Two Olive Martini

Finding the cross in our Christianity

08/29/2023

Mk 6:17-29 Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias' own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." He even swore many things to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

I just want to say a word about St. John the Baptist this morning, and the example that he holds out for us, as followers of Christ. Obviously, reading and hearing about his great martyrdom, his willingness to suffer for the Lord, even to being beheaded, is amazing, heroic, and beyond our reach. I mean which one of us could do that?

And yet, we are invited to carry our cross. There has to be some kind of cross in our Christianity. If there is not some sense of suffering, or difficulty, or pain, or sacrifice in our Christianity, we are not doing it right. There has to be a cross in our Christianity. It is not the smooth, easy road, but the narrow, rocky road that we have chosen to walk behind the Lord.

When I had first finished my degree in canon law in the year 2,000, I came back to Little Rock, and started working in the Chancery Office. And Bishop Sartain, who is now an archbishop, asked me to write a letter in which he was going to promulgate a change in the Mass stipends. I don’t know how many of you remember this.

Before the year 2,000, if you wanted to have a Mass offered, you gave $5. But then the bishops of our province decided it is time to increase that amount, so they increased it to $10. So, they made that decision and they were going to promulgate it as a new rule: a Mass would “cost” $10. That is what we call a Mass stipend. I was the one who wrote that letter as a ghostwriter, and the bishop signed it.

I wondered: how do you explain a Mass stipend, what are we giving the $10 for, what is the point of that? We are certainly not adding anything to the sacrifice of Christ. His sacrifice on the Cross is all-sufficient. That is what saves us, nothing whatsoever that we do saves us. It is only insofar as we participate, share, and embrace, the Lord’s cross that our crosses and sufferings have any value.

And so I wrote this. There is really nothing we can do to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as if we could offer something in addition to the Cross of Christ, but we might look at this $10 stipends as picking up a splinter of the Cross that Christ carried. Jesus carried the huge cross of salvation, and we carry little symbolic splinter of the cross, as we give our $10 stipends.

And we have to look at our Christianity in the same light: we have to find that splinter, where we have to carry some little bit of the cross. There are various ideas the Church offers us through the year and even daily in which we can do little sacrifices. For example, we should fast for an hour before we receive Holy Communion. I sometimes see people chewing on something as they are walking into Mass. They are not carrying that splinter, just an hour of fasting.

Every Friday, not just the Fridays of Lent, we are supposed to give up something. It used to be very easy to figure that out because we didn’t eat meat on all the Fridays of the year. But we changed that to say, okay, just don’t eat meat on the Fridays of Lent, but every Friday give up something. But sometimes I get to the end of a Friday and I think, well, what did I not eat today, and that will be my sacrifice. But that is not the spirit of carrying the splinter.

Sometimes you can do very small and unnoticed sacrifices. When you go out to eat at a restaurant, don’t put any dressing on your salad, eat it dry. Or, if you’re going to have French Fries, don’t have any ketchup, just eat the fries without them. That splinter is not going to kill you but it will hurt a little. When I order my martini, I only put two olives in it instead of three. We all have to make the sacrifices we are capable of.

Today as we thank God for the example of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, let us try to carry our little splinters the best we can.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Call No Man Father

Understanding Christ’s word about the Father

08/27/2023

Mt 23:1-12 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.' As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Today we hear one of those hotly controversial passages that Protestants and Catholics differ in our interpretation of. Jesus says, “Call no one on earth your father.” And because of that statement of Christ’s many of our Protestant brothers and sisters refuse to call Catholic priests, “Father.” They are being obedient to Jesus, and calling no one on earth “Father.” Christ seems to be very clear.

Sometimes I play tennis with different people here in Fort Smith. And some of them are Catholics while others are not Catholics. And sometimes I even play against Protestant ministers and I am not quite sure how introduce myself. If I say, “Hello, I am Fr. John,” some people respond by saying, “Hello, nice to meet you, JOHN.” Since some people make it clear they don’t want to call me Father, I simply introduce myself as “John.”

Other people resort to calling me “Reverend” in order to be respectful, but still avoid the term “Father.” After all, Jesus said very plainly, “Call no one on earth your father.” Yet others say it is unfair to play against a priest because he has divine intervention on his side. I wish my tennis game was good enough to be called “divine intervention.”

The point is that this passage causes no little controversy and heartburn when we try to understand what Jesus meant when he said “Call no one on earth your father.” Should we not even call our biological father, “Father”? Is that what Jesus really meant?

Well, I think we have to begin with considering the larger context, where Jesus is addressing the scribes and the Pharisees. They are attempting to overstep their proper role and responsibility within the Jewish religion. They have a role and a place: they are seated on the chair of Moses, and so they are to interpret and help the people to understand the law of God as written by Moses in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.

But the scribes and the Pharisees are trying to go beyond that, and take the place of the Father, God’s place. And no one can do that because God alone is God, and no one has a right to step into his arena and usurp his prerogatives. That is why Jesus is telling them to step back, out of the role that God the Father alone possesses. He alone is Father in this unequivocal sense, and they are trying to nudge their way into that sense.

And so Jesus says “Step back, call no one on earth Father in the sense that God alone is your Father.” And that is where the scribes and the Pharisees were a little confused. Obviously, we can call priests and other people, like our biological dads, “father.” We might say in the sense of a small “f” for father. But when we spell Father with a capital “F”, we refer to God the Father and his role in our lives that is unique, non-transferable, no one can take his place.

Let me give you a modern example of respecting the role of God the Father, and all the little fathers we have in our lives. This coming Tuesday we will begin our RCIA classes. RCIA classes are for those who want to become Catholic, or learn more about the Catholic religion. And I will be there and welcome everyone, and I’m so pleased we have such a large class this year.

I always give a little piece of advice, since many people are there becoming Catholic for various reasons. In a sense, different "fathers" have helped them to get to that room on Tuesday night. What do I mean? These are fathers with little a “f” – people who have inspired them, encouraged them, and taught them.

But at the end of the day, you should not become Catholic for someone else. You should not become Catholic for your wife. You should not become Catholic for the sake of your children. You should not become Catholic because some priest told you to become Catholic. All these people can inspire, teach, and explain things to you, because they are fathers with a little “f”.

But there is only one Person you should obey and become a Catholic for, and that is the Father with a capital “F”. You become Catholic because in your heart you hear God inviting you to become a Catholic. And I tell them this, which kind of startles them: If you do not hear in your heart a voice that tells you to become Catholic, don’t become Catholic!

You just heard a Catholic priest tell you not to become Catholic, unless you hear that voice in your heart saying, “Come, become a Roman Catholic.” Because that is the voice of the Father, with a capital F. And no one else in this church, not even the one speaking to you, can take the place of that Father. Our conscience is supreme because we believe our conscience is that sacred space within each human being, in which the Father speaks to us. In that sense, Jesus means “Call no one on earth your father.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Late Laborers

Appreciating when the Lord calls us to work in the vineyard

08/24/2023

Mt 20:1-16 Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.' So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o'clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.' When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

I would like to share with you three practical applications of this beautiful parable of the late laborers and the generous land owner. The first is our experience of labor in the United States today. There is a shortage of laborers; people just don’t want to work here in our country these days. And lots of owners of businesses are looking for workers. But there is a kind of labor shortage, with all kinds of reasons for that I suppose, and I’m not smart enough to speculate on what those might be.

