Stirring of Skepticism

Learning how to overcome skepticism with love

09/29/2021

Jn 1:47-51 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Something strange starts to happen when we become teenagers: we start to feel like skeptics. Do you know what a “skeptic” is? It is someone who questions, doubts and even rejects things for which they cannot find proof. Have you ever felt that way about things your parents say, or even that your priests say, or the Church teaches? For example, today we celebrate the great Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. But some of you may be sitting there thinking: “Yeah, right. Angels are all make-believe stories for little children to keep them from getting scared, like Santa Claus and the Tooth-fairy and the Easter Bunny.” Do you feel skeptical sometimes?

But I would suggest to you that skeptics don’t go far enough, that is, they stop short, and don’t question or doubt everything. Put positively: they take some things on pure faith. For instance, some people read their horoscope every morning because they believe it predicts what will happen to them that day. (But it won’t.) Other people believe in ghosts and watch T.V. program about paranormal activity. (But that’s not true.)

And that is why Taco Bell pays Tom Brady millions of dollars to be in their commercial for just a few seconds, and DirecTV pays Serena Williams to star as Wonder Woman in their ads. Why? Well, because we do not question or doubt what Tom Brady and Serena Williams tell us. We take them on pure faith, and so we eat at Taco Bell and we buy DirecTV. In other words, skeptics are not skeptical enough. Sooner or later we all walk by faith, and not by sight or by skepticism.

In the gospel today, Jesus helps Nathanial to see the limits of his own skepticism, and helps him to walk by faith and not by sight. First, however, Jesus compliments Nathanial on having a healthy skepticism and questioning things. So, Jesus says about him: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” In other words, Nathanial is nobody’s fool: he questions and doubts, he tests theories and seeks scientific proof.

But if Nathanial is really honest, he will admit he also takes some things on faith, and that is how he begins to believe in Jesus, even more than we believe in the words of Tom Brady and Serena Williams. And Jesus says that soon Nathanial would also believe in the goodness and guidance of the archangels. Jesus predicts: “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (Jn 1:51). That is, sooner or later we all walk by faith and not by sight, or by skepticism.

Boys and girls, you may be feeling the first stirrings of skepticism in your mind and in your heart. You feel like questioning and doubting and even rejecting many things, like Nathanial did. And that is generally a good thing because you are being more honest and not naïve or gullible. But also realize that there is more going on in the world than meets the eye.

And that is why I believe right in our teenage years, when we have questioned and doubted everything, we fall in love with someone. Have you noticed how you are also attracted to boys and girls, and some have boyfriends and girlfriends? And what happens? We believe everything the other person tells us! Girls, especially, believe all the stupid things boys tell them. Why don’t you girls be a little more skeptical of those stupid and stinky boys? Because sooner or later we all walk by faith and not by sight or skepticism.

You see, the way to overcome the first stirrings of skepticism is with the first stirrings of love. Love is the antidote to the sickness of skepticism. May the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael help us to walk by faith and not by sight, so we do not stumble over our skepticism.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Business or Pleasure

Seeing ourselves as the pilgrim people of God

9/28/2021

Lk 9:51-56 When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

One of the most common questions you ask someone when you travel is, “Business or pleasure?” Why? Well, that is the reason most people hit the road: either for a business trip or going on vacation. Did you know that I once drove in my car from Fort Smith to Seattle, Washington to give a men’s retreat? Most reasonable people would just catch a flight, but I drove for two days and 2,000 miles. I love spending time in my car and seeing the beautiful countryside, not to mention the majestic Rocky Mountains. I would answer that common question by replying: “I travel for both business and pleasure!”

If we were to pose that question to the Haitian refugees on the southern border, “Business or pleasure?” how might they answer? I suspect they would say, “We travel for survival.” Haiti, being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has seen a surging wave of migration into South America, through Central America and Mexico, to the U.S. border in the hopes of seeking asylum.

The recent assassination of Haiti’s president and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake have only added fuel to the fire of people fleeing their homeland of Haiti. Whatever you may think of the Haiti’s political turmoil, or America’s asylum policies, no one can question why these poor people are traveling. It is not for “business or pleasure,” but for simple survival. They will die if they remain at home.

In the gospel of Luke we see Jesus also hitting the open road for his final journey to Jerusalem. We read: “When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” This rather lengthy section of Luke, the ten chapters from 9:51 to 19:28, are known by scripture scholars as the "Lukan Travel Narrative," or "LTN" for short. Jesus is not traveling from Fort Smith to Seattle, or from Haiti to the U.S. but from Galilee in the north to Judea and Jerusalem in the south.

Jesus’ final journey will also be treacherous because he has to pass through hostile Samaritan territory. Samaritans and Jews were bitter enemies. That is why James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume them. If you were to ask Jesus the question during his LTN, “Business or pleasure?” he might respond: “I travel for neither business nor pleasure, but for the salvation of the world.” In other words, we all travel for different reasons, and Jesus also made his final great trip to Jerusalem for a specific reason: to suffer, die and rise again so we might be saved.

The Second Vatican Council said one of the best descriptions of the Church (of all Christians) is as “the Pilgrim People of God.” Why? Well, because the whole Christian life can be envisioned as a great journey, a road trip to heaven, you might say. And by the way, this Christian journey does not end with death, but continues through purgatory (hopefully). That is why at the funeral Mass, the priest says: “Lord God, whose Son left us, in the sacrament of his Body, food for the journey, mercifully grant that, strengthened by it, our sister or brother may come to the eternal table of Christ.”

In a sense, the most treacherous part of the Christian journey begins after we die, where we are purified and perfected for the glory of heaven. In other words, just as Haitian refugees undertake a harrowing journey to arrive at the shores of the United States, and Jesus “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem” not counting the cost, so, too, we have embarked as a Pilgrim People on a great journey back to the Father’s House in heaven. Maybe that is why, right in the middle of the LTN – placed perfectly at Lk 15 – we find the Parable of the Prodigal son, who is lost and has to make a long journey back home to his Father, to seek mercy and forgiveness.

Folks, why do we come to Mass? To receive Holy Communion. What is Holy Communion? It is food for the journey. Why do we need food for the journey? Because we are a Pilgrim People on the road back home to heaven. So, are you traveling for business or pleasure? Neither, we are traveling for survival and for our salvation.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

This Crummy Town

Looking forward to the heavenly Jerusalem

09/27/2021

Zec 8:1-8 This word of the LORD of hosts came: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous wrath for her. Thus says the LORD: I will return to Zion, and I will dwell within Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age, shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Even if this should seem impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people, shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also, says the LORD of hosts? Thus says the LORD of hosts: Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun, and from the land of the setting sun. I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem. They shall be my people, and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.

It is always fascinating to figure out what city we finally call home. Have you ever wondered how you ended up in the town where you currently live? People often ask me how my family came from India and ended up in Arkansas. Most people in India have never even heard of Arkansas. But we came here because we had very good friends who moved here from India and told us what a great place it is to raise a family. They were right: I was raised here!

Many older Americans end up in different towns as they chase their children and grandchildren and what to live close to them. Younger people relocated because they are offered a better job somewhere else or go to college in another town. Sadly, that is why some of our younger people leave Fort Smith: for better educational or economic opportunities.

