Homilies

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, June 17th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6
Second Reading: Acts 13:22-26
Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80

There are many lessons to be learned from today’s scripture readings, especially the lesson of mercy, forgiveness and love. But there is a deeper lesson mainly self honesty or self awareness with one self. Self awareness and self honesty are important if we are to make any real changes in our lives. Most of us grew up from early childhood and as our personalities are formed we often develop an image of ourselves that we would like other people to see or that we would like to see ourselves. Most of this is done subconsciously and we are not aware that we are developing an image. It is very difficult at times if that image is very different from whom we really are as a person. It is also very difficult for us to see ourselves as we really are. Even physically when we look in the mirror we can build a denial system about how we really look. For example, if we are trying to loose weight. The only real mirror that we can look at to get a true picture of ourselves is either through the mirror held up to us by the people around us who are able to see us much more clearly as we are then we do ourselves or if there are some life events that radically change us and make us look deep within ourselves and break down the denial system and the rationalization system that we have build around our image.

This lesson is very clear in today’s gospel and also in the first reading. In today’s Gospel we have the two main characters, namely the Pharisee and the woman known as the sinner. Both of them had an encounter with Christ and both were present with Christ at the same time. But if we look at Simon the Pharisee, we see that he saw himself as very self sufficient, even as smug as he may be, smug self sufficiency. He didn’t see himself as a sinner and therefore no need of forgiveness or mercy. It is also clear that he looked down on this woman as a sinner and eventually looked down on Christ because he allowed this woman the sinner to touch him and therefore Christ became defiled as a person.

At the end of his encounter with Christ he certainly had not changed any or was not any better. And in fact because he missed the opportunity to change his life, he probably came out the worse of the encounter.

On the other hand, the woman the sinner had no denial whatsoever of who she was, she made no attempt to rationalize or excuse her behavior. All she did was to throw herself at the mercy of Christ and to ask for his forgiveness. One would say that her encounter with Christ was life changing for the simple fact that she had no illusions about who she was and therefore it was very clear to her what she needed to do to change her life.

It is clear that unless we have a very clear picture of who we are we are going to experience problems with the three great relationships in our life namely; our relationship with Christ, our relationship with others and our relationship with one’s self. Because if we have a false picture of who we are then it is difficult for us to be truly effective in these relationships.

That is why in today’s first reading, David who was guilty of extremely serious sins, once he was confronted, was honest with himself and had a life changing experience and went on to become one of the great Kings of Israel. Likewise St. Paul who in the second reading, had at one stage of his life had diluted himself that he was doing a great service by killing the followers of Christ. And to his encounter with Christ that denial system broke down and his life changed for ever and he became the great Apostle. Likewise for ourselves then being honest with ourselves, getting a true picture of who we truly are is very difficult. We tend to guard our selves, we tend to rationalize and we tend to make excuses. That is why we react and sometimes over react to those around when they point out our faults because in our image of ourselves we do not have those faults or failings.

Therefore, it is clear that we need a lot of help in this matter and what greater way then as we celebrate the Eucharist this morning and we receive Christ that we ask him for the strength to overcome our fears of looking at ourselves as we truly are. Because if we do look at ourselves and truly understand ourselves then it will have a great benefit in our lives. In the words of Shakespeare will become very true in our lives when he said, “To thine own self be true, and as sure as night follows day you will not be falls to any man”.

Feast of John the Baptist - Role of the Prophet

Sunday, June 24th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6
Second Reading: Acts 13:22-26
Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80

We are more familiar with being introduced to John the Baptist during the season of Advent which is preparing us for the coming of Christ at Christmas. And the readings of scripture during that time often mention John as preparing the people at the time, the Chosen People, that Christ was among them, the promised Messiah. His message to them was to repent so that their hearts would be open to receiving Christ. Of course when we read these readings during the season of Advent, John the Baptist is giving us the same message as he gave the people of his own time. Indeed John the Baptist, in the words of Christ himself, “was the last of the great prophets”.

Most of us understand the prophet as someone who is gifted to be able to see into the future. Certainly in the Old Testament some of the prophets like Isaiah made many references to the coming of the promised Messiah. But the primary role of the prophet was to be a witness. That was the primary role and the gift that they received, not so much to foretell the future. And if we look through the Old Testament, which is the history of the Chosen People, indeed the history of our own salvation; we see that the prophet’s primary vocation was to be a witness to God’s word to his people. The primary calling then was to be a witness to the teachings and the message of God. They were usually sent at a time by God when the Chosen People had broken their covenant with Him. When they had forgotten that he had rescued them from slavery in Egypt and had led them to the Promised Land. When they forgot that he was to be their God and they were to be his people. And when they had taken on the values and the pagan practices of their neighbours you can well imagine that the message of the prophet was not very popular. Many of the prophets were rejected and even put to death. It was a case of “shoot the messenger” rather than deal with the message. On looking back through the Old Testament we certainly see that each of the prophets was the right person at the right time with the right message sent by God.

We may well ask what all of this has to do with us in the year 2007, and what the message is for us? The message for us is very clear that each of us has also been called to be a prophet, in other words to be a witness to the message that we have received from Christ about his teachings and his values. At Baptism each of us was anointed with the oil of chrism and the priest said the words over us, “You are anointed a priest and a prophet”. That is reemphasized to us again when we are anointed in the sacrament of Confirmation. We fulfill our role as a prophet, our vocation as a prophet, by being a witness by what we do and say in our daily lives. We are prophets to those in our own home, parents to children and spouse to spouse. We are prophets to those with whom we come in contact with on a daily basis in our community and places of work. When we are witnesses to sacrifice in our lives we are prophets; when we are witnesses to caring in our lives we are prophets; when we are witnesses to courage in our lives we are prophets; when we show leadership we are prophets. We also realize that God did not cease to send prophets with the coming of Christ. But down through the age’s right up to the present time, in generation after generation he has sent many prophets to us. And the question becomes for us, do we recognize the prophets in our own life? Certainly as we look back on our lives we can see that for many of us our parents were witnesses to the message of Christ; our teachers that taught us the Christian doctrine were witnesses, prophets sent by God. We see in our own lives many people such as Mother Theresa, who certainly was a witness to the world in which we live by her example of dedication to the poor and the destitute in a world that is obsessed with riches.

Today then as we offer the Eucharist and we come to receive Christ at communion time, we should pray that each of us will be given the strength and the courage to be witnesses and prophets. That we will remember that the final words of the Eucharist at time of dismissal are, “go and serve the Lord and serve one another”.

Thorn in the Flesh
Sunday, July 9th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5
Second Reading: Second Corinthians 12:7-10
Gospel: Mark 6:1-6

In the Second Reading St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he relates that he was granted great blessings, but also given a “thorn in the flesh” to remind him of his human weakness, keep him humble.
“Thorn in the flesh” is a powerful image – we all have experienced being pierced by a thorn.
The image suggest something very painful, a constant nagging – long lasting –
test our patience

It can take many forms –
An illness: physical / mental
A worry – something about the future, health, financial security, children – will they be o.k., or a family member who is in trouble.
Worry about out relationships – will they stand the test of time.
An addiction/obsession/compulsion
Maybe another person who is difficult to live with and we may even have to take care of that person.

Paul and all of us would probably love to be rid of it. Many times he, maybe we, begged God to be rid of it; but God did not do so. Obviously we should make every effort to be rid of the thorn when possible. But many times it may not be possible. The nature of the problem is that it is permanent or we don’t have control of the situation – Paul eventually accepted that the thorn was there to stay God assures him of the grace to take care of it – “May grace is sufficient for you”
-same words are spoken to us.
God’s grace works through our human weakness. But we need to surrender to
our limited control over what ever may be the “thorn in the flesh.”

These “thorns in our side” can be opportunities to grow spiritually or we can become bitter, become a victim. They teach us how vulnerable, fragile life can be. Through them we can experience the care, love of God; Christ himself had thorns in his side-rejection by his own people, the fear of what he was to endure.
These are moments of grace “of God’s presence” in our lives.

We are more likely to meet God not in our moments of strength, but in our moments of weakness. The following reflection summarizes this point:

In our weakness we experience the power of God.
In our darkness we experience his light
In our despair we experience his hope
In our sins we experience his mercy
In our sorrows we experience his consolation
In our surrender to life we experience his victory over life and death.

God Works Through Us
Sunday, July 16th, 2006
Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Amos 7:12-15
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 or 1:3-10
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parishioners,Would life be more comfortable if we did not believe in God? Sometimes it would be easer, if we would not have to live up to the values of the Gospel. We could be less responsible. We could remain in our “comfort zone”. In today’s Gospel, Mark relates how Christ sent out the apostles to share his mission and to take little or nothing with them for the journey. No doubt it took them out of their comfort zone, made them uncomfortable

All of us here today, like the majority of people in this country believe in God. Never the less we may be uncomfortable or even angry with God because of the tragedies and pain that exists in our world. We have a belief and a reliance on the providence of God, so he should take care of or prevent these misfortunes from happening. We see our roles as being a passive one. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is not going to come down and do it himself. God works through us.This reminds me of a story I read some time ago.

One winter’s day a man came upon a small boy sitting begging on a wind-swept city bridge. The boy was shivering from the cold and looked undernourished. On seeing him the man got very angry and said to God:
‘Lord, why don’t you do something about this boy?’
And God replied, ‘I have already done something about him.’
This surprised the man so he said, ‘I hope you don’t mind me saying this: but whatever you did, it doesn’t seem to be working.’
‘I agree with you there,’ God replied.
‘By the way, what did you do?’ the man asked.
‘I made you,’ came the reply.

This is the message Christ was sending to his apostles and to us in today’s Gospel.

There is nothing wrong in asking God to right wrongs and comfort the suffering. But we need to remember he expects us to do our part. We are his instruments, his representatives, his hands, and his feet. It is a great challenge for all of us to be active, not passive followers of Christ. We don’t have to search very far to see the opportunities; they are in our family, our street, our church, our school, our place of work, our community. All one needs is a warm heart.
The Rhythm of the Spiritual Life
Sunday, July 23rd, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-16
Second Reading: Ephesians 2:13-18
Gospel: Mark 6:30-34

Dear Parishioners,

In last Sunday’s Gospel we read that Jesus had sent his Apostles on a difficult mission. In today’s Gospel we read that when they returned from that mission Jesus wanted them to retreat to a quiet place so that they could “recharge their batteries”.
There is a lesson here for us. Here we see what might be called the rhythm of the spiritual life. We need to see our spiritual life as a continuous going into the presence of God from the presence of the world we live in and coming back into the presence of our everyday world from the presence of God. It is something like the rhythm of sleep and work. We cannot work unless we have our time to rest and sleep comes when we have worked until we are tired.

In real life it doesn’t go that smoothly because in our high-tech, multitasking world there is the danger of too constant activity. There was a time when home was home, not a pit stop for data gathering before heading back to the office. In today’s world, for many there is no down time. We have cell phones in the car, beepers in our pocket and of course instant messaging. We carry them to Disneyland, to the beach, and even to the bathroom. This means that a lot of people are working twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, even when they’re not technically at work.

No doubt with modern technology we can do wonderful things but at the same time it gives us little time to focus internally. We are so accustomed to being focused on the outside that when quiet moments come and one is alone with oneself we are uncomfortable. So we turn on a radio, TV or go to the computer. We have lost the art of self introspection. We do not know how to be still and listen. We often miss these opportunities to be alone with God. We give God no opportunity to speak to us. None of us can work without rest; and none of us can have a spiritual life, a relationship with Christ, unless we give ourselves time with him. We do not give him the opportunity to recharge us with the spiritual energy and strength because there is no time when we wait for him. How can Christ fulfill in us the beautiful and loving promise he reveals in today’s Psalm. How can we shoulder life’s burdens if we have no contact with him?
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
As we saw in last Sunday’s Gospel, we are called to be instruments of God; we are the feet, the hands, the ears, and the mouth of Christ. This is not possible without time with him. So as we go through the day let us ask ourselves at day’s end – Did I spend one minute alone with Christ? It is very important that we teach our children by our example because they are being raised in a world that has more distractions then any previous generation.
Feeding the Five Thousand
Sunday, July 30th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Second Kings 4:42-44
Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6
Gospel: John 6:1-15

Dear Parishioners,

The story from today’s Gospel according to John is familiar and we know all of the characters involved, the hungry multitude, the doubting disciples, the generous boy, the five barley loaves and fishes, and the Lord who pulls it all off.

The question to be put about the miracle is “What does this say?” At its essence a miracle is a message that God chooses to communicate to us. A miracle is God’s extraordinary message in the midst of the ordinary. The people in today’s Gospel received the message. “When the people saw the sign which he had done they said, this is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world”. It was also a sign of Jesus responding to an urgent need, namely, the hunger of the people.

We could label the miracle in today’s Gospel, a miracle of generosity. The message for us is the need to have generous hearts. Food is the first necessity of life. Without food no life is possible, much less a higher form of life. Feeding the hungry is the first of the great corporal works of mercy. At the last judgment Jesus will say, “I was hungry and you gave me food” or “I was hungry and you did not give me food.”

Today there is a preoccupation with food but if varies greatly from one part of the world to another. In the developed world, we have too much food. The main preoccupation of many of us has been how to cut down on food so that we can reduce our weight. In the third world the problem is how to get anything to eat at all.

Today’s Gospel is a reminder to us to be grateful and to count our blessings. Let us in the midst of plenty be careful not to waste it. It should be a reminder to us to be actively concerned about these who are experiencing hunger and famine. We see the heart wrenching pictures on T.V.

You may ask, “What can I do about it?” First we must have a mind set that we don’t turn a blind eye or have the attitude of helplessness. Secondly there are numerous organizations locally and nationally we can support. Our support should involve a sense of sacrifice and not from our left over. We should teach our children to sacrifice from their abundance.

Mother Teresa tells the following story.

One night a man came to our house and told me, “There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days.” I took some food with me and went. When I came to that family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided the rice in two, and went out, carrying half the rice. When she same back, I asked her, “Where did you go?” She gave me this simple answer, “To my neighbors; they are hungry also!” I was not surprised that she gave – poor people are really very generous. I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves; we have no time for others.

Feast of the Transfiguration
Sunday, August 6th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Second Reading: Second Peter 1:16-19
Gospel: Mark 9:2-10

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parishioners,

In today’s Gospel we have the description of the Transfiguration. It gives us a glimpse into the power and nature of Christ. It is probably a safe bet that the disciples were not too sure what it all meant. We need to ask the same question, “What does it mean to us in our daily lives?” The key for us in trying to understand what it could mean is to look at the words God spoke – “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

As we read through the Gospels Christ speaks very clearly about his message the values he wants us to use as guidelines in our everyday life. The reality is that just as the Gospel tells us Christ was transfigured, so must we be transfigured and transformed. Actually our life journey is one of continuous transformation. As we go through the different stages of life we face challenges that require us to transform ourselves as we experience different relationships we often are called upon to transform ourselves. As we face the challenge of new responsibilities, new tasks, we often have to change and transform ourselves. We often have to die to our old self and take on a new self. We often have to die to old habits, old failings and take on new and better habits.

How do we accomplish all of this in the world we live in? Well we take heed of God’s exultation – “Listen to my beloved Son.” Follow the example he has given you. If we wish to listen to Jesus. If we want to follow his example, then we need to go to the Gospels. Everything that was written about what he said and did could be summarized in nine mega truths, nine mega themes, and -nine values. These nine things he did in his life, he wants us to do in our life, which is how we should live in our everyday world.

To continue to transform ourselves as we go through the stages of life we have to build these values in our life and here they are:

Discernment: To live with discernment means we are not suckered in by popular culture. We ask – is this God’s view of the world?

Integrity: To live with integrity; but not perfection. I am who I say I am. I am not swayed by what is politically correct at this moment in time.

Humility: A sense of humility; realizing we can’t do it on our own.

Simplicity: Live with simplicity. Do not let the complexities of live govern our lives. Do not let our pursuit for possessions dominate our life.

Faith: Live with faith; Jesus says, “With God everything is possible.” “Everything is possible to him who believes.

Hospitality: Practice hospitality; It’s love with hands and feet on it. Hospitality is in danger of becoming a lost art, because many people have shallow relationships. Hospitality is evident when we genuinely care for each other.

Civility: Christ says, “In everything you do, do to others what you’d have them do to you.” “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” Sadly, civility has become a counter culture value in our society where aggressiveness and in your face is more valued.

Charity: The Bible tells us that the greatest of all virtues is love. Charity is a big basket that holds forgiveness, mercy, kindness, and compassion.
Generosity: God is generous. “God so loved that He gave himself.” Materialism is all about getting, generosity is about giving. When I give I win a spiritual victory. God tells us, “use your worldly resources to benefit others. Your generosity stores up for you a reward in heaven”.

We are well aware that living these values which are counter culture is difficult.

But we also know and believe that God never asks the impossible. He will give us the help we need. In the Eucharist, Christ is the food for our journey of life. Let us believe that he will fulfill his promise.
Our Spiritual Sustenance
Sunday, August 13th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: First Kings 19:4-8
Second Reading: Ephesians 4:30–5:2
Gospel: John 6:41-51

Dear Parishioners,

In todays world there is a great hunger for spiritual sustenance. Millions of people believe that there are realities beyond material possessions. The questions about who we are and what will become of us must be addressed and that we cannot reach peace of mind and soul without acknowledging dependence on God. Many people seek that spiritual sustenance in movements and groups outside the main stream churches. Our Scripture Readings today from 1 Kings 19:4-8 and John 6. 41-45 suggest how we can satisfy this spiritual hunger.

The drive to seek answers to the spiritual hunger we feel is often made more urgent by the sense of loneliness and isolation many feel in todays world. In todays First Reading we see that Elijah felt depressed and alone. He wanted his life to end. He even prayed that it would happen.

How did God respond to his prayer? He answered it in a way Elijah had not wanted. God sent an angel to him with food and water. And strengthened by this food ‘from heaven’ he received his spiritual sustenance to continue with his life’s journey and mission. As a matter of fact, this may have been a natural rather than a supernatural happening. It may well have been his servant rather than an ‘angel’ who fed him. This should not surprise us because the normal way in which God works is through human agencies. There is a little story which illustrates this.

There was a bad flood and the cellar of Thomas’ house filled up with water. A man came by in a canoe and said, ‘Do you want a lift to safety, but Thomas said, ‘I have faith in God. He will save me.’

The water rose and flooded the ground floor. Thomas was forced to go upstairs. A man in a motor boat came by and offered to take him to safety, but Thomas said, ‘I have faith in God. He will save me’.

The water rose higher still and Thomas had to take to the roof. A helicopter came by and the pilot offered to take him to safety. But once again Thomas declined, saying, ‘I have faith in God. He will save me.’
And he sat there waiting for God.

But the water continued to rise and he drowned. On arriving in heaven he said angrily to God, ’I had faith in you, and still you let me drown.’ To which God replied, ‘Not once, but three times, I sent you help, and each time you refused it.’

We don’t always recognize God’s help when it comes. Prayer is answered not in God doing things for us, but in God helping us to do things for ourselves and for one another. We will wait in vain for a heavenly angel. But God sends us human angels. For example this past week I am watching the evening news and a woman named Kathy Justie was interviewed. For the past 10 years she has suffered from a rare form of cancer. She is a wife and a mother of two young children. She is living on borrowed time. In addition to her family duties, she has made tremendous effort to find a cure for this rare form of cancer. She formed an organization which brought together the top cancer hospital, scientists and pharmaceutical companies to work together. A tremendous achievement which has helped produce better medications to help others in the future, but probably too late to help her. She is truly an example of how God works through us humans to help each other. To feed our spiritual and emotional needs.

