Our Hearts are Restless Until They Rest in You (8th Sunday, Cycle A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

One of my favorite stories was written about 16-hundred years ago in a little town of North Africa. In that book, a young man is brutally honest in telling us about his search for the meaning of life. He was the Charlie Sheen of the Roman Empire. At first he looked for happiness in the pleasures of drinking, eating and bodily pleasures of every sort. When these left his soul feeling empty, he began to pursue oriental philosophies. He thought those teachings seemed more sophisticated than the Bible he had listened to growing up. But something about those philosophies did not ring true to him, so he decided he would spend his life making money - and making a name for himself. At a certain point - it was like a divine intervention - he experienced a conversion. He wound up dedicating himself totally to God. The young man's name was Augustine - and after St. Paul he is considered the Church's greatest theologian. St. Augustine summed up his quest for life’s meaning in these famous and haunting words of his confessions: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." 

All of us can probably identify with his experience and his search for fulfillment. Our hearts are also restless - and nothing in this world can give us enduring peace. Today's Psalm says "Only in God is my soul at rest..." In the Gospel Jesus tells us how to find peace in God. 

Jesus lays it on the line. "No man can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.You cannot serve God and mammon." Well, what the heck is mammon? The word mammon comes from a Hebrew root that means "to entrust." It referred to material, worldly things, things that money can buy, like today we speak about credit, trust funds and bonds. Mammon came to represent those things in which a man places his trust." It became a substitute for God, an idol, a false God. 

  

What are the false gods in our lives? What are the things in life that if you had them -- you would feel like your life would be complete....that you would be happy? Is it a new car? a nicer home? A better job? A raise?

Is it a cute, popular boyfriend or girlfriend? Winning a state championship? A later curfew? A friend who doesn’t hurt you or talk about you behind your back? A social media account or a better cell phone?

Is it more time?More space? Less weight? More hair? Nicer clothes? 

In today's Gospel Jesus identifies one of the sure signs of clinging to a false god: worry. A person devoted to an idol becomes consumed with worry. Our hearts are filled with fear as we wonder what will happen if I lose the thing that gives my life meaning? What happens if I lose my job? Don’t get that promotion? If my child doesn’t make the team? If my boyfriend/girlfriend dumps me? If I am suddenly no longer popular or if my parents take away that one thing I love?

I have talked to people who know that something is ruining their lives - but they cannot stand the thought of living without it, whether that be someone or some thing that is slowly destroying them and their families and friendships. Whatever the specifics are, the general rule is always the same: their obsession, their mammon and the worry of what to do without it have become false gods. 

Jesus invites us to turn from idols and to trust in God. God is the one thing, the one thing that not only will make us happy, but will bring us peace. We know this. We’ve known about this for two-thousand years. No self-help book about happiness has been reprinted as many times, in as many languages, for as many years as the Bible. So why do we keep turning away? Why do we keep looking for happiness elsewhere when the answer, the only answer, is right here, within feet of us every day.

Christ knew that we would have a hard time letting go of the various mammon in our lives. He knew we would struggle to place our full trust in the hands of our Heavenly Father. That is why he reminds us in today’s gospel to “Look at the birds in the sky; who do not sow or reap, who gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? To drive the point home he continues: Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?”

The next time you feel alone, or helpless, or you’re worrying about something or chasing something you think will make you happy, take a moment and pray. Thank God for all the gifts he has given you. Talk to Him about what’s on your heart, and ask Him for his guidance. Let go of the earthly things and riches which demand our allegiance and let your heart rest in God alone. He changed the life of St. Augustine. If you ask God, He’ll change your life, too.

Why do you Keep the Law? (6th Sunday in OT)

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Our readings this weekend focus on divine law, the commandments given to us by God as he gradually reveals Himself and his plan of salvation for the world. In these readings, we are not just given a laundry list of things to do or not do. The first reading connects following God’s commandments to preserving our lives. It’s a choice each of us has to make; God won’t force us to follow his commands. God’s laws can be mysterious at times but each and every one of them is holy and purposeful. Together they form a way of life and a roadmap to happiness in heaven. Ignoring or breaking these divine laws will affect our relationship with God in some way.