They are like George Bailey in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” who could not wait to leave Bedford Falls to see the world. Remember the scene where he throws the rock through the window of the old house and says what he wished for? He says very excitedly, like many youngsters in Fort Smith: Mary, I know what I’m going to do tomorrow, and the next day and the next year and the year after that. I’m shaking the dust of this crummy town off my feet and I’m going to see the world!” But where does George end up living? Right there is Bedford Falls, where he raised his family and saves the town from greedy Mr. Potter. It is always fascinating figuring out where we finally end up calling home.

If you asked the priests, prophets and kings of the Old Testament where they wanted to end up calling home, they would all resoundingly respond: “Jerusalem!” All forty-six books of the Old Testament either explicitly or implicitly speak of Jerusalem as fondly as George Bailey finally loved Bedford Falls. For example, our first reading from Zechariah says: “Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and I will dwell within Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of the hosts, the holy mountain.” In other words, by hook or by crook, every eye in the Old Testament looked to return to Jerusalem, and even God’s eye gazed lovingly on that earthly city.

But the New Testament initiates a decisive shift in this sacred real estate, from the earthly Jerusalem to a heavenly Jerusalem. Thus we read in Hb 13:4, “For here we have no lasting city, but we see the one that is to come.” So, don’t feel too attached to Bedford Falls, or to Fort Smith, or to the old Jerusalem, but seek a heavenly home. And the last book of the Bible, Revelation, reveals what the new Jerusalem will look like. We read in Rv 21:10: “[The angel] took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.” That is, our home is nowhere on earth.

That is why Ep. 2:19 tells us that we are still “strangers and sojourners” until we reach our heavenly home, the new Jerusalem. In other words, keep in mind this shift in sacred real estate from the Old to the New Testament, from the Old to the New Jerusalem, from the earthly to the heavenly city, which even Abraham desired, as it says in Hb. 11:10: “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.”

Folks, how do you feel about the city where you live? Some people love their hometown and hope to never leave; others hate their hometown and cannot wait to leave. It is amazing how much time and talent, money and manpower we pour into building and beautifying our earthly cities. And that is a good thing, because we continue to work of creation begun by God in Genesis.

But be careful not to forget the seismic shift in sacred real estate in the Bible: from the earthly city to the heavenly one. Ultimately, everything we build here rests on sad and will one day wash away. Only he who builds a heavenly home builds on rock that lasts forever. George Bailey was right: compared to the new and eternal Jerusalem, every other city, in a sense, is just “this crummy town,” because one day it will crumble.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Yanking Your Chain

Seeing how Spirit’s wisdom is available to all

09/26/2021

Nm 11:25-29 The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp. So, when a young man quickly told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp," Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses answered him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

Typically, it is the lay person who learns the faith from the clergy, but quite often the clergy end up learning a lot from the laity. Archbishop Peter Sartain put it colorfully when he said: “A priest’s life is a busy one…being a pastor is like being a stray dog at a whistlers’ convention!” In other words, lay people are constantly pulling the clergy’s chain: first to mass, then to the hospital, then for marriage counseling, and so on. But in the process of that pulling, we priests learn a lot. Pope Francis said this learning was like contemplation. He wrote: “A preacher has to contemplate the word, but he also has to contemplate his people.” That is, just as priests must peer at the Bible in a spirit of prayer, so they should also gaze prayerfully at the people. We learn the faith, therefore, not only from the bible but also from believers.

My own faith has been nourished by very learned lay people. Of course, I love to read and listen to Scott Hahn, a layman who teaches at Franciscan University in Steubenville. Another writer to whom I feel indebted to is C. S. Lewis, who was not even a Catholic but an Anglican and taught at Oxford. I love reading G. K. Chesterton, whose prose sounds better than most people’s poetry. My favorite German philosopher is Josef Pieper, another layman, whose books are short but take a long time to read. And my go-to French-Canadian philosopher is Etienne Gilson, who taught at the University of Toronto. I love it when these lay people fort of pull my priestly chain as I read their reflections, because I learn a lot from them.

Today’ Scriptures also suggest examples of this role reversal of teacher and student, where the clergy learn from the laity. In the first reading from Number 11, the spirit of prophecy is given t the seventy elders (call them the clergy) inside the camp. But God’s Spirit also reaches outside the camp – to the laity we might say. And two lay persons, Eldad and Medad, also prophesy. When jealousy makes Joshua complain that the ordained clergy alone should prophesy, preach and teach, meek Moses answers: “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the lord might bestow his spirit on them all!”

And that is exactly what God would do in Acts 2: pour out his Holy Spirit on the whole Church, priests and people alike, on Fr. John as well as on Josef Pieper. And something similar happens in the gospel, where John is jealous for Jesus and feel the Holy Spirit should be the private property of the clergy. But Jesus explains, like Moses, “There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is with us.” In other words, sometimes the people will pull your priestly chain, John, and you may feel like a stray dog in a whistlers’ convention. But that is not all bad: you may also learn a lot about the faith from the laity. Indeed, John learned a lot from the greatest lay person who ever lived, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who resided at his home.

My friends, the Holy Spirit is not the private property of priests, professors or even parents. Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3 – John had learned this lesson well by the time he wrote his gospel – how the Holy Spirit would work in the newly baptized when he said: “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with every one born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:8). In other words, look and listen and you, too, a professional priest, theologian and teacher, may learn the faith from the laity, that is, from those you think you need to teach.

Let me give you two modern examples. Have you noticed how often parents learn from their little children? Parents are like the priests in the domestic church of the home, and the children are like the little lay persons. Indeed, parents are called to be “the first teachers in the faith.” But notice this role reversal. Many Catholics stop going to Mass as young adults. When do they start going back to Mass? When they return to baptize their baby and especially when he or she makes their First Holy Communion. Being a parent often feels like being a stray dog at a whistlers’ convention, and your children are happily blowing the whistle. And so you parental priests can also learn a lot about the faith from these little lay people.

Here is another surprising source of the Holy Spirit’s wisdom in many people’s lives, namely, your ex-spouse. The last question on the annulment questionnaire asks: “What did you learn from this experience?” If a person is half-way humble, and all the way honest, he or she will admit they also made mistakes and were a cause of the failure of the marriage. If it takes two to tango, it also takes two to tear things apart. In other words, our ex-spouse can teach us how we were sometimes lazy and proud and resentful and revengeful and bossy. In a word, we were not very Christian. We may no longer want them pulling our chain as a spouse, but we can still learn something about ourselves from them, and grow in our faith.

Pope Francis said a successful homily is always the fruit of a deep contemplation of God’s word, but also a deep contemplation of God’s people. That is, only you can teach me if this homily was helpful and you did not fall asleep. Being a Christian means that priests and people, clergy and laity, must enter into this constant contemplation and learn from each other, which means of course we will all feel like stray dogs at a whistlers’ convention.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Face to Face

Looking forward to the resurrection of the body

9/22/2021

Lk 9:1-6 Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

One of the beautiful things about the Catholic faith is the emphasis on both body and soul. And perhaps nowhere is this emphasis emphasized more than at funerals. One Protestant friend said, “You Catholics really do funerals right!” Why? Well, at every funeral we honor the dignity of the body. We sprinkle the casket with holy water, we drape a large white pall on top of it, we bless it at the end with incense. And we pray for the “resurrection of the body” of our beloved dead.

