Homily: Saturday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Sir 51:12-20; Ps 19; Mk 11:27-33

The conversation described by Mark took place just after Jesus had cleansed the Temple, and believe me He had upset more than the tables of money changers. He had also upset the chief priests, the Temple elders, and scribes, most of whom had a financial stake in the selling and money-changing that Jesus had stopped.

Yes, indeed, they had long been looking for ways to get rid of Jesus, ways to discredit Him, perhaps accuse Him of blasphemy, hoping He would claim in public what He had reportedly said privately. And so they ask Him by what authority He did what He did in God’s Temple. They thought they were being so very clever. How could this Jesus not answer the question? But unlike Ben-Sirach in our first reading, these men didn’t pray for wisdom before the Temple, but sought only personal gain.

Jesus, though, the very personification of divine wisdom, spoke and acted with the authority of God, and for the people who truly listen to Him, it was a liberating authority. In His wisdom Jesus asked them a question they wouldn’t answer because their primary concern was not the truth but their own welfare and interests.

But all authority isn’t always easy to accept. I remember, years ago, when I was a new junior officer in my Navy aircraft squadron. On my first day, assigned as a division officer of the avionics division – all the electronics technicians who maintain all the radios, radars, and associated electronics – I called all the enlisted troops together. I went around the room, asking each about their specialties, and what they liked and disliked about their work.

The discussion went well, until one young petty officer asked, “Why should we listen to you? What do you know about avionics?” I just shrugged and said, “I know enough. I have a degree in electrical engineering, so I’ll understand all the technical stuff. But more importantly, I’ll support you all, all the way up the line, as long as you’re straight with me. Our commanding officer has given me the authority to lead this division, but if you undermine me, if you don’t listen to me, things probably won’t go very well.” Not a long speech, and as a young 25-year-old, I held my breath. There was no mutiny, so it seemed to work. Perhaps one of my better days...there have been others with different endings.

I suppose, when it comes to authority, the real issue for all of us, is who or what will we accept as our authority. You and I have to respond to a lot of different human authorities – to law enforcement and judges, to elected leaders, to all kinds of people who exert authority in limited ways over little pieces of our lives.

But to whom do we listen when it comes to the truly important things of life?

The Gospels assure us that Jesus embodies the authentic authority of God, as I said, a liberating authority that empowers us to become fully human and fully alive. Only by accepting the authority of God, an authority He has given to His Church, can we live truly happy and fulfilled lives.

Remember how, at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus extended God’s authority to Peter:

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” [Mt 16:18-19].

I’m pretty sure Peter didn’t realize exactly what Jesus had just given him, but in time he would come to understand the extent of it all.

But do you know something? That Church Jesus gave Peter is our Church, and it possesses the full authority of God Himself. How blessed we are to know that, when the Church speaks on faith and morals, we don’t just hear the words of men, but we are listening to the very authority of God Himself.

And how sad for those priests, and scribes, and elders that they rejected this authority that came from the very mouth of God Himself.

Homily: Saturday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time (Year 2)

Readings: 1 Cor 1:26-31 • Psalm 33 • Matthew 25:14-30

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Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. She is known for her amazing patience, the depth of her prayer life, and her ability to deal with the challenges of a difficult marriage and rebellious children. Her pagan husband treated her poorly, but eventually was moved to become a Christian thanks to God's grace and Monica's kindness and patience. She also prayed for the conversion of her son, Augustine, who lived a dissolute life for many years. But after almost two decades of Monica's prayer and motherly love, God led him to the Church, where he became not only a bishop but one of our greatest theologians. St. Monica is the patron of wives, mothers, abused women, and patience.

And most interestingly for us at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, it was on her memorial eight years ago that our new church was dedicated by Bishop John Noonan...another good reason for us to celebrate today.

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I usually preach on the Gospel, but St. Paul took me captive the other day as I thought about this homily, and he brought back the memory of an old friend.

Years ago, back in my Navy days, I developed a friendship with another pilot. I was in my mid-20s and he was in his early 30s. Mel was a very competent pilot and naval officer, a man who taught me a lot. He was also an agnostic and found it hard to believe I could believe. One evening, after night flying, we stopped by the officers’ club for a beer, and got to talking about Christianity.

“Just look at the universe,” Mel said, “and how unbelievably immense it is. That you actually believe it was created by this God of yours is in itself truly amazing. But you Christians don’t stop there. You also believe this remarkable God decided to become one of us and came down to this tiny planet tucked away in a non-descript corner of the universe. And then he allowed us to kill him in a particularly brutal, savage way on a Cross. Isn’t that what you believe?”

