MacGyver Your Way to Heaven (25th Sunday, Year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

Human ingenuity is amazing! When you think about how many examples of brilliance there are, it is incredible. Maybe the pyramids come to mind. Or Hoover Dam. Or the smartphone or robotics that assist doctors in delicate surgeries. Any of these would just be the tip of the iceberg. As people, made in God’s image and likeness, we have been given a sliver of the Creator’s genius. There is something within us that loves to create, build, and fix. I remember one of the moments I experienced this divine inspiration in solving a problem. It was amazing. 

My dad had an old Plymouth horizon. It had some serious issues. For example, the engine mounts were broken and when the driver hit the gas, the engine would lurch back towards the firewall. The result was that the shifter would fly back until it was stopped by the center console…. or your hand. If it pinned your hand, it hurt and you just had to wait until it was safe for mom or dad to let off the gas so you could have your hand back. We eventually figured out that this was a great can crusher. But this wasn't the moment of genius. The Horizon’s exhaust had rusted out between the engine and the muffler. I knew I could patch it but as a pre-teen, my overly protective parents wouldn’t let me have welding equipment. So I started with duct tape. That was a no-go and it melted in minutes. Next I tried a cloth, and I should mention clean, diaper. A little better but it too burned up quickly. Knowing that metal was the answer, I got 4 large landscaping spikes and clamps and tried to force everything back together. It worked until the spikes got loose and fell out. If you inexplicably had a landscaping spike in your tire 20 years ago, I am sorry and now you know why. Finally, after staring at that exhaust pipe for hours instead of homework, it came to me. It was almost the exact same size as a can of tomato paste. I acquired one, took two radiator clamps, and sure enough it worked until the car could be properly fixed. I was so proud of myself and felt like I had really used all of my gifts to make a difference in the world. I hope all of you have experienced this sort of fulfillment that comes from solving a problem with your ingenuity.

That cleverness is what is on display in the gospel today. Jesus tells the story of a dishonest steward whose self-serving behavior is discovered by the master. A steward was an important job in the ancient world. A steward was someone, usually a servant, who was entrusted with the property and wealth of their master while he was away on business. The duties of a steward were mostly limited to things, but they could even be asked to take care of the master’s family, especially his children. A good steward was the source of great joy and pride to the master while an incompetent one was considered a humiliation and a liability. 

This steward was a disaster. He was wheeling and dealing with his master’s wealth for his own benefit. He was not doing his job of protecting the estate of his employer. Large debts were being handled and we can only imagine the amount of wealth that was squandered by the dishonest servant over time. He shrewdly forgives debts in the name of his master to ensure there will be people who owe him favors when he is fired.

One of the most surprising things about this parable comes at the end, when the dishonest steward is praised and admired by his master. He is not praised for his wickedness, rather, he is admired for his cleverness in taking care of himself and providing for his well-being in this life. Each of us are called to be clever stewards as well, not to become rich and comfortable in this life, but to secure everlasting life in heaven. And we are called to do this in a way that pleases God and gives glory to his name.

Why do we need to hear this parable? Because we are all stewards as well. Each of us has been entrusted with the wealth of God in some way. He gives us a piece of his Divine Life to carry in our souls. He blesses us with many different talents and gifts. Our families and friends, as well as the money we have, the car we drive and the house we live in, are all treasures from God and ultimately belong to Him. He gives us these different things to take care of while we are here on earth. When we die, we will be asked to give an account of our stewardship of these gifts.

So perhaps we can take some time this week to evaluate ourselves as stewards. How well are we taking care of the blessings God has given us? Jesus makes it clear in the gospel that those who are faithful in small things will be faithful in large things. And those who are dishonest in small things will be dishonest in large things too. The steward in our parable didn’t start out by wasting a great deal of his master’s wealth. But eventually he ended up doing just that. And we can do the same thing in our own lives. Perhaps we begin to squander the gift of our families by neglecting to spend good, quality time with them, whether as children, siblings, or parents. Or maybe we begin to throw away the blessings of our faith by failing to make time in our busy schedules for God, or frequently leaving Mass early or skipping Mass altogether. Do we allow ourselves to cut corners in our jobs by giving less than we are capable of or by leaving work a little early. If we are not vigilant, these sort of things can cause us to become poor and dishonest stewards to God and each other. We must make a constant effort to be faithful in small things everyday so that we will be faithful in the larger matters of life.  

