Prayers are Always Heard and Always Answered

In today’s reading from Genesis we see this continuing conversation (prayer) between God and Abraham.  We recall that God initiated the conversation by visiting Abraham earlier as we heard in last week’s reading from Genesis.  God visited Abraham for a number of reasons, one) that at this time next year Abraham and Sarah would have a son; two) to have fellowship with his friend; and three) to reveal to Abraham what God intended to do to Sodom and Gomorrah.  However, the main point of Abraham’s prayer to God was perseverance, i.e. Abraham wrestled with God in a sense and even challenged Him to spare the city because of fifty righteous people, getting all the way down to only ten.  In the end, however, the city is not spared and in the process Lot’s wife dies as she turns to a pillar of salt because she looked back (“He who looks back on the plow is not fit for the kingdom of God”).

The Gospel also tells us to persevere in prayer, Jesus says, “I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”  In this case the person received their prayer request, the loaves of bread he needed for his family.

All of our prayer is initiated by God then we respond with requests, petitions, praise, worship, silence – meditation, etc.  Today’s 1^st reading and Gospel spell out the importance of prayer – dialogue with God.

I’d like to look at God answering our prayers.  In Abraham’s case his intercession for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah did not come to pass, at least not fully, but rather only in a very partial way, since less than ten escaped the city’s fate.  In the Gospel, however, the prayer was not only heard, but answered in a very full way; the man received the loaves he continued to ask (pray) for.

All of us have prayed for many things, for ourselves, for others, etc.  I remember praying and asking for the intercession of Elizabeth Ann Seton and Pius X during my transition from religious life to diocesan life and that I wanted to remain a priest (rough period in my life where I actually thought about leaving the priesthood – this one is another homily, stayed tuned) and I stormed heaven with my prayers, like the man begging for the loaves of bread and like Abraham pleading for God not to destroy the city.  Well, obviously I am here so the prayer was answered, praised be to God and thank you to Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton and Pius X.

However, when my dad became ill with his heart condition, I stormed heaven with prayers again before his surgery and I kept reassuring my dad that everything would be ok, I had the honor and privilege to anoint him before his surgery.  My dad went in for bypass and valve surgery, he never made it off the operating table.  I wondered why God would take my father, did I not pray hard or long enough, did I read the signs incorrectly?  After much reflection in the first six months after his death I realized my prayers were answered and that my dad was really ok.  The answer was that it was time for my dad to receive the gifts God had prepared for him which was much better than remaining here with us, his race was finished and he ran that race very well.  In terms of me telling my dad, “don’t worry you will be ok” was also true, but not in the sense that I imagined at first, but that he was ok in heaven.

So, it’s not that all prayers are heard and only some answered, all prayers are both heard and answered, but do we accept the answer of the Almighty?  Abraham is our father in faith not just because he was a nice guy but rather that he accepted without question God’s will, i.e. leaving his own father’s house, believing he would have a son though he and Sarah were well beyond child bearing years, that he would obey God even when asked to do something beyond reason (sacrificing his only son) and that some would survive the destruction of the two cities.  I pray for faith like that, like that of Abraham, or Mary our Mother, and many of the Saints, for all of them truly believed, “ . . . that all things work for good for those who love God.”  The question is, “Do we?”

God is Calling!

While in Seminary I remember taking a post graduate course on “The History and Development of the Divine Office.”  A fellow New Yorker was teaching the class, Father Dominic Serra, an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable priest.  It was a tough course for me in and that it had all ordained priests in it, I was the only seminarian, a little intimidating in fact, especially how easily my fellow class mates could quote things in Latin, a couple of them even having a great command of koine Greek.  Anyway, without boring you to death out of the many things I learned in that class, much of which does not have a great practical use, the one thing I will never forget is that Fr. Serra told us, “You do not bring yourself to prayer, God ALWAYS calls us to prayer.”  That has always stuck with me since the day I heard him say it.  It has so for a number of reasons, one) Christians are called to prayer when they hear bells ring – this comes down to us from our Jewish heritage, ringing the bells at the temple calling all to prayer which then worked its way into our monasteries and cathedrals. Two) It reminds us that we cannot bring ourselves to God on our own, but that He must first call us, i.e. grace is a free gift and it is grace that helps me turn towards God.

