December 31, 2017

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Genesis 15: 1-6; 21; 1-3; Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; Luke 2: 22-40 2017 is leaving us shortly; 2018 is ready to come into our lives. The newspapers, periodicals and the social media encourage us to look back and also to look ahead. Do we do this in gratitude? God has been present to us in unbelievable ways this past year. Have I expressed my thanks for His love and presence? God has always promised that He would be with us. There would never be any moment that He isn’t with us sharing His love, care, forgiveness and grace to live and grow closer to Him. How many times do I reflect on these moments? I will try to do this in the quiet minutes that come to me Growing up, the Holy Family was presented as the ideal family. This seemed, even at my young age that missing something or a little misleading. Today we would describe them as not your typical nuclear family. This was a family of a birth mother, and an adoptive father. Yet they lived as other faith-filled families in their communities of Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth and the other places they stopped for a while. Scripture said they went to the temple in Jerusalem. This was a long trip, and not easy going from the hill country, down through the valleys and up into the rocky very high hills surrounding Jerusalem. They were led by their deep faith. Jesus grew in the faith and was led by the example of Mary and Joseph. In the first reading we hear of another family of faith, Abram and Sarah. They were very well connected and had been blessed by God, but they had no children. This was looked upon by the people as being a curse from God because of their sins or their family’s sins. They kept on praying and received word that they would have a child. Like every family, trials, health problems and difficulties became a part of daily living. They put their trust in God. Paul relates how Abraham obeyed when he was asked to pack up his bags, family and possessions and travel to the land God had promised them. It is always hard to move: we don’t know the people, their customs and even their native language. It takes time to develop special people to be classified as friends and faith companions. They did. Then Abraham was tested by God. We are all tested, perhaps not as severely as Abraham, but the bottom line is that God is always with us. Do we trust God? Paul writing to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:13) says, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial He will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” God is constantly helping us, gracing us to live our lives each day in trust and faith. In the Gospel we encounter two elderly people who have been waiting patiently for a long time. Abram and Sarah waited patiently. Now we hear of Simeon and Anna. Joseph and Mary come with Jesus for the purification ceremony prescribed by the Law of Moses. Simeon holds ‘hope’ in his hands and realizes it. Anna realizes that God’s promise of redemption now in Jesus has been fulfilled. Out of God’s compassion for everyone and total love and care, God becomes one of us. He ‘empties’ Himself as Paul tells the Philippians, to take on our humanity. His ministry as our Messiah teaches us how we can transform His creation into God’s people. A people totally exempted by love, forgiveness, compassion and care so that all know that they are loved by God totally. Unless they see it from us, they will never see it. So what are we to do? How are we to live our life each day in 2018? I was given this article about Pope Francis that helps so much in this. “Pope: Let go of grudges, stop whining, find joy with Jesus Dec 11, 2017 by Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service Spirituality VATICAN CITY — Christians must be strong and let go of all the bitterness and negativity that prevent them from experiencing God's consolation and joy, "So many times, we cling to what's negative, we hold on to the wound of sin inside of us, and many times, the preference is to stay there, alone," he said in his homily Dec. 11 at morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Instead, Jesus always tells people to "get up" and have no fear, because He is there to offer salvation, consolation and joy, the pope said. The pope's homily focused on the day's reading from Isaiah (35:1-10) in which the prophet foresaw the glory of the Lord, who will come "with vindication; with divine recompense, He comes to save you." This is why people must "strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak" and "be strong, fear not" because of the coming of the Lord, the pope said. Often it is easier, however, to console others than to let oneself be consoled because "we are afraid." "We are masters" when it comes to the negative, and impoverished "beggars" when it comes to the positive, he said. There are two things that prevent people from letting themselves find solace with God: resentment and complaints, Francis said. When people choose to be resentful and bitter, "We stew our feelings in that broth of bitterness," preferring to be left alone to sulk undisturbed and defeated, he said. Then there are people like Jonah -- "the Nobel Prize winner of complaints" -- who choose to make griping and grumbling the soundtrack accompanying their lives, he said. Francis said he once knew a priest who was a very good man, but he was "pessimism incarnate.” He said the priest would always “find the fly in the milk” that is, point out whatever was wrong or out of place. His brother priests, the pope said, would joke that instead of greeting St. Peter in heaven, this priest would probably ask to see hell and then complain, "Oh, salvation, what a mess!" because of the lack of condemned souls there. Instead, God asks people to be strong, get up and trust in Him. People need to ask themselves, "How is my heart? Do I harbor some bitterness there? Some sadness?" the pope said. And what is on one's lips, he asked. "Is it praise to God, beauty or always complaints?” So I reflect on: • Today we celebrate what it means to be family? What does family mean to me?Who makes up my family? • How has God been present to me in good times and in difficult times? How is God present now? • How can I go about dedicating my life to God? How would dedicating my life to God change the way I love in the world? Would this make it easier to live in the world? Why or why not? • How am I Jesus’ presence in the world? Sacred Space 2018 says: “Jesus comes not in splendor, but as a baby in His mother’s arms. Lord, I see You here in the vulnerable flesh of a child, a sign that will be spoken against. Already the shadow of Calvary falls on Mary as Simeon tells her that a sword will pierce her soul. Jesus, You share my humanity in every way. Like You, I want to grow and become strong, filled with wisdom. I still have miles to go before I sleep. May the favor of God be with me as with You.

December 24, 2017

 4th Sunday of Advent B 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1: 26-38 With Christmas tomorrow…and so many celebrating Christmas this evening…I’m reflecting on what God has promised. This might seem very strange, but I really think we don’t realize or think about God’s promises. Maybe it’s because of fear…maybe it’s because I have a weak concept of who God is…maybe it’s that I can’t see how God can love this person that so often I am…maybe it’s because I feel that so often I have failed to be the person that I want to be and God needs me to be…so many maybe’s. In the first reading we hear how David had reached the high point of his career. His struggles with leadership are over. His battles have been concluded. He is enjoying his palace, free from worry from the surrounding countries. His thoughts are following this pattern: What Am I to do now? How about building a temple suited for the Arc of the Covenant? I am sitting in this splendid palace and the Arc rests in a simple tent. He talks to Nathan who suggests that he is the king, he is entitled to do anything he wants. Then God corrects Nathan’s mindset. The Arc of God held the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments and symbolized God’s presence. All of David’s successes have been accomplished by God. Now David is not to build a building that houses the Arc but God will build a proper house. “Thus says the Lord: Should you build Me a house to dwell in? It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of My people Israel…I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to Me.” Now the Hebrew word for house means both a dwelling place and a dynasty. God makes an everlasting promise to David, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before Me; your throne shall stand firm forever.” GOD PROMISES! In the second reading Paul begins by acknowledging that God has done everything for His people. It is Jesus who has brought God’s plan to fulfillment. God’s promised time has arrived. God’s plan has been accomplished through Jesus. May God be praised now and forever. These promises include us and make us a giant part of God’s plan. The Psalm Response says, “For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” Do I? Or do I look at all I have done? Is it about me or is it about God? Am I grateful? I would like to take some time and look at few of God’s promises. God just totally loves each person, no exception, all the time. That it is about God. AND His promises are TRUE. - God promised to bless Abraham, through His descendants, ”I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” (Genesis 12: 2-3) Do I realize that God is with me and I am God’s blessing to my world? - God promised Israel that He would be their God and make them His people. “Ever present in your midst, I will be your God, and you will be My people; for it is I, the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of the Egyptians and freed you from their slavery, breaking the yoke they had laid upon you and letting you walk erect.” (Leviticus 26: 12-13) Do I walk proud and humbled that God cares for me?

