Does God Want Us to be Happy? (22nd Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Reflecting on the remarkable readings we just heard brings a couple questions to mind: Does God care if we are happy or not? Does God WANT us to be happy?

Poor Jeremiah is hurting in the first reading! He was asked to be a prophet during the reign of King Josiah, who was a righteous, kind, God-fearing man. He supported Jeremiah and embodied the holiness Jeremiah called the people to live. It was like working alongside the best boss you could imagine. Then, not long after Jeremiah agreed to be God’s prophet, Josiah was betrayed and killed on the battlefield and everything changed for the worse. Quickly, the people forgot the ways of God and tried to find worldly solutions for their problems. They grew weary of the prophet’s calls to repentance and his predictions of doom and gloom for their sinful living. Instead of being respected and listened to, Jeremiah was imprisoned, mocked, physically beaten, and publicly scorned. That is the heartbreak behind his words today as he cries out, “You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped”. In other words, when you asked me to be your prophet, everything was good and the job was sweet. And then the rug was pulled out from underneath me! Have you ever felt the same as Jeremiah? Do you think God wanted him to be happy? O was he just tricking Jeremiah with an illusion of happiness to get him to do what he wanted?

In the second reading, St. Paul is begging with the Romans to offer themselves as a living sacrifice to God. That doesn’t sound very enjoyable! What is behind his plea? The gentile Romans had been gloating that they had accepted the gospel of Jesus while so many of the Chosen People had rejected it. They weren’t just rejoicing in their salvation, they were thumbing their nose at the many who had not converted to Christianity. It was like they were spiritually taunting those who had rejected Christ. St. Paul is calling them to task and telling them to knock it off. How can they be happy when others are rejecting Jesus’ message of salvation? How can they rejoice in the spiritual downfall of others? St. Paul wants them to rejoice in the salvation they have received but express it by joyfully offering themselves as a sacrifice so that others will join them in professing Jesus Christ. In short, their personal happiness is not the most important thing; what it most important is that everyone know and believe in Jesus.

In the gospel, Peter is on top of the world! He, a lowly fisherman from Galilee, has been appointed prime minister of God’s Church on earth! What an honor! Who could have seen that coming? Immediately after this incredible appointment, Jesus informs him that the way the Messiah will triumph is by suffering the most humiliating and painful death possible for the sins of humanity. Peter can’t believe it and tries to talk some “sense” into Jesus. We can almost hear him say, “Jesus, can’t you let me enjoy this moment?! What is all this talk about suffering, death, and the cross? Don’t you want me to be happy?

In each of these readings, we might wonder what is the harm of letting each of the characters enjoy a little victory lap. Why can’t Jeremiah have some time to enjoy some popularity and the consolation of having the people respond joyfully to his message? Can’t the Romans have a some time to relish the irony that the pagans were among the first to accept the salvation of Jesus instead of the Chosen People who had been preparing for centuries? 

And why can’t Jesus just keep his unsettling news about his passion and death to himself for a little longer? Let Peter soak in the glory of the honor he has received as the rock of the new church. Doesn’t God want them to be happy? Doesn’t he care about them and the joy in their heart? The answer to both questions is YES! God wants us to be happy. But he wants that joy to last forever. God is not interested in placating us with superficial pleasures. The fruit of our joy can never be rejoicing in the downfall of another person. We cannot work for the type of joy that comes at the cost of speaking the truth and continuing to grow in our relationship with God. Otherwise, our quest for happiness becomes a form of idolatry.

God does not promise us unlimited peace, joy, and acceptance during our life on earth; in fact he predicts the exact opposite. Jesus wants us to be happy more than we want it for ourselves but he also has the Divine Knowledge to see what it's going to take to get it. One of the ironies of Christianity is that you save your life by laying it down, you become rich by letting go of what you have, and you find happiness by living not for your own desires but for the good of others. It seems counter intuitive but how true it really is! Imagine an athlete wanting to be a champion without enduring any of the hardship, pain, and discipline of training? Or a student who wants to be top of the class without ever rejecting distractions and embracing the self-denial of study? True greatness, real growth, and lasting joy come at a cost. Most often we have to let go of the immediate good and comfort that lies in front of us and look down the road to a greater goal that can only be reached by sacrifice. 

