Feast of the Holy Family

Sir 3:2-6, 12-14
Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Col 3:12-21
Mt 2:13-15, 19-23

The Feast of the Holy Family comes at a time when it seems like you need it the most.  You kids have had a few weeks living very close to your parents and you Parents have had a few weeks living very close to your kids.  Spending a lot of good quality time together with relatives is producing what experts and Jack Nicholson (cf. The Shining) call, “Cabin Fever”.  And so at this point, you might be thinking: hey, I need a break from my family.  Well, since we are celebrating this feast of the Holy Family, Holy Mother Church says you’re wrong.

This special feast is really unique for us because it is the Lord’s Day and a symbolic of a mini-Easter and so we typically don’t celebrate any feast days of anyone on Sunday; unless they have to do with our Lord.  And this is an aspect – a side that we don’t often think about: our Lord had a family, a Holy Family of St. Joseph and St. Mary from Nazareth.  What does it mean to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family?  What does it mean for us?  The Holy Family serves as an exemplary model of how our family life should be.

Let’s look at the Holy Family, this exemplary model.  You have a St. Joseph, who’s engaged to this young woman and everything is great until she finds out he finds out she’s pregnant – didn’t know who the daddy was.  He was barely able to get a place to stay when his wife was about to give birth.  And now we hear today, that this new son of his is a wanted dead and the whole family becomes fugitives in an alien country.  When they moved back, they had to re-locate again and when they went to Jerusalem for a celebration they lost their son in the Temple.  This whole time in the scriptures, St. Joseph does not say a single word [the strong silent type, I guess; but I bet you know what he might be thinking…  You look at this Holy Family and you see that it is not a perfect family where everything is a white picket fence around your mud house with a tire swing around the Sycamore out front and a tree house in the back.

When we see the Holy Family and all of their struggles we realize something: there are no perfect families on this earth – every single one, even the ones that seem like it’s impossible that there could be any problems at all – there are no perfect families – at least in the sense of impeccability.  However, there are plenty of *holy* families – families that trust in the Lord and live together in holiness and overcoming their struggles through having faith in God.  And that is the lesson from in the Holy Family and bring into our own families.

Everyone is responsible for doing and being their part of the family.  But what does this mean?  This means that our individual faith comes first.  So as a as a single person (a teenager, college and beyond) before you even consider dating, you must take charge of your Catholic faith, know what it means to be a Catholic, and live it out daily – not just going to Mass on Sunday or on the day of your wedding. “Oh, my Catholic faith is important to me, that’s why I want to get married in the Church.” or “Oh, my Catholic faith is important to me, and that’s why I want to get my child baptized.”  Whatever....  If your faith is important to you and you are truly living out your Catholic faith, the priest that is marrying you or baptizing your kid can already tell if you are living your faith.  Believe it or not, you are preaching a gospel at all times, whether or not you are using words.  Hopefully it is THE Gospel of Jesus Christ and not YOUR gospel of relativity.  Personal sanctity and holiness is essential to a holy family – your parents can’t carry the faith for the family by themselves nor can your children can’t carry it alone.

Husbands, Fathers, and Men – it is time to man up and be the man that God has called you to be.  Learn and live what it means to be the man of the house.  I am not talking about the stereo-typical Neanderthal caveman, I am talking about the example of St. Joseph – a man that communes with God through the Angels.  That listens and is obedient to Him; that looks out for his family, provides for his family, has the prudence to be quiet in thoughtfulness, and the courage to protect his family.  Naturally, these are things that you are supposed to do; even the world out there knows to do that.  The difference between you men here and the men out there is that there is a life of holiness, spirituality and sanctity; a life lived in and through the faith, having that intimate relationship with God.  This isn’t something that your wife or Mommy does herself, this is something that involves you and demands that you lead your family into that life – you are the head of the Domestic Church; be a man, get on your knees and pray.  The Church needs men to do what they are called to do: defend her honor, work and labor for her, provide for her.  And in the domestic church this calling is no different; it is a form of gallantry and chivalry on a supernatural level, calling you to be greater to be better than the men out there.  When you can truly lead your domestic church in a spiritually healthy life, navigating the rough waters of life, and leading them towards safety – your wife will entrust herself to you, listen to you, and trust you to lead the family.  If it hasn’t happened, then it must be earned; not automatically given.

Wives, Mothers, and Women, you’re not off the hook either.  The intimacy that you have with your children is unmatched because you mothers know your children nine more months than your husbands do.  The time that you spend with them, the way they nurse and eat.  All these are natural womanly things. But when we look to the Blessed Mother, we see a woman of obedience, of trusting in her husband’s directions and protection, and spending her love on her child – all these under the foundation of her solid faith in God’s providence – this is the supernatural calling.  How many times have you women tried to make things perfect, through your scheming and planning, and then have it failing and falling apart? How many projects and hobbies have you tried to take up and then have it come to just collecting dust somewhere with almost nothing to show but a ceramic pencil holder or fruitbowl?  How have you tried to trust in God – to lead you to what God has called you in finding a good husband, finding a good home, raising your children?  Or how have you trusted in God when your children go off to college, you feel like you have to call every moment to make sure they are okay?  If you are finding yourself so busy with keeping the house in order that you forget about God, remember then that you must be a Mary, not a Martha: Mary sat at the foot of Christ and listened to Him.  How have you helped lead the family in holiness?  Have you inspired your husband to grow in holiness?  Have you led him to think of God more?  These things cannot be accomplished without you yourself having that personal relationship with God.  You cannot give to your spouse what you yourself do not have in yourself.

Although I live a celibate life, I still have a family and I often get to experience the joys, sorrows, and difficulties in the family of our parishioners all the time.  Often I see the whole Church like a giant puzzle and there is much time I spend in prayer pondering and thinking about how I fit into His plans to save the world.  The family is falling apart, divorce is high, and we are in a disposable culture – which includes not only material things, but people too.  The Holy Family is something that I am starting to see as a necessary devotion: for us to ask in intercession, to pray in meditation, and to emulate in example.  The Holy Family did not have a perfect life, rather it lived the perfection of Holiness.  The Holy Family lived by the Faith and lived in faith – trusting in God to provide for them always and without fail. Let us find inspiration and example in the Holy Family to lead us to Him, so that we too may live by that rock solid foundation of Faith.

IV Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

Is 7:10-14
Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Rm 1:1-7
Mt 1:18-24

This is not the first time that a husband and wife found themselves in a difficult situation.  The Blessed Mother is no liar and yet I think Joseph found the story just as hard to swallow.  I love how Matthew’s gospel just sorta skims over it and that’s alright, we don’t need to know details.  How many times have you faced a situation – a difficult situation in your marriage – it could be as bad as infidelity (doesn’t matter how small or how big – infidelity is infidelity) or not being attentive to your spouse’s needs;  or it could be something as silly as forgetting to buy the organic gluten-free low sodium no transfat free-range chicken eggs.  The bottom line is that the Holy Family had a problem and something had to be done.

Before we get into the Gospel today: How many of you have had dreams?  How many remember the dreams?  How many dreams have told you to do something and you go and do it?  I have some pretty strange dreams and one of my more notable ones is me driving around in Eastern Europe in a military jeep, with Pope Benedict in my back seat.  [Don’t laugh, we were going to go do missionary work… in the Philippines.]  Chances are dreams aren’t usually very helpful – they’re fun to recount and sometimes they give us some deeper insight into life.  So anyways, Joseph gets this blessed dream from an angel and this incredible message that speaks directly to this crisis situation:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

 This tells me two of the three things: The first is that this man Joseph was attentive to God – open to God.  He probably had a close relationship with God in personal prayer, and not just Temple worship.  God is always speaking to us, always giving us signs and showing us the way.  “Are we listening? Are we attentive to His promptings?”  It’s not because one is “holy” that you get special treatment, but it is because holiness comes from being attentive to His will – practicing the faith and living it out.  How many of you *celebrated* Advent?  I’m not talking about Christmas decorations, but where you are spiritually preparing.  Where you prayed together as a family – asking the Lord to come in a special way this season?  We are going into the homestretch of Advent – start celebrating now and preparing now.

The second thing I noticed about St. Joseph is that he is familiar with the sacred scriptures and the sacred tradition of the Jewish faith.  So he is not only attentive to God and his promptings in personal prayer and worship, he is also familiar with his faith.  It is not just spiritual, it’s also religious.  The Scriptures come alive and St. Joseph knows that he must have Mary as his wife because he is an heir to David and the scriptures says the Messiah will be an heir to David.  So by process of elimination, if St. Joseph ain’t it, it was gonna be this baby.  Joan Osborne sang, “What if God was one of us? ...Just a stranger on the bus?” Would you have the knowledge of Scripture and our Tradition behind you to know what was going on when trumpets blare and the sky turns dark with a bright light from the heavens.  Would you know what to do or would just walk away and chalk it up to UFOs and weather balloons?

I am willing to bet that most of you have not studied any the writings of the prophet Isaiah, and yet we have been hearing from this prophet for weeks at our Masses and liturgies.  We hear about this Ahaz guy, in the First Reading, not tempting the Lord and not asking for a sign and yet there it is… Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.  Can you imagine if the folks back then did not know their scripture – how would they have recognized the Messiah?  They wouldn’t have; it would be just another crazy guy… being born of a Virgin and WALKING ON WATER.  A relationship and attentiveness with God and the familiarity of scripture is essential to this crucial point in history… otherwise it is just a dream about an angel.

