The Breast of Jesus

Hearing the love of Jesus in the gospel of John

12/31/2019

John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light,so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

I really love the gospel of John. It is my favorite book of the whole bible, and not just because it was written by my patron saint, St. John the Evangelist. That definitely is a plus! We just heard from the magnificent opening of the gospel, John 1:1-18, the Prologue. Like the stunning start of a great symphony, like the overture of Handel’s Messiah, so John’s Prologue hits the major motifs that will be heard later in the gospel.

Most modern scholars deny that John could have authored the gospel because its theological reflection is too profound that one person could not possibly have composed it. But I disagree. Why? Well, because John was the youngest of the 12 apostles and Jesus had a special predilection for him. Indeed, he is called the Beloved Disciple, not in an exclusive sense, but in a representative sense, because John embodies all that a good disciple should be. In John 13, John leans against the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper. Who knows what heavenly secrets John heard beating in that holy heart. And to whom does Jesus entrust his precious Mother Mary while in agony on the Cross? He entrusted his Mother to John, the Beloved Disciple, who stayed faithful to the bitter end, even when the other apostles abandoned our Lord. Finally, John became the bishop of Ephesus, which is where Mary also resided for the rest of her life. So, not only did John learn the depths of the faith from Jesus’ heart, he was also tutored by Jesus’ Mother.

As you probably know, the Church’s liturgical calendar is organized around a 3-year cycle, and each year roughly corresponds to one of the synoptic gospels. Year 1 gives us the gospel of Matthew, in Year B we hear from Mark, and Year C serves up Luke. But what about John? John is so special we hear from him every year, especially in the holy seasons of Lent and Easter. By the way, the gospel of John in Lent is deliberately designed to speak to those going through RCIA and desire to become Catholic.

In Lent we hear from John 4 and the Samaritan woman at the well, who thirsts for living water. We hear from John 9 and the man born blind, whom Jesus cures because he is the light of the world. And we hear from John 11 that relates the raising of Lazarus by Jesus “the resurrection and the life.” In each episode, Jesus describes himself as the living water, the true light and the eternal life. In other words, John invites his readers, especially thirsty RCIA candidates, to sort of lean against the breast of Jesus and hear the beating of his holy heart, and understand how much he loves each of them.

Let me share a few of my favorite chapters of John’s gospel and point out how profound they are, but also how practical they are. At weddings, I love to read from John 2, and the wedding at Cana in Galilee, where Jesus changes water into wine. In my wedding homily, I tell the doting couple that in all marriages human love begins like intoxicating wine, but often turns into weak water. But if Jesus is at your wedding, he can change the water of human love into the wine of divine love, his love. That is why it is so important to get married in church, where we find the best wine, Jesus’ Blood, in the Eucharist. That’s what John heard leaning against the breast of Jesus.

In John chapter 3, Jesus explains to Nicodemus the urgency of baptism. He says we must be born again or born from above by water and the Spirit. In other words, we must be spiritually adopted into the family of God. Why? Well, so that when we die, we can look forward to going home to our Father’s house. Later in John 14:2, Jesus reassures his disciples: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” That is, baptism is like the key that unlocks the gates of Paradise for us. That is also why we Catholics baptize babies and infants, so that if a baby were to die (God forbid), he or she would be welcomed home to heaven as a child of God, not as a neighbor kid. That’s what John heard leaning against the breast of Jesus.

In John 6, Jesus delivers his decisive Bread of Life Discourse, and insists that only if we eat his Body and drink his Blood will we enjoy eternal life. How is that possible without being accused of cannibalism? Jesus adds that he will be the true manna or bread that we must consume to live forever. Interestingly, there is no Last Supper “Institution Narrative” in the gospel of John (like in Matthew, Mark and Luke), but in a sense, John 6 supplies that “Institution Narrative.” Jesus says in effect: “If you want to live forever, eat this!” And he hands us his Body and Blood in the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist. That’s what John heard leaning against the breast of Jesus.

In the finally analysis the reason I believe John the Beloved Disciple was the author of the fourth gospel is because the principal author of all scripture is the Holy Spirit. And the Eternal Spirit could just as easily inspire one man as well as the entire Johannine community to write the last gospel. But it was not a community that leaned against the breast of Jesus.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Hearts on Fire

Learning to love Luke and the Lord

12/30/219

Luke 2:36-40 There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

I’m very pleased to announce that I’ll be leading another bible study in the New Year together with Dr. Scott Hahn. Actually, it will just be Scott Hahn’s voice, and not the rest of him. We listen to his audio recordings. I was surprised when over 40 people signed up for the study on Mark, called “Mark the Way.” I hope we get an even better turn out for Luke. The study will be called “Hearts on Fire,” based on Luke 24:32, where the two disciples recognize Jesus in the “breaking of the bread,” in Emmaus. I hope the study sets our hearts on fire rather than gives us heart burn.

We’ll follow the same format as we did for Mark. The meeting will run one hour on Monday evenings, from 5:30 to 6:30, and definitely be done before Bingo begins at 7 p.m. I don’t want to force Catholics to choose between the bible and bingo, because I’m not sure the bible would win. The first session starts on February 3, and the last session will be April 20, and we will skip the Mondays of Spring Break and Holy Week, for a total of 10 sessions. By the way, we will cover entirely new material than we did for Mark, so I hope to have some “recidivists” (repeat offenders) who will come to study Luke, even if they also attended Mark.

Now, if there’s one underlying message or one overriding motif in Luke, it is undoubtedly “universality.” That is, Jesus has come to save everyone, just only the Jews (those from Judah), and not only all of Israel (the 12 tribes of Jacob), but even the Gentiles. A Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew. In other words, you and I would be Gentiles, non-Jews. And perhaps more than anything else Jesus did, this universal desire to save Jews as well as Gentiles really tweaked the noses of the Jewish leadership. Why? Well, it undermined the Jews’ position as the Chosen People, and therefore made Jewish leadership and their position of power and prestige obsolete. Jesus would establish a new universal leadership in order to lead a new universal Church.

And that’s why the Jews sought to kill our Lord. I suspect we would have done the same if we perceived how Jesus subverts our way of life and our livelihood. My job in the study of Luke, therefore, is to provide this important background information about Jewish culture and customs. I hope it leads not only to a love of the gospel of Luke, but ultimately to a deeper love for our Lord, simultaneously overcoming whatever holds us back from him, especially our limited love. So we Gentiles don’t make the same mistakes as the Jews and crucify our Savior.

With that brief background maybe we can see the significance of the opening line in today’s gospel from Luke 2:36. Luke, the only Gentile author of the four gospels, writes: “There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.” Notice how Luke takes pains to point out that Anna belongs to the tribe of Asher. Why is that important? Asher was one of the ten “lost tribes” of the Northern Kingdom. In 722 B.C. the invading Assyrians absolutely annihilated the Northern Kingdom, including Asher, and scattered them among the Gentiles, never to be heard from again.

All that remained of the Chosen People after 722 B.C. were the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. When Luke describes how Anna of the tribe of Asher recognizes Jesus at his circumcision as the long-awaited Messiah, Luke underscores his main message of universality. Jesus has come to save everyone without exception. In other words, the Messiah’s mission is not only to restore the 12 tribes of Israel, but to create a whole new “Israel of God,” the Church, as St. Paul writes in Galatians 6:16.

