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

 To listen to this homily, click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 To listen to this homily, click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why God Allows Temptations (1st Sunday of Lent, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

There’s a story told of four different ministers who decided to take some time off together to get away from their congregations and learn more about each another. They found a nice, rustic cabin, far from the parish phones and emails and drop-in appointments. As luck would have it, these four ministers were from different faith traditions but they shared a love for ministry. There was a rabbi, a protestant minister, a priest and a permanent deacon. After a couple of days swapping war stories and commiserating, they decided to tell each other their biggest temptation. 

The rabbi went first and said, "Well, it's kind of embarrassing, but my big temptation is looking at ebay for hours. Once I was late to my own sabbath service because I was trying to win an item." 

"My temptation is worse," said the protestant minister. "It's gambling. One Saturday, instead of preparing a fire-and-brimstone sermon, I went to the race track to bet on horses." 

"Mine is worse still," said the priest. "I sometimes can't control the urge to drink. One time I got so desperate, I actually dipped into the sacramental wine." 

The permanent deacon was strangely quiet. "friends, I hate to say this," he said, "but my temptation is worst of all. I love to gossip - and if you will excuse me, I have some phone calls to make!" 

Well, you don’t have to be a priest, deacon, or rabbi to be tempted. We all have them. Everyone who has lived, from Adam and Eve, to you and me, has to deal with this inconvenient truth. As we enter the first Sunday of Lent, let’s consider a difficult question: Why does God allow the devil to tempt us? Why doesn’t he make it easier to love him and to do his Divine Will? Why can’t he make our good choices easier and our bad choices harder?  

In today’s gospel, we hear that even Jesus experienced temptation. Matthew tells us He was "led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." The Spirit led him - in order for the devil to tempt him. In other words, temptations have a purpose. They are not just the result of God being distracted or falling asleep at the switch!

But what are some of the reasons God allows us to be tempted? Is there something good that comes out of them, some positive result that keeps God from wiping them off the face of the earth? Well, I believe the first reason that God allows the devil to tempt us is to expose our real selves. I remember the first time I took the test for my motorcycle license. I had driven motorcycles before, mostly off-road and was very comfortable with them. I read through the little book and aced the written test. I then ran out and bought an awesome helmet and arranged to take my brother’s bike for the driving test. When I arrived at the license office to take the test the next day, I hadn’t practiced with my brother’s bike (why would I need to?!) Instead, I spent the time waiting, looking with snobbish disgust at the swarms of drivers waiting to test for some lame and wimpy car with four wheels. Finally my time came and I took the motorcycle driving test. After smashing a number of innocent little cones and laying the bike on the ground, I failed the test. Terribly.     

That temptation exposed my true faults. I was nowhere near as strong or capable as I thought. This painful awareness of personal weakness had a positive side - it gave me a sense of my personal limits. Without failures, we can be tempted to think we are more than we actually are, that we are little gods to be admired by the world. Sooner or later, temptation teaches us a valuable lesson in humility. 

When we recognize our true self, our own weaknesses, we grow in humility - and that leads to the second purpose of temptation: To acknowledge our dependence on God. In response to the devil's temptations, Jesus says that we do not live on bread alone, "but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." When we see temptation’s true danger, we can and should fall to our knees. We see this even in Jesus.  He went into the desert for forty days, to be immersed in prayer, so he could resist the temptations of the evil one.

When we give in to temptation and sin, we make ourselves loners in the worst sense. In the beginning, we might feel like we are being set free from pesky rules and guilt, but in fact we are falling into bondage. On the other hand, to resist sin requires God's help. It takes humility to ask for assistance, but in the end it leads to freedom. 

From this we see the third purpose of temptation. When we resist temptation, we get stronger. Or, when we fall into a temptation, we get weaker. We become more vulnerable to other temptations like laziness, lust, impatience - whatever sins seem to have our number. But if we turn away from one of those temptations - even the smallest one - we gain strength and can resist them a little better. 

