September 30, 2012

A Message from Fr. Pete

Bulletin September 30, 2012 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

So how am I living the life of God within me? Am I concerned with the ‘me’ in me or the God in me? Do I let the God out or is it the’ me’ that constantly comes up? Am I jealous for God or am I jealous? Jesus is making a number of important and very practical points that are important for me to reflect on. These points show me that with God’s always available grace, I have Jesus as a model to live the life He created me to be and needs me to be.
Now John today comes to Jesus as the spokesperson for the apostles and was upset: evidently they thought that healing in the name of Jesus was reserved to them, no one else. This is very interesting because just 20 verses before in this same chapter they had tried to cast out an evil spirit in a possessed boy, and they couldn’t. They asked Jesus why they couldn’t and He said, “This kind can only come out through prayer.” (Mark 9:29). The footnote in the Catholic Study Bible explains this so beautifully: “The disciples’ failure to effect a cure seems to reflect unfavorably on Jesus. In response Jesus exposes their lack of trust in God and scores their lack of prayer, i.e. of conscious reliance on God’s power when acting in Jesus’ name.” So I reflect on myself, do I see that it’s only with God’s grace that I can be His minister? It is all about God, always. The first reading from Numbers brings this out. When Moses needed help with the ruling of the people, we hear of the institution of the seventy elders. God gave them the same spirit of leadership and prophecy that He gave Moses. Even though two were not present when this happened, they too received it. The main point of the reading is that God’s choice is not a personal privilege to be guarded jealously, but a call to serve His people.
The gospel puts more flesh to this scene, when they came on a man who was not part of them and he was healing in the name of Jesus. They tried to stop him. Why? Because they were jealous; they felt that they had ‘the’ special relationship with Jesus. It’s not about jealousy, but about tolerance and openness to the Spirit and gratefulness in seeing the Spirit’s gifts in people that I encounter each day. I read somewhere that “the person who is different from me does not diminish me but enriches me.” Do I allow this to happen or do I get in God’s way? I do not have a monopoly on God, no one does. It’s about gratitude about seeing God’s gifts all over.
Another point is that Jesus spoke about “anyone who gives you a cup of water”; this seems like a symbol of a small kind deed. But what Jesus is telling me is about my giving which is necessary in being His follower. Seldom during the day am I given the chance to perform a ‘great deed’ but the chance to ‘give a cup of water’ can come up several times each day. Am I aware of the giving grace that the Spirit gives? A small act of kindness is what has changed so many people’s lives, mine included.

Then Jesus deals with the sin of scandal which causes others to sin. He gives the example of one who would lead astray any of the little ones who believe in Him. And ‘little ones’ really can include so many. But just look at the crimes committed against children today whether through neglect or abuse; Jesus’ warning is stern, am I listening? This leads me to all sin within me: am I doing anything at all to rid myself of those evil intents, desires, thoughts that I hold on to because ‘I like to’? “Connections, a resource for Homilists”, says, “But Jesus makes clear that discipleship demands that no evil or sin is too “big” to dissuade us or derail us in our search for the things of God. Christ calls us not to allow the pursuit of prestige, wealth, social status or instant gratification desensitize us to the presence of God in our lives or diminish the love of God we cherish in family and friends.” God is worth any sacrifice.

And then Jesus talked about hell. So many say well, ‘Jesus loves everyone and how could He send anyone to hell?’ He doesn’t; people send themselves. Hell exists; Jesus said that; He compared it to Gehenna which was a ravine south of Jerusalem, outside the ‘Old City.” At one time infants were sacrificed there to Moloch, a Canaanite god in the Old Testament associated with human sacrifice. Josiah, whom the Bible praises as the greatest king since David, put an end to its use for worship, and later it was used as a dump for refuse which had continual fires. As always, Jesus words me much food for thought. Am I listening? So I reflect on:

• How is my faith life going? Am I continuing to grow?
  
• When the ‘well runs dry’ what am I doing in order to allow God to regain my focus on Him?
  
• When I fail, do I think that God judges me as harshly as I do myself? Do I allow myself to learn from my failures? Do I let God lead me in this?
  

Mark, A Devotional Commentary, helps me: “Our redemption should astound us. How comforting to realize that it is Jesus who saves us, not our attempts to stop sinning. The more the Holy Spirit teaches us about the sin that is within us, the more we will stand amazed at Jesus’ love and mercy. He knew how completely we had turned our backs on God, and yet He chose to die for us anyway. Jesus is looking for servants who recognize their sins and limitations, and yet who love Him so deeply that they don’t ever want to offend Him or lead His people astray. He wants servants who turn from sin by turning to Jesus in repentance and trust.

