Homily: December 17

Readings: Gn 49:2,8-10; Ps 72; Mt 1:1-17
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When people first turn to the New Testament, they often get discouraged because right there on the first page of the first book is Matthew's genealogy. And so they just jump ahead to the Nativity story. That's really unfortunate because this rhythmic poetic passage tells us some very important things.

Indeed, Matthew begins as Genesis begins, with the beginning, and summarizes 2,000 years of history, from Abraham all the way to Jesus Christ. In this genealogy Matthew offers the Gospel as the New Genesis, a new beginning through Jesus.

Abraham, Our Father in Faith

From this we encounter a major Gospel theme: the New Testament doesn't replace the Old; it fulfills it. And Matthew first aims this Good News directly at you and me - at sinners - by drawing our attention to Judah, Tamar, Rahab, and David.

He reminds us that the sinful relationship between Judah and Tamar led to King David and ultimately to Jesus Himself.

Nathan to King David: You Are the Man! (1 Sam 12:7)

He reminds us that Rahab, Boaz's mother, was a prostitute, and that Solomon's mother was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. We recall how David seduced her and had her husband killed so he could marry her.

Yes, Jesus' family tree is littered with sinners, just like mine and just like yours.

St. Joseph: Blessed are the Merciful

But through this revelation we come to realize the depth of God's mercy. Despite our sinfulness, we're all called into God's family. What a gift! Here too God pleads with us to extend mercy to others. For in that genealogy we encounter those who went far beyond the demands of the law: Judah, Boaz, Uriah, and especially Joseph.

It's a plea expressed explicitly a few chapters later in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy" [Mt 5:7]. Advent, then, is the perfect time to repair shattered relationships, especially family relationships, the perfect time to extend mercy to others and to yourself.

But Matthew's not finished. He also reminds us that God's ways are not man's ways. Throughout the genealogy we find God rejecting our ways, tossing aside the patterns of inheritance and choosing whom He will choose.

Jacob is "the father of Judah and his brothers" [Mt 1:2; Gen 49:8] Here and elsewhere Matthew reminds us that God will bypass first sons and choose younger brothers like Isaac, Jacob, and Judah to lead His People. This, too, is Good News, for unlike man, God is not only merciful, but His ways are just.

God continues to pile up the Good News, for Jesus' family, the family of the Kings of Israel, is not a family of ethnic purity. It's littered with Gentiles. For example, with the sole exception of Mary, the women mentioned are all Gentiles: Tamar and Rahab are Canaanites, Ruth a Moabite, Bathsheba a Hittite. God's plan of salvation, then, is universal. The entirety of humanity is called into God's family.

The Women in the Genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1)

This is the Advent message, brothers and sisters, the message of the angel: "You shall name him Jesus and he shall be called Emmanuel" [Mt 1:23; Lk 1:31], which means, "God is with us."  God is with us - not some nameless, faceless them, but us - and not some of us, but all of us. It's the message of a passionate God, of a God whose love is overpowering. This is what we celebrate: God's fierce zeal for us, His commitment not to leave us abandoned.

It comes down to this: God is unwilling to leave us in the darkness of our own sinfulness. Advent demonstrates God's terrible desire to "be with us," to be part of the human condition: God with us in our entirety. Quite simply, God won't let us alone. He wants to be Emmanuel.

Inundated by materialism, by the spiritual sickness of the world, so many forget why the Magi carried those first gifts to a newborn baby in a manger. The true Advent and Christmas message isn't Amazon dot com. It's Emmanuel, God with skin on and a human face. God became one of us to turn His face to us, to speak words of comfort, reconciliation, and redemption, words we can understand. This is what we anticipate today, an advent that heralds our salvation.

A few years ago at the soup kitchen, while schmoozing with our guests, I spotted a mother and her little baby girl. As I approached, little Alisha saw my smile and reached out her arms to me. I couldn't resist. I picked up this beautiful child and she just snuggled right up against me and buried her little head into my chest with her tiny hands gripping my shoulder.

My first thought? "Here's a little baby that needed a hug." Then I realized how wrong I was. Alisha had been perfectly happy being held by her mom, with whom I could never hope to compete. No, Alisha didn't need my hugs. But she knew that I sure needed hers.

You see, brothers and sisters, in a very real way, little Alisha is the meaning of Advent. God with us. God with Alisha. For that brief moment Alisha is God's love. She's the Advent of God reaching for us. She's God's arms; she's God's zeal; she's God's passion for each of us.

