The Things That Matter to God (18th Sunday, Year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

This weekend we see one of the strange features of our lectionary: In the heart of the summer, when many people are relaxing and enjoying the beauty of beaches and mountains, we have some of the Bible’s most depressing readings. Qoheleth gives the famous words: “Vanity of vanity! All things are vanity!” Then he goes on to describe the toil, anxiety, sorrow and grief which fills man’s days. And on top of this, even though he is plagued by fatigue, he no longer experiences the sweetness of falling gently into sleep.

Jesus is equally stark. A man comes to him all worked up because his brother has cheated him out of the inheritance. Rather than settle this seeming injustice, Jesus tells a story about a person who stored up wealth, hoping it would bring him peace of mind. Just at the moment when everything fell into place, God demands his life and all his planning and sacrificing amounts to nothing!

These are hardly the thoughts anyone wishes to meditate on as part of summer vacation. In fact, most of us avoid thinking about these heavy topics all year long, for years at a time until we are forced to do so by these readings or the loss of a loved one. But while these themes of death and judgement are uncomfortable, it is actually a blessing to ponder them now before death actually happens, which it inevitably will for each of us, sooner or later.

The central message of today’s Scriptures is to examine our priorities and passions, the things that receive the most and best of us. Are they things that matter to God, heavenly things as St. Paul describes them? Will our current goals and priorities be significant in our final moments or we will look at them with regret, wishing we had spent our time, talent, and treasure differently? Are the most important things in our lives right now used only for ourselves and our enjoyment and comfort? Or are they utilized to help others and lift them up? Is our life, and everything in it, all about us? Or is it directed generously towards others? There is a saying that the only things we take with us in the next life are the things we give away.

Then there is the story of the elderly lady who approached her priest after Mass. She told him that her husband had recently died and she was going to make a significant donation to the parish. She revealed her plan to give the bulk of her estate to the Church. The priest was grateful, but also curious. He mentioned that most people usually left everything to their children. "I know they do," said the woman. Then she smiled, "but I want my children to be sad when I die!"

Each person of course has to decide what to do with their estate, but one thing is clear. As Jesus points out today, none of us can take it with us. And He is not just talking about material riches; it also includes health, beauty, fame, power, influence, popularity, and so many other things that seem so important but fade quickly after we are gone.

The day of our passing may seem far away, especially to the young and healthy, but the years go by quickly. Today's Psalm describes our lives as a passing dream - a flower that unfolds in the morning, but by evening wilts and fades. The same Psalm says that seventy is the sum of a man's years - or eighty if he is strong. For being written thousands of years ago, that still seems dead on the money, if you pardon the pun. 

Even though our lives pass swiftly, the psalmist does not encourage resignation. He tells us to "number our days aright," to live each day to the full, to pursue things that matter to God and are important in the context of eternity. That is a challenge for us. We live in a world of short term thinking; buy today, pay tomorrow. Live for the moment, do whatever makes you happy regardless of the consequences. But that is not the way of Jesus. His way acknowledges the goodness of this earth and everything in it while never forgetting that we are made for much more. This world, this mortal life is not the final stop and we must be diligent in storing up treasure in heaven.

We should keep the end of our life before us always. Four military chaplains did this in an extraordinary way. They were serving on a ship called the "U.S.A.T. Dorchester." One of the chaplains was a Catholic priest, two were Protestant ministers and one a Jewish rabbi. None of these men of God wanted to die, but as chaplains they spoke to the soldiers about the need to prepare for eternal life.

On February 3, 1943, as they crossed the North Atlantic Ocean, a torpedo struck the Dorchester. The lights went out; in panic, the soldiers fled to the main deck. Only a few of the lifeboats worked and as the ship listed, many fell into the frigid water.

One of the survivors described landing in the water near the ship. Realizing it would soon sink and drag him under, he swam with all his might. His life preserver had a small red light, which a life boat saw and hauled him aboard. He told about looking back and seeing other small red lights "like a Christmas tree." At the bow of the ship stood four dimly outlined figures, none of them with the little red light. The four chaplains had given their life jackets to others.

Above the noise of the waves, the soldier heard music. It came from the direction of the four figures. The Jewish rabbi was chanting a prayer in Hebrew. The Protestant ministers sang a soft Gospel hymn. The Catholic priest had a beautiful Irish voice and chanted in Latin. The four chaplains had locked arms. They sang and prayed to encourage the others. Of the 904 men aboard the Dorchester, over six hundred died that night - including the four chaplains.