December 17, 2017

3rd Sunday of Advent B Isaiah 61: 1-2, 10-11; 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28 Today on this third Sunday of Advent, we are celebrating Gaudate Sunday, or Rejoice Sunday. On this day, we light the rose candle in the Advent wreath and in some places the vestments are rose color. Let’s put this a different way using a different perspective. Am I getting in the Christmas mood? I am definitely busier. This past week I began my Christmas shopping. The first place I went was the Candle Factory in Williamsburg. I finished my shopping in under fifteen minutes. Then I waited in line for close to forty minutes to check out. Was I happy about this? I had no choice but to accept the situation. I also picked up stamps and envelopes for my annual Christmas letter. I updated this list. Am I ready? No? Am I’m rejoicing? Not yet, I guess. Am I happy? I’ve checked off a few things on my list but there is much left to do. So I look at this ‘Rejoice Sunday’ and ask, am I rejoicing? The definition of ‘rejoice’ according to Merriam Webster is “to give joy… to gladden … to feel joy or great delight.” Do I feel that I am giving joy at this time? Am I ‘joy filled’; I would have to say, I’m too busy. I ask myself another question, Am I happy? I am happy in what I’m doing. I’m happy to be a priest. I’m happy to be able to help people. I’m happy to bring the sacraments to people. I’m happy to see people excited and happy about Christmas especially our little ones. They tell me what happiness and joy is all about. Lord help me be a part of Your joy…Your love! Jeremiah contains what I feel is a tremendously important passage. He looks deeply into what is the right path to rejoicing and happiness. Jeremiah 9:22: “Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man glory in his riches; But rather, let him who glories, glory in this, that in his prudence he knows Me, Knows that I, the Lord, bring about kindness, justice and uprightness on the earth; For with such am I pleased, says the Lord” Today’s readings are insistent about rejoicing in the gifts of God; rejoicing that He constantly helps us; rejoicing that we have this time to celebrate God’s ultimate gift to us, His Son, Jesus. Isaiah shows the joy the returned exiles experienced. His vision depicts the Jubilee Year found in Leviticus 25:10 where those who have lost their land and freedom will receive all back. As a result all “will rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul…” God is the joy of my life…He has done great things for me…we echo Paul’s, “Rejoice always”. What would it take for me to stop and reflect on God’s presence and love to me? How can I slow myself down from my busyness and look at the Manger scene or at the Crucifix or both even and see what good God has done for me? The more I take time to be grateful, the happier I will be. The more I express my thanks to God, for my life…my faith…my gifts…my family…my friends…my abilities to work, to share, to remember, to touch, to spread kindness, the more I will realize that the source of all, is our Loving God. If I don’t find time to do this these last days before Christmas, I will not rejoice. Why? Because, I’m putting the joy of Christmas in decorations, gifts, cards, festive meals, parties and the like. But the readings and life tell us that God is the source of all good. We switch gears and listen to how St. John describes John the Baptist; he does this much differently than the other gospel writers. First of all, John is never described as ‘the Baptist.’ He also is not characterized as the forerunner of Jesus. Nor is he described as a messianic figure. In John’s gospel the Baptist has one function which is to give testimony to Jesus. John says, He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.” John is sent from God. His mission is to testify ‘to the light’, to give witness to the fact that Jesus is the ‘Light of the World. A few sentences previously, John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God…What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” Word and Light both are referring to Jesus. The Jewish officials sent priests and Levites to question John trying to find out who he was and what was his mission. They probably thought that because he attracted so many people he might be the messiah or perhaps he wanted to con the people into thinking that he was the messiah. Some scripture scholars say that when this gospel was written, some disciples of John still claimed that he was the real Messiah. During all their questioning, John boldly spoke out that he was not the Messiah. John the apostle then quotes Isaiah describing the actual return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. The Lord is leading them, their road is made easy for them. It is all about God, not about John the Baptist, not about John the gospel writer, not about me or you. John the Baptist is giving witness to Jesus…much like a witness in court: ‘This happened…I know…I saw it…this is what I heard…now what are you going to do with this information?’ The Psalm response helps with this: My soul rejoices in my God”…Isaiah says, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.” The truth is that God created each person in love. This is not about putting ourselves down or belittling ourselves. We know God’s love. It is a dominant part of each moment of every day. When we acknowledge God’s gifts to us we are pointing to God’s love. This is where we find total truth. Life is living God’s plan in love and surrounded in love. We are totally pleased and rejoice in this. Each one of us, live this plan. Fr. Louis Brisson who was the founder of the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de sales and the Oblates of St Francis de Sales, told his communities to, ‘Reprint the Gospel, day by day, with your flesh and blood. Who are we? We are living Gospels who heal and offer liberty to people held captive in any way, by announcing God’s favor so all people can sing with Mary: ‘My soul claims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1: 46) So I reflect on: • How do I answer the question, ‘what or who am I in light of my faith?” • List the concrete ways I can live the words of Isaiah, as Jesus did. • What did I do concretely this week to prepare the way of the Lord in my heart and in the heart of those around me? What are my plans for next week? • Is my heart open to God, my savior? Do I feel that I have to DO something BEFORE I can RECEIVE the Lord? • How much do ‘things control my life? Would I be happier if I were to resist the lure of possessions? • Can I make this Christmas a truly spiritual happening for someone else this year? Sacred Space 2017 states: “Here are questions we can ask ourselves: Who am I? What is my purpose in God’s scheme? Lord, I think of You beside me, seeing the good and the promise in me. This is what I want to say about myself: I am called into being by God, who loves me.

December 10, 2017

 2nd Sunday of Advent B Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11; 2 Peter 3: 8-14; Mark 1: 1-8 What do I want from the Lord? What do I need from the Lord? Have I asked Him? Do I feel that, like the kids with Santa, that I have to be good, before God can be good to me? Does God work on a timetable…first come first served? Does it seem that way to me? Do I feel I can’t ask for big things from God?When I was a kid I went all out in my letter to Santa. I checked catalogues for additions to my Lionel Train set…I went after the best bike…and ball gloves and bats…I didn’t miss asking for everything. My list was enormous. Being the youngest of five, many times my parents were on a tight budget. They were loving and kind and we were a close family. Kids are involved in material things… God is about the spiritual, each person and love. This concept still is evolving in my life. Now I understand that God continues to send messages and messengers in my life to clear the paths that lead to Him. Am I listening as much as I should? Today’s readings help in this. “Comfort, give comfort to My people, says your God.” These first words from Isaiah today shows the prophet’s excitement. The Israelites have been in exile in Babylon for many decades following the collapse of Jerusalem. Many were imprisoned. I’m sure that many were discouraged, panicked even and had given up hope. Where was God? Why didn’t He step in and help? They weren’t bad people, why did God punish them and bring them to this foreign, pagan place? God why don’t You love us? I’ve echoed some of these words in my life when things weren’t going the way I wanted. The same sentiments carried over when I was a child when I didn’t get ALL I wanted and expected. Isaiah is giving a message guaranteed to lift the people’s spirits: they are going home, wow! The second part of the reading says that their relationship with God has been restored. Isaiah compares it to the joy of lovers on their wedding day. Now they are to be God’s representatives of peace, justice and love to the world. They are not ‘nobodies’ they are God’s children, God’s people, loved and cherished. The second reading from second Peter actually was written as late as 140 AD The Christian believers fully expected that Jesus was going to come soon and it hadn’t happened. So many of the apostles and first believers had passed on to the Lord. Many of the present community hadn’t seen Jesus nor had their parents. Their faith had been secured with these first eye-witnesses, now who was left? Persecutions had begun in various areas, some were fierce, others not so, but all were dangerous. It wasn’t good to be one of the followers of Jesus. It was prime time for many to wonder and worry. Christians were turning from their faith, urged on by what people are saying; Peter shares this in his previous paragraph. “Know this first of all, that in the last days scoffers will come to scoff, living according to their own desires and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For the time when our ancestors fell asleep, everything has remained as it was from the beginning of creation. They deliberately ignore the fact that the heavens existed of old and earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God…” We count by days, God does not. The followers of Jesus were impatient for God’s promises of a “…new heaven and new earth…” Peter is assuring them that God always lives up to His promises…God does not lie. Everything happens in God’s time. Peter encourages them to use their time the best they can before God’s fulfillment time comes. His new creation of love is always a word in progress as is loving the loved, unloved, difficult to love is in our lives. The Gospel of Mark does not begin with an infancy narrative as do the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. John begins his Gospel with a beautiful poetic song. Instead, Mark begins with a one sentence profession of faith. “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” This says it all. God has sent Jesus for our salvation. The footnote in the Catholic Study Bible says: “The gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: the ‘good news’ of salvation in and through Jesus, crucified and risen, acknowledged by the Christian community as Messiah and Son of God,“ Do I live this? If I made a statement of my faith, would I include any of Mark’s thoughts? Mark tells us that everything is placed in the context of the Old Testament prophecies. John the Baptist is a prophet…he did not pop out of nowhere. He is the last of a very long list of prophets each one preparing the people for the coming promised Messiah. He tells us that John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Now this was not like our baptism…it was not a Christian baptism. It was a Jewish form of preparation for the coming of the Messiah encouraging, even commanding the people to change their lives. They have been living for themselves. They were not living the commandments. They knew the way they were to live and pray, so start doing it! Why did John attract so many people? He spoke the truth…they knew that they had messed up…they knew it was time to live the commandments. John was pointing to what was coming…what will happen… actually Who is Coming, “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worth to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals.” John’s message to me and all of us is that we still have time to change our lives. So on this second Advent Sunday I reflect on: • How can I change the things in my life that keep me away from God…from loving…from forgiving…from caring? • How can I become closer to this God who loves me every moment, even when I don’t feel that I am lovable? • Do my words and actions show that God’s love is alive and active in my life? • Do I realize that each day I am a teacher of love for all those who see me? Am I living love? • The more I remain open to the Spirit to lead me and help me, I will transform my life even if I don’t notice it. • Do I realize that I bring about God’s kingdom of love by caring for those in need and working to bring about justice and peace? • God is always with us, leading us on and welcoming us into even a closer relationship with Him. Do I allow this to happen? Why not? What holds me back? Sacred Space 2018 says: “Imagine yourself witnessing this scene, perhaps standing in the shallows with the water flowing around your ankles. Allow the scene to unfold. What is it like? The young man from Nazareth joins those waiting for John’s baptism: a symbol of purification but also of birth—coming up out of the waters of the womb into a new life as God’s beloved child. Lord, when I realize that You love me, it is like the start of a new life. As I hear Your voice, I know that I have a purpose and a destiny.”

