Don't Delay! (13th Sunday, Year C)

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Anyone who has raised children or spent time with them knows how creative they are when it comes to stalling for time. When there is a difficult task to be done or it is time for the fun to end, children get to work on trying how to figure out how to gain some more time for fun and games. For example, when it is bedtime, children will often plead for just one more story or another drink of water. Or, when they are enjoying themselves and it comes time to go home, kids will suddenly forget where they put their shoes or even pretend to be unable to hear their parents telling them to come home. Other kids will give a list of reasons of why they should be allowed to continue doing what they are doing.

         We see this process of “stalling” in the word of God today. In our readings, God is inviting others to service and discipleship. God moves Elijah to anoint Elisha to become the next prophet who will spend his life in the service of God. In our Gospel, Jesus invites others to follow him. In both readings, people stall for time; they say ‘yes’ but not quite yet. And they give some pretty good reasons. Elisha tells Elijah to let him first go home and tell his parents good-bye. An unnamed man in the gospel responds to the invitation of the Lord by saying “Let me first bury my father.” These seem like pretty good reasons to delay following the invitation of the Lord. But the Lord is persistent and even unimpressed with these good reasons that are given. Jesus says in our gospel: “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” 

         Now, as adults, we can see right through the efforts of children stalling for more time. But in our readings, we might tend to feel the invitation of the Lord to service and discipleship is a little extreme or even unreasonable. I think most of us would like to say these readings are difficult to understand because in both them, the good reasons given are treated as almost ridiculous by Jesus and Elijah. He makes it clear when he calls he expects us to follow.

         As much as we might like to think otherwise, we have the same tendency at times to stall when we hear the call of God in our lives. I am not just speaking of the big decisions of whether we are called to marriage, religious life, or priesthood. I'm mainly speaking about the ways that God calls us to follow him in our day-to-day living. Perhaps some of us are being called to be more responsible in our driving, to slow down, to obey traffic signals and to be more courteous to others on the road. Others may be hearing the call to be more open to life in their families and in their marriages. Still others are being called by the Lord to follow him by being more generous with their time and material resources.

         And yet, how often, when we hear this call of the Lord, do we respond with reasons why we cannot follow what the Lord is asking of us? How we try to stall for time with the Lord by trying to show him how unreasonable his invitations are? Don’t get me wrong, we always have good reasons, at least humanly speaking. But Christ invites us to consider turning over everything to him as his followers. He knows and wants what is best for us and when he calls he does so in our best interests. Much like the child, who is unable to see the bigger picture when his parents tell him it's time to go home or go to bed, we too often fail to see how God’s plan is best for us.

         Following the Lord is not always easy. Often when God calls, we have very practical and legitimate concerns that tempt us to stall for time in following him. We might justify speeding because we are late, we might feel like we are unable to volunteer our time to others because of a busy schedule, or we cannot possibly help another in need because we recently bought a new car or home. All of these concerns are understandable, but how often do we use these reasons to stall for time when God challenges us follow him more closely?

         In order to follow the Lord wherever he calls us, we have to give him times of silence and stillness. In these times of prayer with the Lord, we come to understand his invitation to follow him and we give him time to explain his plan for us. Obviously each one of us here has responded to the call of Jesus to follow him, otherwise we wouldn’t be in Church today to give him thanks and praise. However, the call to follow the Lord is lifelong and Christ will continually invite us to follow him closer and closer.  

God calls us in ways large and small. Each day he invites us to come and follow him without looking back at what we left behind for his sake. Often it seems crazy and we can give hundreds of very well-thought out reasons why God should give us a break or at least more time. However, this tendency to stall with God ultimately robs us of the peace and grace that comes with following his wonderful plan. Marvelous things happen when we turn ourselves over to God and his plan for us without conditions or delay. Don’t make God wait for your ‘yes’ to follow him every day, in ways large and small.

Who's Your Daddy? (12th Sunday, Year C)

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+Happy Father’s Day to all our dads!

Share how important dad has been to you, especially in your priesthood. Growing up, Dad was utterly dependable and did anything he had to to provide for the family. For a couple of years he worked 3 jobs and we really only saw him on Saturday evenings and Sundays. Also he taught me to do the right thing no matter what the cost or popular opinion and many practical things like self-denial, humor, and how to handle finances. I notice, the older I get, how much I owe to my parents and how good they really are! More and more, I see the impact my dad has had on my heart, mind, and soul as I live out my own fatherhood spiritually as a priest and pastor.