“Well,” I agreed, “that’s certainly part of it. But you left a few things out. It was all done out of love for us, for those He created. It’s a bit like us. Why do we do what we do? Why are we willing to sacrifice our lives in this weird profession of ours? Because we love our country and think it’s worth dying for and we love our countrymen and think they’re worth saving. You see, Mel, we’re a little like God, created in His image and likeness, and at our best we come close to expressing the love He actually is.”

I really thought I had done pretty well, but Mel just shook his head and downed the rest of his beer. With that we headed back to our homes.

I lost touch with Mel years ago, so I don’t know if he ever changed his mind; but he came to my mind as I read today’s first reading. And I’m sure Mel would agree with Paul that the Cross is a sign of foolishness. How did Paul put it?

“For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith” [1 Cor 1:21].

But that’s not all, Paul went on to add:

“…we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” [1 Cor 1:24].

Yes, indeed, the message of the Cross – the Creative Word of God murdered by those He created – is for many a truly foolish message, so foolish it must be believed. But not just believed, dear friends; it must also be lived.

It is the Cross that saves us eternally, for the Cross is the Tree of Life: from Eden to Calvary, from Sin to Redemption. But the Cross also saves us in the here and now. Through the foolishness of the Cross we are given purpose in life. It saves and frees us from our deepest fears, from bitterness and despair, from hatred of others and hatred of self. It brings a forgiveness that saves marriages and families, and it beings healing of body, mind, and spirit.

Believe me, the power of our God – the power of Christ’s passion, death, and Resurrection – the power of His Cross is so far beyond our understanding, that in our humanity we can’t help but underestimate it

Over the years I’ve struggled to minister in hospitals and hospice, and in my weakness have come to appreciate God’s wondrous gifts to those He draws to Himself. I’ve seen anger turn to joy, despair to hope, fear to faith – all driven by God’s enduring love, a love manifested on the Cross, a love nailed to the Cross.

Do you see how real, how very serious, the foolishness of the Cross is? The rulers of the world, those filled with worldly wisdom, always try to tear down and destroy the Cross, but they will always fail.

As Paul went on to reveal, Christ crucified is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” It is a power and a wisdom that Satan and the world cannot comprehend; for it is a Eucharistic power and a divine wisdom.

As you receive Jesus Christ today, contemplate your crucified Lord and Savior. For through that Communion, you receive His Body sacrificed for you and His Blood poured out for the forgiveness of your sins and the sins of the world. Filled with the grace of God, we will be well-armed to wield the only weapons that matter: truth and love and justice.

Life is a wondrous gift, brothers and sisters, and God wants us to experience the joy of a life well-lived. He wants us to savor the gift of each day just as a young child does. Then, like the good servant in the Gospel, we too might hear those words: 

“Well done, my good and faithful servant…Come share your master’s joy” [Mt 25:21].

 

End of the Year - Just News

So much of what I read or view or hear in the news I simply ignore. Very little affects me directly, and even when it does, I find I can't do much about it. But then I encounter that which either gladdens or saddens and decide it's worth repeating. What follows are just a couple of news items that struck me in these final days of 2021. 

Richard Marcinko, R.I.P.  A truly remarkable man, Dick Marcinko left this world on Christmas Day at the age of 81. I am certain that a lot of people in present-day America did not like Dick Marcinko. In fact, I suspect he was (and still is) quietly hated by many of our military's senior leadership, much of the media, politicians of both sides, and certainly by the "woke" crowd that hates everything American. Dick, you see, was a full-blown, 100%, all-American, warrior. He despised those who despised America and devoted much of his life to protecting this country from the very worst of these. If he had one major fault, he was perhaps too much of a warrior, the kind of man who tended to ignore politically inspired "rules of engagement" when it came to both training and real warfare.

A Pennsylvania native, Dick enlisted in the Navy at 18 and eventually earned a commission. He held a B.A. in international relations from Auburn and a M.A. in political science from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. In fact, that's where I met Dick, as I made my own way through the school's postgraduate degree program. As I recall, we first met at the bar in the Officers Club. When he heard I was a helicopter pilot, he spent a half-hour questioning and instructing me on how helicopters could be best used to support special operators. Of course, he was a Navy SEAL and had spent some serious, heroic, almost legendary time in Vietnam. Anyway, that bar-stool meeting was the first of two rather brief encounters with this man. I never ran into him again, although I did exchange a couple of emails with him maybe ten years ago. 

The above photos show Dick as I knew him (center) as rogue warrior (left) and as long retired hero (right).

Perhaps Dick's greatest accomplishment was the establishment of SEAL Team Six. At the time the Navy had only two SEAL teams, but Dick thought it would confuse the Soviets, causing them to invest time and effort looking for non-existent teams three, four, and five. SEAL Team Six was designed to be the Navy's top counterterrorism unit and Dick commanded the unit during its first three years, from 1980 to 1983. 

