Will You Be With the Sheep or the Goats? (34th Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

Every year, right before Advent, the Church invites us to reflect on the so-called last things. This term describes what happens when we die, what our options are, and, most importantly, how do we prepare for the best possible outcome. We’ve been preparing for this reflection over the past few weeks as we’ve listened to readings of judgment and parables of masters leaving and returning and holding their servants accountable. 

Today, St. Matthew gives us a glimpse of what is called the general judgment. The general judgment is the final judgment, where everyone who has ever lived will be brought together before Christ the King. Every thought, every word, every action ever committed by each person will be brought forward for all to see. After this is finished, each person will be reunited with their body and live forever the result of their life choices; those who loved God and kept his commandments and the teachings of his Church will enjoy eternal happiness and peace in heaven. Those who spent a lifetime living for themselves, thinking mainly of what they wanted and what made them comfortable and happy will spend eternity living that way with people of the same selfish mindset; that is the place we call hell.

But while the general judgement is the final judgment, it is isn’t the first. At the moment of our death, we will enter into something called the particular judgment, which is just between God and ourselves. Here, we will see our life and our choices in the light of Christ. We will be judged by the same standards as the final judgment but there are three possible outcomes: 

Possibility one: Jesus will look at our life and see we tried our best to live as he did. In other words, we made God the number one priority and we died in the state of grace. Also, he would see that we thought of others before ourself, we made sacrifices to feed the hungry, care for the sick and dying, clothe the naked, and so on. In this case he will see that we were faithful in prayer, kept the commandments, and stayed obedient to the Church’s teaching on faith and morals. After seeing all of this, God will recognize the life of his son within us and we will hear those saving words: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Possibility #2: Jesus will look at our life and see that we spent most of our time and energy on ourselves and our own interests. In other words, we gave God time only when it was convenient or we felt like it, and we did not die in the state of grace. As a result, he would see that we thought of ourselves first, that we were stingy in making sacrifices to feed the hungry, care for the sick and dying, clothe the naked, and so on. In this scenario, Jesus will see and know this soul but this person will ultimately have failed to recognize and care for Christ, especially in others, throughout his or her life. Christ will see someone who was disobedient or defiant of him, of his Church, and ultimately most concerned with themselves. To these, Jesus will say:Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Possibility #3: Jesus will look at our life and see that we did pretty well in living as he taught us. He will see that we died in the state of grace and we kept all of the major commandments and laws of the Church, or at least if we broke them, we confessed them in the sacrament of reconciliation. He will notice we have some vices and attachment to sin and things of this world but he will also notice that we consistently opened our hearts to his grace and mercy. As a result we often recognized him in others and tried to ease the sufferings of those around us. To be honest, most of will probably fit in this group. And since we aren’t completely free from sin and unholy attachments to people and things, we can’t enter into heaven. Only those who are perfect in their love of God can be in the presence of God and live. But on the other hand, we died in the state of grace and therefore won’t be sent to hell. This is where purgatory comes in. We still believe in Purgatory and we should be happy about it because it is another expression of God’s mercy. Here, we are purified from our sins, the temporal punishment due to them, and any unholy attachments we might have died with. When the person is completely purified, they go to heaven for an eternity of rest and happiness. 

Its not easy for us to think about this topic of the last things. It can be frightening to consider our meeting with Christ and the fact that nothing will be hidden from him or from humanity at the end of time. But the Church understands that we must be aware of what happens at the end of life, so we can know how to live right now. The choices we have made and will make, determine where we will end up for eternity. Getting to heaven is difficult. The good news is God gives us everything we need to avoid hell and make it to heaven. He promises to be with us every step of the way. He gives us saints and angels to strengthen and encourage us. Even purgatory will not last forever and everyone there will eventually reach heaven. The bad news is that there is a hell and people go there. They are there because they decided to reject God and put themselves first. And because God respects our free will, he allows us to live for eternity what we chose to live during our life. 

