Sifting Wheat from Chaff

 

Seeing how death can clarify our priorities

10/14/2025

Luke 11:37-41 After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you."

You have probably heard the old adage, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” That means keep your heart and your head preoccupied with important and truly urgent matters rather than drown in the noise of daily details. But how can you tell the difference between the big stuff and the small stuff?

They often look similar, and sometimes, the small stuff looks even bigger. One way to distinguish the significant from the small is to reflect on what we want people to remember us for after we die. Death has a way of sifting the wheat from the chaff. This past Saturday I presided at a funeral for Dr. Jim Post, who was 101 years old.

His grandchildren delivered eloquent eulogies about how he attended their recitals, taught them about flowers and vegetables in his garden, how he saved children’s lives as a pediatrician, and what a devout Catholic he was. For example, there were four priests present for his funeral.

Even though Jim Post did a lot of things in over a century of life, he did not let the small stuff get bigger than the big stuff, namely, faith, family, and flowers. Last night at dinner Pat Nolte mentioned the difference in how we remember the Roman Emperors and the early Christians, remarking: “We name our sons Peter and Paul, and we name our dogs Nero and Caesar.” No offense to dogs! Peter and Paul didn't sweat the small stuff, but Nero and Caesar did.

In the gospel today, Jesus tries to teach a Pharisee how not to sweat the small stuff. When Jesus ignores the dietary details of washing before the meal, the Pharisee is shocked and scandalized. But Jesus reprimands him: “You cleanse the outside of the cup and dish [but] inside you are filled with plunder and evil.” Jesus is warning him in effect: “If you don’t differentiate between the what truly significant and what’s merely small, people will name their dogs for you and not their sons.

Today we celebrate the Optional Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I, martyr. Before he became pope he cared for a cemetery on the famous Appian Way, which stretches from Rome to the southern tip of Italy. Hence, he is the patron saint of cemetery workers.

He served as pope from 217 to 222, and was the 16th pope, like Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president. He was martyred in 222 during a popular uprising by being thrown down a well.

Pope Callistus is another example of not sweating the small stuff. Perhaps by caring for the cemetery and reflecting on the lives of the dead he learned that people remember us for the significant matters in life. His life motto changed from, “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die,” to “Pray, sacrifice, and love your neighbor for tomorrow we die.” Only after death will we be able to accurately appraise what was significant from what was small.’

My friends, take a minute to reflect on your own life. Are you sweating the small stuff? Another way to ask that questions is: “How will people remember you after you die?” One way to do that is follow the example of Pope St. Callistus I: meditate on the lives of loved ones who have passed and see what they are remembered for, like Dr. Jim Post’s legacy of faith, family and flowers.

Every October, my father reminds me to pray for our deceased family members. Do not forget the dead. At the beginning of November, on Nov 2nd, we commemorate All Souls Day. We pray for our beloved dead that they will soon complete purgatory and enter Paradise. And by the way, why are our family and friends in purgatory in the first place? I’ll give you one guess.

They were sweating the small stuff instead of focusing on the significant stuff. Like Jesus said: “But as to what is within, give alms, and behold everything will be made clean” that is, pure, purged, purgatory. In other words, our priority should be the poor. When we care for the needy on earth, they will be the ones who open the doors of heaven for us. Death has a way of sifting the wheat from the chaff.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Magnum Opus

Seeing children as our greatest achievements

10/13/2025

Luke 11:29-32 While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."

Every great artist, composer, inventor, genius produces a magnum opus. That is, a work that is his or her highest achievement. That for which he was put here on earth. Most classical music critics would say Beethoven’s magnum opus was his 9th symphony, in which he combined both symphonic music with sung poetry. He believed that orchestral music alone could not express all he wanted to convey.

Joseph Krips, the leading Austrian conductor of the 20th century, summed up his personal vision of the finale of Beethoven’s 9th symphony observing: “For me, the Choral finale simply does not take place here on earth…In my mind’s eye I see quite clearly the instant in which Beethoven enters Heaven. The finale tells us of his arrival, and how all of Heavens stands still in his presence.” In other words, true genius moves not only earth but heaven. In a word, it is timeless.

This morning we hear the beginning of St. Paul’s magnum opus, his Letter to the Romans, our first reading. St. Paul wrote 13 letters in the New Testament: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

And as Sacred Scripture, each letter is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but Paul’s Letter to the Romans is a little more inspired than all the rest. That is, not only is the Holy Spirit at work, but he has harnessed all the human genius of his earthly counterpart, St. Paul. In the words of Joseph Krips, in his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul makes “all of Heaven stand still.”

