Jesus Revolution (20th Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

    This weekend, I had the opportunity to watch a lovely film called, “The Jesus Revolution.” This movie centers around the spiritual awakening that started in Southern California within a community of teenagers and then spread around the US and eventually the world. Prior to this “Jesus Revolution”, there was a sweeping counter-cultural movement among young people that was seeking truth, enlightenment, and freedom while also distrusting government, institutions, and formal religion. These so-called hippies sought acceptance and higher purpose in all sorts of places, philosophies, and life-styles, but as the movie and history shows, they continually found themselves unsatisfied. The Jesus Revolution celebrated Scripture and the person of Jesus as the key to finding abiding truth, lasting love, purpose, and the healing embrace of a caring community. The human longing for these good things was well-communicated in the movie and they are not restricted to just the hippie movement or a single moment in time.

This feeling of belonging, this yearning to be accepted and cherished or conversely, the fear of not fitting in or wondering what our place in the world might be, is something we all experience at different points of life as we start a new school year, begin a new job, move into a different neighborhood, or join a different parish. Our psalm and first two readings are beautiful scriptures about inclusion in the best and truest sense of the word. Through Isaiah, the Lord states that any foreigner who unites themselves to him will be part of his family. God’s house is meant to be a house of prayer for all peoples. The psalm exclaims, “O God, let all the nations praise you!” Even the fiery St. Paul shares the love and reminds the Gentiles that God’s mercy is extended to them as well.

This theme of belonging, of acceptance in God’s house seems to hit a brick wall with the gospel. The feeling of not belonging someplace appears forced on the woman who comes to Jesus seeking healing for her daughter. She was a Canaanite, a gentile, a pagan. The apostles try to shoo her away! Who does she think she is: asking healing from this Jesus, a Jewish Holy Man? Jesus Himself seemed to emphasize this exclusion when He joined the sentiment of the crowd and said that He was only sent for the lost sheep of Israel. But the woman wouldn’t give up. 

She demanded an audience with Him. Her faith was further tested when the Lord said “it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs”, dogs being the Jewish way of referring to the gentiles. Her response that even the dogs eat the food that falls from the table showed Jesus her faith in Him would not waiver. It was clear that she belonged there, before the Lord. No one could say she didn't belong. She couldn't even say that about herself. Rather than mistreating her or pushing her away, Jesus, who alone can read hearts and souls, is actually testing and rewarding her faith.

None of us should ever feel that we don't belong before the Lord. We do belong here in his house. We belong because he has called us to be here. Of course we are not good enough to be in His Presence. Not on our own. But He makes us good enough. That is what Baptism does. And, if we squander the Grace of our Baptism, then Reconciliation makes us good enough. Everyone in the Church belongs here. And there are billions of people outside the Church who also belong here. This is the Catholic Church. The word Catholic literally means universal. All people from all lands, demographics, and races belong in the Church. They deserve to know Christ and the healing he offers.

The Catholic Church is not a white Church or a black Church, an Asian Church or a Hispanic Church. The Catholic Church is not an American Church. The Catholic Church is not a European Church. An attitude of “us’ vs “them”, “insider” vs “outsider” has no place in Catholicism. The Catholic Church is the universal Church. All people belong here. Saints and sinners belong here. People who are living exemplary lives belong here. People who are seeking to live better lives belong here. Most of us, probably all of us, are in that second group. We don't go to Church because we are so holy. We go to Church because we are seeking holiness. We all find ourselves here because we have tried to be good and do good on our own and it didn’t work so well. We wanted to be self-sufficient and many have tried to self-medicate with wealth, success, pleasure, and countless other things but the emptiness still remains. Only God heals and satisfies. If you are seeking a friendship with God, if you have made mistakes but wish to be made whole and learn from them, you belong here.

There are many people here at Incarnate Word Parish, including myself, who come to Mass every week and even every day, asking God to heal us. We are seeking to be sincere in our practice of the faith. We belong here. "Come, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, the Lord said. He didn't exclude anyone. He said, all you who are weary. One of the most effective weapons the devil uses against us is convincing us that we are entitled to the Grace of God without repentance or humility. That no change or sacrifice is needed. The devil wants us to settle for less than God knows we can be. The devil also wants to divide God’s family and create little camps opposed to each other. The Lord promises he will never give up on us. So we don’t have the right to give up on ourselves or each other. God wants his family together for prayer and service, no matter how imperfect and complicated that family may be. And so, we come before Him this Sunday and every Sunday. We come before Him with simple, humble, faith like the Canaanite woman and we ask Him for healing. We learn to be patient and persevere, even when it feels like Jesus is testing our faith. Especially in those times, like the quick-witted woman of the gospel, we trust Him. For His mercy and compassion are infinitely greater than our sins. His timeline is wiser and better than ours, too! We look at the image of our Lord on the cross. We meditate on what He has done for us. And in complete humility we say, "I belong here and to each other, you belong here.” Let us all work and pray that the Catholic Church and our Incarnate Word parish may be a house of prayer for all people so all the nations will praise God!

