15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Rumor has it that every month, the Department of Transportation gives an award to a distinct class of its employees across the nation. This award is not prestigious, rather it highlight an employee who manages to follow the letter of the law perfectly and refuses to employ common sense. The award I am referring to is the “It’s Not My Job Award” and it always goes to the employee nationwide who best proves to be unwilling to go outside the the scope of their assigned task. My favorite photo of this award took place on a road in Litchfield Park, Arizona. Here a road crew was repainting lane markings when they came across something that was not in their job description; it was roadkill! Since they were assigned to paint the center line of the road, not to remove dead animals, they simply painted the road...and the dead opossum! The picture, worth a thousand words, gives us a pretty good idea of the literal approach these fellows took to their job.

Now I mention this, because, as ridiculous as this “It’s Not My Job Award” is, there are many people who could win this award if it were offered for the way Christians proclaim their faith. By virtue of our baptism, we are all anointed priest, prophet, and king. In our readings today, the Church asks us to reflect most especially on the role of the prophet, the messenger of God’s Word. Oftentimes, when we hear the word “prophet”, we think of someone who can predict the future or see things that others can’t. While it is true that some prophets did predict future happenings, that was not their main task. No, the prophet is someone who is called to share God’s Word and message with the people around him. Even if we understand what a prophet truly is, most of us probably have the thought it is a role best suited for a priest or religious or at least someone who has specialized training. 

It might help us understand what a often prophet looks like by looking at the one who comes to us in the first reading today. His name was Amos and he was a normal, everyday, working man. He was a shepherd and an arborist, of sycamore trees in fact! He lived just south of the border between the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, on the Judea  side. How easy it would have been for Amos to tell the Lord, “prophecy is not my job, that’s not what I signed up for!” But instead, he crossed the border into the North and proclaimed God’s truth to those in the City of Bethel.  The people there were not fully living their faith. They were part-time their devotion to the Lord. Amos told them to change their lives and be committed to the Lord; to go back to what their faith demanded of them. The priest, Amaziah, told Amos to stop confronting the people and go back to Judah. Amos responded: “I am not a professional prophet. I am an arborist, a dresser of trees. But I cannot refuse to proclaim the Lord.”

Nor can any of us. We have to “proclaim the word, in season and out of season” as St. Paul wrote. By nature of our baptism, we have to proclaim the truth we experience within us whether it is a time others want to hear it, or whether it is a time they would rather we just keep quiet. We are all called to be prophetic voices, no matter what our training or vocation. This isn’t just the work of the priests and sisters and religious brothers; it is the work of all the baptized. We cannot simply tell the Lord, “It’s not my job.”

While He was still with us on earth, Jesus sent his disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. These disciples were ordinary, everyday men entrusted with an extraordinary task. Like Amos, they were not trained missionaries but fisherman. Jesus doesn’t seem too concerned about that. He told them that the mission was urgent.  They shouldn’t be bogged down with the cares and concerns of luggage. But they should wear sandals because they had a lot of ground to cover. They needed to proclaim to all.  Some would listen, and others would reject them, but the message had to be proclaimed to as many people as possible. And, as we know from the gospel, these unqualified missionaries had tremendous success, success that came from God and changed the world, even our own lives!

It is the same for all of us. We need to bring the message, the experience, the very presence of Jesus Christ to the world. This is our call, no matter who we are, no matter what our state in life. Some will listen to you who will not listen to me as a priest.  Perhaps it is people your age, be it senior citizen or child, who will say, “I want to be happy with life as he or she is happy.”  Perhaps it will be people who look to you for guidance, such as your own children or grandchildren.  Perhaps it will be people who respect and love you, such as your parents and brothers and sisters. Many of these people will hear the message clearer when it comes from you rather than from me or any priest.  So proclaim the message. 

And yes, there will be people who will reject the message.  You may indeed have to move on and proclaim the  truth of Jesus Christ to others.  But don’t stop praying for them. And be patient.   Joy, happiness and the Presence of the Lord are contagious, but sometimes it takes time for the peace of Christ to win over a person.