Don’t stop being clever and ingenious! Continue to use the brilliance God gave you to make a better world and solve problems. But first and foremost, put that ingenuity to work making sure you get to heaven. That is the essence of stewardship and that is the best way to honor the gifts God has entrusted to us.

Never, Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up (24th Sunday, Year C)

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Many historians consider Winston Churchill one of the greatest orators of the twentieth century. During dark years he rallied the British nation and the entire free world, to stand against Nazi barbarism. It is said, however, that he gave his most famous speech not during World War II, but afterwards. Supposedly, at a commencement ceremony, a speaker gave Churchill a long (and long-winded) introduction. Churchill walked to the podium and spoke softly, but firmly: "Never, never, never, never, never give up." He returned to his chair and sat down. The listeners were stunned silent, then one person brought his hands together. Immediately the entire crowd stood and started applauding and cheering wildly. Unfortunately for you, I will not be imitating Churchill's brevity in this homily!

There may be some legend in this story, but it does sum up the spirit of Winston Churchill. It also summarizes today's Scripture readings. Moses had every reason to give up on the Israelites. At the command of God, Moses had worked miracles and led the Israelites through the sea. But they quickly forgot God's mercy and began worshiping false gods. Moses, nevertheless, continued to intercede for them - and they got a second chance.

This reading might give us the impression that God was all set to destroy the Israelites and that Moses' prayer got him to change his mind. It is a little more complicated than that. The Israelites' behavior had brought destruction upon themselves, but as we heard in the Psalm, God is always ready to show mercy. He does not give up on us.

We see this Divine Mercy once again in the Gospel. Jesus describes an amazing father who does not give up on his ungrateful and impulsive son. Jesus tells us that God not only waits for us, he also goes out to actively seek us. He is like a shepherd trying to rescue a sheep that gets separated from the flock. Or like a woman who loses a coin and has to turn the house upside down to find it.

And let's face it. We often do not want to be found. We prefer to hide from God. In this regard, many people can identify with C. S. Lewis. As a young man he had become an atheist. But he had a nagging fear that God might actually exist. Lewis describes his state of mind with these words: "Amiable agnostics will talk cheerfully about 'man's search for God.' To me, as I then was, they might as well have talked about the mouse's search for the cat.”

We sometimes stay away from God, like a mouse hiding from a cat. But in C. S. Lewis' case, God did keep pursuing him. Eventually Lewis gave in to the Lord. He writes: "In 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed." Lewis described himself as "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." Like the Good Shepherd, seeking the lost sheep, God did not give up on C. S. Lewis. Lewis in turn used his gifts to bring many others to Christ: by writing children's stories, science fiction and insightful explanations of the Christian faith.

In today's second reading, we hear about another convert, in this case, the most famous convert ever: a Pharisee named Saul from a city called Tarsus. We know him better as St. Paul the Apostle. Before Christ touched him, Paul engaged in some miserable behavior: arrogance, bullying and blasphemy. The worst thing he did was to encourage a mob to murder an innocent man. They did it by surrounding the young man and throwing large rocks at him. The man was Stephen, a deacon of the early Church. St. Paul was the main one responsible for the death of this promising young man. But, in spite of that crime, God did not give up on Paul. And by Paul's conversion he taught the Church one of its most important lessons: Sometimes our greatest enemies become our greatest apostles. 

“Never, never, never, never, never give up.” Those words of Churchill, meant to inspire and encourage a nation weary of war and suffering, can also motivate us in the practice of our faith.  God never gives up on us. Even when we run away from him by our sins. Even when we make the same mistakes over and over again. Even when we receive his gifts and blessings without gratitude. Even when we ignore him or get angry with him or any of the million other ways that humans have found to lash out at God and shut him out. God never ever, ever, ever gives up on us. That is what the cross means, that is the whole point of the life and death of Jesus Christ. There is only one catch to this incredible gift of God; we have to share it with others! Just as God never gives up on you and me, so too, we can never give up on anyone else. Remember that when you talk to people who are cold or hostile to our faith or the Christian way of life - our goal is not to win arguments, but to win souls. No matter how awful or unkind a person may be, never give up on another person. No matter how you feel about anyone, they still deserve your prayers. Never give up on anyone. That’s God’s view on us. Let’s make it philosophy for the world!