The first reading today from Genesis when God visits Abraham by His tent we can clearly see that it was God who initiated the meeting and the subsequent conversation (prayer).  This story is quite fascinating on many levels.  First and foremost is that the God of the universe would bend down so-to-speak to converse with us.  What are we compared to God?  Especially so since we had already fallen into sin and yet He continues to meet us where we are, on a very human level.  The second thing of importance is that God listens to us.  Abraham asks God to stay for a meal, he asks God to wait while he and Sarah prepare it.  Think for a moment, God is willing to listen and wait on us.  It’s almost mind boggling that He would do such.

Abraham is obviously a special character in the history of salvation if not one of the most important characters in all of Scripture, the father of faith as he is called.  In the story we can see God’s gracious favors bestowed on him and it can make us almost jealous, but remember to whom much is given much is expected.  So no doubt, Abraham was a very holy man indeed, nevertheless it is not just Abraham and Sarah who was or is able to talk to God face to face, but we as well.

In the Gospel Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and listens to Him, we do the same every time we pray; we sit and listen to our Lord as He speaks back to us.  This happens when we pray a rosary, the Divine Office, other set prayers, when we meditate, reflect, and most of all right now – at mass.

But, it was not us who imitated the conversation, it was God who called us here, that is why the bells ring before mass, not just so that you know that something holy is happening, but that God is calling.  We ring the bells at consecration not so that the illiterate will know what’s happening (that is a fallacy as some teach and believe, originally the bells ring because God calls us), but so that we always remember that God calls us to the Eucharist and not the other way around.

Abraham, Sarah, and Mary all knew this, that God called them to prayer, for Abraham and Sarah they asked God to stay a while and fellowship with them, for Mary it was simply enough just to listen.  What about us?  God has already called us and will continue to call, pray that He stays and has fellowship with us as we prepare the Eucharist to which He will also call us, but also remember God’s calling never ends, that is His great love for us.  Don’t ever think God is too big that He won’t visit you at your home; I mean he visited Abraham and Sarah by a tree near a tent!  If you look closely and listen tentatively you will hear the One who calls and the One who draws near, the LORD.

AMEN!

FJ

Go and Do Likewise!

In September I will give my presentation on Faith and Works and how a person is saved.  With today’s readings I felt it would be both appropriate and also an opportunity to give you some food for thought beforehand.   The presentation is a way’s away, but I think you will remember the major points.  Today’s readings do not directly spell out a way “of being saved,” they nevertheless paint a clear a picture of what God demands our faith to be.  Let’s take a look.

         

In the first reading from Deuteronomy the voice of God spoken through Moses declares, “For this command I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you.  No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.”  What are the Israelites to carry out, God’s Law, in particular the Ten Commandments.  If we carry out the Law then as Kind David so eloquently writes in the Psalms, “The Law of the LORD is perfect; refreshing the soul . . . The precepts of the Lord are right; rejoicing the heart.”  When we follow the law and live virtuously we are happy.  When we disobey the law of the Lord we feel guilty, saddened, and even sometimes become hard of heart.  Finally in today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.”  The law must be transcended; love must be our ultimate law, as was the case with the Good Samaritan.

From our readings today and what we know of the Church’s teaching we still ask ourselves, how do I get to Heaven?  Here are some responses I have been given over the years.

1)   I never killed anyone or committed adultery, I should get to heaven.

2)   If I do more good than evil I will be saved.

3)   All I have to do is believe in Jesus as personal Lord and Savior.

None of those are exactly right, if not misleading.  The notion that I never killed anyone or committed adultery is very minimalistic, what about greed, perjury, false witness, lying, missing mass, selfishness, lust, pride, or any of the other deadly sins.  To make one’s morality the whole of two sins clearly shows that the person is lacking a relationship with God and also not understanding what it means to be holy.  When one is in a relationship with God the first thing they will try to do is please Him, no different than when a child tries to please its parents.  This is how a child shows love and it’s appreciation for being loved.  If your child centered their whole existence and relationship around you with only avoiding two things, there would be really no relationship, nor would you put up with that as parents, you would naturally demand much more.