For God loves us despite our foolishness. He loves us with our broken lives, our selfishness, our tattered relationships, our foolish sins. God is two tiny arms determined to break into our lives. On Christmas Day He's a fierce little baby who makes no distinctions but embraces the least likely along with the most likely.

This is what Advent is all about: preparing us for God's unrelenting love feast. Not a sappy sentimental love, but a love as searing as any passionate romance. We celebrate God's fulfilled desire to be with us. This is His gift.

If God isn't Emmanuel, if He's not with us, if He hasn't embraced our tattered lives, then there's no hope, no light, only darkness and despair.

If God isn't with us, we're here today out of fruitless hope, or pressured routine, or empty sentimentality.

But if we're here out of love, if we're here like ragtag shepherds to kneel and rejoice and let God take us in His arms, then we've caught the meaning of this Advent: Emmanuel, the passionate God, has had his way and has hugged us fiercely.

When sin, suffering and death scatter our souls far and wide that's when we need God the most. And that's when Jesus comes to us to guide us to His Father's loving arms.

It's all grace, brothers and sisters. It's all gift. What more is there to say?

Homily: Monday, 2nd Week of Advent

Readings Is 35:1-10; Psalm 85; Lk 5:17-26

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The event Luke described in today's Gospel passage occurred not long after Jesus called His first disciples [Lk 5:1-11]. 

Just imagine the effect of all this excitement on these new followers of Jesus. They'd already seen Him do the unthinkable: he'd spoken to a leper and actually touched him. And then he did the impossible: he cured him [Lk 5:12-16].

Jesus Heals a Leper

This and many other cures, and His preaching, had attracted a lot of attention, so much attention that Pharisees and Scribes and others had come to see what Jesus was all about. As Luke tells us: 

"They came from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem" [Lk 5:17].

But they weren't there to praise Jesus, were they? No they watched and listened to Jesus as the crowds, the curious and the hopeful, anxiously approached Him. And in the midst of these crowds several men carried a paralytic to Jesus.

Before we go on, let me share 2 simple truths with you. They're relevant at this point in our brief journey.

Truth number one: Everyone needs healing.

That's right...everyone! Some of us might not need physical healing -- at least not yet -- but every single one of us needs spiritual healing. We're not all physically ill, but we are all sinners.

And the second truth? Each of us, at one time or another, experiences fear.

These are Gospel truths, you know. They're Gospel truths because they're such an integral part of the Gospel. Jesus did a lot of things during His public ministry. He preached, He taught, He listened, He warned, He prophesied, he blessed. But everywhere He went He always did two things: He healed and told us not to fear

Be Not Afraid!

The blind, the lame, the deaf, the lepers and many others, moved by the Spirit, overcame their fears and, often in great humility, went directly to the Lord and begged for healing. 

But others were paralyzed, physically paralyzed or paralyzed by fear, unable to take that step on their own. That's where the rest of us come in. That's right; we're called to take part in Jesus' healing ministry by bringing others to Him.

Now back to Capernaum...

Luke, who loved to fill in the details, described how the men lowered the paralytic on a stretcher through a hole in the roof. But the same key point is made in all three synoptic Gospels: the paralytic did not come on his own, but was brought to Jesus by others.

What about the man himself? He was paralyzed physically; but was he also paralyzed spiritually? I suspect so, based on what Jesus said and did. At first Jesus didn't even address his physical condition, but simply said:

"As for you, your sins are forgiven" [Lk 5:20].

In Matthew's Gospel Jesus uses slightly different words:

"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven" [Mt 9:2].

 Courage, that which moves us despite our fears, and our unforgiven sins, the source of spiritual paralysis. Yes, doubly paralyzed, he needed others to help him find the healing power of Jesus Christ.

"Your sins are forgiven..."

This man's friends, despite all the obstacles, carried him to Jesus, even if it meant cutting a hole in the roof. How important were those men? The Gospel text is explicit. Jesus didn't respond to the faith of the paralytic; indeed, it's never even mentioned. No, Jesus responded to the faith of the friends, those who carried him to Jesus.

What kind of healing did our Lord provide? The kind that brought this man to wholeness, to  spiritual healing, "...your sins are forgiven."

The physical healing came later, almost as an afterthought, as a way for Jesus to prove His divine power, to demonstrate that he had the power and the authority to perform the greatest miracle of that day, to heal the soul, to offer spiritual healing through the forgiveness of sins.

