Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

 I read about three men in a hospital maternity waiting room. A nurse announces to the first, “Congratulations! You have one beautiful boy." The man says, "How about that! I'm president of CapitalOne!" 

A few minutes later, the nurse reappears and says to the second man, “Congratulations! You have twins!" He replies, "What a coincidence! I own the Minnesota Twins!" 

The third man starts crying, and the nurse asks, "What's wrong?" He says, "I work at Seven-Eleven!” 

Our God can be a God of surprising coincidences.  

We’re approaching the end of the liturgical year in which we relive the story of our salvation. This liturgical year begins with Advent (where we re-experience the hope for a Messiah), then Christmas or the birth of the Messiah, next through Lent into the dying and rising of Jesus at Easter. Finally, after Ordinary Time, Jesus Christ comes “in great power and glory” and next Sunday, we will crown him king of the universe.

Yes, we await the second coming of the Lord Jesus when God will transform this universe into a glorious kingdom in all its fullness. The question is, are we ready to enter the dazzling light of Jesus Christ, where we will see who we really are. That light will illuminate our better or our worse selves.

Now, the Book of Daniel takes us back to a crisis. Greek oppressors are trying to force the Jews to give up their faith, to deny their covenantal relationship with God. Daniel pleads: don’t give up despite the cruelties you’re enduring; the archangel Michael will protect you; God will win and you will shine brightly. Yes, good will triumph.

The Word challenges us to be faithful to our promises, to persevere despite doubts we may have, especially in difficult times. The positive-thinking preacher Norman Vincent Peale reminded us “Life is either a great experience, or a small one, dependent on the quality and character of the thoughts we think.”

The letter to the Hebrews recalls the one sacrifice of Jesus. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus re-established our relationship with God. The Word challenges us to grow in that relationship by living a life of discipleship with Jesus.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about an apocalypse: a darkened sun, an unlit moon, falling stars, all symbolic and scary images. One day Jesus Christ will usher in the glorious kingdom of God in all its fullness. The Gospel author urges us always to be ready to meet the Living Christ because we don’t know when He will come to us. The Gospel asks whether we are ready now. 

That Gospel brings to my mind a medieval fable about a man who sent an employee to the Baghdad marketplace. There the employee saw the figure of death. Death seemed to look threateningly at him. He rushed back to his employer and begged for a horse to flee. His boss obliged and the employee galloped off to the City of Samara. 

Later, the businessman went to the Baghdad market, and he too saw the figure of death. The businessman asked why he had stared so threateningly at his employee. Death replied, “That was a look of surprise to see him in Baghdad. You see, I have an appointment with him in Samara.”

This fable reinforces the theme of watchfulness or readiness. Are we ready to meet God in the mystery of death? What do we have to do today to be ready? We know that some things can delay death. We can exercise, eat right, stop smoking, and so on. But we ultimately will have to keep an appointment with death. 

The good news is this. As people of faith, we know that the God who gave us life will transform our earthly self into a new heavenly self. That's the Easter message.

So how do we prepare to meet God? 

First, value each day as a gift from God and live today well. We were created to live in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit. Without that relationship we will feel empty deep inside. As St, Augustine wrote, “God, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Yes, no matter who we are or what we do, our true purpose is to be in relationship with God. That makes life worth living.

Some people try to fill their emptiness with different things: alcohol or money or status or so-called “expensive toys.”

 So, take every opportunity, no matter what the circumstances, to do the right thing, to make our life worth living. You've heard the saying: Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks, is it politic? Vanity asks, is it popular? But, conscience asks, is it right?

Yes, many times in life, we have to ask, “What is the right thing to do?” And then just do it. Amen.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

On the 11 th day of the 11 th month in 1918, WWI ended. November 11, Monday, we honor all U.S. veterans who served or are serving in our military forces: some 17 million plus men and women. I invite our veterans here to stand for our applause. Thank you for your service to our country. 

Some of us need aids for our vision, hearing, etc. Many are getting high tech hearing aids. I heard of a ninety-year-old who bought a set; they worked perfectly. At his follow-up exam, the audiologist said, “I bet your family was surprised.” The man replied,” I haven’t told them yet. I listen to what they say about me. I’ve already changed my will three times.” Moral of the story: be careful what you say. 

The word of God takes us back to the 9 th century before Jesus, to a Hebrew prophet named Elijah. In today’s word, a widow, a non-Jew or so-called Gentile, is down to her last handful of flour and a tiny bit of oil. She’s making her last meal before she and her child will die from starvation. 

Suddenly she meets Elijah, who asks for water and a bit of bread. Elijah asks her to trust in God. The widow faces a dilemma: should she trust in God who Elijah says will provide a never-ending supply? Or should she feed her starving child first. Trust and hospitality win; the widow gives all she has to Elijah. Amazingly, the promise comes true: God’s never-ending supply. That truly was a great act of faith in God’s providence. The word challenges us to trust God, and to be welcoming.