In the gospel today we see that God the Father also had a magnum opus, namely, his Son, Jesus Christ. Our Lord himself acknowledges his supreme status in Luke 11: “There is something greater than Solomon here…There is something greater than Jonah here.” And if Jesus wanted to include the New Testament, he might have also added: “There is something greater than Romans here.”

In other words, Jesus is the magnum opus that puts all other magnum opuses to shame. Why? Well because saying “all Heaven stands still” is a little hyperbolic for human genius, but it is simply cold hard fact for divine genius. That is, Jesus could rightly assert, “There is something greater than Beethoven’s 9th symphony here.” Indeed, Jesus is greater than all human genius combined, even human genius inspired by the Holy Spirit, like Sacred Scripture. You see, he is the Word of God in no way limited by human deficiencies or imperfections.

My friends, what would you consider your magnum opus? Since we have been created in the image and likeness of God, we are destined to be creators. We cannot be otherwise. God creates because his knowledge, power, and love cannot be contained.

So, too, we create in our own human fashion because knowledge, power, and love overflow in us. We may have a signature recipe: no one makes coconut crème pie like Laverne Neihouse. No one can preach a homily like Archbishop Fulton Sheen. And no one can play tennis as elegantly as Roger Federer.

But by far our magnum opus is when we become co-creators, or better procreators, with God’s help, that is, when we bring a child into this world. Why is a child your magnum opus? Well, because while mom and dad provide the genetic material for a human being, 23 chromosomes, only God can supply the soul.

In other words, every child is a masterpiece because it is not the achievement of what two people can do but the result of God’s grace. This is the deepest meaning of the scriptural phrase in Mt 19, “What God has joined together, man must not divide.” That is, God does not just join together a man and a woman in marriage, he later joins them together inseparably and eternally – through their intimate love in using their chromosomes – in a new human being.

And when that miracle of life occurs in a woman’s womb, the words of Joseph Krips comes true: “All of Heaven stands still.” My friends, you and I are also God’s masterpiece, not on the scale of his magnum opus, Jesus, but he delights in us like Beethoven delighted in all his symphonies. Every time parents bring a child into the world, they have created someone timeless, their magnum opus.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Riding a Drunken Camel

 

Learning how relationships need to be two-way streets

10/12/2025

Luke 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."

I have lived in Fort Smith for 12 years now and I still have not gotten used to the crazy street configurations. Have you noticed this as you drive around? It is often said that the streets of Fort Smith were laid out by a man riding on the back of a drunken camel. I’m sure the man was drunk, too, to get on the camel.

But the hardest part of our beloved city’s traffic pattern is where two-way streets suddenly become one-way streets. A couple of times I found myself driving the wrong way into one-way traffic. And I felt like I was on the back of that drunken camel, who didn’t know which way he should go.

In the gospel today we see how one-way traffic can also afflict us in the spiritual life, and why two-way traffic is better. Jesus is traveling through Samaria where he meets 10 lepers. They beg for healing: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And Jesus heals all 10, but only one comes back to say “Thank you.” Jesus asks: “Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

You see, Jesus’ healing power had sort of traveled from him to the 10 lepers, but at that point it was all one-way traffic. And 9 of the lepers happily jumped on their drunken camels and headed home. But one leper, a Samaritan, returns – returns in the opposite direction – to thank Jesus.

If you were to look upon that scene through the eyes of faith, you would behold bustling two-way traffic. The gift of healing was going one way and the feeling of gratitude of heart was going in the other direction. In other words, the City of God, like the city of Fort Smith, functions best when there is busy two-way traffic.

Let me apply this two-way traffic to our own lives. The most famous citizen of Fort Smith is Judge Isaac Parker, the “Hanging Judge.” When he read his sentence of death, he said: “May God whose laws you have broken, and before whose tribunal you must appear, have mercy on your soul.” For 21 years Judge Parker, like a judicial traffic cop, directed one-way traffic sending men to the gallows.

But before his own death on November 17, 1896, Judge Parker discovered the wisdom of two-way traffic. What do I mean? Well, lying on his deathbed, Parker gasped to his wife, Mary O’Toole, a devout Catholic: “Mary, call the priest!” And Fr. Lawrence Smyth, pastor of I.C. ran down Garrison Avenue – a two-way street in more than one sense that day – to baptize Parker before he died. The most famous Fort Smithian died a Roman Catholic.

