The Power of Stories (Christmas 2016)

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Imitate St. Joseph (4th Sunday of Advent, Year A)

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Today’s first reading from Isaiah reminds us that we are in the time of final preparation for Christmas. This passage is offered to highlight that it was not just the coming of a Messiah foretold in the Old Testament but even some of the circumstances of his birth, especially the fact that he was to be born of a virgin mother. The Gospel then provides us with the account of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus and explicitly quotes the prophecy which we already heard in the first reading. The key character in the gospel is Joseph who is filled in on the Divine Plan through a dream. Matthew's Gospel contains more about St Joseph than any of the other Gospel writers. St Luke mentions him seven times but none of these tell us very much about Joseph himself. He only gets one brief mention in the Gospel of Mark and two passing references in the Gospel of John. 

Matthew is much more detailed and we are told about four dreams of Joseph, the first of which is presented to us in today's reading. In a further dream, he is instructed to take his family into Egypt to escape King Herod's wrath and then once the danger is over another dream informs him that it is now safe to return home to Israel. The final dream warns him to go to Galilee instead of Judea. About the only actual description of Joseph in the Bible is also given by Matthew in today's reading where it simply states that he was a righteous man. This says a very great deal about Joseph and anyone would be quite proud to have those words said about them at their funeral. 

Joseph had his life mapped out when God threw a curve ball. Mary, his betrothed, "was found with child." St. Matthew gives only a few details but we can imagine the anguish and turmoil. The true paternity of Mary's child is revealed to him in the dream and he does what he is asked by the Angel and marries Mary and protects her and the child Jesus, returning only to his own village once things were safe for them. These are indeed righteous actions for which he deserves to be praised. We admire Joseph because he does not question the Angel; he simply does what he is asked to do recognizing that these instructions come ultimately from God. 

We would do well to imitate Joseph in our own lives especially when we are faced with circumstances which are far from ideal. We should take him for our model and try to do the right things at the correct times. It would have been very easy for Joseph to feel sorry for himself and be upset at all the surprises God allowed him to experience. 

We can learn a lot from the quiet steady way Joseph dealt with this crisis. What matters most is his openness to God's voice and God's will. The crisis makes him realize he belongs to something much bigger than himself. We'll see more next weekend when we celebrate Christ's birth. For sure, life can be messy but that does not mean God cannot be found right in the middle of the mess. 

Perhaps St. Joseph teaches us not to run from life's messiness but rather to accept whatever people and circumstances God sends into our life. In doing so we want to follow St. Joseph's example of righteousness. As Matthew Kelly writes, "Be gentle with people who cross your path. If someone is grumpy or rude, if someone makes a mistake or does something wrong, give her the benefit of the doubt. You never know what she is carrying around inside." "Life is messy, but nobody can take your hope from you. The point is not to get hung up on our weaknesses, but to recognize God uses trials to reach people. So look for the mess in your own life - and help others in their struggles - that's where God works most intensely to overcome our resistance to him.

May these final days of Advent become opportunities to trust more fully in God’s plan and love for us, no matter how crazy or messy life gets. Let us ask St. Joseph to help us grow in righteousness as we await the birth of the Savior. Then we, like him, can be protectors of others and help God’s will to be done on earth.

Spiritual Stockholm Syndrome (3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A)

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         On August 23rd, 1973 two criminals carrying machine-guns entered a bank in Stockholm, Sweden. Firing their weapons, one of the perpetrators announced to the terrified bank employees “The party has just begun!” The two bank robbers held four hostages, three women and one man, for the next five days. The hostages were strapped with dynamite and held in a bank vault until finally being rescued on August 28th.

         After their rescue, the hostages exhibited a shocking attitude, considering they were threatened, abused, and fearful for their lives during the five-day ordeal. In their media interviews, it was clear they supported their captors and actually feared the law enforcement personnel who came to their rescue. The hostages had begun to feel the captors were protecting them from the police. One woman later became engaged to one of the criminals and another developed a legal defense fund to aid in their defense fees. Clearly, the hostages had “bonded” emotionally with their captors.

        

         While the psychological condition in hostage situations became known as “Stockholm Syndrome” due to the publicity, the emotional “bonding” with captors was already a familiar story in psychology. It had been recognized many years before and was found in studies of other hostage, prisoner, or abusive situations.

         Crazy as it may seem, this principle holds true even in the spiritual realm and maybe is even more dangerous because its hold is so subtle and easy to overlook. Advent is a chance to be set free from the things that imprison and hold us hostage. In these weeks before Christmas, we hear beautiful readings and prophecies about the freedom, joy and prosperity the Messiah will bring with him. Its no wonder the Jewish people were so excited for the arrival of the Savior. The problem was, after hundreds of years of waiting, they had forgotten what enslaved them in the first place. It wasn't the Romans, Babylonians, Egyptians, or any other army. It was sin, manifested in pride, envy, lust, hypocrisy, and greed. Sin was a captor so cunning and charming that many loved it and longed to be in its grip.