December 3, 2017

1st Sunday of Advent B Isaiah 63: 16-17, 19; 64: 2-7; 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9; Mark 13: 33-37 The commercialism of Christmas has certainly put a damper on our liturgical season of Advent. We seem to be so absorbed with the shopping, decorating, parties, ‘being of good cheer’ that we are exhausted when Christmas comes. We can’t seem to get in touch with the Old Testament prophets who have been anticipating the coming of the Messiah for ages. The season of Advent and the readings do a wonderful job preparing us for the ‘surprising and previously unknown fact of the mystery of the ‘Word made flesh’ in a very dramatic way. Am I caught up in this excitement? Am I so bogged down in necessary preparations that distract me from God’s intense love and care for me? The best way to get in touch with the season is in the context of prayer. Can I take a little quiet time each week to read the Advent Sunday Scripture passages? How have these influenced me, changed me, made me grateful, help me understand a bit of the great mystery of God? Do I know that God loves me this much to send His Son to me, for me? An overview of the readings today on this first Advent Sunday, give us pause to reflect on the mystery of God. Some think that God comes only in dramatic ways…some think that God comes in quiet ways… and some just wonder if God ever comes to them. The bottom line is that the decision is up to God. What am I doing to be aware? What am I doing to open myself so I can be aware God is present and wants to have a relationship with me? Jesus’ last sentence in today’s Gospel sets the goal, “What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Isaiah states the burning question that we are struggling with this season, “Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?” ( The Hebrew word ‘fear’: Each Hebrew word has only one meaning but can have different applications. This word can mean ‘fear’ or ‘reverence’. Have you ever been so scared or been in the presence of something so amazing that you could feel it in your gut? This ‘feeling’ is the meaning of this word. The Hebrews were a very emotional people, and in many cases their words are describing a ‘feeling’ rather than an action.’ … I found this on Google) Now the people of Israel were appealing to God. They had been working on their spiritual lives after many years resisting God’s efforts. Now they wanted to recommit themselves to God. They are calling God “Our Father” like the Prodigal Son of the Lord’s parable. They understand now that only God can keep them safe. They understand that God can mold them, shape them like clay in a potter’s hand into something beautiful. Will they let God do this? Can we let God do this? Also the people now call themselves God’s servants. They are now willing to accept God’s plan in their lives. Is it God’s way I live by or is it my way? Is it all about God, or is it all about me? Am I looking at more things for me this Christmas? Am I doing things so that I look good to others? I cannot get in touch with God’s loving me if I am absorbed in my loving myself. Can I recommit myself this Advent? Paul is congratulating the Corinthians on the graces and spiritual gifts that the community of believers have received. Paul is confident that God will keep them strong in their faith. They have to remain open to the grace of the Holy Spirit. They have done this for a while and then these gifts ‘get into their head’ and become a source of rivalry between them. Does this happen to us? Are we so proud of how much ‘I’ have accomplished on my Christmas plans that I feel God’s coming is automatic and I will certainly know His coming? Jesus says, “What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” AM I watching? This section of Mark’s Gospel is sometimes referred to as the ‘Little Apocalypse’. Mark is looking into uncovering the mysteries of the future, the last things: death, resurrection, judgment and the afterlife. His community was wondering when Jesus was coming again…a number of the apostles and followers who had witnessed Jesus were dying off…and Roman and Jewish persecutions were happening. His strong admonition is to ’watch and be alert’. Jesus has been talking about the coming at the end of time, including the destruction of the magnificent wonder of the world, Solomon’s Temple. No one knows when this will happen. Jesus seems to be implying very strongly that it is coming. What is the time frame when this will happen? I am inquisitive. I want to know…I would explore the house to find out what gifts I would be receiving at Christmas. There is a huge amount of works written on when the end of the world will occur. God knows…I don’t. Jesus is pointing to signs that will happen before the coming of this end day. He warns us against believing them. So how do I prepare for what I don’t know when ‘it’ is happening? Always be ready, always be alert, always watchful, and PRAY. Jesus wants us to be active in our waiting. HE wants us to look at our lives and see if we are living in conformity with the Lord or with the world. He is saying am I so engrossed with Christmas, that I might miss Him? Very, very few were aware of His coming: the shepherds and magi were and responded, no one else did. Am I aware? Am I devoting myself to realize that God wants a relationship with me…one of love? The primary purpose of prayer is to draw me closer to the Lord. This is how I become more open to receiving what God wants to give me. When I work on my spirituality of being aware, the Holy Spirit is gracing every aspect of my life. This affects the way I feel about money. It affects the way I feel about the poor and the needy. It affects that way I feel and interact with my family and friends. It affects my relationships by making me more forgiving, more caring, more loving. It affects the time I spend with the Lord of love. So I reflect on: • What small steps can I take so that I am more mindful of God’s presence? • How can I make Christ’s coming known? • Were do I need God in my life during this hectic time? Can I find time for one moment a day? • I can easily become discouraged. How much am I trusting that God is using me to bring peace and love? • Am I building up my spiritual resume? Sacred Space 2018 says: “Jesus is speaking of His second coming at the end of time. We must live so that it does not matter when He comes. Our life becomes a preparation for the vision of happiness. Do I anticipate the Lord’s coming, or do I dread it? Why do I feel as I do about this?

November 26, 2017

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28; Matthew 25: 31-46 The feast of Christ the King…what comes to mind when I think of Jesus as King? The only ‘king’ concept I grew up with was a monarchy and this made me think of England. As I continued in school, I was taught there are many monarchies in the world. Google says there are 43 or 44 countries that have monarchs as the ceremonial or the real head of state. Seven of them (including Vatican City) is where absolute power is vested in a single person and the monarch is the head of state as well as the government. The others are Brunei, Swaziland, Saudi Arab, and Oman. Now Qatar is an absolute monarch, but the head of state and the head of the government are different persons. The UAE is a federal presidential elected monarch, which is a federation of seven absolute monarchies or the Emirates. There are 16 Commonwealth realms which treat Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch, Canada among them. There are 21 constitutional monarchies where the monarch is the head of state, but unlike in an absolute monarchy, not the only or even the main source of political power. This is vested in the head of the government who is elected by common citizens. This just distracts us from Jesus, Christ our King. I turn to today’s readings for clarification. The siege of Jerusalem started in 587 BC. In 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar II, the kings of Babylon defeated the Egyptian Pharaoh and then invaded Judah. To avoid the destruction of Jerusalem, its king, Jehoiakim changed his allegiances from Egypt to Babylon. This led to Babylon bringing great hardships upon the people. Many of them became captives and were led back to Babylon. Many others fled to other countries. Today, Ezekiel compares them to scattered sheep but the prophet also gives a great message of hope. He opens with these words, “Thus says the Lord God: I Myself will look after and tend My sheep.” David’s kingship has failed. He and his successors gradually did not serve God and now God is calling His scattered sheep home. God takes the initiative to bring them from their hiding places. He will not neglect them. At last they will be experiencing all the benefits they would have received had David’s royal house truly done their job…they took care of themselves and did not help the people: the poor, the injured, the sick, the weakened. The strong will no longer take advantage of the poor and weak. “The lost I will seek out….the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal” Then Jesus was sent by the Father to tell us that each person is created in love, and led by the grace and help of the Spirit to love so that all can continue to be people of love, just as Jesus taught us and most especially showed us. This coming of Christ that Paul describes is brought out in plain, simple, complete uncompromising way in Jesus’ description of the final Judgment Day. Judgment Day. Jesus will separate the sheep (those who will be saved), from the goats (those who will be condemned). The seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel sets the scene in a vision he had in Babylon. The Son of Man is accompanied by His angels, and will carry out this final judgment while sitting on His throne and surrounded by all the nations. Scripture scholars debate as to the distinction between the sheep and the goats; the bottom line is that there are many theories, nothing positive. The ones who are chosen will inherit the kingdom. Why? Because they have successfully lived the Corporal works of mercy for Jesus. He is in each person. God is in each person. God is not some potentate who is uncaring. God is present in love in everyone. So when hungry and He was fed and thirsty and He was refreshed, and a stranger and He was welcomed, and naked and he was clothed, and ill and He was taken care of, and in prison and He was visited. Those saved were unaware that this was Jesus they were serving and caring for so they asked ‘Where did we see You?’ “Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.” Then the condemned are addressed, rejected and condemned. They want to know why? They thought they were good people. They cared for those they loved and some more. The reason for their condemnation is just the opposite of those declared as being saved. They did not carry out the Corporal works of Mercy for Jesus. In their own defense, they said they had no idea that it was Jesus they were avoiding. If they had known or if Jesus had told them it was He, certainly they would have helped. Jesus said, “Amen I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for Me.” THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE FINAL RULING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE! I’m remembering listening to a TV account immediately after the horror of the World Trade Towers on 9/11. A reporter was asking a fireman what it was like…’ hell’… why are you going back…’they’re still people there, I will go back as long as they’re still people there’ … Why? … ‘It’s what I have to do’… you might be killed. ‘But I might be able to help some one…and for that one, its worth it.’ IT IS AMAZING, but heroes seldom recognize themselves as heroes. It could be a pilot landing a plane safely, a person jumping in to save a child struggling in a pool, a quick reaction to rescue one who never saw danger coming. Heroes? Yes. Lovers? Yes. By my Baptismal promises, I have been asked, commissioned even to help others see God’s love in me. This tells them that God is love, loves them and has taught me to be love. It is countercultural today, so many live by ‘me first.’ Jesus is saying, ‘You did this….for Me.’ I fill in the blanks….when people say: ‘Thank you….I say, What did I do? You loved me when I was unloveable to myself…you gave me a smile that lifted me up…you complimented me and did I need it…you listened to me and no one else did that day…you just were so kind and loving, I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there.’ Fr. Basil Pennington, the Cistercian writer on Centering Prayer sums it up this way: “‘You did it to me.’ These five little words can be a true guide for our lives. Living them can transform us. Someday Jesus will say to you and to me: ‘You did it to me.’ How will we feel then? Which side will we be on at that moment? Will we lamely say: “Lord, if I had known…?’” So I reflect: • I look at my recent activity and see where I have seen the face of Christ in a sister or brother in need? • I see a person on the street corner with a sign needing help. Do I feel a tug in my heart? Do I put this person in a category which contains all sorts of unsavory people? • Do I respect the dignity of a person in need? • How do I make a good judgment without becoming judgmental? Sacred Space 2017 says: “This message is simple, Lord, You will judge me on my love of and service to others. You are there in the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the strangers. May I recognize Your face. Saint Matthew’s hearers struggled with what would happen to non-Jews, because they themselves were the Chosen People. Jesus says that with His coming into the world, everyone is a ‘chosen‘ person. Everyone is to be treated with limitless respect. Jesus is already present, but in disguise, in every person. What do I see when I see the needed? Do I focus on the hidden glory of others? How would I fare if human history were to be terminated today?

