Ascension of the Lord and His Return

“This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way you have seen him going into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) The angels declare to those who witnessed Jesus’ ascension that his return would be similar, i.e. visible. Interesting thing is they do not mention two returns. Why do I bring this up, this notion of two returns? Just ten days ago we experienced a false prophet who made false declarations of future events. Harold Camping founder of Family Radio predicted the date of the Rapture as May 21, 2011 and then the end of the world as we know it on Oct. 21, 2011. Camping is quoted as saying that his calculations are “beyond the shadow of a doubt” (c.f. “End of Days in May, Believers enter Final Stretch. Associated Press, citied at MSNBC, Jan. 23, 2011, retrieved May 31, 2011). First off, Harold Camping is a false prophet, he predicted the end of the world back in the nineties, again now, and finally he has adjusted the date again. Since Camping uses the bible alone to deduce his predictions, what does the bible say about false prophets?

But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.' "If you say to yourselves, 'How can we recognize an oracle which the LORD has spoken?', know that, even though a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if his oracle is not fulfilled or verified, it is an oracle which the LORD did not speak. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously, and you shall have no fear of him. (Duet. 18:20-22, NAB)

Camping has lost all credibility. Maybe I am being too harsh on Camping; maybe his intentions were good, but definitely misguided. This is the same man who claims one does not need a Church or any sacraments. You can see how dangerous someone can be when it comes to interpreting Scripture.

Camping’s false prophecy should not deter us from desiring the Lord’s return. As Christians we should be waiting in eager expectation for the Lord’s return. The angels promised it to the disciples, the Lord himself promised it. Yet, there seems to be confusion, i.e. what is the Rapture, do we Catholics believe in the Rapture?

No we do not believe in the Rapture as biblical fundamentalists teach it. Basically, biblical fundamentalists believe that Jesus will come and snatch away true believers (bible fundamentalists, born-agains) first, then there will be a tribulation period of seven years, then Jesus will restore order for a thousand years, and finally after the thousand years the end as we know it will occur.

The bible passage fundamentalist’s use as the basic premise for their rapture theology is 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, which says,

“Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thess 4:15-17, NAB)

There are other supporting passages, and a great play with numbers and dates. They believe in a literal 7 day creation, that the world is 7000 years old and with the interpretation of Scripture and numbers they come up with dispensations, time frames of history that point to a final culmination of time. Let me be clear, they are mistaken.

We Catholics believe that Jesus will return, that there will be “pains” that the earth experiences beforehand, but there will only be one return, and those who are alive at that one return will be taken alive into the air as 1 Thessalonians describes, but that is one event, not two separate events.

Jesus also warns us that no one knows the exact day or the exact hour, not even the angels, (c.f. Mt. 24:36). We will not know the exact time, but Jesus will also not leave us completely in the dark. Just as a woman begins to go into labor pains we know that a child is coming soon, though we cannot predict the exact hour or minute, so too with the end of times, we will know it’s coming, but not the exact day or hour, c.f. Mt. 24:8)

Since there is great confusion on the subject of “the return of Christ” I was compelled to speak to you about this topic and also since we are celebrating that Jesus returned to his Father in a very visible way, he will also return to us in a very visible way. We will not only see by faith when he returns but we will actually see him as he is. How can one not long for such a thing? The danger for us Catholics is that we sometimes move in the other extreme and reduce Jesus’ Second Coming down to symbolism or we forget about it. That extreme must be avoided. The early disciples longed for Jesus’ return, they already experienced the peace of the kingdom in many ways, and they wanted nothing more than to experience it again. If one does not desire the Lord’s return than something here of this world is preoccupying us and it should not.

My prayer for all of us is that Jesus returns and when he does that we will all be a part of that glorious kingdom where there will no longer be any more tears, pains, or sorrows, but only peace, joy, and happiness, God bless you.

Fr. John

6th Sunday of Easter: Seek the Holy Spirit

You can see that the readings are preparing us for Pentecost, as both the first reading from Acts and the Gospel of John focus on the power of the Holy Spirit. Often times, this third person of the Holy Trinity is the least called upon, the least remembered, but always the quiet one working in the background – a whisper in the wind, though quite powerful. As Catholics, we all need to remind ourselves from time to time that the Holy Spirit is the one that reveals God’s will to us and the one who offers direction for our lives and truths about ourselves.

The question I ask myself, and you, is “Do we go to the Holy Spirit when we have questions about our lives, when we want to know some truth about ourselves or what may lie in store for us?” What I am going to bring up may upset some of you. You may think the matters trivial but they are quite serious and can have serious repercussions.