You see, physical healing by God is never an end in itself. It always aims at something else, something much greater: the soul's spiritual healing, to remove our fears, to continue the lifelong conversion that our faith demands of us.

But notice the disciples, those first-century versions of you and me. What were they doing? Pretty much what they'd always done: creating obstacles, blocking the way to Jesus.

What about us? Do we make it easy for others to approach Jesus for healing and forgiveness? Are we stretcher-bearers or obstacles? And even when we do respond, so often we just go half-way. 

Sometimes our words are too sharp, or dismissive, or even silent.

Sometimes we keep Christ tucked away in a pocket, instead of holding Him up for all to see. 

Sometimes we flat out miss Jesus, even when He's right there in front of us: when He's hungry, or thirsty, or too sick, or a bit too shabby, or just too different.

Do we see now how Jesus comes into our lives? He does that, you know, through others, every day.

Do we see now what Jesus meant when He said, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."

Yes, far too often I've been a obstacle to healing or, at best, a pretty incompetent stretcher-bearer, but I like to think I'm learning to follow the Spirit's urgings when Jesus calls, or when He just shows up right there in front of me.

Pray for me and know that I'll be praying for you.

Homily: Wednesday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Rev 15:1-4; Ps 98; Luke 21.12-19

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If the gospel message is good news, why then do so many oppose it with hostility and even violence? Jesus, of course, predicted this. He warned us that we'll be confronted with persecution, evil, false teaching, and temptation.

But the Gospel's real enemy is Satan - the one Jesus calls a "murderer" and "father of lies" [Jn 8:44].

Earlier this week, as hospital chaplain, I was visiting the room of a man suffering from a heart ailment. He told me he was no longer a practicing Catholic, having decided to leave the Church the same day he left the Marist Brothers novitiate 50 years ago.

He said he believed in God, loved Jesus, but didn't accept the existence of evil, and he particularly didn't believe in Satan. All the bad things people did were simply the result of selfishness, mental illness, and other psychological disorders.

We had an interesting conversation, and while I don't think I changed his mind, he said he might stop by our church some Sunday and give it a try.

Of course, he's wrong about Satan. Satan's not some psychological construct; no, Satan is very real, and he uses fear and hatred to encourage the persecution of those who follow Jesus Christ.

How did Jesus respond to all this? With love and truth, with forgiveness and mercy.

Only God's love can defeat bigotry, hatred and envy...for only God's love purifies our hearts and minds of all that would tear us apart.

Because Satan deceives and sin blinds the heart and mind, God's truth is also essential. Only God's truth can overcome the evil and tribulation in the world. Only God's truth can free us from error and spiritual blindness. The Truth. That's what the Gospel is, brothers and sisters, God's word of truth and salvation.

That's why Jesus tells his disciples to proclaim the gospel throughout the whole world [Mt 28:19], even in the midst of opposition and persecution [Lk 21:12,16-17]. And He promises his disciples that if they endure to the end they will gain their lives [Lk 21:19]. They will see God's salvation and inherit eternal life and happiness with God.

But such endurance, such perseverance - the ability to remain faithful in the midst of trails, temptations, and persecution - doesn't come from human effort. No, it is a gift, a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift strengthened by hope: the assurance that we'll see God face to face and inherit His promises. As in all things, we turn to Jesus as our model: Jesus who endured the cross for our sake and salvation; Jesus who in turn calls us to love and to die to ourselves.

Do you know the word martyr in Greek means witness? That's right, true martyrs live and die as witnesses to the Gospel. John in The Book of Revelation calls Jesus "the faithful witness...who freed us from our sins by his blood" [Rev 1:5].

Tertullian, a second century lawyer converted when he saw Christians singing as they went out to die at the hands of their persecutors. He compared the blood of the martyrs to seed, the seed of new Christians, the seed of the church.

St. Augustine spoke of this too: "The martyrs were bound, jailed, scourged, racked, burned, rent, butchered - and they multiplied!" They multiplied because Christian martyrs witnessed to the truth; they witnessed to the joy and freedom of the Gospel; and they did so through the testimony of their lives and their deaths.

A few years ago, while on a cruise ship, Diane and I met a couple at dinner. The man, born and raised just down the road in Bushnell, is now a professor at the University of Florida.

He told us that being a Catholic in Bushnell was a real challenge back then. In fact as a boy he was regularly beaten up after school, just because he was Catholic.

