Dream Big!! (4th Sunday of Advent, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

My sister Sarah has a birthday 2 days before Christmas and she will tell you that it’s not the best time to celebrate one’s entrance into the world. Because everyone is focussed on Christmas, her birthday gets mostly ignored and blended into the holiday. And who can possibly compete with Baby Jesus! He is like Baby Yoda; he wins every time! A similar thing often happens with the 4th Sunday of advent. Because it takes place a few days, sometimes a few hours before the celebration of Christmas, most of us, priests included, gloss over the message of the readings because our minds and hearts are already fixated on Christmas. But that would be a big mistake because these scriptures are full of spiritual treasure!

The first reading, from the prophet Isaiah, takes place about 700 years before Jesus was born. Ahaz is a young man, with relatively no experience, who has become king of Judah. He is a descendant of King David but unlike his forefather, he is not blessed with peace or prosperity. His kingdom is under siege from the mighty and vicious Assyrians who are destroying country after country with their powerful army. As a young king, Ahaz is indecisive and getting lots of advice from all different directions. Some people tell him to go to war, others to try and bribe the Assyrians for peace. He is leaning towards making an alliance with several countries who have traditionally been enemies of his kingdom. Then Isaiah speaks up, “Don’t put your trust in men, armies, politics, or riches! These are all human means and they will crumble and fall. Even the mighty Assyrians are only men, they are no match for God. Isaiah pleads with the young king to go to God for help and dream big, as we heard in the first reading, “Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!” In other words, go to God for your solution! He is just waiting for your invitation to solve your problem.

What does Ahaz do? In a spirit of false humility, he says, "I will not ask!  I will not tempt the LORD!” What seems to be piety is actually pride. Ahaz had made up his mind that he, not God had to find the solution to the Assyrians. And he didn’t want to go to God out of fear God’s plan would challenge what he had in mind. He was afraid to dream big, to believe God could and would preserve the house of David against its enemies. After Ahaz says he will not ask for a sign, Isaiah replies (probably with extreme exasperation), “Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.

I’m sure this prophecy struck Ahaz and his court as pure lunacy! As far-fetched as victory over the Assyrians seemed, it certainly appeared more plausible than a virgin conceiving and giving birth to the savior of God’s people. If one is only willing to think in worldly, political, and human ways, Isaiah speaks madness. And yet, this is how far God is willing to go to save his people; he is willing to do the impossible, if we are open to dreaming big. Ahaz was afraid to hope in God’s power and intervention. Instead he limits his dreaming to what seems wise in the view of the the world and to his own thinking. Which was a really bad move! His refusal to ask for God’s help ends in disaster with betrayal, defeat, and incredible suffering for his people at the hands of Assyria.

Fast forward 700 years to the gospel, which involves another member of the house of David, whose name is Joseph. He too is grappling with a serious problem. His soon-to-be wife Mary, is pregnant and Joseph knows the child is not his. This would be a source of scandal and dishonor in any society but especially in the honor culture which Joseph and Mary lived. Matthew tells us Joseph is a righteous man, which means he loves the Law and follows all that it commands. The Mosaic law calls for women in this situation to be put to death. And yet Joseph’s righteousness is tempered by compassion and mercy. Instead of wanting to turn Mary over to shame and death, as is his legal right, he wants to divorce her quietly, which would make the best of a seemingly no-win situation. We often gloss over these verses about Joseph but it shows us the beautiful balance he had between following the law of God and practicing love for others. Many times you and I make them opposed to each other, we chose one to the detriment of the other. But Joseph gives us the example of how to integrate both for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor!

  Joseph is ready to send Mary away until he is visited, in a dream by an angel, who dares him to dream bigger. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” Like Ahaz, Joseph has a choice: go forward with his own plan which seems to make the most sense to the human mind, or follow the mind-blowing will of God which somehow makes the impossible a reality. Thank God Joseph did what Ahaz could not, he trusted in God, changed his plan, and behold, the sign Isaiah gave to Ahaz is fulfilled for the house of David in Joseph: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son.”

