Here we are, once again celebrating the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, cycle C. It is sort of ironic that I stood here before you just three years ago, reflecting on these same readings. For those of you who remember that weekend, I started with a general comment about how, as we approach the end of our liturgical calendar, the readings for the next few Sundays’ reflect an “es-cata-logical” theme. I still hate the word as I continue to mispronounce it, but the definition for it is clear: it’s the study of 'end things', whether it’s the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world. Or, to quote the R.E.M. song used in the movie, “Chicken Little”, “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It”.
I then went on to talk about the five main scenarios that are usually used to predict the end of the world in our movies today: an Alien Invasion; being hit by an Asteroid; a Catastrophic Geological Phenomena; our own Self-Inflicted Armageddon (whether that be from nuclear war, biological war or Climate Change; or (of course, my favorite): the Zombie Apocalypse. And, at least in the movies, we usually seem to avert annihilation.
However, who would have predicted – outside of maybe an ancient biblical prophet like Isaiah or Jeremiah – that other than an invasion by zombies or aliens we would experience all those other events which, by any measure, would be worthy of a movie of impending doom. For within roughly a month of my preaching, CoVid-19 hit – one of the worst pandemics in modern history. During it we experienced massive natural disasters such as the catastrophic fires in the western US and Australia, record-setting heat waves in the Northwest and indeed globally, and a war between two “civilized” industrial countries which has displaced millions of people and which continues to this day. All this has happened within the short span of the last three years. And no, I had no idea of what we were about to face when I preached that Sunday.
By the way, the total number of deaths from CoVid, which at one point was thought by some to be the end of the world, is estimated to be just over six point six million, which is only about one-fifth of the number of deaths attributed to HIV/AIDS just a couple of decades earlier.
And yet, I think we once again find ourselves becoming, after the initial panic associated with these tragic events, like the villagers in the Aesop’s Fable story about the little shepherd boy who cried “wolf”: complacent about our own future.
Maybe even more so. In past crises, people would turn to God for help and protection, but today it seems that as a society we are turning away from God. At least when people blamed God for bad things, it indicated that they still believed He existed. Today, I’m not so sure. It’s like the recent Netflix movie about a planet-killing asteroid hurling toward Earth (movie scenario #2) called “Don’t Look Up”: everyone knows that it’s coming, but they don’t care. God can work to heal one’s anger and pain; but how does He reach someone who doesn’t care if He exists?
And we should care, for even if the times are not signaling the End of the World As We Know It, there will always be events which will make it seem like it is. And just as we need God to help us through those difficult times when we face them, we also need Him to help us care for those who are affected by tragedies of their own. We all need someone who cares, and no one cares for us more than God, even if we don’t believe in Him or are angry with Him.
Now, since these things have been happening for over 2,000 years, does that mean that we are not living in the “end times” that Jesus warned us of? No – of course we are. But He points out that, while there will be many tragic events that may occur in our lives before the second coming, they, in and of themselves, do not mean that the second coming is here.
Each of us still has a mission to fulfill, despite the scary-ness of the times in which we live. And each of us will face our own “End of the World” – we just don’t know when or where.
So each of today’s readings are just as important to us today as they were to the Israelites and the Jews of Jesus’ time, both as a warning to us against becoming too complacent in our lives and as a pointer to who we should be looking to in order to help us face those challenges: God. And the true challenges we face are not aliens, zombies, nuclear wars, pandemics or other catastrophes. The challenges are much more personal than that.
In the movie, “Rim of the World”, four misfit pre-teens are caught up in a doomsday scenario – the end of the world by alien invasion (that’s movie option number one, by the way). Although these kids have to fight aliens and even their own people in order to save the world, their biggest challenges are in overcoming their own personal battles – the boy who is afraid of everything; the kid who has been labeled a criminal because he has a learning disability which caused him to make some serious mistakes; the girl who is an orphan because her parents didn’t “want” her; and the kid who has lost everything because his dad was sent to jail. It wasn’t the aliens who threatened them the most; it was their own fears.
That’s US. And it is how we face our individual fears, those challenges, those OPPORTUNITIES to witness to others the love and mercy of God through the light of Christ, which will define how we will meet our own “end times.” Not everyone will agree or accept our testimony. We may face persecution; we may lose everything we have including our friends, our livelihoods – yes, even our lives. But if we persevere; if we do not become complacent; God will save us.