The Cost of Discipleship (Year C)

“How many of you have ever bought a house, a car, or some other major purchase? Go ahead just raise your hand, I am certain that most of you have done this before. Good. Most of you in church today know what it is like to spend a lot of money. Now, here’s a second question: How many of you made a large purchase, like buying a car or house, with no planning or research or consulting with your spouse? If you have done this, please keep your hand up so that I can throw something at you!

Common sense tells us that large purchases and projects need to be done carefully and with sufficient planning so we don’t get ourselves into legal or financial trouble. When you buy a house, you have to consider not only the price of the house, but also the cost of taxes, utilities, insurance, maintenance and repairs. You would want to have a home inspection first, then see what sort of schools are around your house and pay attention to the neighborhood so your kids can have good, safe environment to grow up in. How awful it would be to buy a house and be unable to afford to actually live in it! Who wants a beautiful house in a dangerous or rundown part of town? The same thing is true when we buy a car. We have to keep in mind not only the cost of the vehicle itself but also the hidden costs of insurance, personal property and sales tax, maintenance and repair, and even fuel. We make sure and check the carfax so that we know whether or not this vehicle was involved in some major accident and might have hidden damage. Most of us do the same research and planing with other major purchases like electronics and appliances, so that we can have peace of mind knowing that we are getting a good, reliable product that will be within our budget. To neglect this planning and research could be disastrous. 

But as important as it is for us to plan and consult before making expensive purchases or starting major projects, Jesus makes it clear that it is even more important for us to plan and make sure we have what it takes to be his disciple. Over the past three weeks, we have been taught a trilogy of saving truths. Two weeks ago Jesus told us we can enter heaven only by the narrow gate. Last Sunday Jesus offered us the key to that narrow gate which is humility - "every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Today Jesus tells us what the key costs: "Any of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." 

It shouldn’t surprise us that the key to heaven has a steep price. Jesus tells us to "calculate the cost." If you want to build a tower, says the Lord, make sure you have the resources to complete it. We know that very well when we go to buy a car or house or other expensive item. If we want to be a disciple of Jesus - which is the only path to heaven - we need to know in advance what it will cost: everything. In the end we must be prepared to turn over all we possess if it keeps us from following Christ. Eternal life can be incredibly costly and it is something we must plan for. We have to utilize the same degree of planning and resourcefulness we use in worldly affairs when it comes to our souls. Christ is calling us to a look at our lives and see where we are going. What are the things that keep us from following him?

Do I follow Christ by the way I talk to other people and about other people? Do I embrace the cross by looking for the good in people, even those that annoy me or seem strange to me? Am I willing to let go of habits of gossip, bragging, and putting others down? Or is this cost too steep?

What about the company I keep? Do my friends help me to be a disciple of Christ? Do they encourage me to live a good life and make wholesome decisions? Do they help me to respect myself and others? Or do they pressure me to break the rules, disobey my parents, and offend God? Do my friends compromise my dignity or my purity or encourage me to do things harmful to my health? Discipleship calls me to seek good and holy friends and to let go of those who lead away from God. As a matter of fact, Jesus tells us today that we should be ready to renounce even our own family if they keep us from him! Is this cost too steep?

How about my possessions? Am I generous with the things I have been given? Do I give back to those who are less fortunate and need more? Do I support the works of the church and my parish? Am I open to sharing my time and talents with my family, friends, and church? Am I prepared to give whatever God asks of me, even if this would require a greater trust in him? Or is the cost too steep?

Is there anything else in our hearts, in our lives that we tell Christ is off limits? Will we follow if he calls us to the priesthood or religious life? Or does that cost too much? Do we stand up for the lives of the unborn even when our society, our friends, our families tell us that being pro-life is too radical? Or is that too much? Do we dare to let God take control of our marriages and married love by trusting him and abandoning any contraceptive practices? Or is that simply too costly?

   

Jesus makes it clear to us today that the cost of discipleship is steep but we have his promise that the benefits are eternal. Let’s not be afraid of the sacrifices Christ might be calling us to embrace, trusting that following him will give us strength to do his will and be joyful in doing it. And let us put the same energy and planning into our spiritual lives that we do for our worldly matters, taking time for prayer and making an effort to learn more about our faith, so we will have what we need to be his loyal disciples. As we come to this Eucharist, let us together resolve to take up our own cross and follow after Jesus, the Lord of Life and the Giver of all good things.