But I have also noticed that whenever there is a new wave of immigrants into our country, they bring a new kind of labor force. And I don’t just mean in terms of numbers – that there are more people to work – but I mean in terms of zeal, energy, an inexhaustible desire to work. And in a sense they give us as a country a shot in the arm, to get off the couch, and we begin to take labor seriously. We see people hungry to work.

But we also have to remember the generosity of the land owner, who kind of pays – in our calculation of things – unequally. And don’t we sometimes feel that way? We who have been here in this country for years and generations, well, here come these “Johnny-come-latelys” and they are getting all the same benefits that we have, who have been here from the beginning.

The Lord has a message for us today, to be generous to those who arrive most recently to work. So, that is one application to our labor market: some have worked longer, others more recently, and there is a healthy generosity that should be shown to everyone who is willing to work.

The second application concerns laborers in the Lord’s vineyard, that is, vocations to the priesthood and religious life. You know, some people discover their vocation to the priesthood or the religious life very early in life. You remember Fr. Greg Luyet. We used to joke with him in the seminary that he knew he was supposed to be a priest from the moment he was conceived in his mother’s womb. When we discover our vocation early in life, we are hired by the land owner at a very young age and spend their own life laboring in the Lord’s vineyard.

But we also have the experience of people who discover a priestly vocation much later in life. Of course we all know Fr. Jack Sidler at Christ the King. He decided to become a priest much later in life. And the land owner is generous, and says, “You too, come, work in my vineyard” no matter what time of day in your life you feel the call.

So we are blessed not only with early vocations but also with so-called delayed vocations, who hear the vineyard owner calling them at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and only work for one hour in the Lord’s vineyard. So that is the second application in terms of religious vocations and when we get into the vineyard and start working, some early, some late.

And the third application is in our own spiritual life, when we start following the Lord. Some of us have discovered the joys of Catholic Christianity very early in life, so beginning with our childhood, and teenage years, college and work, we have always been in love with the Lord. We started hearing his voice, and working for him developing our spiritual life, and never deviating from that path. So he called us very early, and we stayed close to him.

But there are others who take the scenic route in their spirituality, and only take their faith life seriously later, maybe after they have retired from work. I was speaking with one man recently who said that after he retired, he realized that death was not just something theoretical but something that WAS going to happen to HIM. He wanted to start doing things in the church, and getting involved. Now he is involved in Bible studies and helping in different ministries, and just can’t get enough. He was hired at 5 o’clock.

And so maybe in our own lives we see people, or ourselves, some who started following the Lord very early in life because it was obvious and easy. And then other people who have been standing on the sidelines of their spiritual life, not quite seeing how important it is. And then, thanks be to God, the owner in his generosity calls us into the vineyard to work.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Check This Out

Appreciating Mary and adoring Jesus

08/23/2023

Lk 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

I am always very happy when we get to celebrate a feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Just like I feel I can never compliment my own mother, Raichel, enough, so, too, I feel a filial love and desire to heap praises on my spiritual mother, Mary. But I know this also raises the eyebrows of some of our Protestant friends, who cringe thinking we Catholics pay more attention to Mary than to Jesus. Indeed, some would say we even worship Mary.

But to Catholic ears to say we worship Mary sounds ludicrous and laughable, because it sounds the same as saying I worship my mother, Raichel. I can praise my mother Raichel while never forgetting for an instant that all she has, does, or ever will be is all thanks to God’s grace in her. Anything good in my mother is entirely the work of Christ. So, too, with Mary: she is entirely the work of Christ’s grace. Indeed, Mary is God’s masterpiece.

So, today we gratefully and joyfully celebrate the Queenship of Mary. That is, she is queen of heaven and earth, obviously not in some god-like way or in any way rivaling her Son, Jesus, but in a creaturely and perfectly human way. Just like Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, is the main attraction in the Louvre Museum, and no one who visits the Louvre will ever miss seeing it, so too, Mary is the main attraction of all God’s masterpieces in heaven.

Hence, he displays her in a very prominent and public place, and there is no more prominent place than at Jesus’ right hand. That is why we read in Ps 45:10, “The queen [Mary] stands at your right hand arrayed in gold.” Again, let us repeat, everything Mary has, does, or ever will be is entirely the work of Christ. And Jesus wants everyone to see and admire his handiwork, so he displays her seated on his right hand. As if to say, “Hey, check this out!”

Our gospel from Lk 1 also highlights the queenship of Mary, but we cannot skim over it lightly. Rather, we have to examine it at close quarters. I believe this gospel passage demonstrates that Mary is the queen of the angels, that is, she ranks higher than the angelic hosts in heaven, even higher than the cherubim and seraphim, who are the angels closest to God.

The key to this interpretation is the interrogation of the Archangel Gabriel by Mary. When he arrives to announce that she will conceive and bear a son, Mary ask very reasonably, “How can this be since I have no relations with a man?” Now comes the critical part. Gabriel immediately explains himself, as if speaking to a superior officer, a lieutenant to a general. How do I squeeze that interpretation out of those verses?

Well, a little earlier in Lk 1, the same Gabriel had appeared to Zechariah, the priest offering incense in the Holy Place, and announced that his wife, Elizabeth, in her old age, would conceive a child. Zechariah, again quite naturally, inquires how this will be humanly possible. But in this case, Gabriel has no patience or tolerance for such insubordination. Do you recall his angelic reaction?

Lk 1:19-20 relate: “I am Gabriel who stand before God…But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place because you did not believe my words.” Did you catch that contrast? Mary can question Gabriel, but a priest cannot. The best explanation is that in the case of Mary, Gabriel is addressing a superior being, but in the case of Zechariah, Gabriel is addressing an inferior being, like the lieutenant talking to a private.

And with Gabriel’s contrasted reactions, we have moved from the Old Testament to the New Testament. How so? Zechariah represents the old dispensation, where angels ranked higher than humans. Mary, on the other hand, represents the new dispensation, where Jesus carries all humanity higher than the angels. Audacious as it sounds, we can command the angels, like I ask my Guardian Angel to wake me up at 4:30 every morning. And he does it.

That is why Jesus said in Mt 19:28, “You who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones.” But the throne on Jesus’ right hand belongs to Mary, Jesus’ masterpiece. After all, if I were Jesus, I would seat my mother on my right side, too.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Moses and Joshua

Seeing how others guide us but only Jesus saves us

08/21/2023

Jos 24:14-29 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and addressed them, saying: "Fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." But the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed. At our approach the LORD drove out all the peoples, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

We hear one of the more popular verses of the Bible today from Joshua 24:15. Many people have this quotation hanging in their homes. It says: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Have you ever seen that verse before? It comes from our first reading today.

