Man of God

Praying for our priests and for ourselves

09/29/2019

1 Timothy 6:11-16 But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple is involved in a fatal car accident. The couple find themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting on St. Peter to process them into Paradise. While waiting, they begin to wonder: Could we possibly get married in heaven? When St. Peter shows up, they asked him. St. Peter said: “I don’t know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go and find out,” and he leaves. The couple sat and waited and waited. Two months passed and they were still waiting. While waiting, they began to wonder what would happen if things didn’t work out; could you get a divorce? After yet another month, St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled. “Yes” he informs the couple, “You can get married in heaven.” The couple replies: “Great! But we were just wondering, what if things don’t work out? Could we get a divorce in heaven?” St. Peter, red-faced in anger, slammed down his clipboard on the ground. The frightened couple asked: “What’s wrong?” St. Peter shouted: “Oh, come on! It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you know how long it will take me to find a lawyer?” My apologies to any attorneys present at Mass today.

But if that joke suggests that priests are scarce in heaven, do you know where priests are apparently plentiful? According to the medieval poet Dante Alighieri, in his famous book The Divine Comedy, he puts not only priests but even popes in hell, and believe me, there’s nothing comic about that. These poor prelates include Pope Nicholas III, Pope Boniface VIII, and Pope Clement I, who all inhabit the second-to-last deepest circles of hell for sins of simony, selling spiritual goods. Dante’s poem is a grim reminder of Jesus’ words in Luke 12:48, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much.” Personally, I never want to forget that admonition, so on my ordination card, I wrote this ancient quotation: “Great is this mystery, and great the dignity of priests, to whom that is given which is not granted to angels.” The older I get – and the more my daily sins pile up – the more convinced I am that quotation is not a cause for pride, but rather motive for the deepest humility. In the priesthood, perhaps like nowhere else, God’s mercy meets man’s mediocrity.

In the second reading today, St. Paul seems to have this priestly paradox in mind – where sin meets grace – when he writes his first letter to Timothy. He exhorts his priestly protégé, saying: “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.” In other words, don’t you dare take for granted the great gift of the holy priesthood, which is not given even to the angels.

You may recall St. Timothy was one of Paul’s closest companions on his missionary journeys and he loved him like a son. In 1 Timothy 1:2, he writes: “To Timothy, my true son in the faith.” In the year 64, St. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to govern the church as its bishop. Paul wanted Timothy to have Jesus’ words in Luke 12:48 burned into his memory. Or as the Jonas Brothers sing in their popular song, “Sucker,” Paul wanted Jesus to be the “tattoo inside his brain, the medicine and the pain,” which is a perfect description of how Paul and Timothy and all of us priests feel about Jesus: “I’m a sucker for you, Lord.” Bet you’ve never thought about that song in that light.

The U.S. Serra Club that promotes vocations to the priesthood annually sponsors Priesthood Sunday, which falls on this Sunday, September 29th. Some people even call it a “Second Fathers’ Day” besides the one in June. I really like that designation of being called “Father,” because we all have natural fathers whom we honor and love, but we know they are not perfect men. The same holds true for our spiritual fathers, our priests, who need our prayers, because they, too, are not perfect men.

But do you know who you really need to pray for besides priests? Please pray for the church staff that have to work with the priests on a daily basis. Why? Well, you get to see the priest at Mass, when we can slap a smile on our face and be charming and cheerful. “Oh, Fr. John is so wonderful,” you think. But the staff sees us when we are grumpy and grouchy on a bad hair-day, when we are picky and petty worried about the collection, when we are selfish and slothful and want to stay in bed instead of say Mass, when we are unkind and unkempt because we don’t have a wife to clean us up to out in public. In short, you see the “man of God,” but they see the man of mediocrity. You think all priests will go straight to heaven; they know all priests will be lucky to make it to purgatory.

On Priesthood Sunday, and really every day, pray for your priests because they need it. But in a sense, you need these prayers for priests even more. Why? Well, without priests, who will baptize your baby, and who will hear your confession, and who will marry your son or daughter, and who will feed you with the Bread of Life, and who will anoint you before you leave this world to meet your Maker? In other words, the People of God need these mere mortals because they have been granted that which is not given to the angels. In their hands is your salvation.

St. Augustine, the holy and humble bishop of Hippo, tried to balance these two sides of the sacred priesthood, saying: “Where I am terrified by what I am for you, I am given comfort by what I am with you. For you I am a bishop, with you…I am a Christian.” Please pray for us priests, these men of God, these men of mediocrity, these men with Jesus “tattooed inside our brains.” Pray for priests so it won’t be so hard for Peter to find one in heaven.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Preacher's Best Friend

Taking time daily to think about death

09/28/2019

Luke 9:43B-45 While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men." But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

The last thing most people want to talk about or even think about is death, especially our own death. When was the last time you pondered, in some detail, your own death? If you’re like me and most of humanity, probably never. We love celebrating our birthday until they start telling us we will one day die, so we decide to be 39 for the rest of our lives, or like start shopping at the clothing store called “Forever 21.” Every commercial on TV, b

esides selling a certain product, has the underlying message that you can live forever and never face death. Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquy began with Hamlet asking the million-dollar question: “To be or not to be, that is the question…” And most Americans would answer that by saying: “I think I’ll ignore that question.” The few, rare occasions I have actually talked to someone about death, people usually say: “Well, I hope to die in my sleep and get it over with quickly and painlessly.”

But I would suggest to you that one of the most holy and healthy, one of the most sane and even sober, and even saintly, of things to think about is our own death. Oh, I don’t mean so that we become down and depressed, but rather so we will assess this earthly life in its proper perspective, not lie to ourselves, and look forward to the afterlife. I was talking with Fr. Martin last week about the challenge of preaching at Mass, and said: “Thank God for death! Death really gets people attention. It’s a preacher’s best friend, because without death, people would side-step and scoff at the gospel message.” In other words, nothing makes people more laser focused on eternal life than the harsh reality of death. Just think about the last funeral you went to. How did you feel touching the casket, or kissing the cold forehead of the deceased, or saying a prayer for their peaceful repose? That feeling is sanity and sanctity.

In the gospel today, Jesus is really struggling to convey the truth of his own saving death to his apostles. For the second time in the gospel of Luke, he announces that he will soon suffer death, and how do his closest companions react? We read: “But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.” The apostles at that stage of their formation were like most of us and wished to die in their sleep, quietly and quickly and painlessly. Later, however, after witnessing Jesus’ death and resurrection, and being filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they meditated daily on death, and how their death could glorify God, just like Jesus’ own death did. After the resurrection, the apostles would scoff at commercials telling them they could live forever on earth and they looked forward to their birthday into heaven (their death), not their birthday on earth. The apostles would probably not have shopped for clothes at the store called “Forever 21.”