And we will receive the best of all possible end times – an eternity with God.
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Prophetic Times
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Persistence in Prayer
Of the five types of prayer – Praise, Thanksgiving, Blessing or Adoration, Petition and Intercession – while I would venture that the first three types may arguably be the most important to our relationship with God, the greatest majority of our prayers fall into one of the two last categories: prayers for ourselves or prayers for others.
In a way, it is only natural. There is often a sense of urgency when we offer the last two types of prayer that we don’t feel present for the first three. If something happens that is beneficial to us or to those closest to us, we will thank God after the fact; we might praise Him out of awe and reverence just because of our witness of His goodness throughout all of creation; and we should adore God out of sheer love of Him.
But there is a sense of timelessness associated with these prayers. There is no expectation that something should happen as a result of them, other than our development of a closer personal relationship with God, which, by the way, is crucial for us to get to Heaven. It is through these three types of prayer that we get to know God the Father and His Son, Jesus through the interaction of the Holy Spirit. That is why the first three prayers types are so important and should not be neglected. We NEED them if we expect God to listen to the last two types of prayer.
We offer prayers of petition or intercession asking God to grant our request whenever we, or someone we love, have a problem to be faced or an obstacle to be overcome, or there’s something we think we need or desire strongly. And while all five types of prayer need it, the last two will always call for persistence.
What is persistence? First of all, persistence doesn’t mean stubbornness. It isn’t likely that God, unlike the dishonest judge in the Gospel, will be worn down by our prayers and just give into our demands. I’ve known people (myself included) who have thought, “If I just pray harder and more often, God will give into me.” And if I don’t get what I want, I’m not praying hard enough.”
It’s not as if we can manipulate God like a puppet on a string. God isn’t a puppet, but a loving Father who “knows what we need before we do” and grants our requests “according to His Will”. But He also wants to know if we are serious in our prayers and if WE have the right mindset when we ask them. And that’s where persistence can come into play.
If there’s one word which can be used to describe the theme of all three of our readings today, it is persistence.
• Persistence in prayer, as seen in the parable from today’s Gospel;
• Persistence in action, as seen in our 1st reading about the Israelites at war; and
• Persistence in faith, which we are encouraged to have as seen in St. Paul’s letter to Timothy.
Of what value is persistence to us? We’ve all probably heard the little ditty that has been taught to school children since the mid 1800s: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” (I love the scene in the original “Miracle on 34th Street” where a young Natalie Woods recites it to her mother in response to her mother’s statement that she needs to have faith. Of course, she was referring to Santa Claus, but you get the idea.)
So, why keep trying? Why not W.C. Field’s version; “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again – and then give up”? Can you imagine the old recruiting slogan, “When the going gets tough, the tough give up”? But it seems that that has become the mantra for far too many people today.
St. James stated the reason quite clearly: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (Ja 1:12)
We live in a world that is full of challenges, but despite what some people think, the challenges of today are no more or less severe than those faced by previous generations. War, natural and man-made disasters and life-threatening illnesses were part of the world that faced those in Jesus’ time and the early Christians, just like we do today. So what’s different?
Maybe it is because as a society, we are losing a sense of hope for a better world. And that loss begins with our loss of faith.
In a Pew report from 2018, while 80% of adults in the United States said they believed in a “god”, only 56% believed in the God of the Christian faith, while a total of 33% said they believed in some other sort of god or some higher power. And about 10% stated no belief in a higher power at all! Sadly, I believe the numbers are even lower today.
Unfortunately, as belief in God diminishes, so does hope. A recent report from the Center for Disease Control states that despair is at an all-time high, especially for young men and women in the ages between 15 and 34. That’s OUR children! Is it any wonder that our world seems to be more cynical and less loving today?
BUT, there really is HOPE. God has promised to never abandon us, and Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. The Gospels are full of hope, and with every generation God continues to call upon his saints-in-the-making to help us see the brightness of our futures, or, as God said through the prophet Jeremiah: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you – plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you.” (Jer 29:11-12)
Which brings us back to our readings. The hope of our future lies in our persistence in the face of adversity, as seen in the three examples given to us today:
1. St. Paul calls to us to “proclaim the Word of God and to be persistent in doing so, whether it is convenient or inconvenient” – in other words, whether we, or others, like it or not. We must persistently live our faith; we must persistently profess our faith. And we must do so with humility and charity.