Years later a man approached him and said that he remembered seeing him accept those beatings peacefully, without fighting back. He'd been very moved by this. Even though he'd gone on to become a Baptist minister, his memory of our friend's witness caused him to look into the Catholic Church. He'd since converted and wanted our new friend to know it.

What attracts others to the truth and power of the gospel? Seeing Christians loving their enemies; seeing Christians joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, forgiving of injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. 

True witnesses pray for their persecutors and love their enemies. In their suffering they witness the truth of the gospel.

Jesus died for us all, gave His life on the cross for Jews and Christians and Muslims, for Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, agnostics and atheists. Yes, indeed, "For God so loved the world..." [Jn 3:16] God doesn't love just part of the world. He loves it all. After all, He created the world and it was good. And He loves each of us. It can't be otherwise because He created each human being in an individual act of love.

For God so Loved the World...

Satan, on the other hand, hates us all. He seeks to destroy our faith through the fear of death and he incites others to persecute Christians for their faith in Christ.

The martyrs witness to the truth - the truth of Jesus Christ and his power to overcome sin and fear, hatred and bigotry, and even death itself.

Most of us are called simply to bear witness to the joy and power of the gospel whatever the challenges, temptations, and adversities we encounter as we follow the Lord Jesus.

But by persevering we are all witnesses; we are all martyrs for Christ.

Nancy Hathaway, Our Dear Friend - Rest in Peace

Nancy

Today, in the early morning hours, Diane and I, and so many others, lost a dear friend, Nancy Hathaway. She died the day before her 63rd birthday

Nancy's husband, Joe, lost a loving wife, a partner who cherished him, cared for him, encouraged him, nudged him and sometimes shoved him, but always kept him pointing in the right direction. Her children and grandchildren lost a mother and grandmother whose deep love for them they will never fully comprehend, at least not in this life. And those of us who were blessed to be counted among her friends will miss her dearly, for she was one of those rare friends who always went the extra mile. We are joyful that she has gone to her true home, but her absence has left a hole in our hearts.  

Nancy and Joe - May 2018

At the end of her life on earth, Nancy was back home in Sumter, SC, together with her family. Of her four children only one was missing, but not really. Her youngest, John, returned to the Father last month, and as Joe said this morning when he called us: "John was there, waiting for his mother so he could carry her to the Father." Amen! I wrote a brief post about John the day he died -- click here if you'd like to read it. 

Nancy with granddaughters Allie & Gianna (2008)

Diane and I have known Nancy and Joe for well over a decade. I first met them when Joe applied for the position of director of our parish's music ministry and my pastor asked me to join him for the interview. In walked Joe with Nancy at his side. Joe handled the interview well, but Nancy was the one who iced the cake. She repeated the many testimonials, made sure we knew the breadth of Joe's experience, and handled all the negotiating. It was an impressive team performance. We hired him (them).

Nancy & Joe at our Home - December 2012

At the time Joe was working at Valdosta State University in southern Georgia. He and Nancy would drive down to Wildwood, Florida every weekend so Joe could lead our  parish's music ministry. Our pastor at the time put them up in an old Winnebago motor home he kept in a local RV park. It wasn't just an old motor home, it was an old, leaky and moldy motor home, unfit for human occupation. I expect our pastor didn't realize how bad it was since to my knowledge he'd never stayed in it, but as one of our other deacons remarked at the time, "Even St. Francis wouldn't stay here." And it was especially horrible for Nancy who at the time was recovering from brain surgery. So Diane decided Nancy and Joe should stay with us each weekend, and thus began our friendship.

The Four of Us - Tennessee (August 2009)

Over the years we've visited them as they moved, vagabond-like, from Georgia, to Florida, to Tennessee, and to South Carolina. I like to think they always considered our home as their home, a place they could stay, if necessary without notice. We certainly thought the same of their home, wherever it happened to be. We never demanded much of each other but each gave whatever was needed. It was the kind of friendship that didn't ask questions, except for, "What can we do?"

Diane and I got to know Nancy even better this past year since she and Joe lived with us for several months while Nancy underwent treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. As you might expect, driving to and from Tampa, plus all those hours during treatments, generated some interesting conversations that spanned the human condition and more. We shared the stories of our lives, cried occasionally, but laughed more, a lot more. The laughter was usually at ourselves and the strange things we've done and encountered over the years. We also prayed. We prayed for healing. We prayed for miracles. We prayed for each other and our families. But we always prayed that God's will be done, for He knows what is best and turns all to good for those who have faith and love Him [Rom 8:28].