The Bible says we are supposed to help each other. The Bible calls it fellowship. We are not supposed to go through life as Lone Rangers. We are supposed to have people that we depend on and in turn people who depend on us. This is one of the means how we are spiritually fed.

This week I read a study by the Department of Mental Health. They discovered that if you isolate yourself from other people, if all you have is acquaintances, no close friends, you have no intimate relationships with other believers, other people, you are three times more likely to die an early death, four times more likely to suffer emotional burn out, five times more likely to be clinically depressed and ten times more likely to be hospitalized for emotional or mental disorder. We are made for relationships. This is how God designed it. In Ecclesiastes 4, the Bible says, “Two people are better then one, because they get more done by working together. If one falls down, the other can help him up.” The next verse in that chapter says, “If you don’t have anyone to help you when you’re all alone, pity on you.”

In our daily life we all get opportunities to be human angels to someone in distress, someone in need. Sometimes it may mean doing something such as visiting someone. Other times it may mean being a source of encouragement. Sometimes it may mean being a comforting presence, so that the person doesn’t have to suffer alone.

Here in our parish for example our Eucharist Ministers do much of this work. But we need a lot more Ministries to meet the needs of others and we intend to do so in the coming months.

Many of us have the opportunity to be givers and receivers, as Christ makes clear in today’s Gospel when he says. “I am the bread of life.” This is the Christ we receive today in the Eucharist.

Let us pray that we will be our spiritual sustenance. Let us pray that we will be a sense of spiritual sustenance to others in our daily life.
Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sunday, August 12th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9
Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12
Gospel: Luke 12:32-48 or 12:35-40

In today’s second reading from Hebrews, Paul tells us “that faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen”. But you and I know that in the world in which we live that the phrase “seeing is believing” is more on our mind than the quotation of Saint Paul. We live in an age in which we have seen fantastic advances in the field of technology, science and medicine. But we also live in an age in which we are somewhat skeptical and maybe even cynical. We believe we have been betrayed by the important institutions in our lives; government, church and financial institutions. So there is good grounds for us to be somewhat skeptical and therefore “seeing is believing” is more our philosophy in every day life.

Yet we live in an age where we have to travel life’s journey as Christians and the quotation of Paul “faith is the realization of what is hope for and evidence of things not seen” is still the guiding light in our lives. In the first reading today from Wisdom he refers to the journey of our spiritual forefathers out of slavery and oppression in Egypt to the Promised Land. For them to take that journey and to trust in Moses and in God they had to have a wonderful faith in the hope that things would be realized and faith in what they could not see. We all know that it was a very arduous journey with many moments of despair and darkness and set backs. In the end that faith and trust saw them to take possession of the Promised Land.

In the second reading of Paul to the Hebrews he gives Abraham who was “the father of faith” not only for our spiritual forefathers but for us as well, as an example of how to live out “faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen”. We know that Abraham was called by God to go on a journey; to leave his native land and his people; and to set out into unknown land that God had promised him he would possess and that his heirs would become as numerous as the stars of the sky. For Abraham to have this kind of faith is a tremendous example of how he used this as a light and the only compass to guide him on his journey. For Abraham it must have seemed impossible at times, but never the less he never lost his faith in the trustworthiness of God. His faith in the trustworthiness of God was the basis of his relationship with God and that it strengthened him and enabled him to be the person he was. We too in our life need to have faith in this trustworthiness of God.

We are all called to follow life’s journey and there are many moments like Abraham in which we will be asked to leave our comfort zone and go to another place. We begin that journey in leaving the comfort of our mother’s wound until the last part of that journey will be crossing that bridge from this life to another, from what we know and is comfortable to what is unknown. In between we will receive many more calls along the way as we journey through life beginning as a little child as we leave home to begin school, and then move on to high school, and then on to college where we leave home probably forever, in the sense that we will have to begin our own life separate from our family; get a job, begin relationships, begin marriages, begin families, all having to leave one comfort level to move to the unknown and where it may lead us. We could say that Abraham through his faith was a risk taker and that his faith enabled him to absorb the blows that life sometimes can deal us. We too will need this faith in the trustworthiness of God to be our guiding light, and our shield against the ups and downs of life.

So this morning let us pray as we celebrate the Eucharist and indeed through out the week that our faith in this trustworthiness of God will be the basis of our relationship with him. That despite the fact that we live in a world in which we tend to be skeptical and cynical, that we will never lose this sense of faith and trust in the trustworthiness of God.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, August 20th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Proverbs 9:1-6
Second Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20
Gospel: John 6:51-58
Dear Parishioners,

In today’s Gospel John 6:51-59, these verses created serious problems for his listeners as we can see from their reactions and questions. Some misinterpreted it and took it literally, when in fact Christ was referring to what we refer to as the Eucharistic sacrifice; which was made possible by the breaking of his flesh and shedding of his blood on Calvary. If one takes all of chapter six, it is really a test of faith in our belief that Jesus through his Word, his teachings, and the Eucharist is our life food which sustains us on life’s journey.

If we compare today’s Gospel with the deliverance of the Chosen People from slavery in Egypt, their journey through the desert to the Promised Land we see many similarities that should have been familiar to his audience. Like the chosen people, all of us here today are on a journey. We too, through our Baptism, were freed from the darkness of sin and given a share in the life of God. We too believe that the end of the journey is Heaven, the Promised Land. But that journey takes us through the desert of life. That journey will have its twists and turns, its moments of joy and sorrow, moments of anxiety, moments of fear, of despair, and of anger at life. These are the moments we spend going through the dark valleys.

But the good news is that we do survive and continue on our life journey because the same God who was present to the chosen people, who fed them with manna and sustained them, is also present to you and me. This is what Jesus in telling us in today’s Gospel. Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven.” This is a very real intervention of God into our lives; much more powerful then the manna given to the chosen people. And Jesus goes on to say – “Who ever eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. Who ever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. In other words, we are talking about the continuing presence of God in our lives in the person of Christ.

Just as the Chosen People did not have to wait until the Promised Land to experience the presence of God in their lives, neither do we. We experience Christ in the here and now when he comes to us in the Eucharist. This is one of the reasons it is so important for us to be present at Mass, so that we can share in the person of Christ. So that we can receive the sustenance, our daily bread, to help us on our life journey.

But we do not leave Christ and neither does he leave us at the church doors as we leave. He remains a presence as he promised – “I am the bread of life and I remain in you and you remain in me.”

We need to reflect his presence in our lives, especially by what we say and do. This is signified in the final blessing of the Mass – “Go in peace to serve the Lord and serve one another”.
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, August 19th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4
Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

In today’s gospel we read that Christ said “I came to cast fire on the earth and I came not to bring peace but rather division.” At first glance we may find this statement rather shocking and very contrary to our belief and image of what Christ stood for. We see him as somebody who advocates peace, love and understanding. But the reality is we should not take these statements out of context because they do really contain a very clear message for us, even though the statement seems to at first sight shock us. There is a tendency in our day and age to domesticate the gospel just like a Hallmark card and we like to have a feel good experience. We often refer to this as “the feel good religion”. What this means in practice is that we may be concerned about “our own spiritual welfare” which becomes very inwardly based without to much concern for other people. What this “feel good religion” really means in reality is that we often like the “feel good politics of our day and ignore the realities and the challenges of the world that we face.”

We need to remember that the gospel which is often a source of comfort in our life, is also a source of challenges in our life. And when we fail to remember that the fire is gone out of our religious life; the salt has lost its flavor; and the light has grown dim. We also know from history that religion has often been a source of division even though that is not what Christ intended. We know that people take the gospel and religion and make it a source of division of people for political reasons, to seek power, and to further their own self interests. We are well aware that many religious wars including what we are experiencing this present day are the source of great violence and horror.

When we look at the over all messages of Christ, we should not be surprised that it does cause division among us in the sense that when we choose to ignore, to follow the teachings it does create division. For example, when Christ says that he came to establish the kingdom of his Father we begin to ask ourselves what did he mean, because we say the same words each day in the Our Father when we pray “Thy Kingdom Come”. But Christ really was telling us was that he came to bring values and teachings to enlarge on and to replace those that went before his time. When he made clear to his own people that this kingdom was not exclusively for the “Chosen People” but open to all peoples, be the Samaritans, the Canaanites, tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. This teaching was not well accepted by his own people and even by his own disciples. And it did immediately create a division between Christ and those who did not accept his concept of the kingdom of his Father. Then when we look at when Christ spoke about justice and against those who took advantage of the helpless, those who had no voice in society, we realize that those who were guilty of such abuses set themselves up against him. When he talked about honesty and integrity he created enemies with those who were dishonest. When he talked about being tolerant he made enemies of those who were bigots, prejudice and who had little time for those who are different from themselves. It is no different today when we preach about what the kingdom of God is about, when we preach about justice, integrity, and tolerance for those who are different from us. Archbishop Camara, of Brazil put it very well when he said, ‘’When I give bread to the poor they call me a saint; when I asked why the poor do not have bread then I am branded a communist.” Christ’s message was that he came to set fire to the earth and that fire was to purify us and to be a light. And we also know that when he left this world that he left this fire to be kindled, he intended that responsibility to be ours. Let us pray today that we may in our own lives realize that when we tend to that fire, when we kindle it that we may in reality be setting up divisions among our selves and those who refuse or who ignore the values of the gospel.

Discipline of inclusion

Sunday, August 26th, 2007
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year C, Cycle IFirst Reading: Isaiah 66:18-21
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Gospel: Luke 13:22-30
As we look at the first reading from the prophet Isaiah and the gospel from Luke, it is clear that one of the themes running through it is the theme of inclusion vs. exclusion. I was reminded of the story I once heard from a radio Pastor, who compared the discipline of inclusion to two porcupines that found themselves in the middle of a blizzard struggling to keep warm. Because of their quills, the nearer to each other they huddled, the more painful it became. Soon they had to move apart and lay beside each other, shivering in the cold. They needed each even though they needled each other. Many of us are like the porcupines in the sense that we have our good points, but we allow certain “sticking points” to keep us apart.

These “sticking points” are many and varied; some allow race or gender to separate and divide, some choose to exclude people on the basis of their color or ethnic background. When we look back on the last seventy years we realize what havoc and destruction to the human soul and to the good will of men that this exclusion vs. inclusion has caused. When we look at the Second World War and Hitler’s campaign to make the Ayran race the supreme race in Germany and in Europe at the expense of other races, we see that he set up concentration camps to exterminate those whom he did not believe should be included. We also know that from more recent history in the wars in Bosnia and Serbia, which involves people trying to be totally exclusive rather than inclusive, led to a repeat of the crimes from the Second World War that we thought we were finished with the end of Hitler’s reign. We have seen in Rwanda the terrible destruction between the Tsutsis Tribe and the Hutus Tribe both of whom were Catholic. One massacred the other even within the confines of their churches where they had come for sanctuary.

Unfortunately religion is sometimes used as one of these dividing forces when it should be inclusive rather than exclusive. Going back thousands of years, we have plenty of examples of how religion was used to exclude rather than to include. We see this today in the strong division between the extreme forms of Islam vs. the western world. Other times we see it even in our own history of America as we struggle with trying to be inclusive rather than exclusive, and we have plenty of examples of how much pain it has caused in the life of many people. We have examples of social clubs where the intent is to exclude rather than to include.

I am reminded of the story of Mahatma Gandhi, the famous liberator of India who as a student studied the Gospels and was firmly convinced that he had found the answer to the terrible caste system in his own country. Some people were regarded as the “untouchables”. His intent was to become a Christian, with that in mind he visited a church in Washington one Sunday following the service he met with the Pastor to discuss his possible instructions of conversation to Christianity. Unfortunately upon entering the church he was met by the ushers who upon seeing him immediately concluded and told him that he did not belong in that particular church, but needed to go to another church at the other side of town. As he left the church he was firmly convinced that he never wanted to be a Christian and would stay a Hindu because the Christian church had the same caste system as his own country.

It is clear that in Isaiah’s reading this morning when he refers to the Lord as saying “I come to gather nations of every language and they shall come and see my glory” that he was letting Israel know even though they were the Chosen People they certainly needed to be more inclusive rather than exclusive. Unfortunately right up to the coming of Christ they never really got the message. When Christ tried to explain and teach them about inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness they were shocked and regarded him as a trouble maker.

In today’s gospel story when Christ talks about “that people will come from the east and the west and from the north and from the south and will sit at the table in the Kingdom of God. So it is very clear that the teachings of Christ and the message from God our father is that in our own daily lives as Christians we need to be inclusive rather than exclusive. We need to examine our hearts and souls and rid ourselves of the prejudice, suspicions, and any other form of discrimination, be it race, gender, ethnic background, education or financial that exist within each and everyone of us. It is clear that Christ in this morning’s gospel in referring to his own people, warned them just because I came and eat and drink in your midst and because you heard my message, does not mean that you will enter through the narrow gate. Christ is looking for not just knowledge of him, but a relationship with him so that we may have the strength to come through the narrow gate; to have a heart that is open and warm rather than cold. Our prayer should be to come, spirit of God, spirit of Christ, and make us your disciples. Warm, what has become cold. Drive out our fears, prejudices, suspicions and restrictions and open our hearts with the love that welcomes reverences, includes and loves. Amen.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, August 27th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-17, 18
Second Reading: Ephesians 5:21-32
Gospel: John 6:60-69

Dear Parishoners,

The passages from John 6 that we have been considering on recent Sundays have reminded us of some of the ways in which God feeds us, his people. Especially God feeds us through Jesus, the revealer, who explains and exemplifies who God is and what God wills for us. This revelation is transmitted to us through the teachings of Jesus and through sharing his flesh and blood, the sacrament of the Eucharist. At the end of today’s Gospel reading Jesus challenges the people and the Apostles to make a decision about where they stood in relation to him. Jesus called upon the people who had listened to his discourse of the Bread of Life to make up their minds whether or not they were going to believe in him and follow him. Like wise Joshua in today’s First Reading confronts the people with a vital decision-to serve the one true God or to serve false gods. Joshua himself announced – “As for me, I will serve the Lord”.

Obviously everyday of our life we make decisions, some insignificant and others very significant that can have a profound impact on our life. Victor Franlel who spent three years in a Nazi Concentration Camp wrote, “Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment”. This is the type of decision Joshua asked of himself and the Chosen People; this is the type of decision that Jesus asked of his people and his Apostles. This is the type of decision he is asking of you and me. This is not just an intellectual decision; no it is a deep commitment to a relationship with him. This is what love is really all about. It’s about commitment. You don’t really love somebody unless you are committed to their best. Nothing ever significant happens in life without commitment. Your commitments determine your future. That is what Christ is looking for from us.

What does it mean to being committed to Christ? We can answer by looking at today’s readings. In the First Reading their choice was to make a commitment to the God which rescued them from slavery or to the false gods of their neighbours. We too are asked to make the same choice. So often we can let the “gods” of our culture take precedence over our commitment to Jesus. Scripture tells us – “Where ever your heart is that is where your commitment is”. Spend time searching your heart and see where it truly belongs. The answer will determine what you need to do.

In the Gospel we see where many could not make that commitment to Christ. Many turned their back on Christ because he did not meet their expectations of what the Messiah would be. We too need to be careful that we don’t make a God to our liking, a God that we are comfortable with. That God may be very distant from the Christ of the Gospels. Others rejected him because they didn’t like his teachings, and the values he stood for. They turned their backs and walked away. Again it is very easy for us to drift into interrealizing the values that are easy and comfortable, and to reject those that demand sacrifice, make us uncomfortable and challenge us. That can make our commitment to Christ a very luke warm one.

Our commitment simply means that we spend time and energy into developing our relationship with Christ. Relationships do not grow without commitment to spend time and effort. Each day we need to communicate with him in a prayer. We need to get to know him by reading the scriptures, where he reveals himself to us.

We need to exemplify these for our children. In our daily life we need to be conscious of the values of the Gospel, the Corporal Works of Mercy and let them influence our attitudes and actions.

So when Christ turns to you and me and asks the question – “Do you also want to leave me?” Hopefully our answer will be, “Master to whom shall we go?” You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy one of God.” In the Eucharist which we are to celebrate we receive the Bred of Life, who will sustain us in our commitment to him.
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
Year B, Cycle I
First Reading: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-17, 18
Second Reading: Ephesians 5:21-32
Gospel: John 6:60-69
The passage from John’s Chapter 6 Gospel that we have been considering on recent Sundays’ have reminded us of some of the ways in which God feeds us, His people. Especially God feeds us through Jesus, the revealer, who explains and exemplifies who God the Father is and what God does for us. This revelation is transmitted to us through the teachings of Jesus and through sharing his flesh and blood in the sacrament of the Eucharist. At the end of today’s Gospel reading, Jesus challenges the people and the Apostles to make a decision about where they stood in a relationship to him. Jesus called upon the people who had listened to his discourse on the Bread of Life to make up their minds whether or not they were going to believe in Him and follow Him. Likewise Joshua, in today’s First Reading also challenges his people with a vital decision to serve the one true God or to serve the false gods of the culture in which they lived. Joshua himself announces “as for me, I will serve the Lord.”Obviously every day of our life we make decisions, some insignificant and others very significant, that can have a profound impact upon our lives. Victor Frankel, who spent three years in a Nazi concentration camp, wrote “man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be and what will become of him in the next moment.” This is the type of decision Joshua asked of himself and of the Chosen people; this is the type of decision that Jesus asked of his people and his Apostles; this is the type of decision he is asking of you and me. This is not just an intellectual decision; no it is a deep commitment to a relationship with Christ. This is what love is really all about. It’s about commitment. You don’t really love somebody unless you are committed to their best interests. Nothing of significance ever happens in life without commitment. Our commitment determines our future. This is what Christ is looking for from us.

What does it mean to being committed to Christ? We can answer by looking at today’s readings. In the First Reading there is a choice that has to be made and a commitment to the God who rescued them from slavery in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land, or to the false gods of their neighbors and the culture in which they existed. We too are asked to make the same choice. So often we can let “the gods of our culture take precedence over our commitment to Jesus”. Scripture tells us “wherever your heart is, that is where your commitment is”. Spend time searching your heart and see where it truly belongs, the answer will determine what you need to do.

In today’s Gospel we see where many could not make that commitment to Christ. Many turned their back on Christ because he did not meet their expectations of what the Messiah would be. We too need to be careful that we don’t make a god to our own liking. A god that we are comfortable with. That God may be very distant from the Christ of the Gospels. Others rejected him because they didn’t like his teachings and the values he stood for. They turned their backs and walked away. Again it is very easy for us to drift into internalizing the values that are easy and comfortable, and to reject those that demand sacrifice. To reject those that makes us uncomfortable, and challenge us. They can make our commitment to Christ a very lukewarm one.

Our commitment simply means that we spend time and energy into developing our relationship with Christ. Relationships do not grow without commitment to spend time and effort. Each day we need to communicate with Him in prayer. We need to get to know Him by reading the scriptures where he reveals himself to us. We need to especially teach these values to our children. In our daily life we need to be conscious of the values of the Gospel, corporal works of mercy, and let them influence our attitudes and actions.