Today, I want to invite you to do something a little strange, namely, take time every day to think about death. You can think about Jesus’ death as you pray the fifth sorrowful mystery of the rosary, the Crucifixion. Or, you can ponder the death of a loved one by visiting a cemetery or our columbarium. On the way to school Mass every Friday, our school children stop by the columbarium to pray for those interred there. They are thinking about death. But the best thought and the most blessed thought is to turn your mind to your own death. How differently we would live, if our own death was our constant thought! That thought is sanity and sanctity.

I’m sorry this homily was not full of jokes and joviality. There is a time and a place for those as well. But I noticed you were paying very close attention to this homily today. Death is a preacher’s best friend. And in the end, death is a Christian’s best friend, too.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Suffering Servant

Honoring the memory and ministry of Padre Pio

09/23/2019

Matthew 16:24-27 Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay each one according to his conduct."

Suffering is unavoidable. Sometimes that suffering can be physical, but it can also be emotional or mental. It can be endured by individuals but also by groups of people, or a nation, like the suffering of slavery and abortion in our country. Parents suffer vicariously when they see their children suffer. The whole earth suffers when we fail to care for our “common home” as Pope Francis reminds us. I see the inevitability of suffering several times a week when I visit the hospital and give the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

Last week I was called to the hospital to anoint Mr. Tony Scherry, who passed a few hours later. I pray the sacrament brought Tony and his family some comfort and strength as they carried the cross of suffering. And finally, I am learning that I, too, will and must suffer at some point, especially for my own sins. The surprising thing is that I have been able to live a suffering-free life so far. I’ve gotten off easy thus far, but it will not last; suffering is unavoidable.

Now, here’s the subtle irony when we deal with Christian suffering. Our pains can help heal other people’s wounds. One of the most poignant prophesies in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah is found in Isaiah 53, which describes him as the “suffering servant.” We read in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquities. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed.” The last line is the money line for me: “by his wounds we were healed.”

We see this interchange of suffering for healing in daily life. When we break one leg and put it in a cast, the other leg sort of suffers by carrying the weight of the whole body. By the anguish of the healthy leg, the wounded leg is healed. So, too, Jesus bore the pains of our sins so we could be healed. But this does not mean we will not suffer. On the contrary, our cross will be the surest sign of our Christianity, our badge of honor. That’s why the saints are always pictured with the instruments of their martyrdom, like a cross or sword. In other words, we, too, must become little “suffering servants” in imitation of our Lord and Master.

Today, September 23, is the feast of St. Padre Pio, a Capuchin Franciscan friar. In a very unique way he was a suffering servant like Jesus because he bore the “stigmata,” the wounds Jesus suffered on the Cross. Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887 to a poor but very devout Catholic family in Pietrelcina, in southern Italy. His baptismal name was “Francesco” (Francis). Even as a young boy he suffered severe illnesses: gastroenteritis and typhoid fever. He entered the Capuchin Franciscans at age 15 and took the name “Pio” (Pius).

As he studied to be a priest, he had additional illnesses: insomnia, exhaustion, fainting spells, migraines, and he vomited frequently and could digest only milk and cheese. He served in the Italian army in World War I in the medical unit, and returned and started a hospital for those in extreme need, called “La Casa sollievo della suffrenza.” Padre Pio’s desire, however, was not only to alleviate the physical ailments of his patients, but especially their spiritual ones. He was a priest. He heard confessions, said Mass, anointed the sick, and served as spiritual director for countless people.

One day in 1947, a Polish priest named Fr. Karol Wojtyla came to Padre Pio for confession. In a moment of prophetic inspiration, Padre Pio said that one day that Polish priest would rise to the highest position in the Church. In 1978 that prophesy came true as that priest was elected as the pope and took the name John Paul II. And in order to say thanks, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio in 2002.

But perhaps Padre Pio’s most notable trait was the stigmata, the same sufferings that Jesus endured. Padre Pio said he was embarrassed by the bleeding in his hands and in his feet and his side because he didn’t want to be compared to Jesus Christ. But he endured his sufferings for the sake of others, so that by his wounds others might be healed.

Suffering is unavoidable, but it can also be an instrument of healing for ourselves and for others. Scott Hahn said: “We usually pray ‘Deliver us from sufferings,’ but Jesus teaches us to pray ‘Deliver us from evil’.” Our greatest enemy is not suffering but evil, and surprisingly, suffering may be the best way to “deliver us from evil.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Picture God

Being moved by a God of love and mercy

09/22/2019

1 Timothy 2:1-8 Beloved: First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time. For this I was appointed preacher and apostle — I am speaking the truth, I am not lying —, teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

I heard this little joke at the Ladies Auxiliary meeting this past week, so before I tell it, would you please cover your children’s ears? A white man and an African-American man were best friends. They had been best friends for many years, and had shared a lot of their lives together, and basically agreed on everything. But there was one area where they adamantly disagreed, namely, on what color God was. The white man said he was sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that God was white. His African-American friend, however, was equally convinced that God would be African-American, that God is black. One day both men were driving along and had a terrible car accident where they both died. They found themselves standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the Pearly Gates, knowing that any moment the doors would fly open and their long-lasting debate would finally be resolved. At last the eternal gates opened, and God stepped forward, and said, “Buenos dias!” Maybe that joke would be better received in the Spanish Masses.

I share that joke because it suggests that how we see God – how we picture him in our mind’s eye – profoundly affects how we think, how we think shapes our choices, how we choose fashions our character, and our character steers the course of our life. In other words, how we visualize God – not just what color he is – changes not only how we think; it changes everything.

For example, if we tend to imagine God as a strict judge, who’s only looking to squash all our fun and trying to catch us making a mistake, we will be paranoid, and only try to avoid his punishments. We feel like the poor children of an abusive parent. Jonathan Edwards, the fiery Evangelical preacher in colonial Connecticut, wrote a famous sermon called, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” He explained to his congregation: “There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.” He literally wanted to scare the hell out of his parishioners. Jonathan Edwards pictured God as a judge and therefore preached a legalistic relationship with him, which deeply influenced the faith of his followers.

On the other hand, we can visualize the Almighty as a God of infinite mercy. Pope Francis, shortly after he was elected in March, 2013, led the world in praying the Angelus. He made a statement that day that has always stuck with me. He insisted: “The Lord never tires of forgiving us. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” The difference between Pope Francis and Jonathan Edwards’ view of God could not be more black and white, more night and day. One relationship with God is based on fear and legalism, the other on faith and love. Our picture of God changes our thinking, and in the end, it changes everything.

