Homily: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 121:1-8; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8

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The other day Walmart was packed. I tend to avoid those self-checkout lines, so I picked a check-out aisle with a relatively short line and waited patiently. I soon realized my mistake. I was behind a pregnant mom with two little ones, maybe 4 and 6 years old. Standing next to mom, holding onto the cart, the two children weren’t as patient as the deacon. The older one, a boy, began to poke his sister. She started screaming, looking to her mother for justice. The line behind us grew, people were getting antsy.

It was then that brother and sister simultaneously realized two things: First, the nearby shelves in the check-out aisle held candy and small toys; and second, they had their mom in a highly vulnerable position. They went on the attack. The boy grabbed a toy and began to beg just as his sister, cleverly grabbed a bag of M&Ms off the opposite shelf.

I was impressed. It was as if they had worked it all out in advance. This battle of wills went on for maybe a half-minute, and like any parent I pulled for Mom. She was tough. She got the toy back on the shelf but then noticed her daughter had opened the M&Ms and was eating them. Instantly, all was lost. Mom had to buy the candy, and to keep the peace, retrieved the toy and tossed it on the counter as she pulled out her credit card. The kids looked pleased. Mom simply looked relieved.

Now you might find this hard to believe, but as I watched the three of them head for the exit, I found myself thinking about today’s Gospel reading. Do you see what Bible Study does? It leads us to find echoes of Scripture in our everyday lives.

Like the widow in the parable, the children knew their persistence would eventually pay off. And like the judge, the young mom just wanted some peace and to avoid what could turn into a public embarrassment. 

In Jesus’ parable, the corrupt judge had absolute authority to settle cases before him however he chose. The young mom at Walmart had both parental authority and the credit card. And the widow and the children? They seemed to be virtually powerless, and yet actually possessed real power. But any power we possess exists only to the extent that it is recognized, accepted, and exercised.

Years ago, I used to teach a course on negotiation for corporate clients. One small element addressed something I called “the power of no power.” Centuries of martyrs have shown this to the world’s powerful. They willingly suffered death, driven by an unseen power, a power their enemies couldn’t comprehend.

Today’s Gospel passage is really a lesson on God’s power and how, through His love, He has given us the ability to tap into it. Jesus revealed to His disciples that the Father gives us access to His power through prayer. We are called to be persistent, just like the widow, and not lose heart.

Right before He related this parable, Jesus had described the time of tribulation, trials, persecutions, martyrdom, even a final failure of faith. Hearing this, the disciples were afraid. How could they endure such trials? How could they remain faithful to the end? Don’t be anxious, Jesus told them, don’t lose heart, for the power of the Holy Spirit will be with you. Then God will come and establish His kingdom in justice. He will right all wrongs. He will deliver men and women from sin and death.

20 centuries of Christian martyrs all the way back to St. Stephen, give testimony to the power God grants to those who believe in His love. In the face of a worldly power that ultimately took their lives, a power they rejected, these saints persisted in their faith. They didn’t lose heart.

One common trait shared by all the saints and martyrs is prayer. Through prayer we gain access to God, and to the divine power He desires to share with us. 

Prayer gives us strength; it helps us do things we could otherwise never do. Through prayer God invites us into His world, one very different from ours. How did Jesus put it as He prayed in the presence of His apostles the night before He died?

“I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.” (Jn 17:14)

We are called to live in the world, but not be of the world. Hard stuff when the world surrounds us and calls to us constantly. Prayer, then, takes us from the world and lets us go beyond human hopes, human reasons, human fears, human desires.

Recall Jesus in the garden the night before He died. Wracked by human fears and the vision of the world’s sinfulness, He fell prostrate in prayer to the Father. Jesus turned His eyes to the Power of His shared divinity and found the strength He needed from the Father: “Thy will be done!”

The very next day, Jesus was nailed to the Cross with arms outstretched. Did anyone witnessing the crucifixion see the image of Moses, with his arms also outstretched and “the staff of God in his hand” until the battle was won?

Moses’ prayer formed a channel for God’s power. But even then, Moses couldn’t do it himself, could he? Without Aaron and Hur holding up his arms, those pesky Amalekites would have defeated Joshua and his army, changing the course of human history.

But who helped Jesus on the Cross? What did the witnesses scream at Him?

“If you are the Son of God, come down from that cross.”  (Mt 27:40)

But Jesus would not, not until the battle was won, until He had conquered sin and death, until He had made death merely a thing of this world, a thing of time, but one that led to eternal life.