May we embrace the role of prophet and apostle in own lives as they are modeled to us today in the example of Amos and the twelve apostles. Let us not be afraid of the uncertainties or difficulties that will come our way in fulfilling our call, given to each of us at our baptism. Most importantly, each of us, in our own way, has something to share with the world about the Good News of Jesus Christ. Let us not act in a way that would win us the “It’s Not My Job Award” and let us trust that God wants to use our witness to bring others closer to him. 

Homily for Religious Freedom (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)

One of the things that helps me keep my sanity around here is regular exercise. And not just here at St. Joe’s, but wherever I have been. Since high school, exercise has been a crucial part of a healthy approach to living. Just last week, for some reason, I was reflecting on the the fact that I have been exercising and working out consistently for the last 15 years. That’s a pretty long time! And yet, isn’t a little sad and frustrating that even with a decade and a half of working out, it only takes a few weeks away from the gym to start losing all that hard work. That is one of the great mysteries of the human body; it can accomplish amazing things, become incredibly strong. Just look at the athletes that are competing for a chance to represent our nation in the Summer Olympics. But if the body stops exercising and challenging itself with resistance training, within a month, muscle mass begins to decrease cardiovascular endurance drops dramatically. I don’t think it’s fair really; that we have to work so hard to get in shape and to stay there but that it can be lost so quickly if we stop exercising those good habits. 

But physical fitness is not the only area which must be exercised consistently or risk being lost. A more important aspect of our lives which follows the same pattern is our human and civil rights. These basic human rights, which are defined as the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality, are not something we have to earn. We have certain rights that are due to us, simply because we are human beings, made in the image and likeness of God. As Americans, we naturally think of those rights that protect life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness or fortune and the free practice of religion. We think of them because they are the foundation of our country, the cornerstone of what makes our nation free and prosperous and a symbol of liberty to the whole world. But these rights must be exercised consistently or risk being lost. If we are lazy or complacent or think that these fundamental rights will never be infringed upon, well, then we are already starting to lose them.

How sad it is, that Americans are increasingly blind and apathetic to the dangers and infringements on their God-given rights! Even more troubling that many citizens of this great nation allow those rights to be slowly taken away and even vote in ways that reduce their own rights! (If they vote at all) Did you know that voter participation in nearly every general election has decreased since 1960? That only about half of eligible voters are showing up to choose our nation’s leaders when it is a presidential election and only about a third are bothering to vote when the president is not involved. Why have we gotten so lazy in the practice of our rights? The same rights that so many brave men and women have sacrificed their lives to defend?!

As you know, recent legislation, namely the Health and Human Services Mandate, ignores yet another one of our God-given rights, to freely practice our religious beliefs and not violate our consciences. This unjust law requires employers to provide drugs and procedures for contraception, sterilization, and even abortifacient purposes, regardless of the employer’s religious convictions. In about 31 days, this immoral law takes legal effect for all employers, except religious institutions, which are given an additional year to “comply” with the rule. 

We might wonder, “how did we get to this point?” We might be tempted to simply blame the current administration. It carries a major share of the blame to be sure, but the problem runs much deeper. The only reason our elected officials are able to pass laws that compromise our freedom and violate our religious beliefs is because we put them there, we tolerated their shenanigans in lesser issues, we bought into the lie that our religious beliefs have no place in the public square and policy making and, as a result, with religion removed from the legislation, what fills the gap are secular principles which change according to the fickle winds of public opinion, approval ratings, and in some dangerous cases, personal agendas and ideologies.

We find ourselves face to face with the current threat to our religious liberty in large part because Catholics have grown lazy in exercising and defending their God-given rights and as a result, they are in danger of being lost and taken from us. Now let me make this clear, I have been edified by the faithful and prayerful response of so many in our church, including the bishops, who have spoken clearly and courageously in against the immoral Health and Human Services mandate. But I have also been surprised by how many good, faithful catholics have told us priests that this is none of the Church’s business, that we are getting involved in a political issue, that the Church should not be trying to impose her morality upon others.

