Jesus' Last Words (Ascension, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

This year, the feast of the Lord’s Ascension speaks to me in a very personal way. Today Jesus is leaving the people he loves, the ones he has cared for, and spent every day with. He is leaving for something even greater, the next stage, a new chapter. Today, Jesus rejoins his Father in heaven and paves the way for the Holy Spirit to come down and abide with his believers forever. Something similar happens for the priest as he prepares for a new assignment, saying goodbye to people he has been with for years. One significant difference: I do not anticipate being taken up into the clouds as I make my way to Incarnate Word Parish! 

As Jesus ascends into heaven, he gives us a parting gift: He gives us his final words.

We normally take very seriously the last words our loved ones uttered to us; 

     - we turn those words over in our minds, 

     - we consider them carefully

     - we store them up in our hearts and ponder them - much as Mary stored up the words of the angel, the shepherds, and the magi in her heart after her encounters with them. 

If the last words of a loved one to us are uttered in the form of a command or wish, if they are uttered with any seriousness - in the knowledge that soon time and space will separate us, if they ask us to do something, we are inclined to do everything in our power to both remember those words and to do that which was asked of us.

Last words are indeed important words. Knowing that - today I want to reflect with you on the last words of Jesus while he was here on earth.

If you ask most people  what the last words of Jesus were, chances are they might tell you that his last words were: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" -- or perhaps - "Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit". When most people think of the last words that Jesus spoke here on earth we tend to think of those words that he spoke upon the cross - those words he spoke just before his death - and not of the words that he spoke to his disciples, and to all of the Church, after his resurrection, on the day he ascended into heaven.

The last words that Jesus uttered while still on earth, while still walking about in his resurrected body, were just read to us in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. As he prepared to join his Father in heaven, Jesus tell the Apostles and us: “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

But what does it mean to be his witnesses? The answer to that question can be found in today’s gospel from Matthew. Christ says quite simply, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” During this indefinite time between his ascension and his return in glory, Jesus wants the apostles to make the church grow, to spread the Good News of his victory over death, and to witness to his resurrection. He promised great signs and divine protection to those who follow his command. 

But Christ’s command to the apostles didn’t stop there; as a matter of fact, his mandate to “Go and make disciples of all nations” extends to you and me as well. Even though Christ has ascended into heaven, even though we are waiting for his return at any moment of every day, we are expected to evangelize and give witness to all we have received through the gift of our faith. All of us have received the gift of the Holy Spirit by virtue of our Baptism and those of us who have been confirmed have also received the graces of Pentecost within our souls. 

The Ascension reminds us that it is time to spread the gospel, whether we are a priest or parent, a teacher or laborer, professional or full-time student. This is our task in this time of waiting for Christ’s second coming; we are not just supposed to sit around idly, hoping that we are ready when Jesus returns. 

I point out this command to spread the Good News because far too often people think it is something reserved for deacons, priests, bishops, and these who have consecrated their lives completely to Christ. And while it is my full-time job to spread the gospel, it is yours as well. I believe that one of the reasons that people still do not know Christ, the reason that so many people do not live the gospel is because ordinary Christians do not realize the power of their witness and their ability to spread the saving message of Our Lord. In a special way, in a way that I cannot be, you are the apostles to the corporate world, the educational world, the retail world, the entertainment world, and so on. This is the beauty of the Christian vocation; all of you, through your everyday work, have the privilege and opportunity to be made holy and to bring others to Christ. The Ascension of our Lord compels and commands us to use this time, before he returns, as an opportunity to bring others to the Lord. It is not enough simply to take care of ourselves.

As we celebrate the Ascension , let us pay close attention to these last words of Christ. First, let us thank God for the gift of our faith, which was given to us by those following the Lord’s command to share the Good News. Second, let us resolve to spread our own faith to those we encounter in our lives by the joyful and peaceful ways we carry ourselves. Finally, let us recommit ourselves to the practice of personal prayer, that our witness to the gospel will not be mere words or empty showmanship but a genuine and passionate display of the life of the Holy Spirit. In this way, we will honor Christ by making disciples of all nations.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words (6th Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

The spoken word is an amazing thing. We hear in the beginning of John's gospel, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” This Eternal Word is actually a person, Our Lord, the second person of the Holy Trinity. God's Word is so incredibly powerful and life-giving, that in the beginning of time, all it took was his words to create the universe, the earth, and all living creatures, including the most magnificent of all, the human person. But God's word is not the only word that has power. Even as humans, what we say can have an incredible effect. A word of forgiveness can transform a person’s life. A word of hope can bring new meaning to someone's existence. A word of love gives purpose to one's living; it makes life worthwhile. Inspiring words can even motivate someone to lay down their life for a cause or another person. Our words and God's are very, very powerful!

