All You Need is Love (4th Sunday, Year C)

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In the 1960’s, one of the most-influential and widely-loved bands of all time was given a challenge: write a song with a simple message that would be understood by the people of any and every nation. John Lennon, fascinated by the power of slogans, responded with a song that was both easy to understand and hard to get out of your head. This song debuted on live television in front of 400 million viewers and quickly became a hit. The simple message offered by the Beatles was this: “all you need is love, love is all you need.” Right away, this song was well-received, especially in the UK and US, where it spent time at #1 on the music charts.

Whether or not they intended to, the Beatles hit upon a spiritual truth. They were right to say that all you need is love! But they were not the first ones to proclaim this bold truth. St. Augustine, in a 4^th century homily, tells his congregation to love (meaning God) and then do what you will. But even this great Doctor of the Church was borrowing something that had already been stated by another. We find the inspiration behind both the Beatles and Augustine in today’s second reading of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In this beautiful letter, proclaimed at nearly every Christian wedding, Paul gives us a poetic and precise definition of what love truly is...and is not. To conclude, he emphasizes an important point: “In the end, faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 

It seems so simple! A music critic, after hearing “All you Need is Love” rejoiced in the fact that their message could not be misinterpreted. It was clear that love was everything. One might feel the same way about the St. Augustine’s daring command to “Love God and then do what you will”. The scary thing is that both Augustine and the Beatles are right on the money; the problem is the world doesn’t know what true love is. Fortunately for us, St. Paul lays it out for us.

Before we can appreciate the terms of Paul’s definition of love, we need first look at the context in which the Apostle to the Gentiles was writing. He was NOT just speaking to people about to get married, nor was he setting out to define love! He was writing to the Church in the city of Corinth which had some serious problems. On one hand, most of the believers in Corinth were extremely excited about their faith. There were people with tremendous gifts in the community; there were teachers and healers and those who could speak in tongues. There were those who could lead in worship, those who were preachers and others who could prophesy. 

In the same church, and often in the same people, there were also some strange and unChristian things going on:

- like the man who was sleeping with his step-mother or the two church leaders who had dragged each other off to court instead of making peace. 

    - and some people really didn't behave that well at the meals held in memory of Christ: some ate too much, some drank too much, while others went hungry; 

    - and then too, there were public disagreements about which of the apostles and teachers who had come to Corinth were the best - and which were the worst;

• and there were even some folks who believed that their contribution to the community of faith was more significant than the contributions made by others - and because of this, their views on things should be considered first. 

In short people in Corinth were, at times rude, impatient, arrogant, greedy, selfish, egotistical, and unkind. This even though they had also displayed some very wonderful spiritual gifts - this even though they were generally good people. The hard truth about true love, as outlined by St. Paul is this. It doesn't matter if you have enough faith to move a mountain; if you don’t have love,  you are nothing. It doesn't matter if you can speak for God - if you know all mysteries - and can heal all diseases - and do so - if you have not love - it won’t save you. Love is the test of our faith. People know we are Christians by our love and they know that we are something less than fully Christian when we lack it.

So then, the million-dollar question: what is love? Simply put, it is loving God above all things and our neighbor as we ourselves want to be loved and cared for. Even more simple: God first, neighbor second, and self last. Authentic Christian love moves us to see that each person is created in the image and likeness of God. It makes us realize that within each person is an immortal soul God wants to love forever in heaven. Love makes us want to help that soul be united to God no matter what the cost. Sometimes true love will make people uncomfortable, angry, or even hurt their feelings. Christian love does not always feel good, it is not necessarily politically correct or popular. But it always moves us to want what is best for others just as badly as we want those good things for ourselves. True love helps us to look past the trivial hurts, slights, and worldly setbacks to what is truly important: eternal union and happiness with God, whether it be for ourselves or someone else. 

   With this background information, we can understand why St. Paul says love is patient and kind. It only makes sense that it is not jealous, pompous, inflated, rude, or self-seeking. Of course it cannot be quick-tempered, or brood over injury, or rejoice over wrongdoing. It must instead rejoice with the truth and bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. This love cannot fail.

We must measure our love against the gold standard Paul places before us. I want you to put yourself into today's passage where love is described. I want you to think about your own life and where you need to grow to embody this fullest form of love. Listen again to this passage, slightly changed, of how God’s love should look in your actions:

I am patient. I am kind. I am not envious or boastful, arrogant or rude. I do not insist on my own way. I am not irritable or resentful. I do not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoice in the truth. I bear all things, I believe all things. I hope all things. I endure all things.

