Good Enough

Settling only for the best version of yourself

02/28/2022

Mk 10:17-27 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Have you ever heard the maxim “the good is the enemy of the best”? Why is that? Well, because sometimes we settle for what is good – because we feel it is “good enough” – instead of pushing ourselves to achieve the best. As Matthew Kelly likes to say, you should seek “the best version of yourself.” But sadly, many of us settle for second best, which is another way of saying “good enough.”

I will never forget how Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama football team articulated the difference between good and best. He explained his approach to football practice saying: “We don’t practice till we get the play right. We practice until we cannot get the play wrong.” Did you catch how Coach Saban does not settle for “good enough” but rather reaches for the best his players can possibly perform? He wants his team to understand that "the good is the enemy of the best.” And that is one reason Nick Saban holds the record for the most college football national championships with seven titles.

In the gospel Jesus has a conversation with a young man to whom he tries to teach the adage: the good is the enemy of the best. The young man seems eager to do more, not to be complacent, he does not want to settle for second best. When Jesus tells him to keep a handful of commandments, he answers eagerly: “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” At that point Jesus turns into a spiritual Nick Saban, and says: “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

But suddenly, the "good" of material possessions turns into the enemy of the "best" of spiritual possession,s and the young man’s desires are deflated. Just like many eager college football players give up after one week of practice for Nick Saban, so this young man went away sad because he had many possessions. That young man was willing to practice till he got it right, but he was not willing to practice until he could not get it wrong. His good had become the enemy of his best.

My friends, this Wednesday we begin the holy season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Let me sort of “prime the pump” as we approach this season of grace by inviting you to think of how good things in your life can become the enemy of the best things in your life. In a sense, Lent is the time to step up our spiritual exercise and to practice not just till we get a few commandments right, but until we cannot get any of the commandments wrong. Do you want to win the National Championship at Easter or not? That should be the question in the back of our minds for the forty days of Lent.

And notice, too, that it is surprisingly the good that is the enemy of the best and not necessarily the bad, the sinful or the evil. The spiritual life, in other words, is not always a simple and straight-forward struggle of good versus bad, light versus dark, angels against devils. Sometimes, it is the naturally good things that keep us from supernaturally best things, and as a result this struggle is hard to see. This Lent it is precisely the good we must attack, those things we call “good enough” or “second best” which are really just excuses for our laziness and not seeking the best version of ourselves.

I don’t know if you are a fan of Alabama football or if you like Coach Nick Saban (he is a Catholic, by the way). In fact, in 2020, when a reporter asked if Saban was going to watch the College Football playoff selection on television, he answered: “I go to church from 11 to 12, so they’re going to have to either schedule it at a different time, or I’m going to find out when I get out of church.” In other words, Nick Saban doesn’t let the good of football become the enemy of the best which is Mass.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Smiles Everyone

Seeing how faith produces in smiles in Catholic schools

02/27/2022

I am here today "fishing" for students for Trinity Middle School. One day a boy came late to Sunday school. His teacher, knowing he was usually very prompt, asked: “Johnny, is there anything wrong?” He answered a little sad: “No, ma’am, not really. I was going to go fishing, but my daddy told me that I needed to get on up and go to church.” The teacher was very impressed and asked Johnny if his father had explained to him why it was more important to go to church than to go fishing. “Yes, ma’am, he did,” Johnny explained. “My daddy said he didn’t have enough bait for both of us.”

Today I am going fishing for students but I am also going to church to do it! Now, you might think this should be the easiest fishing in the world because who wouldn’t want to attend a Catholic school if given the chance, right? It should be a no-brainer. But it is not as easy a choice as you might think. I want to share a few insights from an article my brother sent me recently, called “Putting the Catholic Back in Catholic Schools,” by Thomas Carroll. It began with this startling statistic: “Catholic school enrolled more than 5 million students in the mid-1960’s, but today just 1.6 million.” Put simply, 3 out of 5 people who would have chosen a Catholic school in 1960, do not do so today. In other words, it is not easy fishing and recruiting for Catholic schools today.

Nonetheless, I am convinced the best bait for such fishing or recruiting is our Catholic faith. There is simply nothing more precious in the world than being Catholic. And that is the principal purpose, the raison d’être, of Catholic schools. We exist to teach the faith. Let me share three things from the article by Thomas Carroll and expand a little on each one.

The first point Carroll makes is pretty insightful but sadly often overlooked. See if you can catch it. He wrote: “The school’s academic program needs to reflect the full contribution of the Catholic intellectual tradition.” He adds: “One cannot conceive of Western Civilization without the existence of the Catholic Church.” That’s a big statement, so let me give you a concrete example of what he means. Do you know who invented “double-entry accounting,” the basis of most modern accounting? It was a Franciscan friar named Luca Paccioli, who was also the teacher of Leonardo DaVinci.

In other words, the intellectual engine of Western civilization were none other than Catholic priests and monks. Isaac Newton said famously that we see so far because we stand on the shoulder of giants. He was right. But what most people forget, but what we try to teach in Catholic schools, is that those giants’ shoulders belong to Catholic saints and scholars. We would not be able to see very far today without their enormous contribution. Catholic schools help us to see the Catholic foundations of the Western world.

Another point Carroll makes is the lack of “political correctness” in Catholic schools He writes wisely: “A truly Catholic school must embrace truth not relativism; must see individuals as the creation of God and not merely members of identity groups; and must uphold the human dignity of all lives from conception to natural death – regardless of the values of popular culture.” In other words, we can sum up all that with one word: Catholicism is “counter-cultural.” Catholic schools swim against the modern cultural currents.

