The Invisible Man (4th Sunday of Lent, Year A)

  I recently had the experience (perhaps you can relate to it!) of someone looking right through me towards another person. It was in a crowded room and I saw someone waving at me, at least that’s what I thought. So I waved back with a big goofy smile on my face since I wasn’t exactly sure why they were so happy to see me. Then I saw their confusion as they noticed what I was doing and we both realized I was not the target of their greeting. I looked behind me and their friends were happily waving back and heading to re-unite with their pals. The only thing in their way was a very embarrassed and mortified me! If you been in this situation before, you know it’s not a great feeling, even when it is nothing more than an accident with no mean-spiritedness involved. 

Humans need to be seen and acknowledged in order to be healthy and happy. This sort of seeing is more than what happens physically with our eyeballs; it is learning to see as God sees, not simply by appearances but deeper, on the level of the heart. It is very possible to look at someone, perhaps day after day but never really see them. It is a curious detail in the gospel that after the blind man was cured, he was called before the pharisees. Even though they had walked past him day after day, they still weren’t sure if this was him until they asked his parents to confirm his identity; they never bothered to pay attention to him as a person. This indifference to the people around us is not limited to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time. We too easily fall into the same problem.

This week, I was reading an article on the escalating mental health crisis in young people as rates of depression, anxiety, and isolation continue to grow and affect children at younger and younger ages. The number-one suggestion for parents and anyone working with youth was simple. Make sure they know they are seen; that they have your undivided attention. Put down your phone and step away from the screen and give your children quality time where they are front and center. This is true for every person we interact with but especially for our young people, who need to be acknowledged and valued by the people they love. If they do not, bad things soon follow. 

Today’s scriptures remind us to take a moment and look inward at our own spiritual blindspots. We all have them; heck, even our cars have them! These blind spots hide in plain sight in our marriages, our parenting, our work habits, and our personalities. We are often oblivious to the goodness and gifts of God dwelling within us and fail to appreciate His presence in others. Even practicing Christians can be blind to the poverty, injustice, and pain around them. However, Jesus wants to heal this problem, if we allow him to get close enough. We need to give him permission to remove the things that come from it: self-centeredness, greed, anger, hatred, prejudice, jealousy, addiction to evil habits, hardness of heart, or anything else that obscures the image of God in ourselves and others. A famous biblical scholar named William Barclay had a wonderful, simple prayer that we can make our own, “God our Father, help us see Christ more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly, day by day.”

So what is it that causes our soul’s vision to become blurry, leading to spiritual blindness? Quite simply, it is sin that destroys our sight. Every sin we choose, whether it is large or small, distorts our vision and obscures God. Oftentimes, when we commit some serious sin, we know it right away and we seek forgiveness. However, the small sins can be even more dangerous because we learn to live with them and do not have the same sense of urgency. It is often the small sins that cause us to go spiritually blind, little by little, until we can’t see anymore. These are the everyday ways we choose not to live the gospel. It is those things we tell ourselves aren’t really wrong, those actions we just try not to think about. So, what are the signs of spiritual blindness?

The most obvious is pride. Pride will cause us to judge others, to think that we are better than others, and believe our viewpoint is always correct. Pride makes the mistake of reducing the mysteries of the world into our own clean explanations. The pharisees did this as they looked down on the blind man. They had little use for him because they assumed his blindness was caused by his sins or those of his parents. Judging by appearance and assumption, they ended up being the blind ones, hardening their hearts and missing out on a great miracle that should have brought them joy and hope! When we act out of pride, we too become blind to our own faults, we dismiss others, and lose sight of Christ. Another sign of spiritual blindness is a lack of charity, which causes us to think the worst of others and even ourselves. It often manifests itself in gossip, treating others poorly, or saying unkind words about those we don’t like. The cure is to refocus on the way of life Jesus calls us to live and embrace the fact that everyone is made in God’s image and likeness. We should ask the Lord to show us what he sees in others, especially those who are most difficult to love. We must humble ourselves as Samuel did in the first reading and let God lead us. 

The Church gives us this Lenten season to help us check up on our spiritual vision and ask Jesus to heal any problems that may have developed. By making use of the sacraments often, going to Mass every week, and spending time in prayer, we will ensure that our spiritual sight remains clear. In this way we will be a people of faith, a people who clearly see Christ working in our midst and never judge by appearances!