If these ironies and seeming contradictions are true for worldly ambitions and situations, they are even more relevant when it comes to spiritual matters. God wants you to be completely happy. But he also wants the same for each and every person in the world. Your happiness and mine cannot come at the expense of others. In our sinful selfishness, we often prioritize our happiness regardless of how it hurts others. What is the solution? Strangely, it is what we see in our readings today. Embrace the cross, offer yourself to God as a spiritual sacrifice, be willing to let go of what you want and give away what you have. Don’t seek fame, acceptance, or popularity. Don’t allow your joy to rest on success. Instead, follow Him. Take up your cross daily, invite others to join you in living the way of Jesus, the way of Salvation. And then you will have eternal life, everlasting riches, deep joy, and unending happiness. 

One last nugget for you to chew on. Each of the three folks in our readings today died as martyrs in the service of God. In worldly terms, they had lousy lives filled with pain, difficulty, and failure. They did not see the fulfillment and fruit of their sacrifices during their earthly life. They had to walk in faith that God would make it all mean something. With the gift of thousands of years, we see that all three are in heaven now. All three have been vindicated and will never be forgotten. How much joy they must experience as they sit with God, with the angels and saints, and rejoice in the wisdom of God which involved a relatively short time of suffering and is now replaced with everlasting joy, peace, and happiness. God wants exactly the same for you and me. Believe it. Remember it will only come with sacrifice. But that suffering is short compared to eternity. So tell God you trust him. Tell him you are ready to carry your cross!

God the Builder (21st Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Jesus says to Peter this Sunday: "Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah..., you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church…" This passage has caused countless arguments between Catholics and other Christians as to what exactly Jesus meant by these words. But before saying something about Peter's role and that of his current successor, Pope Francis, it is important to highlight Jesus' primacy as leader of the Church. Five centuries of controversy about the authority of the pope from Protestant reformers have perhaps caused us to forget that Jesus himself is the invisible head of the Catholic Church. He says it clearly, "I will build my church.” For that reason, we believe our Church, as imperfect as her leaders and members often are, is divinely inspired and guided when it comes to the most fundamental matters concerning faith and morals.

One of Jesus’ defining characteristics is that he is a builder. He was alongside the Father in creating the world. In taking on our human nature, it is no coincidence that most of his life he worked as a carpenter; he made stuff out of wood. His public ministry was also one of intense building activity. He was not a "lone ranger" like John the Baptist out in the desert. From the beginning he formed a core of disciples and chose Twelve of them as a sign he was establishing a "New Israel." The former Israel was Yahweh's bride; the new Israel, the Church, is Jesus' bride. Jesus continues to form his bride through the power of the Holy Spirit and the sacraments. As long as new souls are are born, Jesus continues the work of building the Church.

One of the ways Jesus forms his church is by inspiring individual Christians to do their part along with him. That is why tithing, supporting the works of the Church, and helping those in need are so important to our identity as Catholics. Whenever we commit to sharing our time, talent, and treasure in a free and generous way, we are participating in the building up of God’s kingdom. If we allow Jesus to work through us, including through our material possessions, He continues his work of building the kingdom of God. 

Of course Jesus could do everything himself without having to deal with the messiness that comes with getting humanity involved. But in His mysterious wisdom God knows there are more spiritual benefits to having us work alongside him in the process of salvation instead of just sitting back and receiving spiritual entitlements. In the process of giving and building, we are changed by God’s grace and our love of God and love of neighbor is deepened. Think of how much Incarnate Word relies on your willingness to volunteer for our many ministries. We could never afford to hire people to do all those tasks with the same level of care and creativity! Your monetary support through the collection not only represents giving back to God some of what he has given you, it is also a participation in his work of building the Church. 