But this is simply not true! The Church did not go looking for this fight; it was pressed upon us with no respect for our religious beliefs by our government. The Catholic Church did not make this a political issue, politicians have and it is dividing our country deeper and deeper. Finally, this is not simply a Catholic issue; it is much bigger than that. It is a human rights issue. The problem has less to do with the fact that we believe contraception, sterilization and abortifacient drugs are immoral and more to do with the fact that our government is deciding that it can tell us to violate our consciences and how we will be allowed to practice our faith. As citizens, we have the right and obligation to speak against this unjust law and to disobey it if it goes into effect. And even if we are not Catholic or disagree with the Church on this issue, we should have a problem with this law, which sets a precedent for the government to infringe on the religious liberty and conscience of any person. If we know our history, we know that every dictator and tyrant has made use of this kind of power to commit atrocities and seize power for themselves.

So what can we do to nip this danger in the bud? How can we keep our nation from following in the footsteps of governments that have taken away the rights of its people to freely practice their faith? First, we must pray and offer sacrifice for our country and her leaders. We must ask God to give them a conversion of heart and see the evil they are about to do. We must ask for courage and  strength for those leaders who are fighting to protect our religious liberty and overturn this immoral mandate. Secondly, we have to witness to our faith by exercising our right to vote and participating in the democratic process of our county. Far too long, Catholics have ignored their faith when it came to their vote and have not been good witnesses of Jesus Christ when it came to choosing people who would represent them in our government. We must also be willing to take the time and effort to contact our elected officials and urge them to protect our God-given right to freely practice our faith and obey our consciences. Finally, we must be prepared to suffer for what we believe. It may happen that our religious liberty is taken away and ignored in the next month. We must not, we cannot comply with the evil that is about to take place. If that means that we are fined, then so be it. If it means that some of us are in danger of going to jail, so be it. We must not and cannot abandon our faith in this time of crisis. We must be willing to endure any hardships this law might impose upon us. We mustn't be afraid to stand up for what we believe in. This may be difficult and unpopular, it may cost us dearly but it is the right thing to do and God will give us the strength to do it. So let us pledge ourselves to this moral and noble cause: to defend our liberty and the right to follow our consciences. And not just for ourselves, but for the generations that will follow us as citizens of our great nation. May God give us strength and may God bless America!

Mother's Day Homily

Any preacher who dares to get up and speak on Mother’s Day faces at least three problems or dangers. They are: 1) the danger of appearing to be an “expert” on motherhood, 2) the danger of using Mary as the model of motherhood, and 3) the danger of facing a very mixed congregation. The danger of being an expert: you all know the story of the priest who got up and spoke at great length on the glories of motherhood. And when he walked outside a woman came up to him and said, “ Father, I wish I knew as little about being a mother as you do.” Or the other priest who preached about Mary as the perfect model to be a wife and mother. And a woman came up to him, carrying one baby and with four other children following her, and said, “It’s easy enough for her with her one child!” And then, our congregation is mixed. We celebrate Mother’s Day, we talk about and honor mothers. And yet, many of our congregation are not mothers, and some, like myself are not married and are not women. Nevertheless, what we all have in common is we’ve all had a mother. We’ve all had the experience of a mom and how her love can heal and form us and that justifies speaking about motherhood, no matter what the dangers might be. So thank you, to all of our moms who have shone us countless acts of love. We know that one day is not enough to thank you for all that you do!

On this day where we pause to thank God for the gift of motherhood, I think it is important to note that the concept and dignity of women and motherhood are under a very dangerous attack in our society. Can we ignore the alarming spread of pornography in our homes, in marriages, even among our young people? Or the often-overlooked scourge of domestic violence which breaks the spirit of so many women, hurting and crying out for help? Or what about the shameless objectification of the female body in advertising and entertainment where a person is reduced to an object simply to sell a product.

All of these things sadly, are present in our culture and are accepted by many as the way things are. It is ironic that our society calls us today to honor motherhood while at the same time promoting the very practices that attack the dignity of the women we wish to show our appreciation for. 

Now there are many other evils in our society that are detrimental to women. But I want to zero in on one in particular because it is causing incredible damage and heartbreak. It is devastating to all people but it is harming women most deeply. Therefore, on this Day dedicated to moms and women, let’s honor them by considering what we can do make things better.

The evil that I want to approach is also the most difficult because it is considered a good thing by so many people. It thought to be off-limits by others, something the Church shouldn’t talk about. It has been hailed as the liberation of women, the thing that levels the playing field against men. It was seen as the solution for so many domestic problems and the beginning of new horizons for every female. It would give her control and power, she could be in charge without being subjected to men. This evil is found in the thing known as artificial contraception. 