There is much to be said for the way those four chaplains died; fully aware, opening their hearts to meet God. Their final acts were service to others with generosity, peace, and acceptance; treasure that would be waiting for them in heaven! That attitude and calm doesn’t happen on it’s own. It is cultivated now, throughout the years and decades of our life by acts of love and kindness, by ensuring our priorities and values will be the ones we will still be proud of when we stand before God to give account of the time, talent, and treasure he shared with us. 

Because none of us knows how or when we will die, that preparation starts now. For that reason, these readings are a gift, a blessed reminder to live each day like it is our first, last, and only. While it is sobering to think about these heavy truths, we are always encouraged that Jesus has prepared incredible things for those who use this life to become rich in the things that matter to God! 

The 4 Types of Prayer (17th Sunday, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Whenever I have to make a large purchase, I think of the story of Abraham and how nice it would be to have him with me. Somehow he gets God to agree to save Sodom if Abraham can find 10 righteous people. The original quota was 50! So that is a savings of 80%! Of course we don’t want to miss the point of that story and of all our readings today which is simply this: Know how to pray; don’t be afraid to ask God for what you desire. If it is good for us and for others, God will happily give it and do so with a generosity we cannot fathom. 

Interestingly enough, Abraham’s back and forth with God does not result in the sparing of the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This wasn’t Abraham’s fault nor was it a case of God being unwilling; there was simply no one left who wished to be saved. And so God’s generosity and Abraham’s petition have no room to work. But the beauty of the type of prayer we see described in the first reading, is that it does not change God, it changes us. Abraham’s experience going to God in this moment, paves the way for him to trust God more and more and become the father of many nations. This prayer of petition, simply put, asking God for stuff, is one of 4 main types of prayer with God. This is the type of prayer most people think of when they hear the word and it is a fundamental and important part of developing a relationship with God. He wants us to ask him for things and we need to tell him what we want and desire. We should not be afraid to show him our heart. But we should always end each payer with trust in his will and wisdom; that he will give us the things which are best for us and others in light of eternal life!

The Catechism defines prayer as the lifting of the mind and heart to God. John Henry Newman says prayer is “cor et cor loquitur” which is Latin for “heart speaking to heart.” St. Teresa of Avila called prayer, “nothing more than sharing between friends”. 

How do we look at prayer? Do we think of it in terms of the saints, who saw it as an exercise of friendship with God? Do we pray often about things large and small? Boldly and with confidence? How often do we make it complicated? Or worry about saying the right words? As a result we miss out on the beauty of prayer and see it as a chore or boring obligation!

No matter who we are, our prayer will go through cycles: highs and lows, feast and famine, consolation and desolation. This is normal. St. Theresa of Avila had about 20 years where her prayer was difficult and felt dry. St. Teresa of Calcutta revealed that much of her prayer felt uninspired and unfruitful. What makes our prayer life-changing is not how it feels but how faithful we are to it. We cannot let our feelings decide whether we pray or not.

I don’t know about you, but my prayer is sometimes affected by things going on in the world. Tragedies and natural disasters can make it more difficult to pray, which I am sure the devil wants. The killing of innocent people, the anger and division of politics, and the all-too-common observation of the wicked prospering while the righteous suffer really fill me with anger and make me ask God, “where are you right now?” Is there any hope for our world which is filled with so much hatred and violence? Sometimes the only prayer I can muster is to ask God for the help not to let my own heart become contaminated by hatred for those who have so little regard for the lives of others. I need his help not to become bitter or cynical about the world. Sometimes I just  have to sit before God and share with him the nasty feelings and thoughts that I am experiencing. Even this can be prayer as long as it is turned over to God; it doesn’t have to be nice and perfect like some holy card.