That is a very important verse because the Chosen people have just made their journey from Egypt forty years in the desert under Moses’ leadership. Now, Moses has died, buried on Mt. Nebo, and it is Joshua who helps the people cross the Jordan River and conquer Jericho.

It wasn’t Moses, the great lawgiver, the meekest man on earth, the one who spoke to God face to face like a friend, and whose face glowed after conversing with God. And yet Moses was not the one who led them into the Promised Land, it was Joshua. And that is significant. Not only for the people of Israel, but for me and you.

There are many people in our lives who are like Moses, who help us in our journey in this desert called earth and during our earthly life. But they will not help us cross into the Promised Land of heaven. Joshua will, and Joshua is another way of writing the name Jesus. Many people help us, like Moses helped the people through the desert, but he didn’t help them cross into the Promised Land, only Joshua could do that. Only Jesus does that for us.

Today I invite you to think about all the people who have been like Moses in your life, who have helped you in your journey of life. But I also caution you not to think they are the ones who are going to save you, but rather only Jesus/Joshua will help you cross into the Promised Land.

You know, I am also mindful of all the many priests we have had here in Fort Smith that were very popular, like little Pied Pipers. Priests like Fr. Tom Elliott, Msgr. John O’Donnell, Msgr. Galvin. Wherever they went, all the people like little mice follow them to that parish. While Fr. Tom was here, everyone hurried to Christ the King. When Msgr. O’Donnell came everyone rushed to I.C.

These men are Moses, they are not Joshua. They will not save you. Jesus will save you. Sometimes we put a little too much faith in the people who are merely Moses in our lives. And what happens when Moses goes away, when Moses dies on Mt. Nebo, when Fr. Tom leaves the priesthood, when Msgr. O’Donnell passes away? What happens to our faith? I suppose some people stop going to church.

The same is true, of course, for our own family and our parents. Our mothers and fathers teach us the faith, they are like Moses, and they lead us for a certain distance in our life. But they are not Joshua, they are not Jesus. And we cannot put all our marbles of faith in their basket. Rather, we must put all our faith in Jesus, who alone can lead us into the Promised Land.

It works the other way, too. Sometimes we see religious leaders who have personal weaknesses, and we put too much faith in them and it becomes a struggle of faith for us. I know people these days are not very happy with Pope Francis. They think he is not conservative enough or he is not doing what they would like him to do.

Well, he is not Jesus. He is a Moses. He leads us for a certain distance. But he is not Joshua, the one who leads us into the Promised Land. So don’t worry about it. Our faith is not in a human being, no matter how wonderful, no matter how meek, no matter how many laws he gives, or whether he talks to God face to face, like Moses. Our faith is in Joshua, Jesus

That is why we go to church: Moses leads us to church, Joshua leads us to heaven. And this is how we try to walk by faith through this desert of earthly life, until Joshua leads us, across the Jordan River, into the Promised Land.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

I Warned You

Seeing the true nature and commitment of marriage

08/18/2023

Mt 19:3-12 Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?" He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate." They said to him, "Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?" He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery." His disciples said to him, "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." He answered, "Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

Nothing causes more happiness and holiness than falling in love and getting married. And nothing causes more headaches and heartburn than falling in love and getting married. Just as getting married will be the happiest day of your life, so the day you might divorce will be the most miserable day of your life.

Why do you think I decided to become a priest? I wanted to avoid all that drama and live a little more peaceful life. But I know most of you will not choose the path of peaceful priesthood but opt for marriage and mortgages and mother-in-laws. Good luck! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

In the gospel today, Jesus teaches his followers that marriage will not be the shortcut to happiness, but will be the hard road. Nonetheless, he adds that what God joins together no one should divide. To such high expectations for marriage, the disciples rightly respond like I did to marriage. They state: “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

And notice next how Jesus describes how some will renounce marriage for the kingdom of heaven. That is, they will choose the peaceful path of celibate priesthood. In other words, Jesus, too, wants to warn you before you launch into marriage, mortgages, and mother-in-laws. Don't think it will be easy street.

But since most of you will disregard Jesus and my warnings about marriage, let me offer you three counsels about marriage so you can at least numb the pain. The first council I give to couples who come to me with marriage problems, arguing over finances, and raising children, and where to spend Thanksgiving versus Christmas, is to ask them: “Is marriage for happiness or holiness?”

Now, hopefully marriage is for both happiness and holiness. But sooner or later the happiness runs out, like the wine ran out at the wedding at Cana. And when that happens, what do couples think? If we are not happy, why should we stay married? And the answer is for holiness. In other words, happiness does not exhaust the entire purpose and goal of marriage.

I will tell you a secret: the real aim of marriage is to make you a saint, and saints are forged in the crucible of suffering, just like US Marines are forged in the crucible of the suffering of boot-camp at Paris Island. Saints and spouses become holy when they suffer and don’t experience much happiness. Marriage is for holiness not just happiness.

The second counsel I give married couples is to pay attention to pronouns in your wedding vows. By the way, you do know what pronouns are, right: I, you, he, she, it, we, ya’ll, they? When couples get married, they use the first person singular in their wedding, “I do.” That is, they say: “I will be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” I do.

But when couples come to me and complain about their spouse, what pronoun do they use? They say, “You!” “You don’t pick up the kids! You don’t change the laundry! You drink too much! You don’t spend enough time with me!” etc. But on the day you got married you did not say, “You do”, rather, you said, “I do.” Pay attention to the pronouns of marriage.

And the third counsel I give married couples is each of YOU, that is, their children. In other words, parents should stay married and work out their problems for their children's sake. Why? Well, because the real victims of divorce are the children. Why is that? Well, because every child is half mother and half father, each parent contributes 23 chromosomes to make you who you are.

But when parents get divorced how does that make the children feel? Like they have been torn down the middle. I say this with all tenderness and compassion for families that have experienced a divorce. I know sometimes divorce can seem like the lesser of two evils, and unavoidable. But it still affects the children in deep and irreparable ways.

Boys and girls, don’t misunderstand me. My point – and Jesus’ point – is not to dissuade you from getting married. But only to go into marriage with your eyes open. Remember three things: (1) marriage is for holiness and happiness, (2) pay attention to the pronouns in your vows, (3) divorce adversely affects the children. No wonder Jesus ends the gospel saying: “Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” In other words, Good luck! I warned you.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

What If

Comparing the old and new Adam and Eve

08/15/2023

1 COR 15:20-27 Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

After we reach a certain age, usually when we have more years behind us than before us, we start looking back at life and ask the question, “What if?” For example, I might ask myself, “What if I had decided to go to Harvard instead of the University of Dallas?” As if I could get into Harvard! Or, “what if I had married my high school sweetheart instead of going into the seminary?”

For the record, I did not have a high school sweetheart but let’s just pretend for the sake of argument. Or, “what if I had decided to become an astronaut and go to Mars instead of becoming a priest and coming to Fort Smith?” Have you ever looked back at life and asked yourself similar “What if…” questions? We all wonder how differently our life might have turned out.