And we shouldn’t overlook that Moses needed Aaron and Hur, just as we need each other. God calls us to communion, Communion with Him in His Eucharistic Presence, and communion with each other on our journey to eternal life. Yes, we need each other. As I like to tell married couples, your primary task is to help the other get to heaven. 

Although, as Christians, we continue to wage spiritual warfare against the powers of this world, Jesus has already won the decisive battle for us…and the outcome is assured. But prayer gives us more than the strength to fight these daily battles. It gives us the insight necessary to accept God’s will in our lives.

Prayer also connects us to the power of God’s love. Prayer, driven by the Holy Spirit, focuses our attention on the needs of others instead of our own. 

And without prayer, our faith will wither and die. Mother Teresa put it beautifully, “Prayer is the oil that keeps the lamp of faith burning brightly.”

How brightly does our faith burn? Did not Jesus ask:

“But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Will we have lost heart because we’ve trapped ourselves in our world, and lost sight of God’s?

Sometimes we excuse ourselves by saying we haven’t the time to pray. And yet we manage to find the time to eat, to study, to work, to play. We nourish our bodies and our minds. We fill our lives with activity, but we starve our souls and deprive our lives of their fruitfulness.

St. Paul instructs us to “pray without ceasing,” because he knew our lives must be a continual prayer. Like breathing, prayer is a necessity. For only through prayer can we receive the help and strength we need to get safely through this life to our true home in heaven.

One pressing problem is that we just love to tell God what to do. We pray only for what we want, never considering what we need…and then we expect instant results. 

Sisters and brothers, we can tell God nothing He doesn’t already know. He won’t refuse what’s good for us, and grants what we ask in His time, not ours. 

But always remember, it's His will, not ours, that will bring peace and goodness. When we get our prayer right, it’s always a prayer that God’s Will be done, in our lives and in the world. Then all will fall into place. 

It doesn’t matter if we’re joyful, depressed, or angry. It doesn’t matter if we’re confused or aimless, if we’re giving thanks or need forgiveness. It doesn’t matter if we’re ashamed of how we’ve lived and sinned. When we pray, we’re in the presence of a dear friend who understands and forgives, a dear divine friend who shares in our humanity.

God, in His Love, always listens. For love calls for love in return, and prayer is an act of love. So maybe we can keep all of this before us and rouse ourselves to love our merciful God – Father, Son, and Spirit – through prayer. Don’t lose heart, brothers and sisters. Believe in His love. Believe in the power of your prayer.

Oh…and please pray for that mom in Walmart. I think she needs lots of prayers.

 

Dad und die Kinder

My father, John McCarthy, who was an Army captain at the time, entered Berlin with the occupation forces in 1945. He had two sons of his own back in the USA -- my brother, Jeff, born in 1941, and me, born in 1944. He enjoyed being with children and the kinder of Germany were no exception. The other day going through some old photos -- and there are literally thousands I have not yet looked at -- I came across this snapshot, probably taken by his old friend, the late Lee Hanel. He and Dad, both Army officers who served together, were avid photographers. 

I would guess that Dad was sharing some candy or sweets with the children. In the background you can see a number of German women looking on. Sadly, some of them probably lost their husbands in the war -- men who were drafted into the Wehrmacht, forced to fight Hitler's losing war. Many never returned. One can only imagine what these young mothers were thinking as they watched this American treating their children with kindness. I recall Dad once mentioning the "war children" of Germany, and telling me, "The children had nothing to do with the war, with Hitler, with the carnage, and the brutality. That was done by adults. I always tried to be friendly and kind to them." Sometimes a simple black and white photo is worth far more than a thousand words.

Pray for peace.

Pro-Abortion Sadness

A few moments ago, I happened across a photo on Twitter. It shows a family protesting the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. I’ve included the photo below and hesitate to say much about it, since the sign carried by the mother and the expressions on the faces of her husband and three children really say it all. 

My only concern is what these beautiful children will think of their parents when they are old enough to understand exactly what their mom was thinking when she made that sign. This family and so many others like them need our prayers. 

Today also happens to be my mother's birthday. Martha Catherine (Cavanaugh) McCarthy was born 113 years ago on June 28, 1909. Mom died on March 12, 1977. I thank her for giving birth to me, for trying to raise me well in spite of my rebellious nature, for teaching me so many good and wondrous things, for the sacrifices she made for our family, and for the love she showered on me and my brother, Jeff. I know she is now with God and ask for her intercession for Diane and me and for our family. Happy Birthday, Mom!