November 19, 2017

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time A Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6; Matthew 25: 14-30 We can so easily take today’s readings and misinterpret them. When you read the readings before liturgy today, what did you think was the major theme? Or, after hearing these readings today, what did you think was the major theme? I’m sure that many wonderful sermons were heard in your churches today. The approach I’m taking may be similar or very different. Back to my original question, initially what did you feel was the theme? What comment did you feel you had to make when you heard each reading? If I told you that Scripture scholars agree that the readings talk about the giftedness of people, what would you say? Did you find yourself compelled to make a comment rather on each reading rather than seeing them from the giftedness of God? The first reading is from the Book of Proverbs which is an anthology of didactic poetry and a part of the ‘wisdom’ literature of the Old Testament. Its goal is to inform the young as well as continuing to help those desiring advanced training in wisdom. All of this is focused on the religious truth that God loves and gifts each person. Today’s reading focuses on the expectations and behavior of the ideal wife. Primarily she is to bring honor to her husband, (31:13) , taking and making clothes for the family (31:13) and continually to take care of the poor and needy (31:20). The author is describing the woman’s duties but from God’s perspective. St Anthony Messenger press explains it in a way that we can see the depth of ‘wisdom’: “On one level, the details here explore the tangible advantages the woman brings to her family. They have the protection of clothing suitable for every season, wool for warmth, and flax for comfort in the heat. The poor and the needy receive comfort from her generosity. Viewing the same attributes from a spiritual plane, this woman is Wisdom who clothes those close to her with knowledge of the Lord and meets the needs of people who recognize their reliance on God. External beauty can fade with time; inner beauty never fades and leads to lasting praise from all those who know her.” In using her unique gifts, she has touched others with her example, her care and her love. Gifts are to be used and they carry with them the beauty of their Source, God’s love. The Thessalonians were concerned about what would happen in the end-times. They really felt that Jesus’ return was imminent. The apostles and preachers were totally concerned with reminding people to repent and turn their lives over to the Lord. When Jesus came He would guide the living and the dead and their actions would decide their fate. This was all well and good but a number of the believers were dying as well as the early apostles, holy people and believers and Jesus had not come yet. When would this return come? Paul told them ‘when they least expect it’. So what were they to do? Paul said to be vigilant and faithful, caring and loving all so they would be ready when the Lord comes. So how well do I fit in with these instructions? Do I realize that today, I am one day closer to meeting the Lord? Do I act accordingly? Do I feel that I have plenty of time left? This is exactly what the Gospel in Matthew is helping me with: what to do now during the in-between times. I’m here living, when will my tomorrow with the Lord come? It’s not yet…when? I don’t know. Jesus’ parable describes a situation in which a person has left his possessions in the hands of three servants and departed on a journey of unknown duration. Each servant is given responsibilities according to their abilities. When the master comes back, he evaluates how well each servant lived up to the task: two did very well, the last one failed according to the master’s judgment. “You wicked, lazy servant!” This is certainly a devastating harsh evaluation with a fierce condemnation. Do we consider this too harsh? Am I viewing things as God does? Or am I viewing it the way that I want? The point of the parable: Jesus will come again. We don’t know when this will happen or really how it will happen. Jesus has promised that He will return in glory to establish a new heaven and a new earth. Until that time we are to be vigilant living with the awareness that God has gifted each person. What am I doing with these gifts? Am I using them so that I can have a good time and to be successful? Do I feel that these gifts have been given for the good of me? God doesn’t operate that way. It is not about me, it is about God and His plan and His creation. Each day, like the first two servants, we are called to use our gifts, to take risks to live in love. We are called to step out in faith knowing that our gifts have been given to further the growth of love in each person. Each person is to trust in God’s plan and in His gifts. God doesn’t give us gifts and talents for us to hide them or turn them into our own selfish plans. I am unique, each person is unique and these uniquenesses are intended so that the one needing them can be touched with God’s love. So whatever constitutes my gifts: from a smile, to helping hand, to money, education, talent, ad infinitum is not meaningless. Nothing is irrelevant with God. We must remember that God’s desire for every person is far greater than ours. God will do everything He can to bring the gospel to each person, everywhere, at all times ‘to the ends of the earth.’ Matthew, A devotional Commentary from World Library Publications states, “As we give of ourselves, we will see God’s power and glory revealed. Our active involvement in this life is truly an adventure, filled with opportunities to use all that God has given us and to see Him work wonders as we do. This is our high calling. Let us accept it with gratitude and joy.” Isn’t it amazing to reflect on just how much God loves me right now. The mystery of God is that He loves each person the same way. I can’t. But He does and He needs me even with the stumbling use of His gifts to bring His love to those He places in my life. So I reflect on: • What are the gifts that God has given to me? Did I discover new ones today? Did I use them? If they are useless, they would not have been given. • How do I make my gifts grow? When I use them do I give thanks to God? What holds me back from gratitude? • In which area of my life do I find it difficult to risk? Do I ever ask God for help? • Has fear, fear of rejection or ridicule ever kept me from discovering or using a gift or talent? • How do I deal with failure? How do I help others deal with failure? Sacred Space 2017 states: “What can I take from Your story, Lord? The talents with which I grew up are different from other people’s: more than some, fewer than others’. Am I to take risks with them? Try out different paths, with the danger of failing? If we have a readiness humbly to receive God’s grace, then God can bless us. People who prefer to rely on themselves will ultimately find themselves with very little. When we know that what we have is not ours, we allow God to give us more; if we get where we are purely by our own efforts, we do not get very far at all.

November 12, 2017

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time A Wisdom 6: 12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Matthew 25: 1-13 It’s an age old question: What would you do if you knew today was the last day of your life? What would you do if you knew you were going to see the Lord today? What would you do if today was your first day in heaven? We probably have thought of the first two and then quickly move on because we don’t want to think that our end is that close? We probably have never thought of the last question… why not? I think it was St. Pope John XXIII when asked what would he do if the Lord was in the next room…another version said what would you do if the Lord is coming within an hour…to both questions the Pope said, “Look busy!” How are we to live our life? Look to Jesus’ life and teaching and live accordingly. Don’t take any shortcuts…just know that each person has been created in love and graced continually in love and is asked to live each moment in love. So how are we doing? Every day is to be a day of love. Christ is always in our lives helping us to love, so living in His love is the way we are called to follow as His disciples. Each of the readings give us a different slant and help us witness God’s wisdom and grace. The Book of Wisdom, so frequently referring to Solomon as its author, urges each person to seek the Lord God above all else. The opening and closing chapters examine the many advantages enjoyed by people who realize they are created in love and who live love as best they know how. The middle chapters show how ‘wisdom’ is a special gift from God. This book was written during the mid-first century BC It attempts to answer the perennial question, why do the wicked prosper while the good suffer. The author encourages us to slow down, look at our lives and see how many ways we are touched by God’s love. Do I do that at the end of the day? Where did I see God? Where did I hear God? How did I witness God’s love? Was I touched by the people and their experiences who know God’s love is alive and well? Paul is writing to the Thessalonians: they are concerned that the believers and those who have witnessed Jesus are dying off. Paul is sharing about the imminent return of Jesus in the parousia (Second Coming). The community is noticing that membership has increased maybe feeling that the urgency of the end times is coming quickly. So the basic worry they had that if the end is in sight what are they to do? Some felt they could quit their jobs and sit at home and relax. Other felt they should be fasting and praying and watching the sky for the clouds to rollback. Paul realizes that he has to write another letter to tell them the he spoke of the Lord’s return being near, they needed to live in light of that but also live as if His coming was far off. With this in mind, Jesus gives the parable of the ten virgins with the message to each person to be vigilant. A look at the Jewish wedding ceremony at that time will help. Now Jewish weddings were often arranged by the parents of the bride and groom. Fidler on the Roof gave an interesting interpretation of these customs. Today the groom and his future wife see each other, begin dating, fall in love, the proposal followed for the plan for festivities. At the time of Jesus, when a boy was very young, his parents would begin to look for a girl for him to marry They would look for a family that they would want to be related. Then the two families would come together and work out the arrangements. This would include the boy learning a trade, and when he was good enough and could make a living, he would begin to construct his house. When everything was finished the man, by now maybe in his thirties, would get this friends together and they would have a wedding parade through town to go and get his bride. In the meantime the girl is learning to become a woman, a wife and a mother, She is sewing her wedding gown. Since she does not know what day or hour her groom might come for her, she must be ready for him at all times. Word did filter to each of them on the progress of the house and gown. It was not a good way to start a wedding if the bridegroom’s parade showed up at her house and she was not ready. Now the virgins were what we would call bridesmaids. At the wedding celebration they would perform a wedding dance around the bride and groom holding their torches and this dance symbolizing the light of their love and the bright future they had together. So how do we interpret Jesus’ parable? The bridegroom is obviously Christ. Even though the bride is not actually mentioned in this parable, here the bride represents the Church. And the church is made up of all those people, whether Jews or Gentiles, who have believed in Jesus and await His return. In the parable the foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. The torches they carried were long sticks with one end wrapped with rags and strips of cloth which had been soaked in oil which could burn for fifteen minutes. That’s not a long time but to make the torch burn longer, they would repeatedly soak the strips of cloth in oil and would carry vessels of oil. Oil then represents salvation…what am I doing to prepare myself for the Lord and heaven? Todays parable is from Matthew 25: 1-13…In 18 more verses, Jesus gives the parable of how God judges at the end of time: “When the Son of man comes in His glory…before Him will be gathered all the nations and He will separate them one form the other…then He will say to those at His right hand, Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom….for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and You gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me….and when did we see You…when you did it one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” And to those who did not respond or help or care or love…”And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” I reflect on: • How do I ready myself to meet the Lord each and every day? • Jesus words remind me that when I am doing His work, I must be careful that I serve by washing others feet, not by asking them to wash mine. Do I live this way? • How do I tend the light of God that is inside me? How do I minister to those who do not see the light of God in themselves? • If the foolish really understood that they would not be let into the feast, would they have neglected to bring their oil? Why did they take for granted that they could get in, no matter what? • Am I prepared for my own death? What things might I still want to do? Sacred Space 2017 states: “Does Jesus have trouble waking me up when He arrives? I ask for the grace to be alert and responsive to the constant coming of God into my life. We are the light of the world, Jesus says. As I move among people today, I imagine that light radiates from me toward them, and from them to me. Does this change the atmosphere in which I live? I pray for all who have given up hope, for those for whom the waiting seemed too much to ask. Jesus suggests that there is a proper time to prepare. I look to the ‘oil and lamps’ of my life and ask God to replenish and restock my reserves”