So what can we do now to make sure that we are on the side of the sheep rather than the goats? Which steps do we take to ensure that our judgment will be more of a vindication rather than a condemnation? Consider the following short list:

Make sure that you have a daily habit of prayer. This means more than asking God for what you need but also, and more importantly, listening to what he has to say to you and how he wants to transform your life. Reading the bible, going to Mass regularly, praying the rosary, and going to adoration are all tried and true practices that make saints out of sinners.

Immerse yourself in charitable works. Ask yourself what you can do for other people rather than simply wondering what you can get out of them. Remembering that each and every person is loved and created by God, helps us to recognize Jesus’ presence within them. Fostering an attitude of charity will help you to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the sick, and welcome the stranger.

Stay close to the Church and seek to be obedient to her. Realize that the Church is part of Christ promising to be with us always until the end of time. See her teachings as the very things that will help you get to heaven, not something oppressive, to be avoided. Stay close to the Church and the sacraments and you will stay close to Christ.

If we do these things, we will have nothing to fear from death and judgment. The last things will be the beginning of our new life in Christ ad we will hear those wonderful words: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 

What Have you Done With God's Talent? (33rd Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

I don’t know if you’ve been to Kenrick-Glennon Seminary since it was remodeled a few years ago. If you have, you may have noticed how clean, bright, and updated everything feels. Back in the old days, when I was a seminarian, the building had all of the characteristics of a structure dating back to 1930. It was unevenly heated by a massive boiler and an army of clanging radiators. Some doorways and stairwells led to classrooms and student rooms while others stopped abruptly, walled off to satisfy the fire marshal. The thing I picked up on right away as a new student was the chiaroscuro lighting. Because you were living in a building with 7 decades of different light fixtures and technologies, there were areas of light and darkness everywhere. Especially at night! As a prankster, one of my favorite activities as a new arrival was to hide in a dark hallway, behind a pillar or next to a life-size statue of Jesus and jump out as someone walked by. Endless laughs for me and near-cardiac arrest for my fellow seminarians. I quickly stopped this practice for two reasons: 1) My frightened comrades were saying things that would make a sailor blush, much less a future parishioner and I was directly responsible. 2) Fellow seminarians didn’t want to walk down the hallway if they thought I was anywhere nearby. I was the feared jerk who would keep people from relaxing on their way back to their room. Not exactly the reputation I wanted to earn!

  I thought of this memory listening to these parables and warnings from Jesus about the end of time and his return. Too often we’ve interpreted the Lord’s words as if he were the Divine Jerk, lurking in the shadows, just waiting to jump out and scare us at the worst possible time. For many, the end of the world and the return of Jesus are a nightmare, something to be dreaded and put out of our mind if possible. With this mindset, it would be easy to view today’s parable as unfair and awful. A poor servant, entrusted with one of the master’s talents, decides to play it safe and buries it in the ground. While it doesn’t gain anything, nothing is lost either. From this perspective, the master’s response of taking away the talent and throwing out the servant is harsh. But is there something we are missing in this picture? Is God really this vindictive and ruthless?

Let’s start by understanding what exactly a talent is in the sense Jesus uses. Today we hear that word and we think of a capacity or skill like playing a musical instrument, being able to paint, or some other gifted ability. The people of Jesus’ time would have heard something different. A talent was a unit of measurement of about 80 pounds of silver or gold. In today’s terms, one talent was worth about $1.25 million, far more than the lifetime earnings of a standard worker in Palestine. The master generously entrusts his treasures to his servants, not equally, but as Scripture tells us, according to their abilities. But even the servant who has one, has more than he could ever earn on his own throughout his lifetime. This is an important detail to keep in mind.

The first two servants get right to work with the master’s treasure. They are not afraid of losing anything and all they can think about is making him proud, making his riches grow even more. They are motivated by love. We don’t know how they accomplish the growth but that’s not the point. The important thing is that they take the gift they were given and they use it in loving service to produce even more riches for the generous and trusting master. There is no hesitating in their decision, nor are they nervously looking over their shoulders for the Lord’s return. They simply fulfill the obligations of an honorable servant and the rest falls into place.

