Being Ourselves

Learning how the last shall be first

10/26/2022

Lk 13:22-30 Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.' And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

One of the big changes between elementary school and middle school is you begin to compare yourself to other students. Have you noticed yourself doing this? I am not as tall as he is. I am not as pretty as she is. I am not as smart as he is. I cannot run as fast as she does. Unfortunately, we keep doing this for the rest of our lives. I don’t earn as much money as he does. They live in a nicer neighborhood than my family does. Their family takes better vacations than we do.

In elementary school we were happy being ourselves. We don’t worry too much about what others do or think. But in middle school we want to be like other students, or we want to be better than others. We obsess about what other people do and what they think, especially what they think about us.

Now, when we start comparing ourselves to others we also start doing some silly stuff to be more like them. Let me give you a couple of examples from my own life in middle school. Growing up as a small boy I had this really thick, curly hair. I know you find that hard to believe today. Well, I hated my curly hair and I wanted straight hair like some of my friends had.

So, every night I slept with this hairnet on my head that flattened my hair so I could go to school and have this really cool straight hair like my friends. Well, one morning I got up late for school, and guess what happened. I forgot I was still wearing my hairnet and rant to school with it on. At lunch I was sitting and talking to my friends and reached up to scratch my head and suddenly realized what I did.

One good thing about being a dark-skinned Indian is that people cannot tell when you get embarrassed and your skin turns red. I don’t know who all noticed but I went straight to the bathroom and flushed the hairnet down the toilet. I was so embarrassed and felt so foolish. I have never worn another hairnet since that traumatic experience. But you see the silly things we do when we compare ourselves to others, and are not happy being ourselves with curly hair.

Another thing I did in middle school when I compared myself to others was start wearing glasses. Why? Well, my eyesight was perfect, 20/20 vision. But I noticed that my friends who always made the best grades wore glasses. So that was their secret to being so smart: wearing glasses! So, even though I could see crystal clear I started squinting and complaining about not seeing well. My parents finally gave in and took me to the optometrist. He tested my vision and said I had a slight stigmatism in my left eye, but it wasn’t anything to worry about.

But I said, “Ah, ha! You see, I need glasses!” And so my parents reluctantly bought me a very low prescription pair of glasses. And guess what happened to my grade in school? Nothing! But I didn’t care about the grade. Why not? Because I looked smart like one of the super smart kids in school. I still wear glasses today, not because I’m so smart, but because I’m so old. But you see the silly things we do when we compare ourselves to others rather than being content with being ourselves.

In the gospel today, Jesus gives us a helpful tool to stop comparing ourselves to others. He says: “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” In other words, for those who think they are not good enough or don’t measure up to their peers, those who think they are last, will one day be first. On the other hand, those who think they are rockstars and above everyone else, some day you may be last. So, don’t get a big head when you compare yourself to others.

I think Jesus’ real point is try to be happy just being yourself. Be happy with your curly hair. Be happy not wearing glasses and making the best grades you can. Be happy being tall or short. Be happy being able to run fast or slow.

Like I said, boys and girls, this comparing ourselves to others starts in middle school, but continues for the rest of our lives. Do you see or hear your parents or other adults comparing themselves to others? But wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t do that, and could be content just being ourselves?

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Long-Tailed Cats

Sharing three random thoughts on a Tuesday

10/26/2022

EPH 5:21-33 Brothers and sisters: Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the Church, he himself the savior of the Body. As the Church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the Church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.

I just want to share with you three random thoughts today. First of all we were so blessed to have Bishop Taylor with us for Mass yesterday morning. Everyone is so happy when the bishop comes and celebrates Mass for us, except the pastor. I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Seriously, it is always a blessing to have our bishop with us. He even asked me to preach, so that added a whole other layer of pressure, to try to think of something really smart and holy to say in front of the bishop. But he was very kind and said I had a nice homily after Mass.

I would ask for your prayers for our bishop and our whole presbyterate. That word “presbyterate” is the word used to refer to the whole body of priests of a diocese. We are individually presbyters, so the presbyterate refers to the whole body of priests. Recently, just last week, there was a study put out by Catholic University of America, about the relationship between bishops and priests. And there seems to be some lack of trust and confidence and closeness between bishops and priests. In other words, priests look at bishops with a little bit of suspicion and distance, as if they were authoritarians rather than father-figures, who really care about their priests.

You might be interested in reading that study. You can google it and find it online: Catholic University of America, Survey of Catholic Priests. I think it is very useful and very helpful, but it also somewhat paints the picture with a broad brush. In other words, you cannot take the conclusions of the whole study and think it applies to every diocese specifically. The circumstances in every diocese are very different.

And I am very happy to say that I think the rapport, the morale, the trust, the love and the affection between the priests and bishop of our diocese is very healthy, and very good. And so while in general speaks about a lack of healthy relationship between bishop and priests in most diocese, our diocese is an exception to that rule. Nonetheless, keep our bishop and our priests in your prayers so we don’t feel like long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs, when the bishop comes to visit.