Our readings today teach us about the richness and necessity of prayer. Prayer of petition for sure. But we also learn about the other three types of prayer in the Our Father. There is prayer of adoration, where we praise God for all the good he has done and for his beauty and perfection. Nature has a wonderful way of moving our hearts in this direction. This prayer reminds us that God is God and we are not…and that is a very good thing. There is also prayer of reparation, where we tell God we are sorry for our sins and offenses against him and others. This type of prayer is healing for our souls and often leads us to repair the damage of our pride and selfishness against other people. Properly done, prayers of reparation bring peace, joy, and new life to our friendship with God and other people. Finally, there is prayer of thanksgiving, where we thank God for the blessings in our life, large and small. The more we practice this type of prayer, the more we see God’s hand taking care of us and providing for what we need. It’s almost magical, to be honest with you. If you take a few moments each day to thank God for 3 , 4, or 5 blessings in your day, you will start realizing how close he is to you, guaranteed! And you will be so content and grateful as well! 

I want to leave you with a beautiful little meditation on the “Our Father,” a version of which we heard from St. Luke’s gospel. 

"I cannot say `our' if I live only for myself. I cannot say `Father' if I do not approach God like a child. I cannot say `who art in heaven' if I am not laying up some treasure there right now. I cannot say `Hallowed be thy name' if I am careless with that name. I cannot say `Thy kingdom come' if I am not working to make it a reality in the here and now. I cannot say `Thy will be done' if I am resentful of that will for me at this moment. I cannot say `on earth as it is in heaven' if I don't look on heaven as my future home. I cannot say `Give us our daily bread' if I am overanxious about tomorrow. I cannot say `Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us' if I am waiting to settle a score with someone. I cannot say `Lead us not into temptation' if I deliberately put myself in a place to be tempted. I cannot say `Deliver us from evil' if I am not prepared to pray as though everything depends on God and work as though as everything depends on me."  

May we learn these lessons of prayer for our good and the good of the world!

The Bare Minimum is Everything (15th Sunday, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Looking over past homilies, I realized I’ve preached on the Good Samaritan many times. While there are nuances to what I’ve focussed on, the main message of the homilies was to be aware of the needs of your neighbor and not limit who you define your neighbor to be. Pretty good stuff and more than enough to challenge most of us in the way we live our lives, practice our faith, and interact with others. We all have blind spots and types of people we tend to avoid as we make our way through life.

But there is another lesson in the gospel we heard today, one that is more subtle and easy to miss. The scholar of the law who asked the question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” wasn’t confused about the commandments. In fact, he answered his own inquiry when Jesus asked what he thought he had to do to make it into heaven. What this scholar was actually asking, which is made clear by his second question, “who is my neighbor?” is “what is the least I must do to gain eternal life?” 

The more you think about his question, the more strange, yet familiar it seems. He doesn’t ask: what is the best way to fall deeply in love with God and bring joy to his Divine Heart by fulfilling all the commandments. He asks, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He is looking for the bare minimum to get into heaven! We certainly can’t be too hard on this biblical minimalist. How many Catholics, perhaps even ourselves, have asked, “how late can I come to Mass and still have it count?” Or we go to a wedding on Saturday and figure that it is a two-for-one deal. Do I have to go to mass again that weekend?! How spiritually cheap! I’m ashamed to say that some of the most precise and punctual moments of my life have been when I am wrapping up prayer. If God was budgeted 30 minutes or an hour for that day, that is pretty much exactly what he got. But binge-watching on Netflix or researching some random interest online? What’s another few minutes? Or hours?! This attitude doesn’t stay simply with time but also bleeds over into how we allocate our other resources of talent and treasure. How generous we can be to ourselves and at the same time, so stingy, so technical and legalistic with God!

Eternal life and our spiritual lives are meant to be a union, a relationship with God. Who would want to get married to someone who said, “what’s the least I have to do so you won’t divorce me?” How many of you parents would be heartbroken if your children came to you and asked, “what is the minimum love, respect, and attention I need to show you so that you won’t disown me or stop caring about me?” No person, serious about a meaningful, healthy, nurturing relationship would ever ask that sort of question. And yet, how often do we, if not with our words, then with our actions and attitudes, do this when it comes to the Lord?

Jesus, wonderful teacher that he is, gets the lawyer to answer his own question, and the lawyer gives the right answer. This is not a matter of knowing the right thing but rather of wanting the right thing. What you have to do, the minimum necessary, is everything. Love God wholly, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is an unsettling answer, of course, because in this life none of us is ever going to do everything. So if everything is the minimum necessary, then none of us is getting in. At least not on our own power and effort. This is why we need God’s help, I.e. the sacraments, especially the eucharist and confession. It’s no longer enough to say, “I didn’t hurt that person.” We are now accountable if someone needed our help and we didn’t provide it.

