Homily: Tuesday, 20th week in Ordinary Time (Year 1)

Readings: Jgs 6:11-24a • Ps 85 • Mt 19:23-30

__________________________

Today’s readings always make me more than a little uncomfortable.

Our first reading from Judges really addresses something we’ve all encountered. No, we all don’t have to face armies of nomadic Midianites out to destroy us. But we’ve all experienced times in our lives when things seemed to be crumbling, when all that we hoped for seemed suddenly unattainable. Or when work problems or family problems or health problems just erupted and got to the point where we simply couldn’t handle them well.

And so, like Gideon, we turn to God and ask that question: “Dear Lord, You know I’m faithful; if You’re with me, why is this happening?”

We pray every day, we attend Mass, we read our Bible, we do what we can to serve the poor and we give freely of our treasure to those in need. How come God doesn’t seem to see all the good we’re doing?

And then, inevitably, when all seems to be going so wrong, God brings some level of healing into our lives. We come to realize there’s only so much we can do ourselves, that the only real solution is to let God handle it, most often by leading us to where we need to be.

Unlike Gideon, one of the Judges of the Israelites, God has never sent an angel to guide me – at least one that I could see. But He has sent me others – perhaps they were angels – but they were often the least likely people, and yet they inevitably showed me the way.

Looking back on my odd life, I find myself concluding that God is truly responsible for all the accomplishments I like to take credit for. But it’s not just my successes that are touched with pride. Even in my failures, I find it hard to admit that I was the cause…and that’s pride too.

Yes, it’s all pride. St. Augustine called pride "the love of one's own excellence." I’ve come to think that sums it up pretty well. When we’re doing well, it’s hard to admit that everything is a gift from God.

Then, we’re faced with today’s Gospel passage. After the sad meeting with the rich young man who could not accept Jesus’ invitation to be a disciple, Our Lord comments on the effects of wealth. In doing so, He offers us the wonderful metaphor that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Some say Jesus was referring to a narrow gate in Jerusalem’s city wall called the “eye of the needle.” But if so, that still means little, since He’s really telling us it’s next to impossible – except for God.

So, what does the Gospel mean by being rich? I think it means having a large surplus while around us are so many who lack the basic needs of life. With all that going on around us, but too often unnoticed, how can we claim to belong to the Kingdom, the reign of God, which is a kingdom of love and justice?

Later in his Gospel, in chapter 25, Matthew describes our judgment, at a time when Jesus equates Himself with those in deepest need.

“I was hungry, you gave me no food; I was thirsty, you gave me no drink; a stranger, you didn’t welcome me; naked, you didn’t clothe me; ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.”

When I hear this, and stop, and look inward, I see all the things that trouble me, everything that takes up my time, all the stuff I think is so very important…and discover it all has nothing to do with caring for "the least" of Jesus' brothers and sisters.

And yet, this is how we will be judged. It’s all about how we use the gifts God has given us. You see, it all belongs to Him, not to us. And so, we’re called to return it all to him, by serving those He loves.

Dear friends, God is omniscient; He knows and sees everything we do, and it gives Him great joy when we live the Gospel.

But for too many today, this is a hard thing to accept, a hard thing to do, especially here in our little Florida island of moderate affluence.

Schwarzenegger and the Face of God

Did you hear? Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Hollywood actor/body-builder and theologian, in a “shared discourse” with Danny DeVito, a diminutive version of Arnold, revealed that heaven and hell are mere fantasies. When asked what happens after death, he replied, “Nothing. You’re six feet under. Anyone that tells you something else is a f___ing liar.” 

The Austrian-born übermensch went on to say: “When people talk about, ‘I will see them again in heaven,’ it sounds so good, but the reality is that we won’t see each other again after we’re gone. That’s the sad part. I know people feel comfortable with death, but I don’t.”

Wow! After hearing these seemingly angry words of eschatological wisdom from Arnold, I’m sure the religious world will begin to rethink its entire attitude toward death and eternal life.

Okay, maybe not.