         Fast forward 2000 years to today, to us. Unfortunately, we haven't learned that much! How common it is for us, even the followers of Christ, to bond with some sort of sin ourselves! The very thing that threatens our soul and our chance at eternal happiness, is something we get attached to and hesitate to let go of. Spiritual Stockholm syndrome can sneak into any soul.

         This third Sunday of Advent is called "Gaudete Sunday". Gaudete is the Latin word for "rejoice". We are rejoicing because our salvation, indicated by the birth of Christ, is not far away. Or at least we should be. But, truth be told, we can be like those four hostages in Sweden, afraid to be rescued, attached to the very things that threaten us. This Sunday of rejoicing challenges us to examine "what" or "who" it is that causes us to rejoice. Is it God? Are we celebrating his Grace and mercy? Do we find happiness in knowing that we are loved and saved in his Son's death on the cross?

         Or do we seek happiness in riches, wealth, and comfort? In snatching up the last Hatchimal, hoverboard, or other hot gift that everybody wants to find? Are we convinced that the bigger house, the sweeter ride, the nicer threads, or the more exotic vacation will be the thing that will take us to the next level and make us happy?

         It can be easy to say "no, that's not me" with our words. But what do our actions say? What to our priorities point to? What do we rejoice in?

         The devil is smart, sneaky, and relentless. Without constant prayer, reflection, and frequent reception of the sacraments, especially confession and Holy Communion, it is possible for him to take our hearts hostage. If we rely on our own wit and wisdom, we will experience that spiritual Stockholm syndrome; hanging onto and seeking the very things that hurt us.

         Two weeks of Advent remain; pause to consider what it is right now that makes you rejoice. Is it God and his salvation? Or is it something else? Whatever your answer, seek freedom and joy in the one relationship that will free every part of your life. A friendship with Christ will put everything in perspective. Confront whatever holds you hostage and cry out in the words of our psalm, "Lord, come and save us!"

         

In a Perfect World... (2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A)

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There is a desire in every person for a perfect world. Especially when things get really tough. We all take refuge in the simple thought that the world can be a better place than what we are experiencing here and now. And I suspect that all of us, at some time or another, have made a little list of what a perfect world looks like. I came across a list of some of the things that would be in this perfect world, and I thought I would share a few:

In a Perfect World a person should feel as good at 60 as he did at 16, and he would actually be as smart at 60 as he thought he was at 16. 

In a Perfect World you could give away a baby bed without getting pregnant. 

In a Perfect World pro baseball players would complain about teachers being paid contracts worth millions of dollars. 

In a Perfect World the mail would always be early, the check would always be in the mail, and it would be written for more than you expected. 

In a Perfect World cookies might have calories, but if you ate them with ice cream, the calories would be neutralized. 

In a Perfect World, every once in a while, a kid who always closed the door softly would be told, "Go back and slam the door."

In a perfect world, the priest would never talk about money, their homilies would incredibly amusing and inspiring, while lasting only four minutes and you would always find a parking place near the door.

These are just a few of the items that would be found in a perfect world. I am sure that you could tell me many more that you would add to the list. But this concept of a perfect world is more than just the product of our wishful thinking or vivid imagination. In our first reading today, we hear the prophet Isaiah, as he announces the world that will accompany the coming of the messiah. In beautiful and incredible terms, he predicts the wonderful ways that the world will be transformed. Listen again to Isaiah’s description of the world:

He will care for the poor and afflicted, he will slay the ruthless and the wicked. 

He will be clothed in justice and faithfulness.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my 

holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD.

What a beautiful description of the perfect world! How comforting to imagine living in a place of such perfect peace, harmony, and justice! Yes, this prophecy from Isaiah indeed describes a perfect world, a world which only God can establish and maintain.

With this image in mind, we might wonder how it fits with our gospel today. In the passage from Matthew, we hear about John the Baptist, who captures our attention with his wild appearance, exotic diet of locusts and wild honey, and his strong language of repentance. How seemingly different is John’s approach to the perfect world where he calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers and warns us that everyone not bearing good fruit will be laid low and tossed into everlasting fire. John’s message is an uncomfortable one. His mission was to prepare the way of the Lord by helping people realize their sinfulness and rekindle their hope for the promise of salvation. Gone are the comforting images of peace and harmony. In place of these we receive a jarring challenge that ends with judgment and fire. We might struggle to see how his message is directly related to the idyllic prophesy of Isaiah in the first reading.

But, in fact, Isaiah’s promise of the perfect world and the message of John the Baptist are inseparable. The only way to reach that perfect world of justice, harmony, and peace is to first embrace the spirit of repentance John promoted. The painful truth is we live in an imperfect world and we are very imperfect people. Just like the people who encountered John the Baptist in person, we too need to be reminded of our need for repentance and the salvation which only Christ can give. This is the point of Advent, to awaken our souls to our need for the Divine Messiah and to call us to a greater repentance for our sins and weaknesses that keep us from approaching the holy mountain of the Lord. By embracing this spirit of repentance, we become more and more capable of welcoming the messiah when he comes at Christmas.

