St. Michael Catholic Church
Notes From The Pastor..........
FROM THE PASTOR………
One of our favorite things to do with other people is try to
change them. We sincerely believe we know what is good for
others. It is especially difficult watching someone we love throw
his or her life away in an unpromising marriage proposal, in an
addition, or in missing golden opportunities, because they won’t
see the obvious and take our advice. We’re good people; we’ve
learned wisdom from hard experience; our intentions are noble in
wanting to help others avoid unnecessary pitfalls in their lives—
if only they would listen! Our hearts go out to the father of the
prodigal son in the gospel reading. The young son wants to
break away from home and abruptly asks his father to give him
his whole inheritance. The son then goes off to squander his
inheritance in wild living, and soon finds himself utterly destitute.
Couldn’t all this pain have been avoided?
The parable of the prodigal son is a compelling story of forgiveness
and is often interpreted as an example of how God lovingly
forgives us when we fall from grace
—”I tell you, there will bemore joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
True enough, but there is another great lesson in this parable.
We note that the father of the prodigal son didn’t refuse his son’s
request for the inheritance—as he might have. He did not browbeat
him into remaining at home or threaten him with dire predictions
over his potential folly. The father simply let him go; he
did not try to change his son’s intentions, foolish as they might
be. As a result, the son went off and learned his lessons from his
own experience. He enjoyed the good life for a while, suffered
from his squandering, and discovered how good he had it back at
home, which was not the case of the other brother who obviously
didn’t appreciate how good he had it. Full of resentment over his
younger brother’s return, he had nothing but complaints to his
father for not receiving special attention.
We want what’s best for those we love, but are we willing to
admit that it is impossible to change people until they are ready?
As a matter of fact, we cannot change other people at all; when
they are ready for a change, they have already changed. As experience
bears out, we sometimes have to go through a personal
hell to learn important lessons. Often all we can do is support
others with our love, and hope they learn their lessons without
suffering too much damage. Isn’t this the lesson of the prodigal
son? Isn’t this the way God is with us? God lets us make our
mistakes and learn our lessons, even if it’s the hard way. God
ever supports us with love, is willing to wait patiently until we
are ready to correct our ways, and is then prepared to welcome
us back with joy. No matter the ‘obvious,’ no matter how much
we love, we cannot teach others to learn what they need to learn
on their own, in their own time.
Have you ever succeeded in ‘making’ someone change? Do you
believe you can change someone’s heart by commanding their
behavior? How willing are you to let others learn their own lessons,
even when you think they are headed for trouble? Can you
pretend to know what is best for anyone? No matter how good
your intentions, can you really define what is someone else’s
‘own good?’ Allow people to own their own lives, and their own
mistakes. You cannot live other people’s lives for them. Live
your own life, and be content that what’s ‘best’ for others is the
support of your unconditional love.
Arrogant people are irritating. Few things annoy us more than
people who think they are better than we are, acquaintances who
put on airs, or someone trying to show off. Among all the shortcomings
we observe in others, there is something in us that sees
pride as particularly offensive. Perhaps that’s the reason why we
love hearing about scandals. Nothing piques our attention like
gossip; the juicier the details of someone else’s humiliation, the
more avidly we listen. Much as we might like to deny it, don’t
we enjoy the spectacle of a popular figure, a movie star, or a
politician falling from grace? In the gospel reading, we hear
Jesus speaking about someone at a marriage feast seating himself
in a place of prominence, only to be asked to move lower when
someone more eminent arrives. Aren’t we secretly amused at
seeing someone’s bubble burst?
Our strong sentiments against pride might lead us to conclude
that we honor humility, even that we ourselves are humble.
When Jesus, for example, concludes his parable with,
“Forevery one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted,”
we might agree with himcompletely. After all, life provides plenty of examples of how
the proud are humbled and how the humble are exalted. We
need to be cautious, however, about the state of our humility
because life also provides many examples of how subtly pride
can interject itself. The very fact, for instance, that we are irritated
by overtly proud people shows that we have our pride.
Doesn’t annoyance with opinionated co-workers come from
pride in our own opinions? Do we not demonstrate pride when
we get into arguments and have to prove that we are right?
Whenever we react to criticism, isn’t it pride that makes us defensive?
Pride can even display itself in a reluctance to change.
We can observe this in an insistence that “I don’t have any problem,”
or “I don’t need anybody’s help,” or “I’m just fine the way
I am.” We don’t have to be a ‘show off’ to demonstrate pride,
sometimes all we have to be is stubborn.
This does not, however, discount appropriate pride we should
take in our achievements. To live effectively requires that we
esteem and enjoy the fruits of our efforts to make a better life for
ourselves. Healthy pride is one that is spiritually well-placed; it
is not arrogant, and can energize us to continue our spiritual
growth. We need to remember that misguided humility can keep
us down on ourselves and our abilities, mired in self-defeating
beliefs, entrenched in bad habits and blind to opportunities for
personal development. In short, ‘humility’ is often a disguise for
lack of self-esteem; it can be just as disastrous to our well-being
as arrogance.
When you ritually examine your conscience for sins, do you ever
find any? If your spouse, or your children, calls something you
do into question, are you ‘impossible to talk to’? If you don’t
know what you are talking about, are you inclined to keep quiet?
For all the times you may have offended another, how often do
you apologize? Humble yourself by loving the truth at all costs,
and by always being willing to learn. Show humility in your
willingness to change. Take appropriate pride in your hard work
and accomplishments. Relish the fact that you are a child of God
and a member of the body of Christ. Demonstrate that pride in
the love you share with everyone you encounter.
Hebrews: 12:5-7, 11-13
Politicians always get roaring applause when they speak about
the freedoms we are entitled to.
