The occasional, often ill-considered thoughts of a Roman Catholic permanent deacon who is ever grateful to God for his existence. Despite the strangeness we encounter in this life, all the suffering we witness and endure, being is good, so good I am sometimes unable to contain my joy. Deo gratias!


Although I am an ordained deacon of the Catholic Church, the opinions expressed in this blog are my personal opinions. In offering these personal opinions I am not acting as a representative of the Church or any Church organization.

Friday, July 31, 2020

COVID-19 Reflection #12: Discipleship Revisited

This is the 12th of my COVID-19 Reflections written primarily for my Bible Study regulars who have been unable to get together since our nasty virus made its appearance. Once again, I focus on the call to discipleship. 

And if you're really a glutton for punishment and want to watch videos of me preaching these reflections, you can find these videos here on YouTube: Bible Study Reflections

Blessings and good health to all.
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About 25 years ago, my former spiritual director concluded one of our sessions by saying, “Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a full-time job.”
We had just spent most of an hour talking about how we tend to compartmentalize our lives and fail to realize that discipleship must drive every aspect of life, transcending and permeating our very being. Yes, indeed, a “full-time job.” So, let’s take a look at the Gospels and see what this job entails.
When we read the Gospels, two major themes become obvious. 
The first is the story of the Incarnation, of Emmanuel, God with us. It’s the living revelation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of humanity who became one of us. Jesus revealed the Father to us, taught us, healed us, sacrificed His life for us, rose from the dead with the promise, the hope, of eternal life, and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey. It’s quite a story, isn’t it?
But throughout the Gospels another theme becomes evident: the path to discipleship. As we follow Jesus Christ in the Gospels, we also witness men and women on their spiritual journey in response to Jesus’ call.
Some respond at once and, filled with the Holy Spirit, follow Jesus on the Way [Mk 10:46-52]. Others respond but hesitate, struggling to understand and accept the fullness of the call [Jn 3:1-21]. Some, touched by doubt and weighed down by the burdens of their earthly lives, listen to the Word and come to accept the gift of faith [Lk 17:5-6]. Despite all their doubts and struggles, many persevere, and God blesses them with the gift of the Holy Spirit who reveals all [Jn 16:13].
Sadly, though, so many turned away from Jesus unable to accept Him as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” [Jn 14:6]. Some considered Jesus a threat [Mt 2:3-4]; some were shocked by His teachings [Jn 6:60-66]; and others refused to turn away from the path they followed, from their own ways [Lk 18:18-23].
Yes, it’s all there in the Gospels – the good, the bad, and the ugly – but it’s all there to teach us and help us on our own journeys of discipleship. 
Today, as you and I make a brief visit to the Gospel, let’s try, following the lead of St. Ignatius of Loyola, to place ourselves in the person of the disciple who encounters Jesus. In other words, instead of seeing the Gospel as an encounter between Jesus and another, make it a meditative, personal encounter between you and Jesus. Share the encounter, take part in it, experience Jesus in the Gospel and realize He’s waiting there for you as well.
In the Gospels, of course, we find many wonderful encounters between Jesus and others. Our reflection, though, will focus on only one, an encounter described beautifully in the Gospel according to John [Jn 4:4-42].
I know you’re all familiar with the passage, but God’s Word never gets old. It always teaches us anew. Take a few minutes now and turn to the Holy Spirit in prayer, asking Him to let the scene come alive in your heart. Then reread the passage…Do it now!
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We find ourselves in a small village of Samaria. Because of centuries-long hostility between Jews and Samaritans, most Jews avoided Samaria and its people whenever possible. But not Jesus, who came for all, calling everyone to repentance and faith [Mk 1:15].
Interestingly, Samaritans make several appearances in the Gospels. We all know the Parable of the Good Samaritan [Lk 10:25-37], in which the despised foreigner and heretic proves to be far more charitable than either Jewish priest or Levite. Only the Samaritan fully understands the commandment -- “Love your neighbor as yourself” [Lv 19:18; Mt 19:19] – and actually lives it.
"Then he lifted him up..." [Lk 10:34]
And who can forget the ten lepers who begged Jesus for healing? Jesus healed all ten, but Luke tells us the rest of the story:
"And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, 'Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" [Lk 17:15-18]
"One of them, realizing he had been healed, returned"
Jesus, then, didn’t hesitate to highlight the faith and works of Samaritans, if only to remind the Jews that they had no monopoly on God’s love or His truth, and that He had come for the salvation of all.
With this in mind, we watch as Jesus and the apostles enter this Samaritan village and make their way toward the well.