For many of us, as Americans, we have a different view of law. In our culture, law is restrictive, in some ways we might think of them as limits to my personal freedom. Generally speaking our feelings on laws, at least those that are man-made, would be the fewer the better. There is something in our human nature that wants to find that fine line of getting around the law without breaking it. Or doing what the law requires but nothing more.

We see this literal approach to the law in little children. Growing up, I dreaded Ash Wednesday and Good Friday because they were fast days, meaning you could only have one full meal. Since I hated being hungry and was a glutton, I tried to interpret the law to my advantage. The law of fasting is that you can have one regular meal and two small meals, which combined, do not equal the regular meal. I argued that I could eat 5 sandwiches for lunch on a regular day (which I could). Therefore, on days of fasting, my little meals could be equal to 2 sandwiches each with a massive meal at the end of the day. Perhaps this did not technically break the laws on fasting but it certainly violated the spirit of the law which was to help me enter into a sense of sacrifice in solidarity with Christ on the cross.

When is comes to laws and commandments given by God, they are so much more than simple rules, hoops to jump through, or a checklist. They are part of a relationship. Maybe when we were young, we saw only rules and simply obeyed them to stay out of trouble or confession. Hopefully, as we grow older they become part of who we are and we follow them, not out of fear of punishment but because we love God. We want to preserve and protect that relationship with the Lord. To live the commandments this way requires faith and trust!

Jesus tells us that he is not here to get rid of the law but to fulfill it. He expands and deepens the commandments because he is establishing 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.

Those of you who are parents know exactly what God is hoping for! When your kids are young, they are mostly motivated by the fear of getting in trouble, losing privileges  or some other punishment. Many times, these sort of reminders or threats are the only thing that gets a child to clean his room, do her homework, or apologize to a sibling. Hopefully, as children get older, they begin to do what mom and dad ask, not out of fear but love. As they mature, rules are kept out of respect for the parents’ authority and wisdom. Even when a child may not agree with a command, the mature one obeys it as a sign of love and appreciation for everything the parents have done for him. There might even be the humility and self-awareness to acknowledge that mom and dad are asking me to do this because they know something I don’t. Keeping the law or commandment is only part of the equation; the motivation behind the obedience reveals where a child is in their relationship with their parents.

Which leads us to ask, “where are we in our practice of the commandments in relation to God our Father?” Are we tiptoeing around the letter of the law, trying to do the least possible without breaking the rules? Are we keeping the commandments only to stay out of trouble with God or avoid punishment for our sins? If we could get away with ignoring the commandments of the Lord, would we? I think, to some extent, all of us could answer yes to one or more of these questions. Most of us have some work to do before we can honestly say we are keeping God’s laws out of love rather than fear or obligation. 

Thankfully, we have some 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! When we trust in his law for the world, even when it might not make complete sense or part of us disagrees! 

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!

Salt of the Earth (5th Sunday of OT)

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A few years ago, I came across an odd but intriguing book titled, Salt: A World History. At first glance, it didn’t seem like a very interesting read, but as I progressed through the 500-page work, I was amazed at how central this humble mineral was to human history. For example, did you know that we have a whole host of common words that come from salt? The word “salad” originally described a dish of raw vegetables flavored with a salty brine dressing enjoyed by the Romans. Salary was a term originally describing an allowance given to Roman soldiers to buy salt. Sometimes their payment was salt itself, with which they could trade for other goods. Perhaps many of you have heard the phrase, “he is worth his salt.” Other common words derived from this essential mineral are sauce, salami, sausage and saline. One other nugget for you: Buffalo, New York has its name because of the large natural deposits of salt that were found near the surface in that region. Massive herds of buffalo would swarm the area to satisfy their need for this essential mineral and settlers who observed this phenomenon decided to name the region after these salt-craving beasts.

We might not think too much about salt because it is so abundant and cheap. In fact, we might think of salt as a bad thing because there is too much in our modern diet and it can cause health problems. But this is a modern issue. Throughout human history, salt has been a source of life, riches, and power. It is used to preserve food, flavor meals, cure meats, treat ailments, and even make our roads safer. For most of human history, salt was precious, extremely valuable, and something to be desired. Every animal needs it and many wars have been fought, trying to secure this commodity.