People are curious by nature. This is not bad in and of itself, for curiosity helps us to ask questions about God, our faith, and those things that are important to us. The problem is we do not always seek the Holy Spirit for answers in our lives. Sometimes we will dabble with horoscopes, numerology, fortunetellers and psychics, read the bottom of tea cups, play with tarot cards or even Ouija boards.

Just to be clear let’s take a look at what Scripture says about such things:

“Do not go to mediums or consult fortunetellers, for you will be defiled by them. I, the LORD, am your God.” (Leviticus 19:31, NAB)

“And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isaiah 8:19, ESV)

“Thus Saul died because of his rebellion against the LORD in disobeying his command, and also because he had sought counsel of a necromancer, and had not rather inquired of the LORD. Therefore the LORD slew him, and transferred his kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.” (1 Chronicles 10:13, NAB)

“In the king's presence Daniel made this reply: ‘The mystery about which the king has inquired, the wise men, enchanters, magicians, and astrologers could not explain to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what is to happen in days to come; this was the dream you saw as you lay in bed.’” (Daniel 2:27-28, NAB)

"When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone . . . who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-11, ESV)

There are dozens of Scripture passages that warn us of such practices. You may think the warnings are harsh, overreactions, or that they just do not apply to you. God warns us because he knows what these practices can do. The first thing they do is subtly move us from relying on God for the answers to someone or something else. Any movement away from God is a victory for the devil. The devil, you see, will not come to us with horns, pitchfork, and a tail. No, he comes in disguises of light. Lucifer means “the angel of light”. The first task of Satan is to make us believe we are not sinning, that he does not exist, and that what we are doing is not only okay but good.

My argument is not simply about ‘don’t do this’ or ‘avoid that’, but there is a logic to it. We are all believers. We go to Church; therefore we obviously believe, or at least that is the assumption. Just a short time ago on Good Friday, we remembered the crucifixion of our Lord. Here was the Son of God, who picked up a cross, carried it, and then was nailed to it. This act proves his love for us, for he did not die for himself but for us. If he can do that, can’t he answer us when we pray? Also, what fortune teller, horoscope writer, numerologist or diviner is going to carry a cross for us and then be nailed to it? Not a one!

God asks us that we go to him for every single need and question that we have. In particular, we are to go the Holy Spirit whom Jesus has given to us in baptism and confirmation. Let me present to you some Scripture that will help us to see this Truth.

“In the same way, the Spirit, too, comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will. We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:26- 28, NAB)

“But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.” (John 16:13, NAB)

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread? Or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him?” (Matthew 7:7- 11, NAB)

Is Jesus telling the truth? If we believe he is then it is never necessary to seek the answers anywhere else but through God. What will the bottom of a tea cup tell me, or a fortune teller, or someone who studies numbers, or the stars? They can tell me nothing. Why place my trust in anything but God?

As Pentecost approaches, we should make every effort to remember the Holy Spirit and the good that he does for us. The Holy Spirit does so much for us: he reveals to us the mysteries of God; helps us to pray; guides our will towards the Father; bestows gifts and graces on us; reveals to us truths about ourselves to help us to live holy and good lives. Pray that we will always place our trust, not in dead things, but in the living God, who is the giver of every good gift. AMEN!

Fr. John

A Little Assurance

Today’s Gospel is one that gives us great assurance. It proves that we are loved and also that there is a heaven. It does not offer scientific proof as far as seeing the object, measuring it, or examining data. One does not get that kind of proof. The afterlife is based on faith, yet not a faith that is unreasonable or absurd. Jesus is clear, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places . . . I go and prepare a place for you . . . so that where I am you also may be.” As Christians, we believe this to mean that there is a place we will go to after death and that place is with God, the angels and saints.

“If one is not a believer then no amount of reason will provide a sufficient answer to his or her questions. If one is a believer then no proof is necessary”, (paraphrased quote of Stuart Chase). Yet, we still would like assurances from time to time.

I would like to share a story with you that I know I have shared with some of you, and have shared on my blog in brief. But I want to get into it here with more detail for it is a story that does provide some assurance, some hope.

It is a story of a young boy named Colton, about 5 years old, who was suffering from appendicitis. No one could figure out what was wrong with the boy. He was misdiagnosed with a stomach virus, infection, or some type of blockage, until finally one doctor diagnosed him correctly. But it was quite late and the young boy’s life hung in the balance. His appendix had ruptured and infection was spreading. After some grueling surgery and many long days in the hospital, the boy pulled through.

When the boy was home, he eventually began to tell his mom and dad about his vision in the hospital. He began to talk about meeting Jesus, being taken to heaven, meeting family, friends, some of the saints, etc. Colton’s dad, being a Methodist minister, was naturally very intrigued and began to question his son slowly and carefully, making sure not to push since he was dealing with a five-year-old boy.