Certainly, temptation has a purpose. Because God is almighty and loving, he can make good things come out it. But that doesn’t mean we go looking for trouble! I don’t want you all leaving church thinking: “Fr. Schroeder says we should all go and get tempted so that we can learn humility and trust in God. We must avoid temptation and those near occasions of sin; this is an obligation for all of us. However, when unavoidable temptations come our way, we can have hope knowing that with God’s help, they will actually make us stronger, better Christians. 

We are weak, but each time we stand with Jesus, we gain power. That power does not ultimately belong to us, but to God. The power is real, but it’s never our own. So let’s humble ourselves in God’s sight so his strength might be at work in our lives this Lent. Let’s constantly acknowledge the fact that we depend on Him to lead a good life and to be good people. And finally, let’s thank God for his strength, which can bring good out of evil, and the fact he gives it so freely, as often as we ask for it. “The Lord, our God, we shall worship and him alone we shall serve.”

Forgiving Without Exceptions (7th Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

About 16 years ago, on October 2nd, 2006, a man in his 30’s walked into an Amish school house in rural Pennsylvania and took 10 young girls hostage. The man was not Amish but he knew the community because he was a delivery driver who serviced some of their farms. After a brief standoff, he fired his weapon repeatedly at his hostages, taking the lives of five of them before turning the weapon on himself. Shock, disgust, sadness, and disbelief immediately followed. The peace of a gentle, private community was shattered as the anger of a profoundly broken person visited death and suffering upon a group of people who had worked so hard to remove themselves from the ills and evils of the world. People everywhere grieved with the Amish as they laid their little ones to rest. But what came next shocked the world almost as much as the tragedy itself. Hours after the lives and futures of their children were taken, one of the grandfathers of the victims expressed forgiveness for the man who had visited this evil upon them. And after the funerals were held, members of the same Amish community showed up at the killer’s funeral to pray for his wife and three young children. In fact, they outnumbered the non-Amish mourners. There was no yelling, cursing, or condemning by those who had been sinned against; only honest prayer and genuine mercy. 

Many who saw this mercy were angry and indignant. The shooting shocked the world but the forgiveness that followed scandalized it! How dare the Amish show mercy to the man who did this! His sin was unforgivable! He deserved to burn forever for what he did. In response, the Amish community was very wise. They did not deny the evil that was done nor did they look at it indifferently. Instead, they reminded people that the perpetrator was still a child of God. He had parents, a wife, children, and a soul. And now he was standing before a just God. What need was there for more hatred and suffering? 

The forgiveness offered by the Amish of Lancaster County, is a powerful illustration of the gospel we just heard. Of all the things Jesus commands his followers, this call to be merciful is perhaps  the most difficult of all. There is no exception for certain crimes or classes of people. And it is NOT a suggestion or meant only for those who drive buggies instead of cars! Truth be told, in many cases, the command to practice mercy is actually humanly impossible. No parent can summon the power to forgive a person who hurts their child; it is a grace that can only come from Almighty God, Who first forgave us when we did the same to his Son! And most importantly of all, this type of mercy doesn’t start with a life-altering tragedy; it builds within little acts of forgiveness that are offered day after day. It grows out of a generous and gentle heart that refuses to become hardened by the slights and offenses we endure as part of our daily life. 

But this decision to embrace mercy and offer forgiveness is largely foreign to our world. For many, the world is a ruthless, indifferent place where it is better to be lucky than good. Life often appears to be unfair and evil afflicts both the righteous and the wicked with no distinction. The world will tell you and me that there are only two responses to suffering: passivity or viciousness. The lie of passivity says that you have no control over what happens to you, it suggests you might have even deserved it, and you must identify as a victim; who you are is defined by the worst thing done to you. This passive approach to evil and those who hurt us is unholy and only perpetuates sin in the world. 

The other extreme is viciousness. In this view, we recognize we do not deserve to be hurt but we take our response too far. We want to hurt the offender like they have hurt us; in most cases, we actually want to hit back harder, teach them a lesson, make sure they can’t do it again. You know what I mean! If they take my eye, I’ll make sure they never see again. If they knock out my tooth, I’ll make sure they eat out of a straw! This approach quickly gets out of hand and lowers those who are hurt into the same place as the perpetrator. As Ghandi wisely observed, “an eye for an eye and soon the whole world goes blind.” 