All you need is this love! May you share it generously so that you may receive it freely from source of all Love, Jesus Christ, whose love never fails.

We are One Body (3rd Sunday, Year C)

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        Have you ever noticed how some small injury or ailment can affect your whole body? It’s incredible that something as durable as the human body can be impacted so dramatically. For example, when you have a problem with one of your teeth, maybe you’ve lost a crown or filling or cracked a tooth, it is hard to do much of anything. Even the basics like eating or drinking become cruel tortures. The same holds true for a sore throat or sinus infection or earache. Those of you who have had a broken limb or joint replacement can testify how once one part of the body is injured, the whole body is affected.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth. The Corinthians have become self-absorbed and forgotten they have a responsibility to take care of other, less fortunate Christians. They have also begun fighting among themselves about which of them is more important. They were falling into a sort of spiritual jealousy by comparing their spiritual gifts. They wanted to be prophets, healers, and wonder-workers. This competition was destructive and dividing the local church rather than bringing them together. Their focus on themselves was blinding them to the sufferings of fellow Christians. So St. Paul uses the image of the human body to bring them back to reality. Just like you and me are composed of the proper parts that make us human, so too the church needs to have its parts in the right proportion and order so that it can be effective. St. Paul wisely reminds them that not everyone can be a hand or foot or eye or ear. He also points out that each part of our body relies on the others to be fully alive and effective. The human body is not composed of any one thing but is the whole of all its parts. 

This is a very basic biology lesson that is just as obvious to us today as it was to the Corinthians. Equally simple and even more important is the spiritual lesson Paul was working to communicate. The people of Corinth and we, the people of Shrewsbury, need a reminder, that we are all part of one body, the body of Christ. Each part is equally important and necessary while also being different. Not all of us fulfill the same function in the Church. Not every one is called to be a priest, teacher, catechist, minister, or leader. Others are needed to be intercessors, planners, cleaners, organizers, coaches, consolers, healers, and so many other ministries that make up our beautiful body, which is the Catholic Church. In fact, some of our most delicate and fragile members are the ones that cry out for our immediate attention. The sick, the elderly, the unborn, the abused, the poor, the persecuted, those who have nothing and are seen as nothing by the world, these are all parts of the Christ’s body which must be loved and respected without exception.  

St. Paul offers us a two-fold challenge today:

1. Have we thought about the fact that we are part of the body of Christ through our baptism? Have we considered the role that we were made to fill with our gifts, talents, and personality? As hard as it might seem to believe, each of us fills a specific spot within the Church that cannot be replaced by any other person. The body of Christ might limp along without us, but it will never reach its full potential without you and me in our rightful place. That is why our Church constantly reaches out to those who have fallen away or lost hope. That’s why Pope Francis is so resolute about inviting people back. He offered something very beautiful and encouraging this week when he said “Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”

Each and every one of you is a member of the body of Christ. And maybe some of us are only a toe or ankle or eyelash but remember what St. Paul says! Each part of the body is important and necessary for the good of the whole body. So claim your part, your role, no matter how small or insignificant it might appear, because no one else can and without you, the whole Church is impoverished.

1. Secondly, St. Paul reminds us that if one member of the body is suffering, then the whole body suffers with it. It is easy to forget this truth, especially when we are living a reasonably comfortable life. I have to tell you, living in Shrewsbury is pretty nice. We have a wonderful little church, friendly parishioners, a healthy school, safe neighborhood, Ted Drewes, and close proximity to good food, parks, and entertainment. Its easy to let this become our world and our concern. As long as things are ok here, then that is good enough for me. But that is not the way of Christ. As members of his Body, we must always be sensitive to those parts of our body who are hurting, disrespected, ignored, or unwanted. It is not enough simply to know our place within the Church, we must also work to reach out to those who are hurting spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Of course each of us will do this in our own way, according to our means and abilities. The important thing, as Paul reminded the Corinthians, is that we do not become self-satisfied and concerned only about ourselves and our own well-being. If one of our members is suffering, here in this parish or even around the world, in some mysterious way, we are suffering too since we are joined to them in the Body of Christ.

Take some time this week to think about this incredible truth; we are part of the Body of Christ. We help make it holy, healthy, and capable of great things. What is your role? What is your place? How can God use you to reach out to someone who needs His Love? How might you become an instrument to restore someone else to this heavenly Body we call the Church?

