Comfort Food

Filling our hearts with God’s cooking  

Ezekiel 2:8—3:4  

The Lord GOD said to me: “Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.”   

          Here’s the easiest question anyone will ever ask you: what is your favorite comfort food? In case you don’t know what comfort food is, it was first defined in 1966 in the Palm Beach Post like this: “Adults, when under severe emotional stress, turn to what could be called ‘comfort food’ – food associated with the security of childhood, like mother’s poached eggs or famous chicken soup.” So, what would be your go-to comfort food? The Huffington Post listed these delicious items: grilled cheese sandwiches, creamed spinach, roasted chicken, peanut butter (straight out of the container with a spoon), spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate pudding, and shrimp and grits (and southern favorite).   

          Now, what would you guess is a priest’s comfort food? When I lived with Msgr. Hebert (who is a gourmet chef, by the way), sometimes we didn’t have time to cook and so he would love to grab some fried chicken – gourmet fried chicken, of course. One of my last days in India, we stopped and ordered French fries. I was all curried out. Whether we’re under a lot of stress, or just need to decompress, comfort food comes to the rescue.   

          What does the Bible cook up for comfort food? In the first reading today, Ezekiel receives some comfort food straight from the hand of God, who cooks almost as good as Hebert. We read: “He said to me: ‘Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.’” And how did God’s food taste? Ezekiel says, “I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.” In Jeremiah 15:16 another prophet eats God’s comfort food. Jeremiah says, “When I found your words, O Lord, I devoured them, and they became the joy and the comfort of my heart.” And in the book of Revelation, an angel serves up some divine delicacies for John, who says, “I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me: ‘Take and eat it; it will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth’” (Rev. 10:10). You see, no one can cook like the Creator, who knows how to nourish both body and soul.   

          My friends, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see so many Catholics hungry for God’s comfort food: his Word which is sweet as honey. We have a group of men that meets at 6 a.m. on Friday mornings to break open the Word, like they are breaking open a hard-boiled egg; hungry for holiness. We have a group of ladies that meets Monday evenings to taste the sweetness of God’s cooking. A group of stay-at-home moms meet at noon to devour the Word and let it become the joy of their hearts. Of course, the Ladies Auxiliary has been meeting since Solomon built the Temple, and feeding their bodies and spirits on God’s goodness. And what an inspiration to this priest every morning to see 75-100 people attending daily Mass – daily Mass, not Sunday Mass – who are hungry for some divine comfort food: the Word in the Bible and the Word in the Body and Blood.

          Let me ask you again: what is your favorite comfort food? Go ahead and enjoy the mac and cheese and hamburger and pizza. But also develop a hunger for God’s cooking: there’s no better way to reduce stress and decompress. And besides, it’s also low calorie.   

          Praised be Jesus Christ!

Genteel Jesus

Hiding our crazy and loving our neighbor  

Matthew 17:22-27  

When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes,” he said.  When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up.  Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”   

          One of the things I love about the South is how the prevailing culture is gentle or “genteel.” Do you know what “genteel” means? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines genteel as “having a quietly appealing or polite quality,” and “free from vulgarity or rudeness.” And that’s true here in Fort Smith, unless you try to change the high school mascot. But by and large, we try to speak, act and live in a way to avoid giving others offense.   

          This genteel spirit is epitomized excellently in Miranda Lambert’s song called “Mama’s Broken Heart.” A young girl is suffering a break up with her boyfriend, and her mother’s advice is to be a little more “genteel.” She sings: “Go and fix your make up, girl, it’s just a break up, Run and hide your crazy and start acting like a lady, ‘Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together, Even when you fall apart. But this ain’t my mama’s broken heart.” Even though she disagrees with her mother, she defines this southern genteel spirit perfectly: if at all possible, try not to offend others.

