Don't Be Ruled By Fear (4th Sunday, Year B)

To listen to this homily, click here.

One of the hallmarks of the 90’s, when I was making the journey from being a child to a teenager, was the No Fear brand. This lifestyle clothing company was founded by race car driver Brian Simo and some friends and their simple slogan was soon plastered on t-shirts, baseball hats, bumper stickers and decals all over the place. The rise of the No Fear brand coincided with the introduction of extreme sports into mainstream culture. So, the basic idea was to go for broke, life is short, win or die, second place is for losers. Not surprisingly, No Fear became the rally sign for anything and anyone full of obnoxious bravado. Its decals were most commonly found on lifted trucks with knobby off-road tires or SUVS which appeared stolen from the set of a Mad Max movie.

The confrontation with fear is something that has haunted humanity from the earliest times. And while the tough and macho claim to be immune to it, fear never seems to be in short supply. Some medical experts estimate that perhaps half of all symptoms have their origin in fear. The patient fears losing a job, being exposed, losing a loved one, betrayal or old age - and the dread manifests itself in medical symptoms such as severe bodily pain. The doctor examines the patient and discovers no physical cause, yet the pain or paralysis is real. The fear that causes such symptoms is called "anxiety" - an unfocused, free-floating fear that won't go away. This is sort of fear and anxiety is harmful in every way. The human body and soul wasn’t made for it and if it isn’t confronted in a healthy way, it will eat us alive.

On the other hand, there are other types of fear that are good, holy, and productive. Fear is meant to protect us from serious threats that could harm us. Only a fool would jump into a enclosure with a wild bear, lion, or gorilla to prove their fearlessness. Only for a noble reason should any person in their right mind enter into a situation where death is a real possibility. It is good and holy to fear offending God by sin. God instilled a healthy fear within us to keep us safe physically and spiritually. It should guide and protect but never rule us.

Each of our readings deals with different expressions of fear. In the passage from Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people of the Lord’s promise to raise up a prophet to serve as a mediator between the people and God. The people of Israel had asked for this arrangement after experiencing God on Mount Horeb. God’s power and majesty were so terrifying that the people told Moses, “we are too afraid. Talk to God for us and we will do whatever he says.” God doesn’t want his children to live in fear so he agrees but he reminds the people in today’s passage that they have to listen to his prophets as part of the deal.

In the second reading, St. Paul says he would like us to be "free of anxiety." He is giving advice for single people considering marriage, but his wish applies to all Christians. St. Paul would happily join the prayer we say at the conclusion of the Our Father: “Deliver us Lord we pray from every evil and graciously grant peace in our days.”

In the Gospel, Jesus encounters a man with an unclean spirit and the demons possessing this poor man cry out in fear when Jesus speaks to them. They are afraid because they realize Jesus has power over them and they are about to be defeated. Like cowards and sore losers, they make a great commotion until Jesus tells them to be quiet and leave the man, at which point they flee to the great amazement of the onlookers. 

Pope Benedict addressed the common problem of fear and anxiety in some of his writings. He began by acknowledging fear as a natural part of life. He then distinguished between imaginary, childhood fears that later disappear and the ones rooted in reality. Realistic fears have to be faced with human commitment and trust in God. However, the Holy Father says there is "a deeper form of fear, of an existential form, which at times borders on anguish: this fear is born from a sense of emptiness, connected with a culture permeated by diffused nihilism. (which simply means that nothing ultimately matters“ To defeat this fear, which borders on despair, we must receive the power of Christ and allow his influence in our lives.

Going back to the Gospel, recall the question the evil spirits ask Jesus. “Have you come to destroy us?” Evidently the unclean spirit had taken over most of the man's personality. These demons were so arrogant as to think if they were cast out, the man would be destroyed. But when the unclean spirits left him he was whole again. What first looked like destruction turned out to be liberation.

All of this begs the question for us as followers of Christ: what role does fear have in our lives? Are we aware of the ways that unhealthy fear and anxiety might dominate our thinking and influence our decision-making? Have we brought our fear to the Lord to be redeemed and healed or do we try and fight it on our own? Just as important, do we have a healthy fear of offending God through sin? Do we allow holy fear to bring us to greater love of God and other people? Or do we give in to a spirit of pride, walking right into situations that could damage our body and soul? 

One of the most comforting things about our faith is the promise that evil and death have already been defeated by the passion and death of Christ. In the midst of fearful and terrifying situations, we find supernatural power and authority by praying in the name of Jesus, first for ourselves and then for others. By praying in His Son’s name, God can use any of us to bring liberation to those paralyzed by fear. At Mass today, we ask Jesus to protect us from anxiety - especially the fear that so easily turns into despair. And we give him permission to use our lives and words to help set others free so the world can be a holier and happy place.