In other words, we want their body to be in heaven and not only their soul. The soul going to heaven is only half of the story. The really dramatic conclusion will be the end of time when Jesus raises our lowly bodies buried in the earth to be like his glorious body in heaven. The resurrection of the body, therefore, is the real end of salvation history.

In the gospel today, we see Jesus also emphasize care for both the body and the soul as he sends out his apostles on mission. Pay close attention to the mandate Jesus gives to the Twelve. We read: “He gave them authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Can you hear Jesus’ concern for both the body and the soul? When Jesus give them “authority over all demons” and power to “proclaim the Kingdom,” he bestows spiritual power on them to heal the soul.

But when he commands them to cure diseases and heal the sick, Jesus is likewise concerned for the bodies of believers. So, Jesus gives them natural power over infirmities of the body. Jesus knows that one day he will raise that lowly body and make it glorious on the great day of resurrection. By healing that body today, therefore, he is putting a down-payment on that great day. Jesus, like the Catholic Church he established, is in the business of saving both the body and the soul, the whole person created in God’s image and likeness (Gn 1:27).

My friends, do you ever wonder why the Church carries on so many social services as well as sacramental ones? Why bother so much with the bodies of believers if they all end up “six feet under and pushing up daisies?” Why do we have Catholic Charities that helps the poor? Why do we support the Hope Campus for the Homeless here in Fort Smith? Why did we take up a second collection for Haiti in the aftermath of their earthquake? Why did we organize a medical mission trip to Honduras to provide medical care for the poor?

Why do we operate Catholic hospitals to heal the sick? Why do we run Catholic schools to educate the whole child?  Why do we support pro-life organizations and soup kitchens and clothes closets? For one simple reason: we believe in the resurrection of the body, and all the social services of the Church – in imitation of our Master who healed the sick – is a down-payment for the glorious day of resurrection. We heal the body today as we await the ultimate healing of heaven tomorrow, namely, the resurrection of the body from the dead.

We have had a lot of funerals lately: indeed, three funerals just this week. Joanne Rinke’s funeral was Monday, Isabelle Birnbaum’s funeral is today, and Jackie Wimberly’s funeral will be Friday. As we lay our beloved dead to rest, do not think this is the end of the story. All the work we did to preserve that body does not turn to dust and ashes. Rather, it will be raised on the last day. Why do we accord such honor and dignity to the body at the funeral Mass? Because we believe the body will be raised on the last day and we will see Jesus face to face. And you can only see face to face if you have a body.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Dance Date

Learning to catch Jesus’ eye and fall in love

09/21/2021

Mt 9:9-13 As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

There is one question I always ask people preparing for a wedding as well as for a funeral. I ask: “When did you first meet and fall in love?” The engaged couple preparing for marriage, as well as the grieving family preparing for the funeral, always remember that magical moment of meeting and falling in love. Sometimes they saw each other across a crowded room and their eyes locked on each other. Others went on a blind date set up by their friends.

The funniest story was about a double date, where the couple actually ended up going home with the other person’s date! Some people may forget the date they got married. But few forget the moment they met the love of their life: that moment changed their life, it changed their future, and it changed the world by the children and grandchildren they brought into the world.

Today, September 21, is the feast of St. Matthew and he seems to be answering that same question I ask before a wedding and a funeral: “When did you meet the love of your life?” We read (and Matthew remembers): “As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the custom’s post. He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.”

I love the painting by Caravaggio about this call of St. Matthew because it depicts Jesus literally looking across a crowded room and locking eyes with the future saint, apostle, and evangelist. Caravaggio’s painting is both a masterpiece of Christian art and also a masterpiece of Christian spirituality. It captures that magical moment of falling in love with the Lord, and how it changes everything.

My own personal take on Matthew’s call, however, is closer to that couple who went on a double-date but ended up switching partners. How so? Well, Matthew already has something he loves, namely, his job and his money. But Jesus has come to steal his heart and offer him a treasure that money cannot buy, that is, his divine love. And being a smart business man, Matthew makes a quick calculation and dumps his original date, and leaves the dance with Jesus.

Indeed, Matthew would invite his friends to go on a double date with Jesus and dump their original partners by inviting them to dinner with the Lord. And I would argue that is why Matthew wrote his gospel: to invite the whole world to go on a double date with Jesus, and dump their original partners. Can you see how that magical moment of meeting Jesus can change our life, our future and even the whole world?

My friends, without getting too kinky, I would suggest to you that our spiritual life can be likened to a double-date with Jesus. That is, we go through life in love with people, places and things that are important to us. And that is a good thing; that is who brought you to the dance. At the same time, however, we are also together with Jesus, but he is clearly in second place. He is not “our main squeeze” as they say.

But while we are dancing through life with our lesser loves, Jesus is trying to catch our eye so we can fall in love with him. He wants us to leave the dance of life more in love with him than with anyone or anything else, just like Matthew left his custom’s post in love with the Lord. And if Jesus does ever catch our eye and we experience that magical moment, it will change our life, our future and the world.

Today ask yourself the question when did you meet the love of your life or when did your parents meet each other and fall in love? And next time you read the gospel of Matthew, try to think of how he met Jesus and how it changed his life. And lastly, remember that this life is a dance, and you are on a double-date, and Someone is trying to catch your eye and make you fall in love with Him. Don’t leave the dance of life with the wrong date.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Gospel or Gobbledygook

Seeing everything in light of the Resurrection

09/19/2021

Mk 9:30-37 Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Every student eventually experiences that muddled moment when they realize they have no clue what their teacher is talking about. That must have been the case constantly for Charlie Brown, whose teacher always sounded like, “Wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah.” Is that what it sometimes sounds like sitting in church on Sunday and hearing a homily? The priest or deacon might as well be speaking Greek because his message either goes over our heads or right through our heads, in one ear and out the other, like cars driving through the Bobby Hopper tunnel. In other words, some sermons make the good news sound like gobbledygook.

But do you know when the Gospel is most susceptible to sound like gobbledygook? That happens when we hear some teaching we disagree with or we don’t like. A Pew Research Poll recently revealed doctrines with which many Catholics disagreed. See if you agree or disagree with these touchy teachings. For instance, only 30% of Catholics believe the bread and wine at Mass become the Body and Blood of Christ, 48% want married priests, 45% would like women priests, 65% accept birth control.

37% favor gay marriage, 50% believe in Communion after divorce and remarriage, and 46% go to Communion while cohabitating (that is, living together). When you hear Church teaching on those difficult doctrines, does it suddenly sound like Greek or Gobbledygook? I bet that is exactly how it sounds to many Catholic politicians today when their bishops warm them against supporting abortion: “Wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah.” So, they ignore them.

If that is how you feel, you are in good company, because that is how the apostles felt in the gospel of Mark today. Jesus has just revealed how he must suffer excruciatingly and die a demeaning death on the Cross and then rise 3 days later. What was their reaction? We read: “But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.” But their reaction was actually worse than that. The apostles were debating about who was the greatest among them.