Do you know what the word “F.A.D.” stands for? It means “for a day.” The Catholic faith, by contrast, is “for eternity.” That is, Catholic schools do not teach what is politically correct, what's popular today and unpopular tomorrow. Instead we teach what is eternally correct. The Catholic faith may end up on the wrong side of history (as some say), but we will not end up on the wrong side of eternity. I will let you be the judge of which is worse, and where you want your children to end up.

The third point is perhaps the most practical one. Carroll writes: “The children in our schools need to see vividly that Catholicism is at its core a joyful and optimistic faith.” In other words, saints should be the happiest people on earth. By the way, have you heard of the modern phenomenon of “cutting”? Young people, and they are invariably teenagers, feel a deep sense of sadness, loneliness, and even despair because the universe feels impersonal and empty. And so, they cut themselves. To a modern mind, it is full of shining stars but empty of saints, it stretches out for millennia, but lack any meaning, it is a world full of facts, but not one ounce of faith. That is a depressing world to inhabit.

By contrast what we teach in Catholic schools is the “joy of the gospel.” That was the title of the of Pope Francis’ first major document called “Evangelii gaudium.” His first lines capture the spirit pervading the halls of every Catholic school. He wrote: “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” In other words, there is no need for cutting when you know Christ.

Do you recall that popular television show called “Fantasy Island”? It always began with Ricardo Montalban coming out and saying to those working on the island, “Smiles, everyone! Smiles!” Dr. Hollenbeck, the principal at Trinity, starts every day essentially saying the same thing to our students: “Smiles everyone! Smiles!” But there’s one big difference: our students’ smiles are real and lasting because they come from a timeless faith, and not from a temporary fantasy. And that is a one-sentence summary of Catholic schools: timeless faith not temporary fantasy.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

My Favorite Teacher

Trying to make Jesus our favorite Teacher

02/23/2022

Rv 2:8-11 "To the angel of the Church in Smyrna, write this: "'The first and the last, who once died but came to life, says this: "I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but rather are members of the assembly of Satan. Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the Devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. "'"Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor shall not be harmed by the second death."'"

Who is your favorite teacher here at Trinity? If we were to conduct a straw poll, a quick survey, I wonder if Mr. Ordoñez or Mr. Bruce, Mrs. Hurst or Mr. Jones would top the popularity polls among your favorite teachers. I still remember my favorite teacher from middle school. Her name was Nancy Govang. She had this beautiful auburn hair, and she was an actress in the evening at Murray’s Dinner Playhouse in Little Rock. And I have to confess, I had a huge crush on her because she was so beautiful.

After we came in from recess, usually hot, sweaty and stinky, she said we could put our heads on our desk and even take a nap if we wanted. As we cooled down from recess, she read to us two books that I will never forget. One was called “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. It was the story about these animals on a farm – pigs and horses and donkeys – that take over and kick out all the humans. The animals’ motto was: “Four legs good, two legs bad”, meaning that animals are good while humans are bad.

The other book she read to us was called “Watership Down” by Richard Adams. It was the adventure of a warren of rabbits that flees the impending destruction of their home because of a big construction project. They are led by a huge rabbit named “Big Wig” and the dreams of a little rabbit named “Fiver.” And Ms. Govang was such a talented actress and storyteller she gave different voices to the animals and really made the stories come to life. Do you think any of us slept while she read? No way. I have had a lot of great teachers in school and seminary, but my favorite teacher will always be Nancy Govang, with the beautiful auburn hair.

Today is the feast day of St. Polycarp. If you were to ask the early Christians, like St. Irenaeus, who their favorite teacher was, most of them would vote for St. Polycarp. Why? Well, it was not because he had beautiful auburn hair. Let me give you three reasons. First, he was bishop of Smyrna, and that is why our first reading was taken from the book of Revelation, which mentioned the city of Smyrna, and the letter written to its leader, its bishop. In other words, Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna, and he was a great teacher. Bishops are called to be great teachers.

A second reason is because Polycarp’s own teacher was St. John the Evangelist, one of the twelve apostles, who were themselves taught by Jesus, Truth himself. Can you imagine having as your teacher the Apostle who leaned his head on the chest of Jesus at the Last Supper? What divine and heavenly secrets John must have heard beating in that Sacred Heart that night and subsequently shared with his students, like Polycarp! And the third reason St. Polycarp was a great teacher was he taught by his works as well as his words, indeed, he died as a martyr. They tried to burn him at the stake, but when that didn’t work, they stabbed him with a sword. The best teachers teach with their lips as well as their life (and death).

Boys and girls, we all have our favorite teachers, maybe Ms. Schmitz (for you), or Ms. Govang (for me), or St. Polycarp (for Irenaeus). But in the end, there is only One who is the best Teacher, for he is not only the one who teaches the truth, he is Truth itself, Jesus Christ. Why is that important? Well, because it means that truth cannot ultimately contradict itself. Jesus cannot contradict himself; he is not schizophrenic. Sometimes people say that science and religion are incompatible and even enemies. Many people today (even some respected teachers) argue that religion and science are at war, and it is a fight to the death. But that is not true, because Truth is one, and that Truth is Jesus.

As you go to high school, college and maybe even get a doctorate (like Dr. Hollenbeck), you will have some teachers who are brilliant and others who are boring. But every teacher always learns from someone else, like I learned from Ms. Govang, and you learn from Ms. Abarca, and Coach Bishop. But there is only one Teacher who never learned from anyone else but has always been wisdom itself, namely, Jesus. He alone is Truth incarnate.

And in the end, anything that is true, both science and religion, social studies or economics, astronomy and technology, religion and reading comes from him. All the subjects we study are like rivers that originate in mountains that receive rainfall from heaven. And that heavenly rainfall - that originally source of all Truth - is our Lord himself. If that original, divine Source of wisdom and knowledge were ever to dry up, all schools would close, even Trinity. There would be nothing to learn and no one to learn it from. And there would be no more favorite teachers, not even the one with beautiful auburn hair.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Salute the Uniform

Praying for our American Presidents

02/21/2022

Rm 13:1-4 Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it, for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.