With the sun directly overhead, the air is thick with heat, and the horizon shimmers in the distance. The village is quiet for it’s the kind of day when few dare to venture out under the mid-day sun. The village women usually go to the well in the early morning, or when dusk brings a cooling breeze. Chattering and laughing, sharing the latest gossip, their communal walks are as much social events as necessity – yes, a welcome break in a day filled with the hard work of maintaining a home.
But today, as Jesus approaches the well, He spots a solitary woman making her way toward us along the path. He expects to see her, for He knows she makes her way to the well every day at noontime, and always alone. It’s the one time she knows no one else will be there. For her, there’s never any banter or gossip -- no laughter, no singing to make the path smoother, no friendly hand thrown out to steady the jar when she stumbles. 
She tells herself she doesn’t care. She tells herself it means nothing to her. Bunch of chattering fools. Who needs them? 
She pretends that this solitary walk in the midday heat is her choice.
I prefer being alone. Besides, I never have to wait -- No one’s in my way, no petty quarrels, no children underfoot. No people…No problems…No snide remarks…
Of course, it hadn't always been this way. Once, in another village, in another lifetime, she’d been a part of it all -- the laughing, the singing, the trivial chatter that said so little, but meant so much. 
Yes, once she’d taken her place among the women…as wife, neighbor, friend. But that was years ago, and many men ago. 
In a world that was rarely kind to widows and orphans and especially to the divorced, she’d learned how to make her own way. 
In a world where the weak and powerless were often tossed aside and forced to move in the shadows, she’d learned how to be strong. 
In a world that measured a woman's worth by her relationships to father, husband, brother, and son, she’d learned how to be a survivor without them. 
But that survival came at a price – and for her, one small part of that meant going to the well alone. 
“Amen,” she says aloud. So be it.
There had been five men in her life, and the current one, though not her husband, isn’t as bad as some, and better than most. 
Things could be worse, she thinks, and then laughs aloud. The well could be dry.
As she walks along the path, the heat rises in waves, scorching her feet right through her worn sandals. Sweat trickles down her back, and she tastes the dust deep in her throat. The large jug, though empty, feels especially heavy today. The trip back to her home will be a long one. 
And then, looking up, she sees Him -- a stranger -- sitting at the well.
"Give Me a Drink."
Later, much later - when everyone asked her about that day: about what He said and what He did, she would answer:
He told me about water, and about thirst…and we talked about Jerusalem and mountains and worship and eternal life. He told me about spirit and truth, about so very much besides. And He told me about myself. He told me everything, and I finally understood the difference between surviving and living.
Yes, indeed, Jesus knew all about her her past, and offered her a future in which the past didn't count. 
He knew all about her present, and yet, instead of condemning her for her sins, He loved her for her weaknesses and turned them into strengths. How did He do that?
He knew why she went to the well at noon, and yet he still trusted her to proclaim the Good News to her neighbors. 
Come and see a man who told me all that I ever did…” [Jn 4:29, 39]
Imagine the courage it took for her, of all people, to run back into the very heart of the village, to proclaim that message to her disapproving neighbors! What boldness! What faith!
They, too, knew everything she had done…or thought they did.
Come and see! She said, to anyone who would listen. Come and see! He’s waiting for you. Can this be the Christ? And, as John tells us, they came:
“Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” [Jn 4:39].
Was it her passion, her boldness? Or was it something else? What made them believe her? Perhaps it was the living water, the Word of the Word of God, that she shared with such unbound enthusiasm.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus also knows everything about you and me. He knows every sin and every act of kindness, every strength and every weakness.
Notice, too, how wrong we often are about ourselves, how limited our self-knowledge. What the Samaritan woman saw as a strength – her avoidance of others, her self-imposed isolation, her toughness – Jesus recognized for what it was, weakness.
It’s to that weakness that He calls her, sending her out among them, turning the sinner into a missionary.
This is what Jesus always does when He has serious work to accomplish in the world: He calls us to the task through our weaknesses. And by doing so reveals God’s greatness all the more.
Notice, too, that this Samaritan woman was given a choice. She could have filled her jug and returned home, but instead she left the jug behind and ran off to spread the word about the Word. It’s the same choice given to the Apostles as they mended their nets and heard Jesus say, “Come, follow me.” The call to discipleship always involves a choice, and always involves leaving something behind.