As we reflect on the wonderful wisdom of God, perhaps we can ask ourselves these questions. Are we willing to dream big when it comes to God? Are we ready to go to him with our problems and let him solve them with us? Are we open to his Will and Wisdom that often appear impossible at first glance? Or do we fall in love with our own solutions and approach to problem-solving? Are willing to be like St. Joseph, righteous, in love with God’s law, but also merciful and compassionate? Are we able to be changed and corrected when God points out a better solution to the problems that vex us? 

Today’s readings give us plenty to think about as we see the very different outcomes of King Ahaz and St. Joseph. One trusted in worldly wisdom, power, and politics instead of God and it led to disaster. The other humbled himself, dreamed God could make the seemingly-impossible happen, and placed himself at the service of God by loving and protecting Mary and Jesus. And by playing his part, Joseph helped God’s plan of salvation to be carried out, not only for the House of David, but for all nations. So which one will we be? The choice is ours; dream big and trust in the Lord!

The Courage to be a Prophet of God's Truth (3rd Sunday of Advent, A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks about John the Baptist.  He asks the people, “What did you go out to the desert to see?  A reed swayed by the wind?.....A prophet?......And more than a prophet.....” 

The Old testament presents many prophets. Each of them were dynamic. They challenged people to listen, to change and to follow.  Some stood up to kings to support justice, like Nathan did when he told King David that he had sinned against God and Uriah when he stole Uriah’s wife and then had the poor man killed in battle.  Elijah did something similar when he stood up to King Ahab accusing him of having the just man Nabaoth killed because he wanted his vineyard.  The prophet Samuel anointed Saul to be a king and then, after Saul did not carry out God's, he anointed  David.

Some prophets spoke in symbolic ways, like Hosea.  He took Gomer, a prostitute, as a wife.  She was unfaithful to him as a sign of how the people had responded to God’s gifts.  Some prophets were members of the King’s court, like Jeremiah; others were everyday people, like Amos, a trimmer of Sycamore trees.  Each of the prophets were unique, but their message was always the same, “Repent and Reform.”

This message was continued by John the Baptist as he called people to the Lord.  He didn’t hedge on the truth.  He didn’t tell people what he thought they wanted to hear.  He didn’t go along with the morality or immorality of the day.  He was not a reed shaken by the wind of popular opinion.  He proclaimed the truth.  And the truth attracted people even as it plucked their conscience.  His baptism was a baptism of repentance, and people willingly plunged into the Jordan River determined to change their lives.

But not all people came to John for repentance. Some went to see him as a form of entertainment; others out of sheer curiosity because everyone was talking about him. No doubt some of the religious leaders of his day were turned off by his harsh words and strange behavior. “Who did this man think he was?” “Where did his authority come from?” His zeal and fearlessness clashed directly with the pride-filled egos of the civil and religious leaders in his time.

Jesus’ challenge to those who were listening to him, —- people who had also considered the message of John the Baptist but had been outraged or offended by his directness, is also a challenge to us. The Lord asks us to consider: What do we go out to the desert to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  Do we come to Church to receive a lovely emotional experience with a wink towards morality, an implied permission to join the immorality of the day?  Do we want our priest and deacons to proclaim a new morality, one which is not authentic?  Hopefully not! We go to Church for the grace and the encouragement to stand up to the pressures of society and for the gentle, but real, nudge to leave sin behind and live a better life.

Sometimes after we priests give a homily on a difficult or controversial subject, like abortion, contraception, voting, or the sanctity of marriage, people thank us for speaking the truth about such things. While the encouragement is nice, it always makes me sad that speaking the truth and standing up for God’s law and the Church’s teaching has become the exception and people feel they need to thank us. To me, such homilies and examples should be the norm and should come as no surprise. 

What do people see when they come to you?  You have members of your families, friends, co-workers, classmates and neighbors who come to you with their questions.  Are they coming to see a reed shaken by the wind?  Or are they seeking someone who is willing to tell the truth of the Lord?  We are all called to be prophets by the baptism we have received, not just priests. A prophet is someone who is committed to the truth of God and won’t be silent about it. People come to us all as Catholics to hear the truth. People have a right to hear the truth. Catholics have a responsibility to proclaim it.

The truth is attractive even when it makes us uncomfortable. It leads us to a better understanding of whom we are. It directs us to where we can find lasting happiness. Truth is attractive because it sets us free to be whom God created us to be. 