Well, I am convinced that all our smaller, individual “What if…” questions can all be traced all the way back to the original and ultimate “What if…” question that carried cosmic consequences, namely, “What if Adam and Eve had not committed the original sin and had stood up to the Tempter who offered them the fruit of the tree of knowledge?” Have you ever wondered that?

In a sense, that ultimate “What if…” question lies behind and overshadows my much smaller and personal questions. What do I mean? Well, if our primordial parents Adam and Eve had not sinned, I wouldn’t have to wonder about college, or companion, or career. That is, we would all still be living in the Garden of Eden and munching on the fruit of the tree of life and living forever.

Now, how do I know that would be the case? Well, we don’t have to look any further than Jesus and Mary. They are Exhibit A and Exhibit B of what life would (and should be) like for all of us. If we carefully study both Scripture and Tradition, we discover that Mary is described as the New Eve and Jesus is considered the New Adam. In other words, what Mary and Jesus did is precisely what the old Eve and the old Adam should have done. They answer the question, what if Adam and Eve had not sinned? How so?

Well, old Eve should not have listened to or obeyed the Serpent (who by the way was a fallen angel named Lucifer) in the Garden of Eden. Mary, on the other hand, the new Eve listened to another angel (the Archangel Gabriel) and obeyed his invitation to become the Mother of God. Notice how both women were confronted by angels, and that is where a profound parallel lies.

And the old Adam should have been present and put himself between the Serpent and his wife, ready to suffer and die for her, but he was conspicuously absent and silent while Eve talked to the Serpent. Jesus, on the other hand, the new Adam, was fully present and ready to suffer and die on the Cross for his Bride, the Church, embodied in Mary. Jesus put himself between Satan and his Spouse and he paid the price. In other words, Jesus and Mary, the new Adam and new Eve, are the color photo of which the old Adam and old Eve are sort of the photo negative. Jesus and Mary did what Adam and Eve should have done.

Now with all that as preliminary background, we can understand a little better today’s Solemnity of the Assumption. How does that help us? Well, the Assumption is the doctrine that the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was assumed by the power of God – not her own power, mind you – body and soul into heaven. That is, our Mother Mary did not experience bodily death, the separation of body and soul. Rather, she was immediately taken up to heaven. By the way, that is why there is no tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ephesus, where she spent her final years.

Now, why do we Catholics insist that Mary did not die? Well, because in 1 Co 15 (our second reading today), St. Paul notes how death is a consequence of sin, indeed, death came from original sin. But if you don’t sin, then you don’t die; sin and death are inextricably united. The Apostle Paul writes: “For since death came through man [Adam, because he sinned], the resurrection of the dead came also through man [Jesus, because he did not sin].”

And since Mary did not sin- thanks to Jesus’ grace – she was not subject to the consequence of sin, namely, death. That is why Ps 45:10 declares: “The queen [Mary] stands are your right hand arrayed in gold.” And she cannot “stand” unless she has legs and therefore a body. In other words, she stands body and soul in heaven, not just in her spirit.

Did you catch that? There is a tight correlation and connection between all the truths of faith. They are like the threads of a seamless garment. They all hold together and strengthen each other. If you were to tug and loosen even one thread – by throwing out the doctrine of the Assumption for instance – the whole garment of the Christian faith would come loose and unravel.

In 1950 Pope Pius XII promulgated the doctrine of the Assumption in a document called Munificentissimus Deus. He insisted that the Assumption was not something new or innovative, but rather intrinsic and inseparable from the Christian faith. He wrote: “The scholastic theologians…have always considered it worthy of note that this privilege of the Virgin Mary’s Assumption is wonderfully in accord with those divine truths given us in Holy Scripture” (no. 24). When we consider the Assumption of Mary together with everything else we believe: about Jesus, or the Church, or the Eucharist, it is all or nothing.

We all muse over our little “What if…” questions about our own lives. But every now and then, in our more prayerful moments, our minds ask the big "What if..." question about the whole human race. What if Adam and Eve had never sinned and had been entirely obedient to God’s commandments? What would life look like? The answer is: it would look like Jesus and Mary, the new Adam and new Eve. And we would look a lot more like Jesus and Mary, too, and then no longer need to ask questions like “What if…?”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

You Might Be Wrong

How we grow in faith but how faith does not grow

08/13/2023

Mt 14:22-33 Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him in reply, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, "Truly, you are the Son of God."

Last week a parishioner sent me a Peanuts cartoon strip. Snoopy (a spotted white beagle) is seated very studiously on top of his doghouse hammering away at a type writer. In the second frame, Charlie Brown approaches and inquires: “I hear you are writing a book on theology.” Charlie Brown continues: “I hope you have a good title.” Above Snoopy’s head in the third frame appears a thought-bubble which reads: “I have the perfect title…” And in the last frame of the cartoon, Snoopy types his title: “Has It Ever Occurred to You That You Might Be Wrong?”

Now, that is a perfect title for a theology book. Why? Well, because human language (theology) inevitably falls short of adequately describing and accurately defining the Divine Being (God). Perhaps St. Anselm said it best when he wrote in the 12th century rather cryptically: “God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived.” That is, God is the peak of the highest thoughts that the brightest human mind has climbed to reach God. But God is still higher than that.

C. S. Lewis put similar words on the lips of his mentor George MacDonald. In one of Lewis’ lesser known novels, “The Great Divorce”, Lewis meets MacDonald in heaven and his teacher tells him: “That’s what we all find when we reach this country (he means heaven). We’ve all been wrong!...There’s no need to go on pretending one was right! After that we can begin living” (p. 102).

MacDonald’s lines can also be applied to faith and theology. Faith, like everything else we learn, grows slowly and matures gradually. But unlike other forms of knowledge, faith will never exhaust its subject Matter, namely, God. Has it ever occurred to us that we might be wrong and always have more to learn about God? St. Augustine, four years before he died, reread and corrected everything he had written, called his “Retractions.” Augustine knew he might be wrong.

This growing in faith can shed light on today’s gospel of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. We are all familiar with the story. The part I want to draw to your attention is when Jesus criticizes Peter saying: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Now if Peter had little faith but he was willing to get out of the boat and walk on water, how much faith did the other 11 apostles have who didn’t even dare to get out of the boat? A lot less than little, meaning almost none. In other words, the apostles had a lot more growing to do in faith.

Even after Jesus rises from the dead, and the apostles receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, their faith is still far from perfect. St. Paul has to put St. Peter in his place as he says in Gal 2:11, “And when Cephas (Peter’s Hebrew name) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he was clearly in the wrong.” St. Paul could have said like Snoopy: “Has it every occurred to you, Peter, that you might be wrong?”

And even though the brilliant mind of St. Paul himself would flow freely through his pen to write 13 New Testament letters, he, too, humbly acknowledges the limits of his theology. He exclaims in Rm 11:33: “Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable are his ways.” Paul’s faith still had room to grow; he admitted he might be wrong, too.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying faith is some vague science and that theologians are all wrong and wasting their time. Why not? Faith has specific content that comes to us from Scripture and Tradition, under the watchful guidance of the pope and bishops (the Magisterium). So even though Catholic theology doesn’t get everything right, there are some thing we never get wrong. Like what?