Generals, Admirals, Secretaries, and other Political Hacks

Note: I wrote the following post back in September 2021, but for some reason never posted it. This occasionally happens, usually because more pressing demands cause me to move on to something else and forget about other less important things, like blog posts. Anyway, while doing some PC housekeeping this morning, I stumbled on this forgotten unposted post. After reading it, though, I decided to post it. I  think it’s important to recall the Biden administration’s incompetent approach to national security typified by its hapless withdrawal from Afghanistan. The tragic event addressed below is simply one among many in which political considerations led to lies, attempted cover-ups, and finally to scapegoating and a refusal to accept responsibility. Given the administration’s current confusing and contradictory messaging regarding our support for a beleaguered and courageous Ukraine, it would seem those in charge have learned nothing from their past mistakes.

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Today America had the opportunity to witness a beautiful example of the politicization of our military. I actually feel a little bit sorry — certainly not a lot — for General McKenzie, USMC, the Commander of Central Command. It would seem the General drew the short straw to be the media flak-catcher for a tragic error that led to the death of seven children and three adults, all innocents, in Kabul by an “errant” drone strike on August 29. Of course, the press conference should have included the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the joint Chiefs, the ones who, along with the White House, waxed eloquently about how “righteous” the attack actually was. These comments were made even after there was some serious concern that perhaps a tragic mistake had been made. The whole truth would probably have remained forever trapped in that special classified file of blunders if someone hadn’t tipped off the New York Times. The paper ran with the story and forced the brass to admit the truth. But the top dogs had been subject to enough bad press lately, so let’s toss CENTCOM to the ravenous puppy dogs of the mainstream media.

In my not-so-humble opinion, were General McKenzie a man of honor he would have resigned long ago rather than go along with President Biden’s idiotic plan-less withdrawal from Afghanistan. It’s not like the results couldn’t have been predicted. They were indeed eminently predictable. Once the president set a definite departure date as his primary goal, those of us who haven’t yet eased into senility knew it would lead to disaster. But like most others at the highest levels in our modern military, McKenzie likely thinks he’s indispensable and his absence would really be missed. This, of course, is patently absurd. If I learned one thing during my years as a naval officer, it’s that I could always be replaced. Many equally or more competent people were always waiting in the wings ready to take over and correct my mistakes. Command, when rightly understood, is always a humbling experience.

The primary target of the drone attack was a man who worked for an aid organization and was trying to help others by taking water to their homes. This was apparently misinterpreted as a delivery of explosives. The error was made by our illustrious over-the-horizon warriors who sit in their comfortable chairs, staring at their computer screens, making life and death decisions with a joystick — okay, it’s life and death for others; in this instance a collection of nameless, faceless Afghanis. The ramifications of these fatal decisions? Other than the death of innocents, nothing else will happen. No one will even know who actually screwed up. As General McKenzie said today, the report of the investigation will be highly classified so don’t expect anything useful. And, of course, there will be no disciplinary action because, well, too many people signed off on the attack, too many people up the entire chain of command. And, anyway, we just had to do something big in Kabul, since so many people were complaining that we could no nothing. As it turned out, we could do something, something horribly evil. And, yes, it was evil because it was likely done under political pressure to create a success in Afghanistan’s capital city. Oh, yes, It will also demonstrate the effectiveness of our over-the-horizon capabilities that will obviate the need for all those pesky troops on the ground.

The release of the admission was well-orchestrated and offered during a Friday afternoon press conference. That’s about the only clever thing the administration did. Personally, I am sickened by the senior officers in our military. How many have resigned in protest during the past twenty years? I can’t think of a single one. Every one of these political hacks, promoted during the past decade, are not the kind of warriors we want in these critical positions. Sadly, I don’t see any change in the offing.

Generals, Admirals, Secretary’s and other Hacks

Today America had the opportunity to witness a beautiful example of the politicization of our military. I actually feel a little bit sorry — certainly not a lot — for General McKenzie, USMC, the Commander of Central Command. It would seem the General drew the short straw to be the media flak-catcher for a tragic error that led to the death of seven children and three adults, all innocents, in Kabul by an errant drone strike on August 29. Of course, the press conference should have included the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the ones who, along with the White House, waxed eloquently about how “righteous” the attack actually was. These comments were made even after there was some serious concern that perhaps a tragic mistake had been made. The whole truth would probably have remained forever trapped in that special classified file of blunders, if someone hadn’t tipped off the New York Times. The paper ran with the story and forced the brass to admit the truth. But the top dogs had been subject to enough bad press lately, so let’s toss CENTCOM to the ravenous puppy dogs of the mainstream media.