This Sunday is Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday.  It is the Sunday we focus on the joy we have because the Lord came into the world and continues to be present in our lives. We love Him. We want to follow Him. That might mean denying ourselves what everyone else says is the new way of life. But we refuse to deny ourselves that which really matters, the Presence of God.

The world needs fearless prophets of the Gospel. The world needs people who will live the Truth of God as well as well as defending it. We need prophets.  And we need to be prophets for others. Our courage to live our faith will bring others life, freedom, and joy.

We pray today for the courage to live our faith, the courage to be defenders of the Truth, the courage to be prophets of the Lord.

The Message of John the Baptist (2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A)

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In the middle two Sundays of Advent we hear a lot about John the Baptist. He is a central figure in the Bible and in the history of our salvation since he bridges the Old and New Testaments. It makes sense that John the Baptist is seen as the last of the Old Testament Prophets and the picture painted of him in the the Gospel certainly makes him look and sound like one of the prophets of old. John is presented as someone who lives at the very extremes of society but whose message of conversion hits home with people of every demographic. 

Every part of him, such as his garment of camel hair and his diet of locusts and wild honey, highlight John as a most extraordinary person. Although he comes across to us as eccentric, we find that people respect him for his integrity and flock to receive Baptism at his hands. The ordinary people recognize that John's message is authentic and it comes from God. 

Not everyone hears good news from John. His opinion of the Jewish leaders is brutal. He calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a 'brood of vipers' because they come to him for Baptism without truly repenting of their sins. Their mindset is similar to that of a wealthy man who told Mark Twain, "Before I die, I will go to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read aloud the Ten Commandments." Mark Twain replied, "I have a better idea. You could stay home and keep them." 

If we read the scriptures with any degree of attention, we see very clearly two truths repeating themselves over and over, from Genesis to Revelation: 1) God cannot resist reaching out to repentant sinners, 2) God cannot stand the self-righteous hypocrite. 

Depending on which character we resemble most, will determine how we respond to the message of John the Baptist in our own lives. How do we receive the call to repent, stop sinning, and prepare the way of the Lord. Truthfully, many people do not want to hear any preaching about sin. Many Catholics no longer believe in the concept of personal sin, which is a tragedy for them, for the Church, and for our world. 

We live in a society which has explained sin away. Perhaps this explains why so few go to Confession? Nowadays we are trained to feel guilty about feeling guilty but not about what we have done. If you send people on a guilt trip, God help you because no one else will. You will be called a killjoy, a hater, or something worse. There is a serious problem with this rush to purge all guilt and shame from people’s lives. Jesus and His main man, John the Baptist, speak more often of sin than even of love and this is true throughout all the New Testament. What does this mean? Before love can take root in our hearts and our lives, sin must first be acknowledged and addressed.

In the 1970’s there was a line in a novel that became famous. It said something like “love means never having to say you're sorry.” John the Baptist would beg to differ! Why else would he have come in from the desert "proclaiming a baptism of repentance that led to forgiveness of sin?" The Gospels tell us people accepted his message wholeheartedly, repented of their sins, and were baptized. In other words, as their love of God increased, they realized they had to say they were sorry.

Today John the Baptist would probably be run out of town. He would certainly be condemned on social media as out-of-touch, dangerous to people’s mental health, or hateful. People would probably be calling for his resignation and maybe even his head. Perhaps the same would be said about Jesus, who never separated his message of love and mercy from the need for repentance and conversion.

To airbrush sin away is to turn Christianity into nothing more than a cult of feelings and sentimentality. To try to dilute it, sugarcoat it, or explain it away is to sell Christ out. If sin isn’t really that bad, why did Jesus choose to die to save us from it? To promote this worldview is not loving others, it is enabling a lifestyle that ultimately leads to pain and suffering, not only for the sinner but also for those affected his or her wayward choices. Sadly, even in many Catholic high schools and colleges, our young people are being told there is no right or wrong, only different points of view. Can you imagine what John the Baptist would have to say to that? And what he would say to those who promote this dangerous nonsense? 