“Freedom” is one of our mostcherished channels for happiness. We not only demand freedom
from oppression, but also from an expectation of doing things
one way. We want freedom to be what we want to be, go where
we want to go, say what we want to say, and do what we want to
do. Anything that threatens our freedom puts us immediately on
the defensive; from childhood on, we have little stomach for
restrictions of any kind. This poses a problem. As affluence
increases, and as technology and human inventiveness provide us
more and more conveniences, we tend to become spoiled. For
many of us, there is one more freedom in big demand: freedom
from effort.
“Effort”
and its companion “discipline” are falling out of use inour culture’s vocabulary. Our preoccupation with freedom leads
us to believe that everything we have a taste for should be ours
by right, and that everything we want should come to us easily.
We don’t like to hear about hardship and are impatient with talk
about patience. Children, for example, subjected to relentless
doses of contemporary advertising, have a difficult time postponing
gratification for anything. It’s hard to get students to concentrate
on studies. Laborers consistently go on strike for more
money for less work. Young couples don’t want to have to
struggle starting out in marriage; they want immediately what it
took their parents years to achieve. We want what we want, and
we want it now! But while we want a better life for ourselves,
we are increasingly reluctant to pay for it.
The reading from Hebrews exhorts us not to make light of discipline.
And with good reason. It is perfectly legitimate to aspire
to freedom, but we can enjoy freedom only if we accept limits.
What good is freely indulging our desires, for example, if it
reaches a point where they enslave us in addiction and destroy
our health? Furthermore, we can only make use of the freedom
to pursue a better life for ourselves if we are willing to discipline
ourselves to make the efforts to achieve it. The irony is that everybody
wants something for nothing in a society where everything
good costs. Life can be
“a bowl of cherries,” but, for themost part, only for those willing to pick them. To be physically
fit, for instance, we have to work at it. To live comfortably in a
good house will require generous hours of maintenance. To have
a satisfying marriage or friendship will demand commitment,
tact, flexibility and endurance. Freedom, therefore, is important,
but it goes hand-in-hand with discipline. Self-respect is knowing
we can control our impulses, delay our gratifications, and make
the efforts required to attain what we want out of life. Spiritual
growth always requires discipline, especially when we are called
upon to give up whatever holds back our development and to
persevere in the struggle to attain our goals.
The reading from Hebrews suggests that discipline is good for
us. If the idea of discipline makes you feel uncomfortable, you
may need a change in attitude if you hope to improve the quality
of your life. Accept discipline as a perfectly legitimate part of
living; see it in a positive light. Effort can be just as enjoyable
as the goal it pursues. Make the effort that is required to expand
your horizons, actualize your talents, grow in self-respect, develop
supportive relationships, have a good marriage, keep good
friends, and the like. Freedom certainly provides opportunity,
but only discipline offers hope for achievement.
The middle of August is normally tinged with a feeling of sadness.
The summer is drawing to a close and for children it’s almost
the end of the school holidays. In the country the farmers
are busy saving the harvest, making the most of the warm
weather, in anticipation of the autumn days ahead. The 15th of
August, the feast of the Assumption, marks the end of Our
Lady’s earthly life. It’s a feast day at the beginning of harvest
time that has been celebrated for almost fourteen centuries of our
church’s history. And how appropriate because Mary is the first
of the great harvest gathered by her blessed Son. Where Mary
has gone we hope to follow.
The Assumption means that Mary, on the completion of her
earthly life, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven
as the fulfillment of her destiny which she achieved by living a
life of loving response to God’s will. As a young woman she
had her own plans and hopes but God put a different proposition
to her when the angel Gabriel saluted her in tones of reverence.
She was completely amazed. As a carpenter’s wife, quite content
with her lot she considered herself unworthy of special treatment.
In response to the will of God she meekly said
: “I am theLord’s handmaid. Be it done to me according to your word.”
Today’s feast gives us an opportunity to reflect on Mary who
was the great background figure in the life of Christ, always cooperating
with her son. It should not be too difficult to apply the
message of Mary’s life to our own because like us she is not remote
from real life. She lived with the same ups and downs as
we do everyday. Mary knew what suffering was as she stood by
the cross with the body of Christ in her arms.
This is a very joyful feast, proclaiming for us the Good News of
salvation. It’s a reminder that our bodies are temples of the Holy
Spirit and that like Mary we are destined for glory. In fact we
believe that what happened to Mary will happen to all of us. One
day we too shall enjoy the vision of God in heaven as whole people—
body and soul.
On the way, Jesus continues his teaching on the duties of disciples
in regard to wealth (12:32-34) and faithfulness (12:35-40, 41
-48.) Confident of God’s generous support, disciples should use
their wealth to help others. Fixation on wealth only leads to a
ruined life, unless one thinks of God’s kingdom as the repository
of lasting wealth.
In the subsequent story, Jesus again upsets the cultural expectations
of his audience. The tale sounds straightforward: servants
are charged with the proper care of the master’s household and
his wealth. The honorable servants are only those who follow
the master’s instructions and are faithful to their jobs. But Jesus
surprises the audience by saying in the story that the master will
“gird himself and have them sit at table and come and serve
them.”
No master in Jesus’ world would so such a thing. Unthinkable!Impossible! So outrageous a reward for faithfulness,
then, calls attention to the importance of the duties of the loyal
servants. But what did they do? If we link vv. 35-40 to what
went ahead (vv. 32-34), the servants would seem to be liberal
with wealth, that is,
“selling possessions and giving alms.”This way they provided
“purses that do not grow old.” Thus,the master so values the proper use of wealth and resources, that
he will turn the world upside down in approval of this virtue
when he finds it. His “unreasonable” response underscores the
importance of the command to be generous with wealth.
In the third part of the gospel, Peter asks the naïve question
whether Jesus’ teaching applies to him (and presumably other
leaders among the disciples.) Jesus insists that the faithful and
wise servants in his household are they who
“give them theirportion of food in due season.”
That is, they are generous indistributing the basic needs of life to those in their network or
circle. Like the servants in 12:35-40, they too will be honored by
Jesus and rewarded for their loyalty to the master’s commands.