Our scriptures today offer us two contrasting images of God and how that deeply affects behavior. Jesus tells a parable of a dishonest steward who fears his master and quickly comes up with a selfish solution to keep him from being fired, and even a back-up plan if he is fired. Moved by fear and legalism, he does the minimum for his master. On the other hand, St. Paul teaches Timothy God is merciful and only desires to save us. We read in 1 Timothy 2:4: “God wills all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.” When we see God in that light – where God wants to save us rather than punish us – we feel like doing the maximum, motivated by his mercy.

Ask yourself today: How do I see God? Most of us are not worried whether God is black or white, but we do have some image of the Man Upstairs in heaven. Does that image make us live by fear and legalism or by faith and love? What do I mean? Do you tend to do the minimum as a Christian? We might ask how far can I go with my girlfriend before it’s a mortal sin: can we hold hands, can we kiss, can we French kiss, etc.? What’s the least I can give in the Sunday collection so I don’t feel guilty: is it $5, or $10, or $100? What it the least I have to do to stay out of hell, because that’s all I’m shooting for? These would be the kinds of questions that Jonathan Edwards’ congregation might ask.

Here at Immaculate Conception, though, I find people asking the opposite questions. For instance, some ask what times are the daily Masses because I want to go to Mass more than just Sundays? Or, I already give money in the Sunday collection, but how can I help the poor, or a family who cannot afford to send their child to Catholic schools? Others ask, what are the bible studies I can go to in order to learn more about this loving and merciful God? And every now-and-then, someone says, I want to give up everything and become a priest or nun, like Omar Galvan, from our parish, who will be ordained a priest in two years. No wonder it’s Omar, a Hispanic man, who wants to be a priest, since God is Hispanic and speaks Spanish: “Buenos dias!”

Folks, why do we do the things we do? Simple: when we look up to heaven and see a God of infinite mercy and love, and we realize how he sent his son to die and rise for us, and we believe he has given us all his heavenly riches in the sacraments, it feels like you can never do enough to say thanks. King David sang in Psalm 116 (my favorite), “How can I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” How we picture God changes our thinking, our choices, our character and our lives. It changes everything.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Soul of a Nation

Saving the soul of a nation and a family

09/20/2019

Luke 8:1-3 Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

When I studied litera

ture at the University of Dallas, I discovered the notion of a “national epic.” Have you ever heard of a national epic? It is a story, usually a long poem, that captures the national character of a people and enshrines the conscience of a nation. It expresses who we are and what we stand for collectively. For instance, the national epic of Greece would the Iliad and Odyssey penned by Homer, their great poet. Italy’s national epic is clearly considered the Aeneid by Virgil. England usually claims Beowulf as theirs. Spain would hail El Cid as its national epic, and Australia has Gilgamesh.

What would be America’s national epic? The jury is still out but one of the finalists would have to be Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Another story that’s often in the running is the Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Pope St. John Paul II had the habit of reading the national epic of a country on the plane as he went to visit it. The pope-saint knew that he could not speak convincingly to a given country if he did not first learn who their heroes were, what their hopes as a people are, and what their highest aspirations were. In short, he wanted to shape their character and touch their conscience, both enshrined in their national epic.

But I would suggest to you that a country and a nation is more than a character and a conscience, it also has a spirit and a soul. In other words, every country also has a relationship with God. Have you ever thought about a country having a soul? Sounds kind of strange, doesn’t it? Last night I attended the Heart to Heart banquet, and the speaker declared that the prolife cause is a “battle for the soul of America.” Now, the purpose of a soul is to put you in a right relationship with God. But if you don’t believe in God – like the growing atheist population – then there’s no need for a soul. No God, no soul. And maybe that’s one reason prolifers and prochoicers cannot agree: one believes this country has a soul to save, and the other side doubts we do. Do nations have a spirit and a soul, as well as a character and a conscience?

Another habit of Pope Saint John Paul II was to travel to other countries and canonize the saints and martyrs who died there. Today, September 20, is the feast day of the Korean martyrs, Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions. In his homily for the canonization of the Korean martyrs on May 6, 1984, the pope wrote movingly: “For behold: through this Liturgy of Canonization, the Blessed Korean Martyrs are inscribed in the list of the Saints of the Catholic Church.” He continued: “These are true sons and daughters of your nation…They are your ancestors, according to the flesh, language and culture.” And then he pointed out: “At the same time they are your fathers and mothers in the faith, a faith to which they bore witness by the shedding of their blood.” Did you notice how the pope was speaking not only to their culture but also to their Christianity? He wanted to touch not only their national character and conscience, but also their country’s spirit and soul. That’s why the pope flew to all seven continents and canonized countless saints and martyrs on the soil already consecrated by their blood. The saints of every nation and country remind us that every nation also has a soul to be saved.

When you tell stories about your family to your children and grandchildren, what do they sound like? You may talk about your family’s ethnic origins in Ireland or Italy or India. You may mention the heroes, like grandparents who made the trek across the Atlantic Ocean on a ship and sacrificed and saved to give their children a better life. You might highlight the first member of the family to go to college, or even include the first member of the family to go to jail. You may proudly say my grandfather fought in the Great War.

But do you make a point to include the spiritual history of your family: someone who became a priest or a nun, or helped build a church, convent or school? I remember asking my father many years ago, how long our family had been Catholic. He answered for 2,000 years, since the arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle to India. Do you know long your family has been Catholic? I bet it’s not for 2,000 years!

Families, like nations, also have a soul, a spiritual relationship with God. And the soul of your family, like the soul of this nation, is worth saving. That is, if you think it has a soul.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Holiness as Wholeness

Embracing everyone as the path to holiness

09/19/2019

Luke 7:36-50 A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?" Simon said in reply,

"The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."

How would you define holiness, or who would you say is a holy person? Most of us would point to external appearances and visible actions and use those to measure holiness. People sometimes say to me: “Fr. John, you will go straight to heaven!” Man, I hope they are right. But how did they come to that conclusion? They see me at Mass, I am usually wearing my priestly collar, they watch me interact with people, they hear me speak at bible study. Based on those exterior criteria, they conclude that a priest must be holy. And those are certainly helpful hints of holiness, but they are not guarantee.

If there’s one thing the recent clergy sexual abuse crisis has proven, it is that putting on a Roman collar does not make a man immune to mortal sin. In a certain sense, the Roman collar makes him more a target of temptation for the Evil One. In a wary, you do more damage by killing a captain than by killing a private. In other words, holiness cannot be just skin deep; holiness must abide in the heart, and what abides in the heart is love.