The Danger of Entitlement (21st Sunday, Year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

I got to spend some quality time with one of my younger sisters this week. We were working on her car and talking and the conversation turned, as it often does in my family, to politics and the upcoming election. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. My sister is undergrad student at Mizzou and I am, how shall we say, a traditionally-inclined Catholic priest. We actually had a great discussion and agreed on far more than I would have imagined. A major concern for both of us was the issue of entitlement and how that drives the choices many people make for their next leader. 

This notion of entitlement is a good place to begin for our homily. There are certain things we are all entitled to. The Declaration of Independence asserts that all men are entitled to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” As Catholics, we believe every person is entitled to things like food, shelter, a fair wage, affordable health care, safety and freedom which build and maintain basic human dignity. However, there are many who consider luxuries and comfort as basic human rights, which is not correct. Many parents have had to remind a young driver that a car and the ability to drive is a privilege not a God-given right. The same would be true for cell phones, college, allowances, and money to go out with friends. Entitlement is not limited to teenagers. There are priests who feel they can make unlimited demands on others just because they are priests. Many marriages never become permanent unions of life and love because one or both of the spouses felt entitled to take and not responsible to give. I am sure you all have had to deal with people who believe the world owes them a very comfortable living, owes them respect, with little to no effort or sacrifice on their part.  

When a person’s life and mindset is driven by entitlement, it not only influences their relationship with people, it also affects their relationship with God. That entitlement mentality becomes the spiritual deficiency known as presumption. There are many people who refuse to serve God, refuse to live Godly lives, refuse to worship and forgive and yet, at death, presume that they and those like them are entitled to full union with God. Jesus speaks about the sin of presumption in today's Gospel. Some people are not willing to make any sacrifices for the Kingdom of God. They have plenty of opportunity throughout their lives, but they ignore the call to follow Christ along the narrow way, and instead choose the wide path, the pagan way, the way of the "everybody is doing it” crowd. When they knock on the Master of the House's door, it is too late. The door has been shut. Their lives on earth are over. They demand entrance into heaven. They feel entitled to enter into His Eternal Presence. But they have presumed His Mercy would be there for them without their ever lifting a finger to serve Him. Instead they hear the Master saying, "Depart from me you evildoers.” 

When we act entitled, when we presume the mercy of God, it is because we have not fully recognized what it means to be a Christian. We have not embraced the cost of discipleship. To be a Christian means we are willing to take up our crosses, deny ourselves, and follow the Lord. To be a Christian means that we are willing to endure whatever the pagan world throws at us rather than walk away from the Lord. Standing for the truth, standing for the Lord's way, is difficult. It is the narrow gate. This is the way to the Lord, at least some of the time. Sacrificing ourselves for others is also difficult. Making time for someone who is hurting, sick, or lonely, means denying ourselves the small breaks we have in our busy lives. But these acts of charity are life-giving if our lives are centered on the Lord. I have never met anyone who has regretted sacrificing themselves for others. Instead, those who choose the narrow gate, the way of giving instead of taking, always respond, "I got so much more out of that than I gave.” There are tremendous gifts showered upon us every time we embrace discipleship, no matter what its cost. We need to count the blessings Christianity brings, both to us and to a sick and suffering world.

Then we can be part of the glory of the people who are honored in the heavenly Jerusalem. No one can make a claim on God. No one is entitled to union with God. People who presume God will extend mercy to them while they refuse to extend His Love to others are committing a sin that is devastating to their spiritual lives. But people who embrace discipleship, people who accept the cost of following Christ, receive the all consuming joy of union with Him. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.The entitled see themselves as the center of the world. They presume that God agrees, or at least will close an eye to their selfish existence. The Christian realizes that Jesus Christ is the Center of the Universe. We don't presume we will have a heavenly reward. We don't claim that we are entitled to eternal glory. We just fix our eyes on Jesus, live His Life, and follow Him wherever He leads us. He is trustworthy and if we are faithful, he will lead us through the narrow gate to a place of eternal happiness and peace.

Agents of God's Fire (Year C)

I don't have a full text of this homily to share but you can
listen to it by clicking here.