The second notion that I do more good than evil is also false for most of us.  There are canonized saints whom we know lived very holy lives and their sins were either very few or almost none at all, though they considered themselves terrible sinners, a feeling they had that came from humility.  Most of us on the other hand are a mixed bag, we are somewhat good and somewhat evil, we do good things and we do evil things.  St. Paul is very clear on this and he is so because he is protecting the concept of being saved by grace.  He says in Romans chapter three, “No one is good, no, not even one.”  He is basically arguing that we all need God’s grace to be saved; we cannot achieve it on our own.  If a person thinks they can get to heaven by following the Law, then they must follow it perfectly and do so always, for even the smallest offense makes one a breaker of the entire law and the person is justly condemned by God.

There are some Christians who believe that one must make an altar call or declare that Jesus is their personal Lord and Savior.  If not, one cannot be saved.  It is at this moment (when one declares Jesus as personal Lord and Savior that one is born again).  Catholics have nothing against calling Jesus or declaring Jesus one’s personal Lord and Savior, for He is.  The problems arise when one then does away with works of faith and love.  The easiest way to describe this is, what if a person tells you I am born again but then that night they cheat on their spouse, the next day they embezzle money, the day after they do physical harm to someone, would you consider that person a good and faithful Christian, no, of course not, for Jesus tells us, “You shall know them by their fruits.”

How are we saved, is it by faith or works?  The answer is both, but we could do neither if God did not give us the initial grace to be faithful and to do good.  He gave us that grace at Baptism and He continues to give it to us in the sacraments and in other moments of our lives.  As Catholics we never separate faith and works for we take the word “and” very seriously.

Jesus does not end today’s Gospel by only saying, “Believe what I am telling you about the Good Samaritan,” nor does He ever say, “You must only believe,” rather He says, “Go and do likewise!”  Again, our Lord tells us to, “Go and do likewise!”

FJ

Called and Sent to Preach Love

In today’s Gospel we heard that Jesus appointed seventy-two others to go ahead of Him and announce the Good News.  Those appointments have not stopped.  Jesus continues to appoint others each and every day to be His Apostles, to go forth and announce Him to the world.

Jesus has called us to be His apostles.  We are not the first twelve apostles, they had a special call and mission, to be the foundation of the Church, nevertheless Jesus calls others besides the twelve to be His Apostles.  For to be an apostle you simply have to be called by name and then sent. (c.f. Is. 43:1 and Lk. 10:1)

Jesus has already called each and every one of us gathered here today, He has called us personally.  He has also given each of us a mission, a vocation; a life’s calling for His glory and for the good of the Church.  And it is today in our own time that Jesus needs each and every one of us to go forth and proclaim the Good News.

A question we may be asking is, “What is the Good News I need to be preaching, both by word and deed?”

First and foremost we need to preach that God loves us, even in our brokenness. Our words will mean nothing if we do not address the fact that we are deeply loved.  Loved so much in fact that the Lord would carry a cross and be crucified on it for people who did not deserve it; that is love personified and love shown perfectly.

We have a lot of problems in our world.  All of us have become war mongers, we still execute people, many still believe you cannot have abortions in society but at the same time want people put to death, we have turned marriage upside down both in its sanctity, we have a fifty % divorce rate and we have recently redefined marriage, we live in excess while many can’t find their next meal, we blame the poor as being lazy – you know Jesus did that all the time (being sarcastic), we have closed our doors to the immigrant and to those who are already here we blame for our problems, really?  So it was the immigrant who bought bad mortgages, who turned our nation into a debt society (again being sarcastic).  Our problems go on and on.  

