to other charities. Interestingly, in these seven years I have been increasingly blessed and have been able to give even more than the 10% I originally planned. 

Stewardship is not just asking us to prayerfully consider our charitable giving of our financial resources. We also need to consider tithing our Time and Talent. We are all are busy, but try to look at it in a different way. Each of us has the same number of hours in a week: 168. 45, 55 or even 60 go for sleep. Another 40 or more are spent on one’s work. That still leaves 70 hours. We give one hour to God at Sunday Mass. Could we give an additional hour – say in Eucharistic Adoration, in a Religious Education program, serving on a parish committee, or maintenance of our parish? The back of the bulletin contains a survey of talents this parish needs. We left open spaces for the unique talents you might want to share. If you are already volunteering time in some area and wish to continue, write that down. Some parishioners give 5 or 10 hours – or more. They keep our parish going. I also recognize that many parishioners volunteer in community organizations. That is good. You might want to write that down as part of your offering to God.

Giving part of our best time, talent, and treasure is important. As I mentioned – and I believe many people sense – our society is becoming unraveled. There is a temptation to pull back and circle the wagons. I sometimes experience it myself. I have even felt that sense of discouragement come over me while at Mass. I am somewhat ashamed to say it, but it is true. However, what gives me new hope and purpose is when I see the kids coming forward for the Children's’ Liturgy of the Word or receiving communion or saying something adorable after Mass. You and I want to make a better society, a better parish, for their sake.

         For their sake, I am asking you to make a commitment of Time, Talent and Treasure. We have one Father. We are all brothers and sisters – with a responsibility for each other. God owns it all – we are called to share and give some of it back so others may be blessed and our happiness may be multiplied. 

State of the Parish (9/13/15)

About six months ago, the Archbishop called the parish priests together to speak about strategic planning for the future of the Church in St. Louis. The number of able-bodied priests here and in the US is becoming smaller and older. In the Archdiocese, it is projected that we will lose 5-6 priests a year for the next 10 years due to retirement, death, and health issues. In other words, over the next decade, there will be 50-60 fewer priests, and even with the ordination of our new priests, — we will have more parishes than priests. Now I am not saying we should panic. In fact we are incredibly fortunate in St. Louis to have a relatively large number of men studying for the priesthood and we have one of the best ratios of priests to Catholics in the country. Nevertheless, we need to have a plan for the future and how to run our parishes when some of them will no longer have a priest. The archbishop asked each pastor to form a committee from different members of the parish and evaluate the parish according to a 123-question survey. The purpose was to highlight the parish’s strengths, weaknesses, and ultimately whether or not it is viable.

The committee of ten parishioners and I had a 5-hour super-meeting last month and the good news is at the end of the survey, St. Michael was given a viability rating of “good”, leaning towards “very good”. It also identified our strengths and areas for growth. 

In regards to strengths, let me give you the highlights. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society has a steady list of clients that they serve each month and the organization has been able to help the many people who call needing assistance with food, utilities, rent, clothes, and more. The contributions from parishioners remains steady and there is a literal army of volunteers from among you who serve the less-fortunate. Our sacraments, especially the Eucharist are readily available and celebrated according to the norms of the Church. The parish promotes the education of our children by its participation in Holy Cross Academy and our own PSR program. We are blessed with a friendly and knowledgeable staff in the parish office and the parish has a strong sense of community as a whole. Currently St. Michael is debt-free and increased its Sunday collections by 12% over last year.

Of course, there are still ways we can grow! Some particular areas that need our attention are: becoming even more welcoming to our new members and helping them to get involved in parish activities and organizations. We can improve in our practice of evangelization by reaching out to neighbors who either claim no faith or no longer practice their catholic faith. Our parish can also benefit from becoming more aware of social issues that affect the Church and world at large and becoming a voice for justice in these issues. Finally, we can do even more to offer opportunities and resources for our parents and adults to grow in their understanding and practice of the catholic faith. 

In the course of the past year, 33 children were baptized into the Faith while 16 funerals were celebrated at our church. We witnessed 13 weddings and welcomed 34 new families into the parish. During this time, we have also improved the physical campus by building the pavilion, repairing and re-hanging the leather doors in the church vestibule, installing a new sound system, tuck-pointing the church, repairing the roof, and installing new flashing. The church bells were repaired and automated, the sofitting and doors of church were painted, a teachers’ lounge and learning consultant rooms were built in school. We refurbished the old wooden altar and placed the tabernacle in center of sanctuary, trimmed the trees around parish grounds, and are in the process of planning and planting native Missouri species around the parish campus.

These are all wonderful signs of a growing parish that is alive in Christ! This growth and vibrancy is happening because you, the members of this wonderful parish, practice your faith, make sacrifices to support St, Michael, and share the same values in your home that unite us in the faith. I am also convinced that this parish is capable of even more because of the tight-knit community that we are and the genuine charity and compassion that you have for your neighbor. As Catholics, we should never be content with good enough. In fact, in the spiritual life, in the practice of our faith, if we are not growing and developing in our relationship with God and with others, then we are actually sliding backwards. It’s just not possible to sit back and be content with where we are. 