Many scholars and preachers have commented on how weak Peter could be. At times he was emotional, brash, cowardly and petty. If one was only relying on human wisdom, Peter would not be the first choice to lead a church that was destined to be eternal. Bishop Fulton Sheen speculates that Jesus chose Peter precisely because of his weaknesses. He wanted to make it clear the Church does not ultimately depend on man's strength. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and in a real sense Peter himself is the weakest link in the chain of popes. But once that weakness is submitted to God for healing and transformation, bedrock is found and Jesus takes over the process of building.

Sometimes people ask what I think about the pope. I generally say that it doesn’t really matter what I think or feel about him. What matters most is that I respect him as Christ's Vicar here on earth. I owe that to God. It does not mean every utterance of the pope will be correct. Nor does it mean his every action will be holy. History unfortunately provides many examples to the contrary. But it does mean we can trust that the Holy Spirit will use the magisterium and the office of the Papacy to give us sound doctrine.

This is no small guarantee. When you consider how many different Christian denominations have sprung up, each of them claiming a Scriptural basis, it is nothing short of miraculous that the 267 popes from St. Peter to Francis have held such a consistent course. Some small credit goes to the personal holiness and wisdom of our popes who have cooperated with God’s grace. The majority of praise must go to Christ and his Holy Spirit. He knows how to build things that last. If we are humble and docile enough to play our part in that process of building, we can enjoy being a piece of something that will be here long after we are gone. 

Let’s make sure we pray for the Pope each and every day, that he can cooperate with God’s grace in the many decisions he makes and the many burdens he must carry. Let’s thank God for his wisdom as a builder, that he has not left us alone or abandoned but always gives us a shepherd to help us on the road which leads us back to heaven. Finally, let’s be generous in sharing what we have when Jesus invites us to be part of his building process. God can work around our weaknesses and sins! As long as we follow him humbly, our acts of charity and worship can strengthen the foundations of our Church and make it even more beautiful and effective in saving others who are looking for Christ.

Be a Prayer Dog! (20th Sunday, Year A)

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Last week we heard about the privileged place of the Jewish people as God’s Chosen People. St. Paul explained, "They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever.” In today’s second reading he continues this theme by saying even though some Jews rejected Jesus, still "the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” They are forever His People and nothing they can do will ever change that!

We get this message loud and clear in today’s Gospel. This story bothers many who feel like Jesus is rude to this poor woman who simply wants her daughter cured and set free from tortuous demons. We all appreciate God’s loyalty to his Chosen People but does Jesus take it too far by suggesting he came “only for the Children of Israel”? Is Jesus really saying that God only wants to save a small number of people who belong to a certain race and culture? Is He trying to run the world’s most exclusive spiritual club? As is often the case, Jesus is getting at a bigger point and calling all of us to go a little deeper into his teaching of salvation. 

So what is the bigger point? And what does all this have to do with us, people of 21st century America? All of our readings today, including the banter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman, are all about God’s inclusive love. The first reading dreams of the day when the Lord’s temple becomes a house of prayer for ALL peoples from every nation. The second reading points out that God used the rejection of his own Chosen People as an opportunity to expand his offer of salvation to all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. In the gospel, Jesus tests the faith of the Caananite woman and, in the end, gave her the food of God’s children, not because of her nationality or culture but because of her faith. This is the exciting, ever-expanding love of God: anyone who has faith is eligible for salvation. It doesn’t matter what country you live in or who your ancestors are; God wants to heal and save you!

So, what appears at first to be insulting, rude, and elitist about today’s gospel is actually just the opposite. Jesus goes out of his way to encounter this foreign woman to give her the chance to be adopted into God’s Chosen People by demonstrating her faith. And Jesus will use her faithful witness to shame those who rely simply on their birthright and bloodline to feel righteous and entitled to salvation. God does this all time, even in our time and in our church. He uses the weak to shame the strong, the humble to chastise the proud. None of us has any reason to think we are better than any other human being. God loves each of us and wants to offer us the opportunity for salvation. His promises to his Chosen People still apply. But now God has expanded the definition of what it takes to be counted among the Chosen. Since Jesus came to save us, it is first and foremost about faith, demonstrated most clearly in genuine prayer. It is faithful prayer that grafts us onto the Jewish tree and allows us to be branches attached to the life-giving vine of God’s covenant. 