I learned a very valuable “life lesson” while in Junior ROTC at Catholic High School. Not only did we learn to take meticulous care of our uniforms that we wore, but we also learned to show due respect for higher ranking officers. The proper form of respect was to salute a higher ranking officer when you came into close contact with them. There was a running joke among the enlisted men, though. The enlisted men’s rank – sergeant, corporal, private – was made of dull, black material. The officer’s insignia, by contrast, was made of shiny, silver or gold material. The enlisted men all agreed that the officers had shiny insignia so the enemy could see them from a distance and shoot them first.

In any case, a lower ranking soldier should always stop and salute a higher ranking officer. The maxim was: “You salute the uniform, not the man.” That maxim captures a very important social principle: we show respect for an office or a rank even if we don’t especially admire the current occupant of the office or wearer of the uniform. This rule should be followed not only in the military but in all manner of social relationships: in families, in schools, at work, and even in church. Salute the uniform, not the man.

Today we observe Presidents’ Day in the United States, and I would like to “salute” the office of president of the United States. We may not always like the president, we may not have voted for him in the last election, but that is no reason to disrespect the office he holds. We salute the uniform, not the man. Here are a few “fun facts” about the 46 presidents of the United States. Do you know the only president who did not belong to a political party? He was not a Republican or a Democrat, a Whig or a Federalist. It was our first president, George Washington. He believed that political parties would deeply divide our nation. In that respect, he was not only a president, he was a prophet.

Four presidents died of natural causes while serving their terms. They were: William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor (whose chimney from his house is still standing on the I.C. Church property!), Warren Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Interestingly, four presidents were assassinated in office: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and, as some of you may personally remember, John F. Kennedy. To assassinate a president is a horrific failure to “salute the uniform, not the man.” And there are currently five living former presidents: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

Let’s talk “terms of office” for a moment. Who held the office of president the longest? It was FDR, who was elected for four terms. Shortly after his tenure, in 1951, the Congress passed the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution stipulating that a person can only serve two terms as president (8 years). Who served the shortest time in the Oval Office? It was William Henry Harrison, who died after 31 days in office in 1841. That reminds me of Pope John Paul I, who died 33 days after wearing the “shoes of the fisherman,” St. Peter. Soldiers salute the uniform, while we Catholics salute the shoes. But no matter how long or how short the tenure of a president, we should never fail to “salute the uniform, not the man,” whether he is president or pope.

St. Paul seems to have this maxim in mind when he wrote in Rm 13:1, “Let every person be subordinated to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God.” In other words, show respect, honor, and yes even obedience to those who hold civil offices (like the U.S. president), because they share in God’s governance of the world. One simple way to do that is to pray for the president. He is, after all, merely a man, and puts on his pants one leg at a time. And if you do not happen to like a particular president, don’t worry, he will be gone in 8 years. But in the meantime, “salute the uniform, not the man.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Baptismal Blunder

Seeing how words are the soul of a sacrament

02/19/2022

Jas 3:1-10 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly, for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies. It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes. In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions.

Have you heard the old adage, “Loose lips sink ships”? It originated during  World War II here in the United States. The U.S. government, specifically the FBI, was trying to stamp out spying by German agents, and used this propaganda campaign to encourage Americans to stay “zip lip.” And it worked very effectively! Almost overnight, German espionage in the United States evaporated.

This maxim was also the rule of thumb they taught us in the seminary. A priest’s lips should not be “loose” when he comes to celebrate the sacraments. For example, loose lips can sink ships when it comes to the confessional. You may know that if a priest divulges anything he hears in confession, he incurs the penalty of excommunication. When a priest’s lips are loose, therefore, he sinks his own ship, spiritually speaking.

Recently, the national media has caught fire with the scandal of “loose lips” as it reported the misuse of words during a baptism. Have you heard about this “baptismal blunder”? On February 14, 2022 the New York Times reported three different instances where a Catholic minister of baptism used the wrong words to baptize a baby. That is, instead of saying, “I baptize you,” he said, “We baptize you.” Now, does that sound like a small mistake to you? Well, apply the adage of “loose lips sink ships” and you will see that our words matter a lot, and when we are the ministers of the sacraments, our words matter the most. Our words “make or break” the sacraments, just like Americans’ words would “make or break” German espionage efforts in World War II.

Let me explain why the words of a sacrament are so special that they cannot be altered in the least. When a minister speaks sacramental words, he (or she) is uttering “the form” of the sacrament. We could compare this "form" to the "soul" of a sacrament. The form (the words) is united to “the matter” of the sacrament – say water, bread, wine, oil, etc. – which we can call “the body” of the sacrament. Just like a human person is a composite of body and soul, so each sacrament is a composite of matter and form.

When you change the words of baptism, therefore, from “I baptize” to “We baptize” you are essentially changing the soul of the sacrament. This is why the words of baptism cannot be altered. Think of other such instances: the words of consecration at Mass cannot be changed from “This is MY body” to “This is OUR body”; the words of marriage cannot be changed from “Until DEATH do we part,” to “Until DIVORCE do we part.” In other words if you take the right words out of the sacrament, it is like you are taking the soul out of the body, and the predictable result is a dead sacrament. That is, the sacrament does not communicate the life of Jesus to us.