2. Jesus tells us that in order to proclaim the Good News, we too must reach out to God and “pray always without becoming weary”, for God will always listen and answer our prayers, and will give us the strength to persevere in our efforts.
3. Finally, we are reminded that we cannot do it alone – it takes the Church to help us. Moses, although God’s favored one, was still unable to sustain his “prayer” in the heat of the battle without the help of Aaron and Hur, his priests. If we ever think that we don’t need our “religion” because we can go “directly to God”, this should remind us that we need friends of faith to sustain us. God has placed others in our lives to help us to get to heaven. Just as important, He has provided us to others to help them as well. We should not be afraid to turn to others when we need help – and to be persistent in our efforts to help others in need.
This is what gives meaning to life – a belief in God, the promise of heaven, and help for the journey. And we need persistence in our lives: persistence in our prayers, persistence in our actions; persistence in our faith. Praying to God leads to Faith; Faith leads to Hope; Hope leads to Action; and Action leads to God.
And it is God Who gives meaning to our lives. Because He loves us, He is persistent in His pursuit of us.
One final thought. As I said earlier, persistence isn’t stubbornness. God ALWAYS answers our prayers, although it may not be with the answers we want. I think I’ve shared this poem before, but it bears repeating:
“Our prayers to God, they come and they go.”
Sometimes with “Yes”, sometimes with “No”.
But when we demand that He do our bidding,
Sometimes God answers, “You’ve got to be kidding!”
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Be At Peace
Are you at peace with yourself? Is your life quiet and tranquil? I’m afraid that most of the time, mine isn’t – unless you count the times I’m asleep – and even then my dreams are rarely quiet and tranquil. When you mix 3 people, 4 dogs, a cat, two TVs, and multiple electronic devices under one roof, there’s bound to be a lot of action and noise. You with kids know exactly what I mean.
The world outside of my house might actually be worse. At least there is a level of civility within my household - most of the time. But it doesn’t take much to show me that once I step across the threshold into the world at large the challenges to peace become even greater.
I think that’s why I find St. Paul’s letter to Timothy particularly insightful. Most scholars believe that it was written near the end of St. Paul’s life, or that it might have even been a synthesis of several letters that he composed, but whatever its source it strikes to the root of much of our problems today – living in peace. In the letter Timothy is described as the young administrator of the Church in Ephesus, and Paul is providing instructions on how to shepherd the people in his Christian community through the challenges they faced both within their church and with the pagan culture at large. The problems Timothy faced are no different than what we face today.
Today, we pick up with the beginning of Chapter 2 and Paul’s specific instructions to Timothy: “First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.”
Notice that Paul links a quiet and tranquil life to devotion to God and dignity in our behavior. They go hand in hand with each other. But to get there, we must first pray. Not first for ourselves, although it is natural that we should think of ourselves first. But first we pray for others, especially for those who are in authority over us.
Remember, at the time that Paul is writing this, Christians were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. The leaders and their policies in the Roman world were in direct conflict with Christ’s teachings – just like we often see in our world today. How then do we orient ourselves so that we can be at peace with the world – and with ourselves?
We look to the rest of today’s readings to provide some insight for us as they intertwine with each other.
The first reading from Amos could just have easily been written to us today. We once had “Blue Laws” on the books which were meant to safeguard the Sabbath and to give us time to be quiet and focus on God. Now that they are virtually non-existent, those who are focused on getting ahead in life economically, expecially at the expense of others, see leisure time as a waste. Of course, there are also those who take leisure activities to the other extreme, seeing the time set aside for God as a burden to tolerate and not as a joy to experience. Amos warns the Israelites that short-changing or ignoring God on the Sabbath and focusing only on personal gain at the expense of others would have dire consequences. And we’re seeing those consequences in our world today.
Which leads to today’s Gospel. I admit that I struggle with this particular passage from Luke’s Gospel as it seems to reward secular cleverness instead of the virtue of honesty. But if we know Jesus, then we know that there is always a deeper meaning to his parables.