Well, there are four discernable pieces of the pie of faith. First, faith is professed in the Creed we recite every Sunday. You know, that moment at Mass when everyone yawns, wakes up after the homily, and stands up to recite this long prayer? That’s called the Creed, which means “I believe.” Second, faith is celebrated in the seven sacraments, especially the Eucharist each Sunday. Third, faith is lived in the 10 Commandments and 8 Beatitudes. Faith is not just for an hour on Sunday, but for every second of our lives.

And fourth, faith is prayed in the Our Father and the various forms of spirituality developed by the saints up and down the ages. In other words, Snoopy’s book title was not entirely correct: theology gets some things right. Even though God himself is utterly beyond us, and our theological language is imperfect, we do know some things about him. Why? Because God himself as revealed them to us in Jesus. Jesus takes the guess work out of theology.

Here’s my final point about faith. Even though we grow in faith in these four areas, did you know there will never be any new content to the faith? That is, we grow in faith but the faith itself never grows. How do we know that? Because public revelation – what we need to know to be saved – ended with the death of the last apostle, namely, St. John around 100 A.D. To paraphrase Ecclesiastes: “There is nothing new [in the faith] under the sun” after 100 A.D.

What Jesus and the apostles taught us is called the “deposit of faith”. Have you noticed how some people have a safety deposit box in a bank, where they keep their valuables and family heirlooms? The Church is the spiritual bank entrusted with the safe-keeping of our precious deposit of faith, so that it is available to each generation. Why? Because in every generation someone wants to step out of the boat and walk on the water, no matter how little faith they have.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Citizens of Heaven

Understanding one important job of Catholic school teachers

08/10/2023

Mt 25:1-13 Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell sleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Do you know where I was before I came here to Immaculate Conception? The bishop let me take three months to live with the Carmelites and discern a religious vocation. A friend asked me: “So you’re thinking about becoming a Carmelite nun??” Actually, my uninformed friend did not know there are also Carmelite friars who are brothers and priests. Another friend asked, “Aren’t Carmelites supposed to keep silent most of the day? Are you going to be able to stop talking like that?” I answered: “You are right: being quiet would be much harder than becoming a Carmelite nun!”

But during those three months I learned a lot about the Carmelite order, and I also adopted some new patron saints. One of these heroic saints was Edith Stein, whose feast day we celebrate on August 9. She was raised Jewish but later became Catholic, and joined the Carmelites in 1934. Besides leading a life of prayer and penance, she was a brilliant philosopher and theologian. Her writings had a huge impact on Pope St. John Paul II, who canonized her a saint in 1998.

Because she was ethnically Jewish and living in Nazi Germany, she was rounded up by the Gestapo, and murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp on August 9, 1942. And that is why we celebrate the feast of Edith Stein on August 9, because how saints die is the true sign of how much they loved Jesus. And, of course, their death day is really their birth-day in heaven. So it is a cause of joy, not sadness.

I mention Edith Stein to you today because I invite you to adopt a patron saint for yourself as a Catholic school teacher. Why? Well, for two reasons. First, because when we read the lives of the saints and hear of their heroic actions and courageous sacrifices, we are inspired to do the same. We emulate them because they emulate Christ. If Jesus had lived in Nazi Germany in 1942, he would have behaved a lot like Edith Stein. Saints are how we answer the question: what would Jesus do (WWJD)?

Second, remember that one of the hallmarks of a Catholic school is holiness. That is, Catholic morality does not aim for the minimum – what do I have to do to avoid going to hell? – but for the maximum: how do I become a saint? So, pick a patron saint for yourself – maybe St. Francis of Assisi if you are fond of creation and God’s creatures. Or, you might like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who started Catholic schools in the United States. Learn about their life, share their stories with your students, and celebrate their feast day with a Sonic drink. Encourage your students to pick their own patron saints.

I had a friend in the seminary, who had a huge devotion to St. Agnes, an early martyr for Christ. Every January 21, her feast day, he would buy a huge sheet cake for everyone in the seminary (there were over a hundred seminarians). The cake was red velvet inside, to represent that Agnes was a martyr who shed her blood for Jesus. And the frosting was white to symbolize her purity because she remained a virgin. That is a simple but beautiful example of how we can adopt a patron saint and try to live more like them.

Chew on this thought this coming school year: our school is supposed to make little saints, and not just good citizens. Why? Well, because saints are another name for the citizens of the kingdom of heaven.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Dogs of the Lord

Appreciating the big and small Domini canis

08/08/2023

Mt 14:22-36 Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the sea, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him in reply, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, "Truly, you are the Son of God."

Every year on August 8 we celebrate the memorial of St. Dominic. He founded a religious order called the “Order of Preachers” whose specific task was preaching and teaching the Catholic faith. He was born in 1170 in Spain and died in 1221, at the age of 50. Undoubtedly the greatest member of his order was St. Thomas Aquinas. We studied the theology of Aquinas in seminary, and his teaching still shapes and systematizes the Catholic faith today. His influence cannot be overstated.

The followers of St. Dominic are called Dominicans and there is a beautiful tradition surrounding that name. Dominic’s mother was childless and made a pilgrimage to the Abby of Silos to pray for a pregnancy. While there, she dreamed of a dog leaping from her womb carrying a flaming torch in its mouth, and the torch seemed to set the world on fire. In Latin Dominicans is Dominicanus. A play on words renders it as two words in Latin, “Domini” and “canis” meaning dog of the Lord. And modern day Dominicans consider it a badge of honor to be called a dog of the Lord.

With the permission of St. Dominic and all those who proudly wear the title of Dominicans, I would like to give a shout-out to Apollo, whom I also consider to be a “dog of the Lord.” That is, I am beginning to learn that all dogs (our pets) are “dogs of the Lord.” And further, that like the Dominican order, dogs also teach and preach in their own way about the Lord and his love. Let me give you two examples of how Apollo has been a Domini canis for me and others.

First, Apollo has taught me to have a great deal of patience and understanding for people who come late for Mass on Sunday with their babies and toddlers. I used to think: why can’t you get up 15 minutes earlier and arrive on time? But there have been several Sundays when I thought I had prepared well in advance, giving Apollo his breakfast and going on a long walk.

But just as I was about to leave the rectory for church, he had an accident or threw up because he ate some grass. I rushed to clean everything up, and raced into the sacristy of the church a few minutes before Mass, barely starting on time. Suddenly, I had a huge heart of sympathy for those poor parents arriving a few minutes late. Now, I just smile and nod and think: “Yep, I get it. I’m just glad you made it. No judgement.”

In other words, without saying a word Apollo has preached and taught me that the notion of total control and everything flowing punctually and according to my agenda are illusions of personal power. He has helped me to simply do the best I can, and leave things in God’s control.