In my not-so-humble opinion, were General McKenzie a man of honor he would have resigned long ago rather than go along with President Biden’s idiotic plan-less withdrawal from Afghanistan. It’s not like the results couldn’t have been predicted. They were indeed eminently predictable. Once the president set a definite departure date as his primary goal, those of us who haven’t yet eased into senility knew it would lead to disaster. But like all the others at the highest levels in our modern military, McKenzie actually thinks he’s indispensable and his absence would really be missed. This, of course, is patently absurd. 

The key adult killed in the drone attack was a worker for an aid organization trying to help others by taking water to their homes. This was apparently misinterpreted as a delivery of explosives. The error was made by our illustrious over-the-horizon warriors who sit in their comfortable chairs, staring at their computer screens, making life and death decisions with a joystick — okay, it’s life and death for others, probably just a bunch of Afghans who likely supported terrorists anyway. The ramifications of these fatal decisions? Other than the death of innocents, nothing else will happen. No one will even know who actually screwed up. As General McKenzie said today, the report of the investigation will be highly classified so don’t expect anything useful. And, of course, there will be no disciplinary action because, well, too many people signed off on the attack, too many people up the entire chain of command. And, anyway, we just had to do something big in Kabul, since so many people were complaining that we could no nothing. As it turned out, we could do something, something horribly evil. And, yes, it was evil because it’s likely it was done under political pressure to create a success in Afghanistan’s capital city. And, yes, how wonderful are our over-the-horizon capabilities.I can hardly wait for what they give us in the future. The real problem, one we still don’t seem to understand, is that Islamist terrorism is not something that will be defeated by killing leaders with drone strikes. Jihadism Is much stronger than any individual and must be fought on the ground.

The release of the admission was well-orchestrated to be offered during a Friday afternoon press conference. That’s about the only clever thing they have done. Personally, I am sickened by the senior officers in our military. How many have resigned in protest during the past twenty years? I can’t think of a single one. Every one of these political hacks, promoted during the past decade, are not the kind of warriors we want in these critical positions. Sadly, I don’t see any change in the offing.

Pandemics and Politics

Life has been strange here in The Villages, certainly not what most folks expected when they moved to "Florida's Friendliest Hometown." But thanks to our governor, things are changing. For weeks Villagers were tucked away in their home, unable to do all those things "active seniors" enjoy. No movies, no concerts, no club  meetings. No pickle ball, no card games, no mahjong, no bingo or bunco. The pools were closed, as were all the recreation centers. OK, they could play some golf.. But what about all that free live evening entertainment at The Villages' three town squares, and the "happy hour" prices? Canceled too. Kaput! Gonzo!

Gone, too, were the frequent dinners at our restaurants and country clubs. Apparently many Villagers can afford to dine out daily. I know this because I've heard the complaints, over and over again. How did they cope with the withdrawal? Did they take advantage of take-out meals offered by some restaurants, or did they resort to frozen dinners from Publix or Winn-Dixie? Maybe a few actually renewed their culinary skills and cooked a few meals at home. But I suspect it just ain't the same as Olive Garden or Red Lobster. The bars, too, were closed and predictably sales at liquor stores went off the charts. Yes, indeed, it's been so hard for so many.

Of course, church attendance has been non-existent, and for us Catholics, the sacraments have been withdrawn. It's almost as if we've been placed under an ecclesial interdict. How did the fathers of the Second Vatican Council describe the Eucharist? "...the source and summit of the Christian life" [Lumen Gentium, 11]. And yet the faithful found themsevles deprived of this life-sustaining gift. Fortunately, the faithful are indeed faithful, and are an example to all of us, even the clergy. So many, thirsting for Word and Eucharist, have taken advantage of recorded and live-streamed Masses -- a sure sign of hope -- as they wait for a return of the sacraments.

Most people I speak with view this crisis rather narrowly, focusing solely on how it has affected them or their families. And this is certaily understandable, especially since most of us are physically separated from children and grandchildren. But there are really two demographic groups that deserve our attention: aging residents of what are euphemistically called "nursing homes" and working families with school-age children.