What does this mean for you and me? Well, it means a lot of things, but one thing in particular, namely, we too should have this universal love of Jesus for all to be saved. And what is the Greek word for “universal”? It is “katholikos,” or “Catholic.” That is the deepest sense in which we can insist that Jesus came to establish a Catholic Church, because that best describes our Lord’s universal love to save everyone without exception. Therefore, we need to uproot from our hearts anything that tends toward elitism or superiority, where we look down on others and think we somehow have the corner on the market of God’s love. If we don’t harbor a healthy suspicion of the spirit of superiority, I’m afraid we will make the same mistake the Jews did in the first century, namely, miss the Messiah.

My friends, to truly be Catholic is to exclude no one from the reach of our love, just like Jesus. So, let me ask you: did this homily set your hearts on fire, or just cause you some heart burn? Don’t worry, the Holy Spirit frequently causes both.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Christmas Jubilee

Having child-like faith to celebrate Jesus’ birth

12/25/2019

Luke 2:15-20 When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. When the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

This year I will celebrate my fiftieth Christmas, my “Christmas Julibee”! According to Leviticus 25 a jubilee is the 50th anniversary of a great spiritual event. My first seven Christmases I celebrate in New Delhi, India, singing carols in Malayalam. As a teenager I celebrated Christmas by dressing in suit and tie to go to midnight Mass in Little Rock. As soon as we sat down after the gospel reading, I always leaned my head on my father’s shoulder and fell fast asleep. As a seminarian in my 20’s, I served multiple Masses on Christmas, and heard hundreds of homilies. Often, I wished my father’s shoulder were close by to lean my head on again. Now, as a priest for 23 years, I have put plenty poor people to sleep with my own midnight Mass homilies. So, sweet dream, my friends, but please don’t snore and wake up those trying to sleep next to you.

You might think that after 50 Christmases, this holy day would start to feel a little ho-hum or boring or maybe even a little humbug, but it doesn’t to me at all. Why? Well, like the Greek philosopher Aristotle said: “The more I know the more I know that I don’t know.” In other words, you can never totally “figure out” Christmas like a mystery to be solved, and drain it of all its deeper dimensions. I’m learning there’s always more to Christmas than meets the eyes.

I was reminded lately how little I know about Christmas and faith in general by our elementary school children. Their teacher gave them the following assignment: “Who do you think can help you learn more about the Catholic faith?” It went on: “Draft a letter to that person and ask a question about your Catholic faith.” I received two letters. At first I felt pretty proud that two students sent me letters asking my help to understand the Catholic faith. And then a moment later it hit me, I thought: “Wait. We have 290 students at I.C. school and only 2 students thought I could help them learn more about the Catholic faith?” But those other 288 students gave me a great gift this Christmas, namely, humility. And humility is a great gift because it is the prerequisite to possessing child-like faith. Why? Well, children do not try to figure out Christmas; they humbly accept it on faith. That’s why children get so much more out of Christmas than we over-smart, and over-sophisticated adults often do. More than getting gifts, children get the magic and mystery and miracle of Christmas. In other words, children always know there’s more to Christmas than meets the eyes.

In the gospel of Luke we see another group of child-like people, the shepherds, who accept the first Christmas miracle on faith rather than try to figure it out. After the angel announces Jesus’ birth, these uneducated men who never went to school, say: “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke adds: “So, they went in haste…” In other words, they ran with the excitement of little children on Christmas morning to see what gifts they’ve received. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said only two groups of people found the Christ Child: on the one hand, the wise men, who know they don’t know everything (like Aristotle), and on the other hand, the shepherds, who know they know nothing. That is, both groups have humility, like small preschool children, and therefore they perfectly predisposed for the gift of faith. The school of faith teaches its humble students that there’s always more to Christmas than meets the eyes.

My friends, how are you feeling about Christmas this year? Lots of things can rob us of the joy and peace on offer in this holy season and make us miss its deeper dimensions. Is Christmas feeling a little ho-hum or boring or even humbug to you? Some people have suffered tragic loss of a loved one this past year – I’m thinking especially of the Schluterman family – and Christmas comes with a cloud of sorrow hanging over it. Some parishioners were devastated by the flood and are just moving back in, or not quite home yet. The commercialism of Christmas can clutter our hearts with material gifts and leave little room for the greatest gift of all, Jesus himself, like there was no room for the divine Baby in Bethlehem. A friend of mine humorously described four stages of life in terms of Santa Claus. He said: “First, you believe in Santa Claus, then you don’t believe in Santa Claus, then you dress up like Santa Claus, and finally you look like Santa Claus.” In other words, sometimes our life seems to hinge more on Santa than on the Savior.

May I suggest to you that instead of trying to figure out Christmas, we approach it with humility and faith, like the shepherds and sages, and small children have done up and down the centuries? Allow child-like faith to sweep you off your feet as you celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, singing with the angels “Gloria in excelsis Deo, and on earth peace to people of good will!” By the way, let me ask you: How many of you received letters from our school children asking your help to understand the Catholic faith? Whew, that was a risky question because everyone might have raised their hands! Children have an uncanny way of giving us the great gift of humility, as every parent experiences, even us spiritual parents. Humility is the prerequisite course you must complete before you graduate from the school of faith. Sometimes we can be too smart and too sophisticated for our own spiritual good.

What number Christmas are you celebrating this year? Is this your fifth Christmas, or your twenty-fifth Christmas, or your fiftieth Christmas like me? Are you dressing up as Santa Claus, or do you look like Santa Claus? Whatever number Christmas this is, try to approach it with child-like faith rather than try to figure it all out. When you see Christmas through the eyes of a child, you will see there’s always more than meets the eyes, and you may remember the magic and the mystery and the miracle.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

History is a Poet

Hearing the rhyme scheme in salvation history

12/23/2019

Luke 1:57-66 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him."

Mark Twain once famously said, “History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Here in the South, we might say a little less eloquently, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Have you noticed this cyclical nature of history – how it tends to repeat itself, and even to suggest a subtle rhyme and rhythm? Nature undergoes annual cycles of birth, growth, decay and death, which we call spring, summer, fall and winter. Human civilizations undergo cycles of birth, growth, decay and death, too. Each human generation undergoes cycles of birth, growth, decay and death.

Twain’s point, however, was that the cycles are not simply circles like the orbits of the planets around the sun, where every year we end up exactly where we began. Rather, history is more like a spiral going around and around a mountain, slowly ascending to the top. That’s the rhyme scheme of reality. Every year we get a little higher and hopefully a little holier as we ascend to heaven. In other words, history is a poet and he didn’t even know it.

Today’s scriptures help us see this rhyme scheme of reality not only in secular history but also in salvation history. In the Old Testament, Malachi predicts the return of Elijah. The last Old Testament prophet wrote: “Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the great day of the Lord comes.” And in Luke we hear the birth of John the Baptist is fulfilled with great anticipation that maybe this is the moment of Malachi’s prophecy’s unfolding. We read: “All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, ‘What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him’.” Can you catch the rhyme scheme of revelation? Listen more carefully.

In the Old Testament the Jewish people were making wide concentric circles around the mountain of reality, slowly ascending its slopes. But with the coming of John the Baptist, suddenly, we find ourselves getting closer to the top, that is, to Christ. That’s why it’s sometimes hard to read the bible. It is more like reading poetry than prose, more about faith than facts, more concerned with love than logic. When we read the bible, and we are aware of this rhyme scheme of revelation, we see that history is a poet and he didn’t even know it.