Arnold, because he denies life after death, is certainly no believer in the Judeo-Christian God. If he believes in any god it would be a merciless, hateful god, not unlike many of the pagan gods of the ancient world. In truth Arnold, although he might not admit it publicly, is an atheist, just another celebrity member of today’s expanding atheist culture. Today’s atheists, men and women like Arnold Schwarzenegger, deny human uniqueness. Without God there can be no real meaning and purpose in the natural world. And because they reject the presence of the sacred and transcendent, they really don’t know themselves because they don't believe they have immortal souls. Consequently, they neither encounter nor enjoy the true freedom God promises us.

Some say the atheist fears death because he fears oblivion. I disagree. The atheist fears death because he fears judgment. He fears coming face to face with the God who created him. The only way to escape God’s judgment is to cancel God, to cover or simply blot out His face. There are so many just like Arnold, people seeking only ephemeral pleasure, with no real concern for others, especially for future generations, those yet to be born. Without the face of God looking at them, they believe they can escape the eye of judgment and pretty much do whatever they like, focusing only on the here and now. We see it manifested in a consumerist society that in its most extreme form leads only to personal and societal destruction. 

You don’t have to be a theologian or sociologist to realize Arnold is not alone. I’ve focused on him simply because he went public with his comments on death and eternal life. But just consider how many other notables — politicians, Hollywood denizens, media talking heads, so-called educators — believe just what Arnold believes. Oh, they might even claim to be religious, or more likely, spiritual, but in truth they are essentially atheists. We can be fooled by listening to their words (unless like Arnold they occasionally open up) because they try to sound so good, so reasonable. The truth, however, is always in their actions. How did Jesus put it?

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” [Mt 7:15-16].

Yes, indeed, sisters and brothers, just watch what they do; just examine the fruit and you will understand the nature of the tree.

Reflection: Exposition and Adoration (3/22/2023)

Readings for Today's Mass: Is 49:8-15; Jn 5:17-30

_____________________________

I like to listen to radio preachers. Many are quite good, and I learn a lot from them. But some...well, they're burdened by different theologies. I suppose I learn a lot from them too.

The other day, driving to the National Cemetery in Bushnell, I happened to hear a radio preacher telling his listeners their sins would lead inevitably to God’s punishment. “Your sins will open wide the gates of hell,” he told us. Then he added, “and there’s not much you can do about it.”

My first reaction was, “Well if we can’t do anything about it, why are you even telling us?”

He later softened his message a bit and mentioned the need for repentance. But even then he didn’t sound very hopeful. By the time I arrived at the cemetery, I realized I’d been listening to him for close to 15 minutes and not once did he mention the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I wonder how many Christians think of God only in terms of judgment and punishment. I was surprised this preacher never mentioned the gift of God's grace. Maybe that came later, after I'd turned off the radio.

Anyway, he was right about judgment. Indeed, in today’s Gospel passage Jesus explicitly tells us the Father gave Him the power to exercise judgment. Yes, we will all be judged. But we’ll be judged by a God of mercy, a God of forgiveness, a God who gave His life for us, a God who gives us a lifetime in which to return to Him in repentance. What could be better than that? Do you see how good the Good News is?

This Good News, this Gospel, isn’t new to the New Testament, because it’s proclaimed throughout the Old Testament as well. The prophets, after all, were in the business of pointing exclusively to the Good News. Perhaps more accurately, often enough without knowing it, thanks to the Holy Spirit they pointed to one person: to Jesus Christ.

In today’s reading from Isaiah, can’t you hear the prophet preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ?

…as he tells the prisoners to “Come out!”

…and pleads with those in darkness to “Show yourselves!”

No longer shall you hunger and thirst, “For the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted.”

And our passage ends with some of the most comforting words in all of Scripture:

“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.”

Prophetic, consoling words…and so fitting today when so many are without tenderness for infants in the womb.

Yes, Isaiah preached the Good News 700 years before the Incarnation, and gave the world a taste of God’s love, of God’s forgiveness. Like John the Baptist, whom he foretold, Isaiah also walked in the wilderness to “prepare the way of the LORD!” – to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

For it is Jesus, Who forgives the sins of the repentant.

Jesus, Who heals bodies and minds and souls.

Jesus, Who offers eternal life to those who believe.

Jesus, Who preaches this Good News to all.

Jesus, Who gives us His Church, the sacramental font of God’s grace.

Jesus, Who sends us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to guide us and teach us.

And He does it all out of love for the Father, and love for us.

