HOLY FAMILY

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  I can only wonder at what it was like, their prayer life, their daily work, and the love that they shared.  It must have been pretty amazing, but I would also assume in many ways it was quite regular as well.  I am sure there was something magical about it, but just like everyone else they had to work, do their chores, and simply just work at being a family.  I am sure there were moments of worry, concern, and even frustration.

We all know that the Holy family was holy, we have depictions, art work, icons, statues, and every other form of art telling us this, and they truly were holy for Jesus was full of grace and Truth, Mary was Immaculate and Joseph a good and righteous man.  Nevertheless they were not without suffering, worry or concern as all of us are from time to time.

What does this model of the Holy Family mean for our families?  Obviously we are to imitate the Holy Family as much as we possibly can.  However, our families also have concerns, worries, and even suffering.  We can go even further; our families have problems, be they small or great.  Many times we will hide our problems from others, we keep our dirty laundry to ourselves, because God forbid someone finds out my teenage daughter is pregnant, or my son is divorced and has remarried outside of the Church with no annulment and continues to receive the sacraments, or my father is an alcoholic, or my sister addicted to drugs.  No family is exempt from problems, some may not be so severe, but problems nevertheless.

What is the answer to these problems?  The answer is perseverance and prayer.  St. Paul calls us fighters fighting the good fight, he knew life was not easy, sometimes far from it, and fighters get knocked down but a good fighter will try to get up each and every time, I often pray that I will be a strong fighter, for I too have been knocked down, harder than some and some harder than me.  A holy family continues to get up.  Families will try to stay together, for the most part, even with severe problems, they try to stick it out, but sometimes a family falls apart because it is dealing with a hurt that they think cannot be healed and it usually centers on forgiveness or the feeling of why God allowed something terrible to happen to us.

St. Paul in his letter to the Colossians writes, “. . . bear(ing) with one another and forgive(ing) one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.”

How many times do we hear of family squabbles that get out of control and before you know it brother stops talking to brother, daughter stops talking to mother, father abandons family, and all the rest?  Most of the times not being able to forgive deals with betrayal.  Someone has betrayed me, broke trust, or given up on me and the hurt that – that brings is sometimes too much and causes a break between blood, marriage or friendships.  We just find it impossible to forgive.

Feeling abandoned by God is also a heavy cross and people will sometimes feel this in the passing of a loved one or the ending of a marriage.  How did Mary and Joseph feel when they were basically on the run trying to find a house so that Mary could deliver Jesus?  How did they feel when they lost him in Jerusalem for three days?  How did Mary feel when Simeon said her son would be the rise and down fall of many and that a sword would pierce her heart or when she actually walked the way of the Cross and saw her Son crucified?  How did she feel?  We can probably guess, but one thing is for certain she never doubted God’s love.  Mary and Joseph were not exempt from life’s suffering, neither are we, but if we want to be truly like them we will continue to be persons who believe and live the resurrection even in the midst of life’s difficulties, it’s what holy people do, it’s what makes us a Holy Family, to love equally both in moments of joy and of hardships.  God bless you and Happy Feast Day!

Keep Watch Good Soldier

In all branches of our armed forces two very important rules apply to a soldier on watch,) one a soldier is not to leave his post until properly relieved, and two) he is to be diligent and observant as he is on watch.  There is one very important reason for this, i.e. safety.  The one on watch is responsible not just for himself but his entire platoon or regiment and in some ways the entire division and the entire army itself.

            

That may sound strange, but so too are we, “standing on watch”, if you will.  As Christians we stand on watch for ourselves, but we also stand watch for one another.   What are we to do as we stand on watch?  The prophet Isaiah tells us from today’s first reading “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!”  As we prepare for Christmas, and I have said it before, it’s not just about the infant child being born in a manger, but being ready to receive so that He may be born in our hearts.

Advent season is a penitential season, one in which we fast, pray, and offer sacrifice so that we can make ourselves ready for the Lord’s coming.  Isaiah speaks about doing right and being mindful of God in our ways.  I offer you some practical steps in this regard.

            

Doing right is not always the easiest thing to do.  Sometimes we do wrong thinking we are doing right.  Doing right means being honest, forthright, trustworthy, fair and good.  One such example of doing right is to be fair and not to judge according to appearance or bias.  Do we respect all human persons?  Do we truly love our neighbor?  Today there is such great vitriol between people when it comes to discussing immigration, for instance, who can stay in America, who may not, who do we keep out, who do we let in, do we build walls like they did in the ancient days, etc. etc.  What instruction did God give to His people Israel?  “You shall not oppress a resident alien; you well know how it feels to be an alien, since you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.” (Ex. 23:9)  The odd thing is that all Americans are immigrants or descendents of immigrants, the only true Americans are American Indians whom by the way we did not treat so well.

Another example of doing right is that we live out the great commission of Jesus, by doing onto others as we would do onto Jesus Himself.  “Did you visit me when I was in prison, did you clothe me when I was naked, and did you give me food when I was hungry, take care of me when I was sick, and bandage me when I was injured?” Praying for others is good, leaving money in the poor box is good, but it is not enough, not nearly enough.  Am I comfortable in my home and has my home become a bubble that shuts out the rest of the world?  For instance, the poor, the homeless, the down trodden, the prisoner, all of them are out there somewhere far away, which has nothing to do with me, they created their own condition and circumstances in life.  Will you be able to say that to Jesus’ face when you meet Him?  Basically, those folks are not my problem!  Maybe we are the problem for not doing right!