Contrast this with the behavior of the third servant. He is terrified of the master. Even though he has been entrusted with a lifetime of wealth, which he could never earn himself, he wants nothing to do with it because of fear. Instead of thinking how he can make this fortune grow, even in the smallest of ways, he buries it. What an insult to the master’s trust and generosity! To take a lifetime of earnings and do nothing with it! This is what offends and enrages the master more than anything else. That his servant does not love him and squanders his generous opportunity is worse than any loss from a bad investment.

So what is Jesus saying to you and me in this story that is directed at us just as much as it was to his audience 2000 years ago? First and fundamental is the fact that we have all been entrusted with the talents, the treasures of God. Not in what we are able to do like speak many languages, play the piano, or design a perfect house. No, we hold the treasure of God in who we are, in his image and likeness which we could never earn for ourselves, even after a lifetime of the most clever, productive work. And the moment each and every one of us was baptized, God shared a piece of himself, his life, which we call sanctifying grace, to our care. That is the talent given to every Christian and it comes with a simple order to make it grow. God’s love is not meant to be used only for our benefit or buried out of fear. It is intended to be invested in the world around us to grow, to spread, to multiply many times over through works of service, sorrow for our sins, and genuine prayer. 

If we are terrified of God, if we are constantly looking over our shoulder for him to jump out and zap us, we will bury his gift of love. Fear will cause the treasure within us to become stale and lifeless. It will not grow or help anyone nor will it please the Lord. Today’s parable tells us, in no uncertain terms, how God feels about those who waste his gift of grace. 

On the other hand, those who love God, serve Him with everything at their disposal. They are his servants 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, Quite frankly, they don’t care when he comes back because they are always looking for ways to grow his love in their heart and in his world. 

So where are we? Has the gift of God’s love and life grown in us since our baptism? Are we actively seeking ways to grow that love in our life each and every day. If Jesus were to return tomorrow, would we be panicking and trying to hurry up and make it look like we were living for him? Or would we be ready, excited to share with him the growth we helped happen with the gifts given to us. Be that person! Be that servant who loves the Master every day so you can hear those beautiful words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come, share your master's joy”!

Be Wise; Get Your Own Oil! (32nd Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

Have you ever received one of those fraudulent emails, telling you that some prince or widow halfway around the world wants to put 13 million dollars into your bank account letting you keep most of it? I got this incredible news last week and all I had to do was send my bank account number, my social security number, date of birth, and a few other highly personal bits of info and I would be rich! Of course it was a scam and I would never think about responding. But imagine for a moment that something like this was real and you were the main beneficiary of a distant relative's will. This relative was quite eccentric as well as wealthy. A great deal of money was left for you to spend, but there were certain rules. Every day for a year, your bank account would be credited with $86,400 at 9am in the morning. If you wanted to spend any of this money, you had to produce bills showing why money was being withdrawn. You could not save the money and at the end of the banking day, whatever you did not spend would be removed from your account. The next day you would start with a fresh $86,400. I am sure you and I would find really creative things to do with the money. 

Now, let's return to reality. Every day we are given 86,400 seconds to make the best possible use of. Every night, God writes off as lost whatever portion of this time we have wasted or not used well. In the bank of time, there are no balances and no overdrafts. Each day a new account is opened for us. Each night, what remains is written off, closed, gone forever. 

Every day's 86,400 seconds has to be invested wisely in things that will hold their value from day to day, quarter to quarter, year to year and for eternity. Lasting values need to be found, values like justice, compassion, forgiveness, and love. There were five wise virgins and five foolish ones. The five foolish virgins squandered their time. The five wise virgins made the best use of every moment. The wise virgins entered into the banquet of the Master's love. The foolish virgins were too busy wasting time to be ready for their Master's return. How much time do you and I have left? We really don't know.

The proper Christian attitude is not to deny death, but to prepare for it. This is the wisdom behind the five bridesmaids who were prepared to enter the wedding reception. They didn't know when the bridegroom was coming, but they were ready. So how do we prepare? We don't prepare for the end by doing lots of stuff. We prepare by nurturing the proper disposition, a Christ-like attitude. Over and over again, Jesus emphasizes the need for inner transformation. His complaint against the Pharisees, as we heard last week, was that they were hypocrites. They appeared righteous when people were watching but it was only for show. On the outside, they looked nice and clean. On the inside they were rotten. The tax collectors and prostitutes who turned to Jesus transformed their lives and hearts. They were genuine and their devotion to the Lord was authentic in every part of their life, whether people were watching or not.