In the gospel today, the question of what determines holiness is precisely what is at stake. The Pharisees contended that holiness consists of external purity and visible behavior, a lot like most of us would define it. In fact, the name “Pharisee” comes from the Hebrew word “perushim” which literally means “the separated ones.” Holiness, therefore, requires separation from those who are unholy, defiled or impure. To be holy is to quarantine yourself from the rest of the world which is diseased with the defilement of sin. We might compare holiness of the Pharisees to modern day zombie movies, where there are a few, healthy people trying never to touch all these zombies that are like walking dead. And that is precisely why the Pharisees reacted so strongly when Jesus touched the sinful woman in the gospel.

Our Lord, on the other hand, defines holiness not as separation, but as integration. Not as running away from the walking dead in loathing, but rather running toward them in love. Think of all the times Jesus reaches out his hand to touch people the Pharisees would consider unclean, and to be avoided. Jesus touched the dead son of the widow of Nain a little earlier in Luke 7:11-17; Jesus is touched by a woman who is hemorrhaging blood for 12 years in Mark 5; Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman in John 4 and shocks his apostles; and today, Jesus is anointed and even kissed by a sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50.

Integration comes from the word “integral” which comes from “integer.” Do you remember what an integer is in math? Don’t worry, I had to look it up too. An integer is a whole number that can be written without a fractional component. The basic point is that a integer is whole, and to integrate is to make separated pieces whole again. That is Jesus’ definition of holiness: to reintegrate all the separated and scattered children of God back into God’s family, back into one Church, back home under one roof. In a word, holiness is wholeness, integration rather than separation. And the key to holiness as integration is love.

Now, let’s return to our initial question: how do you define holiness? Do we have the attitude that holiness is separation? So we may quarantine ourselves from people or places or situations we consider unclean or sinful. We look at people who are different from us like so many zombies, the walking dead. But one of the chief qualities of the saints is to run to those people and places and situations with great love. Mother Teresa ran to the slums of Calcutta, Blessed Stanley Rother faced his persecutors in Guatemala and was killed by them, St. Damien ran to live in a leper colony on the island of Molokai. The list goes on and on. Why do they do that? They believe holiness is basically integration. The saints use Jesus’ math, and their holiness tries to make the world whole again. They see the people who are different not as zombies but as separated brothers and sisters.

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that the chief effect of the Eucharist was the unity of the Body of Christ, the Church (ST, III, Q. 73, Art. 3). As we come forward to receive Holy Communion, let us ask for the grace to define holiness like Jesus does: holiness is wholeness.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Happiest People

Letting the Church lead us to happiness

09/18/2019

Luke 7:31-35 Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.' For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

I like to say that Catholic schools help students to get to Harvard and also to Heaven. But I should add a third “H” besides Harvard and Heaven, and say: “Catholic schools also help students to be happy.” All activities of Catholic schools is aimed at the target of the happiness of their students. I know this will sound a little arrogant to say but the Church claims to have the corner on human happiness better than anyone else. Pope St. Paul VI coined this felicitous phrase: “the Church is an expert in humanity,” which is another way of saying the Church is an “expert in human happiness.” All humans desire happiness. Just look at all us priests and nuns, don’t we look like the happiest people on earth? Well, looks can be deceiving; we really are the happiest people on earth.

In the first reading, St. Peter – the first pope – said something similar to what the 262nd pope, St. Paul VI said: “The Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” And what “truth” was Peter talking about? The truth we are all most interested in, namely, what makes people happy? In other words, the Church, the pillar and foundation of truth, knows better than anyone what makes you and me happy.

Now, the hard part about happiness is that the Church is not the only one who claims to have the corner on human happiness. Every commercial you see says the same thing: each one is selling happiness. Buy these 3-cigarettes because they will make you happy. You have to get this new phone because it will surely make your happy. You have to vacation at this beach or go to this amusement park, because only here will you be truly and fully happy. Behind every commercial is the hope of happiness.

And what the unspoken implication if you don’t buy these things? You will be unhappy. This is what Jesus means when he says the children of this generation are like children who play the flute and try to make people happy, and sing dirges and make people sad. The modern world, typified in modern commercials, claims to know what causes human happiness (and sadness). But John the Baptist and Jesus were not buying the happiness they were selling, and they were two of the happiest people on the earth.

Today I want you to think about two questions: (1) What will make you happy? And (2) who can tell you what will make you happy? At the end of the day, we all have a choice to make: do I believe the Church, established by Jesus as the pillar and foundation of truth, or do I believe the world, who play the flute and sing dirges, to lead me to happiness? Pope St. Paul VI said the Church is an expert in happiness. But every commercial claims the same corner on human happiness. You are free to choose to follow whomever you want to make you happy. Just remember one thing: looks can be deceiving.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Evil World, Good God

Seeing how God lovingly governs everything

09/16/2019

1 Timothy 2:1-8 Beloved: First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all.

One of the most complicated questions in theology is unraveling the mysterious workings of divine providence. Indeed, providence (sometimes called predestination) is also one of the most thorny problems in life. Put simply (the question, not the answer), does God have the final say, total control, and absolute authority to direct all created things according to his will and pleasure? And the resounding Christian answer is “yes!” St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in his Summa Theologica: “All things are subject to divine providence, not only in general, but even in their own individual selves” (ST, I, Q. 22, Art. 3). The Angelic Doctor was stating something that’s easy to believe but hard to understand.

Immediately, therefore, numerous questions bombard that simple assertion of faith, namely, why is there suffering? Who ordains the natural disasters that kill thousands of people? Why are people allowed to sin and hurt one another? Why doesn’t God stop mass murderers before they commit such heinous crimes? Why do “bad things happen to good people?” the title of the popular book by Rabbi Harold Kushner. Some people, especially modern people, feel suffering would not be possible if there were a good God who knows everything, who loves everything, and who can do everything. As a consequence, one of the fastest growing segments of our society with regard to religion is atheism. One root, perhaps the deepest root, of modern atheism is the struggle with God’s providence or his predestination of things, or his lack thereof. In other words, an evil world argues against a good God.

I like to think about the existence of evil in the cosmos like the presence of evil in our own homes and families. Parents want their children to be happy more than anything. They make tremendous sacrifices for that happiness to flourish. I often think about how my parents moved half way around the world – from India to the U.S. – for their children’s happiness. Moreover, parents work to provide daily nourishment, nurturing, guidance and discipline, so their children will not be spoiled but successful in life.

Nevertheless, no matter how holy parents are and how hard parents work, can they prevent all problems, even inside their own homes? Can they keep their children from fighting? Can they prevent their children from being jealous? Are they able to force their children to share and not be selfish? They can and they try to a certain degree, but they cannot achieve that absolutely. And when the children suffer – quite often due to their own sinfulness – the same children complain against their parents saying it was the parents’ fault for their pains and problems, just like we blame God for the bad things that happen in the universe, even though they are often the result of our own selfish actions.