Perhaps this brief background helps us then appreciate a little more, what Jesus is saying in the gospel when he tells his apostles, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

That little salt shaker, present today in every home, was unknown in the Middle East at the time of Christ. Only the very wealthy could afford pure salt. Ordinary people had a "salt bag." The salt with all its impurities was placed in the bag, and then used in soup or other liquids for flavoring. Eventually all the salt was gone, leaving only impurities. This is what is meant in the gospel when our Lord asks, "what if the salt loses its flavor?"

As people consecrated to God by baptism, we are meant to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Notice that Christ does not say that “one day you will be the salt of the earth”, no he says you ARE. Right now, where you are, no excuses. He can say this because he is willing and ready to replenish us at any time through prayer and the sacraments. With this in mind, it is time to ask: Do we really act like the salt of the earth? As apostles, are our lives having the same effect in our world? Are we a source of life to those around us? Do we provide the irreplaceable flavor of the gospel to others? Do our thoughts, words, and actions serve to heal and preserve and save from spoils of sin and sadness? Have we lived our faith so well that we are seen as a precious commodity, a resource essential to the life and well-being of others? Or, have we lost our flavor? Have we run empty in the practice of our faith, becoming like that salt bag, full of impurities and other undesirable elements? 

Dr. Eleanore Stump, a theologian at St. Louis University offers an insight into the images of salt and light that Christ calls us to be. Salt and light share a funny characteristic. Each of them is discernible by our senses; we taste salt, and we see light, but neither of them is meant to be center of attention. Nobody makes salt for dinner. We put salt on the chicken, but the chicken is the dinner. The chicken tastes better if we salt it; and enjoying the chicken, not the salt, is what we are after. Light is like this, too. We turn on a light not in order to look at the light, but in order to look at other things by means of the light.

So if a Christian is the light of the world, he is enabling the world to see something other than himself. A Christian is to let his light shine in such a way that the people of the world glorify God. The worldly people couldn’t glorify God if God were in darkness for them. So a Christian’s life is to shine in such a way that what the people of the world see is the Lord. The image of salt works in the same way. If a Christian is the salt of the earth, he makes something else appeal to the taste of the people of the earth. The earthly people will savor the goodness of God when Christians are the salt of the earth.

The source of all true and lasting joy and blessing is Christ. That is easy to believe but difficult to live consistently. We turn most readily in thanks to God when things go well, when the spouse and family are happy, when everybody is healthy. But when the inevitable disappointments, tragedies, betrayals, and depressions come, do we go back to the source of spiritual light and salt by faithfully attending Sunday Mass, by staying faithful to daily prayer? Life here will sometimes lose its flavor, and someday will end. But the glorious and eternal truth is that we are salt in Christ, with Him our lives will never lose their flavor. May we enjoy this Divine Salt in our own lives and share it freely as a strength and sustenance now and forever.

A Secret to Happiness - 1/29/17 (4th Sunday, Year A)

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It was difficult to settle on something to preach about this weekend because the readings contain so many thoughts themes for reflection. However, there is an undercurrent that unites all the scriptures we just heard. That theme is humility, a quality that is often misunderstood and even mocked by the secular world. But the Word of God doesn’t just praise humility, it ties it directly to happiness. Not the happiness of the world which can be here one day and gone the next, but the deep-seated joy that can exist even in the midst of suffering, poverty, and persecution.

The world humility comes from the latin word “humus” which means “grounded” or “from the earth”. The word literally reminds us of where we came from and where we are headed. We hear this sober truth every Ash Wednesday when ashes are put on our forehead and the minister says, “remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The word and the virtue recall the fact that we were nothing but dust until God created us and breathed his very life into us in the first moments of creation. 

True humility is knowing where we stand before God; in other words remembering that he is the creator and we are the created. Humility moves us to acknowledge our gifts, talents and blessings, to develop and use them to the best of our ability but also to realize that we have them from God, not ourselves. True humility requires a person to be strong, secure, and honest. A humble person is not afraid to say the things he or she may not know or be able to do. A humble person doesn’t feel threatened when someone else is praised. A humble person can accept criticism, even when it is given poorly or by someone who is less than perfect, and still use it to improve and grow. Humility is incredibly freeing. It releases us from the quicksand of trying to maintain the appearance of always being strong, having all the answers or being in control. 