The whole gospel story, then, delivers a consistent exhortation to
a wise and liberal use of wealth in support of others.
“Every oneto whom much is given, of him much will be required.”
Thisis reinforced by the constant reminder that faithful servants and
stewards of God’s good gifts will be surprisingly rewarded. This
behavior is not optional, for the story also describes the fate of
people who ignored the master’s commands and abused the master’s
wealth. An important aspect of
“the way” of Jesus, then, isour practical use of wealth and resources in support and care of
others.
If we were to evaluate the principles governing our culture, we
would likely concur that they are overtly materialistic. We are a
people with a passion for things. The primary agenda for most
of us is to be a consumer. Shopping malls have become new
churches where we bring our needs and desires in hopes of finding
salvation. Credit cards have become a new form of grace for
millions. Modern advertising is the most potent preaching force
in the history of mankind, and we are mesmerized by its persuasions.
In terms of being influenced otherwise, we are in many
respects ‘hooked.’ Mere ownership of many things, however, is
not of itself a crying spiritual problem. The real problem is not
that we are consumers, but that we have learned to identify with
our possessions; our self-esteem is associated with what we own.
We buy more and more in hopes of elevating our status in our
own eyes and in the eyes of others. We compare what we have
with what others have, and become either smug with pride, or
green with envy.
All the readings today are singularly focused: they deplore any
personal identification with possessions.
“Vanity of vanities,”cries the reading from Ecclesiastes
, “All is vanity.” Paul entreatsthe Colossians:
“Set your mind on things that areabove, not on things that are on earth.”
He bluntly calls passionfor things,
“idolatry.” Jesus, in the gospel of Luke,stresses,
“for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance ofhis possessions.”
The challenge is that we come to terms withour true essence as human beings. What is our meaning and purpose?
Are we primarily spiritual beings or material beings? Is it
reasonable to give primary concern to satisfactions of the body
which is mortal, rather than the spirit which is immortal?
Effective living means living authentically. An enriched life is
living up, as best we can, to our God-given potential. But we
first have to know and acknowledge who and what we are! For
Paul, of course, the answer is obvious:
“Christ is all, and inall.”
We share the life of God’s own Spirit and should therefore,“seek the things that are above.”
Jesus furthermore encouragesus to be,
“rich toward God.” We need to remind ourselvesoften that we are more than mere matter. Our dissatisfaction,
which we try so vainly to assuage with material possessions, is
but our own Spirit striving to transcend our compulsion to things.
Again, this is not to disparage possessions and material comforts,
but to encourage our disengagement from them. We are more
than what we have. The truth of what we must give up at death
puts the lie to any associating with what we own. Living for
possessions is the root of evil and suffering. Crime is not so
much the result of passion, but of unvarnished cupidity of someone
else’s goods. So many of our problems, our unnecessary
heartaches, our long nights of worry and anxiety, are usually
over things. We have to ask ourselves, is it worth all the suffering
we endure to identify with something of such fleeting value?
We are all made equal in that no one is blessed with a
problem-free life. Where we differ is in the kinds of problems
we have and especially in how we face our problems. Psychotics
deny they have problems; neurotics deny that their problems are
really problems. Many of us shift our problems onto others, either
blaming them for our predicaments, or making them bear the
effects of our poor choices. In short, we ourselves become a
problem for someone else to manage. Many others go through
life in the role of victim. They live resigned to their problems
out of a belief that such is their lot in life. Some take consolation
that this life is meant to be a
“vale of tears” and look forward tohappiness only in heaven.
The gospel reading provides directives for a more aggressive
approach to life’s challenges. In the first place, Jesus
instructs us to make use of prayer to present our needs to God—
the Lord’s Prayer has traditionally been accepted as the perfect
prayer. But resorting to prayer appears as only a prelude to what
we might call Jesus’ plan for affirmative action. Jesus encourages
persistence, never giving up until our needs are met. His
injunctions make it clear that the burden of problem-solving is
our responsibility, and that it is up to us to do whatever we need
to take care of ourselves,.
“And I tell you, ask, and it will begiven you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be
opened to you.”
Life does not improve for the resigned andapathetic. We have our part to play. Even if our prayers are not
answered according to our expectations, and even if our problems
continue, we will not go unrewarded for our efforts to resolve
them.
“For every one who asks, receives and he whoseeks, finds and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Nothingwe do to take care of our needs is useless. In some way, Jesus
tells us, our prayers are always answered—if they are associated
with action on our part.
Students sometimes excuse poor grades by declaring
themselves ‘dumb.’ Often when asked if they actually study,
they respond, “No it wouldn’t do any good.” A spouse is anxious
over a failing marriage and yet refuses to seek professional
help. People complain of loneliness, but give no evidence that
they are actively seeking to make friends. Others complain that
they are bored and feel empty, yet do nothing to make changes in
their life-styles or attempt to engage in something new. We can
only wonder about the mediocrity and lost opportunities so many
people live with because they will not ask, or seek, or knock.
Effective living is chasing down opportunities, stretching oneself,
setting new goals, expanding relationships; asking, seeking,
knocking. The teachings of Jesus make it clear that life should
not be addressed with resignation to its difficulties, but with determination
and inventiveness to meet its challenges. The best
things in life do not come on a platter but need to be pursued.
Never resign yourself to fate, or choose to be a victim.
Pray, and then do what you need to take care of yourself. Surrendering
to God’s will does not mean abdicating your responsibilities
to yourself. God helps those who help themselves. If
you have a question, search out someone who can give you an
answer; if your are confused, go to a counselor. If you feel ill,
seek medical attention. If something is bothering you, get it out
in the open. If your job is a dead-end street, start knocking on
doors. If you need more love and affection, ask for it from those
you care about.
Seek, and find.