What do we know about the steward? First, since richness was an indication of power in Jewish times, his wealthy boss would be a person of great influence, and as his steward, he in turn would wield power in his boss’ name. Second, he must have been abusing that power since he must be living a life of some luxury at the expense of his boss. Third, he might or might not have been directly cheating those who owed the boss since it says he was taking advantage of his boss’ resources, but in his attempt to ingratiate himself with the debtors he must have had some positive relationship with them in order for his gestures to be met with any quid pro quo on their part. Finally, the commendation by his boss as being prudent doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be fired.
From a spiritual point of view, I think we tend to forget that God is our master, just like the rich man is the master of the steward. We are stewards of all of the gifts that have been entrusted to us. His differentiation of honest vs. dishonest wealth is a distinction between earthly (dishonest) wealth and spiritual (honest) wealth. Jesus’ admonition that we should be trustworthy with the gifts that we have, from whatever source they come, reminds us that anything we have is a gift from God. If we want to enjoy the spiritual gifts promised to us for eternity, we must also be prudent with the earthly gifts we receive first.
Finally, we return to Paul’s letter and his wish for all Christians stated in the last line of today’s passage: “… in every place (people) should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.” While hopefully this is true during an hour of Sunday Mass, given the lack of civility and respect we often show to others during the other 167 hours of the week I wonder if we are taking this admonition truly to heart. And yet, when we can embrace a civil tongue and show respect to others, there is a lack of conflict in our lives and we tend to find ourselves at peace.
Sadly, I believe that we are a cynical nation today, and rather than praying that everyone, including those in authority, to be saved we instead pray that those who do not conform to our belief – especially those in authority – are struck down or otherwise removed from power. And with Midterm elections coming in a few weeks we only have to look to the news and the talking heads on social media to realize that we are far from Paul’s insistence on prayer for all.
So, what’s the answer? How do we experience that calm and peaceful life that Paul describes? First, the prophet Amos tells us to appreciate the gift that God gave us with the Sabbath and to use it as it was meant – a time to thank God for the many gifts He has given to us and to use that time for the purpose He intended. Second, as Jesus reminds us, we are stewards of the many gifts we have received, whether earthly wealth or spiritual health, and we need to be wise in our use of both. And finally, Paul reminds us to pray, especially for those with authority over us or with those that we disagree with, not in anger but in love.
It is then that we will find peace.
Sunday, August 28, 2022
Perfect Humility
At first glance, today’s first reading and the Gospel from Luke appear to be lessons on humility, and we would not be wrong in believing that. But if we stopped there and only focused on how we should act with humility, we might miss an important insight into the mind of God.
Let’s start with our first reading, which sets the stage for today’s Gospel. It is from the Wisdom Of Ben Sira, better known to most Catholics as the Book of Sirach. Sirach contains numerous maxims, or sayings, that deal with a variety of subjects pertaining to individuals, the family, and the community in their relations with one another and with God. It addresses areas of friendship, education, poverty and wealth, laws, religious worship, and many other important matters which are still applicable to life today. Written around 175 BC, you won’t find it in most Protestant bibles and it, along with the book of Tobit, Maccabees and the other Deuterocanonical books, are important reasons to make sure you own a proper and complete Catholic bible. By the way, a good Catholic Study Bible is reasonably priced and makes for a great Christmas gift for any of your non-Catholic friends – or even your own children. (And since it is August, I know you are already shopping for Christmas.)
Getting back to Sirach, today’s first reading talks of the importance of humility, and the rewards for those who are truly humble – the love of others and the favor of God. It also offers good advice on how to practice humility, which leads us to Luke’s Gospel for today.
It begins with Jesus at dinner party hosted by a leading Pharisee. This is probably not just an intimate gathering of a few friends for drinks, since it alludes to the number of people seeking places of honor. And since Jesus wasn’t known to be buddy-buddy with any of the leading Pharisees (with the possible exception of Nicodemus), if he was invited then the odds were good that there would have been a lot of people there, if only see Jesus.
Now, this is the third time in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus dines with the Pharisees. The first time was with the Pharisee named Simon and it concluded with the pardoning of the sinful woman and Jesus directing a parable about mercy at Simon. The second time an unnamed Pharisee commented on how Jesus’ disciples did not wash before dining and he was subsequently chastised for emphasizing legalistic rituals without understanding them.
And now, Jesus cautions the Pharisee’s guests about the dangers of feeling self-important, and then he turns to the host and comments on his choice of dinner guests. You’d think people would learn about what would happen to them if they invited Jesus to dinner, wouldn’t you?