So, how do we form and nourish the Christian attitude of life? You and I have to fight against the forces both inside and outside of us that tempt us to only worry about the things of this world, the things that can be measured, saved, and collected. To be authentic and wise Christians, we have to be in constant communication with the Lord. We need to pray daily. Each of us gets the same amount of time each day. No one is too busy to carve out some time when we are with the Lord and freed of the distractions of life. If we have a family, then we have the additional responsibility to pray as a family every day. We should focus our prayer lives on our Sundays. On Sunday we celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord and receive the Eucharist. We should work to make that the main focus of our week. The presence of Christ within us in this sacrament gives us the strength to be who we claim to be, followers of Christ. Today's first reading speaks about wisdom. Wisdom is a way of life. The wise are always ready for the Lord because they are always watching for him. The gospel lesson is simple for this Sunday. Be like the wise virgins. Be ready to celebrate the banquet of the Lord’s love. Don’t waste a single second he has given you!

One of the questions people often ask when they hear this parable of Jesus is something like: “why didn’t those selfish virgins, who had extra oil, share it with the others? Weren’t they just watching out for themselves? Well, that depends. What does the oil represent? It stands for character and virtue and we cannot take someone else’s virtue or character. They couldn’t give it to us if they wanted to! No one, no matter how rich, can purchase character or virtue from an ATM or with a credit card, it can’t be downloaded; we must develop our own. We cannot live like freeloaders on someone else's friendship with God; we must develop our own. That is what the end of the parable teaches us. We must be ready for Christ when He comes knocking at the door at the end of our life. We have to put in the time and effort and live our faith, day in and day out. Jesus warns us today, "You know not the day nor the hour." So let us live each day to the fullest, not taking a single second for granted. May we be authentic in our Christianity so the lamps of our souls may be filled with the oil of virtue and goodness and shining brightly for the coming of the Lord!

You Have Only One Father (31st Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

Every three years when this gospel rolls around, I usually get a nervous phone call or email from a parishioner, asking if they are offending Jesus by calling us “Father”. Another priest told the story about a delivery man who made the rounds every day at his parish. He wasn’t Catholic but he enjoyed spending time talking with the pastor and staff when he dropped off packages. There was one problem though. He would not call the priest “Father” because the leaders in his Church had instructed him to follow Matthew 23 literally and “call no man father.” He didn’t know how to address the priest so he settled on “Hey You”. These sort of stories always amuse me because people tend to pick and choose what they interpret literally, like today’s gospel, but then understand Jesus differently when he says things like, “if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.” I have yet to see eyeless, hands-free Christians running around anywhere I’ve been assigned! 

So what is Jesus really saying? In dramatic fashion He teaches that our value comes from God alone. He is our goal, the purpose of our existence. Jesus says to call no man "Rabbi" or "Teacher" or "Father." We have only one Master, one Teacher, one Father - God himself. Jesus is speaking against idolatry, which is behind every sin. Idolatry happens when we place a creature above the Creator. Idolatry can involve objects such as cars, homes, money, and power. Jesus also indicates we can make idols out of human beings: rabbis, teachers, fathers (not to mention sports stars, actors, politicians & scientists).

St. Augustine, a brilliant and relatable saint who lived during the 4th and early 5th centuries in Northern Africa, offers a simple scenario to explain idolatry. He uses the example of a girl whose fiancé gives her an engagement ring. The ring is gorgeous and the boy is happy his lady likes it so much. She of course can’t wait to show it to her friends. The problem is, she starts to love the ring so much that it becomes more important to her than the one who gave it! When the boy discovers his girl loves the ring more than him, he is not so happy. And if he finds out she is using the ring to make her girl friends envious and show her superiority over them, he might be more than unhappy. He might even take it back. "I gave you the ring as a sign of our love - not to look down on others.”