Christmas is about holly, cheer, lights, trees, wrapped presents, good Old Saint Nick with his reindeer, and trust me I love all of that stuff, I still have a Santa I put on my desk every year during Advent.  But that only scratches the surface; true Christmas is about preparing oneself in doing right and being mindful of the ways of God.  God Himself was born in a manger and a stable out in the middle of nowhere.  Would you have gone out to see Him, or would the infant have been one of those poor people we keep outside of our bubble?  Would you have let Mary and Joseph into your home so that the baby Jesus could be born in your house if you had no idea who they were?  Would I have sent them away?  If I was a good soldier I would have been keeping watch, I would have recognized that fellow soldiers were in need and would have invited them in, because when I keep watch the right way I am on alert for doing good and being mindful of God’s ways and not my own.  That’s Christmas, doing good and keeping watch!  Are you ready to keep watch this Advent?

Christ the King of the Universe

The right to rule and govern, to judge or offer pardon, belongs to the King, when it comes to eternal rule and judgment that belongs to the King of kings alone.  Today we celebrate The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  It is not just a pious title, but one that is real, true, and good.

When the Logos became flesh and lived among us, He lived among us as a humble servant.  Even His birth was a very humble event, born in a manger among the farm animals and farm hands.  He grew up in a poor hard working family, living among other hard working poor folks.  There was nothing that would have made you think, “Here is a king.”

Even when He began His public ministry and performed great deeds and miracles many believed He was not the Prophetic King, the Messiah that would come because they were expecting someone like King David, someone who would rule them and deliver them from the Romans.

Jesus did not want to come in that fashion but rather as the suffering servant so that He could teach us two things, one) the redemptive value of the Cross and two) to teach us how to live – what love really is.

Now, however, Jesus is no longer the suffering and poor servant, He is the One who sits at the right hand of the Father, governing and ruling the nations.  He still remains brother and friend to us, one who is close to us, but never again will He suffer or be poor.  And to Him belongs judgment of peoples as the Gospel of Matthew tells us.  “He will separate the goats and the sheep.”  Sometimes we get caught up in judgment and we find ourselves doing that, eternally judging others, that is a no-no.  Actually it is a very serious and grave sin to do so since we take the role of King of kings, which we are not to do; it belongs to Christ and Christ alone.

Next week we will begin Advent and prepare ourselves for Jesus’ first coming, Christmas, when He was the small and humble baby, this week, however, we are to reflect on Jesus as King of Kings, His second coming in glory, power, and judgment.  Yes it can seem a little scary and some would not preach about this kind of Jesus, but that would be to leave out an important aspect of who He is and the thought of Jesus as King of kings should make us fear a little, not to be frightened but to cause awe and wonder.  I leave you with lyrics of a beautiful song that I have loved since I have been a child, one that leaves me in awe and wonder about Jesus, King of kings.  “Who is the King of glory; how shall we call him?  He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages.  The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.  Open the gates before Him, lift up your voices.”

Are You Ready?

For all intents and purposes Ordinary Time in the Church ends this week with this week being the 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  I know there is an in between week, next week – Jesus King of the Universe before the 1^st Sunday in Advent. Hard to believe that we are almost at Advent, comes upon us very quickly, “Like a Thief in the Night.”

Those were St. Paul’s words from today’s 2^nd reading to the Thessalonians.  The readings will begin pointing to our Lord’s Second Coming, this week and next in order to prepare us but also remind us of His first coming, the day of His birth.

St. Paul, however, was not so much concerned about the first coming of our Lord, but rather concerned with His second coming, which can come upon us like a thief in the night, just as Advent is almost upon us and it seems like it came out of nowhere.  How often is that true for many things in life.  For instance one day we wake up and we realize, my goodness I’m forty, fifty, sixty, or seventy years old, or the people we know especially when they were children now have children themselves, or if we were waiting for something like graduating from High School or College, and then there it is, graduation day right upon us, and not only upon us but come and gone.

St. Paul is reminding us, so too will it be with the Lord, He will come out of nowhere it will seem.  However, as St. Paul says, “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief.  For all of you are children of the light and children of the day.  We are not of the night or of darkness.   Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.”  As good disciples that day should not catch us off guard, if we live as children of light, and what does that mean specifically?  It means that we are to be faithful and virtuous.  Light constitutes visibility, warmth, radiance, a welcoming type of feeling, as where darkness constitutes fear, coldness, lack of sight or ability to see, hence the opposite of light, as one in hides in the dark. 

We are not to predict the day of when the Lord will return but neither are we to write it off as if it will happen much later, since both are predictions and predictions are wrong, what we are to say and believe, is that it could happen this very day or the next, but either way I am ready and not only ready, but I welcome it.  If I do not welcome the Lord’s return right here, right now, there is still some part of me hanging to what is here which will catch me like a thief in the night, for the things of here, the flesh and of the world distract me from my prize, to be with the Lord.  In the end there is really only one question that matters and only you can answer it, that question is, “Are you ready?”

Vocations Awareness Weekend

A few weeks ago we had our presbyteral convocation, an annual meeting of all the priests in the diocese.  I always look forward to it since I don’t always get to see my brother priests, so this annual event is beneficial on many levels, brother priests getting together for prayer, mass, social events, talks, training and some nice walks on the beach in Avalon.

At the end of the convocation Bishop gives his annual address to his priests.  Bishop Sullivan is an excellent speaker; he is down to earth, motivating, and inspiring.  You can clearly see he loves his priesthood and his desire to share that love is evident.  In his talk he made a number of points for us to consider as we move forward as a Diocese.  There was one point in particular that really hit home for me and that was that each of us priests is a vocation director and not just the man who holds that particular office, who by the way is Fr. Michael Romano.

I wish to extend that call by Bishop Sullivan and say that each and every single one of us is a Vocation Director.  You as parents are the first teachers, directors if you will of your children, shaping, molding and directing them towards first of all being model Christians, and then teaching them about vocations in life, i.e. marriage, family, priesthood, the single life.  Parents are the first to teach their children, and then it falls to teachers, us priests, religious, deacons, mentors to continue to plant seeds in those searching for their vocation.