As he was dying, Parker was traveling a one-way road toward divine justice but Fr. Smyth came running to meet him with divine mercy, and effectively made it a two-way road. By the way, this is why the Catholic Church stands firmly against the death penalty. Why? Because we oppose sending anyone to the gallows before they can cry out for mercy to God, like Parker did. We all desire busy two-way traffic before we die.

We discover a different kind of two-way traffic in spousal communication. Some married couples’ daily dialogue consists only one-way traffic of criticisms and complaints: “You don’t help with the kids.” “You work too much.” “You spend too much money.” “You don’t make any time for me.” Think of the comic strip The Lockhorns.

But a much healthier traffic pattern of talking would be the two-way traffic not only of complaints but also of compliments. “You hit a homerun with dinner tonight.” “You must be the hardest-working employee!” “You look smashing in that dress.” “I can’t wait to spend eternity with you!” In other words, the one-way traffic of complaining must frequently – indeed always should – yield to the two-way traffic of complimenting.

A third example of two-way traffic can be seen in coming to Mass every Sunday. That is, we should not come only to hear uplifting music or a soul-stirring sermon or even to receive Communion. That is all one-way traffic: God gives and we receive. How often people complain: “I don’t get anything out of the Mass!”

I’ll never forget how our high school principal, Fr. George Tribou, would often tell us students: “You don’t come to Mass just to get something. You come to give something: to give some of your time, to give some of your attention, to give some of your love.” We come to say like the leper in the gospel, “Thank you Lord for all you’ve given me.” In other words, at Mass we should travel a busy holy, two-way highway of receiving God’s gifts and giving our gratitude.

My friends, be very careful as you drive home today from church. Fort Smith is infamous for its crazy one-way streets. But be even more careful about the same traffic patterns in life. The best roads in our relationships are busy two-way traffic of justice and mercy, and criticisms and compliments, and gifts and gratitude. Fort Smith’s streets may have been designed by a guy on a drunken camel, but our lives better not be.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom

 

Understanding the inestimable value of the Holy Rosary

10/07/2025

Luke 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."

Someone sent me a little picture – a meme – recently with the title “The First Rosary.” It depicted a cartoon image of Mary and next to her, holding her dress, was a cartoon figure of a toddler Jesus. And above Jesus’ head was a word bubble filled with the words, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom.” That’s like how we pray “Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary” in reciting the rosary. Jesus prayed the first rosary.

It’s humorous to think of Jesus praying to Mary because after all he is God and the only One he needed to or wanted to pray to was God the Father. And yet, because we believe Jesus was fully human, we must also acknowledge that Jesus often sought, indeed he even needed, the help of his mother Mary. How could Jesus possibly need Mary?

Well, for the first nine months of Jesus’ human life he was in Mary’s womb, an embryo entirely dependent on her to sustain his life. He was literally inseparable from her. Then, of course, for the first two years presumably Mary nursed Jesus. Hence, a woman exclaimed in Lk 11:27, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.”

And Jesus’ worry for the well-being of his mother would be on full display as he hung dying on the Cross. There he said to his beloved disciple, John (speaking about Mary): “Behold your mother.” And we read in that same verse from John 19:27, “And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”

In a sense, just as Jesus had prayed, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom,” as an infant at Mary’s breast, so all Jesus beloved disciples – meaning me and you – should do the same. In other words, John 19:27 is the solid scriptural basis for our relationship with Mary as our mother, and further why one of the most beautiful expressions of that mother-child relationship is embodied in the rosary, where we say in effect, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom.”

In the gospel today we discover that when we pray the rosary we not only imitate Jesus who prayed “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom,” we also imitate the angels. When the Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary to announce – that’s where we get the word “Annunciation” – the Incarnation of God becoming Man, he says “Hail Mary, full of grace.”

In Greek, the three words “full of grace” is captured by one word, “kecharitomene”, which means jam-packed to overflowing with grace.” That is, you could not put one more iota of grace into Mary. The Annunciation, as you know, is the first mystery of the rosary. But do you recall the last mystery of the rosary? It is the Coronation of Mary as Queen of heaven and earth.

That means Mary is also the Queen of angels, like the Archangel Gabriel. To get the true picture of the exchange between Gabriel and Mary in Luke 1, we need to understand that Gabriel is not speak to Mary as if she were his inferior but rather as his superior. My nephew Isaac, a 1st Lieutenant in the Army, would say Gabriel addressing Mary is equivalent to a major addressing a general.

And if we translate Luke 1 into family terminology – which is always the most accurate way to understand the reality of all relationships – we would say Mary is not only the Queen of the Angels, but their Mother as well. In a true sense, therefore, Gabriel is saying like the Infant Jesus, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom.”