Later he was given the task of testing the Navy's ability to detect and withstand terrorist infiltration at its most secure bases. His unit, called Red Cell, was composed of a handful of SEALS and a Recon Marine, but they were remarkably successful penetrating target bases and commands. This work and Red Cell's somewhat questionable tactics (not unlike the tactics terrorists would use) identified serious weaknesses in many commands. It also made Dick some powerful enemies within the Department of Defense, among them my first Commanding Officer, by then a Vice Admiral. He has since died, so I won't mention his name, but will say he always seemed to care more about his own career than the welfare of those under his command. After Dick retired as a Commander in 1989, he was charged with defrauding the federal government, eventually convicted, and served 15 months in federal prison. I've always believed Dick was railroaded because he made so many senior officers look absolutely foolish and incompetent. Here's a link to a request for a presidential pardon. It's worth reading: Petition: Presidential Pardon for Commander Richard Marcinko

None of this slowed Dick down, and as a civilian he wrote many best sellers, including his autobiography and several novels. He was also CEO of a private security firm, Red Cell International. In 2011, just a few weeks after Osama bin Laden was killed by SEAL Team Six, Dick was honored at an Alabama Sports Festival in Birmingham and answered a few questions. He gave some interesting responses: Marcinko Answers Questions

Despite Dick's faults, I salute him and thank him for all he did for this country.

The Perils of Nationalized Healthcare. Here's a horrible story that clearly depicts what a nation can expect once it turns its healthcare over to government bureaucrats and fiscal freaks whose primary concern has little to do with actual healthcare. It offers us a clear example of the culture of death in action. 

During the pandemic, the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom attempted to give special needs children, including those with learning disabilities, do not resuscitate notices (DNRs). Adults with learning disabilities and mental illnesses had also received such notices. DNRs tell healthcare workers to withhold special treatment that would keep an ill patient alive. Most often it's the elderly or those suffering from terminal diseases who will sign a DNR. But in the UK, the NHS policy states: "You must be told that a DNR-CPR form will be/has been completed for you, but a doctor does not need your consent." 

Isn't that wonderfully, bureaucratically deadly. Of course, applying DNRs to children with learning disabilities during a pandemic would make things a lot easier (and less costly) for the NHS. If they get COVID, forget the therapeutics and simply let them die. And as several parents discovered, when their children with learning disabilities were asked if they wanted a DNR, most children had no idea what it meant and accepted it. The lesson for us all: If we ultimately opt for government-run healthcare, this is what we can expect to encounter.

Archaeologists Stunned: Ancients Were Smarter Than They thought. I've always been amazed by archaeologists, historians, theologians, and other certifiably intelligent folks who seem to believe that today's human beings are much more intelligent than those who came before. It's really a form of temporal bias or prejudice resulting, I suppose, from scientific and technological advances that result from the advance of knowledge. They seem to think these advances somehow appeared spontaneously in modern times and did not result from the dedicated efforts of many very bright people of the past who built on the work of their predecessors over the centuries.

Yesterday I read an article describing the surprise of archaeologists who finally realized the meaning of a Babylonian artifact, known as Plimpton 322. First unearthed in 1894, it was sold to a collector, and later (in the 1930s) given to Columbia University. In 1945 researchers realized it contained what are called Pythagorean Triples, but then everyone simply forgot about it. This year, when an Australian scholar, Dr. Daniel Mansfield, was given access he quickly realized the importance of the artifact. In his words it provided "Evidence ancient Babylonians were far more advanced than we thought." He went on to describe it as the "most interesting, most sophisticated mathematical document from the ancient world."

Yes, indeed, those ancients were actually pretty bright, and it seems the Mesopotamians had a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of Pythagorean Triples. The Babylonians, then, understood the geometry of right triangles and rectangles a thousand years before the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras came up with his theorem in the 5th-century B.C. The artifact, probably used as a device to assist in the art of surveying, shows that the ancients were avid appliers of science and mathematics. It makes us wonder how many similar advances were made by the ancients, but will never be known.

I've heard architects denigrate the architectural wonders of the ancient world, calling them primitive constructions. Such comments always lead me to question how many modern buildings, like the pyramids of ancient Egypt, will still be standing after 4,000 years. In the same way I find the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of the Psalms, or the novels of Jane Austen far better than today's imitators. Too often today so-called educators excise the past from the education of the young, depriving them of the knowledge and wisdom of those who came before us.  As Isaac Newton wisely stated, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

Happy New Year.

Is Older Better?

It’s an interesting question, and I suppose the only acceptable answer is, “It depends.” So often we assume that with age comes wisdom. Have you ever noticed how centenarians respond when asked to reveal the secret of their longevity? Their answers vary widely, but only rarely display signs of wisdom. I’ve heard everything from “coffee and grits every morning” to “a glass of whiskey every night.” I’ve never heard anybody say, “I really didn’t do anything special. I suppose I was blessed and have good genes.” This would probably be the most honest response, one that likely reflects true humanity and some degree of scientific validity.