But more often than not, words only go so far. If we are not careful, honest, or sincere, no matter how beautiful or eloquent our words may be, they fall flat if not reinforced by our actions. There is nothing worse than someone who misuses their words for lies or empty flattery. In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us what it means to love God. Jesus does not say, “if you love me, say nice things to me or recite lots of prayers.” Instead, he says simply, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.” This seems very simple on the surface, but anyone who has ever been in a meaningful relationship knows how difficult it can be to move from words to actions in loving another person. Talk is cheap but actions speak louder than words. Our friendship with God is not much different than our friendship with other people. What helps us to be a good friend to those around us will also apply in our friendship with God.

If loving God is tied directly to keeping his commandments, what are the commandments we need to keep? In the Mosaic law, there were many commandments; in fact there were 613 that every observant Jew was expected to know and observe. Jesus simplifies all of the Commandments into two basic laws. In order to prove our love for God we should love him above all things, with our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole strength, with everything that we are. Secondly, we should love our neighbor as ourselves. All of the “rules of our Church are directed towards keeping these two commands. If we observe these two Commandments, we not only honor God but we prove that we love him. The flip side is that if we do not keep the Commandments we essentially tell God that we do not love him.

Now many people might try to argue with this point. Some will say, “how can God expect me to be perfect?” “I have every intention of loving God and being a good Christian, isn't that good enough?” Today's Gospel answers that objection with a resounding no! Most of us have probably heard of the saying the road to hell is paved with good intentions. St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote that hell is full of people with good desires and wishes. Heaven is full of people who acted on those good intentions and made them a reality. It is not enough for us simply to want to love God or to be a good person. We actually have to carry out that desire by our actions.

So what does this look like in everyday practical terms? It means something like this: when I come to mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation, I'm telling God, I love you. When I obey and respect my parents and my teachers and those who have legitimate authority over me, I am showing God that I love him. And when I follow the church's teaching on marriage and family planning, God knows then that I love him. But when I lie, or gossip, or disobey or pick and choose which commandments I will respect and which ones I will ignore, when I do these things, I am telling God in no uncertain language, I do not love you. That's why sin is so serious, that's why we want to avoid committing a sin no matter how small or insignificant it might seem. Every single sin is an attack on God and on love.

The good news is even when we tell God by our actions that we don’t love him, he still loves us. In fact, God can never stop loving us, no matter what we do to him. He is infinitely patient and merciful and ready to love us when we will accept it. That's why the Church encourages us to go to confession on a regular basis. The sacrament of reconciliation is an opportunity to tell God we are sorry for our actions that are unloving and it is an opportunity to grow in love once again.

I want to encourage you this week to take some time and examine your actions. Is your behavior something that shows God you love him? Or does it show that you love someone or something more than God? Can people look at your example, the way you treat other people and know, this is a Christian, this is a person who keeps God’s commandments? More than likely, we all have some work to do. There are probably some things from our past that need God’s healing and mercy. Maybe there are some bad habits of laziness or wrong priorities that need to be straightened out. Whatever the case, don’t put it off, don’t leave it until the next day. God deserves your love; he deserves your best effort in keeping the two great commandments. Let us show the Lord that our love for him is much more than mere words, reinforcing it by our actions each and every day.

It Would've Been Enough! (5th Sunday of Easter, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

Not only is today [this weekend] the 5^th Sunday of Easter, but it is also Mother’s Day. So, before I begin the homily, I’d like to wish all moms here today a very happy Mother’s Day. Thanks to you who have brought forth and nurtured new life with generous hearts, for which we are eternally grateful. Thank you for your patience, guidance, and sacrifice in fulfilling your calling as moms. So much of what you do is quiet and unnoticed by anyone except God. I hope you all enjoy a wonderful and well-deserved Mother’s Day.    