But embracing a spirit of repentance is not always easy. How often we imitate the Pharisees and Sadducees, by appearing outwardly righteous in our actions but refusing to conform our hearts to the coming of Christ in our daily lives? How easy it can be to ignore those modern-day John the Baptist’s whether that be the Catholic Church, a priest, or the persistent voice of our own conscience? 

We all desire to reach that perfect world described in our first reading. Our hearts ache for an existence filled with lasting peace, justice, and harmony. The good news is that this place is more than a dream, God assures us that it is a reality for all who follow him and live for his glory. But we only reach this perfect world through the message of John the Baptist. We can only enjoy the promise of eternal happiness if we first embrace a spirit of repentance and allow this life to be a time of purification. John came to prepare the way for Jesus - the Prince of Peace. He came and offered a gift of God - a gift that enables us to meet God more fully. The gift of repentance.  

As we celebrate this second Sunday of Advent, what is it in your life that needs repentance? What can you do to better prepare the way of the Lord to come into your heart this Christmas? Are you willing to be purified by the sacrament of confession and set free from the bondage of sin?  To confess, to repent, is often very difficult. Admitting our need for help, and believing that help is available, even for us, can be a hard thing to do - but it's the key to unlocking that perfect world of Isaiah: a future of inner and outer peace, the peace promised long ago, the peace that Jesus brings even now to those who accept God's gift and which he will bring fully to the whole world on the day of his return. So let us embrace a spirit of repentance this advent season so that we may enter into that perfect world which is the longing of every human heart.

Slow Your Roll! (1st Sunday of Advent, Year A)

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As some of you know, I recently went on retreat for 6 days. Every priest is required to go away each year for at least 5 days, not only for his well-being but also for the good of his people. The wisdom of the Church has found that in the course of a year, we priests can pick up some bad habits and cut some corners in our prayer life. These get passed along to our parishioners if we aren’t careful. My six days of silence and solitude were wonderful. Retreat has a way of slowing things down and making me appreciate little moments of God’s presence I often overlook. A few examples I experienced were: Eating a meal without rushing or worrying about the next appointment on the calendar. Going for a walk and not worrying how long I would be out. Driving back to the parish in absolutely no hurry in the right lane, unconcerned if I had to slow down below the speed limit to let in merging traffic!! Every year on retreat, I am amazed at how peaceful it is to step back and slow down. And I am always humbled by how easy it is to allow the hectic pace to re-enter my life and soul. 

Hopefully each of us has been able to experience this sort of peace for ourselves. Certainly a Christmas or summer break does this for our students, vacation provides a breather for families, and possibly the weekend can offer some relief from the daily grind. However, as a society, we Americans are pretty lousy at slowing down and relaxing. We rank among the highest in the world in average hours worked each week. People seem to take a twisted pleasure in sharing how full their schedules are and comparing how they are much busier than everyone else, as if running around like a lunatic was some sort of status symbol. Certainly, for most of us, life moves fast, the day, the week, flies by, and we end up saying things like: “I can’t believe it is Thanksgiving already” or “How can December be just around the corner?!” The sobering truth is that it is not difficult to fly through a year, a decade or even a significant portion of our life at warp speed, without much reflection or appreciation for the subtle blessings and beauty of God.

Wisely and mercifully, our Church hits the brakes each year and invites us to “slow our roll” for the season of advent. Part of this is to prepare us to celebrate once again that momentous occasion when God became one of us with his birth at Bethlehem. Just as important, this season has the potential to knock us out of our routine and the trance with which a busy life places upon us. Advent is an invitation to take a breath, narrow our scope a little, and remember that waiting and anticipating are healthy and normal parts of our lives. It makes us realize that there is a part of us that cannot be fulfilled by the things of this world. The key element of being spiritually filled and fulfilled can only be Christ. We are continually refilled if we let ourselves be. Strange to say, waiting for fulfillment is also itself a fulfillment. It lets us be what we are—not God but human.

Advent is all about the joyful anticipation for our savior and being mindful that he completes us in a way no one or nothing else can. Advent doesn’t try to rush things or take a shortcut. It doesn’t attempt to cover up the spiritual hunger that is present in every human heart. Instead, it tells us to relish in that hunger and build up anticipation for what Christ’s birth will mean for us and our lives.

So how can this wonderful season, which begins today, make a practical difference over the next 4 weeks? Clearly, there are many things we cannot step back from or “slow down”. Students cannot say, “sorry professor, I can’t study for the test or write the paper because it is advent”. Parents can’t tell their children they will pick them up from school when they get around to it or cook dinner sometime. A large portion of our lives will continue moving at the hectic rate we are used to because of our obligations. However, if we are honest with God and ourselves, there is a whole dimension of our lives and schedule that is busy and unreflective because we have chosen it. Have we recently paused to consider how often we turn on the tv for background noise or distraction even though whatever is on doesn’t really interest us or we have seen that show or movie before? Do we realize how often we pick up our phone to check Facebook, Insta, Twitter, text messages or news? A while back, I limited myself to checking the phone once an hour and I was horrified by how many times I picked it up compulsively. 