The process of repentance and conversion is a healthy experience on many different levels. Every human person has a basic notion of right and wrong written on their heart by God. Every time we violate his sacred and natural law, we carry that burden of guilt. That feeling of guilt, our conscience, is actually a gift from God to help us move away from the things that cause spiritual harm and it keeps us from becoming unfeeling psychopaths. Repentance and conversion repair the damage of our sins and restore the friendship we have with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God makes it so easy for us by giving us the sacrament of confessions. Once we acknowledge,"I have sinned!”, God immediately says, "I forgive you.”

We have many wonderful examples of repentance in our Church; one in particular is our first Pope. When Peter denied Christ, he did not make excuses. He did not blame his sin on the mistakes of his parents. Peter took responsibility for his betrayal of Christ. He did not say, "Hey, give me a break. It's only my first betrayal.” He acknowledged his sin and repented and Jesus couldn’t wait to forgive him. 

As crazy as it seems, each and every baptized person is called to be another John the Baptist: leading others to Christ and calling the world to conversion. But we have to start with ourselves. If we go straight to calling out the sins and shortcomings of others without addressing our own need for repentance and conversion, we will quickly be exposed as hypocrites and frauds. God knows, we don’t need any more of those in the world or in the Church. John the Baptist is a model for us and his message resonates with the people of every age because he started by examining and purifying his life. You and I must do the same and we make it happen by asking for the grace of conversion, accepting the virtue of humility, reflecting on the good and bad things we have done, maintaining a strong connection to God in prayer, and, most importantly, making use of the sacrament of confession to express our remorse for our sins. These are the ways we “Prepare the way of the Lord” and “make straight his paths.” May we acknowledge the sin we have in our lives so that God can use us to spread his message of mercy and salvation to the people of our time who are waiting for an invitation to conversion!

Fight the Four Spiritual Dangers (1st Sunday of Advent, Year A)

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How many of you have had the experience of sleeping through something important? Like a flight, getting up late for work, school, missing a test, etc..

As a priest, there is usually at least one time in every assignment where you slumber through a morning Mass, either because of weariness or because you misread the schedule. Whatever the circumstances are for any of us, when it happens, the moment you wake up and realize, “I messed up”, you have that terrible feeling of embarrassment and disappointment. Ultimately, the bummer about oversleeping is that an opportunity or obligation is missed and we can’t go back and fix it.

I mention this human experience because I think it relates to our spiritual lives and the message of the readings for the first week of Advent. In our world today, in the society we live in, it is truly difficult to stay spiritually alert and awake. If we are not careful, the four dangers of spiritual weariness, the darkness of sin, worldly comforts, and the long wait for Jesus will overpower our efforts to keep our souls awake. 

This is a busy time of the year; there is no doubt about it. Most of us have many things to accomplish before Christmas arrives. But we can get so caught up in the “holiday spirit” that our spiritual lives fall asleep. Our shopping for friends and family, sending out gifts and Christmas cards, baking cookies, and attending parties and pageants make us weary and this tiredness can lure us into a deep spiritual slumber. We get so worn out by the business of our preparations that we cannot quiet ourselves and stay alert for the coming of Christ.

However, Advent is not just a matter of slowing our lives down. For a majority of people, this simply is not realistic or possible. For many of us, it’s hard to stay spiritually awake because of our own sinfulness. St. Paul tells us in the second reading to throw off the deeds of darkness, those sinful things which cast a deadly sleep upon our souls. And what are these deeds of darkness? St. Paul mentions drunkenness, promiscuity, lust, rivalry, and jealously. But there are smaller sins as well, things that you and I struggle with day in and day out, like anger, gossip, lack of patience, greed, and laziness. If we hope to stay awake and alert for the coming of Christ then we must work to eliminate all the deeds of darkness in our lives with the help of God’s grace. 

On top of the busyness and sinfulness that work their way into our lives, we must also be on guard against worldly comfort. Like busyness and sin, worldly comforts can make our souls lethargic and cause us to become dependent upon the things of this earth. If we indulge ourselves in the many creature comforts modern life offers us, we can begin to put our trust in created things rather than our Creator God. Such comforts will slowly steal our focus from Christ’s coming and wrap our souls into spiritual darkness. 