In the Gospel, we hear about a widow who put her last two coins into the Temple treasury in Jerusalem. Jesus observes aloud that, in contrast to those who gave from their surplus, this woman gave “all she had to live on.” Another great act of faith. This word also challenges us to trust in God and be generous. 

And the author of Hebrews speaks about the superiority of Jesus’s one sacrifice to the many sacrifices in the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus through his death and resurrection opens to humankind eternal heavenly life beyond this earthly life. 

Thinking about today’s word of God, I recalled a photographer sharing a scene after a devastating earthquake in Latin America. At the end of a long line for food stood a girl about 12 years old. Finally, the only food left was one banana. The girl took the precious food across the street where three children waited. She divided the banana into three equal parts to feed the youngsters, and then she licked the inside of that banana peel. “In that moment,” wrote the photographer, “I swear I saw the face of God!” 

Yes, the word of God challenges us to ask ourselves: do we reveal the face of God in our attitudes and behavior? As missionary disciples of Jesus, we ought to show the face of God in our everyday behavior, especially by living the beatitudes that Matthew sums up so splendidly in Chapter 5 of his Gospel. 

I would like to think Jesus would say this about us: If you’re working to pay the bills but making time to be with your spouse and children especially when they need you, blessed are you. Heaven will be yours.

If you are overwhelmed caring for a chronically ill family member, but you try your best to make a loving home, blessed are you. One day your sorrow will be transformed into joy. If you refuse to take shortcuts when it comes to doing What’s right, if you refuse to compromise your integrity and ethics, if you refuse to rationalize that “everyone does it,” blessed are you – you will triumph. 

If you readily spend time listening and consoling; if you manage to heal wounds and build bridges; if others see in you goodness, graciousness, joy and serenity; if you can see the good in everyone and seek the good for everyone, blessed are you. You are the face of God in our midst. Rejoice and be glad, Jesus says. In the end, heaven is yours. 

May God give each of us the grace to show the face of God to others in our attitudes and behaviors. The beatitudes in Matthew 5 is one way. The way the poor women in the word of God did is another; and the way that Latina girl served a banana to those three youngsters is still another way. Lets look for opportunities to show the face of God in our daily lives.

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s rarely heard during this election season. Norman Vincent Peale, the proponent of positive thinking, observed “When you pray for anyone you tend to modify your personal attitude toward him.” I think we need more prayer.

If polls are accurate soon half the country may be happy and half unhappy. Politicians in Colonial America sought feedback from constituents by sending assistants to taverns to “go sip some ale and listen to the conversations.” “You go sip here” and “I'll go sip there.” The words “go sip” morphed into the word “gossip.” Maybe that’s what polls are. Enough! On to the Word of God.

Sometimes we ask ourselves: what’s the one thing I want to be remembered for? Or if I could save one item from my house, what would it be? Such questions reveal what’s important to us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was asked “Which is the first of all the commandments?” The scribe is asking Jesus to prioritize God's commandments. Without hesitating, Jesus quotes the She’ma, a prayer still recited today by Jews:

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” 

That prayer is the farewell address of Moses in the passage from the Book of Deuteronomy. What would we want to say or write in our farewells to those we love?

Jesus quickly adds a quote from the holiness code in the Book of Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The scribe responds: You are right…to love God and to love your neighbor is worth “more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” I think it's amusing that the scribe tells Jesus, “You’re right.”

The letter to the Hebrews speaks about Jesus Christ, our high priest, who through his death and resurrection opened to all humankind eternal life with God.

Yes, we believe in the mystery of death is eternal life. God called us out of nothingness for a specific purpose and an unimaginable future. The crucified/risen Christ anticipates this future that can be ours.  So how might we experience this glorious future?

One way perhaps is by becoming more aware of the presence of God as we go about our daily routines: yes, work, shopping, travel, exercise, meals with family and friends.

A writer emphasized the importance of the present moment in this:

I have no yesterdays … time took them away;

tomorrow may not be, but I have today.

Make the most of today ...

Take time today to pray; it brings us closer to God.

Take time to be friendly and hospitable; it’s the source of much happiness;

take time to work; it’s the price of success.

And take time to do acts of kindness; it’s the key to heaven.

Yes, let's make the best of each moment. One way is to practice the presence of God. The great masters of Christian spirituality say this practice is an art.  The contemporary Trappist monk, Thomas Keating, promoted through his books this practice which he called Centering Prayer: striving to place ourselves in the presence of God through silence.

And where better to begin than in this liturgy.  Yes, we encounter the living Christ in a privileged way in the liturgy. The Risen Christ is present as we gather: remember the words, wherever two or three gather in my name, there I am in their midst. The triune God dwells in each of us. That is why hospitality is so important. 

In this liturgy we connect as sons and daughters of God our Father, disciples of Jesus, in a way that expresses the unity of the mystical body of Christ.