Do we really hear and accept the Good News Jesus offers us? Or do we only pretend to hear, remaining closed to the Word of God because sharing it demands a changed heart? Maybe you and I, every day, need to ask Jesus to touch our hearts so we’ll be open to His Word.

And never doubt God’s love, but recall those words from Isaiah: "I will never forget you." – words intended to strike the heart, words we all long to hear from those who love us.

Today, as we move into these final days of Lent, let’s just keep this simple truth in mind: God will never forget me.

Carrying all the sorrows, worries, and fears that plague me, I will go to Calvary, realizing Jesus wants to share those burdens with me, and I will pray: "God will never forget me."

Knowing that my own death awaits, I will go to the Empty Tomb, and I will pray:  "God will never forget me."

I will take all my brokenness, my sinfulness, and yes, my hopes and joys, to God and pray "God will never forget me."

Then, filled with God’s love, maybe I can ask myself:

“Who is God asking me to ‘never forget?’"

 

COVID-19 Bible Study Reflection #7: Love One Another

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written one of these reflections, and several people have asked me why. I’d like to say I’ve been extremely busy doing all kinds of important stuff, but that wouldn’t be true…well, not completely true. Thanks to the lifestyle changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve stepped away from some of my usual activities, probably out of sheer laziness. But during the past week or so, I’ve also been forced to think about what’s been happening in and to our country and didn’t want to react unthinkingly. I’ve needed time to digest these events, to understand them better, and to consider how best to respond.

The catalyst, of course, was the death of George Floyd on May 25. We’ve all seen the video, and I’ve heard absolutely no one support the police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, the act which allegedly caused his death. I suppose there are a few who believe otherwise, but I think I can safely say that 99% of Americans, and that includes me and everyone I know, were horrified by what they saw. But only a very few people, those actively involved in the case – investigators, medical examiners, prosecutors, defense attorneys, etc. – have access to all the evidence, so I will make no rash judgment, but will defer to our justice system. Like anything devised by man, our systems of justice are flawed. But we remain, at least for now, a nation of laws, and must allow the law to struggle toward a just result.

George Floyd was a black man who suffered death allegedly because of the actions of a white police officer. This has become the salient fact that initiated the protests against police brutality and racism spreading across the nation. I won’t argue the facts here, except to state that I do not accept the charge that the United States today is intrinsically a racist society. Indeed, if one actually takes the time to examine the statistics, particularly those that directly involve the actions of law enforcement professionals at all levels, obvious racist activity by the police is extremely rare, and actually on the decline. But that’s not my subject here.

The protesters have every right to go into the streets and let the nation know what they think. After all, in the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment to the Constitution recognizes some of our basic rights:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Yes, we have the right “peaceably to assemble.” We do not, however, have the right to engage in violent protest, something Terrence Floyd recently reminded those protesting the death of his older brother, George.

Unfortunately, some organizations and movements have tried to take over many of these otherwise peaceful protests, infecting them with violence and hoping only to destroy and create chaos. The most violent among these organizations have even prepositioned bricks, water bottles filled with concrete, Molotov cocktails and other incendiary devices, and have encouraged looting and destruction by those confused souls who inevitably appear during times of urban unrest. How sad for the protesters who have exercised their right to come together and air their grievances peacefully. I might not agree with everything they have to say, but I spent many years in the uniform of our nation willing to give my life for their right to express it.

Among the most radical of the violent organizations that have embedded themselves into these protests is Antifa, a so-called anti-fascist movement. Ironically Antifa practices the same kind of violent criminal activity carried out by its predecessor, the Nazi Sturmabteilung (SA) or Brownshirts, who were largely instrumental in Adolph Hitler’s rise to power in prewar Germany. (If you don’t believe me, look up the history of the Brownshirts and compare their tactics to Antifa’s.)  Antifa, of course, is not alone, and is joined by a collection of mostly leftist organizations that desire not racial equality, but division. Some even espouse the destruction of American society.

I’ve found that extremists almost universally charge those they hate with the same evils that best define their own activity; hence Antifa, while claiming to be anti-fascist, is fascist to the core. Similarly, Black Lives Matter focuses only on the relatively few deaths of unarmed African Americans by law enforcement, while ignoring thousands of black on black murders. Apparently, only some black lives matter.