Indeed, those words of tender trust and endearment is what the whole universe utters as it beholds the magnificent miracle of Jesus' grace at work in his masterpiece, his prodigy: the sinless, ever-Virgin, Blessed Mary. Mary is the mother of all creation, heaven and earth. That is what we meditate on in the Most Holy Rosary.

Yesterday, a wonderful parishioner named Corinne Rose came to see me. She wanted to give me a rosary she had hand-made and it was stunningly beautiful, with lovely opague green beads and gold chain links between the beads. I was stunned at the elegance of her gift. And I mentioned how appropriate the gift was because yesterday was the day before the feast of the Most Holy Rosary.

I confessed to Corinne that I am hard on rosaries, and they usually don’t last long in my hands because the links inevitably break. She answered with a smile: “Don’t worry, Fr. John, this one can handle your prayers, no matter how hard they are.” She was absolutely right: Mary’s rosary can handle our prayers, just like she could handle the Infant Jesus’ prayers when he said to her, holding her robes: “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom!”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Four Can Openers

Identifying which are the best Bibles

10/06/2025

Luke 10:25-37 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.' Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is: What is the best Bible to read? Have you ever struggled with which Bible to buy? I always answer: “A Bible in the hand is worth two on the shelf.” That is, whatever Bible you will actually pick up and read is better than the most expensive leather-bound Bible that just sits on the shelf collecting dust.

Bibles are not meant to be museum pieces that should be admired from a distance and never touched. Instead, they should actually look well-worn: underlined, dog-eared, with notes in the margins. A friend of mine once wisely told me: “A Bible that is falling apart is usually read by a person that is not.” So the best Bible is one that you actually read, and even wear out.

Now, I just gave you a subjective answer, so let me also provide you with an objective answer to the question about the best Bible. Bibles are differentiated by the commentary that they supply to explain the Word of God. That is, Bibles invariably contain both the inspired Word of God, but also the insightful words of men, Scripture scholars. The Sacred Scriptures is not a self-interpreting book.

If the Bible is a can, the commentaries, the footnotes, the explanations are the can openers. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches there are basically four can openers we can use to open the inspired can of the Bible. We read in no. 115: “One can distinguish between two senses of Scriptures: the literal sense and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral, and anagogical.”

It goes on: “The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of the Scriptures in the Church.” In other words, the best Bibles will provide the best commentaries – can openers – that explain the four dimensions of the Word of God. Let me explain.

First, the literal sense or dimension is the author’s reason for writing, how he aims human history at a theological target. Second, the allegorical sense or dimension is the symbolic reading of the Bible. For example, how Moses leading people out of Egyptian slavery symbolizes Jesus who frees us from slavery to sin.

Third, the moral sense or dimension gives us a compass to guide our steps on earth to avoid sin. And fourth, the anagogical or heavenly sense or dimension helps us to keep our eyes on the prize, our heavenly destiny. The best Bibles, therefore, always give you the four can openers in their commentary, so we can relish every sense of Sacred Scripture.

Every morning when I read the Scripture readings for Mass, I consult the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website. It gives you exactly the readings for the daily Mass and you can easily click on the commentary, the footnotes, for unfamiliar or confusing passages. While it is convenient, though, I find it rather limited. How so?

Well, it usually only gives you one of the four can openers to break open the Word of God. That is, it does a great job with the literal sense – the author’s reason for writing – but almost entirely ignores the other three senses. Put differently, the USCCB commentary tends to be one-dimensional, where it should be four-dimensional.

And that brings me to the Bible I like best, namely, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The general editors are Curtis Mitch and Scott Hahn, and they have taken great care to provide readers with all four can openers to break open the Word, so we can behold and benefit from all four dimensions of the Sacred Scriptures. Now, one small drawback is that their English translation is not the one we use at Mass. But their commentaries and footnotes are exceptional.

For example, they explain the allegorical (symbolic) sense of today’s gospel of the Good Samaritan. They write: “The parable signifies Christ’s restoration of mankind. Adam is the man attacked by Satan and his legions; he is stripped of his immortality and left dead in sin. The priest and the Levite represent the Old Covenant and its inability to restore man to new life.”

Now comes the good part: “Jesus Christ comes as the Good Samaritan to rescue man from death and brings him to the inn of the Church for refreshment and healing through the sacraments” (p. 1854). That refreshment and healing is symbolized by the “oil and wine” which we use in the sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Mass.