The way of Jesus, the path of forgiveness even towards our enemies and those who hurt us without remorse, is the only way that fully honors our dignity while making a better world possible. This way of mercy and love for enemies is something unique to Christianity; no other religion has this mandate. It is the one thing that forms our hearts to be like the heart of Christ. It empowers us to move beyond being victims of the evil of others to becoming victors. It transforms us to look like Jesus by loving like Jesus who prayed for those who hung him on the cross, asking his Father to forgive them even as they took his life. This love is what will make us worthy of heaven, this mercy is what enables us to rise like Jesus and live forever in paradise. Anything less and we will not receive the gift of the resurrection. 

One last thought. I believe many people see this mandate of mercy as a sort of weakness or surrendering power. No one likes to give up control or be made a victim. What I am slowly learning is that Jesus’ command to forgive and show mercy is the most powerful thing of all; there is nothing weak about it. Jesus is not commanding us to be doormats or weaklings, to allow others to hurt us or invite suffering; he is telling us to love fiercely as he did when faced with it. When someone tries to take something from us, when they try to lessen us by sinning against us, there is nothing more powerful than being able to say, “you wanted to take this thing from me that is mine but I choose to give it instead. And no matter how much anger, hatred, or evil you wish to inflict, my choosing to love and forgive will always be more; it will always overcome the worst you can do. Any coward can hate but only the strong and victorious can show mercy! This is the command to perfection we are called to!

Each of us is called to love fiercely and forgive without exception; anything less and we will not be living as Christ calls us. Do not excuse yourself from this command and do not try to live it by your own strength. We need his grace to love like this! Practice mercy in little ways now. We all have people in our lives who have hurt us. Don’t wait for them to deserve your forgiveness because they never will. Give mercy generously as God has given it to us. And then you will be always be a victor over any wrong against you and perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect!

Be Good When No One Is Watching! (6th Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Several years ago, there was a trend on social media where a parent tested their little children by setting some tasty treats in front of them and leaving the room. The kids were instructed to leave the snack untouched until the parent came back, which was only supposed to be a few moments later. The children were not told they were being recorded on video. As you can imagine, many of the youngsters failed the test almost immediately. A few of them, probably oldest children, driven by guilt and perfectionism, kept their paws off the prize but most gave in to the temptation to at least eat something while they thought their parents were out of sight. 

These videos were hilarious because they were so relatable. Any parent knows that without constant supervision, it doesn’t take long for children to find their way into mischief. Also, even with the best intentions, if someone thinks they are all alone, they tend to say and do things they might never do around others. Breaking the rules doesn’t seem like such a big deal if no one sees it! This is true of both adults and children!

Which begs the question for you and me: How do we see God’s law and commandments? As a way of life that brings freedom and joy? As a code to follow which brings blessing and salvation? As a gift which is wise and timeless? I hope so! But is it possible that we often see God’s law and commandments as a burden, as foolish and out of date, as restrictive and keeping us from happiness? 

To put it another way, are we not like those little children, with an irresistible treat in front of us, waiting for a chance to stuff our faces? Do we look for ways to get around God’s laws, are we willing to break them if we think no one will notice? If we were given a free pass or we knew we wouldn’t get caught, what laws or commandments would we stop observing? Isn’t there a part of us that keeps the law and commandments, not so much because we love them, but simply because we don’t want to get in trouble or be punished? 

Today’s scriptures are trying to drive home this point: God’s law is meant to change our heart and make it more like his. It is not just a list of rules to follow to keep God off our back. This process starts with our actions and external behavior but that’s only the beginning. The law and commandments are part of a relationship. Jesus expands and deepens the commandments because he is inviting us to a deeper, more intimate friendship with the Father. This new friendship requires a heart that is even more pure and sensitive to the will of God. These expanded laws help us to have such a heart if we embrace them with love. That is why it is no longer good enough to pat myself on the back for resisting the urge to steal, lie, lust, and kill. Many of us would, if we could! As followers of Christ, we must be willing to surrender even the feelings and desires which starts me on the path to harm another. We cannot just resist the sinful action but must be cleansed of the willingness to harm or use another person. Jesus wants us to live forever with him and the father in heaven. But this is not just about acting more like God, we must also love like the Father and that transformation happens by cleansing our desires, emotions, and affections. We want to preserve and protect that relationship with the Lord. To live the commandments this way requires faith and trust! It also moves our motivation towards love instead of fear and obligation.