November 5, 2017

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time A Malachi 1: 14 - 2: 2, 8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2: 7-9, 13; Matthew 23: 1-12 When people look at me what do they see? Do they see a person who is dedicated to the Lord? Do they see a person who is honest and is a good example of Jesus or one who just ‘talks’ a good game? Everyone likes to be praised and affirmed. Everyone feels renewed when they are complimented. I must continually remind myself that each person who comes to me was sent by God for help, and most especially to be loved. Each person is equal before God, do I treat them that way? The readings remind me today that I must practice what I preach. It is only with God’s grace and help that I am able to accomplish this. This is true of anyone in authority whether it be a parent, teacher, coach, manager, supervisor, any position that puts one in the position of being the leader or the ‘boss’. I am not called by God to be a hypocrite; no one is. I found some interesting definitions of hypocrite: "dictionary.com — a person who pretends to have virtues, morals or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs…. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions or statements belie his or her public statements. Merriam-Webster - a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. Google - a person who indulges in hypocrisy…SYNONYMS: pretender, dissembler, deceiver, liar, pietist, sanctimonious person, plaster saint, informal phony, fraud, sham, fake. I have been made to feel inadequate my whole life by someone who turns out to be a total hypocrite.” I am a child of God who created me out of love and continues to love me so that others may know that they’re loved by God and special because on my words and actions. Am I living this? Malachi, true to his name which means ‘my messenger’, brings the word of God to the people following their return from the Babylon captivity 500 BC. The Temple and the rituals have been restored but the people have grown indifferent. Malachi reprimands the priests for abandoning their sacred duties. They weren’t even teaching and showing the people how God needs them to live. He tells the priests what they are supposed to do: give glory to God’s name, remind the people to the many, many ways that God is constantly present to them and guiding them. God is their Creator and Father; the Priests have the great privilege of blessing the people in God’s name. The people weren’t responding because the priests weren’t teaching and had “turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction…” In a verse that is missing (2:3) the prophet is very graphic in portraying God’s displeasure: “I will rebuke your offering; I will spread dung on your faces.” We are to listen to God’s teaching and live them. Jesus showed us this and lived this. We are all children of God and God shows no partiality. This is easy to say, but hard to live; I have favorites, everyone does. But God loves all. Paul is very thankful that the people of Thessalonica listened to him. They lived what Paul preached because of their deep love of God. They constantly put the Gospel into action. This is what God has called each person to do, to live His Gospel of love. In the Gospel Jesus is giving some rather sharp criticism of the leaders of the Pharisees. Not only was Jesus delivering these but also Matthew’s Jewish community was being taught wrongly by them about how to interpret the Torah. Jesus starts out by telling the Scribes and Pharisees that they sit on the chair of Moses meaning that they ARE the legitimate teaching authorities. The difficulty is what they are saying is totally different from how they are living. They preach one thing and practice another. Jesus called them ‘hypocrites’. They are just like actors without integrity. Jesus tells how certain practices and observances were only meant for the Scribes and Pharisees, but they inflicted them on the people who were incapable of handling these hard and heavy burdens. They also loved to walk around in public wearing the finest clothes and talking the seats of honor. At Jesus’ time the title of rabbi was just beginning to be used to designate an official teacher of the Torah. Jesus was against this saying that He was the only one deserving of this title. To be a follower of Jesus one must not strive after exaltation but after humility; we are nothing without God. We are blessed to be loved and cared for and have the obligation to do the same. Greatness is calculated in terms of service to others. Jesus is saying that these are exactly what the Scribes and Pharisees did not do. Pope Francis, like all popes before him, have been given the title of ‘servant of the servants of God.’ The bottom line truth is that the higher the position, the greater number of people to be served. This is my challenge. This is the challenge of anyone with authority. We may deserve respect because of our ‘position’ but all the more we lead by serving those in our care. In serving with love we show respect and honor them. This is what God does. Earlier in his gospel (Mathew 5:20), Matthew tells the disciples that the righteousness of the disciples must surpass that of the Pharisees or they wouldn’t enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus has not condemned the Pharisees but their behavior. Which of us can truthfully say that our deeds match our words? That’s why we come to the Eucharist in all humility and confess our sins to God and to one another and ask for God’s forgiveness and mercy. Jesus is criticizing behavior and attitude and at the same time telling us to live what is at the heart of religion: love and compassion, justice and faith. When we practice what we preach, we will be the first to benefit. We will also set a good example for others. When I concentrate on inner goodness, I don’t have to shout about it, or even want to. I have begun to find the ‘pearl of great price.’ So I reflect on: • The real tragedy of the Pharisees wasn’t the fact that they had faults but they were blind to their faults. Do I regularly examine myself and how I am living? • Where am I lacking in charity, compassion, a sense of justice and a spirit of service? • How do my deeds match my words of faith? • To whom do I easily offer service and to whom do I begrudge it? How? Why? • Am I still a work in progress or am I OK? Sacred Space 2017 states Passages such as this one in St. Matthew have led to anti-Jewish sentiments, hatred, and persecution. But Jesus’ criticisms are valid for religious leaders anywhere who lose sight of the ideal of service to their people. I pray for our leaders, that they may never be distracted by human honor or forget whom it is they serve. Jesus, You gave the religious leaders of Your day a hard time. But how do you find me? Do I play games to make people think that I am important? How much do I value my public image? Do I misuse my authority? Help me instead to be a humble servant to the needy, just like You.”

October 29, 2017

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Exodus 22: 20-26; 1 Thessalonians 1: 5-10; Matthew 22: 34-40 How am I loving? How am I loving each of the classes of people in my life: family, relatives, neighbors, friends, schoolmates, workmates, people in the businesses I frequent, strangers on the street, people I will never meet except in the news media or entertainment fields? Do I realize that to God they are all my brothers and sisters? Is it hard for me to live with certain ones? How would I describe my love? Is it self-giving? Is it all inclusive? Does it depend on the person I am with? Is my love given equally to all? Do I ever reflect on the reasons why I hold back my love? These can be very interesting reflections and insights. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous poem, How do I love Thee? is an interesting starting point. Actually this is sonnet number 43 taken from The Sonnets from the Portuguese which was published in 1850. She chose this title to fool her audience into believing that she had translated this from the Portuguese. Actually it was dedicated to a fellow poet, Robert Browning, her husband. He had rescued her from her home in London. Her father was very possessive and controlling. As a result Elizabeth lived a reclusive lifestyle in an upstairs room. She obviously was very frail and sick and needed opium and laudanum, an alcoholic solution from morphine, to relive her pain. Her preoccupation was her poetry which led her to Robert Browning. She broke from her father and was happily married for 16 years. Basically her poem is a list set in the present that reflects her very deep love. I wonder how many us have ever tried to make a corresponding list? Today’s readings concentrate on our love of God and our love for our neighbor. They asked if we love ourselves in the way that God loves us. These are very simple statements but living them out daily is difficult, many times seemingly impossible. So we look to the readings for some help. The Book of Exodus is a description of the Israelites escaping from Egypt and their forty years wandering in the desert wilderness. Actually this is a side theme; the major theme was the forming of a people into the people of God. Today, Moses is giving some direction and moral principles concerning the people who come into their daily lives who are in need and ‘forgotten’. His list includes aliens; people from other countries, cultures, religious beliefs. He affirms their dignity and said that they are to be respected and not oppressed or molested. He looks at widows and orphans. In their culture when a man dies, his widow has no source of income she has to resort to begging and the children are orphans. God is with them especially because they are unwanted and hurting. Do I realize that God is asking me to help them? He then concentrates on the poor. They as well as us live in a world of ‘have and have nots’. We do not have to question why they are in this condition but to realize that God has blessed us. Are we sharing our blessings? Love of neighbor consists in loving, caring, forgiving, helping and letting those we come into contact with know that God loves them. God sends us to help and let them know of God’s love. Also, do we pray for them? Paul had just come from Philippi when he had been mistreated and abused. He went Thessalonica where the people received his gospel and were living it with much conviction. So much so that Paul says that they “…have become model for all the believers in Macedonia and Acaia”…for “every place your faith in God has gone forth.” For us, it is a wonderful reflection at the end of the day to see where we have seen God and how we have reacted. Also to see how we responded to those in need…did they somehow see God’s love in and through us? Jesus today is confronted with another test to really embarrass Him before the crowds and to stir them up to eventually support the Pharisees’ condemnation and crucifixion efforts. Today a legal scholar poses the question about which commandment is the greatest. Now Moses delivered the Ten Commandments. Down through O.T. times these have been explained; as a result more were added. Rabbinic Judaism believed that there were 613 commandments in the Torah, 248 were positive while 365 were negative. Debates were frequent as to which was the best and highest; today Jesus is questioned. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 which states, “Here, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength.” This is not focused on an emotional feeling but on each person willing and acting. Many rabbis would have chosen the same passage, so Jesus was saying nothing unique. BUT Jesus adds a quote from Leviticus 19:18 stating, “Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow country men. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Jesus is saying very directly that there is a direct connection between loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. The combination of these two passages was not found before Jesus. Jesus is definitely stating that the whole law (the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ Law of Love) and the prophets (all the teachings and prophecies the they received from God) depend on these two commandments. Jesus exposes a richness that was already present in these teachings but only He could see it. So we are to love God no more or nor less than we love others. We cannot claim to love God if we don’t love our neighbor as ourselves. 1 John 4:20 states, If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” St. Francis deSales gives us very practical advice: “Put others in your place and yourself in theirs, then treat the other the way you would like to be treated. That’s how we love God, neighbor, and self.” So I reflect on: • In my life, who is the alien, widow, orphan or person in need that I have trouble seeing as my neighbor? Do I know why? • I look at the times that God’s love has inspired/pushed me to love. What was God like in this? What did I learn? • Do I see God in others, or do I see them as a means to my own ends? • When I am angry, prejudiced, and being hurtful, is this the person I want to be? • Do I want to be the kind of person who uses my words to hurt the people I love? Sacred Space 2017 states, “Isn’t it possible for my heart, soul, and mind to want different things sometimes? Jesus calls me to integrity and to wholeness. As I am drawn into relationship with Him, I come to love what He loves, to desire what He desires, and to think as He thinks. I can do nothing to make God love me more. God’s love shines on me as the sun shines on Earth. Real prayer includes resting gratefully in that love. I have a treasure in my heart, which is the limitless love of God for me. But I must share it with my neighbors. I ask to be a true escort of God’s love to others.”