The second thought I want to share with you is a text that I received from my mom yesterday. She was very happy that an Indian is now the prime minister of England. Did you hear about this? Rishi Sanak is the new prime minister of England. He is not exactly from India himself, but his grandparents migrated from India, so he is definitely of Indian stock. And it reminds me of the old saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them.”

If you can’t beat the British, join the British, and then take over the British. And so we now have an Indian who is in charge of the British government. And we might pray for him as well, for he has no small task. He faces inflation, as well as other economic problems, not to mention issues with Ukraine, and other international challenges for him to face. But in any case, he is an Indian and my mom and dad are very happy he is in charge of England.

And the last random thought today is Jesus’ comparison of the Kingdom of God. He is asking: what can I compare the Kingdom of God to so that you might understand what it is? And he comes up with two very beautiful images. First, he says it is like a mustard seed, meaning the Kingdom of God is small, and then it grows and blossoms to a ginormous tree that can be a home for all the birds of the air. And so it is.

The Kingdom of God began with Jesus and the twelve apostles. And it has grown into a ginormous tree that encompasses the whole world. And everyone can find a nest in its branches. And you and I have found a nest in the branches of the Kingdom of God.

Another image the Lord uses is that of yeast in the midst of flour.

As the invisible yeast causes the flour to grow and to become bread, so too, the Kingdom of God works invisibly. God’s Kingdom does not grow by means of armies and financial resources and political power. It grows through the invisible working of grace in your heart and in my heart, like yeast invisibly making the flour to rise and becoming dough and bread, and feeding the world.

In the first reading today, St. Paul comes up with another image for the Kingdom of God when he compares the relationship between Christ and his Church to the relationship between husbands and wives. In other words the Kingdom of God is like a Bride, and Jesus Christ the King is the Bridegroom. That is what I always mention at every wedding.

As the bride is coming down the aisle to meet her husband, I ask if people know what they are seeing. This is a preview of coming attractions. This is a snap-shot of the end of the world, when the Bride (all of us, the Church) is finally prepared, as St. Paul says, “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing”. The Church will be perfect, filled with grace, and ready to meet her husband, Jesus, the Bridegroom, who has perfected us, with the washing of the water and the word.

It is interesting as we prepare to celebrate the rest of the Eucharistic liturgy, pay attention how many times the Eucharist refers to the Church as a feminine, a she, or her. Because the Church invites us to see the Kingdom, us, as the Bride of Christ.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Tugging on Threads

Making joy, the Holy Spirit and Mary part of our lives

10/18/2022

Lk 10:1-9 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”

What did you do during the COVID pandemic when most people stayed indoors? One thing I did was produce videos of four Bible studies, one of which was on the gospel of Luke, called “Hearts on Fire.” I also did a sequel on the gospel of Luke based on Luke’s second volume, The Acts of the Apostles. That video series was called Axe of the Apostles, like an axe you use to chop down a tree.

The apostles used the axe of the Good News – Hebrews 4:12 refers to the Word of God as a two-edged sword – to clear the world of pagan trees and build the Church, the house of God. Together, Luke and Acts make up a whopping 27.5% of the whole New Testament, contributing more than any other New Testament writer, even more the prolific St. Paul. Today is the feast of St. Luke.

There are three themes that run like golden threads through Luke-Acts: (1) the theme of joy, (2) the Holy Spirit, and (3) Mother Mary. Let me say a word about each of these threads and sort of tug on them a little so you can see them more clearly. The gospel of Luke both begins and ends on a note of joy. It begins with the joy of the announcements of the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus.

The joy comes from their miraculous births: one woman was too old to have a baby (Elizabeth), and one woman was too young to have a baby (Mary). And Luke’s gospel ends on a note of joy. After the Ascension of Jesus, in Luke 24:52 (the penultimate verse), we read: “They did him homage, and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” My friends, is joy a chief characteristic of your Christianity? If not, ask for St. Luke’s prayers and read his gospel. Let his joy infect you.

The second thread-like theme in Luke-Acts is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Of course, we know that in Luke 1 it is the Holy Spirit that is responsible for the miraculous conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb. The angel Gabriel said in Luke 1:35: “The holy Spirit will come upon you (Mary), and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” But a strikingly similar “birth" occurs when the Church, the Body of Christ, is conceived.

We read in Acts of the Apostles 2:4, “And they were filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” That was the great Pentecost event, also known as the birthday of the Church. And just like the Holy Spirit guided the footsteps of Jesus throughout the gospels, so the Holy Spirit guided the work of the apostles as they wielded the axe of the apostles, which St. Paul would call in Ephesians 6:17, “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”

My friends, are you docile to the promptings and power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Or is the spirit of this world guiding your footsteps. We are all guided by one spirit or the other. Ask for the intercession of St. Luke that like the Holy Spirit guided Jesus and the early Church, so the Spirit may guide and direct your life.