          In the gospel today, we see a “genteel Jesus” in his attitude and actions; he sort of “hides his crazy.” He explains to Peter why they both are legitimately exempt from paying the Temple tax. But then he adds, “But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up.” In the mouth of the fish would be a coin to pay their tax. Now, we know Jesus does not take the Temple lightly – remember how he drove out the money changers in Matthew 21:12? But that was a rare moment of his wrath, his righteous indignation. But 99% of the time we see a more “genteel Jesus.”

          I recently received an email from someone incensed about Pope Francis and his soft treatment of Muslims. I want to share my reply with you, as an example of “genteel Christianity,” and how to hide your crazy. I wrote: “Dear Friend, my apologizes for taking this long to reply to your email. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, and for giving me an opportunity to reply. Please read this reply in the most positive light. I sympathize with your feelings about Pope Francis, and agree that some things he says have been taken out of context and misinterpreted. I am not really qualified to speak on behalf of the pope, but he seems to me ultimately only to want to create bridges of understanding and reconciliation (where possible). Perhaps you believe no such reconciliation is possible, and there’s certainly plenty of evidence to believe that when we see ISIS terrorists killing innocent people. As Christians, however, we do try to hope beyond hope.”  

          Here’s the conclusion of my email: “You’re absolutely right that I fear greatly all the things I will be held accountable for on Judgment Day, and that includes whatever way I have not rightly evaluated Islam, Muslims, and even terrorists. May God have mercy on us all, on Judgment Day and every day. Grace and love, John.” And that’s an example of how I “run and hide my crazy.”  

          Praised be Jesus Christ!

80 Percent Friend

Having fearless faith to love both friend and foe  

Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-12  

Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.  By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.

          Several people have asked me about my trip to India, so let me share a few facts and a little fiction. First of all, there’s an almost 12 hour difference between India and the United States. So, while it’s 10 a.m. over here, it’s almost 10 p.m. over there. So, I’m still feeling the jet-lag and may well fall asleep in my own homily. You won’t sleep alone today! Secondly, the whole two weeks we only visited family, both living and deceased. Our vacations don’t include visiting the Taj Mahal or watching Ballywood movies; rather we go to several different cemeteries where my grandparents and other relatives are buried. We place flowers on their graves and light candles and pray for their souls. Of course the food was phenomenal and we even saw a snake charmer who made two cobras dance while playing his flute. One family we visited had a water buffalo, but I couldn’t convince him to let me bring it back to be our school mascot: the Buffaloes! The second week we were in Kerala, which is my parents’ hometown and where they grew up. I finally knew what it feels like to be a Wewers and Gilker, a Maestri and a Meyers here in Fort Smith – I was related to all those people; everyone was my second cousin, once-removed.   

          Now, we had originally planned to go to India back in January, not in July. But we postponed the trip out of fear. You might recall that in December, a few weeks before we were going to leave, there was a bombing in Paris, France, and shortly after that, the shootings in San Bernardino, CA. We felt it was too dangerous to travel, especially as Americans. Well, as you know, the terrorist killings had not subsided by July, but this time we decided to go anyway. Why? Well, my mom summed it up perfectly. She said: “I feel peace. I have faith that God will protect us on this journey.” I felt like saying, “Good for you, Mom! You go, and I’ll wait here and pray for your safety!” But she was right (as usual), and we stepped out in faith, forgot our fear, and we had the best vacation ever. You see, faith helps you to overcome your fear.   

           In the second reading today, we see Abraham overcome his fear by the force of his faith. The Letter to the Hebrews states: “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.” Abraham had faith like my mother (and not like me!) which overcame his fear of a foreign country, and instilled in him peace and purpose to do God’s will. After all, Abraham is called “the Father of Faith” precisely because he demonstrated how faith forces out fear from the heart. And that’s why Jesus says in the gospel today: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” In other words, have faith in the Father, and like my mom said, “he will protect you on your journey.”   