My friends, do you feel like your life is just going around in circles, like a dog chasing his tail? (No offense to dogs.) Or, can you catch a deeper rhythm and rhyme, that is, as if the circle were really spirals going up a mountain, till you reach the peak, where Jesus is waiting for you? Sometimes we repeat the same old sins and feel we’re in a rut and making no progress. We confess the same sins again and again. Some couples fight over the same problems over and over again, and despair of ever finding peace in their partnership. We see our children and grandchildren making the same mistakes from lack of maturity that we made at their age, and we feel powerless to stop them. All we can say in frustration is: “Wait till you have children of your own, and then you’ll understand!” That is, when you make it around the mountain and stand in my shoes. But that’s what our parents told us and what our grandparents told our parents.

But history – both individual and corporate history – does not merely repeat itself; instead, it betrays a recognizable rhyme. And we discover that deeper rhyme scheme in scriptures. The spirals of life are really concentric circles slowly ascending the mountain of reality, with Jesus at the top, the “alpha and omega of our all history.” The birth, growth, decay and death that is the pattern of earthly life is slowly being replaced by the rhyme of revelation, based on the pattern of Jesus’ life conveyed through the sacraments. Earthly life is replaced by the rhyme scheme of eternal life, which we recognize through the scriptures and receive through the sacraments.

History is a poet and he didn’t even know it. Maybe we didn’t know it either.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Obituary Optics

Loving all the members of our family

12/21/2019

Matthew 1:1-17 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.

Some people have a strange habit of reading the obituaries in the paper every morning. I am one of those strange people. I tell the associate priests the reason I read them is to see if my brother priests in the deanery are working or just sitting around drinking coffee. Do you read the obituaries? Archbishop Sartain once explained that he read the obituaries because he learned who was related to whom. And of course, he could remember everyone’s names as well. Another reason I peruse the people who have passed is to discover maiden names of the women. A maiden name opens up a whole new world of relationships and storylines: a veritable web of interwoven lives and legacies. After reading the names and pausing at the pictures, I say a little prayer for each person’s peaceful repose. “Requiescat in pace,” which is Latin for “rest in peace.”

Now, while it may be easy to read an obituary, it is extremely difficult to write an obituary. I know a few people who had written their own obituary, to save their family the trouble. Or, maybe because they didn’t trust them to do it right! The difficulty of writing an obituary consists not only in the emotional experience of dealing with death. There is also the daunting challenge of being diplomatic. All families fight and all families feud – like the television show – and so all families have black sheep and skeletons in closets, maybe divorces or second marriages. The writer of an obituary has to balance the truth of a person’s life (which is always messy) with the desire to paint their picture in the most positive light. In a word, obituary optics, that is, what will people see when they read my grandfather’s obit?

Today’s gospel is the beginning of the gospel of Matthew 1:1-17, the genealogy of Jesus. In a sense, the genealogy can be read like an obituary, or at least the part of an obit that relates all the family relations. A lot of priests and deacons cringe at the thought of reading the genealogy at Mass, but I love it. Why? Well, for some of the same reasons for reading an obituary in the morning paper. The genealogy shows us who Jesus is related to on his human side. It shows the Holy Spirit works tirelessly, like I worry about other priests working. It also shows how God’s plan of salvation pronounced to Abraham in 1800 B.C. slowly unfolded with King David in 1000 B.C. and even through the Babylonian Exile in 586 B.C. and finally fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Matthew’s interweaving of lives and legacies ultimately includes the life and legacy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and the Son of God.

But Matthew is also aware of obituary optics: how does this genealogy look in the eyes of the careful Christian reader? And therefore, he makes sure to include some shady ladies, like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba (who’s mentioned implicitly, not by name). In other words, Matthew wants to make it clear that no amount of skeletons in closets or black sheep in the fold can frustrate God the Father’s loving plan of salvation. The overriding optic of Matthew genealogy is that God’s plan is perfect and his timing terrific.

Folks, have you given any thought to your own obituary? If you’re like me, you prefer reading other people’s obituary a lot more than your own! But it’s one thing to read an obituary, and it’s another thing to write it. How would you craft that part of your obituary detailing the often difficult family dynamics that underlie all family relationships? What will you do with the shady ladies, the black sheep, and the skeletons in the closet? What I call the obituary optics. May I gently suggest to you that nothing and no one in your life is an accident or an after-thought, no matter how annoying or embarrassing they seem to you. I cannot tell you who to include in your obituary. But I do believe God intended to include them in that intricate web of inter-relationships that comprises your life and legacy.

As each one of those people who have touched the web of your life passes away, and made that web tremble, at least say a prayer for the repose of their souls. Requiescat in pace.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Brain Box

Seeing how God is bigger than the boxes we put him in

12/16/2019

Matthew 21:23-27 When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" Jesus said to them in reply, "I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John's baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?" They discussed this among themselves and said, "If we say 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet." So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know." He himself said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."

The older I get the more I am convinced that God speaks not only to all people, but also through all people. God’s voice can be heard in you and me and in Tom, Dick and Harry. Bishop Sartain reminded me about this many years ago while he was bishop of Little Rock. We were discussing some topic and I stated rather strongly (I never state anything strongly): “Well, bishop, the Holy Spirit clearly speaks through you because you are a successor of the apostles.” Bishop Sartain smiled and gently corrected me saying: “John, the Holy Spirit speaks through all of us.” I was right, of course, that the Spirit speaks through the successors of the apostles, the bishops. But he was more right because God cannot be boxed up, even in a bishop. I was trying to keep God in a box, and Bishop Sartain reminded me that God is bigger than any box our brains can conjure.

Both the readings today from Numbers 24 and Matthew 21 expound episodes where the Spirit shatters the boxes people try to cram him into. In the book of Numbers, Balak, the king of Moab, hires a prophet named Balaam to curse the Israelites. Three times Balaam opens his mouth to utter, “God daaaaa…” but he ended up saying the opposite, “God bless you.” As Balaam rides along on his donkey, even the donkey starts to speak prompted by the Spirit. If the Holy Spirit can speak through a jackass – that’s a literal translation of the Hebrew – then surely we are qualified for God to speak through us.

In the gospel the chief priests and elders question Jesus’ authority to speak and teach in public. In a sense, they were asserting the same argument I was with Bishop Sartain, that is, God only speaks through his appointed authority figures, like chief priests and elders. And through no one else. In other words, the Jews wanted to keep God in a box; a box they created and therefore a box they could control. But like Bishop Sartain, Jesus tries to get them to “think outside the box,” that is, to see that God’s Spirit speaks to everyone and through everyone as he chooses and as he pleases. They cannot control him.

Jesus invites them to contemplate how the Spirit inspired John the Baptist to preach and baptize. But they cannot break out of their own box, and reply: “We don’t know” where his authority comes from. Jesus had tried to teach Nicodemus, the Pharisee, the same lesson in John 3:8 using wind imagery, saying: “The wind blows where it wills and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ In other words, God is bigger than any box our brains can conjure.

I believe one of the beauties of the Advent and Christmas seasons is beholding how God breaks out of the boxes we try to cram him into. If we are attentive, we can hear the Holy Spirit speaking through stars and sages, through shepherds and swaddling clothes. We may try to trap the truth and insist the Holy Spirit only speaks through a particular politician, or a certain theologian, or a specific pope. But not through anyone else. Sometimes people give me a book to read and I am tempted to turn up my nose at it and think: “That is a waste of my time.” That’s when I recall those wise words of Archbishop Sartain: “John, the Holy Spirit speaks through everyone.” Now I am reading the book called “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid” that a third grader recommended to me. When I keep that perspective in mind, I can listen to anyone who speaks to me with an open-mind, even if he is a jackass (I am making a biblical reference, of course).