The beauty is that all of these problems can be remedied by faith and love in Jesus and one another.  Jesus wants us to talk about these things, to one another, but also to all of society.  He wants us to share the share the answer with others.  The answer has not changed since the first man and woman walked this earth, that we are loved.  If that love is accepted by us and we try to live it than the world will become a better place, if we deny that love and live in our brokenness, then we will remain so, bitter, angry and casting blame on everyone but ourselves.

Jesus called us in this time and this place to go forth and bring Him to others so that they along with us will give up our sins, for they are too heavy, and lean on Jesus where we find peace, but most of all love, the mission of each and every apostle, to share and love and know we are loved.

Appointed to die once and then face our Lord

Even in the time of Jesus people believed in reincarnation.  Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”  They responded, “Some say you are John the Baptist, others say you are Elijah, and others say, one of the ancient prophets has arisen.”  Now, it may not be reincarnation as we understand it today, but hints of it are there.  Why do I bring this up?  For two reasons, one) I wish to show that there is no such thing as reincarnation and two) to share with you what we believe happens to us when we pass from this life.

First off, what is reincarnation by definition, “Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life's actions.  This doctrine is a central tenet of Indian religions.” (Wikpedia)  Buddhism also believes in a type if reincarnation called, “rebirth,” a little more complex than Hindu beliefs, as it is based on consciousness, for our purposes suffice it to say that both major doctrines of rebirth or reincarnation come out of Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

What does the Church believe and teach regarding life and death?  The Church does not believe in reincarnation or rebirth (we believe we are born again at baptism, which is different, will explain at a later time) we believe that when a person dies they face Jesus in the first judgment and at the end of time, will face Jesus again at the final judgment or judgment of nations.  The letter to the Hebrews tells us, “…it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment…”(Heb. 9:27)  Some did not die once, i.e. Lazarus, but he did not come back as someone else or was reborn in another consciousness, he came back as Lazarus, though he died twice.  Hebrews speaks of the rule not the exception that is very far and few between. 

Reincarnation also devalues human dignity, God made us, man and woman as the pinnacle of His creation.  There is an order to the universe and we are lifted (raised) above all else, not because of ourselves but rather that the Word of God took on flesh and became a human being.  To die and be reborn as an animal or insect devalues us on many levels.  It devalues us in a general sense and also as individual persons.  Are the same souls just being born over and over again, are we just recycled material?  If so, is Jesus recycled material?

Reincarnation does not respect the whole person, both body and soul.  It is the body’s fault when it transgresses and not the soul’s, hence, the soul is more trapped than free when it occupies a body.  In the theory of reincarnation the body is seen as a hindrance and simply as a shell, the soul is everything, the body nothing.  Again, this devalues creation and most of all the incarnation.

And yet, some Catholics hold to this belief.  I ask myself why?  I think for a number of reasons.

1)   They have a genuine feeling of humility that they cannot go to God because they are not ready or perfect yet, they must come back and become so in order to reach perfection.

My friends if you believe this you will be highly disappointed, yes we are challenged to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, but we can never be so because of sin, so you will just have to keep coming back to earth forever.

2)   Some people simply love it here too much.  Your priorities are backwards.

3)   Some twist Scripture like today’s Gospel to prove that there is reincarnation; they do so to prove that they can believe in a non-Christian tenet and still be Christians.  It is not my place to say if you are a Christian or not, but reincarnation is not Christian no matter how much you may think to the contrary, it is NOT Christian.

More importantly for us is two things, one) why would I rather not be in heaven anyway, really, you want to come back here?  And two) who do we say Jesus is for us?

Reincarnation simply holds off our coming face to face with Jesus, I think some are trying to hold off the inevitable, judgment.  I also think that we have fallen too in love with this world.  Don’t get me wrong, we are to love life and all that God created.  He made all for our happiness, but we are to always love God more and our complete and most desirous longing is for God in heaven.

Finally, our lives begin and end with our Lord.  Jesus is our all and everything.  As I said to you before, he is more lover to us than any lover, more friend to us than any friend, and more brother to us than any brother (St. Augustine), knowing that and believing that our destination is not a return here, to be a worm, to be a bird, a lion, or a human again, rather it is a going home, to be with our Lord and God, once and for all and forever, Amen!