And the third thread in Luke-Acts is the presence and prayer of Mother Mary. His own Blessed Mother is Jesus’ first and best disciple, and she is therefore our role-model. If there is one verse that summarizes Mary’s faith it is Luke 1:38, where she replies to the angel Gabriel: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” And Mary is there with the apostles at the beginning of Acts. We read in Acts 1:14, “All these devoted themselves to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

My friends, do you have some Marian devotion as part of your prayer life? Some like to pray the rosary (like me!), others put flowers on Mary’s altar. Still others have Miraculous Medals or Fatima statues or the Immaculate Heart of Mary images at home. Marian devotion is not optional for true Christians; it is part and parcel of our faith, just like we see in nearly one-third of the New Testament in Luke-Acts.

Folks, if someone were to tug at the threads that make up our lives, what would they find? Today, pray for St. Luke’s intercession that they might find joy, the Holy Spirit, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Don’t wait for another pandemic before you begin to read almost one-third of the New Testament.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

A Minute on the Lips

Discovering the deep ironies of the Holy Eucharist

10/17/2022

Jn 12:24-26 Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me."

The more you study the Catholic religion the more you discover certain ironic twists, that is, spiritual things are often the opposite of earthly experiences. And of course, we learn this from Jesus himself. Our Lord taught, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 16:25). And again he said, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:4). In other words, think of earth as a color picture and the Christian life as its photo negative. But in reality, the Christian life is the more glorious: that’s the irony.

And this ironic twist of faith reaches its zenith in the Eucharist, the very heart of heaven right here on earth. For example, when we eat earthly food, that food is transformed into us. But the opposite happens when we eat the Eucharist, or receive Holy Communion, we are transformed into Jesus. Or like the mantra of people trying to diet and lose weight: “A minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.” Well, when we put Holy Communion on our lips for a minute at Mass, we gain an eternal lifetime in heaven. Like Blessed Carlos Acutis said: “The more Eucharist we receive the more we will become like Jesus, so that on earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.” That is, a little communion here on earth leads to a lot of glory later in heaven. How ironic.

Now, one saint who appreciated and applied this irony of faith was St. Ignatius of Antioch, whose memorial we celebrate today, October 17. Ignatius is one of the three saints called Apostolic Fathers. Why? Well, because they were directly taught by the twelve apostles themselves. Ignatius was a disciple of St. John the Beloved Apostle. In the year 107, the Roman Emperor Trajan came to Antioch (where Ignatius was bishop) and forced the Christians to choose between apostasy (denying their faith) and death.

When Ignatius was brought before Trajan the emperor asked, “Who are you, poor devil, who sets our commands at naught?” You see, to Trajan, Ignatius looked like a miserable beggar, a poor devil. But Ignatius answered: “Call not him poor devil who bears God within him.” Did you catch the ironic twist in Ignatius’ answer? Those who seem poor in the eyes of the world are rich in faith, and in the eyes of God.

St. Ignatius wrote a series of letters on his journey from Antioch in Syria to Rome, where he faced execution being eaten by lions. His writings are replete with this ironic twist of Christianity, too. For example, listen to this graphic description of his impending death: “Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.” In other words, a minute on the lion’s lips would earn Ignatius an eternal lifetime in heaven.

That is why we read in the gospel today Jesus saying, again note the deep irony: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” And notice also that John highlights this saying of Jesus – in John 12 – right before Our Lord celebrates the Last Supper, where he will take wheat that has indeed died to become bread and that ultimately gives eternal life. No doubt Ignatius learned that lesson well from the lips of his teacher, St. John the Apostle. The gospel of John is thick with irony, and his student Ignatius learned his lesson well.

My friends, our bishops in the United States are asking Catholics to undergo a Eucharistic revival for three years. Why? So that the Mass can truly become “the source and summit” of our Christian life. And I am convinced that one way to make the most of the Mass is to catch the many ironic twists of faith that it represents to the highest degree. That is, when we receive Holy Communion, that little Wafer is not changed into us, we are changed into Christ.

Or, when Jesus in Holy Communion rests for a minute on our lips, that means we have hope of an eternal lifetime in heaven. And ultimately, like St. Ignatius, we should join our sufferings and sacrifices – and even our death – to Jesus on the altar for our salvation and that of the world. And then, we too will become “the pure bread of Christ.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Bridge to Hawaii

Finding answers to frequently asked questions on prayer

10/16/2022

Lk 18:1-8 Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

One of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) people pose to priests is about prayer. How does one pray properly? How can I make more progress in prayer? How do I stop the distractions that disturb my prayer? So, today I would like to address some of these problems in prayer, so you don’t have to keep asking me. Just go back and reread or listen to this homily on prayer, and leave me alone (just kidding)!

One day a man walking along a California beach was deep in prayer when all of a sudden he said aloud: “Lord, grant me one wish.” The sky clouded over and a booming voice said, “Because you have tried to be faithful I will grant you one wish.” The man said, “Build a bridge to Hawaii, so I can drive over anytime I want.” The Lord answered: “Your request is very materialistic. Think of the logistics of that kind of undertaking, the supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific, the concrete and steel it would take. I can do it but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of another wish that would honor and glorify God.”