Water into Wine (2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C)

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A small boy was asked by a relative if he attended Sunday school. When he said he did, he was asked, "What are you learning?" 

   He replied, "last week, our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and made water into wine." 

   "And what did you learn from that story?" the relative inquired. 

   After thinking for a moment, the boy answered, "If you're having a wedding, make sure Jesus is there!"

That is pretty profound advice. It is a good thing to have Jesus not only at our wedding ceremonies, but everywhere that is significant in our lives.

The gospel today about how the wine ran out at the wedding in Cana and how Mary asks Jesus to do something about it, ends with these words: Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

The gospel of John speaks often about signs and about faith. Signs point to something else, they testify to a truth that is greater than themselves and it is that greater thing we are meant to grasp; not just the sign itself. Which prepares us for our reflection today on this spectacular miracle. It might be easy for us to simply ponder the historical happenings of this first miracle of the Lord’s public ministry. We could remain on the surface and meditate on what this sign meant for the people who observed it, for Mary and the Apostles, and of course, the married couple themselves. But today I want to make sure we understand what the sign points to. And that it be applied to our own lives in a personal way that makes it possible for Christ to change water into wine within our own hearts and homes.

In the ancient world, a wedding was a big deal. Since there were no cars, trains, or airplanes, people would arrive at the celebration and continue the party for a week or more. It was crucial that all the guests feel welcome and comfortable throughout the whole celebration. That meant keeping them full of food and drink for a week. This couple tried hard to do this, but they failed by running out of wine. This would have been incredibly embarrassing and there wasn’t much they could do about it. There was no Dirt Cheap or quiktrips to make an emergency run. So, did Jesus perform this miracle just to save the couple great embarrassment? Or as the ultimate party trick? Or to get his mother off his back? 

Of course not! First, Jesus' turning water into wine is a sample of all he came to do. Jesus takes something ordinary and shows us that it has the possibility to become something superb. Anything which is tired, worn out, devoid of joy, empty, or lacking purpose - can be transformed. It can be turned into something rich, fragrant, and ripe with the fullness of joy through his presence, through his care.  

There is a lot of truth in that for all of us. Jesus can bring new life. He can fill the emptiness in our lives; he can take whatever it is that we bring to him, no matter how much much or how little, and completely remake it; giving it a taste beyond the best that we are capable of providing. 

Secondly, the Gospel story emphasizes the extravagance of Jesus' providing wine. The wedding guests went from having no wine at all to having enough to open a liquor store... or host a parish picnic! One of the signs of the Messiah was abundance - one in which the wine of joy - the cup of salvation - would always be full and overflowing. This miracle is a sign, for those who have eyes to see, of Jesus' Messiahship. He is the long-awaited deliverer of Israel. He is the one who will purify Israel and all people. He provides more than is needed.

Third, the miracle takes place at a wedding feast. Marriage has long been a symbol of the relationship between God and his people. We notice that in the first reading from Isaiah, where the prophet tells us that at the time of Israel's restoration and vindication, God will take delight in them and their land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. The fact that the first sign that Jesus did - was at a wedding would not be lost on people. It was their belief that at the time of salvation that God would provide a table for feasting for his servants and a cup that would never run dry.  

Fourth, in his first sign, Jesus also stresses the place of his mother, Mary, in the work of redemption. It is Mary who triggers Jesus' first act of public ministry by saying to him: "They have no wine." It was a simple request showing that she trusted that her son would immediately respond and help. Jesus' response to her seemed somewhat rude. He said, "Woman, what is that to me and you; my hour has not yet come."

The only other place where Jesus calls his mother "woman" is at his passion as she stood beneath the cross. Then he handed her over to the care of John and made her the mother of us all. Our original mother was the "woman" Eve. But Eve handed down to us original sin and death. In calling his mother "Woman," Jesus is saying, "You are the new Eve. As it was promised that her seed would crush the head of the serpent - so through you I have come to do what was promised: to overwhelm sin and death with righteousness and life."  

Finally, the miracle at Cana is a preview of the last Supper, the hour when Jesus transforms, not water into wine but wine into blood, his blood poured out for all humanity. By telling Mary "my hour has not yet come" Jesus links what she is asking him to do with his sacrifice on the cross. The best wine is saved for the last, the wine of salvation, a salvation won for us completely by Christ Jesus when he gave up his life for us. A salvation that is not just for one day or one week, but forever.