“Life is what you make it”
because life is fundamentally theresult of choices we make. True, there are many circumstances
in life over which we have no control, but how we allow circumstances
to affect us is also a matter of our own choosing; we
make or break ourselves by the attitudes and perceptions we
choose to maintain. Most of our choices are good ones, because
basically we are good people. Not that we don’t have our failings
now and then; in principle, however, we will choose good
over evil. Where the real difficulty lies, however, is in making a
choice among many good things available to us. We receive an
unexpected bonus, for example, and wonder if we should spend
it on new clothes, home repairs, new landscaping, a vacation or
charity. Should we buy an expensive wardrobe that will last or a
less expensive one that will permit us to buy some other things?
We may not make wrong choices, it’s just that we might have
chosen something better. How to choose what is ‘better’ often
puts us in a dilemma.
That is what we observe in the gospel reading from Luke. Martha
would fit in easily with the agenda of the modern world. She
is practical, efficient and businesslike. Her claims on Mary for
help are perfectly legitimate. There is always work to be done
running a household or dinner party. Have we never experienced
doing all the cooking, setting up tables, serving food and drinks,
and cleaning up afterwards, while someone who is supposed to
be helping us is having fun with the guests? Naturally, we are
resentful. When Martha complains, however, that Mary isn’t
doing her share of preparations, we note that Jesus does not condemn
Martha for her concerns, he merely affirms that,
“Maryhas chosen the good portion.”
There is more to life than whatis practical, efficient and businesslike.
Making choices among many good options is always easier if we
are clear about our priorities. What really counts in life? What
really matters? In the long run, what better serves our development
and happiness? On our deathbed, what will we repent not
having done? It’s good to maintain a showcase home, for example,
but it may be better to have a well-used one where children
can play at will and friends feel completely at ease. It’s good to
save for a rainy day, but may be better to spend money on the
present sunny one. It may be good to quit school early and go to
work, but it may be better to pursue an education in order to find
a good career. It is good to be highly protective of children, but
it may be better for their sense of autonomy to encourage them to
take some risks. It’s good to find comfort in religion, but it may
be better to have our faith shaken now and then so it might be
revitalized. If we hope to live more effectively, choices have to
be made. Priorities help us determine what the
“good portion”is.What is it to work hard and make a lot of money, if you can’t
enjoy yourself? What does it mean to be successful, if you aren’t
happy? What good is it to build a palatial home, if no one shares
it with you, or no one comes to visit? What are your priorities?
What good is a gourmet meal to a hungry soul, or an impressive
portfolio of investments to an empty spirit? Set up your priorities
in favor of enhanced living and your spiritual development.
Follow Mary’s example and make choices that expand your life
and help you grow.
We begin this reflection with a bit of imagination. What might
happen if we were on a plane, a thousand miles from nowhere,
and we suddenly turned blue in the face and passed out? What if
the flight attendant called for a doctor on board, but he refused to
come because he was ’on vacation?’ What if we were being
robbed in a mall parking lot, in full view of a policeman, but he
refused to come to our assistance because he was ‘off duty?’
What if a son or a daughter needed a little extra help after school
but the teacher refused because ‘overtime is not in our contract?’
How would we feel in these circumstances? In the gospel narrative
of Luke, we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan. The
bite in this parable is not simply people’s apathy, but that the
people, who by calling and profession should have helped the
stricken man, were precisely the ones who passed him by. This
parable is an indictment against parents who don’t parent, teachers
who don’t teach, students who don’t study, doctors who don’t
heal, ministers who don’t minister, repairmen who don’t repair
and politicians who don’t work for the common good. It is also
an indictment against Christians who don’t perform the work of
Christ in loving our neighbor as ourselves.
“And who is my neighbor?”
To whom do we offer our loveand care? This question is valid because most of us believe that
love must be selective and carefully parceled out—after all, we
have only so much to give. Furthermore, it is easy to confess
love for ‘mankind’ in general—no difficulty in that—but not so
easy to love individuals, specifically.
“And who is myneighbor?”
The gospel provides a clear answer. Our ‘neighbor’is not necessarily the person next door, or people we like, or people
who are fun to be with, or people listed in a parish visitation
list. Love is a condition of soul; it is not selective and cannot be
‘parceled out.’ Our neighbor is anyone who needs us. It may be
a son who is in particular need of encouragement, a student who
is falling behind in lessons, a little girl lost in a store, and elderly
lady across the street who cannot cut her grass, a cranky motherin-
law who has never heard a word of kindness, an uncle who
has no one to talk to, the prostitute, the homosexual, the mentally
disturbed, the criminal. The lesson the Lord is teaching us is that
we must examine our role as Christians and be willing to perform
wherever we are needed. As Christians, we are never ‘off
duty.’ Whenever someone is in need of a service we can offer,
we are there to provide it—no one gets passed by.
Reflect deeply on this parable of the Good Samaritan. It has a
powerful lesson for Christian living. How are you ‘on call’ as a
Christian? Do you believe love has its limits? Think of the
times you may have been in need and others passed you by.
How did it feel? Consider the times you passed by others because
of your fear, or reluctance to get involved. Love is an attitude
of heart; as such, it has no limits. How loving, therefore,
are you? You are not being asked to become a missionary or to
search out people to serve. The people who need you are all
around you every day, in your home, at work, on the streets, in
your neighborhood. You will know when you are needed, so at
least be willing to be of help whenever a need arises. Be who
you are: a Christian in fact, as well as in name.
There comes a time for every newly married couple when the
honeymoon is definitely over. The end generally signals an
awakening from inflated romantic fantasies. With the awakening
comes the discovery that one’s spouse is not perfect, cannot satisfy
all one’s expectations, and has features of temperament that
may never have been suspected before. It is at this point that real
marriage begins; it is here that a mature approach to marriage is
adopted or not. Partners may skirt the issue of approaching marriage
more maturely by trying to manipulate each other to fit
idealized expectations, but this usually results in disappointment.