The closer we come to Jesus, the humbler we become. And the humbler we become, the more He can entrust us with His work. It is really a privilege to serve such a wonderful God. Let’s bind ourselves closer to Him and allow His love to keep us humble and simple.”  

September 23, 2012 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time B

September 23, 2012 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; James 3:16 – 4:3; Mark 9:30-37

Am I living it the way that I want to? Do I feel satisfied? Do I feel happy? And most importantly: am I connected with God? Am I connected not in the sense that I’m doing all the ‘practices’ that I’m suppose to do: Celebrating Mass, receiving the Sacraments especially Reconciliation, finding time for prayer and the Divine Office, but am I linked and coupled with God? Am I accepting all that comes my way and striving to live in love and compassion and joy with all those in my life? The bottom line is am I living God or living me? These questions are what the readings are about.
The book of Wisdom was written about a hundred years before Jesus came. The author whose name is unknown was a member of the Jewish community at Alexandria in Egypt. His primary purpose was the support and teaching of his fellow Jews when they had encountered suffering and coercion from their neighbors who weren’t really practicing their Jewish faith and were encouraging them to do the same. The author says that it’s a conflict with being an honorable person and the wrongdoing of those straying who were not being faithful to their upbringing. Am I being faithful to the way I was raised? God will take care of me if I am faithful.

James, once again, gets so practical and concerned with me. Do I let jealousy and my own selfish motives rule me? Is my life about myself and my own plans and my own ambition? Do I let these get in the way of God’s plans for me? Alice Camille in Exploring the Sunday Readings says: “Wise people don’t seek the spotlight. They know that celebrity and homage feed the ego without sustaining the spirit. Wise people know it’s not about them, but about the just cause. So they prefer to keep the spotlight on that.

The opposite of wisdom is selfish ambition, jealousy of other’s achievements, the spirit of conflict, and the ongoing desire to possess what can never be entirely obtained: more.”

The Epistle of James describes the problem in brilliant detail. There are two kinds of people: wise peacemakers and self-seeking conflict junkies. If our focus is on what we can get in this world, conflict will become our inevitable environment. So get humble. Take the wisdom road. And be at peace.”
It would have been wonderful if the apostles today had read James’ passage before their embarrassing encounter with Jesus today. Does it really matter who is the greatest? Yet how much that has been imbued in me: the desire to win in games and sports. This is good in a sense but what does that do when I’m leading others? Is it about the good guys and bad guys? How do I treat the ‘bad guys’? Do I treat them with God’s love or with my own putdowns? Jesus today is talking about His own death and suffering and what this means to the apostles and me and everyone. The apostles are concerned with their own competiveness, what’s in it for me. Jesus then seizes this as a teachable moment. AM I LISTENING? He says that those who hold the highest position in the community, in the church, in the home, wherever, must be willing to take the lowest place. He’s saying: ‘If you want to be first, then be last. If you want to be in charge, then serve. When you take in the least, you take in not only Me but My Father.’ Living the Word puts it in this way, “It has proven a hard lesson to learn. Or maybe few of us really want to learn it. When you look at the world, most seem to want to be first, the greatest, and the one with the most and best toys a wielder of power and influence and authority. Choosing to serve the least doesn’t make the top ten on most people’s ‘to do’ list.”
So I reflect by using a wonderful passage from this lesson: ‘Whoever wants to be first must be the last of all and be the servant of all.” Who have been the most important people in your life? Most of them, I dare say, were neither rich nor famous. And even if they were both rich and famous, those were not the things that mattered. I can’t tell you the names of the truly important people in your life but I can tell you what they did. They took care of you when you could not take care of yourself. They taught you to read and write. They spent time with you when you were lonely. They corrected you when you went astray. They encouraged you to follow the right path. The most important people in your life have been those who helped you. Those who helped you be gentle with yourself. In other words, they were your servants.”
And this is all about the ‘crosses that Jesus said we all carry. It takes the sacrifice of my time to be one who serves. It means saying NO to what I want and YES to those who God has placed in my life. Now I must become like Christ if I am to understand the cross. So I ask myself:

• Jesus calls me and each person to be a disciple, what encourages me in this and what is discouraging? Is it always me getting in the way?
  