There is room in each and every one of our lives to slow down and relish this advent season of anticipation. More than likely, it will be by changing something small, subtle, seemingly insignificant. But who knows what that little slowing down or shift will teach you. The salvation of the world started very small; a little baby born in a little town called Bethlehem….

Make the deliberate choice to slow down somewhere in life this Advent season. Let’s not be so arrogant to think that we cannot afford to change something during these 4 weeks of waiting and preparation for Christ’s birth. Choose something small but concrete. For example, take 10 minutes of your lunch break to walk with God or talk to him in a quiet place without your phone or tv competing with Him. Quit saying you’ll get to confession; put it on the calendar and go! Pray with your family before bedtime, get to church 5 minutes early for Mass or stay a few minutes after to thank God for your blessings. These, of course, are just a few of the practical possibilities out there. No one is too busy or important to slow down. May we enter fully into this Advent season and benefit from the transformation it offers us.

Christ the King (34th Sunday, Year C)

Once again, we’ve arrived at the end of another church year. Leading up to today, you may have noticed how the readings have become increasingly apocalyptic and speak of the end times and the divine judgment of the earth. To mark the conclusion of this liturgical year, the Church gives us the feast of Christ the King.

But for us Americans, the notion of a king, is odd to say the least. And to our forefathers, it would have seemed troubling indeed. We live in a democracy, founded in reaction to the abuses of kings, queens, and other royalty. So we might wonder why we celebrate such a feast, which seems so outdated and unrelated to our social experience.

Now this feast is relatively new in the life of the Church. It was founded in 1925 by Pope Pius XI for a very practical reason. At that time, a dictator named Mussolini seized control of Italy and another young man named Adolph Hitler was gathering support for the Nazi Party. Across the world, the economy was beginning to fail and peace was faltering only a few years after the devastating First World War. These were dark times and many were wondering if God was present or if evil had finally conquered the world. So Pius XI founded the feast of Christ the King to remind Christians that Jesus was in charge of the world and history, not evil people and their destructive plans.

This sounds like a great idea, at least in principle, but consider the odd mixture of readings that the Church gives us today. Our first reading comes from second Samuel and tells us about David and how he is anointed King of Israel. The second reading, from Colossians, follows this kingly theme and talks about Jesus as the head of all creation, the image of the invisible Father. But then we have the gospel. The Church doesn’t give us the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, she gives us the passage of Jesus hanging on the cross, talking with the good thief. At first glance, this gospel doesn’t seem to fit here! How does a description of the victorious and majestic King David, along with Paul’s theological portrait of the eternal Christ, fit with Jesus hanging on the cross? Isn’t the cross the sign of Jesus’ defeat? Doesn’t it prove the weakness of our Lord and King? How can we celebrate a king hanging on a cross, disgraced and broken next to two common criminals?

But this is certainly no mistake. The Church gives us this gospel to show us the wisdom of God, which is infinitely wiser than our own human understanding. The Church gives us this gospel to show us true power and real kingship. So while Hitler and Mussolini and so many others were snatching up power for themselves and building armies and waging wars; the Church offered another view of power. This type of power is eternal and humble and self-sacrificing. It saves, heals, comforts, and brings new life. It shows mercy to those who repent of their sins and not even death can defeat this power, shown to us by Christ on the cross. This sovereignty of Christ the king comes from putting others first and caring for the weak. This is why the Church gives us the gospel we hear today!!

Now our times aren’t so different from the 1920’s. We often experience the effects of modern-day Mussolini’s and present-day Hitler’s; evil people still seize power and oppress the weak. Our world hopes for peace even while wars rage and terrorists murder the innocent and defenseless. So many in our world are affected by the struggle for earthly power and dominance, which causes abuses in marriages, families, and whole societies. Our times have seen some horrendous attacks on human life and dignity. People still go hungry; the rich still oppress the poor, good so often appears to be defeated by evil. We need the message of hope and comfort given to us by Christ the King just as people did in 1925!! We need to be reminded that Christ still rules over history, even when things look terrible and depressing. We need to recall the fact that this world is passing away and the kingdom of God is coming to take its place for all eternity.  

This is the truth of Christ the King. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He will return to make things right and to destroy evil once and for all. But for now he waits and despite his unlimited power, he gives us a choice, he doesn’t force us to serve him. He asks us to choose between serving him and serving the world. But we cannot do both.

Do we allow Christ to be Lord of our lives and king of our hearts? Or do we allow a desire for earthly power, personal autonomy, and worldly comfort to take hold of us? Do we choose Christ’s version of power, with its mandate to serve others and sacrifice ourselves? Or do we seek the power of this world, which so often crushes and dominates.