Of those who have died from COVID-19, the vast majority have been the elderly, particularly residents of nursing homes or other assisted living facilities. We've all heard of the tragic decisions by the authorities in New York, Pennsylvania, and other states to send hospitalized infected seniors back to their assisted living facilities rather than isolating them. City and state authorities in NY certainly had the capability to isolate since President Trump had sent the hospital ship, USNS Comfort, to New York City and also had the U. S. Army turn the huge Javits Center into a hospital. Both were rarely used, despite the seemingly panicked pleas by the governor and mayor for more facilities. Instead, the authorities demanded that when hospitals released infected elderly patients, the nursing homes must re-admit them. The result? Thousands died.

Let's look now at the data -- nationwide data direct from the Center for Disease Control. It covers the three-month period, February 1 through May 2:

• 80% of those whose deaths were directly related to COVID-19 were over the age of 65 (50,819 of 63,469 total deaths).

• Of these 63,469 deaths, only 13 deaths were of children under the age of 15. In fact, during that same period, and in that same age group, 107 children died from pneumonia and 85 from influenza.

• For young people of high school and collage age (15 to 24), 66 died from COVID-19 related illness, again out of 63,469 total deaths. During that same period 143 died from pneumonia and 41 from influenza.

Just think about these numbers. It would seem that all along our emphasis should have focused largely on the elderly. I don't say this because I am in this age group. No, from the very beginning we were told the elderly would be the most vulnerable. And guess what? They are. But apparently some governors consider us old folks expendable. Instead of working to keep us safe, they turned their attention to the economy and proceeded to undermine it. They focused instead on destroying the livelihood of working families by shutting down the businesses that employ them, particularly the smaller businesses that lack political clout. They closed the schools, although children are the least susceptible demographic when it comes to COVID-19. More children and young adults have died from pneumonia and influenza during this same period.

I'm not minimizing the death of a single child, but we've never shut down schools because of pneumonia or influenza, just as we didn't do so because of polio when I was a child. Am I wrong about this? I don't know. Perhaps. But what I do know is that too often we nod with unthinking acceptance at the decisions made by politicians, who are driven largely by political considerations and the opinions of well-chosen "experts." But what is an expert but someone with expertise in a narrow field of knowledge? For example, what does an epidemiologist, especially one employed by a government bureaucracy, know about the economy and employment and the cost of doing business? Not much! And yet we seem to accept their wide-ranging recommendations almost blindly, without considering the long-term effects on our nation as a whole. Only now have we begun to question what they know about their own field when applied to demographics. Their pandemic "models" have been remarkably and consistently inaccurate, largely because they tend to ignore or discount the human element; that is, the cumulative effect of the micro-decisions made by people like you and me.

Too many experts and politicians simply ignore the impact of their recommendations and decisions on what is probably the most important element of our society: the working family. Forced to leave their jobs, deprived of their income, and forced, too, to home school their children, they are plagued not by the coronavirus but by worry about their family's future. And isn't it strange that these same governors consider education (along with religion) the most non-essential of all activities?

Finally, isn't it interesting that the most "liberal" of governors are also the most authoritarian, and seem to thrive on the elixir of power? I won't beat this drum again here since I did so in a recent post: Power and Precedent. 

That's enough. It's late. I'm tired. Good night.

Homily: Monday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

I have embedded a video of this homily for Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time. The full text of the homily follows the video.

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Readings: Wis 1:1-7; Ps 139; Lk 17:1-6

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Years ago, when I was just a lad, we lived in a rural area of Connecticut. Our immediate neighbors included a dairy farm – Parker’s Dairy – and a few other homes. One of those neighbors had a large and very old millstone in his backyard. I have no idea why he had it, but it was huge, probably four or five feet in diameter and must have weighed nearly a ton. 

Whenever I read today’s Gospel passage, that’s the stone I think of. I suspect Jesus was speaking about a somewhat smaller millstone, but maybe not. Anyway, my large stone certainly drives home the points He makes. The idea of being tossed into the sea with my head stuck in the center hole of that millstone paints a very vivid picture.

In today’s passage from Luke, we get a bit of a trifecta: Jesus makes three important points about our relationships with each other. 