In any case, Jesus is there and it appears that a lot of people are there. He begins by observing how they are interacting with each other. On the surface, his comments appear to be just about humbling oneself by not seeking seats of honor. But there’s more to it than that, I believe.
Think about it. If we are invited to a party and there is no assigned seating, wouldn’t we look for a place to sit near our friends or at least someone we knew? Would that be wrong? After all, God created us to be social creatures with a sense of community – a desire to be part of something larger than ourselves. So, if it isn’t just an issue of taking the lowest place at the table (which would cause its own problem if EVERYONE tried to sit there), then what should determine where we choose to sit? After all, think about Mary and Martha – wouldn’t sitting at the feet of Jesus be considered a position of honor, and shouldn’t we want to be as close to Him as possible?
I think it is motivation, the “why” of what we choose. In his encounter with people, Jesus always looked for a person’s motivation. While his miracles had to do with a person’s faith or those around them, even that reflected the motivations of those involved. Ultimately, our motivations are more important to God than just action, although our actions often reflect our motivations. It’s our motivations that separate us from other creatures.
And that which motivates us should be tied directly to our faith in God.
What motivates us to act, to choose, as we do? I confess, I wonder if I’m like Jesus as I watch people come in for Mass. We laugh and joke about how at one time Jewish people would pay to have the seats of honor at the front of the synagogue but that Catholics would pay to sit in the back. And make no mistake about it, everyone here is invited to sit near the front. After all, wouldn’t it be better to sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary?
In any case, after commenting on the guests’ choice of seats, Jesus turns to the host and suggests that he should have invited those who could not return the favor. And that becomes particularly challenging to us. Are we willing to do that? For the braver ones among us, we might go and serve food at a soup kitchen or help with a holiday meal for the poor, but are we afraid to invite strangers into our home to share a meal with us? I confess I would find it particularly difficult.
Once again, it is our motivation which is important to God. Even if the Pharisee had invited the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind – that in and of itself might not have been a noble act in the eyes of God if his motivation was that others might see and compliment him of being a good person.
And that is the problem with society today – our motivation or mindset, the “why” we do something. We often do things because we like thank-you’s or other acknowledgments whenever we do something nice for someone. But if, as Jesus said, when giving alms we should not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing, then how many buildings or other monuments should be named “Anonymous”? I wonder – are the saints horrified when we name something after them? In fact there are not many examples of humility today – just look at the egos of many of those we publicly honor: those with wealth or power, sports figures, media celebrities, or even politicians. (Well, maybe not many of them.)
Merely being a humanist, one who is motivated to do good for others but doesn’t love God, often ends up like the person whom Jesus refers to in his Sermon on the Mount concerning prayer, fasting and almsgiving: “Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward” – (Mt 6:1-18).
In summary, the gospel offers us two points to ponder concerning humility today:
* Are we motivated by what we think of others? Or,
* Are we motivated by what others think of us?
Both have to do with our opinion of ourselves. If humility lies in knowing our proper relationship to others and to God, then we can only be humble if we place God first in our lives and follow His Will. It’s like when we say that St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) accomplished great things (which she did); in true humility she’d say God did great things and allowed her to be part of it.
True humility IS hard. But God is here to help us if we let Him. Mac Davis used to sing, “Lord, it’s hard to be humble / When you’re perfect in every way. / I can’t wait to look in the mirror / for I get better looking each day.”
Thank God I’m not perfect.
Sunday, July 24, 2022
What Do You Need?
What would you do if you won the lottery? A really BIG one – like next Tuesday’s estimated $790 Million jackpot? If you had all that money, what is the first thing that you’d want for yourself? (I mean, after paying off your bills. And after giving St. Paul’s ten percent of your winnings – before taxes, of course.) In other words, if money was no object, what’s the ONE thing that you want most of all? A new car? A new house? A trip around the world?
But, maybe what you want can’t be bought with any amount of money. Maybe you’re fighting health issues, and you just want them to go away – an end to the suffering and pain, or healing for an illness that others have said is incurable?
Or maybe what you really want is something that you don’t think you could ever get, or that you even deserve. Maybe it’s just something as simple as having someone to love, or someone to love you?