October 22, 2017

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6; 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-5; Matthew 22: 15-21 How much time do I spend with God? Do I give Him my best time? Do I give Him only my left-over time? Do I give Him only time on the weekends when it doesn’t interfere with my family, social, business, recreational needs? Does the time that I spend with God have anything to do with forming a deeper relationship of love, gratitude and caring? Do I view God as one I ‘have to make a report to’ like at work, or home or business? If I tend to operate in this direction do I go for a ‘passing grade’ and then feel I am free to do anything that I want since my ‘job’ is done? Do I feel that if I don’t finish this ‘Godjob’ I will definitely be in trouble? Does God view me as a person He is deeply in love with or as a person that needs to be a rule-first person? Do my actions and words show how deeply I am in love with God? Do I feel that God has favorites and plays favorites? Stephen Decatur in an after dinner toast of 1816-1820 said, “Our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but right or wrong, our country!” Is this how God views our country? Is it how I view the country? Where is God leading us? Is He leading us? Today’s scriptural readings give a direction for us to go deeper into an understanding of God’s plan for His creation. In the verse before today’s passage, Isaiah is speaking of the wonderful power of God. “Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens; when I spread out the earth, who was with me?” But then Isaiah tells how God used a foreign king for Israel’s benefit. It is so very interesting and must have shocked the Jewish people when Isaiah started today’s verse, Thus says the Lord to His anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him and making kings run in his service….” Now Cyrus founded the Persian Empire after Babylon surrendered to him in 539 BC. Here Isaiah calls him ‘God’s anointed’ which is the term originally only referred to those in Israel. In Hebrew this word is mashies…in Greek it is christos and it is the root of the work ‘messiah’. So Cyrus is anointed not only so that he could serve as a redeemer of Israel but also freeing them from their captivity. It also means that those non Israelites are also bound by the God of Israel. Cyrus was a brilliant ruler because of his forward thinking policies toward other countries. He also allowed the exiles of Israel to return to their homeland. Isaiah shares how Cyrus’ victories are possible only because God holds “his right hand” and “God has called you by your name.” God calls Cyrus, ‘His servant’ a title which is reserved for a select few in the Bible. Paul also in his writing refers to Nero as the servant and minister of God. God’s plans includes everyone. God rules over all. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is the earliest written document in the New Testament. Paul probably wrote it during his time at Corinth in 50 AD. He had founded the church at Thessalonica a little before and had to leave quickly so he wants to see how things are going. Timothy comes back with a glowing report sharing the selfless love of the people in sharing the Good News, the Gospel of Love. Paul guarantees them that they can rely on the Holy Spirit to continue to give them all the strength, ability and grace they need to live the love of God. Some background for the Gospel: the Pharisees snd Herodians never agreed. Jesus always challenged them. The Pharisees taught that the people had to live by a strict, complete adherence to the Jewish Law. The Herodians were much more political and wanted to keep peace with Rome so that they could continue to live a comfortable life of power and wealth. They had no problems ignoring the commandments, laws and rules the Pharisees felt were so important. Today the Pharisees are out to trick Jesus in front of the people about paying taxes. So many feel that this encounter has to do with how we are to live in the political climate we find ourselves…it is not. The Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus in an uncomfortable position. If Jesus says, ‘Pay the tax’ they can easily accuse Him of siding with the hated Romans. If Jesus says, ‘Don’t pay the tax’ they can even bring Him to court for disobeying civil authority. I find the next part interesting; Jesus asks for a coin. Now why would the Pharisee who hated Rome just happen to have a Roman coin, but he does and Jesus points out Caesar’s image and says, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God..” Jesus is pointing out how petty the Pharisees are because they are so enwrapped in their own games that they miss the deep mysteries of God right under their noses. We do the same…we argue about the principle of things when the real issue is a few little things. So who cares where I sit at the banquet table…head table…is my screaming at the almost invisible dent in my car an issue of life and death. Jesus is telling the Pharisees…Jesus is telling us. The Kingdom of God is at hand…AND…the Pharisees never noticed…Do I notice that I am called every minute to live the Kingdom of God’s love? Jesus calls us to pay to God what belongs to God? This means that what is in question is What is God’s? The answer is unavoidable and inescapable: EVERYTHING! We have received everything from God. We have received the gift of life, the gift of our faith, the gift of family and friends. We have received the gift of our five senses in addition the unique gifts of thought, speech, love and laughter which are totally unique in each person. What astounding, amazing gifts! Am I grateful? Do I realize that I have been given these gifts for the advancing each moment of the day for the Kingdom of God’s love? If I really want to thank God and be grateful, I must put God first in my life. Do I? Or does God get the leftovers? This reflection must not be put off…I must take time and examine myself as belonging to God, living for God, loving as God needs me to be and always being grateful. So I reflect on: • Does it make a difference in my life that I have been chosen by God with a continuous special mission of love? • What is my duty, as being loved by God, when the law denies the bare essentials to the disadvantaged? Is this the same as my duty as a citizen? • So I get ‘down and dirty’: What priorities do I put before God? How does my life reflect my priorities? • Do I really believe God is all powerful? more powerful than any of my fears? • The first commandment makes it very clear: I am not God…how am I living this? Sacred Space 2017 states: “To be a good citizen and to serve God are not in contradiction, since God works through all human systems and institutions to build the final community of love. God needs me to help build good relationships wherever I find myself. Some people have tried to use this reply of Jesus to justify revolution against an oppressive regime others to bolster their conservatism. Lord, you hungered for justice, but You sought change by peaceful means. Help me do the same.”

October 15, 2017

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Isaiah 25: 6-10; Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22: 1-14 How do I view life? This is a very interesting reflection. Do I view it from my parents eyes who trained me in the ways of family love and caring? Do I view life from my education in the seminary and from my years of priesthood. Do I view my life from the teachings and laws of the Church and from the guidance of the popes? Do I view life from the political system of the country and the different political parties? Do I view life from the point of view of the importance of democracy? Do I view life from the capitalist viewpoint? Do I ever take the time to reflect on life and view life from God’s viewpoint? The readings today help us to see life as God has demanded us to view it. Demand is the correct word because life is about God. God created all life and the world we live in. God did not create the world and our life just as an object that He can watch and enjoy or to punish or to condemn. All Scripture and revelations from God stress that God is love and God created out of love. God desires that all know Him, love Him and serve Him. All life and creation are not from God’s whims. There is a purpose and the purpose concerns itself with love forever with God. The question posed today is how do I view life and creation through God’s eyes? Isaiah has been considered the greatest of the prophets. His call from God in the latter part of the eighth century BC came at a very critical time in Israel’s history. The northern kingdom had been completely wiped out by Assyria. Jerusalem was living with invading armies at its gates. Chapter 6 describes the divine summons from God for Isaiah to show the people the tremendous distance between God’s love and goodness and the people’s growing deeper and deeper into sin. Isaiah describes this moral breakdown and advises the king to lead the people back to God. Today’s reading comes from chapters 24-27 which are called ‘The Apocalypse of Isaiah’. It envisions a future time when a city in chaos is destroyed by God and the holy mountain Zion, Jerusalem, will be the site of God’s saving actions. Isaiah describes the victory celebration as an enormous banquet of rich food and choice wines which will be for all people. This future will be one of hope, the absence of death and the people will turn their lives to God forever. This passage celebrates the wonderful transformation that is possible once human pride is set aside and people turn their lives living according to God’s ways. They will look to God, not their own desires. God’s ways are life, man’s ways lead to destruction. Paul is giving insight into what it means to live according to God’s ways: there will be good days and bad days. There will be suffering and sadness and relief and love. Paul thanks the Philippian community for their support. He is still in prison and their care has been stupendous. The sacrifices they made for him show the hallmarks of what a true Christian is: caring, merciful, forgiving, loving, overall being a disciple of love. God will continue to provide all people in whatever circumstances they find themselves. Even in suffering God’s presence supports and enriches the disciple to continue to love. The Gospel continues the parable of the vineyard from the last few weeks. It is addressed to the same audience: the chief priests and the elders of the people. Today’s parable envisions the kingdom of heaven as wedding feast much like the messianic banquet from Isaiah 25: 6-9, the first reading. One special note is that Matthew’s parable today is very similar to one from Luke 14: 16-24. Luke talks about a banquet that is given and people are invited but he does not include the addition in Matthew’s gospel of the need to wear a wedding garment. This addition by Matthew brings up questions, especially, about the poor man being expected to have a wedding garment since he is poor and also how could he be expected to have a wedding garment since he has been hauled in unexpectedly from the street? What does it mean? Jesus always urges ‘readiness’ of the coming Kingdom. The kingdom comes as a ‘thief in the night’ because no one knows when the end will come. Am I prepared? In the ending in Matthew’s gospel the invitation to the wedding came sooner than the man expected and it caught him unprepared. The clear meaning is ‘Woe to the man.’ Woe to me if I think that ‘when the time comes’ I will start to focus on being the Christian that Jesus needs me to be. This parable is meant for me, the time is now. Every moment God is calling me closer to Himself and giving me the grace, the help to respond to His invitation. Do I find too many of my creature comforts in the way of listening, reflecting, following and loving? Living the Word, Scripture Reflections and commentaries for Sundays and Holy Days has a wonderful Reflecting on the Word today: A few weeks before writing this reflection, the Vatican released Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amores Laetitia (The Joy of Love.) It has caused many a reaction. One of its most powerful lines is a quote form a homily Pope Francis preached at a Mass celebrated with new cardinals in February, 2015: ‘The way of the Church is not to condemn anyone for ever, it is to pour out the balm of God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart… For true charity is always unmerited, unconditional and gratuitous.’ These words sum up today’s readings. God provides for all people, friend and foe alike, on the mountain described in Isaiah. God’s providential love is gracious and unconditional. The king in today’s parable sends his servants out to invite to the wedding banquet whomever they find after others rejected his invitation. Someone is cast out for not wearing a wedding garment. All are invited, but we need to dress for the banquet by asking for and responding to God’s gratuitous and loving balm. Our wedding garment entails clothing ourselves with gratitude, humility and love, like Paul in the Letter to the Philippians. Paul learned how to respond with humility and gratitude to all of life’s situations. Paul’s example challenges me to be grateful for what I have in abundance or want, and give God glory and praise at all times. Jesus reminds me to clothe myself with gratitude for God’s generosity and mercy. Pope Francis also challenges me. Avoid condemning anyone forever . Be a vessel that pours out the balm of God’s unmerited, unconditional, and gratuitous mercy so others can dress for the banquet, too.” This is God’s plan, these are God’s ways. We pray to get on the right track and stay there. So I reflect on: • Do I reflect of God’s mercy? Where have I been forgiven and loved so much it has brought me to tears? Have I learned God’s lesson? • On God’s Holy Mountain all are provided for. I do not have to understand this, just to know that God says this. God doesn’t lie. • How is the invitation to join Jesus in heaven like the invitation to the wedding in today’s Gospel? • Does my acceptance of the invitation mean that I can readily accept the values of my society? Or will I continually have to test those values against the words of the Gospel? Why? Sacred Space 2017 states: “O Lord, how we need Your constant invitation to come to You and learn from You. Rid us of our garments of selfishness, our judgmental attitudes, our stubborn hearts, and clothe us instead with Your garments of salvation. As generous and open-ended as God’s invitation is, it is not to be exploited or taken for granted. For my part, I ask God to help me respond as best I can, to prepare my heart to receive God’s gifts.”

