Homily: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Readings: Is 49:3,5-6; Ps 40; 1 Cor 1-3; Jn 1:29-34

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Did you notice one of the common themes running through all our readings today: the idea that God always seems to be calling people to do all kinds of stuff for Him.

We heard it in our first reading when God calls the prophet Isaiah – heck, He does more than that; He calls the entire nation of Israel – and He calls them to do what? Well, in His words, to “be a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Wow! That’s kind of a heavy call, isn’t it? Especially since it was given to a bunch of people who tended to resist whatever He commanded them to do. Does He want that from us, too, from you and me? To be a “light to the nations?” Maybe. But how do we do it?

So, perhaps our second reading will tell us more. It’s from the opening verses of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. And what do we find there? Another call – actually, more than one.

Paul, referring to himself, and perhaps indirectly to all of us, says he’s called to be an “apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” Okay, what’s an apostle? Basically, it’s someone who’s been sent, sent by God.

Of course, we have the 12 Apostles, plus Paul, and I’ve always thought of them as Apostles with a capital "A". Maybe we’re called to be sent too, as apostles, but maybe with a little “a”. After all, those first Apostles were pretty important; but don't downplay your own importance. We're all called to do important things for God. 

But that’s not all; there’s more. Paul then tells us we’re called to be “holy.” Why? Because we “have been sanctified in Christ Jesus.” So, Jesus sanctified us, made us holy. And you know when He did that? At our baptism.

Our baptism made us holy because our sins were forgiven. Now if, like me, you were baptized as an infant, your only sin was original sin. But if you were baptized as an adult, all sin, original sin, actual sin – it was all forgiven.

What else? We became adopted children of the Father, sisters and brothers of our Lord Jesus. We were brought into God’s family. As Paul tells us, we can now approach Him as, “Abba, Father!”

We also received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit lives within us, and through His power we can resist sin, or as Paul would say, we can resist living “according to the flesh.”

Finally, Baptism makes us members of God’s Church, so we can take full advantage of the graces that flow from the Holy Spirit, through the sacraments, directly to us.

So far, then, we’ve been called to do quite a few things: Called to be a “light to the nations;” to be apostles of Christ Jesus, sent by God, but sent to do what? And we’re also called to be holy…But what does holiness involve? So, we still have some questions.

Maybe we can get answers from our other readings: the Responsorial Psalm and our Gospel passage. Let’s look at the Gospel first, from John, chapter 1. There we encounter John the Baptist – not the most attractive person in the world. Dressed like a caveman, he ate locusts and wild honey – not the kind of guy most of us would hang out with. And he wasn’t particularly open to discussion or a lot of dialog. Still, we’re drawn to him, aren’t we?

John was certainly called; he even tells us why:

“…the reason why I came baptizing with water was that He might be made known to Israel.”

He, of course, is Jesus Christ. Like Isaiah, John is a witness with a single focus. He just points to Jesus:

“Now I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God.”

Yes, John came to introduce Jesus to the world; and, boy, does John make Jesus known. Pointing to Jesus, he says, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

John calls Jesus “God’s lamb” – God’s sacrificial Lamb. That's what lambs were in the Temple, used for sacrifice.  So John is telling the world that Jesus, God’s Son, will be sacrificed in obedience to God’s will. Why? For one reason. To take away the sin of the world. With those few words, John prophesies Jesus’ redemptive act. And how shocked the Jews who heard those words must have been.

At that Baptism of Jesus, we encounter the Holy Spirit and hear the words of the Father; so, John introduces the world to the very centerpiece of Christian belief, the Holy Trinity. With that, we get a glimpse of what our redemption means: eternal life with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Note, too, that John tells the crowd: Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. As we’ve already seen, it’s through the gift of the Holy Spirit, through His power, that we can strive for the holiness God desires for us. Scripture, then, has taught us something else: God’s call to be holy is to live with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, guiding us as we strive to live the Christian life.

A little, actually a not so little, aside...Did you notice that both Isaiah and John were called from the womb? Yes, God and the world see the unborn so differently, don’t they? God loves them and the world slaughters them. Yes, indeed, God calls us in many ways, doesn’t He?

But to understand better God’s call for us, let’s turn to our Psalm from the Old Testament, to the first words we heard and sang together:

Hear I am, Lord; I come to do Your will.

These words – “I come to do your will” – can also be found in the New Testament, in the Letter to the Hebrews when it quotes Jesus as saying:

“Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.”

So, another call, to imitate Jesus, by doing what? By doing the will of God. We’ve heard that before, too, haven’t we? Paul “called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”

So, what’s God’s will? What does He will for us and from us? Paul actually tells us. Later, to the Thessalonians he writes: “This is the will of God, your sanctification…” Our sanctification, our holiness. You and I are called to be holy, something else we’ve heard before. But who are the holy ones? They're the saints. You see, you and I are called to be saints: holy children of God who do His will.

Speaking of saints, Augustine once said something pretty interesting that applies here: "Love God and then do what you will." Sounds a bit strange, almost contradictory. What he’s really saying is that if we truly love God and His will, then God’s will and ours will be the same.