On this day where we take time to give thanks for our moms, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the role of gratitude throughout our lives. As Christians, as humans, we have been saved by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. An innocent man, the second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, laid down his life to rescue each and every one of us from the clutches of sin and death. This gift we received was completely undeserved and yet Jesus gave it anyway. What is our response? Gratitude should be central to our Life in Christ. In some way gratitude is our Life in Christ. You and I have nothing that we have not received: from our parents, from other people, and ultimately, from God. There are only two ways to respond to a gift: 1) with humble gratitude expressed by some form of “thank you” or 2) with an attitude of entitlement, which is manifested by the thinking “I deserve this”.

There is a humorous story about how much we have received and how little gratitude we often show: A grandmother takes her grandson to the beach. The boy goes out in a boat which tips over. The grandmother starts shouting for help. No one comes. Finally she prays, "Please, God, send someone to rescue my grandchild." As if out of nowhere a man appears, dives in the water and brings the boy, gasping, to shore. The grandmother comforts him and starts straightening out the boy's wet clothes, then stops, looks to heaven and says, "He had a hat!" 

We smile because we recognize our own selves. God has given us everything: life, health, family, friends, talents, material blessings, and so much more. What each of us have is certainly more than we deserve. Instead of constant gratitude we easily get upset when one thing goes wrong. Getting stuck in traffic, a negative comment, a bad meal, poor weather, or any other number of setbacks or inconveniences lead us to think negative thoughts about our life or God’s love for us. We've been given everything but easily become sad when one part is taken away. That is, unless we are in the habit of being grateful and counting our blessings rather than disappointments.

By way of contrast there is a Jewish prayer called Dayenu which means, "It would be sufficient” or “it would’ve been enough.” This prayer is part of the Passover celebration and I was reminded of it when I had the privilege of participating in a Christian seder meal just before Easter with our RCIA people. The prayer is a grateful listing of all the blessings God gave to his people throughout the ages. After each blessing is remembered, everyone at the table says, “dayenu”, meaning “it would have been enough”. So the prayer sounds something like this: If God had led us through the Red Sea, but not to Mount Sinai, it would have been enough. If God had given the manna, but not led us to the Promised Land, it would have been enough. If God sent us the prophets of truth and not made us a holy people, it would have been enough. This prayer of thanks goes on to observe 26 solemn blessings but I think you get the idea. 

When we look at our own lives with this same spirit of gratitude, we are both humbled by God’s incredible generosity and blown away by the sheer number of blessings we receive. If I say the “dayenu” prayer in terms of my own experience, it looks something like this: If God had opened heaven for me but not forgiven me over and over again, it would have been enough. If God had given me the Eucharist but not called me to the priesthood, where I become his presence for so many it would have been enough. If God had called me to be a priest but not a pastor, it would had been enough. And on and on would go my blessings. I cannot tell you how many nights I pause before bed and say, “thank you Lord for letting me pastor of this beautiful parish and these wonderful people.” Hopefully this is not the first time you have heard me say this!

I could easily say the same prayer in terms of my mom. If mom had given me life and not raised me, fed me, and taught me countless points of wisdom and virtue, it would have been enough. If mom had taught me those things but not reinforced them by example, it would have been enough. If mom had forgiven me for all the silliness and pettiness of childhood but not remained loving and supportive, it would have been enough. And of course, my list, and hopefully yours too, could go on and on!

For today, remember this: Gratitude builds faith. The more we say thank you to God for our blessings (both the big ones like faith, family, and friends and the little ones like good food, fun moments, and laughing till it hurts) the more our faith will grow. Rather than focus on what we are missing or what didn’t work out, remember what we actually have. Try to say the Dayenu prayer every day, in your own words for the specific blessings you recognize. I promise you, your eyes will be opened to how present Jesus is in your day. You will find yourself saying, “It is enough” or more appropriately, “God is Enough!”     