The couple needs to realize that the ending of the honeymoon is
a gift, a reality check, an encouragement to rise to a new way of
being with a real person.
Paul faces much the same issue in his letter to the Galatians
where he addresses the practice of the Christian way of life. Being
human, we like to fuss over details. What is allowed and
what is not? What rituals are licit and what are illicit? Which
commandments are more important and which are less? What is
needed to become a Christian and what prevents someone from
becoming one? The only trouble with details is that we can become
lost in them, and Paul recognizes this. He tells the Galatians,
“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creation.”
What is important for aChristian is to embrace a whole new way of life.
Becoming a
“new creation” essentially means we not only putoff an old way of life but that we approach the Christian way of
life more maturely. This means that we take our spiritual development
seriously and embark on our spiritual journey from an
adult perspective. This usually entails forsaking many sentimental
ideas about religion we may have picked up in our training as
children. We may still have childish notions about God, the purpose
of our life, and what is essential to the Christian way of
living. Many of us may look upon God, for example, as a ‘sugar
daddy’ in the sky, and become angry and disillusioned with religion
when God doesn’t give us everything we want.
What matters is that we become
“a new creation,” that we embracereligion as responsible adults. We do not join a church to
avoid responsibility for our salvation but to accept responsibility.
Our objective in parish life should not be only to have our spiritual
needs met, but to discover ways that we can meet the needs
of others. We join a community of fellow believers not to gain
respectability but to enter the mystery of oneness we share in the
Spirit. We do not demand changes in our brothers and sisters in
the faith but support them as we grow together as a loving people.
Jesus loved little children, but he dealt with adults. In the
gospel of Luke, he sends his disciples on a mission. It should be
obvious that it was not going to be child’s play.
Do a reality check on your current religious beliefs. How do you demonstrate
a mature Christian life? Are you more concerned with church
governance, controversies, architecture, decorations, or ritual details
rather than being as loving as you can be? Are your hands routinely
outstretched to get, or to give? Do you accept Jesus as the Lord of your
life and are you willing to be of service to others? Never get bogged
down in details at the cost of being a new creation.
If there is one human activity that has become a regular feature
of contemporary life, it is making excuses for one thing or another.
We make excuses, and hear excuses, almost all day long.
A great deal of ingenuity goes into making excuses; it has almost
become an art form. With, “I got tied up in a project,” a
friend tries to cover our disappointment that a call wasn’t returned.
“The car broke down” can be particularly creative in
making excuses to avoid work around the house—”coach says if
I don’t rest my legs all day on Saturday, it will affect my freethrows.”
While we like to think of ourselves as mature and accountable,
we really don’t like to take responsibility. Masking
excuses is the handiest way out.
Having a habit of making excuses makes us halfhearted, which is
one of the biggest reasons why we don’t feel fulfilled in life.
Half-heartedness robs us of the joy and satisfaction that comes
from achievement. Making excuses may be an art form, but it
doesn’t make us feel good about ourselves. A half joke doesn’t
make us laugh. When workmen do a halfhearted job repairing
the roof of our house, we become annoyed, and fearful of more
leaks to come. When people tell us that they love us, and yet
never call, or ask how we’re doing, or can never agree on plans
to get together, we might justifiably wonder what kind of ‘love’
we’re talking about. In the gospel reading, Jesus faces the same
situation. He has obviously inspired a number of people to follow
him, and his potential disciples appear to be excited about
the prospect. But then the excuses start coming:
“Let me firstgo and bury my father,”
or “let me first say farewell to thoseat my home.”
We can only wonder what marvelous lives theseexcuse-makers might have had if they didn’t look back, and how
much they gave up for the sake of an excuse.
Living effectively requires full-hearted commitment to our goals.
No less, our religious life will be unsatisfying if we pursue it
with lukewarm passion. There is much validity in the saying we
might have heard often as children: “Do it right or don’t do it
all .” If our heart isn’t in something, we’re not going to do it
right, or else it’s going to be a ‘drag.’ In the reading from Galatians,
for example, Paul says,
“the whole law is fulfilled in oneword, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
He isspeaking about full-hearted love, love without conditions of
‘but,’ ‘if only,’ and ‘as long as …’ Paul suggests that we will
never experience the power and joy of the Christian way of life
until we embrace it with all our heart and soul. This means acting
out of love in all we say and do—without exception.
Responsibility is the key word here—do what you need to do.
Break the habit of making excuses for important things you need
to do in your life. Never make a promise you don’t intend to
keep. Don’t say you intend to do something when you are not
committed to follow through. What needs to be done? What
repairs need to be made, what jobs have you been putting off,
what commitments are you falling back on? Be what you are.
Be a full-time parent, or a very good friend, or an excellent
worker, or a devoted Christian. What other people do is irrelevant.
Become a full-hearted person and you discover a fullfilling
life. No excuses!