There are young men out there who are thinking about priesthood.  It is our duty as a parish to help those seek out a vocation.  We are to encourage and challenge our young to make that call towards God in serving His people at the Altar and beyond.  This is done simply by asking a young man, “Did you ever consider the priesthood,” or by encouraging him, “I think you would make a wonderful priest.”

The response to priesthood is an honorable and blessed life.  Yes we give up some things, such as marriage, children, or the pursuit of advancement and riches, but we receive in marriage the People of God, we receive in children not just physical-blood offspring, but all children, and instead of the riches of the world we receive the riches of the Church.  Though we are not religious as diocesan priests we still take on a spirit of poverty in order to focus on what is true wealth, our relationships with our parishioners.  What a call indeed and what blessings.  When I was fifteen years old I did not see it, the blessings in all of that, but through others continuing to plant seeds in me I eventually understood the call when I was 26 years old and responded to God.  I thank the Lord that I did, I could not picture any other life for myself and my prayer is that if you are thinking about this call to priesthood that you answer it as I did and take up the call of Jesus our Savior to serve His people.  God bless you, Fr. John

Holy Family Forty Years!

We are celebrating so much this weekend. We are honoring all of our canonized Saints on November 1st, we are remembering all of our beloved dead on November 2nd, we will have our 40th Anniversary Mass and Gala on Saturday November 1st. That is quite a bit, but it will be memorable and grace filled.

We are honored to have our Vicar General and former pastor, Fr. Robert Hughes celebrating that mass for us. I thought it would be fitting and proper that the pastor who began the 40th year and planning all its celebrations be the priest to close out our 40th year. We will be blessed with Fr. Hughes’ presence.

Forty years, a generation, a great biblical number used and referred to often. “The Hebrews were in the desert for 40 years seeking the Promised Land. King David ruled Israel for 40 years, so too did his son Solomon, 40 days and 40 nights of rain, Jesus in the desert for 40 days.” A number as you can see used quite often. It is a number that applies to us now, “40 years a parish.” In terms of the age of Church, we are very young as the Church is over 2,000 years old, nice to know that we are young. But even in our youth, if you will, we understand and desire living the Gospel. We have seen the good fruits we have contributed to our parish as well as all of those who came before us.

Everything is about laying down the foundation. We have done that since 1974 and have done it well as the results show, the results of selfless giving, kindness, in our worship, our prayer, and our sacrifices. As your pastor know that I pray for you each day that all of your good works continue to build on the foundation we have already established in Jesus, Joseph and Mary, our patrons. There are many years ahead of us, those who were before have already paved the way and have made straight the way of the Lord. It is our duty and obligation to keep that pathway straight and I know that we will.

I want to thank you all personally for everything, from your sacrificial offerings to your smiles when we see each other. You are the apple of God’s eye. We must continue to keep each and everyone in prayer so that our family will continue to grow, to experience God’s blessings and that when people look at us they will always see a, “Holy Family!” Forty years, may God bless us for the work of our hands and may He continue to help us build on the foundation we have established. Cento anni and Deus vos benedicat!  Fr. John

Good Stewards Remember the Cross

Tonight after our 6pm evening mass we will burn our pledge cards which we took last week, prayed about, and made a commitment to God to take seriously our roles as stewards of our Parish and the Church at large.  Today’s Gospel reminds us of stewardship when Jesus spells out the two foundational commandments, “Love God, Love Neighbor.”

Loving God is a vertical movement, a relationship that moves upward and downward.  God Himself being the Master Steward, taking care of all of creation especially his sons and daughters.  The other relational movement is horizontal; its direction is sideways (left to right, right to left).  The two greatest commandments make a cross + leave it to God to show His subtle genius.

We understand our relationship to the Lord: He provides His grace and we are to respond as His children, living lives of active faith.  That gift that He gives us, His undeserved grace we are to share freely with others, which is the second commandment, the horizontal bar of the cross. 

I believe there are two ways we can demonstrate this love, two ways that stand out to me, obviously there are more than two ways in which we can express our love for neighbor, but again, these two are pivotal.

The first is forgiveness.  The great prayer Jesus taught us reminds us that we ask God to forgive us our trespasses\debts, as we forgive those who trespass against us\or are debited to us.  Sins are debits against our account and acts of righteousness are credited into our account that is why the debit language is used.  Everyone’s actions will be made manifest, every word we utter we are responsible for.  Jesus has set the bar very high and rightly so.  Anyway, forgiveness it is a part of being a steward.  When I withhold forgiveness especially when a person asks for it and I refuse to forgive or still want to get in the last word I am exercising power over another human being, which has not been given to me.  What has been given to me is responsibility for self and others.  In that responsibility I am to extend my hand in love, when someone wrongs me, no matter how bad or what it maybe, if they ask me for forgiveness as a steward entrusted with God’s mercies I am to immediately extend it to them just as Jesus immediately extended it to me after I wronged someone and asked Him to forgive me.  I would go even as far as saying that if a person never asks for forgiveness after wronging me I am still to forgive them in my heart in the presence of Jesus.  Not easy, but as a trust worthy steward whom God has placed His trust in I must act as He did. 

The second aspect of being stewards of love is to take care of the poor.  Pope Francis has been very outspoken on this.  He took the name of Francis because of St. Francis of Assisi, who gave everything in order to follow God and lived in earthly poverty, but there may have never been a richer man in the history of the world when it came to his treasure in heaven.  Pope Francis is motivated by this ideal, to live simply, and to also be generous to those in need.  Many good Christian-Catholics have also taken up this call to serve the poor.