The perfect image of our King and Lord is found in the gospel today with Jesus on the cross. And even while he is dying on the cross, he finds the strength to show mercy and compassion to the repentant thief. Despite the fact that Jesus was humiliated and crucified, the good thief recognized him as a true King and as the Lord of heaven and earth. I hope that in the midst of all the confusing things of our society, all of the different elements that compete for our allegiance, that we too will recognize Christ as our king and make him Lord of our lives. Our actions already say that this is true; when we walked into Church today we genuflected and when we receive him in the Eucharist, we will bow. Both are signs of reverence given to a king. May our hearts do the same and enthrone Christ in our lives so that when our lives are over we, like the good thief, might hear him say, “this day you will be with me in paradise.” 

What is the Center of your Universe? (33rd Sunday, Year C)

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For about nineteen hundred years, there was a theory that the earth was the center of the universe. In this geocentric notion of the world, the planets of the solar system were thought to revolve around the earth. So, from the time of Aristotle in 300 BC to the 16^th century people generally held this view. But in the 1500’s, things began to change. A man by the name of Copernicus formulated a theory that the sun, and not the earth was the center of the solar system. This observation caused quite a controversy that would reach its height with Galileo a few years later. The theory of Copernicus caused a stir because it challenged something that had been held as “truth.” It took something that had been accepted for hundreds of years, something that was thought to be eternal and made it obsolete.

We have something like that in our gospel today. Nothing was more precious to the people of Jesus’ time than the temple. For them, it was the very center of their lives as the people of Israel and the chosen people of God. The temple was not simply a building or another structure; it was way of life and a sign of God’s presence and love. The temple, in ancient Jewish thought, was a like a mini-earth. It was the model for all society. As long as there was a temple, the Israelites were at home. They were no longer slaves, or exiles, or a persecuted people. The temple in Jerusalem, at the time of Jesus, was magnificent. It had been expanded by King Herod and was even more beautiful than the temple built by Solomon. The gospel tells us that it was decorated with beautiful and precious stones. And it was massive. Some of the stones for its foundation were as big as a bus and it took more than fifty years to complete this incredible building. The temple was the pride of Jerusalem. It symbolized how the world should be and it was the guarantee of God’s presence with them.

So you can imagine the reaction of the people when they heard Jesus say the time was coming when there wouldn’t be a single stone left on top of another from the temple. Not only did this prediction seem unlikely, it was also offensive. He was basically saying that the one thing that was at the center of their lives and gave meaning to their world would completely disappear. And yet, it would indeed happen, less than 50 years after the crucifixion of Christ.

In both the example of Copernicus and the prophecy of Jesus in the gospel, people were devastated by the fact that something they held as absolute truth was false or soon to be destroyed. The lives of these people revolved around these beliefs. For those living at the time of Copernicus, their entire understanding of the earth and how it fit in the universe was turned upside down and inside out. And for the Jews, the very center of their culture, their livelihood, and their worship was about to be completely destroyed.

Can you imagine the devastation and disbelief? It would be like someone telling you and me that the White House would soon be destroyed and everything that America stood for would no longer exist. It would also be similar to someone predicting that St. Peter’s basilica and everything it symbolized would soon be wiped off the face of the earth.

But what is the reason for all of the doom and gloom that Jesus predicts in our gospel today? Why does Jesus predict the destruction of this most sacred building of his own people? One reason was to wake up the people of Jerusalem. They had become so focused on the temple itself that they had lost sight of what it pointed to: God. They had decorated the temple with jewels but they had ignored God who was present in their very midst. The people of God became so absorbed in the building of the temple that they thought it would last forever. This building became the center of their spiritual solar system; the thing that everything else revolved around. Jesus makes it clear that they cannot put their trust in anything made by human hands because it will eventually crumble and disappear.

We can look at these people in the gospel and shake our heads at their attachment to the temple. And we might chuckle at the folks who believed, for almost 2000 years, that the earth was the center of the universe. But we can and often do make the same mistakes in our spiritual lives. Think of the ways we often make something other than God the center of our universe. How often we think that our lives revolve around our work, our money, our house, other people rather than Jesus Christ himself.

And what are the temples that we have built in our own lives? Things that are good in themselves but are meant to lead us to God, not take his place. Like the people of Jerusalem, we can spend a great deal of our time and energy building magnificent temples in our lives, whether that is a career, a retirement, our marriage, a family, you name it. Something, which was meant to lead us to God, can become the sole focus of our lives.  And when these things end, and eventually they will, whether that is because of death, downsizing, economic downturn, divorce, or the million other surprises we can never predict, we can feel there is not a stone left upon a stone in our lives.