Instead of wrestling with and trying to understand how the Gospel is not gobbledygook, they turned to easier topics. What would it finally take for the apostles to see the fullness of faith and embrace it in its entirety? It would take the resurrection of Jesus. Only when they beheld the breath-taking beauty of Jesus’ glorified body did the gobbledygook start to sound like Good News.

The tough teachings about suffering and death only made sense in light of the Resurrection. Why? Well, because hindsight is twenty-twenty. When you arrive at the end of the road and look back, things make perfect sense. That is, only in the light of the Resurrection will what sounds like gobbledygook of no women priests, no birth control, no abortion, etc. start to sound like Good News. In the meantime, though, you might still keep hearing, “Wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah.”

My friends, when we hear about other people struggling with Church teaching, especially Catholic politicians, it can feel tempting to “throw the first stone” (Jn 8:7) as the Jews wanted to do to the woman caught in adultery. But one thing that helps me drop the stone of self-righteousness is when I recall I too have questioned and doubted Church teaching. Think about it this way: the way I believed and behaved as a 10 year old is not what I believed or how I behaved as a 20 year old. And again by 30 I had grown more and had better beliefs and behavior still, and even more so by 40 and 50.

That is why St. Paul said in 1 Co 13:11, “When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.” St. Paul, the mature man of faith, saw everything in the light of the Resurrection – because he had seen the Risen Lord on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9) – and he could translate the gobbledygook into the Good News. In other words, what we need is not more criticism and controversy, but more prayer and patience with one another, as we all gradually grow in faith.

Folks, as the car of this homily reaches the other end of the Bobby Hopper tunnel of your head, I pray we are patient with “those whose faith is weaker” (Rm 15:1). Only when we stand before Jesus, the Risen One, in heaven, will our faith make perfect sense. On that day, we will say like a student to his teacher at the end of the semester: “Oh, that is what you were trying to teach us!” Until then, however, homilies will still sound like “Wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Comedian or Christian

Learning to put our faith into action

9/13/2021

Lk 7:1-10 When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come here, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

American history is blessed by past presidents who possessed the gift of gab. That is, their words not only touched hearts but also changed history. At the top of everyone’s list of such presidents would be George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. I recently read a book called “The Great American Documents,” which stated very patriotically: “The United States of America was the first nation in the world created by the pen as well as the sword.”

In other words, what made these presidents so popular was not only the wealth of their words, but also the richness of their actions: leading us through the Revolution like Washington, the Civil War like Lincoln, and bringing us back from the brink of World War III in the Cuban Missile Crisis like Kennedy. If all you have is the gift of gab and no virtuous actions, you are little more than a comedian. Jerry Sienfeld should run for president. Actually, he might make a great one. Great presidents, therefore, wield both words and deeds, both the pen and the sword.

Today, September 13, the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Chrysostom. His name, “Chrysostom” literally means in Greek “golden tongue,” because he, too, had the great gift of gab. St. John Chrysostom not only moved the hearts of his hearers in his homilies but also changed the history of the Church by bringing others closer to Christ.

Most people do not know, however, that St. John was also a great ascetic, that is, he practiced mortification and penances. For example, in 375, he became a hermit and spent two years continually standing, scarcely sleeping and committing the Bible to memory. St. John knew that not only great nations, but also the Church must be created by the pen and the sword, by a wealth of words, but also be deeds of self-sacrifice. But only when you turn that sword against your own sins do you go from being a comedian to being a Christian.

Today’s gospel is taken from Luke 7, and one of my favorite stories, because we quote those words at every Mass. The Roman centurion wants Jesus to heal his servant, but like a professional soldier who knows that Jesus also commands armies, he says: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof…but say the word and let my servant be healed.” Do you recognize those words in the Mass? Of course, we say them right before Holy Communion, when Jesus is about to “come under our roof” and enter our mouth, and our heart, and our life.

But that centurion was no empty talker, he was no comedian, but rather a sincere Christian. How so? Well, the elders of the Jews urged Jesus to help him saying: “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and built our synagogue for us.” Isaiah had prophesied this precise moment predicting: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Is 2:4).

And that is why Jesus was so impressed and exclaimed: “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” In other words, faith requires much more than the gift of gab; we must wield the pen but also the sword, and turn the sword against our own sins. That is the only way we still stop being comedians and start becoming Christians.

My friends, do you have the gift of gab? Do you like to hear yourself talk? Well, that is not necessarily a bad thing and you can wield those words in very healthy and even holy ways. But if you want to be considered not only a comedian but also a Christian, you must pick up the pen as well as the sword. And here is the crucial difference between creating a country and creating a Christian: we turn the tip of the sword against our own hearts and wage war against our own sins and selfishness. That is the only way to go from being a comedian to becoming a Christian. And I’m still writing in Jerry Seinfeld for our next president.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Sharing Sermons

Seeing how our life is a living sermon

9/11/2021

Lk 6:43-49 Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Have you ever been so inspired by hearing a sermon that you felt you just had to share it with others? I had a friend in the seminary who would never do that. Why not? One day he remarked (a little arrogantly): “The reason I want to be a priest is so I never have to hear another priest’s homily.” In other words, he would never concelebrate a Mass and have to hear another priest preach. He would only have to hear himself. I thought to myself: “Too bad your parishioners will not enjoy that same option.” That is, they will be stuck hearing his sermons.

Now, truth be told, I also do not like to share other priest’s sermons, but I do share my own. Over the years, I have developed a habit of recording my homilies, and sharing these sermons with others. That list of listeners has grown to about 425 people and some of them share my sermons with their family and friends, so the list is longer. Who knows: maybe these sermons will also inspire a priestly vocation. How so? Someone may get so sick of hearing my sermons they will decide to become a priest so they never have to hear another one of my sermons. That is why Hebrews 4:12 says: “The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword.” That is, sermons are two-edged swords that cut both ways. So be careful when you share a sermon: they can cut.

Today’s gospel is taken from Luke 6, where we find Luke also sharing a sermon. Which sermon? Well, it is Jesus’ great “Sermon on the Mount,” but with Luke’s own personal twist and touch. What do I mean? Well, both Matthew and Luke record Jesus' famous sermon, but both evangelists share slight but significant variations. For instance, in Matthew’s version Jesus delivers this sermon seated on a mountain, while in Luke’s account our Lord was standing on a level plane. In Matthew’s version the sermon stretches over 3 chapters (cc. 5-7), while in Luke we get less than one chapter (vv. 20-49). Nonetheless, both versions begin with the Beatitudes and end with the two foundations – building on sand or on stone – so we know they are both sharing the same sermon.

No doubt the Sermon on the Mount (or on the Plane) is the greatest sermon ever preached, and it has been shared, initially by Matthew and Luke, but also by countless Christians up and down the centuries. Sinners, saints and scholars have all found in Jesus’ sermon something to inspire them and therefore something to share with the world. I would also invite you to study and share the great Sermon on the Mount. But be aware, this Sermon, because it is God’s own Word, is a sharp two-edged sword that cuts both ways. It may even inspire someone to be a priest and preach his own sermons someday.

My friends, did you ever think that sermons are delivered not only by priests and preachers but that each Christian life is a “walking sermon”? Each Christian life, lived in imitation of Christ, contains a sort of sermon or message about who we are but also about who Jesus is for us. Our own life is our version (like Matthew’s and Luke’s) of the Sermon on the Mount. How so? Each of us is also seeking “blessings” or “Beatitudes” and each of us is building our life on stone or on sand. In other words, our life is the sermon we are sharing with the world. We all share sermons.