Fittingly, the Canaanite woman demonstrates how to pray in a way that pleases Our Lord. She shows the three basic movements of holy, heartfelt prayer.

First, prayer begins with trust. The woman faces a desperate situation. She's tried everything to help her daughter. Finally, she tries Jesus. "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." She makes an act of trust. She knows Jesus can help her.

So far, so good, but sometimes we need more than a one-time petition. Prayer requires perseverance. That's the second step. Trust, then perseverance. The woman cries out so much that the disciples want to send her away. So don't give up. Formulate your prayer and keep at. I'm sinking into debt; Jesus help me. My family member, my friend has broken my heart. Please help us. I am afraid of the uncertain future, walk with me Lord! Trust in Jesus and persevere in prayer.

Along with trust and persistence, prayer requires humility. That's the toughest step. Jesus says something that seems offensive, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." Many people would storm away, maybe respond with an insult of their own. She keeps her focus, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table…"

There's a huge lesson for us here. I wish Jesus would do things my way, on my timeline, never let me experience humiliation, but that's not the way he works. Jesus wants humility. Friends, there is nothing more beautiful or irresistible to God than humility. Jesus hears the prayer of a humble heart. We need prayer now more than ever. During this coronavirus crisis, some people have grown in prayer. Others, not so much. If we, as a church, as a parish, and as a nation are going to recover from our current devastation, we have to return to prayer.

The beautiful Canaanite woman models our way forward. May our steps along this path be defined by trust, perseverance and humility and then all will be well! Amen.

God is in the Details (19th Sunday, Year A)

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Even though a week has passed since we gathered to celebrate these Sunday ceremonies, our gospel picks up minutes from where we left off last weekend. If you recall, Jesus just fed thousands of followers with only 5 loaves and 2 fish. After this miraculous feeding, Jesus sent away both His disciples and the vast crowd. The disciples took a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. In the meantime, He “went up on the mountain by himself to pray.” Whenever we see Jesus retreating to solitude for prayer, it reminds us that He was a sojourner here. His original and permanent life is in Heaven, in communion with His Father. Like Him, we are also sojourners here. Like Him, we also need solitary times with our Father.

The plan was for the apostles to go on ahead to their next stop via boat and where Jesus would catch up with them. This wasn’t a big deal: many of his apostles are fisherman and the boat was like an ancient Uber to quickly get to their next gathering place. 

Life often seems this way: simple, straight-forward, everything going according to plan. And then something changes or surprises us; a storm arises which throws everything into chaos. This is what happens to the apostles on the Sea of Galilee, which is infamous for being calm one moment and then dangerously tempestuous the next. There are a series of details Matthew gives us about this experience that are jam-packed with meaning but easy to miss.

The Greek word describing this storm, which is translated as “tossed about by the waves” in English, literally means “harassed, tortured.” Even for seasoned fishermen, this was quite a storm. Jesus goes to them in “the fourth watch of the night,” which is between 3:00 and 6:00 am. The apostles had been battling this storm most of the night. Why did Jesus wait so long? Was He so absorbed in prayer that He was unaware of their plight? Did he simply not care? As the episode unfolds, we get the feeling there was a point Jesus wanted to make, a lesson He wanted to teach His friends. If so, this reminds us of Jesus’ purposeful delay in going to his dying friend, Lazarus. In that case, Jesus chose raising a man from the dead as a more powerful testimony than a cured illness would have been. Was that same dynamic at work here?

Ironically, when Jesus approaches the disciples “walking on the sea,” they are terrified, not relieved. They do not recognize Him. They think He is a “ghost.” Why did they have that reaction? Certainly they didn’t expect to see Jesus (or any human being) walking on water; even more so now that there was a terrible storm with huge waves and violent wind. They had struggled so long against this frightening storm that, in their exhaustion, they had only fear and dread of this appearance. If they were thinking of Jesus at all, maybe they wondered if He would be waiting on the other side for them, if they made it there. Perhaps they were disappointed He hadn’t made the trip with them in the boat. Then He could have calmed the sea with a command. Here in the tempest, where the sea seemed to be winning its battle against them, the sight of a man walking on water was too strange and ominous for them. They literally “screamed” with fear. They did not feel the nearness of Jesus; on the contrary, they felt completely abandoned.