The final temptation is the long wait for the return of Jesus. In C.S. Lewis’ intriguing novel, The Screwtape Letters, he writes a fictional account of how satan goes about training young demons how to lure souls away from God. When quizzed about what strategies they will use, the young recruits offer several different ideas: I will instruct people God does not exist." Or "I will argue Hell does not exist." But Satan was annoyed with these suggestions: "most people will see through these lies.” However, another recruit said: "I will tell them they have plenty of time." With this, the devil smiled, because he knew this was a strategy that would work.

The coming of Christ can seem to be something so far in the future that we stop waiting for it. We can be lulled into a false sense of security and be tempted to think that we can always start cleaning up our lives tomorrow --- because Christ is coming someday, --- but not anytime soon. If we aren’t vigilant, we can grow bored and careless in our spiritual lives. However, Paul advises us to awake from our spiritual sleep because the night of sin and death is coming to an end; the day of Christ’s coming is near. And Jesus himself warns us strongly today in the gospel to be ready and prepared, for he will come at a time no one expects. Jesus mentions the days of Noah in his warning, which refers specifically to the fact that Noah worked on the Ark anywhere from 60-120 years! For decades, his friends and neighbors had the chance to repent and change their lives as they saw this massive structure taking place; God was giving them plenty of time to turn their lives around but they put off their repentance until it was too late.

Spiritual weariness, sinfulness, worldly comfort and the long wait for Christ’s coming are all dangers for us to battle this Advent season. These things threaten our relationship with God and make us oblivious to the Lord’s coming. Without God’s grace, we will be unable to stay spiritually awake and our souls will sleep right through this holy time. In her wisdom, the Church gives us the season of Advent to wake us up and to prepare us for the coming of Jesus, the birth of that little baby who will open the gates of heaven for all those who believe.

Let us resolve this Advent season to prepare ourselves well. Let us cast off the deeds of sin and darkness that are found in our lives. May we embrace daily prayer and make use of the sacrament of reconciliation and receive Holy Communion worthily, knowing they are like spiritual alarm clocks. Let us stay awake and alert so we might be prepared for the quiet coming of Christ in our lives and in our hearts.      

A Healthy Tension (34th Sunday, Christ the King, Year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

One of the things that fascinated me as a child was watching utility workers climb up the power poles to do their job. Our neighborhood in Hazelwood had lots of large trees in the yards and the utilities ran through the backyards which made them inaccessible to bucket trucks and boom lifts. So when there was a problem with the power or a new service needed to be hooked up, the guy would fasten these special cleats to his boots and up he would go. Watching these guys work in our backyard made me add this experience to the Schroeder bucket list of things I wanted to learn how to do.

Fast forward to my assignment at St. Joe’s-Cottleville about 20 years later. One of the parishioners was a supervisor for Ameren and a former lineman. He knew how to climb up power poles! I was afraid he might think I was crazy but I figured it can’t hurt to ask. Amazingly, he was happy to make it happen and on July 27, 2012 (I only know this exact date because smartphones tell you exactly when the picture was taken), I got to climb up and down a power pole like a boss, which like so many things turned out to be a lot harder than it looks.

But here is the actual point of this story. When I was climbing, I realized very quickly that the power poles move quite a bit. I thought they were solid, immovable, stuck in concrete or something like that. Not at all, my parishioner told me, in fact a standard 40 foot pole is only in the ground 4-6 feet. What really holds them in place, upright and steady, is not how deep they are buried but rather the tension of the wires which hang on them. In fact there is a pretty exact formula for how they hang the wires and how much drop or sag they leave. The proper tension allows the pole to stand tall for many years and also can handle the expansion and contraction of the wires as they heat and cool during use. And once you connect a whole bunch of power poles to each other with power lines, phone lines, and cable wires, they become incredibly stable and strong.