Perhaps one of the greatest compliments I was ever given in regards to my dad happened when I was in seminary. My parents would invite out-of-town-students, whose families were far away. to come over and have dinner with the family. They could hang out, enjoy time away from their studies, and be in the middle of a family atmosphere. As we were leaving, one of my classmates remarked how strange it was for him to see me interacting with my dad as a friend. He could sense the mutual respect and comfort between the two of us and it was not something he had with his own dad.This relationship with my earthly father, so positive and life-giving has translated directly to the relationship I have with my spiritual father, God Himself! I hope all of you can say the same but more on that in a minute.

One of the things we did often as a family for entertainment was to visit the zoo. Maybe it felt and sometime smelt like home. More than likely it was because it was free and it wore us out. One complaint we all had was that the most magnificent animals were often the most boring. Especially the big cats. As a kid you were hoping to hear roaring and see fangs and other amazing things that lions and tigers are supposed to do. Instead, if you saw them at all, they were lying around trying to stay cool. The word I would use was lame. My dad had a great idea to raise money for the zoo and make it more exciting. Patrons could purchase small hunks of meat and throw them into the enclosure to rile up the creatures. He also had a concept that involved bb guns but neither idea went anywhere.

I bring this up, not to highlight my dad’s strange sense of humor but because, for many Catholics, praying is like going to the zoo. Maybe you will see God, maybe you won’t. Maybe he will do something, maybe he won’t but don’t get your hopes up too high.

The fact is, many, if not most Catholics do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 1/3 of Catholics surveyed in a recent poll said that God was impersonal. In other words they could not have a living, dynamic relationship with Him. Another 19% were undecided. Only 48%, less than half, believed for sure that it was even possible for them to have a personal relationship with the Lord. Many Catholics buy into the myth that only protestants can have a lively personal relationship with God. That somehow we are just stuck with rules and traditions. But Jesus question in the gospel applies to every person who believes. “

Who do you say that I am?” he asks the apostles. He also asks us. How would you respond right now if  the Lord asked you? Would you say friend, father, savior, protector, provider? Or might it be something a little more impersonal like, “nice guy”, friendly, pleasant, non-confrontational, distant?

All people are meant to have a real friendship with God. Jesus has given us his Word in the Scriptures and, even more impressively, His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. It doesn’t get more personal than that.

Jesus wants us to know who he is, what he loves, how he cares for us. He wants to have a relationship with us as a friend, savior, lord, protector, lover, and every other good thing.

If you are wondering how that happens, look to your human relationships. How do you build a friendship with people around you? Just as important, how do you maintain and deepen that relationship? You do so by making time to be with your friend, to both talk and listen, to get to know them better, to share important moments, trials and celebrations, dreams and disappointments. You let down your guard with your friends and even let them see you vulnerable, upset, and afraid. A friend gets to know your heart, the real you, good and bad. The same is true in our friendship with God; prayer is nothing more than building a friendship with God!

It might be helpful to examine our practice of prayer and the way we treat God. Would we have human friends if we treated them the same way? Do we only ask them for things or call when we are in trouble? Do we ask them what is the bare minimum we have to do for them to tolerate us? Do we talk and never listen or go days or even weeks without thinking of them or checking in? I hope not! We wouldn’t treat our friends this way and we should be careful we don’t do these things with God either otherwise it will be no surprise that we feel distant from him.

Going back to where I started, I am incredibly grateful for the friendship I have with my dad. I can talk to him anytime about anything. If I need advice, just want to shoot the breeze, share what’s going on, or even need comfort and reassurance, he is there. Most importantly, he has taught me that a friendship with God works exactly the same way. And as good as my dad is, God has his qualities in even greater perfection to benefit me and get me to heaven. Dare to be personal friends with God. It’s possible for all of us and it will enrich your life in every possible way.

They Love More, Who Are Forgiven More (11th Sunday, Year C)

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What is the greatest, most significant thing that has been forgiven for you?

I’m a little embarrassed to say when I was thinking about this question for myself, the first two things that came to mind had to do with money. Once I bumped a car driving during my seminary days. The person, who could have filed a claim, simply told me not worry about. I also thought of the several times I have been pulled over and the officer, who could have given me a ticket, let me go with just a warning to slow down. 