The Lord is My Shepherd (4th Sunday of Easter, Year A)

I’m not sure how much you know about sheep, but in case you haven’t studied this ovine species recently, I'll fill you in. Sheep are gentle and docile by nature. They tend to have FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and they tend to congregate in flocks for safety and protection. Because they hate being alone, sheep are not independent; they need a shepherd to guide them to good, clean water and places of pasture. Sheep have poor vision but exceptional hearing, allowing them to hear and recognize the voice of their shepherd, even when they have drifted far away or are surrounded by the sheep of another flock. Sheep are not very intelligent but they are extremely loyal to their shepherd. Sheep rely heavily on their shepherd for care and protection. For example, if a sheep falls over onto its back, it is unable to get back on its feet and will die unless the shepherd comes and rolls it over.

You are getting a crash course in sheep because the fourth Sunday of Easter, is Good Shepherd Sunday. The Church gives us this feast, with these wonderful readings to continue our meditation on Easter as we hear of Christ as a loving shepherd. But if we are going to appreciate the metaphor of sheep and shepherd, used by Christ himself, we first have to know a little something about sheep. Most of us are so far removed from the care of animals like cows, sheep, and pigs that this metaphor loses some of its power.

In the ancient world, sheep were crucial for everyday life. They were a source of wool for clothing, their milk was used for cheese and nourishment. They could be slaughtered for meat, and even used for temple sacrifice. However, most sheep were raised for their wool and would live 8-10 years in the same flock, with the same shepherd.

But sheep were helpless without a shepherd. The shepherd was an essential figure in the ancient world. He would protect the sheep from wild dogs and wolves and he would find them places of pasture for grazing. The shepherd did not drive the sheep; he would actually walk before them and lead them to the place they were going. Shepherds would name each of their sheep; this helped him to know if one of the flock was missing. Finally, each night, if possible, the shepherd would lead his sheep to a sheepfold. This was an enclosure with walls to help protect the sheep at night from predators and thieves. There was only one opening for the animals to enter and exit. At night, the shepherd would lay down across this opening to block any predators from coming in. The shepherd literally laid down his own body to protect the sheep from thieves and wild animals.

This was the relationship that existed in the ancient world between sheep and shepherd. The sheep were lost without the shepherd; they relied on him totally for food, water, and protection. If they became lost, he would find them and bring them back. In short, the sheep put their trust completely in the shepherd. The shepherd, for his part, sacrificed himself for the good of the flock. He put himself in danger to protect them when wild animals approached. He spent long hours each day making sure all his sheep were accounted for. And he would always lead them, making sure that they would find places for food, water, and safety.

With this deeper understanding of the relationship between sheep and shepherd, we can begin to appreciate the notion of Christ as our shepherd and we as his sheep. As much as we like to think of ourselves as self-sufficient, independent, and intelligent; there are times for each of us, when we are confused, helpless, and lost in life. For some of us, our valley of darkness will be unhealthy personal relationships, for others it might be some sort of addiction or dependency. The shadow of death for us, for our spiritual lives might be experienced in the loss of a friend or family member, a personal struggle with greed or lust, or even some personal tragedy like a serious injury or grave illness.

Even though we live in the 21^st century, even though we live in the United States with so many good things, we are often like sheep. We are still in need of a shepherd. We need someone who will guide us through the dangers and hazards of our everyday lives. We need a good shepherd, who will walk with us and lead us to fresh pastures. A good shepherd who will protect us from all spiritual dangers and will search us out and find us if we get lost.

Christ is that Good Shepherd. He leads us to the fresh waters of grace, especially in the sacraments. He takes us to green pastures, in a particular way here in the Eucharist. Christ knows each one of us by name. Like a good shepherd, he knows us and calls us ever closer to him. If we fall, and we all do, he lifts us up and puts us back on our feet through the sacrament of reconciliation. Finally, Jesus protects us. By giving us the Church, he makes sure that we have a sheepfold for rest and protection from the attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil. Here in the Eucharist he lays down his own life; he sacrifices his very own body, so we might have life and have it more abundantly. In him our souls find contentment and peace.

We, for our part, must be good sheep. We must learn to hear and recognize the voice of our shepherd, Christ the Lord. There are many other voices that try to pull us away from Jesus and the flock of the Catholic Church. We must allow the Lord to lead us through the Church, the sacraments, and prayer. May we be people who follow Christ, the Good Shepherd, as he leads us to the green pastures of our heavenly homeland. May our hearts echo the words of the psalm today: “the Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”