Mary tells the servants in today's reading to "Do whatever Jesus tells you." That is what faith is all about, responding to the words of Jesus, believing that his word will be fulfilled, trusting that as he transformed the water into wine, so he will transform us and lead us into the kingdom where the best is not only saved for the last, but where the best lasts forever.

As we receive Communion today, may we open our hearts again to God's gifts of grace. The best is yet to come! Let us never be afraid to ask the Lord for what we need and then to do whatever he tells us. The glory of God is at hand. Blessed be the name of God, now and forever. Amen. 

Finding Nemo (Baptism of the Lord, Year C)

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One of the fundamental plot lines for movies involves the painful journey of a child seeking to prove themselves to their parents and win their affection. Most sad and striking is the case of an adult child who still feels unworthy or unapproved by mom or dad. One movie that follows this theme is “Finding Nemo”, an animated Disney film about a Clownfish named Marlin and his young son, Nemo. Marlin is emotionally scarred from a barracuda attack that claimed his wife and most of their fish roe. Only he and little Nemo survived this incident and now, he is completely overprotective of Nemo. His hovering causes Nemo great embarrassment and compels him to try and prove himself to his dad. He wants his dad to believe that he is strong and capable. To prove that he does not need coddling, Nemo accepts a dare to swim out to a ship just past the reef drop off. He bravely swims into the open sea, which his father has taught him is dangerous, touches the boat and turns back in triumph. However, a scuba diver nets Nemo before he can reach safety. The rest of the movie tells the story of father and son trying to reunite with each other amidst danger and uncertainty and ends with both Nemo and his father triumphing over their fears and living in the joy of knowing the other’s love and admiration. 

This intimate acceptance of a father of his son takes place in the gospel today. Jesus goes to be baptized by John in the river Jordan. In this moment, the first public appearance we know about Christ as an adult, he is affirmed by his heavenly Father. Before he does any ministry, before he works miracles or preaches beautiful sermons, God approves him, loves him, and lets the world know that he is the beloved son. He does not have to prove himself or do something to earn the Father’s affection. He has had it from the moment he existed.

Can you believe that we become beloved sons and daughters of God with our baptism? That’s why the Church treats it so seriously and wants people to be baptized, even babies, as soon as possible.

But how do we often relate to God? Not as beloved children but frightened ones. Many times we behave as if we must earn his love, make him like us. We are afraid he might decide he doesn’t really love us any more. Or, we know in our heads that God loves us completely but that knowledge hasn’t made it down to our hearts yet. It doesn’t affect the way we live, the way we think, the way we love. BUT IT SHOULD!!!!

Perhaps this disconnect happens because we sometimes experience conditional love from people who approve of us mainly because we fill a need or make them happy. Sadly some of you have had this experience in your families or with friends. Perhaps some of us even treat people this way. We make others earn our approval or affection. Conditional love is something we humans inflict on each other, but it is something foreign to God. He is always all in! He has loved and cherished you from the second you began to exist.

You and I don’t deserve the Father’s Love; but he doesn’t care about that! In spite of our unworthiness, He gives it freely and unconditionally. There is nothing in the world we could ever do to deserve that divine approval; it has already been given. And yet, how sad that we usually interact with God as if it were up to us and our actions to make him like us. As if it were in our hands to do enough to persuade God to send a little love our way. No wonder we beat ourselves up so much when we sin and fail and realize our weaknesses!

Think about this:

What would look different in your life if you believed that God loved you unconditionally? How would it change your perspective? Would it make you more daring in living out your faith, knowing that you always had a loving God at your side? Imagine the freedom that would come with knowing in your bones that no matter what you did, successful or not, you can not lose the love and approval of God! How might it change the way you treated other people? Realizing that the One who is madly in love with you is also loving them in the same way? Would it add passion to our faith, our prayer, our daily lives?

I want you to know you are beloved sons and daughters, even if you don’t feel it or realize it yet. You are alive because God loves you, thinks of you and wants you here. Every moment of every day he is thinking of you specifically, he is smiling and crying and feeling everything you do, all with the perfection of the one is being and beauty and every other transcendent good thing.

How it must have felt for Christ as he came out of that water and heard the voice of his Father! If you have never heard that voice, I pray for you now, I want let you know that God is crying out those same words every day, all the time. He wants us to know of his mad love for us fickle and sinful children, that is why he sent his beloved son in the 1st place, to shatter our deafness and indifference.