I really want you to think seriously about this for a moment - if you asked God for ONE thing for yourself today, what would it be?
Now – I want you to ask yourself another question: “WHY”? Why do I want a new car or a new house or for the pain to go away or to live longer – or whatever it is that you want? I’m sure that whatever it is, you have a good reason for wanting it, but since you want it, you obviously don’t have it. So, ask yourself, why do I want this one thing over anything else? Now, hold onto that thought for a few minutes.
Today’s Gospel from Luke is one that’s often quoted by those who proclaim the “Gospel of Prosperity”. Similar¬ passages include:
• Matthew, chapter 7, verse 11: “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him” and Matthew, chapter 21, verse 22: “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”
• Or, Mark, chapter 11, verse 24: “Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.”
• Or in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 14: “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it”; and John, chapter 15, verse 7: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.”
And there are many other examples.
According to these scripture passages, if you pray hard enough, or just had enough faith, you should get what you ask for, right? Maybe not. I didn’t win the Mega Millions jackpot earlier this month, and I even bought two tickets for it. So I guess I didn’t pray hard enough?
Or maybe, just maybe, God knew it wouldn't be good for me.
In any case, let’s take a closer look at today’s Gospel reading. It begins with Jesus’ disciples asking him how to pray, and Jesus teaching them a shortened form of the Lord’s Prayer. (The “Our Father that we usually recite comes from Matthew’s Gospel). But look at how today’s Gospel ends: “how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
The answer to everything we need or want lies in the most precious gift of all, the gift that God wants to give us: the gift of His Holy Spirit. And if we look at what Jesus is telling His disciples from that perspective, we see that the other gifts that God offers us through His Holy Spirit are far greater than mere cars or houses or money or even health.
Do you remember the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit from your CCD or faith formation classes? I’m embarrassed to say that I have to usually look them up. The 7 gifts are: Knowledge. Understanding. Wisdom. Counsel. Courage. Piety. Fear of the Lord. (I prefer “Awe and Respect of the Lord” as “Fear of the Lord” makes God sound like someone to avoid instead of someone to love.)
And the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit are: Peace, Joy, Love, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Chastity, and Self-control. These are the Good Gifts that God has in store for us, available to us if we just ask.
Why are these gifts so valuable? Why should we want them instead of wealth, health or power? How do they answer the question of “what’s the one thing I want most?”
Because if you think about the question I asked you earlier, “Why do I want what I want?”, we find that it is because we are lacking in one or more of these Gifts. We want what we want because we don’t have what we need – peace, joy, love, courage, wisdom – and so on. We mistakenly think that more money, or better health, or earthly hookups will satisfy us, and they don’t.
But, God knows what we need, and He wants to give it all to us. Like we hear in the classic Rolling Stone’s song, You Can't Always Get What You Want”:
“You can't always get what you want /
But if you try sometimes, you might find /
You get what you need.”
If we pray for the Holy Spirit, then we'll get what we need, for all we really need is the Holy Spirit, and with it comes an inner peace and joy which fulfills our longings and leads to a holiness that bring us closer to God.
In return, what does God want from us? Nothing – and Everything. Maybe if we first think about why God wants to give us the ultimate of gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will have a clue to God’s motivation: He Loves Us. Not because we love Him, or follow His commandments, or because of anything we say or do. He loves us because He is Love, and we, as His children, His creations, He wants what is best for us. In other words, He wants to give us the gift of Himself.
We in turn, should offer all of our being to Him. All that we have; all that we are. Not because we are offering it as a trade for something better; not because we are trying to “buy” or “earn” His gifts; not because we are commanded to – but because, if you love someone, you WANT to offer everything to them. And through our prayers and petitions, what we really are doing is developing a closer relationship with Him out of our love of Him.
One final thought. In order for our prayers to be answered we need to pray with persistence. Persistence in prayer isn’t just us knocking on God’s door with a list of our earthly wants, but it is about helping us come to a better understanding of what we need from God – and God’s Will for us. And, with that understanding – that wisdom – we also come to recognize that God indeed answers our prayers. We only have to accept those gifts that He offers us so that we can also experience the one Gift we need most: His Love.
I leave you with this ode to prayer:
Our prayers to God, they come and they go.
Sometimes with “Yes”, sometimes with “No”.
But when we demand that God do our bidding,
Sometimes He answers, “You got to be kidding”.