Finally, having said that, we are at a crucial point theologically.  In the Gospel of Luke, it is the Blessed Mother Mary that cooperates with God, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.  Here in Matthew we find St. Joseph about to do something great or in some sense, something “normal” and expected.  If we go back to the Garden of Eden and we go back to the story of the serpent and Adam and Eve, you will notice that Adam is nowhere to be found as the Serpent is conversing with Eve. Nowhere. Gone.  Vamoose!  My take is that Adam was hiding out under a rock or behind a tree… like a coward, a complete and utter coward, for his wife Eve.  She’s battling this serpent by herself!!  [It would be like me calling my Mom to kill this cockroach because I’m too chicken. Well kinda.]  Whereas Adam totally drops the ball and does not defend his spouse, St. Joseph steps up to the plate and takes it on – scandal and all.  He knows the situation, he knows what’s at stake, he knows he has to protect and maintain honor to his spouse, he knows that he must be obedient to God.

But wait, wasn’t he about to divorce her quietly?  My personal answer to that is that what he was doing was legal and the right thing within their culture, but look at allegorical lesson here:  This relationship is greater than the relationship of husband and wife – this involves the salvation of mankind, this relationship involves God Himself.  God keeps them together because it is not about them – it is about His love for all mankind.  This holy relationship – this Holy Family – is the model for us my brothers and sisters.  For your sacramental marriage, every one of your baptized here, points to a reality beyond yourselves: a witness to God’s love for His people and a free full faithful fruitful witness to all.

As we move into the final days for Christmas – keep the preparation strong, imitate the Holy Family and prepare your hearts for our Lord.  Our Lord comes quickly, He is the King of Glory, coming to us in the stillness of night.  Let us rejoice and be glad.

II Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

Is 11:1-10
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Rm 15:4-9
Mt 3:1-12

The message is very simple this Sunday.  John the Baptist is the central figure here in the Gospel proclaiming and exhorting everyone to Repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand!  He was the one Isaiah had prophesied this voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.  What are you doing to prepare for the Lord’s coming?

Last week I preached about putting on your “Christmas To Do List” to prepare for the End of the World.  The End comes sooner for some later for others, but it will come.  When you think about it, Christmas is commemorating what?  Our Lord’s Birthday?  It’s commemorating His Coming into the world – His Holy Incarnation.  That is why we bow in the middle of the creed “For us men and for our salvation… “all the way to and he “became man.”  We acknowledge that He comes. He comes in history to open salvation to the world; to die for our sins and the sins of the whole world.  He came for a very specific purpose: to save us and to bring us into a new relationship with Him and our Heavenly Father.

I do not know about you, but when someone is coming over to visit me – doesn’t matter if it is my family, my friends, or strangers – I want to prepare for their coming.  I want to tidy up the place and make a suitable offering of hospitality to people if they visit; especially if it is a special occasion.  This is just common courtesy, but I think it stems from something deeper inside our souls.  An insecurity and an uneasiness exists inside us – perhaps a feeling of unworthiness or perhaps wanting to hide behind the façade that I am a good holy and clean person on the outside, but hardly presentable within.

This is where John the Baptist's words for the Pharisees and Sadducees apply for us: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? … every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire…. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’  The Pharisees and Sadducess were not getting an earful because they were the authority and hierarchy, but because of their complete lack of authenticity and integrity.  They put on the holy face and holy works wanting to be baptized too, but deep inside it was just a show – a façade; there were not willing to repent of their ways and truly change their ways.  What does John the Baptist say? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.  Therefore I ask again, "What are you doing to prepare for our Lord’s coming – the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire?!?!"

What is the first thing you should do to prepare?  Pray.  Pray and examine yourself, your conscience.  Take a good hard look at yourself, make no excuses.  As adults we tend to make all sorts of excuses: because of this, that, and the other, I do this.  By mankind’s standards you might be doing well, but mankind is not your judge – God is.  He is a merciful God, but He is also the God of justice.  Therefore, when you go to confession, make a good confession.  If the sin is great, the mercy will be great.  You are confessing your sins to God and putting yourself at His mercy and judgment. He will always rule in your favor if you make a good honest confession.  In confession, you must resolve to change your life and begin a renewed life of holiness.  There is no sense in confessing a sin if you do not have any resolve to change and repent.  It's hypocrisy!

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is indeed for your benefit, for the spiritual life and health of your soul.  The Holy Father, Pope Francis, goes every two weeks.  He is a sinner as much as we all are sinners.  We struggle with our sins and bad habits – but that does not mean we wallow in them!  It means that if we are truly Christian, we should ask God to help us to repent, to change, and to fall in love with our Lord in a deeper way.

In a world where hedonism is the ultimate driving force, we are really cornered in a bad way.  The world has discovered that the irrational appetites of our bodies, our senses, and our emotions can be fully manipulated and controlled because we have not properly developed our sense of sin, knowledge of right from wrong, knowing what is virtue and what is truth, and just a general lack self-control.  We are completely reactive and act on reflex: This one offends me, so I get angry.  This food looks good, I eat it.  This situation is bad, I get upset.  This has been the case for ages – but now the world is getting better at manipulating us and we have not developed past an infantile level of spiritual maturity.

It is time to repent, it is time to get our act together and prepare a way for the Lord: a direct route, right into the very core of our being, our very heart and soul.  Do not say that, “There is no room at the Inn of your heart!!”  There is room, you just have to start emptying your sins and vices, get rid of anything that might might impede your relationship with God, empty yourself so that He may fill you up.  If the man in the wilderness wearing camel’s hair shirt, a leather belt and eating locusts and honey is not enough for you to change, believe the man with no hair on his head wearing a white dress and a purple poncho!!  Let us continue on this holy pilgrimage to our Lord changing our sinful ways and turning to Him, preparing for His coming, where on Christmas day we will see Him, behold Him, and adore Him.

I Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

Is 2:1-5
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Rm 13:11-14
Mt 24:37-44

If you haven’t already, I am sure many of you are preparing your Christmas to-do lists: things to buy, places to shop, things to do, this that, and the other.  If you will indulge me, I would like you to add one little item to the top of your list; just a small simple little thing really.  I simply ask that add to your list: “Prepare for the end of the world”.  Actually you should probably put that item on your to-do list every single day.  But especially in this season of Advent, it is a season of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.
In a sense, I’m really giving up here because from the pulpit you hear it time and time again from protestant pastors and priests alike.  Stop the commercialism, stop the materialism, stop the buying frantic frenetic frenzy of running around the city finding the perfect gift for that special someone, and to put “CHRIST BACK INTO CHRISTMAS.”  I knew I was facing a losing a battle; the inertia is too great. I can’t fight it.  So, I am hoping that if you don’t listen to the “don’ts,” MAYBE you will listen to the “do’s.”

Our second reading comes from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.  This is one of my favorite passages because it is literally a wake-up call:  You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep…. The night is advanced, the day is at hand.  It is time to wake up! and realize that you will one day die, the world will one day end.  There should be no surprises here… I don’t need a medical degree to know that and let you know that.    The only thing that is certain is that we are uncertain when that it is, but it will certainly come to pass. Therefore, let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; …let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, …promiscuity and lust, rivalry and jealousy.  Our Lord says in the Gospel that we do not know on which day the Lord will come.  Therefore everyday should be lived as our last; we should not be caught off guard, but spiritually awake and ready.

Yes, this season is saturated with consumerism and materialism, but it does not mean that your heart has to sell out too.  Imagine what would happen if you were to take time out of your busyness and call somebody whom you have not spoken to for a while?  What would it mean for them?  The act becomes that much more valuable.  What does it mean to yourself and to God to take time out of your busy-ness to come to daily Mass, to adoration, to sit in the chapel in silence, to go to the sacrament of Reconciliation and Confession, to participate in some of our Advent meetings and classes?

These next four weeks is an intense period of preparation.  If life is already busy, it will get busier; that’s life.  But do not squeeze out what is the single most important thing in your life: our Lord Jesus Christ.   I have said it time and time again:  “If you truly want to do something, you will make time to do it.”  Only when this happens is the prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled, All nations shall stream toward [the LORD’s house] ‘Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways and we may walk in his paths….’ and ‘Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.’  The LORD will reveal Himself to us if we set our hearts to Him.