I have done a lot of funerals lately. This week I had the funerals for Gaylord Armstrong and Dan Gallagher. In preparing for the funeral Mass, I meet with the family and listen to their stories and memories about their deceased loved one. And those memories become the material for the funeral homily. In other words, their life literally becomes the sermon of the funeral. And if you look and listen very closely, you will catch a glimmer and glimpse of the great Sermon on the Mount shared in that final funeral sermon.

My friends, we all share sermons. Some people share my recorded sermons, others share the sermons they see walking on the streets, like the inspiring lives of their parents who have passed, and Matthew and Luke shared Jesus’ Sermon. As you share a sermon, remember Heb. 4:12: “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword.” Every sermon is a sword that can cut in some surprising ways.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Born Poor and Perfect

Appreciating the gift of life and celebrating birthdays

09/08/2021

Mt 1:18-23 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

I have a little confession to make: I am the world’s worst at remembering birthdays. Do you forget birthdays too? But there is one birthday that I never forget, namely, my mom’s birthday, which is on June 2. That is a date I look forward to and celebrate, without fail, every year. Well, today, September 8, is like that date for Jesus. Why? Because today is the day that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was born.

I do not know if Jesus celebrated birthdays like we do here in 21st century America, but I suspect he never forgot his mom’s birthday, and celebrated it in his own special way as her Son. After all, he was the only Son in all human history who could make his own mother, so we can be sure he created her “poor and perfect, with eyes like the sea after a storm,” as Princess Buttercup described her love, Wesley. What better birthday present is there than to make your mom immaculate from her conception?

Let me say a couple of things about the consequences of celebrating our spiritual mother’s birthday. The first is a comment about the calendar. Most of our birthdays are rather random and unpredictable. We are supposed to stay in the womb for nine months, but the baby comes when the baby wants to come. That is not so with Mother Mary's birthday. We celebrate September 8 as her birthday because we celebrated December 8 as the date she was conceived in her mother’s womb, that is, the Immaculate Conception. She was born "poor and perfect" because she was conceived nine months earlier also "poor and perfect."

The second comment concerns everyone’s right to celebrate a birthday, even those who come from unplanned pregnancies. The gospel of Luke relates the unplanned pregnancy of Jesus and how his parents, Mary and Joseph, said “Yes!” to the gift of life. Jesus had made his Mother Mary before she was born, and his Mother had made Jesus – at least his human nature – before he was born. And they both cherished and celebrated each other’s birthdays. In other words, long before a son learns to love and celebrate his mom’s birthday, his mother has been loving him and celebrating his birthday. Indeed, mom’s love and look forward to their baby’s birthday nine months before they are born.

I also want to give a shout out to the state of Texas and their new legislation protecting the life of unborn children. It is unique law that allows ordinary citizens (like me and you) to sue abortion providers if they attempt an abortion after six months. Talk about “Don’t mess with Texas”! Today, let us ask Mary and Joseph to pray for mothers and fathers who face an unplanned pregnancy – although the pregnancy was surely planned by God – to choose life and celebrate their baby’s birthday. Someday, that baby will happily remember to celebrate his or her mom’s birthday. That baby may make his parents “poor” but he will also help make them “perfect.”

Here is a last little liturgical leftover from today’s feast of the Nativity of Mary. Do you know the three people whose birthdays we celebrate each year at Mass? Obviously, Jesus’ birthday is December 25, and Mary’s birthday is September 8. Who is the third? We also celebrate John the Baptist’s birthday on June 24. Why? Well, all three were sanctified and purified of sin from the womb. And that means that all three – Mary, Jesus and John – were born poor and perfect.

My friends, do you have trouble remembering birthdays like me? Well, I hope you will always remember your mother’s birthday: both your natural mother’s and your spiritual mother’s. Like all good mothers, Mother Mary is looking forward to our real birthday in heaven. All those who make it there are all born “poor and perfect with eyes like the sea after a storm.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Sent to Siberia

Praying fervently and frequently for our bishops

09/07/2021

Lk 6:12-19 Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

All newly ordained bishops love to talk about the day they received “the call” to be a bishop. Have you ever wondered what happened before that call came to that particulate priest? That is, how did Bishop Taylor get the call to become the bishop of Arkansas? How did Msgr. Francis Malone get the call to be bishop of Shreveport? The reason I reflect on this today is because we see the biblical beginnings of the call to be a bishop in the gospel today.

We read in Lk 6:13: “When day came, [Jesus] called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles.” In a sense, all modern priests are like the disciples, but the day one of them gets the call to be a bishop, he steps into the ranks of the apostles. He becomes a successor of the apostles. The salient point here, however, is the call ultimately comes from Christ. Each bishop is his personal choice.

Now, what has to happen long before that call comes? There are essentially four stages of the coming of the call. The first stage involves each current diocesan bishop. Every year he submits to the local archbishop a list of names of the priests of his diocese whom he thinks would make good bishop material. He thinks they are worthy of “the call.” By the way, that is why my basic approach to our bishop is to “fly below the radar.” What he doesn’t know won't hurt me.

In the second stage a new actor bursts on the scene, the apostolic nuncio, or the pope’s ambassador to the United States. He obtains the lists of candidates from the archbishop and conducts a super-secret investigation of those priests who will make the cut. After his investigation, he sends a roughly 20-page report to the Vatican. He also includes his own personal recommendation. For instance, he might write: “I believe Fr. John Antony would be an ideal bishop for Siberia.”

The third step unfolds in Rome, in one of the departments of the Vatican, called the Congregation of Bishops. There are approximately 35 cardinals and archbishops from around the world who belong to that congregation. They meet twice a month, usually on Thursdays, and vote on the candidates for the call. They may accept the recommendation to send me to Siberia, or they may choose to send some other poor priest there. Their recommendation is then sent to the pope.

The fourth and final stage occurs at the desk of the pope, the Vicar of Christ. Remember the salient point of Lk 6:13, the call ultimately comes from Christ. Every bishop is his personal choice. Let me quote what it says on the U.S. bishops’ website about stage 4: “At a private audience with the pope, usually on a Saturday, the prefect (the head) of the Congregation of Bishops presents the recommendation of the Congregation to the Holy Father.”

It continues: “A few days later the pope informs the Congregation of his decision. The Congregation then informs the nuncio, who in turn contacts the candidate and ask if he will accept. If the answer is ‘yes,’ the Vatican is notified and a date is set for the announcement.” And now you know what I am doing every Saturday morning: waiting patiently by my phone to get the call to be sent to Siberia as their next bishop.

My friends, let us pray fervently and frequently for our bishops, those men called by Christ himself to be apostles, and not just disciples. Why? Well, because they are often the object of attack by the media, by the devil, and even by us Catholics. Have you ever criticized the bishop? Instead, let us adopt the attitude of King David regarding his predecessor, King Saul, when he said in 1 Sm 24:11, “I will not raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed.”