It all has its roots in love, doesn’t it? It’s all based on God’s great commandment: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength...Oh, and while we're at it, to trying loving each other – love our neighbor as ourselves – the foundation of the Christian life.

Yes, that’s our calling, every single one of us: to love and do God’s will. This, brothers and sisters, is the Christian life, the life God calls us to live.

Of course, Jesus never said it would be easy. But He did promise we’d never be alone, because His gift of His Spirit will always be there, always with us. Writing to the Romans, Paul reveals that we’re called to follow our Lord, Jesus, the crucified Messiah, as we journey through this hostile world.

Indeed, Paul continues by letting us know that the Christian life involves suffering. 

Now, I can’t speak for you, but I really don’t enjoy suffering. I mean, do you? I just got over a nasty virus that put me down for several weeks. So, I slept, drank liquids, took meds, read the Bible, watched some TV, surfed the Internet…And I kept encountering stories of the worldwide persecution of Christians; happening everywhere.

For example, in Nigeria tens of thousands of Christians have been murdered in recent years…simply because of their Christian faith. And there I was in my comfortable home in The Villages grumbling about a cold virus that let me goof off for a couple of weeks. All that, while many in the world are following in the footsteps of the crucified Messiah. Are we called to do the same? Maybe. Time will tell.

Scripture, the revealed Word of God, just shouts at us, doesn’t it? Created in God’s image and likeness, we’re called to be like Jesus, His Son. What does it mean, this likeness, this image we possess?

Is it our intelligence? Our free will? Our willingness to love? Or is it also our humanity, the power to imagine, to build, to shape the things of our world? I guess it’s all these things…plus the grace to suffer as Jesus suffered, to cry out to the Father from the depths of our own little Gethsemanes:

“Remove this cup…yet not my will but yours be done.”

You see, brothers and sisters, God works in our world, He plays in our world, He loves in our world, and He does so through His images, that us, His image and likeness, through you and me. You and I point to Christ by who we are, by being Christlike, by living as He lived, by doing what He did, and, yes, by suffering as He suffered.

How did Jesus put it?

“I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”

I guess the question for each of us is: How are you and I pointing to Christ? How are we witnessing to Christ? Do we begin each day by praying:

“Father, help me to do your will in all things today. Help me to point to Jesus.”?

You’ll never get a better compliment than when someone says to you, “You remind me of someone…Oh, I know, you remind me of Jesus.”

Because that, dear friends, is our calling, our Christian vocation, the fruit of our baptism: to be Christlike.

And we have no excuse because through His gift of grace, he’s given us the power to do all that He asks, to abandon ourselves, to do His will, not ours.

Homily: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: Jer 38:4-6,8-10; Ps 40; Heb 12:1-4, 8-19; Lk 12:49-53

As a deacon and an old, retired Navy Captain, I’m often asked to conduct committal services at the National Cemetery in Bushnell. It’s a wonderful opportunity to minister to our veterans, their spouses, and their families…always a true honor.

Often, as I conduct a committal service, I’ll turn to chapter 12 of the Letter to the Hebrews, from which we receive today’s second reading. The chapter begins with the author telling us:

“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.”

This “cloud of witnesses” refers to the saints of the Old Covenant who paved the way for its fulfillment in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. But there at the national cemetery I point to the graves of a different cloud of witnesses, the men and women who served our country faithfully and honorably in times of war and peace. Yes, indeed, “so great a cloud of witnesses,” that call us back to too many wars and conflicts.

Today’s readings, for example, brought Winston Churchill to mind. Sorry, but that’s the way my aging mind works. Things enter it unbidden. Anyway, in May of 1940, as the new Prime Minister of the UK, Churchill delivered his first speech to the House of Commons. An electrifying speech, it united the nation behind his leadership as it waged war against an evil, yet strong and determined, Nazi Germany, a speech in which Churchill uttered perhaps his most famous words:

"I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering."

These weren’t comforting words, but they were necessary words, harsh, motivating words – words of truth that, despite the metaphors, told it like it is.

We encounter something similar in our first reading. The prophet Jeremiah foretells the hard truth about the upcoming victory of the Chaldeans, the taking of Jerusalem, and the long captivity in Babylon. Many in Judah didn’t want to hear all this bad news – so harsh and blunt – so they try to kill God’s prophet, foolishly thinking that will change God’s Word.

In our Gospel passage, Luke proclaims Jesus’ Word. It, too, seems harsh, so harsh that some, even today, resist it, and come away puzzled.

How can Jesus, the Prince of Peace, tell us that He has come “not to establish peace on the earth…but rather division”? That’s not all. He also says He will be the cause of this division, He has “come to set the earth on fire.” Then He adds those remarkable words: “And how I wish it were already blazing.”

These are indeed harsh words, the kind of words many Christians try to ignore, thinking that maybe Jesus was just having a bad day. He really didn’t mean it. Did He?