The man thought a long time and finally said: “Lord, I wish I could understand women. I want to know what they feel inside. What they are thinking when they give me the silent treatment. Why they cry. What they mean when they say “Nothing is wrong.” And, how can I make a woman truly happy?” After a few moments, God replied: “Do you want four lanes or two lanes on that bridge?” So, the first point about prayer is that we all face problems in prayer, and sometimes maybe even God does.

Let me say three more things about prayer, as a sort of prayer primer. The first thing is that there are three basic kinds of prayer. (1) There is vocal prayer, like reciting the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Grace Before Meals, or like the prayer of the man on the beach who wanted a bridge to Hawaii. (2) There is meditation, which is reading and reflecting on the Scripture or the life of Jesus, Mary and the Saints. In meditation, we think about them, and try to become more like them.

And (3) there is contemplation, which is simply sitting in the presence of the One you love and know that He loves you. Have you ever noticed how some couples don’t have to say anything to each other but are still communicating very deeply just by being together, profoundly aware of the other person’s presence? Fulton Sheen memorably described these three kinds of prayer saying, “In vocal prayer we go to God on foot. In meditation, we go to God on horseback. In contemplation we go to God in a jet.” That is, in contemplation we don’t need a bridge to get to Hawaii or to God because we can fly there.

The second point about prayer is that the Lord’s Prayer, or the Our Father, is really the most perfect prayer of all. Why? Well, that is how Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. Did you know that there are seven petitions imbedded in the Our Father? The Catechism of the Catholic Church dedicates the fourth and final section of the Catechism to prayer and especially to the Our Father.

Listen to this eloquent description of the Lord's Prayer by the Catechism: “After we have placed ourselves in the presence of God our Father, to adore and to love and to bless him, the Spirit of adoption stirs up in our hearts seven petitions, seven blessings: the first three, more theological, draw us toward the glory of the Father; the last four, as ways toward him, commend our wretchedness to his grace “Deep calls on deep” (Ps 42:7)” (no. 2803). Your homework today is to read the whole fourth section in the Catechism on perfect prayer. Why? Because there you will find answers to your “frequently asked questions” on problems in prayer.

And my last point about prayer is perhaps the most important one. The real purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change us. That is why Jesus urges his disciples in the gospel today to be persistent in prayer. Why? Well, because sometimes it takes a long time of praying for something – and not getting what we want – to begin to realize that perhaps “Father knows best.” That is, God knows better than we do what we really need.

It’s like that Garth Brooks song “Unanswered Prayers” where the man has grown up and looks back at his life. He sees the woman he had begged God to help him marry many years ago as a young man, but she didn’t fall in love with him. Then he looks at his current wife, whom he loves dearly, and is so thankful God did not answer that original prayer. The refrain of the song goes: “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” The singer gradually learned that the real purpose of prayer is not for us to change God, but for God to change us.

My friends, I bet many of you are here at Mass today praying for a special petition. Some may be praying for family and friends with serious illness and for healing. Others may be in financial trouble and need help to find a job or maybe win the lottery! Others may be asking God to help them with marriage problems, or a romantic relationship on the rocks. Others want wisdom to choose a college or a career, what girl to marry, or to discern a vocation to the priesthood or religious life.

Sometimes God answers our prayers and gives us what we ask. But sometimes he does not. One day we may learn that “some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

My Love Language

Learning how to compliment and praise others

10/12/2022

LK 11:42-46 The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.” And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

Boys and girls, my love language is words of affirmation or praising people. What does it mean that I have a love language? Well, the way I tell someone I love them and how I feel loved by others is by giving compliments to them. Or, when someone says something nice about me, it feels like they really love me. A compliment touches my heart. For example, a few weeks ago when I shaved my head, someone said, “Fr. John, you look like the Rock!” and that made me feel very loved.

On the other hand, someone else said, “Fr. John, you look like Gandhi,” which did not make me feel very loved. I think Mark Twain’s love language must have been praising people too because he once said, “I could live on a good compliment for two weeks with nothing else to eat.” In other words, good words can be more life-giving and nourishing than good food.

I don’t know if your love language is praising people and giving compliments, but Mr. Edwards and Mrs. Rinke praised all of you yesterday at the Trinity Trust meeting. Maybe these compliments will help you survive if you did not order your lunch today. Mr. Edwards said: “Football has had a great season under Coach Rashad McGill and his staff. They are 7-1 with one final game on Monday, October 24 against Subiaco. Volleyball is currently 16-1 and this past week won the 4-A state championship.

“Cross country has their city-wide meet here at Trinity on Wednesday and another on Saturday in Van Buren. Our new soccer program is very popular with boys and girls teams. Mr. Ordonez and Mr. Barba have been coaching the teams, and we are the only middle school with a soccer program. Basketball will start on Thursday, Nov 3, and we will host the HCAA tourney here at Trinity. Quiz Bowl starts Wednesday with an exhibition match against Southside High School 9th graders.”