Galilee was our own area. But our days with Jesus there were numbered, though we did not realize that yet. Excitement was at fever pitch, which suited me fine. Opinions about Jesus varied. But on one point they were unanimous: the power of God was visiting the world through him as much as, nay more than, in the days of Elijah or any of the great prophets of the past. We wanted our little group to have a few days of quietness. But there was no getting away from the crowd. They had come down from the towns in the hills, curious and excited, careless of plans for food or lodgings. We thought we had seen everything until Jesus fed them all, at least 5,000, with just 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Was there any limit to the man? I always remember the challenge in his voice when he said to us:
“Give them something to eat yourselves.” Emptyhanded, I stood there, for once stuck for a word to say. And after he had multiplied those loaves and fishes, the broken pieces left over filled up exactly 12 baskets, one for each of us, and one for each tribe. I was quite excited when John hinted to me the significance of it all. We were each being given a basket of the miraculous bread to give to the hungry tribes—a hint of our mission. Eventually the crowd dispersed and we were at last alone with him. It was one of those strange times when a quietness which was beyond us took possession of him. It had to do with prayer. He was with us in a way but we knew that there was something in him that we could not reach. He listened intently to what we had to say about people’s reactions to him. Then he shot a quick question at us. “But you, who do you say that I am?” I had the answer out before I knew I was speaking. “The Anointed One of God.” I know that I could never have said it better. He was all that we had longed and waited for. He accepted what I said with the satisfied look of a teacher whose pupils have got it right at last. But — and there was always a ‘but’ when he had that strange look of prayer about him. But — he started saying all sorts of strange things about being rejected and put to death and rising on the third day. In my ignorance at the time I wouldn’t hear of anything so terrible happening. Now, years later, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see what he was telling us. In our excitement we were thinking of him in hope of the restoration of the glory days of David. But there was so much more that we had overlooked. It did not suit us to think in terms of Isaiah’s Servant of God, innocent yet rejected, but by his wounds healing many. Or Zechariah’s words about people looking in tears upon one whom they had pierced. And he went on to say that it would not be all days of glory for us either. He said a lot of tough things about the necessity of giving up selfish interests, even losing one’s life for his sake. I couldn’t fathom it at the time. But later events opened up his meaning to us. We who gathered up the 12 baskets of the miraculous bread of Jesus would have to be ready to let our lives, like bread, be broken and given too.
Nowadays, television frequently re-runs old Hollywood films, often in
black and white. And strangely enough, there seems to be a fairly sizeable
audience for them among the young. Whenever Hollywood chose a
Catholic theme, and that was not often, it seemed to be particularly fascinated
by the practice of confession. The relationship between the
penitent in confession and the priest has always intrigued non-Catholics,
and nothing more so than what is called the ‘seal of confession’. The
priest may never ‘break the seal of confession’, that is, he may never
reveal what he has been told in confession, even to save his own life.
This was the stuff that thrillers were made from. Murderers were believed
to have revealed their crimes to a priest in confession, who had to
carry this terrible secret, forbidden ever to reveal it. Even Catholics
believed when I was a young priest, that all priests were bearers of such
secrets. I think it largely accounted for the mystique attached to priests
then. Now I wonder what the young, Catholic or not, make of such
films. Most young Catholics who are not very familiar with confession,
have never heard of the seal of confession.
When I was young, in what I now tend to think of as ‘the age of sin’,
confession loomed very large in our lives. Every Saturday, at least up to
my early teens, I was ordered to go to confession, and was often asked
that evening, usually by my mother, ‘was I at confession?’ We all knew
then about the seal of confession. Priests then were distinguished between
those who were approachable and those who seemed to take personal
offence at our little peccadilloes. We didn’t know which to fear
most, the wrath of God or of the priest. Sin, mortal and venial, dominated
religion. Occasions of sin abounded. For some, confession itself
was one. When the change came, it came none too soon and I for one
shed no tears for the demise of those sin-full times.
But there is a profit and loss in all change. Nobody today, who reads a
newspaper or watches a television news, can be unaware that sin is alive
and well, and thriving as never before. They chronicle day after day
‘man’s inhumanity to man’, ranging from atrocities in Bosnia to massacres
in Rwanda. But sin is never mentioned. They speak of ‘crimes
against humanity’ or ‘human rights violations’. The sense of sin is dead
or well on the way towards extinction.
We have become observers rather than participants in the human tragedies
of our times. We tut-tut from the comfort of our armchairs as the
problems of our world are relayed into our homes. We have shifted
responsibility from the first to the third person. It is ‘they’ and ‘it’ rather
than ‘I’ who must accept the blame. We have institutionalized sin. It is
the fault of governments, totalitarian regimes, big business, etc. etc. etc.
We are the victims of the system and we wallow in our inability to do
anything about it. But just as ‘I’ is the middle letter of ‘sin’, ‘I’ is the
center of sin. And that is the message of today’s readings. David has
taken Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife and what was much worse had placed
Uriah in the front line of his army where certain death awaited him.
Confronted by the prophet Nathan, David accepted responsibility for his
crime:
“I have sinned against the Lord.” The tears of Mary Magdalen,moved Christ to say:
“Her sins, her many sins must have been forgivenher, or she would not have shown such great love.”
David andMary Magdalen accepted their guilt. Today’s Psalm says it all:
But now I have acknowledged my sins;
My guilt I did not hide.
I said: “I will confess
My offence to the Lord.”
And you, Lord, have forgiven the guilt of my sin.
God and sin, good and evil, are reverse sides of the same coin. One does
not exist without the other. Those who have lost their sense of sin may
be well on the way to losing their sense of God as well. The very first
step we take towards God is a step away from sin. Like the Prodigal, we
begin our return to the Father with a recognition of our sinfulness:
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
The story of how Jesus fed the multitude, as told by Luke, prefigures the
ministry of the apostles in the Christian community. The actions of
Jesus in taking, blessing, breaking and distributing the food
would become the Eucharistic actions. The work of the apostles
was foreshadowed when Jesus told them,
“Give them somethingto eat yourselves.”
Bread is surely the most relevant symbol of hope for a world in
which half the population suffer from shortage of food. Little
wonder that Jesus should choose bread as the memorial sign of
his presence and care in the world.
Although in our western society doctors more often ask patients
to cut back on their intake of food and drink, Luke, the physician,
is fascinated by food. Every chapter of his gospel has mention of
food or eating. It has been remarked that Luke presents Jesus
either going to a table, at a table, or coming from a table. Robert
J. Karris, in in his book,
Luke: Artist and Theologian ( PaulistPress) has a fascinating chapter on the theme of food.
The conception of Jesus is celebrated in the canticle of Mary as
God filling the starving with good things. Then Jesus was born
in Bethlehem, which means the house of bread. His first cot was
a feeding though borrowed from animals.
Before commencing his public ministry he fasted for forty days,.