Now how does this relate to the feast we celebrate in the Church this weekend, the feast of Christ the King? This celebration reminds us that Jesus is Lord of the world we experience here on earth. He is also Lord of the life to come when all wrongs will be made right, all wounds of injustice healed, and all suffering and tears will be banished. As Christians, we are dual citizens; we belong to both realms. And we are called to be upright, grounded members of both worlds. We cannot simply live with our eyes on heaven and ignore the problems, challenges, and sufferings of our society. If our faith is authentic and alive, the followers of Jesus will be on the front lines of the struggles that afflict the people of our times. We cannot be a good Catholic and be indifferent to the sufferings of others, especially the poor, the disabled, the inconvenient, the marginalized, and the unborn. We must be engaged and invested in bringing the goodness of God into our society and not just trying to white-knuckle it until Jesus comes back. 

At the same time, we are also members of a world, of a kingdom that hasn’t yet been fully revealed or realized. We are citizens of heaven and that means that this life can never fully satisfy or fulfill us. As good as the things and people of this world truly are, we have to constantly be on guard against making this life the end-all and be-all. We must be careful not to become rich in the things of earthly life and poor in the things that matter in heaven. This world is not all there is; God has something even better planned for the ones who know, love, and serve him in this life. 

Understandably, this living for two worlds, this dual-citizenship produces a very real tension. It’s not always easy to get it right and sometimes we lean too heavily on one side or the other. But the tension itself is a good thing. When we get it right, with the help of the sacraments, daily prayer, and works of charity, it is the very thing that helps us to stay upright, strong, and steady. And when you connect the examples and prayers and good works of Christians to each other, they become incredibly strong, stable, and transformative. This living spiritual network is capable of transmitting serious spiritual power all over the world. It becomes a power grid of mercy through which Jesus’ gospel of love, hope, and salvation can be communicated to anyone and everyone. 

Today’s feast is a gentle reminder to check the tension between our spiritual and worldly lives. Are we properly living out our dual citizenship each and every day? Are we engaged in our society and working to address the suffering in our world? Do we keep our eyes fixed on heaven, always remembering that it is our final goal and ultimate good? It’s worth the struggle to balance our affections for the here and now and also our desire for what will one day be. In the process we become holy and we support each other on our journey to heaven. May we be upright, virtuous, steady people who are ready to welcome Christ the King when he returns!

The End Is Near (But Maybe Not Too Near)!! (33rd Sunday, Cycle C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

If we pay attention to the readings the Church gives us in these final weeks of the liturgical year, we notice they are are more than a little dark in their mood. They tell stories of faithful Jews suffering for their loyalty to the covenant with God. They speak of bad kings, corrupt clergy, oracles of doom and gloom, incredible destruction, injustice, and pain. All of this leads up to the anticipation of a savior who will set things right and usher in a time of peace and eternal life for those who remained faithful to God and witnessed to him in the midst of trial and tribulation. The Church has us reflect on these heavy themes, right before advent begins, to jar us out of any complacency or spiritual laziness we may have developed in the past year. More importantly She asks us think about more than the life we are living right now but also the life we are made to strive for; eternity with God. And one simple question runs through it all. When the King of Heaven and Earth returns (and one day he will), what account will each of us give him? Will he find us faithful, watching, anticipating, and doing the works of his kingdom? Or will we be caught off guard, ashamed at the things we didn’t do for him because we thought there were would always be another tomorrow?

This question about the end of the world has captivated people of every age. Even the apostles wanted Jesus to tell them when it would happen. You could fill a library if you wrote down all the theories, predictions, and prophecies that have been put forth about when life on earth will reach its end. Even certain politicians in our time have offered a specific number, 12 years, as the remaining time before life as we know it, is over. But in fairness, it’s not all crazy talk and bluster. You and me, as Catholics, acknowledge the end of the world every time we celebrate Sunday Mass! In the creed, we profess that Jesus “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. This second coming of Christ is the final buzzer, the moment of eternal glory for all who have been faithful in witnessing to his name and serving his people. That moment will also be the beginning of eternal shame and dread for all those who chose to serve other gods or themselves with their lives. 

