A Healthy Tension (34th Sunday, Christ the King, Year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

One of the things that fascinated me as a child was watching utility workers climb up the power poles to do their job. Our neighborhood in Hazelwood had lots of large trees in the yards and the utilities ran through the backyards which made them inaccessible to bucket trucks and boom lifts. So when there was a problem with the power or a new service needed to be hooked up, the guy would fasten these special cleats to his boots and up he would go. Watching these guys work in our backyard made me add this experience to the Schroeder bucket list of things I wanted to learn how to do.

Fast forward to my assignment at St. Joe’s-Cottleville about 20 years later. One of the parishioners was a supervisor for Ameren and a former lineman. He knew how to climb up power poles! I was afraid he might think I was crazy but I figured it can’t hurt to ask. Amazingly, he was happy to make it happen and on July 27, 2012 (I only know this exact date because smartphones tell you exactly when the picture was taken), I got to climb up and down a power pole like a boss, which like so many things turned out to be a lot harder than it looks.

But here is the actual point of this story. When I was climbing, I realized very quickly that the power poles move quite a bit. I thought they were solid, immovable, stuck in concrete or something like that. Not at all, my parishioner told me, in fact a standard 40 foot pole is only in the ground 4-6 feet. What really holds them in place, upright and steady, is not how deep they are buried but rather the tension of the wires which hang on them. In fact there is a pretty exact formula for how they hang the wires and how much drop or sag they leave. The proper tension allows the pole to stand tall for many years and also can handle the expansion and contraction of the wires as they heat and cool during use. And once you connect a whole bunch of power poles to each other with power lines, phone lines, and cable wires, they become incredibly stable and strong.

Now how does this relate to the feast we celebrate in the Church this weekend, the feast of Christ the King? This celebration reminds us that Jesus is Lord of the world we experience here on earth. He is also Lord of the life to come when all wrongs will be made right, all wounds of injustice healed, and all suffering and tears will be banished. As Christians, we are dual citizens; we belong to both realms. And we are called to be upright, grounded members of both worlds. We cannot simply live with our eyes on heaven and ignore the problems, challenges, and sufferings of our society. If our faith is authentic and alive, the followers of Jesus will be on the front lines of the struggles that afflict the people of our times. We cannot be a good Catholic and be indifferent to the sufferings of others, especially the poor, the disabled, the inconvenient, the marginalized, and the unborn. We must be engaged and invested in bringing the goodness of God into our society and not just trying to white-knuckle it until Jesus comes back. 

At the same time, we are also members of a world, of a kingdom that hasn’t yet been fully revealed or realized. We are citizens of heaven and that means that this life can never fully satisfy or fulfill us. As good as the things and people of this world truly are, we have to constantly be on guard against making this life the end-all and be-all. We must be careful not to become rich in the things of earthly life and poor in the things that matter in heaven. This world is not all there is; God has something even better planned for the ones who know, love, and serve him in this life. 

Understandably, this living for two worlds, this dual-citizenship produces a very real tension. It’s not always easy to get it right and sometimes we lean too heavily on one side or the other. But the tension itself is a good thing. When we get it right, with the help of the sacraments, daily prayer, and works of charity, it is the very thing that helps us to stay upright, strong, and steady. And when you connect the examples and prayers and good works of Christians to each other, they become incredibly strong, stable, and transformative. This living spiritual network is capable of transmitting serious spiritual power all over the world. It becomes a power grid of mercy through which Jesus’ gospel of love, hope, and salvation can be communicated to anyone and everyone. 

Today’s feast is a gentle reminder to check the tension between our spiritual and worldly lives. Are we properly living out our dual citizenship each and every day? Are we engaged in our society and working to address the suffering in our world? Do we keep our eyes fixed on heaven, always remembering that it is our final goal and ultimate good? It’s worth the struggle to balance our affections for the here and now and also our desire for what will one day be. In the process we become holy and we support each other on our journey to heaven. May we be upright, virtuous, steady people who are ready to welcome Christ the King when he returns!

The End Is Near (But Maybe Not Too Near)!! (33rd Sunday, Cycle C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

If we pay attention to the readings the Church gives us in these final weeks of the liturgical year, we notice they are are more than a little dark in their mood. They tell stories of faithful Jews suffering for their loyalty to the covenant with God. They speak of bad kings, corrupt clergy, oracles of doom and gloom, incredible destruction, injustice, and pain. All of this leads up to the anticipation of a savior who will set things right and usher in a time of peace and eternal life for those who remained faithful to God and witnessed to him in the midst of trial and tribulation. The Church has us reflect on these heavy themes, right before advent begins, to jar us out of any complacency or spiritual laziness we may have developed in the past year. More importantly She asks us think about more than the life we are living right now but also the life we are made to strive for; eternity with God. And one simple question runs through it all. When the King of Heaven and Earth returns (and one day he will), what account will each of us give him? Will he find us faithful, watching, anticipating, and doing the works of his kingdom? Or will we be caught off guard, ashamed at the things we didn’t do for him because we thought there were would always be another tomorrow?