October 8, 2017

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Isaiah 5: 1-7; Philippians 4: 6-9; Matthew 21: 33-43 As in last week’s readings, the theme we hear today is about ourselves: Am I greedy? Am I jealous? Do I feel that I am entitled? Do I feel that ‘life owes me’ or that God owes me? Now thinking on this, how could God possibly owe me? He has brought me into this world at this time in this age. I didn’t have to do anything. I was born into a family that cared for me. If I didn’t receive the care or the love that was needed, I now see that I sit here and have survived. In this survival I have learned that I am cared for and that I am loved. I wouldn’t be reading this blog or be a regular at attending the Liturgy where I learn of God’s love and care if I haven’t been touched by God. So now I have come to the point that I know that I am loved…that the Holy Spirit has blessed me with special gifts and that through the nurturing of these gifts I become aware of the fruits of the Holy Spirit which enable me to live and interact as a witness to Jesus’ love. The readings today call each person to see how urgent is this task. As we read the beginning of Isaiah’s book, it is evident that the prophet is calling for a change of heart from the people. They had been wandering far away from God. Isaiah is telling them that God is upset with them, they have disappointed God in living sinful lives. In today’s passage, Isaiah is explaining how ‘his friend’ has been very concerned with the vineyard. He prepares the land, plants the best seeds and protects the vines from any harm. The wine press is all set to begin the process of making wonderful wine. It is a nice story, people are pleased to listen to it…then the bottom falls out. The crop is a complete failure. Why? The grapes are the culprit. Everything must be started anew. One scholar, Fr. Eugene Hensell explains it this way, “As Isaiah’s audience marvels at this sad outcome, the prophet suddenly reveals that they themselves are the failed vineyard Despite all God’s efforts to teach the people good judgment and true justice, they turn to bloodshed and violence.” Isaiah starts out in a very ‘happy go lucky way’ but then very cleverly the ending comes as a brick of lead. We can so easily become set and comfortable in our ways without seeing that these are our ways…are they in keeping with God’s ways? Paul tells us to not become set with the status quo and never hesitate asking God for strength to live His ways. We can become so sure of ourselves that we fail to see that the purpose of our existence is from God and for God. Paul tells us to set aside our anxiousness and to trust that God hears all our prayers. He is implying that we should look at how we are living our lives as Jesus taught. Think about what is honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious. Think about how I am acting and living and how I have arrived at this point. Paul encourages me to continue living in this way. He holds himself up as an example. What does he mean by this? By his examples of love and caring and kindness? I don’t think so. Paul understands that his life as an apostle, and my life as a follower, means a life of suffering which is a manifestation of the Cross of Christ. So am I patterning my life on the easy life or on the knowledge that being a person of love involves sacrificing what I want to do for what Jesus needs me to do. This involves the cross… carrying my cross…living my crosses…helping others with their crosses…when convenient and especially when inconvenient. This is what it means to be a servant of God. In the Gospel, Matthew has reworked a story found in Mark 12: 1-12. It deals with salvation history and why Jesus was killed. The focus involves a deep criticism of the leaders in Israel. They are incompetent. They have not listened to the urgent plea from the prophecy of John the Baptist to reform their lives and be converted. They act like, ‘Why do I have to be converted… I’m doing everything right… I’m a teacher and an expert…people should be listening to me…I know what God says…I will be the first to know when the Messiah will come…because, ‘I’m the best’…. The parable Jesus uses shows the vineyard as Israel. The tenant farmers are Israel’s leaders. The householder is God. The servants are the prophets. The son is Jesus. We hear of the absentee landlord who leases his property who cares for it while the owners is gone. When he returns, he will collect payment from the proceeds of the crops. The tenants want the property and goods themselves…’ ‘we deserve it for all we’ve done’…The landowner sends his son to collect, the tenants kill the son; Jesus is again predicting His own crucifixion and death. What will the owner do when he comes? The answer is that he will have them killed and then lease his vineyard to other tenants; tenants who will produce good fruit. I become set in my ways, like the tenants in the Gospel. I am too quick to reject whatever scares me or threatens me, whatever I don’t understand. I reject whatever challenges me and I want to stay in my soft, comfortable little world. I want to create the vineyard to be what I want it to be…but its God’s vineyard…the world God created. How am I responding to God’s call to work in and to continue to create His vineyard in His image? Living the Word shares this wonderful insight: “When I listen to reports about what people do or do not have and how they respond to their life situations, I’m struck by the difference between those who are grateful and those who feel entitled. It seems that a sense of entitlement fills many of us and destroys the virtues of gratitude and responsibility. When I feel entitled I often envy what other’s have and focus on what I do not have. Envy blinds me from seeing what I do have and keeps me from being grateful. It also feeds the need for more rather than seeing that often I have enough. I can become willing to do anything to grab more, even violence. This is the dynamic in the Gospel parable. The tenants wanted what was not theirs. In their lust for more they become violent, even to murdering the owner’s servants and son, mistakenly thinking that they would be given the vineyard. … Philippians offers an antidote: Seek whatever is true… Truth can lead to accepting what our gifts are and are not, and help us grow in right relationship with God, others and ourselves. Truth invites gratitude for our gifts and the ability to develop them. Truth fosters appreciation of others’ gifts. Then when we mourn what we lack, we discover that we have all we need, or we find ways to seek what we need without destroying another.” So I reflect on: • I look at the times that I felt ‘entitled’…that I deserved this job…promotion…grade , etc. How did this affect me? Was I anger and bitter or grateful for God’s love? • Each person of religion must ask, ‘What are the practical consequences of my belief? Does this produce anger, pride, greed? Does it bring me closer to God? • When I have dealt with the failures in my life, have I discovered that I have spent more time in praying and listening to God? What has God told me? How deeply has it affected me? Sacred Space 2017 states: “Jesus reminds us that the kingdom does not belong to us—it is a gift of God. I consider what it is that I think I own and consider how its is that all good comes from God’s hands. So I give thanks. Lord, what fruits of the kingdom will You bring out of my life? Help me cultivate faith and pay attention to Your gifts to me.