Communists, fascists, anarchists…In truth I’ve never seen much difference between the extremists of the left or the right. They all seek power and will use any means to achieve it. They claim to love democracy and yet despise the idea that the people are sovereign and “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” We need only observe the results so evident in Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Communist China, Castro’s Cuba, and so many other regimes that have essentially enslaved their people while calling themselves “democratic.”

As Christians, what then are we to do? 

First, we must always speak the truth. It’s so easy to speak only what others are saying, or what they want to hear from us. Indeed, it’s easy to assume that public opinion must be right because so many seem to accept it. But as Pope Benedict XVI once wisely said, “Truth is not determined by majority vote.”

The actual truth behind so much of human activity is impossible for us to grasp, simply because we cannot see into the hearts of others. St. Paul put it well when he wrote:

“For what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” [1 Cor 2:11].

We should, therefore, speak only that which we know to be true. This isn’t easy since much of what we think and say is influenced not only by the facts, but also by our own prejudices and emotional reactions to people and events. Perhaps if we turn to Jesus, specifically to His Sermon on the Mount, we can gain some clarity.

Judge with right judgment. I have tried – not always successfully – to rely on the teaching Word of Jesus. He first instructs us to be careful of judging others:

“Judge not, that you be not judged…You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye” [Mt 7:1,5].

But beam removal is difficult, isn’t it? All those prejudices, and emotions, and past experiences are hard to set aside…hard, but not impossible. The only real truth, you see, is Jesus Christ, “the way and the truth and the life” [Jn 14:6]. If we stick with Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, we’ll be safe and can proclaim the truth confidently. Only with a clean heart, only when all those pesky beams have been removed, can we grasp the truth and make just judgments. Of course, truth and just judgment demand God’s healing grace, His mercy, and His forgiveness. For this Jesus gave us the sacrament of reconciliation to free us from our sin so we can embrace the truth. How did St. John put it in his First Letter?

“If we say, ‘We are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” [1 Jn 1:8].

So many today reject the very idea of truth, preferring instead to succumb to what Pope Benedict XVI called the “dictatorship of relativism.” Without the truth they cannot judge but only express faulty opinions driven by political and personal biases. Again, Jesus instructs us:

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” [Jn 7:24].

With these words Jesus takes us back to the Torah, to the Law as revealed in Leviticus:

“You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your neighbor justly” [Lv 19:15].

Here we encounter a concept of justice that is echoed centuries later by the prophet Isaiah when he points to the justice of He Who is to come:

“Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide fairly for the land’s afflicted” [Is 11:3-4].

This, of course, is the essence of “right judgment” because it conforms to God’s Law and not the laws of men. So often we think that by showing “partiality to the weak” we are being just. But doing so is really no better than deferring “to the mighty” or the wealthy or the politically connected. Appearances are so often deceiving, aren’t they?

We can, therefore, make judgments, right judgments, but only when we look past the appearances and seek the truth. Our judgment must be based on reality, not wishful thinking. Again, in His Sermon on the Mount, after telling us to remove those wooden beams, Jesus gives us a way to identify the evil in our midst:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them [Mt 7:15-16].

We live in a world with more than its share of “ravenous wolves” posing as innocent sheep. Jesus didn’t pull any punches when He exposed those plotting to take His life:

“You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies” [Jn 8:44].

Yes, indeed, “By their fruits you will know them.” Unlike Jesus, however, you and I cannot know the heart or mind of another, we can judge only by the results of their words and actions…by their fruits. In other words, we can safely assert that the firebombing and looting of a business are both sinful acts. We can condemn the sin but should not be quick to condemn the sinner. 

Throughout the New Testament we are often reminded of the perils of unjust judgment. For example, as St. Paul instructs the Romans:

“Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?” [Rom 2:1-3]

To judge another is quite a challenge, then, isn’t it? I suppose it all goes back to those wooden beams. Unless we strive to remove them, to reject the power of sin in our own lives, how can we justly judge another?
Over the years I’ve served on a number of juries, and always found it morally painful to judge another whom I didn’t know, based on often conflicting testimony and evidence. As jurors we are instructed to convict only when guilt has been established “beyond a reasonable doubt.” But as I discovered when serving as jury foreman on several occasions, “reasonable doubt” can mean very different things to different people. And so, again, as we apply man’s law, we struggle to achieve some kind of real justice.