One last observation about the social media videos I mentioned; of course the whole thing was light-hearted and funny but it was unfair from the start. The proper thing would have been to never put those little kids in the situation where disobeying their parents was so easy and hard to resist. Jesus shocks us with his over-the-top advice on how to avoid similar situations when it comes to God’s law and commandments. He tells us to be ruthless in cutting off the things that lead us to sin with the image of plucking out eyes that look away from God and chopping off hands that want to embrace sin. Should we interpret this literally? No! Should we take it seriously? Yes! Each of us has a responsibility to do our best in trying to avoiding whatever leads us or others into sin.   

There are countless struggles and situations that apply uniquely to each person here and we can’t go into the details of what must be cut off and plucked out for every one. However, I would like to make a single direct and concrete encouragement to you based my ministry as a priest over 15 years. We are all citizens of an online world, whether we like it not. The internet its not going anywhere and we need to find ways of living with it that are practical and realistic but always protecting our families and values. Jesus’ command to cut off and cast out applies to each of us in some way regarding our online behavior and use of technology. For a growing number, that will truly mean getting rid of a smartphone that allows us to be online all the time and easily drawn into sin. For others, it will mean finding ways to stop impulse shopping that promises fulfillment but only delivers debt and clutter. For parents, it means monitoring your children’s time and access online so that they are protected from the many corrupting influences that hate innocence, prey on the young, and discourage young minds with perverted fantasies and impossible comparisons. So many adults struggle to contain their addiction to screens and harmful curiosity; why are we so naive and careless to think we can place unrestricted access to the internet before our children and expect they will not be harmed? For many people, social media and online anonymity make them feel like no one sees them and that is why people often act very differently than they would person-to-person. For Christians, we must be willing to take an honest look at how our use of the internet and technology affects our souls and the spiritual well-being of others. Most of us need to be willing to make changes to avoid the things that lead us and the people we care for into sin. While it may seem drastic to the world around us, nothing is more important than our eternal well-being and the spiritual health of our children who are often put in impossible situations.

Thankfully, we have many things working to our advantage! We have a God who loves us perfectly, 24/7, for all eternity. He does not have bad days nor does he lose his temper or become passive aggressive. His laws are always for our own good and any commandment he has given will help us in some way to live in peace with each other and grow in love for him. He is infinitely patient with us and will always forgive our failures and shortcomings; all we have to do is ask, especially in the sacrament of confession. 

The commandments of God and the laws of the Church are so much more than rules. Every one of them, no matter how small or mysterious, serves to protect us and draw us closer to God. They are the road leading to everlasting life, perfect love, and unshakeable peace. Imagine how much happiness it brings God when we keep his commandments out of love rather than fear or obligation!

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord, the psalmist says. May we be among the blessed of God’s children keeping his commandments with love and faith and never grow weary of helping others to do the same!

We Already Know the Final Score (4th Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Back in 2019, when the Blues accomplished their unlikely march to the Stanley Cup, I was a nervous mess. My family, like so many of you, have suffered in silence, and sometimes not silently at all, as the Blues choked, year after year in their quest for the cup. During some of these high-stakes games, I got to the point where I couldn’t watch them live. So I would record the game and go do something else. Occasionally I would check the score but otherwise, I would wait until the game was over. If they won, I would go back and watch the recording. If they got smoked, I wouldn’t bother. As strange as this method was, it did wonders for my blood pressure and stomach lining. I was amazed how calm I was when I watched the games, already knowing the final score. Even if the Blues fell behind or there was some terrible missed call, it didn’t really matter. I knew they would be victorious in the end and that made all the difference.  