This question about the end of the world has captivated people of every age. Even the apostles wanted Jesus to tell them when it would happen. You could fill a library if you wrote down all the theories, predictions, and prophecies that have been put forth about when life on earth will reach its end. Even certain politicians in our time have offered a specific number, 12 years, as the remaining time before life as we know it, is over. But in fairness, it’s not all crazy talk and bluster. You and me, as Catholics, acknowledge the end of the world every time we celebrate Sunday Mass! In the creed, we profess that Jesus “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. This second coming of Christ is the final buzzer, the moment of eternal glory for all who have been faithful in witnessing to his name and serving his people. That moment will also be the beginning of eternal shame and dread for all those who chose to serve other gods or themselves with their lives. 

The natural human response to the end of the world generally takes one of two spiritually-problematic approaches. The first is to obsess over it and try to figure out the day and time by taking Scripture out of context, attempting to connect the dots of prophecies, signs, and predictions and also interpreting the problems of our times as the beginning of the apocalypse. This approach never works but amazingly, we humans do it again and again in every generation and Christians are not immune to it. In fact this is exactly what St. Paul is criticizing in second reading to the Thessalonians. A number of new converts in this town thought they had figured out that Jesus was going to be back any day. So they quit their jobs, and just sat around waiting for Jesus to appear and the world to end. Well, what happens when people don’t have anything to do? They started becoming busybodies, getting in everyone else’s business and causing trouble for the Christians who still had jobs and were trying to live stable, productive, holy lives. Worst of all, because they weren’t working, they couldn’t pay for food and were becoming a hardship to the ones who were still doing their job and living out their faith. So St. Paul takes them to task and says, “get back to work, stop being busybodies, and earn your own food”. If our thinking and preparing for the end of the world and the return of Jesus causes us to withdraw from society and abandon our responsibilities towards God and others, especially the poor and suffering, then it isn’t holy or healthy. 

But I don’t think this is the main problem for Christians today. I think we are in danger of taking the other approach to the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. In our time, it is much more common to procrastinate and avoid thinking about it all together. In general, we priests don’t preach about it; shame on us because someday it WILL happen. I also think the devil has been very clever to persuade most of us that being busy is the truest measure of being a good parent, a good priest, and a normal family. And so we live generally unreflective lives and bounce from one activity to another. Our first reading was from the prophet Malachi and he was the last prophet before Jesus was born. His is also the last book of the Hebrew bible and after he spoke, there is nothing but radio silence from God for 450 years until Jesus is born quietly in Bethlehem. Guess what Malachi was speaking against? The fact that many of the priests had become corrupt. Also that God’s people no longer observed the sabbath and rarely worshipped God. Instead they looked pretty much like their pagan neighbors in how they acted and what they strove for. Couldn’t that apply to our time? Do we Christians look and act any different than those in society who do not believe in Jesus? Do we try not to think about the return of Jesus because we have grown attached to this fallen world and we are happy enough as we are? Aren’t there times for all of us, and I include myself in this, where we put aside the things of God like prayer, coming to Mass, sitting in silence with God, serving others through regular parish ministry or other charitable works and being restored by Sunday rest and time with our family. Instead we run around like crazy people doing things that have very little value in the scope of eternity, perhaps figuring that we will get to that spiritual stuff later.

Whatever our individual temptation is regarding the end of the world and the return of Jesus in glory, we would do well to look it straight in the eye and own up to it. We cannot run from the inevitable, we do not want to live in spiritual denial of the fact that this life does not last forever, the good things this world offers are passing away, and each and every one of us will stand before God to explain what we did with the time and talents he gave to us. It doesn’t have to be a dreadful experience! But we need to take the middle road between obsessing over the end of the world and trying not to think about it. You and I are called to plan as if Christ's return were years away by building spiritual lives and charitable practices that can stand up to the challenges of a lifetime, but also live each day as though it was the one when Jesus returns. Living a spiritually-balanced and vigilant life is not easy. In fact it can only be done with the grace of God, which fortunately, he cannot wait to give us. Therefore, let us all, in these final weeks of the church year, re-affirm our belief that one day, maybe tomorrow, maybe a thousand years from now, Jesus will return and we want him to find us watching and waiting and doing the works that make us his people. If we’ve become busybodies or spiritual freeloaders, let’s not lose hope but recommit ourselves to living a healthy anticipation of the return of our king. 