Colton’s vision, as he related it to his dad, lasted only 3 minutes, but in those 3 minutes he met his great-grandfather, as well as a sister he never knew. Colton’s parents had had a miscarriage before his birth, that of his older sister. Colton had no knowledge of the miscarriage as his parents never told him or his living sister about it. Colton also described meeting John the Baptist and the archangel Gabriel. However, the most interesting thing Colton described was what Jesus looked like. He kept referring to his beautiful eyes and his markers. His dad thought Colton was talking about coloring, but he was talking about Jesus’ visible wounds – healed but still visible. Colton described Jesus’ eyes as warm, colorful, happy, and full of love. Colton’s dad would show him pictures of Jesus, all different types, asking “Which one does he look like?” Colton’s answer would always be the same: “It looks something like him, but not really”.

One day while surfing online, Colton’s dad read of a young girl about 13 years old who was a visionary; she was having visions of heaven and Jesus. She also happened to be an artist, and a very good one. She began to paint her visions, one of which was Jesus’ face (scroll down to previous entry to see it). Colton’s dad showed a number of pictures to Colton, with this young girl’s painting mixed in with some others. Colton looked over the pictures and when he got to young girl’s picture he froze, turned to his daddy, and said, “That’s him. That’s Jesus.”

Granted, both Colton and the young girl’s experiences are private revelations and have not been approved by the Church. The Church would not even dare attempt approve each and every vision that people experience; there would be too many and private revelations are just that – private. However, many people have had visions or death experiences and there are some very similar threads that run throughout. All of the people experience profound peace and happiness, and they can actually feel love in its essence all the time. The young boy Colton, after returning home from the hospital, was crying one day and his dad asked him what was wrong. The young boy replied, “Why didn’t Jesus let me stay in heaven? Why did he send me back? It’s so much nicer there.” Young children are attached at the hip to their parents, which is their safe haven. For a child to yearn for something even beyond his or her family is extraordinary.

Young Colton and young Akiane have already experienced in some way those dwelling places that Jesus has prepared for us. There are only three possible explanations: 1) they are telling the truth; 2) they are lying; 3) their experiences are self-induced or some trick of the mind. The last explanation, that people who have had these experiences are tricked by some brain activity or that they are self-induced, doesn’t make sense especially for a five-year-old boy. If Colton is lying then he’s a genius at the age of five, a lying genius.

Again, one is not bound to believe anyone’s private visions. Visions are private experiences. A Catholic is bound only to believe that which is declared doctrine, dogma, and public Revelation, i.e. Sacred Scripture. Nevertheless, God is always speaking to humanity. He is always giving us assurances of his love and the afterlife. As great as Colton’s story is, our greatest assurance comes from the Cross and the Resurrection. Jesus proves to us his promise of preparing a place for us because he went first in his death and then opened death’s chamber when he rolled back the stone. Yes, we still experience earthly death but it is just another type of birth, leaving one place for another. Just as a baby cries when leaving the safety of its mother’s womb so, too, do we cry when we must leave the womb of this world. Colton reminds us of what is waiting on the other side; there are dwelling places there that Jesus has prepared for us, but more importantly he reminds us that Jesus is there, the man with the markers and the beautiful eyes.

Fr. John

To be Quiet

From our 2^nd reading for this 4^th Sunday of Easter St. Peter not only comments on the attitude and disposition of Christ, but he left for us a model, a criteria, and a way that we too must follow. St. Peter says, “When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.” I will be the first to admit, this in no way is easy to do; rather, I would say we are almost programmed to respond when attacked verbally or to avoid physical harm.

It is obvious we should avoid physical hurt, i.e. harm that another may be looking to cause us. Jesus did not go around looking to be punished, that would be bizarre, if not unhealthy, but when called to the ultimate reckoning he handed himself over.

It is very unlikely that we will be called to witness to the faith with our blood. In our country we are free to worship and we can move about and preach freely, albeit with political correctness since Jesus himself was always politically correct and never upset the status qou. (sarcasm, but you got it, lol)

Our little martyrdoms are experienced on a much lesser scale, though opportunities present themselves frequently in which we can be another Christ. How many times in life are we insulted, stabbed in the back, thrown under the bus, betrayed, or ridiculed? The answer is probably a few times at least if not more than we care to remember. The question is, “Was I like Jesus, not returning an insult for insult?” Did I stay quiet? Hmmmh, I wonder? Again, probably not often. Somewhere deep down inside of this ego centered and driven man I surely had to defend my honor, my character, my person! I ask two questions, “Why did I have to answer back and how many times was I the one criticizing, insulting, stabbing another behind the back, or throwing them under the bus?