The natural human response to the end of the world generally takes one of two spiritually-problematic approaches. The first is to obsess over it and try to figure out the day and time by taking Scripture out of context, attempting to connect the dots of prophecies, signs, and predictions and also interpreting the problems of our times as the beginning of the apocalypse. This approach never works but amazingly, we humans do it again and again in every generation and Christians are not immune to it. In fact this is exactly what St. Paul is criticizing in second reading to the Thessalonians. A number of new converts in this town thought they had figured out that Jesus was going to be back any day. So they quit their jobs, and just sat around waiting for Jesus to appear and the world to end. Well, what happens when people don’t have anything to do? They started becoming busybodies, getting in everyone else’s business and causing trouble for the Christians who still had jobs and were trying to live stable, productive, holy lives. Worst of all, because they weren’t working, they couldn’t pay for food and were becoming a hardship to the ones who were still doing their job and living out their faith. So St. Paul takes them to task and says, “get back to work, stop being busybodies, and earn your own food”. If our thinking and preparing for the end of the world and the return of Jesus causes us to withdraw from society and abandon our responsibilities towards God and others, especially the poor and suffering, then it isn’t holy or healthy. 

But I don’t think this is the main problem for Christians today. I think we are in danger of taking the other approach to the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. In our time, it is much more common to procrastinate and avoid thinking about it all together. In general, we priests don’t preach about it; shame on us because someday it WILL happen. I also think the devil has been very clever to persuade most of us that being busy is the truest measure of being a good parent, a good priest, and a normal family. And so we live generally unreflective lives and bounce from one activity to another. Our first reading was from the prophet Malachi and he was the last prophet before Jesus was born. His is also the last book of the Hebrew bible and after he spoke, there is nothing but radio silence from God for 450 years until Jesus is born quietly in Bethlehem. Guess what Malachi was speaking against? The fact that many of the priests had become corrupt. Also that God’s people no longer observed the sabbath and rarely worshipped God. Instead they looked pretty much like their pagan neighbors in how they acted and what they strove for. Couldn’t that apply to our time? Do we Christians look and act any different than those in society who do not believe in Jesus? Do we try not to think about the return of Jesus because we have grown attached to this fallen world and we are happy enough as we are? Aren’t there times for all of us, and I include myself in this, where we put aside the things of God like prayer, coming to Mass, sitting in silence with God, serving others through regular parish ministry or other charitable works and being restored by Sunday rest and time with our family. Instead we run around like crazy people doing things that have very little value in the scope of eternity, perhaps figuring that we will get to that spiritual stuff later.

Whatever our individual temptation is regarding the end of the world and the return of Jesus in glory, we would do well to look it straight in the eye and own up to it. We cannot run from the inevitable, we do not want to live in spiritual denial of the fact that this life does not last forever, the good things this world offers are passing away, and each and every one of us will stand before God to explain what we did with the time and talents he gave to us. It doesn’t have to be a dreadful experience! But we need to take the middle road between obsessing over the end of the world and trying not to think about it. You and I are called to plan as if Christ's return were years away by building spiritual lives and charitable practices that can stand up to the challenges of a lifetime, but also live each day as though it was the one when Jesus returns. Living a spiritually-balanced and vigilant life is not easy. In fact it can only be done with the grace of God, which fortunately, he cannot wait to give us. Therefore, let us all, in these final weeks of the church year, re-affirm our belief that one day, maybe tomorrow, maybe a thousand years from now, Jesus will return and we want him to find us watching and waiting and doing the works that make us his people. If we’ve become busybodies or spiritual freeloaders, let’s not lose hope but recommit ourselves to living a healthy anticipation of the return of our king. 

Go Out On a Limb! (31st Sunday, Cycle C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

As many of you know, I went away to a boarding high school seminary in high school. This school was in another diocese, I didn’t know anyone at first,, and we could only call home once a month. Not surprisingly, I was terribly homesick, wondering if I made the correct choice. Then I had the experience of meeting Bishop Gaydos at the opening Mass for the school year and he somehow knew my name even though I was not one of his seminarians. From the first meeting even til now, he knows my name and that simple gesture made such a powerful impact on me. I hope you’ve had a similar moment in your life. Whatever our own experience is, there is something powerful about being acknowledged by another person, especially when we presume that person is too busy or important to care about little-ol-me!