To some observers, the Church’s response to this baptismal blunder has seemed excessively strict, legalistic and draconian. That impression is exaggerated when one considers the sacramental “no man’s land” into which these pseudo-baptized Catholics have been hurled head-long. The practical upshot is that if a person has not been baptized, he or she has not validly received any additional sacraments. Why? Well, baptism is traditionally called “the doorway” to the other sacraments. So, if you have not entered the sacramental door, you have not received the other sacramental riches inside the Father’s House.

A priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Fr. Zachary Boazman, saw a video of his own baptism as a baby many years earlier. To his shock and horror, the deacon who baptized him had said, “We baptize you.” Suddenly, Fr. Boazman realized he had not received any sacrament validly. His archbishop promptly baptized him, confirmed him, and a few days later ordained him a deacon and later a priest. That deacon’s loose lips had sunk Fr. Boazman’s sacramental ship more effectively than a torpedo from a German u-boat sunk many American warships.

I believe there will be a lot of fallout from this baptismal blunder, both political and practical. Politcally, the Church and her teachings may be maligned and ridiculed by her enemies. St. Peter, the first pope, warned: “Your opponent the devil is prowling about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). And practically, conscientious Catholics may feel concerned about the validity of their own baptism and subsequent sacraments. But there may be some positive gains, too. Like what?

The Church as a whole, and especially her ministers, may learn a valuable lesson about how special and sacred the sacraments are. They cannot be changed according to our fancies and feelings; they are precious family heirlooms entrusted to us by our Lord. He is the principal Agent of every sacrament and therefore the proper pronoun to be used is the first person singular, “I”. It is Jesus who baptizes babies, not a priest, or a deacon, much less the community. To change that pronoun is not only reckless but wrong; indeed, it takes the soul out of a sacrament. “Loose lips sink ships” is a great motto for Catholic ministers of the sacraments. Why? Well, because the spiritual war we are fighting is infinitely more important than World War II.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Check Yes or No

Remembering how we first fell in love

02/14/2022

Mk 8:11-13 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.

Today is St. Valentine’s Day in the United States, and it is good to recall some simple but sage advice Archbishop Fulton Sheen gave about love. A lady came to him one day with a laundry list of problems her husband was having and asked the archbishop what to do. He first sympathized with her, but then added: “Think back to the day of your wedding and the handsome, strong, loving and brave man you married. His present problems are only temporarily clouding what you see. But the man you married on your wedding day is your husband, so be faithful to him.”

In other words, every married couple should take time to mentally return to the days of their courtship, engagement and marriage. And there they will discover their deep love again, like a fountain of romance from which they can drink whenever life’s problems make them thirsty for love.

One of my favorite George Strait songs is called “Check Yes or No.” The singer thinks back to the day he fell in love with his wife, Emmylou Hayes, back in third grade. One day in class she passed him a note, and before the teacher took it, he read what she wrote. She asked: “Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend? And if you do / Well then don’t be afraid to take me by the hand / If you want to / I think this is how love goes / Check yes or no.”

That is, even though the singer has been happily married for twenty years, he still followed the sound advice of Archbishop Fulton Sheen and he thought back to the early days of love: courtship, engagement, wedding bells, even all the way back to third grade. In a sense, we are the best version of ourselves on our wedding day, and as the cliché goes: it doesn’t get any better than this.

It is no coincidence that February 14, Valentine’s Day, is also the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Indeed, it is a “God-incidence,” as people popularly say, or as the theologians would put it, a “providence,” that is, history guided by the hand of God. Why? Well, because these two blood brothers, who also became priest-brothers, were sent to the Slavs of Eastern Europe to teach them about Christ and Christianity. During their travels and teachings, though, they discovered that the Slavic people did not have a written language, even though they had a spoken tongue. So, around the mid-800’s A.D. they developed what would be called the Cyrilic alphabet (named for St. Cyril) that first translated the Gospels into this new language.

In a sense, Cyril and Methodius were doing what George Strait sang about, that is, passing a little love note. By translating the Bible into the Slavonic language, they were handing the people’s God’s love note asking them to “check yes or no,” to respond to God’s invitation to love, but put very simply, indeed, in their own language. Sts. Cyril and Methodius are called “the apostles to the Slavs” because they sparked the love affair between the Slavic people and God by passing them a note. And like Archbishop Sheen said: it is always good to think back to the days of courtship, romance and falling in love. That is always the best version of ourselves.

This St. Valentine’s Day I would like to ask you to do two things. If you are a married person, to think back to the days of meeting and falling in love with your spouse. Like in the George Strait song, did you steal a kiss on a school bus, or get caught passing a note? Married life is hard, and days get dry and we get thirsty for love, so go back and drink deeply from the fountain of your young love. That is the best version of your spouse, and that is the best version of yourself.

The second thing is to think back in your love-affair with Jesus. Try to recall when you first felt our Lord’s love: at a retreat, or at first Holy Communion, or in hearing a moving homily, etc. But also take out the Bible and re-read your favorite verses. St. Thomas Aquinas, as he lay on his deathbed, asked that the Old Testament book of Song of Songs, the erotic love poetry which we rarely read at Mass, be read from start to finish. St. Thomas felt it was the clearest example of God’s love note to him, asking, “Check yes or no.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Designated Dogs

Understanding how election also means rejection

2/10/2022

Mk 7:24-30 Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

In today’s gospel we hear one of Jesus’ most stinging rebukes. It always makes me cringe, and maybe it does you, too. A Greek woman asks Jesus to come and heal her daughter afflicted with a demon. And our usually loving Lord rejects this reasonable request, saying coldly: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Wow, Jesus just called that woman a dog. But what is even more surprising is the woman’s humility in accepting that epithet, and she actually answers: “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” And precisely for that humble response Jesus heals the woman’s daughter from the demon. What a weird exchange. What is really going on between Jesus and this Greek woman?