Mrs. Rinke also mentioned how well you did on the standardized tests two weeks ago. We saw not only good scores but also good growth, meaning your test scores improved from last year to this year. And we want to compliment you on your hard work with rewards like a free dress day. Boys and girls, Mr. Edwards and Mrs. Rinke are very proud of all you are doing in athletics and academics. When we brag about you at the Trinity Trust meeting, we are saying, “We love you.” And if praising people is your love language, you probably do not even feel very hungry now.

Today, I want you to practice praising people. Try to find something nice to compliment someone and then tell them, like someone told me I look like the Rock, Dwayne Johnson. You can say something nice about their nail polish – girls go to great lengths to pain their nails. Sometimes people have new shoes and you can notice that and tell them it looks good on them.

Yesterday a friend of mine had lost some weight and I mentioned how great she looked. She smiled from ear to ear. Even if someone loses a game or fails a test, you can compliment them on how hard their tried. I know how hard you studied for that test, or I know how much you practiced before the game. In other words, there is always something you can find to praise people, and it tells them that you love them.

Boys and girls, do you know the words that children most want to hear from their parents? This may surprise you but those words are not “I love you.” Of course, those are great words, but what children, especially Catholic school children, really want to hear mom and dad say is, “I am proud of you.” Why is that? Well, when parents say, “I love you” it feels like they almost have to say that. Parents have to love their children.

But they don’t have to be proud of their children; and sometimes they are disappointed. So, when parents say, “I am proud of you” we know they must mean it, and it means more. And children can live on that sincere compliment “for two weeks with nothing else to eat.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Peanuts and Crackerjack

Understanding the impact of popes and councils

10/11/2022

Jn 21:15-17 After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to Simon Peter a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."

Today’s homily is going to be a little “inside baseball”. Have you ever heard that phrase, “inside baseball”? It refers to the intricacies and details of the game that the casual observer misses but is fascinating to people who really love and watch baseball. The casual onlooker who attends a baseball game only catches the homerun ball or sings “buy my some peanuts and crackerjack.”

But the real aficionados of baseball love to watch the singles and RBI’s, the stolen bases, and the designated hitter. Well, today’s homily is going to be a little “inside baseball” about the Catholic religion that may bore the casual observer of Christianity. But it may greatly interest those who deeply love their faith and their Church. So, good luck with this homily, especially if you’re only here for the “peanuts and crackerjack.”

Today, October 11, is the feast day of one of the most controversial popes of modern times, Pope St. John XXIII. He died in 1963, before I was born in 1969, but the changes he initiated have profoundly touched the lives of every Roman Catholic. Why? Well, because he called the great meeting of all the world’s bishops and the pope called the Second Vatican Council. That council made sweeping changes in the Church, that for those of us who grew up after Vatican II, did not seem so dramatic.

But for those who lived before Vatican II, that is, before 1962-65, the 4-year period of the council, it felt like a totally different Church. For example, before Vatican II, the Mass was in Latin all over the world, not in the local language. Priests wore long black robes called a cassock, and nuns wore veils. And all Catholic families had at least 8 to 10 children. But all that changed after Vatican II, and you have the modern Church in which we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) in today.

Now, the reason I say Pope St. John XXIII was so controversial is because some people lay the blame for everything that is wrong with the Church today at his feet. I have a friend in Rogers who always reminds me that the biggest mistake the Church made was having the Second Vatican Council. And there are many Catholic who agree.

They want to return to the way things were before the Council. They desire more Latin in the Mass, they want nuns to wear veils, or if they won’t the women wear veils themselves, and some Catholic families still have 8 to 10 kids. Of course, they love and respect the Second Vatican Council, but they would like to retrieve some of the reverence from before the Council, which have been lost afterwards in the wake of all the changes.

On the other hand, other Catholics feel the Second Vatican Council ushered in all that is right with the Catholic Church today. We came out of our Catholic ghettos and are engaging the world, and even being a leader on the world stage. One of John XXIII’s best-known encyclicals was “Pacem in terries” (Peace on Earth), and it was the first papal encyclical printed in its entirety in the New York Times. It was also the subject of a United Nations conference attended by over 2,000 statespersons and scholars.

No one can doubt that Pope St. John Paul II helped bring down communism in his home country of Poland and in Eastern Europe. But many do not know that “John” in “John Paul II” is in honor of Pope St. John XXIII. In other words, a lot of great things have happened in the Church and in the world thanks to Pope St. John XXIII, and the Second Vatican Council.

May I share with you how I look at Pope John and his Council, which is really all I can share with you? My faith is not placed on one pope or a given Church council, but on the words of Jesus in Jn 16:13, where our Lord promised his apostles and future bishops: “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.” In other words, the real Head of the Church is Jesus Christ, and the real Soul of the Church is the Holy Spirit. Or, as I like to say, “The Holy Spirit is still driving the bus.”