Churchill was acceptable to his countrymen so long as he was waging war. Once the war ended, he was tossed out of office. For some Christians, and for too many others,  Jesus is acceptable only when He speaks of peace and love and forgiveness. They want their Kumbaya Jesus; but, in truth, Jesus meant everything He said.

Too often we see and hear only the Jesus we’d like Him to be, and ignore the real Jesus, forgetting that the God of truth and fire also speaks to us.

Remember last Sunday’s Gospel, how Jesus reminded us of the demands of discipleship?

"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more" [Lk 12:48}.

These, too, were not easy words for us, indeed, for all Christians who are entrusted with so much. Today’s Gospel words are no different; but let’s look at them more closely, in the context of Jesus’ total teaching, and see what He’s really telling us. The first thing He says:

“I have come to bring fire to the earth.”

Does He speak of the fire of war and destruction? Well, we can’t deny war and destruction; it surrounds us today and plagues our world. And God certainly lets it happen.

But here Jesus is talking about something else. Here He speaks of a fire that cleanses and purifies, the fire of God’s light, the fire of God’s truth, the fire of God’s Holy Presence among us.

It’s the fire Moses encountered when he approached the burning bush on Mount Horeb. This fire that didn’t consume called Moses to discipleship and holiness; it’s a fire that forms and reforms us even today.

It’s also the pillar of fire that led God’s People out of slavery and through the desert on their journey to freedom, to the Land promised by the Father. It’s a fire that calls us and leads us to Him.

It’s the righteous, sacrificial fire the prophet Elijah called down on the altar of God at Mt. Carmel – a fire in which all present saw the greatness of the God of Israel, and the emptiness, the nothingness of the world’s false gods.

It’s the fire of the burning ember that touched Isaiah’s lips and removed his wickedness and purged the prophet’s sin so he could proclaim God’s Word to His people.

In every instance, it’s the unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit who appeared as tongues of fire that inspired Mary and the first disciples as they prayed together in the upper room.

Yes, indeed, Jesus calls for fire, a fire of purification.

It’s a fire of a new creation, the fire that brings the Church into being at Pentecost and continues to cleanse and purify her, always calling her back to her holy beginnings.

It’s the Holy Spirit’s painful fire that calls us to repentance and conversion, demanding that we reject the world’s false promises. But it’s also a fire of liberation, a fire that frees us from our slavery to sin and leads us to the freedom of God’s Kingdom.

And then Jesus tells us:

“There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished.”

These words, too, confuse a lot of folks.

Didn’t Jesus already undergo a Baptism when John baptized Him in the Jordan? Yes, but for Jesus His Baptism by John is an example for us; but it’s also a sign, a manifestation of the Trinity: Jesus experiencing the descending dove of the Holy Spirit and the confirming words of the Father. So, what kind of Baptism is Jesus talking about here?

In the early Church, and in many churches today, Baptism is a total immersion in its saving waters. Consider how the Church’s funeral rite begins…

“In Baptism, she died with Christ and rose with Him to new life. May she now share with Him eternal glory.”

Immersed in the waters of Baptism, we die with Christ and become a sign of His suffering and death. Rising from the waters of Baptism, we become a sign of His Resurrection, looking to our own resurrection on the last day.

Is this “Baptism” on the Cross the one to which Jesus must be baptized? His words answer the question.

“…how great is my anguish until it is accomplished.”

Finally, Jesus tells us:

“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Many are confused and alarmed by these words as well. Doesn’t the Gospel preach bringing God’s peace to the world? Doesn’t Jesus tell us to love each other? Aren’t the peacemakers the “children of God?” And perhaps, most alarming, could these words encourage Christians to reject peaceful solutions to the problems that divide us?

Sadly, such questions betray a lack of understanding, not only of Jesus’ teaching, but also of human nature itself.

With these words Jesus gives His disciples, including us, a prophetic glance into the future, showing us how the world will respond to the Good News of the Gospel, of Jesus Christ.

God doesn’t will such divisions, but it’s something that we should expect to encounter. Indeed, it began when Jews and Gentiles called for Jesus’ crucifixion. And it’s been going on ever since.

Christianity and its teachings have not simply been rejected by many, but are also seen as the greatest threat to the plans and schemes of those seeking to gain or maintain power in the world.

It began with the Pharaohs, the Canaanites and Philistines, the Scribes and Pharisee, Sadducees, Greeks and Romans. And it continues today with Communists, fascists, Islamists, atheists, secularists…you name it. Stalin once mockingly asked, “How many divisions does the Pope have?” And yet, ironically, it was the faith of persecuted Polish Catholics that began the liberation of Eastern Europe from the Soviet yoke.

Indeed, there were more Christian martyrs in the 20^th century than all previous centuries combined. Where there is persecution, there is tremendous faith. And it’s always been that way. Tertullian, the 2^nd-century Early Church Father, said it well: "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church."

Perhaps most fittingly, the preacher in Hebrews concludes today’s passage reminding his 1^st-century Christians:

“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.”

Yes, “not yet” – perhaps the same thing can be said to us.