Maybe some of you have similar experiences and stories. Hopefully all of us have been the beneficiaries of mercy and forgiveness. But as great as it is to be absolved of a potential traffic violation or a minor fender bender, these are debts, as painful as they can be, that we can repay on our own. The most meaningful moments of forgiveness in my life have come in areas I was powerless to resolve. Some of these have been with other people: families or friends, who I offended or took for granted. They could have chosen to withhold their mercy and make me suffer and yet they didn’t. The most profound experiences have come from God, who has been willing to forgive my sins, whenever I have been humble and courageous enough to ask. Without going into the gory details, I have and continue to need the mercy of God. I cannot repay him for the good he has done for me and I certainly cannot fix the hurt and wrong caused by my sins. Fortunately, the Lord doesn't put that on us!

The gospel today is all about the mercy of God, which is truly a mystery and an undeserved gift. On one hand you have the sinful woman who knows how broken and fallen she is. She believes in the power of Jesus to restore her to spiritual health and take away her sins. She is not proud, she doesn't worry what others might think, she doesn’t make excuses for why she should stay away or come back later or rationalize that her past really isn't that bad. Instead she boldly puts herself at the feet of the Lord and confidently begs for his mercy and forgiveness. As she receives the gift that only God can grant, the forgiveness that brings the deepest peace and joy we can experience this side of heaven, she can’t help but be full of love for Christ. The more a person is forgiven, the greater the love feel towards the one forgiving us. 

Simon the Pharisee, on the other hand, is disgusted by the woman. He is repulsed by her sinful reputation, he thinks her acts of devotion to Christ are over the top, and he self-righteously thinks to himself, “if this Jesus-guy was so great, he would realize what a terrible person is at his feet and kick her out.” Too bad Jesus could read hearts and minds! Jesus knows what is in this man’s heart, just as he knew what faith was in the sinful woman and he calls him out. Simon doesn’t think he is a sinner; he doesn’t need God’s mercy because he believes he has reached holiness by himself. Even if he isn’t perfect, at least he is not as bad as those other people, like the woman asking the Lord for mercy. Because, in his mind, he doesn't need forgiveness, because in reality, he hasn’t asked God to forgive his sins, his love is little. He doesn’t realize his debt so there is no way to be grateful to the one who wants to take it away.

You and I, we are sinners. Anyone who thinks of themselves as otherwise is in danger of thinking like Simon the pharisee. Whatever our sins may be, however large or small, they are a debt we can never repay. Yet Jesus, first on the cross and now in the sacrament of confession, offers to wipe them away. As often as we come to him, he will do it, without exception. The more we come to him for mercy and forgiveness, the more we realize our debt and the incredible gift we have in him. In short, the more we acknowledge our sinfulness before God, the more we grow in love for him. It may seem counter-intuitive but it’s true. When I think of any exceptionally holy person I have ever met, every single one of them, without exception, openly acknowledged their sins and weakness. Not to call attention to themselves nor as a display of false humility. It was a sign of their love for God. They were not afraid of their past sins because it simply manifested how much God loved them, that he would forgive their offenses so completely and without cost. Our love for God is directly proportional to how often we receive his forgiveness and mercy.

The same is true in the opposite way. Ever notice how people who are focused on themselves and moving away from God, how they are never wrong, how it is always someone else’s fault?! If we don’t think that we are sinners, if we think we are ok because we are at least not as bad as those other people, if fail to ask for  our spiritual debts to be forgiven, especially in confession, our love for God will be small. And if our Love for God is small, we will not have compassion for the faults and failings of other people. Those who do not acknowledge their need for mercy tend to be the harshest of critics.

We are blessed to find ourselves in the Year of Mercy, where the Church has opened up the floodgates of Christ’s forgiveness. Do not be afraid to acknowledge the sins of your past, whether they be large or small. If you have stayed away from confession for a while in the name of embarrassment, fear, or busyness, now is a very good time to encounter his love in this sacrament. If you feel like you don’t really need forgiveness or that it can wait, please re-evaluate based on what we just heard in the gospel. All of us are in debt because of our sins; none of us can repay it on our own. Ask for mercy today, tomorrow, and the next day. Acknowledge your sins and grow in love. That’s the key to peace, joy, and happiness, both in this life and in the life to come.

God Cares for You (Year C)

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How dark the world had become for the two women in our readings today, the widow of Zeraphath in the first reading and the widow of Nain in the Gospel. Because they were widows, they had no way to support themselves other than what living they could scratch out, perhaps doing some weaving or working in the fields during the harvest time. But they had one great joy: they had sons. Not only were these the lights of the their lives, but their sons would be the ones who would care for them when they could no longer provide for themselves. Then suddenly, their sons died. There is no greater grief than to lose a child and nothing the world throws at us can be worse than the death of a child. The widows’ grief had to be unfathomable. But God was aware of their grief. In the first reading God heard the prayers of Elijah for the widow of Zeraphath and restored her son’s life. In the Gospel Jesus brought the widow of Nain’s son back to life. 