Oct 1, 2017

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Ezekiel 18: 25-28; Philippians 2: 1-11; Matthew 21: 28-32 Am I a person of faith? I would like to answer this in the affirmative, but am I a person of faith? Am I the same person I was five years ago? Am I the same faith person I was five years ago? Am I the same person in my religious practices that I was five years ago? During this time have I allowed God to change me? Am I still the ‘same old’…’same old’ or have I realized growth within me that has brought me closer to the Lord? Have I noticed myself spending more time with the Lord: thinking, imagining, thanking, being still? Am I comfortable just sitting and being with the Lord? I heard this story from a former teacher. He had a student who was constantly getting in trouble. It seemed that this student just couldn’t avoid doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. People wondered how long it would be before he ended up in jail. Many years later at a wedding this man came up and asked the teacher ‘Do you remember me?’ ‘How could I ever forget you?’ The man said that he was on the police force. ‘How did this happen?’ His former student replied that he was about to be arrested a third time and when the officer said, ‘You have such great skill for getting into trouble, how about learning how to use it to help people stay out of trouble and out of jail?’ The rest is history. Do we recognize the abilities we have? We have to make this personal: Do I realize the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given me? Remember the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Here are the seven gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. How do I know if I have these? In the last part of the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 7) Jesus talked of ‘False Prophets’ saying, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them…A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church states “The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.’” So I question myself: Am I more charitable than I was five years ago? More joyous? More peace filled? More patient? More kind? More filled with goodness? More generous? More gentle? More faithful? More modest? More self-controlled? More chaste? If I am, this is totally the work of the Holy Spirit? Have I expressed my gratitude? Have I noticed that I have been selective in choosing how to be closer to the Lord? Is there still a part of me that I don’t want to give to the Lord? Am I like St. Augustine who prayed early in his life, “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.” The readings today helps us to zero in on the continual task of our daily conversions and turning ourselves to God. Ezekiel was given the task by God to tend to the spiritual welfare of the people. He continually warned them when they were being unfaithful. He warned them to think as God thinks and not as humans do. The people wanted to believe that God operates as humans do by holding grudges. God does not. He explains that God holds each person responsible for his or her own choices. And past sins do not block a person from gaining forgiveness from God. What matters is what they are doing at the present moment to live as people of God. Paul constantly holds up Jesus as the perfect example for people of faith. Jesus emptied Himself for others and then died for all people of all times. Paul tells us, “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.” He goes into detail explaining, “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.” In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable using the symbol of a vineyard which is frequently used to represent Israel. We each can apply this symbol by looking at our own vineyard. God sends us out each moment of each day to work in our vineyard using the gifts given us by the Spirit. How are the fruits in my vineyard growing? What is my vineyard like? Where do I go to plant the Good News of the Gospel that God loves each person everywhere all the time? How do I model the compassion, forgiveness and love of all people that Jesus taught and exemplified in His life? Jesus today uses the example of tax collectors and sinners. They were the ones that realized through the teaching of John the Baptist that they had to turn over a new leaf. Was their life at rock bottom? Were their lives meaningless and empty? Maybe all of the above, but they reached out for help and God helps all who ask for help. Jesus compares them to the chief priests and elders of the people. These refused to listen to John the Baptist’s message on righteousness. WikipediA has an interesting definition of righteousness which fits perfectly today’s reading: “Righteousness is a theological concept in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. It is an attribute that implied that a person’s actions are justified, and can have the connotation that the person has been ‘judged’ or ‘reckoned’ as leading a life that is pleasing to God.” So the high priests and elders feel they are good people, teachers of the Law of Moses and not sinners. They have done nothing wrong. They are in the right. Jesus doesn’t judge them this way. ‘The chief priests and elders should have accepted the message of John the Baptist but refused. The tax collectors and prostitutes had no reason to believe John but they did and reformed. Unlike that first son who initially refused to go work in the vineyard but later did so, the chief priest and elders did not change their minds and did not accept the message of John the Baptist or of Jesus. They are an example of failed leadership and considered themselves to be above others. So I reflect on: • How am I doing in listening to Jesus’ message and applying it in my life? • I look at the times when I have said no to God’s ways, but then relented and did what was right. What did I learn from Jesus? • Jesus’ has showered His mercy on me time and time again. Has this led me to be merciful? Or just conditionally merciful? • Compassion and gratitude are only words until I live them in acts of generosity and kindness. Is this true in my life? Sacred Space 2017 states: “Jesus says to me, ‘What do you think?’ Do I take time out to think about where I stand in relation to God? Do I give my soul an opportunity to catch up? I ask the Lord to help me give time to thinking about the things that really matter. Jesus speaks this parable to me. I avoid applying it to others right now and simply accept Jesus’ warmth as He sees how I have served. I listen for His invitation as He shows me where I hold back.”

September 24, 2017

September 24, 2017

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

Isaiah 55: 6-9; Philippians 1: 20-24, 27; Matthew 20: 1-16

How many times do I hear, ‘It’s not fair!'  I would answer ‘a lot’.  I heard it all the years I spent in high school work.  I hear it routinely from the kids in school today, all years.  I hear it in people expecting something and they didn’t get it; whether it was a promotion, an award, a salary raise, even in those not receiving a present for their birthday or Christmas.  I hear it when people get bad reports from their physician.  I hear it when people are told they have a short amount of time to live.  I hear it when people make a comment about today’s gospel.  I heard it when Harvey hit Texas and the surrounding areas. I heard it when Mexico was hit by the earthquake and followed with hurricane Katia.  I continue to hear it from the devastation from Irma.  God is not fair.  If God is good, why does He allow all this pain and suffering.  I said it myself when I was young and I had to go to bed earlier than my sisters and brother; it didn’t seem to matter the they were 7 - 12 years older than I.  Or when they got special attention and I did not.  Or when I was ‘told’ to eat fish on Fridays.  It’s just not fair.   WHY?   WHY NOT?  Is God responsible for all the evil and all the bad things?  Is God responsible for all the sicknesses and diseases?   Is God the reason why terrorists kill and criminals violate society’s laws?  Is God a loving God?  Do I believe that God loves me?  How present is God to me every day?  Is God a God of love?

We look to Isaiah’s writing: scholars say that Isaiah is a book of poems composed by the author but also by disciples some of whom came many years after Isaiah.  Chapters 1-39 were from Isaiah himself; Chapters 40-55, commonly know as Deutero-Isaiah have been attributed to another poet who prophesied toward the end of the Babylonian exile. Chapters 56 -60 continued the work of the great prophet and were composed by disciples.  Today’s passage is from the last section of Deutero-Isaiah; the people are still exiled are very discouraged and demoralized.  Will they ever get to go back to Israel?  Jerusalem has already been destroyed and all the leaders, nobles and influential people are in exile.  Today the prophet is concluding a longer poem in which God speaks to offer encouragement.  “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call Him while He is near.”  The people had felt that God was in the great Temple of Jerusalem, but He is right here, present to the exiles.  Even though they don’t understand what is happening, God is merciful and forgiving.  We need to know God is present and is always loving.  Do we go to Him?  

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is believed to have been written toward the end of his life while he waits in prison for his death sentence.  So his words about life and death can be viewed in the immediacy of his martyrdom.  He knows that he will die and he is looking forward to being with God in heaven.  He also knows that as long as he is still here, God has plans for him.  “I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.  Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.”  The people still need to hear Jesus’ message and how they are to live the Gospel and share their life with others.  What a message for us:  while we have no reason to fear death, our lives are of great value each and every moment of life.  We have been promised by Jesus that we will be with Him forever in heaven, but while here on earth we are still called to live lives of witness and service.  God has a plan for each person.  Do we accept this plan?

The gospel is a parable, a story…it has nothing to do with fair labor practices.  In fact the focus is on the Last Judgment.  What will happen when that time comes?  Am I afraid or am I awaiting the final call to heaven.  This is what Jesus is talking about.  How will God act at the Final Judgment?  The Good News, the fantastic news is that God will be generous. The last will be first and the first will be last but this does not matter in any way.  God’s mercy and generosity will extend to every person.  The workers in the parable have a hard time in understanding the landowner’s actions and were very vocal that they were being treated unfairly.  Jesus is telling us that God treats people the same way and is generous in rewarding all people. 

Joseph Donders, a member of the Society of Missionaries of Africa, wrote these words about this gospel in The Fullness of Time.  It is a wonderful piece to sit and use as a guide to reflection and contemplation.  He says,       

 “God hears many complaints like:

• Why are others healthy, while I am sick and in pain?
• Why do others seem to be so happy, while I am so miserable?
• Why did she have to die so young and not live into old age, like most people?
• Why do other people seem to be so much more gifted than I am?

      These are often bitter cries that no social welfare system can quieten.  The parable in today’s gospel reading addresses this problem:  everything is a gift from God and no-one has an a priori right to anything - even to be called into existence.  We should be thankful for what we have got, and not complain about what we have not been given.

   The other side of the coin is that we too readily look down upon those who are less fortunate or are simply different from us, trying to convince ourselves that we are better than they are.  The owner of a Mercedes Benz may think he or she has a right to quicker service than the person in a Ford Fiesta.  Not so very long ago, left-handed people were forced to use their right hands instead, because they were considered abnormal.  Similarly, people with disabilities are often despised and treated as second-or third-class citizens.  We find non-smokers looking down upon smokers, vegetarians looking down upon meat-eaters, and so on, ad infinitum.

   There is an endless list of criteria by which those who consider themselves to be among the ‘first’ in our society judge themselves to be better than those who are ‘last’ — from people’s wealth, physique, looks, health, skin color, age, sex, religion, diet, race, and culture, down to which region or city they come from, and even which side of the street they live on.

   When Jesus says that ‘the last will be first, and the first last,' He is not so much turning that order around as abolishing it.  He does not intend to set up a new queuing system for God’s gifts, with a different group of people heading the queue.  He is saying that, in God’s eyes, the ‘first’ and the ‘last’ are brother and sister who stand before God as friends and equals.”   Do I believe God?

So I reflect on:

• Have I felt envious or entitled?  What has it gained me?
• How has gratitude and always seeking God transformed me?
• How do I react when I see others suffering from prejudice or injustice?  Am I as concerned as I would be if I were part of the group suffering?
• How can I become more aware of justice issues?

Sacred Space 2017 states:

   “This story will irritate us if we cannot glimpse something of God’s generosity and overflowing compassion.  Here I am, Lord.  You see how little I deserve, but you want to hold nothing back, if only I open my hands to receive it.

   The human mind suspects injustice while the heart of God sees only an opportunity to be generous.  Help me, Lord, to let go of my presumptions so that I may see as You do and act freely from a full heart.”