Jesus invites us through the presider to worship our heavenly Father. It is really Christ who invites us to sing and pray with him.

We encounter the living Christ in the word.  We hear the reader's voice but it is Christ speaking. We ought to listen with open ears and open hearts because Christ has a word, perhaps a single word, meant for each of us, a word that hits home.

Then Christ reveals his presence to us in the reality of his body and blood which he offers to us as spiritual nourishment.

Our Catholic tradition teaches us that the bread and wine truly become the reality of Jesus Christ. Christ offers us himself in the meal we call communion. This is an intensely personal and communal moment in which we are deeply united with Christ and with all who share this sacred meal worldwide. Communion links us through the sacramental body of Jesus Christ to his mystical body.

Yes, this liturgical gathering connects us to a worldwide faith community.  

If we experience the presence of the living Christ, then we shall practice the art of the presence of God more readily in our daily routine.

May God grace us abundantly as we go about our routines and make the best of each present moment. Amen.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Every youngster knows what Thursday is. "Halloween" is a contraction of All Hallows' Eve. It’s an old-fashioned way of saying "the night before All Saints' Day." So, if your children or grandkids go trick or treating, be sure they have a fun and safe time, and ask them to tell you about their baptismal name saint. One of the best places for a fun and safe Halloween is here on Church grounds beginning at 5:30 pm. 

The Word of God takes us back to the 6th century before Jesus. Jeremiah speaks about hope: a new beginning for a people now conquered but soon to be free, now overwhelmed by tragedies but soon to enjoy prosperity and peace.  Jeremiah challenges us to hope always in God.

The letter to the Hebrews speaks of the saving work of Jesus, our high priest who re-established our relationship with God and one another. The author challenges us to see earthly life in light of our true purpose: a new heavenly reality with God and each other forever.

In the Gospel, Jesus asks a blind man: “what do you want me to do for you?” The person replies: “I want to see.” Jesus replies: “Your faith has saved you.” And the blind man saw. It’s “Amazing Grace” – “I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

Jesus asks each of us today what we want him to do for us. How do we answer Jesus?

I would like to speak about another person who was once blind to who Jesus was, and suddenly saw him as the living Christ: St. Paul.

Paul was well educated in Judaism and philosophy. He had also been a rabid persecutor of the early Christians.

Suddenly Paul was blinded by a light from above. The awesome visionary experience of Christ turned Paul’s life around. He became God’s chosen instrument to the non-Jews, a great evangelizer. Paul established faith communities and authored letters shaping the history of Christian thought. For this, he was persecuted and finally beheaded for his faith.

I believe Paul had a keen insight into what makes people tick. The desire for happiness is universal. We often do things that we think will make us happy, only to end up miserable. Why? Because we sometimes confuse pleasure with happiness. Etched into Paul’s vision were the words of Jesus: "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

For Paul, the path to the fullness of life is discipline. Think about it. When we eat well, exercise often, and sleep regularly, we feel alive physically. When we love, when we give priority to our significant relationships, when we encourage people, we feel alive emotionally. When we study the achievements and marvels of the human spirit in various cultures, our world expands and we feel alive intellectually.

And when we take time each day with God in prayer, humbly and openly, we experience more fully the transcendent dimension of our lives, the spiritual, the awesome presence of God. All of these life-giving endeavors require discipline. Discipline sets us free for our ultimate purpose: love of God and our fellow human beings.

Paul grasped this and preached that Christ came to reconcile us with the Father, and in doing so, Christ satisfies the craving for happiness that preoccupies our hearts. Our yearning is ultimately for friendship and intimacy and relationship with our Creator. Augustine’s words in the fifth century echo anew in every place, in every time: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, Lord.”

For St. Paul, Christ is indeed “the way, the truth, and the life.”

And who is this Jesus who captivated Paul and should captivate us? The Gospel writers give us a glimpse. They wrote to different audiences and emphasized different ways in which to follow Jesus.

In Matthew, Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the new Moses, the teacher, the rabbi who instructs the disciples, especially in the Beatitudes; and Matthew invites us to teach as well, especially by example, by the practice of virtue.

In Mark, Jesus is the suffering Messiah—human, approachable. Mark proposes that like the early Christians, we may have to cope with suffering. We may wonder at times if God has forgotten us. But Jesus reminds us, “do not fear. I am with you always.”

In Luke, Jesus is compassionate and forgiving, and salvation is for everyone. Remember the parable of the prodigal son. Luke challenges us to be compassionate and forgiving in our relationships with one another.

In John, Jesus is noble, majestic, divine. “The Word was God.” “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus invites the first disciples to stay with him, and John invites us to stay with Jesus, especially in prayer.

Jesus is more than any one person can describe. What image of Jesus inspires each of us to become the kind of person today that Jesus was? Let that image captivate us the way it captivated so many holy men and women in Christianity.