St. Augustine says something similar applies to our relationship with God. He has given us gifts, blessings, all tokens of his love. He wants us to love his gifts and be grateful for them. He does not give the gifts, however, for their own sake - or to make us think we are better than others. Like an engagement ring, he wants the gifts to signify a relationship and lead us to him. Anything less involves some degree of idolatry.

Idolatry includes not just things but also persons. If I make some person more important than God, I am treating him/her as an idol. To use Jesus' example, someone might be a very good teacher. You feel like you could listen to her all day. But the question is: Does the teacher lead you to herself or beyond? A good teacher does not make a student dependent on herself. Rather, she teaches the student habits of study, a hunger for knowledge, and a sense of wonder. Those things lead a student to a love of learning which points a person to God.

You could say something similar about a doctor. Doctor is a Latin word for "teacher." A competent doctor is able to diagnose illnesses and to offer remedies. That is good, but even better if a doctor can lead a patient to the source of well-being and health - which is ultimately God himself. If we start thinking that medicine itself can save us, it has become an idol. And idols always lead to some degree of enslavement. Jesus tells us, when all is said and done, there is only one Doctor, one Teacher, one Father.

So, if Jesus warns us not to make any thing or person into an idol, what do we believe about titles of respect? Should we teach our children to call everyone - including their parents - by their first name? NO!. Jesus himself used titles of respect. For example, he refers to "father Abraham." Moreover, his great apostle, Saint Paul, told the Corinthians, "I am your father." And he referred to Timothy as his "son." 

Titles of respect are good. I call my physician "doctor." When I see Archbishop Carlson, I say, “hello Archbishop” not “what’s up Bob?” Bishop means overseer and I know ultimately we have only one Overseer… God. Nevertheless, I am glad God has given us a human being to represent him in that role. Each one of us has a human father. Even the best dad is only a shadow of the one Father. But we have a commandment that says, "Honor your father - and your mother." A really good father is one who leads his children to our common Father in heaven.

What is true about biological and adoptive fathers also applies to spiritual fathers. From earliest times Christians designated certain men as, "father." Bishops, priests and other celibate men with no earthly children became spiritual fathers. They read Matthew's Gospel, including today’s passage of "call no man father." But they got Jesus' point which was not to do away with titles of respect, but to make sure never to turn another person into an idol. Those with roles of spiritual responsibility have the special burden to make sure they never lead people to themselves but always to the one heavenly Father. How humbling that God shares a portion of his healing power, infinite knowledge, and spiritual authority with his creatures, not for our own glory but to lead each other back into relationship with him. 

So let us make sure we pray often for those who have been given a share in God’s healing, teaching, and authority. If they cooperate with his grace, they will help connect us with God himself through the gifts he has shared with them. Let’s also pray for the wisdom and strength to avoid settling for something less than God and the relationship he wants with each and every one of us. This idolatry may be easier but it cannot and will not fulfill us. May God use our lives to lead others closer to him. Amen.

Loving God is Simple...and Difficult (30th Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

There are a lot of things out there that promise to simplify our lives. Many of these items also claim to make us happier, more efficient, more productive members of society. Electronics are common offenders in this area. For example, the computer, supposed to add hours to the day often drains us as we try to keep up with a tsunami of social media, waves of emails, and web-surfing. Something intended to help us often needs our help with frequent updates, software subscriptions, and spyware maintenance. The same might be said of the smartphone. Touted as a mobile office, it rarely gives us more free time as we are beholden to every text, new email, and incoming phone call. But the strangest claims of efficiency and simplicity can be found on tv, especially the shopping channel, and tend to deal with exercise and personal fitness. Perhaps you remember the treacherous thighmaster or the bizarre, indescribable shakeweight?! My favorite is the ab-belt, a modern marvel of laziness and strange science. According to the commercial, this gizmo punishes the user’s abdominal muscles better than sit-ups by sending intense electrical signals throughout the stomach region. According to the commercials, you just strap this baby on and then do whatever you like, even watch a movie, as it sculpts your midsection into perfect abs that would shame a bodybuilder. 

We humans desire simplicity; we crave it. We are constantly searching for that magical thing to make our lives easier, happier, and more efficient. That’s why we fall for these products which so often promise to simplify but rarely deliver on their pledge. That’s why we so often have garages and basements stuffed with junk, ..... yet we are still searching. 