What, then, should be our attitude toward those who seem so intent on leaving little but hatred and destruction in their wake?

Love them and pray for them. Loving and praying for those who seem so intent on hurting you and those you love is more than difficult. It’s impossible…impossible, that is, without God’s help. It’s only by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit working within us, that we can love our enemies. Jesus, once again in His Sermon on the Mount, gives us a command very much at odds with the ways of the world:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” [Mt 5:43-48].

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is a pretty clear command, isn’t it? And yet it’s one of those hard to do things that seems so counterintuitive, so contrary to human nature – one of those things that causes many to turn away from Jesus Christ and His Church. They see Christians, folks like you and me, ignoring God’s call to love, and they sneer at our hypocrisy. “You preach a good line,” they say, “but you don’t practice what you preach.” And you know something? Too often they’re right.
Notice, too, that Jesus didn’t call us to be pretty good or to be slightly above average. No, He called us to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This, too, is impossible without God’s help. Called, then, to do the Father’s work in imitation of the Son, we need the grace of the Holy Spirit. God’s perfection is best defined by His love; and so, love is a Trinitarian thing, the very essence of the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is only through love that we can even approach the perfection of our God. 

Some, of course, will ask why we are to love one another. That’s perhaps the simplest question to answer. We must love each other because God loved us first. He created each one of us in an individual act of love. He came into the world not just to redeem me, or to redeem you, but to redeem us all, every single one of us:

“This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth” [1 Tim 2:4]

Our loving, merciful God wills the salvation of all. And we are called to do our part by bringing others to a “knowledge of the truth” which is Jesus Christ, and to do so in love. Here’s how St. John explains it:

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us” [1 Jn 4:7-12].

Loving one another is not optional behavior. Love is not driven by emotion; it must be a decision. But loving our enemies, or the often greater challenge of loving friends and family, doesn’t mean we just love them from afar and pray for them. “Whoever is without love does not know God” and it’s up to us to introduce them to God and His redeeming, merciful love. 

I’ll conclude with the words of St. Peter as he calls us to unity:

“Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing” [1 Pt 3:8-9].

Maybe then, maybe when we Christians come together, united in our faith, when we are “of one mind, loving toward one another,” God will send forth His Spirit to shed His saving grace on the world.

Homily: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C (Audio & Text)

Due to some technical issues, the video of this homily simply offers a view of the sanctuary. You cannot see the ambo or me. This is probably a good thing.

_____________

Readings: Is 66:18-21; Ps 117; Heb 12:5-7,11-13; Lk 13:22-30


When Isaiah proclaimed the remarkable prophecy we just heard in our first reading, the Jews of his time must have been shocked. From the time of Abraham they'd seen themselves as God's Chosen People...and indeed they were. But for what purpose were they chosen? They saw salvation as something only a few would experience, namely them. God's heavenly banquet would be for a select few.

Then they hear Isaiah, a prophet, speaking in God's name and telling them something very different. Isaiah describes a holy gathering where people of every nation of the world enter God's house. God invites all; all are brought into His presence; all worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and to all of them He reveals His glory.

But there's more. God tells Isaiah:

"Some of these I will take as priests and Levites" [Is 66:21].

And so, here in the depths of this Old Testament prophecy, we find Jesus Christ present; for it is Jesus who will institute a new priesthood, derived not from genealogy or inheritance, but from faith. It will be a priesthood that ministers to both Jew and Gentile, that takes the Word of God to the world, a priesthood founded by Christ Himself and made present through the apostles.

Isaiah is preparing God's people to accept the truth that God desires salvation for all - a desire later proclaimed by Jesus when He instructs the apostles to announce the Good News:

"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 behold, I am with you always..." [Mt 28:19-20]

Yes, this is the new heaven and new earth that Isaiah speaks of later in this same prophecy, And how it must have shaken those who heard it, who no doubt asked, if only to themselves, "Is salvation really for all these people?"

Hundreds of years later, this same question is posed to Jesus in today's Gospel passage: 

"Lord, will only a few people be saved?"' [Lk 13:23]

Why did this unnamed person ask it? Is he simply asking, "Hey, Jesus, what are the odds I'll win the salvation lottery?" Or maybe, as a Jew he thought he had an inside track on salvation: he knew the Law, obeyed the rules, did all he was supposed to do as a sign of his justification. 