• When have I found it difficult to accept others more talented and gifted than myself? What gave me the strength to overcome my pettiness?
  
• When I am a ‘servant’ how do I feel? Do I take time and reflect on these ‘servant moments’ and express my gratitude to God for His gifts to me?
  
• A good servant is one described as: reliable, attentive, obedient, trustworthy, loyal, patient and kind. How am I doing with these?
  
• The natural characteristics of children are: joy, capacity for wonder, openness, willingness to learn, honesty, creativity, humility. These are qualities of a good disciple. How am I doing in being this kind of apostle? What do I have to work on?
  

September 16, 2012 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time B

September 16, 2012 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Isaiah 50:4-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8: 27-35

The question for me today is who am I following? So often it is very easy to feel very safe and secure in my ministry, in my priesthood, in being a Catholic Christian. Feeling safe and secure also means that I have ‘reached the pinnacle’; I know what it’s all about and this would lead me to think that I don’t have to do anything else in my journey to the Lord. Today’s readings, especially Jesus’ question in the Gospel stops me in my tracks.
Mark sets the scene; he starts the eighth chapter with the feeding of the four thousand and then Jesus got into the boat with His disciples but the Pharisees stopped Him and began to argue with Him seeking some sort of magical sign from heaven to verify what He was doing. Jesus asked WHY does this generation seek a sign. Why do I seek a sign, can’t I just trust and believe? Then they went across the lake and they arrived at Bethsaida, He cured a blind man (last week’s Gospel). Then Jesus asked the pointed questions: “Who do people say that I am?” This is a very easy question because all one has to do is to tell what they have heard; there is no self dedication or reforming that is needed. Then Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” I can’t hide behind this and say what others think, He is asking me.
It is really quite amazing but Scripture scholars say that of the 183 questions that Jesus is asked or asks in the four gospels He only directly answers three of them. He puts the burden back on me and each person with the questions He asks. And they are good questions, unnerving questions, realigning questions and transforming questions. Some say that today’s question is THE question of the whole Gospel. He asks this of His disciples and me. He asks it of me today with love and respect. What does He want? He wants to hear the disciples and me name Him, identify Him, and choose Him.
John Dear, a priest, retreat leader, author and peace activist wrote a book, “The Questions of Jesus” says this: “Each one of us needs to spend time with this question. We can imagine the gentle eyes of Jesus looking at us, smiling with His usual loving kindness, and hoping for our faith and loving affirmation. He knows who He is because He heard God call Him ‘my beloved,’ And He knows who we are, that God calls each one of us God’s own beloved sons and daughters. But He knows too that we do not yet understand any of this, so He tries to draw us out, to lead us to the truth, to help us figure it out.” So this question of Jesus is not an accusatory one but a probing one. It begs me to go within and to see the love and gifts that have been showered upon me, and the protection and grace that have always been present and to ask ‘So what does it tell you about Me? He’s asking me, ‘What are you going to do now?’
James tackled this question in the second reading; he’s telling me to look at my faith. Alice Camille in ‘Exploring the Sunday Readings’ says this, “And the evidence of our faith is not how many times we went to Mass, how many sacraments we received, how many crumbled bills we threw in the basket, or how many sermons we tried to stay awake through. If we went to parochial school or a Catholic college that may have been great for us but it doesn’t give us the keys to the kingdom. If we gave up chocolate every Lent for 75 years that’s both impressive and peculiar but not decisive in the reign of God. Jesus was pretty clear about what God requires of us: love your neighbor, take care of the poor, forgive each other, see your enemy as a brother or sister. All the religious behavior is supposed to get us to the starting gate of works. It must not end there.”
In each of the three Gospels (Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20, Matthew 16:15) this question makes me reflect on my cross; Jesus is reflecting on His and He said the cross is the way to heaven. My cross is connected to how I and each person answer this question. I need to look hard into the story of Jesus to begin to comprehend who He really is. I can certainly say so easily that Jesus is the Son of God yet miss the nonviolence and peacefulness that is at the core of His message. I can say that’s it easy to love; it is, to those who love me, but what did Jesus teach me about suffering love or ‘hard love.’ The easy life of a being a Christian and fellowship and sharing is wonderful, affirming, and needed but Jesus willingly suffered the cross as the way of God’s redemption for me. He did this to show me and all that He is the God of love, the God of compassion, the God of nonviolence. Am I? So I reflect on:

• What has my faith cost me?
  