We never usually think of the harm we do to others when we are being harmed, no, we must fight back and it’s usually done instantaneously. Sometimes we will even justify our own critical nature of others. Did I ever stop to consider that they could possibly be holier than me? Sometimes I can’t see it because of my own blindness.

Jesus returned no insult, amazing! He was completely innocent and would have been justified not only to return a rebuke, but maybe even a harsh punishment to those who ridiculed and mocked him. The goal Jesus sets for us is a very serious one, love your neighbor as yourself. This not only means to be nice to them sometimes, or to be courteous on occasion, or to avoid them if they are difficult, rather it means to treat them as if they were Christ himself. Who am I hurdling the insults at anyway? Does Jesus love me more than them? Has Jesus given me the responsibility of putting people in their place, be it to insult them in the first place or to return one if insulted?

I think we’re better off letting Jesus sort it out. Our concern should be more about being kind to one another. If I always look at my neighbor as Jesus himself it may help me to remember not to throw insults, regardless of what the other has done. To respond in defending one’s honor and to do so compassionately would not be sinful, it would even be good, but to stay quiet is better, since to stay quiet is holy. To stay quiet is to be like Jesus. And who else would I rather be like than Christ himself?Help me Lord in my arrogance, myself self-righteousness and my pride, and help me to be humble, to be holy, and to be quiet in your presence! AMEN FJ

Mary Queen of May and Mothers

May is Mary’s month, a month dedicated to her in long standing tradition in the Church. There are varying sources as to where and when this excellent devotion began, nevertheless it is one that has taken great hold and is of great benefit to the faithful who hold Mary and the communion of saints dear to their hearts. And what better Sunday than this Sunday to remember our Blessed Mother since it is Mother’s Day. The Gospel for today is the Emmaus story, but I ask for your small indulgence and allow me to talk to you today about our Blessed Mother, since her heart burned for the love of God just like the apostles on the road to Emmaus.

What are the traits of a good mother? We learn this from our own mothers. The first words we usually utter are, “mommy.” Later on it becomes, “mom,” “ma,” or another affectionate term. I can’t even imagine how many times as a young child I called to my own mother, for this or that, and just about every time she faithfully responded, and on occasion when I or my brothers got on her nerves, we received a gentle south-eastern European reprimand. I didn’t realize how often I must have done this until recently observing the very young children of parishioners whom I had the opportunity to dine with in their homes. I thought, “It takes a lot of PATIENCE to be a mother.” It helped me to appreciate the work and sacrifice of my mother as well as all moms.

Reflecting on that notion, I thought about all the times I felt in trouble, or had some difficulty, and almost by instinct, and for the most part I would begin with the prayer, “Hail Mary full of grace.” When Jesus gave us Mary as our mother, the mother of the Church, it was so that we would always have a motherly advocate. This in no way means we cannot pray to Jesus, or that God the Father is mean, rather it means that we are a family, and if the communion of saints is understood as familial then there is no problem with invoking any of the saints or the Blessed Mother.

There is a natural recourse to Mary because we long for her motherly love, but we also honor her as the fairest member of our race. At every turn she remained faithful to God, regardless of the obstacle in front of her or the challenge if you will. Think of the moments where her own motherhood must have been tested.
When she and Joseph are presented with gifts of the three wise men, she would have known that myrrh was a spice to prepare a body for burial. And yet she accepts the gifts with humility and turns her attention to raising Jesus. Then when Jesus was twelve years old she loses him in Jerusalem. She and Joseph could not find him for three days. You can imagine what must have been going through her mind, a mother looking for her lost son; she must have been in a panic. Then when she finds Jesus, she asks, “how could you do this, don’t you know we have been looking for you.” Jesus responds, “I had to be about my Father’s business. Mary simply ponders these events in her heart. The final sacrifice would have been at the Cross. It is there that we see the true depth of her love, where she accepts the sacrifice of her Son and allows her own heart to pierced. Before that happens Jesus gives John to his mother and his mother to John. In doing that Jesus also gives her to us.

We know these events of Mary’s life and that is why we are attracted to her as mother. We know Jesus’ gift of Mary, even from the Cross she is given to us, to watch over us, to pray for us, and to love us as her own. Our own mothers model Mary’s motherhood. We know it through stories of the bible, but more importantly we know our own mother’s love instinctively, hard to even describe in words, the love of our moms. The same goes for our Blessed Mother, we know her instinctively, and that’s why when we are in need we say, Hail Mary full of Grace . . . .