When you think of it this way, you can almost hear the complacency in the question, can't you? Or perhaps he was complacent because he knew Jesus: that as a disciple he thought he had it made, had walked by Jesus' side as He taught in the streets, had shared meals with Him. Wouldn't this be enough?

Whatever his reasons, I'm sure he was surprised when he didn't get a simple Yes or No answer. But it was really the wrong question. How many will be saved isn't the important thing. The important question, the one you and I should really be concerned about is: "How can we be saved?" And this is the question Jesus answers.

Divine Mercy

Your see, brothers and sisters, salvation is a gift. It's nothing you or I can earn; rather it's the result of Christ's saving sacrifice on the Cross. 

Although everyone is invited to share in God's Kingdom, accepting that invitation means obeying His call to repentance and struggling to do His Will. Thankfully, God's ways are so very different from ours. His judgment and His mercy are perfect. But they are so different that we always question.

Some years ago, at a vigil service for a parishioner who had just died, his wife spoke to me about him.

"He rarely went to Mass," she said. "He fought in two wars, and encountered unspeakable things. He saw a lot of death, some of it he caused himself. I think he spent a lifetime trying unsuccessfully to come to grips with it all. I know he hadn't gone to confession in years." And then she asked me, "How will God judge him?"

It's really the same question, isn't it: "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" It's seems to be a question we never cease asking.

About twenty years ago, I worked for a high-tech firm in New England. One morning a co-worker, one of our young salespeople, knowing I was deacon, asked if we could speak privately.

She began to talk about her older brother. He was her hero, a bright, talented, seemingly happy young man who could do no wrong in her eyes. He had a good job with a major public relations firm, and even talked about starting his own business one day soon. He seemed to be doing so well. 

But then, for reasons she could not understand, he turned to hard drugs. He became addicted. Within months he'd lost his job and had even been arrested in some drug buying sting operation. Then tragically, the week before, he died of an overdose, which they suspect was intentional.

"He was always so bright, so good, so kind, so helpful to everyone," she said. And then she asked, "Will Mark spend eternity in hell?"

Once again we hear it: "Lord, will only a few people be saved?"

How I answered isn't important. How Jesus answers is. Jesus takes this simple question and uses it to teach us about salvation. 

Yes, the door is narrow and we can't pin our hopes on being paid-up church-going people. And those words "depart from me" are a stark and chilling reminder that the stakes are high. 

But God in His mercy calls us...again, and again, and again. Only He knows what's in the human heart. And He shows us the way, if we only listen and respond. Or as we heard in today's 2nd reading from the Letter to the Hebrews: 

"...do not disdain the discipline of the Lord...for whom the Lord loves, He disciplines" [Heb 12:6]. 

It's no coincidence that the words discipline and disciple have the same Latin root: discere, to learn. His discipline is always a learning experience, but an experience delivered in love. 

When we ask that question - "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" - are we willing to accept His answer, His teaching, so we can learn true discipleship?

We don't fully understand this mystery of salvation, a salvation not limited by law, ritual, or our own expectations of who will or won't be saved. There is no formula for salvation.

Again, salvation is a gift from a God whose love is so expansive it includes the entire human family. 

Our God respects our freedom, takes our decisions seriously, and accepts the consequences of our decisions, even when we choose to reject Him. But this same loving God has a heart overflowing with mercy and forgiveness, always offering us His healing grace. 

Yes, we must do our part, but we shouldn't be too quick to condemn ourselves, and we certainly shouldn't condemn others.

Maybe when we're upset about the things we're getting wrong, we can count ourselves among the 'last' of Luke's Gospel and I suppose that's good. We just might be more likely to accept help, help from others, and God's help and forgiveness.

You and I are far from perfect but when the time comes I hope we'll be pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in God's presence, and perhaps also surprised by the others we'll meet there, just as they'll be surprised to see us.

We might well encounter that parishioner, plagued by his memories of those battlefields, who spent a life wrestling with his conscience and with God.

Or the young man who in his last moments turned to His Savior in repentance and thankfulness for the offer of salvation.