Jesus first addresses our behavior toward children, indeed toward all who are the most innocent among us. And it’s a warning to all of us: woe to those who lead these little ones to sinfulness. The physical abuse we’ve heard so much about is horrendous, but there are other ways to bring evil to those easily led astray. 


Adults, and yes that includes parents and grandparents, do this through lying, through hypocritical behavior, through selfishness – all means by which we scandalize those whom God loves. Luke uses the Greek word, skandolan, which really means to cause one to stumble or fall. In a sense, then, we become a stumbling block to others, but to very special others, leading them to sin and away from God. 


I suppose it all boils down to an extreme form of vanity, a hardened heart in which one’s own desires blind a person to God’s presence in the other, especially in a child. In our reading from the Book of Wisdom God calls us to “Seek him in simplicity of heart.” [Wis 1:1]

Yes, we are called to be childlike, to turn to our God with simplicity, to be open to God’s love and the Holy Spirit’s movement within us.

Jesus continues by calling for forgiveness, but for a divine forgiveness, one that submerges our own hurts and looks to the other with love.

Back in my Navy days, a chaplain once told me: “The life of a Christian is really marked by a continual struggle to offer and to ask for forgiveness.” He merely echoed Jesus who describes a corrective forgiveness, all part of what the Church calls reconciliation. 

Where true repentance is, forgiveness must follow. Even if a brother or sister wrongs you seven times, but repents each time, you must forgive.

Hard to do, isn’t it? In truth, it’s impossible without God’s help; just as it’s impossible to turn away from sin without God’s help. Indeed, it’s not about judgment and condemnation, and we must always remember that. It’s all about reconciliation, helping others and helping ourselves turn to God, so we can experience His healing and His mercy. 

Today would be a good day to revisit chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel, and re-read those three parables of loss: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons. We lose ourselves often enough, but we’re never lost to God, brothers and sisters. He knows exactly where we are. How did the psalmist put it in today’s psalm?

"Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there" [Ps 139:7-8].

He never ceases calling us, but we don’t have to find Him. We need only respond, and He will come to us wherever we are.

Luke concludes our brief Gospel reading by telling us that the apostles, becoming aware of their own weaknesses, beg Jesus, “Increase our faith” [Lk 17:5]. And like them, our faith today can be severely challenged unless we accept God’s promise that He will be with us until the very end of time. 

Given the attacks our faith suffers today, accepting that promise just might be the most important act of faith we ever make. We see a crumbling world, a world that seems to have lost its way and we want so much to be able to do something.

But God wants us to believe something, to deepen our faith through prayer, to change the world not by scandalizing it, but by the example of loving God and neighbor in all that we do.

It all comes back to love, doesn’t it? For that’s what love is, the simple manifestation of our faith.

Video & Text -- Homily: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

I have embedded below a video of my homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Tme, Year C (11 August 2019). The text follows the video.

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

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Today's Gospel reading reminds me of the old story of the apparition on the corner of Main and Market in a busy city.

It was Saturday morning when Fr. O'Brien heard a knock on the rectory door and an extremely excited parishioner said, "The Lord has appeared on the corner of Main and Market." As Father was trying to decide from what kind of mental illness she was suffering, a second person ran up to the door, "Father, Father, the Lord has appeared on the corner of Main and Market."

"When?" Fr. O'Brien asked. "He's there right now," they both answered. So Fr. O'Brien went down the block where a large crowd had formed, and sure enough, he saw Jesus. After a few moments Jesus looked intently at the priest and then disappeared.

Fr. O'Brien didn't know what to do, and called a wise monsignor friend of his, who told him to call the bishop. So he called the bishop and, after relating what had happened, asked, "What should I do if Jesus comes back?" 

After a moment the bishop said, "Look, Father, let me think about it and get back to you." The bishop then called Rome, and, since he was an important bishop, he was put through to the pope. 

"Holy Father," he said, "One of my priests, Fr. O'Brien, reports that the Lord has appeared on the corner of Main and Market in his parish. He wants to know what to do if the Lord returns."

After a brief moment the pope replied, "Tell Fr. O'Brien to look busy."

Yes, look busy, for the Lord is returning. But, of course, as the pope actually knows, it's not enough just to look busy is it? We have to be busy as well. And there's a lot to keep us busy. 

People all around us are lost, seeking meaning in their broken lives. And we Christians, we Catholics, have been given the answer. Wrapped up in our faith is our recognition of the reason for existence. 