Monday, June 27, 2022
The Price of Discipleship
If there is one thing that can be said of today’s readings, it is that they all emphasize the cost of discipleship. Discipleship is not easy. But God calls each and every one of us to be His disciple, and the world today is in desperate need of disciples like us.
Do we understand what God is saying to us, what he is asking of us? It can be difficult to hear Him, especially with all of the distractions we face today: the overwhelming noise of various social media and the so-called entertainment industry, the personal agendas of individuals and groups, and the reality of evil in the world as seen in the tragic events that we or those we love experience. Even today’s scriptures may seem confusing.
At first glance, it might appear that today’s reading from first Kings and the Gospel passage from St. Luke contradict each other. After all, when Elisha asks Elijah if he could kiss his family goodbye, Elijah tells him to go ahead and “go back” to them. Yet Jesus, when asked what seems to be a similar question, admonishes the person with what seems to be a harsh judgment about not be fit for the kingdom of God. So what gives?
Well, let’s start with our first reading. It begins with God telling Elijah on Mount Horeb to anoint Elisha as his successor as prophet to the Israelites. Elijah had fled to mount Horeb because Queen Jezebel wanted him dead for having her prophets of Baal killed and he was ready to give up. He sought God on the holy mountain in order to hear what God had to say to him about that.
God ordered him to go back and continue his mission, and gave him three specific tasks to do. One of those tasks was to anoint Elisha as his successor, which is where we pick up the story today.
Now, Elisha appears to be a fairly well-to-do person, as he has 12 yoke of oxen at his disposal for plowing, and most scripture scholars agree that that would be considerable for the times. To follow Elijah then is going to call for a significant sacrifice on Elisha’s part.
And yet, having been called by God to replace Elijah, Elisha doesn’t really hesitate when Elijah places his mantle over his shoulders. In requesting to kiss his parents goodbye, Elisha honors them in accord with the 4th Commandment, but he’s truly saying goodbye – by burning his farming equipment and feeding the oxen to his people he is severing all his ties and there will be no going back.
Which brings us to today’s Gospel. At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is beginning His final journey to Jerusalem and His Passion. There is a sense of immediacy – of urgency – in his journey now. His admonitions reflect that sense of urgency:
• “(T)he Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” – don’t expect permanence in your life when following Jesus.
• “Let the dead bury their dead … you, proclaim the kingdom of God” – it is more important to share the message of eternal life, for spiritual life is more important than physical death, as seen in the attitudes of the early church in referring to those who are “asleep” in the Lord.
• “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God” – you cannot look back with longing for the past – or regret – if you expect to persevere in following Jesus.
Notice that in all of his admonitions, Jesus doesn’t tell any of his potential disciples to NOT do what they’ve asked, but he’s pointing out that if they truly want to follow Him, they must be aware of the consequences. He needs committed followers, and He knows that when the time comes for His Passion, almost everyone who says they will follow him will abandon him. He’s telling them – AND US – that the price of following Jesus is our total commitment to Him first.
It is almost ironic that these readings are for this weekend – the last time I reflected on these particular passages was 6 years ago to the day, the last Sunday I served at St. Francis in Frisco before coming to St. Paul’s. I thought at the time that God had a sense of humor, since these readings were set long before I found out I was leaving, yet here it is 6 years later and I am witnessing a similar transition with Fr. Tymo.
And while it is true that he will have new priorities in his life as the UTD chaplain/priest, it doesn’t mean that the gift that he has been to each one of us, as we have been to him, will ever be forgotten. In the past, whenever there are reassignments, inevitably people have said they felt like they were losing a friend. I told them that you really never lose true friends, but that the boundaries of their faith “family” merely expand. So it is with us.
Fr. Tymo’s presence over the last 3 years should remind us of the beauty, the joy, of following God’s Will instead of our own. He goes to continue proclaiming the Kingdom of God to those who need God’s love, and what he has proclaimed to us now becomes OUR responsibility to proclaim to others.
So, what about us? Many of us face major changes in our lives over time – moving for a new job, family members leaving for school or for their own futures, tragic events that change our lives forever. If God is speaking to us – calling to us – how do we know what He is asking of us?