What about you and me? Will we fill our water jugs, turn our backs on Jesus, and go home? Will we mend our nets and let Jesus walk on by? Can we set aside the things of our lives, the jugs and nets, our willful natures, our possessions, our sinfulness, all that's keeping us from answering His call? Every life has its water jogs and its nets. Can we leave them behind and abandon ourselves to live according to God's will?

The Good News is in the promise of Jesus, given to the Apostles at the Last Supper:
"Whoever loves me will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him" [Jn 14:23].
With Christ deep within you, and seeing Christ all around you in others, your life can become a gift to the world, a visible sign of His love and His final coming.

So, you see, Christ wants to dwell within you, to make you a God-bearer like Mary, so you can carry Him to others. 

Our nameless Samaritan woman listened to Jesus and responded. She not only became a disciple, but she also became something more: before Peter, before Paul, she became a missionary for Jesus Christ, taking the Word to others.

And perhaps most revealing for you and me, she became that missionary but never left her hometown. She never left her village.

Thursday, July 30, 2020

The Church Under Attack

My apologies for taking this post offline for a few hours. There were some link problems and other issues that had to be fixed. I think it's all OK now - DGM
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One doesn't have to look very far to find signs of the world's attack on the Church. Here are just a few examples from this week's news.

NFL and NFLPA agree that church attendance is apparently not a good thing. I can only assume that the National Football League considers church services, which traditionally take place on Sunday, a form of competition that should be suppressed.

The league, in its new agreement with the NFL Players Association, bans players from attending any church service with an attendance greater then 25% of the church's capacity. In addition to its ban on church attendance, this latest collective bargaining agreement also prohibits players from attending such indoor venues and activities as nightclubs, bars, concerts, professional athletic events, and parties with more than 15 people in attendance. Players who violate the agreement will be fined. The NFL also encourages members of the community to report players they see attending church services...nice touch.

Conspicuously absent from the list of prohibited activities are protests. In fact, the NFL, recently tweeted that, "We, the NFL... encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest...We believe Black Lives Matter." And on its various social media accounts, the league shares photos of its players taking part in protests across the country.

One can only hope that the faithful will turn their collective backs on the NFL this season...assuming there is a season.

Destruction of Catholic Statues. The recent outbreak of statue and monument defacement and destruction seemed to begin with Black Lives Matter "protestors" taking aim at public statues of Confederate generals and politicians. But BLM and its fellow travelers in Antifa have deep Marxist roots. Their attacks on statues and symbols have, therefore, expanded to include anything or anyone who supported what we might loosely call "Western Civilization."

We're observing a new form of atheistic iconoclasm directed at Christianity in general, and the Catholic Church in particular. Indeed, the Catholic Church is the perfect "target of opportunity" for these iconoclasts because of its universal presence and because it uses many different forms of artistic expression to honor our God and His saints. Among these expressions are statues displayed on the grounds of many of its churches. In recent weeks many Catholic churches across the country have had statues defaced, damaged, or destroyed.

Public statues have also been attacked. Several statues of St. Junipero Serra, the early missionary to California who so deeply loved, defended, and protected the native people to whom he ministered, have been destroyed. As a protective measure many others have been moved to safe locations. After a statue of Father Serra in Golden Gate Park was destroyed, Archbishop Cordieone of San Francisco led the faithful in a Rosary, then prayed Pope Leo XIII's Exorcism Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel in Latin and sprinkled the site with holy water. Thank you, Archbishop. California Catholics have also taken part in vigils at the sites of many religious statues to protect them from vandals.

In Missouri, when vandals threatened to destroy the statue of St. Louis, local Catholics announced a public Rosary and counter-demonstration. Predictably, they were labeled as "white nationalists" by those bent on destruction. But the protective vigils continue despite physical attacks by BLM and Islamists.

I've provided a link (below) to a site worth visiting. It includes several videos (click on the Twitter links) showing the attacks on peaceful, prayerful Catholics protecting the statue of this saintly king:



Bible and Catechism as Hate Speech in Scotland? According to a bill making its way through the Scottish Parliament, Scots could be accused of criminal hate speech if they quoted the Bible or the Catholic Catechism. The bill would criminalize behavior or communication that stirs up hatred against any of the protected groups covered by the bill. These include race, religion. sexual orientation, and transgender identity.

