Loving God is Keeping His Words (6th Sunday of Easter, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

-Last week, the Lord gave us a new commandment: Love one another as I love you.

-This signifies an unconditional love for all, even our enemies. 

-This new commandment is one of the most difficult things Jesus tells us to do because there are no exceptions and it’s not based on merit. It requires us to acknowledge and respect the God-given dignity that is present in each and every person, without any conditions. This is something that can only be done with grace.

-Today’s gospel builds on the command we received last week. After giving us a new commandment, Jesus stresses how important it is to keep it.

-He says, “Whoever Loves me will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” 

-These are very strong, clear words from Our Lord; the way we prove our love, the way we live our love for him is in keeping his words and commands. He does not say that loving him consists in praising his name or saying nice things about God or having great feelings about the Lord. Those are good and praiseworthy things. But the way we prove our love for God is by keeping his commands; putting our money where our mouth is.

-When we decide to disregard God’s commands, Jesus says that such behavior betrays a lack of love for him.

-Ok, so what does this mean for us on a practical level? How do these words of Christ need to be implemented in my life?

1. first of all, what are the commands of God? Do I know what they are? Am I continually trying to deepen my knowledge of the moral life? Have I continued to grow in my faith and been seeking to incorporate the Scriptures and Church teaching into my personal, professional, and family life? Do I understand the implications of the 10 commandments and how they affect even the smaller aspects of my behavior? For example, most of us know that the 5^th commandment tells us that we should not kill another person. Perhaps many of us would think of that command and move on thinking, well, I’ve never done that. Do we realize that drinking too much, eating too much, giving in to anger or rage or vengeful desires also violates this commandment? And these are just some of the ways that we can sin against this precept of God. Am I the first and last authority on how God’s law is interpreted in my life? Or do I humbly realize that God has given me the Catholic Church and her teaching to help me understand how to keep his words? We are seeing this problem grow, especially in American politics as more Catholic politicians boast of their faith while openly defying fundamental teachings of our Faith. It is easy to say you are a Christian; it’s really hard to live like one! 

Learning God’s commands and keeping Jesus’ commands takes some work and personal initiative. We cannot just sit back and expect someone else to do it for us. Just like our physical health and financial future, we have to invest in it and make it a priority. The great news is that there are so many resources at our fingertips. This parish, and so many good people in it, are available to help us learn and deepen our faith. Today’s gospel encourages us to re-commit to learning Jesus words. 

2.   Secondly, am I committed to keeping all of God’s words and commands? Jesus does not say that it is good enough to keep some of them or just the one’s we agree with. He doesn’t even say that it is enough to keep most of his commandments and words. 

To love God is to embrace all of what he asks of us because all of it is based in his love and knowledge of us. No command of God is superficial or unnecessary. All of of them work together to help us return to him and live forever in heavenly happiness. God knows we are going to fail and fail often. That’s why he offers us confession to take away our sins so freely. But the desire to obey him, to conform ourselves to his words has to be present in our hearts. We cannot simply try to do the bare minimum to squeak by or even worse, try to change the words and commands of God into what pleases us, what is currently popular, or what keeps us comfortable and minimally challenged.

3. Finally, do I realize that keeping Christ’s words and commands is necessary for salvation? Or do I think that they are simply one opinion among others? 

• Here are some examples of where Catholics are tempted to reduce the words and commands of Christ to mere opinion or optional obedience. These are not offered as an accusation or a point of shame, but for reflection and encouragement to learn what our faith teaches about these areas and to see if our personal knowledge and belief are consistent. In our time, many choose to defy God’s truth as it relates to:
• Contraception and sterilization- 
• Same-sex unions and activity
• Abortion
• Cohabitation and physical intimacy before marriage
• Embryonic Stem cell and fetal tissue research
• certain fertility treatments
• Attending Mass every Sunday
• receiving communion in the state of serious sin without first going to confession or receiving holy communion while openly defying or rejecting foundational Church doctrine.

    Each of the items mentioned, deals with the words and commands of Christ in a serious, fundamental way. Some Catholics might deviate from one or more of them because they don’t know what the Church teaches or didn’t know that they were wrong. But to deliberately hold these views is inconsistent with a true love of Christ. Why? Because we are not keeping his words, his commands, and that is how we prove our love for Him. Even an unintentional ignorance of God’s commands should be avoided because it becomes an area of our life that is not yet transformed by Divine Love. Sin, even unintentional sin, always hurts us and others, whether we realize it or not.

The best news of all is that Christ constantly offers us grace and mercy. All we have to do is ask for it sincerely and we will receive forgiveness. Jesus is indeed calling us to a high standard but he promises to give us everything we need to meet that standard, knowing it brings out the best in us and leads to true and lasting happiness. If we choose to reject Jesus’ words or remain ignorant of his teaching, then, as hard as it is to hear, we are not loving him.

Let us be humble as we learn more about the words and commands of Christ. I know I have a lot of work to do and in fact, we all have work to do and that is ok. Jesus gives us the Church and the sacraments to get us there. So let us keep working on learning and living the words and commands of Jesus, knowing that when we do, we are not just keeping some stuffy laws or oppressive rules, we are loving him!