St. Paul sums it up well in his letter to the Galatians, when he echoes Jesus’ own words concerning what is most important next to God himself: “serve one another through love.” If there is one word which sums up our world today, it might be “conflict”. We all face conflicts. Conflicts with personalities, with policies, with the opinions of others. We can easily find something about another person with which to disagree. It was really no different in the time of St. Paul – he cautions about “biting and devouring one another.” Our challenge then, is to overcome the conflicts we face with love.
Ultimately, it is all about attitude. Are we willing to do whatever God asks of us? Can we do it with love? Can we be joyful and at peace with whatever God calls us to?
Speak, Lord, your servants are listening.
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Wiping Tears Away
I have a confession to make. I cry at movies with happy endings. It’s true – I try to pretend that I have allergies or something – but give me a movie with a powerful, uplifting ending where evil is overcome against all odds (especially by an underdog) and, well, the tap gets turned on.
As a kid I’m sure I cried whenever I was physically hurt and in intense pain, but frankly, when I broke my arm falling off of a horse I shared more colorful words than tears. And when I slit my hand open on a piece of glass and needed stitches I was pretty tough – at least until the old hospital nun stuck it into a pan of surgical soap to clean the wound. At that moment they said they could hear me at the far end of the hospital – on the floor above and below us. And when I broke my foot a year ago – well, it was back to work the next day.
No, I’m far more likely to shed tears for joy than for personal pain.
But there is another time when I am likely to shed tears. Whenever I’m faced with situations where someone else is suffering and I cannot help, especially if that someone is close to me, tears will come. For example, during periods of inconsolable grief when someone cries over the loss of a loved one, I will cry with them. When someone is intense pain – physical or emotional – which brings them to tears, I will cry with them.
When we cannot help alleviate the suffering of another; when we cannot fix the problems another faces; when the scope and magnitude of a problem far exceeds our abilities, or the abilities of those around us, to help – tears will come.
In other words, when we are helpless.
And actually, it should be that way. St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans exhorting them to mutual love (12:15): “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
When we, or those we love, face trials which bring tears to our eyes and no one else can help, those are the times when we’re dependent upon God.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes”…
This line from today’s second reading from the Book of Revelation is echoed both elsewhere in Revelation and by this from the Prophet Isaiah: (24:8): “He will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces…”. It reminds us that we are NOT God, and that we cannot “fix” every, or even most, of the major problems which come our way. But God can. And God is with us through it all.
St. John says in Revelation, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God.”
God doesn’t make our problems go away. St. Paul and St. Barnabas “… strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
And the hardships, the pain, the tears that we face are the result of our fighting a war with two fronts.
On one hand, we face our earthly battles – personal health issues beyond just the impact of the CoVid pandemic; economic issues affecting our ability to care for our families and ourselves; world conflicts not just in the Ukraine but in other regions of the world which affect family or friends, or other tragic events. Some of the issues we face are personal; others may affect those who are close to us. There are also those which may seem distant and not particularly important to our day-to-day activities but which we are called to face just the same.
But the biggest battles we face are spiritual, against an unseen enemy who uses weapons against which we may not understand how to defend ourselves.
Despite that, we are called to fight. And the most important weapons we need are those which are already at our disposal: the gifts and the graces God has given us; the blessings of the presence of those around us; and most importantly: prayer.
Through our prayers, our abilities that we have received from God, and the relationships we develop with one another, we are well-equipped for the battles we fight. And through Scripture we are reminded that our pain isn’t the final answer.
Elsewhere in Revelation (7:15-17) we see an angel say to St. John in vision about the myriads of people clothed in white before his eyes:
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. … For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Today’s Gospel, coming just before Jesus’ own Passion, reminds us that Jesus, too, knew he too would have to suffer, just like we do. He reminds his disciples that there would be a time very soon that they would not “see” him in the same way that they had come to know him for the last three years. And his final, “new” commandment, “Love One Another”, wasn’t a dictatorial statement. In it he gave them the most powerful weapon that he had, one which he shared with his Father – LOVE. It is the one weapon which can be used in all of our battles, on either front – earthly or spiritual.
The hardships in our lives will always be here. But God is also here with us. He dwells with us. The tears won’t necessarily stop, but God will wipe them away – through His Love present in the Holy Spirit, through others He places in our lives; through US. Ultimately, if we remain faithful to God all sorrow and pain will pass away.
The war has already been won.