Since its introduction, especially in the pill more than 50 years ago, it has been touted as the answer to so many problems that plague modern women. It was supposed to improve marriage, increase the quantity and quality of sexual intimacy, free women from the natural rhythm of their bodies. It promises many good things, it looks so perfect, and yet those who use it end up experiencing a deep spiritual sadness and the nagging emptiness of being used.  

Why is it that our society has encouraged women to do things to their bodies, some of these thing very permanent, that go against the feminine nature or “feminine genius” as Blessed John Paul II called it? Why is it that so many women have accepted birth control as the thing that will make them happy or give them control or make them equal with men? And yet, how often the very opposite comes true. More and more, women are seen as objects for men’s pleasure; things to be had on a whim without consideration for the woman or her body. The very thing that was supposed to empower women had led countless women to be used and hurt. The hallmarks of femininity, such as the reception of new life, a nurturing spirit, and quiet gentleness are being replaced by anger, bitterness, and domination. 

If there is one thing that I want every woman, single or married, young or old, to hear, it is this: you deserve better! You deserve the respect of others! You deserve the respect of men for who you are as a daughter of God and sister in Christ, not for the pleasure you provide or the ways you measure up against worldly expectations. You deserve to hear from the Church and from a priest, that artificial contraception is a moral evil, it is lie that will only bring you sadness, emptiness, and pain. 

As a woman you share the privilege of bringing new life into being. Allow this truth to take root in your life and don’t be afraid to respect yourself enough to demand this dignity from others. As men, we need to protect that gift and honor and cherish women as God created them, not necessarily as society sees them. This can be done practically by remembering that each person is made in the image of God and we are all children of God. As a Church we need to support men and women in bringing forth new life and by growing in mutual love and respect. This will strengthen marriages, fortify families, and build up society. This is not simply a nice idea for someone else to try but something that each and every person plays a part in making a reality. As a matter of fact it is one of the most important ways that we live out the love we are called to in our second reading from St. John. So, on this Mother’s day, let us be thankful for the incredible gift of woman and motherhood, and let us, like the psalmist, “give thanks to God for we are fearfully and wonderfully made!”

Easter Sunday, Cycle B

On behalf of Msgr. Callahan, Fr. Post, the deacons, the parish staff, and myself, let me wish you all a very holy and happy Easter. I hope that all of you will experience joy with family and friends on this day where we celebrate the Lord Jesus’ victory over sin and death!

As some of you may remember from earlier homilies, I have a strong love for tools: power tools, hand tools, yard tools, it doesn’t really matter, I enjoy them all. This fascination with tools started at a young age. It was fostered by a kind retiree who lived next door to us growing up. This man had nearly every tool you could think of for every sort of repair. They were all perfectly cared for and organized on several workbenches in his basement and he was always happy to show me how to use them properly. He would teach me how to care for each tool and use it safely, supervising my projects from beginning to end. As time went on and he realized that my interest in woodworking and home-repair was genuine, he would “lend” me a tool or two for projects that I was working on. After several years and many visits to his workbench, he honored me a great deal by giving me some of the tools that he had used over the years. 

Even as a young person, the gift of these tools was very meaningful to me. I knew how special his tools were to him, the time and sacrifice he had spent in acquiring them and the fact that he actually gave some of them to me was no small sacrifice. I also knew that it was a statement of trust that he was making in me; something precious was now handed on to me to care for and use properly. As I continued to use these tools many years later, I was always reminded of this man’s generosity and tried to honor him by caring for them properly. I tried to emulate the skills and techniques that he himself had spent time refining over many years. 

While I know it is a somewhat weak analogy, I feel this experience resonates in a small way with what we celebrate today with Easter. God our Father, infinitely wise and loving, shares with us what is most precious to him. He shares, not some material object, but his very own life. Even when we treated this gift poorly and lost it through sin, he did not give up on us. Instead of pulling away from us, as we deserved, what does he do? How does he love us? He sends his own beloved Son, to become man, and to suffer and die for the sins of the human race. I think it is important for us to remember that God did not do this for his own benefit. He did it so that you and I might be set free from the slavery of sin and death. This divine sharing, which St. Athanasius beautifully described as God becoming man so man might become divine, well, this gift is a mystery that can never be exhausted. 