Such legislation simply makes cancel culture legal, and permits the prosecution of anyone who disagrees with the current zeitgeist. Great Britain, once a champion of free speech, might well become the West's most intolerant and anti-religious society. Predictably, the Scottish government has defended the bill:

"Religious beliefs are an integral part of Scottish society and this Bill does not change that in any way...The Bill does not criminalize religious beliefs or practices and possessing a Bible would not constitute an offense...The Bill includes provisions on freedom of expression to provide reassurance that the prohibition on stirring up hatred will not limit people's right to express their faith...No one can commit a stirring up of religious hatred offense unless they act in a threatening and abusive manner or communicate threatening or abusive material that is intended to stip up hatred or likely to stir up hatred."

The problem, of course, is deciding how to define exactly what constitutes "threatening or abusive" behavior or communication. It will be interesting, and perhaps foreshadowing, to watch how this all plays out in Scotland.

Joe's Pro-Abortion VP Choices. If you know me, you can probably guess that I won't be voting for Joe Biden. As I've stated many times, I have never voted for a pro-abortion candidate and never will. How sad that Joe Biden, a Catholic, is so beholden to Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and other anti-life groups, that he rejects the teachings of the Church on a multitude of issues. And sadder still that the Democrat party seems to have made abortion the key criterion for party support. Years ago pro-life Democrats were not uncommon, but not today. And, predictably, not one of Biden's current candidates for the VP job is pro-life. I find that especially troubling since all four of the top candidates are black Americans, a group that has been particularly savaged by abortion. Margaret Sanger, a eugenics supporter, founded Planned Parenthood to limit the "less desirable" races.Today, abortion is the leading cause of black American deaths, taking the lives of thousands of beautiful black infants every year.

Not long ago, Joe Biden said, "We are in a battle for the soul of this nation." I couldn't agree more, Joe.

Failure of China-Vatican Agreement? One wonders when the world will finally accept that the Communist Party of China (i.e., the Chinese government) is simply unable to be truthful or honor agreements. 

Two years after the 2019 signing of the agreement between the Vatican and the Chinese government -- an agreement, by the way, that remains secret -- Chinese Catholics in the underground Church state that "parish places of prayer have been closed, the public celebration of Sunday Mass is no longer allowed, priests can do nothing but celebrate Mass privately in the house of some faithful, without communicating too many faithful for participation. Despite this, even private Masses are often stopped by local officials, not to mention catechesis courses." 

And this is the underground Church, the Church in China that has always been in union with Rome. But, not surprisingly, this persecution isn't restricted to the underground Church. Members of the "official" Church are experiencing identical restrictions. 

The 2019 agreement was, of course, intended to eliminate such persecution. Sounds like a terrific agreement if the goal is to destroy what was once a growing and vibrant Catholic Church in China. And then, to add salt to the wound, the Chinese have recently hacked into the Vatican's computer systems in advance of September's planned talks regarding the renewal of the 2019 agreement.

And Chinese Catholics aren't alone. The communists have applied the same level of persecution to other religions as well. Indeed, the persecution of the Uighurs (a Muslim sect) is horrendous and includes concentration camps and forced sterilization.  

Perhaps it's time for the Vatican to accept that it was a serious mistake to enter into this agreement since no accord with a communist government has ever led to greater religious freedom. Far better for the Vatican to support Chinese Catholics both openly and clandestinely, to encourage governments to apply pressure on China to honor the religious freedom of its citizens, and to call on the faithful to pray for the conversion of communist China.

Note: To learn more about the persecution of the Catholic Church in China, read Joseph Cardinal Zen's enlightening book: For Love of My People: I Will Not Remain Silent.

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There's so much more in this week's news, but I'm too tired and it's time for dinner.


Wednesday, July 29, 2020

COVID-19 Reflection 11: Giving Alms

How long has this pandemic afflicted us? It seems like forever, doesn’t it? 

But maybe that’s the wrong question. Perhaps we should be asking ourselves: How have we used the time we’ve been given? For if there’s one thing COVID-19 has given us, it’s time. And what a time it’s been! A vastly different time for most of us.