Be careful trying to bind the Holy Spirit and make him fit inside the little box called the human brain. In his masterful “Prosologion,” St. Anselm argues: “God is a being than which nothing greater than be conceived.” In other words, God is always greater than the box of our brain. Trying to put God in a box is like trying to catch the wind. This Advent try to think outside the box, the box that is your brain.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Rejoicing Mood

Learning to seek solace in the resurrection

12/15/2019

Matthew 11:2-11 When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me." As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called “Gaudete Sunday” which is Latin and means “Rejoice Ya’ll” (the plural of ya’ll is “all of ya’ll”). But rejoicing is the last thing I feel like doing this weekend. Why? Well, it has been an especially hard and heavy Advent this year, not only for me, but for many people. Let me explain. This past week 14 year-old Claire Schluterman died in tragic circumstances. Two weeks before her Gene Bruick and Rick Reedy died very unexpectedly from massive heart attacks. In that same time period David Araujo died after a long and grueling battle with cancer. His body was worn down to skin and bone. And next Wednesday, we will have the funeral Mass for Ann Miller, a beloved nurse in the Fort Smith community with deep Italian roots in Tontitown. Her maiden name was “Pozza.” Have you ever heard of Pozza’s Pasta? That was her family. In the face of all these sad deaths, can you blame me if I really don’t feel like rejoicing today on Gaudete Sunday?

This past week I shared with Trinity Junior High students three lessons I’m learning in the wake of Claire Schluterman’s passing. Claire was an 8th grader at Trinity, and so her tragedy hit our school especially hard. Maybe these three lessons will give you a little perspective, or a glimmer of peace, or at least dull the edge of the pain, in case you too don’t feel in the rejoicing mood. First, I am learning that life is fragile. A precious human life can be lost in the blink of an eye. Sometimes teenagers think they are bullet-proof and invincible. I remember foolishly thinking that, too. Sometimes we as Americans can think our country is bullet-proof and invincible, too, but time and again we are proven wrong: by mass shootings, terrorist attacks, and even the skyrocketing suicide rate.

Fr. George Tribou, the principal of Catholic High School for Boys told us something startling at our graduation that I will never forget. He said, “Five years after you graduate, one of your classmates will die.” We didn’t have to wait five years. Three years later my friend, Tim, died in a car accident. Today, Claire, Gene, Rick, David and Ann teach us that same lesson: Life is fragile. Don’t take it for granted. Hug your family and friends frequently. And tell them you love them while you have will and voice and lips to do so. Say you are sorry and don’t hold grudges. Life is fragile, and therefore “handle with care” as it says on the sides of important packages.

Secondly, practice a little self-care, that is, take care of yourself. Eat healthy food, exercise regularly, get enough sleep. I have always been mystified and frankly a little miffed by the recommended actions in case of emergencies on an airplane. Before take-off, we hear the emergency protocol: “In the unlikely event of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will fall from the ceiling. Secure the mask on yourself first and then help someone else in need.” That announcement always annoys me because I want to say, “No! I will help others first before I help myself. That’s the Christian thing to do!” But the fact of the matter is you will help no one if you are passed out on the floor from lack of oxygen. And you will actually be able to help more people if you practice a little self-care. By the way, self-care is usually harder for men than it is for women: have you noticed? Why? Well, we men tend to think we are tough, and we are fine, and we don’t need care. But we are all human and we all feel hurt and we all need help. We all bleed when we are cut. Practice some self-care, which is what I wish I could have said to Claire, Gene, Rick, David and Ann.

And third, the rude reality of death makes me reflect on the reward of the resurrection, namely, heaven. I cannot help but ask myself: where is Claire, where are Gene and Rick, where are David and Ann right now? We pray they are in heaven, and our faith help us feel that’s the case. But the after-life is not one big after-party, where we do whatever we feel like doing. That is, there are certain “rules of the resurrection,” which happen to be the same rules we learn to live by here on earth, namely, the two-fold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. Good coaches preach to their players: “You play like you practice!” If you do not practice well, you will play poorly (Razorback football). The same principle applies to heaven and earth: if we practice loving God and neighbor poorly on earth, we will not know how to play well in heaven. The after-life will not be one big after-party; only those who practice on earth will know how to play in heaven.

Did this homily put anyone back in the rejoicing mood? Probably not. The raw reality of death makes real rejoicing only possible with the dawn of the resurrection, when the Jesus, the Son, rises, returns in glory, and dispels the darkness of death. We will only be able to rejoice fully and finally when we see Jesus face to face, and our loved ones face to face, like Claire, Gene, Rick, David and Ann. In the meantime, on every Gaudete Sunday, maybe that hope of heaven can at least help us to crack a smile.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Hodas the Way

Following the King on the Way of the Cross

12/14/2019

Matthew 17:9A, 10-13 As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

What was the original name for Christianity before it was called “Christianity,” or even before it was called “Catholicism”? Throughout the Acts of the Apostles, the followers of Jesus Christ were routinely and repeatedly referred to “the Way,” in Greek, “hodas.” We find the term “the way” mentioned in Acts 9:2, in Acts 19:9, in acts 19:23, in Acts 24:14, and in Acts 24:22. In fact the Monday evening Bible study I’m helping with on the gospel of Mark is entitled, “Mark the Way.” In that study we have discovered how St. Mark uses “the way,” hodas, as the way of explaining Jesus’ ministry and Messiahship. Put simply, Jesus teaches that the way to happiness and heaven is none other than the way of the cross. Why? Well, because that was the way that Jesus walked himself. In other words, the way of the kingdom is the way of the King, and Christ the King walked the royal road to Calvary to be crowned as king with a crown of thorns.

And that is why most people missed the Messiah, because they missed his way, his hodas. Who wants a king reigning from a cross, unable to move his pinioned hands and feet, forgiving those who fought against him, dying in disgrace naked before the eyes of the world, alone and abandoned, apparently also by the Almighty? In Matthew 27:46, Jesus cried aloud, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” If we do not find and follow the way of the kingdom, which is the way of the Cross, we will not find and follow the way of the King, which is the way of Christianity.

Today, December 14, is the feast of St. John of the Cross, one of my patron saints and personal heroes. If there was one message John preached with his life and legacy, it is the way of the Cross, hence, his name, “St. John of the Cross.” But John did not just teach with a catchy title, the cross characterized his whole life. John was born in 1542 in Fontiveros, Avila, Spain. John’s family was plunged into poverty, and his father died when he was 3 years old, and his brother died when he was 5. Thanks to his mother’s resourcefulness, John studied at a school for orphans, and later at the Salamanca University. In 1563 he entered the Carmelite Order and was ordained a priest in 1567. Inspired by St. Teresa of Avila, John joined a reform movement of the Carmelites who desired a more strict and severe penitential spirituality, the way of the cross! The symbol of their spirituality would be wearing sandals rather than shoes, hence they were called “Discalced Carmelites.”

John and Teresa’s reform movement caused controversy and conflict with the traditional, non-reform Carmelites. Indeed, on December 2, 1577, a group of the traditionalists friars broke into John’s room, and took him captive and imprisoned him in a monastery cell no bigger than 10 feet by 6 feet. Talk about walking the way of the Cross! John was living up to his name.

But when you walk the way of the kingdom, you also walk in the company of the King, Jesus Christ. During those 8 months in prison, St. John of the Cross composed his masterpiece, the Spiritual Canticle, his personal interpretation of the Old Testament book the Song of Songs, the intimate love story between the soul and God. In other words, sometimes when we walk the way of the cross, we feel that’s when God is farthest from us. But St. John found out that when you walk the way of the kingdom, that is when the king is closest to you. I believe that is the main message of St. John of the Cross, just like it was the main message of his master, Jesus Christ!