One reason this episode sounds shocking and scandalous to 21st century Americans but seemed rather matter-of-fact to 1st century Jews and Greeks, was because of the Old Testament background that we are so ignorant of. Beginning with Abraham’s call in Gn 12, going through his son Isaac, and culminating in his grandson, Jacob – whose name was changed to “Israel” in Gn 32 – God had chosen the Jewish people out of the whole world to be his particular possession.

This divine election comes to a climax at the foot of Mt. Sinai, where God says to Moses in Ex 19:6: “You will be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.” I love that cute little couplet that captures the heart of this divine election, saying: “How odd of God to choose the Jews.” But if God had chosen the Jews, that also meant that he had rejected the rest of the nations, meaning, in effect, they were designated “dogs.” Election always implies rejection. We elect one candidate to be president, and thereby we reject the rest of the field.

But we know that this Old Testament background changed with the New Testament and the coming of Christ. Thus we read in Gal. 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female, for you are all one in Christ.” In other words, Jesus has introduced a radical equality into the human family and there are no longer “children” and dogs,” but all are beloved of God.

And yet, there is still a sense in which the Jewish people, indeed all Israel, hold a pride of place among all the children of God. How so? Well, not in the sense that everyone else is designated a dog, but in the sense that the Jewish people are always our older brothers and sisters in the faith of Abraham. And we, therefore, are younger siblings. St. Paul suggests as much when he writes in Rm 11:28-29, about the special place and privilege of the Jews, saying: “In respect to election, they are beloved because of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” In other words, while the rest of humanity is no longer designated “dogs,” nonetheless, God will always have a special place in his heart for the Jews. His call is irrevocable.

Folks, let me just point out just two practical applications for this balancing act between Jews and Gentiles, between the Old and New Testament, between Jerusalem and Athens. Have you ever noticed how American politics often revolves around support for the nation of Israel and defense against her Arab neighbors? This is one effect of a movement called “Zionism,” that started back in the late 1800’s to support the establishment of the nation of Israel. Mt. Zion is another name for the mountain on which Jerusalem is built (cf. Ps 48).

Now, I’m clearly not qualified to take a position on the pros and cons of this political hot potato. But I do believe that some of its roots, the roots of Zionism, go back into the Old Testament and we hear some surprising echoes in the New Testament, like in today’s gospel reading. In other words, the Zionist movement would emphasize that God has chosen the Jews, but they might deemphasize that the rest of the world is designated dogs.

The second application is how we pray in a special way for our Jewish brothers and sisters on Good Friday. Do you recall those lengthy Intercessions on Good Friday? One of those special intercessions reads: "Let us pray also for the Jews, that our Lord and God may illuminate their hearts, that they acknowledge Jesus Christ as savior of all.” Then it continues: “Almighty and eternal God who wants that all men be saved and come to recognition of the truth, propitiously grant that even as the fullness of the peoples enters thy Church, all Israel be saved.” In other words, the Jews will always and forever be our older brothers and sisters in the faith, even if we are no longer designated dogs.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Speedy Gonzalez Mass

Loving each other while we have each other

2/08/2022

Mk 7:1-13 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. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) 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.”

The easiest thing for people to do is pass judgment on others. We do it so often and so effortlessly we don’t even know we’re doing it. It has become second-nature. For example, Catholics love to pass judgment on priests at Mass. You may think: I don’t like Father So-and-so because his Mass is slow and it takes too long. I like the priest with the Speedy Gonzalez Mass. A friend said he watches carefully how I purify the paten (the small gold plate) after Communion and noticed I always wipe it three times. Maybe he was suggesting I could do it with one swipe? When I was a little boy I used to think a good priest was one who could spin his chalice really fast when he cleaned it. The older I get, the slower I spin my chalice, and I’m sure some little Catholic boy thinks I’m a pretty poor priest.

By the way, did you know we priests are not exempt from this propensity to pass judgment? Priests also watch you, the people, during Mass from the other side of the altar. And we have our opinions about your behavior, too. We think in our minds: Oh, there’s that person who always arrives late for Mass. Or, there goes that guy who always leaves right after Communion. Then, of course, there are those who always fall asleep during the homily, no matter what we say or who is preaching. Billy Graham would put them to sleep. The homily is time for their 5 to 7 minute power nap. Or, we think: look at how so-and-so is dressed, don’t they know they are in church and not in a night club?

But maybe instead of passing judgment we should just be pleased to see each other. The people should be pleased to see the priest because there is no one else who can give them the Eucharist. And we priests should be pleased to see the people who are hungry for the Bread of Life. Priests have these great culinary skills for Holy Communion, but how sad if no one came to the Banquet. So, let’s not judge each other from both sides of the altar, but let’s rather be glad to see each other every morning, and love each other as long as we have each other.

This is precisely the problem Jesus is addressing with the Pharisees in the gospel today: the problem of passing premature judgment. Just like many Catholics in the pews watch priests like a hawk, so the Pharisees watched the apostles with a critical eye. So, they say: “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” That is, they become hypercritical and laser-focused on external behavior but forget what is going on in the heart.

Thus, Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, which says: “This people honors me with lip service, but their heart is far from me.” In other words, stop passing judgment like priests and people do at Mass, nit-picking each other’s mistakes. Instead just be pleased that we are all here, doing the best we can. That is, everyone’s external behavior can always use improvement – no one is a canonized saint until they die and go to heaven (and can prove it) – but perhaps our hearts are in the right place and we are doing the best we can.

My friends, try to be aware of this hidden tendency to pass judgment on others throughout the day. We think critically of drivers on the road. We feel our co-workers are lazy, incompetent or ambitious. We think our neighbor’s home-improvement projects are trying to one-up us and make us look bad. And of course, our spouse and in-laws have so many problems it’s hard to know even where to start to criticize them! The list is just too long.

