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.