• How lively is my faith based on the teaching of Jesus?
  
• If my faith is ailing in some way, what can I do to ‘save the patient?’
  
• When does God seem most near and familiar? How do I respond?
  
• Do I accept my crosses or try to get rid of them? Do I realize that in grabbing hold of them I am growing closer to the Lord?
  

Fr. Michael Hayes says “Jesus’ question is addressed to the heart, which, in biblical terms, means the whole person. Jesus is asking:

• What does my life and presence mean to your life?
• What is your understanding of My mission?
• Why do you follow Me wherever I go?
• Why do you listen to My preaching and teaching?
• What do I mean to you?”
  

September 9, 2012, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B

September 9, 2012, 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Isaiah 35: 4-7; James 2:1-5; Mark 7: 31-37

What an interesting set of readings today to reflect on and help me grow closer to the Lord. Isaiah today is telling the people to have courage because God is coming to save His people. Whatever difficulty I have, no matter what is happening to me; no matter how discouraged I am God is not only present but totally concerned about me and as Isaiah is saying, each person is unique and valuable to God. Each person is a living miracle; each person is one of God’s originals; each person is one of a kind; and each person has a unique mission to be love through the giftedness of them. And James says that class distinctions should have no place in me, among Christians, with anyone.
Jesus gets even more pointed in the Gospel today in one of His well known miracles: the healing of the deaf-mute. What is so unique about this is that Mark includes many details of the miracle. Is this an accident...no…there are no coincidences in what Jesus does. Mark says that Jesus puts His finger into the man’s ears , spits, touches the man’s tongue and looks up to heaven and says, “Be opened!” What message is there in this today for me and all who reflect on this? God is intimately connected with this man and me and each person. He just doesn’t say be cured and that’s it, Jesus touches him and more. I think that there is a message in that Jesus first gives the man his hearing and then the ability to speak. How can I reflect on this? When I’m speaking with someone am I really listening or am I preparing my response before the person finishes? Do I do this with God? Do I think that I know what God is going to say or do or respond to me before He does it?
In looking deeper into this miracle of the healing of deafness and speech impediment; we can reflect on the physical, social and spiritual aspects. The Physical…there are many people today who are hearing impaired due to so many factors, age is one of them. What does this do…it makes them feel isolated from others and left out or ignored. How many people do I ignore or not treat as one of God’s special people?
On the Social level, people can have no difficulty with seeing and hearing but they may have definite problems with communicating with others. This exists in families with old hurts, or not being appreciated, or being taken for granted. And then there are the people I just don’t like or avoid; communication is lacking. The most important questions is am I treating them as a special person in God’s creation? How do I love?
Then there is the Spiritual level…do I suffer from spiritual deafness…or spiritual speech impediments. What do I mean? With all the noise in my life, do I realize that God is always present, concerned and speaking to me in so many ways: through loved ones; people; nature; Scripture; the Church? God is never restricted in the ways He shows me His love. Do I allow a quiet place to exist in my life each day so I can allow God to be God to me? Or am I involved in busyness, even busyness in ministry and do not have time for God? How am I speaking my faith? Do I ask for the courage each day to be Jesus? Do I ask for the gift of strength to be a person of love?
The wonderful news, the Good News, is that Jesus said, “Be Opened!” God gives me and each person the help, the grace to be Him. To do this I have to listen with respect to each person especially those with differing views; I can always show love and pray for them. I have to welcome into my life the estranged; to do this I have to ask for the grace to forgive and then to do this. Living the Word, written by Dianne Bergant and Rev. James Wallace puts it this way: “The story in this Gospel tells us how Jesus helped a man to find his voice. The man whose tongue Jesus touched with His spittle (an element believed to ward off demons) came to speak ‘plainly.’ Another word for ‘plainly’ would be ‘rightly,’ in the sense of correctly or truly. ‘Be opened’, Jesus says, and it happens. The man then spoke the truth of what Jesus did for him, and honored Him. As we hold firm to our faith in the Lord, Jesus calls us to both speak and act ‘rightly’ in the eyes of the world, caring for those who have little and treating them with the same dignity as those who have much. We are called to imitate Jesus by reaching out tenderly to touch those who have been wounded by life and burdened by the rejection of others. Helping others to hear the sound of love can be done in many quiet ways and with little fanfare.” So I reflect on:

• “He has done all things well’ He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.” Do I reflect and give thanks for all that God has taught me and what I have shared with others about His love?
  