So, whatever one pope or one council decides is only them sharing how the Holy Spirit is inspiring and guiding them. And then the next pope and the next council will share how the Spirit guides them “to all truth.” That is what has happened for the past 2,000 years, and what will happen in the next 2,000 years. My money is not on a particular pope or council, my money is on the Holy Spirit. And that is why I love the Church before Vatican II, and why I love the Church after Vatican II.

Okay, that is enough inside baseball for today. Let’s back to the peanuts and crackerjack. Because that is why we are all really here.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

What Women Want

Listening to God speaking in our hearts

10/09/2022

Lk 17:11-19 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

One of the hardest things to figure out, but also one of the most important things, is what God wants. Now, why is that so important? Well, because God made us, and so he knows better than anyone, even better than we ourselves, what paths in life will lead us to the greatest happiness. Figuring out what God wants is even more important than figuring out “What Women Want” like that Mel Gibson movie many years ago. Although, most of us spend far more time trying to figure out what women want, even women do.

Three pastors were discussing how they decide how much of the Sunday collection to allocate to God and church use and how much should be for their own personal use. The first said, “It is simple. I put everything on the table, close my eyes and pray, Then I toss everything in the air, and whatever lands on the table is for God and whatever lands on the floor is for me.” The second said, “I draw a round circle around me. Whatever falls inside the circle is for God, and whatever falls outside the circle is for me.”

The third one who had been listening carefully did not appreciate how they tried to take control of what really belongs to God. He explained how he divided things: “I do not use a table or a circle. After a prayer I take everything and toss it in the air. And all that belongs to God ascendeth.” Those three pastors would be more successful trying to figure out what women want than what God wants. But still, that was the question they were trying ineptly to answer: what does God want?

Today is Sunday, but it is also October 9th and the feast day of one of my favorite saints, John Henry Newman. Newman also desired deeply to discover what God wants. And then when he figured out God’s will, he made some huge changes in his life and at a very steep cost. He was one of the most well-respected and most learned Anglican priests in the 19th century. But through his fearless study of Scripture, the early Church Fathers, and Church history, he came to one inescapable conclusion.

The Church that Jesus Christ founded was the Roman Catholic Church, not the Church of England. And what did Newman do about that? He promptly gave up his pride, his prestige, and his professorship at Oxford, and became a Catholic in 1845. Newman tackled a lot of tough questions as an Anglican and as a Catholic, but behind them all was the most important question of all: What does God want? That question consumed Newman, and it should consume all of us. That burning question should lie behind all our other questions.

The main way Newman discovered what God wants was by listening attentively to his conscience. When he became a cardinal, his motto was “cor ad cor loquitur,” which means “heart speaks to heart.” God’s heart speaks to our heart. In other words, the best place to hear God’s voice is in the stillness and silence of our heart. The Catechism basically repeats Newman when it describes our conscience: “His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths” (no. 1776). John Henry Newman was not worried about what women want but what God wants. And he found the clearest answer to that million-dollar-question in his heart, where “cor ad cor loquitur”. God’s heart speaks to our heart.

Let me give you a concrete example of how we listen to God speaking in our heart and discover what God wants. Every year in September I welcome a new class of potential converts to Catholicism in our RCIA class. This is the same step that St. John Henry Newman took in 1845 to become a Catholic. I mention to them that they all have good reasons to explore more about the Catholic religion. Maybe they like coming to Mass, or their children attend Catholic schools, or they have studied Church history or have read Catholic saints and scholars. All those are good reasons, but they are not the best reason to become Catholic. Why not?

Well, the best reason to become a Catholic is if each person hears God’s voice in their heart prompting them to take that step. And each person must listen for that voice himself or herself. No one else can tell you what God wants. That is your sanctuary where you are alone with God. No one else is there with you in your depths. The best reason to become a Catholic is the best reason to do anything: because you think God wants you to. Why?

Well, because one day we will all die and stand before the judgment seat of God. And he will ask us to explain why we did all those things on earth. And the only good answer on that great and terrible day will be if we can honestly say, “Well, Lord, I thought you wanted me to.” In other words, I tried to discover and do what God wants with my life. No other answer will sound even half-way as good as that.

Today on October 9, the feast of St. John Henry Newman, let us ask for his prayers to have the same courage and conviction to listen to God speaking in our hearts and to do what God wants. And by the way, in the end, that is what all women will want, too.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Two Worlds Collide

Understanding the central importance of faith

10/02/2022

Lk 17:5-10 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

There is one central experience or axis around which every Christian’s life revolves, and that is faith. And it is this axis of faith that makes all Christian life possible and worth living. Think about how the earth revolves around a central axis. What would happen if the earth suddenly stopped spinning around that axis? Life on earth would come to a catastrophic end. This planet would become a lifeless rock, like the moon, which takes 27 days to make one full revolution. So, too, if a Christian’s life stops revolving around the central experience of faith, we would become a spiritually lifeless rock. In other words, faith makes a Christian’s world go around.