Bringing Down the Hammer: Catholic or Not!

Lately, reflecting on the religious situation in our country, especially that of Catholics, I cannot help to think that we are trying to draw lines in the sand too quickly.  There is a large contingent, and sometimes I am a part of it, that wants to see the official Church take a hard line approach to those politicians who are Catholic and clearly denounce, contradict, or move away from official Catholic teaching.  Many wish that Bishops either give strict warnings or even have politicians (who clearly defy Catholic teaching) excommunicated.

Some of the politicians that come to mind are Nancy Pelosi, Andrew M. Cuomo, and Joseph Biden.  There are others, but these three are some of the more high profile Catholic politicians who have either wavered seriously or even been opposed to some Catholic teachings, especially abortion and same sex marriage.

Church officials have been criticized as being too soft, cowardly, as wanting to remain in the big circle of high end friends, and many other accusations.  I myself am torn here, part of me wants a hard line approach, either be Catholic or get out.  But then another part of me thinks, well if you draw a hard line in the sand and are forced to expel some members from the group then all communication will cease.  For why in the world if I am the vice president of the United States would I dialogue with you if you have excommunicated me, I may tell you to actually go to… 

Are we not supposed to exhaust all possible communication and efforts before we excommunicate people?  Restraint and patience are tough virtues especially on hot button issues.  I think Bishops like Cardinal Dolan who have to deal with politicians like Cuomo are being resourceful and tactful.  Dolan is no coward, but rather a very smart man, who realizes that before he brings down the hammer he has to do so knowing that dialogue will then end and in the process will lose dialogue on the poor, on education, on immigration, etc.  To do anything in the heat of the moment is foolish, rather one is asked to reflect and pray deeply, to calm oneself down, in order to think straight and not make rash decisions.

Do not get me wrong, the day may be fast approaching where we will have to draw the line in the sand and we will have to stand behind our bishops when they do so, but I don’t think it is here just yet or that we have exhausted all possible means for change and dialogue.  Though sometimes it does feel that way and I myself have blurted out, “excommunicate that clown!”  But that is emotion, not restraint, patience, and prayer.  I am not sure that society, especially our politicians will change for the better, they may not, but like Jesus we have to practice patience.  Think of how patient the Lord is with us, we are to do the same and only bring down the hammer (so to speak) when absolutely necessary because if you swing the hammer often eventually it will clunk you on your own head, ouch!

The Voice of Truth Will Never Go Out

In some recent conversations, watching the news, and following some posts on face-book I could not help but notice that compassion on a spiritual level, one that keeps God in mind always looks to the good even in the light of any possible human suffering and one that chooses the good regardless of what society may wish.  Allow me to explain and please be patient as this unfolds.

When I read St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians for this Sunday’s 2^nd reading there was a verse which made me recall all of the above, the verse in which he writes, “God set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace.”  I thought about that and how God knows us from the very beginning of our HUMAN existence which takes place at the moment of our conception.  Allow me for arguments sake to move the life of St. Paul forward into our own day and to go a step further.  What if St. Paul’s mother became pregnant out of wedlock at the age of seventeen in our 21^st century?  Human compassion as it is understood now allows for St. Paul’s mother to decide if she will go through with the pregnancy or abort it.  Human compassion when it becomes devoid of God turns into false compassion which would call out to the mother with the following reasoning.

1)   You are too young to have a baby

2)   How will you take care of that child

3)   It is not fair to bring that child into the world to live with little to no means

4)   You had plans to go to college, find a job, and finally a husband, this will set you back

5)   Having a child out of wedlock may bring you shame

6)   How will you walk through the hallways in school with a belly with everyone knowing you are pregnant

All of the above is false compassion and if the mother goes through with the abortion then there would never have been a St. Paul!

False compassion if I may suggest rather strongly is actually demonic in nature as it is based on the lies of Satan, an angel of Light who at first looks beautiful, seemingly right, reasonable, and good, but when we dig a little we begin to notice that – that light is void of life, is actually ugly, unreasonable, and evil.