Yes, brothers and sisters, the stakes are high, and I know the last thing I want to hear from God is, "Depart from me" [Lk 13:27].

How much better to hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant...Come, share your master's joy" [Mt 25:23].

So, instead of judging others - those who seem so lost, whose lives are filled with pain - instead of judging them, let's do as Jesus commanded and simply love them, love them to the salvation Jesus wants for them.

And pray for them...for them and for those who have gone before us. When our prayers depart this time-ravaged world and enter God's eternity, their effects are beyond our imagining.

Homily: Wednesday, 4th Week of Lent

Readings: Is 49:8-15; Ps 145; Jn 5:17-30

The other day, while running a bunch of errands in the car, I happened to hear a radio preacher telling his listeners that their sins would lead inevitably to God’s punishment. “Your sins will open wide the gates of hell,” he told us, “and there’s not much you can do about it.” My first reaction was, “Well if we can’t do anything about it, why are you even telling us?” Later on, though, he did soften his message a bit and mentioned the need for repentance. But even then he didn’t sound very hopeful.

By the time I’d arrived at the post office, I realized I’d been listening to him for about 15 minutes and not once did he mention the Good News of Jesus Christ. It caused me to wonder how many Christians think of God only in terms of judgment and punishment. I suspect, too many. And it’s certainly no way to evangelize.

Of course we must understand that we’ll all be judged. Indeed, in today’s Gospel passage Jesus tells us explicitly that the Father gave Him the power to exercise judgment [Jn 5:22]. Yes, we will be judged.

But we will be judged by a God of mercy, a God of forgiveness, a God who gave His life for us, and a God who gives us a lifetime in which to return to Him in repentance. What could be better than that? And so the Good News is truly good.

Realize, too, that this Good News, this Gospel, isn’t new to the New Testament. It’s the same news proclaimed throughout the Old Testament as well. The prophets, after all, were in the business of pointing exclusively to one thing: to the Good News. Perhaps more accurately, they pointed to one person: to Jesus Christ.

Turn again to today’s reading from Isaiah. Can’t you hear the prophet preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ? As he tells the prisoners to “Come out!” and pleads with those in darkness to “Show yourselves!” No longer shall you hunger and thirst, “For the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted” [Is 49:9-10,13].

And our passage ends with perhaps the most comforting words in all of Scripture:

“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” [Is 49:15]

Such prophetic, consoling words…and such fitting words for today when so many are without tenderness for the infants in the womb.

Yes, Isaiah preached the Good News 700 years before the Incarnation, and gave the world a taste of God’s love, God’s forgiveness. Like John the Baptist, whom he foretold, Isaiah also walked in the wilderness to “prepare the way of the LORD!” [Is 40:3] – to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

For it is Jesus, Who forgives the sins of the repentant.

Jesus, Who heals bodies and minds and souls.

Jesus, Who offers eternal life to those who believe.

Jesus, Who preaches this Good News to all.

Jesus, Who gives us His Church, the sacramental font of God’s grace.

And He does it all out of love for the Father, and love for us.

Do we really hear and accept the Good News Jesus offers us? Or do we only pretend to hear, remaining closed to the Word of God because sharing it demands a changed heart?

Ask Christ to touch your heart today and bring you the gift of openness to His Word. And never doubt God’s love, but recall those words from Isaiah: "I will never forget you."  -- words intended to strike the heart, words we all long to hear from those who love us.

Today, let’s just keep this simple truth in mind: God will never forget me.

I will go to Calvary in my prayer and pray:  "God will never forget me."

I will go to the Empty Tomb in my prayer and pray:  "God will never forget me."

I will bring my brokenness and worries, my problems and joys to God and pray "God will never forget me."

And then, filled with God’s love, let me then ask, “Who is God asking me to "never forget?"

Fraternal Correction

The Samaritan woman

The other day I was asked by a parishioner if it were okay for a Christian to correct another Christian who had fallen into sinful habits that were leading him astray spiritually. My short answer was, "Yes...just be careful." She then asked for a scriptural reference on the subject. I suggested she turn to Matthew 18 (see below) where Jesus provides a three-step approach to fraternal correction.

Later, as I thought about the times I hadn't handled this necessary but challenging task of correction very well myself, I decided it might be a worthy topic to explore here on the blog.