Go Out On a Limb! (31st Sunday, Cycle C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

As many of you know, I went away to a boarding high school seminary in high school. This school was in another diocese, I didn’t know anyone at first,, and we could only call home once a month. Not surprisingly, I was terribly homesick, wondering if I made the correct choice. Then I had the experience of meeting Bishop Gaydos at the opening Mass for the school year and he somehow knew my name even though I was not one of his seminarians. From the first meeting even til now, he knows my name and that simple gesture made such a powerful impact on me. I hope you’ve had a similar moment in your life. Whatever our own experience is, there is something powerful about being acknowledged by another person, especially when we presume that person is too busy or important to care about little-ol-me!

Hold onto this feeling, this memory in your own experience and go back to the first reading. The author reminds us of the majesty of God. He is all-good, all-knowing, all powerful, any superlative, that is God. The universe is like a grain of sand or a drop of morning dew. Would you or I give a second thought about a piece of sand or a speck of precipitation? Probably not! But, the author of Wisdom tells us, God does! He loves every thing, every person he created and every thing that exists, even pesky mosquitos and annoying cubs fans, do so because God loves them specifically. He knows you and me and every single human individually and completely. He understands us better than we understand ourselves. Even though he is infinitely greater than the entire universe, the Lord is interested in you and me. What a mystery! Sometimes I think, “why do you care”, “am I a waste of your time?” But God cannot hate the work of his hands no matter how far we wander away from him. Which brings the first reading to its very fine and powerful point: God is not indifferent to our sins and the evil of the world. He notices it, it hurts him and he wants us to stop. But he shows us mercy, He gives us opportunities, loads of grace, and so much mercy in the hopes that we will repent and turn back to him. He is patient and thoughtful and corrects us little by little with the intention that his kindness will break through our pride and selfishness. He truly loves us, cares about every detail of our lives, and wants to be at the center of our minds and hearts just as we are for him!

Now hold onto this mysterious desire of God, knowing that it was burning in the heart of Jesus and go back to the gospel with the wonderful story of Zacchaeus. Keep in mind that this vertically-challenged fellow was not just a tax-collector but the chief tax collector. He was the worst of the worst in the eyes of his Jewish countrymen because he coordinated with the Romans, oversaw all the taxes, and made his wealth by charging extra and skimming off the top. So let’s address a few questions that might pop into our head as we heard this unusual story:

1) Why does Zacchaeus climb up a tree? It’s not just because he was short of stature. That is part of the reason, yes. But also, as the chief tax-collector in a large Jewish crowd, if he is recognized by people there is a good chance he will get a severe beating or something even worse. The tree provides a better view of Jesus and also some degree of safety as he separates himself from the crowd and hides in its branches. 

2) How does Jesus respond to this little man in a tree? He acknowledges him, he calls him by name, and he calls him out of the tree. How exhilarating and terrifying it must have been for Zacchaeus to hear Jesus call out to him! The messiah knows who I am! He cares about ME! Not only that, he wants to come to my house for dinner, which in the ancient world signaled friendship, acceptance, and peace. Jesus is living out the truth of the first reading, where almighty God seeks out every human person and makes him or her the center of the universe. 

And yet, Jesus’ invitation comes at cost. Zacchaeus has to leave the safety and isolation of the tree. He has to re-enter the angry and unfriendly crowd. But notice what Jesus does! He absorbs the anger of the crowd towards Zacchaeus and takes it upon himself. Now the crowd is upset with Jesus for eating at the house of a sinner and Zacchaeus is safe from their wrath. Lesson to be learned? Whatever danger comes with following Jesus’ invitation, he will be right there with us to help and protect us. But we have to stay close to him.

3) What is the result of Jesus’ invitation to Zacchaeus? He cannot remain in his sin. Jesus is gently calling him to repentance and holiness but Zacchaeus has to change the parts of his life that are at odds with God’s law. And this he does as he says, Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” The same is true for us. God seeks us out every day and wants us to invite him into our hearts. But that means we have to give up the willful sin in our lives. We cannot hold onto God and sin at the same time. God is gentle with us and willing to be patient with our weakness but we have to move towards him as well, no matter how setbacks we experience.

        Last question: What does this story mean for us? We have so many excuses to let Jesus pass on by us each and every day. We are busy, we don’t know how to pray, we don’t have time to pray, we feel unworthy, what will people think of us, whatever our excuse, we all have one. Like Zacchaeus, we are called to climb that tree, to go out on that limb to get a better look at Jesus and learn more about who he is and what he is all about. The beautiful part of our gospel story today is that Zacchaeus moved past the excuses and fears, many of them legitimate, and put himself out there to meet Jesus. And the lord of the Universe, was waiting for just this little opening in the heart of Zacchaeus. Once that opening was there, Jesus rushed in and, by sharing a meal, set the path of conversion for this once-sinful man. Every day, in some way, Jesus is passing through our life. Will we, like Zacchaeus, make the commitment to go out on a limb to see him? Will we accept the Lord’s invitation to let go of our sins and join him in the most holy of meals, here at Mass?