So when Christ turns to you and me and asked the question, “do you also want to leave me?” Hopefully our answer will be, “master to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe, and we are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.“

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24
Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14

In today’s first reading from the book of Sirach and the gospel according to Luke, it is a very clear message about the necessity of having the sense of humility in our daily life. In the reading from the book of Sirach it tells us “my child conduct your affairs with humility and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself more, the greater you are and you will find favor with God.” In the antiphon Christ also tells us today, “take my yoke upon you, says the Lord, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” He also tells us “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, while the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” The reality is that in our daily lives humility becomes one of the pillars of our spiritual life. When we see our spiritual life as living out the three great relationships namely, with God, with others, and with one’s self we realize how important the sense of humility is.

So we may well ask ourselves what is humility? Many of us have been raised to believe that being humble means to turn back praise for gifts we may possess, for good qualities that we may exhibit, incase we would become too “puffed up” and have a false sense of pride. The clear definition of humility is that it is the truth, so therefore what ever gifts and qualities we possess we should truly acknowledge as well as our weaknesses. Humility does not mean that we should not have a sense of pride in our achievements and in the gifts we possess. But having a sense of humility and truly understanding who I am enhances those three great relationships with God, with others, and one’s self. Those relationships then would be built on honesty and not on an image that we have on ourselves.

Since we are not born with the virtue of humility, we may well ask ourselves how we develop this virtue. It is obvious that it could take great effort and sometimes that effort is beyond our human capabilities. We need to be grounded in our relationship with Christ and experience the grace of God to help us achieve this sense of humility. It is also well to remember that the sense of humility is enhanced by our sense of reverence for the world around us, and everything that we do that is beyond our human limitations. It becomes clear that despite all our great advances in medicine, science, space, and technology, we realize that there is so much more in life that we do not understand because of our limited capabilities, and this includes our understanding of God. The advances that we make in these different fields of science, medicine, and technology, the more we should have a greater appreciation of this wonderful world in which we live and of God, the creator our Father. We begin to truly realize that this great creation, and above all the creation of the human person is really beyond our comprehension and should increase our reverence for all that is beyond our human understanding. Therefore, this sense of reverence truly makes us understand our limitations. This in turn should lead us to have a greater sense of respect for those around us and for God.

We live in a world in which humility and reverence are seen as weaknesses rather than strengths; we live in a world of foolish and undisciplined behavior where there is a lack of respect for the unborn and for the elderly; we live in a world of road rage, murders, rapes, parents attacking each other at their children’s sports events; this leads us to believe that there is no true sense of reverence or humility in the lives of many of us. It is unfortunate that the spiritual life for so many people has disappeared or been greatly damaged. Let us pray today in the Eucharist and in our daily prayers, that we may continue to follow the example of Christ in his humility. Let us pray that we will continue to grow in our sense of reverence for all that is beyond our human limitations, and that we will have a true sense of who we really are, so that we may better increase our spiritual life and our relationship with ourselves, God, and others.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 3rd, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

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

Dear Parishioners,

In today’s Gospel Christ is very upset with the Pharisees. He uses very strong language – he calls them hypocrites because they were concerned with the external. They were more concerned with how things looked rather than what was really in the heart. Christ is emphasizing the primacy of the heart in so much what we do and say. Despite the exhortation of Christ we are well aware that in our world we deal with many mixed messages.

For example in the field of education we attach more importance to the head than to the heart. We make more of a clever child than a good child. At times the world of business and politics rewards cleverness than goodness. And yet in our everyday language we acknowledge the primacy of the heart. Here are a few examples:

We judge a person by the heart. One of the most damaging statements we can say about anyone is that ‘he has no heart’ or that he is ‘cold hearted’ or ‘hard hearted’. But one of the best compliments we can pay someone is when we refer to the person as being ‘warm hearted’ or ‘he has a heart’.

We judge the degree of a persons commitment to something in terms of the heart. Of one we say, ‘his heart is not in it’ and consequently we don’t expect very much to be accomplished. Of another we say, ‘his heart is in it’ and we expect good results.

We describe sorrow and joy in terms of the heart – ‘a broken heart’ verses a ‘joyful heart’.

There are many other examples that could be given. However, let us look at two examples from today’s Gospel. The first concerns worship, our prayers, our participation in the Mass. It is very easy for us to fall into a routine and our heart may not really be in it. Christ’s words should lead to self-examination. He is not happy with lip service. He reminds us that ‘we honor him with our lips, but our hearts are far from him’.

We live in a world where there is a tremendous preoccupation with cleanliness of the body. We see all these ads for soaps, deodorants, and perfumes. A huge pre-occupation with the environment, which is a good thing. Yet we need to be conscious of how the other half live and be as passionately concerned about them. Yet there is another environment which is more important, namely, our moral environment. There is plenty of evidence that would suggest that in many ways our moral environment is polluted. In many ways we have lost our moral compass. All the more reason we need to keep our hearts close to the values of the Gospel, so that our spiritual environment is as important as our physical environment. That our children, our family, our loved ones, understand its importance. James in the second reading today spells it out for us when he tells us, ‘Be doers of the word and not hearers only’ deluding ourselves.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world’.

He is recommending the Corporal Works of Mercy which are always an indicator of where our heart is at.

In a world that constantly strives for our attention, where we are constantly bombarded by advertising; where it is virtually impossible to escape from the world, it is easy to see how we tend to focus more on the external and lose touch with the internal.

One of the great benefits of celebrating the Eucharist where we hear the word of God, pray together and receive the Bread of Life, it helps to remind us of where we came from, where we are going and keeps us focused on our life journey.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, August 30th, 2009
Year B, Cycle I

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

In today’s Gospel Christ is very upset with the Pharisees. He uses very strong language and calls them hypocrites because they were more concerned with the external, in other words how things looked, rather than what was really in their hearts. So Christ then is emphasizing the primacy of the heart in so much of what we do and say. That is very true in our own world. There are times though when we give double meanings to the heart. For example, we often speak of education and business in terms of somebody being very clever and we reward them for it. But yet, we do not reward somebody in the same field who may be very ethical and very goodhearted. By in large, in our everyday life, and as we journey through life, we do place the heart in a position of primacy. We often judge a person by their heart. By saying they have a good or soft heart, a warm heart, versus someone who is cold hearted. That is probably the worst thing we can say about anybody. Then we speak about degrees of commitment in life when we say his heart is in it, or his heart is not in it. In the ups and downs and the joys and sorrows of life we talk about our heart that is joyful versus a broken heart, a heart that is heavy.In today’s Gospel we need to be very careful in the sense that Christ in speaking of worship to his people and castigating them about it because of their lack of sincerity. We need to examine ourselves as we attend mass on Sunday, and as we celebrate Eucharist. Is our heart really in it? Or are we just going through the motions and saying words? The same is true about daily prayers, so we need then as we celebrate the Eucharist, to not only say the words but put our heart into them.

Christ also in today’s Gospel, as we already said, is very strong in his condemnation of the total emphasis on the externals. In our world we spend billions of dollars on making ourselves look good, and we have a great emphasis today on the environment, on clean air, clean water, and clean food. All of this is good, and we should have these things. But we also need to remember that there are those that live in conditions, sometimes retched conditions, where there are no regulations that improve their conditions. We need to be even-handed. We need to be aware that there is a worse pollutant in our midst, namely evil, that exists in the world today and it exists within each of us. None of us are totally pure-hearted, we all have darkness within us. That pollutant may be greed, lust, ego seeking, anger, holding onto resentments, hate and prejudice. These are the pollutants that destroy our hearts and eat away at the life within them. These are the pollutants that destroy our community and destroy our nation. Today as we turn on the television and watch the news we realize how much anger and hate exists. This is not good, because it is not in accord with the Gospel and the teaching of Christ today. Hopefully we will look deep within our own hearts and see what pollutants are present in our hearts and ask God to remove them. As we celebrate the Eucharist today let us put our heart and soul into it and pray for His blessings so that great phrase from the Sermon on the Mount will be true for us “blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God”.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 10th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7
Second Reading: James 2:1-5
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Dear Parishioners,

When one listens to the account of the healing of the man who was deaf and suffering from a speech impediment, one could say that life had dealt him a tragic blow. It also safe to believe that probably the greatest pain he experienced was in his heart. If had to be deeply wounded from the isolation and loneliness he experienced. Even though we focus on the caring of his deafness, the greater miracle was the healing of his wounded heart.

What is the message for us? The truth is that we all have our handicaps, maybe not always visible but none the less very real. In one way or another most of us as we journey through life suffer some wounds, and are in need of healing. We see plenty evidence of this in our every day life. Relationships are the center of our life and yet there is where we often experience wounds, even deep ones. Those wounds become our handicap in life. We experience rejection and we experience the handicap of bitterness, unable to forgive, and the handicap of resentment deepens the wound in our heart and soul. Our self-absorption, our self-centeredness, becomes our handicap because we give very little of ourselves.

Other times our handicap maybe the material smothering our spiritual desires and aspirations. We neglect the spiritual and our children suffer the consequences. Our life dreams, our career plans may have gone sour and left their scars.

But the greatest handicap is when our hearts have ears that can not hear and a tongue that does not speak. We are unable to hear with our hearts because we may be handicapped by our prejudice and our insensitivity. We are unable to speak because we are handicapped by our fear; our being politically correct, our apathy. All of this leads to our hearts becoming hearts of stone, isolated and above all wounded hearts. The end result is that we become spiritually deprived. We can become a very driven person, or depressed or addicted in attempting to heal the wounds.

In reality we have a lot in common with the man in today’s Gospel. We all experience handicaps and wounds in life, and we need to be more concerned about the handicap of the heart then the external handicaps. We are all in need of healing. In Baptism the Priest touches our ears that we may hear the word of God, and our lips that we may speak his word.

This morning in the Eucharist let us pray to him to touch and heal our wounded hearts. To touch the ears of our heat that we may hear the cry of those who need us, that he will touch the tongue of our hearts that we may bring words of hope, encouragement, consolation to those who need them.
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, September 6th, 2009
Year B, Cycle I

First Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7
Second Reading: James 2:1-5
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37
When one listens to the account of the healing of the man who was deaf and suffering from a speech impediment, one could say that life had dealt him a tragic blow. It was also safe to believe that probably the greatest pain he experienced was in his heart. It had to be deeply wounded from the isolation and loneliness he experienced. Even though we focus on the curing of his deafness, the greatest miracle was the healing of his wounded heart.What is the message for us? The truth is that we all have our handicaps, maybe not always visible, but nonetheless very real. In one way or another most of us, as we journey through life, suffer wounds and are in need of healing. We see plenty of evidence of this in our everyday life. Relationships are the center of our life, but yet that is where we often experience wounds, even deep wounds. These wounds become our handicaps in life. We experience rejection and we experience the handicap of bitterness, unable to forgive, and the handicaps of resentments deepen the wounds in our heart and soul.Our self-absorption and our self-centeredness become our handicaps because we give very little of ourselves. Other times our handicaps may be the material world smothering our spiritual desires and aspirations. We neglect the spiritual and our children suffer the consequences. Our life dreams suffer and our career plans may have gone sour and left their scars.

But the greatest handicap is where our hearts and ears cannot hear, and the tongue does not speak. We are unable to hear with our hearts because we may be handicapped by our prejudices and our insensitivity. Unable to speak because we are handicapped by our fears, or being politically correct, and our apathy. All of these lead to our hearts becoming hearts of stone, isolated and above all wounded hearts. The end result is that we become spiritually deprived. We can become very driven people, depressed and addicted in our attempt to heal the wounds.

In reality we have a lot in common with the man in today’s Gospel. We all experience handicaps and wounds in life, and we need to be more concerned about the handicaps of the heart than the external handicaps. We are all in need of healing. In Baptism the priest touches our ears that we may hear the word of God and our lips that we may speak His word. This morning in the Eucharist let us pray to him to touch and heal our wounded hearts. To touch our hearts that we may hear the cry of those who need us, that he will touch the tongue of our hearts that we may bring words of hope and encouragement, consolation to those who need them.

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, September 16th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Second Reading: First Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel: Luke 15:1-32 or 15:1-10

The main theme running through all three readings today and the psalm is one of mercy. In the first reading from Exodus we see a conversation between God and Moses concerning God’s disappointment and frustration with his own people. He tells Moses that he is very disappointed and hurt about their sense of ungratefulness for all he has done for them. To make things worse they had followed false god’s instead of him the one true God. Moses pleads with him not to punish his people and God relents to show mercy despite their many faults and failings. Indeed the history of the Chosen People in their relationship with God is one of infidelity, and of God’s fidelity and mercy towards them despite their many faults and failings.

In today’s Psalm:51 we pray, “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; and in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin, cleanse me.”

In the second reading Paul in his letter to Timothy relates that how he had been a blasphemer, a persecutor and arrogant, but had been mercifully treated by Christ and called to be an apostle. Paul is extremely grateful to God for his mercy, and spent the rest of his life to become one of the greatest apostles and finally gave his own life.

In today’s Gospel according to Luke we have three parables all with this theme of mercy. In one of these parables Christ talks about the good shepherd leaving the ninety-nine behind and going out to seek the lost sheep. When he finds him he puts him in his arms and returns home to rejoice with his neighbors because the sheep that was lost has been found. In the second parable we read the famous story about the Prodigal Son, which portrays God as the father of the prodigal son who had left home, squandered his inheritance and greatly hurt his father and his brother. And yet we see the father welcoming him back with great love and mercy.

All of these readings today make it very clear that God’s message to us through the Old Testament and the New Testament is one of the importance of mercy in our relationship with him and of developing the virtue of mercy in our own life.

We have a lot in common with the story of the Chosen People in the first reading, in the sense that we too are the Chosen People of God through Baptism. Like the Chosen People we are on a journey to the Promised Land; like the Chosen People we have received many blessings and graces from God; like the Chosen People we often have offended him, turned our back upon him and not appreciated all the blessings he has given us. Yet we know that like the Chosen People we are recipients of his mercy and without that mercy we would not have hope and we would not be here today, we would not have that hope of reaching the Promised Land.

It is clear to us as we begin the Eucharistical Sunday and that we believe in our need for God’s mercy, because we pray after examining our conscience “Lord, have mercy” and in the Gloria immediately following we also plead for his mercy. At the time of consecration where Christ offers himself up for us we are also reminded of his great love and mercy for us. Immediately before communion we plead again for his mercy when we say “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world have mercy on us.”

While it is true then that we are recipients of God’s mercy yet when it comes to our own lives and dispensing mercy we often question how fair it is for some people to receive mercy. For example in the gospel reading today the Pharisees and Scribes who are religious people question the fairness of Christ showing mercy to the tax collectors. We need to remember that the tax collectors were traitors to their own people; they had sided with the Roman Empire and created great injustices to their fellow man. It is understandable then why the Pharisees and Scribes would question the fairness of Christ showing mercy to these people who they considered traitors. It is also true that when we look at the parable of the Prodigal Son we often forget the son who stayed at home and took care of the family business, and took care of his father. We can understand why he was upset that his father would show such love and mercy to his brother, who squandered the family fortune, who disserted his father and was irresponsible.

There are times when I turn on the television or pick up the newspaper and I see families who are victims of great violence and maybe have lost a loved one, and yet I see them forgiving the perpetrators of this violence. I am always amazed how their lives must have been touched by the grace of God; what a wonderful relationship they must have with him so that they are able to forgive the great pain that has been caused in their lives. And yet I see other families in similar circumstances that wait 10, 15 or 20 years to see an execution so that they can experience the revenge that they have been seeking for many years. For it is true that in our own lives as human beings we turn more to justice than mercy. We do so because we see things through human eyes not through the eyes of God. We are fortunate that God see’s life different then we do, otherwise he would not have been merciful towards us. So while we realize that justice is fair a lot of times, but in reality very seldom would mercy be fair. Therefore we need not to see things through our human eyes but through the eyes of God, so that we too may have that sense of mercy towards others that God displays towards us. We need to realize as we receive the Eucharist today, that we need to pray for this virtue of mercy because it is beyond our human endeavors alone. We need to realize “that blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy”.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 17th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9
Second Reading: James 2:14-18
Gospel: Mark 8:27-35
Dear Parishioners,

“Who do you say that I am?” Mark 8:27
In his book The Wisdom of Big Bird, Carroll Spenney writes; I may be the most unknown famous person in America. It’s the Bird who’s famous not me.” Big Bird of Sesame Street is known and loved by children around the world. He is a star of T.V., movies and recordings. He’s won Emmys and Grammy’s, been on the cover of Life Magazine and even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Carroll Spinney, the puppeteer inside the Bird costume, says he can walk down the street and no one knows who he is.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus must have felt something similar. He must have felt like he is the most unknown famous person in the world. So Christ does what we do so much of in our world, namely he conducts an opinion poll. Like all polls it shows people had a variety off, often contradictory views.

The question that Jesus asked the Apostles is the main question of the Gospel. It concerns the identity of Jesus. It was a question that was on the minds of many people- “Who is this man Jesus?” Jesus turned to his disciples and asked them, “Who do people say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” But Christ was not about to let them off the hook, so he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

In the Glory and Creed we profess our faith in many of the beliefs we have about Christ. Through the gift of faith which we received in Baptism, we have believed these truths for most of our life. But it is not enough to be just born into the faith.

What Christ asked his disciples he is also asking each of us the same question –“Who do you say that I am” or in other words- “What do I mean to your daily life?” If I were to give you pen and paper and give you five minutes to answer the question, what would you come up with, and not repeating what is in the Creed?

One of the lessons from today’s Gospel is that our discovery of Jesus must be a personal discovery. Our parents faith is not ours until we walk the journey. Being a Christian is more than knowing about Jesus. Being Christian is knowing Jesus, not just knowing about him.

What we are really speaking about is, how do we experience Christ in our daily life? What kind of a relationship do I have with Christ? Is it a relationship that has matured and grown over the years? If I compare it to my other close relationships, they have grown, matured and became more intimate because we encounter them more intimately in our daily life. We grow to love them. All relationships either grow or become stale or even die. Relationships never stand still and neither does our relationship with Christ. So we need to know Christ is a personal way, as he wishes to know us. So when Christ asks us, “Who do you think I am?” our answer will depend on what kind of a relationship I have with him.

As we encounter Christ in our daily life our relationship with him will grow. As we encounter him in his Word we get glimpses into his heart and soul, as in today’s Gospel where he reveals how much he is prepared to do for us, and what he expects from us when he says, “We must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow me.” We often encounter him in the people we meet especially those who need us as we read in the letter of James – faith of itself, if it does not have deeds, is dead. We encounter him in life events whether they be joyful or painful. We encounter him in our prayer conversations. We encounter him in a very special way in the Eucharist this morning.