How Do We Love? (4th Sunday of Easter, Year B)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

There is a story told of a poor farmer, who never left his small, rural town because of the demands of the farm and the lack of money. When wealthy relative invited him to their wedding, he had the opportunity to come the big city. He was awestruck by the buildings and commotion and arrived at an elegant hotel dressed in muddy boots and worn overalls clearly out of place. The man at the desk politely assigned him to a room on the top floor and treated him like any other paying customer.

With key in hand he started the long climb to the hotel room because he wasn't comfortable with the idea of elevators. He had never encountered them before and wondered what sort of thing this was where a family would step in and when the doors opened again, a minute later, it was empty! As he ascended, on the first landing there was a full-length mirror. The man, who had never seen himself before, was suddenly startled and frightened by the imposing image before him. He yelled to scare him away - only to find that the image in the mirror was willing to threaten and shout the same.

He ran to the next floor and confronted the fearsome giant again, exchanging harsh looks and almost coming to blows. On the third floor, they stood nose to nose and exchanged simultaneous insults as a deepening war-like attitude was taking root in both of them. Realizing there was nowhere to escape this ugly fellow who was aggressively stalking him, he ran back to the front desk in the lobby to file a complaint. After hearing a detailed description of the perpetrator, the man at the desk understood that he had met the enemy and it was the man in the mirror. In order to save the dignity of his guest and to disengage the hostility, he offered simple advice. He said, "The fellow who you confronted is here to protect people. He is really quite harmless. If you will show him a harsh and angry attitude he will do the same. However, if you just smile pleasantly and continue on your way, he will nod and smile at you as well. Enjoy the rest of your stay." That's what he did and remarkably that's what happened...

King Solomon is credited with saying: "Like the reflection of a face in water so is the heart of one person to another.” How we treat each other produces a very powerful reaction, either good or bad, depending on what we lead with. Love encourages others to love; hatred disposes others to hate.  

To love properly, whether that be another person or ourselves, is a very difficult thing. We live in a culture that dilutes and distorts the true meaning of love. Many of us experience love that is flawed, conditional, and subject to change. Sometimes we experience love as something to be earned, a prize that can be lost or taken back. We do not always comprehend how much we are loved and deal with people full of anger, bitterness and resentment. Many times, we love others to the degree they love us and reserve the right to withhold our love should someone be deemed unworthy. Over time, the imperfect way we love causes a chain reaction which perpetuates a cycle of hurt, suspicion, and rejection. Yet, in today's gospel, Jesus commands us to love in a way that does not include caveats or conditions. He reminds us of his love which is free, total, and unconditional. He does not offer his model of love as a suggestion or as something that would be really nice if we did it. No, he says emphatically: "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another."

    In order to truly love as Jesus commands, we need a standard to follow. We need divine assistance to know what love truly is and what it is not. We need to recognize the Love of God must first be reflected within us by our own personal relationship with God. We need God's help to realize we must love one another because God first completely loved us as individuals, even before we existed. We can never do anything to make God love us more because he already loves us completely and there is nothing we will do to change that, even with our sins. We have not earned this love; it has been given to us. For these reasons, Jesus commands us to share this love with all that we encounter, even those who are mean, nasty, strange, or otherwise hard to love. 

I think this is one of the most difficult things Jesus commands us to do. Consider how Jesus loves us! It is by giving himself completely without holding anything back. It is by blessing us even when he knows we are not listening to his voice. The love of Christ is always proactive rather than reactive. It is a free gift he chooses to give. If we have any doubts about this Divine love, all we need to do is look at a crucifix and remember what will happen at this altar in just a few minutes.

If we truly follow Christ, if we want to keep his command, then we must love as he does, without exception, without limits, without counting the costs. It may not seem fair why we have to extend this love when it is so readily rejected and even trampled upon. There will be times when we feel at a disadvantage because we hold ourselves to a different, higher standard. There will be moments when we suffer persecution and pain because of our faithfulness to Jesus' command. However, we have the promise that those who follow Christ enjoy a peace, joy, and happiness the world simply cannot offer.

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, when Jesus gives us a new commandment of love, let’s look at our own hearts. Where do we fail to follow this command? Who do we struggle to love? What do we withhold in loving others, how are there still strings attached and conditions applied? Jesus can only command us to love each other because he has first loved each and every one of us, without exception or condition. He asks us to pass it on to others so that the world may be transformed, one heart at a time. As we celebrate this sacrament of Christ's redemptive love, let us ask for the strength to love one another with His Love. Then our hearts will be made whole, our lives will reflect Christ, and our world will be transformed by the One who is Love Himself.

A Voice We Know and Love (4th Sunday of Easter, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Not only is today the 4^th Sunday of Easter, but it is also Mother’s Day. So, before beginning the homily, I’d like to wish all moms here today a very happy Mother’s Day. Thank you to all of you who have brought forth and nurtured new life with generous hearts, for which we are eternally grateful. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without my mom and continually realize how much trouble she kept me out of. I hope you all enjoy a wonderful and well-deserved Mother’s Day. 