There are countless ways to prepare in Advent, the Church is not chaining up the Bible, she is not chaining up or holding back any resources – it is there for the taking.  If you don’t take it, it simply means you don’t want it bad enough and that is unfortunate, because I won’t force you and you will continue your empty somnambulant life.  I will always be inviting and welcoming you, but it is up to you to respond!
Preparing for the End of the World is synonymous with the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is liturgically synonymous with the celebration of Christ the King and the celebration of Christmas reminds us that He will indeed come again.  We are reminded of the many comings of Christ; all linked together in a mystical way:  the Incarnation of Christ at Christmas, the Second Coming of Christ at the End of the World, and finally, the coming of Christ into our very hearts.  This is what we are preparing for ultimately.  If you are preparing for the End of the World, then you will be already be preparing for Christ’s other comings.  Saying that it is the End of the World, however true it may be, just seems a little more urgent. =)

Therefore my dear Brothers and Sisters, when I said to “Prepare for the end of the world” on your to-do list it was not some dark morbid fear-mongering tactic.  I meant it.  How are you going to prepare for the End of the World?  It is not about building your bomb shelter and stocking a bunker with canned goods and aluminum foil hats.  It is definitely not getting ready for the Zombie Apocalypse.  “Preparing for the End of the World” is about preparing your complete heart for Him who comes to us in the dead of winter night; at the darkest time of the year to bring us His magnificent Light.  It is about scheduling times of prayer throughout your day where you shut off your phone, your television, and everything else and focus on Him.  It is about filling your heart with the Love that He desires to give you so that you may give yourself freely to others.  It is about quitting those fleshly vices and sins.  It is about forgiving people in the malls or parking lots and forgiving your family, friends, coworker, and neighbor.  It is about doing that extra act of kindness and charity in the midst of your life, especially when you are busy.  Each time you set about those tasks of throwing off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light, you are preparing for the End of the World.  Let us bear this in mind as we go rejoicing to the house of the Lord, the altar of God in the Eucharist.

XXXII Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14
Ps  17:1, 5-6, 8, 15
2 Thes 2:16-3:5
Lk 20:27-38

Today’s Gospel speaks about this moral scenario that the Sadducees conjure up for our Lord.  A Judaic brain teaser, if you will.  Our Lord doesn’t even bat an eye and answers this question straight away saying that those in the Resurrection, neither marry nor are given in marriage, thus ensuring everyone that there is indeed a resurrection of the body, but then also provoking more questions: this idea that folks aren’t married in heaven.  If we believe in the Resurrection, which I am sure you all do; then we are in a bit of a pickle.  Chances are you are sitting next to your spouse or maybe your spouse has died and is no longer with you and the idea of not having your spouse in heaven can be a bit distressing (and maybe for some liberating). But I hope we can reflect a little bit further on this passage.

I came across this man’s blog entry entitled, “Marriage Isn’t For You”.  This past week it actually garnered an incredible amount of hits and went “viral”. It was so popular that the couple was actually interviewed by a major television network.  Of course if you google it, you’re gonna find critiques left and right about it; and chances are there are as many opinions as there are people married or have had experience with marriage. This includes Yours Truly.

So there’s this blog about “Marriage Isn’t For You” – or rather this man is writing about the time when he was worried if the one he was about to marry was “the one”.  His Father’s solution was simple:

'…marriage isn’t for you. You don’t marry to make yourself happy, you marry to make someone else happy. More than that, your marriage isn’t for yourself, you’re marrying for a family…for your future children. Who do you want to help you raise them? Who do you want to influence them? Marriage isn’t for you. It’s not about you. Marriage is about the person you married.'

The blogger goes on to say: “… a true marriage (and true love) is never about you. It’s about the person you love—their wants, their needs, their hopes, and their dreams. Selfishness demands, ‘What’s in it for me?’, while Love asks, ‘What can I give?’”  I thought he nails this understanding of love right on its head.  Yes, love and marriage is about the other!!  BUT…as beautiful as those words in his blog sounded; I believe it is an incomplete and imperfect love.

Without God, without the One who has loved us first, our love will only model that which we have experienced around us: the “imperfect love” between our parents and the “imperfect love” that our parents has shown us.  Even if your relationships were as perfect as Leave it to Beaver, Brady Bunch, and The Partridge Family all rolled into one, without God it is only as good as your weakest link; because it is a natural love, not necessarily supernatural.  However when we have God, the Father as a model of love, we see the perfect sacrificial and fullest expression of love.  As St. Augustine writes, “God loves each one of us as if we there were only one of us.” This expression of love for us is uniquely personal and is freely given to us and we are blessed to receive it. Our receptivity of God’s love allows us to turn around and love others as He has loved us – before we even think about a “significant other” in our life, there is first God and our relationship with Him.

But lest we go too far in saying that marriage is exclusively completely for the other, we must remember that there is surely a return, reciprocity.  As we look at the Holy Trinity, we see God, the Father, love His only Begotten Son.  We see a return of that ever eternal bond of love shared and consubstantial in the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, love always has an origin/source which returns/reciprocates in response.  Love is a two-way street, we all know that.  And since we have God in the picture, love becomes a two-way super highway, shared between you, your spouse, and God; also Trinitarian in nature.  The Husband and Wife is a team journeying together and helping each other towards heaven.  Again, the model of love first received and understood as a single person is intensified in this new relationship involving another person, which comes back to our first point of why it is so important, as Catholic Christians, to know how God loves you and to love Him before you start being so intimately connected with another person.  It’s gonna be a lot harder to help “save” another person, if you can’t even save yourself. (Not saying it’s impossible, but the odds are against you.)

In a Sacramental Marriage, the bond between husband and wife is given a greater meaning because their baptismal nature gives them a unique and divine relationship with God.  If you recall from your Baltimore Catechism days– a sacrament is an outward sign of an inward reality or a visible sign of an invisible reality.  The question then is asked, what is a “sacramental marriage” modeling?  What is the visible sign of husband and wife pointing to?  What is the invisible reality?  It is of course pointing to the unconditional, eternal, and free gift of love God has for His people, the Church.  Married couples show to the world the possibility of Divine Love; that it is possible for love to exist.  This is an important mission for married couples.  Unfortunately because the institution of marriage has taken such a beating, it is all the more important for the family to stay faithful.  So it is true (in a sense) that “Marriage Isn’t For You”; marriage is also for all of us!!  -- to show the world that Christ (the Bridegroom) is married to the Church (His Bride).  That’s why marriages must be complementary, exclusive, faithful, permanent, and lifelong.  It is why the Catholic Church takes marriage so seriously, it has been radically changed to have a supernatural purpose in the world, not just for human enjoyment.

Once one spouse dies, the sacramental bond is broken; the visible reality is no longer needed because, hopefully God willing, your spouse will have reached that invisible reality of Heaven where their joy will be complete in God – the beatific vision.  If I had a spouse and I had to choose between my wife and God, it would be God.    If I had to choose between my parents and loved ones and God, I would rather have God.  Does it mean that I love my loved ones any less or hate them?  No, it means that as much as I love them, I love God more.

When we come back to the Gospel, we realize that our Lord’s words are not so disturbing.  They reinforce the fact that the reality of our destiny is true, it is what we have all been waiting for and hopefully what we all desire in our heart of hearts.  The marriage in this life is to foreshadow the marriage with God in the afterlife.  [If you are wondering what this looks like, look no further than to your nearest celibate, the consecrated single in the religious life.  =)  That’s another vocation, and another story.]

Suffice it to say, it may be hard for you to part ways from your loved ones and it might be difficult to hear these words; but our Lord gives us this Gospel not to burden us, but to enlighten us to seek first the Kingdom of God and to hold fast to the promise of the Resurrection.  And until we are called from this life into the next, we will have to “settle” with the eternal Wedding Banquet of the Lamb in Heaven here on earth in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

For other good takes on the blog entry: http://beckyeldredge.com/marriage-is-for-all-of-us/

XXVI Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Amos 6:1a,4-7
Ps  146:7-10
1 Tm 6:11-16
Lk 16:19-31

Have you ever experienced a miracle in your life?  A miracle where you know that God had a hand in it; where something undeniably, unmistakably happened that was simply unexplainable and beyond our comprehension and reason.  Did you change your life and have a radical conversion?  And when I say a radical conversion, I mean like you did a complete 180, stopped sinning, and started a life of complete holiness and sanctity.  For a large majority of us faithful (with some exceptions in history), miracles only have the potential to cause a complete radical conversion. But chances are the faith will burn brightly, only to go out or back to smoldering again.  This is because the real heart of the faith is not in the miraculous or the “new shiny" thing that’s happening, but in the constancy of the practice of charity in faith.

The story we hear in today’s Gospel speaks of two men, a certain rich man and Lazarus.  Interestingly enough, the early Christian Fathers of the Church also noticed that Lazarus was named but the rich man was not.  St. Augustine said that God kept quiet about the rich man’s name because “his name was not written in heaven.”  (This is a situation where we would rather want our names to be mentioned in conversation!)  So Jesus kept quiet about the rich man’s but mentions Lazarus, whose name means “one who has been helped.”

The lavish opulent lifestyle of the rich man is described in the fine purple garments and linens that the rich man wore.  Though this was not a moral problem per se, the problem was in that there was a poor man lying at his front door covered with sores and starving.  The rich man had an opportunity to do something for Lazarus every time he walked out that front door.  It’s not like he didn’t know he was there, he was at his front door!!  And so dogs – considered unclean and dirty – were the only ones to give Lazarus any comfort.  What the dogs did, the rich man couldn’t even do.  And so they both died and their fortunes were now reversed – as was promised in Jesus’ preaching and all throughout the scriptures: that the lowly would be lifted up, the hungry would be fed.