As we leave Church today and go into our daily world let us not forget to ask ourselves the question “Who do I think Christ is, and what does he mean to me?”
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, September 13th, 2009
Year B, Cycle I

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9
Second Reading: James 2:14-18
Gospel: Mark 8:27-35

“Who do you say that I am”, that is the question that Christ asked his disciples today. In his book, “The Wisdom of Big Bird”, Caroll Spinney writes “I may be the most famous unknown person in America, it’s the Bird who is famous, not me.” Big Bird of Sesame Street is known and loved by children around the world. He is a star of TV, movies and recordings. He has won Emmy’s and Grammys’ and been on the cover of Life Magazine and even has his own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer inside the bird costume, says he can walk down the street and no one knows who he is.In today’s Gospel, Jesus must have felt something similar. He must have felt that he is the most famous unknown person in the land of Israel. So Christ does what we do so much of in the world, namely he conducts an opinion poll. Like all polls it shows people had a variety and often contradictory views. The question that Jesus asked of the Apostles is the main question of the Gospel. It concerns the identity of Jesus, it was a question that was on the mind of many people who asked “who is this man, Jesus?” Jesus turned to his Disciples and asked them, “who do people say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist, others Elijah and still others one of the prophets.” But Christ was not about to let them off the hook, so he asked them, “but who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “you are the Christ.”

The Glory and Creed which we say at mass contains many of the beliefs that we have about Christ. Through the gift of faith, which we received in Baptism, we have believed these truths for most of our lives. It is not enough to be just born into our faith and be cradle Catholics.

Christ asked his disciples, and he is also asking each one of us the same question, “who do you say that I am?” Or in other words, what do I mean to you in your daily life? If I were to give you pen and paper and to give you five minutes to answer that question, what would you come up with without repeating what is in the Creed? One of the lessons from today’s Gospel is that our discovery of Jesus must be a personal discovery. Our parents’ faith is not ours until we walk the journey. Being a Christian is more than knowing about Jesus. Non Christians know about Jesus, being Christian is “knowing” Jesus, not jut knowing about Him.

What we are really speaking about is how do we experience Christ in our daily life? What kind of a relationship do I have with Him? Is it a relationship that has matured and grown over the years? If I compare it to my other close relationships which have grown and matured, which have become more intimate? We encounter those whom we are close to more intimately in our daily lives. We grow to love them. All relationships either grow or become stale or even die. Relationships never stand still, and neither does our relationship with Christ. So we need to know Christ in a personal way as he wishes to know us. So when Christ asks us “who do you think I am?”, our answer will depend on what kind of relationship we have with him

As we encounter Christ in our daily lives our relationship will grow. As we encounter Him in the people we meet and in those who are looking for our help, we begin to realize how true the words of James are in the Second Reading today when he says “faith is useless unless you back it up with good deeds.” As we encounter Him in the Bible we get glimpses into His heart and soul as in today’s Gospel where he reveals how much he is prepared to do for us, and what he expects from us when he says “we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him’. We often encounter Him in the people we meet, especially those who need us as we read in the letter of James. We encounter Him in the life events whether they be joyful or painful. We encounter Him in our prayer conversations. We encounter Him in a very special way in the Eucharist this morning. As we leave church today and go into our daily world, let us not forget to ask ourselves the question “who do you think Christ is and what does He mean to you.”

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 24th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Wisdom 2:17-20
Second Reading: James 3:16–4:3
Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

Dear Parishioners,

In today’s Gospel we see the ambition of the Apostles. In today’s society we would admire them for their ambition. We encourage it in our society; we encourage it in our family; we hold them up as an example. We see most successful people as being ambitious, be it in business, education, politics, even in the church. It would appear to be part of human nature. Even in our personal life we admire being ambitious.

The ambition and the desires are part of our human make up. They are often a very strong driving force in our lives. Because they are such a strong driving force, they create a great need in us. In trying to fill these needs our desires and ambitions they can help us to grow and mature emotionally and spiritually. Other times they become twisted, take us in the wrong direction. Become character defects: The desire for survival security; to be loved; to be recognized; to be successful; to be influential. We see an example of this in todays Gospel in the ambitions of the Apostles.

So if we become a workaholic, over come with greed, while these may seem successful to the outside world they can have grave consequences for our relationships with others and Christ. The response of Christ was not to abolish desire and ambitions, but to redirect them.

James in the Second Reading relates how desires gone astray can create serious and even disastrous disruption of personal, community and even international relations when he says: “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war”.

So our ambitions and desires need to be channeled. The values of the Gospel need to guide us – that is what Christ was pointing out to the Apostles. Need to remember it is who we are, not so much what we do that really counts at the end of the day.

Christ will not ask us how much we owned, but what we did with it. How much power and influence we had, but did we use it for good? Not what job /profession we had, but what kind of person I turned out to be.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year B, Cycle I
First Reading: Wisdom 2:17-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 54:3-4, 5, 6-8
Second Reading: James 3:16–4:3
Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
In today’s world, and probably throughout history, we like to see people having ambitions. We admire it and we hope that our children will have ambitions to finish school and to get themselves decent jobs. In our own lives, and in our own businesses, we admire, encourage and hope that we will be ambitious. Yet in today’s Gospel we see Christ getting very upset with the Apostles for their ambitions. To truly understand what Christ was saying we need to understand that when we are born, all of us are born with needs. We have physical needs of thirst and hunger. We have emotional needs and spiritual needs to love and to be loved, to feel secure, to have a desire to reach out for something greater than ourselves. These are all good because they come from God and they are part of our human personality. The problem is that as we go through life, beginning with childhood, we try and to meet these needs. This creates desires and drives, which in themselves are very good, unless they become twisted and perverted.Christ then today, when you look at the words of the Gospel, you see He is upset with the Apostles because their ambition is out of place. It is inappropriate for the time and for the place in which they were ambitious. Instead of them being ambitious for the spreading of Gods word, they were more concerned about their place in His kingdom or who was the greatest among them right now. That is the reason that He chastised them. So the response of Christ was not to abolish desire and ambition, but to redirect it. He wanted them to put it into perspective, as He is telling us to put our desires and ambitions into perspective also. He was concerned how these desires for power and recognition and material reward had damaged their relationships with each other, and with Him. The same is true with us when our desires and ambitions cause serious problems with others and within our own family, and lead us down the wrong path, then we are in trouble. We have seen plenty of examples of this over the past number of years where ambition and the desire to make more money led people to make very poor decisions. In fact many people made decisions that destroyed the lives of other people. So therefore we need to be careful about desires and our ambitions and we need to see that they don’t damage us by becoming workaholics, greedy and arrogant

This is what James is saying in the second reading today and he has very clear warnings and questions for us. Where he says “where jealousy and selfish ambitions exist there is disorder”, I am sure we all agree with this, we have seen the disorder in our own lives and in the world today. “Where we go to war and where there are conflicts among us, where do they actually come from? Is it not our desires that make war with each other and within ourselves? Is it not our ambitions and desires that make war with other peoples?” He goes on to say, “you covet but you do not posess and your envy gets the better of you because you cannot obtain what you want. You ask and you do not receive because you ask for the wrong things. You ask so that you can spend it on your desires and ambitions.”

So then all these drives and desires that are very normal and are part of our human nature, they are there to fulfill our needs that we are born with. But they have to be channeled rightly. We do so by following the values of the Gospel to guide us. We need to teach our children on how they are to meet these needs and how they are to cultivate and control these desires and these drives, and how they are to be guided by the Gospel so that we and our children build character.

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, September 30th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Amos 6:1, 4-7
Second Reading: First Timothy 6:11-16
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Last Sunday’s readings, especially the first reading from the book of Amos and the Gospel according to Luke dealt with our responsibility of stewardship. The readings emphasize the importance of being good stewards of the gifts we have received, be they spiritual, material, or intelligence. It encourages us to use the same level of energy around the spiritual stewardship as we do around our material stewardship. In the first reading Amos did not condemn the people of his time for being rich, but he did condemn them for not being good stewards of the power that their wealth gave them. They used their power to further their own greed rather than to lift those less fortunate than themselves. We were warned that we should never let false gods, what ever they may be, especially wealth, come in the way of our relationship with God the Father.

Today’s readings get more particular about our responsibility as stewards. In Luke’s Gospel we see the story of the beggar Lazarus and the rich man at whose door steps he resided day in and day out. Amos tells us in the first reading that we must never be complacent with the blessings we have received. The Psalm 146 in todays reading says, “Blessed is he who secures justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.”

Thanks to mass media we live in a very small world. On any given day when we turn on the television, right in our living room we come face to face with the plight of those who are starving, be it in Africa or other parts of the world. We see it so often that sometimes we can either become disturbed, or become immune and hardened to the plight of these people. We also need to realize that within our own country and within our own community, we have people who have great needs. Day- after-day we may drive by these neighborhoods without ever realizing what experiences their life is bringing them. We may be like the rich man in today’s Gospel, who protected himself and was in denial of the needs of Lazarus the beggar at his door step. The rich man in today’s Gospel was not condemned for being wealthy, but what he was condemned for was his indifference and his not responding to the need of Lazarus the beggar. He was condemned for his state of denial as to the reality of the world around him. The Gospel in a very telling statement further condemns him by saying, “that even the dogs came to lick the wounds of Lazarus the beggar.” In other words, this poor beggar got more attention from the animals than he did from a fellow human being who was in a position to help.

From the teachings of Christ right through the Gospels, and through the letters of the apostles, readings from the Old Testament, that the command to be responsive to the needs of others is very clear. Christ in his life, time after time responded to the need of the person he met irrespective of race, ethnic background, or creed. We see him with the Samaritan woman, with the prostitute, with the tax collectors, with sinners, with the lepers, and many others whom his own apostles and people of his time considered unapproachable or untouchable. Christ was giving us a very clear example of what he expected from us. It is clear from today’s Gospel and from the teachings of Christ, that we can not let big chasms exist between ourselves and others, especially those less fortunate. We must have a sense of justice and we must have a sense of charity.

You may well ask, what am I to do? We all are expected individually to make our own efforts to help those we meet. We are expected to be witnesses as a parish and as a community. For that reason this past summer we had the homeless here at Saint Anthony for a week, and we will have them for two weeks next year. We can not escape the fact that Christ expects us to be witness to those less fortunate. We have the opportunity to work in soup kitchens; we have the opportunity to belong to organizations in our community that help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Helping the poor and the homeless is certainly one of the great challenges facing us individually, and as a society. How we handle it will determine how we are seen in the eyes of God both individually and as a society.

I would like to close with a story from Mother Theresa. “She related that she had been invited to a conference on poverty in the city of Bombay. When she reached the hotel where the conference was being held, she realized that while there were hundreds of people talking about food and hunger, she found a dying man at the door step of the hotel.
I took him to our home for the dying. He died there. He died of hunger. And the people inside were talking about how in fifteen years we will have so much food, so much this, so much that – and that man died.
I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time. I picked up one person. Maybe if I hadn’t picked up that one person I wouldn’t have picked up 42,000. The whole work is only a drop in the ocean. But if I didn’t put that drop in, the ocean would be one drop less. Same thing for you. Same thing in your family.”
The rich man could not have been expected to save the world. But he could have helped the beggar-man at his gate.

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, October 7th, 2007
Year C, Cycle IFirst Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4
Second Reading: Second Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Gospel: Luke 17:5-10

“Increase our faith”
Luke 17:5

In today’s Gospel the apostles’ begged Christ, “Increase our faith”. It is probably clear that as they spent time with him they realized that they were in great need for a very strong faith to be able to continue as his followers. Then they realized that the mission he was sending them on, based on the message of Christ, that it was radical and would experience a lot of opposition. They also realized that Christ was gradually letting them know that difficult times lay ahead for him and for them. Based on these realities, they had the spiritual insight to know that they needed great faith and trust in him. That message from Christ to his apostles is not any different then it is now to us. We may live in a culture that emphasizes self reliance; to pull our selves up by our boot straps; and to be independent of other people. We also live in an age where we have made tremendous advances in science, technology and medicine. We would almost call them “miraculous”. All of this is wonderful but one of the side effects for many is that they begin to question, at least indirectly, their faith in the spiritual world. They begin to question whether religion has any significance in their lives; they begin to question does it have any of the answers for the world in which we live and the questions that we face. Even many of us at times in our life probably experience some of these doubts.

If we were to ask our selves the question, “How would I describe my faith to myself or to another?” We need to remember that there are two dimensions to faith there is the objective dimension: for example, when we recite the Profession of Faith at Mass, we are believing in what we have received and inherited from our childhood, and from those who have gone before us for thousands of years. When we gather here on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist, we are believing in the deposit of faith that we have inherited. So this is what we refer to then as the inherited faith. We often refer to ourselves as cradle Catholics, we were raised in the faith. This is the objective dimension to our faith. Then there is the subjective dimension to our faith. This dimension has to do with our faith, our trust, and our reliance on God the Father and Jesus Christ, as a person. This is a faith that can be best described as a relationship. This relationship we have with Christ would determine the quality of our lives. It really is not any different than the every day relationships that we experience in our own life. These relationships are measured by the sense of trust, confidence, and reliance we have on those with whom we are close to.

Faith is a gift that we have been given. It is a gift that can make a profound difference in our life. It can affect how we see life; how we live life; how we handle the ups and downs of life; and to a great extent our level of happiness. So faith is not a thing, but a relationship with God the Father and God the Son. Faith is not something which we lose; we merely cease to shape our lives by it. That is what we mean by losing our faith.

In this play “Three Sisters” the Author puts these words on the lips of one of his characters, “I think a human being has got to have some faith or at least to seek faith, otherwise his or her life will be empty. How can you live and not know why cranes fly, why children are born, and why the stars shine in the sky? You must have faith to know why you live or else, nothing matters, everything is just wild grass.”

Faith then is a gift that needs to be nourished. It defines our relationship with God, with Christ and like all relationships it does not stand still; it grows, it moves forward or it dies. That does not mean we don’t have our own doubts, and they are apart of growing in our faith. We may well ask ourselves, How deep is our faith, our trust in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ? In other words, how deep of a relationship do we have? We all know that there are times in life when our faith will be tested by those moments when life throws us curves, when we are frightened and shocked by terrible news, summoned by death, confronted by failures, then we will instinctively know the faith is there to draw on. Faith is what shapes our vision of the journey of life which we all travel. With faith, what looks impossible becomes possible; that is the message of Christ to us in today’s Gospel. When he tells us that even if we have the faith as small as a mustard seed, that we can do great things.

In closing I would like to quote the Author Madeleine L’Engle, “If we could define it or give a recipe for it, we could make a “Cookbook of Faith” and all we’d have to do is check the index for the kind of faith we need at the moment. But faith, like prayer, is a gift – a gift of knowing that the light shines in the darkness, of knowing that the light cannot be put out, no matter how diligently the tempter tries to snuff it. The gift of faith alters our perception of reality and the manner in which we live and love and pray and die.”

So our prayer on a daily basis and here at the Eucharist this morning should be, “Lord, increase our faith”.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, October 1st, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Numbers 11:25-29
Second Reading: James 5:1-6
Gospel: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Call to Prophecy

Dear Parishioners,

The First Reading from Numbers, we read the Spirit of God came upon Moses and his followers and they prophesied. Moses said, “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets. Would that the Lord might bestow his Spirit on them all.”

The role of the prophet was to be a witness by example and word to the love and goodness of God. In the Old Testament were witnesses of God’s covenant which was a sign of his love, goodness and fidelity. They were stepping stones to lead people to God.

Christ came and the fulfillment of all the prophets - the stepping stone to God – the reconciliation of all of us to the Father. Several times in the Gospel makes clear that we are all called to be prophets - to be steeping stones for others to Christ.

This is our vocation as Christians. We live out different roles - marriage and our work. But whatever life state we are in, we bring the role of prophet to it – Christ comes through us.

Let us look at some of the ways in which we can either be a stepping stone or a stumbling block. We can be a stumbling block through our jealousies and resentments as we see in today’s Gospel in the actions of the Apostles and in the first reading from Numbers. But Jesus gave them a lesson in openness and tolerance, he was being a stepping stone. In our society we certainly need to be stepping stones when it comes to tolerance and openness to those who have little or no voice of their own.

Sometimes we are threatened by the gifts and achievements of others, instead of being enriched rather than diminished by them if we are open.

In today’s Gospel Jesus said that anyone who gave the little ones a cup of cold water would be rewarded. The “cup of cold water” is a symbol of a small kind deed. Few of us are given the chance to perform great deeds. But the chance to give a cup of water can come our way several times in the course of a day. A small act of kindness can turn winter into summer, night into day at least briefly for another person.

Then Jesus warns us about being stumbling blocks. He warns us that one’s greatest enemy and threat to ones spiritual life and of another may be within ourselves. Urges us to make what ever sacrifice is needed to make sure we are not stumbling blocks to others and ourselves.
As we celebrate the Eucharist let us ask for the food to contemplate these words of Christ in today’s Gospel and for the strength to live them out.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year B, Cycle I
Nov. 4, 2009
First Reading: Genesis 2:18-24
Second Reading: Hebrews 2:9-11
Gospel: Mark 10:2-16 or 10:2-12

In today’s Gospel, Christ tells us “unless you become like little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”. This is contrary to what we believe in our everyday lives. It is another example of the clash between the wisdom of Christ and our human wisdom. We believe that we need to leave behind, and grow out of, our childhood. That we need to discard our childhood and enter the adult world. In other words, we often tell children, you need to grow up. We tend to believe that there is nothing worth keeping, because we don’t distinguish between childlike and childish, we often emphasize that it is an all or nothing proposition. When we speak of being childish we really imply the traits of selfishness, immaturity, irresponsibility and temper tantrums. On the other hand when we refer to somebody being childlike, we are looking at traits of openness, receptivity, trusting, and a sense of wonder. Above all, the trait of living in the present is one that belongs to the childlike person. Unfortunately we tend to lose these qualities and we keep the childish ones. That is why so often in everyday life when somebody displays childish traits we tell them “grow up, you are acting like a child”. When I was working with migrants back in the 70’s we started a center for emotionally handicapped migrant children. One thing that always struck me as I visited the center, and I still remember it well, was the childlike qualities of their life. While they had many disabilities that you and I would not want, those childlike qualities stayed with them all their lives.

Many of these qualities are essential in our relationships; our relationship with God, others, and oneself. It is in these relationships that we live out our spiritual life. That is what Christ is telling us today when He tells us “unless you become like little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”. The Kingdom of Heaven is where we reflect the presence of God in our daily lives. That is what we pray for in the Lords Prayer, on a daily basis. So when we look at those childlike qualities, and sense of wonderment about life and the world in which we live, their openness to others and receptive to the love and care of others, that sense of trust without which there are not relationships, that is the qualities that make our relationships be effective and reflect the presence of God in our lives. This is what reflects and makes present the Kingdom of God in the world in which we live.

In many ways children can teach us how to live. They have not learned the prejudices, hates, and resentments, all of what disrupts and destroys relationships. With children, what you see is what you get, and there are not surprises. Nothing is easier as life goes on than to grow old in the heart, to let a sense of dryness, disillusionment, and cynicism, along with selfishness dominate our hearts. These definitely destroy our spiritual life and our relationships. They work against the presence of the Kingdom of God here on Earth. It is understandable, to a certain extent, that through the balance of life we have discarded the more gentle and innocent parts of ourselves, in other words the childlike side. So as Christ says, “unless you become like little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”. . He is serious about our need to make our childlike qualities part of our life, and to discard the childish traits that interfere with the presence of His Kingdom here on Earth.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, October 8th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Genesis 2:18-24
Second Reading: Hebrews 2:9-11
Gospel: Mark 10:2-16 or 10:2-12

In the beginning of life, when we were infants, we needed others if we were to survive. And at the end of life, we will again need others so we can survive. We may be inclined to forget but in between we need others as well.