          Last week I received a very disturbing email, but I’d like to share it with you. You may want to cover your children’s ears. This person was infuriated with Pope Francis and said he was too soft on terrorists, and he is down on America. My email friend wrote: “Your pope has proven to be a jihadi sympathizer. Following the public shooting of a priest in Normandy by filthy Muslim jijadis, your pope basically apologized for these savages and their actions.” He goes on, and I apologize for the rather long sentence. My friend wrote: “Your pope has been co-opted by world government establishment figures and this explains his attempt to change the rules of Catholicism, his affinity with communism, his attempts to affect the presidential election of my country, his efforts to help illegal aliens subvert the laws of my country and now his idiotic idea that anyone who tells the truth about Islamic terror is evil.” Now you see what fun it is to be a Catholic priest: you get to reply to emails like that. I responded to my email friend as pastorally as possible, and also said a prayer for him and others who feel so strongly. I couldn’t help but wonder how much of what he wrote flowed from fear, which even a fraction of faith could easily diffuse. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” In other words, put your faith in the Father and you will feel no fear; or at least you won’t feel the need to write emails like that.   

          Folks, let me invite you to do a five second inventory of your fears. What are you afraid of? Are you like my email friend and afraid of Islamic terrorists, or maybe even afraid of what the pope might say next? Or maybe you are like I was and frightened to travel to a foreign country. Maybe you are afraid of the outcome of the presidential election and who will be our next president. You might be afraid for your children and the world they will grow up in. Maybe you’re afraid that Mass will last more than one hour – I am, too, because it always hurts our collections. Less Mass, more money! Do you know what a lot of Catholics are afraid of? They are afraid to sing in church. Well, to inspire a little faith to force out that fear, this weekend we’ve put new hymnals in the pews to help you to sing!  You might be thinking: Fr. John more people fear that I WILL sing. What are you afraid of, little flock?   

          Let me conclude with a question: who said “my 80 percent friend is not my 20 percent enemy”? Well, a lot of people have said it, but it was originally President Ronald Reagan. He was encouraging people to overcome their fears of others who don’t think exactly the same way; try to see more people as your friends. Folks, whether someone is an 80 percent friend or an 80 percent foe, we should still love them. And it is your faith that makes you that fearless. Like my mom said: “I feel peace. I have faith that God will protect us on this journey.”   

          Praised be Jesus Christ!

Oh, Brother

Seeing another’s dignity as a child of God  

Matthew 16:24-28  

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”   

          It’s fascinating to figure out how folks measure their self-worth, as well as the value they put on others. Some people measure with money. They ask: “What is your net worth?” For instance, George Lucas, the movie mogul, is worth $5.1 billion, Oprah Winfrey is worth $3.2 billion, and Sir Paul McCartney is estimated at only $1.2 billion -- poor Paul! And these are not even the richest people in the world.   

          Other people put a high price on music. Have you seen that hilarious movie called “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou”? In one scene, the three hapless heroes are driving along and pick up a young black man named Tommy Johnson. Tommy explains that he has sold his soul to the devil in exchange for learning how to play the guitar “real good.” Delmar is shocked by this unblessed bargain and asks, “Oh, son, for that you sold your everlasting soul??” Poor Tommy simply says, “Well, I wasn’t using it anyway.” Did you catch that – he wasn’t using his soul anyway. But Tommy measured his self-worth in music; he was willing to sell his soul to play the guitar.   

          In the gospel today, Jesus weighs in on the question of human dignity; how to measure a man or a woman’s worth.  He rhetorically asks his apostles: “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” To make sure they caught the question, he asks it again: “What can one give in exchange for his life.” In other words, he’s asking, “What are you worth?” Do you measure yourself by money, or by music, or by some other standard? And then Jesus explains that when he returns in glory, each person will be repaid according to their conduct. That is, don’t measure yourself by your cash, but by your conduct.   