The lawyer realizes what he is getting himself into and expresses his anxiety with the question of “Who is my neighbor?” He wants a definition of neighbor which gives him the minimum number of people to count as the people he has to love. But Jesus continues to frustrate the lawyer’s desire for the minimum by giving him another maximum: everyone you can love is your neighbor. If you can do good to a person, he or she counts as your neighbor. 

I imagine the lawyer kicking himself after Jesus walks away. In his heart, in our hearts, we know Jesus is right. We are called to do the maximum, to shoot for the stars when it comes to charity. But we are much more comfortable with trying to find the bare minimum. There is probably part of the lawyer that wishes he would have just kept his mouth shut and continued to make his own rules about who deserved his love and concern. Don’t we sometimes wish for moral ignorance instead of the burden of knowing the truth and the responsibility that comes with it? 

But that is the price of eternal life! It is gained only by entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ. And that relationship must be defined by generosity, respect, care, and concern for all those we can help. We must be influenced by the heart of Jesus that constantly expands to reach out to all those in need; not simply the people we like or who are like us. Heaven will not appeal to those who only want to do the bare minimum and so we need to use our time on earth practicing that holiness which is defined by offering ourselves generously.

Giving everything out of love for God is a holiness we can find only through grace. We cannot do it on our own! We receive that Divine Help in the sacraments, in daily prayer, and in holy, healthy relationships with others and with the Church. May you and I cultivate hearts that seek to do the maximum for God and for anyone the Lord sends our way! May we be Good Samaritans defined by generous love, kindness, and concern!

No Excuses! (13th Sunday of OT, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

This past week I had the wonderful gift of spending time with my family down in Florida. And with 39 of us in one house, I was reminded, many times, how creative kids are when it comes to stalling for time and creating excuses. When there is a difficult task to be done or it is time for the fun to end, children get to work on trying how to figure out how to gain more time for fun, games, and snacks. They convincingly make their case for just one more story, one more show, or one last handful of snacks. When they are enjoying themselves and it is time to go home, kids suddenly forget where they put their shoes or temporarily lose their hearing. Kids will also give a passionate list of reasons of why they should be allowed to continue doing what they are doing. 

We see this process of “stalling” in the word of God today. In our readings, God is beckoning others to service and discipleship. God moves Elijah to invite Elisha to the honor of becoming the next prophet who will spend his life sharing God’s truth. In our Gospel, Jesus invites others to follow him. In both readings, people stall for time; they say ‘yes’ but not quite yet. They look back to what they must leave behind. And they give some pretty good reasons. Elisha tells Elijah to let him first go home and tell his parents good-bye. An unnamed man in the gospel responds to the invitation of the Lord by saying “Let me first bury my father.” But the Lord is persistent and even unimpressed with the excuses given. Jesus says in our gospel: “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” The reason for this uncompromising demand is that God is doing the calling. This is no ordinary invite. 

Pausing before going, finding excuses to delay our unconditional “yes”, especially as adults, indicates that we don’t really understand or we don’t really care who it is that is calling us. It means we have something better to do or more important to hold us back. If we don’t care about who is calling us, we might end up failing to answer his call. It is undeniably easier to stay at home in the midst of what is small and familiar than to take the risks that come with answering a great call.

So here is the point of our readings today: there isn’t room for hanging back when the Lord calls us. If we hesitate, if we think of an excuse to postpone answering him, we aren’t really hearing the Lord calling; and so we aren’t really going to follow him either, not now, not later. That is why in the Gospel Jesus says that no one who sets his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of heaven. Each human person was made to follow the Lord, to live a life of love and holiness. Answering that call can’t wait for later; there is nothing more important that needs to happen first. The Lord’s call has to be answered now. This is what I love about Elisha’s response. After he asks Elijah for some more time and is rebuked, the fire of God is kindled in Elisha. He sacrifices his family’s oxen and uses their yokes for firewood to roast them as a meal for his servants. Elisha is making sure that he can’t go home again, that there is no turning back from following the Lord. His commitment is total and there will be no looking back. How could he, after what he did to the family oxen and their yokes?