Maybe instead of worrying about people’s exterior behavior, we might try cutting them some slack. Most people are just doing the best they can, and their heart is in the right place. Instead of being critical of each other, just try to be grateful for each other. And try to love each other for as long as we have each other, because we don’t have each other for very long.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

After Bigger Fish

Evaluating both earthly life and eternal life

02/07/2022

Mk 6:53-56 After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

We will all have our "tough questions" to ask Jesus when we see him in heaven, hopefully. One of my questions will be why, when he had the chance, didn’t Jesus cure all the sick people on earth and eradicate human sickness and suffering? Have you ever wondered that? In the gospel today, people scurry about the country and bring all the sick to our Lord on mats. And what happens? We read, “They begged that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.” And who can doubt that such healings are a great thing, and perhaps the best thing of all?

Ask any sick person if they want anything more than to feel healthy and better and you can guess their answer. I would certainly second that sentiment last week when I was stuck at home with COVID again. And yet, Jesus did not set up the first Catholic hospital on that spot and dedicate his life and ministry to miraculous physical healings. Why not? Surely that is what the people in the gospel in Gennesaret wanted then and that is what people who hear the gospel today want now; people like me who are sick.

One day a man suffered a serious heart attack and was sent to a Catholic hospital where he had open heart surgery. When he woke up, he saw a nun seated next to his bed with a clipboard loaded with forms, holding a pen. She asked him how he would pay for his procedure. “Do you have insurance?” she asked. The man replied in a raspy voice: “No health insurance.” The nun asked, “Do you have money in the bank?” The man answered: “No money in the bank.”

She continued: “Do you have a relative who could help?” He said: “I only have spinster sister who is a nun.’ The nun grew angry and said loudly: “Nuns are not spinsters! We are married to God!” The patient answered: “Perfect. Send the bill to my brother-in-law.” In other words, we all want to send the bill to Jesus, and ask him to take care of our healthcare. In our human estimation: our physical well-being is our greatest need and therefore our highest good.

Let me ask the question again: why didn’t Jesus heal all the people in Palestine and essentially become "the brother-in-law" who takes care of our healthcare? Well, I think for the same reason that a few verses earlier in Mk 6 (vv. 31-44), Jesus feeds a crowd of 5000 with five barley loaves and two fish. But that miracle, great as it was, only begs the question in my mind: why didn’t Jesus snap his divine fingers and feed the 5 million people in the whole Roman Empire who were starving for loaves and fish?

In other words, I believe Jesus was after bigger fish. What bigger fish could there possibly be than our physical health and well-being? Well, the bigger fish of our spiritual health and well-being. Yes, Jesus wanted to heal and feed the body to be sure, but he was far (infinitely) more interested in healing and feeding our souls. Why? Well, because sooner or later our bodies will die, but our souls will live into eternity.

Quite frequently, I am approached by people in the church parking lot who ask for my help. Invariably, they are soliciting money for their needs. One needs money for a bus ticket to visit his sick grandmother; another has been kicked out of a homeless shelter and needs a hotel room; another just started a job and won’t be paid for two weeks but needs help with his overdue bills today. And of course, there are the countless people on street corners asking for a handout.

My answer is always the same: “Please come and talk to Dc. Greg!” Sorry to throw Dc. Greg under the bus ticket, but in a sense, like Jesus, I am after bigger fish. That is, even though feeding, clothing, and healing the body is important, healing, feeding and clothing the soul is far more important. Just like Jesus did not spend his whole life multiplying loaves and fish and healing everyone who came to him, but left to preach the Gospel of salvation, so, too, the Church exists to offer us eternal life, not just earthly life.

I often ponder the paradigmatic parable of the Good Samaritan in Lk 10:25-37, and whether that means we should always stop each and every time to help the person in physical need. Maybe it means that we should. But it seems Jesus did not always stop to help the person in need in the gospels. Why? Because he was after bigger fish.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Perfect Breasts

Seeing faith as more precious than everything

02/05/2022

Lk 9:23-26 Jesus said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

Have you had breast cancer, or known someone who has? As a priest I have known lots of women who have faced this enormous challenge, and I am awed at their fortitude, their fight, and their faith. I am praying daily for those currently fighting breast cancer, for those who have conquered and overcome it, and grateful for those who have passed and now pray for us from Paradise. Even though October is officially breast cancer awareness month, I believe February 5 should also mark a memorable day in the fight against breast cancer. Why? Well, today is the feast day of St. Agatha, and she is the patron saint of those with breast cancer. Let me share a little of her story and why she is the patron of breast cancer patients.

Agatha, whose name means “good” in Greek, was born in 231 in Catania, Sicily. As a 15 year old girl from an affluent family, Agatha made a vow of virginity and dedicated herself completely to Christ. He was her spouse. A Roman prefect named Quintianus tried to win her love, but to no avail. Who can compete with Christ? After repeated attempts to make her fall in love with him, he turned her over to the government officials who were persecuting Christians during those years under Emperor Decius. Quintianus thought the little girl would be frightened by the tortures and run back into his arms, but he sorely underestimated the depth of her faith and love.

Agatha was imprisoned, stretched on a rack to be tortured with hooks, burned with torches, and whipped. But none of this deterred her from her devotion to Christ, her Beloved. One of the most gruesome devices to inflict pain was the incision of her breasts. And that is why she is the patron saint of those fighting breast cancer and often suffer a single or double mastectomy. Agatha endured a double mastectomy without anesthesia. Agatha was next sentenced to be burned at the stake but was saved by a providential earthquake. Hence, she is also the patron saint of earthquakes.