Focus, Not Talent, Makes Us Great (19th Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

I had a free evening last weekend and I excitedly got some good food and plopped in front of my tv to find something to watch. I have access to three different streaming platforms but as I scrolled through each of them, I felt like there was nothing to watch. How was that even possible?! This has happened before and what I end up doing is finding some documentary, either on crime or sports and sort of half-watch it while working on other things. This particular doc was following various professional athletes as they train and compete. You see some of the behind-the-scenes prep and the struggle for many of them to remain at the top of their game while balancing the demands of training, the pressure of big matches, and the inevitable self-doubt and disappointment that comes from losing. More and more of these premier athletes work with sport psychologists to clear their minds and remain focused on winning and improvement. The author James Clear, explored the practices of highly successful athletes and professionals in his book, Atomic Habits. What he found was that, by and large, most of them found success by constantly improving in little ways all the time. Also, they generally were not vastly more talented than others. Instead, what each of them shared in common was the ability to stay focussed when others got distracted, discouraged, or overwhelmed. In other words, “what looks like a talent gap is often a focus gap, vision is the bottleneck of talent.” Their ability stay focussed on the game, their training, and the things around them was the actual talent that people like Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and so many other elite athletes used to become the GOAT of their sport. 

Our Scriptures reveal this same truth on a spiritual level. The difference between a saint and sinner is not some sort of special favor mysteriously give to some and not others, nor is a thing some are born with and others will never have. Instead, the ability to grow in holiness in some small way each day and to focus on what is most important in any given situation while blocking out what is not, that is what makes a person great in their practice of faith. 

In the first reading, Elijah, who is fleeing the wicked King Ahab and murderous Queen Jezebel, has the opportunity to encounter God. The Lord tells him to stand outside the cave and wait for him. First comes a mighty wind, then a tremendous earthquake, followed by a roaring fire. Each of these had been manifestations of God in the past but in this moment, they are distractions. Elijah remains focussed through it all and the moment he hears the tiny whisper, he recognizes the presence of God. From this tiny whisper, he will receive encouragement, direction, and confidence on what comes next. Elijah was one of the greatest prophets, not simply because of what he said or did but because of his ability to stay focussed on God which then led him to say and do what the Lord wanted every step of the way.

Then we have the wonderful story where Jesus walks on the water. In this famous scene, Peter and the disciples are getting beat up by a storm at sea. We often focus on the fact that Peter doubts and sinks but we should remember that he and the other disciples are in the boat, first of all, because of faith. Just before this scene, Jesus had fed the massive crowd who had been with them the entire day. Next, Matthew tells us, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. Some of the apostles were fishermen and they would have known better than to get into a boat and head out onto the Sea of Galilee on a stormy night. And yet, at Jesus’ command, they go, trusting in his knowledge more than their own. Their faith is already at work! When they spot Jesus walking towards them on the stormy sea, some react in fear; it is too much to believe that this could actually be Jesus. But not Peter. Faith got him into the boat and now faith leads him out of it too! If Jesus can stand above the storm, Peter wants to be there with him. What an incredible boldness and belief? Can most of us honestly say that we desire to be with Jesus in the middle of whatever storm seems to distance us from him? Or do we prefer to remain in the relative safety of our boats, which are tossing and scarcely staying afloat. For a remarkable moment, for as long as he stays focussed on Jesus, Peter does the impossible; he walks on water. And not some glass-like surface but a tortured sea that terrified even those who made their living on it. It is only when he pays more attention to the wind and waves that he begins to sink. Like a world-class athlete, Peter immediately re-focuses, stops the momentum of doubt, and cries out to the One who can save him. Without hesitation or lag-time Jesus reaches out to raise him up. As soon as we turn to Jesus, he responds and rescues!

The Fathers of the Church loved this story and the rich image it provided. The boat represents the Church and it requires faith from us to get in when we would rather stay on shore. The boat also represents the little shelters and securities we create for ourselves throughout life. Sometimes they are enough in the calm waters of daily life but are no match for the massive storms that come upon us and quickly overwhelm. When we are focussed on Jesus, we can leave the sanctuaries we have created and find true peace in moments and places the world thinks to be impossible. But the key is that we stay focussed on the Lord! If our eyes wander to the storm, the sickness, the struggle, or to anyone or anything besides Jesus, we will begin to sink. In those moments, like St. Peter, we must re-focus and call on Jesus, through prayer, through the sacraments, by embracing his Church and her teachings, and know that immediately he will help us and bring us to the spiritual safety only he can provide. 