Can you see how the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible presents the Scriptures in all its richness? That is, using all four can openers we can behold the banquet of all four dimensions of the Word of God. And then we can sit down to this feast of faith called the Sacred Scriptures and not go home hungry.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

My Orlando Vacation

Understanding the interplay of faith, works, and grace

10/05/2025

Luke 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.'"

Last weekend I went to visit my sister, Mary, in Orlando for a little vacation. But instead of getting a selfie with Mickey Mouse or working on my tan sipping on a Pina Colada on Daytona Beach, Mary put me to work. First, she asked me to give a presentation to her OCIA class, then she wanted me to speak to her Marriage Mentor group, and finally she scheduled me to celebrate two Masses on Sunday. Let me tell you, an Orlando vacation is way overrated.

At the end of my presentation to the OCIA class, though, one participant raised her hand to ask: “So, why do Catholics say we are saved by works but Protestants put more weight on faith?” I answered: “I would say it’s not mainly about faith or works, but much more about grace. In other words, we are saved by grace." Then I shared this illustration with the OCIA class which I have shared with you before.

One day Scott Hahn was jogging around his neighborhood and noticed a man trying to move his front yard. But his small toddler son kept crossing in front of him with his toy mower, imitating his dad. The man was getting visibly frustrated, so Scott Hahn decided to make another loop around the block to see how the father would resolve his 4-year-old dilemma.

When Hahn came back by the same house, he noticed the father had picked up his son and was carrying him in one arm. With the other arm he was steering his mower. Meanwhile the little boy had both his hands on the real mower, and a huge smile on his face. I’ll give you one guess why he was smiling from ear to ear. The boy thought he was moving the yard with his dad’s mower. That image illustrates how we are saved by grace. How?

Well, you and I are the little boy being carried in God the Father’s arms and anything we think we do by our “works” is entirely sustained by his loving grace. We read a succinct summary of salvation in Deut 1:31, “The Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all along your way.” You see, faith opens our eyes to see how God’s grace saves us, from beginning to end. We might say our only contribution is to not jump out of the Father’s arms.

The gospel today juxtaposes, side by side, two apparently unrelated topics, but they are in fact, inseparably connected. In Luke 17:5-6 the apostles request: “Increase our faith.” Then in verses 7-10, Jesus speaks about the attitude of a useless servant, saying: “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do’.”

What does increasing of faith (on the one hand) have to do with being unprofitable servants (on the other)? I believe the story of the father and son mowing the yard can help us here. First, as the faith of the apostles increases, they more they see reality as it is: how the Father’s love sustain all creation and every person by carrying everything in his arms.

Nothing (and no one) budges without his providence guiding it or his permission allowing it. Notice this spiritual fulcrum at work: the more faith we have, the less credit we feel we can take. John the Baptist said it best: “He must increase and I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). Faith sees how grace does it all. And we are but "unprofitable servants.”

Let me draw out three implications of this interplay between faith, works, and grace. First, faith is a gift from God. Thus, we cannot increase it by ourselves, for example, watching Youtube videos on faith, or listening to the Bible in a Year, or reading thousands theology books. All these things are good, but they do not change the fact that God gives the gift of faith as he pleases.

All we can do is pray for faith and open our hands to receive. We are like those people standing on the street corner with signs asking for assistance. They need financial help because they are materially poor. We need faith help because we are spiritually poor. We are all beggars before God when it comes to faith.

Second, we can understand sin more accurately in light of faith, works, and grace. How so? Well, if faith helps us to see that anything good we do is simply cooperating with God’s grace – sitting put in God’s arms – then sin is simply not cooperating with God’s grace. Put differently, sin is jumping out of the Father’s arms and foolishly trying to mow the yard with our toy mower. In a word, every sin is silly, unnecessary and slows down God’s work of salvation.

And third, faith, works, and grace teach us the meaning of humility. When we grasp we are all just the little boy carried in the Father’s strong arms, what can we possibly boast or brag about? Our higher education degrees are God’s work. Our brilliant inventions and bright insights are his work. The money we earn, the milestones we reach, the families we raise, the churches we pastor, the businesses we build – everything we lift a finger to do – is always his work first and foremost.

If we take any satisfaction or pride, or gloat in anything we achieve or how hard we work, we are imitating that little boy who smiled from ear to ear thinking he was mowing the yard. Instead, we should humbly conclude: “We are unprofitable servants.” And perhaps that’s a better way to think about what I did last weekend: as a little boy carried in his father’s arms. So maybe last weekend really was a pretty good Orlando vacation, where fathers carry their children in their arms through the Magic Kingdom.

Praised be Jesus Christ!