But Jesus gives us hope at the end of our Gospel today. He assures us that if we are faithful, if we make him the center of our lives, then not a hair of our heads will be destroyed. He can say this because he is the new temple, not made by human hands, which can never be destroyed. We are safe with him. Let us make Christ the center of our lives this day and every day of our lives. We know the world revolves around the sun; no one has doubted that for many years. But our lives are meant to revolve around the Son as well, the Son of God Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Courage (32nd Sunday, Year C)

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It was rumored that Mel Gibson, after the runaway success of his movie, “The Passion of the Christ”, wanted to make another religious film about the book of Maccabees. I’m still holding out hope for that because the whole book is full of amazing stories of spiritual courage, people doing the right thing even when it was difficult, dangerous, and even deadly. I want to reflect on the quality of spiritual courage but first, we need a little background information so we can fully appreciate what is going on in the reading. The story of the seven brothers really begins with the conquests of Alexander the Great, about 330 years before the birth of Christ. Not only did Alexander conquer the military of the nations of the world, he conquered their cultures as well. By his victories, he introduced Greek philosophy, Greek language, Greek art, and Greek religion to his massive kingdom. Some parts of the world adapted quickly to Greek culture while other areas resisted its influence. One of the areas where this resistance was strong was in the region of Palestine, where many of the Hebrews were trying to hold on to their faith and their way of life.  

When Alexander died, his empire was divided up among his generals. The Hebrews happened to be in the section that became one of the largest of the Greek kingdoms.  It extended all the way to India, Persia, Turkey, as well as Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. Perhaps, because the empire was so large, the Jews were left alone; that is,  until about 165 BC. At that time, a new King, Antioches Epiphanes,  decided that everyone in his domains should worship the Greek gods and follow Greek practices.  Many of the Jews in Palestine were ecstatic.  They were tired of being left out of what they called modern society.  They wanted to be Greek, part of the exciting Hellenistic culture.  They built gymnasiums where they would exercise in the rather immodest Greek style. This was very much against the Law of Moses. They began to refuse those things which set them apart as God’s Chosen people and many even rejected the Law of God.  They were now modern men and women.  They built Greek temples, worshiped Greek gods, dressed and acted like Greeks. Worst of all, Antiochus had a statue of the Greek god Zeus put right on the altar in the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem. Right there, in the holiest part of the Temple where a chosen priest could only enter once a year, right there on the most sacred altar of Israel, Antiochus put a statue of a pagan god.  

But there were faithful Jews who were appalled and refused to give in to the emperor’s decrees. Enraged, Antiochus issued a proclamation that anyone who kept the Jewish practices and did not worship the Greek gods would be tortured and put to death. This is where today’s first reading comes in. Seven brothers and their mother are arrested  for their faithfulness to the law of Moses. They are whipped and scourged and then the evil king tries to force them to eat pork, which was against the Jewish law. One by one the brothers refuse and endure horrible tortures and death. In each of their final statements, these seven courageous men and their mother affirm their faith in God and testify to the hope of the resurrection in the the life to come. This hope in the resurrection gives them the spiritual courage necessary to witness to the Law of Moses and to be faithful to God, even when others might have given up or given in. 

So what does this grisly story of torture, death, and courage have to do with us? Unless the United States is conquered by a brutal people determined to persecute and kill all who do not renounce their faith, we are not going to be put in the position of the seven brothers and their mother. But while we may not have to worry about enduring incredible physical pain and torture for our faith, there is another persecution going on that is just as damaging to our Catholic beliefs. To many in our culture, faith is old-fashioned and silly. Those who are religious are often mocked as naive, simple, or even un-educated. The laws of our Church are often ridiculed as worthless, restrictive, and perhaps most dangerously, as optional. I think most of us here in church today know about this new persecution which mirrors the persecution of the seven brothers and their mother. There are may powerful forces in our world today that want us to abandon our Catholic laws, practices, and identity because it threatens the way they approach life and makes them feel uncomfortable. How many of you have experienced this persecution at school, at work, even among your friends, family, or co-workers? How easy it can be to remain silent when someone begins attacking the Church for her stance on morality, or marriage, or life issues! How difficult it can be for any of us to speak up when someone begins to make fun of our faith or insults the character of the many good leaders that serve as shepherds of Christ’s flock!

The reality of the matter is this: we have chosen to be different from those elements of our society that exalts what is essentially a pagan lifestyle. There are people who simply can’t stand holiness. Evil will always attack good. In fact, when we are attacked for what we believe or how we live our Christianity, then we know that we are doing something very right: we are giving witness to the Kingdom of God.  But how often we are afraid! We are afraid that we will not fit in, that people might think less of us or even cause a scene.  Isn’t it true that we sometimes keep our mouth shut when we should be standing up for Christ and his Church because we are embarrassed or afraid.

Our first reading reminds us today that we are called to the same courageous witness as the 7 brothers and their mother. We must witness to the gospel, even when it means ridicule, embarrassment, and even suffering. We can only imagine how appealing the temptation must have been to the seven brothers to keep quiet about their Jewish faith and just eat a little bit of the forbidden pork. How simple and painless it would have been to take the path of least resistance, to go along to get along! However, they knew that the things of this world are passing and the approval of man means nothing if it comes at the expense of God and his precepts. The bottom line is this: Christ will give us the grace we need to remain faithful, even in the face of suffering, shame, and death. 