• Do I minister to the spiritual needs of others as readily as I minister to their physical needs?
  
• How can I help someone who is completely wrapped up in their possessions or work to the neglect of their faith life?
  
• Let me spend some time in considering how Jesus has touched my life and enabled me to hear His voice and sing His praises.
  

So I pray the prayer in Living the Word: “Lord, open our ears to hear the many ways you speak to us in our lives, to listen for the gentle sound of Your voice that often comes to us in stillness. May we be still and know that You are our God, ever ready and desiring to draw closer.”

September 2, 2012, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B

September 2, 2012, 22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

What powerful readings for me today. They remind me of how God has gifted me and at the same time ask what am I doing with these gifts? Why do I say this?
The first reading is from Deuteronomy which means ‘second law.’ In reality it doesn’t contain a new law different from the Ten Commandments, but is a partial repetition, completion and explanation of the law proclaimed on Mt. Sinai. Moses is urging that it is so important that the people remember how God had chosen them, gifted them and saved them. They should remember this and teach it to their children. Moses is emphasizing to the Israelites the importance of their outward actions and encouraging them to follow not only the Law but all of the statutes and decrees he was teaching them. And there were lots of them, hundreds in fact. Many of these dealt with things ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’. The problem was that the people were so hyper about the ‘clean and unclean aspects’ and so absorbed in these that they did not understand or follow the ‘love’ aspect of the Law.
Jesus is talking about this and putting it so very bluntly to me and everyone, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come from within are what defile.” And Jesus spells this out by saying these things originate in my inmost being, in my heart: evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness (wastefulness), envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly…” So Jesus is asking me what are my thoughts and motives; why do I act the way I act? To be honest there are times, much too frequent, when I may entertain such thoughts, temptations really, that Jesus is talking about and allow them to linger on and too often stay. This is horrible…it is not of God. When these stay with me have I somehow missed the Gospel message of love? Absolutely; and do I rationalize what I am doing; far too frequently. Jesus is saying that it is what is inside of me and all people that so often determines how I act and each person acts in this world. This is not love.
So what should I be doing? St. James puts it this way in today’s second reading, “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” By my birth and each person’s birth we are of God and since each is a gift from God each person is loved in an intimate way. As Fr. Anthony Kadavil in Teaching and Preaching Resources says: “Put simply, what’s going on within us has a profound effect on what comes out from us --- whether good or bad. And so today, we take a look inward, deeply and honestly --- not because that is what pure and undefiled religion is all about. No we do so to make sure that we are being attentive to the word within us, the living God who desires nothing more than that we live lives full of love, mercy, and generosity. If we do that well, if we work on having an intimate relationship with the God within, we can be assured that doing the right things in this world will come a little easier for us. The fruits will be there. The pure thoughts and motives will be there. The two will work hand in hand. And things will change. The world will change. We will change.”
So it comes down to me; it always comes down to me. God loves me. God created me in love. God gifts me constantly. God has given me the gift of faith. And God needs me to love and not give ‘lip service.’ When I come to Mass out of habit, I’m like the Pharisees, bringing my body but not my mind. When I pray the Our Father, there should be no question that I am giving my praise and thanks to God and that He will forgive me AS I FORGIVE OTHERS. When I receive His Body and Blood I should say ‘Amen’ which truly means that I believe I am receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.

G.K. Chesterton wrote:

“The Christian Social Union

was very much annoyed

because there were some evils

we really should avoid

and so they sang another hymn

to help the unemployed.”
He was not knocking prayer but that it has become just a moving of the lips and there was no changing inside. Lord help me to change to be You. So I reflect on:

• Is the faith I express when I celebrate the Eucharist the same faith when I leave Church?
  
• Do I live my life in such a way that if God did not exist my life would not make sense?
  
• Does my faith make me different from others whose values are worldly and materialistic?
  
• Does the virtue of hope brighten my outlook and make me an optimistic person in love with God?
  
• Does this hope give me a trust in God so that everything I do is living according to His commands and His law of love?
  

Sacred Space 2012 says:

• God sees the heart and its fluctuations. He judges us on the love of our lives and our efforts to love. In the evening of life God sees not just what we did but the heart of goodness by which we lived.
  
• A practical way of letting the good flow is to be grateful. ON any day we can always think of something to be thankful for. In thanks, the spirit of joy and blessing flow into us and through us.”