Today, while Christianity in the modern, oh-so-civilized West seems to be in decline, in Africa and Asia its growth is dramatic, and so too is the number of martyrs.

The Church, as it defends the truth, demands justice, calls to respect life and human dignity, and pleads for freedom – these will create division.

Jesus reminds us that being a Christian is never easy. Yes, the peacemakers are blessed, but so too are those who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness. Jesus doesn’t separate the two, and neither can we.

 

Healing Service Homily: Tuesday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Ex 2:1-15a; Ps: 69; Mt 11:20-24

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Good evening, everyone…and praise God – praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It’s wonderful to see so many here tonight; all of you, open to God’s healing presence in your lives. Praise God, too, for this.

We’re gathered here in Jesus’ name, so we know He’s with us. Present not only in our presence, but here especially in His Eucharistic Presence. And where Jesus is, so too is the Father, for they are One, One with the Holy Spirit.

When we turn to Scripture, we find the Holy Spirit inspiring, revealing, anointing, and counseling. He does it all. As we proclaim in the Creed: He’s the “Lord and giver of life.” He is the fount of Truth and Wisdom, the sanctifier, the source of sacramental grace, the manifestation of God’s power in the world.

When Jesus rejoiced, He rejoiced in the Spirit. When He prayed, He prayed filled with the Spirit. And when he healed, the Spirit acted through Him. And so, tonight, confident that the Holy Spirit is here among us, present in His power and glory, we turn to Him, the Divine Healer, for healing is among the Spirit’s greatest works.

God knows how much we all need healing – healing of body, mind, and spirit; so He sends His Spirit into the world to heal all who come to Him.

Sacred Scripture, especially in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, is filled with healings, but they’re all so very different. All kinds of people come to Jesus – men and women; young and old; Jews and Gentiles – all seeking His healing touch. He heals them all. Some come on their own, some are brought to Him by others, by family or friends, and some are healed at a distance. But for all of them it was through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus healed.

St. Peter confirmed this when preaching to the centurion Cornelius and his household, he said:

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all…” (Acts 10:38)

Where Jesus is, so too is the Holy Spirit. And together they heal us all. What does this mean to us? Does Jesus offer healing to all of us? Well, yes, He does. But we must understand He offers us multiple kinds of healing.

We humans are pretty complex creatures. God gave us bodies, but as many of us here have figured out, these bodies just don’t last that long. So, He also gave us an immortal soul, that divine piece of our humanity that goes on forever, and carries us into eternity.

And from that we have an intellect and a will, so we can learn what God wants for us and of us, why we’re here, and then decide what to do about it.

It’s all pretty fantastic, isn’t it? Well, yes, it is, except when we decide to misuse our intellects by ignoring all that He teaches us; or misuse our wills by making incredibly wrong decisions. It’s really what Jesus faced in our passage from Matthew’s Gospel. Our Lord uses some pretty harsh words, doesn’t He?

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!”

Yes, indeed, Jesus was upset! There’s no mistaking it – Jesus was definitely upset. You see, is wasn’t some impersonal, detached judgment on Jesus’ part. In fact, I think it was truly personal.

Matthew, writing this Gospel, uses the Greek word for “woe.” It’s an interesting word. In Greek it’s one of those onomatopoeic words – words like bark, or cough, or hiss – that sound like the things they mean. The Greek word for “woe” is οὐαί, a word that sounds like a lament, a cry of sorrow. And that was intentional. Matthew uses this word to show us that Jesus, in His humanity, is speaking out of grief.

Chorazin! Bethsaida! Capernaum! These were places Jesus had stayed, places He’d visited, where He’s ministered to their people – where He healed, taught, loved – and still, the people didn’t respond.

Yes, Jesus is divine, but He’s also human, and that kind of rejection surely hurt. It’s hard not to feel the sting of it all – how Jesus must have felt.

Of course, our initial reaction is to recall times when it’s happened to us – when we spoke the truth but were summarily rejected.

I’ll tell you a story. Years ago, I was director of customer satisfaction and focus for a high-tech firm. It was an engineering-driven firm, and at a key meeting, the product engineers introduced a major change to a major product. I realized immediately that our customers would not be happy. But I was unable to convince our management. One sales engineer had the courage to agree with me, but his concerns were also rejected. I’ll never forget what the head of engineering said, “Our customers will like it because we like it.” Of course, the customers hated it. But no one ever said, “You know, you were right.” No, they just dug in deeper trying to show our customers how wrong they were. It didn’t have a happy ending.

About that time, I decided retirement at 59 sounded pretty good, so Diane and I soon headed south to The Villages.

Did you notice, the example that came to my mind was a situation where I’d been rejected. I never even considered the times I’d rejected others, or worse, rejected God Himself. The Gospel should lead us to wonder about ourselves, about our actions, our thoughts and words, and their impact on others.

Today I find myself asking: Where has Christ already been present in my own life, and yet I’ve failed even to notice, or perhaps worse, I noticed but failed to respond? You know that our God does that. He places others, those in need, in our path, or inserts little slices of grace into our lives, begging us to recognize and respond.