God transformed their grief into complete joy. We are all tempted to be bound by the negatives of life. We certainly hear enough about the horrible things that happen in the world. We should be aware of the suffering of other people so we can reach out to them, but life is not negative. It is wonderful. It is full of joy and laughter. Our world is beautiful. Consider the magnificence of our country, the canyon lands, the mountains, the lakes and oceans. Look at our children. How can we not help but recognize how wonderful the world is when we see our students excel not just in their academics, but take their first steps to becoming productive members of our faith and our country? How can we not be positive when we see our college people giving a summer or a year to serve the Lord in his poorest people, and then taking leadership positions in the faith? How can we not be positive when we see so many of our families taking their Catholicism so seriously? How can we not be full of joy when we look at the faces of our little children? There are so many positives in the world. We have been given a tremendous gift, Jesus Christ. The Victor has conquered the negatives of life. Jesus Christ has conquered death. The waters of our baptism have immersed us into beauty. "The Word of the Lord truly comes from your mouth,” the widow of the first reading exclaimed. "A great prophet has risen from our midst,” the people of the Gospel added. You can feel the excitement and joy in the people who proclaimed these statements. Prophecy and life are linked together. The way of the Lord is the way of life. 

Perhaps the greatest argument for hope comes when we look at Jesus’ reaction to the widow’s grief. The word St. Luke uses suggests the Lord was profoundly moved, down to the core of his being. In this moment, we can’t help but see Jesus’ compassion towards those who are suffering. It’s interesting to note that the initiative to raise up the son of the widow is taken by Christ; no one asks him to do it. Everyone had already accepted the young man’s death as the final word. He could have passed by this funeral procession or waited quietly until they begged him to do something. But his heart is stirred by this mother’s suffering. Perhaps he had his own mother in mind, knowing what she went through with the death of St. Joseph and what she would go through with his passion and death. He know this widow had lost everything, she lost her son. It is more than just another miracle; it is almost as if Jesus can’t help himself when he sees people hurting. It is in his nature to console and connect with the broken hearted. So he goes up to her and says, “Do not weep.” We can almost hear Jesus continue explaining to the confused and grieving woman, ‘I don’t want to see you crying; I’ve come to earth to bring joy and peace.’ 

This compassion and empathy did not disappear when Jesus ascended into heaven. His care for those who are hurting continues today for every human heart that is broken, confused, lost, or lonely. Jesus identifies closely with the grieving parent, the grieving spouse, the grieving sibling, the grieving child, and the grieving friend. If you are one of these people, if you are hurting, lonely, confused, lost, or broken-hearted, be encouraged, because at this very moment, Jesus is near to you, he knows your pain and suffering, he shares it with you, and he is loving you tremendously and personally. He is not indifferent in any way!

In many cases, Jesus cares for the suffering through us. You and I are called to be his ambassadors of consolation and strength for those who are lost, grieving, lonely, and hurting. Our prayers, support, and thoughtfulness can shine a ray of Christ’s hope into the darkness that sickness and death casts over individuals and families. Many people get uncomfortable around those who are in the midst of suffering and death. Some of that is understandable but more often than not, it’s because we feel we need to have answers for what is happening or we need to fix their problems. That is not our job! Who can understand the ways of God and the mysteries of sickness and death? 

We can also be tempted to wonder if God cares for us in moments of loss. Why doesn’t he do something? Why does he raise the widow’s son while my child, my spouse, my family member suffered and died? I wondered this myself when my baby sister died 19 years ago. It may not console us in the moment of death, but the truth is that Jesus has actually raised all of us from the dead. With his passion and death, he resurrected the human race from the clutches of sin. As difficult as it is to accept, he allows death in this life to make way for eternal life. Every person who was healed or brought back to life by Jesus in the gospel eventually died. On the other hand, every single person he has redeemed and brought into heaven will never die or suffer again.  

Let us stay close to Christ in our moments of trial and suffering. Let us never forget that he is right next to us, loving us, supporting us, and even hurting with us. We have a God who empathizes, who cares for us personally, a God with a heart the world can’t contain. Let’s believe this Good News and make sure we share it with others who are suffering!