Today, in the gospel, Jesus does the very thing we are looking for. He simplifies the 613 laws of the Jewish faith into two basic commandments. “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.”

You and I have heard these commandments since we were very little, so we might not think they are a big deal. But think again to what Jesus just did. He gives the key to living the good life, a happy, wholesome, fulfilling life in terms of our relationship with God and with other people, and does so in two commandments that are so simple that any young child can remember them. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. In fact, it can’t get any more simple than that. These two things are the very least we must do to be truly joyful in this life and forever happy with God in the life to come. And these two commandments are all you have to do in order to reach heaven.

It seems too good to be true, too simple to work. Why would this be any different than the million other things that claim to simplify but then end up disappointing? The answer, of course, is found in who it is that gives us these two great commandments. Jesus is completely trustworthy; he is God, he cannot lie. And he has nothing to gain from his wise words; there is no gimmick involved, simply his desire to unite us with each other and our heavenly Father. 

I think it is important to make one clarification. Just because Christ simplifies the whole moral code doesn’t mean that it suddenly becomes easy. In fact, its simplicity makes it more demanding! The more complicated something is, the greater the chance for some leeway or loophole. Just think of our nation’s tax laws. The simpler something becomes, the less wiggle room. What you see is what you get; no nuances, qualifications, or conditions. The same is true of the two great commandments that Jesus gives to you and me. He really means that we are to love God above all things with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. And he is dead serious when he says we must love our neighbor as ourself.”

So how do we apply this to ourselves? How do these simple commandments make demands on us? Consider some of the following examples which are not in any way, an exhaustive list:

When it comes to loving God above all things, do I love him enough to get my family to Mass every weekend? Even when we have 7 games or a late night or am out of town? Or is it always God who gets the short end of the stick? Do I give generously of my income to God or do I mostly give him what I have left over after I have taken care of what I want? Do I give freely of my time and talent to God? Do I take some quality time each and every day to spend in prayer or does he simply get some time here or there when I am distracted, tired, and complaining? Do I respect the Church and seek to be obedient to her teaching? Even difficult teachings about marriage, birth control, and sexuality? Or do I think I always know best? Do I do as God has commanded me and pray for my government leaders? Do I seek his wisdom in trying to decide who to vote for - or do I vote for those who encourage me to live as if my concerns are the only ones that matter?

How about loving our neighbor as ourself? Do I have true respect for others without exception? Am I kind in the way I talk about others, including those that are different than me or who drive me crazy? Am I patient with those I interact with, even when they are annoying, needy, or downright rude? Christ’s command to love did not include any exceptions, even for these types of people! Do I allow others to have their dignity, even when I don’t feel like they deserve it? Do I in fact give myself to others out of love - or offer them only a show of courtesy concealing some other agenda? Do I further the social work of the Church by caring for the poor, the neglected, the sick and the unborn? Do I pay my taxes and accept my responsibilities towards my fellow citizen or do I lie and cheat to get ahead? Do I truly love my neighbor as myself, always and everywhere, or do only do so when it is pleasant, beneficial to me, or fits into my schedule?  

The way we get to heaven is utterly simple: “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” But it is not easy. We need God’s help every step of the way, through prayer, the sacraments, and the teaching and support of His Church. May we recommit ourselves to the two great commandments and then trust that in keeping them, we will find eternal love, peace, and happiness. 

"... Give to God What Belongs to God" (29th Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

For the last three weeks, Jesus has been on the attack with the scribes and pharisees as he calls them out for their hypocrisy and legalistic view of religion. The Lord’s words seem harsh; we might have thought in the back of our minds, “Jesus, I know you needed to say something, but did you have to be so aggressive?” It helps if we remember Jesus is not being crabby or unkind; he knows his time on earth is quickly coming to an end. The cross is looming and still, the religious leaders of Israel refuse to repent and believe in their savior. Jesus has tried everything: he has healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, taught in the synagogues, even read their hearts and still they do not believe. These last three weeks have shown us Jesus’ last attempts to move their hearts; he pulls no punches, he speaks directly to their pride and hardness of heart in the hopes that this might crack their unbelief. 