A time of uninvited change.
A time of separation from the familiar, from the predictable.
A time of loneliness; or a time to deepen friendships and family bonds.
A time of reflection; or a time of complaint.
A time of openness; or a time of closure.
A time of embraced opportunity; or a time of withdrawal.
A time of joy; or a time worry.
A time of faith; or a time of fear.
In other words, how many of us see this pandemic as something to be feared, as a life-stealing threat?
And how many see it as a gift?
I know, it’s hard to see a virus as a gift. But remember, as St. Paul reminds us, God takes everything and turns it to good for those who love Him [Rom 8:28].
This time, then, is just another manifestation of the Good News, another reason to be joyful.
Let me sum it up with a one more question: Have you and I grown in holiness? For this is what God asks of us. Did we use this time to deepen our love for God and for each other?
A few weeks ago, an acquaintance complained that his spiritual life had suffered greatly because he couldn’t take part in the usual acts of worship and charity that had filled so much of his day prior to the pandemic. “It’s all so different,” he said.
I simply reminded him that when our world changes, when everything is “so different”, our response, too, must be different.
He’s a pretty active guy, so I got the impression that his B.P. spiritual life (his before pandemic life) involved a lot of doing – doing things he believed were good Christian things to do.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Liturgical and charitable ministries are wonderful things because they’re done in response to Jesus’ command.
But so many Christians do all these good things without really thinking very deeply about them. We can get so wrapped up in our Christian work that we don’t take the time to reflect on the totality of our lives.
So certain that we are fine right where we are, we don’t ask God to show us where He wants us to be. Our prayer – when we have time for it – tends to focus on what we believe to be our needs, instead of opening our hearts to what God desires for us.
Of one thing we can be certain: God does not want any of us to remain the same. He wants everyone to grow in holiness.
When I think of the Christian life, I’m always drawn to those traditional Lenten practices: almsgiving, fasting, and prayer. In truth, though, almsgiving and fasting are just other forms of prayer.
Today I’d like to focus on almsgiving.
Gerard Manley Hopkins, the 19th Century Jesuit poet, frequently corresponded with the poet laureate of England, his friend Robert Bridges. In one of these letters, Bridges, an agnostic, asked Hopkins how he could learn to believe, expecting, I suppose, some deep theological answer. But Hopkins reply consisted of only two words: “Give alms.”
What a wonderful answer! Even though it might have been lost on Mr. Bridges. You see, in his own search for truth, a search that ultimately led him to the Catholic Church, Hopkins had learned something most people never grasp. 
He hoped to show his friend that the love of God is experienced most fully in our love for others. For it’s through loving others that we recognize and experience the source and being of all love. By loving others, we come to see the divine image in every person. By loving others, we come face to face with Jesus.
Of course, when you and I think of almsgiving, we usually think of money – you know, writing a check to Catholic Charities or Catholic Relief Services, or to a local charity like our Food Pantry or the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, and then thinking really well of ourselves.
These are all good things to do – except the thinking well of ourselves – but almsgiving means so much more than this.
The word "alms" has its roots in the Greek word meaning compassion, and "compassion" -- based on its Latin roots -- literally means "suffering with".
Now, for most of us, I don't think writing a check to Catholic Charities really involves a lot of suffering, especially suffering with someone in need. Perhaps we should expand our understanding of almsgiving to include something a bit more up close and personal. After all, it's hard to suffer with someone if you don't know who's doing the suffering. Maybe our almsgiving should include more than just giving money. Maybe it should also include giving of ourselves, more hands-on than usual.
Many of our parishioners are members of ministries that support those in need – for example, the Knights of Columbus or the Council of Catholic Women. These are wonderful ministries, but it’s also easy for members to hide behind the organization’s collective work and forget that each one of us is called to get down and dirty, so to speak, in our almsgiving, in our giving of ourselves.
Giving of oneself is the sort of giving we see at the food pantry, or the free clinic, or the soup kitchen. It's the sort of giving that takes the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and homebound, the sort that visits (or simply calls) those in the hospital or the nursing home or hospice. It's the sort of giving that takes God's love to those who are imprisoned.
It’s also the love that visits a lonely neighbor. Every neighborhood has its share of suffering souls, those who need your almsgiving, your suffering right along with them. How many of us know our neighbors well enough to be aware of their loneliness, their illnesses, their suffering? 
As I mentioned earlier, perhaps we should use this unfamiliar time to reflect on our motives. Why do I do God’s work? Simply because Jesus told me to? Or do I do it out of love? Do I give those personal alms, that compassion, because I see Jesus Christ in every person I encounter?
What have I done, what can I do now, and what will I do once our world re-opens? After all, God’s People – and they are all God’s people, rich and poor – will still have needs that call for our compassion, our suffering with them.
It all boils down to love, doesn’t it? If we answer the call to almsgiving, to compassion, simply because it makes us feel good, what profit is there in that? How did Paul put it?