Always a Reason to Hope! (3rd Sunday of Lent, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

I remember, years ago, the introduction of HD technology on tv’s. It corresponded roughly with flat screens becoming mainstream. For awhile, HD was a premium feature for many of the providers and you had to remember to select the better picture from an entirely different channel list. Channel 2 for the standard picture which was more fuzzy and grainy and then 1002 for the hi-def version. But man, there sure was a difference and it could be distracting as you noticed the incredible detail of the better picture which made you feel like you were in the scene.

Gospel stories like the woman at the well are the hd moments that give us a vivid image of Jesus’ heart and the way he practiced his ministry. There are so many details, rich and full of meaning, that hold our attention captive. As a preacher, it is overwhelming because I want to tell you about them all but we simply don’t have enough time. So, for us, for today, let’s simply focus on the hope offered by Christ to this woman and also, to us.

Before we can talk about hope, we must first consider despair. Despair is more than one bad moment or a single setback. It is the surrender of hope, the belief that things will not get better and also that the pain and darkness I feel now is as good as it gets. And more than likely, it will get even worse. The woman at the well had been married 5 times. This means she had 5 wedding nights where she believed this person was the one, the one who would make her happy, fulfill her as a person, treat her right, and be her partner. On their wedding night, no one thinks, “well, this probably won’t work out” or “I can always get married again”. 5 times this woman had been excited, believing: “I can finally be complete and loved!” That also means 5 times she was disappointed, devastated, and disillusioned by another failed commitment. When someone endures this level of pain, rejection, and humiliation, a part of them dies and becomes afraid, cynical, and jaded. Certainly this happened to the samaritan woman who doesn’t even bother to marry man #6. She has lost hope in what she wanted, despair has filled her heart when it comes to marriage, and perhaps she no longer believes she is worth the effort. Happiness is for others but not for her. The best she can do now is survive and do whatever it takes to see another day. This is what disappointment does to the human heart and this is what despair looks like.

The woman’s search for happiness and love, to matter and find meaning is something we all relate to. But her repeated failed relationships have made her a joke, a punch line in her town. So much so that she now comes to the well at the hottest time of the day so she will not have to see or be seen by others. Only shameful people came to draw water in the middle of the day in the hopes of dodging judgment and mockery. This is why the woman is so surprised that Jesus would even talk to her, much less ask her, for a drink of water.  

How has our search for happiness led us to places, to choices, to relationships that have belittled us? How has rejection from others or the self-hatred that sabotages us made us doubt that joy is possible and part of God’s plan for us? How has life’s pain and disappointment kept us from believing that God wants us to be happy and whole? How many of us struggle to accept that we are worthy of love, a love which is not earned but given freely and unconditionally? How have our breakups, letdowns, failures, and bad decisions made us feel like a joke to others and made us wonder if pain and sadness are as good as it gets?

None of this unworthiness, despair, or pain scares away Jesus; in fact he seems to be drawn to it! He lowers himself to meet us in our need. Even though he can do all things as lord of heaven and earth, he becomes thirsty in order to enter into conversation with this woman. He needs nothing from her but he wants to give her everything, all she has been longing for. Can we imagine the humility of Jesus, the source of living water, the one who created water itself, asking for a drink to take away his thirst, which is both physical and spiritual. He takes this woman seriously; she is no joke to him, and he does not see her as beyond hope. In return for a sip of simple H2O, Jesus offers her the living water, the happiness, fulfillment, and purpose she longs for. He goes into her past, not to shame her but to heal her, to fix the cracks that would cause his life-giving grace to be lost. Jesus is like a skilled surgeon who must first open the wound to remove the infection so it can heal completely.

And look what happens! The woman believes! She experiences the indescribable certainty of being loved and cared for, —- she receives the kindness and dignity she was searching for her entire life and she cannot keep it to herself. St. John tells us she leaves her water bucket behind and goes into town, so urgent is her mission. What she originally came for no longer matters. How beautiful that the woman goes to the people who had been a source of fear, rejection, and despair and invites them to experience for themselves what Jesus has done for her. 

We can only imagine how she must have been completely and undeniably transformed because the people of the town follow her back to Jesus. And in short order, they too are changed, healed, inspired, and filled with the same holy spirit that only Jesus can give. 

Friends, Jesus offers us the same living water he gave to the Samaritan woman and the people of her town. Christ’s love is the only thing that satisfies our hearts. He wants to take away our spiritual thirst with his grace; his grace which never fails, never goes away and never has to be earned. But we have to believe and be willing to leave our sins behind. 

As we continue to journey through this Lenten season, let us ask Jesus to give us the living water of the gospel. Let him in by spending time in prayer, opening our past to him in confession, and doing good for others. Finally, as we prepare to approach this altar and receive the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ let us remember that no matter how we look at ourselves or our past, Jesus sees something good, something hopeful, something beautiful, something worth dying for!