I know, for example, that Bono from U2 has taken up this call with the many charities and causes he is involved in.  (He came to mind because I had U2 on in the background as I was writing this, “Every Breaking Wave…”) We may look at someone like Bono and fret because he has the money to give and that it’s a tax write off or publicity stunt, and not just Bono but anyone of greater means.  That is unfair and it’s not the way Jesus measures.  Everyone is measure-judged by what flows from the heart.  Look at the rich Zacchaeus who when moved by grace paid back fourfold and gave away half of what was his.  Jesus was impressed and assured him in his faith and love.  What we also do sometimes is that we blame the poor for their predicament, we hear things like, “they should go to work, they are milking the system, or why should I pay for them.”  I will not belabor the issue, I will leave you with this, if you can face Jesus and tell Him to His face that you did not give to the poor because they were milking the system or that they should go to work then you’re a braver soul than me.

There you have it, forgive as the Lord has forgiven you, because as Jesus says, “By the measure with which you measure will be measured unto you,” and give to the poor because, “The least you have done unto your brothers and sisters you have done unto me.”  

The symbol of the Cross + is everything to us, it shows us love but it also shows us that all relationships are connected, with God to us and then we with each other, the cross.  A Good Steward keeps that Cross in their heart always, loving God with all their heart, mind, and soul, and loving neighbor as oneself by being merciful and giving without cost.  All good Stewards remember the Cross!

Stewardship Sunday

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

          I am so thrilled and excited that our Stewardship Ministry this weekend is presenting “Stewardship of Treasure.”  I first want to thank them for putting together the great video we will see in Church this weekend and all the time and energy they have put into this project.

          Whenever we come together as a family, as a parish, we realize and become aware of all that is needed to make our family a truly Holy one as our name sake, “Holy Family” indicates.  There are ministries, committees, sacramental preparation such as RCIA and Rel. Ed., liturgical events, socials, staff, grounds, maintenance, etc., etc., that keep our family vibrant.  These ministries and every aspect of our parish life depends on our generosity.

          I just want to share with you briefly here our income and expenses for last year. (Later in November a more detailed presentation will be given on our budget and future capital expenditures)  For the budget year of 2014 (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014) we had a total income of $1,480,958.33 and total expenses of $1,422,519.75 giving us a $58,438.68 revenue.  Our parish is healthy financially and that is because of your kindness, generosity, and love.  With some of the recent capital expenditures and those that are on the near horizon will demand that we go into our savings to pay for costs.  Last year’s projected revenue was to be over $100,000 dollars but almost half went for capital expenditures and other unforeseen expenses.  The next two years will bring further needed (and much needed) renovation and repairs throughout our facilities causing both revenue and savings to decrease.

          I ask that as you make this prayer pledge to God that you keep in mind the needs of our family.  The needs also go beyond just monetary pledges, but also time, work, and prayer.  All are needed for us to continue and to excel as a vibrant community.  I will not ask or tell you how much more you should give; I leave that up to you and our Lord.  Please take home the cards as Fr. Sanjai, Dc. Jerry, Dc. Joe and I also will do and offer your prayer and treasure to God, for as we give to the Church we give to God.  I also know that some maybe struggling, again, if you cannot give financially please continue to pray for us and help in our ministries, from which there are many to choose from.

          I am humbled by your love, prayer, and service to our family.  Please know you are in my prayers each and every day.  May God continue to bless you and your families and friends with much grace, joy, and peace.  In Christ Jesus our Lord, Fr. John

Likened to a Wedding Feast

What are weddings like?  They are events that are filled with great joy, excitement, a little nervousness I would imagine, and a lot of good food.  Officiating weddings is also a lot of fun for us priests and deacons, these are some of the happiest moments in peoples’ lives that we get to share in.  There is also something that makes us feel good when we receive a wedding invitation be it from a family member or friend.  The invitation tells us that we are important to the future bride and groom, they want us there to share with them in their happiness.  There is also the ritual involved of sending back the invitation, of actually preparing to go the wedding the day of.  We get dressed up in our best suit or dress, the makeup, the clean shaves, the doing of the hair, the whole nine yards so-to-speak.  We do all of this because it is an important day and we realize the day’s significance. 

Think for a moment how special a wedding day is.  Now think for a moment how special it would be to attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb of God.  In today’s Gospel Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a wedding feast and wedding language is often used when Jesus refers to our relationship with Him.  When we think of the wedding feast of the Lamb we usually think of the wedding feast we will have with Jesus in heaven and that is true there will be that great heavenly feast we will all celebrate with Jesus.

And yet, Jesus already gives us a taste of this wedding feast here on earth, it is what we celebrate each and every Sunday, the mass or the liturgy.  Often we think of mass as obligation and it is that, it is obligatory, but it is also “inviting” in its nature.  Jesus sends us an invitation each week and His desire is that we attend in order that He can share His joy with us.  Listen again, in brief to the words of the Gospel,

"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.  A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."’  Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.  The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.  The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.  Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests."

We are obligated to go to the wedding of a family member, be it our brother, sister, cousin, good friend, but if you told them you only went because they were your brother, sister, or friend they would feel hurt, because you only came out of obligation and not from love also.  The obligatory nature of attending a family member’s wedding is a given, just like mass, but it also has to go beyond that, it must be moved in love, a response to an invitation is what Jesus is looking for, just as the bride and groom to be are looking for.

In the Gospel some went away to their farm or business, today others turn away because little Susie has soccer practice, others turn away because they are on vacation, others turn away because they are working, others because the wedding is boring, others because they are their own spiritual masters, and a slew of other reasons, all turning down the invitation from our Lord to His wedding.