My dad used to say, “Yes, indeed, some older people are truly wise and have gained wisdom through a lifetime of both education and experience. But I’ve also known a lot of stupid, old jerks.” As someone who is now, at age 77, in the midst of my seniority, I agree with my dad’s observation, although into which category I fall has yet to be determined. I’m sure most of us can agree, when it comes to people, wisdom is likely distributed sparsely but randomly among most age groups, with the possible exception of teenagers.

As for lifespans, God has allotted His human creatures a reasonable number of years. How did the psalmist put it?

For all our days pass away under thy wrath,

our years come to an end like a sigh.

The years of our life are threescore and ten,

or even by reason of strength fourscore;

yet their span is but toil and trouble;

they are soon gone, and we fly away [Ps 90:9-10].

I’ve always liked that “fly away” metaphor, and as someone who is well past this biblical span, I expect I’ll be boarding that flight and departing all this toil and trouble in the not too distant future. But until that final sigh I’ll just continue doing what I trust God wills for me.

The average healthy person might make it into the 80s or 90s, but such lifespans are negligible when we look at others of God’s creations. The longest-lived of all living creatures, however, are plants. Among the oldest are trees, particularly those categorized as “clonal colonies.” Some of these date back many thousands of years to some original plant of which they are descendant clones. I’m sorry, but I don’t consider these natural clones individually ancient. When it comes to old plants, I want to know about a tree or some other plant that is itself very, very old. There are a few. Among the oldest — and as you might expect there’s a lot of controversy surrounding these claims — is a tree rooted in California, a 5,000-year-old Great Basin bristlecone pine. It’s truly an interesting looking tree, although it’s small size belies it’s extreme age. (See the photo below.)

California’s Bristlecone Pine

If you’re interested in reading about others among these aged plants, here’s a link: Oldest Living Things

As for animals, a long life is probably the result of genetic advantages aided by a kind of learned and instinctive wisdom. A long-lived animal in the wild has likely learned how to survive any number of perils that could have taken its life in a literal heartbeat. Others, perhaps, enjoy rather sedentary lives in a relatively protective environment. If they survive the threats of their first years, some species often live quite long lives. Giant tortoises, for example, are known to live upwards of 200 years, making them the longest living land animals. I don’t believe they’re particularly active creatures and I know nothing of their intelligence, but they look wise enough as they plod along quietly munching vegetation.

Ancient Tortoise

I once read of a Macaw 🦜 that outlived three generations of owners. A man in his sixties purchased the newly hatched bird from a pet shop. Although the man died just a few years later, he willed the bird to his daughter, a wife and mother in her 40s. When she died 30 years later, the bird, at the age of 35, was adopted by her eldest son, who by then was in his 50s. He, too, died in his 70s, and by then the bird was only a middle-aged 56. The family decided to donate the bird to a local zoo where he still lives today in his early 70s. I guess there’s a lesson here: If you want a Macaw as a pet, get it when you’re young.  

There are many other long-lived animals. Elephants often survive into their 70s, but the longest lived creatures tend to make their homes in the ocean. Like those old tortoises, bowhead whales can live to be 200. And a Japanese koi named Hanako died a few years ago at the ripe old age of 226. Greenland sharks can swim around for hundreds of years, some thought to live past 500, making them the longest-lived vertebrate. It must be the cold water and the seafood diet. Presumably, though, these sharks don’t eat ocean quahogs, a nice edible clam that is also known to live to be 500. 

Greenland Shark

 Most animals, though, have relatively short lives. I often think of the dogs that have joined our family. As a child I grew up with four different dogs, but the longest-lived only made it to 13. And during our 53 years of marriage Diane and I have also shared our lives with four dogs. Our current dog, Maddie, is actually quite spry for a canine who will be 14 in January. Because she is a Bichon Frise, she is genetically stubborn and a certified brat. That’s right, we should have suspected as much when we adopted her from a Bichon rescue group that called itself, “The Brat Pack.” Both we and the dog have, however, adjusted to this reality and come to a kind of understanding: Maddie obeys us when it suits her to do so. But she also offers great affection. We hope she stays with us for a few more years.

Maddie Sleeping As I Write

I’m not a PETA supporter because they believe and say some extremely stupid and very wrong things about people and animals. But I do enjoy all of God’s creatures, even the seemingly nasty ones, and believe we have an obligation to treat them humanely. God gave us responsibility for the creatures of the earth: 

“And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth" [Gen 1:28].