First of all, fraternal correction is required of us and is actually listed among the Spiritual Works of Mercy. Too often the world (Satan) convinces us to avoid this essential work of the Christian. We are accused of “judging” whenever we call attention to another's sin: “Who made you my judge?" We must realize, however, that correction is by no means the same as judgment.

Certainly we should avoid certain judgments. We can never condemn another because God alone is judge regarding our salvation. Neither can we see into another person's heart as God can; therefore, in humility we can never consider ourselves as better (or worse) than someone else in God's eyes. As scripture tells us: "But the LORD said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart" [1 Samuel 16:7].  And we should never be overly harsh in our correction. As Christ instructed us: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you" [Luke 6:36-38].

It's important, however, to realize that by telling us not to judge, Jesus doesn't mean we shouldn't exercise fraternal correction. Jesus is telling us not to condemn others. He's telling us to be merciful. And He's telling us that we should approach correction with patience and love.

Jesus and the adulteress

Jesus also tells us:  "Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’  while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye" [Matthew 7:1-5].

We must pay careful attention to what Jesus says here. Again, He is not telling us to avoid correcting sinners, but rather to get right with God first. Have we repented of and confessed our own sins? Do our own lives reflect our love for God and neighbor, our obedience to His commandments? Then we will be given the grace to see clearly how God wants us to correct our brother or sister, to "remove the splinter" from his eye.

In truth, Scripture tells us time and again to correct the sinner. Here are just a few of the passages in which we are told to correct our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In the New Testament

"If your brother sins [against you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, [amen,] I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” [Matthew 18:15-20].

"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him" [Luke 17:3-4].

"Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ" [Galatians 6:1-2].

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God" [Colossians 3:16].

"Reprimand publicly those who do sin, so that the rest also will be afraid." [1 Timothy 5:20].

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness..." [2 Timothy 3:16]."I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths" [2 Timothy 4:1-2].

Do you love me, Peter?

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good [both] for each other and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil" [1 Thessalonians 5:12-22].

"If anyone does not obey our word as expressed in this letter, take note of this person not to associate with him, that he may be put to shame. Do not regard him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother. [2 Thessalonians 3:14-15].

The rich young man -- Jesus looked on him with love

"For there are, indeed, many who are disobedient, who speak empty words, and who deceive, especially those who are of the circumcision. These must be reproved, for they subvert entire houses, teaching things which should not be taught, for the favor of shameful gain. A certain one of these, a prophet of their own kind, said: 'The Cretans are ever liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. Because of this, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish fables, nor to the rules of men who have turned themselves away from the truth" [Titus 1:10-14].

"Say these things. Exhort and correct with all authority. Let no one look down on you" [Titus 2:15].

"After a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic..." [Titus 3:10]

"My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" [James 5:19-20].

"Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely from a [pure] heart" [1 Peter 1:22].

"Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame" [1 Peter 3:13-16].

 In the Old Testament

"You shall not hate any of your kindred in your heart. Reprove your neighbor openly so that you do not incur sin because of that person" [Leviticus 19:17].

"Discipline seems bad to those going astray; one who hates reproof will die" [Proverbs 15:10].

Ezekiel

"You, son of man—I have appointed you as a sentinel for the house of Israel; when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me.When I say to the wicked, 'You wicked, you must die,' and you do not speak up to warn the wicked about their ways, they shall die in their sins, but I will hold you responsible for their blood. If, however, you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, but they do not, then they shall die in their sins, but you shall save your life [Ezekiel 33:7-9].

Open and public sinfulness by another Christian certainly merits correction, just as ignorance on important matters of faith and morals merits instruction. But we must be careful about correcting others on things that really merit no correction at all. I have heard people complaining about and attempting to correct others because of disagreements on certain spiritual matters. Spiritually, the Catholic Church is a mansion with many rooms, each with its own approach to prayer and spirituality. For example, Ignatian, Franciscan and Dominican approaches to spirituality are very different, and each can aid the believer on his journey to salvation, but none is necessary. Let's save our correction for that which is truly essential: repentance for and forgiveness of ones sins; the grace of the sacraments, especially baptism, reconciliation and the Eucharist; and a life in the fulfillment of God's command to love Him and our neighbor. These alone keep me busy just correcting myself.