Another lesson Apollo has taught me is how to break through barriers and feel closer to people. One day a couple came for marriage preparation. The girl was Catholic and the boy was Protestant. I could immediately tell the young man looked at me with suspicion and caution, and did not say two words to me. Wearing all black with a white collar that could have come from Star Trek, he felt like I was stranger-danger, and he kept his distance physically and socially.

I led the couple into Dc. Greg’s office and apologized that my dog had confiscated my office. Suddenly, the young man’s eyes lit up and he asked, “Oh! You have a dog?!” A broad smile crossed his face and he became intensely curious about Apollo. He started to tell me about his own dogs. In a few seconds I went from being stranger-danger to his best friend.

When Apollo and I run at Creekmore Park, perfect strangers, who never would have looked twice at me, often compliment Apollo’s shiny coat and good behavior. Children love dogs, of course, but many adults become like little children around dogs. Dogs make us more human, and even make us priests look human to a suspicious world. This is how these Domini canis preach and teach us today.

Please join me today in thanking God for St. Dominic and the Order of Preachers he founded. May God call many young men and women to follow his path. Let us also praise God for the diminutive Domini canis, like Apollo, whom he has sent to preach and teach to us. They make us more human, and even a little more holy.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Coherent or Incoherent

Making the Eucharist the center of our life

08/07/2023

Mt 14:13-21 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." He said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over– twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

Today I want to say a word about a fancy 25 cent word, namely, “Eucharistic coherence.” You may be thinking, “Uh. Wut?” It is the heart of the document on the Mass written by the U.S. bishops in November, 2021. Actually it was written by a friend of mine, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, who taught me canon law at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary.

Unfortunately, the document was hijacked for political purposes and weaponized against Catholic politicians. While that was part of its purpose, that part was overblown and thus it overshadowed its true purpose, namely, how our whole life should revolve around the Eucharist. The Mass should be the central event and highest expression of our Catholic faith. And that goes for all Catholics, not just Catholic politicians.

The best way to understand the word coherence, for me at least, is to think of its opposite, incoherent. For example, you might say, “Fr. John’s homily this morning was incoherent.” Or, you may have said to your toddler when they threw a temper tantrum and started screaming, “Honey, your words are incoherent.” That is, to be coherent means your words are clear and cogent, they fit together well, and make good sense, and are easy to understand.

So, too, our life should reflect a “Eucharistic coherence” – our belief in Jesus’ real presence in the Bread and Wine should be clear and cogent. The Mass and the rest of our day should fit well together, seamlessly. And other people should see how a Eucharistic life makes perfect sense and want to join us. In short, is your Catholic life coherent or incoherent? Does your Catholic life sound like a toddler throwing a tantrum?

Let me give you some examples of how a Catholic can make his or her life more Eucharistically coherent. First, you should fast for an hour before Mass. The physical hunger should remind us that only Jesus can satisfy our deepest hunger, namely, for himself. You need the Eucharist more than food. Ordinary food helps us survive for 80, 90, 100 years; the Eucharist is food for eternity.

Second, go to confession if you have committed a mortal sin before you come forward for Holy Communion. This is the part that got political but it was meant for all Catholics. But it is always easier to point out other people’s faults, especially politicians of the other party, than look in the mirror and humbly confess our own sins. And if you can’t think of any sins, just ask your husband or wife, and they will be happy to help you.

Third, when you come into church, before you plop down into your pew, genuflect on one knee toward the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is the elaborately decorated gold container housing Jesus, with the red vigil light always burning next to it. When you walk into someone’s home, you should always greet and acknowledge the Host before you sit on their couch.

Fourth, when you come up for Communion, receive on the tongue, or on your hands. If you receive on your hands, place the right hand below the left to make a throne for Jesus, the King. When the minister declares: “The Body of Christ,” you should reply, “Amen,” meaning, “I believe it!” And consume Jesus immediately, and do not carry him back to your pew.

Sometimes I have seen people walk away with Jesus in their hands, maybe because they were never taught what to do, and so are innocent. On several occasions, I have actually stopped distributing Communion, followed them back to their pew, and said sternly, “You must eat that.”

Notice that I keep my words simple and straight-forward and don’t say, “You should consume the Sacred Host.” Why not? Well, because that may sound incoherent to them. And by the way, if you see someone else do that, you can also gently remind them that Catholics must eat the Eucharist immediately.

And fifth, some people are taking Communion after Mass to family and friends, who are home-bound or sick. And that is a beautiful ministry, and I am glad people do that. But please keep two things in mind. (1) You should go immediately after Mass to take Communion to the sick. You should not run errands and go later in the day. You cannot carry Jesus around with you all day in your car or in your pocket, like I take my dog Apollo with me where I go.

And (2) you should purify (meaning clean) the small gold pix with a little water and drink the water. That way, no small particles of the Sacred Host is left in the pix. Have you noticed how we priests carefully clean the chalice and ciborium right after Communion? Do the same. These are some examples of Eucharistic coherence.

By the way, did you notice the subtle Eucharistic coherence in the gospel today from Mt 14? Right before Jesus multiples the loaves, he uses the same four words and gestures that he will at the Last Supper, the first Mass. He takes, he blesses, he breaks, and he gives. Those are Eucharistic words.

Matthew is trying to help us see this miracle of multiplication is a foretaste of the Mass when Jesus feeds the world. In other words, there is a Eucharistic coherence ringing in the whole Bible, and you can hear it from Genesis to Revelation. That same Eucharistic coherence should echo in our lives, from beginning to end.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Little Christs

Becoming like Jesus in joy, sorrow, light, and glory

08/06/2023

Mt 17:1-9 Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Last week I was re-reading one of my favorite books, C. S. Lewis’ classic Mere Christianity. If you have never read it, please do. I came across a line I had read before but this time it hit me with a new force. Lewis wrote: “Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.” When I thought of the phrase “little Christs” that Liberty Mutual Commercial suddenly jumped to mind. Limu Emu…and Doug.

In it, the older Doug, with his hair parted on the right and his not-so-subtle mustache, is talking to his little son, who looks about 5 years old. The little Doug is a miniature replica of his dad: he parts his hair on the right, wears a mustache, sporting a banana yellow shirt, tie and blue pants. Doug says: "What do we always say, son, Liberty Mutual always customizes your car insurance.”

And mini-Doug immediately chimes in with “So you only pay for what you need.” Doug smiles proudly, and says: “That’s my boy!” He hands mini Doug the keys to his little car identical to his dad's, who quickly swipes them from his dad’s hands, and big Doug adds: “You get out there and make us proud!” The art of good marketing is to make commercial so ridiculous that we remember them.

That commercial captures in a sense what C. S. Lewis was getting at. Obviously, we do not need to dress like Jesus did, or have long hair and a beard, mini-Doug was the smitten image of his dad. But we do need to learn our Lord’s lessons, be able to repeat them from memory, and to carry on his own mission, just like little Doug continued his father’s business. Jesus wants to be able to say to us just like Doug said to his son: “That’s my boy! You get out there and make us proud!”