My friends, are you surprised to find the cross along the Christian path you walk? I don’t know about you, but I sure am. I feel that as a Christian that if I obey the commandments, and love the poor, and say my prayers, and go to church on Sunday, and invite the priest over for dinner, then I should lead a happy, prosperous, and pain-free life. Otherwise, what’s the point of religion? But I would suggest to you that is exactly the wrong way to understand Christianity. Why? Because we have forgotten the original way, we have forgotten the way of the King is the way of the Cross, and so it is the way of his kingdom and all his subjects. In other words, don’t be surprised by the cross, even more, try to be satisfied with the cross, and if possible, even try to seek the cross voluntarily. In a word, Christianity is not comfort-care; it is cross-care. We must care about the Cross, and we must learn to carry the cross like Christ the king did.

I love the quotation with which C. S. Lewis begins his book called “The Problem of Pain.” He quotes his mentor, George MacDonald, who said: “Jesus Christ suffered and died not so that we would not have to, but so that our suffering and death could be like his.” The way of the kingdom is the way of the Cross. And that must be our way, too.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

In Memoriam Claire Schluterman

Funeral Homily (with parents’ permission)

12/13/2019

It is very hard to see ourselves as we really are. And if we cannot see ourselves as we really are, then we cannot know ourselves as we really are. Did you know that the image you look at in the mirror is not exactly how you look? That mirror image is actually flipped, or reversed from reality. This happens every time you take a selfie. Take a selfie and stick your tongue out of the right side of your mouth, the mirror image you see on your phone will show the tongue on the right side as well. But after you take the selfie and look at the picture on the phone, your tongue will be sticking out of the other side of your mouth. The picture will be the opposite or reverse of the mirror image you saw when you smiled for the selfie. In other words, the face your look at in the mirror is not the real you.

This is the same reason why doctors cannot prescribe medicine for themselves. Self-medication is not only unethical, it is illegal. Why? Doctors also do not see themselves as they really are and therefore cannot know their ailments as they really are. You cannot cure effectively what you do not comprehend entirely. This is also the reason why priests cannot go to confession to ourselves by looking in the mirror. How I would love to look in a mirror and say, “Fr. John, I forgive you of your faults!” Again, why? Well, that handsome priest in the mirror looking back at me is not the real me. If I cannot see myself as I really am, I cannot know my sins as I really commit them. In other words, only other people can see us and can know us as we really are, and they usually know us much better than we know ourselves. By the way, this is why it is so hard for spouses to point out each other’s faults. One spouse sees the “mirror image,” while the other sees the “real image.”

In the gospel of Matthew, we discover that no one can see people better than Jesus does, because he sees people like God sees them, and therefore, he knows people as God knows them, inside and out. That is, he knows people perfectly. A woman anoints Jesus’ head with costly perfumed oil. The disciples scold her for it, because they only see a woman wasting oil. Jesus, however, looks deep into the woman’s heart and sees her love for him. He sees even more, though, namely, she is helping him prepare for his passion and death, and even his burial. Jesus therefore praises her profusely, saying: “Amen, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of, in memory of her.” In other words, Jesus is not fooled by the mirror image that often dupes the rest of us. Our Lord looks into the heart and he sees the whole human being. Jesus misses nothing.

Today we pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of Claire Schluterman. Claire was a beautiful little blonde girl, with a sparkling, sweet smile, who left this earth a lot sooner than anyone ever expected or even envisioned. Our hearts break not only for Claire, but also for Kelly and Chris, and of course, little Ben. Our hearts go out to Claire’s grandparents, Becky Shaver, and Allen and Liz Schluterman, and to the enormous extended family, as well as the I.C and Trinity school families. We are all praying for you, and we love you, and we are all sad and grieving with you. But you know, I can’t help but wonder if Claire could see herself as she really is, that is, at least as how we saw her, and therefore know herself as she really is. Or on the other hand, if she wasn’t duped by that deceptive “mirror image” that frequently fools all of us. I asked people in the various circles that made up Claire’s life – like orbits of the planets around the sun – to share their memories and stories about her. Why? Well, because other people can usually see us so much better than we can see ourselves, and they know us better than we know ourselves.

Here are some stories from Immaculate Conception School teachers. Mandy Becker said: “My favorite memory of Claire is from a trip we took to St. Scholastica to sing to the nuns. After we sang, the children took small crafts they had made to give to the nuns. Claire went over to a nun who was very elderly, sitting in a recliner with a blanket over her. Claire immediately set upon making sure the blanket was on well, then rested her hand on the old nun's arm and laid her head on the nun's shoulder. That was first grade Claire in a nutshell: She often got distracted by noticing the needs of someone else, instead of thinking of herself or her needs first. As she grew older, I saw this kind of love and care that Claire exhibited to Ben.” That’s the real Claire, and not the “mirror image” that maybe she saw.

Jennifer Shelby said: “A wonderful memory was when Claire was 7. Jennifer, Kelly and Monica took Ella, Rylee and Claire to the mall to get their ears pierced. Claire was so scared!! She let the 5 year old girls go first. A few tears came- then she said it wasn’t so bad. And she was so glad she did it. It was a fun day with lunch and 3 giggly girls at the mall.” Christine Maestri added: “My first memory of Claire is her gentle spirit, her soft voice and delicate smile, her love of dance, books, art and a being a great storyteller. She loved to write and read stories of dragons. She would even come into character with a dragon jacket she would wear sometimes. Claire was a delightful young lady.” Julie Harrell remembered: “I remember her sweet little 4 yr old personality in preschool. Full of knowledge with many discoveries to share! Later in life her sweet, calm personality was so easy to be around. She has “danced” gracefully across our living room floor, my preschool room and just anywhere she had room to practice! She was always a fierce protector of Ben (Jeff called him BB) stood for Big Ben. And her Mother, Kelly.” That’s the real Claire.

At Trinity Junior High, Sydney Hanna shared: “My favorite memory of her is of the time we were working on a tune for our halftime show and I was helping her play her part. The moment she understand and could do it, her face lit up and she was so excited. She loved being a part of this group and everyone loved having her.”

Tracy Vrazel also mentioned: “Mrs. Teagle shared with us a piece of art created by Claire. She asked her students to draw a picture of something they enjoyed doing. Claire drew a picture of herself sitting by the ocean with her notebook writing stories. Claire wanted to be an author when she grew up. Claire expressed a great bond with her mother. When filling out a "Getting to Know You" survey at the beginning of the year, she said the person she admired most was her mother. She wrote a story titled "The Unbreakable Bond." In this story, she started feeling a little sleepy during the homily so she leaned up against her mom. Her mom laid her head on top of Claire’s when they suddenly got stuck to each other. She realized that her mom's earring got stuck in her hair and they had a quite a bit of trouble getting unstuck. They both found this funny and a bit embarrassing as they tried to get free.” That’s why you shouldn’t fall asleep in the homily. But that’s the real Claire.

At Western Arkansas Ballet, Brianna Hagar recalled: “I have taught Claire for 5 1/2 years at Western Arkansas Ballet. I gave her, her 1st pair of pointe shoes and watched as she became stronger, looking more like a beautiful ballerina and less like a new born baby deer. She always worked very hard for me in class, pushing through the fatigue and pain that comes with pointe work. She was my most creative student. Every time she danced, there was a story behind the movement. It was always an honor to watch her dance because you could tell she was sharing something so personal and that this movement was her only way of sharing what was inside with the world. I will forever cherish that gift that she was willing to share with me.” That’s the real Claire.