Today’s gospel shows their response. They are sick of being criticized and exposed as frauds. Instead of humbly repenting and changing their lives, the religious leaders go on the attack, trying to trap Jesus with a question they hope will destroy his credibility with the people and maybe even get him killed by the Romans. The question seems to be a perfect dilemma; “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" If Jesus replies that the tax should be paid, he will lose the respect of the majority of his fellow Jews, oppressed as they are by a foreign, pagan government and army. If he rejects payment of the tax, he will be arrested and executed for instigating a rebellion. We can imagine the faces of Jesus’ enemies as they asked the question, how they looked at each other with smug grins and patted themselves on the back for shutting down this know-it-all carpenter. 

In one of the best comebacks of all time, Jesus asks for a Roman coin and answers their dilemma with a simplicity and brilliance that could only come from God: “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” St. Matthew says when they hear Jesus’ answer, they marvel at him, not so much in admiration as exasperation and then they retreat to think of some more questions to trap Jesus. 

Two things jump out at me from this encounter between Jesus and the Jewish religious authorities. The first is how much energy they wasted trying to be self-righteous and in control. Jesus had an answer to every excuse, question, and objection they came up with for not believing in him. There was a never a time when the Son of God ran away from them, gave up hope for their conversion, or avoided their disbelief. He met it head-on over and over again. Instead of recognizing what was obvious, what was right in front of their face, that they were dealing with the savior of the world and savior of their souls, they chose to try and come up with impossible questions and outlandish reasons for why Jesus could not be taken seriously. 

Are there times where we do the exact same things with Lord? Moments when the truth is right in front of us in terms of what we need to do or how we need to change, and yet we come up with creative excuses as to why we are right and the Lord’s words don’t apply to us?(maybe to other people but not us) Don’t we also spend tremendous amounts of energy and time justifying ourselves and rationalizing our behavior when the simpler, saner, and more obvious response should be humble conversion?

The other truth Jesus proclaims in this encounter is the importance of priorities. Jesus’ enemies set up a false choice: choose Caesar or choose God, one or the other. Jesus begs to differ. It’s about having the right priorities in your life, both with others and with God. You and I have an obligation to honor legitimate authority as Christians living in the United States of America. Giving to Caesar means paying our fair share of taxes, participating in the process of government by voting and being informed about legislation on local, state, and national levels. We are obliged to obey just laws, respect those who enforce them, and live orderly lives. All of this is part of giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. 

Even more important, however, is our obligation to give to God what belongs to God. Only God should receive our adoration and complete loyalty. It is the Lord who gives us the gift of life and human dignity not a government or person in power. We owe God gratitude for these things every day in prayer and every week here at Mass. 99% of the time, there is no conflict between what we owe Caesar or other people and what ought to be given to God. But when there is, when a government or a person tries to demand the things that belong to God alone, we must always refuse, even if that means personal suffering, penalties, or shame. 

Every person who has ever lived bears the image and likeness of God. Each one of is like the coin Jesus uses to teach in the gospel. Depending on our priorities and the choices we make in life, we decide whose image we reflect. Who wants to be a person whose soul shows a distorted image of God or only an image of Caesar? It is an honor and a glory, we are made in the image of God. But it is also an awesome responsibility. When the face of a body is disfigured by self-indulgence, when the face of a soul is twisted by envy or hatred or narcissistic possessiveness, the image of God in that person is warped. When others look at the face of that person, they will see distortion of God’s image.

And so our sins ought to grieve us. Who wants to be a person whose soul, whose life shows a distorted image of God? But this same line of Christ’s that leads to worry and sorrow also gives comfort. Just as Caesar’s money belongs to Caesar, so we belong to God; We are his. The God who made us in his image will not leave us in our sins. Through the redemption of Christ, God will make his image lovely in each one of us as long as we keep our priorities straight and use our energy to move towards God in continual conversion. 

Worst Case Survival Guide (28th Sunday, Year A)

To listen to this homily, click here.