One last thing about the call; most of what we are asked to leave behind are not things that are good and holy. Most often, it is primarily our sins and unhealthy attachments, our addictions and self-reliance. When God calls each of us, he first begs us to turn our back on the things that hurt us and others, the things that drain us and take away true happiness. And for anything we are asked to leave behind, God never leaves the void unfilled, he always rushes in with gifts and consolations that are even bigger and better. 

It’s like he says, “let go of that good thing so I can give something even better”. My own experience has absolutely proven this true and I know you can find many others that would say the same. God is generous beyond our imagination and we would do well to accept his invitation as quickly and completely as possible. Always!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the monumental ruling of the Supreme Court on Friday, which takes a first step in reversing our nation’s 49-year-old tragedy of considering abortion as an inalienable constitutional right. First of all, we should thank God and realize the power of prayer, sacrifice, and witness on the part of generations of people. Secondly, this is not the end of the struggle; abortion is still legal, to some degree, in each state, so there are still many innocent lives at risk. Third, this ruling has set off a wave of anger, despair, and hatred that will unleash it’s fury against God, the Church, and anyone who believes abortion is the killing of an innocent human person. We shouldn’t be surprised or frightened. Satan has always hated children and innocence and the bible is full of examples where evil takes out its rage against the most defenseless. But this wave of spite and malice must be met with compassion, mercy, prayer, and truth. Our readings advocate for a certain spiritual decisiveness, to choose a path and stick with it and so it is here. We must keep our hands to the plow and continue the work of protecting all human life and reaching out to those affected by abortion. We must continue the wonderful work of helping parents who feel they have no options as they contemplate an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. They should never feel alone or unsupported and there are many ways each of us can help in that effort.

Last of all, take some time this week to read the majority ruling along with the consensus opinions and dissent. We have an obligation to be informed about this issue. I was struck by the rational, orderly, and calm argument of Justice Alito’s writing. It was not ideological or political and simply built the case from the law itself. In his writing, you will notice a term that is used many times, something called ordered liberty. It is the concept of freedom that serves a greater purpose, the type of freedom St. Paul referenced in the second reading. Jesus set us free from sin and death, not so we could use that freedom to do whatever we want to others and ourselves. We do not have the freedom to do whatever we want to our bodies or the bodies of unborn children. We do not have the freedom to redefine right and wrong. We do not have the freedom to make ourselves God or declare ourselves lord of life and death. But, we are free to live in the goodness and love Jesus offers.  We are free to love God and love others in ways that help all of us get to heaven. Our readings and this monumental decision call us to reflect on how we use our freedom, as a country, as a church, and as individuals. Are we using that gift to serve and help all those in need, the unborn, the poor, the sick, the elderly, the forgotten, the immigrant, the prisoner, and the many other marginalized people who are the face of Christ. 

And so, moving forward, let us live by these words of St. Paul, that are just as true today as they were when he wrote them nearly two millennia ago, Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. For you were called for freedom.

But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

The Greatest, Untapped Power (Pentecost, 2022)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

There is a story told of a New York man, who hosted a friend visiting from England. He wanted to show his guest the marvels of our country, so he took him to Niagara Falls. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the greatest, unharnessed power in the world.” From above they could appreciate the expanse of the Falls, as they looked from the U.S. to the Canadian side. Then they went below, where the water made a deafening noise and sprayed mist hundreds of feet in the air. The American explained about the enormous quantity of water and its great force. He had to practically shout into his friends ear as he concluded, “Here is the greatest unused power in the world.”

The visitor was certainly impressed; he had seen nothing like it in his own country. But then he started to think a little deeper. “Yes,” he said to his American friend, “the power here is great, but there is something much greater. The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit.” Sadly, that man has a point. Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, which is the Feast of the Holy Spirit. It reminds us of a power we have barely tapped into as Christians. In the readings we see some of the things the Holy Spirit makes possible: Communication in a language deeper than words that resonates with people of every nation. Inner peace. Forgiveness of sins and healing of body and soul. Unity and friendship between people who were formerly enemies. Every worthwhile gift. Renewal of the earth.

This Sunday you and I are reminded that we are not only allowed, but also invited, to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. How our world would change if we permitted him to enter our hearts and drive our decisions! In my years as a priest, so many people have told me that they wish their lives could be different, that they would love to redo or undo certain moments and decisions. They would like to have more energy, more enthusiasm, and live in the truth. They want interior peace and a sense of purpose; they wish they had not spent so many years wandering from God and his love. Those good things and a sense of direction come from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit energizes us, guides us, and gives us new life.