We need to make the decision as to which side we want to be on. Do we want to live for the world or do we want to live for God? Each side will have its trials and each side will have its rewards. But only one will have eternal rewards and resurrection. So let us pray for spiritual courage in the many trials and situations that we encounter in our daily lives. Let us be strong, let us be unafraid, let us give witness to the truth of the gospel and the life that it brings!

Conversion By Kindness (31st Sunday, Year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

We have for our Gospel reading today the wonderful story of Zacchaeus the tax collector who was so short he had to climb a tree to get a better view of Jesus. This story is so bizarre, so drastic that it has to be true! Everyone, including Zacchaeus, is completely surprised when Jesus announces he intends to stay at Zacchaeus' house that day. They were all astonished because Zacchaeus was a tax collector and therefore someone who was widely despised. At the time Jericho, where he lived, was a very prosperous town at the center of the balsam trade. As the tax collector of this city Zacchaeus would have been a very wealthy man. Tax collectors were employed by the Roman occupiers under a kind of franchise system where they got a percentage of whatever taxes they could collect. This meant the better Zacchaeus was at his job, the wealthier he would be. This was also a reason why tax collectors were always disliked since it was in their interests to squeeze as much money out of everyone as they could. As far as the Jews were concerned, all tax collectors were public sinners because they were raising money for the Roman occupiers.

Talking to a tax collector might be unavoidable but eating with one gave the impression you approved of their behavior. At the beginning of the story it says that Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. There are all kinds of trees and some of them are much easier to climb than others. The sycamore tree is definitely one of the most difficult to climb since it has very few branches close to the ground and they tend to be smooth and difficult to grip. Somehow this small man gets up the tree because he wants to see the Lord. His effort was surely a measure of his desire to see Jesus who looks into his heart and recognizes that Zacchaeus is at a turning point in his life. 

We can only imagine the different terrible names and slurs that people had screamed at Zacchaeus as he collected taxes. This would have happened if he was just and fair in his duties. Even more so as he extorted people and lined his own pockets. Just the sight of him would have driven people crazy and brought out their rage. It makes me wonder if he climbed that tree simply because he was short or also to get some protection from those he had wronged. 

By expressing the wish to eat with Zacchaeus Jesus unlocks his heart and as a direct result Zacchaeus completely repents of his sins and offers to make quadruple restitution to those he has cheated. We don't get the reaction of the crowd to this extraordinary statement of Zacchaeus but they were not impressed since they would have regarded him as a sinner. I would imagine they would have treated his conversion with eye-rolls and a high level of skepticism. 

There is nothing else recorded in the Gospels about Zacchaeus and this indicates that his conversion was a sincere one. There are later Christian traditions which say he took the name Matthias and was the one chosen as an Apostle to replace Judas Iscariot. Another tradition says he became the first Bishop of Caesarea and his wife was Veronica, the woman who wiped Jesus’ face with her veil on his way to Calvary. 

Whatever the truth of these stories it seems likely that Zacchaeus did indeed make a sincere conversion and fulfilled his promises to make restitution to anyone he had cheated. The point is that it is a wonderful story of repentance. It shows once again how Jesus could look into a person's heart and draw out the very best in them. It also shows that the desire for repentance is something present in most people but that it often needs the right moment of kindness to bring it to the surface. 

Perhaps that is a lesson we can take away from today’s gospel: the power of kindness. In the course of our daily lives, we come across many people who are secretly wanting to see and hear the voice of Jesus. On the outside they may be living in ways that are sinful, unholy, and wrong. They might appear to be lost, hopeless cases that will never change. It can be easy to treat them like Zacchaeus, to label and look at them with disgust and judgement. But inside, God may be moving their heart towards him, towards a life without sin, guilt, and remorse. Because of fear, embarrassment, self-hatred or shame, they may not know how to move towards God. Our acts of Christian charity can be the pivotal moment that changes a heart and helps a person move towards Christ in a way that will transform their life forever.

This can seem intimidating to us because we can’t read a person’s heart and soul like Jesus. We might wonder when, what, and how to say the things that will help, heal, and inspire other people. Each situation is unique but one thing is always true. Each and every person, no matter how messed up or repulsive, is precious to God. Every human ever conceived is made in the image and likeness of God. He knows every one of us, He wants to save each of us, and he has placed a unique piece of his Divine life in every human soul. If we pray for the gift to see God’s reflection in every person we encounter, we will be God’s voice to the modern-day Zacchaeus. If we ask God to help us see his face, even in the most difficult or hateful people, we will be instruments of peace and conversion. Lastly, if we truly believe that Jesus sees us and wants to come into the house of our very own soul, we will want that for others and be willing to love them, even in their weaknesses. 

Today’s gospel contains a humbling truth: one kind word, one loving action can change a soul forever and be the difference between heaven or hell. May God help us to make our words and actions his own for the conversion of many!

Have Mercy on Me, A Sinner! (30th Sunday, Cycle C)

Over the past three weeks, the readings at Mass have centered around prayer and the lessons associated with this all-important activity. Today’s readings continue this theme as Jesus offers a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector. It would be easy to over-simplify what is going in this story. The Pharisee is the bad guy because of his prideful prayer while the tax-collector is the good guy because of his simple, humble approach. While some of this is true, there is much more for us to consider as we apply this powerful parable to our own lives.