There is a flip side, however, those who do attend the wedding must not become self-righteous as it is clear in the Gospel that Jesus throws out some of the invited guests whom were not chosen, they were the self-righteous, where as the sinner who repents and answers the invitation is most welcome, i.e. prostitutes, thieves, and murders will enter the kingdom of God before you (Jesus’ response to the self-righteous).

If we believe that we are truly in the midst of and celebrating the wedding feast of the Lamb, right now, right here, then what does that mean for us?  We are in the presence of God and each and every one of us, I foremost am a sinner, and yet God in His mercy extended an invitation to me. I have answered it, so have you since you are standing here with me, but the invitation goes even deeper than just arriving here, it goes right to the core of our being.  Jesus’ invitation is one of holiness and becoming more like Him.  The invitation is that we grow from what we receive and that growth is that we become saints so that the wedding feast of the Lamb is not just celebrated for one hour on Sunday, but that the wedding feast of the Lamb is celebrated in my heart and soul each and every moment, there is the invitation – how will you respond, how will you respond!!!

We Should Long to be with Christ

Is anyone ever truly ready to let go of this life?  Even St. Paul shares with us from his letter to the Philippians, “For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.   If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.  And I do not know which I shall choose.  I am caught between the two.”  God has given us the instinct to live and rightly so, but He has also given us another desire, to be where He is, in His full presence, Heaven.

Yet, death is very difficult, for a number of reasons.  There is the unknown, for example, a child may have fear of riding a bike without training wheels for the first time and it may take some time before the child actually rides just a two wheeled bicycle.  There is a fear of the unknown, what does it feel like to ride the bike without training wheels, will I fall, will I crash, will I get hurt?  All are good questions.  Eventually the child musters the courage and takes a leap of faith and rides that bike for the first time without the training wheels.  And then what happens?  Now the child never wants to get off the bike, the experience has reinforced in the child’s mind that it can be done and there is knowledge of what it feels like.  The problem with death is that we cannot practice.  I can’t take the training wheels off and try it a couple of times, death is a onetime experience for just about all of us (exceptions, i.e. Lazarus).

Another difficulty is that we put so much stock in this life, again rightly so since God has given us a deep desire to live and survive less we all give up to easily in this life, but at the same time our vision needs to be on the prize.  God is described as a jealous God, not in the sense of weakness, but as a reminder that nothing in this world makes sense, has value, or is good without God and Him first, in all things.  We can love more fully, more purely, more divinely (so-to-speak) when our relationship with God always comes first.

Listen to how the 2^nd reading from St. Paul closes today, “I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.”  Do we have the same longing, “to be with Christ,” before all things?  There is a saying for priests, “Celebrate this mass as it would be your first mass, your last mass, your only mass.”  This saying can be modified for all of us, “Live today as it would be your first day, your last day, your only day.”  What would your priorities be if that was the case?  As Christians we would answer, “Christ would be our priority.”  If so then, remember to long for Him each and everyday because it may be the last day, it may be our only day.  Amen, FJ

Our Crosses: They Change the World

We adore you O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.  These are the words we pray when we do the Stations of the Cross.  They are simple, yet profound.  Simple in that they can be easily remembered, profound because we are calling an object used for execution – for death, holy.

In our lives we undergo many sufferings.  I do not say this to make life sound gloomy or unhappy.  It is a truth and sufferings come from many places, some suffering comes simply because of our humanity, our own weakness both in the spiritual life and even the physical.  Some sufferings we receive come from others in and how they have treated us.  Dare I say some sufferings even come from God, not because God is evil or that He enjoys suffering, but He allows it for some greater good, which is sometimes understood immediately and at other times understood much later.

No matter what we suffer they are our crosses.  They are not to be shunned, but picked up in dignity and strength.  Crosses may be heavy burdens sometimes and we feel like we can’t take one more step and yet, somehow, someway, we do take one more step and another and another.  That is God’s grace and love which is so deep within us, even though at times not recognized that helps us to move forward.

Think of our Savior, He too found it excruciating to take that next step forward; His cross was unbelievably heavy, for He was carrying the whole world on His shoulders.  What gave Him strength to go forward; it was love, His love for us.

It is always just a simple thing to say, “pick up your cross and follow me,” often times relegated to simple piety, but to actually carry the thing is never easy, but profound beyond measure, because when I do carry it, love is poured out in eternity, changing all of those around us and even ourselves.  We run from suffering and that’s good, only a madman would run towards it, even Jesus looked to avoid it, but in the end we accept the cross because we realize that through acts of love, we too like Jesus, will change the world.  Amen!

FJ

Fraternal and Compassionate Correction (of Self and of others)

The challenge from today’s readings asks that we present a clear picture, an honest assessment of culture and even of ourselves when it comes to examination of conscience.  In Ezekiel we are asked to warn the sinner of his ways and the Gospel also challenges us to offer fraternal correction when necessary.  The worst sin we can commit as individuals or as a society is to lie to ourselves, i.e. not being honest about our sins and the sins of others.

There are two extremes to avoid however when dealing with sins; the first is that people think everything is a sin or that I am always committing mortal sin, for a Christian that is not likely, though not impossible.  The other extreme is to think that nothing is a sin or to excuse everything under the language of psychology (a science I condone and believe in, but not every action has an excuse or explanation) or to live in a kumbaya (your alright, I’m alright, we are all alright) world.

As priests when we minister to people we will run into folks who suffer from scrupulosity and they live in a world of guilt.  This is not the world Jesus wants them in as they move further and further into despair.  Jesus made us to be free and happy.  But he also made us with responsibility and within that responsibility we acknowledge truth vs. lies, good vs. evil, etc.  The first reading from Ezekiel tells us to correct our brothers and sisters when they sin as does the Gospel, but to always do so with fraternal care.  Sometimes we may remind them too much or not enough.  We are to do this to keep each other on our toes and motivate Christian discipline in our lives.