In fasting, he manifested his solidarity with the hungry of the
world. He relied absolutely on the providence of the Father
rather than turn stones into bread. He responded to the tempter’s
first attack that man does not live on bread alone. Thus he recognized
the value of fasting in giving priority to the leading of the
Spirit over the demands of the flesh. Later, however, Jesus was
very critical of those who abused fasting as a way of winning the
esteem of others.
There were meals of celebration, as in the house of Levi, and at
the return of the prodigal son. And there were meals to relax
with friends, as with Martha and Mary. There are several references
to meals on the Sabbath, the day of rest.
Jesus was the guest who brought to the table more than he received.
At various tables he brought pardon to the sinful woman,
friendship to Zacchaeus and faith to the two disciples on the road
to Emmaus. Much of his teaching was imparted at meals. There
he drew attention to the foolish pride of those who vied for the
places of honor at table. He taught that our tables should be anticipations
of the final messianic banquet with special consideration
being given to the beloved poor of God. Lazarus, the beggar
at the gate, is the personification of God’s beloved poor.
Jesus told a story about God as the master who dons the apron to
serve the faithful servant. And at the last supper Jesus moved
among the apostles as one who serves.
The behavior of Jesus at table so challenged the accepted pious
traditions that he drew condemnation upon his head. He was
accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. There was a loud
complaint that he ”
welcomes sinners and eats with them.”Karris comes to the provocative conclusion that Jesus got himself
crucified by the way he ate.
When he taught his followers a prayer which would express their
Christian identity, the petition for today’s needs is a request for
bread. And Jesus arranged that the celebration of his memory
would be in a meal: “Do this in memory of me.” The risen
Lord was recognized by two disciples at the breaking of bread.
And would you believe what he asked of the dumbfounded apostles
when he appeared to them in the Upper Room: “Have you
anything here to eat?”
This theme of food continues into the Acts of the Apostles. The
breaking of bread was one of the cornerstones of the early community.
And when Peter was establishing his credentials as a
witness, his claim was: “We have eaten and drunk with him
after his resurrection from the dead.”
(Acts 10:41)The day when Jesus fed the multitude in the lonely place was like
a summary of his mission. He welcome the crowds … even
though they were wrecking his plans for a day of retreat with the
apostles. He talked to them about the kingdom of God. He
brought healing to those who needed it. And he fed them in their
hunger.
Bread is a symbol of the outreach of God to his children in welcome,
enlightenment, healing and sustaining.
Worship, Joy and Praise
Each of the synoptic evangelists gave his own nuance to the Ascension
story. Matthew emphasized the promise of the Lord to
be with the disciples to the end of time. Thus he would be true to
the name Emmanuel, God is-with-us, the name by which the conception
of the child was announced to Joseph on the opening
page of Matthew. Mark highlighted the messianic triumph of
Christ when he was taken up to heaven to the right hand of God
while the apostles go out to preach in his power. Luke harked
back to the manner of the departure of Elijah, who was taken up
to heaven in a chariot of fire, but whose spirit came to rest on his
disciple. Elisha (cf. 2 Kings 2.) He described how Jesus was
carried up to heaven and was worshipped by the disciples; and
that he was sending down to them what the Father had promised.
One would labor in vain trying to fit together the jigsaw details
of the various accounts. Even the one writer, Luke, differs between
his gospel and Acts. A photographer deputed to capture
the scene would have had insurmountable problems about the
day and location. Luke in Acts says it was forty days after Easter
day but in his gospel it seems to happen on Easter day. Luke’s
gospel situates the departure on the outskirts of Bethany and in
Acts he says the Mount of Olives, whereas Matthew has it taking
place on a mountain in distant Galilee. The diverse details are no
more than wrappings around the mysterious event. The essence
of the various stories are certain theological truths on which the
evangelists are in full agreement. The first truth being celebrated
today is the return of Jesus to the Father in heaven; this is what
John calls his glorification.
A second reason for celebration is the promise of power from on
high to enable the disciples to become witnesses of the Lord to
the ends of the earth. A third aspect of the celebration is our final
hope,...that we can look forward to the return of the Lord.
“Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this
same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen
him go there”
(Acts 1:11.) Luke draws attention to the reactionof the disciples. They worshipped Jesus; they went back to Jerusalem
full of joy, and they were continually in the temple praising
God. What John would call believing, Luke describes as
worship, joy and praise. If throughout the liturgical year one has
listened to the teaching of Jesus, wondered at his miracles, journeyed
through the testing days of Lent and shared the pains of
the passion, then it is fitting now to celebrate the triumph of Jesus
in worship, joy and peace. We bow in worship as we recognize
his uplifting in divine glory. There is joy in the thought of how
he transformed death into the dawn of new life. And God is to be
praised every day in the proclamation of his great works.
Whatever people’s definition of God, there is general
consensus that God is a universal Spirit, benevolent, loving and
caring. In the gospel reading, Jesus makes a remarkable revelation
about our association with God. He makes it clear that God
is not aloof from creation but actually dwells in a loving heart,
“If some man loves me...we will come to him and make our
home with him.”
Jesus also assures us that God’s spirit abidesin us as teacher, counselor and guide.
“But the Counselor, theHoly Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will
teach you all things.”
This promise of Jesus is extraordinarygood news and should have significant impact for anyone pursuing
more effective living. There is immediate comfort in knowing
we are never alone, that God is present in us, and for us, at all
times. We never need fear that we are isolated in our tribulations,
or that we go it alone in our struggles for a better life. But
we are further encouraged by the fact that God is actively present
in us, prompting and guiding us to higher levels of personal development
and quality living.