And may we cherish our bishops like St. Paul, who praised his protégé in 1 Tm 3:1: “Whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task,” especially if he aspires to be sent to Siberia.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

In Christ

Discovering the meaning of being in Christ

9/6/2021

Col 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.

Every letter of St. Paul uses his signature saying, “in Christ,” and it serves as a summary and synthesis of everything else he is trying to say. Does that two-word phrase “in Christ” sound familiar to you? Well, it should. For example, we heard it in our first reading from Colossians, where Paul said: “that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Or, consider 2 Cor 5;17, where Paul states: “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation.”

Or, we might read in Ep 1:12, where the Apostle says: “So that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.” Or, we find it again in Phil 2:5, “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus.” If every letter of St. Paul were like the stanza of a song, the phrase “in Christ” would be like the refrain, - the part that repeats – and that ties it all together. “In Christ” contains the core of Paul’s preaching.

What does that signature saying “in Christ” really mean? Let me give you three examples of people trying to figure out the meaning of being “in Christ.” In 2013, Archbishop Peter Sartain was interviewed on the news show “60 Minutes” by Bob Simon. Bob asked the archbishop why the Church does not ordain women to the priesthood. He probed: “Where does it say in the Scripture that a woman cannot be ordained?” Archbishop Sartain explained: “It goes back to the fact of the choice of Jesus of the 12 apostles as the college of those who would go forward to proclaim the gospel.”

But Bob would not give up so easy, so he persisted: “Well, if there were 100 apostles and they were all men, then obviously Jesus did not want any women. But with 12 it could have been happenstance they were all men, and maybe the 13th could have been a woman.” Archbishop Sartain chuckled good-naturedly, and replied: “I don’t think so. The choice of Jesus is the choice of Jesus. And that’s just the way it is.” In other words, both men were wrestling with the meaning of being “in Christ” and are we doing what Christ wanted with ordaining only men?

The second example was a question a friend from Fayetteville sent me via text. She asked: “Help me understand the gospel where, after Jesus heals someone, he tells them not to tell anyone. Can you help me understand why he does that?” I texted her back my answer, saying: “I think part of the reason Jesus does that is because people’s expectations of the Messiah were very worldly. That is, they wanted the Messiah to overthrow the Roman authorities, establish a kingdom on earth (like the glory days of King David and King Solomon), and basically create a heaven on earth.”

I continued: “But Jesus came to point us to the heaven that waits for us after death, whereas here on earth, we will have to carry our cross and suffer. But people would not (and could not) understand that message until after Jesus’ own suffering, death and resurrection. That is why he told them to stay mum.” In other words, my Fayetteville friend was wanting to understand Jesus more – why did he command silence? – in order that thereby she could be more “in Christ.”

The third example was another question a parishioner here at I.C. asked. She inquired: “Why do we have to confess our sins to a priest instead of to God directly on our own?” She admitted though: “I prefer to go to confession to a priest because I feel like it helps and I feel forgiven afterwards unlike when I do it on my own.” What a great question and maybe you have wondered something similar yourself.

I basically answered that in John 20 Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles and instructed them to forgive sins. And when we confess our sins to a priest, we receive that same Spirit of forgiveness. But you see again, the underlying question was what did Jesus want and how close are we to his wishes? Put differently, she was asking, how can I be more “in Christ”?

I am convinced that the phrase “in Christ” can be heard not only echoing in every letter of St. Paul, but also echoing in the life of every Christian. When we ask why Jesus only called men to be apostles, why Jesus told the crowds to keep quiet, why Jesus gave the Spirit to forgive sins, we are asking how can I be more “in Christ”? And we will not be fully and finally “in Christ” until we get to heaven, which is what St. Paul meant when he said today: “That we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Mayor of Misfit Island

Learning to love the marginalized like Jesus

9/05/2021

Mk 7:31-37 Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Growing up I was one of the weird kids, that is, I was not one of the cool kids. I never felt like I fit in with my peers. For instance, I was an immigrant from India and my parents talked with a funny accent. I was dark-skinned while most all my classmates were Caucasian (white kids). I enjoyed playing sports, of course, but I would never be good enough for varsity level sports.

My family was not rich, and so we reused everything. We even washed and reused saran wrap. We were "going green" because we had no green (no money). Our family vacations were always to visit our relatives in New York, not to fun, exciting places like Disney World or Six Flags, where cool kids vacationed.

But there was one big benefit of growing up with this misfit mentality, namely, it gave me a heart for other kids who were also misfits. In other words, I would seek out those students who were socially awkward, those who were poor, the ones everyone else labelled as the geeks and the nerds, and they became my friends.

Did you ever see the movie, “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys”? In the movie, Rudolph saves misfit toys from an island of isolation and despair, and I felt a little like Rudolph by befriending my misfit classmates. My goal in life was to be the mayor of misfit island! And look, I did it: I am the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church! Those that the world thought were the weirdos were, in my opinion, the coolest kids of all. Why? Because they were my best friends.

In the gospel today, Jesus also manifests this “misfit mentality” by showing how much he loves those who were unloved by the world. That is, Jesus has a special place in his Sacred Heart for the geeks and the nerds of the world. In Mk 7, Jesus travels outside the Holy Land, into a region called the Decapolis, which means, “Ten Cities.” And what happens? We read: “And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.” And we know how Jesus heals him.

It is hard for us to imagine what a surprise and scandal Jesus caused with his ministry to the misfits outside of Israel. That would be the social equivalent today of Jesus healing a sick man who belonged to the Taliban, or to the BoKo Haram terrorist group. That is what it felt like to the Jews who were convinced they were the cool kids and everyone else belonged on the island of misfit toys.

But Jesus had come to offer the gift of salvation to everyone without exception: to the cool kids as well as the nerds, to the sports stars but also the water-boy, to the prince yet also the pauper, to the beauty queens as well as the ones who never get noticed. In other words, Jesus thought the wierdos of the world were the coolest kids of all. Why? Because he sought them out and made them his best friends. And therefore, Jesus is the real Mayor of Misfit Island, which, I suspect, will turn out to be a better name for Heaven.

My friends, we all have a deep desire to fit in and be part of the cool kids. And often that desire is a good thing because it helps us to work hard and achieve our fullest potential. But be careful when that desire causes you to cover up or ignore your “misfit” – your social awkwardness, your family of origin, your personal struggles, your most brilliant failures, your physical, mental or emotional defects. Why? Well, all these awkwardnesses are exactly the things that attract the attention of Jesus. When we feel like misfits in the world, we fit perfectly with Jesus.

I am convinced that no one understands the misfit mentality of Jesus better than Pope Francis. Whatever else you may think about him, positive or negative, you have to admire his love for the marginalized. The marginalized is just his fancy way of saying misfits. Here is what he told newly consecrated cardinals in 2015. He said: “I urge you to serve Jesus crucified in every person who is marginalized, for whatever reason: to see Jesus in every excluded person who is hungry, thirsty, naked.”

He went on: “To see the Lord even in those who have lost their faith, or have turned away from the practice of their faith, or say that they are atheists; to see the Lord who is imprisoned, sick, unemployed, persecuted; to see the Lord in the leper – whether in body or soul – who encounters discrimination.” In other words, the pope wants the cardinals to love the weirdos of the world, and make the misfits their best friends. Why? Because that is exactly what Jesus did. If we don’t feel like we belong on the island of misfit toys, we may find we do not belong in heaven.