Take it! We can't keep smiling: Nancy & Diane (2016)

Throughout much of her adult life Nancy waged an ongoing battle with illnesses many and varied. She suffered much and deeply, but never let suffering stop her from embracing the duties of this life. Heck, she never even slowed down, at least not until her very last days with us...a true energizer bunny. But now she can rest easy in God's loving embrace, for He "will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears..." [Is 25:8].

Giving me "the Look" -- Ocoee, TN (August 2011)

Describing another is always a very personal thing. The person I know and love may be a very different person to someone else, who sees her from a unique perspective. But if I were asked to describe Nancy with only a few words, I'd simply say, "Sweet, funny, loving and tough." For me, that says it all. 

Nancy seemed to be most relaxed when our little Bichon, Maddie, would assume the role of therapy dog and cuddle up with her. And remarkably, Maddie seems to know that something has happened. She has obviously missed Nancy since she and Joe returned to South Carolina last week. But today, our little dog has not been her usual enthusiastic, nagging self. Like most dogs, Maddie is sensitive to changes in the humans with whom she lives.

Dear Nancy, everyone, all your family and friends, will love you always. We will miss you, Sweetie, but we know we will be with you again. May Almighty God look upon you with kindness and give you peace. 

Pray for us, Nancy, intercede for us, and keep a place for us. 

Homily: Monday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Rv 14:1-3, 4b-5; Ps 24; Lk 21:1-4

A few days ago a parishioner asked why the Catholic Church doesn't demand tithing, as many other churches do. My response wasn't particularly satisfying, but at some point I decided to refer to today's Gospel passage from Luke and let Jesus answer for me.

Yes, Luke shares with us a seemingly trivial event that took place at the Temple in Jerusalem. It's just a brief passage, isn't it? Just four short verses. But is it really trivial, or is it something far greater, something that might well bear on our own salvation?

Jesus had just spoken to His disciples about the scribes and their false pride, how they abused their authority and took advantage of the poor, especially poor widows. Our Lord then turned their attention to one of the many receptacles located throughout the Temple grounds into which people placed their donations. He and the disciples watched as several wealthy Jews placed large donations into the receptacle. 

The disciples were likely impressed by the generosity of the wealthy, but not Jesus. No, He focused instead on the act of an impoverished widow who willingly gave all that she had, two small copper lepta, the least valuable of coins.

Unnoticed by others, she was nobody; and in the eyes of the world her gift of everything was seen as nothing. Everyone else was eying the wealthy, no doubt commenting on their large donations. But Jesus sees the true value of everything. He knows how little their gifts meant to them, gifts they could easily spare. 

To tithe, to give some set percentage of your surplus, really means little when you have so much. Compare this to the gift of the widow, a gift of everything, every cent she had. Indeed, her seemingly small gift, her sacrifice, was an emptying of more than a purse; it was the emptying of the self.

How about our giving? Do we give from our surplus or form our need? Is it a mere plea for recognition? Or perhaps it's a self-congratulatory pat on the back: "Boy, did I write a big check today." Yes, indeed, Jesus knows our motives. 

And we shouldn't focus only on our giving of money. Can we sacrifice our time, our effort, our talents, and instead of using them only for ourselves can we turn them over to God? Is our giving an emptying of self? 

True emptying is the kenosis of Jesus who poured out His lifeblood from the Cross for our salvation [Phil 27-8]. But true emptying is too often ignored by the world [Jn 1:10]. It's ignored because the world doesn't want to think about it. It doesn't want to hear Jesus' call to carry our cross, to give all for Him. 

But to give all, to live the Gospel without compromise, is to love God by doing the work of God, the work of holiness. Such work, never done for personal glory, usually goes unnoticed by all except God. The widow, you see, gave all and did so out of love. Despite her poverty she gave not just a little, but all; while the wealthy gave not just a lot, but nothing.

And as a faithful Jew, worshipping God at His Temple, she knew what the psalmist had promised, how the Almighty "is the father of orphans, and the judge of widows. God in His holy place" [Ps 67:6].

She was so very much like Our Blessed Mother who willingly gives everything for our God, and does so again and again, everything and all things, in the silence, in the anonymous silence of her hidden life.

Speaking of the widow, St. Augustine put it well: "She gave whatever she had, for she had God in her heart. But she had plenty, for she had God in her heart."