          My friends, have you noticed how as soon as we see someone, we sort of “size them up,” and begin to put a price on them? We judge them by their clothes – especially when they’re at Mass! – or by the car they drive, or by the house they live in, or by the books they’ve published! When I traveled with my parents to India recently, I’d sneak a peek at people’s passports, and smile to myself because I had an American passport, which is infinitely superior, of course. Do we look down on others because they are undocumented or illegal aliens? Against all such easy but erroneous evaluations, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in no. 1700, “The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image of God.” In other words, each person is of infinite value and worth, whether you have a billion dollars or you can barely buy a bus ticket.   

          The next time you see someone, go ahead and size them up. But don’t measure them by money or music, or by their brains or their brawn or their beauty. Look deeper than their cash and see their conduct, the conduct of someone created in the image of God.   

          Praised be Jesus Christ!

Rebel Without a Cause

Learning to listen to our conscience  

Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14  

Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.” He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.” Then his disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”   

          Did you ever see the 1955 classic movie entitled, “Rebel Without a Cause”? It was the only lead starring role for James Dean, but the movie made him a legend and an icon for all troubled teens. Every teen wants to think he is as cool as James Dean. The movie is about a young man who’s in constant conflict with authority figures in his life: his parents, the police, the principal, and especially the school bully named, “Buzz.” (Why are all school bullies named Buzz?)  He navigates his teenage years with two friends, who are also rebels, named “Judy” and “Plato.” To me, though, the movie is more about a young man trying to find his moral compass, and seeing most authority figures as failures in that regard, except one wise police officer, Ray Frenick. Ultimately, Jim’s moral compass is configured by his conscience, which teaches him two rules: loyalty to friends, and standing up for what is right.   

          The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in no. 1776, “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey…For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God...There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.” You see, in his heart, James Dean was not a rebel without a cause. His cause was his conscience, the voice of God.   

          In the gospel today, we see Jesus playing the part of the rebel without a cause. Like James Dean, he constantly conflicts with the Jewish authority figures, often going out of his way to tweak their noses. This prompts his apostles to ask: “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” And Jesus replies: “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” In other words, the highest and holiest authority is the heavenly Father, whose voice is heard in your conscience, where he “plants” the seeds of his wisdom and love. That is, you may be a rebel without a cause to earthly authority, but you cannot rebel against your conscience, the voice of the Father.   

          Today ask yourself: who is configuring my inner compass, my conscience, or am I just a rebel without a cause? For instance, there are some people we listen to “get their take,” and conform our thinking to their way of thinking. Some people only listen to Rush Limbaugh, others will only watch Fox News, which is “always fair and balanced.” Others only watch CNN, which one friend called “the Clinton News Network.” Another friend loves Ellen DeGeneres. Who is on your Twitter feed? What “blogs” are you subscribing to? Whose columns do you never miss on the “OpEd” page of the paper? Now, I’m not saying you should or should not listen to these voices: they all have something worth considering and contemplating.   

          However, take time to listen to that “deeper voice” in your heart, where you are alone with God - without Rush, without Hilary, without Ellen, just you and God. That is your conscience and your compass, where every rebel finds his cause.   

          Praised be Jesus Christ!

Too Big for Britches

Seeing our own smallness and God’s greatness  

Matthew 14:13-21  

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. 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.”   

          I believe that it’s only when we see our own smallness that we can glimpse God’s greatness. Haven’t you ever noticed how easily small children believe in God, in miracles, in heaven, in angels? On the other hand, we adults need proof, we need hard evidence, we need scientific studies and focus groups before we will believe in anything. Spiritually-speaking we become too big for our britches and therefore blind to God’s glory.   

          For example, through the centuries nearly all apparitions of Our Blessed Mother Mary are to small children, or to those who are child-like. Just take the one we should all be familiar with here at Immaculate Conception Church – the apparition for which our church is named – when Mary appeared at Lourdes in 1858. Notice, she did not appear to a priest or to a prince or even to the pope, but rather to a 14 year-old peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous. She said to Bernadette, “Je suis l’Immaculee Conception.” That’s French for “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Mary simply spoke and Bernadette believed. You see, because of her smallness, Bernadette saw God’s greatness.    