What I find even more deplorable about this rich man is that even in the midst of his suffering, you can see how far gone he is from charity.  He’s suffering the flames of hell and what does he do?  He cries for LAZARUS to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue!  Wait… so he neglected Lazarus all his life and now he wants Lazarus to SERVE him?!  What contempt this rich man has!! St. Peter Chrysologus – an early Church Father - continues this theme, “The rich man’s ill will does not leave him… He does not ask to be led to Lazarus but wants Lazarus to be led to him.”  Let this be a lesson for us on how we live in this life: to prepare for the next!  If you continue in your contempt for others now, you will continue your contemptible behavior in the afterlife and contempt will be shown to you.  If you continue your self-centeredness, greediness, and selfishness now, you will continue to live in that torment of sinful habits later.

I think this parable has a “moral neutrality” to it and yet speaks volumes about morality.  The moral neutrality is that both parties did not do anything.  The rich man lived as a rich man did and the poor man lived as a poor man did.  There were no lies, no back-biting, no killing, or stealing.  Come to think of it, what commandment was broken here?  Our society only deals with “first world problems” and to preach this maxim of “do no harm”.  There is a danger to be complacent as is warned in the first reading from the prophet Amos: Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches.  But yet, I would hope that in our fundamental being – that of simply being a human person in the human race – we would go beyond what animals would do; and act with compassion and charity.  Whereas society only believes charity to be a novel – “oh how nice” – idea, for us as Christians charity is obligatory.  This is social justice: When you see trash you pick it up; when you see someone in danger you help them; when you see someone hungry you give them food; Thirsty? Give them drink; Homeless? Shelter them; Sick? Visit them.  Those who are well off have the moral obligation to help the poor carry the cross of poverty.  The poor carry the cross of poverty in the humility of allowing themselves to be helped and lifted up.  Notice that Lazarus’ suffering is not done with demanding that he be helped: not begrudgingly, not belligerently, and not with a sense of resentment or anger against others, but suffers with expectant faith and hope; and in his silence, waits for the Lord to show His love through his brother the rich man.

When your life is truly in shambles and in crisis, (i.e. not first world problems like your television does not match your living room furniture or the car dealership only had dark leather interior and not the nice beige that you wanted) when your life is in the very pit of desolation, remember that this suffering is purgative and a call for you to rely on God all the more.  If you stop and only look at your suffering, wallowing in it – it will corrupt you, it will change you, and bring you to a place filled with vengeance, anger, and resentment.  Whether it’s poverty, difficulty in marriage, children, work and finances, or any relationship, suffering is a means to an end and not an end in itself.  Look at the Cross and unite yourselves with Him to give you strength.  For Lazarus, he remained silent, suffered silently, and waited for charity, but did not grow bitter.  He waited for the change of heart from a rich man and was consoled in the promise of the eternal reward of heaven in the bosom of Abraham.  Remember that what you practice here on earth, will be what is received in heaven.  If you show mercy, mercy will be shown.

So was there a sign of remorse and outward growth in thinking with the rich man when he asks that Abraham go to his brothers?  St. Jerome answers in a stinging rebuke, “Your father is Abraham.  How can you say, Send him to my father’s house [to warn your brothers]? ...your father destroyed you.… [with your] five brothers: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch.  These are the brothers to whom formerly you were enslaved.  Since they were the brothers you loved, you could not love your brother Lazarus.”

In St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he writes Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called…  In other translations, he says to “Fight the good fight.”  By our very baptism and members of the Body of Christ, we are all called to fight the good fight to lay hold of eternal life.  We must continue the struggle of living out our lives in holiness not only for ourselves but for those around us.

The rich man wanted Abraham to go and tell his brothers, but God knew that they would not listen because they have not listened to anyone in the past.  Let’s put it in today’s terms – if you didn’t listen to Pope John Paul II and all the Church’s teachings before him, and you didn’t listen to Pope Benedict XVI, you certainly aren’t going to listen to Pope Francis today.  No miracle, no incredible apparition will change your hearts if your hearts were not ready to be opened in the first place.   Don’t wait for some great experience to scare you straight!  The Christian faith cannot be injected in us.  It must be lived out faithfully as Catholic Christians every single day of our life.  Our lives are not about having that one miraculous experience that will instantly make us holy.  Rather it is our journey with God – our very life – it is about the constancy and stability of the practice of your faith.  Only when you are faithful in faith can you truly be a witness to the Resurrection and receive the promise of future glory with Him.

XXIII Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Wis 9:13-18b
Ps 90:3-4,5-6,12-13,14-17
Phmn 9-10, 12-17
Lk 14:25-33

With the U.S.’s potential involvement in the civil war in Syria, today’s Gospel seems to be quite serendipitous; especially about how one must be able to consider the cost before entering into conflict.  It is easy for me to give my personal opinion on the matter, but the truth is – I don’t have all the facts – and so I don’t have an answer as to what exactly should be done.  Our faith does spell out necessary conditions for one to enter into armed conflict and I don’t think we’ve satisfied them.  These are spelled out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph #2309: conditions for legitimate defense by military force or “just war” doctrine (see bottom).  So, we do know one thing that shouldn’t be done right now.  That all being said and as fitting as the Gospel may seem to point in that direction, I don’t want to get into that.  I believe that our message today is not political or military message, but one of discipleship.  What does it mean to be called a disciple of Jesus Christ?  What does it mean to pick up your cross and follow Him?

I can’t help but think about my own family and the families that I knew growing up.  When Jesus says, If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple, He is putting a great condition, a price on discipleship.  The faith – the Catholic faith – is an all or nothing faith!  And even if this notion seems unbalanced in this “tolerant” world, it can be no other way than this.

The faith is not something that is simply subscribed to like a “wine of the month” club or some Netflix movie account.  It’s not a cellphone plan.  Even though all of these are a part of life, you can cancel them anytime!  But the faith is something different. The faith is not something you can cancel anytime because it is a living, breathing, relationship with God and His Church – the community around you.  The Catholic notion of “grace” means that it permeates you and makes all of your actions not only naturally ordered, but supernaturally ordered to God.  It can’t be canceled, it’s always there by your baptism.

For those who truly follow Christ, you cannot picture a life without God because you walk so intimately with Him.  For everyone else – including those of you that do not come regularly and ESPECIALLY those of you that do not live the way God wants you to live the other six days of the week – your faith is clearly only an insurance policy: “…so I don’t burn in hell.”  When our Lord says that one must hate their own immediate family – even if it means it sours your relationship with family or friends – that’s a radical call to discipleship, that is a complete life, not an insurance policy.  The call to follow Him is truly radical; it is that intense – to put Him even over and above those who are closest to you.

Does this mean that as a priest, I hate my parents, my family members, and everyone else around me?  No, absolutely not.  In and through following Christ – believe it or not – I actually am able to love them even better and even more than I could ever love them without Christ. If you don’t believe me, just ask them.  It’s because I have tried to put my life in right order and priority.  When things are properly ordered in my life: God first (as the first three of the 10 Commandments), then family and neighbor (the other 7), my life runs so much more smoothly, if not better!  It’s like going from DVD to HD Blu-ray; so much better, so vivid - that if you were to go back, you wonder how you were able to live life before it.  When we put God first, the other things in life fall into place.

The cost of discipleship is great; not because God is greedy and wants it all, but because it is for our own benefit – relying on Him completely and totally.  It is difficult to translate the eternal plans and wonders of God into our tangible reality.  As we hear in our First Reading, Who can know God’s counsel, who can conceive what the Lord intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns…  When we rely on Him and depend on Him and cooperate with Him, we are not only picking up our crosses, we are helping ourselves.  We rely on His playbook instead of ours.

If salvation could simply be accomplished by a simple declaration from God, we wouldn’t value it.  However, because God allows us to cooperate with His salvific work – we appreciate and see the dignity of that work and we see tangible growth in the sanctification of our lives.  We aren’t robots or puppets that simply act on instruction (we might have when we were children), but human beings that engage and experience the things around us in freedom, which we must have the correct understanding of what freedom is. (Hint: it’s not doing whatever you want.)

Our Second Reading shows just that: an exercise of freedom to do the right thing; not because we are told but because it is the right thing to do.  St. Paul had found this guy Onesimus, who was Philemon’s runaway slave (for whatever reason). Paul writes to the master, Philemon, asking that he treat Onesimus as a brother in Christ rather than as a master would a slave.  The call to discipleship is an invitation – not to upset the social order per se – but to transform it in respecting human dignity and also exercising charity; even at the expense of “losing property” (i.e. the slave).  So the cost of discipleship is great – because it requires our complete investment: soul, mind, and body; and in addition, it requires that investment to be done freely, not like robots.

When Christ gives these military analogies of building towers, measuring resources, and negotiating peace, He is showing us where prudence must enter into our discipleship with God.  The zeal in which many of us Christians enter into with God eventually cause burnout and perhaps even repulsion to religion.  The cost of discipleship is a marathon, not a sprint – in both cases you are still running but the former requires you to engage in the action of judging and discerning where to spend your energies.  You may build a great and awesome foundation, but your tower never gets off the ground.  You may have an army ready to mobilize, but you lack the skill and the unity to defeat the enemy.  Therefore even if you are willing, wanting, and desiring with all your heart, mind, soul, and body to pick up that cross and follow Him, you must do it prudentially.  In a culture of “everything right here right now”, that’s going to be hard and it will take a lot of patience, endurance, and perseverance.