For many, humility seems to be a sort of weakness because our understanding of the virtue is just a caricature. When some people think of humility, they think of downplaying success or accomplishments. For example, if you go up to the lector at Mass and say, “you did a wonderful job proclaiming the readings” we might think the humble thing to do would be for the lector to lower their head, deny that they did anything well, and make some sort of self-deprecating joke. In reality, humility would be to accept the compliment by saying “thank-you” or “praise God” or “this is a way I can give back to others”. Humility is not mediocrity or being timid. It is not denying that we have a gift or can do things well. In fact, true humility challenges us to be excellent in everything we can not for our own glory but for God’s. The humble person has a certain gracefulness that accepts praise and somehow redirects it to God.

The virtue of humility is the key to experiencing the true and lasting happiness laid out for us in the beatitudes of the gospel. It keeps us from fixating on how to be happy and helps us to accept where we are, what we have, and who we are. To be humble is to do the best we can with what we have and trust that God will provide the rest. 

It reminds me of a story of a conversation between a puppy and an older dog. The little puppy noticed that whenever he was happy, his tail wagged, so he thought he had discovered the secret to happiness. He shared the secret of happiness with an older dog. He said, "I have learned that the best thing for a dog is to be happy, and that happiness is in my tail. So I am going to chase my tail; and when I catch it, I shall have happiness. The old dog replied, "I too believe that happiness is a marvelous thing for a dog, and that happiness is in my tail.  But I have noticed that whenever I chase my tail, it keeps running away from me; but when I go about my business, it follows me wherever I go.

Many of us are like the little puppy chasing his tail - trying to find true happiness that is always just out of our reach. What we need to do is learn that if we make humility a central part of our life, going about our business and trusting in the Lord, happiness will follow us wherever we go.

We are not in charge, God is. His foolishness is wiser than our wisdom. He can bring happiness into people and situations the world has given up on. That is the lesson of the readings today, a lesson filled with hope and happiness. If we foster humility in our life, we can be happy in any circumstance because we will let God lead us. How badly do we want to be happy? How strongly do we desire to be blessed? Is it enough to make us want to embrace a humble life? Seek to live with humility and then rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven! 

Christ Unites Us

To listen to this homily, click here.

The second reading this weekend seems very appropriate for us today, even though it was directed to a growing but fragile Christian community in Corinth some 1960 years ago. At the time, St. Paul was addressing the cliques and divisions that were forming within the Church in that city. Some believers were separating themselves according to who baptized and brought them into the Faith. It was turning into a competition, a pecking order according to which apostle people felt most powerful, prestigious, or holy. Even though everyone belonged to one faith, in a short time, there were at least 4 rival groups. Understandably, he expresses outrage and disappointment over what had happened to their faith, which should have been a source of mutual strength, comfort, and unity.

Paul’s words remind me of one time (not the only time mind you), as kids we did something really stupid. We got our grubby little hands on some old eggs and decided to throw them against our shed in the backyard. We had a great time and thought it was the funniest thing we had ever done. Mom and Dad disagreed. Before sending us out to clean up (and by the way, dried eggshells are like nature’s superglue) we received a well-deserved lecture from the parents. Of course it included a sprinkling of outrage and “how could you do something like this…” But what I remember clearly and what made a lasting impact was when my parents asked how we could have so little respect for something that was not only theirs but ours.

I hear that same question in Paul’s words tonight. This beautiful faith, the gospel, the Good News, Christianity doesn’t just belong to THE CHURCH or the Pope or bishops or priests: it belongs to each of us too. And while no one person owns our Catholic Faith or can take credit for it, we all have a share in it and should take pride in how we act as believers. These days, just like the days when Paul’s audience was working through their issues, it is easy to focus on the things that separate and divide us. Even when we are here in church, it is possible to compare ourselves to other people, other parishioners and try to rank ourselves. That’s how a parish gets divided between Democrats or Republicans, rich or poor, living in the neighborhood or commuting from further away, day-school or public school, new parishioners or been here forever—-you get the picture.