In the gospel today, Peter, James, and John are starting to learn how they too must become little Christs, miniature versions of Jesus. They have climbed up Mt. Tabor with Jesus, who is gloriously transfigured before they stunned eyes. Peter blurts out in incredulous joy: “Lord, it is good that we are here!” And then he just wants to stay and bask in that glorious glow and soak it up for himself.

But then Jesus begins to lead them down the mountain (both literally and spiritually) and soberly says: “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” Wow, what a buzz-kill! They were literally on top of the mountain experiencing inexpressible joy and glory, and suddenly, Jesus spoils the mood by talking about dying. Jesus’ point, though, was that becoming little Christs is not all glory and fame. It also involves suffering and sacrifice, set-backs and loneliness, misunderstandings and facing our own frailties. In other words, becoming a mini-me of Jesus would not be easy.

Besides the seven sacraments, my favorite form of prayer is the Holy Rosary. In fact, I have started praying the rosary while I walk my dog, Apollo. He’s so smart that I can say the first half of the Hail Mary, and he replies with the second half! When we meditate on the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries, we avoid the pitfall that Peter made: thinking that being a little Christ would always a mountain-top experience. The rosary reminds us that we will have joyful moments, like pregnancies and babies. But it also teaches us there will be sorrowful times, like being abandoned by friends, or even God, carrying our cross, and death.

The rosary also tells us to seek the light of Christ in our baptism, marriages, at Mass, and in mountain-top experiences like the Transfiguration today, the fourth luminous mystery. And finally, the rosary raises our minds from earth to heaven, as we contemplate Jesus, enthroned in glory, with Mary, the Queen-Mother seated at his right, as it says in Ps 45:10, “The queen sits at your right hand arrayed in gold.” That is, when I meditate on the rosary, I pray God will make me into a little Christ, in all my joys, sorrows, light, and finally in glory.

Our parish is very blessed to have one parishioner who wants to take becoming a little Christ to another level. Ben Keating, the son of Janice and Bill Keating, will enter the seminary and study to become a priest for our Diocese. Some of you will remember Ben while he attended I.C. School. After graduating from Southside, Ben studied music at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York. Later, he completed officer training for the Marines. Lastly he successfully completed the MCAT and was accepted to several medical schools. Poor Ben just can’t make up his mind! Actually, he is so talented, he could do anything. I had no trouble deciding what to do.

But Ben felt unsatisfied with all these noble pursuits until he felt God’s call to priesthood, to be another Christ in the sacramental sense. That is, not just to be Jesus’ mini-me in a generic sense, like all Christians must be, but to become Jesus in an ontological sense, so that Ben’s very soul would be shaped by Christ. You see, all Christians receive an indelible mark of grace at Baptism, and again at Confirmation, which is why those two sacraments are never repeated.

But Ben hopes to receive a third indelible mark of grace in Holy Orders and be completely conformed to Christ. You know, through music, and the Marines, and medicine, Ben hoped to heal a broken world. But nothing will bring healing and wholeness to humanity like saying the words of consecration at Mass and changing bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Why? Because receiving Holy Communion is preeminently how mere mortals become little Christs. You are what you eat.

This Sunday Bishop Taylor will celebrate the 5 p.m. Mass and Ben will officially sign up as a diocesan seminarian. Our whole parish will share the pride of Bill and Janice Keating. And we will all feel like saying what big Doug said to mini-Doug: “That’s our boy! You get out there and make us proud!”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Treasure in the Field

Learning to give all for kingdom and each other

07/30/2023

Mt 13:44-52 Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. "Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes." And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

Do you like to go shopping and try to find really good deals? I remember once Msgr. Scott Friend said he loves to go shopping for deals and ends up buying things he will never use or ever wear. But because it was such a good deal, he convinced himself that he saved a lot of money! One news show suggested that some people are so adept at using rebates, coupons, and money-back offers that they actually make money on certain deals. You can earn a living by shopping.

By the way, I hate going shopping, deals or no deals. I will never forget many years ago my mom asked me to take her shopping at Walmart. I was disgusted at the thought and rolled my eyes. But because I am a priest and she is my mother, I replied like Jesus at the wedding at Cana, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me???”

No, not really. Instead, I begrudgingly said, “Okay, mom, I’ll take you. What do you need from Walmart?” And she smiled and said sweetly, “How do I know until I get there?” You know, that is one of those moments when the male brain sort of implodes with incomprehension. “How do I know what I need until I get there?”

In the gospel today, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to going shopping and finding the best deal ever. Listen to what he says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” In other words, whenever we go to Mass it is like going shopping for the kingdom of God. What do I mean?

Well, some people come to Mass to get a really good deal. They like to receive Holy Communion but they put nothing in the collection plate. Buying God for nothing is a pretty good deal. Some people come begrudgingly to church, like I hate to go to Walmart. Why do they go? They go only because their parents make them, like my mom made me go shopping.

And yet others are like my mom when she goes shopping. They don’t know exactly what they need till they get here to church. That is, our spiritual needs are always far greater than we can imagine, and the kingdom of God always far surpasses our needs, our wants, or even our imaginations. That is why Jesus says we should be willing to sacrifice everything to gain the kingdom. This is clearly Jesus’ primary and principal point in the parable.

Nonetheless, I would suggest to you another layer of meaning, namely, that we are not the only ones who are going shopping in Jesus’ parable. In a sense, Jesus is describing himself as the one who find the buried treasure and sells all he has to buy it. Now, what is that priceless treasure Jesus finds? You and I are. And how did Jesus sell all he had to buy it? He relinquished his heavenly glory and infinite power and became like us, a weak, mortal human being.

St. Paul makes precisely this point in 1 Co 6:20, “For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” That steep price, of course, was Jesus’ Precious Blood poured out on the Cross. In other words, Jesus gave up everything – sold everything he had, even his human life – to buy the field of this creation wherein is hidden a treasure, namely, me and you. What a great deal Jesus got, right?! Well, at least he thought so.

My friends, the take-home message for us today is that we are not only shopping for the Kingdom when we go to church. We are also like Jesus sort of shopping for one another as a priceless treasure. And have you noticed how we keep getting glimpses of how priceless each and every human being is, and then we lose sight of that infinite value of each person? I have noticed how this happens three times in the course of our life.

First, we feel we have found the pearl of great price when we fall in love and marry our sweetheart. And then we discover he is not the knight-in-shining-armor and we want our money back. This happens a second time when we have children and they are our greatest treasure. All parents feel they could die for their children, that is, until their children become teenagers and live in the basement until they’re forty. Then parents want to kill their children.

And finally, a third time we find the priceless pearl when we have grandchildren, and we would do anything for them. In fact, there is a growing cadre of grandparents literally raising their grandchildren. In a real and true sense, grandparents have sold everything (including their retirement plans!) to purchase that field with the buried treasure, namely, their grandchildren. The infinite value of a human being is a lesson we learn, and then forget, and then must relearn. This was also part of Jesus' parable today.