Melissa Schoenfeld agreed, saying: “One thing I loved and at the same time drove me nuts about Claire was that during class she cared so much about everyone else. She would be chatting with someone or checking on them, which was so sweet, but then not quite know what she was supposed to be doing. And when she did something well and I let her know, she would tuck her chin and give me that sweet humble smile and side look. Love that precious child.” That’s the real Claire.

Jared Mesa chimed in with: “Claire had come over the night before to stay with us (Brianna and Jared) for the night . Her parents were out of town and she needed a ride to the dance studio for morning ballet class. I had asked her what she wanted for breakfast, so that I could pick it up and make sure it was in the house for the morning. She told me “I usually have an Eggo waffle” and it dawned on me that I had never eaten an Eggo waffle in my life. I told Claire that I had never eaten an Eggo. I think this made Claire very happy. She got to help me experience something for the first time in my life. In the morning when we woke up we had our Eggo waffles for breakfast and then went to the dance studio. It was a pleasant experience and the Eggo waffle was better than I thought it was going to be. There was nothing special about this breakfast except for the fact that I have never had an Eggo before. But I could tell that it meant a lot to Claire. Claire was good at finding the good things in small moments. I hope that I can find small moments in life that bring joy to me and others just like I saw in Claire.” That’s the real Claire.

Alice Anders said: “Claire Schluterman was a quiet, innovative, hard-working, creative, and talented young lady. At Western Arkansas Ballet, she worked her way up to the junior company, and got moved up to the pre-professional company the following year. She worked so hard and was always so focused and determined to improve, which she did. If she wasn’t dancing, she was working on homework, writing beautiful stories, drawing, and/or reading a book. She never wasted a moment of her time. She learned these amazing qualities from her wonderful parents. The last time I saw Claire was at the Clarksville Nutcracker that WAB did the weekend after thanksgiving. I was standing backstage on headset and looked over and saw Claire. I had to do a double take because she had grown up and matured so much since I’ve been away at school. She danced beautifully as a snowflake and Lady in Waiting. I was and am so proud of her.” That’s the real Claire.

Alice’s younger sister, Anna Anders recalled: “The first memory I have of Claire was last year. I went and spent the night at the Schluterman’s when my parents went out of town and Claire and I played Mario Kart for 3 hours straight. Within those 3 hours, Claire won every single game and I realized how bad I really am at Mario Kart. Another was just last week. We were at dance and Claire came up to me and gave me the biggest hug and said, “I’ve missed you. Even though we see each other every day, I’ve missed you.” Claire had the biggest heart and was so loved, and I miss her deeply.” That was the real Claire.

As we hear the stories and memories of those who knew and loved Claire, we begin to see a sort of kaleidoscope of her personality, which was not only good, but grace-filled. So often other people can see us much better than we see ourselves, other people know us better than we know ourselves, and perhaps that was true for little Claire too. Today we pray she stands before Jesus as our Lord looks at her. We cannot see Claire but Jesus can see her. And I pray that she can see her own reflection, her image, in his eyes, which will be filled with an eternal love for her. Jesus won’t miss anything about Claire, and so Claire won’t miss anything about herself either. Only when we see ourselves reflected in the eyes of Jesus, like the woman who anointed him at Bethany, will we see ourselves as we really are, and how much God loves us. Today we pray that Claire can finally see the real Claire.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

War Games

Learning to play tic-tac-toe with x’s and o’s

12/08/2019

Genesis 3:9-15, 20 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me— she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

“Shall we play a game?” Does anyone remember in what movie that famous line was uttered? It was in the 1983 movie called “War Games” starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy. That line was actually spoken by a super computer called WOPR, an acronym standing for “War Operations Planned Response.” Broderick and Sheedy play two high school teens named David and Jennifer who hack into the NORAD supercomputer in order to play virtual reality video games. When WOPR asks if they would like to play a game, David types in: “How about global thermonuclear war?” That global-scale warfare was exactly what WOPR was designed to deter, but if provoked, it was programmed to prevail. In other words, it was created to win World War III at any cost.

The young hackers think they are just playing a video game, but WOPR simulated a Russian nuclear attack that sends the U.S. Defense systems into red alert and poised to fire back. Suddenly, virtual reality became very real. David and Jennifer seek out the inventor of the WOPR, named Falken, to deescalate the impending disaster. David guesses the password to Falken’s account is “Joshua,” Falken’s deceased son. Using the password, Joshua, David pulls the WOPR back from the brink of starting World War III, by asking it to play the game of Tic-Tac-Tow. Why? Well, who wins at Tic-Tac-Toe? If you know how to play, no one wins. That was the lesson David hoped WOPR would learn in like the game of global thermonuclear war, namely, no one wins. After searching every possible strategic scenario, the supercomputer finally concludes, “The only winning move is not to play.” In other words, there are some games in which no one win, and in the movie War Games. Some games have no victors.

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and our scriptures contrast two approaches to playing war games, not electronic war games, but spiritual war games between good and evil, between light and darkness, between right and wrong. These two approaches are embodied in two iconic women: Eve in Genesis 3, and Mary in Luke 1. Eve is tricked by the serpent who asks her in effect, “Shall we play a game?” Adam and Eve, like David and Jennifer, play the game of trying to outsmart Satan, who is in reality a fallen angel, a being infinitely smarter than any super computer. Adam and Eve trigger the war games that have been waged on earth ever since, not between superpowers like Russia and the United States, but between supernatural powers. St. Paul explains in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness.”

However, there was one person who preferred to play tic-tac-toe, rather than these spiritual war games, namely, the Blessed Virgin Mary. How so? Well, Mary was the only human who understood that in some games, “The only winning move is not to play” which perfectly characterizes her “Immaculate Conception.” That is, Mary was preserved from sin by the prevenient saving grace of her Son, Jesus. And what is another form of the name Jesus – “Joshua” – the Creator’s Son, who died to save us. Jesus/Joshua is not only the “password” who allows us to break through enemy lines, but also the “Passover” to achieve ultimate victory in the war games against Satan. In other words, when Satan asked Mary, “Shall we play a game?” she was smart enough to know the only winning move is not to play his game, and so she never sinned.

Would you allow me to take this analogy between the movie War Games and our spiritual battle with Satan a step further? In the game Tic-Tac-Toe, what symbols represent the two sides in the game? They are X’s and O’s. But have you ever noticed what people use X’s and O’s to symbolize these days, sometimes ending letters with X’s and O’s? They represent hugs and kisses: an “X” looks like arms hugging and an “O” is like the lips in the shape of a kiss. In other words, Tic-Tac-Toe doesn’t just teach us on the negative side that no one wins in war, but it also teaches us on the positive side that instead of waging war, we should pursue the path of peace, with X’s and O’S, with hugs and kisses.

Today, ask yourself how you relate to other people. Some relationships may seem adversarial – us against them – while others feel amicable, like good friends. Do some of your relationships – with family, with friends, with coworkers, with Christians, with God, and maybe even yourself – feel like war games, almost as if you were trying to defeat or destroy others? In adversarial relationships, we try to outsmart them, we try to manipulate them, we spy on them and sabotage them.

On the other hand, we could be a little more like Mary, and our relationship could be more amicable rather than adversarial, and we refuse to play war games with others. We try to play a sort of spiritual Tic-Tac-Toe with X’s and O’s, hugs and kisses, mercy and love. Most relationships, of course, are a mixture of both, we experience friendly fire, and we hurt those whom we love. We learn to look to Jesus, the ultimate password and the eternal Passover, the Creator’s dead Son, who also rose again, so that we might make peace with others rather than wage war.