          In the gospel today, Jesus is trying to help his apostles to glimpse their own smallness, so they can see God’s greatness. Thousands of people are hungry and Jesus asks the apostles to feed them. But they reply that they only have 5 loaves and 2 fish. Now, did Jesus know that’s all they had? Of course he did. So why does he ask them? He wanted them to sense their own insufficiency, so that they might better see God’s superabundance. In fact, in the gospel of John it says it is a small boy who brings the 5 loaves and 2 fish. In other words, Jesus is instructing his apostles not to be too big for their britches, but rather like the little lad. Only when you see your own inadequacy can you see God’s sufficiency.   

          Let me suggest to you a simple way to sense your own smallness and that is by complimenting others. And don’t just compliment your friends and the people you like and admire. Rather, compliment those you disagree with and even compliment your enemies. If you are a Democrat, try to say something nice about Donald Trump. Even some Republicans have a hard time doing that. If you are a Republican, compliment Hilary Clinton. Compliment your ex-spouse, say something nice about your boss, praise your pastor – especially the one you don’t like.

          When we see God’s grace working in others, especially in our enemies, then we are no longer too big for our britches; we humble ourselves; we become small. We become like little children, who easily see God’s glory everywhere, even in political candidates.

          Praised be Jesus Christ!

Lethal Weapon

Walking the way of peace and mercy  

Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24  

The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people, “This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people: “It was the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and city all that you have heard. Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the LORD your God, so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you. As for me, I am in your hands;  do with me what you think good and right. But mark well: if you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves, on this city and its citizens. For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear.”   

          One of the great blessings of my trip to India was being able to see something beautiful in the blood of Indians, namely, the spirit of non-violence. That is, there is a willingness to suffer injustice, inequality, and ingratitude without fighting back, without killing in return. We wield the weapon of non-violence. In the movie “Gandhi,” the great Indian liberator said, “In this cause I am prepared to die. But there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.” Then he continued with these eloquent words: “They may torture my body, they may break my bones, they may even kill me. Then, they will have my dead body, but not my obedience.”   

          And Indians wield the weapon of non-violence not only for political purposes, but also for religious ones. Do you remember reading in the newspapers back in March about the one Indian nun (among other sisters) who was killed in Yemen and an Indian priest who was abducted by ISIS terrorists? In the attack on a home for the elderly run by the Missionaries of Charity, the terrorists wielded the weapons of guns and machetes; the only weapon the Indian priest carried was his rosary. And may I suggest that on the spiritual level, the rosary is the far more lethal weapon.

          In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah, too, is willing to die but not willing to kill to fulfill God’s will. He says – in terms strikingly similar to Gandhi – these lines: “As for me, I am in your hands, do with me what you think good and right. But mark well: if you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves, on this city and its citizens.” Jeremiah didn’t carry a rosary, but he had the same lethal weapon of non-violence that Indians love to carry. In other words, often non-violence is able to effect more lasting change than violence, hatred and inhumanity. After all, who’s in charge of India now?  

          My friends, what weapons do you use to fight injustice, inequality and ingratitude in your own life, or to fight it in the world at large? Often our anger at these problems tempts us to use force and to fight, like shooting police officers or riots and looting in the wake of brutality and bloodshed. Closer to home: we harbor hatred in our hearts for family and friends who hurt us, which (Jesus said) is like killing someone in your heart. But there is a better way in the beautiful blood of Indians: the path of non-violence and peace. There is a lot that needs to change in our world, and in our country and in our hearts: but the big question is what weapons will we use to make that change? Will we brandish a rifle or bring out our rosary? On the spiritual level - and that’s the level that ultimately matters - the rosary is the far more lethal weapon.

          Do you remember the advice Mr. Miyagi gave to Danielsun on the eve of the big tournament? He said: “Here are the two rules of Miyagi-Ryu Karate. Rule number one: ‘Karate for defense only.’ Rule number two: ‘First learn rule number one’.”  

          Praised be Jesus Christ!