Let’s listen, let’s believe, let’s receive this good news and then run out of here and share it with other people.

The Wisdom of the Magi (Epiphany, 2016)

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Today, I want to look at the story of the three wise men and draw four points from it. Each of these points concern the wisdom of the wise men - a wisdom available to us if we want it.

First, we discover in the story that the wise men sought for truth and wisdom. The magi knew that the star that they followed was no ordinary star. Apparently they had been searching the heavens for years for signs of something unique and significant occurring in their world. They were open to wisdom and truth; they searched for it. They were not simply content to get along with what they already knew. So, when they saw a new star in the heavens, they sensed in their hearts it was a sign from God.

The bible tells us over and over - that if we seek, we will find, if we knock, the door shall be opened to us, if we ask, we will receive.  But how often do we actually seek for wisdom? For truth? For guidance?  

The wise men gained their wisdom because they were seekers - they were looking for new things, new insights, new signs. They read their manuals, they searched the heavens for signs and wonders. And so can we.

Second, The Wise-men set forth in faith to find what the star pointed to. Faith involves the idea of venturing forth, of risking one's self in a new activity. The living God cannot be found by proxy. The magi had to travel from a foreign land in search of wisdom and truth. They did not know where the star would lead them, how long it would take, or what the end result would be. They only knew that it was important for them to follow wherever it led. It was a personal quest and the result was an opportunity to worship the one who would be king of kings and Lord of Lords..  

This may be the most important truth for us in the Epiphany story. A story of faith with Jesus has to be a personal story, a personal quest. It is not enough to know all kinds of facts about Jesus Christ. One must encounter the wonder of God's grace for sinners and then make a personal decision to receive him into our heart as Lord. One must decide to follow him and then do so. No one else can do that for us.  Faith is not inherited nor

can it come from simply knowing what others have said about it..

Third, the wise men sought help from other people as they tried to find the king. We often try to live our lives without making any demands on others. We try to be independent, to stand alone and make it by ourselves. Sometimes this comes out of noble motives - we do not want to burden people. Other times it comes out of fear: we are afraid of looking weak or foolish.  

When the magi arrived in Jerusalem it seems that they lost sight of the star. They knew they were in the right area, but they were not yet at the right spot. Kind of like us sometimes when we go driving in a new place. We get into the right neighborhood - but somehow can't quite locate the street we are looking for. We are stuck and remain stuck until we ask someone else for help.

That is what the magi did.  The bible says they consulted with the people in Jerusalem.  They ask where the new born king is and how they can find him so they can pay homage to him. Because they ask - they receive. Their question is answered by people who are familiar with the scriptures and prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah - and they take that answer and set forth with it - and when they do so, once again they see the star going ahead of them - until it brings them to Jesus.

There are many people who can help us on our journey of faith if we are wise enough to ask them. The question is: are we willing to ask for help when we need it? 

Fourth, the wise men accepted what God lead them to and believed in it. In today’s feast, oftentimes much is made of what they gave to the Christ child.  But consider what they were given: They set forth looking for a king. After a long and hard journey they end up at a simple home in Bethlehem - and there they find a carpenter and his wife and child. There are no costly treasures in the house, no purple robes, no gold rings, nothing in fact to show that they are in the presence of a great king.  Only the star stood overhead to indicate something special was going on.

And they accept this.  Although the outward signs are telling them they are in the wrong place, they accept that single sign - the sign of God that they have been following for so long - and ignore the rest.

So many of us have a hard time accepting what God has given in the form that he gives it.  Because we are waiting for a gift from God, we look for great miracles, instant healing, trumpet calls, signs and wonders. We have this idea fixed in our minds that God does not, or should not, appear to us in the ordinary aspects of our life.  We do not expect God to show up while we are at work in our office, or sitting in a classroom, cleaning the house, or taking care of the kids. We have a hard time considering that God's answers to our questions can be found in a 2000 year old book, or on the lips of the people we work with or friends, or that a dream we have had during a long and troubled night is, in fact, a message from God.

The wisdom of the wise men was and is simply this: they sought wisdom, they were willing to journey in faith to personally discover what God was doing, they did not hesitate to ask for help along the way and they accepted what they found, even though it was plainly dressed. They believed in it.

Simple stuff really, but wisdom normally is simple stuff. Simple, but when used as the wise-men used it, it leads us to God.  May God bless us all with this kind of wisdom today and always!