Yes, like Mary, she had God in her heart. Is God in your heart? Is He in mine? Do we let Him dwell there or just stop by on occasion?

Our Blessed Mother is the model of those whom Jesus praises, those "who do the will of my Father in heaven" [Mt 7:21]. We too are called to do the will of the Father so we can be Temples of the Lord, carrying Jesus Christ, carrying His presence to others.

How did St. Paul put it? "Do you not know that you are the Temple of God?" [1 Cor 3:16]

Today, through the Eucharist, you and I will also become God-bearers, Temples of the Living God. And so as we process together to receive Our Lord this morning let's all ask Mary to intercede for us, to pray that we may always do the will of the Father, to give all, and so become true Temples of the living God.

Anniversary #50

November 2, 1968

A few days ago, on Friday, November 2nd (All Souls Day), Dear Diane and I celebrated the 50th anniversary of our wedding. It's hard to believe that 50 years have passed since that day in Pensacola, Florida and we're both wondering how quickly those years have slipped by. But they certainly have and here we are ready to begin our next 50, or some fraction thereof.

Because we are hosting our good friends, Nancy and Joe Hathaway, who are each coping with serious health issues, we've been occupied with far more important things than anniversary celebrations. 

Happy Day for Both of US

We had expected to take Nancy to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa on the morning of November 2nd, but another dear friend, Pat Eggert, came to our rescue and did the driving for us. Pat's husband, Larry, is a fellow alumnus of the U. S. Naval Academy (class of 1965) and both he and Pat are regulars at my Bible Study sessions in the parish. Yes, indeed, we are blessed to have such wonderful and caring friends.

1972 in Monterey after 4 years

1974 - Annapolis - After 6 years

1979 - Montecello - Diane +4 after 11 years

As it turned out, at the last minute we were actually able to  do a little (very little) celebrating, so we went out to dinner and enjoyed some excellent seafood that Friday evening. Of course, because our lives have lately been less than exciting, I expected something weird would happen...and it did. Just as our meal arrived, my cellphone, along with the phones of all the other diners, began blaring emergency signals. 

2000 - Florence, Italy after 32 years

In 2003 after 35 years

Surprise, surprise! It was a tornado warning! Almost simultaneously with the warnings the sky darkened and we were greeted by a downpour and high winds. The rain was horizontal. Very exciting. So we said a quick prayer, thanking God for our years together and for the dinner before us.

2008 After 40 years

We informed our waiter, a very nice man named Carlos, of the warning and he simply said, "It's good you're not sitting near a window." I agreed and added that rather than taking shelter, we intended to enjoy our meal while it was still hot. This turned out to be an excellent choice, for the meal was delicious and the warning was withdrawn after about 15 minutes.

2012 - On a cruise after 44 years

So...our day was fine and was enhanced by a good meal and even better friendships.

Thank you, Diane, for putting up with me all these years. I have been truly blessed.

Homily: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Readings: Dt 6:2-6; Ps 18; Heb 7:23-28; Mk 12:28b-34
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"Which is the greatest commandment?" This question, put to Jesus by an unnamed scribe, was no simple inquiry. The Torah, the Jewish Law, was full of commandments - 613 of them according to later rabbinic tradition - and this scribe was honestly searching for an answer to his question. Was there one commandment that encompassed them all? 

Jesus says, "Yes", and provides an answer from Deuteronomy, by referring first to the Shema. This Hebrew word means "Hear," the first word of the command: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone."

And so Jesus answers first by saying that God is One. He is One, and One Alone. And if God is Lord Alone, there is no other to worship. He takes the Scribe back to that day when Moses first asked God to identify Himself. What is your name?

"I am who am." And then God adds, "This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you." And so, this is our God. Our God is "I AM." Our God is not one God among others. No, He is existence itself. As John tells us, "without Him nothing came to be." And so the words from Deuteronomy, the words of the Shema, seem fitting and proper, don't they?

Jesus continues from Deuteronomy: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." It's an answer that rolls up all the laws, prohibitions, and commandments into one.

Jesus also takes us back to the first of the Ten Commandments, "I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me." We often interpret this as God saying, "Put me first."  We see it as a question of having the right priorities. But to think that way would be wrong. Putting no other gods "before" me doesn't mean "ahead of me," it means "anywhere in my sight."  God can see above, below, around, and through.