Trust in God (year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.  

           Earlier this summer, I allowed myself to be convinced to get on some of the rides for the parish picnic. Waiting for the ride to start, I was moved to deep, philosophical thoughts, mostly involving faith. I couldn’t help but think of the tremendous amount of faith that I was about to put in some latches, a lap bar, and two carnival workers named Bubba and Squawker, who operated the ride and would be in a different city the next day. I was literally entrusting my life to some simple devices and some strangers I didn’t know. Now, don’t get me wrong, this little reflection didn’t stop me from being flung around on a couple rides but I think it can give us good reason to stop and ponder the role of faith in our everyday lives. 

Faith is an important part of each and every one of our lives. I am not just talking about a religious sort of faith but a general trust we rely on everyday in order to be happy and productive. We constantly put our trust in all sorts of people and things. We trust the roads we travel on and the many different bridges we cross to be safe and stable. We have faith in the people around us on the road; that they will stay in their lane, stop at red lights and go in the proper direction of traffic. We trust that the money we receive at the store, from the bank, or from others is genuine and not counterfeit, just to name a few examples. In other words, we make use of faith often, in little and large ways each and every day so that we can be people who are happy, productive, and sane.

But oftentimes, when it comes to trusting God we are a little hesitant. While we may readily put our faith in other people, things, and systems, we can often draw the line when it comes to placing our trust in God or what he is asking us to do. Often the will of God seems unfamiliar or overly difficult and when we are face to face with what he asks us, -- we chose to ignore it or do something else. But we are called to be a people of faith, a people that trusts God in all things.

Our second reading today, the letter to the Hebrews, calls us to this life of faith in God. And the author of the letter to the Hebrews gives us the person of Abraham as our example and model. He highlights three different incidents in the life of Abraham that demonstrate his extraordinary faith and trust in God. If we look closely at these stories, we see three distinct areas where Abraham’s faith was tested: the humanly impossible, the journey into the unknown, and the challenge to give back to God.

The first instance of faith is when Abraham and his wife Sarah are told by God that they are going to have a child -- even though they are both well past the age of childbearing. Despite the fact that this would normally be humanly impossible, Abraham believes and they have a child named Isaac and they become the parents of the great nation of Israel.

The second example of great faith that Abraham demonstrates is when he leaves the land of his ancestry and journeys to a foreign and unknown land. Why does he do this? Because God tells him to. And what is the result? Abraham is blessed with even greater prosperity and establishes a new home in a new land where he receives the inheritance promised to him by God.

The third and final example of faith that is given to us by the Author of the Hebrews is the story of Abraham and the sacrifice of his son Isaac. Yahweh asked Abraham to take his only beloved son, Isaac, up a mountain and offer him in sacrifice to Lord. God was testing Abraham, to see how much he loved him and to see the degree of faith that Abraham had in the Lord. When Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac, the Lord told him to stop and sacrifice a bull instead. Abraham was considered faithful and righteous in God’s eyes because he was willing to offer back to God his very own son, that which was most precious to him.

This faith of Abraham is not just a nice story. It demonstrates the faith we are called to have as Christians and children of God. At different times in our lives, our faith will be tested in the same three ways that Abraham was.

Perhaps God is asking us to consider things that we might think humanly impossible. This could mean being open to the possibility of another child. Or maybe looking at our schedules and finding ways to commit more of our time to our family, our community, or our parish. It could even be that God wants us to dig a little deeper to support some charity, our parish, or a person in need.

Like Abraham, most of us will also have to journey into the unknown at some point in our life. This could be the foreign land caused by the death of a close friend or family member. It could be the loss of a job or a change of career. Our journey into the unknown might even be some sort of sickness or loss of health.

Because God has blessed us so abundantly, we can be sure that he will ask us to offer something back to him, as a sign of our love and faith. For some of our young people, God is asking you to give yourself to his Church as priests, religious brothers, and sisters. For parents, God may be calling you to encourage and support your children to consider such a call. In addition to our hearts, God will ask all of us to offer some of our precious time and material resources back to him and to the service of the gospel.