On this Easter Sunday, where we get together with family and friends and enjoy good food, beautiful weather and the joyful turning of a new season, it might be easy to stay simply on the natural, sentimental level and not go any deeper. But we ought to remember the more important reason that unites us all. It is because of the resurrection that we are here today. If Christ had not risen from the dead, the disciples would not have had the courage or boldness to say another word about Jesus in public, let alone to claim that He rose and is Lord of the living and the dead.

Brother and Sisters in faith - The resurrection is the pinnacle of what we believe in as Christians. It is the center of our faith, it is the foundation of our Christian experience, 

and it is the goal towards which we direct our lives. The resurrection should be of first importance to us, not because it is a nice ending to the story of Jesus, but because it is the beginning of our story, a story in which our faith can triumph over death just as did the faith of Jesus.

As Christians we are urged over and over again to trust in and accept the reality of the resurrection and to make it a part of our lives through faith in the one who rose from the dead. We are a people who are called to believe in the power and the love that it shows -- to believe in the power and love of God to bring goodness out of evil; life out of death; and hope out of despair.

As Christians we are called to trust and believe in this way. Our Lord makes a promise to us that when we believe in the power and love of God, a power and love so deep it can raise the dead to life, then our lives will be blest, and we in turn will become a blessing to others.

We are promised that what we believe will make a difference to us and it certainly does. If we put the resurrection at the center of our lives of faith, we can trust that we will participate in the glory of Christ’s victory over death. If we allow the resurrection to be a part of our daily prayer, especially in the next 50 days, and not just an event that occurs once a year, we can be sure that we will enjoy a new power over sin and death. Easter Sunday reminds us that we have been given a gift beyond all price, the privilege of participating in the very life of God himself.  During this joyful season we ought to ask ourselves how well we are using that gift.

Today is Easter Sunday; rejoice and be glad, fellow Christians, our savior is risen. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad! 

Good Friday Reflection

There is great wisdom in the practices of our Mother, the Church during Holy Week. The Church knows that we can easily forget things as time goes along, even things which are incredibly important. Today is no exception as we contemplate the passion and death of Christ in our liturgy. In the last five days, we have heard two different accounts of the Lord’s passion: one from Mark and today, the perspective of St. John. Each of them offers different details, variations for us to reflect on and to remember, the greatest act of love our world has ever known. The Church gives us these accounts of the Lord’s passion and death on Calvary so that we do not forget, so  that we do not grow numb to the price that was paid for our sins on that first Good Friday, two millennia ago.

With this in mind, let us contemplate the wounds of Christ while the words of John’s gospel are still fresh in our minds. Let us meditate on the depth of his love, the extent of his suffering, so that we may not take for granted, the price of salvation. As we move through this meditation, I invite you to either close your eyes and picture Christ crucified or gaze upon our own crucifix, hanging here above the altar.

Look first at his feet. These are the feet that walked countless miles to spread the saving gospel. These were the feet that Isaiah described when he wrote: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings.” These are the feet that were lovingly cleansed by the sinful women with costly perfume and her own tears and dried with her hair. But now, these saving feet, the feet of God, they are shattered, swollen, bloody. They have been punctured by the rough iron nails carelessly driven through by Roman soldiers to support the weight of Christ’s body so that he won’t die too quickly on the cross. Sense the pain endured by the Savior for you and me and never doubt the evil of sin.

Look next at his knees; knees that spent so many hours in prayer to the Father. Prayer that gave him strength and insight and courage. Prayer that moved him to choose the twelve apostles and to carry on his compassionate mission with endless patience and love. Prayer that asked for mercy for us and for the whole world. Prayer that helped him accept the fatal mission to die for our sins as he spoke to His heavenly Father: “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but your will be done.” Now those prayerful knees, look how they are gashed and torn from the weight of our sins as he fallen three times on the way to Calvary. Look at the knees of Jesus and never underestimate the heaviness of sin.

Imagine now his back; it scarcely resembles human flesh anymore after being pulverized by the whips and scourges of mocking soldiers. As if this wasn’t enough punishment, the cross has made those wounds even worse, even deeper as its weight digs into strong back of the Son of God and the Son of Mary. How destructive the effects of sin, which have completely disfigured the back and shoulders of Jesus! See how much pain they cause the One who has given every ounce of his strength to the human race! How humbling for us to notice that he has spared nothing, not single piece of his flesh to rescue us from the condemnation of our sins. Can there be any doubt in our minds as to how far evil will go to try and destroy goodness and virtue? 