And when I didn’t respond…maybe in someone I overlooked – just didn’t consider them all that important, or worthy of my time? Or perhaps it was a moment of grace I was too busy to recognize, too self-absorbed, too worried about my own problems, my own suffering, my own need for healing?

How often and why do we fail even to notice these Godly gifts? Usually we’re just too busy, so tightly wrapped up in our own human issues, that we pay little attention to others and what God is calling us to do. In the grip of suffering, and in our humanity, we turn inward, toward our suffering, hoping, somehow, for healing and relief.

And so we hear this Gospel passage, and mistakenly think it’s all about judgment. But it’s about much more than that. You see, in truth, it’s really an invitation. Jesus, in that paradoxical, counter-intuitive way of His calls us to turn outward, to look beyond ourselves, to turn to Him in faith and to others in love.

Remember the four men in Capernaum who carried the paralytic to Jesus and lowered him through the roof…You can read about it in Mark, chapter 2. How did Mark put it?

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’” [Mk 2:5]

Throughout the entire event, he paralytic never said a word. And after healing the young man’s soul, Jesus goes on to heal his paralysis, all because of the faith of others.

And so, to those here tonight who brought someone you love for healing, believe me, God thanks and blesses you. Your faith may well lead to healing. Take a moment. Look to the person sitting in front of you, beside you, behind you – they’re all here for healing too. Have you looked to them? Have you prayed for them? After all, if the power of prayer is so great; should we not be praying for each other, and not simply for ourselves?

Remember, the faithlessness and selfishness of so many people in those three cities didn’t stop Jesus. He continued His work, in the Gospel, throughout the ages, and He continues it here today. He still shows up, doesn’t He? He’s still present in our lives, in our work, in our families, in our conversations – yes, even in our sinfulness. He’s present in all those moments of chaos and fear…and in the moments of stillness, the moments when we open our minds and hearts to Him.

God knows exactly what we need, but do we know? What kind of healing do you need? What do I need? We’re so sure we know, aren’t we?

But like the young paralytic, we likely need spiritual healing first. So, seek the Lord and His amazing grace in the sacraments. Let your soul be healed in Reconciliation, receive the gift of salvation through the Eucharist.

Or as St. Paul said, “It is Christ in you, the hope for glory.” (Col 1:27)

Homily: Tuesday, 2nd Week of Easter, Year 1

Readings: Acts 4:32-37; Ps 93; Jn 7:7b-15

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Did you get the sense that Nicodemus maybe didn’t want to be seen with Jesus? After all he was an important guy, a mucky muck. What did Jesus call him? "The teacher of Israel." 

Maybe Nicodemus was concerned that the wrong folks might see him making this visit, so he goes to Jesus at night. And yet he does go to Jesus, doesn’t he? At heart Nicodemus is a man of God, a seeker of truth.

He’s probably heard reports, maybe even witnessed, Jesus' miracles and has seen the crowds that follow Jesus everywhere. But he was different from his colleagues who see Jesus as a threat to their control of the people. Jesus simply refused to be created in their image. Such men never learn because they're so sure that they already know all the answers.

Dorothy Day once said: "Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." And the Jewish leadership of Jesus’ time was comfortable indeed.

Nicodemus, to his credit, recognizes the signs, as John calls them. How did he phrase it?

"We know you are a teacher come from God…"

And he decides to find out for himself.

The Pharisees questioned Jesus in public, intent only on trapping Him, but Nicodemus met with Jesus privately, for he seeks the truth. But the truth that he hears from Jesus is not what he expects. Begotten from above? Born again? What can these things mean? Confused, he struggles to understand.

Nicodemus probably expected a theological discussion, but Jesus instead speaks of conversion.

Nicodemus expected a meeting of the minds with a peer. But Jesus demands a meeting of the hearts.

Nicodemus is looking for rabbinic exegesis, an encounter with Scripture. Instead, he gets a personal encounter with Our Lord.

Nicodemus was theologizing, while Jesus was evangelizing.

The lesson for us? We take up the revealed word of God for one reason only: to encounter Jesus, the incarnate Word of God. The Scriptures must first be accepted into our hearts before they make any sense to our heads.

Jesus simply took Nicodemus to the next level, to another encounter, an encounter with the Spirit.

"No one can enter God's kingdom without being begotten of water and the Spirit."

You and I, by the grace of Baptism and Confirmation, have been born again from above by water and the Holy Spirit. But what happens sacramentally must now be lived existentially.

How is such a thing possible? Nicodemus’ question is our question – all the helplessness of it, the longing, the discouragement? How can I ever hope to share in all that is Jesus? And Jesus replies: You can’t, not alone.

You and I and Nicodemus must make a free decision – not to change, but to be changed, to allow the Spirit to move us and to lead us with His gentle Love. To be born again in God is only a beginning, an infancy, as St. Paul calls it.

That’s the second lesson Jesus taught Nicodemus: you can't do it yourself. It demands an act of faith and surrender. In faith, you must abandon yourself totally to the Spirit of God.