Every person in every age needs the Holy Spirit, but the need is especially urgent now. One of our biggest problems today is boredom and mediocrity. An apathy and indifference has descended on our culture which hides a sense of despair. We have all kinds of entertainment and creature comforts, we are busier than ever, but people feel bored, unfulfilled, and unhappy. Boredom leads people to fall into vices, like greed, envy, lust, gluttony, anger, and so on. However, these vices do not bring happiness; they are ways of keeping God at arm’s length.

The solution is NOT to try and do more or become workaholics. In fact, for many modern-day Catholics, workaholism and never-ending busyness masks a deeper spiritual laziness. Many people never stop working or going from one thing to the next because they fear the effort involved working on the relationship with their spouse, children and God. But that should never be us.

On the other hand, the person who opens himself to the power of the Holy Spirit can find joy in things which are small and ordinary. We’ve had some great examples of modern saints, like Mother Teresa and John Paul II who were incredibly productive and engaged in the world but also constantly in touch with God. Another great example is St. John Neumann. He came to America to serve immigrants as a priest. Besides the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, he made a personal vow to never waste a single moment of time. If he were alive today I actually don’t think he would be multi-tasking, always on the phone, replying to texts and emails and updating his social media. St. John did not indulge in constant, frenetic activity, but instead opened himself to the grace of every moment. As a young priest he ministered to a far-flung parish of miners. It involved a lot of traveling during which he engaged in prayer and studying languages. Besides German, Czech and English, he learned Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch so he could hear confessions of his diverse parishioners. When Irish immigration started, he learned Gaelic so well that one Irish woman remarked, "Isn't it grand that we have an Irish bishop!”

Later, as Archbishop of Philadelphia, he was instrumental in setting up the Catholic School system which quickly spread throughout the country. St. John did not live a long life - he died in his late forties. Nonetheless, his accomplishments endure because he placed every moment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and allowed himself to be shown what had to be done and what had to be ignored. He couldn’t do everything and he was ok with that. In spite of many troubles and much opposition, he maintained an inner calm. With the help of the Holy Spirit, he was able to sift though all the things that called for his attention and focus on what actually needed his time and energy. This being present to God and others in the moment brought him peace and freedom from anxiety. People commented on how he could find joy in little things such as seeing a beautiful flower or speaking to a child.

Like St. John, we have a great, untapped power available to us; a spiritual Niagra falls, the same Holy Spirit that enabled him to accomplish amazing things in 48 short years. All we have to do is ask for this gift of the Spirit and give God time and space to work. That means slowing down, listening to him in prayer, and letting go of our constant need for entertainment, comfort, and non-stop activity. When we do this, we will be amazed at how alive we feel, how stress melts away, and how we always have the time to do the things that are most important. Make sure and speak to the Holy Spirit today and every day: Come, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, you have permission to enter our lives, our work, our families and our decisions. Enkindle in us the fire of your love. Dear Father, send out your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of your Son Jesus and renew the face of the earth.

Loving God is Keeping His Words (6th Sunday of Easter, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

-Last week, the Lord gave us a new commandment: Love one another as I love you.

-This signifies an unconditional love for all, even our enemies. 

-This new commandment is one of the most difficult things Jesus tells us to do because there are no exceptions and it’s not based on merit. It requires us to acknowledge and respect the God-given dignity that is present in each and every person, without any conditions. This is something that can only be done with grace.

-Today’s gospel builds on the command we received last week. After giving us a new commandment, Jesus stresses how important it is to keep it.

-He says, “Whoever Loves me will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” 

-These are very strong, clear words from Our Lord; the way we prove our love, the way we live our love for him is in keeping his words and commands. He does not say that loving him consists in praising his name or saying nice things about God or having great feelings about the Lord. Those are good and praiseworthy things. But the way we prove our love for God is by keeping his commands; putting our money where our mouth is.

-When we decide to disregard God’s commands, Jesus says that such behavior betrays a lack of love for him.

-Ok, so what does this mean for us on a practical level? How do these words of Christ need to be implemented in my life?