So here in our scriptures today, we have some points of what it means to be a disciple.  First it must be complete – you can’t serve two masters, you cannot put anything before God.  Second, it must be done freely – we are not robots but people that have free will to express our love for God without coercion. Finally, discipleship means exercising prudence and judgment so that your zeal is tempered and not blinded.  In three simple words: objective/goal, will, and intellect the cost of discipleship is simply delineated; but mind you, it takes a lifetime to master.  Therefore, let us continue to worship together in the Holy Eucharist so that we may have the strength to engage ourselves in this journey of discipleship together.

Catechism of the Catholic Church
2309. The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:

• the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
• all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
• there must be serious prospects of success;
• the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the "just war" doctrine.
The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.

XXI Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Is 66:18-21
Ps 117:1, 2
Heb 12:5-7, 11-13
Lk 13:22-30


Today, our Lord, in no uncertain terms tells us about the very narrow gateway to heaven.  The people ask Him, Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He doesn’t give a definite answer but basically tells us the outlook does not look good.  Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many… will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.  It is not like we can barge through the gates of heaven or run so hard that there is a cartoon cutout of the shape of our bodies in the clouds.  I think for some of us it’s gonna be like us trying to catch that subway as the doors are closing.  When Jesus says that there is “a narrow gate”, that means that heaven some people are gonna be left out and we don’t need to be looking at others to see who, we just have to worry about looking at the mirror.  I’m going to be frank about this: Heaven is exclusive.  This narrow gate is going to be a “close call” and I don’t want to be unprepared.

We sing songs about inclusivity, we preach about welcoming and inclusion, but the bottom line is this: heaven is exclusive.  Jesus does not say that “he is a way, a truth, and a life”; He says that is THE way, THE truth, and THE life.  When we sing the song “All are Welcome”, I find it is not a completely honest message.  Yes, we do welcome all – because God calls all people to Himself – heaven was and is for all of us.  He says in Isaiah today, … I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory… But there must be a complete and total conversion to Him to enter into our heavenly reward.  Sin and vice must be rooted out, virtue must be practiced, and a complete and total reliance on God.  This is a daily task for each and every one of us, including myself.  This journey did not stop when you got baptized, when you were confirmed, or even when you started being parents.  Nobody’s journey is complete until the day we die and even then we pray that the work of purgatory will be quickly completed in us.   All are called, many will answer and hear, but few will actually enter.  

We hear in the Gospel: Lord, we ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets!  This shows just how close we can be to Him and STILL miss the mark!! You come here every Sunday to eat and drink with Him, I preach to you, and then you go home feeling all warm and fuzzy.  One day you die and you go up to the gate and the door is slammed in your face.  God says to you, I do not know where you are from.  Depart from me, all you evildoers!  [Wow ouch!]

One may ask, Well is there any hope for us?  [If even Fr. Reuben is worried about his salvation, then there’s no way I’m gonna be saved.]  Where is the silver lining in this dark cloud?  Let’s look at our second reading from Hebrews for some consolation.  My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.  In other words, if He didn’t love us, He wouldn’t give us such a hard time.  The fear of the pains of Hell – the wailing and gnashing of teeth – is our ultimate deterrent from the habits of sin and vice; and we would do well to listen. There is also the message of peace and love from God, but sometimes it fails to soften our hardened hearts.  But everybody understands pain and suffering and if that is not enough for us to change and be converted, then I fear there is little hope for them.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, when we come here every Sunday to celebrate this Divine Liturgy, this Holy Mass, we are doing more than just eating and drinking and having “community” and “communion”; we are standing at the gate of heaven.  Something that is lost in our modern age is the notion of ritual sacrifice.  In times of old Jews and Pagans alike would sacrifice meat and offerings to their gods – it was something bloody and necessary and afterwards a meal would be shared.  When Christ came, He completed a once and for all Sacrifice: all of the sacrifices are now rolled into His!  This was so that we may have a perpetual wedding banquet for all eternity.  He is the groom and the Church is the bride.  We enjoy this wedding feast every time we celebrate the Holy Mass, but quite often we forget the sacrificial part which allows this celebration to happen.  We must remember what has happened; and change our hearts – pick up our cross and follow Him.  We cannot just enjoy the fruit of the harvest without working right there with Him in His vineyard.  Strive to enter the narrow gate – to enter into His passion and death – so that we might decrease and He might increase – to forsake the temptations of the world and turn to Him.  Then and only then can we have true “communion” with Him.  Our “Communion” with Him is not just in the Eucharist, but in every single aspect of our lives: from the grocery store, to the mall, to the road, and especially in the house.  We do not just sing and laugh and have a good time on Sunday and then resume our hedonistic ways the rest of the week; because that is for the hypocrites that will not be entering through the narrow gate.  No, we are better than that and we are called to more.

What kinds of sacrifices in your life have you brought to the altar of God? How are you communing with God at this narrow gate?  If you have not done well this week or even today, then it’s time to change – go to the sacrament of Reconciliation – and make a fresh start.  Unite your sacrifices with His, allow Him to be the leader, so that you may be the true Bride to the Bridegroom that is Christ. Only then will the words we ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets, not be a statement to condemn ourselves in our hypocrisy, but a declaration of true communion.  Because we will have remembered what He did for us and what we do for Him as we eat His flesh and drink His blood in the Holy Eucharist.

XIX Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Wis 18:6-9
Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
Heb 11:1-2, 8-19
Lk 12:32-48

Growing up, we lived close to our schools and we would always walk home.  When we got home we did what any kid would do when no one was around.  Watch television!  Of course we had lots of homework to do; not only from school, but also homework from Chinese school, practice our band instruments and chores – things that my parents would want us to do before they got home from work.  If we had started when we got home right away, we probably would have just been finishing up when our parents got home; but that was rarely ever the case.  Instead we would watch all our favorite cartoons and shows and MAYBE do a homework assignment or two.

Now the TV room was next to the garage so when we heard the garage door open, that was our alarm to scramble and look like we were being productive.  Because we knew, as you probably have experienced in your homes… parents are interesting creatures that apparently have a different concept of time and cause and effect.  Because when my Mom would walk through the door and greet us, she would see whatever we were doing.  And whatever we were doing would be what we have been doing all day. If we had the TV on when she came home, the assumption was that we were watching TV all day and we hadn’t done any work.  If we were playing video games or on the computer, the assumption was that we were playing video games or on the computer all day long.  Even if we were good and just turned on the television after finishing all of our work, when my parents got home the assumption was that we had playing all day.  This, of course, was quite frustrating and the evidence submitted to the Court of the Chen Family would never hold up.

So we got smart.  We would watch television all afternoon and then when we heard the garage door, we got our books and things out and looked busy!!!  But somehow they knew… parents have some sort of secret power that allows them to figure out that we have been up to no good.  Turns out, all they did was touch their hand to the screen of the television, if there was static or it was warm – we were watching TV.

Now I tell this story not because I wanted to confess shenanigans or reveal parents’ sneaky ways of figuring out what their kids have been up to, but because our scriptures speak about being ready for the Second Coming.  Are YOU ready?

Christ says to His disciples, “Gird your loins and light your lamp and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.” Unlike my childhood, we are not going to have a garage door announcing the coming of Christ.  The Master of the House will come and we are either going to be ready for Him or we are going to be caught unawares.  No one knows the day or the hour.  As it says in Wisdom, The night of the Passover was known beforehand to our fathers… We know that the day of reckoning is coming, what are we doing to prepare ourselves?  It could be in a few minutes, it could be years.  But it is coming; are you prepared to meet our Lord?  Let’s not procrastinate and put off our work here on earth to the last minute, but rather prepare for the end.
We are the master of our own house, our mortal body; we must not only prepare for the end but live a life that is pleasing to God.  If I had been doing my homework all afternoon, I would had proof to show my Mother that I worked hard and what I had been doing was pleasing to her; not just for those few minutes before she walked into the house.  The good works that we do in this life go with us, the Faith and the Hope sustains us and keeps us going forward.

 In the same way that we do not know when God is coming, we do not know when Satan will try to mess with us.  Temptation and sin is all around and guess what?  Hell is real place.  [You think Texas is hot?]  If we fail to keep the Commandments, to avoid sin and temptation, if we fail to live a life full of charity and compassion, and if we lose the faith – it is not God who will turns His back to us, but it is YOU who turn your back on Him.  God does not condemn you to Hell; you condemn yourself because your soul is heavy with sin and vice. And no angel or saint will have the strength to lift you out of your filth.  

 Hell isn’t talked about much these days because we think that life is hard enough without adding more things to worry about.  But guess what, the opposite is true it is one of the most important things to worry about.  If the Love of God is not enough for you to desire Him, maybe the pains of Hell will scare you straight.  It is not a made-up place, but one that is very real.  For me – I would rather I desire God for Him and not just because I don’t want my rear seared.  But sometimes that’s what motivates us.  Those afternoons home alone were more productive when I knew that if I didn’t do what I was supposed to do, I’d get in trouble – [that bamboo tree that grew in our backyard was not for feeding pandas.]  When we know what we are up against, we know that we must have faith and continue in our faith, to persevere and to see that: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.  