There are many mysteries in the Catholic faith, but perhaps the most mysterious mystery of all is Jesus’ love for the misfit and the marginalized. That is a love we are all invited to imitate. And that mystery of love is good news for a misfit like me, and maybe like you.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Recess from Reality

Learning to use our freetime wisely and well

09/01/2021

Lk 4:38-44 After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Do you know what my favorite subject was in school? It was not math or social studies or science. It was recess! Why? Well, because recess always felt like a recess from the reality of school. During recess I could talk freely to my friends, and ask them to explain what the heck the teacher was talking about in class. There was a dry creek bed where we used our imagination to play all kinds of games. We played basketball on the parking lot – boys against the girls – and I had a crush on one of the girls.

And I hate to mention this, but one time I got into an argument and it ended up in a fight one day at recess. It was not a big fight, but I still threw the other boy to the ground and felt really bad about it afterwards. Obviously, I still feel guilty about it, almost 40 years later since I am talking about it. In other words, sometimes we used our recess from reality wisely and well, to do good things. At other times, though, we used it selfishly and sinfully, to do bad things.

In the gospel today, we see Jesus also needs a little recess from the reality of the school of evangelization. Jesus has spent the day preaching and teaching, healing the sick and driving out demons. And how does our Lord recharge his batteries? We read in Luke: “At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen said there are two kinds of people: owls and roosters. Owls are those who like to stay up late, and roosters are those who rise early.

Which of those two do you think Jesus was like? He was like a rooster, who rose early to spend time with his Father in prayer. And that is why a rooster crowed three time when Peter betrayed Jesus. The rooster was on Jesus’ side. When Jesus needed a recess from reality, therefore, he didn’t play by a creek, or talk to friends, or get into a fight (like I did), he spent time alone with his Father. Jesus took a recess from the earthly reality in order to step into a heavenly reality. That is the best kind of recess from reality.

Boys and girls, sometimes we think only school students need recess. But you will soon discover adults need a recess from reality, too. But just like me in grade school, we can “use” or “abuse” that recess and free time; we can use it well or poorly. For example, that is why some adults abuse alcohol and drink to excess. I am sorry if this hits a little close to home for some of you, but why do people drink too much and get drunk? Often, they need a recess from reality, but fail to find a healthy way to relax.

But there are also very healthy and even holy ways to relax and get a recess from reality. Some people enjoy going for a long walk with a best friend, and sometimes your best friend is your dog, like Fr. Daniel’s dog, Lola. Lola is a much better friend to Fr. Daniel than I am. Some people relax by reading a good book, or audiobooks are popular too to help you unwind. I love to listen to audiobooks as I drive around in my car.

Here’s a really crazy way to take a recess from reality: completely turn off your phone and enjoy the silence and solitude. And I do not mean simply turn your phone to “airplane mode,” but rather a “hard off.” That silence and solitude is better than any drugs you will ever take.

Also ask yourself what Fulton Sheen said: Am I an owl or a rooster? That may be the best time for you to take a little recess from reality, like Jesus did early in the morning. Whether you are a rooster or an owl, though, remember what my mother always told me: nothing good ever happens after midnight. And that goes especially for you owls.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

My Fiery Chariot

Learning to love the Bible and the Rosary

0/31/2021

1 Thes 4:13-18 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven,  and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.

My favorite Marian prayer is the Holy Rosary. I pray it every day: while driving in my car, while waiting to check out at the store, in between penitents in the confessional. If you see my lips moving but no sound coming from my mouth, you can be sure I am mouthing the mysteries of the rosary. Many days, I have gone to bed praying the rosary, and I fall asleep before I finish. My Guardian Angel picks up the prayer where I left off and finishes the rosary for me.

Often I forget what day of the week it is (does that happen to you?), and do you know how I remember the day? I think of what mysteries of the rosary I prayed yesterday, and then I know what day it is today. For example, I prayed the Glorious Mysteries yesterday, so it must have been Sunday, and I know today, therefore, must be Monday.

On Sundays and Wednesdays we pray the Glorious Mysteries, on Mondays and Saturdays we pray the Joyful Mysteries, on Tuesdays and Fridays we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries, and only on Thursdays, the Luminous Mysteries. By the way, Thursdays are my favorite days of the week because we pray the Luminous Mysteries – or Mysteries of Light – added by Pope St. John Paul II. When you are the pope you can add mysteries to the Holy Rosary. It is good to be the pope.

But do you know the most risky time to pray the rosary? It is on the road, while driving because it makes you drowsy. One thing that helps me overcome that sleepiness is Scripture. That is, I try to think of how that mystery of the rosary can be seen in scripture. For example, today’s first reading is taken from 1 Thess 4:13-18, where St. Paul talks about the so-called “rapture,” that is, being taken up, or snatched up, to heaven, before we experience bodily death.

Protestants get a lot of mileage out of that passage writing books and making movies about the rapture. But Catholics should get even more mileage out of it as a Scriptural sample of the 4th Glorious Mystery, the Assumption. How so? Well, the mystery we meditate on in the Assumption of Mary is that she did not experience bodily death, but was in a sense, “raptured up” into heaven. In other words, I find the rosary rooted in Scriptural soil, and that gets me excited, and I never fall asleep meditating on the mysteries of Mary and Jesus.

The Old Testament also provides much food for meditation on the 4th Glorious Mystery, or the Assumption of Mary. Of course, the Old Testament often uses figurative or imaginative or poetic language to express timeless truth, so it often sounds like a dream or like seeing shadows. It is not quite clear. Whatever the Old Testament priests, prophets and kings were doing in darkness and shadows, they were ultimately paving the path for the coming of Christ and his Mother Mary. Jesus, therefore, is the “new Adam,” the firstborn of the new creation (Rm 5:17), and Mary is the “new Eve,” the mother of all those living in Christ (Rv 12:17).

Thus, for example, when I read in Genesis 5:24, how Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah, was “taken up” into heaven, I see that as a shadowy prefiguration of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. Enoch was like Mary. Or, when I read in 2 Kings 2:11, how the prophet Elijah was “carried off” into heaven in a fiery chariot, I see another shadow of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. Elijah was like Mary.

That is what St. Augustine meant when he famously said: “The Old Testament is revealed in the New and the New Testament is concealed in the Old.” They fit perfectly together like a hand in a love, and therefore, the two Testaments should be the springboard for meditating on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

That is how I pray the rosary on the road and I do not fall asleep. But if I do happen to fall asleep and crash my car, then maybe that will be my “fiery chariot” in which my Guardian Angel will “take me up” into heaven.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Susceptible to Stereotypes

Learning to love unconditionally like Christ

8/29/21

Mk 7:1-8, 21-23 When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. —For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

We are all susceptible to stereotypes of people, that is, generalizations about groups that are generally unhelpful, and often offensive. Consider this humorous example. A man traveled to the Holy Land for vacation with his wife and mother-in-law. During their time in Jerusalem the mother-in-law died. With the death certificate in hand, the man went to the U.S. consulate to make arrangements for a proper burial. The consul explained that taking the body back to the U.S. was very expensive, costing as much as $50,000. The consul also added that in many cases people buried their loved ones in Jerusalem, which cost around $5,000.