Now, we all experience faith in different ways, like how no two people fall in love the same way. Nonetheless, the Catechism of the Catholic Church begins by describing the common denominator in all faith experiences, namely, man’s search for God meeting God’s search for man. That explosive encounter of man and God is like two stars colliding and creating a whole new world. That explosive encounter is what Christians call faith. Let me share with you my first experience of faith as a small child, so you have a concrete idea of what I mean.

When I was seven years old my family left India and came to the United States. To be honest, that was a very traumatic experience for little Fr. John. It felt to me like I lost everything I had known overnight: my friends, my neighborhood, my elementary school, my favorite food, my music, my home and my bedroom. My little seven year old self felt like my whole world stopped spinning.

But at the same time, out of that black hole of total loss, escaped one ray of light, namely, the light of faith. How so? Well, I discovered that even though I felt like I lost everything, there was One Thing that I would never lose, that is, God. The God who created me and loved me in New Delhi, India would be the same God who loved and sustained me in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

And that same God would hold me in his hands if one day I ended up on the moon or on Mars. In other words, that explosive experience of losing everything but gaining God also sparked my faith life, and my life has revolved around that central axis of faith ever since. In other words, one day I may lose all of you (and I will), and all of this (and I will), but I will never lose God. That unshakeable conviction of faith makes my world go around today and it always will.

Did you notice how all three Scripture readings today touched on the theme of faith? For instance, the first reading from Habakkuk said: “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one because of his FAITH shall live.” That is, faith gives life. In the second reading from Second Timothy, St. Paul wrote: “Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the FAITH and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Faith should be a Christian’s norm and standard.

And finally in the gospel, the apostles beg the Lord, “Increase our FAITH.” The apostles want their lives to revolve around faith more than anything else. In other words, the whole Scripture, both Old and New Testament, speak about the centrality of faith for every believer. Faith is the axis around which your life must revolve, or your world will spin out of control.

Now, here is the last thing I want to tell you about faith, and it is perhaps the most important feature of faith. Faith is ultimately a gift that God gives us. So that means you cannot earn it by working hard to believe, like you earn a higher salary by working hard at your job. You cannot buy it like we buy things at the store, no matter how much money you spend for it. Indeed, sometimes the poor have more faith than the rich do.

And you cannot learn it by reading books about faith, no matter how eloquent or erudite the author may be. Instead, faith is like a Christmas present. And all you can do is open your hands, wait on God, and hope you get faith as a gift from God, better than any gift you get from Santa Claus. That is why all the apostles could do in the gospel was pray “Lord, increase our faith.” Pray for faith, wait for faith, and hope for faith. That is the only way to “increase our faith.”

My friends, take time today – indeed, take time every day – to reflect on when you first received the gift of faith. When your search for God met God’s search for you, and two worlds collided and created your new Christian world. Perhaps it was a traumatic experience that taught you the truth of faith, like I learned it as a little boy, like the trauma of cancer, or a divorce, or an early death of a child.

Or perhaps you met someone whose genuine Christian life inspired you so much you opened your heart to the gift of faith from God. Or, maybe you grew up in a devout Christian family where faith was in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and as plain as the nose on your face. You don’t have to see your nose to know it is there. Faith is like that, you don’t have to see to believe.

And there are many other experiences of faith, as diverse as Christians themselves. But the common denominator in every case is our search for God (sometimes we don’t even know we’re looking for him) meeting God’s search for us. Faith is when two world collide, and a new Christian world is created, and revolves around the central axis of faith. And by the way, if your world is not revolving around faith, what is it revolving around? And don’t say “college football” because that’s not the right answer.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Perfect Parents

Seeing how our parents are human just like us

09/28/2022

Lk 9:57-62 As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him,"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.

Today I want to talk about the two most important people in your life, namely, your mom and dad. Why are they the most important people? Well, because when you see them, you can see yourself; it’s like you’re looking in a mirror. For example, did you know that you are 50% your mom and 50% your dad? When you were conceived in your mother’s womb, you received 23 chromosomes from your mom and 23 chromosomes from your dad. That is why I smile just like my mom and I have hair just like my dad, or the lack thereof! In other words, I did not just fall out of the sky like a meteor, and land here on earth. I came from two wonderful people. I was born from their love for each other and their love for me.

Now, let me ask you a question: raise your hand if you think your parents are perfect. Not too many teenagers would raise their hands, but some might. But did you know that most kids used to think their parents were perfect when they were really small? When we are small, like toddlers, or in 1st grade, our parents look strong and smart, like Superman and Wonder Woman. They know how to do everything, and they can answer all our questions: Why is the sky blue? They know the answer. Why do ships float on water? They know how that happens. Why do I have a bellybutton? And they can tell me that, too. We love them and we adore them, and draw pictures of them, and bring them flowers. Our parents are “god-like” to us when we are small.