Something we see clearly in the gospels over and over again is how Jesus draws people together. In our passage from Matthew, we hear that he calls some of the apostles to follow him and, amazingly, they leave everything immediately and do it! We might think the apostles were this merry band of brothers with blissful, carefree lives, but they were from very different families and viewpoints. Even in the gospels we hear they fought, argued, and got jealous of each other. Only Jesus could have taken their diversity, their seemingly incompatible backgrounds and made it into something that was both enriching and unified. We see this pattern over and over again, not only in Scripture but also in history. When Christ is at the center of human lives and efforts, the resulting blessings never belong to or benefit one person or group. They end up enriching all people. 

If we apply this pattern to our actions and the activity within the St. Michael parish family, it becomes easy to see where God can be found. His blessing will be on those ministries and groups that bring people together and lead them to focus on the person who unites all of us in the first place, Jesus Christ. On the other hand, if we find ourselves forming groups that isolate others or put people down, then chances are, we are wandering into the same mess the Corinthians were. 

One of the great paradoxes of Christianity is that because it is owned by no one person, it belongs to everyone. It’s ultimately not important who baptized us, what parish we grew up in, or which Catholic high school we graduated from; what matters most is that in all these things, Christ unites. He is the common bond that brings together, even in this relatively small parish, people of very different means, backgrounds, and viewpoints. Jesus is is our claim to fame, our source of pride. He brings unity to our diversity and enables our little gifts and efforts to have outsized effects.

To wrap up, I want to return to the I learned after egging the shed. Jesus didn’t have to share the Church with us. We certainly don’t deserve to help build it and represent it with our lives. In his generosity, he invites us to take ownership and to share in both the blessings and the responsibilities of caring for our Faith and helping it to spread. Let’s never forget the privilege we have been given and make sure our thoughts, words and actions always honor the great spiritual treasure he shares with us through our Catholic faith! It is not only his, it's also ours.

Behold the Lamb of God (2nd Sunday in OT, Year A)

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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 the nation. While he was working, his safety belt snapped and he began to fall towards his sure and certain death. Due to Murphy’s Law, the area where 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 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 the artist survived. 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 story might help us to understand today’s Gospel reading that speaks about another Lamb. 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 in his Gospel and the Book of Revelation some thirty times. It brings together three images that would have been familiar to the Jewish people. By calling Christ the "Lamb of God," St John is telling us that those ancient images are fulfilled in Jesus. 

But what are those three images? The first image 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 pardon 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 holy day of Passover. In the Passover ceremony, each family sacrificed and ate 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 with its blood. Because of this saving act, the Passover lamb signified God's merciful and saving 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 be slaughtered. 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 and all who were washed in it would be pleasing to the Lord.

By calling Jesus the "Lamb of God," John reminds us that these Old Testament images had been pointing towards Christ, the world’s one and only Savior. Jesus’ self-sacrificial, self-giving love is so central to our faith that the Church reminds us 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, just as the Jews of the Old Testament 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? First of all, it shows us that absolutely nothing we do can ever extinguish God’s love for us. The Lamb of God loves us even in our sinfulness, no matter how serious or awful, and promises that love for all time. 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. Even though we might not feel his love or sense His Presence, we can be assured He is there loving and protecting us every moment of every day.

Second, 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 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.

At this Eucharist, we are reminded that each and every one of us is like that falling German artist. Each of us has sins and weaknesses that threaten to plunge us towards a spiritual death. How blessed we are, that the Lamb of God has decided to sacrifice himself for our sins! How incredible that God would send his Beloved Son to break our fall and shed his Blood on the Cross so that 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 become, with his help, lambs of God to the world around us. Let us give thanks for the Lamb of God who takes away our sins and guides us towards everlasting life. Let us make use of the sacraments he gives to the Church to bring us grace and strength. Finally, may we offer ourselves back to God so he might use us to save those who are falling towards the jagged rocks of despair and sin. 