When we see the example of Abraham, we see a man of faith – a man tested and tested.  He was a given a promise of the greatest blessing of descendants, land, and prosperity.  But he had nothing that would indicate that God was going to make good on that promise; only faith.  He was told to relocate from the city into an alien wilderness; from having property to having nothing.  He was told that he was going to have children, when both his wife and he were way past the age of having children.  He was a given a wonderful son, Isaac, and then asked to sacrifice him – and all of this Abraham was willing to do because he trusted in God’s promise.

If Abraham, who did not have the benefit and blessing of the experience or knowledge that the Incarnate Son of God would come, suffer, die and rise again, for the salvation of the world, how much more should our faith be who have the benefit of the Incarnation and the Gospel of Christ: the Tradition of the Apostles, the prayers and supplications of the Universal Church, and the most blessed gift of the Eucharist in our midst?  The blessings and benefits of our Faith are on our side, but it is up to you to avail yourself to it.

Sin, temptation, vice, and the devil surround us.  We are steeped in the world and in sin – every single one of us: idolatry of money, status, work, and pleasures, anger, grudges, gluttony, sins of the flesh, pride, lies, gossip, theft, drunkenness, laziness, lack of charity and compassion; and probably the most egregious one of all: receiving our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, in this state of sin because you are too “embarrassed” that other people are going to judge you.  Your pride and saving face is more important to you than protecting the sanctity of God and the state of your soul.  If you have not been to confession in the last month or two, it would be a good idea to go.  No, not just a good idea: it is imperative.  If it has been years, then the urgency is even greater.  There is no sin that is so great that God cannot forgive.  Sin impedes and can even cut off our relationship with God – like really really bad cholesterol clogging your arteries.  Go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Repent, purge yourself of these sins, and get rid of them. For our Lord says, ‘Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.’  We, who have the gift of Faith like Abraham, have been giving much, and therefore much more will be demanded of us.

XVII Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Gn 18:20-32
Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
Col 2:12-14
Lk 11:1-13

What gives Abraham the guts to bargain with God?  I mean… in life we try to sheepishly bargain with God, but look at what Abraham’s boldness!  If God is determined to do something, something tells me it’s gonna happen.  He wants the earth round; He’s got a round earth.  He wants to give a giraffe a long neck, we’re gonna have a giraffe with a long neck.  If He wants the male seahorse to have the baby seahorses, the male seahorse is going to have babies.  That is the sovereignty of God.  So if God, in His righteousness, wants to destroy a city – that’s His prerogative right?!?!? But Abraham talks Him down!  He is able to save a wretched city if he were to find ten innocent people.  Abraham is not really invested in this city; it’s not even his home, why does he care and yet he is able to save it.  Few people in scriptures are able to do what Abraham does right here.

And as I think about how amazing Abraham is in bargaining with God and getting what he wanted, I also wonder what “convinces” God to do what He did.  God doesn’t really work like that does He?  Do you think that Abraham really “convinced” God to do something?  This is God we are talking about here!!  The Divine Eternal Being that created everything and is beyond all the “linear timey-wimey goobledegook string theory and parallel universes.”  Do you think this Being would let some schmuck in the desert change His mind?  I don’t think so… but yet let’s think about it some more.

If man cannot change the mind of God, then what good is prayer?  What good is it to pray to God?  This is where a lot of people quit religion; they give up.  And this is where they are wrong!  To subscribe to this beautiful faith means we must also accept the offer and invitation of Jesus Christ – the Son of God.  In Christ we see efficacy of prayer, but we must pray the way He exhorts us to pray.

In the Gospel, we hear of the disciples asking Jesus how to pray.  If prayer was ineffective, He wouldn’t have said anything – He would have told them that they didn’t do anything.  But no, He gives them the Lord’s Prayer: the powerful prayer that has been passed through the ages: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.  And then He gives them some examples and further reinforcement on the importance of prayer:  persistence or perseverance in asking.

Let us take a closer look at these two examples: the first one is almost hilarious.  Because all you have to do is go to the supermarket and stand in the checkout line with little kids running around.  Kids ask for something that they want from their parents.  What’s the first answer? No.  The second? No. The third? No. Eventually through some sort of cuteness and persistence and sometimes arm-twisting tantrums they eventually get what they want.  They wear ‘em down. Perseverance: it’s powerful stuff.  It’s probably happened to you before, a simple beggar on the street asks for some change and they just keep asking until you hand whatever is in your wallet over just to get them off your back.  If it worked for a stranger… imagine if we did it to God, who is not a stranger but one who loves us unconditionally.

Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened….  These again are powerful words.  And as we reflect upon them – we see the power of prayer in Abraham asking on behalf of the people. Prayer is as far off as asking for that help and assistance from God. But lest we turn God into our own genie in a bottle – for He is certainly not.  Remember that Christ teaches us to call God “Father”, not “slave”.  We must discern first what we are asking.  He is a Father who loves us and desires the best for us; His will be done because we trust in Him.  When we ask God and we pray to God and it is not happening the way we would like we must stop and think:  Are we asking for snakes and scorpion?  Our Father will give us our daily bread, but sometimes we are asking for the wrong thing, which is like asking for snakes and scorpions, which any good father will not do [unless you are the Crocodile Hunter].

We are assured that prayer works, but now the task at hand for us is to find out how to pray and what we are praying for.  Prayer is our conversation with God – one that is familiar and also one that seeks to better understand His will and desire.  Ultimately, He already knows what we are asking – but the benefit of prayer allows us do a few things: 1.) to explicitly understand what you are praying for, 2.) to discern whether or not you really need what you are asking for, and 3.) to trust in His providence.

At the heart of prayer is communication and relationship.  Here’s an experiment and exercise for you:  record your prayer and play it back to yourself.  (Nobody else needs to hear it.)  You may notice that it is not polished, that’s okay – you can work on that.  BUT - Are you praying from the heart or are you just giving lip service?  Is it just fluffy words or are you able to relate the very core of yourself to Him?  

For some of you, this exercise may be quite embarrassing because what you are praying about and praying for are exactly those scorpions and the snakes that Christ refers to in the Gospel – and God, for your own good, is not gonna give them to you.  But perhaps you really are asking for something good and proper – perhaps you are praying for that daily bread, that fish, or that egg.  Here is where perseverance comes into play, where you must discern further: How is He answering your prayer? Do you trust in His good providence?

There is no magical formula in prayer – because that is not how God works.  Ask and you shall receive is not a blank check.  Abraham was able to do what He did because He was asking for THE good, he persevered, and his request was very much in line with God’s will.  Prayer is not so much about changing God’s mind, but having our minds change to match His.  He is the Father who loves us and desires the best for us.  When we pray we are asking Him to open that goodness to us – that we may always seek and unite ourselves to His will.  As we continue this celebration of the Mass, let us turn our hearts to Him, uniting ourselves in communion in the Holy Eucharist.

XV Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Dt 30:10-14
Ps 66:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
Col 1:15-20
Lk 10:25-37

You’ve probably heard it before; it is the common mantra out there in world:  “You don’t need religion.  All you need to do is just be a good person.”  This kind of “good person” religion doesn’t work.  Perhaps maybe back in ancient times where there was some sort of sacro-sanct moral codes this could work.  But now that we live in a pluralistic, relativistic, and ostensibly tolerant society, your definition of good and my definition of good will probably not be the same.  People’s standards and moral values have changed – everybody, I hope, is trying to be good.  But his good and her good don’t always match up and then conflict arises.

All early civilizations had a set of governing laws and you could say that they are more or less consistent on what was good and what was bad.  Even cannibals, I have heard, use discretion and draw lines of what they can and cannot eat.  Murder is bad, stealing is bad, and adultery is bad.  It’s pretty simple.  We see something of an innate moral code that is built into every single human person, what is called “Natural Law”.  As societies develop, the peripherals may change but the core should remain the same.  And as knowledge and wisdom increases, adjustments are made.

In particular, we look at Divine Revelation: starting with the Hebrew people of ancient times all the way through the time of Christ and the Apostles.  In Deuteronomy, Moses says to the people, “For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you… it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.”   God, speaking through Moses is saying that although there are so many laws – the essential is there in your heart and soul.  When God gives the law to the Jewish people – there moral codes were raised to a new level.  They were not only doing what was natural but ordering their lives in response to this Divine Revelation.   It was a gift for them and they tried, as they did, to adhere to them.  This was to prepare the ground, as it were, for the next “installment” of Revelation in the Incarnation of Christ.

When we hear the story of the Good Samaritan, we are reminded again of going above and beyond what is required into the heart of God’s revelation to us.  The Old Testament required ritual purity and also had a hierarchy of treatment starting with family, extended relatives, and finally as a race. Those outside, the slave, servant, and stranger and foreigner were treated differently.  You have probably heard that the Jews and Samaritans did not get along.  Using this contemporary animosity of these social groups, Christ drew his teaching point:  all people needed to be treated with respect and dignity.  Christ expands the definition of neighbor to not only be family and the Jewish people, but to everyone – even their enemies. Therefore, we have heard it time and time again in Church: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  You have probably heard of the Golden Rule and different versions of it.  It is no surprise that Christ brings this into the picture.