The Bible in today’s first reading from Genesis tells us as much when it says, “It’s not good for a human being to be alone”, at least on a permanent basis. As human beings we are social animals. Of ourselves we are incomplete. We can not develop as human beings in solitude. We need others. To feel this need is a sign of health. Insanity has been defined as a condition in which people are no longer able to connect with other people. Serial killers nearly always turn out to be lonely, angry individuals. People who lose contact and slip into total isolation may often end up committing suicide. A survey was carried out among elderly in America. When asked who was closet to them? Two out of three said it was their pet dog or cat. This is very sad.

So as Genesis tells us, it is not good for a human being to be alone. In Genesis we read that God in answer to that need gave Adam, another human being Eve as his partner and companion. God answered the human need for friendship, companionship, closeness-all these things we pine for but find so difficult. Most people hope that they can meet these needs in marriage. We also meet these needs by having a sense of belonging to a community, a family. Having a close relationship with God means we never have a sense of being alone.

When people get married they bring to it, not only their strengths but also their weaknesses. All of us are wounded people by sin and selfishness. When we enter marriage we, as it were, enter a school of love, a school in which we all are slow learners, and there is no graduation.

Many lives can and often are touched as a result of this union. Such a union cannot be based on mere feelings or infatuation, regardless of how potent such passions may be. They do not have the “legs” to withstand the long and winding, often arduous journey that is marriage. This journey becomes possible only when the relationship is nurtured, just as the flowers in the garden. This journey is strengthened when the couple share at a deep level their faith and values. These stand at the center of most of our life experiences and relationships.

Our relationship with God is the most important relationship in life and its survival is based on faith. Then if that is true it would be normal to expect that faith would be an integral aspect of the relationship which grows between husband and wife.

Shared faith in God endures when beauty fades
Shared faith in God endures when finances fail
Shared faith in God endures when health deteriorates
Shared faith in God endures when troubles come
Shared faith in God endures when jobs are lost
Shared faith in God endures when faith is tested
Shared faith in God endures when trust is tested

Shared faith in God makes for the deepest degree of compatibility that can exist between a man and a woman. Faith enables the relationships to continue to thrive and endure. For these reasons faith must continue to be the foundation upon which every marriage is based.

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, October 14th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Second Kings 5:14-17
Second Reading: Second Timothy 2:8-13
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

“And he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him”
(Luke 17:16)

Today’s scripture readings can help us to understand better the rich biblical concept of thanksgiving. In the bible, to give thanks means to state publicly that at this moment God was at work. That moment could be the creation of the world or ancient Israel exodus from Egypt. Or it could be my rescue from danger or recovery from illness. Thanksgiving in the Bible is directed to God, involves the public profession and is profoundly religious. The healing of Naaman the Syrian from leprosy which is described in the book of Kings in the first reading, is a good example of the biblical approach to thanksgiving. Having been healed of his leprosy the Gentile Naaman recognizes that the God of Israel was at work through Elisha the prophet. Naaman makes a public profession of his conviction and promises to offer sacrifice to God. The biblical concept of thanksgiving as public witness to God’s action among us is prominent in Luke’s account of the cleansing of the ten lepers.

In our daily lives we hear and say the word thanks fairly often, though perhaps not often enough and usually without much thought. In the next month of November we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day which is our most popular national holiday, yet few of us recognize and acknowledge the religious dimension of this day. The popular media has reduced the Thanksgiving holiday to football, turkey and sentimental family scenes. These things are fine in themselves, but they tend to obscure the real meaning of Thanksgiving as profoundly religious and totally spiritual. We might well ask ourselves, “over the years how many of us attend Mass on Thanksgiving Day so that we can appropriately thank God for all his blessings to us individually, as a community and as a nation?”

It is very important for us to have an attitude of gratitude. It is a very, very important virtue to develop in our lives. We are not born with the virtue of gratitude, we need to develop it. Jesus demanded gratitude not for himself, but for the recipient of the blessing. For example, in today’s Gospel he said, “There is no one except this foreigner come back and give thanks and praise to God?” It is obvious that in his interaction with the Samaritan who returned to give him thanks that he saw it as a blessing for the Samaritan. Likewise in the first reading the healing of Naaman and his sense of gratitude for it was seen as a blessing for Naaman. We to need to give thanks to God for everything he has done for us and how much we owe him for those many blessings. It is easy for us to be grateful for the good things, but we must also be grateful for all of our lives. We must be grateful for both joys and sorrows and for successes and failures. You may well ask the question, “Why should we be grateful for failures, pain, and difficult things in life?” The reason is, if we look back in life we rarely grow spiritually from successes but we do grow from hardships and difficult times if we have the appropriate life perspective. If we see life through the eyes of faith and that this attitude of gratitude is what strings the ups and downs of life together for us. All of life experiences good and bad are what makes us who we are today. This is how we will understand how our lives have been shaped and formed. When we look back on our lives we see that the things that hurt us and the things that helped us can not really be separated from each other. We must try and see the loving hand of God in all that has brought us to where we are right now.

When we celebrate the Eucharist together here each week, we have a wonderful opportunity to give appropriate thanks to God. We truly do so in the biblical sense because we profess our thanksgiving publicly and it is directed to God for all he has done for us. The word Eucharist itself means thanksgiving so it could not be more appropriate. Through out the Mass we often use the word thanks or blessed be God for the things he has done for us, beginning with the Gloria, at the time of the Offertory, and especially during the preface when we say, “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God for all he has done for us.” During the consecration as we repeat the words of Christ, when he took the bread and wine he gives thanks to God. Following the consecration we also thank God for finding us worthy to stand in his presence and to serve him. And that we offer him in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice. Therefore let us be very conscious as we celebrate the Eucharist what a wonderful prayer of thanksgiving it is to God, and how steeped it is in the biblical sense of thanksgiving.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, October 22nd, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Isaiah 53:10-11
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16
Gospel: Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

In today’s Gospel we see that one of the images the Bible uses for life is that of a cup. In the context of today’s Gospel to drink the cup is to accept the reality of suffering, and to do Gods will in the midst of it, as Jesus did in Gethsemane. Since we live in an age of T.V. 24 hours per day we are often flooded with images of people experiencing terrible suffering and tragedy, who may be victims of violence, hunger, famine, and accidents. Even experience it in the lives of our friends, family or our own personal life. We grudgingly admit that suffering is everywhere and unavoidable. Spiritual writer Evelyn Underhill wrote; “Pain plunges like a sword through creation”.

So what are we to make of suffering? How are we going to handle it in our lives? We can look to the teachings of Christ in today’s Gospel since he knew that suffering would be the resource and power by which he would transform darkness to light, sin to forgiveness and death to life. In the world we live in we need to face adversity and move on and by being determined to make some goodness out of suffering. But we may question, what good is there in an angry divorce or exploding cancer tumor? Maybe there is nothing good at all there. But we, like Christ, can insert goodness and love where there is only evil or hatred or pain.

Suffering bruises us in various places and many times will eventually kill us. Salvation and healing are side effects. But they are not automatic-they work only if we work with them. Suffering can teach us a great deal, but only if we are good learners.

Scripture says that Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. He had to learn that even the Son of God could not have everything go his way. But he realized that we must be rooted in something deeper, stronger, purer than whatever pain or evil engulfs us, or we drown.

Suffering teaches us something about reality. We learn very little from success because success teaches us that we know how the game is played, and that we are doing something right. Then suddenly something blows up—and we learn that we don’t know everything, that we can’t do everything, that there is always more than we can see, that we are not in charge of reality.

The mere fact that every day we ask each other, “ How are you?” shows just how vulnerable we are to daily misfortune.

Suffering can teach us something about ourselves. When we are poked and scratched by suffering, we discover whether we are real, sound and solid, or just cheap imitations. As the Philosopher Karl Jaspers said, “It is only in extreme situations that we become aware of what we are.” These are the times we either fall to pieces or we dig deep within our souls to draw on the strength God has ingrained us.

A great tragedy can either burn all the trash out of our life or reduce us to ashes. So in those times when our lives are relatively painless, we need to plan a strategy against suffering. First, we need to link it with the pain of Jesus. We don’t need to know how that works; better there than sunk in a bottomless black hole. When in pain we must remember that every suffering is a new window open to reality. Let us not close that window until we see everything there is to see.

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Exodus 17:8-13
Second Reading: Second Timothy 3:14–4:2
Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

October 21, 2007

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. (Luke 18. 1)

Luke’s Gospel is sometimes referred to as “The Gospel of prayer” because in it Jesus prays at the most important moments of his life, and because it gives us two important insights into how Jesus saw prayer. (Chapter 11 1:13) (Chapter 18 1:14). In Chapter 11 when the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Lord teach us to pray” Christ responded by giving them the Lord’s prayer which teaches us to be bold and persistent in our prayer. Why? Because God our Father really wants to answer our prayer. The second insight is in today’s Gospel parable, and again the emphasis is on the importance of persistence in prayer. In today’s parable, referring to the widow as an example “pray always without becoming weary.” Today’s first reading from Exodus also gives us the same message, where we see Moses praying to God in a persistent manner. If we follow the story of Moses throughout the Old Testament in the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land we see that persistent prayer was very much a part of his life. The point Jesus is making in the parable is quite clear, namely if a defenseless widow can wear down a heartless and corrupt judge through her persistence alone, how much more can we expect from God our Father.

We should never underestimate the importance of persistence as a wonderful attribute to have in our daily life. Harry Truman when he was President described it as vitally important quoting him he once said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.” Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with great talent. Genius will not; an rewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence, determination alone is preeminent.”

Mother Theresa showed a similar persistence. She felt the call to serve the poor but felt helpless to ease their lot. This is a quote from her “I know where I belonged but I did not know how to get there.” Through prayer that was persistent she made her way, through convents, Bishops, etc. to the streets of India. She worked until she died and all the while attributing her success to persistent prayer. All the more remarkable in light of what we now know about her continual living in “the dark night of the soul.” She is certainly one of the great examples of all time on the value of persistent prayer.

We saw the same persistence modeled in the life of Gandhi, who was persistent in his prayers during his thirty years of non-violent struggle to bring freedom to his country and he described his efforts as “Journeying God ward”.

Hopefully we will keep the image and words of these people that we have just talked about as well as that of the widow in today’s parable as inspirations to us in our efforts to carry on persistent prayer in our life. We also should be very conscious of the example of Christ himself during his life. We sometimes tend to forget that Christ was human and he obviously saw the need for persistent prayer to help him in his daily journey, and to fulfill his mission here on earth. We live in an age where we have instant breakfast, instant messaging and so on. We live in an age where we expect easy solutions and quick solutions. Therefore it is more difficult for us to realize that when it comes to prayer that we need to be persistent. That does not mean that we are bugs on a log on our life’s journey. We are to pray as if everything depended upon God, and to work as if all depended on ourselves.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, October 28th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
Second Reading: Second Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

There is an old Yiddish proverb which says, “Better a sinner who knows he’s a sinner, then a saint who knows he’s a saint”.

At one time in our lives, probably in our youth as our conscience were being developed, we had a list of things we believed we would never do. As we look back we may still be able to claim we remain faithful to our conscious, or we may have deadened our conscience and convince ourselves that what we believe to be wrong is no longer wrong. Or we may have convinced ourselves that everybody does it so it is ok.

As we see in today’s Gospel we can learn a lot from the prayer of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. One of the lessons we can learn is that we can look at ourselves and others through the lenses of righteousness or self-righteousness. There is a very big difference between the two. When we look through the lenses of righteousness we know that when we look at the behavior that others do, we are honest enough with ourselves to admit that it is very possible that if we were in the same circumstances we would do the same; or at least be unsure of what we might do. For example, if I were to ask you is there anyone here this morning who honestly believes he would ever be guilty of cannibalism, and you would probably reply never in my wildest dreams. But if you recall some years ago there was a plane carrying 30 young men on a skiing holiday to South America and it crashed into the side of a hill. Nobody knew where the plane was located and 15 of the 30 passengers were killed. After some days the 15 survivors realized that the chances of them being found any time soon were beginning to fade away. The drew lots for two (2) of them to go and seek help while the other thirteen (13) waited on the mountain side. After a while as hunger began to over take them, they made a decision to eat the corpses of their fellow passengers who had died. We may be shocked by this story of cannibalism, but the reality is that if you were to ask any of those men before they got on their plane if they would ever commit the sin of cannibalism and they would all have answered with out a doubt “in no way”. We may very well say that we would never steal, but the reality is if we were desperate enough, if we had a wife and children who were hungry we to might steal. We might very well say that we would always be faithful in our relationship but we don’t really know that if the circumstances were right if we would be unfaithful. We might say that we would never commit murder, but the reality is if someone seriously hurt our child or our spouse in a fit of anger we may very well kill. So the reality is if we look at things through the eyes of self righteous lens we realize that we have been blessed, and we have never found ourselves in many of those circumstances. As we so often say in life “but for the grace of God their go I.”

On the other hand when we look through the lens of self righteousness, it is much different because those who look through the lens of self righteousness are convinced that they would never do certain actions no matter what the circumstances would be. They tend to look down on others who unsuccessfully struggle with life in ways that we do not know. They have an attitude of arrogance, an attitude of distain for others. When we get like that maybe we should learn from the Book of Job, where we read in the conversation between the devil and God and in which the devil is challenging God, that Job is only good because he and his family are surrounded by God’s protection and that if those were taken away that Job would not be the good man that others see him as. Being self righteous always brings out the worst in us.

The reality is that we can learn from both because there is some of the Pharisee and some of the Tax Collector in each of us. There is some of the Pharisee lurking in each of us as we look through the lens of the self righteousness. Which one of us has not been self righteous in his life time? The self righteousness comes from our lack of self awareness and self knowledge. We think we know our selves like the Pharisee believed he knew himself, but it is not the total picture. It is often our image which is often divorced from reality. The Pharisee would be shocked if you told him that he was arrogant, a snob, full of self righteousness, full of himself and not really needing God in his life.

The Tax Collector knew who he was, a sinner, not so much that he recounted his sins but that deep down recognition within his soul, that he recognized that he was a sinner. In a sense he was a righteous man and we also have those moments as well.

So the lesson for each of us from today’s Gospel is that it is better to be righteous than self righteous. That we need to be very slow to think or believe that we are not capable of doing what we believed we would never do. There are times that we cross over from being self righteous and that can influence the quality of our prayer life just as it did the Pharisee. It affects how we pray, and it affects how we relate to others and to God. But as we celebrate the Mass we need to realize that we need to make our own the prayer of the Tax Collector when he said, “I am a sinner, forgive me”. We begin the sacrifice of the Mass where we confess that we are sinners and we ask for God’s mercy. During the consecration in the words of Christ he assures us that he offers himself up for our redemption, and for the remission of our sins. Before Communion when we say, the Lamb of God” we also ask for mercy, and just before Communion when the Priest lifts the host we all say, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed”. So then we owe a lot to the prayer of the Tax Collector in today’s Gospel.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, November 5th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Second Reading: Hebrews 7:23-28
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

Dear Parishioners,

Today’s readings from Mark 12 is often called the love commandment. It is sometimes referred to as the double love commandment because it involves both love of God and love of neighbour. Christ made clear this would be the distinctive mark of his teaching. In actual fact these two commandments existed in the Old Testament, but Christ was the first teacher to tie the two together.

When we look at these two commandments we realize that in practice we more easily identify with loving my neighbour. This is true because it is more tangible. We can get our arms around it. We can practice it in practical ways. When we come to loving God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength, we find it more difficult to measure where we stand. Historically this command which we see Moses explaining to his people in the first reading today was critical to the chosen people because they were surrounded by cultures that adored many false gods. They let other gods get in the way of their relationship with God. This commandment was to remind them of their commitment to the one God. We know that they failed to live up to this commitment.

There is a lesson there for us. We may need to examine the quality of our relationship with God. Has there been a time in your life when you were closer to God than you are right now? Do you feel His presence in your life? There are many reasons that cause us to disconnect from God.

Here are a few:
Distractions and busyness – when I get busy with other things I tend to forget God. Do days go by, weeks and months not really thinking about God? We get distracted by busyness. Many times we need to be reminded of His presence for example, in the beauty of nature which surrounds us every day. We need to see His presence in the lives of those who touch my life for the better.

Disobedience – when we experience those moments where we realize that there are certain things I should be doing or certain things I need to change, but I ignore it or procrastinate, then I am disconnecting from God. Those moments when we lose the opportunity to pray, those moments when we lose the opportunity to mend relationships, to forgive and let go of resentments. Resentment and anger are sure disconnects from God. We need to listen and respond. No more procrastination.

Relying on our own power and pride – When I get so presumptuous and arrogant that I act like I am a god. When I rely on my possessions and my achievements to be my fulfillment, then I disconnect from God.

Carelessness or laziness – when I get lazy in my spiritual life and I stop doing the things that I know that keep me close to God, then I disconnect from God.

As we celebrate the Eucharist today let us pray that we spend some moments to reflect on the quality of my relationship with God. On the state of my relationship with God. The answers to these questions will have a great bearing on how well I fulfill the second part of the commandment of love-love my neighbour as myself. If I love God sincerely in my heart, soul and mind, then I will definitely love my neighbour!

Feast of All Saints
Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

Year A, Cycle II

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: (Optional) Wisdom 3:1-9 or 3:1-6, 9, or Isaiah 25:6, 7-9
Second Reading: (Optional) Romans 6:3-9 or 6:3-4, 8-9, or First Corinthians 15:20-24, 25-28
Gospel: (Optional) Matthew 25:31-46, or John 11:17-27 or 11:21-27

I am sure that many of us at the time of the death of a friend or a family member have asked ourselves as we looked upon the grave, is this all there is? What now? Is there a life hereafter?. Even the little children ask these questions when they ask us, where have Grandma or Grandpa gone? Our faith tells us that there is a life hereafter. But one may also be able to argue from reason, that within each of us there is this deep desire for fulfillment and ultimate happiness. Every day of our lives we do things that we believe will make us happy. We reach out and seek and tell ourselves that if I have enough money, I will be happy; if I live in a certain area, I will be happy; if I marry this particular person, I will be happy; if I have this particular drive, I will be happy. No doubt all of these bring a certain amount of happiness in our life. We also know that in many cases they can vanish overnight, as is evident with the economic crisis. We can lose our money, we can lose our job, we can lose our home. We also know that even when we possess them, we are never truly happy. There is always that little bit that is missing. It would be somewhat cruel, that we who are Gods highest creation here on Earth, would not be able to reach fulfillment and satisfy that desire he has put within us. It would make sense that we would reach that fulfillment if not in this life, then in another place which we call the afterlife.

As already we have said that our faith tells us that there is a life hereafter. Time after time in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, the scripture refers to salvation, to heaven, and a life hereafter. In the Old Testament we read in the Book of Wisdom “where the souls of the just are in the hands of God and they are at peace”. In the second book of Maccabeus we read “that unless he believed that those that had fallen would rise, then our prayers and petitions are in vain”. Christ himself, many times in Johns Gospel, talked about being sent by God the Father to redeem us so that we would be saved and with him in eternity. In Johns gospel he also says that, “in my Father’s house there are many mansions and I will come back to take you with me – that where I am you may also be.” There is no doubt that the teachings of Christ himself, and that the traditions of the Church, teach us that there is a life hereafter. Much of our efforts to live out the Christian life center around that belief. As St. Paul says, “if there is no resurrection, then all belief is in vain.”