“Shall we play a game?” asked the supercomputer named WOPR. “Shall we play a game?” was also asked by the supernatural creature named Satan. Sooner or later he will as you and me that same question, too. Be careful how you answer.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Mystic Mountains

Climbing mountains to encounter God

12/02/2019

Isiaih 4:2-6 On that day, The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory, and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor for the survivors of Israel. He who remains in Zion and he who is left in Jerusalem Will be called holy: every one marked down for life in Jerusalem. When the LORD washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, And purges Jerusalem's blood from her midst with a blast of searing judgment, Then will the LORD create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, A smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the LORD's glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.

I come from a land of mountains, in fact, from the land of the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest. Because it is the tallest mountain in the world, towering at a height of 29,029 feet, it receives international attention and people from all over the world attempt to ascend it. After eight failed attempts by various groups, the team of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (an expert Sherpa) were the first humans to set foot on its peak on May 29, 1953. They took photographs of themselves and buried a small cross and a few sweets in the snow. I guess as a reward for anyone else who makes it to the top in the future. Want to join me in trying to find those sweets?

The peak of Mt. Everest is often covered in clouds, being at such a high elevation, but even on a clear day the snow blowing off the top gives the impression of a halo of clouds at the summit. In other words, mountains, like Everest, are not only majestic to behold, but they are also mystical places where people feel close to God. Indeed, mountains are quite literally where heaven and earth meet.

In the first reading today, Isaiah the Old Testament prophet predicts that Mt. Zion will hold a similar (albeit spiritual) attraction like Mt. Everest. You may recall that Mt. Zion is the peak on which Jerusalem is built, and in particular where the Jerusalem Temple is placed. Jerusalem sits approximately 2,500 feet above sea level. In Isaiah’s imagination Mt. Zion is the Mt. Everest in a spiritual sense. He writes: “Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion, and over her place of assembly, A smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night.” He adds: “For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection.” The Jews believed that God’s glory was present in the form of a cloud called the “shekinah” glory cloud that hovered over the Temple on Mt. Zion, like the cloud that hangs over Mt. Everest. And on Mt. Zion the people would not find sugary sweets but the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant that contained the 12 loaves of Show Bread, one for each of the 12 Tribes of Israel. Now, that was some sweet bread!

Moreover, in Isaiah 2:3, the ancient seer had already announced that “People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…There he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths.” Just like people from all over the world are attracted to Mt. Everest, so too, all the nations are irresistibly drawn to the wisdom and holiness found at the heights of Mt. Zion. Jesus echoes Isaiah’s prophecy in the gospel of Matthew 8, saying: “Many will come from the east and from the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.” Like Hillary and Norgay, and like Isaiah, so Jesus sees mountain peaks as places not only of majestic dignity but places for mystical experiences, where heaven and earth meet.

My friends, have you ever studied closely how Catholic churches are typically and traditionally built? Usually, the sanctuary around the altar is elevated by one or two steps. And the high altar is further raised by 3 or 5 steps. That construction is not accidental or merely artistic but very deliberate to designate an ascent up a mountain. And what do priests use at high Masses? We burn incense to create a cloud of smoke to symbolize God’s glorious presence, his Holy Spirit. But some people miss that meaning and only cough and complain about the incense. It can indeed by hard to inhale the Holy Spirit! And what do we receive when we approach this sacred mountain? Not some sweets left by human mountain climbers, but the sweetest of all food, the Eucharist, left by Jesus, who climbed Mt. Zion, and died on one of its peaks called Golgotha, and left behind a cross and some sweets for those who come after him, that is, me and you.

Folks, you and I are probably not going to climb Mt. Everest in Nepal, or maybe even venture up Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, but at every Mass, we spiritually scale the heights of holiness as we approach Mt. Zion transplanted to every altar where the Mass is celebrated. There we sing Psalm 122 with people from all the nations, from the east and from the west, chanting: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

To Catch a Thief

Upgrading our security system called Christianity

12/01/2019

Matthew 24:37-44 Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

One of the highest priorities for people these days is safety and security. Surprisingly, we are even willing to sacrifice our personal freedom on the altar of feeling more safe and secure. Long gone are the days when people could casually leave their car key in the ignition, or their front doors of their homes unlocked all day. And who can blame anyone, when week after week we hear of some random shooting or terrorist attack? Put simply: faith in the common man has been replaced by fear of the common man, and we want to feel safer than we do.

As the pastor of a church prominently placed at the head of Garrison Avenue, safety and security are often a concern for me, too. Several years ago, a church usher told me his dream of how he wanted to die. Some Sunday, while he is serving as usher, he envisions a crazed gunman barging into the church and open firing. As the gunman turns to point his gun at the priest, my usher-friend would jump in the way of the bullet. He would sacrifice his life and simultaneously save the life of the priest. He figured dying for a priest would get him a one-day ticket to heaven. By the way, my friend was an ex-Marine and that is why I have instituted the new policy that all ushers at Immaculate Conception must be ex-Marines. People put a high premium on their safety and security, and we sometimes sacrifice everything else for it.

In the gospel today, Jesus hopes to harness that natural desire for safety and security and help his apostles elevate it to a more supernatural end. That is, he wants their instinct for self-preservation to be their impetus for self-preparation for his return. How so? Well, listen to our Lord explain how: “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into to.” He goes on: “So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” In other words, Jesus compares his coming to that of a thief in the night. And how do you catch a thief? You install the best security system available. I hope this does not sound irreverent, but I believe Christianity can be compared to a high tech security system to catch a thief, and that thief is Jesus. We want to catch Christ so we can love him and live in him.

As we begin the holy season of Advent, may I suggest a few ways we can enhance our security system called Christianity, that is, our personal faith life, so we can catch a thief? I am convinced the best way to be on guard spiritually-speaking is by going to confession. Why? Well, sin has the effect of lowering our defenses and makes us vulnerable not only to manipulation by Satan, but also to missing our Savior. This week on Thursday evening at 6 p.m., we will have priests from the area to hear everyone’s confessions. I promise: they will be priests you have never seen before and will never have to see again! Every confession sort of “reboots” our security system and we are prepared to catch Christ, who comes like a thief in the night.

Another way to sharpen our security capabilities is by attending Mass every Sunday. By the way, do you know that we have between 75 and 100 people who attend daily Mass at 7 a.m. every morning? Why do they come? C. S. Lewis described our world as “enemy occupied territory.” He wrote: “Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.” He continued: “When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going.” Folks, is it really that far-fetched to suggest that in the eyes of this world Jesus comes like a thief in the night to launch a counter-offensive against the values of this world? When we catch the divine Thief through the Scriptures and sacraments, we can be sure we are on his side in the spiritual battle.

And thirdly, my favorite way to catch a thief is to follow Mother Mary’s example by praying the rosary daily. Mary was the first to catch Christ not only in her heart but even in her womb. What happened when she caught Christ? We read in John 1:14, “The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us.” Nothing less than the Incarnation happens when you catch Christ! In other words, when we pray the rosary we learn from Mother Mary how to grow in holiness and humility, which are the irresistible bait to lure the love of our Lord so we can catch him. Every time we catch Christ, “the Word becomes flesh” again and again, in each one of us who are called Christians, that is, “little christs” (with a small “c”).