Let’s take a look at how false compassion works.  Just recently in the State of NY they are trying to pass a law onto consumers that they must be 21 years old to buy cigarettes.  Many laws have been passed where people can no longer smoke in restaurants, bars, and even the work place.  Some of these laws are good, since smoking is not healthy, however it is not illegal to smoke in your private place or in some places outside, but it is ridiculous to make the age 21 before someone wishes to smoke, when at the same time NY is trying to pass a law that will allow a 12 year old girl to go to a pharmacy and purchase the after morning pill in order to not become pregnant or to terminate any conception that has already taken place, all done without even the supervision of a parent or guardian.  However, if a 20 year old soldier just back from Iraq, a decorated combat veteran who has placed his life in harm’s way asks for a cigarette he will be denied because he must be 21.  These laws are upside down because compassion has been skewed and misdirected.

Another example is that if someone destroy an eagle egg they can be charged with a federal offense, but if a doctor performs an abortion and kills a HUMAN being there is no penalty, not only is it not a penalty but it has been twisted into a good, all in the name and protection of a person’s choice, again compassion has been redirected through lies from the father of lies.

If you remember sometime ago Michael Vick found himself in a world of trouble for sponsoring dog fights and even for the cruel, unjust, and torturous behavior towards dogs.  He was rightfully punished, because it is sinful to harm an animal for harm’s sake or for one’s pleasure, it is sick actually.  If you recall, the Michael Vick story received unbelievable amounts of attention and air time in the media,hour after hour, day after day, for weeks on end.  Michael Vick had become the world’s biggest monster.  However, when Doctor Gosnell was arrested for the killing of babies who had survived botched abortions the media only covered it for a few days and then buried the story, no real outcry, not nearly the attention Michael Vick received for killing dogs.  As a society we are more outraged at cruelty to animals than to human beings or even eagle eggs.

My friends please don’t misunderstand me, I like animals and cruelty to animals should not go unpunished, but when compared to human beings, well there is no comparison in terms of the value and dignity of a human life.

In the end it all comes down to choice or the power of choice.  Radicals keep harping about choice, be it a women’s choice to end the life of a human being in her womb, be it the choice to allow a twelve year old girl to purchase an after morning pill, be it a choice to give more airtime to a dog killer than a killer of human lives, be it a choice to end someone’s life via assisted suicide because it is more compassionate to end a life than to allow someone to remain on the Cross with Christ.   Human suffering is very hard, almost unbearable, but to end a life simply due to compassion is wrong,  Job did not end his life nor did Christ come down from the Cross, but rather through their suffering they brought peace to others and in the case of Christ He brought us salvation.  False compassion says, “Jesus, get down from that Cross, Job just give up, and to all of you just choose what’s good for you.”  All of it is based on lies.  Compassion is taken and twisted looking as though it was a good, but in fact it becomes evil, no different than what we do when we sin, we justify it.

My friends I feel very strongly about all of this.  Society is moving in the wrong direction, leaders simply appease people or their voters; we have become more and more hedonistic.  St. Paul is clear, “God set me apart from my mother’s womb.”  That means God is already in relationship with a person, in this case St. Paul.  I cannot understand either on a biblical level or through my understanding of the natural law how a person can actually believe they have a choice to terminate a human life in the womb?

What are we to do about it?  We must become a voice that shouts from the roof tops that this is wrong and invite people back to the Gospel Truth, one that is understood via Scripture but also through common sense.  Some will shut us out, others will mock us, and eventually the way society is heading we will be labeled as people of hate, hate speech will be made a crime (already the case in Canada), intolerant and slowly things will be taken away from us, and maybe that which we preach may even one day be considered criminal.  But that will not stop us because we speak in behalf of Christ.

Nothing stopped St. Paul, he didn’t care if they whipped him, stoned him, dragged him through the streets, he preached and preached because even though they killed him in the end and now he is a glorious martyr they could never extinguish his voice because the voice of Christ will never go out, Amen!