We have had a great year! And this parish is moving forward in a right and exciting direction. But we have to keep working at it in every area. That includes our weekly collection, our hospitality and welcoming others, our charitable outreach, our attendance at weekend Mass, our sharing the faith with friends and neighbors, and our improvement and updating of the parish grounds.

You are the key to making this happen and keeping St. Michael viable for years to come. After all the Masses next weekend, members of the viability committee will be available in the rectory to discuss the results of the parish viability survey. I want to invite you to look over the survey in whole or just the sections that interest you. You are welcome to disagree with our results and to make suggestions we might have overlooked. Your feedback and observations will be compiled into the final report which will be written next month by the committee of your fellow parishioners and submitted to the Archbishop. Archbishop Carlson will use the information and recommendations that we, all of us, give him when he makes future priestly assignments for St. Michael and the surrounding parishes.   

I hope you feel the same excitement and passion that I do when I think of St. Michael Parish. Let’s continue to move forward in faith, eager to learn from God and ready to share our Catholicism with others. May this parish be defined by generosity, prayer, and charity in the coming year and for many to follow!

The God of Hope (9/6/15 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)

I am a bit of a newshound. What I mean by that, is that I check the national and local news many times each day. Of course I also have to see what's going on in sports and the world at large. I keep my favorite news sites bookmarked and easily accessible. In addition to electronic media, I like to read through the Wall Street Journal each day for additional stories and insightful commentary. I suppose I can blame my father for this near-neurotic reading of the news. From an early age, my dad made a big deal of reading the paper and staying informed about current events. During my time at the seminary, they repeated this lesson over and over again. The thinking was in order to have good preaching, preaching that was relevant to people where they were and to what was happening, you had to know what was going on in the world. There's some truth to this philosophy.

So what is the news from this past week? On a superficial level, the rapper and songwriter Kanye West has indicated that he might run in the next presidential election. Tom Brady has been cleared by a judge to play in the season opener. A number of star Cardinals players are set to come off the injured list. For some people, this might be the extent of their worries and their knowledge of current events. But if we broaden our view, we know that there is incredible human suffering happening all around us. An 11 year old shooting an intruder in his home. Our city’s growing crime rate and the spike in homicides. The senseless murder of a police officer in northern Illinois. 71 Syrian immigrants dying an undignified death in a smugglers truck in Austria. A two-year-old Syrian refugee drowning off the shore of Greece were he and his family were seeking safety. Countless other untold stories of refugees fleeing violence, oppression, and persecution, in particular from ISIS and Islamic terrorists.

It is good to be informed about what is going on in the world and even in our own backyard. It helps us from becoming too isolated and self-centered. But if we spend too much time reading the news, as I know that sometimes I do, we can easily become overwhelmed by the evil and suffering we see. We can become hopeless, bitter, desensitized, and cynical. What we need more than information is hope.

In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah foretells good news for a people that are beat down, discouraged, and oppressed. He speaks words of encouragement that God is coming to heal and liberate and set things right. This saving action, this messiah will perform miracles and it will be like streams of water in the desert. This is amazing news, almost too good to be true if you are someone living in the desert, like Isaiah’s audience was. Then we heard the gospel where Jesus does the very thing Isaiah predicted; He enables a deaf man to hear and speak. Something seemingly too good to be true has become reality. A life of suffering and hardship has been turned into a living testament of God’s power and goodness.

Our city, our nation, our world needs Good news. Something more substantial than a strong stock market, a healthy baseball team, or even a lower crime rate. What we need is the message of Isaiah, the assurance of a savior who can address those problems that seem insurmountable and overwhelming. Even today, thousands of years after Christ walked the earth, there are many people who are deaf to the Gospel of Jesus. Many more are spiritually mute, unable to speak of the ways God has blessed and protected them. Some of those who are spiritually deaf and mute are so by choice, closing their ears and mouth deliberately because of sin and pride. But I think the vast majority of those who are afflicted by these spiritual maladies are so because no one is bothering to help open their ears and show them how to speak the Good News.

We might feel unqualified for this task. How can God possibly think that I could help someone who is spiritually mute or deaf? Isn’t that what the priest is for? The truth is, for millennia, God has been using all sorts of people: sinners and saints, rich and poor, wise and foolish, young and old, men and women, to do the impossible for those who are suffering. Because our world is still broken and sinful, he wants to use you and me to bring his hope to the discouraged, his healing to the sick, and his joy to the sorrowful. He gives us a model for how we are to accomplish this. In the gospel today, Jesus encounters the deaf and mute man and we see that he engages him in personal and dignified way. He doesn’t hurry up and get rid of him. He takes him aside, away from the crowd and gives the man his full attention. Jesus is focused on this man and what he needs and he literally gives of himself to help him. 

We can do the same. Like Christ, we must get involved with the people who need us and are unable to help themselves. Sometimes that means we must dirty our hands and give of ourselves and make time for someone else when we weren’t expecting to. We must perform our kindness with the gentleness and consideration Jesus brought to this deaf gentleman. This is how hope is sown, this is how the world begins to change, this is how a life is healed and dignity restored. 

I hope you have experienced this compassion and attention from Jesus at some point in your own life. Above all else, I pray that you will allow God to use you as His instrument to bring that hope and healing to others.