She was finally martyred but it is unclear exactly how. I especially love how she is listed among the great saints in the First Eucharistic Prayer, where the priest prays: “John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia.” Agatha certainly deserves to be ranked among their number, remembered in heaven and earth, and we should have recourse to her whenever face the illness of breast cancer.

The Catholic Church has a curious sense of whom she selects to be a patron saint. That is, saints are not the patrons of their successes in life, but rather of their sufferings, and even their apparent failures, defeats, and even death. Agatha, for example, is praised in heaven for her persecutions here on earth, like losing her breasts. In the Christian calculation of life, the moment of utter failure turns out to be the shining moment of a saints triumph. We need look no further than the greatest saint of all, Jesus Christ. The moment of his agony, humiliation, and abandonment on the Cross was precisely the moment of his greatest victory. And that is why Catholics venerate crucifixes and hang them in classroom, hospitals and homes, and of course, most proudly in churches.

And that is what the saints invite us to see in our own lives, like Agatha helps women to see their battle with cancer in the light of faith. In other words, the real victory is not in keeping your breasts. The real triumph is not even in beating cancer. The ultimate conquest is to never lose your faith, but to cling to Christ resolutely. If you do, then whatever you suffer here on earth will become your most cherished success in heaven. Breast cancer is like the prefect Quintianus and women who suffer breast cancer are like St. Agatha. He may take away your breasts but don’t let him take away your beliefs and love for the Lord.

Do you remember that scene in the movie “Princess Bride” when Princess Buttercup is about to stab herself in her chest? The Dread Pirate Roberts warns her: “There is a shortage of perfect breasts in the world, it would be a pity to damage yours.” But St. Agatha reminds us today there is something even more precious than perfect breasts.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Summer School

Learning how to become life-long learners

01/29/2022

Mk 4:35-41 On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

One thing we emphasize in Catholic schools is becoming a “life-long learner.” That is, to recognize that once you graduate from school your schooling does not come to an end, but rather, in many ways your education is only just beginning. That is why graduating from college is called “commencement” – you are commencing your real education. In school we are only learning how to learn, and then after graduation we put that learning to practice and learn for the rest of our life what life is really all about. True learning happens after you finish school.

Several years ago I visited Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, our former bishop, in Seattle. He gave me a tour of his impressive Victorian rectory and then showed me his living room. The most impressive part of that entire ornate house for me was his coffee table, because on it were 15 to 20 books, all open, some dog-eared, others underlined, but all freshly touched and pages turned. That scene surprised me because I assumed that once you become a bishop, let alone an archbishop, you know everything. But I was wrong. Archbishop Sartain is a splendid example of being a life-long learner. And he taught me that real learning happens after you finish school.

In the gospel today we see a moment of great learning for the apostles. They are in a boat when a squall stirs up that threatens to sink their ship. Meanwhile, Jesus is asleep. They wake him to their peril and he calms the winds and seas. But Jesus not only rebuked the seas, he also reprimanded his disciples, asking: “Do you not yet have faith?” In believe the apostles’ growth in faith would continue, not just that day but for their whole life. Long after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, and even after Pentecost, which can surely be seen as the apostles’ “graduation” from seminary.

But as Archbishop Sartain gently taught me: true learning happens after you finish school. Even after getting their diplomas, the apostles still had a lot to learn, to be guided by the Holy Spirit and grow in their faith. In Acts 15, they would meet together in the Council of Jerusalem and learn that circumcision was no longer necessary. Through the letters of St. Paul, they would learn how to welcome the Gentiles (non-Jews) into the Church.

And on and on their life-long journey of learning would continue until they learned how to die for their faith. All but John would die a martyr. In other words, death would be the last lesson of life. In a sense, the apostles would always be asking the question which they uttered in Mark 4 today: “Who then is this whom even the wind and sea obey?” And they would only hear the final and full answer in heaven, when their life-long learning would be complete, and not a second sooner.

My friends, have you developed the habits of a life-long learner, especially regarding our precious Catholic faith? It is amazing how much time we spend studying other things but not the faith. Some people think since they attended Catholic schools they can check the box and feel they have learned everything about Catholicism. If you think that, please go and pay a visit to Archbishop Sartain and you will see how he still studies the faith assiduously. If an archbishop needs to learn more about the faith, maybe you do too.

While I was leaving Trinity last Wednesday, I ran into a group of moms all excited to start their new Bible series on the book of Deuteronomy. Terra Harmon, their fearless leader, told me they use a study called “Proverbs 31,” that magnificent chapter about the “ideal wife.” I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful juxtaposition that morning. On one side of the building were Trinity students learning how to learn; on the other side were moms who were putting that learning into practice. They knew that real learning happens after you finish school. On both side of that building everyone was asking like the apostles today: “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” We are always learning more about our Lord.

By the way, I may have misspoken earlier when I said that death was the last lesson of life. Just like some students play hooky or don’t study or misbehave and have to stay after graduation for summer school, so many of us who did not learn life’s lessons will have to stay after death in a place called “purgatory.” Purgatory will be the remedial education for all those lessons we failed to learn in life. While everyone else is having fun on vacation in heaven, you may be stuck in summer school. That is why it is far better to be a life-long learner.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Tough Teachings

Understanding why we ask the hard questions

01/27/2022

Mk 4:21-25 Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

In the course of a typical day, I am asked a lot of questions for which I do not have very satisfactory answers. For example, one couple asked me why their gay son could not marry his same-sex partner in the Catholic Church? Another woman wondered why she had to get an annulment for her previous marriage before she could receive Holy Communion? Protestant friends, who are otherwise very friendly to Catholicism, are hurt and offended because they are not allowed to receive Holy Communion at Mass. Why not? Why does the Church teach that sex change operations are immoral?