Remembering all that our moms have done for us, reminds us also how much we learned and received from the sound of her voice. Imagine everything we would have missed out on if her words were conveyed only by typing or texting, without tone or context. It’s amazing what you can know and feel instantly when you hear the voice of someone you love. Immediately you can tell if they are ok or not, whether they are having a bad day or just got great news, whether they are scared, sick or distracted. Even if their words say something different, it's their voice that expresses the truth. And how wonderful it is to hear the voice of your friend or beloved family member unexpectedly. An instant smile crosses your face without even trying! Unless you were doing something you shouldn’t have been, like so many times growing up when my mom said something like, “what’s in your hand?” as we were trying to smuggle food from the pantry to our room. Or your parents lowered their voice, addressed you with your full name, and issued a firm command. Immediately our ears works perfectly and we know to stop messing around.

In our time, we encounter many words, electronically and in print, which lack a clear voice. We’ve all had the experience of reading an email or text and taking it the wrong way. The words on the screen come across as angry, judgmental, outraged, dismissive, sarcastic, accusatory, passive-aggressive, or any number of other offensive tones and they set off a response that only escalates the situation. Sometimes, it’s not until we pick up the phone and call the other person or talk face-to-face, that things get straightened out. Many times, I’ve gotten a text, an email, and been confused, offended, hurt or angry ultimately for no reason. Why? Because I couldn’t hear the other person’s voice and their disembodied words lost a certain level of context and nuance. How many words and phrases in our speech can be either happy, encouraging, loving, and kind or also bitter, hurtful, sarcastic, and angry…all depending on tone, inflection, and volume. Words without a human voice lose something of their power and clarity. 

In our gospel today, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” How blessed we are to have a God who not only gives us words but has a voice to convey them! This notion of the shepherd's voice is extremely important. In ancient times, sheep remained with their shepherd their entire lives, from the moment of their birth until their last breath. Understandably, there was a close bond that existed between sheep and shepherd. As a matter of fact, most shepherds would name their sheep and all shepherds had a certain call or song the sheep knew. This call or song was the crucial bond between sheep and shepherd; Oftentimes, because places of pasture and shelter were scarce and hard to find, several flocks would intermingle while feeding or seeking shelter. However, when it was time to sort out the sheep, one of the shepherds would stand away from the group and make the particular call, which his sheep knew. As the sheep of his flock heard him, they would run to him, leaving behind the other shepherd with his sheep who refused to come to the first shepherd because they did not know his voice.

In a perfect world, every Christian who belongs to Christ's flock would recognize his voice and follow after him. In reality, how much easier might it be for me NOT TO KNOW the voice of Jesus when he speaks to me? There are so many other voices that are louder and bolder to distract us. I am ashamed to admit how many more hours I give to my favorite podcasts, shows, and frivolous conversations while skimping on prayer. Consider the Bible! How many of us know what it says? How many of us prayerfully read it on a regular basis? Aside from here at Mass, how many of us have actually read it more than once in the last week? Or the last month? This is one of the primary ways we stay in contact with the shepherd; they are his Words. If we do not often pray with the Scriptures, especially the four gospels, do we really know the voice of our shepherd? 

How many of us actually prayed to God at least once a day, every day last week? Did we dare to do so with our own words? How many of us, when we thought to pray; when we thought to talk to God and bring our requests; thought also to listen to God? How many of us actually took the time to quiet our hearts and minds to listen for a message: a word, a thought, an impulse from the heart of the living God?

I hope that most of us can say that we listen to his voice in the Word of God, the teaching of the Church, the sacraments and personal prayer. But does that make us one of his sheep? Not quite! It doesn't until we actually respond to His voice, until we actually try to do what the shepherd is calling us to do, until we actually follow the one who is speaking.

Friends, in the eyes of God, each one of us has a place within his flock. God is calling out to us. God is searching for us. God is asking us to come to Him, to listen to Him, and to enter his fold to be sheltered and made safe with the rest of the sheep. He wants us to be safe from robbers and thieves; safe from the evil one who would have us live in darkness and despair.

There are so many other voices calling out to us in the world today. There are many other shepherds who invite us to follow them and promise us some pretty attractive things. Most of them stress that we don’t have to suffer or sacrifice, that we can be our own gods over nature, life, morality, or sexuality. But their voice doesn’t ultimately lead us to joy or peace or safety. 

The Good Shepherd never gets tired or discouraged. He never gives up on anyone. He is forever calling out to us in the scriptures, the sacraments, the teachings of the Church, in our conscience, and in the love and compassion of other people. His voice is all around us if we choose to listen and ignore the calls of the many false shepherds. He wants to bless, nourish, protect, and guide each and every one of us. I hope all of us can come to know his voice as well we do our friends, family, and loved ones. And I hope when you hear it, whether here at Mass, in prayer with the Scriptures, or in the bustle of everyday life, it brings a sense of joy, peace, and security to your heart and soul!