Turn To God! (3rd Sunday, Year B)

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One of the things I like to do in my free time is watch sports. While I haven’t quite warmed up to curling or Nascar, if the event is competitive and I’m not doing anything, I like to see how it ends up. What always strikes me about a close game are the final moments when time is running out. For example, this past Tuesday evening, The Blues were playing Toronto. They were losing by a goal with less than two minutes to go. Once they got the puck into the Maple Leaf’s zone, they pulled the goalie and worked like wild men to keep possession of the puck. All their hard work payed off when they scored with less than a minute left to force overtime where they eventually won. We see the same thing in football with the two-minute drill. In the final moments of the half or game, teams often go the length of the field without wasting any time. Earlier drives might have taken seven or eight minutes and stalled! But with the urgency and effort of the final drive, often points are put on the board. In both cases, the thought crosses my mind, “why couldn’t they play with this energy and intensity the whole game?!” A ticking clock is a powerful motivator, especially when time is running out!

This notion of time running out is coupled with repentance in our readings today. If we wanted to summarize the message of God’s Word, we might simply say, “Life is short. Turn to God immediately and stop putting it off for tomorrow!” The message is loud and clear but doing it is another story! In the First Reading God says to Jonah, “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me.” Jonah does exactly the opposite, like an ornery child does sometimes (I know because I was one, my mother might still say I am). He drops everything and races off in the opposite direction, apparently trying get as far from God’s words as possible. It’s not smart to try and run from God but Jonah gives it a shot. The message of repentance he was called to deliver revealed a need in his own heart to turn back to God. But he wasn’t ready, not yet, so he tries to delay, to put it off, to hide from God.

In response God sends a terrible storm. Jonah admits to the crew that he is fleeing God. He says, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea and then the sea will calm down for you, for I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me.” When nothing else works, with great reluctance, they toss him overboard. The sea turns quiet. Jonah in turn is swallowed by a “large fish,” usually referred to in tradition as a whale.

Three days in a whale’s belly gives one a lot of time for reflection, among other things. Jonah decides to stop putting God off and repents. He prays a psalm-like prayer about what he has done. God hears him and saves him and tells him a second time to go to the great and sinful city of Nineveh to announce the Lord’s message. Jonah submits at last and as a result the whole city is saved.

Why in the world didn’t Jonah just follow God’s command instead of running off in the opposite direction? It is always more difficult and exhausting to run from God and resist his call to conversion! One reason is that Jonah did not want Nineveh, the pagan city, to convert and be saved because these people were an enemy of the Hebrews. They were ruthless and terrible. He probably thought, “why should they get mercy when they have shown none to us?” In any case, if we are honest with ourselves, we also know what it is like to run from God at times, so we aren’t so different from Jonah.

We can ask ourselves, are we running away from God in any way right now, like Jonah? Is there an area of our lives, perhaps a relationship, or an addiction that requires conversion and repentance? Do we keep putting it off and distracting ourselves with the thought we have plenty more time? Might it be time to start the two-minute drill and drive down the field to victory with God? 

We have as inspiration the example of the apostles in the Gospel. Certainly they had no idea what they were getting into when they dropped everything and followed Jesus. Would they have been so quick if they had known about the crucifixion?

But for all their naïveté  and misunderstandings, they didn’t run away. They followed Jesus with passion and conviction and over time he was able to convert their hearts to be like his. With Jesus’ gentle guidance they found out what following the Messiah really meant. Whereas Jonah had imagined the worst and run away, the apostles imagined the best and ran to follow Jesus. As it happened, they ran into the worst: the passion and crucifixion. But even in that darkest moment they saw that God’s love cannot be defeated and He will always protect those who belong to Him.

Take some time today to reflect on that simple and challenging question, “Am I running away from the Lord and what he wants, like Jonah? If so, why? Do I really think God is going to give up? Can I possibly be happy and at peace as long as I avoid the God who loves and redeems me? On the other hand, what needs to change so I can start running, like the apostles, toward Jesus? Whichever way we run, there will be sufferings and trials. But take comfort knowing God will keep after you, pulling you out of fishy environments, pushing you, over and over, asking you to learn, in your obedience, what love is really about. Let’s not wait until our final moments to find out what his love can do in our lives because His Love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me!

Speak Lord, Your Servant Is Listening! (2nd Sunday, Year B)

To listen to this homily, click here.