As their fear reached its height, Jesus “immediately” speaks to them:  “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”  The sound of Jesus’ voice assures them this is no ghost.  No matter what their eyes told them, or what their imaginations conjured up, it was the Word Jesus spoke that calmed their fears. They were his sheep, he was their shepherd and immediately they recognized his voice. Translated literally, Jesus says, “Take heart; I am.”  For these Jewish apostles, this phrase had enormous significance. God had once said about Himself:  “’I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.’  Thus says the LORD, Who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters’”.  God first revealed himself to Moses as “I am, Who am.”

A few final details for us to consider. The boat has always been a symbol of the Catholic Church. The stormy sea is a metaphor of the world which often tosses the Church around and threatens to destroy Her and everyone she shelters. In our own time, haven’t we seen how quickly the weather can change for Christians? We can be tempted to despair and wonder why Jesus doesn’t calm the storm immediately. 

Notice too, how Peter wants to get out of the boat and join Jesus on the water. Is it because of his faith? Maybe. Could it also be that he just wants out of the boat? I think that is part of it. Sometimes it is hard to stay in the Church with all the other disciples that Jesus calls to follow him. We all have our opinions, our way of doing things, and sometimes it seems like it would be so much easier to have Christianity be just me and Jesus. Let everyone else work out their own problems!! But what does Jesus do after he saves Peter from sinking? He does not walk with him over the water to the shore. He doesn’t tell the others in the boat, “Sorry suckers, you should have been willing to get your feet wet. Pete and I are outta here!” No! He returns, with Peter into boat, ——- he stays with the church, as divided, exhausted, frightened, and imperfect as they are, and TOGETHER they return safely to their destination. 

So what do these little details mean for us in practical terms?

1. For those who follow Christ, this life is a pilgrimage to a final destination. We will forever encounter times of calm and storm but neither will last forever. We should remember this in both the good and bad times of life and never get too comfortable.
2. No matter what, we must make quiet prayer a priority. If Jesus needed it and made time for it, so can we. Our “to-do” list cannot possibly be bigger or more important than the Savior of the world so let’s make sure and imitate Jesus in this way.
3. No matter how big the storm, Jesus can walk on its waves. He is not limited by its power but he may allow us to be tossed around for a little bit. We may never understand why but we can trust that he always has our greatest good in mind. Whatever storms you face, keep fighting, remain faithful, ignore the wind and waves, and stay stay focused on Jesus!
4. Last, it seems like it would be so much easier to work with God alone to be saved and get through the storms of life. Mysteriously, God has placed all of us in this boat of the Catholic Church for a reason. Jesus used the imperfect, divided, petty group of disciples to form a cohesive Church that was capable of speaking to every nation and type of person. He can do the same with you and me but we have to stick together. Even when we falter in faith and begin to sink, we must allow Jesus to return us to His saving ship and together with him and everyone else on this voyage, reach our final destination.

May we not be afraid of any storm that awaits us but instead watch and listen for our Saving Lord when he reaches out to us. He has power over all things and he will not fail to save us if we stay close to Him and his Church.

Are You Eating Junk Food? (18th Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

As this pandemic drags on, I’ve noticed it’s become more difficult for me to preach. It’s certainly not because the Word of God fails to apply to our times; I see now, more than ever, how relevant the Scriptures are to the challenges we face. It’s not because I am apathetic or don’t want to put in the work; sometimes it seems like the harder I try, the more the right words escape me like a bad case of writer’s block! It’s not because I am having a crisis of faith or believe God has abandoned us; I know he is near and will never leave us alone. So what is my problem? What is happening within me that has caused some of you to ask why I look preoccupied or concerned instead of peaceful and joyful? What has changed inside that has made its mark for all to see? So much so that one of my friends said to me, “you finally look old!” What great friends I have!! Perhaps many of you can relate with this experience of spiritual drudgery, dread, and dissatisfaction that never seems far away during these past months.