Today we recognize the power that is provided when we stay focussed on the Lord. It is not a matter of talent but of vision and knowing what is truly important. His presence and love shows us the next steps in adversity, it makes possible the impossible, and raises us above the storms of life. We ask for that grace to focus on who and what is most important and to quickly cry out to Jesus when we falter. He will not disappoint and he will not fail us.  

Transfiguration, 2023

 To listen to this homily, click here.

One of the best books I’ve ever read on the life and person of Christ (besides scripture of course!) is written by an Italian Monsignor, Romano Guardini. He is considered one of the greatest Catholic minds of the 20th century and anything with his name on it is excellent! His book, titled The Lord, winds its way through the life of Christ, with beautiful reflections on the miracles, parables, and teachings from the gospel. As you read, you can’t help but notice how endlessly rich the person of Jesus is, how mysterious and profound. One chapter is dedicated to the gospel scene we just heard, the event of the Transfiguration.

I would say most homilies about the transfiguration focus on the reason for the event and its connection to the resurrection, or why Christ takes three of the apostles, or what was said by God in the heavenly voice. Often, very little is said about the two individuals who are seen on the mountain talking to Christ in the moment he is transfigured, namely Elijah and Moses. Msgr. Guardini encourages us to take a deeper look at these men, who represent the Law and the Prophets, the two pillars of Judaism, because they are so directly connected to Christ and his saving mission.

  Let us first consider Moses. Moses was a loyal son of Israel who was called by God to a very difficult and unenviable task: to guide God’s people out of slavery and into freedom in the Promised Land. The Israelite people suffered a slavery on two levels: first, on the physical plane as slaves of the Egyptians. But they were also slaves on a deeper and more troubling level, to their own sinfulness and laziness and love of other gods. Moses’ real challenge, over and over again, would be to try and shake the people out of this spiritual haze, to realize that the life and freedom God was offering them were worth the sacrifice and pain that was involved.

How many times would Moses go back and forth between God and his people? On one hand, trying to get the people to grow in their faith and love of God? Trying with all his might to break them out of their petty arguments and small-mindedness into seeing a glimpse of glory of God. Can’t we almost feel him throwing up his arms in frustration as again and again he begs God to work one more miracle on behalf of the people, whether that be the parting of the Red Sea, the gift of Manna from Heaven, the Water gushing from the Rock, or the bronze serpent which saved the snake-bitten people, and every time God provides. And yet every time the Israelites doubt, they ask for one more sign, and they complain that things were better and easier when they were back in Egypt as Pharaoh's slaves. Again and again, this is the pattern, followed by Moses going to God and asking Him to be patient, to spare the people when they sin. 

Moses gives his life serving as the middleman between God and his People. He takes it on both sides as he tries to get the Israelites to grow in their love of God and keep God from growing too angry with the sinfulness of his own people. His whole life was spent urging Israel to follow God, to trust in him fully. In the end Moses dies on a mountaintop, overlooking the Promised Land. Even though he doesn’t enter into this blessed place himself, he remains faithful to God’s call to lead his people.

 

And what about Elijah? Here was a mighty prophet who is mysterious to us. We have no book from him but he is larger than life because of the hardships he endured. He lived during the reign of the wicked King Ahab and devious Queen Jezebel. Together this evil couple killed the priests of the Lord and taught the people to hate the one true God while worshiping false gods. Elijah was the one who stood in the breach and fought against this wave of sin, darkness, and death. His whole life, every ounce of energy, was spent in defending the majesty of God as he endured every sort of hardship and suffering. His bravery is breathtaking and when his time on earth is finished, we read that he is swept away to heaven by a fiery chariot. 

These then are the two men seen talking to Jesus on the mountain during the Transfiguration. “Moses, who had known the hopelessness of all efforts to rip his people out of the captivity of their own hearts; Elijah, who with both sword and spirit had charged the satanic dark.” Both find their fulfillment in Christ who will bring their epic struggles to a dramatic and Godly conclusion. We can only imagine the encouragement they offered Christ, as he prepared for the unthinkable sufferings of his passion and death. Certainly all three of them understood the frustration of dealing with people whose hearts and heads were hardened by pride and sin. 

The account of the Transfiguration reminds us that God came to earth for one purpose and one purpose alone: To save us from wandering and worshipping other gods, to break us out of our pathetic patterns of slavery. This encounter on the mountain challenges us to look inward at our lives and our own faith. Where would Moses and Elijah find spiritual slavery within us? In unhealthy relationships with other people? In an undue attachment to wealth or success or material things? Would they find a people in love with comfort rather than with God? A people afraid to leave behind what is familiar so that they could glory in the blessings and freedom of a new life that only God can give? Would they find within us the darkness of hidden, unconfessed sins or untreated addictions? Would it be clear that we worship the One, True God or would our hearts betray the fact that we often serve many different gods?