Of course, based on recent news reports, Dr. Fauci seems to disagree with the humane treatment of animals. The sad news describes horribly cruel and deadly experiments on dogs which he apparently supported. I won’t repeat the details here, but you can read them at this link: Fauci’s Puppy Experiments. Almost as bad is a story out of the now openly totalitarian nation of Australia. It seems officials ordered that the dogs held at a dog pound had to be shot dead. Why? Because rescuers were due to pick up the dogs from the shelter and the officials were concerned that the rescuers might possibly have COVID. Here’s that link: Aussies Shoot the Dogs. 

These are just a couple of the problems that arise when governments decide to exert control over all aspects of the lives of citizens. Power misused begets cruelty, hatred, persecution of opponents, and usually death. Just consider the thousands of nursing home deaths in New York and other states caused by the thoughtless decisions of governors addicted to near absolute power.

God bless the earth and all its creatures, the young and the old, the wise and the not so wise.

Homily: Eucharistic Adoration

Readings: Jas 3:13-18; Psalm 122; John 14:23-29

Listening to St. James is always a bit of an awakening. He certainly didn’t pull any punches. His Letter is filled with wonderful truths about living our faith; but when reading this passage, I was especially struck by his words, “…in the humility that comes from wisdom” [Jas 3:13].

I'm pretty sure He's telling us that wisdom means having a true sense of the reality of things. And perhaps the greatest of all realities is the vast difference between us and the God who created us. Recognizing this difference can do nothing but fill us with humility. Yes, indeed, humility comes from wisdom, the acceptance of God’s greatness and our seeming insignificance.

And yet, our God created us in love…

He wants us to spend an eternity with Him, out of love…

He humbled Himself to become one of us, out of love…

He blesses us with His greatest gift, the gift of Himself in the Eucharist…again, out of love.

And as St. James reminds us, the fruit of it all is God’s peace, a peace that frees us from anxiety and fear.

Of course, we hear much the same from Jesus.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” [Jn 14:17], He told the Apostles – a message for all of us.

Are you afraid? If so, you're in good company. The apostles were certainly afraid and confused.

Jesus spoke to them about His death, His execution at the hands of His enemies. In our passage from John, we can almost sense their confusion. 

If He’s the Son of God, one with the Father, how can this happen? How would they cope without Him? Would they also be arrested and executed? Yes, they were afraid, and fear undermined their faith. They began to doubt. 

These fears remained, throughout Jesus' Passion and Death, and even after His Resurrection. Only with the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit on Pentecost did their fears evaporate, replaced by God's peace.

“Peace is my farewell to you; my peace is my gift to you” [Jn 14:27].

And, yes, God’s peace is so very different from the peace the world offers.

For God doesn’t promise the absence of war or conflict. His peace doesn’t free us from suffering or persecution, from pain or illness. It’s not the peace of a tranquil life, nor is it peace of mind.

This is the peace the world promises, always unfulfilling, superficial, misleading, ephemeral, and unjust.

It’s not the peace Jesus gives us. How did He put it?

“Not as the world gives do I give it to you” [Jn 14:27].

Because the peace that Jesus promises completely transcends anything the world can offer us.

Victor Frankl, an Austrian psychotherapist who died in 1997, spent much of World War II as a prisoner in Auschwitz and other death camps.

Frankl, a Jew, wrote a book of his experiences called, “Man's Search for Meaning.”

In it he describes how, in the midst of brutality and degradation, he encountered so much remarkable faith and unselfish love.

Amazed by those who had achieved victory over the sinfulness that surrounded them, Frankl had a revelation. He wrote:

“Then I grasped…The salvation of man is through love and in love.

For the first time in my life, I was able to understand the meaning of the words, ‘The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory.’”

Yes, in the midst of the horror that was Auschwitz, Victor Frankl had encountered God’s peace. 

This is the peace proclaimed by Christ, a peace that is achieved by victory over sin, something that comes only through the power of God.

The basis of peace, the peace of soul Jesus promises, is God and God alone.

And the very soul of peace is love, which comes only from the love of God and expresses itself through us in our love for others.

Only by turning to God can we rid our lives of all that is driven by selfishness and greed, by hatred and bitterness. For whatever takes away God’s peace from your soul cannot come from God.

Only by turning to God can we replace the evil in our lives with love for God and neighbor, with forgiveness, with the will to help others, and the desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The secret of peace? Trust, trust in the will of God.

Too often we trust only in ourselves. We think we can achieve peace in our lives by our own efforts, but in doing so we become only like the Pharisees.

How different are the saints…who sought only to love and serve God.

For the saints knew that one doesn’t become a saint. It is God who makes saints…out of sinners who trust in Him and accept His will for them.

No saint ever had a plan to become a saint. Had this been the case, he would have become only a perfectionist, not a saint.

Brothers and sisters, we can possess the peace of Christ, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but only if God’s Spirit lives within us.