The Art of Giving Gifts (Epiphany, Year A)

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These are the final moments of the Christmas season and on it we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. The word "epiphany" is significant. It is defined as "a moment of sudden revelation or insight.” That is one dimension of what we commemorate today; the fact that wise men from east (Kings, Magi, or whatever else we call them), realized that something extraordinary was happening and journeyed for months to find the newborn king and savior of the world. Another aspect of our celebration is the gifts the Magi brought to the Christ child. Gold for a king, Frankincense for God, and Myrrh to foreshadow his death on the cross. Looking over my homilies from years past, I realized I focussed on these themes in one way or another for the past decade. Why not mix things up and reflect on the Epiphany from a different angle? 

Giving gifts is not an easy thing to do. To be more precise, giving a personal and meaningful gift is not easy. It’s not simply a matter of spending more money, although sometimes that is a factor. It’s not just about surprising someone or wrapping it perfectly, although these can play a role. It’s not even about what the gift might be, whether that be a tangible object, an experience, or even words. What really makes a perfect gift is the mysterious combination of thoughtfulness, self-sacrifice, and love which are all embodied in the gift given, whatever that may be. More often than not, the actual gift is less important than the thought and effort behind it. 

I’ve seen this truth hold up as my family and my parents have gotten older. What matters most to them is not receiving money or other large gifts which we can now afford because we have jobs. Rather, the present they ask for most is to have their children and grandchildren around them to visit, share meals, and just enjoy each other’s company. This quality time together often means more to our loved ones than the new Lexus with the red bow or some other flashy gift because it is the sharing of our self. This sort of gift is irreplaceably personal and sometimes feels more costly than a fat stack of cash because only we can give it; no one, no thing can stand in our place. 

Back to the Epiphany. Even more beautiful, precious, and pleasing to God than the gold, frankincense, and Myrrh of the Wise Men was the fact that they brought it themselves. They were rich and powerful men, they easily could have sent envoys to present these treasures on their behalf. Instead, they personally took the months-long journey, with all the hardship, uncertainty, and inconvenience involved so they could present their gifts with their own hands and see the Christ-Child with their own eyes. That is the true beauty behind their gold, frankincense and myrrh. These material objects represent the more profound gift of their love, reverence, and humility.

How does this apply to our life? First of all, the same principles hold true. God doesn’t need stuff. If there was some item he needed, he could just create it without our help. But there is something he wants, that only we can give. God wants our love and our friendship. When he created us, he gave humanity something no other animal has, the gift of free will. What this means is that we can choose to either give or withhold love from God and each other. No one can force us to love. Each human person has that incredible gift to give and receive but it must be done freely. Not even God will force us to love him. 

Take some time this weekend to think of all the blessings God shares with you, —-with your family and loved ones. Try to think of something good in your life that cannot be traced back to the Lord. It’s not possible because everything, every breath, every heartbeat, every life, every joy, and every happiness originates from Him.  

With a god as good as our God, what gift could we possibly give back to him that would have any meaning or significance?! Amazingly, the possibilities are boundless, but the principles of giving a good gift to another person can guide us. Our gifts to God are perfect when they are characterized by thoughtfulness, self-sacrifice, and love. When you give some of your hard-earned income to support this parish and the many charitable initiatives of the Church and you do so thoughtfully, sacrificially, and with love, then, whether that gift is $5 or $5000, it is pleasing to God. The same is true of how you spend your time on this earth and the talents God has entrusted to your care. If you share them freely, lovingly and deliberately with God and others, then they become a perfect Gift to God and a blessing to those around you.

One last thought. God has actually given us some clues as to what gifts He likes the most. Through the commandments, Scripture and guidance of the Church, we learn he is most pleased by the same gifts that delight our moms and dads. He wants to spend quality time with his children and he loves it when his family comes together for the celebration of a meal. Concrete examples would include adoration and quiet personal prayer. But above all else, what gladdens God’s heart is what we are doing right now, coming to Mass, each and every week, as one spiritual family, to share a meal and spend quality time together. In recent times, we have forgotten this and often look at Mass mainly in terms of what we get out of it and how late can I be for it still to count. We almost feel like God owes us for being here and forget that our weekly worship in church is the one small thing God asks in return for the countless kindnesses he showers on us. Our gathering here at Mass, which seems so simple and almost insignificant, is one of the most meaningful gifts we can ever give to God, so long as we try to participate in ways that are thoughtful, sacrificial, and loving. May this Mass and every Mass we attend gladden the heart of God and imitate the gifts of the Wise Men.