Our eyes would naturally turn to the head of Jesus and his precious face. Those who would have seen him day in and out would hardly recognize him now. He has been punched, slapped, and beaten. His eyes which looked with love on so many who sought him are swollen shut. Blood gushes from the crown of sharp thorns that are embedded in his sacred head in mockery of the king of kings. His appearance, as the prophet foretold, is so disfigured that we might wonder if we are looking at a human at all. And yet we are looking at the most perfect human who ever existed, perfect God and man. If we ever thought our sins were harmless or only affected us, now is the time to look at the face of Christ, so broken and bloody, and realize that sin hates what is good and beautiful and true.

We might then look up and see the hands of Jesus, outstretched on the cross. These are the beautiful hands that healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead and cast out demons. These are the hands that spared the women caught in adultery, saved St. Peter when he began to sink in the sea of Galilee, and which celebrated that first Eucharist on Holy Thursday. For all their kindness, how has Mankind repaid the hands of God? They are pierced with nails and crushed under the weight of Christ hanging on the cross! On Good Friday, could we ever explain away our evil choices, seeing what they did to the gentle hands of our Savior?

Finally, to end our meditation, let us gaze upon the side of Jesus, pierced for our sins. When the centurion thrusts his spear through the side of our Lord, blood and water flow forth, symbolizing redemption and new life. Here, we see the heart of Christ, which has literally poured out every drop of blood for love of us. The heart of Christ longed for each and every soul that would ever live on this earth. And that Sacred Heart beat every moment of every day to bring salvation to you and me.

Had another person died for us, we would never forget it. But how often a day goes by where we don’t thank Jesus for laying his life down for our sins!  Every wound, every drop of blood, was worth it to Christ crucified so that we might be prisoners no longer! On this Good Friday, let us thank God for sparing nothing to break us out of our slavery to sin and death. May we never doubt the evil of sin nor the price that had to be paid for them. But above else, let us never doubt the infinite love of our savior displayed for all time in the wounds he bore as he hung upon the cross. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

Over the past three months or so, I have been reading a book devoted to the life of Jesus Christ. It is a spiritual classic, written by an Italian author named Monsignor Romano Guardini. He is considered one of the greatest Catholic minds of the 20th century and his writings are both profoundly spiritual and academic. In any case, Msgr. Guardini wrote this book titled The Lord, which I am slowly reading. It is over 600 pages and it goes through the life of Christ, examining who he was through in-depth reflections on miracles, parables, and teachings from the gospel. As you read  the book, you can’t help but notice how endlessly rich the person of Jesus is, how mysterious and profound. One chapter I just read this week was dedicated to the gospel scene we just heard, the event of the Transfiguration.

Usually, when someone preaches on the transfiguration, they choose to 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. In his book on Christ, 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 Achab 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?

Lent 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 this Lenten season, we, like St. Peter, will say: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”   

What is Your Tune? (5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)

A small town in New Mexico decided to have an auction to raise money for a community center.  The townsfolk looked through closets and drawers, investigated their attics and garages and finally managed to gather a rather impressive collection of trinkets, white elephants, bits and pieces of furniture and other slightly more valuable items. 

On the day of the auction things moved along pretty well, several thousand dollars had been raised by the time the last item was brought forward - an old violin covered with flecks of paint and coated with dust and grime.  It had obviously been in the back of someone's garage for years.

   "What am I to bid for it", asked the auctioneer, holding it out at arms length.  There was only silence.  "Come on," he persisted, "say something".  Finally someone yelled out, "fifty cents", and everyone laughed. Then, from the back, an old man, whom no one knew, came to the front and asked to see the violin.  He took it into his arms and began to play it. Its beautiful sound filled the room and touched everyone's heart. When he finished, he handed the violin back to the auctioneer and walked away. "What am I to bid", the auctioneer called out again. "$200! $300! $400!" and so the bids went on. Dusty, dirty, old, it was worth only fifty cents until it was played. Once it was put to use, it was worth hundreds of dollars. 