Therefore the central belief the Resurrection and the life hereafter is a source of strength and inspiration to all of us throughout our life, and as we come at the end of our life, at the times when we bury those who are close to us. Those who have gone before us teach us much, especially that they are further along the way to the completion of their journey of ultimate happiness than we are. Therefore, let us pray that we will always remember and be inspired by the belief that we can reach true happiness one day. This should be a source of strength and consolation in the ups and downs of our daily life, where so often we are seeking happiness.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, November 12th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: First Kings 17:10-16
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

On one level, the story in the First Reading from the Book of Kings makes no sense. Looking at it through our human eyes it seems ridiculous and impossible. That is, if we take it in a literal sense. But it can be taken in another sense. Then it becomes very true, and opens up whole horizons of meaning and application.

The widow was down to the last of her food. Truly a very desperate situation that none of us can probably identify with. All she had left was a handful of meal and a little oil. Yet, by sharing what she had with the prophet, it never ran out. The point being made here is: It’s possible to give without losing. In fact, to give can be a way of gaining. Not to give can be a sure way of losing what we have.

Take the example of a grain of wheat. If it is left in the barn, it remains just a grain of wheat, which in time will become moldy and decay, and then there is nothing left at all. But if it is taken out and planted, it will die, but in doing so it multiplies many times over. Another example: If you light a candle, you can light a hundred candles from that original candle without it being diminished. It is able to share its light without losing its own.

So there is a sense in which we can share what we have without being impoverished. We are often stymied by the fear that we will be left short in the future. In fact the opposite is true, we are more likely to be enriched in so doing. A teacher loses nothing of his knowledge by sharing it with his students. In fact he is enriched and so are his pupils. A mother loses nothing of her love by sharing it with her children. In fact the opposite is true. I am always amazed at the courage and generosity of people even when it comes to the giving of material things. I was reading some of Mother Teresa’s experiences with people who exemplified the message from both the First Reading and today’s Gospel.

Mother Teresa’s experiences:
One night, a man came to our house to tell me that a Hindu family, a family of eight children, had not eaten anything for days.
They had nothing to eat.
I took enough rice for a meal and went to their house. I could see the hungry faces, the children with their bulging eyes. The sight could not have been more dramatic!
The mother took the rice from my hands, divided it in half and went out. When she came back a little later, I asked her: “Where did you go? What did you do?”
She answered, “They also are hungry.” “They” were the people next door, a Muslim family with the same number of children to feed and who did not have any food either.
That mother was aware of the situation. She had the courage and the love to share her meager portion of riche with others. In spite of her circumstances, I think she felt very happy to share with her neighbors the little I had taken her.

It was late in the day (around ten at night) when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and found a man shivering from the cold.
“Mother Teresa, I heard that you just received an important prize. When I heard this I decided to offer you something too. Here you have it: this is what I collected today.”
It was little, but in his case it was everything.
I was moved more than by the Nobel Prize.

Giving liberates the soul of the giver. The giver is as enriched as the recipient. This was so much part of Christ’s teaching. For example when he says, “He who loses his life will save it, and he who saves his life will lose it.” These are paradoxes that will make no sense to us if we view them through our human lenses; we need to see them through our spiritual lenses.

A man named Brian Keenan, who was held hostage in Lebanon for several years, gives us a further example. He relates that if one kept to oneself, one was totally rapt up in oneself, never thinking of one’s fellow hostages, or caring about them, or sharing with them, that was a recipe for disaster. It drove one into oneself, and one became gloomy and self-preoccupied. He says, “It is through what we give that we survive”.

We can sum up the theme of the First Reading and the Gospel in the words of St. Francis’ prayer: “For it is in giving that one receives”.

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, November 11th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Second Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
Second Reading: Second Thessalonians 2:16–3:5
Gospel: Luke 20:27-38 or 20:27, 34-38
As we go through life, events can happen that can alter dramatically our lives. It certainly can altar our life perceptions, for example, I think most of us would agree that the events of 9/11 had a profound effect upon the lives of many people in this country and even throughout the world. On a personal level it can be the loss of somebody close to us; a life threatening illness; loss of a job. What we have taken for granted becomes more precious at those moments and what seems so important may fade into insignificance. Our energies may be directed in a different way to some things which we believe have more of a spiritual basis and a long term effect on our lives.

Today’s scripture attempts to help us get a perspective on the meaning of life. It is true that all of us have this innate desire to cling to life and yet somewhere in our lives we have to deal with the issue of our own mortality and what life really means. We have to deal with and ask our selves the question, “Why am I here on earth and where am I going?” As we go on in life’s journey we become increasingly aware of how fleeting life is. We become more aware of our own mortality and our eventual death. This need not be a negative or a morbid thing, it can be very positive, it can help us to put life in perspective, it can help us to appreciate life all the more. Each day becomes a gift. It can help us to come to grips with our own mortality which will give us a certain peace in life. It puts us in touch with the eternal life as we see in today’s scriptures. Jesus talks about in today’s Gospel in dealing with the people of the time; he emphasizes the joys of heaven and a life hereafter as a sustaining force. We also see in the first reading from the book of Maccabees that it was this belief in the life hereafter that sustained the brothers in their terrible moments of torture and pain. This view of eternal life and our faith in it gives us hope; it gives meaning to us on the journey of life as we experience its ups and downs, the good and the bad, the painful and the joyful. This hope helps us keep perspective. But it does not immunize us from pain. For example, Victor Frankel in his book, “Man’s Search For Meaning,” where he dealt with life in the concentration camps during World War II. He writes in this book that it was the lack of hope that contributed to the death of many people. These people lacked motivation and curled up in a corner and died. Where as those who held on to hope had the spirit to survive to the end. Likewise, James Stockdele, who was the first pilot shot down in the Vietnam War and spent seven years in solitary confinement as a prisoner. He suffered terrible tortures and isolation, did not see anyone other than his captors during those years. He wrote afterwards that he survived these seven years because he never gave up the hope of surviving and if he did not survive the prison, he would have eternal life.

So this belief in the life here after and the hope that it gives us, is one of the principal belief’s of our faith and should give us a true perspective on our life’s journey. We refer to it numerous times during the sacrifice of the Mass. Each Sunday we end the Profession of Faith with the words, “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen”. Without this belief our lives are on a journey to no where. I would like to conclude with the mediation and reflection entitled:

Returning to God

We are born in exile and die there too.

As soon as we set sail on the great voyage of life,
we begin our return.

When we die,
we do not so much go to God as return to him.

Like homesick cranes that fly night and day back to their mountain nests,
so let all our lives take their voyage to you, O Lord.

For you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts will never rest, until they rest in you.

Only those who have flown home to You have flown at all.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, November 19th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

First Reading: Daniel 12:1-3
Second Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Gospel: Mark 13:24-32

In the first reading from the Book of Daniel and Mark’s Gospel we see an example of what is known as Apocalyptic writings. They contain dark and foreboding images describing the battle between good and evil. The Book of Revelation is full of these images. The modern version would be the movie The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, the “Left Behind” series, all of them are box office successes and best seller lists, which shows the interest about the end of the world, the signs that would tell us, about good verses evil.

The story of good and evil, the battle between the two has existed since the beginning of time. It is contained in the Book of Genesis – the story of Adam and Eve. Since the world has become a smaller place we are more aware of the evil that exists through out the world. This evil may exist in systems, for example, Communism, or it may exist in individuals like Hitler, Stalin, and Ben Laden. In the last twenty-five years we have horrible examples of the evil of genocide – In World War II the gas chamber massacre of Jews, the Kurds by Sadam Hussein, Bosnia, Cambodia and presently in Darfur.

These are the times when people may begin to question, Where is God? Has God forgotten us? Does evil triumph over good?

While we are horrified by these evils, we need to remember that evil does not come out of the air. Evil exists in people. In fact there is a tendency of evil in all of us. The chances are that at the right time and the right place we are all capable of doing evil.

Today’s scripture readings were not and are not meant to be a message of doom and fear. Actually the Apocalyptic writings mean revelation, the revealing of hope. They were meant to give hope to the Chosen People and the early Church, as they struggled with persecution and survival. They are also meant to give us hope. To strengthen our faith and belief that goodness will always be present and survive. They are a reminder to us that we need to look at our lives to see how well we cope with the allure and seductions of evils that are packaged as “good”. To teach our children to recognize evil where it exists.

It is also a reminder to us that a new age dawned in this world when Christ came to live among us and redeem us. That is a reason to hope and sustain us in our moments of despair. It is not so much about the final coming of Christ at the end of time, but more importantly the coming of Christ to us here today in the Eucharist. The coming of Christ into our daily lives.

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, November 18th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Malachi 3:19-20
Second Reading: Second Thessalonians 3:7-12
Gospel: Luke 21:5-19

Today’s readings from the prophet Malachi and the Gospel according to Luke, paint a very dark picture. There are several interpretations we could put upon these readings and especially the Gospel. Down through the ages some have interpreted the Gospel as containing signs of the end of the world. Without fail every so many years somebody claims that the end of the world is around the corner. Christ makes it clear in today’s Gospel that nobody knows when the end is coming. He warns us not to listen to these people whom re refers to as false prophets. Another interpretation which is more correct is that Christ was painting his disciples a picture of what it would mean to be his follower especially after his death, when they would spread out into the world to preach his message. That would prompt us to ask ourselves the question, “If we had lived at that time and were Disciples of Christ and upon hearing this prediction would we have stayed with him?” We know that the disciples did stay with him, but one could question did they really comprehend what he was referring to, or rather were they in denial of the reality. We know that they were expecting a Messiah, who was more of a political figure who would lead them to be a great nation once again. Because we also know that when Christ got arrested that all of his disciples fled, and that there was absolutely no one left with him at the time of his crucifixion. So the question is for us, “Would we have stood the test?”

So what meaning does the Gospel have for us who live today in a country where we are not put to death for our faith. It is well to remember that in many countries people are tortured and put to death for the practice of their faith, especially in parts of North Korea, China, Middle East and Africa. Our way of understanding it is that it is an inspired insight into the meaning of history. History plays out as a constant struggle between the forces of good and evil. This struggle can be between world wide forces, between forces in a nation, or even within our selves personally. At times it can be violent; or it can be a non-violent struggle for the minds and hearts of people. Even though at times we may believe that evil prevails, our faith in the words of Christ always gives us hope that goodness will triumph over evil. In the bigger picture history proves this to be true. Despite terrible evil systems that have existed through many centuries they all have come and gone and goodness has prevailed. It is well to remember that when we even believe the world is going to hell in a basket, that we need faith in the words of Christ. These are often purifying experiences for society, and that in God’s own way good is often salvaged from evil.

On an individual level the same is often true, we all know from our own experiences, family, friends, that bad things can happen and often do to good people. When these experiences like the more global ones can make or break us. Again the words of Christ give us hope. We are to see beyond the misfortune to a greater meaning. If we do that we see it through different eyes. My own experience was about four weeks ago, a young man arrived into my office to speak. He related to me that he had been diagnosed with liver cancer and had been given only a few months to live. He related that he had not been practicing his religion for several years and had drawn away from God and his family. When he had heard the diagnosis he was angry and upset at the thought of dieing at the age of 41. But as he related his story, he told me that his soul had been touched by God and that he began to look at it through the eyes of faith that he once possessed. He shared that in the past number of months since his diagnosis, he had drawn closer to God and his family who has been loving and caring for him during this time. He related that, “Father, while I am sad to be leaving my family at the age of 41, I am also very hopeful that I am going to eternal life. I can only say to you, out of this personal tragedy has come good as far as my own personal life and the life of my family.” He then asked me to anoint him as he believed that his time on this world was not for long. He thanked me as he was about to leave and I shared with him that I was thankful to him because he truly witnessed the presence of Christ in his life. When he left the office and I began to ask myself the question, “If I had gotten the same news at his age, how would I have possibly handled it?” I must say that I could not answer with any certainty. I would hope and pray that I would be able to see the opportunity for good to come from tragedy and that I would be inspired by the words of Christ.

“Life is God’s gift to us and what we do with it is our gift to God”.
Sunday, November 16th, 2008

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A, Cycle II
Nov. 16, 2008

First Reading: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Second Reading: First Thessalonians 5:1-6
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-20

In preparing for this Sunday’s scripture readings I came across a story of a college twenty-fifth reunion. This happened to be a Catholic college and many of the class returned. It was clear that one of the Priests that had been a professor had been one of their favorites, as he attracted most of the alumni around him. They were all anxious to share with him how successful their lives had been. One had become an architect and designed a famous building; others had become very successful business men and so on. When they all had shared with him how successful they had been he congratulated them, but then he asked them this very simple question, “Tell me what have you made of yourselves?”. That question seemed to have thrown them for a loop and they didn’t know how to answer it. It was obvious that their energies had become so focused on their careers and on being successful, that they had lost touch with their spiritual life and the development of their personal life. Their spiritual life had suffered at the expense of their success in their careers. It is very easy for any of us to fall into the same trap. I was listening this week to a program on Lee Atwater, who was one of the chief architects in the election of the first President Bush. He had come from very humble beginnings and was very ambitious and determined to rise to the top. He was a person of extraordinary talents, especially in the political arena. While we may disagree with many of the tactics that he used, nonetheless, the fact that he was able to rise from very humble background to become one of the chief political architects in the country was something to take note of. Then at the age of 40, at the height of his power, he developed brain cancer. He went on to share, that as he lie there in bed he told a friend; “here I have achieved everything that I was hoping for in life, and now it feels like nothing. My life feels empty, and I believe it is because I neglected completely my own spiritual life and my own personal development.” Truly there was a lesson to be learned from his life.

In today’s Gospel it is clear that Christ’s expectations of each of us is that we use our natural and spiritual talents. By using our natural talents, grace builds on nature. The development of those talents must always be done within the bigger picture, namely in that we never forget what our purpose in life is all about. That we never forget why Christ came on Earth and our chief purpose in life is to be able to save our souls. So therefore, when we talk about developing our talents, whatever they may be, they are always to be used in the context of not only for our own good, but for the good of others.

Life provides many opportunities for us to develop our natural and spiritual talents, which we receive through the grace of God. For example, in the first reading of today from the Book of Proverb we see the story of the woman who inspires us to use well all the moments and talents we are given. To use well the opportunities that come our way. She illustrates the silent greatness that can be achieved in doing ordinary things with extraordinary care. She was a good wife and a good mother, and she reached out to her community to help those who needed help and were less fortunate. Many of us have plenty of opportunities in our own daily lives to use our natural and spiritual talents to develop them and make them grow. We have many opportunities within our own home to develop our relationships with our spouse, and with our children. Children, in turn, with their siblings and their parents. Outside of the home there are multiple opportunities for us to volunteer in our schools, in our community, organizations, and especially in our own parish. We have numerous ministries that are always looking for people to volunteer and to use their talents, both for our own spiritual growth and for the benefit of others.

The Gospel makes it very clear that in the story of those that received their talents they were expected to use them and that Christ the master commended those who were willing to place those gifts and talents at the service of others and to develop them. It is clear from today’s Gospel that Christ rewarded the two people who used those talents well and gave them more so that they could become closer to him. He also was very harsh in his judgment of the one person who did not use the talents he had received. He condemned him for his laziness, and he condemned him for his own selfishness and self interest in his own security, rather than sharing that talent with others. We must be careful that we never fall into that trap. So therefore, it is very clear that the lesson in today’s readings are that we all have talents, natural and spiritual. Some may have them greater than others, but we are all expected to develop them for our own good and the good of others. So that we may well ask ourselves the question that the priest asked those returning for their twenty-fifth alumni anniversary, “tell me what have you made of yourselves?” Let us remember life is Gods gift to us and what we do with it is our gift to God.

Feast of Christ the King
Sunday, November 26th, 2006

Year B, Cycle II

Nov. 26, 2006

First Reading: Daniel 7:13-14
Second Reading: Revelation 1:5-8
Gospel: John 18:33-37

On this the last Sunday in the Church year, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. This feast was created by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to steer the tide of what he saw as an “anything goes” world and to refocus our attention to the reason why Jesus had come to live among us and to die that we might be saved. For all of us whose experience has been with Democratic governance we find it difficult to relate to the notion of Christ as King. But Christ makes clear in his discourse with Pontius Pilate that he avoids any political implications.

Today’s feast is a reminder to us to ask ourselves the question, “When I pray the Lords Prayer and I pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom, what am I rally praying for?” One way of understanding it is to see it as addressing our interior life, our spiritual life, our life style. When we pray – Thy Kingdom come, we are really praying that we will live out the values of the Gospel in our daily life. That we will inculcate the values of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes into our daily lives. That they will determine how we treat others. For example the Beatitudes are a step-by-step guide to how we should live. These Beatitudes are similar to the Ten Commandments. Each message shows us the way of life God means for us to live. They are meant for us to teach us how to travel through life.

So in reality we do not live an interior life which is disconnected from our many faced daily life. At least this is what we hope when we pray – Thy Kingdom come. We are all well aware that to make this a reality is very difficult. Without God’s help it is not possible. So what Christ wants with you and me is an intimate relationship. That is his Kingdom. A Kingdom of the heart. That is his territory, not a geographical territory.

If we truly try with God’s daily help to make the Kingdom of God a reality in how we live our daily life, then we can be a light and an influence on others by our example. So when we pray the Lords Prayer, let us remember that -
The Kingdom of God comes not in some future time.
You cannot point out the sign of its coming.
The Kingdom of God comes not at some special site.
You cannot point out the place of its coming.
The Kingdom of God is already here, among us, now.

Feast of Christ the King
Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

Year A, Cycle II

First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
Second Reading: First Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

Today’s is one of the most vivid parables that Christ ever spoke and the lesson is also crystal clear. The lesson is that God will judge us in accordance with our reaction to human need. His judgment does not depend on how brilliant we were, or the fame we have acquired, or the fortunes we have gained. But, on the help that we have given to those in need.

As the Gospel tells us today Christ will say “come blessed you who responded to the human need of others; he will say you are not welcome because you did not respond when you had the opportunity” Your sin is not one of commission, but omission. You may feel you are good because you did no harm, but what about the good you failed to do?

Our excuse will be much like the people in today’s Gospel when we say “but we did not recognize you, if we had known it was you we would have acted differently”. This can be a real big problem for us in living out our spiritual life. We have boxed God into a neat packet, because it is more comfortable for us. If He is not in this box we do not recognize Him, just like the people in today’s Gospel. We also may have Christ boxed into when I pray, attend mass, receive the sacraments, and I may even try to have a relationship with Him by trying to do no harm. I may contribute to some worthwhile causes. You may well ask “are all of these not good?” The answer is yes, they certainly are. But Christ makes it clear that there is much much more to our relationship with him. This makes his teachings difficult to live out. He is constantly challenging us to step out of that box that we find ourselves in and feel comfortable in. It is difficult for us to step out of our comfort zone, and we all have them. We need to step out of that comfort zone if we are to find Him in many places other than in the box that we have put him in.