This feast is an opportunity for us to go up on that mountain and be transformed by the power of Christ, foreshadowed in the lives of Moses and Elijah. Let us open ourselves completely to work of purification so that we may enjoy forever the freedom that is given to the sons and daughters of God. If this is our intention, we, like St. Peter, will say: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”   

The Road to Riches, Power, and Happiness (17th Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Our first reading has always fascinated me. God gives Solomon the opportunity of a lifetime; the chance to request anything, a blank check from the one who can offer everything. And because he is a king, I would have expected Solomon to ask for power and victory for him and his armies. I would have expected him to ask God for money and riches, so his kingdom and legacy would be legendary. If nothing else, I would have expected King Solomon to ask for the pleasure of enjoying himself during his time as king. Why wouldn’t he ask for plenty of food, drink, or whatever else his kingly heart desired? But look at what Solomon actually requests of God. It is not power, pleasure, or money. When God tells Solomon: “ask something of me and I will give it to you”, Solomon asks for knowledge and the gift of an understanding heart. 

This answer pleases God, in fact, it seems like he was almost caught off-guard by Solomon’s request. The Lord promises to give him wisdom and understanding in such abundance that never again will someone be so wise. Even as a kid, I wondered what I would have said if God offered me anything. I suppose my answer to that question would have changed depending on my age and what was going on in my life. At different moments, I would have asked God for a bulldozer, the answers to my spelling test, or a mute button for my siblings! It is humbling to admit but if I were in Solomon’s shoes, our first reading would probably have been much less inspiring!

What about you? If God spoke to you tonight and said, “ask something of me and I will give it to you” What would be on the top of your list? Would you ask to be a better husband or wife, a better parent to your children, a better friend to your peers? Would you ask for an understanding heart to better live your Catholic faith? If God granted you one wish, would you ask for Godly wisdom or might you squander God’s generosity on something as transitory as power, pleasure, or money?

Real power, authentic riches, and lasting happiness all come to us if we acquire the Godly wisdom Solomon asked for. This is not a luxury only for biblical characters; Christ offers us this same knowledge if we are willing to humble ourselves and learn from him, who is meek and humble of heart. And far from being an extravagance, an understanding heart, like the one given to Solomon, is absolutely essential for us if we hope to enjoy the kingdom of heaven when we die. So how do we “get” this gift?

For you and me, we will likely receive this pearl of great price, this hidden treasure slowly, over time, little by little, through a consistent and quiet process of daily prayer. Probably not overnight like Solomon! Oftentimes, when we think of prayer, we imagine a list of wants and needs that we send up to God. Then, if He is in a good mood and we have behaved ourselves, perhaps some or most of those requests will come back granted the way we hoped. For many Christians, this is majority of their prayer. But in reality, there is so much more. Prayer is first and foremost, a relationship, a friendship with God. When we pray, we should be talking (AND LISTENING!) to Almighty God as we do with our best friend. We should be asking for things to be sure, but we should also be sharing our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears, saying thank you for everything we have, apologizing for the times we have hurt Him, and also praising Him for his greatness. 

Prayer is a relationship that transforms us over time if we stick with it. What we realize is that the point of prayer is not so much to change God’s mind as it does ours. As we grow in our friendship with God, we begin to trust Him more. We ask Him for the things we think we need and believe that whatever He gives, even if if is far different than what we requested, is exactly what is best for us. This trust, hope, and confidence in God is the foundation of wisdom, it leads to an understanding heart which knows how to prioritize the rest of our life. This God-given gift is what gives us the clarity to find the Lord in the toughest of circumstances and always choose what is best for ourselves and others from the perspective of eternity. The wisdom of prayer enables us to look beyond the instant gratifications and flashiness of this world and set our heart on the pearl of great price, which is eternal union with God.

One final observation: true wisdom and heavenly treasure are not possible without sacrifice. There are no shortcuts or life-hacks that allow us to get them easily or cheaply. When we think of treasure, we imagine gold; but gold has to be refined, purified by fire to remove impurities and contaminants. In a similar way, a pearl begins with an outside element that enters an oyster and first agitates and disrupts. Layer upon layer coats the irritant until it forms a beautiful pearl. Both are perfect analogies for the treasure and wisdom God desires to give us. They will require sacrifice, discomfort, and purification. But partnered with God’s generous grace and our willingness to let go of anything and everything to gain it, it makes what the world offers pale in comparison.

So let us ask God constantly for an understanding heart, just as King Solomon did. May you and I look for that priceless treasure, which is the kingdom of God, each and every day of our lives. And let us not be afraid to let go of whatever we have, whether it is material, spiritual, or psychological, that keeps us from obtaining the pearl of great price. For in the kingdom of heaven, we will obtain real power, authentic riches, and lasting happiness and we will rejoice in them for all eternity.