If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal [1 Cor 13:1].
In other words, unless we act out of love, our actions mean little.
Take a few moments to read Jesus’ wonderful description of the last judgment [Mt 25:31-46] and reflect on what Our Lord is telling us about those who suffer. I read that passage at least once a week, just to remind me of how often I fail as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
How did Jesus put it? “…whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me.” 
But Jesus didn’t stop there, did He? He tells us not only to give alms, but also to take it a step farther, to do what doesn’t come naturally: to give alms in secret [Mt 6:1-4]. Imagine that! Being charitable but telling no one. Taking no credit for the good we do. No bows, no bouquets, no recognition, no thanks. Why, it’s almost inhuman.
Well…actually…it is inhuman, because it’s what the Father wants, and He will repay us.
At the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, we have a guiding principle we hope will direct our ministry to those we serve. It’s really quite simple: “We don’t serve food; we serve Jesus Christ.”
This is what God wants from us, to see Jesus Christ in others and to be Jesus Christ for others. This is true discipleship.
The disciple should also be filled with joy, for discipleship is celebration, a time in which you share the joy that comes from knowing we are loved by God.
Like all holy acts, almsgiving is an opportunity for evangelization. What an opportunity to carry the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who suffer!
A simple phone call to one who is ill in body, mind, or spirit is a coming together in worship. And God wants us to celebrate when we worship. His is the Good News, not the okay or the so-so news.
This, indeed, is what the Mass is, a coming together in worship, to share not only in the remarkable gift of the Eucharist, but also in each other's joys and sorrows. It is a time of communion. (To come to a deeper understanding of this, read Pope Benedict XVI’s wonderful, little book, Called to Communion.) 
Have you ever considered that Our God is a communion, a communion of three Persons, united in a love beyond our understanding? The Blessed Trinity becomes, then, a model for us as a we struggle to respond to God’s call to communion.
Just look at the words of the Word of God. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He didn't begin with, My Father. He began with Our FatherAnd He didn't end by saying, "…deliver me from evil," but with, "…deliver us from evil." He didn't choose one apostle, He chose twelveAnd He didn’t send them out alone; He sent them out in pairs.
God, in His infinite wisdom, knows we need each other to accomplish His Will. We need His Love, manifested through the love we have for each other, to achieve salvation.
St. Paul recognized this. In his First Letter to the Corinthians he celebrates the many spiritual gifts that we, as Christians, receive from the Holy Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, works of mercy, prophecy, discernment, prayer in the Spirit…all wonderful gifts. But each person, each gift, by and of itself, needs the others to make a whole. [1 Cor 12:1-11].
And in that same letter, Paul states emphatically that the Body of Christ does not consist of one member but of many. We must all share in each other’s joys and sorrows. Sadly, not everyone understands this.
Many years ago, in another parish, I was assisting a retired bishop at Mass. He spent the summer in our town and occasionally helped the parish by celebrating Sunday Mass.
One Sunday, right after the homily, he called a couple forward to receive a blessing on their fiftieth anniversary. Everyone in the parish knew them, and so after the blessing, the bishop led us in a round of applause.
Later a parishioner approached me in the parking lot furious that we had applauded during Mass, something he considered sacrilegious. At first, I thought he was kidding, but his reaction to my little chuckle taught me otherwise. He had forgotten about the bishop and was now angry with me.
I also realized argument would be futile, so I simply said, “Read First Corinthians 12:26” and walked away. In that verse Paul simply writes:
"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” [1 Cor 12:26].
You know, in all the years I knew that man, I never saw him smile.
We encounter a similar situation in chapter two of John’s Gospel in which we find Jesus, accompanied by His Mother and His disciples at a wedding feast in Cana. Here Jesus joins His people in a joyful celebration of marriage between a man and a woman. But more than that, He sanctifies this marriage by performing His first public miracle – not at a time of human sorrow, but of human happiness.
John draws the picture of Jesus enjoying Himself at this celebration. Jesus chose to be there, to take part in this very human celebration, this party. It wasn’t beneath Him but was something He sought.
Our Christian faith, then, is a cause for joy, and the Christian who goes through life with a long face, spreading gloom behind him should meditate long and hard on this Gospel reading. Jesus told His disciples,
“If you love me you will keep my commandments” [Jn 14:15].
And so, if we aren’t keeping His commandments, if we aren’t loving our neighbor as ourselves, it’s apparent that we’re not loving God either. We can’t, then, grow in holiness unless we love.
In its broadest sense, almsgiving is one of the means through which we grow in holiness. Because it’s also a form of prayer, it helps us fulfill Paul’s call to “Pray without ceasing” [1 Thes 5:17] by the way we live our lives, the way we love.
Since this is supposed to be a reflection, perhaps each of us should do a little reflecting and consider how we give of ourselves to others, how we take Jesus Christ to others in need.
Who in my life is suffering from loneliness, from illness, from heartache?
Who needs to experienced God's love but has received no alms, no compassion, no suffering-with from me?