Don't Just Hear, Listen!! (2nd Sunday of Lent, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

One of the central themes in so many stories revolves around a simple concept; an authority figure: a parent, or wise elder tells someone an important truth to keep them safe or enable them to enjoy something wonderful. This pearl of wisdom is often repeated and emphasized with lines like, “make sure you never…” or “listen to what I tell you and don’t forget to…” In these stories, even as this sage advice is being offered, you just know the listener is going to be a knucklehead and ignore it! For example, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the winners of the contest are given a tour of this magical place and are told, “no touching, no meddling, no tasting”  Which is exactly what Augustus, Violet, and Veruca do and trouble soon comes. In Gremlins, the cute creature Gizmo is given with the warning to keep him dry, shielded from bright light, and never feed him after midnight. All three of these rules are disregarded and mayhem follows. Lastly, in Finding Nemo, a young clownfish is warned by his fish father not to wander from the safety of the reef. In an attempt to impress his friends, Nemo does just that and wouldn’t you know it! He is scooped up and taken far from home as part of a dangerous saga that nearly destroys him.  

This theme of hearing but not listening is nothing new to humanity. Last week we heard the disobedience that started them all, as Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and given just one rule. Stay away from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil! After their refusal to listen to God, the danger and destruction of sin escalates quickly. In short order, Cain kills Abel, the tower of Babel is constructed in defiance of God, and the great flood is unleashed to cleanse the world, wiping out everyone and everything except for Noah and the occupants of the Ark. Sin spreads quickly like a spiritual cancer and there is a terrible price to pay for not listening to God! We humans tend to resent this message of obedience to God and the commands he gives. If there is one thing scripture and Tradition show us, it’s that obedience to God is seldom easy or free, but it’s always in our best interests.

In the first reading, God speaks to Abraham and asks him to do something incredibly difficult. God asks him to leave behind his extended family, his ancestral land, his previous gods, in short, everything he has come to know and rely on. Keep in mind that Abraham is no spring chicken. He is seventy-five years old and he and his wife have been unable to have children. So, what does God promise to Abraham if he listens? He says, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” 

Imagine how difficult this must have been for Abraham; God is asking him to let go of everything that provided security and comfort. How easy and reasonable it would have been for Abraham to say “no thanks, things are pretty good here and I am reaching the end of my life. No need to start something new!” Yet he obeyed God and becomes the first link in a human chain of those who show us how to listen to God and follow his will instead of our own. In return, the Lord makes this 75 year-old man and his wife the beginning of a great nation, the parents of his chosen people.

The same theme of obedience is at work in our gospel. Jesus goes up the mountain and takes three of his closest apostles with him. They see Jesus transfigured, glorified before their very eyes. They hear the voice of God, the same voice that instructed Abraham, saying to them, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” God is asking the apostles to do something that seems humanely insane; trust in his Son who will soon suffer and die in the worst way possible. God wants them to do whatever his Son tells them, even though he is going to be treated like a criminal on the cross. We know the apostles struggle in their obedience to Christ. But in the end they will listen to him, offering their lives in a glorious witness to God. And for their obedience they receive honor in the Church and most importantly, eternal life in heaven.

This theme of obedience is not something reserved simply for Abraham or the apostles! God is calling each of us to obey his plan and law in our own lives. He continues to speak to us in prayer and through the Church, asking us to draw closer to his beloved Son and listen to him. He is inviting us to leave behind our old way of life, those things of the world in which we place our trust, and to put our faith in his divine promises. He wants to make us a part of that great nation of believers and to make our lives a blessing. But we can only experience these blessings if we first embrace obedience to his will. We can take comfort knowing that God never breaks his promises, he  makes the impossible, possible, and the more we trust him, the more he blesses us. We have today’s readings as a reminder of this powerful truth.

So how is God calling you to listen to him like Abraham and apostles? Is he asking a greater fidelity to the Catholic teaching on difficult topics? Could he be asking you to consider the possibility of expanding your family? Is it by being more generous in sharing the blessings you have received with those who are less fortunate? Could he be calling you to leave behind the ways you waste time or talent so you can give him more of yourself in prayer and good works? Perhaps he wants you to be more present and respectful to your family, to your spouse, children, or parents? Maybe, God is trying to show you that obedience to your parents, teachers, and lawful authority is how you will demonstrate your obedience to Him! One thing is certain: obedience to God never goes unnoticed or unrewarded by the Lord. So ask God to help you listen to his Son and let your heart echo the words of our psalm: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”