Such an act can come only through prayer. The trouble is, so much of our prayer life is occupied by telling God what He already knows. God knows your needs. But do you know God's Will for you? Pray daily to be continually renewed by the Holy Spirit, to have the strength to be weak in the presence of God's Will.

And finally, Our Lord introduces Nicodemus to the depth and breadth of His Love. And it's a Love centered on the cross. Just as Moses lifted the bronze serpent in the desert, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. And those who look on Him and "believe will have eternal life in Him."

This act of faith on our part is also an act of love, for the two are intimately connected. To embrace the cross, the sign of God's infinite Love, and be grounded in truth. For it is love that lifts us up on our own crosses, and helps us realize that a painless, crossless Christianity is a Christianity without love. And it is the truth that enables us to experience the revelation of God's glory in a broken world.

Lord, send us your Spirit that we may be recreated. Give us a new mind that we may grasp your truth, and a new heart that we may grasp your love.

Let that be our prayer today.

Homily: Mass and Healing Service - Tuesday 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

Good evening, everyone…and praise God – praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It’s wonderful to see so many here tonight; all open to God’s healing presence. Praise God too for this. We’re gathered here in Jesus’ name, so we know He’s with us. And where Jesus is, so too is the Father, for they are One, One with the Holy Spirit.

When we turn to Scripture, we find the Holy Spirit inspiring, revealing, anointing, and counseling. He does it all. He’s the “Lord and giver of life,” the fount of Truth and Wisdom, the sanctifier, the source of sacramental grace, the manifestation of God’s power in the world. When Jesus rejoiced, He rejoiced in the Spirit. When He prayed, He prayed filled with the Spirit. And when he healed, the Spirit acted through Him.

And so, tonight, confident that the Holy Spirit is here among us, present in His power and glory, we turn to Him, the Divine Healer, for healing is among the Spirit’s greatest works. God knows how much we all need healing – healing of body, mind, and spirit; so He sends His Spirit into the world to heal all who come to Him.

The Gospels and Acts are filled with healings, but those healings all so very different. All kinds of people come to Jesus – men and women; young and old; Jews and Gentiles – all seeking His healing touch. Some come on their own, some are brought to Him by others, by family or friends, and some are healed at a distance.

But for all of them it was through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus healed. St. Peter confirmed this when preaching to the centurion Cornelius and his household, he said:

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all…” (Acts 10:38)

Where Jesus is, so too is the Holy Spirit. And together they heal us all.

This came to mind when reading Paul’s Letter to Titus. Titus, a Gentile Christian who had journeyed with Paul, had been placed in charge of building the Christian community on the island of Crete. It’s a brief letter, but it’s packed with advice and suggestions designed to help Titus as he struggles to instill Christian virtue in a people who’d long been ensnared by the “godless ways” and “lawlessness” of a pagan society.

Paul begins by stating that their faith must be grounded in sound doctrine. In other words, they must listen to the apostolic Church and accept its teaching authority. Then Paul looks at the community in Crete, dividing it into age-related groups: older men, older women, younger women, and younger men. In effect Paul tells Titus, the Christian community must be self-supporting, with each person using inherent gifts and strengths to support the others.

Older men, a group I’m all too familiar with, must exercise temperance and self-control, so their love for God, family, spouse, are a living product of their faith. Yes, faith and love are inseparable.

Paul tells younger men to emulate the control and integrity of the older men they admire. Elsewhere, to the Ephesians, Paul instructs all husbands, old and young:

“...love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her…” (Eph 5:25)

Did you hear that, husbands? Your love must be sacrificial. Just think about that...

For Paul, older women are called to be reverent teachers, models of goodness – no slander, ladies, and as for drink, easy on the pinot grigio. Their behavior should be an example to others, especially younger women, who look to them for guidance.

As for the younger women, they should love their husbands and children, for they are called to be chaste, self-controlled, and good homemakers. We don’t realize how different it was for a woman at that time. She was her children’s teacher, preparing them in every way for adult life, teaching them the faith. She tended her gardens, and much of what she needed and used in the home, she made herself. Being a homemaker with no electricity, no plumbing, no grocery store, was more than a full-time job.

Then Paul writes the phrase that bothers so many: “to be…under the control of their husbands.” Yes, for us today, when equality reigns, and many women work outside the home in every profession, it seems more than a little dated.

But we should understand exactly what Paul was really telling the people of his time, and our time. In a good Christian marriage husband and wife must be of one mind on all the important things that affect the life of their family. How they raise their children, the family’s spiritual life, their shared sense of morality, how they interact with others, both within and outside the Christian community. If a husband and wife disagree on these, the marriage and the family’s faith will suffer.

Paul’s really telling Titus that, regardless of age, our love for God and each other is manifested by our willingness to serve each other and all those He places in our lives.

Now, you might be asking yourself, “How does all this relate to healing? After all, I’m here tonight because I need God’s healing grace.” Well, let’s turn to our Gospel passage from Luke. How did Jesus put it?