When I prepare couples for marriage, I give them two pieces of advice. First, I tell them the worst thing that can happen to you on your wedding day is that you marry a stranger, someone you do not really know. And secondly, I tell them the best thing that could happen on your wedding day is that you look at each other and say, “I know you’re not the knight-in-shining-armor. But I still want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

And that is exactly what Jesus says to us when he sells all his heavenly glory and purchases us at the price of his Precious Blood, by dying for us. And here we reach the deepest meaning of the love of neighbor: to see the imperfections and flaws in others, and love each other anyway, indeed, to lay down our life for others. Why? Because you and I are also the treasure in the field.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Lighten the Load

Learning to appreciate those who love us tenderly

07/29/2023

Jn 11:19-27 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."

Can priests have close friends among his own parishioners? That is, can there be some people in the congregation that he is closer to and spends more time with than others? I used to think that was not possible or prudent. Why not? Well, if the priest is the father of the spiritual family of the church, and the people are his spiritual children, then he should not play favorites. Just like parents should love all their children equally and not have favorites. Do parents have favorites among their children? I don’t know about other people, but I am sure that I am my parents’ favorite child.

While as a general rule parents (and also pastors) should not have favorites among their children, they also realize not all children come with the same gifts and talents, or are strapped with the same struggles and short-comings. As a consequence, parents tend to gravitate toward those children whom they can rely on for help, leadership, and even to catch a break occasionally.

For example, parents might leave an older child in charge of his younger siblings while they go on a date night, or get away for a weekend. Other parents might see one child would be better suited to run the family business, and the other children feel uninterested or seem unprepared.

Even though parents love all their children equally, and with all their hearts, they find some children actually lighten the load of being a mom or dad. So, too, with us priests. We love you all equally, but some parishioners lighten our load with their kindness, generosity, and care.

Today, July 29, is the feast of the saintly siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany. And if we read the gospel accounts carefully, we see that Jesus had a special affection for them, perhaps more than everyone else in his orbit of acquaintances. We are all familiar with how Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead; how he wept at his tomb; how Martha remonstrates with Jesus telling him he should have come earlier, how Mary loved to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him speaking, and how Jesus spent the last week of his life in Bethany at their home.

Why did Jesus enjoy spending so much time in Bethany with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus? Didn’t Jesus know that he should love all his people equally, and not play favorites among his sheep? Didn’t Jesus think some people would feel jealous that he spent more time with these siblings than with them? Yes, all that may be true, and I believe Jesus was aware of all those concerns.

Nonetheless, Jesus was also fully human, as well as being fully divine, and perhaps he felt in Bethany those three siblings lightened his load in being the Messiah and Savior. And perhaps Jesus also did that so I would not feel guilty or inadequate as a priest when I lean on some parishioners for love and support more than others.

Folks, this is a lesson we can all apply to our Christians vocations, even if we are not a priest or a parent. In other words, it is imperative that we love everyone equally, and without exception. Indeed, the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. Still, there will be some neighbors who lighten our load as Christians.

There will be some with whom we can sort of let down our hair, and around whom we can relax and be ourselves. This is the best sense in which women like to have a girls’ night out, or men go and play golf together. Not only to get away from it all, but to be able to return to it all with renewed vigor. When we can relax for a while, like Jesus did in Bethany, we can return to our regular vocation of father, mother, husband, wife, and priest with new energy and enthusiasm.

You know, I like to use that well-worn adage, “there is no vacation from a vocation.” This is especially true when people go on vacation and try to skip Mass on Sunday. But perhaps we all need a little vacation from a vocation when we spend time with close friends, who lighten our load.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Doing the Difficult Thing

Showing our love for Jesus and for our neighbor

07/25/2023

Mt 20:20-28 The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom." Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

One of the greatest challenges in raising young people in Christian virtues today is explaining the virtue of chastity. That is, why they should save sex for marriage. I sometimes use this approach. I ask young people: which shows you love someone more: by doing something easy for them, or by doing something hard for them?

Imagine one boy who wants to prove his love for his girlfriend and pulls out a toy ring from the bottom of a Crackerjacks box and says proudly, “I love you!” Now imagine another boy who works two jobs, saves all his money for two years, and buys his girlfriend a beautiful ring with a precious stone, and declares: “I love you!” Which boy demonstrated true love? Clearly, the one who did something hard, not the one who took the easy path.

And then I ask the young couple: which is easier, to engage in sex, or to abstain from sex until marriage? Even a celibate priest knows the difference between those two things. As a matter of fact, precisely that difference, and catching which is harder, inspired me to become a priest. In other words, the life-long chastity called celibacy was a way of doing something hard out of love for Jesus. The best way to tell someone you love them is by doing something difficult, not something easy.

In the gospel today, Jesus is also trying to teach his apostles that true love is proven by doing the difficult thing not the easy task. The mother of Zebedee’s sons, Mrs. Zebedee, asks that her sons, James and John, sit at Jesus’ right and left in his kingdom. But Jesus replies in effect: “No, that is too easy! Real discipleship, real Christian love, is shown by doing what’s difficult.” And so he asks them, “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” And they answer, “We can.”

And by the way, what was the chalice and what did it contain? It was the chalice of suffering and death, and it contained the Precious Blood of Jesus shed on the cross. In other words, Jesus is the great Teacher, who instructs first by his own example. He helps them understand that love is best shown by doing the difficult thing (drinking the chalice of suffering) rather than by doing the easy thing (sitting on seats of glory). Thus Jesus concludes his lesson saying: “Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served (easy stuff), but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (hard stuff).”

Today, July 25, is the feast of St. James, one of the two sons of Zebedee. And he obviously paid very close attention that day when his mom asked Jesus for that favor and how Jesus replied. How so? Well, he was the first of the apostles to drink from Jesus’ chalice of suffering and die for the Lord. According to Acts 12:1-2, he was martyred by King Herod Agrippa in 44 AD.

And remember that was just eleven short years after Jesus’ own death and resurrection in 33 AD. In other words, St. James knew the best way to show someone you love them is by doing something hard for them, not by doing something easy for them. And so he was the first apostle to win the crown of martyrdom.

My friends, we are not all called to be celibate priests, or martyrs for Jesus like St. James. But we can all still show our love for the Lord by doing some difficult thing rather than the easy thing. Besides young people saving sex for marriage, people who suffer some illness or physical malady (especially in old age) can drink from the Lord’s chalice of suffering.

Last Sunday while I was in Pocahontas a lady asked to be anointed after Mass. She was suffering immensely with intense back pain, and there was no simple remedy for her ailment. After the anointing, I invited her to offer up her suffering in union with Jesus on the Cross. She knew that lesson much better than I did, of course.

I suggested she offer her suffering for her children, or friends, or people she knew. I explained that the prayers of those who suffer are extremely powerful. After all, it was Jesus’ agonized prayers on the Cross that saved the world. In other words, her suffering was proof positive she loved Jesus and her neighbor. Why? Because when you love someone, you prove it by doing something hard, not something easy.

Praised be Jesus Christ!