We humans love to complicate things, while God always simplifies. And the answer to all questions is simple: the answer to all questions is Jesus Christ. It's an answer we can offer to others simply by our attitude toward life itself, and by how we live that life, by how we place God first in every aspect of our lives - out there in the world, here among us, and here within each of us. This complicated world of ours really becomes very simple when we make it clear to ourselves that by God's presence we are enriched beyond measure. 

Brothers and sisters, as we each come to a deeper understanding of Jesus' presence in our lives, He is like that pearl of great price the merchant in the Gospel parable sacrificed everything to obtain. When every aspect of our lives is centered on our relationship with God, we will reject those things that distract us from the His Divine Presence. 

For example, we don't avoid immorality just because the Church says something is bad. We avoid immorality because by doing so we refuse to allow immorality to cloud the Presence of the Lord within us, or even to steal Jesus from us. Isn't it interesting that virtually all sinful things are habitual, almost addictive, things, that they take over our lives leaving no room for God.

Yes, holding on to Jesus will definitely keep us busy - busy fighting against our imperfections and weaknesses, busy fighting against temptations. And if we truly live our faith in the world, we'll also be kept busy dealing with those who mock us for our Christianity, for living our Catholic Faith. These attacks can overwhelm; it's not easy to defend God in a world that's turned against Him. 

If you're blessed with children (and grandchildren) you struggle to keep them close to God, to help them reject the things of the world. It takes a real effort to help them develop into faithful Christians, all the while realizing that at some point they must make their own decisions. All we can do is provide love and direction and help them accept God's gift of faith. When we do this work, when we provide this love, when children experience Jesus Christ in their homes, God will work wonders in their lives.

Yes, being busy for God keeps you busy. It means doing all the important things in your home: praying together as a family, every day; reading the Bible together, every day. It means letting our children know, and reminding ourselves, that God is there waiting for us to come to Him in prayer. Regardless of your occupation, you can do no greater work than opening your children to their spiritual potential. And, yes, it will keep you busy. Our parental responsibility doesn't disappear just because our children have grown. Oh, it changes, it changes radically, but it doesn't disappear.

Standing up for the Lord also keeps us busy. This applies to us all, married or single. Each of us must treasure the Divine Presence within us. If you're single: your lives should reflect your active Christianity. The Church depends on you, our committed singles, to be generous with your time.

For those of you who are married: a successful marriage takes work, hard work - but it's the work of the Lord when it involves His sacrificial Love. It is not easy to express love as the Lord created Love, as an act of giving, especially when we live in a culture that says love is a way of taking satisfaction from someone else. 

Yes, our culture has degraded marriage to the point that its success is measured in proportion to the satisfaction generated by all sorts of things from pharmaceuticals to who knows what...Married Christians can withstand this exploitation of their sacrament by seeking ever new ways to give themselves to their spouses in loving, selfless care and concern. 

Once again, you have to be busy to make a marriage a Christian marriage. Of course, in this parish most of us have been married for many years, and our children have long since left the nest. Alleluia, Alleluia. 

But As Christians we're still called to make the love of Christ real in other people. We must still reach out with the love of Jesus Christ - to our neighbors, to our friends, even to those we meet in the check-out line at Publix - helping them realize they are loved, not just by you, but also by a God whose love knows no bounds.

How did Jesus put it in today's Gospel passage? Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival...And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Yes, brothers and sisters, the Lord is here, so it's not enough just to look busy. We have to be busy, living our Catholic Faith in the world...and we will be blessed.
But let's not forget, too, that the Lord also said:

"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].

As Christians, we have been given a great deal - much of it on trust. Our gift of faith is a treasure for heaven, but we don't always cherish it as one. Indeed, our lives, our gifts, our families -- are all treasures; but, again, we don't always give them the respect and love they deserve. 

One day, we'll be called to account for how we have used God's gifts to help others. This can be a frightening prospect, for who among us can be confident that they have done all God has asked of them? But we can't allow fear or anxiety to lead us to despair. For Jesus also refers to the treasures in heaven that await us. And I expect that, alongside the accounting and judgment, there will also be other questions:

"Did you enjoy all that you were given? Did you make time for all the good things God wanted you to experience? Did you take it for granted? Did you share the good things I gave you on trust with others so that they could enjoy them too?"

We have all been entrusted with much, and some of us with even more, and so let's trust in the Lord and keep busy doing His work in the world. 

And as He promised, He will respond to our determination to live our faith by caring for us.