How many of you remember the tv show, Man vs. Wild? It was a unique concept at the time, where a survivalist named Bear Grylls, was dropped off in some remote, difficult terrain and he would try to last for a week on little more than his wits, ingenuity, and advanced survival skills. Amazingly, he was largely successful because of his broad knowledge base, his confident and decisive choices, and his willingness to embrace discipline. Around the same time, there were also these little books called, “Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook”. In these entertaining articles, the reader was given tips on how to make it through serious challenges like escaping a mountain lion, wading through quicksand, diffusing a bomb, or even surviving a bad date. As odd as these things were, they appealed to a desire that most of us have, even if we aren’t that good at carrying it out. We like to be prepared for as many situations as possible. We want to be able to hit whatever curveball is thrown at us. We generally don’t like surprises, but if and when they come our way, we want to be able to handle them in a healthy, decisive way.

In the second reading today, St. Paul is talking to the Philippians, a community he loved very dearly. He is writing the letter from prison, where he has been detained for spreading the gospel. In the letter he encourages and praises the believers in Philippi for the ways they have supported him and his missionary work with prayer and material resources. He even brags to other communities about the Philippians’ kindness and generosity. In today’s passage, he is giving them the secret of his success: he is telling them how to survive any scenario that life can throw at them. And Paul should know about this. He has lived through abundance and poverty, being well-fed and hungry, in need and having more than enough. He had survived shipwrecks, stoning, a severe beating and even some time at sea as a castaway. He had made it through numerous dangers from nature and other people and somehow had emerged alive: not just alive but joyful, grateful, and flourishing!

What was his secret?! Was it a special training? Was he some freak of nature, with ripped muscles or a genius IQ? No, this was not the answer! How did St. Paul do all of this, becoming one of the greatest saints of all time? He says quite simply, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” and “My God will fully supply whatever you need.” St.  Paul could survive anything life threw at him because he never made any decision apart from Christ. Over the course of his life, from the moment of his conversion to the time he was martyred, he relied on the Lord to guide his thinking and form his actions.

At this point, I think we need to pause and think about this. Is the approach of St. Paul, doing all things in and through Christ, something possible for us? Is it a viable, relevant worst-case survival guide for modern-day Christians living here in Chesterfield? The short answer is “yes”! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! His wisdom has not diminished with the ages and it never will. His power has not decreased as time wears on. His love for each and every one of his followers is just as strong as it was when St. Paul was around. Our Lord is waiting for that invitation from us to strengthen us, to supply for our every need. But he is not going to force that goodness on us; we have to ask and invite him into our lives and our decision-making.

We need to have the courage and honesty to ask ourselves these questions. First, in whose name do we make decisions in our daily life? Is it in the name of convenience or comfort or wealth? Deep down, is greed, unmoderated pleasure or pride, the force that moves us and forms our choices? Do we consider inviting the Lord to be a part of our decision-making? Are we open to his guidance and even the ways he might challenge us and change our course of action? Or do we make up our mind on something and move forward stubbornly, hoping for the best? Who do we rely on to take care of our needs and give us strength? Is it first and foremost, God? Or, do we place that entire burden on ourselves, on our own resources, talents, and cleverness? Perhaps we place our trust in another person, an institution, some other creature? 

St. Paul wanted the Philippians to know that God was incredibly present to them and ready to help in every need, no matter how large or small. That’s how humble Christ is, he lowers himself to be available to us in every circumstance. St. Paul was inseparable from Christ, like thunder and lightning, peanut butter and jelly. It was this intimate connection in everything, that enabled him to survive whatever came his way. We are called to that same resilience and we desire it deep in our hearts. Like St. Paul, we can do all things in him who strengthens us, and God will fully supply whatever we need, if,( and this is important,) if we talk to him and let him guide us. We make this a reality by getting in the habit of talking to him daily as we would a close friend, of holding nothing back from him, even those things we might be struggling with. We can also seek his input and listen for his ideas. This friendship is what made enabled Paul to be fearless and ready for every challenge. This personal relationship with the Lord is what made St. Paul undefeated, even in terrible circumstances. May we follow his lead and share the same blessings he did, able to survive any worst-case scenario that comes our way!