It's an all-consuming commandment.  Anything that is not of God is to be removed from our lives. It's an all-infusing commandment.  Even that which is good is to be immersed and permeated by God. The Oneness and Aloneness of God means that not one fiber of our being can be spent on anything but that which is good, that which comes from God.  We are called to see and honor God everywhere, in all things, in all the activities of our lives. 

God's Oneness, therefore, is a call to relationship. If there is no other to love, then we must give our heart to God. If there is no other to care for us, then we must allow our being to be shaped and molded by God.   If there is no other to follow, then God must order all our thoughts and intentions. If there is no other to whom we can devote our energy, then whom are we to serve?  In all of this we become one with God.

This doesn't mean we are called to desert our ordinary lives, to run off to the mountain top and lose ourselves in contemplation...although a little retreat from time to time wouldn't be a bad idea.

No, becoming one with God means to find God in all of life, because God is there, everywhere present. He's in our music and in our dance, in our work and in our play, in our romance and adventures, in our families and our friends, and in those we dislike, those we mistrust, those we avoid...God is there!

From God's cosmic perspective, His command to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength - with all of our being - expands to include everything we do that is pleasing to God. Being one with One God is not a flight from reality; it's a true and complete embrace of reality. If God is One, then all creation, all humanity comes from God. There is no other source of creation. And if indeed we become one with God, then we also become one with all that comes from God.

And so, out of that one commandment, bursts a second, from Leviticus: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." For, truly, we are all children of God, expending our energy and living our lives in ways that, in the end, give glory to God our Creator. What gives glory to Him? What on earth is pleasing to God? Nothing less than obeying this second commandment, which flows logically from the first.

Our neighbors spring from the heart of God.  If we touch them we touch the heart of God. As God loves them we must love them too. God is One, and cannot be divided. To separate ourselves from our neighbor is to separate ourselves from God. To harm that which is created by God is to do violence to the Creator.

When we profess that Jesus is Lord, we attest to the truth of His call and become advocates for His vision of the world, taking on His concerns, bringing His love to others. By describing ourselves as Christians, we say we are Christ-like, that we will love as Christ loves.

The question is, do we?

Do we reach to the poor and homeless, to those who hunger and thirst, to the sick and imprisoned, or do we blame them for their situation?

Do we believe in the dignity and honor of all people, or just those who live as we feel they should?

Do we forgive as Jesus forgives, or do we find satisfaction in harboring our own hurts and hatreds?

Most of us probably come down on both sides of these questions at one time or another, because we, too, are sinners. Yes, in our sinfulness, we gather in this sacred space, as others gather in churches throughout the world, all of us possessed of the hope that through God's grace we'll become more Christ-like.

We take instruction from God's Word.

We admonish one another to be more loving and forgiving, without sacrificing the Truth.

And we eat from the sacred altar, the table of this Eucharistic sacrifice, receiving the Saving Body and Blood of Christ, all the while praying that it will transform our hearts.

You see, sisters and brothers, our hearts are connected not to our mouths, but to our hands. To discover the truth of our commitment to these two great commandments, others look to what we do, not what we say. It's by the work of our hands that we test the call of Jesus to love the Lord our God with our whole hearts, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

We press our hands together in prayer to connect the hands with the heart and drink deeply of the grace of God, and once we have been filled with that peace and passion, we go forth - we go forth with open hands so we can touch the world with the Spirit and presence of Jesus Christ.
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And don't forget to vote, to vote as an informed and faithful Catholic.

Ancient Prayers For Hard Times

With the exception of my daily Liturgy of the Hours and the Rosary, my prayer usually takes the form of conversations with God. Sometimes it's based on a meditation, often originating in a passage of Sacred Scripture. Sometimes it's more contemplative in nature, more praise oriented, and focused on a single aspect of God's glorious triune divinity. But I'm really not a very adept contemplative, so my undisciplined mind often wanders off into other more self-absorbed territory. And sometimes my prayer really is just a simple conversation during which I bare my soul to God, and try to define and articulate my thanksgiving for all God has done for us, or what I think are the needs only God can fulfill. I'd like to say that these conversations center on the needs of others, but that wouldn't be completely true. I may start out addressing others, but again I usually end up telling God all about me. Once I recognize this happening, I've learned to shut up and just listen for God's response. So often that response arrives perhaps hours or days later, and does so through others I encounter. God is like that. He likes to use others, often the most unlikely others, to teach me. It's a very humbling experience.