1. first of all, what are the commands of God? Do I know what they are? Am I continually trying to deepen my knowledge of the moral life? Have I continued to grow in my faith and been seeking to incorporate the Scriptures and Church teaching into my personal, professional, and family life? Do I understand the implications of the 10 commandments and how they affect even the smaller aspects of my behavior? For example, most of us know that the 5^th commandment tells us that we should not kill another person. Perhaps many of us would think of that command and move on thinking, well, I’ve never done that. Do we realize that drinking too much, eating too much, giving in to anger or rage or vengeful desires also violates this commandment? And these are just some of the ways that we can sin against this precept of God. Am I the first and last authority on how God’s law is interpreted in my life? Or do I humbly realize that God has given me the Catholic Church and her teaching to help me understand how to keep his words? We are seeing this problem grow, especially in American politics as more Catholic politicians boast of their faith while openly defying fundamental teachings of our Faith. It is easy to say you are a Christian; it’s really hard to live like one! 

Learning God’s commands and keeping Jesus’ commands takes some work and personal initiative. We cannot just sit back and expect someone else to do it for us. Just like our physical health and financial future, we have to invest in it and make it a priority. The great news is that there are so many resources at our fingertips. This parish, and so many good people in it, are available to help us learn and deepen our faith. Today’s gospel encourages us to re-commit to learning Jesus words. 

2.   Secondly, am I committed to keeping all of God’s words and commands? Jesus does not say that it is good enough to keep some of them or just the one’s we agree with. He doesn’t even say that it is enough to keep most of his commandments and words. 

To love God is to embrace all of what he asks of us because all of it is based in his love and knowledge of us. No command of God is superficial or unnecessary. All of of them work together to help us return to him and live forever in heavenly happiness. God knows we are going to fail and fail often. That’s why he offers us confession to take away our sins so freely. But the desire to obey him, to conform ourselves to his words has to be present in our hearts. We cannot simply try to do the bare minimum to squeak by or even worse, try to change the words and commands of God into what pleases us, what is currently popular, or what keeps us comfortable and minimally challenged.

3. Finally, do I realize that keeping Christ’s words and commands is necessary for salvation? Or do I think that they are simply one opinion among others? 

• Here are some examples of where Catholics are tempted to reduce the words and commands of Christ to mere opinion or optional obedience. These are not offered as an accusation or a point of shame, but for reflection and encouragement to learn what our faith teaches about these areas and to see if our personal knowledge and belief are consistent. In our time, many choose to defy God’s truth as it relates to:
• Contraception and sterilization- 
• Same-sex unions and activity
• Abortion
• Cohabitation and physical intimacy before marriage
• Embryonic Stem cell and fetal tissue research
• certain fertility treatments
• Attending Mass every Sunday
• receiving communion in the state of serious sin without first going to confession or receiving holy communion while openly defying or rejecting foundational Church doctrine.

    Each of the items mentioned, deals with the words and commands of Christ in a serious, fundamental way. Some Catholics might deviate from one or more of them because they don’t know what the Church teaches or didn’t know that they were wrong. But to deliberately hold these views is inconsistent with a true love of Christ. Why? Because we are not keeping his words, his commands, and that is how we prove our love for Him. Even an unintentional ignorance of God’s commands should be avoided because it becomes an area of our life that is not yet transformed by Divine Love. Sin, even unintentional sin, always hurts us and others, whether we realize it or not.

The best news of all is that Christ constantly offers us grace and mercy. All we have to do is ask for it sincerely and we will receive forgiveness. Jesus is indeed calling us to a high standard but he promises to give us everything we need to meet that standard, knowing it brings out the best in us and leads to true and lasting happiness. If we choose to reject Jesus’ words or remain ignorant of his teaching, then, as hard as it is to hear, we are not loving him.

Let us be humble as we learn more about the words and commands of Christ. I know I have a lot of work to do and in fact, we all have work to do and that is ok. Jesus gives us the Church and the sacraments to get us there. So let us keep working on learning and living the words and commands of Jesus, knowing that when we do, we are not just keeping some stuffy laws or oppressive rules, we are loving him!

How Do We Love? (4th Sunday of Easter, Year B)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

There is a story told of a poor farmer, who never left his small, rural town because of the demands of the farm and the lack of money. When wealthy relative invited him to their wedding, he had the opportunity to come the big city. He was awestruck by the buildings and commotion and arrived at an elegant hotel dressed in muddy boots and worn overalls clearly out of place. The man at the desk politely assigned him to a room on the top floor and treated him like any other paying customer.