The passage we heard from 1 Sammuel is, in my opinion, one of the more beautiful moments in the Old Testament. This story about young Sammuel and his priestly mentor Eli, is all about God’s calling for the young man. It is an intimate look into how God invites someone to live out their life in a meaningful, deliberate way, full of purpose and guided by the Lord. Notice how the Lord calls out to Sammuel; he is gentle, soft, and loving. This calling is so personal, familiar, and intimate that Sammuel thinks it is his teacher Eli. God is a perfect blend of patient and persistent; even when Sammuel gets confused about who is calling, God does not get angry or give up. The key moment occurs when Sammuel realizes, with the help of Eli, that God is trying to talk to him. And he responds in the most perfect way possible, “speak Lord, your servant listening.”  Because Sammuel’s heart is open, docile, and willing to listen, God goes on to tell him what he will do with his life. He will go on to be a great prophet, he will be the mouth of God, and he will anoint both King Saul and the great king David. All the incredible things he did during his life began in that quiet moment as a young boy when he discovered his calling. 

We call that moment in life, when God speaks to someone, a vocation. This word comes from the Latin verb vocare, meaning “to call.” Often there is a major misunderstanding about what a vocation is and who has one. Many people believe that a vocation is delivered by God in a spectacular way, with rolling thunder and flashes of lightening, or like St. Paul, falling down and struck blind. Occasionally that might happen, but most people experience their calling from God like Sammuel: in the quiet, gentle moments of prayerful listening. And usually, like Sammuel, they will be helped in their discernment by a person who serves as a spiritual mentor or sounding board.

Another misunderstanding comes from the fact that the word “vocation” has been used to describe the calling a person has to the priesthood or religious life. In other words, if God was inviting you to be a priest, nun, or brother, then you had a vocation. This is true, but it is also incomplete. Every single person created has a vocation. In fact each of us in church today has two callings. The first is common to all of us; it is the invitation to live as a son or daughter of God with our Christian Faith. All people are called to a life of holiness by practicing and deepening their faith. You could say this is our primary vocation; each person is called to be holy, to be a saint without exception. 

The second vocation is more unique and personal. In this, there are three possibilities for each person. We can be invited to serve in a) the married life, b) the priesthood or religious life, or c) as a single, consecrated person. Whichever God invites us to will be the path that makes us most happy and uses all of our gifts, our personality, and causes us to be truly alive. Honestly, the majority of people here today will be called to the vocation of marriage, that beautiful life where two people become one in love and also cooperate with God to bring new life into the world. Marriage is a noble calling that serves as a symbol to the whole world of God’s love for the Church. It is a vocation of service, not only to one’s spouse but also to the children that come from that union and to society as a whole. What an awesome calling and probably one that is undervalued today!

A second possibility is an invitation to the priesthood and religious life. Incarnate Word has a wonderful heritage of providing priests and religious to serve the church, especially here in St. Louis. I believe some of you in this parish are being called to this beautiful life of service. I pray some of our youth at Incarnate Word have been given the beautiful seed of a priestly or religious vocation and I hope we, as their parish and family, can encourage and protect that precious gift. 

A final option for the one who follows God is the life of a consecrated single person. Although this is not as common, these people are the ones who feel called in a special way to devote their lives to the Lord while living in the world and working in their profession. Their work becomes a crucial part of their ministry and choosing to remain single allows them to devote themselves to God, family, and neighbor in a way that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

In all three types of vocations, there is beauty and goodness. Each vocation is composed of our human gifts, unique personality, free choice and partnered with God’s grace and wise plan. Discovering our vocation is not something that is done once and then we are finished. It is a living process where we listen to God and allow him to lead us towards the things and persons that will make us better Christians, better witnesses to his Love, and more capable of changing the world into a happier, holier place. There is no set formula for discerning your calling from God; some will hear the call as young children, others when they are older. Most people fall somewhere in between. Some will know immediately, without a doubt, others will only be sure after trying several different paths. But one thing is certain; to understand your calling from God, you must make time for quiet, time for God to speak softly to your heart. Otherwise, our prayer will sound something like, “ Listen Lord, your servant is speaking.”! Let us rejoice that we are loved by a God who treats us as individuals and who cares for us each in a unique way. Let us trust that whatever he will call us to will bring happiness and fulfillment, more so than we could ever plan for ourselves. Finally, may we have the courage and docility of Sammuel to say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

We Three Kings (Epiphany 2018)

            Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, which I have to admit, is a feast I didn't always think was a big deal. However, about 10 years ago, I had the opportunity to spend the first part of January in Southern Spain. I was in Seville during this feast day and took part in a parade for the three kings. It lasted over four hours and processed through the entire city. Experiencing the great reverence the Spanish had for the three kings helped me understand the significance of this feast for us as followers of Christ, 2000 years after his birth.