Monday, July 27, 2020

Homily: Monday, 17th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Jer 13:1-11 • DT 32:18-21 • Mt 13:31-35
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The Kingdom of Heaven is where God works.

It’s the tiny seed that grows to be a tree, a home for birds.
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed...
It’s the little bit of yeast, the leaven that makes the dough rise.
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast..."
Jesus uses these natural processes in His parables to give us some insight into the nature of God’s Kingdom. And to teach us that God’s work in the Kingdom involves cooperation on our part.

Notice that you and I are neither seed nor yeast. Instead, we're called to help God in His work, to water the seed, to knead the dough. But the great work -- the miracle of growth, the seed becoming the tree -- is not our doing; that’s God’s work. Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven is where God works.

Our part is small. And the more we realize that, the more we step aside and surrender, the more receptive we are to God’s work in our lives, the more the work of the Kingdom is accomplished. 

The wonderful thing about this great work of God’s Kingdom is that it starts from the smallest beginnings in the hearts of men and women who are receptive to God's word. 

Just like the seed germinating out of sight beneath the ground, God’s greatest work is unseen and causes a transformation from within. Just as the yeast transforms a lump of dough and produces rich and wholesome bread when baked, the kingdom of God transforms those who receive the new life Jesus Christ offers. 

When we yield our lives to God and allow His word to take root in our hearts, we’re transformed and made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. St. Paul said it best: 
"...we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us” [2 Cor 4:7]
In today’s brief parables Jesus reveals that His way is not at all spectacular; it’s a quiet way, a way of humility and love. Instead of seeking earthly power, Jesus went about healing sick and tormented people. Miracles, yes, but not spectacles, not the sort of miracles the world wants to see.

So many today urge us to follow them. They promise the world but produce nothing but dust…because the world can deliver nothing else. Indeed, almost everything about the Kingdom of Heaven is the opposite of what the world desires.  

Jesus described Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” [Jn 14:6]. And the world? Well, it's exactly the opposite. Through its lies and its culture of death, it fills us with fear and leads us astray, away from our loving God. This is nothing new, as God reminds His prophet in today’s reading from Jeremiah:
“This wicked people…refuse to obey my words…walk in the stubbornness of their hearts, and follow strange gods to serve and adore them…they do not listen” [Jer 13:10-11].
Jeremiah: "They do not listen."
The world’s been rejecting God for a long time, but what the world seeks never lasts, while God’s Word never perishes. 

Do you see the false logic of the world? But the logic of the Gospel turns the world on its head. It’s the logic of worldly paradox, a logic the world can't understand. 

Only in the Kingdom of heaven are the first really the last, are the weak the strong, and the greatest the least.

Only in God’s Kingdom are the poorest the richest, and the lost saved. 

Only in God's Kingdom are the lowest the highest, and the meek inherit the earth.

Only in God's Kingdom, are the hungry satisfied and the persecuted blessed.

And to live there eternally, we must die, die to self.

In a word, what the world seeks, God rejects. 

So, take heart, brothers and sisters, because this is the Good News. This is the paradox we’re called to proclaim from the rooftops to all who will hear. That’s our work. God will do the rest through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Our other work within the Kingdom is prayer. Under the influence of prayer you and I grow imperceptibly, so God can work in us, so His work of transformation continues far beyond our own meager efforts. 

Let’s pray today that we’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit, that He’ll transform us into the Christ-like holiness God desires. 

Let’s pray, too, that the Spirit increases our zeal for the Kingdom and instills in us a desire to live only for God’s greater glory.

Instead of being overcome by fear, be instead filled with the gift of faith that God offers us.

And at the end of each day, how about taking a moment to ask, “What did I do today to bring about the Kingdom?”