But what happens when we become teenagers? We begin to see “chinks” in their armor. We perceive that our parents are not perfect. Our parents make mistakes and they do not know everything. Their bodies begin to show signs of age, illness and frailty. By contrast what is happening to our teenage bodies? Our bodies are growing stronger, and we are physically stronger than our father. We might beat him up in a fight. Our minds are becoming super-smart, and we think we know everything. At least we know more than mom and dad. They are no longer the superheroes. We are.

Well, if you are the superheroes, what is your job? Superheroes take care of the weak and vulnerable people. It is the role of a superhero to take care of mere mortals, like your parents. You have to be patient with them, and accept their limitations and weaknesses. Usually, we think it is the job of parents to be patient with the their kids’ mistakes. But kids must also be patient with their parents’ mistakes. When we become teenagers, we realize our parents are not Superman or Wonder Woman, but are just human beings like everyone else.

Here is the last thing I want to tell you about your parents, and I am not sure you will understand what I am going to say. But I am going to tell you anyway, and hope you understand. Listen carefully now. Your parents are architects. Now, they are not architects who draw up the blueprints for buildings, but they have drawn up the blueprints for who you are. In other words, they not only gave you 46 chromosomes to build your body, but they also wrote the blueprints for your personality.

They decided what clothes you should wear. They determined where you would go to school. They decided what neighborhood you would grow up in. They will tell you what you can watch on television. And they determine what church you will go to on Sundays. In short, they are the architects of YOU, and they are building something that will last a lot longer than any skyscraper or Egyptian pyramid ever erected.

Well, guess what happens when you become a teenager? You want to be your own architect. And that is not all bad. Your parents have laid a solid foundation for you to build something beautiful with your life. When you finish high school you will continue the great construction project that is your life. Now, sometimes teenagers do not like the blueprints their parents have drawn up for their personalities, and one day you will have the freedom to change things. But before you do, know this: your parents only want what is best for you, because they love you, and only want you to be happy. Those blueprints are a sign of their desire for your happiness.

Boys and girls, it has taken me a long time to figure out that my parents are the most important people in my life. They really are pretty perfect parents. I am 53 years old and I am still figuring that out. But since you are much smarter than me, I am sure you will figure that out much faster.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Poor Beggars

Seeing both overt and covert poverty in the world

9/27/2022

Mt 9:35-38 Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."

One of the great blessings but also burdens of being a downtown parish is you never know who is going to walk through the church doors. We get all kinds of visitors: some local, some from far away, and some even spend the night in the church. One morning we found a man curled up and sleeping inside one of the confessionals. I am not sure if we charged him rent for one night, but I hope he at least got a good night’s sleep. We are constantly facing the poor, and trying to find the best way to help them without making their plight worse, by simply giving them money.

But the poor also help us in a rather surprising way, by reminding us that we, too, are poor beggars before God. No matter how much money we have in our bank account, or how big and beautiful our home, or our fancy and fast our car, we have nothing when we stand before God. In other words, the poor remind us that everyone who walks through these church doors is poor, not only those who curl up in the confessional. The only difference is that the poverty of those begging on the street corners is obvious and in the open, while our poverty – including the poverty of the priest talking to you – is hidden and often ignored.

Let me say a word about these two types of poverty, overt poverty and covert poverty. Today, September 27, is the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, a French priest who worked with the poor in Paris, France, and all over the world. His special love was for galley slaves because for two years, from 1605-1607, he was sold into slavery as well.

But besides ministering to the poor, he also provided education for priests through seminary formation, and giving clergy retreats. One of the many lessons St. Vincent taught priests was this distinction between overt and covert poverty. That is, even as we open our church doors to the poor, we are ourselves poor beggars before God. In God’s sight we are all poor, and He alone is rich.

Many years ago, Immaculate Conception Church, together with St. Joseph’s Church in Fayetteville, conducted an annual mission trip to Honduras to help the poor people there. We have not been able to return for several years because of the lack of security there as well as the COVID pandemic. We went there in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. But do you know what we discovered when we got to Honduras?

Yes, we saw some abject poverty, materially-speaking, but we also discovered our own poverty, spiritually-speaking. The faith of the Honduran people was vibrant and deep, while we Americans sometimes questioned and doubted our own faith. Do you know any Catholic Americans who are struggling in their faith, which is feeble and fickle? Their poverty was overt, but our poverty was covert. Nonetheless, we are all poor beggars when we come before God.

In the gospel today, Jesus sees our poverty, both material and spiritual, both overt and covert. That is why we read in Mt 9:35: “At the sight of the crowd, [Jesus] was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” The reason Jesus looks with pity upon the crowds – which includes everyone – is because he can see their poverty. That is, he sees that everyone is poor, and God alone is rich.

And that, by the way, is why when we pray the Our Father, we put our hands out like beggars on the street corners. We are all poor beggars before God, who alone is rich. It is just that some people’s poverty is overt and obvious, and everyone can see it, while other people’s poverty is covert and concealed, and we think no one can see it. Maybe that is why God allows some people to be poor: as a reminder that we are all really poor and he alone is rich. In other words, everyone who walks through these church doors is just a poor beggar.

Praised be Jesus Christ!