In today’s world we must be that voice for truth that still knows and understands and can explain why certain things are always wrong and sinful.  For instance adultery is wrong, abortion is wrong, denying the poor is wrong, not caring for the sick or elderly is wrong, marriage outside of one man and one woman is wrong.  Murder, cheating, lying, and stealing is always wrong.   If a brother or sister is living in sin it is my duty and yours to offer fraternal correction and do it reasonably and with compassion.  If the person does not listen, pray about it and do as Jesus asked, bring in another person or two to offer this fraternal correction, if they refuse bring it to the Church, if they still refuse then we must respect their free choice but not their sin, “Love the sinner, hate the sin, (saying has been credited to St. Augustine)”

However, with all that being said, before I make myself judge and arbiter of other’s sins, I must make sure my own conscience is clear and to remember that God has dealt with me mercifully so too must I then deal with others mercifully. 

Everyone knows someone we want to change their lives, children who have left the Church, friends who are living in grave sin, etc.  This hurts us because we love them.  Fraternal correction only works if we first live the Gospel at all times especially in their presence; people are moved by actions first, then by words.

Pray for the strength to live your faith, in deeds and words, and to share with all.  Never be embarrassed to profess what you believe, do so with your heads held high.  In doing so it will give others pause and you just may have planted a seed in their hearts to return to goodness, to return to the faith.

Which Person are You?

I love St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, our 2nd reading today. Paul encourages us to “not conform (ourselves) to this age but (to) be transformed by the renewal of (our) minds, that (we) may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” In our faith we never settle for 2nd best but always strive for perfection, for holiness.

The striving for perfection is not only a Judeo-Christian principle, but a universal truth, part of the eternal and natural law. We are given this instinct to want to be good, to desire perfection and what is pleasing.

The Philosopher Aristotle in his work “Nicomethian Ethics” speaks on virtue and vice and what makes a man happy, and it is not fleeting happiness, but an inner happiness and peace which rests in the life of acquiring virtue.

People have been asking the question, “what is good,” since the beginning of time. The biblical answers to that question are simple and straightforward, “God is good,” “(goodness is) an in dwelling of the spirit,” “(good or goodness) is righteousness and truth,” and there are many other verses that refer to what is good or goodness, but they all have a central theme, they all deal with the virtues and God’s grace, obviously. These virtues are courage, temperance, fortitude, and prudence as well as faith, hope and love all of which are found in Scripture.

We must desire these virtues and do everything in our power to obtain them. As I said previously, acquiring the virtues is not something only Judeo-Christians are called to do, but it is a universal call from God, something innate in our nature. Getting back to our friend Aristotle, he understood this, and though not a Christian or a Jew, in his observations he discovered four kinds of men (people).

I. The Virtuous Man
II. The Continent Man
III. The Incontinent Man
IV. The Tyrant

The virtuous man is the perfect man in and that he has acquired all the virtues and lives them well. He has handed himself over to goodness and has become its (goodness) servant. The continent man is a good man who has acquired many virtues and for the most part lives them well with the exceptional fall into vice or sin. The incontinent man is a person who struggles between virtue and vice, he is sometimes good and sometimes evil – in varying degrees. This person needs more practice to build up good habits, for as you know bad habits usually die hard. The person finds themselves in a tug of war between good and evil. The tyrant is an evil man, a person who has given into the passions and all sorts of vice, he has became a slave to his own evil and that evil dictates all of his choices. He has become a prisoner and there is no happiness in him.

I think most people fall between two and three, while only Jesus and Mary were “virtuous,” their entire lives and the saints who at some point also became virtuous as their immediate entrance into heaven proves.

Aristotle was speaking a universal truth when it came to observing humanity and that a human being, the person in order to be happy and free must strive to become virtuous.

St. Paul in his letter to the Romans cannot stress this enough. “…Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.” Rom.6:12-18.

Is St. Paul saying anything much different than Aristotle? In the sense that goodness and truth is a person and that person being Jesus Christ whom we can have a relationship with, yes in that sense they differ, but in the sense of what is good and right they are identical. They are identical because the truth is always the truth, whether it is discovered by an ancient Greek philosopher, a Christian Saint from Tarsus or you and I here at Holy Family. God speaks to all and has given us Himself, so much so that through the Eucharist He is within us and even in our very nature He is within us, as some would say the Divine spark.

The philosophical and theological lesson has been given, but its practical component is yet to come and it comes in the form of questions. To whom are you a slave of, a slave of righteousness (virtue) or a slave of sin (vice)? And of Aristotle’s four men which are you? Which of Aristotle’s men do you wish to be? The Christian response to this last question should be, “I want to be saint . . . I want to be a saint. Amen, Fr. John

Picture and quote above is that of Aristotle

History Lesson on the Keys to the Kingdom

The Church believes that Peter was the first pope and that his office was given to him by Christ Himself as we hear in today’s Gospel. “You are Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church . . . To you I give the keys to the Kingdom.”

From the very early Church the understanding that the Bishop of Rome was Peter’s successor is quite evident as we can see in the writings of the Church Fathers. 

Ambrose of Milan

"[Christ] made answer: ‘You are Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church. . . .’ Could he not, then, strengthen the faith of the man to whom, acting on his own authority, he gave the kingdom, whom he called the rock, thereby declaring him to be the foundation of the Church [Matt. 16:18]?" (The Faith 4:5 [A.D. 379]). 

 Pope Damasus I

"Likewise it is decreed . . . that it ought to be announced that . . . the holy Roman Church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of other churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, who says: ‘You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven . . . ’ [Matt. 16:18–19]. The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it" (Decree of Damasus 3 [A.D. 382]). 