Most of us don’t appreciate, much less utilize, this infinitely
powerful resource of God’s presence within us. We may claim
belief in a universal Spirit that is generally benevolent and concerned
for our welfare, but may not be so convinced that we are
privileged to be the constant object of immediate divine attention,
which is most unfortunate and much to our loss. It is like
suffering in poverty, not knowing that a rich relative has bequeathed
us a fortune. With more awareness, however, we might
see signs of God operating in our lives. For example, we may be
in a great sorrow when something totally unexpected comes
about to bring us comfort, or we may be in the depths of despair
and suddenly be given a glimpse of light. There may be times
we receive just the added push we need to accomplish a difficult
undertaking, or a golden opportunity presents itself, or sudden
inspiration appears out of nowhere. Luck? Coincidence? Are
we not led by the Spirit dwelling within us, often without realizing
it? Is it not possible that ‘coincidence’ is merely God’s way
of remaining anonymous?
We should be encouraged to take advantage of the Spirit’s
presence within us and actively seek out God’s counsel. We can
certainly make ourselves more available to God’s guidance. God
wants us to be happy and to live more effectively. We can ask
God for light to set us in the right direction. In the quiet of our
hearts we can listen to God prompting us with inspiration to pursue
what will best serve our interests. We should never hesitate,
therefore, to confer with our indwelling Spirit for whatever help
we need to resolve confusions, handle difficult situations, or
solve our problems, Jesus assures us that God is not only to be
served, but that God wishes to serve us.
Begin each day reflecting on God’s presence within you. Work
to develop a more active relationship with the Spirit within. Tell
God how grateful you are for the help you receive. Ask the Holy
Spirit for counsel in your difficulties. Go to God first with your
needs, however big or small they may be. Don’t be discouraged
just because your prayers are not answered according to your
designs or timetables—trust that God knows what is in your best
interests. Above all, learn to listen. Stop your prayers and quietly
listen for a response. Communicate with God, but give God
a chance to communicate with you.
Writers about the Holy Land have been intrigued by the various calls and whistles that shepherds use and the unfailing response of sheep to them. Several flocks may be intermingled overnight
in the same shelter. Morning will bring no problem in sorting
out the flocks. A shepherd makes his peculiar call and straightaway
his flock, and only his flock, will follow him out. In answer to the call,
a leader sheep begins to move and all the others will follow. Jesus said:
‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, I know them and
they follow me.’
One must periodically ask oneself: whose voice do I follow? Whose
standards do I seek to emulate? Loud voices shout at us today from
many sources … peer pressure, pop culture, advertising, political slogans,
secularism and so-called liberalism. The way of a disciple is to
follow the voice of the Lord. The life of faith is a response to a call.
Indeed the whole bible is an ongoing story of call and response. Creation
itself can be understood as God calling Adam out of nothingness.
At the beginning of revelation Abraham heard the call of God to venture
forth in confidence. He became father of many nations. Moses heard
the call, overcame all obstacles and led the people forth into freedom.
Often the personal call had to be expressed outwardly in a journey
someway symbolic of the inner pilgrimage. Thus Mary, immediately
after receiving God’s call at the annunciation, set out in faith to visit Elizabeth.
And in the life of Jesus, he received his call when the Spirit descended
upon him at the Jordan. His journey began when the Spirit led him first
into the wilderness and then into the Galilean ministry. Jesus in turn
called disciples, some of whom he called more intimately, to become
shepherds of his flock. The risen Lord shared his Spirit with these disciples
and called them to carry on his mission:
‘As the Father sent me,so I am sending you.’
They too would journey forth in answer to the call.The Church is the community of believers who follow the voice of the
risen Lord. He lives on in intimate relationship with his followers. He
knows them individually and calls each one into an intimate relationship.
Many hear a deeper call drawing them into a fuller commitment of
life to the mission of Jesus … some to proclaim his word … or to carry
on his works of compassion … or to take a partner in married love
where fidelity reflects the unchanging and unifying love of the Blessed Trinity.
The harvest is great and the laborers are few. More than half the parishes
of the world today have no resident priest: the mission of Jesus
needs many more voices. While people are hungry, while the sick need
tenderness and caring, the compassion of Jesus needs many more hearts
and hands. While fidelity in love is often unknown, the world needs the
witness of Christian marriage as a light showing the possibility of unconditional
trust. The life of a true disciple is directed by listening to
the voice of the God who calls. We need the discipline of reflecting on
our daily involvement to discern how the Lord is calling us to respond
and represent him there. Vocations Sunday is an occasion to reflect on
one’s own experience of the Lord’s call: and to encourage others to
understand their lives as being open to the call of the
risen Lord. Christ is alive … in his voice which calls
generous disciples to lead others forward in his name.
Holy Week, Easter Sunday and lots of Easter candy
have already come and gone for the year 2010.
The Holy Week and Easter celebrations were occasions
of great beauty and reverence, and I am grateful to the various liturgical ministers who helped assure that all things went well. These days are so rich in
meaning and symbol, and good preparation and planning are certainly essential to make that meaning and symbol available to the participating congregation.
I want to express my gratitude to all those unnamed volunteers who help assure that our liturgies, not only at Easter but throughout the year, are planned, prepared, accomplished and executed with grace and dignity.
It is true that we can have Mass without servers or masters of ceremonies; we can have Mass without extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and without
music; we can have Mass without sacristans and readers; we can have Mass without flowers and decorations, but our Eucharistic experience is certainly enhanced by the presence of all of these things. They are not, strictly speaking, essential, but they are certainly very important.I was very much aware of the work that various volunteers were carrying out at St. Michael’s and I am
very grateful to them. Volunteers who gave of their time to beautify our grounds with trimmings, plantingand mulching, to little volunteers at our school wheeling
barrows of weeds and mulch to make Easter Sunday morning one glorious sight. We may not always appropriately acknowledge your presence or your
very important work, but I can assure you everyone in this Church would know and comment if your work were not done. Fortunately, the work we do is not aimed at gaining recognition or acknowledgment, but ultimately for the greater honor and Glory of God. It is clear, however, that being human does incline us to
appreciate being appreciated. I want to assure you, you are appreciated
very much. Thank you so much.
Fr. Brian