Admittedly, this comparison is just an analogy and all analogies limp, they are not perfect explanations. Analogies reveal as much as they conceal. Perhaps only when children grow up and have their own families will they appreciate how hard it was for their parents to provide for them. They see the problems of parental providence, and maybe even get to glimpse God’s providence in a new light, a more sympathetic light. Just because there are problems in your family, it doesn’t mean your parents aren’t good.

A friend of mine, who runs a multi-million dollar organization, likes to say: “the higher you go in an organization, you can do less and less about more and more.” That reminds me of how another friend described what it meant to earn a Ph.D. – you know more and more about less and less. In other words, as a CEO, you are responsible for more and more – all employees and the business itself – but you feel a sense of powerlessness over daily details. Why? Well, because as the CEO, your concern is for the long-term health and objectives of your whole business, but you leave the daily operations to vice presidents and directors to handle.

With these preceding reflections, we might take a stab at understanding St. Paul’s meaning in his first letter to Timothy, where he writes: “God wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” Yes, God has absolute control over all things whatsoever, but his control is directed to helping everyone to be saved and to know the truth. Salvation and truth are the targets that God’s providence and predestination are aimed at; and he never misses. That is the objective and end of this “company” called “creation,” over which God is the CEO. It is also the purpose of the company for those employees called “atheists.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Shadow of Success

Putting our collective Catholic shoulders behind youth ministry

9/12/2019

Colossians 3:12-17 Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one Body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I’ve had a very strange and very sober thought going through my head lately, namely, who will take my place one day as the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church? I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon, don’t worry. Or, maybe you should worry because I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon. But I will retire one day, like it or not, and some priest will replace me. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.” Just as I walk in the shadow of Msgr. Galvin and Msgr. O’Donnell, so some day another priest will walk in my shadow – a strange and sober thought indeed.

Perhaps that priest will be one of the associates I have had the pleasure of serving with here for the past six years: Fr. Andrew Hart or Fr. Stephen Elser or now Fr. Martin Amaro? Or it may be a priest who has not yet darkened the doors of I.C. church. Do you know the first time I entered this glorious house of God? IT was for the funeral of Msgr. Galvin in June, 1996, and I had been a priest for only two weeks. I only came to support my seminary classmate, Fr. Greg Luyet, who was the associate priest here at the time. In other words, the only time Galvin’s shadow fell on me was from his casket at the cemetery in Texarkana. Sometimes we have a chance to shape our successors, and sometimes our successors are picked without our permission.

We continue to hear from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians in the first reading today. It almost sounds like Paul is also pondering who his successor will be and walk in his shadow as the apostle to the gentiles. He writes: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” In other words, the faith is meant to be shared from one generation to the next. Why? So that the institution called the Catholic Church may fill the face of the earth.

That institution is the lengthened shadow not of one man, but of the one God-Man, Jesus Christ. St. Paul walked in the shadow of Jesus and so did Galvin, and O’Donnell and John Antony. In other words, it is Jesus’ shadow that defines and directs this divine institution called the Catholic Church. This strange and sober thought crosses the mind of very pastor: who will take my place when I am gone, to share the faith with the next generation? Upon whom shall Jesus’ shadow fall next to be the future shepherds of the Church?

Today I want you to pray with me for the success of youth ministry, and put our collective Catholic shoulders to that load. It is not enough that we learn the faith and live the faith. We must also find effective ways to light the lamp of faith in the hearts of our youth. I am so grateful to men like the late David McMahon and Tom Caldarera, who helped us obtain our 4:12 Youth Building. I am indebted to Loretta Collins, our youth minister, who works hard and humbly with the youth. I am so inspired by Pope St. John Paul II who started the World Youth Day celebrations to inspire the next generation of Catholics. I cannot thank enough our school staff and teachers, our religious education directors and catechists, who tirelessly try to pass on the faith. And now Dc. Greg has stepped into the role of leading Catholic campus ministry at U.A.F.S.

Why are we spending all this time and energy, all this manpower and millions of dollars? For one simple reason: we know that Emerson was right: an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man, and the institution called the Catholic Church is the lengthened shadow of Jesus Christ. We have enjoyed standing in his shadow for many years, and now we want to invite the next generation to join us in that shade. From that generation of Catholics will come the next pastor of Immaculate Conception Church.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Penance with Purpose

Harnessing the hidden potential of pain

09/10/2019

Colossians 1:24–2:3 Brothers and sisters: I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his Body, which is the Church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.

I will be doing a little extra penance today. What precisely is penance? My definition would be penance is “suffering aimed at a spiritual target.’ That is, I am not doing penance – like fasting – to just lose weight. Rather that fasting called penance is for the purpose of obtaining grace – God’s love and mercy – for me or for others. Penance is a spiritual resource or “asset class” you might say, and we shouldn’t waste it but take full advantage of its hidden capabilities.

The reason I am doing extra penance today is for a friend I visited last night. She is pregnant and her doctor told her the baby has a high likelihood of having downs syndrome. As you can imagine, she and her husband were devastated by the news. All their hopes and dreams, plans and preparations for the baby’s future suddenly seemed to disappear like a dream and they have woken up to a harsh and cold morning. A friend of mine said recently every parent hopes their child grows up to be a president or a priest. In other words, we want to give our children the best, and these folks feel like they have failed in that effort, even though it was not their fault. The purpose of my penance today, therefore, is to ask God to give that mom and dad the grace they need to shoulder this unexpected cross. We don’t always get to choose our cross; sometimes our crosses choose us.

This notion of penance with a purpose is not some crazy Catholic idea but based solidly on biblical foundations. In today’s first reading, we hear St. Paul teach in Colossians 1:24: “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, on behalf of his body, which is the Church.” That is truly an extraordinary passage of scripture for many reasons. And here’s one reason: Paul is doing penance for the people of Colossae. How so? Well, he wrote the letter to the Colossians – together with his other letters to the Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon – while in prison in Rome. In fact, those four New Testament letters are often grouped together and jointly called the Prison Letters or the Captivity Letters.

But notice Paul did not waste the suffering of his incarceration, but transformed it into powerful penance – suffering aimed at a spiritual target. What target? Paul offered his pains and imprisonment as a sacrifice for the Colossians to help them carry their cross. I am doing a little extra penance here in Fort Smith to help the Body of Christ – my friend with a possibly downs syndrome baby – just like St. Paul did penance in prison in Rome for the Body of Christ in Colossae.