Today’s gospel, outlining the beatitudes and what it means to be happy as a follower of Christ, offers a similar lesson. In the game of life, we already know who wins the battle between good and evil, sin and death. As bad as they may sometimes be, our sufferings and losses do not have to be the final score. In fact, Jesus shows us a way to be happy, even as we go through them. Happiness is not something far away in the future, or only found by a select few who win it all, have it all, or somehow skate through life with the fewest setbacks. Instead, the beatitudes promise happiness and blessedness to anyone and everyone who seeks Christ and the kingdom of God. A happiness that starts now, even when things look dark and disappointing. The truth is, we all want to be happy. This desire for happiness is what drives every aspect of life. And there is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy, in fact, God himself put this desire in us. The problem occurs when we try to find happiness apart from God or in opposition to His loving plan for us. The problems we have in this life are not so much with what God wants, but with what we want. How easily each of us could finish the sentence, "I will be happy when...." with a million possible endings.

  

-- I will be happy when I grow up and move away from home.

-- I will be happy when summer comes and I don't have to go to school.

-- I will be happy when I retire.

--I will be happy when my aches and pains go away

Realistically, though, when will we be happy with this mindset? What will it take? What are the chances that it's ever going to happen? How long will it be? One year? Five years? Fifty years? Does it rely on someone else doing everything the way we want or with a millions things remaining under our control? We all want blessedness, happiness, and comfort. Today Christ promises these things, even when we find ourselves in the worst possible circumstances: mourning, persecuted, or in last place. God wants us to be happy so much that he gives us a roadmap, a way of life called the beatitudes, which ensure that happiness no matter what is going on around us. The literal meaning of the word beatitude means “blessed” or “blissful” and was the same Greek word used to describe the island of Cyprus: a place so blissful and perfect you never needed to leave its shores. Jesus is offering that same, self-contained contentment and peace which cannot be disturbed or taken away by outside influences. So how do we get it? As Jesus says later in the Sermon on the Mount, live for His Kingdom and his Righteousness; then we will be given eternal life along with blessedness, happiness, and comfort! 

So what about the meek and lowly, the mourning and the poor in spirit? How about the merciful and the persecuted, the peacemakers and the pure of heart? All those who hunger and thirst for righteousness? They will be blessed, they will be made happy, they will inherit the kingdom of God not because they sought out persecution, not because they attempted to become poor in spirit, not because they willingly handed themselves over to death, not even because they worked to show mercy to those who don't appear to deserve mercy but because God wants them to have those things the world has not given them and cannot give them. True joy.  True peace.  True blessedness.

St. Paul understood the beatitudes very well in his own life and he knew how difficult it could be to embrace them. That is why we hear his explanation today in the second reading to the Corinthians. In the beatitudes, “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised of this world and those that count for nothing so that no human might boast before him.”

Sometimes we wonder what in the world the beatitudes have to do with us; they seem like wonderful, pious, platitudes that would be nice to have but don’t really fit us, especially in our times of loss and misfortune. If nothing else, just remember this: we know how this story ends; Jesus triumphs, evil loses, those who play dirty and cheat to get ahead will not be the ones who gain the final prize. That knowledge of victory makes all the difference, like it allowed me to remain calm while watching the blues, knowing these current sufferings will not last forever and it makes the final triumph all the more rewarding! The beatitudes teach us that we don’t have to wait to be happy, nor does everything have to go our way. If we believe in God, if we follow Christ, that joy starts now.

So how badly do you want to be happy? How strongly do you desire to be blessed? Is it enough to make you want to embrace the beatitudes? Place your hope for happiness in the wisdom of God. Seek to live for the kingdom of God every day and in every way. You will not have to wait until the next life to rejoice and the joy given to you will not be taken from you!

Behold the Lamb! (2nd Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

There is a story told of a German artist who, centuries ago, was working on the roof of a monastery chapel in Werden, Germany, which is in the Western part of God’s country. While he was working, his safety belt snapped and he plummeted towards his sure and certain death. Due to Murphy’s Law, the area to which he was falling was not only far below, but also filled with large, jagged rocks. But this man must have been saying his prayers each night and putting something in the collection every week. As Providence would have it, there was also a lamb, who at that moment made the fateful decision to graze on the grass which grew between the rocks. How it happened, nobody knows, but the artist miraculously fell on the lamb, which died instantly, but saved the artist’s life. When he recovered from his shock and bruises, he sculptured a lamb and placed it on the church roof in gratitude. That lamb still stands there to this day. 