As Jesus promises us:

"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" [Jn 14:23].

And that’s exactly what our loving God does when we receive Him worthily in the Eucharist.

When God dwells within you, there’s no room for anything else, no room for anything but God's peace – and certainly no room for fear.

Fear never comes from God. To escape it simply turn to our Lord in total trust.

And remember, wherever Jesus is, so too is the Holy Spirit – with us to guide us, strengthen us, encourage us, just as He guides, strengthens, and encourages the Church.

Anyway, what is there to fear when you have been promised eternal life?

As St. Paul tells us again and again, Christ – and only Christ – is our peace [Eph 2:14].

 

Homily: Day 5 - Octave of Christmas

Readings: 1 Jn 2:3-11; Ps 96; Lk 2:22-35

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When describing the divine and human natures of Jesus, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council wrote:

"He worked with human hands, He thought with a human mind, acted by human will, and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, He has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin...[and His human will] does not resist or oppose but rather submits to His divine and almighty will" [Gaudium et spes, 22].

Christmas, of course, reminds us of Jesus' humanity, that He chose to enter into the world just as helpless as you and I once were. He didn’t place Himself above us. He entered directly into the human story, sharing our humanity, our flesh and blood, our physical mortality. Although a divine person, He accepted everything that came with His humanity, all the messiness, all the ordinariness, all its limitations. It was by accepting these limitations that He could “advance in wisdom and age and favor before God and man” [Lk 2:52].

Today’s passage from Luke is offered to remind us of both the humanity and divinity of our Lord.

According to Jewish law, a firstborn son belonged to God. Forty days after his birth, the parents would present their son in the Temple, in effect, buying him back with a sacrifice of turtledoves or pigeons. On that day, the new mother would also be ritually purified. Indeed, the feast of the Presentation was originally known as the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Here we see the Holy Family, a Jewish family, living under God’s Law, doing as the Law prescribed.

Jesus’ mission, then, is rooted in God’s revelation, expressed in the Law and the Prophets. It’s there, in the Old Testament, that God’s plan of salvation is first revealed; a plan fulfilled and brought to completion by the Incarnation.

 

As Mary and Joseph entered the Temple to fulfill the law, they were greeted by old Simeon who, filled with the Holy Spirit, welcomed Jesus and revealed Him as the redemption of the entire world:

“…my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” [Lk 2:30-32].

He then gave Mary a taste of the sorrows she would experience, for a sword would pierce her heart, a sword forged by our sinfulness.

The birth of Christ, then, is revealed by three kinds of witnesses each in a different way: the shepherds, led by an angel; the Magi, guided by a star; and Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna, all inspired by the Holy Spirit.

God chooses whomever He wishes to do great things, and guided by the Holy Spirit they will reveal Jesus Christ to the world. The Spirit works, providing opportunities to take God’s love to others, an evangelization that begins right in our own families where holiness is first nurtured. In the midst of the chaos in our families there are glimpses of God’s presence, moments of grace when God reaches deep into the clutter of our lives and hands us a present we never expected.

When my mother died, over 40 years ago, our elder daughter, 6-years-old at the time, told Diane, “Don’t cry, Mommy. Grandma is with Jesus now, happy in heaven.”

In moments like this God ignores the barriers and debris we place between ourselves and our redemption, reminding us we are called to holiness.

In those moments, sticky hands are transformed into instruments of grace. Stories of the playground and classroom, or the words of a child to her mother, become words of wisdom.

In those moments, ordinary events take on new meaning and the dinner table becomes like an altar.

These elusive, often sudden, and unexpected moments are rarely captured on film or video. Sometimes, as with Mary and Joseph, they came in the form of words that amaze. Yes, Mary knew her Son was special. What had the angel revealed to her?

"He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High...the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." [Lk 1:32,35]

But to hear this and more in the Temple from Simeon…this too was something Mary would long ponder and cherish.

This visit to the Temple strikes a chord in all new parents who wonder and worry about the future of their child. It’s a story for every mother who has looked into the face of her newborn, the face of innocence, and prayed that God would help her raise that child to holiness. It's a story to remind us that as parents we will experience disappointment, sorrow, sometimes great tragedy…but in the midst of it all we encounter Emmanuel, God with us.

It reminds us of the depth of God’s love, of His arms open wide with forgiveness and mercy – a reminder that God calls us into families, not just to protect us physically, but to nurture us in faith, to prepare us for a journey that leads only to Him.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph – pray for us.

Homily: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

I have embedded a video of my homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). The full text of the homily follows:

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Readings: Wis 9:13-18; Ps 90; Phmn 9-10,12-17; Lk 14:25-33
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For several weeks now, Jesus has given us some hard teachings. He certainly hasn't minced words has he? 