Something in our first reading gave me a hint about what is going on. Isaiah is preaching to the remnant of God’s people who are barely hanging on during their exile in Babylon. They used to be a mighty nation and now they are slaves in a foreign land. They used to have fine food and drink and now they would be happy with anything that could fill their bellies and drive away their hunger and thirst. They just want to go back to the way things used to be. If they could just have that, they would never complain again! Does anything of this sound vaguely familiar? A prophet preaching to a people whose whole world and way of life have been turned completely upside down in the worst possible way?

It is to this reality that Isaiah shares his heavenly message of hope and consolation. God doesn’t want to return his people to what they had before. He wants to give them something even better. He doesn’t just want them to have enough to live; he wants to shower them with abundance, provide them food and drink that prevents hunger and thirst forever. The people must have been intrigued by this offer but also wondered what in the world God was talking about. You and I, with the luxury of 2500 years, know he was speaking about the Eucharist. God was preparing his people for the incredible gift you and I enjoy! But the gift isn’t free! What does it cost? Not money! No earthly treasure can buy it; no human effort can earn it. The conditions are simple but difficult for us prideful and independent humans: “Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.”

This line from Isaiah convicted me.  In order to receive the food and drink that will satisfy my hungry heart and thirsty soul, I must obediently follow Jesus and listen quietly, faithfully, and let him lead me. Do you know what I have often done instead? I have gone after the food that fails to satisfy. Far too often, I have checked the news a dozen times instead reading the scriptures. I have left my phone on while in prayer and let it distract me with every little ring, ding, and notification. I have let myself worry about how we need to fix this COVID mess, the disaster of American politics, the tragedy of social injustice and violence in our communities without going to God first and asking how he would have me start. 

I have tried to placate my unease with social media, woodworking, work and other projects. After all of it, I end up more hungry, more thirsty, more tired and weary than before.

These, and many more, are the things that fail to satisfy. The hidden blessing of COVID-19 is that it is exposing the things you and I used to rely on to distract us from the deep spiritual hunger we have for God. This pandemic is showing us the things we thought we could count on and control for a happy life can be wiped away in no time. If those things can’t guarantee us happiness, what can? Who can?! Only God! He is the spiritual food and drink, most perfectly received in the Eucharist, that really addresses our deepest spiritual longings. 

For you and me, for our world and our church, suffering is not the real problem we have to eradicate. St. Paul reminds us forcefully in the second reading that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Not anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword! St. Paul would know! He endured all these things and more yet only grew more spiritually strong and secure in his faith. Why? Because he was being fed at the table of the Lord’s Word and Sacrament. Most importantly he was not placing his trust in the nourishment this world offers.

We would be wise to reflect on the question of the first reading “why waste your money on food that does not satisfy?” We can re-phrase it for our times with something like this, “What is the food you are eating right now that does not satisfy but instead makes you feel empty?” Is our diet full of junk food like non-stop news, toxic politics, superficial social media, shopping, movies, music, etc…? What do we keep pursuing but when we get it, still doesn’t fill the emptiness we feel? Might we consider letting God feed us first? How many hours do we spend on the internet or Tv or phone just killing time or doing trivial things? Would we instead make sure and read from the bible first before going to these things? Or could we come up to church any day of the week and spend the time we would give to a show, give it instead to God in prayer, listening heedfully? Or if we are uncomfortable going into church, why not sit in the car in the parking lot for a little while, connecting with God and showing our desire to be as close to him as physically possible? Are the things we are doing right now, to get through each day and each week, are they lifting us up, bringing us hope, filling us with joy, and making us better people and better Christians?

I know there are things I need to change in order to feel God’s joy, hope, and confidence with whatever may come. I need to go to him first. I need to let him feed me with the true bread and drink of eucharistic prayer. If I can do that before anything else, then there will not only be enough to satisfy my hunger, there will be more than enough left over to feed others as well. If this resonates with you and where you are right now in your life, please do the same for your good and the good of those around you.