From an even earlier text of St. Irenaeus:

"But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the succession of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles. With that church (Rome), because of its superior origin, all the churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world, and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition" (Against Heresies 3:3:2 [A.D. 189]). 

I give you these three quotes as reference sources to the great teaching we have, that Peter and his successors have been entrusted with looking after the Church and steering her in the right path towards Jesus.

The office of pope, however, is not just an office based on authority, but one of service, as John Paul the Great would often refer to himself in his office as a, “Servant of servants.”  Pope Francis has taken up that motto in his own pontificate, making himself available to as many as possible.  He knows and understands that he is a son of the Church and that with his office comes great responsibility, preaching, governing, sanctifying, but he must also serve as did John Paul the Great and St. Peter and to do so with his whole life as his example, which will be his greatest preaching.

Pray for Pope Francis as he now holds the keys to the kingdom, and I am sure those keys are quite heavy sometimes, but with our prayers they will be a little lighter, lighter so that he can serve and serve well.  God bless you, FJ

Quotes are from Catholic Answers

Even the Scraps are Enough!

Something wonderful and extraordinary happens in today’s Gospel between the Canaanite woman and Jesus.  Her prayer is both spoken from the heart and a prayer that is rooted in perseverance.  Jesus shows incredible tenderness on His part, even though it seems that He is being rough or even rude.

The Canaanite woman is not a Jew, Jesus’ ministry first and foremost is to the Jewish people, though from time to time He extended that ministry to include foreigners as was the case with the Centurion and the Samaritan woman at the well, all three, including the Canaanite woman, show incredible faith and perseverance.  When she cries out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is tormented by a demon.”  Jesus makes no response, it seems as though He is ignoring her.  The woman does not give up and the Apostles fed up with her persistence ask Jesus to send her away.

But this woman, she’s not going anywhere.  Jesus tells her He has come for the people of Israel.  She continues to offer Him homage and cries out, “Lord, help me.”  Jesus in what seems a harsh reply tells her, “It is not right to take the food of the children and feed it to the dogs.”  The woman is witty and replies, “Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”  Wow, what a response.

Jesus’ response is not harsh, He is not referring to wild dogs or calling the woman an animal, He is referring to house pets, more like “puppies.”  The woman is willing to lower herself to that of a puppy because even the scraps that fall from Jesus will be enough for her.  Jesus is tender towards her because He shows His great love in and that He does not give up on her, but stays engaged in the prayer right along with her.  At the end He is moved because of her great humility and rewards her with, “O woman, great is your faith; let it be done to you as you wish.” 

The whole scene is a prayer.  It is a scene from scripture that should give us encouragement in our own prayers.  When we pray we usually pray set prayers, i.e. Our Fathers and Hail Mary’s.  Beautiful prayers indeed and they help us in our reflections on God, life, and holiness.  However, there are those prayers from the heart in which we like the Canaanite woman cry out, “Lord, help me.”

The question for us becomes, how do we handle it when God says, “no,” or if He says, “wait,” or if He remains silent?  At first Jesus says, “No” to this woman or at least it seems like a no.  Jesus being Divine knew the outcome before the conversation finished.  Yet, like a good parent would He does not close the discussion completely, He allows her to continue, maybe God desires the same of us, that we pour out our hearts to Him in prayer and that we do not give up so easily.  The answer from God maybe a “no” or “wait,” but it will never be “you can no longer talk to me” type of answer.  It is in that wrestling with God in conversation, which we call prayer that our faith is strengthened and blessed.

The woman was willing to eat scraps and that was enough for her, would it be enough for us.  Am I willing to eat the scraps that fall from the Master’s table or do I want more than scraps, do I expect and demand more, something to think about.  A final reflection for us is, how bad do we desire that Jesus tells us, “Great is your faith.”  That answer will only come when I am willing to sit at the Master’s feet and humble myself and that I do not quit, but keep asking for His blessings, because even if they are just the scraps, that will be enough.  Amen.

Not Just Peter, But All of Us!

Today’s Gospel story we have heard many times, Peter sinking into the water when he began to doubt and Jesus lifting him up preventing him from drowning.  The imagery is beautiful, of Jesus grabbing onto Peter’s hand keeping him from perishing.  That “truth” of Jesus rescuing Peter is true for all of us.

All of us began this Christian life at our baptism, some as infants, others later in life, but we all share two things in common, faith, but also human weakness.  That weakness takes many forms, it comes in doubt as it did for Peter that day he found himself sinking, it comes in the form of bad habits and sins.  Some of these sins taking hold of us, ones in which we wrap ourselves in, be it stubbornness, pride, anger, impatience, lust, gluttony, wrath, lies, gossip, alcohol and drugs of all sorts.  For others it could even be desperation, things have happened in their families, sickness, death and tragedy, all of which can shake the best person’s faith.

There have been moments in all our lives in which we walk on water, moments of great happiness, fulfillment, and faith, these can be the day two people get married, a child is born, reaching a great accomplishment, being ordained or consecrated in religious life, or in the simple little happy moments, such as being at dinner with friends or going to the ball game.  All these moments are when we walk on water.

Then our footing begins to give out and we start to drown.  The interesting thing in the Gospel is that Jesus did not let Peter drown; He reached down and saved him when he cried out.  Peter had the choice not to cry out, but no, he was a man of faith, even with all his weaknesses and even sins, he cries out, “Save me Lord.”  Without hesitation the Lord’s arm is there clutching Peter’s.

When we see pictures of this, Jesus clutching Peter’s arm, it’s not just Peter he grabs from the stormy waters, but it is all of us that Jesus grabs onto.  Isn't wonderful to know that whenever we cry out, “Lord save me,” that He does!