But going back to the beginning of my homily about the “Good Person” religion, one might ask, “Well if the Golden Rule is all I need – why should I bother with this mumbo jumbo religion stuff. I’ll just do that and I’ll be fine.”  To which I would reply, “That’s not good enough.”  Why?  Because we live in a pluralistic world of utility and everybody’s definitions are all over the place.  What if a murderer welcomed being murdered?  Fits the Golden Rule right?  Doesn’t sound right does it?  Natural law only prepares the ground to receive something more: Divine Law through revelation.  Just as in the Old Testament made the soil fertile for the salvation of Christ to come about, we in a secular age must be able to transcend into the fullness of His revelation: Jesus Christ. The Law is the “what” but Jesus is the “how”.  They are not contradictory, but work in harmony – so that those who do not yet know God can still approach Him.

As St. Paul writes to the Colossians, Christ is the image of the invisible God… He is before all things… He is the head of the body, the church.  When we as the human race receive something from God, it isn’t optional.  He came so that we may have life and have it more abundantly (cf. Jn 10:10).  Therefore, He knew that what He had revealed would have difficulty meeting people where they were at and so the establishment of the Apostles and the Church was only natural and intentional.  The Church then, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, becomes the place where we seek help in understanding “how” we should love and “how” we should worship.  This cornerstone of the Faith is essential for us as Catholics.  Otherwise we run the risk of being no different than the secular world out there – picking and choosing what they want to value and what they devalue.

The hot and controversial topics that we hear about today in the media and news cannot simply be determined by our prior experience and knowledge which may be biased – but rather our reactions and responses must be determined through prayer and understanding through the Church.  One cannot demand others to respect life and then mistreat immigrants or criminals or strangers.  The Gospel today calls us to task.

The great commandment demands love and compassion for our neighbor – anyone and everyone.  The Church teaches that there is a preferential option for the poor – to bring relief to those who suffer and an end to injustices.  These are things that we must work on in society, but to do that we must first begin with calling ourselves to task – how have I helped those around me?  When I saw a need did I ignore it and pass by on the opposite side?  Did I treat my neighbor as if they were my own flesh and blood?

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta loved the poorest of the poor and her heroic compassion seemed to be unmatched with her contemporaries.  It was a deep spirituality for her to face the repugnance and dirtiness of festering wounds of her neighbor so that she could love the Lord, her God, with all her heart, being, strength, and mind.  Would that we do the same and enter and bathe the wounds of Christ as we clean the wounds of our neighbors with compassion.


 

XIV Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Is 66:10-14c
Ps 66:1-3,4-5,6-7,16,20
Gal 6:14-18
Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

When we look at what our Lord had asked these seventy-two men to do, we see something that nearly impossible – or at least not humanly possible.  One was to go out into the towns without anything.  First He warns them: “You will be utterly defenseless and you just might be eaten alive. The outlook is not gonna be good.”  After that bleak prediction you would think that our Lord would offer a bit of advice and encouragement, but he just makes it worse!!  “Don’t bring money, don’t bring luggage, don’t bring anything for the journey, and don’t bring anything.  Don’t even ask for help.  Just go and evangelize.  See ya later.”
Another way to look at it would be Jesus goes out to his disciples who are drowning in the middle of the sea.  The disciples look absolutely desperate and afraid.  And Jesus, in the most loving way that our Lord could look at His disciples, tells them, “Here’s something to help you swim and then hands each of them an anvil, “See you at the shore, have fun, ooh. watch out for that shark!” But what is the result?!  The seventy-two return rejoicing!  “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” This is an incredibly fascinating account of disciples casting out demons, healing the sick, and bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to all they encountered.  But have you ever wondered why they were so successful?

On the one hand, it is quite obvious: the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the name of our Lord is just that powerful and compelling.  On the other hand – and I think this has to do a bit with how we as instruments of God must approach this mission – I believe it has to do something with the evangelical counsels.  What are the evangelical counsels?  Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience.  These are the three vows that religious men and women take when they enter the religious life.  Diocesan Priests and Deacons also take a form of these three promises.  But these three promises free one to do the work of God in a unique way.  How does it work?

Imagine yourself going to a foreign land where you can hardly speak the language and you are trying to share the Gospel with them.  What do you think the native people are thinking about you when you arrive?  “These are some strange people, I wonder what they want.  Are they here to conquer us? Are they a threat to us?  Do they want to take our things?  Do they want to rule us?  Do they want to steal our wives and husbands and family away?”  Through these three evangelical counsels – one is able to remove the barriers that may prevent one from receiving the Gospel.

By taking a vow of poverty, missionaries are saying that they are not there to make a quick buck or to steal anything from anyone.  By taking a vow of chastity, they are saying that they are not there to steal spouses or destroy families.  By taking a vow of obedience, they are saying that they are not there to rule over them and make the people subjects or slaves.  In fact these missionaries are subject to someone else – someone greater.  So you can see how these vows break down a certain human barrier and makes a nice bridge to say that they are there for one purpose and one purpose only: to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The humble service and work that these seventy-two did are examples for us who have taken the vows of poverty, chastity, obedience.  There are some that will argue that religious orders, especially priests should get married so that they have the support of a wife and family.  But what does that do?  If I were to have a wife, that automatically eliminates chastity – there’s a big jump from nothing to something and beyond something isn’t that big of a difference; and then poverty is difficult because I would have to support and raise a family; and then obedience?  Well between the parish council and my wife, who am I going to listen to?  (The parish council can’t really make me sleep on the couch.)

The evangelical counsels are there for us as examples to spread the good news but for priests and religious brothers and sisters, we must also be inspired with St. Paul’s words to the Galatians: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  All of the sacrifices that have been made must be made in cross of Jesus Christ.  When priests and religious have failed in their counsels and left the religious life, it is usually because they have ceased to pray and have ceased to unite themselves with the Cross of Christ.
For all of us, we must take to heart the words of St. Paul and the words of Christ - the words of our Lord.  Though you may not take on these vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; we look to these men and women as examples and models to live a life in imitation of them and of Christ.  This is probably the greatest take away from our scripture today: the example of complete and utter dependence on God for our future and well-being.  If we have nothing, we have nothing depend on but God.  Everything is seen as a gift from Him.  Our lives would be a lot easier and filled with a lot more thanksgiving when we see all the things around us as gift rather than taken for granted.  We don’t have to be dedicated missionaries to try to live this way – but a simplicity of life makes life easier especially when we are called to preach the Gospel to all nations; every one of us!

As you follow step by step and day by day in Him, you will find yourself living out these virtues in a very special way.  You will find yourself less attached to material goods and status.  You will find yourself open and obedient to God’s will in your life and also find yourself less stressed with those things that are hanging over your head. And finally, you will orient yourself in chastity: to love yourself and to love others as what is proper to your state in life: having good temperance of the fleshly appetites of not only food and drink, but also carnal desire.

When you see yourself growing closer to God through prayer and through these virtues you too will see Satan fall like lightning from the sky.  Therefore, let us be inspired but the examples of our religious brothers and sisters, our priests, our deacons, and bishops.  Let us be inspired by the saints that have gone before us with the heroic virtues that they model.  Let us be inspired by and led to the Cross of Christ so that we can draw our strength from Him.  Let us humbly approach the sacred meal of the Eucharist as that source of strength for our daily life – our daily bread for ever and always.

XIII Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21
Ps 16:1-2,5,7-8,9-10,11
Gal 5:1, 13-18
Lk 9:51-62

I really wonder what would have happened if our Lord had actually called down fire from heaven to smite that town of Samaria.  It almost sounds too perfect: the stereotypical angry god that exacts revenge at the slightest insult.  These two “Sons of Thunder”, James and John, are all too ready for retribution for an offense against the Lord.  But Jesus rebukes them and in some manuscripts, Jesus says, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of man came not to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”  This idea of revenge and retribution is not in the spirit of the Lord’s purpose.  But some would argue… but wait shouldn’t they deserve punishment and justice?  Before we can understand the Gospel and the scriptures today, we must first take a look at what makes us human.

All of Creation is created by God, this we know.  And even if you subscribe to the Big Bang Theory, there must have been something or someone to have put it there: a Creator.  Amongst all of creation He created us in His image.  Scientists and theorists have tried to propose our evolutionary connection to apes and monkeys; and while that may be biologically sound, we are still a unique species because of a certain power that we have: intellection and reason.  Even animals have basic emotions, but we can think in a manner that is above and beyond the rest of creation.  Cheetahs are faster, bears are stronger, birds may fly, and fish swim in the water, but we have the intellectual power for all those things and more with the power of our mind.  I would propose that this is our greatest asset.  Closely following that asset is another gift that God gives us: free will – freedom.

St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians says, we are set free and not to submit again to the yoke of slavery. For you were called for freedom… but do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.  Live by the Spirit… for the flesh has desires against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh.  After the fall of Adam and Eve, the effects of sin mainly the flesh’s appetites have had an edge.  Our animal/creature nature – which makes us like the rest of creation (e.g. hunger, thirst, shelter, desire for reproduction) has been fighting against our ability and desire to live free.  That is not to say that we do not need these things, but quite often our rational power and our will power have been compromised; and they become inverted.  So that when things are a little frustrating we go back to our animal appetites: “This has been a bad day, I need to… (e.g. retail therapy, go to a sports bar, surf the internet, watch television, veg on the couch).  What happens then is that we are yoked with a certain slavery to sin or desire.  We become a beast burdened and controlled instead of having the true dignity of a human person in control of our desires and temptations.  Even if our “addiction” does not need professional help, it is something that turns us and keeps us from God.