With key in hand he started the long climb to the hotel room because he wasn't comfortable with the idea of elevators. He had never encountered them before and wondered what sort of thing this was where a family would step in and when the doors opened again, a minute later, it was empty! As he ascended, on the first landing there was a full-length mirror. The man, who had never seen himself before, was suddenly startled and frightened by the imposing image before him. He yelled to scare him away - only to find that the image in the mirror was willing to threaten and shout the same.

He ran to the next floor and confronted the fearsome giant again, exchanging harsh looks and almost coming to blows. On the third floor, they stood nose to nose and exchanged simultaneous insults as a deepening war-like attitude was taking root in both of them. Realizing there was nowhere to escape this ugly fellow who was aggressively stalking him, he ran back to the front desk in the lobby to file a complaint. After hearing a detailed description of the perpetrator, the man at the desk understood that he had met the enemy and it was the man in the mirror. In order to save the dignity of his guest and to disengage the hostility, he offered simple advice. He said, "The fellow who you confronted is here to protect people. He is really quite harmless. If you will show him a harsh and angry attitude he will do the same. However, if you just smile pleasantly and continue on your way, he will nod and smile at you as well. Enjoy the rest of your stay." That's what he did and remarkably that's what happened...

King Solomon is credited with saying: "Like the reflection of a face in water so is the heart of one person to another.” How we treat each other produces a very powerful reaction, either good or bad, depending on what we lead with. Love encourages others to love; hatred disposes others to hate.  

To love properly, whether that be another person or ourselves, is a very difficult thing. We live in a culture that dilutes and distorts the true meaning of love. Many of us experience love that is flawed, conditional, and subject to change. Sometimes we experience love as something to be earned, a prize that can be lost or taken back. We do not always comprehend how much we are loved and deal with people full of anger, bitterness and resentment. Many times, we love others to the degree they love us and reserve the right to withhold our love should someone be deemed unworthy. Over time, the imperfect way we love causes a chain reaction which perpetuates a cycle of hurt, suspicion, and rejection. Yet, in today's gospel, Jesus commands us to love in a way that does not include caveats or conditions. He reminds us of his love which is free, total, and unconditional. He does not offer his model of love as a suggestion or as something that would be really nice if we did it. No, he says emphatically: "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another."

    In order to truly love as Jesus commands, we need a standard to follow. We need divine assistance to know what love truly is and what it is not. We need to recognize the Love of God must first be reflected within us by our own personal relationship with God. We need God's help to realize we must love one another because God first completely loved us as individuals, even before we existed. We can never do anything to make God love us more because he already loves us completely and there is nothing we will do to change that, even with our sins. We have not earned this love; it has been given to us. For these reasons, Jesus commands us to share this love with all that we encounter, even those who are mean, nasty, strange, or otherwise hard to love. 

I think this is one of the most difficult things Jesus commands us to do. Consider how Jesus loves us! It is by giving himself completely without holding anything back. It is by blessing us even when he knows we are not listening to his voice. The love of Christ is always proactive rather than reactive. It is a free gift he chooses to give. If we have any doubts about this Divine love, all we need to do is look at a crucifix and remember what will happen at this altar in just a few minutes.

If we truly follow Christ, if we want to keep his command, then we must love as he does, without exception, without limits, without counting the costs. It may not seem fair why we have to extend this love when it is so readily rejected and even trampled upon. There will be times when we feel at a disadvantage because we hold ourselves to a different, higher standard. There will be moments when we suffer persecution and pain because of our faithfulness to Jesus' command. However, we have the promise that those who follow Christ enjoy a peace, joy, and happiness the world simply cannot offer.

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, when Jesus gives us a new commandment of love, let’s look at our own hearts. Where do we fail to follow this command? Who do we struggle to love? What do we withhold in loving others, how are there still strings attached and conditions applied? Jesus can only command us to love each other because he has first loved each and every one of us, without exception or condition. He asks us to pass it on to others so that the world may be transformed, one heart at a time. As we celebrate this sacrament of Christ's redemptive love, let us ask for the strength to love one another with His Love. Then our hearts will be made whole, our lives will reflect Christ, and our world will be transformed by the One who is Love Himself.