            There is very little the scriptures tell us about these men. We hear that the magi came from the east following a star and they brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Tradition tells us there were three magi and their names were Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior. It is supposed that they came from Persia and were members of a priestly class of people with some degree of wealth. Other than that, we really don't know anything else.

             So what is so important about this mysterious encounter between the Magi and the Christ-Child? What was so special about this visit that St. Matthew found it necessary to include it in his gospel?

            The word "epiphany" is significant. Epiphany is defined as "a moment of sudden revelation or insight." This meeting between the Magi was indeed just that. Here was a moment when Jesus, the messiah for the Jewish people became the savior of all peoples. Here in this encounter between Jesus and these magi, Christ was manifested to the gentiles and showed God's intent to save not only his Chosen people but the entire world. This broadening of salvation to the gentiles was a divine twist to the messianic expectations of Israel and is certainly good news to all of us.

            Just as important and relevant for us today is the example of these magi in seeking and greeting the Christ-Child. How remarkable that they would spend weeks and even months pursuing a star into a foreign land! What faith these royal men must have had to follow the gentle light of a mysterious star to a humble house in Bethlehem! What patience to endure the long travel into the unknown and to continue undiscouraged, even on cloudy nights when the star was obscured! What open hearts these marvelous men must have had to be stirred by the interior promptings of God's grace and the exterior stimulus of the star!

            And when they arrived at the house where Jesus, Mary and Joseph were resting, what was their reaction? The gospel tells us that they were overjoyed, and when they saw the child with his mother, they prostrated themselves and did him homage. As a final gesture of reverence and devotion, they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts, each worth a great deal, are also symbolically rich. Gold was given in homage to a king; as the Magi acknowledged Christ as the Kings of Kings. Frankincense was burnt in offering to God and often represented prayers rising to the almighty. Not only did the Magi hail him as King, but they also accepted him as Lord. Their final gift was myrrh. Myrrh was a wonderful-smelling ointment that was used in the embalming of the dead. This final gift of the Magi foreshadowed the saving death of Christ, which would redeem the world from the captivity of sin.

            Contrast the response of the Magi to the reaction of King Herod. The Magi were overjoyed at seeing the star leading them to Christ but Herod was deeply troubled. While the Magi were seeking this newborn king so they could pay him homage, Herod was hoping to find the Christ-Child so he could destroy him. Herod was threatened by the prospect of Christ the king because he wanted to be his own ruler. His god was his own will and he was ready to destroy anyone and anything that got in his way. Herod's was completely absorbed by the things of this world and his sole focus was trying to maintain his shaky dominion. In King Herod we see the effects of sin. Sin does not seek Christ; it certainly does not rejoice in his coming. Sin offers nothing more than lip-service to the savior and oftentimes attacks him directly.            

            As we rejoice during this Christmas season, we would be wise to reflect on the Epiphany. There is a little bit of King Herod in each of us; .... we all have tendencies toward sin. It can be easy for us to become absorbed with the things of this world just as Herod was. And if we are really honest with ourselves, we will see that many of our sins and shortcomings stem from a desire to be our own king, to do our own will. How often we are afraid to allow Christ to be King of our lives and we hesitate to offer him the treasures of our hearts! Such sinful tendencies cannot exist alongside the Christ-Child; whichever one we hold onto will destroy the other.

            As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, each of us wants Christ as the Lord and King of our lives. But we all know how difficult that can be to make a reality. On this feast of the Epiphany, when we reflect on the example of the Magi, let's imitate those faithful men. In this New Year, resolve to actively seek Christ just as they did when they followed the star to Bethlehem. Don't allow your spiritual life to be passive; search for Christ in the ordinary events of you daily life!! Secondly, when you encounter Jesus, whether it is in Church, in prayer, or the happenings of the day, make sure and offer him your praise. Don't forget he is your King, your Lord, and your Savior! Finally, imitate the magi in opening your treasures and offering them to Christ. Whether it is your time, talent, or material resources, each of us have our own gold, frankincense, and myrrh to offer to Jesus through our thoughts, words, and actions.

            If we actively seek Christ in our lives, we can be confident we will find him. He gives us the star of his grace in the sacraments and the teaching of the Church, which leads us to his love. Our savior is born; come let us adore him!!