Why doesn’t the Church recognize a woman’s reproductive rights and accept her ability to have an abortion? And this last question may seem small but it weighs heavily on some hearts: why does the Church not allow secular music at weddings and funerals? Many parents fear that prohibition will make the Church appear arbitrary and out of step with the modern culture, that sees no issues as long as the music is Christian and sounds spiritual. These questions carry serious pastoral consequences. Why? Well, because when they are left unanswered, or poorly answered, people leave the Church.

I am sure you know people who have stopped practicing their Catholic faith for these reasons or others. Perhaps the easiest answer would be to change Church teaching or policy to suit people’s preferences and petitions. That is what many other churches have done and their pews are filled with parishioners. Rather than try to answer each question, let me say two things about why people ask such questions in the first place. That is, what is at the root of such tough questions?

First of all, I think it betrays a lack of child-like trust in God and his Church. What does that mean? Well, small children often hear their parents say, “No” to their wishes and demands. While that may make some children pout and throw a temper tantrum, it also reminds the children that maybe my parents know better than I do what is best for me. It requires humility, trust and patience to see that parental prohibitions come from a place of wisdom and love for the child. That is, it is not to make the child miserable, but so the child might experience maturity.

Any parents who have tried to raise Christian children have had to say “no” to them; and that is not easy or fun. And so I hope they can sympathize with me (and the Church) when our rules and regulations basically say “no” to what Catholics ask us today, like about same-sex marriage and secular songs. Tough Church teachings are not intended to make you miserable but to make you more mature. Thus, Jesus taught that only the childlike will enter the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Mt 18:3).

The second observation about asking such questions is because we don’t have more serious things to think about, like our eternal salvation. Fr. Benedict Groeschel once memorably said: “It is good to die for your faith, just don’t die for the nickels and dimes of the faith.” When we have too much free time on our hands, we start to focus on the nickels and dimes of the faith. We worry about the secondary and superficial aspects of our faith and lose sight of what is essential and eternal. An old proverb states: “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

This is why I think God sometimes sends suffering into our lives. That may sound like an unsympathetic thing to say, but I don’t think so. Even though we don’t want to see anyone suffer, what happens when we do? Suffering, illness, and even death, begin to sift the wheat from the chaff of our lives, and we begin to see what is truly important, what we should live for and what we should die for. That is why they say: “There are no atheists in foxholes.”

Wartime clarifies that there is a God because we desperately need him. Listen to C. S. Lewis during World War II: “War makes death real to us, and that would have been regarded as one of its blessings by most of the great Christians of the past.” He continued: “They thought it good for us to be always reminded of our mortality…In ordinary times only a wise man can realize it. Now [in wartime] the stupidest of us knows.”

In the gospel today Jesus also gives some tough teachings. But then he adds wisely: “Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” I believe it takes child-like ears and ears that have heard the cries and casualties of war to be able to hear those tough teachings and humbly accept them.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Sharper than Any Sword

Using our words with power and purpose

01/26/2022

Mk 4:1-20 On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. Jesus said to them, “The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

I am proud to be a logophile. Does anyone know what that word means: logophile? A logophile is someone who loves words. And if you know how to use words well, you can do a lot of good in the world because words are powerful. For example, I will never forget using my words to ask Dr. Hollenbeck to come to Trinity as the principal back in 2015. I went to her house on 26th Street and she gave me pizza for dinner. It was great pizza. I don’t remember exactly what all we discussed but I assured her: “We will do this together.” Then I stretched my hand across the counter and held her hands, and we prayed about it. I used my words not only to speak to Dr. Hollenbeck, but also to speak to God in prayer. And what a blessing she has been to Trinity and to me.

I also remember recruiting Coach Meares to come back to Trinity. Do you know where I took Coach Meares to "wine and dine" him? We went to Patrick’s Burgers – I spared no expense in recruiting Coach Meares! We had a great hamburger, but an even better conversation, and talked about what a great school Trinity is and how it could be even better with Coach Meares present. Coach Meares is not only a cheerleader for the girls he coaches, but also a great cheerleader for our school. That is, both Dr. Hollenbeck and Coach Meares know how to use their words well, too, and they are a blessing to our school, as are all our teachers and staff.

In the gospel today, Jesus is also a logophile who loves words. Indeed, he himself is the Word of God. The word “logos” in Greek means “word.” He tells an important parable today in Mark 4 about a sower who goes out to sow seeds. Then Jesus explains what the parable means in one sentence, saying: “The sower sows the word.” In other words, the seeds are our words that we sow in people’s hearts. Sometimes those seeds produce great fruit, like when I spoke a few words and asked Dr. Hollenbeck and Coach Meares to come to Trinity. My words were like seeds planted in their hearts and those seeds continue to produce great fruit. And the students at Trinity have been feasting on those fruits!

Boys and girls, how do you use your words? You don’t have to be a logophile like me to know words are powerful and can produce great fruit, but they can also cause a lot of harm. Have you words ever hurt someone’s feelings or broken someone’s heart? Think about the power behind these two phrases: “I love you,” and “I hate you.” Can you feel their strength in your heart? Words are far sharper than any two-edged sword, as it says in Hb 4:12.

A friend of mine wisely cautioned me several years ago: “Don’t ever joke about a person’s weight or about their hair. Those two topics are off limits.” Why? Because those jabs and jokes really sting and hurt people’s hearts. Those words cut like a knife, indeed, like a sword thrust into the heart. I don’t want to hear students at Trinity talking about people’s weight or about their hair, or insulting each other or gossiping about others and ruining people’s reputations.

Boys and girls, our words carry great power: power to do good, like recruit a great principal and coach, but also the power to do great harm, like break someone’s heart. We must all learn to use our words well, even if you are not a logophile.

Praised be Jesus Christ!