You may very well say I certainly contribute to help feed the hungry, helping the homeless, and clothing the naked, and that is very true. If we were to look at the words of Mother Theresa we would discover that there are many other opportunities for us that we may or may not be responding to. We may do well to listen to the words that she wrote, and she certainly was an authority having worked with the poorest of the poor and the most desolate when she said:

“Many today are starving for ordinary bread.
But there is another kind of hunger –
the hunger to be wanted, to be loved, to be recognized.
Nakedness too is not just the want of clothes,
but also about loss of dignity, purity, and self-respect.
And homeless ness is not just want of a house;
there is the homelessness of being rejected,
of being unwanted in a throwaway society.
The biggest disease in the world today
is the feeling of being unwanted and uncared for.
The greatest evil in the world is lack of love,
the terrible indifference towards one’s neighbor.
Lord, warm our cold hearts with your grace,
so that we your disciples may produce the fruits of love.”

Certainly then it would be well worth our while to examine our conscience and to see if we are taking the opportunities to respond to Christ when we meet him in so many different places, in so many different ways in our daily life.

Second Sunday after Easter

Sunday, April 15th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Acts 5:12-16
Second Reading: Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19
Gospel: John 20:19-31

We often use the phrase – “Seeing is believing”
Thomas in today’s gospel exemplifies this belief. In reality many of the other Apostles had difficulty in believing that Christ had risen. In fact as we read the gospels we see that there were many people who encountered Jesus in the flesh and did not have faith in him.

We can sympathize with the Apostles. The crucifixion of Jesus dealt them a devastating blow. They had invested their lives. Now it was all gone. Everything in their lives was beginning to fall apart. We or some family member may have experienced the same.

The example of Thomas is particularly enlightening. His honesty was refreshing. He made no attempt to hide his doubts. Did not try to ignore them. Our reactions to doubt in regard to our faith often provokes feelings of guilt; we see it as a sign of weakness. Actually doubt can be good for us. It certainly was for Thomas. It increased his faith in Jesus when he exclaims – “My Lord and My God”.

In dealing with doubt we need to remember that in life there is no such thing as absolute certainty about spiritual beliefs. If there was then belief would be easy. In fact there would be no need for faith. Absolute certainty in religious matters and beliefs can lead to arrogance and be the foundation of fundamentalism. We are well aware of the multiple problems caused by fundamentalism in our society. Thomas mentor said - “The man of faith who has never experienced doubt is not a man of faith.”

Lessons for us

As we go through life the chances are that we will experience moments of doubt. Should not alarm us. Wise to share it and remember for many questions there is no answer. Let us be grateful for the gift of faith that helps us make sense of life.

Just as he did with Thomas Jesus invites us to come close and to look at his wounds. There is a reason he still bore the wounds of his crucifixion. To teach us that wounds in life will make or break us. That we should not hide our wounds but that we learn from them.

Lastly, it is clear from today’s gospel that Christ expects us, as he did the Apostles, to make him known to those in our lives. We do so through the example of the strength of our faith. How others see us use our faith to shape our daily lives. He also wants us to recognize him in our own wounds and the wounds of those around us. That we may be a source of hope to them. That all of us may turn our weakness into strength.

Third Sunday after Easter

Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Acts 5:27-32, 40-41
Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14
Gospel: John 21:1-19 or 21:1-14
To understand today’s gospel, we need to go back to Holy Thursday night. Christ had warned Peter that before the cock would crow, he would deny him three times. We know that is exactly what happened. Peter who was supposed to be the leader came off as weak, cowardly and unreliable.

But we see in today’s gospel that Jesus was giving him an opportunity to show that he realized that he did wrong and that now he wanted to do what was right. In other words Jesus did not write him off. He didn’t even demote him. Jesus certainly was not vindictive.

Looking at the same situation through human eyes, through our eyes it is doubtful we would not have written off Peter. We would probably have acted vindictively and got even.

Now if we look back to Holy Thursday night and we see that another disciple named Judas who betrayed Christ. His sin was done out of malice where as Peter’s was done out of fear. But Judas did not believe in the goodness or mercy of Christ. He wrote himself off. He did not believe in second chances. He did not believe in the love and mercy of Jesus. In fact we would be more like Judas in that we wouldn’t believe in giving second chances.

We need to see ourselves and others through the eyes of Jesus; we need to see ourselves and others through the “eyes of our soul”, not with our human eyes.

Jesus wanted Peter and us to leave the past behind us. He is more interested in action, doing good, changing what needs to be changed in our life, rather than just apologies.

Third Sunday of Easter

Sunday, April 26th, 2009
Year B, Cycle 1First Reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Second Reading: First John 2:1-5
Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

In today’s Gospel Christ said to his Apostles “Look at my hands and look at my feet, touch me and see for yourself.” These wounds are what helped the Apostles recognize Him and to increase their faith and belief that He was truly risen from the dead. Very importantly, as well, they showed how much Christ really loved and cared for them.

We all know from our own life experiences, like Christ, if we really care, we are going to pick up some wounds along the way. Some of these may be very deep wounds and leave deep scars in our lives, in our hearts, and in our souls. Others may not be as great, but nevertheless, they do leave their scars upon us. For most of us these wounds are invisible. They have been caused because we really care about those around us. They may come from those in our own family, or they may come from those with whom we associate on a daily basis. Most people may not even be aware that they have caused us these wounds. These emotional and spiritual hurts are part and parcel of the journey of life. So the questions becomes for us, “what is Christ trying to teach us in today’s Gospel”?

I think it is safe to say that these wounds give meaning to our wounds. In our disappointments, Christ is present as He was in his own. In our betrayals we see Him present in ours. In His being taken for granted and not appreciated, we see our own. In His sacrifice we see our own. In His frustration we see our own. And in His heartbreak we see our own.

Christ brings hope that our wounds serve a purpose in life. They help us to grow and to develop, because we realize we cannot go through life without caring and loving and not experiencing these wounds. Christ also teaches us that through His wounds He did not become embittered, neither should we. Instead He brought peace and healing to those who may have even caused His wounds. He wants us to learn from Him and to experience through these wounds in our life His resurrection. He wants us to experience in our daily life that He is always present with us as we experience these wounds. This is how He comes alive to us in our daily lives. He also wants us to realize in today’s Gospel as He tells his Apostles that we must go out and bring the message to others. We bring the message of His wounds and love to others through our own wounds and love. How we handle them. How we heal from them. How we don’t become embittered. We show people that through the Grace of Christ that He is present in our wounds and that we grow from them. We can only be truly witnesses when we are not embittered but healed.

I want to leave you with this reflection:

Those who care about others pick up a lot of wounds.
There may be no great wounds,
only a multiplicity of little ones
a host of scratches, wrinkles and welts.
But there can also be a lot of invisible wounds:
the furrows left on the mind and the heart
by hardship, worry and anxiety,
disappointments, ingratitude, and betrayal.
These wounds are not things to be ashamed of.
They are badges of honour.
They are the proof of our love.
Jesus didn’t hide his wounds.
Neither should we.
By his wounds we are healed.

Fourth Sunday after Easter

Sunday, April 29th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Acts 13:14, 43-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 100:1-2, 3, 5
Second Reading: Revelation 7:9, 14-17
Gospel: John 10:27-30

Psalm 23, the prayer “The Lord is my Shepherd” is attributed to King David who was a shepherd before being called to be King of Israel. It is one of the best loved prayers in the Bible. It is obvious that David was speaking from personal experience and out of a deep personal faith.

Chapter 10 of John’s Gospel, part of which we read today could be called the Good Shepherd chapter. His audience at the time knew exactly what he meant when he referred to himself as the Good Shepherd.

So what should it mean to us in our daily life? The audience was familiar with what the Shepherd meant in the life of the sheep. It primarily had to do with relationship, a very close and intimate relationship. It was not a nine to five job.
Christ in the story of the Good Shepherd and indeed through out John’s entire Gospel is giving us the message that the relationship he desires with you and me is an intimate one.

Given that we know the desire of Christ the question for you and me is – “What kind of relationship do we have with Christ?

You may answer that we know about Jesus. We know his teaching. We have learned them since childhood. We recite our beliefs in the Profession of Faith each Sunday.

Christ said – “I know my sheep”. He knows you and me intimately. There is a big difference between knowing about a person and really knowing the person in a manner that we know when we have a close relationship. We trust that person. That person knows us very well, not just our biography. That is what Christ wants with us. The type David had when he prayed “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. Though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil, because you are at my side.” – what a beautiful and intimate relationship.

We would think it very strange if our relationship with our parents was what we experience as children and adolescents, and vice versa. If our relationship with our spouse was based on experiences up to the day of the marriage it would not be a good relationship.

The message is that just as we grow our everyday relationships with those in our life through communication and what we experience with them on life’s journey. So it is in our relationship with Christ. Through our daily prayer and scripture we communicate with Christ. We get to know him as we make him part of our life experience.

Then we can truly pray – “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. Though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil”.

Fourth Sunday after Easter

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
Year B, Cycle IFirst Reading: Acts 4:8-12
Second Reading: First John 3:1-2
Gospel: John 10:11-18

In this morning’s Gospel John uses the metaphor of the sheep and the shepherd, to explain the love that Christ has for each and every one of us. While we in this day of science and technology may not be too familiar with shepherd and sheep, to the people of Christ’s time they would have been very familiar, for a number of reasons. One is that throughout the Old Testament the Kings and Prophets were often referred to as the Shepherds of their people and even God himself was referred to as the Shepherd of His people. At the time that Jesus was speaking to the people of His time it would be clear to them that a Shepherd was somebody who lived day in and day out with his sheep, and had a very special relationship with them. So for us the message is that Christ desires a very special relationship with us and one could describe it as an intimate relationship, because he goes on to say that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. This implies that he also lays down his life for you and for me, and what greater love can somebody have for us than laying down ones life for us. The love that Christ has for us is truly a mystery.

So therefore as we live in an age where many of us may be troubled by the economic woes that we are experiencing, we need to remember the message of today’s Gospel along with the great Psalm of the Good Shepherd who walks with us through the valley of darkness, and therefore we should fear no evil. No doubt many of us today walk in the dark valley of recession, we walk in the dark valley of having lost much if not all of our fortunes, we walk in the dark valley of having maybe lost our home, we walk in the dark valley of having lost our jobs, we walk in the dark valley of trying to make a living in a very difficult time, we walk in the dark valley of anxiety over how long our job may last, we walk in the dark valley of wondering how long we can keep going. If we have retired, or are close to it, having lost much of our funds for retirement, we may certainly be walking in a dark valley. But we are reminded through the Psalm, “we walk in a valley of darkness and we feel no evil”. It is clear then from today’s Gospel that Christ loves us and cares for us.

We just finished the season of Lent, which we began on Ash Wednesday, and as we place the ashes on our forehead we are reminded that we are dust and unto dust we shall return. We are reminded of our mortality, and we are reminded that everything in this life is passing and has no permanence. So therefore, we are reminded that even though we may try to escape being reminded of our mortality, and have put our hopes and trust in gaining fortunes and in financial security, that this will not bring us the sense of security that we need. It is only natural and understandable that we would seek to build our security. We are born with this great desire to feel secure right through childhood, teenage years, and adult years and into old age. We strive every day to try and build a sense of security in our lives. We spend millions in our community to try and make ourselves secure. We bolt our doors and we lock our gates. We as a country spend billions on our armed forces and missiles to make us feel secure. Yet, as we have clearly seen, there are many things in life that these do not protect us from. There is only one real security in our life that will stand the ups and downs of life’s journey and that will help us through the dark valleys, and that is a deep relationship with Christ from which we can build a sense of trust in Him. A sense of trust, that despite traveling through dark valleys we will be secure. The reality is that no one goes through life without walking in dark valleys. There is no one who can go through life trying to forget our own mortality, and that everything in this life is passing. It is important that we remind ourselves and we try to build this relationship with Christ. This sense of trust obviously is very different from an intellectual belief in Christ; just as in our close relationships in life we build a sense of trust with those with whom we are close. So it must be with Christ. As we celebrate the Eucharist today, and we recite the Lord’s Prayer, as we do everyday, and we pray to give us this day our daily bread, let us have confidence that He will do so. As we approach the altar to receive communion, let us realize and be confident that the Good Shepherd is feeding us, to take us through whatever dark valley that we may experience.

Fifth Sunday after Easter

Sunday, May 6th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Acts 14:21-27
Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-5
Gospel: John 13:31-33, 34-35

“Behold, I make all things new.” - Revelations 21:5
We seem to tire so easily of the ordinary in life. Constantly looking for something new and something exciting. Want to be entertained by life and have the latest of everything, styles, electronic equipment or fame. Often taken in by the advertisements that insist: This is really new, and you can’t live without it.

Advertisers are not the first to make such claims. The readings for to-day make precisely this claim. But not talking about something that is new today and replaced tomorrow. Speak of “a new heaven and a new earth”, “a new Jerusalem” or “a new commandment.”

The Book of Revelation could talk about “a new age” because Christ by his life, death and resurrection had altered how we see and understand God the Father, sin, life and death.

Gospel – Christ instructs – “love one another” – Christ had given the example. – We may say that command had been around for centuries in the Old Testament and to some extent in other cultures. But how Christ lived it and taught it was new. He gave it a whole new meaning, not just for his time but for all times. It was revolutionary. That is why he clashed so much with the authorities. When we examine the demands of His love, we realize just how revolutionary it is and what a change in attitude it requires.

We may not be called to serve like Paul and Barnabas, but we must set aside our selfish wants so that we can better serve others. Family life can be very trying. We may not be thrilled by our job every day. Life will call us to “undergo many hardships” – train our children in the midst of a consumer world.

This love requires us to open doors we have closed; to respond to appeal that cry out for our help; to forgive the mistakes of others; this love requires us to open our eyes to facts that we might otherwise overlook.

This requires us to battle the tendency to selfishness that is in all of us. To battle “the me first, me only, philosophy that governs individual lives, the life of companies and societies. e.g. Auschwitz, Elie Weesel, wrote that the prison guards tried to get the inmates to forget relatives, friends, to think only of themselves, and to tend only to their own needs, or else they would perish. Kept telling them day and night. What happened was the opposite. It was through what they gave that they survived.

To live up to the command of Christ, to love one another as he loved us, is not possible from the human point of view. We need the help of God. We need the strength of Christ which comes through the food of life in the Eucharist.

Selfishness keeps- us shut in, confines us, erects walls around us. What frees us is the opposite – opens the prison. Selfishness leads us to die spiritually. To love is to grow in life.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Sunday, May 10th, 2009
Year B, Cycle I

First Reading: Acts 9:26-31
Second Reading: First John 3:18-24
Gospel: John 15:1-8

Today’s Gospel, is the story of “the vine and the branches”. Christ once again describes the type of relationship that He wants from us. If we look back over the past several weeks in John’s Gospels, we have seen last Sunday the story of the Good Shepherd and the sheep describing again the relationship of intimacy. Before that we had the story of Christ becoming the bread and food for our lives, so that He could be one with us. Today, once again, we have a very clear description in the story of the vine and the branches of the intimacy that Christ is looking for in His relationship with us. In the springtime, if one were to travel through the wine country and look at the fields of the vines, we would see that their branches are alive with all kinds of leaves and blossoms. In the autumn, they are loaded with grapes that are picked and used for the wine. But the only reason that the branches are loaded with all of these grapes is because they are connected to the vine. If they were cut off, they would have no life. They would wither and die, and Christ refers to that in today’s Gospel. So the message of Christ is that like the branches – they need the vine, so do we need Him.

If we see our spiritual life in terms of relationships, then the Gospel of John and all these metaphors and parables that Christ uses to describe the intimacy of his relationship with us, will make more sense. Today’s Gospel will make more sense. There are three great relationships in our life, the relationship with God, the relationship with oneself and the relationship with others. This is really what our spiritual life is all about. If we ever want to judge the status of our spiritual life all we need do is check the status of these three relationships. When we damage these relationships, we damage our spiritual life. The vine and the branches are not connected, and they do not bear fruit when we damage the relationships.

The food that Christ is talking about is the love and the care that we experience from these relationships. The relationship with Christ is the relationship that sets the tone for all the other relationships in our life. Because, if we have a close relationship with Christ, it transforms our lives. If we truly believe, deep down within us the great love that Christ has for us; that he wants us to be close to him; that he wants to share his life with us and that life that we received in Baptism he wants it to grow and to blossom. It will influence our relationships with others and the relationship with ourself.

That becomes clear when we realize that the vine needs the branches. It is the branches that produce the fruit which means that Christ needs us, we are his branches. He depends on us to produce more fruit in the world in which we live. We bear fruit through our relationships with others; be they in our marriage, family, significant others, in our community and in our church. We bear fruit when we reflect the values of Christ’s relationship with us. It doesn’t mean that they are perfect, or that they are very successful. They may even be very painful at times, but by our example we can influence others to be led to a different and a better life.

During the winter months the branches are pruned. We get rid of what uses up energy, but produces no fruit. We too need to be pruned; pruning away what damages our relationships with Christ, what damages our relationship with others. Pruning away what is harmful in our lives and pruning away what is leading our hearts in the wrong direction. We need to be aware that there is no such thing as a solitary Christian, and we pray today as we celebrate Christ with us in the Eucharist, and as we receive him in the Eucharist and he becomes on with us, that we truly try and be the branches he wants us to be to produce the fruit he wants us to produce.

Gift of Peace

Sunday, May 13th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

Sixth Sunday of Easter

First Reading: Acts 16:22-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 7-8
Gospel: John 16:5-11
Every one seeks some kind of peace of mind or what they believe makes them happy. -Look at the bookstores psychology section, people make a fortune writing on the subject. Jesus promised peace as he was leaving this world – “My peace I leave you, my peace I give you, not as the world gives you.”
We say this prayer before Communion and also Lamb of God – grant us peace. So Christ wanted us to have peace; - that our very deep human desire would be fulfilled.

Question: How come it is so elusive to get?
Answer: The peace/serenity most of us desire is the absence of conflict or stress. e.g.
If only I could get out of this rat race.
This is peace as the absence of problems – peace by default. Not real peace. Not the peace Christ promised. It is the peace the world gives, which vanishes.

Or we seek peace by controlling our world. There will be no surprises regarding job, family, money, future. I will feel secure. But we don’t control the world. Not the peace that Christ promised. What we are seeking is the peace of the world, which Christ promised was not the peace we needed. Or we seek peace through chemicals, workaholic, pursuit of riches, but we always come up empty. The chances are that we are looking for peace/serenity in all the wrong places.

Discovering the Peace of Jesus.
We know he had no peace in the conventional sense of the word; He was misunderstood, suffered and died. Even as he was speaking to them in today’s Gospel he was about to be betrayed, denied and abandoned by his apostles. He was about to face his passion and death. So Christ tells us that peace is not the absence of problems. In fact the opposite is true – peace/serenity comes through our learning to deal spiritually with life problems – ‘in the world you face tribulations” - the peace we seek is peace without a cross.

But the peace of Jesus is peace through the cross. We would like to go to heaven without dying. So Christ is telling us – the crosses of life are a prerequisite to knowing his peace.

The peace of Christ came from his response to his Fathers will – he was at peace in his relationship with the Father, with himself and with those around him even though they opposed him and abandoned him. This is the inner peace – the peace of Christ.