Hold onto this feeling, this memory in your own experience and go back to the first reading. The author reminds us of the majesty of God. He is all-good, all-knowing, all powerful, any superlative, that is God. The universe is like a grain of sand or a drop of morning dew. Would you or I give a second thought about a piece of sand or a speck of precipitation? Probably not! But, the author of Wisdom tells us, God does! He loves every thing, every person he created and every thing that exists, even pesky mosquitos and annoying cubs fans, do so because God loves them specifically. He knows you and me and every single human individually and completely. He understands us better than we understand ourselves. Even though he is infinitely greater than the entire universe, the Lord is interested in you and me. What a mystery! Sometimes I think, “why do you care”, “am I a waste of your time?” But God cannot hate the work of his hands no matter how far we wander away from him. Which brings the first reading to its very fine and powerful point: God is not indifferent to our sins and the evil of the world. He notices it, it hurts him and he wants us to stop. But he shows us mercy, He gives us opportunities, loads of grace, and so much mercy in the hopes that we will repent and turn back to him. He is patient and thoughtful and corrects us little by little with the intention that his kindness will break through our pride and selfishness. He truly loves us, cares about every detail of our lives, and wants to be at the center of our minds and hearts just as we are for him!

Now hold onto this mysterious desire of God, knowing that it was burning in the heart of Jesus and go back to the gospel with the wonderful story of Zacchaeus. Keep in mind that this vertically-challenged fellow was not just a tax-collector but the chief tax collector. He was the worst of the worst in the eyes of his Jewish countrymen because he coordinated with the Romans, oversaw all the taxes, and made his wealth by charging extra and skimming off the top. So let’s address a few questions that might pop into our head as we heard this unusual story:

1) Why does Zacchaeus climb up a tree? It’s not just because he was short of stature. That is part of the reason, yes. But also, as the chief tax-collector in a large Jewish crowd, if he is recognized by people there is a good chance he will get a severe beating or something even worse. The tree provides a better view of Jesus and also some degree of safety as he separates himself from the crowd and hides in its branches. 

2) How does Jesus respond to this little man in a tree? He acknowledges him, he calls him by name, and he calls him out of the tree. How exhilarating and terrifying it must have been for Zacchaeus to hear Jesus call out to him! The messiah knows who I am! He cares about ME! Not only that, he wants to come to my house for dinner, which in the ancient world signaled friendship, acceptance, and peace. Jesus is living out the truth of the first reading, where almighty God seeks out every human person and makes him or her the center of the universe. 

And yet, Jesus’ invitation comes at cost. Zacchaeus has to leave the safety and isolation of the tree. He has to re-enter the angry and unfriendly crowd. But notice what Jesus does! He absorbs the anger of the crowd towards Zacchaeus and takes it upon himself. Now the crowd is upset with Jesus for eating at the house of a sinner and Zacchaeus is safe from their wrath. Lesson to be learned? Whatever danger comes with following Jesus’ invitation, he will be right there with us to help and protect us. But we have to stay close to him.

3) What is the result of Jesus’ invitation to Zacchaeus? He cannot remain in his sin. Jesus is gently calling him to repentance and holiness but Zacchaeus has to change the parts of his life that are at odds with God’s law. And this he does as he says, Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” The same is true for us. God seeks us out every day and wants us to invite him into our hearts. But that means we have to give up the willful sin in our lives. We cannot hold onto God and sin at the same time. God is gentle with us and willing to be patient with our weakness but we have to move towards him as well, no matter how setbacks we experience.

        Last question: What does this story mean for us? We have so many excuses to let Jesus pass on by us each and every day. We are busy, we don’t know how to pray, we don’t have time to pray, we feel unworthy, what will people think of us, whatever our excuse, we all have one. Like Zacchaeus, we are called to climb that tree, to go out on that limb to get a better look at Jesus and learn more about who he is and what he is all about. The beautiful part of our gospel story today is that Zacchaeus moved past the excuses and fears, many of them legitimate, and put himself out there to meet Jesus. And the lord of the Universe, was waiting for just this little opening in the heart of Zacchaeus. Once that opening was there, Jesus rushed in and, by sharing a meal, set the path of conversion for this once-sinful man. Every day, in some way, Jesus is passing through our life. Will we, like Zacchaeus, make the commitment to go out on a limb to see him? Will we accept the Lord’s invitation to let go of our sins and join him in the most holy of meals, here at Mass?