Every time I see art work depicting the scene of Jesus grabbing Peter’s arm it is an assurance to me that Jesus is also grabbing my arm and I often see myself in the picture and not just Peter.  I hope and pray that you can see yourselves in that picture as well. 

FJ

The Power of Story Telling

Over the last few weeks the Gospels have been parables, stories that Jesus uses to make a point or to make several points.  The stories themselves may not be true, i.e. they happened detail for detail, but the parables contain “truth.”  I do not want to speak to you today about any of the individual parables or stories but to rather focus on God as the master story teller and the story that He has unfolded for us since the creation of the world.

When we read the great story about creation, especially today it invokes many feelings.  There are those who have made science their religion, it is science that gives us all the answers, the facts, if you will.  There are others who take the story literally, when I say literally, I mean each and every word.  They believe that religion or faith in Scripture is the answer to all or the only answer.  Then there are those who understand story telling or dare I say the meaning of “myth.”

When we hear the word “myth,” what do we think of?  Today it has come to mean a false story, fiction, or even a fable.  The dictionary defines myth as, “a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.”  A second definition is, “a widely held but false belief or idea.”  What is the best way to describe that we believe in myth or stories.

I am going to give way some spoilers here but I think they will help with our understanding of how myth or story telling is true and not false according to the spirit of truth and not so much to the letter of the law or in the details. Some years ago a great movie called, “The Life of Pi,” was released, a movie which did real well and received great praise by fans and critics alike.  The movie is a work of fiction.  The movie tells a story of a young Indian boy who becomes stranded at sea on a life boat along with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger.  The hyena kills the zebra and the orangutan and eventually the Bengal tiger kills the hyena.  It comes down to the boy and the tiger, both survive.  When the boy is rescued he tells the insurance people of the boat that sank this story, the one with the animals.  The men do not believe it and demand he tells the truth of what happened!  So he tells them another story, one in which he makes it to the life boat along with the cook, his mother, and two others from the boat.  The cook kills the two others and the boy’s mom and eventually the boy kills the cook in order to survive.  This second story is the real one and the one that the insurance agents will bring back home.  At the end of the movie the Indian boy, now a man, asks the journalist who has come to document his story which story does he like better, the journalist tells him, “the one with the animals.”  The Indian man responds, “so too with God.”

The story with the animals is myth, it is not accurate to the letter, but it tells a truth and a deep one at that.  Another example is J.R.R. Tolkien’s work the Lord of the Rings.  Many if not almost everyone has either read the books or saw the movies or both realize that his work is fantasy, it is fiction, there is no middle earth or dwarves, elves, or orcs.  But the story tells a truth, it tells a truth about good and evil, of courage, perseverance, virtue, and even a parallel salvation history to that of the bible.

There is a scene in the movie, “The Hobbit,” when Gandalf the Wizard is trying to convince Bilbo to go on the adventure with the other dwarves by telling him a story of his great, great, great, grandfather Bullroarer Took who defeated the Goblin armies that invaded the Shire.  Bullroarer Took was the largest Hobbit ever and rode a horse and took off the chief Goblins head with one fell swoop sending it a hundred yards eventually landing in a hole.  The invasion was ended and the game of golf invented all at once.  Bilbo said to Gandalf, “I believe you made that up.”  Gandalf responds, “All good stories deserve some embellishment.”  The story of Bullroarer took is true in the world of the Hobbit, but Gandalf added some things but they didn’t mean that the entire story was false.

Another way to explain this is that we are all story tellers; we love to tell stories, of our families and friends, of the good old days.  We add to those stories, the traditions handed down in our families become larger than life, the stories in their essence are true, but analogies are added and even embellishment.

Could this be the case with the Scriptures?  We need some clarification here.  The Scriptures, both Old and New Testament contain many different forms of writing, i.e. poetry, songs and hymns, prophetic literature, e.g. Revelation, letters, books, reflections, and literal recording of events.  One has to know what type of literature is set before them.  You cannot read poetry as literal historical events just as you cannot take literal historical records and read them as poetry.

The Book of Genesis is a story.  How much of it is historically accurate I cannot say, it could very well be the same story as the “Life of Pi,” or even “The Lord of the Rings.”  Both stories tell a truth as does the Book of Genesis.  The Truth in the Book of Genesis is that there is a God, He created the world, we all come from the same parents, who somewhere along the line fell to sin, they could not redeem themselves, they would need God’s help, that’s it in a nut shell.  Some want to believe that the story is literal, but that can be disproven quite easily.  When you look at the light of certain stars in the night sky they are billions of miles away, that light would have taken 10,000 years to reach the earth, therefore the universe cannot be 6,000 years old as some claim.  On the other hand some would have us believe that Genesis is a myth in the sense of a lie, that it’s just a story someone made up and it’s a story to keep people in fear and intellectual chains.  They would also be mistaken as the story God is telling is true in the sense of Truth, just as all stories are.

I recommend that you watch a video on Lewis and Tolkien debating myths and lies on youtube, its acted out but it is done brilliantly, both men had great faith, Tolkien had a great influence on Lewis converting to Christianity and one of their great discussions was based on myths vs. lies, the meaning of storytelling.

We are all story tellers, maybe not as good as Tolkien or Lewis, but nevertheless we tell stories and we love hearing them, even Jesus told stories, almost all the time, for Him it was mostly in parables.  God Himself is the greatest story teller; it’s still the greatest selling book in all of history, the Bible.  I pray that you all will immerse yourselves in the greatest story ever told, from beginning to end, that when you read the story you will recognize the literature, but more importantly the “Truth” behind and in each every story.   But also to remember and this is important, you are all characters in the story, the story would not be complete without you. FJ