My friends, what are you doing with your pains and problems, your sufferings and sacrifices, your inconveniences and irritations, this Christian asset class called penance? Usually what we do with them is complain about them and wish they would go away. But what if you looked at penance like a shrewd financial advisor looks at an asset class, like stocks or bonds, and instead of wasting your sufferings capitalize on them in a spiritual sense? In other words, offer up your sufferings on behalf of the Body of Christ. We all know people who need our prayers, like my pregnant friend. You may have children who have stopped going to Mass. The poor people of the Bahamas have nothing at all and are being evacuated from their country. And countless other souls who did not pick their cross, but their cross picked them. Pray for them, but also do penance for them, because they too are part of the Body of Christ.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen has a curious custom whenever he drove by a hospital. He would sigh from the depths of his soul. Why? He visualized all the sick and suffering people in these hospital beds whose sufferings were being wasted, not transformed into penance, suffering aimed at a purpose. He was like a financial advisor seeing people miss the chance to invest on some hot stocks, like getting in on the ground floor of Walmart. Recently, I stubbed my toe at the edge of my bed one morning while making my bed. Instead of uttering a curse word, do you know what I said? I shouted: “Praised be Jesus Christ!” And that’s how you turn pain into penance, suffering aimed at a spiritual target.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Romancing the Scriptures

Falling in love with Lady Wisdom

09/08/2019

Wisdom 9:13-18B Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

I have a confession to make today: I have fallen in love. Gasp – Fr. John is in love! Fear not, my new love does not make me want to leave the priesthood, on the contrary, she makes me want to remain a priest forever. Who is this fascinating female who has captured the heart of your pastor? It was the same damsel to whom Jeremiah was devoted. The ancient prophet confessed his love in Jeremiah 15:16, “When I found your words, O Lord, I devoured them; they became the joy and the happiness of my heart.” In other words, both John and Jeremiah are in love with the same woman: La Biblia, the Sacred Scriptures.

But that ancient prophet and this old priest are not alone in romancing the scriptures. There has been a veritable explosion of bible studies here at our parish, a sort of “big bang in scripture study.” Have you noticed this? For instance, David and Rosalie Young have a group studying the Bible Timeline with Jeff Cavins, an overview of the whole bible. Surennah Werley is facilitating a study of the book of Isaiah by Fr. Mitch Pacwa. Terra Harmon has formed a group to study the Gospel of Matthew, and they actually use an app called First 5 that sends study question to their phones. Peggy Brandebura is leading a group also studying the Gospel of Matthew, with presentations by Jeff Cavins. Maria Muylaert has gathered cadre of Catholics studying the Gospel of Mark led by Tim Gray. And Holly Jennings has inspired a group of friends to also study the Gospel of Mark based on university lectures by Scott Hahn. More and more Catholics are repeating with Jeremiah: “When I found your words, O Lord, I devoured them; they became the joy and happiness of my heart.”

Now, why all this sudden attention on the Sacred Scriptures? Well, the happiness we feel in studying scripture is because we learn our home is in heaven, not on earth. To paraphrase the medieval astronomer, Galileo Galilei, “the bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.” Galileo was stating the issue correctly, but emphasizing the wrong side of the equation. He was more interested to learn how the heavens go – by studying astrophysics – but it is infinitely more interesting to know how to go to heaven by studying the bible. Why? Well, when we turn 80 or 90 years old, and about to leave this planet, we won’t care how the heavens go, but only how to go to heaven! Wouldn’t it be nice to discover how to go to heaven before you turn 80 or 90? Discovering that highway to heaven is causing this remarkable big bang in scripture study at I.C. We love the bible because it tells us how to go to heaven, how to get home to the One who loves us.

The first reading today from the book of Wisdom explains why we need help to get home to heaven. We read: “Scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven who can search them out?” In other words, if we can’t figure out earthly things, how will we discover heavenly ones? Then we hear the answer: “Who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high?” That is, what the bible teaches is the wisdom of heaven, holy wisdom, in Greek “hagia sofia.” I have a niece named “Sophia,” and she is very wise, at least she thinks she is. In other words, when we fall in love with the Holy Bible, we really fall in love with Holy Wisdom, who shows us “how to go to heaven.”

If there’s one great hurdle and hang up we Catholics have about the bible, it is that we think it is a “Protestant book.” Have you ever thought that? After all, we Catholics have the sacraments and the Protestants have the Bible. Catholics say it is a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday (and that’s true). Meanwhile Protestants would say it’s virtually a mortal sin to miss Bible study on Sunday. I sometimes think we priests may have contributed to the problem because we take little time to prepare homilies inspiring people to fall in love with the Bible, Holy Wisdom. If priests are not excited about the Bible – and it shows in our sermons – why should we expect our Catholic parishioners to be? No wonder Catholics are flocking to Protestant churches where the preacher proclaims the Word loudly and proudly, and there’s little doubt that minister madly in love with the Word. Protestants may not have the fullness of the truth like we Catholics do, but they love the little they have far more passionately than we love the fullness of truth sitting in our laps, our bibles. The bible is not the exclusive patrimony of Protestants. The sacred scripture is the precious family heirloom that belongs to all Christians. Catholics should claim their rightful inheritance.

Today, ask yourself, why am I not participating in a bible study? If you are not excited about one of those I mentioned earlier, you could start one yourself on a book of the bible that intrigues you. Tell your friends, B.Y.O.B. – bring your own bible. And Catholics can beer, too. Don’t settle for easy excuses like a lack of time, or lack of interest, or lack of energy because it really just boils down to a lack of love. We all make time, generate interest and find energy for those things are that important to us. I pray every Catholic will confess one day he or she (like me) has fallen in love with the beautiful book called the Holy Bible, the fount of Holy Wisdom. Why? Because you will experience a happiness that is out of this world. You don’t have to believe me, just ask Galileo.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Catholic Thing

Appreciating the universality of the Church

09/07/2019

Colissians 1:21-23 Brothers and sisters: You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds; God has now reconciled you in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

I love the word “catholic” – of course, I am a Catholic priest! – but I would like to reflect on it with you today. I don’t just mean in the sense of “Roman Catholic” (the denomination), but rather in the broadest possible sense. As you know, the word “catholic” comes originally from the Greek word “katholikos” meaning universal, or international, or beyond boundaries. Hence, in its widest sense, catholic means unlimited, encompassing everything and everyone.

You get a glimpse of this international sense of Catholicism when you look up at the altar at every Mass. Right now, a priest born in India is talking to you. Yesterday, Fr. Martin Amaro, a priest born in Mexico celebrated the Mass. Recently, Fr. Pius was our associate who was from Nigeria. Before him Fr. Joseph Shantiraj from India stood behind this ambo and this altar. I remember shortly after Fr. Juan Guido and Fr. Mario Jacobo arrived in Fort Smith, they stood for a picture with me and Fr. Pius: four brown-skinned priests. The caption under the picture read: “What can Brown do for you?” That humorous picture captures the catholic character, the international flavor, of our faith.