Perhaps before we attempt to grasp what Jesus is telling us in today's Gospel passage from Luke, we should consider the opening words of our first reading from the Book of Wisdom:

"For what man can learn the counsel of God? Or who can discern what the Lord wills? For the reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our designs are likely to fail" [Wis 9:13-14].  

In effect we're told that without God's help, without His revelation, we cannot understand His will for us, His plan for our salvation. We must, then, set aside our own human judgments, our own worldly concerns, and listen to what God is telling us. Too often we filter the words of Jesus through the lens of our humanity, forgetting that God's ways are very different from the ways of our world. 

Of course, this is nothing new. Remember how Our Lord rebuked Peter when the apostle tried to lead Jesus away from the Cross? How did Jesus respond?

"Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men" [Mt 16:23].

Believe me, like Peter, you and I can get caught up in our world, a world that colors so much of our thinking. It's hard to avoid it, especially today, so pervasive, so intrusive is the world in our lives. The great crowds surrounding Jesus might not have had the Internet, but they were plagued by their own set of worldly influences.

Interestingly, the fact that Jesus drew such crowds really bothered some folks, especially the self-important folks. That, too, hasn't changed much. Pope St. John Paul II visited 129 countries during his papacy, and drew huge crowds everywhere. I once heard a grumpy bishop say, "This pope probably travels too much. It might be better if he stayed in Rome and paid more attention to the Church."

St. John Paul, of course, knew that the Church isn't a collection of Vatican buildings and the people who occupy them. No, the Church is far more expansive; it fills the earth because Jesus called us to "Make disciples of all nations..." [Mt 28:19]. Like Jesus, St. John Paul traveled on his road, calling us all to discipleship.

But I wonder what that Galilean crowd thought when they heard these words of Jesus?

"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" [Lk 14:26].

Maybe a more important question is, what do you and I think when we hear these words? 

Most people are troubled by the use of the word "hate" which seems to violate the very heart of Christian teaching. But we shouldn't get too bothered by the effects of translations. It's actually more accurate to understand hate in this sense as meaning "love less." This becomes clear when we read Matthew's account of this same teaching by Jesus:

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me." [Mt 10:37-38]

Here we seem to find words we can accept...but, in truth, we really don't accept them, do we? Or perhaps I should say, how we live our lives doesn't always reflect an acceptance of Jesus' teaching.

Jesus is actually telling His budding disciples what their discipleship is all about. He'd just called His twelve apostles and they were together on the road, making their way through the towns and villages of Galilee. But, as Luke tells us, they were joined by great crowds, who followed Jesus. 

It was to all of these that Jesus revealed something of God's will, the divine intention, and He did so through a pair of brief parables. On the surface the parables seem to address the construction of farm buildings and the tactics of waging war, but like every parable their true meaning is much deeper. 

Jesus was really describing the cost of discipleship, that if we hope to follow Him we'd better first calculate that cost. Are you willing, He asks the disciples, to accept the cost of placing God first in your life?

This wasn't new to believing Jews since it was proclaimed in the Shema' - the very foundation of Jewish faith, introduced by Moses with the words:

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength" [Dt 6:4].

The problem is, you and I and that crowd of Galileans are so wrapped up in the realities of this world, so close to them, it's easy for us sinners to put these created realities first, to put them ahead of God. No! the Shema' tells us: God, the Creator of all that is good, must be first.

And now, speaking to the crowds, Jesus applied this revealed truth to Himself - that to be God's disciple is to be His disciple. Once more He reveals His divinity, providing more ammunition to the Pharisees. But Jesus is focused on the people.

The Cost of Discipleship

Are you willing, He asks them and us, to place your love for me above the love you have for those in the world who are most precious to you?

Do you understand that loving God must be a sacrificial love, that other loves in your life must never come first?

To follow Jesus isn't simply to tag along behind Him. To follow Him is to become a living image of Jesus...but even more than that, it means being wherever Jesus is, serving Him by doing whatever Jesus happens to be doing. It means being like Mary, whose birthday we celebrate today, being the perfect disciple, always looking to Jesus.

To do what Jesus does: to bring comfort and healing to the sick, to feed the hungry, to forgive those who have hurt you, to see God's presence in every person you encounter.

To love beyond your family and friends, beyond those you're expected to love. To love less your own life and love more the lives of others.

It's not about me bringing Jesus into my life, but the exact opposite: it's about letting Jesus rule me. St. Paul said it best: 

"I live no longer I, but Christ who lives in me" [Gal 2:20].

Jesus calls us to understand what He is asking of us before we commit our lives to Him. He wants disciples who know and accept the cost, disciples who follow full-heartedly. The half-hearted, the lukewarm, need not apply.

Embrace the Gospel, He calls to us, embrace it without compromise; and this can be frightening. It demands we set aside our own plans, that we abandon ourselves in trust to the will of God.