This crazy story helps us to understand the Gospel reading today, the story of another Lamb who breaks a much more serious fall. John the Baptist's favorite title for Jesus is "the Lamb of God." It became one of John the Evangelist's favorite titles as well. He uses it here in his Gospel, and then he used it again, twenty-nine times, in the Book of Revelation. It brings together three images that would have been familiar to the Jews of that time. And so, by calling Christ the "Lamb of God," St John is telling us those ancient images are fulfilled in Jesus. 

So what are the three images? The first takes us back to the Old Covenant and the Book of Exodus where God required the Jews to sacrifice a lamb twice a day to cleanse the sins of the people. In this first image, the lamb symbolized the price that had to be paid for sin. It showed the people how awful and deadly sin truly was. It was not something harmless or minor. The second image was found in the high holy day of Passover. In the Passover ceremony each family sacrifices and eats a lamb to recall their liberation from slavery in the days of Moses. On that night, God allowed the death of all the firstborn children and animals of the Egyptians, but spared those of the Hebrews. In order to indicate which households the angel of death was to skip over, God commanded the Hebrews to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts of their homes with its blood. Because of this saving act, the Passover lamb signified God's merciful and redeeming love. The third and final image is found throughout the prophecies and promises of the Messiah. Again and again, the Savior is described as a lamb going silently and obediently to the slaughter. This Messiah, the Lamb of God, was going to take Israel's sins upon himself and wipe them away through his suffering obedience. His Blood would be the protection from God’s punishment of sin. Anyone who was washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb would be pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

By calling Jesus the "Lamb of God," John reminds us that all of these Old Testament symbols pointed towards Christ, the one and only Savior. Christ's sacrificial love is so central to our faith that the Church reminds us of it every time Mass is celebrated by praying: "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us." In just a few minutes, when we receive Holy Communion, we will be receiving the Lamb of God, partaking of the saving Lamb, just as the Jews of the Old Covenant shared in the Passover Lamb. And when we receive the Lamb of God with a lively faith, he strengthens us to follow his example: obediently loving God above things and fearlessly giving our lives in service to others.

So, practically speaking, what can each of us take away from this reminder of the importance of the Lamb of God? What can Jesus’ incredible saving gift teach us about our relationship with God? Well, first of all, it shows us that absolutely nothing we do can ever extinguish God’s love for us. He died for us while we were still sinners; therefore we should never doubt his love for us. The Lamb of God loves us even in our sinfulness, no matter how serious or awful. We must never doubt this Divine Love. In those times in our lives when we find ourselves doubting God’s love or goodness, we can be sure that this thought is a temptation from the devil. I have come across many people who doubt the love of God, and if some of you are in this place right now, allow our reflection on the Lamb of God bring you renewed hope and trust in Him. Even though you might not feel his love or sense His Presence, be assured He is there loving and protecting you every moment of every day.

Secondly, by giving himself up for our salvation, Jesus showed us the path to happiness. We will only be happy by imitating the Lamb of God in our own lives. We were not created to indulge ourselves, but to give ourselves in love to both God and neighbor. This is how Christ conquered sin and evil; by loving and giving himself to others. You and I will conquer sin and evil in the same way - by loving, by giving without counting the cost, by forgiving without limits.

As we come to this Eucharist, we are reminded that each of us is like that falling German artist. Each of us has sins and weaknesses that threaten to destroy us and plunge us towards a spiritual death. How blessed we are, that the Lamb of God has decided to break our fall from grace! How incredible that God would send his Beloved Son to sacrifice himself so we might be saved and restored to full spiritual health. All that he asks, is that we receive his love and mercy. And then, having received that amazing love, he asks us to share it with world and to become, with his grace, lambs of God to the world around us. So let us give thanks today for the Lamb of God  and not be sheepish. Let us make use of the sacraments he gives to the Church to bring us his grace and strength. Finally, let us not hesitate to offer ourselves back to God in love so he might use us to save those who are falling towards the jagged rocks of despair and sin.