Of course, we priests see the same kaleidoscope of colors and countries when we look from the sanctuary out into the pews and see the people. We see parishioners with Italian roots, and German ancestry, and Irish forefathers and foremothers, and Laotian and Vietnamese origins. All of y’ll Catholics have last names and accents just a think and long as we priests do. And that’s not a bad thing, that’s just the catholic thing. In other words, to be authentically catholic means not only to love Jesus, but to love the whole world, without exception. Catholics are called to fulfill the two-fold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor because that is what our name means.

St. Paul makes this catholic connection to his own ministry explicit in his letter to the Colossians. We read in Colossians 1:23: “The Gospel that you heard has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.” Paul was not exaggerating. The apostles had literally taken the Good News to India, Africa, Asia Minor, Spain, and especially to Rome, just like Psalm 19 said they would: “Their message as gone out to all the world.” I wonder if the Romans were annoyed with St. Paul’s Hebrew accent when he preached to them in Latin? But there is a deep and abiding sense in which foreign accents are part and parcel of the Catholic thing. In other words, to be irritated by a foreign accent is tantamount to be irritated by Catholicism.

Let me mention a very practical and personal example of this international flavor called Catholicism, namely, marriage. Fewer and fewer couples marry someone inside their own ethic background. It has become common for people to say: I am 25% Irish, and 15% German and 50% Polish. Perhaps without realizing it, they are living the catholic thing, a world without boundaries, encompassing everything and everyone. I am so proud of my little sister, Mary, who when looking for a spouse said her top criteria is that he be a good Catholic man. She married a very humble and hardworking German named Anthony Gulde. When we take family pictures, I point to him and say, he’s the token white guy. My sister hit the nail right on the head of the catholic thing: it includes everyone and everything, without exception. And by the way, they have five really beautiful children! Catholics have the most beautiful children in the world.

Scott Hahn never tires of talking about this catholic thing, the universality of the Catholic faith and the Catholic Church. He wrote: “Jesus Christ, the Son of David, is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. There is not a single square inch of creation that escapes his dominion. As children of the king, we are called to be his servants and his soldiers, to extend his reign into every corner of the world” (A Father Who Keeps His Promises, 212). G. K. Chesterton gave the best definition of Catholicism when he said: "The Catholic Church: here comes everybody!" That is what it means to be Catholic.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Core Values

Keeping Christ at the center of our life

09/05/2019

Luke 5:1-11 While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

What are your core values? Well, before we answer what our personal core values are, what are these values in general? How do we define them for everyone? Core values are the deepest convictions in our heart of hearts, around which our whole life revolves, our decisions, our emotions, our goals, our passions, and our sense of purpose and peace. Our core values make us jump out of bed every morning. Think of your core values like the sun at the center of the solar system, and all these other aspects of our life – our passions, our purpose, our peace – as so many planets that revolve around the sun. What would happen if the sun stopped shining, or turned into a black hole – the final stage of a star? Our whole life would lose meaning and collapse. When we lose our core values, we have a black hole at the center of our lives.

Last night I had the pleasure to meet and spend several hours with our new associate pastor, Fr. Martin Amaro. It was immediately clear what his core values are, namely, Jesus Christ. The person of Christ is at Fr. Martin’s core, around which everything else revolves. For example, the first question he asked after we unloaded his things was: “Can we go to see the church?” I was very touched, and so I replied: “Let’s eat first; I’m starving.” So, now you see my core values: food. His universe revolves around faith and mine around food. So we ate some leftovers first before I gave him a tour of the church.

Fr. Martin also explained how he has been gone from the United States for 9 years. He studied philosophy in Monterrey, Mexico for 5 years and then cracked open theology books in Rome, Italy for 4 years. He was just ordained this past May 11. What’s even more amazing is that he began this adventure of following Christ when he was merely 17 years old, leaving his family, his friends, and his whole life behind. Why? Simple: Jesus Christ was Fr. Martin’s core value. Peter, James and John did the same in the gospel today: “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.” Jesus, the Son, was shining brightly in the center of their solar system: for Peter, James, John and Martin.

Fr. Martin also shared a story of his final week in Rome, going out to eat with a priest friend to a restaurant about an hour outside of Rome. By the time they finished supper, they had missed the last bus, they were nowhere near the train station, and even Uber drivers would not give them a ride back that far into town. Throughout it all, though, Fr. Martin remained cool and calm, peaceful and unperturbed. He and his friend struck up a conversation with a couple who ran a coffee shop across the street from the restaurant. When they explained their predicament, the lady who owned the café said she had a friend who was an Uber driver and would be glad to give them a ride home.

Interestingly, St. Peter also ended up in Rome (after fishing in Lake Gennesaret) and had great adventures throughout which he kept calm and cool, until he was finally crucified upside down. How did both Fr. Martin and St. Peter stay so cool in the Roman heat? The sun burning at the center of their solar system was Jesus, the Son of God. Those Christian values at their core gave both fishers of men a formidable sense of peace and purpose.

Folks, let me ask you again now: what are your core values? If we are honest – and it takes a great deal of humility to be really honest – many of us may answer: money, sex and power. In other words, that’s what makes me jump out of bed every morning. Others may answer: my core values are my children and grandchildren. Why do parents and grandparents sacrifice so much for them? And by the way, what else do they sacrifice but money, sex and power? In other words, their kids are at their core. Or perhaps some more altruistic endeavor is at our center, like saving the lives of the unborn, or helping the poor, or protecting the environment. These are all different examples of people’s core values, and some are better than others.

But only if Jesus Christ is the Son who burns brightly at the center of your solar system will all the other planets revolve in perfect peace and harmony. When he is your core value, you find ultimate peace and purpose, even if you’re lost or being crucified in Rome.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Work Ethic

Seeing the gift of work in the right light

09/02/2019

Luke 4:16-30 Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

On this Labor Day, we give God thanks for the gift of work, but we also should recognize that work is not his only gift, and certainly not his highest gift. So, today we take the day off from work in order to rest and see there’s more to life than work. Nevertheless, we can fall prey to the tendency of the Puritan work ethic, and see work as the highest good, and indeed the measure of all other goods. That is what the words “work ethic” mean. We define ethics – what is good and evil – by working (that’s good) and not working (that’s bad). Have you ever felt that impulse to look at others and judge others – or even judge yourself – according to the work ethic? To work is good; to be idle is lazy. I realize this explanation of the work ethic is prone to misunderstanding, so let me use myself as an example.