Christ never forgot his purpose in life. It helped him make sense of life. We need to always be aware of the reason we were born, live and die, which is to achieve our eternal salvation.. All of these things enable us to see things in a spiritual light; through the eyes of Christ, not through the eyes of the world.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sunday, May 17th, 2009
Year B, Cycle I

First Reading: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Second Reading: First John 4:7-10
Gospel: John 15:9-17
Once there was a young man who was having doubts about the existence of God. One day he paid a visit to a spiritual director who had a reputation for holiness, and he asked him “are you certain about the existence of God?” “Yes, I am”, the priest answered. “On what evidence do you believe?” the young man asked. The priest replied “I believe in God because I know him, and I experience the presence of God within me every day.” But the young man replied, “how is that possible?” “When we love, we experience God and doubt vanishes like early morning mist before the sun” replied the priest. The young man thought about this and having a strong desire to live a spiritual life he asked “how can I achieve this kind of certainty?” By acts of love, came the answer. Try to love your neighbor and love those with whom you interact on a daily basis. Especially try to love those whom you find it difficult to love, and to love those whom you need to forgive. This is how you will experience the presence of God and know that he exists.Really these people are echoing the words of St. John in today’s epistole, when he said “my dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God, whoever does not love, does not know God, for God is love.”Love is a wonderful teacher in life. But it does not come to us very easily. It doesn’t just happen, even though we may get an idea of “love” from television, movies and the media. But that is romantic love, love based on chemistry. Which is fine in many ways for the beginning of attractions, but it is not the type of love that sustains relationships. Often love demands prices, it often demands years of persevering and sacrificing before we reach the point where we truly understand what love is.

Because we are born with this innate desire to love and to be loved, it is only natural that life will present us with opportunities to fulfill that desire. But for this to happen the heart has to be right. If the heart is not in a good place, then we will not be able to respond and grow in the type of love that sustains. We will not experience the love that will assure us that we know God. So sometimes the heart is cold and unwilling, sometimes unwelcoming and empty, and sometimes broken. We cannot harbor hate, sustained anger, and resentments within the heart and soul if it is to be opened to the type of relationships that assure us of God’s presence in our lives. So today as we celebrate this Eucharist, let us pray that as we receive him we will open our hearts to rid them of any of those negative thoughts and habits that would prevent us from experiencing God and be able to say yes, I know that God exists, because God is love and I experience that love.

ASCENSION

Sunday, May 20th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

Seventh Sunday Of Easter

First Reading: Acts 7:55-60
Second Reading: Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20
Gospel: John 17:20-26

These who left us on account of the Ascension did not have a pre-scientific concept of the structure of the universe. They had one quite different from ours, theirs was a three tiered universe; the world of the dead, literally underneath the world of the living, and heaven literally above it all. When they spoke of Jesus returning to God, and being enthroned in heaven they recognized this as some kind of ascension into the sky. We have developed a much more sophisticated view of the world.

Today’s readings do not explain what happened. They throw light on what it means. It is one aspect of the broader mystery of the Resurrection. Christ no longer bodily present among his disciples. It is seen as the culmination of Jesus’ life and on earth and the start of the Church mission.

The focus of the feast is not the details of the Ascension, or a scientific explanation of it; rather it is: 1) the spiritual challenge it sets before us. 2) the Ascension is a reminder to us that life conquers all, conquers death – a great source of consolation. It gives an eternal dimension to our lives.

The spiritual challenge it sets before us is that we, each of us, has been entrusted with a mission. Nobody has seen Jesus physically for 2,000 years. The nearest others can get to see Jesus and maybe experience him is in us. If we fail in our mission then those we come in contact are missing an opportunity. Our mission can best be described in the following reflection.

Instruments of the Lord
‘Go, preach the Gospel to all nations.’
This was the farewell command of Christ.
He has no body now on earth but ours.
He has no hands but ours to raise up the fallen.
No feet but ours to seek out the lost.
No eyes but ours to see the silent tears of the suffering.
No ears but ours to listen to the lonely.
No tongue but ours to speak a word of
comfort to the sad.
No heart but ours to love the unloved.
Lord, take pity on us, your timid and fearful disciples; give us the courage to witness to you in the world, and so the Gospel will be preached, and people will find their way into your kingdom.

Pentecost Sunday

Sunday, May 27th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
Second Reading: First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
Gospel: John 20:19-23

Today – Pentecost Sunday is the birth of the church – has one billion members – scattered through out the world – different races, languages, etc.

But the reading shows it began rather simply. Was born in frailty and weakness. No property, no building, no money, scared disciples. Its only resource was people. Then the Holy Spirit came among them and were given the gift of the Holy Spirit and they began to go out and spread the Good News - that Christ had come to redeem us and leave us the legacy of his teaching which is why we are here today. Many of them faced all kinds of tribulations and even death. This should be a reminder to as that the Church is sustained, not so much, by organizational structure, buildings etc. but by the lives of all of us, who respond to the Holy Spirit in our lives.

That same Spirit was given to us in Baptism when we received the life of Christ, and enhanced in the Sacrament of Confirmation. There is no difference between the Spirit the disciples received and what we received. The same life, the same gifts.

Q. What does this mean to us in our daily life?
A. We are assured that – “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the same benefit”
What it means is that it can make a profound difference in our personal lives. The Holy Spirit like spring can awaken us to the gifts that God has already given us in baptism and confirmation. They may be distant but they can come to life if we cooperate and are willing to let the Holy Spirit touch our hearts and souls. To remove any apathy of soul, any protectors around our hearts. We can be transformed in the following way:

The gift of courage to replace fear.
The gift of tenderness to replace anger
The gift of caring to replace hate
The gift of reconciliation to replace resentment
The gift of forgiveness to replace grudges
The gift of generosity to replace selfishness
The gift of honesty/truth to replace falsehood
The gift of integrity to replace cheating

All of this is possible if we cooperate with the Spirit. Let his grace touch our lives in these ways we have mentioned, then we will in turn touch the lives of those around us. When we do we are making Christ alive in our lives and in the lives of those we touch. This is what the Church, the Body of Christ, is really about. This is how Pentecost has meaning.

Pentecost Sunday

Sunday, May 31st, 2009
Year B, Cycle I
First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
Second Reading: First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
Gospel: John 20:19-23
Today, Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the birth of the church. If we look at the church today as we know, it has one billion members scattered throughout the world, different races, languages, culture, and color. It has many structures that enable it to carry out its mission. It has an organization that enables it to function worldwide, but the readings today show us that the church began in a rather simple manner. It was born in frailty and weakness; it had no property, no building, no money and a few scared disciples. Its only resource was people. Then the Holy Spirit came among them and they were given the gifts of the Holy Spirit and began to go out and spread the good news; that Christ had come to redeem us and to leave us the legacy of his teachings. In the language of the Acts of the Apostles the presence of the Holy Spirit comes in the form of wind and fire. The language should not surprise us, as it was familiar to the apostles based on the Old Testament going back to the Book of Genesi, where God sealed the covenant of Abraham with fire. Moses felt the presence of God through fire and there were many other instances throughout the Old Testament where wind and fire signified the presence of God. These Apostles were transformed from being scared to being brave. They went forth into the known world at the time and began to preach, despite many differences and even most of them faced death. Century after century, from that time up to the present, men and women have gone forth to different parts of the world inspired by the Holy Spirit to preach the word of God and to bring his message and his values to the people in those far away places. Otherwise you and I would not be sitting here today if those who went before us had not been inspired by the Spirit and brought the message to us. So therefore, we are reminded again that while the church has great organizational structures and many buildings and does powerful work throughout the world and through many services, that without people it would mean nothing.So then the question for us is, what does all this mean to you and to me? What it means is that the same Spirit that inspired the Apostles and inspired millions of people down through the ages is also present in each of us. We receive that Spirit in Baptism, and it is enhanced in our Confirmation. The Second Reading tells us today, that “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit”. In other words we are all blessed with gifts given by the Holy Spirit. If we are aware of this, and we respond to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it can made a profound difference in our own personal lives and in the lives of those whom we touch. Unfortunately for many of us, the seed that that Spirit implanted in us in Baptism and Confirmation may have grown dormant in time. We may have become lethargic; we may have been overcome by the cares of this world and forgotten our true mission. So today is a reminder to us that we need to be open to the Spirit, to remove that apathy of soul, to remove those barriers that we have placed around our hearts and souls so that the Spirit can enter us. Then we will clearly see that we will have the gift of courage to replace fear, the gift of tenderness to replace anger, the gift of caring to replace hate, the give of forgiveness and reconciliation to replace resentment and grudges, the gift of a generous heart to replace selfishness and the gift of honesty and integrity to replace falsehood, dishonesty and cheating. We are all well aware that these are gifts that are sorely needed in the society in which we live. That many of the problems that we have experienced in the financial meltdown is associated with the lack of these virtues in people’s lives.

If we cooperate with the Spirit and let his grace touch our lives we know that we will be transformed in the many ways that we have just mentioned. When we are making Christ alive in our lives and in the lives of those we touch, this is what Christ meant today for his apostles to do, and for each and every one of us to do when he said “just as the Father sent me…so do I send you.”

Trinity Sunday

Sunday, June 7th, 2009
Year B, Cycle I
First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Second Reading: Romans 8:14-17
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
As children we learn that the Trinity means there are three persons in the one God. We realize as we grow older that this is a mystery that we believe through the gift of faith. Mysteries such as the Trinity we never fully understand, but our appreciation of what it means grows as we live our faith.
It is important to remember that we have been expressing our belief through our prayers since we were little children. In fact, one of the first prayers we learned was how to bless ourselves, which is really an expression of our belief in the Trinity. We hopefully continue that practice in our daily lives. The question for us is, do we ever reflect, or are we conscious of what it really means? It is very easy to do it by rote.It is a mystery, and we can make all kinds of efforts to explain it, but at the end of the day it is still a mystery. But because it is a mystery does not mean we ignore it. What is important is that it has meaning in our daily lives, and that we have a sense of what it does for us. As we mentioned, we pray it in our daily life by the sign of the cross, the Glory Be to the Father, and at the end of most prayers, especially during the mass, we count all blessing, the Profession of Belief, the Eucharist are in the Trinity. In the mass, in the profession of faith, we express very clearly our belief in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and the attributes that we attach to them. So it is not that we don’t express our belief and pray it, but the awareness may be lacking.

So not only in our prayers, we need to remember that the Trinity comes to life to us in many other different manifestations. The manifestation of the Father, the Son and the Spirit is present in our own daily lives. It is present in our relationship with the Father, when we experience him as creator in the beauty of the world around us. We experience him as a loving Father as we pray the words of the Lords Prayer, “The Our Father”. Our beliefs about God should shape our character and actions. Through the scriptures we come in contact with God the Father, especially as we see Christ reveal the Father to us in the parables, and in John’s gospel where Christ talks of an intimate relationship with God the Father and with us.

In our relationship with Christ we experience the face of God and in Christ we also, in our daily lives, realize that he is present to us in the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharist that we celebrate here this morning. He is present to us in the scriptures as we study them, and make them come alive in our own daily lives. We need to be present to Christ and to God the Father. If we seriously want our relationship with Him, we look at Christ as our savior for the forgiveness of our sins, for our salvation and eternal life.

As to our awareness of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we were reminded last Sunday, which was the Feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit to transform a fragile group of disciples into courageous and fearless preachers. That same Spirit was given to us in Baptism and in Confirmation. Indeed it is there for us on a daily basis if we are open to its guidance. If we are open to the voice of the Spirit whispering to our hearts, guiding us to change what needs to be changed in our lives, to go that extra mile for someone else, and to make the extra effort and sacrifice.

While we are dealing with a mystery that we don’t understand, nevertheless as we have seen, we can experience the Trinity in our everyday life by how we pray it and live it.

Feast of the Blood and Body of Christ

Sunday, June 10th, 2007
Year C, Cycle I

First Reading: First Kings 17:17-24
Second Reading: Galatians 1:11-19
Gospel: Luke 7:11-17

Today we celebrate the feast of the Blood and Body of Christ and for many of us from the older generation we remember it as being called the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Latin phrase meaning the Body of Christ. It was also a Holy Day of Obligation and we had public processions of the host and monstrance in every town and city giving honor to the presence of Christ among us. In between that time and now many seem to have lost some of the respect, fervor and even the belief in the significance of the Eucharist in our life. We see that many people and even many parents rarely show up to celebrate the presence of Christ in our midst on Sunday mornings. It would seem that they miss the fact that the Eucharist is really at the center of our Catholic life.

Like so many feasts and events that we celebrate throughout the year, like the Nativity, the death of Christ, the Resurrection of Christ and today the Feast of the Blood and Body of Christ we need to understand all of them in the context of the history of our salvation. None of these feasts stand on their own, they are all interconnected with what went before them in the Old Testament and what has happened since they occurred. If we look at today’s Feast of the Blood and Body of Christ we see that the first Eucharist was celebrated at what we now know as Holy Thursday night which was on the celebration of the Passover. The Passover was one of the most important feasts of the Chosen People and we must remember as well that Christ and the Apostles were Jews and always celebrated the Passover. The Passover was a celebration of praise and thanksgiving by the Chosen People for their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. And for us in the Eucharist we also celebrate our deliverance from slavery of sin through the death of Christ. And just as the chosen people gave praise and thanksgiving to God for their deliverance and offer sacrifice, we do the very same in the Eucharist, we praise and we thank God for having delivered us from sin and saved us through the death of Christ which we commemorate in the Eucharist. Like wise at the Passover the Chosen People not only celebrated their deliverance from Egypt but the fulfillment of God’s promise to them and that they would reach the promise land. And we to likewise in the Eucharist celebrate the fact that we to have been promised through the Eucharist that we will reach the promised land, life in heaven with Christ because he has promised us that “he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood with live forever”. We need to remember that for the Chosen People from their time of deliverance from slavery in Egypt until they reached the promised land that it was a long and arduous journey. It was a journey that was often painful, fearful, frightening, full of anxiety and fear. There were times when they got discouraged and felt that they would never reach the promise land. But time after time the presence of God gave them hope until they finally reached the promise land. He fed them with manna from heaven to keep them alive, and time after time showed them that he was in their presence. We to like the Chosen People from the time of our deliverance at Baptism from the slavery of sin until we reach the end of our life are on the journey as well. We to are on the journey that often like the Chosen People will have its moments of pain, suffering, fear, anxiety, despair. But like the Chosen People, Christ has promised us that he will be our food for that journey and that he will always be with us, always in our midst to give us the strength that we need on this journey.

Therefore, we need to remember that each Sunday as we celebrate the Eucharist and we receive Christ we are receiving “the manna” that will help us day in and day out and give us the strength we need on that journey. Christ has promised us “I am the bread that came down from heaven, whoever eats this bread will live for ever.”

Just as Passover was not an individual but a community celebration of praise and thanksgiving so also is the Eucharist. At the Last Supper Christ washed the feet of the Apostles to give them the message that they need to do likewise for their fellow man. So as we leave the confines of this physical structure of the church we need to live what the Eucharist stands for in our daily life. We need to realize that we are the body of Christ to those we meet in our family, in our neighborhood, at our place of work and those whose lives we interact with. We need to remember that the final words of the Eucharist each Sunday is “go in peace and serve the Lord and one another.” And if we do so we will truly understand the meaning of the Eucharist in our lives.

Feast Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

Sunday, June 14th, 2009
Year B, Cycle I
First Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24
Second Reading: Second Corinthians 5:6-10
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
The older generation among us remember when this feast was regarded as a Holy Day and was named Corpus Cristi, the Latin words for “the body of Christ.” In many towns there would be a public procession where the Blessed Sacrament and the monstrance was carried through the streets as a mark of respect and belief in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In between, it would seem that many may have lost some of that respect and fervor, and even the beliefs in its significance in our lives. As a matter of fact some polls would show that 33% of Catholics attend the Eucharist each Sunday on a regular basis. Forty-three percent of Catholics who would doubt that the Christ is really present in the Eucharist, and that the bread and wine are more symbols than actuality. The reality is that we see many people and many parents, unfortunately, who do not bring their children with them to celebrate the presence of Christ in our midst. It would seem that they missed the fact that the Eucharist is really at the center of our Christian life. It is regrettable that we cannot transfer some of the same passion that we have for sports, work, and the pursuit of riches and power to the Eucharist. We will sacrifice to make sure that our children don’t miss a sports event, and yet we don’t take any notice of them missing mass. We need to remember when it comes to believing in the Eucharist that it is the same faith that we have referred to in the past number of Sundays, the Resurrection, the Pentecost, the Holy Trinity. All of these we believe through the eyes of faith. It is regrettable that there are some who no longer believe, but it is not new. If we look at John’s Gospel, where after Christ performed the miracle on the loaves and fishes, that the people returned to him the next day looking for a repeat of what he had done. Christ went on to address them that he is the bread of life and that the bread that they enjoyed yesterday was only bread for material support of their body, but that he had come to be much more, to be the bread of life and to sustain us. Then they requested that He give them this bread of life. He progressed from there to explain that the bread I give is my flesh for the life of the world and my blood is for the salvation of the world. It is at that stage that many turned their back and left him because they could not believe.We also need to remember when we talk about the Eucharist, that Christ chose the Feast of the Passover to have the Last Supper and to have his first Eucharistic sacrifice. The Feast of the Passover has always been very important to the Chosen people and to the Jewish people in our day. Christ knew its significance and chose that occasion to celebrate the First Eucharist on Holy Thursday night. Passover was, and is a celebration of thanksgiving by the Jewish people for their delivery from slavery in Egypt, and arriving safely in the Promised Land. That Feast of Passover is celebrated each year where there are readings from scripture and singing of hymns of praise where they recount God’s goodness to them. It is not just a memorial, it is done to remind the Jewish people that God is present in their midst today, as much as he was in the Old Testament. Likewise, in the Eucharist we celebrate our deliverance form the slavery of sin through the death of Christ. We celebrate our salvation. Like the Chosen people we are on a journey to the Promised Land which is called Heaven. Like the Chosen people, we are sustained by the belief that they would arrive at a promised land; we too are sustained by our belief in a life hereafter in Heaven. This is one of the central beliefs of our faith. But as the Chosen people after their delivery from Egypt had a long journey to the Promised Land and had their moments of anxiety, fear, frustration and disappointment, we too have many of the same experiences along our journey between birth and going to our promised land. Just as the chosen people were sustained by the presence of God in their midst, so are we sustained by the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. After all he has told us, “I am the bread of life.” In the Eucharist we are fed the Body of Christ just as the chosen people were fed by Manna from Heaven. Christ tells us again, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven and whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

Just as Passover was not an individual but a community celebration of praise and thanksgiving, as it is today, so also is the Eucharist. At the Last Supper Christ washed the feet of the apostles to give them the message that they need to do likewise to their fellow man. So we need to remember that Christ did not come on Earth just for our individual salvation, he came on Earth so that we could live as a community and sustain each other as a community. Christ himself built a community around himself when he was here on Earth, to give us an example of what we needed to do. Because it is by living in our community as we do here each Sunday in the Eucharist, that we draw strength as a community. It is as a community that we are able to respond to the appeal to spread the word in Father Linus’ home village. It is as a community that we are able to respond these weeks to take care of the homeless at our Parish hall. So therefore, we need to remember that our belief is not an individual thing alone, but that we need to be part of a community. Attendance at our Eucharistic celebration each Sunday is one of the beautiful ways that Christ instituted for us to do so. It is also important to believe that we draw our strength from it to go out and live the message that He gave us. It is only then as we leave these four walls with the final words of mass, “go in peace to serve the Lord and one another,” that we will have true meaning in our lives.