“We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty” (Lk 17:10).

And that highlights the problem, for the servant is focused not on himself, but on another.

Sisters and brothers, when we’re hurting, when we’re in desperate need of healing, we tend to turn inward. It doesn’t matter if we’re suffering from physical illness and pain, or emotional and mental stress. Or perhaps we find ourselves wandering aimlessly in a spiritual desert, that our soul, darkened by sin, needs the merciful touch of God’s forgiveness. In the grip of suffering, and in our humanity, we turn inward, toward our suffering, hoping, somehow, for healing and relief.

But Jesus, in that paradoxical, counter-intuitive way of His calls us to do otherwise. He calls us to turn outward, to turn to Him in faith and to others in love.

We often receive healing when

we pray for the healing of others

God knows exactly what we need, but do we know? What kind of healing do you need? What do I need? We’re so sure we know, aren’t we? Often enough, especially in this community, it’s our bodies. They just don’t hold up do they? Illness, injury, and age all take their toll. We turn to God in our suffering and our fears, in our aches and pains, our illnesses, in the trials of our children, in the sometimes-shattered lives of those we love…and we pray for healing.

We don’t understand the why of this suffering, or why God doesn’t just take it away. And so we pray, but not very well. As St. Paul reminded us:

“We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings” (Rom 8:26).

Now that’s amazing, isn’t it? Because we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us, intercedes for us, within the Trinity itself. Can there be anything greater?

The son of some close friends was a young man named John. He died at 41 after a lifetime of suffering from a genetic disease. Believe me when I say that John, the father of four, is a saint, because it’s true. He was one of the saintliest people I’ve ever known.

Despite a lifetime of pain and suffering he refused to let his illness define him. Once, asked if he were angry with God because of his illness, John replied, "Of course not. Why would I be angry at God for the greatest gift He's ever given me?" Unlike most of us, John realized early in life that everything is a gift, especially life itself.

Almost 50 years ago, I flew home to Cape Cod from the Philippines because my mom was dying. As I entered her hospital room, she looked up and said, “Now I can die.” We talked for a while, and she told me, “Son, everything is a gift, even this horrible disease, because it’s taught me so much.” She died that night.

My mom and young John personified those famous words of St. Paul:

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

Both spent their lives fulfilling that purpose by serving and praying for others, suffering for others. And here I am, 80 years old, still praying that someday I may have such faith. As my wife, Diane, will be happy to tell you, I’m not a very good sufferer.

So, look to those seated around you, and realize you’re not alone. For they, too, are suffering. How can you serve each other? Will you pray for them, demonstrate your love for them?

There will be healings here today. Some of you have come for physical and emotional healing. And there will be some of those. But every one of us here today needs spiritual healing, healing of the soul, the healing that comes from total surrender to God. With that surrender, that abandonment, "God will fully supply whatever you need…”

Are you willing to make an act of surrender, an act of abandonment, and take all that you have, all that you are, and lay it at Jesus’ feet? He wants it all, you know, out of a love so great it’s beyond our understanding. He wants us to mirror His redemptive act of love by sharing in the crosses that we each must bear.

Do we recognize the power of the collective faith and prayers of our community? Do we trust that God can do the same for us as faithful, prayerful people who lift others up in their need?

After Mass we’ll have a laying on of hands. Come forward. Turn your heart and mind to Jesus Christ. Give Him permission to come into your life, to work His will within you.

“Heal me, Lord, and heal these others who come to you.” 

Let that be your prayer. 

“Heal us all, Lord, of all that’s keeping us from being one with you.”

Trust God, brothers and sisters, for He knows your heart.

Praised be Jesus Christ…now and forever.

Homily: Pentecost Vigil

Readings: Joel 3:1-5; Ps 104; Rom 8:22-27; John 7:37-39

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Back at the turn of the millennium I happened to catch a TV news show in which the host asked an historian to name the most important people in human history. I can't recall the historian’s name, but he made a point of calling himself an agnostic. And then he said something rather remarkable.

"As an historian," he said, "I’d have to say that the most influential person in human history was Jesus Christ. The problem is, I can't understand how he came to be so influential. He was really a nobody, tucked away in a little corner of the world. He didn't write anything. He didn't go anywhere or do anything very important. He was executed for treason. And his followers? Just a handful of simple peasants. He should have been forgotten in a matter of days or weeks. It's truly inexplicable. But that's history."

Yes, Mr. Historian, that is history. And this history, viewed from the perspective of the Church's teachings, becomes very explainable.

In truth the 3 most influential events in human history centered on the person of Jesus Christ, and all 3 took place within eight weeks of each other. Something else they have in common: they were actions, taken not by men, but by God Himself.

These events are true history — perhaps we should say, His Story — the story of the Creator of all things doing the most remarkable things — in a truly remarkable way. It’s the story of a loving Father sending His Son to suffer and die at the hands of those He created, as a perfect offering for their sins. For so many today Jesus Christ is inexplicable, until we plumb the depths of God's Love for us.