The only job I ever had was at the steak restaurant called “Bonanza,” when I was in high school. My job description was to bus tables and wash dishes. By the way, I was the best dishwasher in the world because I never got behind, even during rush hour times. I should have gotten a raise. I had a uniform, I had a boss, I had days off, I received a paycheck, and I paid taxes. All these elements comprise the world of work, and they are good and useful criteria to evaluate a good worker. Who should receive a raise, and who should be fired. In this environment the work ethic finds itself in its natural habitat.

Recently, however, the work ethic has broken free of its natural habitat and threatens to invade a supernatural habitat, namely, the priesthood and religious life of nuns and monks. Have you ever heard people use the language and terminology of the work ethic to discuss the life of priests and nuns? For instance, have you noticed how people talk about a “day off” for priests? By the way, Monday (today) is my day off, and I’m celebrating Mass. When people invite me over for supper they say, “Father, please come casually and comfortably,” which means you don’t have to wear your Roman collar. I have done that a few times, and I always feel naked. I prefer to think of my collar as a wedding ring, not a uniform like I wore at Bonanza. There is a growing trend these days for priests to have their rectory away from the church campus, so they can “get away from work.”

Can you see how the language and terminology, the concepts and the criteria of the work ethic have invaded the supernatural habitat of the priesthood and are threatening to devour it? Priests and the priesthood are measured by the work ethic rather than seen as a vocation from God. Vocation comes from the Latin word “vocare” meaning to call. In a word, priesthood is a calling not a career. That is why one cannot leave the priesthood like you make a career change, like going from Bonanza to Ballywood. Unless, of course, you see the priesthood like a career rather than a call.

Priesthood is not the only vocation under attack by the work ethic, sometimes, so too is marriage and motherhood and fatherhood. Be careful when work ethic language like “day off” and “personal time” and “fair pay” and “equal opportunity employment” and “work satisfaction” and “career advancement” etc. become the way you evaluate your life as a spouse or as a parent. When you begin to see your vocation as a career – and it can happen innocently enough – rather than a calling from God, radical consequences result. Someday, you may feel the need for a career change. That’s how the work ethic breaks out of its natural habitat and tries to take over a supernatural habitat, like priesthood or marriage.

On this Labor Day, we give God thanks for the gift of work. But we also quickly add that work is not his greatest gift. Rather, his sacraments are like Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony. Those gifts are filled with the grace of a calling, not the demands of a career. Like the old adage teaches: “When you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I haven’t worked a day since I was in high school.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Four Tables

Finding our seat at four different tables

09/01/2019

Luke 14:1, 7-14 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Today I would like to tell you about four tables where people eat and enjoy food and fellowship. Specifically, I’d like to explain where we should sit at these tables and why we should sit there, in light of today’s gospel reading from Luke 14. The first table is a restaurant table, the second is the dining table at your home, the third is the table at church called the altar, and the fourth is the eternal table in heaven, where we all hope to find a seat one day.

In the seminary our rector gave us a class on going out to eat at restaurants and where to sit at that table. People usually prefer a booth or to sit by a wall for privacy. The honored dinner guests – that means the ladies – should sit with their back to the wall, which affords them a panoramic view of the whole restaurant. That means the gentlemen should sit with his back to the people. Why? Well, that gives the lady a commanding view of everyone else in the restaurant, and just as importantly, it gives everyone present a commanding view of the lady. Ladies go out to be seen, men go out to get a drink and not be seen.

Of course, it provides the lady a good five to ten seconds longer to remember the name of someone who approaches the table. She can see them coming from a distance. In other words, at a restaurant table, there is a sort of preferred seating arrangement, and the ladies should be shown to those better seats. The men, if they are chivalrous and not barbarians, should take the less desirable seats. Jesus said: in the gospel: “Do not recline at table in the place of honor.”

The second table is one I visit often each week: your family dining room table. In fact, most families don’t even eat at their formal dining room table unless the priest comes for dinner – so you’re welcome! It’s ironic how much I love coming to your home because growing up my family never invited the priest over to eat with us. We felt the priest was equivalent to Jesus himself, and our home was not worthy enough. You all know me so well, you never make that comparison.

But I am humbled at how much respect and honor you show me when I come over. I feel like the CEO who arrived late to a board meeting. He took a seat closest to the door rather than his usual place. A junior director said: “Sir, you should sit at the head of the table.” The chief executive smiled and said: “Son, where I sit is the head of the table.” When we act like that humble CEO, Jesus says “the host will come to you and say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher place’.”

The third table is in the church, the Eucharistic table, where I get to do the cooking for a change! Actually, Jesus is the head chef and I am his little sous chef. Our Lord prepares the greatest gourmet meal on earth of his Body and Blood. The Catechism of the Catholic Church in no. 1324 states without exaggeration: “The other sacraments, indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.” Then it explains why the Eucharist holds such pride of place, adding: “For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely, Christ himself.” In other words, for Catholics, it doesn’t get any better than this, baby!

Yet tragically the prestigious polling firm, the Pew Research Center, released a study on July 23, 2019, that only 30% of Catholics believe the Bread and Wine actually become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. No wonder so few Catholics are eager to sit at the Table of the Eucharist every Sunday and instead go elsewhere to be fed, or nowhere else. It is interesting that Jesus’ parable is about a wedding banquet. Why? Well, at every Mass, Jesus the Bridegroom gives not wedding cake but his Body and Blood as a gift to feed his Bride (the Church). How sad when we don’t take either the first seat or even the last seat at the Eucharistic table, the table of the Bride and Groom.

The fourth table is the heavenly table where we hope to feast forever. Do you know how to get an invitation to that glorious banquet? Those invitations are held in the hands of the poor. In other words, how we treat the poor will be the criteria by which we will be granted entrance into the halls of heaven. Jesus makes that explicitly clear in Matthew 25 and the final judgement of the nations, where the righteous are rewarded for caring for the least and the wicked are punished for failing to love the poor.

Jesus also reiterates that criteria in today’s parable, saying: “When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind…For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” When my uncle died in India, my family flew back to New Delhi and we had a memorial Mass for him at his house. But then we went to a leprosarium run by Mother Teresa’s nuns and fed lunch to the lepers there. Those lepers hold the invitations for my uncle to be able to enter the heavenly banquet and find a seat at the feast.

My friends, it won’t be long before you are seated at one of these four tables: at a restaurant, at your dining room, at the Eucharistic table, and hopefully at the heavenly banquet. Think about these tables and where you should sit at them and why you should sit at them. Only if we figure out how to find our seat at the first three tables here on earth, will we find a seat at the fourth table in heaven.

Praised be Jesus Christ!