Keeping this story in mind, let’s look at our second reading from St. Paul to the Corinthians. St. Paul felt it was his duty to spread the gospel in every way possible to reach as many people as he could. Furthermore, St. Paul felt no need to pat himself on the back for doing this. Instead, Paul realized it was his responsibility to preach the gospels and said, “woe to me if I don’t!”   

At a time when traveling was difficult, dangerous, and incredibly time consuming, the apostle St. Paul travelled the world: Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Samaria, Syria - he went to almost every place known to the "western" world of the time. In his travels Paul endured beatings, imprisonment, stoning, hunger, shipwreck, heat, misunderstanding, and abuse.

Everywhere Paul went he shared the good news of Jesus Christ:

- he shared it with his jailers while in prison,

- with the Roman governor while on trial for his life,

- with crowds at the market place and in the synagogues in numerous towns and cities,

- and with countless individuals in their homes.

And as he went from place to place presenting the gospel, it was necessary that he adapt his preaching so his message could be more easily heard and understood. He says that “To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.” And while we might say that Paul had a special calling to go forth and proclaim Jesus to the world, the essence of his calling is not special at all; in fact each of us sitting in church today is called to be an evangelist.

We, like St. Paul, are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ; to actually tell others about the Savior who has come to us, the Savior who has affected our lives, the God who has made us whole and who is even now changing us from sinfulness to holiness.

Unfortunately many, many Christians have no zeal what-so-ever for this task. Some think that it is rude or inappropriate to tell others about Christ, that faith is entirely personal and not to be discussed with others. There are also those who find it embarrassing to talk about their faith. Some avoid their calling by saying that they don’t want to confront others or make them uncomfortable. Many more say that they don’t know enough about their faith to share and yet do nothing at all to learn more about the one thing that can save their souls and the souls of others. Still others say nothing at all because faith just isn’t that important in their day to day living, it is not who they are or how they see world, it is more like an accessory. All of these are completely in contrast to St. Paul, who tried to be all things to all people so that at least some could be saved!

Paul’s faith was vibrant and strong. It was not set aside and forgotten about. His faith was like the violin that was played often and well, giving it incredible value and beauty. Is our faith like that of Paul’s? Does it permeate all areas of our life? Does our faith affect the way we live our life and treat the people in our lives. Or do we forget it; silence it and set it aside to collect layers and layers of dust? 

This is an urgent question for us today as we have listened the Archbishop’s response to a very troubling situation that is developing in our country. As you heard at the beginning of Mass, our president and the department of health and human services is requiring employers, regardless of their beliefs and values, to provide contraception and sterilization to their employees. This is an unprecedented attack on religious freedom and Catholic morals in this country. But as awful as this new policy is, (and it is truly evil), I think we have arrived here because far too many Catholics have failed to be zealous in sharing their faith and allowing it to inform the way they make decisions. For many of us, our faith has been like a little old violin, left in the corner of the garage or hidden in the basement, out of tune and unable to move those around us.

However, politics is not the only area where this lack of zeal shows itself. We need to ask ourselves how ready we are to live as St. Paul did, trying our best to be all things for all people so that at least some might be saved. For example, might we go forth from here, a little braver and more willing to defend our faith when people criticize the Church’s opposition to the president’s new mandate? Or will we remain silent? Or what about inviting a friend or co-worker to come to church with us some Sunday to see if our faith might fulfill something that might be lacking in their life? Can we call upon the zeal and courage of St. Paul by allowing our faith to drive everything that we do? Will we be secure enough in our relationship with God that we will not be afraid to publicly share our faith knowing that an obligation has imposed on us to share this wonderful gift with the world?

In the final analysis, we have all failed at times to do this, even us priests. The important thing is not so much to wallow in our past failings but to look forward to what we can do better in the future. You and I are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, perhaps in different ways and to different people, but to witness to him nonetheless. And if we do not, out of embarrassment, or fear, or laziness, well, St. Paul says, woe to us! For your sake, and the salvation of others please adopt the zeal and stewardship of St. Paul. Preach the gospel with your words and with your life, in season and out of season, strive to be all things to all people, so at least some might be saved. Do these things for the sake of the gospel and then trust that you too will enjoy a share of its saving power!