Because His Story doesn't end with the first event on the Cross at Calvary. If it had, our historian's instincts would have been correct, and Jesus would have been a mere footnote…if that. But the Father wasn’t content to let it end there. He wanted us to know, to accept the truth. And so, three days later, the second event occurred. Jesus rose from the dead, to prove His Divinity, and to give us a foretaste of what awaits those who love Him and keep His commandments.

But even the Resurrection, this momentous event, is insufficient. For the Father wants His Truth, and the knowledge of His infinite Love, to spread to the ends of the earth. He'd sacrificed His Son, not for a handful of followers, not for the Jewish people, His Chosen Ones, who for centuries prepared the way for Jesus, the Christ. No, this act of redemption was for all of humanity, for every person is a child of God.

Today we celebrate this third event, a relatively brief event in the history of salvation, but an event of such impact, it permanently and profoundly altered the very history of the world. For what took place in Jerusalem on that Sunday morning almost 2,000 years ago is God's lasting gift to His children.

He had sent His Son to suffer and die as a redemptive sacrifice, to free us from the slavery of sin and death and to give us the hope of eternal life. And now God fulfills the Word He gave us through His Prophet Joel, and so many others:

“It shall come to pass. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions… I will pour out my spirit.”

Yes, it came to pass, and those days arrived. He sent His Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, the personification of the Divine Love between Father and Son. And what power the Spirit has!

Suddenly, 120 men and women, this fearful little band of followers, are instantly transformed. The disciples had seen what happened to Jesus, and feared it might well happen to them. As they gathered in that upper room, in secrecy and prayer with our Blessed Mother, the mighty breath of God and the fire of the Spirit’s presence engulfed them and changed them forever.

The Holy Spirit manifested in them the new, eternal covenant Jesus instituted at the Last Supper, forming them into the Church to bring God's message of salvation to the world. The Jewish feast of Pentecost took on entirely new meaning. What had Jesus just commanded them?

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always until the close of the age."

Now, for the first time, they began to understand what this mission entailed. And just as suddenly, all of Jesus' teachings, His promises, the words of the Word of God that had seemed so cryptic, became perfectly clear. Inspired by the Spirit with this new understanding, overflowing with enthusiasm for the mission He’d given them, they poured into the crowded streets of Jerusalem to share the Good News.

But the Holy Spirit had only just begun, and from those 120 disciples, He calls one to lead the way. It’s Peter, the fisherman – full of bluster and human weakness, who’d betrayed his Lord in those final hours…It’s Peter. Peter, the Rock upon whom Jesus promised to build His Church, speaks to the crowd and on that first Pentecost Sunday, the Church is born.

Miracle follows miracle and three thousand are baptized, for the work of the Spirit can’t be stopped. The one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, brought into being that day, is still with us today, still guided by the Holy Spirit, still led by Christ's Vicar, still committed to the Apostolic mission of bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. And the mission is universal, given to each of us, for we are the Church.

Why this mission? Just look around you. How can you miss it? …the sadness and hopelessness and sinfulness that plague so many today. These are God's children! They don’t need our condemnation or pity; they need God’s love and evangelization. The Father wants to bring them to Himself, and He calls us to take part in His work.

Does this call, this mission, frighten you? Are you terrified of the idea of evangelizing others? You shouldn’t be, because just like Peter and the disciples on that first Pentecost, you won’t be alone. You see, we can’t do God’s work without the Spirit. As St. Paul reminded us “…the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness.” And later Paul told the Corinthians:

"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit…different forms of service, but the same Lord...To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit."

Do you see what He’s telling us? We have the same mission, even though we carry it out in different ways, and it’s the Holy Spirit who inspires and guides each of us. Today we’re reminded to be roused from the comfort and safety of our own upper rooms. We too need to be amazed — that our faith should be accompanied by the sounds, the heat, the cacophony of different voices, the presence of the Holy Spirit, proclaiming the mighty acts of God.

Sisters and brothers, we all have a mission to a world that waits beyond our parish walls…

…a world often confused, divided, afraid.

…a world waiting to be astounded by power of the Spirit and His message of hope.

God doesn’t encourage us; He commands us, for it’s the essential work of our Christian faith.

Of course, it’s comforting to stay within our families or parish community, but God doesn't want us to get too comfortable. For on that first Pentecost God turned the disciples’ little circle inside out. Suddenly they faced not each other, but a world waiting to hear the Good News. As we follow them, we can rely on God’s promise: the Holy Spirit is with us, guiding us, his wisdom flowing through us…We need only invite Him.

How did Jesus put it in today’s Gospel?

“Rivers of living water will flow from within him who believes in me.”

Let’s welcome the Spirit into our lives…and those rivers will flow through us as He renews the face of the earth.

And today, here on the vigil of Pentecost, what a perfect time to pray to the Spirit, the Giver of Life, asking Him to convert and forgive all those who have taken so many innocent lives, lives He has given to the world.

Do it today, and witness the wonders, the mighty acts of God, He will bring about in your lives, in my life, and in the lives of all we encounter.