The man answered: “I do not care what it costs, but we want to send her body back to the U.S.” The consul responded: “You must have loved your mother-in-law very much considering that cost.” The man explained: “No, it’s not that. I heard of a case 2,000 years ago of a man who was buried here and 3 days later he rose from the dead. I just cannot take that chance.” So, my apologies to all you mother-in-laws for that joke, but you see how we are all susceptible to stereotypes.

In the gospel today, Jesus reprimands the scribes and Pharisees for being especially susceptible to stereotypes in the form of human traditions. In other words, stereotypes are man-made concepts (like making fun of mother-in-laws), whereas the truth about each person is a God-made concept (like being created in God’s image and likeness). Jesus criticizes them by saying: “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

Indeed, the Pharisees funniest stereotype in the end turned out to be about themselves, namely, that the Jews alone were the Chosen People, who believed they alone would be saved, and that God loved them exclusively. In a sense, the joke was on the Jews. How so? Well, because God loves all his children, since each person has been created in God’s image and likeness and has been chosen from all eternity by him. Jesus came to teach us we are all God's Chosen People. Still, we are all susceptible to stereotypes, and sometimes we even stereotype ourselves, when we think God loves us more than everyone else.

My friends, take time today to think about any stereotypes you may be susceptible to. And then ask God for the grace not to “set aside God’s commandment and cling to human traditions.” These stereotypes are the worst human traditions. I recently received a message from a parishioner asking how much he has to love Muslims. His question was no doubt sparked by the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan. Sometimes we stereotype Muslims and that makes it harder to love them and pray for them. In other words, we need to pray not only for the Americans who are left behind, but for that nation as a whole that they might enjoy freedom, justice and peace.

Are you susceptible to stereotypes of persons with different sexual orientations, the LGBTQ community?  Do human traditions trick us into setting aside God’s commandment and forget we are all created in God’s image and likeness? Perhaps you look suspiciously at the poor and put them all into a stereotypical bag. We may think: “Poor people are all lazy and do not want to work.” How about people from the North or big cities? It can be very easy to turn up our noses and make jokes about those “Darn Yankees.” Do we stereotype people who take the COVID vaccine or those who do not take the vaccine and make fun of them?

We can be susceptible to stereotypes of people from other countries who come to the United States. Have you ever walked into Mass and seen an Indian priest at the pulpit and worried, “Oh, no, he’s going to talk in an Indian accent and I won’t understand a word of his homily!” But you are now listening to a priest who is in fact from India and who speaks in crystal clear English, and maybe even with a hint of a Southern twang. Whenever we give in to our stereotypes we behave like the Pharisees who “disregard God’s commandment and cling to human traditions.” Stereotypes are the worst kind of human traditions.

May I return for a minute to the joke I made earlier about the mother-in-law? Do you know who our spiritual mother-in-law is? Using the analogy of faith, Jesus is not only our Savior but also our Spouse. Why is that? Well, because we, as the Church, are the “Bride of Christ.” Well, if we are the Bride and Jesus is the Bridegroom, then who becomes our mother-in-law? You guessed it: the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we make fun of mother-in-laws, in a sense, we likewise make fun of Mother Mary. So, be careful in being susceptible to stereotypes, and making fun of others, because in the end, the joke may be on us.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Calendar Coincidences

Seeing how God’s providence guides everything

08/27/2021

Mt 25:1-13 Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.

Today I want to do something curious and talk about the Catholic calendar. Specifically, I want to point out coincidences in the calendar that are catechetical, meaning they teach us about our faith. The catholic calendar, therefore, is not arbitrary or accidentally arranged, but rather its focus is faith. It is often said that the calendar was “the catechism of the Jews,” and that is equally true for each and every Catholic. The calendar is our catechism.

Today’s feast of St. Monica invites this survey of coincidences in the calendar because it comes the day before the feast of St. Augustine, her wayward son who became a wonderful saint. In other words, just like Monica and Augustine are closely connected as mother and son, so that connection is highlighted in the calendar, and thus is not a coincidence. What other so-called coincidences can we cull out of the Catholic calendar?

The first such coincidence occurs on January 25 and 26. The 25th is the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. We read in Acts 9 about how he was blinded on seeing Jesus on the road to persecute Christians in Damascus. The wake of his conversion to Christianity would turn up two of Paul’s great disciples, Timothy and Titus. Indeed, Paul wrote two letters to Timothy and one to Titus that became inspired books of the New Testament. January 25 and 26 are closely connected because Paul was closely connected to Timothy and Titus. That is no coincidence.

Another so-called coincidence is often overlooked because they occur rather far apart in the year. March 25 and December 25 are closely connected in eternity even if not so close in time. How so? The Annunciation on March 25 is when the Archangel Gabriel “announced” that Mary would be the Mother of God, and Mary replied with her grace-filled “Fiat.” December 25 falls nine months later, at the end of her pregnancy, when she gave birth to the Messiah on Christmas morning. Seeing this close connection helps us learn that life begins at conception and therefore to choose life and not advocate abortion. Conception and birth are no coincidence.

Another close connection that Pope Francis urged Catholics not to miss is Pentecost and Mary, Mother of the Church. As you know, Pentecost occurs 50 days after Easter – Pentecost comes from the Greek word for 50 – and the Monday following Pentecost is the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church. Why? Well, Pentecost is really the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. And just like every child should thank his or her mother on their birthday, so Christians should thank our spiritual mother Mary. Pope Francis is using the calendar to make spiritual connections in our faith. And that is no coincidence.

June 11 and 12 this year were the feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And it is not hard to see the connection between these two holy hearts that beat in perfect unison. Both Mary and Jesus fulfilled God’s will flawlessly. By the way, I have never understood why the church in Barling is called “Sacred Heart of Mary” – that is totally wrong. Would someone tell Fr. Matt Garrison to change the name of the church? The close connection of the feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary are no coincidence.

August 14 is the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe and August 15 is the Assumption of Mary body and soul into heaven. Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan priest who exchanged his life for a father of a family in Auschwitz the Nazi concentration camp. He was inspired by his devotion to Mary, and it is fitting their close connection can be seen in the calendar. Again, no coincidence.

September 14 is the Triumph of the Cross and September 15 is Our Lady of Sorrows. Can you see the spiritual and sentimental connection of these two back to back feasts? Of course you can. No one suffers more than a mother when they see their children hurting. Well, no one has hurt more than Jesus on the Cross, and thus no mother has suffered more than Mary. Their intimate connection is clear in the calendar, and that is no coincidence.

Can you handle one more calendar connection? November 1 is the feast of All Saints and November 2 is the feast of All Souls. What’s the connection? All Saints are those who are in heaven, and All Souls are those in purgatory, who will soon be in heaven. In other words, these two feasts show the close connection of the Communion of Saints. We are still closely connected to those have died; they are not gone forever. And that calendar connection is no coincidence.

I know that is a lot to absorb for a morning Mass homily. Don’t worry, you don’t have to memorize all those connections. Why not? Well, because we will celebrate those calendar connections year after year. Just remember one thing: when it comes to the calendar, just like in the Christian life, there are no coincidences.

Praised be Jesus Christ!