Abraham was a man of great faith and it was this faith that enabled him to follow God and do his will when it came to the humanly impossible, the journey into the unknown, and giving back to God. As God's children, we will encounter the same challenges and tests. The challenge for us today is to pray and listen for the guidance of God that we may be people who respond to such challenges with the faith of Abraham. God will reward our faith, just as he did with Sarah and Abraham, with blessings beyond what we could ever expect or imagine.

Vanity of Vanities (18th Sunday, Year C)

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The readings today begin with Ecclesiastes' rant against those whose lives revolve around meaningless goals. "Vanity of Vanities,” the author says, "All things are vanity.” In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a farmer whose goal is to be rich, who stores up far more than he needs, and plans to save even more with bigger barns, only to die that very night. "Seek that which is above,” Paul tells the Colossians and us, and then he lists some of the things that hold us back in seeking God: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed and lying. The readings ask us to consider our priorities in life. What is it for which we work so hard? Certainly, we need to work hard to provide for our families. That is important. But what is the priority there? Why do we work, day after day, for our families? What is it that we are so determined to provide? We want a decent home. We want food and other necessities. We want to provide for a better future for our children. Why? Why do we want all these things? The basic goal we should have as Christians is to provide homes full of true love, the sacrificial love of the Lord. That has to be our basic goal for us as individuals: we have to grow in the love of the Lord, expressed according to our vocation in life: single, married, religious, or ordained. The problem is that we often forget our priorities and put our energy into attaining those things that don’t last. 

What is a successful life? We work hard for something we always wanted. Once we have it, we enjoy it for a while, and then we work hard for the next thing. We often work in vain. Is a person's life successful if he or she is making a certain amount of money? That is the way many people calculate success. But are they correct? The readings for this Sunday force us to take a closer look at the whole concept of success. In the Gospel reading, the man is convinced he is a success because he is a rich farmer. 

What should the farmer do now that he has succeeded in harvesting more grain than he can store? Build another silo, of course. The basis of his success is his grain. When he suddenly dies, his success remains here, and he goes on to God empty handed. There is a reason why we never find a luggage rack on the roof of a hearse. The mindset that success is predicated on possessions is based on a fallacy that was very clear to the author of the first reading. 

A doctor is successful not if he or she has a prosperous practice but if he or she becomes the healing hands of Christ for the sick. A lawyer is successful not if he or she is part of a profitable firm, but if he or she uses their learning, knowledge and talent to protect people, to do good for others, and, to be just. Many times an incorrect view of success is based on honors and titles. Is a priest a success if he becomes a Monsignor or a Bishop? Not at all. I sometimes find myself tying the success of my ministry here to things like the collection, mass attendance, the Beyond Sunday campaign, fixing buildings and getting people involved in ministries and prayer. All good things but not necessarily the right way to judge success. A priest is truly on the road to success if he can draw closer to God each day of his life while also bringing his parishioners he serves nearer to God along the journey. How can we determine if a marriage is successful? Is a marriage successful because a woman and a man have been together for twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years and have avoided both divorce and homicide? Anniversaries are important, but do they point to the success of a marriage or only to its longevity?

A marriage is successful if the man and woman are better people, more loving people, because of the marriage. The sacrament of marriage is celebrated when the husband and wife become the means of salvation for each other. How about parenting? What are the signs that people are good parents? Success in parenting is certainly not based on what your kids have, but what they have been given in terms of values and formation. For example, many of you have begun shopping for school clothes. Perhaps, some of you are shopping at Walmart or Target. Maybe others are shopping at Macys or Nordstroms. The cost of the clothes you put on your children has nothing to do with the success of your parenting. If your example shows them the face of God and his love and mercy, then you have done something extraordinary.

The concept of success accepted by most in society is faulty. Success is not predicated on what we have, what honors we receive, what jobs we hold, or anything like that. True success is based on how each of us becomes more and more the reflection of God we were created to be. Success is our ability to assume the person of Jesus Christ. St. Paul says in the second reading that our lives are hidden with Christ in God in such a way that when Christ appears we appear. The personality of a Christian ought to be so entwined with the person of Jesus Christ that Christ and the Christian are one. That is success. Success is not a present reality, it is a goal, the goal of Christian life. The goal is reached, the life is successful, when every aspect of life reflects the person of Jesus Christ. We may not do this perfectly all the time, every day but with God’s help our life will slowly be defined by that effort and we will focus on things that are most important and everlasting. That is success. That is heaven. All else is vanity.