Yes, it can be frightening, and overcome by fear or by false pride many turn away from God. Others, motivated by a false humility, do the same, unable to accept the unconditional love of God. 

Once again Simon Peter provides an example. On the day He first perceived, if only vaguely, the Lord's divinity, he fell down in that boat, fell before Jesus and said:

"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man" [Lk 5:8].

Depart from me, Lord

To love God in His perfection is also to recognize our own imperfections, our own sinfulness. Peter had gone this far, but hadn't yet tasted God's mercy. Soon enough, though, Peter witnessed God's forgiveness, and personally experienced the Divine Mercy Jesus showers on the repentant. 

Discipleship is not easy; indeed, it's so difficult we can't do it alone. Jesus knows this and promises to walk the road with us, just as He walked with the twelve along the hard roads of Galilee on His way to Jerusalem, on His way to the Cross and our salvation.

He wants to walk by our side, brothers and sisters, to be your strength and my strength.

He wants to make the impossible possible.

Homily: Wednesday, 24th Week of Ordinary Time

Readings: 1 Tm 3:14-16; Ps 111; Lk 7:31-35
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Some years ago there was a small storefront church in nearby Wildwood. A large sign over its door included a reference to 1st Timothy 3:15, one of the verses we heard in today's first reading:

"But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth" [1 Tim 3:15].

I'm pretty sure that little church displayed that verse because of the phrase, "the pillar and foundation of truth" -- one of the better-known definitions that St. Paul gives for the Church.

Vatican: St. Peter Receiving Keys to the Kingdom

Sadly, ever since the Reformation there has been an explosion of Christian churches, and each has a different understanding of the truth. And because many disagree on even some of the most basic Christian beliefs, they can't all preach and teach the truth. The irony is that logically only one Church can be "the pillar and foundation of truth."

Now I'm not criticizing the faith and devotion of the folks who attended that little church on Main Street. I know some of them and they're all good Christians who love the Lord. Neither am I criticizing any other Christian church, but I'm pretty sure Paul was referring to something greater, something more universal, more catholic.

Pray for Unity

For Paul knew, as we know, that the fullness of truth resides only in one Church, in one united Church. And just as Jesus stressed and prayed for unity among His followers, so too does St. Paul. Indeed, in many of his letters he pleads for unity, for obedience to the legitimate authority, an authority that comes directly from the Apostles. Paul even alludes to the Church's universality in the very next verse of today's reading when, referring to Jesus, he says:

"...Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory" [1 Tim 3:16].

Can there be anything more universal than "believed in throughout the world?" This belief in a united, universal Church founded by Jesus Christ was so strongly held by the Apostles and Church Fathers, that for over 1,000 years they withstood every serious attempt to destroy it.

One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic

Sadly, over the next 500 years leading up to the Reformation it suffered wounds, some self-inflicted, some not, resulting in the splintered Christianity we see today.

But Jesus promised He would be with His Church - His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church - until the end of days. And so we, too, pray for unity.

St. Paul says something else about the Church in that brief passage, calling it the "household of God." What a wonderful image! To be a member of God's own household. But notice the context: "...you should know how to behave in the household of God..." [1 Tim 3:15]. 

This is where things get serious.

Too often our behavior as Christians gives no indication that we're members of God's household. Indeed our behavior seems to conceal Christ from the world rather than revealing Him to the world.

Jesus accuses his listeners of acting "like children who sit in the marketplace" [Lk 7:32], self-centered and full of complaints.

How often do we make our Christianity look and sound like a disagreeable chore? And so we do only the minimum, acting less like a true member of the household and more like the teenager who's never home because he has better things to do than spend time with his family. Why are so many of us like this?

Jesus accuses and challenges us, doesn't He? In our contradictions and complaints, in our tendency to criticize rather than listen, we don't hear what God is trying to teach us.

"Listen!" Jesus pleads. Be open to God's Word.  And then, referring to Himself, He tells us, "...wisdom is justified by all her children" [Lk 7:35].

I suppose that's the question for us today: Are you and I among those children of God's household whose behavior justifies the wisdom of Christ?

Just as God came to the people of 1st century Palestine through the prophet John and then in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, He comes to us under different guises. The Holy Spirit is like that, often using the least likely among us to manifest His Presence.

How do you respond to the people God sends into your life? Are they like John, that odd, wild-looking firebrand who wasn't quite acceptable to polite society? Do you accept them for what they are or do you ignore them, or worse yet, criticize them because they don't quite fit your idea of God's messenger? Brothers and sisters, God's household is not only large, but it's also a varied household, filled with all kinds of people.

Give some thought today to how God might be using the others in your life to bring you closer to Him -- how He's calling you back to His household.