But the grace of God and life in the Spirit of God intends us to be something greater – that which He has called us to be: to live in our full potential of knowing, loving, serving, and glorifying Him.  Our will and our ability to reason give us the power to say, “No! I am not going to succumb to sin.  I am better than that and God desires me to be better than that.”

There are many temptations in the world and one of these is the prevalent use of contraceptives, especially as public education seeks to push and encourage it to young people.  To actively promote contraceptives to young people is to say, “Hey, we know you’re an animal and since you can’t control yourself – at least do this.”  I think that young people should be insulted.  The irony is that if you can’t control yourself on the important things in life, then how are you going to control yourself on doing something as simple as taking a pill or putting something on?  We have the ability to control our bodily appetites.  Yes, we get hungry but does that mean we have to pull out a candy bar every time our grumbles?  Yes, there is a desire to love someone but does that mean that one has to have “intimate relations” every time they see each other?  Are you animals, are you rabbits?  No, you are human beings with the gift of knowledge and wisdom; free will and the power to think through your actions and control your desires.

When I hear about the atrocities that happened with the a certain late-term abortion doctor, who was convicted of doing some truly horrendous things to babies and his patients and then I hear about the debate of banning abortion past 20 weeks here in Texas and increasing safety standards in abortion clinics, I think the answers seems obvious.  What is the moral difference between what this particular abortion doctor did and what other abortionists are doing now?  None. It is only a matter of where it is done: inside or outside of the womb.  I believe that the right to choice should be unfettered because of the gift of free will, but if that choice affects another human person, this choice must be checked.  We must respect the dignity and life of the other as well, in this case: the baby.  One with only an animal nature may try the most expedient and convenient way out because that is the natural way of things.  But we again have been blessed with the knowledge and wisdom to realize that life is precious and has dignity and therefore the expediency and convenience must fall back to dignity of life.  Does this mean that we abandon the mother in a crisis pregnancy? Absolutely not!  We are called to provide care and aid to both mother and child in need because they are indeed our vulnerable brothers and sisters in Christ.

To undo the burden of slavery to sin in the world, we must yoke ourselves with Christ: because He assures us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  The story of Elijah and Elisha, when heard against the story of Jesus and the would-be follower, shows how radical that call to discipleship is.  Whereas Elijah allows Elisha to turn back, Jesus replies, Let the dead bury the dead and No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom….  The radical call of Jesus Christ is demanding, but it also helps us to undo that burden and slavery to sin when we put things in right order.  The yoke of Christ helps us in a positive way to see how we are called to something that goes beyond the animal nature into a Divine Relationship with Him.

The laws in the OT were set out to force one into charity without the free will to decide.  But God calls us now to live positively, to Love our neighbor as yourself.  We are called then in freedom, to love as God would love; and not in a spirit of vengeance and retribution – because that is not what God is about.

This past week has been pretty rough in terms of the failure to pass some Texas legislation and the Supreme Court decision.  With these events in the midst of the US Bishops’ campaign “Fortnight for Freedom” (ending on July 4), it seems to just add salt to the wounds.  But our Christian faith and discipleship calls us not to call for revenge and a scorched earth mentality, but to continue in prayer and to build up His Kingdom: to seek the lost and the forsaken, to protect the unborn and those at death’s door (e.g. indigent and Death Row), to welcome the stranger (e.g. immigrants) and marginalized (e.g. homosexuals and disabled).  As the greatest of God’s creation, we have been gifted with purpose and power – now we must use them justly and share the love that God has given to us.  We could be just like the monkeys and apes in the wild.  We could do whatever we want, whenever we want – but that is below our dignity.  We can think, we can reason, and we have a living relationship with God.  He does not promise it to be pain free or without difficulty (as you can see plainly see on the Cross), but He does tell us that the reward and consolation will be great.  Therefore, let us live in and be guided in the Holy Spirit- let us not yoke ourselves to the slavery of sin, but yoke ourselves to Christ who shows us the way.

XI Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

2 Sam 12:7-10, 13
Ps 32:1-2,5,7,11
Gal 2:16, 19-21
Lk 7:36-8:3

 ‘So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’

Every one of you, at some time in your life, has probably dodged a “proverbial” bullet.  Actually, it probably has happened where you didn’t even do anything, you were just bracing yourself for impact – hoping that it wouldn’t hurt… too much.  I remember back in elementary school we had very large classrooms that were divided by a temporary wall.  It was a really solid wall and that wall would divide two different classes of the same grade.  As it happened, I got in trouble and I was sent to the wall.  I had to move my desk to face the wall away from all my other classmates.  Effectively, I was in timeout… for the week.

Well, apparently this strategy of discipline was used with the teacher of the other classroom too and so I had some “timeout prison mates” on the other side of the wall.  My memory is hazy, but I think there were not a few in timeout.  It was a bad week.  But I was bored and feeling a little creative so I decided to try to see who was on the other side by passing notes under the temporary wall.  I felt like Alexander Graham Bell speaking on the telephone for the first time.  Espionage… But not very good because “the MAN” started questioning us timeout prison mates.  When he came to me, I lied.  Knowing that I was a Boy Scout, he even made me put up my hand and say “scout’s honor”.  It was the first time I ever lied (that’s a lie too).  But I was overcome with guilt and at the end of the day, I had prepared a little speech with a full confession and apology.  I had sinned, against my teacher, my God, and my honor.  I was prepared for the worst – a call to my parents and expulsion.  My teacher saw how heavy that guilt was and my desire to come clean, he commended me on my integrity and gave only a single session of detention.  I think I was let off easy because I only had to copy the dictionary up to the letter “L” for liar.

But seriously, I dodged a bullet there.  I did something wrong and I made it worse by trying to cover it up.  There are consequences of sin that must be dealt with.  King David sinned and the proof of his sin was literally showing.  Instead of trying to make things right, he ended up taking another man’s life.  He had it all and was trying so hard to maintain his dignity that he forgot about God, truth, and righteousness.  Fortunately, God sent the prophet Nathan to help him find his way back to God.  And when David asked for forgiveness it was given.

In the Gospel, we also hear about the incredible forgiveness that comes from God.  The “bullet” was bigger for the sinful woman than the Pharisee, Simon.  The sinful woman was in greater straits of difficulty and she turns to Christ, bathing His feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and kissing His feet as a sign of welcome in hospitality.  The Pharisee – being righteous in the eyes of the law – apparently did not show any signs of hospitality to Christ.  He did not humble himself, he did not even think he needed forgiveness but thought that he was a good man.  Ironically, every time I read this passage I wonder if the Pharisee Simon was so good, righteous, and holy, how did that sinful woman end up in Simon’s house?

An unexamined life – a life where you are looking at other’s sins, other’s faults, lamenting the government or things going on around the world and not looking at your need for forgiveness, for God, for a deeper relationship with Him – is a life like the Pharisee.  All of us sin – it is why we have the Penitential Act at the very beginning of Mass.   Recognizing and acknowledging our sin, asking our Lord’s forgiveness, and being purified before Him… only then can we begin to really open ourselves to God.  If we are to be like the woman – who knows her sin, who knows that she needs God, and desires to honor Him despite her failings – we must start first at examining our consciences: are you following the Ten Commandments – not just “Do not kill. Do not steal.” But the meaning behind those words… “Do I kill with my words, my attitude?  Do I steal from work by being lazy or taking advantage of resources that do not belong to me? Do I keep God as the center of my life? Do I keep Sunday as a day of rest and dedicated to God through Mass and family time?”

If you are unwilling to examine your life, you will continue to think you are sinless.  The mind does this strange trick; it says, “Hey, we are all sinners.”   And yet if you were asked – would you be able to enumerate what has made you a sinner?  The person that comes to me and says, “Father, it’s been years since my last confession and I can’t think of any sins.”  I ask them if they want to be canonized.  I would be happy with just a confession of the sins that they did last week or that day – but to say that there are no sins is a statistical impossibility.  Not saying it’s impossible, but chances are it’s not true.

The reason I am harping on examining your life and your sins is because nothing ventured is nothing gained.  If we do not offer our sins before God – asking forgiveness – if we do not open ourselves and be vulnerable to Him, then we are doing the exact opposite aren’t we?  We close the doors on Him; we are saying we don’t want forgiveness, we don't need You!  But the one who puts it all out there like the woman today in the Gospel walks away with not only her dignity but with a new relationship with Our Lord.  Her gratitude of receiving forgiveness was great because her sin was great.  Would that we have that and want that too?  No, I’m not saying go out there and sin big and then come back for confession.  I am saying that whatever sins that we do have in our life – and we know that they're there – impedes our relationship with God and neighbor.  Once we realize this and we are motivated in love and contrition, we will experience that strong feeling of being forgiven.  Our relationship with God is opening ourselves to His healing of our sin, experiencing His love and compassion, and communing with Him in His glory.  May we pray and offer ourselves to him today as we continue our celebration of the Holy Eucharist.