Yes, I'm still learning to pray, still a rookie, but, heck, I'm just 74 years old, so I still have plenty of time to get a handle on this prayer thing. Until that happens I often rely on my memory of some of the ancient prayers I learned decades ago. I have found these prayers to be especially useful when life has become particularly stressful, when the right words are hard to find, when I think I need to discern God's will but don't have a clue where He's leading me. Anyway, that being said, I thought I'd share some of these wonderful prayers and encourage you to pray them when times are hard and words are even harder to come by. And if you take the time to memorize them, these comforting prayers will always be there for you.

Prayer to St. Michael. I've already addressed this wonderful prayer in an earlier post -- Prayer to St. Michael. In this prayer we ask God's heavenly angelic warrior to protect us from Satan and his demonic pals. I won't address it here again except to say that it's a prayer the Church (and that's all of us) should be praying daily. Once again, here's that powerful prayer:

St. Michael the Archangel, 

defend us in battle. 

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, 

and do thou, 

O Prince of the heavenly hosts, 

by the power of God, 

thrust into hell Satan, 

and all the evil spirits, 

who prowl about the world 

seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Anima Christi (Soul of Christ). This prayer, originally written in Latin and dating from the fourteenth century and possibly earlier, has often been credited to St. Ignatius Loyola who included it at the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises. Although Ignatius certainly made the prayer more popular, we know for certain that it predated the saint by over 100 years. Who wrote it, however, is unimportant. In fact, the anonimity of its author seems in keeping with the deep humility of the prayer itself. As we pray, if we meditate on its words, we enter into a deeper communion with Jesus and an awareness of all that He promises us. I have found it to be a source of great comfort and peace, and always pray it immediately after receiving our Lord's Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Come to a greater understanding of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, and pray these words of praise daily.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O Good Jesus, hear me.

Within Thy wounds hide me.

Suffer me not to be separated from thee.

From the malignant enemy defend me.

In the hour of my death call me.

And bid me come unto Thee,

That with all Thy saints,

I may praise thee

Forever and ever.

Amen.

Memorare (Remember). How often did we as children turn to our mothers when we needed help, or comfort, or healing? As adults it's sometimes hard (and humbling) to remember that we remain children. It's true, you know, for we are always children of the Father thanks to our Baptism. And as children of the Father, we are also children of Mary, our Blesed Mother, a relationship highlighted by those words of Jesus from the Cross:

26

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home [Jn 19:26-27]

26Yes, indeed, as disciples of our Lord, we too have been given a Mother who will be happy to enter our spiritual home and love us as her own children, if only we will ask her. As daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, and spouse of the Holy Spirit, Mary has unparalleled intercessory access to the Holy Trinity. The Memorare, then, is a prayer of confident intercession through which we approach our most approachable Mother, asking her intercede for us. It's the prayer to which I inevitably turn when the need seems so great that I want some serious help. Who better to turn to than Mary, the Mother of our Lord?

The Memorare has been around for a long time. Again like many of the old prayers, it was composed originally in Latin and is attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvoix in the 12th century. The prayer was popularized centuries later by the priest, Claude Bernard, who called on Mary's intercession as he ministered to the impoverished and imprisoned in 17th century France.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, 

that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,

implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.

Inspired with this confidence, 

I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; 

to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. 

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, 

but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Morning Offering. In various versions the Morning Offering has been around for hundreds of year, at least as far back as the 13th century. I'm fairly certain I first encountered the current version back in 1954 when my fifth grade teacher, Sister Leo Christine, O.P., had our class recite it together at the start of every school day. I'd like to say that I've recited it every morning since, but that wouldn't be true. I can say that, at least in recent years, it has become an active part of my daily prayer life.

And what a wonderful prayer it is -- one that reminds us to dedicate all that we do, all the "joys and sufferings" of the day, to the will of God. It's the perfect prayer to set the tone for the day, to help us keep focused on our vocation as disciples of Jesus Christ. Pray it now and pray it again every morning as soon as you awaken. Believe me when I say that it will make a real difference in your life. 

O Jesus,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer You my prayers, works,

joys and sufferings

of this day for all the intentions

of Your Sacred Heart,

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

throughout the world,

in reparation for my sins,

for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,

and in particular

for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Amen.

There are others, and I'm sure many of those who might read but these words have their own favorite prayers, but these are prayers I've prayed almost daily for years. As I stated above, they have helped me call on God's mercy and goodness when the world seemed to be crashing around me and my own words seemed so very inadequate.