My friends, you keep your family safe by locking your house doors at night and activating your alarm systems. And I promise I’ll keep our spiritual family safe by allowing only ex-Marines to serve as ushers. But we should also be on red alert and not lower our defenses spiritual-speaking by living our Christian faith to the fullest. Why? Because Christianity is the best way to catch a thief.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Bone Spurs

Cherishing bones in spiritual and natural bodies

11/28/2019

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today on Thanksgiving I feel deep gratitude for all of you, my parishioners, my spiritual family. I am especially thankful for all the parishioners with whom I have crossed swords, those with whom I have disagreed and not always gotten along, because you have taught me that I don’t know everything and have helped me to be a better pastor and priest. Like a sort of “whetstone,” you have sharpened me so I can continue the good fight of faith. I am grateful to the parishioners who like me, but also for the ones who don’t like me, because each and every one of you is an instrument of God’s grace making ma a sharper and smarter priest. Thank you, to all of you.

That reminds me of the advice an older priest gave me when I became a rookie pastor, a first-time pastor. He suggested that the people in your parish are like the bones of a human body. Some people are like the jawbones because they love to talk a lot, spread gossip and start rumors. Other people will be like the butt bones and do nothing but sit around a lot. You cannot count on them to help you. And finally you will find the people who are the backbones of the parish. The backbones are usually the last people you meet but just like in the human body, the backbones hold up the whole parish.

Nonetheless, over twenty years as a pastor, I have learned to appreciate not only the backbones, but also the jawbones and even the butt bones in every parish. Why? Well, the human body needs all its bones because God has created each bone for a special purpose, and today I am grateful for each and every bone that forms the Body of Christ here at Immaculate Conception Church.

The second reading today is taken from the beginning of St. Paul’s magnificent first letter to the Corinthians. Notice how he begins with a note of gratitude, saying: “I gave thanks to my God always on your account.” Now, was St. Paul grateful only because the Corinthians were perfect little saints, all of them the backbones of the Body of Christ? Hardly. He levels very strong criticisms of their behavior in chapter 10 and 11 about the divisions they cause when they sit down for the Eucharist.

Then in the following chapter, however, he beautifully describes how each Christian form part of the Body of Christ – the hand, the feet, the arms, and the legs – in chapter 12, just like that wise pastor taught me. In other words, St. Paul was not only glad and grateful for the people he got along with, but for all the Corinthians, even the jaw bones and the butt bones. By the way, if you want to hear about a really heated disagreement he had, read Galatians 2:11-14, and how he crossed swords with St. Peter. Why was Paul thankful for all? Well, because each and every person is essential for the full functioning and flourishing of the Body of Christ.

My friends, as you sit around the Thanksgiving table today, bear in mind the advice that wise pastor once gave me: people are like the bones of a human body. That analogy is true not only for spiritual families, like our parish, but also for natural families, like in your home. As you pass the turkey and dressing and ask for seconds on the apple pie, try to figure out which family members are the jawbones, the butt bones, and the backbones. Sometimes I play a little game in mind and count how many there are of each kind of bones. And usually first place is shared by the jawbones and the butt bones.

The real trick of Thanksgiving, indeed, the real trick of Christianity, is to feel gratitude for all the bones that make up the body of your family, just like each Christian makes up the Body of Christ with Jesus as the Head. This Thanksgiving, try to be especially glad and grateful for those with whom you don’t get along so well, with those you disagree and fight with, those who get under your skin, and those with whom you cross swords, like Peter and Paul. Why? Well, because somehow they make you a sharper and smarter person, and you should say thank you.

By the way, do you know when we will finally feel gratitude for all the bones of our spiritual and natural families? It is when people die and pass from this world to the next. Have you noticed how easy it is to say something good about someone after they die? The English word “eulogy” is a compound of two Greek words meaning “good” and word,” a eulogy is a good word about someone. This Thanksgiving try to utter a good word about all the members of your family, especially the jawbones and the butt bones. Why? Without them the Body of Christ cannot function and flourish. And you cannot either.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The American Empire

Putting our trust in the eternal Empire of Christ

11/26/2019

Daniel 2:31-45 Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: "In your vision, O king, you saw a statue, very large and exceedingly bright, terrifying in appearance as it stood before you. The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron, its feet partly iron and partly tile. While you looked at the statue, a stone which was hewn from a mountain without a hand being put to it, struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces. The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once, fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer, and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

A friend of mine was studying at the University of Notre Dame a few years ago and said the average age of world empires and kingdoms is roughly 400 years. Have you ever heard that? Of course, some empires endured longer while others were of shorter duration. Just like human beings have an average life-expectancy of 80 or 90 years (sorry to scare you if you’re close to that age), so, too, do human kingdoms, empires and civilizations. Although, what I found fascinating was not how long empires last, but rather that eventually empires end. They don’t last forever.

A further interesting fact is that during the life-time of every empire, the citizens always think their particular kingdom would never end. How many Americans today can imagine a time when the United State will end and be replaced by some other superpower in the world? To most Americans, myself included, that seems impossible, if not laughable. And yet every great kingdom that came before the United States – the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, etc. – all thought exactly the same thing: our civilization will never end but endure into eternity. If my Fighting Irish friend is correct our American Empire, which has been around a little over 200 years, has reached its zenith and therefore, we have begun our steady descent to our death. Just like human beings like to deny that we will die – so we invent things like Viagra – so too, civilizations all deny they will die. But die they do; no human empire is eternal.

Our scriptures today also argue for the rise and fall of empires, just like my friend from Notre Dame asserted. The prophet Danciel interprets a dream for King Nebuchadnezzer, which was a succession of kingdoms that would follow his, symbolized by a statue made of various materials. The Babylonians were the golden head of the statue, who would be replaced by the Persians symbolized by silver, who would be then later succeeded by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, the bronze belly and thighs, which in turn would be conquered by the Roman Empire the legs and feet of iron and clay.

But all these human kingdoms would be destroyed by an unearthly kingdom, the Kingdom of God, symbolized by “a stone which was hewn from a mountain without a hand being put to it.” In other words, the final kingdom is not made by human hands, that fashion gold, silver, bronze or iron, but by God’s hand that shapes and fashions the whole world, and everything in it. Daniel, of course, it predicting the coming of Christ, “a stone rejected by the builders but becoming the cornerstone” (Luke 20:17).

But Daniel’s point, I believe, was deeper than to interpret the dream. He was saying what my Fighting Irish friend was saying: every empire ends, even the greatest go the way of the Do-do bird, to extinction. But do you think the Babylonians or Persians or Greeks or the Romans or we Americans thought their civilization would ever end? Of course not. We all deny we will die, both individual human beings as well as collective human civilizations.

My friends, we are so blessed to live in the United States of America, and to live in the time of her life-cycle that we do. Arguably, we are standing at the apex of the American Empire. We feel the euphoria of Nebuchadnezzer at the height of the Babylonian Empire, and we may feel like our empire will last forever. But we hear Daniel’s voice today in my friend from Notre Dame, like Nebuchadnezzer heard it in his day from the young Jewish exile, saying: this won’t last.

Instead, put your eggs in the basket of the eternal empire not made by hands. That is, put your faith and trust in the Kingdom of God established by Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit – the Hand of God – and not by human intervention. In other words, the only eternal empire is the Church, established by the hand of God in Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, and built on Peter the Rock, and placed firmly on the foundation of the twelve apostles. And how long has the Catholic Church lasted. 200 years? 400 year? Over 2,000 years and still going strong. Why? Well, because the Church is not a human kingdom but rather the Kingdom of God on earth, and she will endure until her King returns in glory.

Praised be Jesus Christ!