Right off the bat, the purpose of this parable is striking. Luke tells us that Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. Christ had the divine ability to read hearts, to see what was going on in the depths of the souls of those who were listening to his teachings. And as he was speaking, he could see many hearts were self-confident, to the point of being cocky, of their own righteousness. This prideful view caused them to look down on others whom they determined were not as as righteous as they. As we prepare to reflect on the  prayer of the Pharisee and tax collector, it would be good to first open our own hearts and intentions to the Lord. What does he see in your heart and mine? Aren’t most of us very similar to his listeners 2000 years ago, often secretly convinced of our own righteousness? Isn’t there a part of each of us that looks around the church or work or school and finds those who seem worse off than ourselves in some physical, material, or spiritual way? How easy it is to think less of the people who don’t have it together, who seem to wallow in their weakness and sinfulness? Even now, 2000 years later, Christ can see our hearts and help us to see that we need this parable just as much as his listeners did!

In the story, two people went into the temple to pray. One was a pharisee, which means he was a respectable person in Jewish society. This pharisee had a lot going for him! He was not greedy, dishonest, or impure. How many of us could say that honestly to the Lord? He fasted twice a week, prayed four times a day and even gave ten percent of everything he earned back to the temple! How many of us can boast of that?! In many ways, the pharisee was excellent, fulfilling the love of God and neighbor by his good deeds. I suspect if we had it all together like him, we might be tempted to say some of the very same things. But even with all of these good things he was doing, he went away unjustified.

On the other hand, there is a tax collector, who sneaks into the temple and stays in the back, at a distance Luke tells us. This was a man who made a living cheating others, overcharging them on taxes so that he could skim off the top. Tax collectors could do this because they constantly threatened people with extortion and would report them to the authorities as tax-evaders is they refused to pay their inflated fees. It is a sure bet that this guy was not giving a tenth of his income to the temple, nor was he darkening its doorways four times a day like the pharisee. In every way, he was the opposite of the pharisee, dishonest, greedy, and disliked by all who encountered him. And yet, Jesus tells us that he went away justified because of his prayer.

But why was this shady character justified while the much more pious and faithful Pharisee dismissed? Some care needs to be taken here so that we understand exactly what Jesus is saying and don’t lose the full power of the parable.

The Pharisee’s prayer is not rejected because he is pious in his religious practice, faithful in his external observance of the Law, or generous in returning God’s gifts. He is mostly a good guy, an admirable character. He is doing good things, things which the Lord still expects of each of us. However, he goes away unjustified because his prayer is scarcely a prayer at all. Instead of humbly praising God for all of the blessings he has received and acknowledging Him as the source of strength in keeping the Law and living a good life, the pharisee exults himself. Rather than praising God in his prayer or asking for mercy in the ways he falls short of the mark, he praises himself. He feels righteous because he compares himself to the tax collector. In doing so, he forgets that one is not justified by how good he looks compared to another person but by how he appears in the sight of God.

There are many things about the tax collector that we should never imitate. His dishonest way of life, his strong-arm tactics, his general lack of virtue. He is a bad man and Jesus is not holding up his life as an example. But the tax collector does one thing, the one thing that is most important in the eyes of God. He is humble before God, realizing he is not worthy to lift his eyes to heaven or to move to the front of the temple. His prayer to God is not an excuse for his actions rather, it is simply a prayer for mercy. When he prays that simple prayer: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner” he finds the key to justification and receives God’s forgiveness.

Both the Pharisee and the tax collector have something to teach us because we have elements of each in our lives. The pride and self-righteousness of the pharisee are dangers for all of us. The sinfulness of the tax-collector, his greed, selfishness, and evil lifestyle are things that most of us struggle with in some way, shape, or form. In light of this, we can take away three important lessons from the parable:

First, it was not the lifestyle of the pharisee that got him in trouble nor the life of the tax collector that made him admirable. Therefore, let us strive to imitate the Pharisee in his commendable practice of regular prayer, fasting, and generous almsgiving. Let us seek to eliminate sin, in all its forms from our lives and strive to be righteous in every way.

Secondly, we should never forget the simple prayer of the tax collector. God is not won over by smooth-talking or elaborate words but rather by the heartfelt and humble prayers. If we acknowledge our need for God and his mercy, we can be sure that he will grant us all that is necessary to be justified in his sight. Our prayers should always acknowledge that we are sinners in need of God’s mercy.

Lastly, we should remember that God simply wants us to place our trust in him. He is not impressed by how we stack up to others. It is not good enough to be better than others if we don’t place our complete trust in him. The parable shows us that God abandons those who believe they can exult themselves, and exults those who abandon themselves, if they abandon themselves to him.

So do not be proud! Let us humble ourselves in the sight of God and make the prayer of the tax-collector our own: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”